HOTARU
She's in a long black coat tonight
Waiting for me in the downpour outside
Waiting for me in the downpour outside
Hotaru’s eyes slide back to Flora, a naked expression of dismay creasing her brow. “She needs it anyway,” she murmurs, hand straying from stroking Flora’s hair to gently brush one knuckle down her cheek. At least this way she won’t dream. Hotaru hopes she can’t - she’s not sure Flora will want to tell her regardless by time she wakes, but at least she’ll be rested enough to scream.
Blind to how vulnerable she leaves herself by virtue of her trust in him, Hotaru doesn’t so much as flinch as a wing emerges to cocoon both blondes. In fact she settles further. It’s not Sunjata’s draconic wing but it’s something close enough to the feeling that it soothes the frayed edges of her terror.
Frustration briefly wrinkles her nose, equally confused by Remi’s reaction. “That she has to leave Torchline. I’m sure she’s felt compelled to destroy the Family’s creations because of the fear everyone has, that her people have, but now is the best time to disappear while everyone thinks she’s dead.” It’s practically conversational, the way she lays it out. It makes as much sense to her as any other political move. Rusty she might be, there’s no denying an advantage as plain as this one. “I can take her to Frey - they’ll explain it to her, the same way they told me, that it’s not dangerous. She can step down without marring her name, stay out of the crossfire -” her momentum slams to a halt as her throat chokes up so fast it makes a pathetic clicking noise. Panic brightens in her eyes and she makes a pathetic noise like a strangled whine. “She didn’t need to be there. She shouldn’t have been doing any of this. I can’t -” survive it “- I can’t lose her. I won’t - I’m not you.” Her tears look like liquid gold in her own glowing aura as they finally fall. Silent, absentminded, as if she’s unaware it’s happening.
It would be so easy to hate him. To resent him for being so much better than her in every conceivable way. For having the skill set to watch over their daughter more effectively. For living in the same region while her own heart is torn between two, and attempting to provide Ronin space to boot. Somewhere inside maybe she does hate him for it. But it is eternally overshadowed by the skeleton framework of a friendship blunted too soon, the appreciation of all he’s done for her, for their children, and the ways he has kept her connected to Enzo the moment he was able to. She can’t hate him, not really - so she hates herself instead. Always one minute too late, one step too far away. Combined with the haze of infection insisting she convince Flora to stop being an active threat, there’s no logical reason for Flora to stay where Hotaru can’t reach her. “I can’t be too late again. Please. I need you to help me explain that to her.” Just until the world is safe again.
Blind to how vulnerable she leaves herself by virtue of her trust in him, Hotaru doesn’t so much as flinch as a wing emerges to cocoon both blondes. In fact she settles further. It’s not Sunjata’s draconic wing but it’s something close enough to the feeling that it soothes the frayed edges of her terror.
Frustration briefly wrinkles her nose, equally confused by Remi’s reaction. “That she has to leave Torchline. I’m sure she’s felt compelled to destroy the Family’s creations because of the fear everyone has, that her people have, but now is the best time to disappear while everyone thinks she’s dead.” It’s practically conversational, the way she lays it out. It makes as much sense to her as any other political move. Rusty she might be, there’s no denying an advantage as plain as this one. “I can take her to Frey - they’ll explain it to her, the same way they told me, that it’s not dangerous. She can step down without marring her name, stay out of the crossfire -” her momentum slams to a halt as her throat chokes up so fast it makes a pathetic clicking noise. Panic brightens in her eyes and she makes a pathetic noise like a strangled whine. “She didn’t need to be there. She shouldn’t have been doing any of this. I can’t -” survive it “- I can’t lose her. I won’t - I’m not you.” Her tears look like liquid gold in her own glowing aura as they finally fall. Silent, absentminded, as if she’s unaware it’s happening.
It would be so easy to hate him. To resent him for being so much better than her in every conceivable way. For having the skill set to watch over their daughter more effectively. For living in the same region while her own heart is torn between two, and attempting to provide Ronin space to boot. Somewhere inside maybe she does hate him for it. But it is eternally overshadowed by the skeleton framework of a friendship blunted too soon, the appreciation of all he’s done for her, for their children, and the ways he has kept her connected to Enzo the moment he was able to. She can’t hate him, not really - so she hates herself instead. Always one minute too late, one step too far away. Combined with the haze of infection insisting she convince Flora to stop being an active threat, there’s no logical reason for Flora to stay where Hotaru can’t reach her. “I can’t be too late again. Please. I need you to help me explain that to her.” Just until the world is safe again.
singing "Baby come home" in a melody of tears
While the rhythm of the rain keeps time
While the rhythm of the rain keeps time
