MABEL
“If you say so,” she remarked offhandedly, as if the motion, the notion, didn’t bother her at all. And it didn’t – handwaved away on paltry, trifle, trivial pursuits. Let him have his delusions. Maybe she wasn’t fully human any longer either. Perhaps it didn’t matter in the long run, when they were all parted and placed, when drums roared in the back of their minds, and their worlds imploded.
Then she sat back again, mildly piqued that he hadn’t risen to her bait – which was too bad, because she could guess and estimate others would’ve shown their hackles at such ventures and statements. Instead, he happened to round over into something that still brought her a weight of uncertainty – not in her faith, but in her abilities, in her efforts, in her time. Mild bouts of the trepidation came out in the intermingling of her fingers, twitching and folding over one another, clasped together in her lap, and then not, back and forth. “Yes, when I first Ascended.” When she and Evelyn had come begging on their hands and knees, when they’d buried the last of their family, when they’d heard their last god damned oath to the Old ones sputtered out and vacant from the lips of their parents. “But not since.” Which made her wonder, vaguely, if she was worthy. “Perhaps I’m not deserving enough yet.” But it wouldn’t cease or bind her determination.
She’d simply try again.
“And you?” Mabel added, shrugging the attention away from her. “Have they paid attention to your Abandoned existence?”
Then she sat back again, mildly piqued that he hadn’t risen to her bait – which was too bad, because she could guess and estimate others would’ve shown their hackles at such ventures and statements. Instead, he happened to round over into something that still brought her a weight of uncertainty – not in her faith, but in her abilities, in her efforts, in her time. Mild bouts of the trepidation came out in the intermingling of her fingers, twitching and folding over one another, clasped together in her lap, and then not, back and forth. “Yes, when I first Ascended.” When she and Evelyn had come begging on their hands and knees, when they’d buried the last of their family, when they’d heard their last god damned oath to the Old ones sputtered out and vacant from the lips of their parents. “But not since.” Which made her wonder, vaguely, if she was worthy. “Perhaps I’m not deserving enough yet.” But it wouldn’t cease or bind her determination.
She’d simply try again.
“And you?” Mabel added, shrugging the attention away from her. “Have they paid attention to your Abandoned existence?”
If you dig under my feet
You will find things that you don't want to see
You will find things that you don't want to see
