my darling can you hear it? something's lurking in the leaves
I can feel its preying eyes on us from somewhere in the trees
I can feel its preying eyes on us from somewhere in the trees
She should be ashamed, to curl into the embrace of such a young girl, to place her burden on untested shoulders. The maternal side of her cringes in self-flagellation, ashamed. It doesn’t stop her from doing so. She’s not alone, she always has Deimos, but this is something she must keep from him at all costs - and therein lies the solitude she is forced to create around the issue. Ru’s cheek finds Seren’s shoulder, turning into her even as her other hand still brushes against the kitten’s spine. In all her pregnancies she at least had the support of her kingdom, her council and few friends in those times when the father would not. Now she has nothing. Not even a companion as an extra pair of eyes or a bond to her soul to help shoulder the weight.
“I lost my Alice when I was brought here. I never wanted to feel that horrible pain again, I thought it would kill me the first time. I didn’t intend to ever bond with another, but I found him in the tundra and our fates were sealed.” Her jaw feathers with clenched teeth, eyes sliding shut in an expression of pain and self-hatred. “He didn’t deserve to be bound to someone like me.” Lifting off Seren’s shoulder, she presses the heel of her free hand into her eye, the few tears that have escaped being roughly brushed off her cheek with the solitary hand.
“I know. But I pray Ludo will tell me what can and cannot be done, if they will deign to see me at all.” Attuned she may be now, magic still stains her soul, and she has yet to meet any other deity aside from Frey. “I fear the more time slips away, the less of a chance I have. But I cannot focus on that until this mission is complete - one that puts the baby at risk. I am torn in three directions, and I don’t know what to do.” Safrin’s demands of Deimos and by extension Hotaru, needing to seek out Ludo for Atlas’ soul, and now of course her own pregnancy to consider amidst the turmoil. There would be no completion of Safrin’s quest without danger, without battle. Hotaru wasn’t sure if perhaps Frey could protect the little life inside her, was hesitant to ask for something so soon after being Attuned anyway.
“I lost my Alice when I was brought here. I never wanted to feel that horrible pain again, I thought it would kill me the first time. I didn’t intend to ever bond with another, but I found him in the tundra and our fates were sealed.” Her jaw feathers with clenched teeth, eyes sliding shut in an expression of pain and self-hatred. “He didn’t deserve to be bound to someone like me.” Lifting off Seren’s shoulder, she presses the heel of her free hand into her eye, the few tears that have escaped being roughly brushed off her cheek with the solitary hand.
“I know. But I pray Ludo will tell me what can and cannot be done, if they will deign to see me at all.” Attuned she may be now, magic still stains her soul, and she has yet to meet any other deity aside from Frey. “I fear the more time slips away, the less of a chance I have. But I cannot focus on that until this mission is complete - one that puts the baby at risk. I am torn in three directions, and I don’t know what to do.” Safrin’s demands of Deimos and by extension Hotaru, needing to seek out Ludo for Atlas’ soul, and now of course her own pregnancy to consider amidst the turmoil. There would be no completion of Safrin’s quest without danger, without battle. Hotaru wasn’t sure if perhaps Frey could protect the little life inside her, was hesitant to ask for something so soon after being Attuned anyway.
my dear don't let it catch you - all that's left to do is run
Hotaru
