ASHE
are we dancing after death?
Ashe had felt helpless in her life more often than not. For the better part of her life, she was hyper controlled by a twisted Master. She had been at his mercy, without choice, without control. She had been resigned to it for so long, until she snapped. But this? Somehow, this was worse. Worse, because it wasn’t something terrible happening to her anymore, but her family. One of the most important people in any world to her.
And he was dying.
Her throat constricted, and she swallowed roughly with prickling eyes as she met his gaze again. She couldn’t bring herself to smile at him, but she set her jaw, willed steel into her eyes. She pressed her lips together, looking down at Remi’s notes and sketches. Some part of her was taken far away, to a cramped apartment. Where younger, even less sure versions of them had sat, where Remi had taken her hand to sketch it with such care. A lifetime ago. She looked up to him, reaching out with that same scarred hand to briefly squeeze his. ”We’re not losing him. I won’t accept that.”
”This started when Safrin crashed into the Spire. Those plants… they’ve been poisonous since before that, and no one had caught any blight. Safrin believes the Voice is responsible…” Ashe pursed her lips. Just saying what she knew now out loud, really, like that alone would help her understand. ”Destroying the plants should be done. It needs to be. But the Voice… maybe we’ll learn something if we speak with her.” She offered a half smile to him, strained but genuine. ”Would you go with me, if I went to one of her shrines?"
And he was dying.
Her throat constricted, and she swallowed roughly with prickling eyes as she met his gaze again. She couldn’t bring herself to smile at him, but she set her jaw, willed steel into her eyes. She pressed her lips together, looking down at Remi’s notes and sketches. Some part of her was taken far away, to a cramped apartment. Where younger, even less sure versions of them had sat, where Remi had taken her hand to sketch it with such care. A lifetime ago. She looked up to him, reaching out with that same scarred hand to briefly squeeze his. ”We’re not losing him. I won’t accept that.”
”This started when Safrin crashed into the Spire. Those plants… they’ve been poisonous since before that, and no one had caught any blight. Safrin believes the Voice is responsible…” Ashe pursed her lips. Just saying what she knew now out loud, really, like that alone would help her understand. ”Destroying the plants should be done. It needs to be. But the Voice… maybe we’ll learn something if we speak with her.” She offered a half smile to him, strained but genuine. ”Would you go with me, if I went to one of her shrines?"
