(SE) twist the knife, break my heart, put it back

Hotaru

"As did many of the rest of us," she agrees softly. Not just her own ghosts, but so many others too. How many children had been running about when Helovia crumbled? How many had gone through the Rift to find themselves orphans even when their parent had been alive at their side moments before? It kills her that her children had experienced that, that she'd been the one to disappear between one heartbeat and the next. Though she's surprised at the mention of Kiada, and can't help but frown and sigh. "Kiada was just as young, and children are easy to manipulate, especially when an entire land of people did not suspect the new God would be quite so monstrous, even those suspicious of him." Shaking her head, she pushes her hair back to avoid getting it tangled up with the adhesive she's using. "I can't fault her for holding a grudge when Kiada is a convenient target, but I wish it didn't have to be that way." And she thinks to herself that perhaps she should have a conversation with Kiada soon about Kaos, if Melita is attacking her with such accusations.

She is only slightly surprised by his admission that he'd communicated with Maea. He seems to be much more willing to bend and change for the woman, and that was after he'd already made decent strides under his own power. "And Lusea? How is that coming along?" A sincere inquiry. Hotaru is all too familiar with the loss of a lover, knows how long and hard the road can be to relinquishing them from your heart and accepting their absence.

I'm ready to hope, swing me out of the low
Wide awake in the glow, I can't do this alone