Empty Bottle

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

In the time it had taken to complete his lantern, Milo was definitely a bit drunk. The mess had been cleared with a bit of a sand replacement and he’d remained long after everyone had departed – everyone except for Aurelia. And so he finds himself laying in the sand, staring up at the stars, attention only flickering to her when she grumbles and then speaks to him, some sort of fiery vigor in the words she says. “’m not waitin’ fer you.” He says, a quiet laugh leaving him as he pushes himself up from the sand and peers at the lantern instead of her.

Sand falls from the back of his sleeveless shirt, from the red hair that’s tousled from his hand running through it a few too many times. “Jus’ enjoyin’ the company, ev’n if ya aren’t.” A red brow raises, turning to look back at her with dark ochre eyes. Nodding his head toward his lantern, he shrugs lightly. “Didn’t know ‘nyone t’make a lantern fer this year so I kinda bullshitted it. Don’ tell Ludo on me, a’ight?” A crooked grin splashes across his face, knowing she wouldn’t but knowing that he had put quite a lot of detail into the lantern regardless.

Perhaps instead of it being for a person lost to them, it was more of a shrine to some memories – something to get over one day.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more