my held breath fills the room with blood
hurting in ways I can't describe
Hotaru is not unaware of the girl’s discomfort. Her stare is too infrequently interrupted by natural blinking. Body language is something she learned quite young to aid her in darker, more mischievous efforts. Now, it tells her everything she needs to know about Seren’s current state of mind.
Though she doesn’t rush, she doesn’t linger either. Hotaru is far more comfortable with death than the stargirl, but that is the way it should be. She is the child of Safrin, herald of Vi, God of Life. It may be part of the cycle of creation and withering, but it is not easy to watch the first time.
A rumbling purr starts in her chest - whether it’s for Umbra as he dives onto the hare, or Seren as she stands frozen and staring, it doesn’t really matter. When she has finished, she licks her teeth clean, and even goes so far as to wipe her maw in the snow to remove any remnants. Even the smallest lingering bit can ruin the meal if it transfers to her human tongue.
Only then does she shift back, kneeling in the snow. She extends a hand to Seren, expression soft but distinctly not pitying. “Would you like me to show you how to use their remains so as not to waste their sacrifice?” Perhaps that would help her come to terms with it. If not Ru will bundle up the remains on her own to utilize them to their full extent later.
Though she doesn’t rush, she doesn’t linger either. Hotaru is far more comfortable with death than the stargirl, but that is the way it should be. She is the child of Safrin, herald of Vi, God of Life. It may be part of the cycle of creation and withering, but it is not easy to watch the first time.
A rumbling purr starts in her chest - whether it’s for Umbra as he dives onto the hare, or Seren as she stands frozen and staring, it doesn’t really matter. When she has finished, she licks her teeth clean, and even goes so far as to wipe her maw in the snow to remove any remnants. Even the smallest lingering bit can ruin the meal if it transfers to her human tongue.
Only then does she shift back, kneeling in the snow. She extends a hand to Seren, expression soft but distinctly not pitying. “Would you like me to show you how to use their remains so as not to waste their sacrifice?” Perhaps that would help her come to terms with it. If not Ru will bundle up the remains on her own to utilize them to their full extent later.
my heart bends and breaks
so many, many times
HOTARU
