( she had been basking in the warmth of the fireplace in the inn, brushing one of her pets' fur when it happens-- there is a tug in her mind she has not felt before, not even when fragments of herself fluttered against dark enchantress cookie's own mind only to wisp away again. there is a hum in her soul she has not known, and yet somehow it feels
right.
there is a voice calling out within her, and though she silently tends to marble's fur without wandering out just yet, she hopes there is an answer. it is the first time since she awoke from the coffin that her soul jam has felt alive again, and it wants what is out there. yearns.
she always has yearned so.
no, she will not wander out into the open with this feeling while she cannot hear approaching dangers even with marble at her side, brushing her fur out with trembling hands and ever-sore fingers, and wait, a beacon of light in the tower, so to speak. is it anxiety, fear or glee that make her hands shake? she doesn't know, but marble is at least patient with her and rumbles with purrs all the same. )
[There are advantages to the vigil that Silent Salt keeps at the edge of the woods. He has not moved since his arrival, and it is for more than one purpose. It allows him to understand the world around him, to observe the lively faces that pass by. More than that, it allows his mind to acclimate. Unlike his name, his mind is not a silent place. It is a web of connections, some dormant and some not. Yet ripped from a large some of them as he is, the quiet has become deafening.
He needs time to sort through them, to understand what pieces of the web remain intact.
The sticky blue of knowledge and deceit is what comes to him first. He expects the others will follow, but when only one strand takes shape, he tucks it away into the back of his mind. Confronting Shadow Milk in a realm he does not understand will only bring harm. That is especially true when it's apparent that there are collateral souls occupying this place.
But it isn't long until something even deeper than that centuries old connection takes shape. It is the other half of his being, something that has existed as long as he has, different though it has become. Once, he had reviled it. Now it feels like salvation. He had known it for only seconds back home, but it had been enough to completely reshape everything.
And right now, he does not know if he should run to or from its force.
Fate, as it turns out, sees fit to tell him where to go. Pavlova Cookie approaches him, and his first priority becomes dealing with the cherubic creature. Though his initial impressions are off, suspicion remains. Still, more pressing matters begin to take shape. Though he might have hoped approaching her home would take him to her, he is disappointed that the ache within his chest takes him elsewhere.
Matters settled, he realizes he has begun moving in that direction unconsciously. His body knows what the soul needs, and opts to overrule the mind. Doors are swung open, and though he has to duck to enter, enter he does.
And there she is. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, White Lily Cookie shines brighter than ever. Some part of him thinks himself unworthy of her light, the kiss of freedom he had been unable to obtain with his own two hands. But he approaches her all the same.
Rather than face her directly, though, he kneels behind the chair she sits upon. Knowing not her affliction, he speaks aloud.]
( marble notices his physical presence, and when she moves to look at him, so to does lily. she turns in her chair just in time to see him kneel behind her, even. lily stares for a moment, so stunned she feels like her heart is about to freeze- )
Ah-
( what is he saying? she knows he must be saying something, but she can't- with every new encounter the state of her body drives her higher into a panic, truly. was this what the forest wanted, why it did this to her? her heartbeat spikes, her body feels stiff and weak at the same time and she almost feels sick... after a moment, she grips her staff and tries to think, to tug on that bond that guided him to her and let him understand--
I am so sorry. The forest stole my ability to hear, and I do not believe our memories align. I want to know you. But I am not as you remember.
she can only pray that jam opens to jam.
all the while, vernal- the little dachsologie, white with red eyes and the faintest green tints on it's divine markings- finally stirs. it had been napping curled up beside her but- soul meets soul, and then does so again. the way her thoughts swirl and churn inside her is worrying and makes the poor thing whimper a bit. )
[Even before she reaches for that bond, Silent Salt feels it. There is pain and fear, confusion and panic. Almost immediately, he is on his feet once more, taking a step away from her. He does not know what could have warranted this reaction, but he will not question it. If White Lily did not want to suffer his presence then -
her voice reaches him through the connection of their Soul Jam. He brings a hand to his head, trying to focus on her words.
What do you mean? How did that creature do this?
Rage boils through him. His head snaps toward the forest, the billowing plume of his head crackling with the force. Pavlova had warned about its danger, but if whatever beast lurked within had seen fit to sully his light, then he would make it pay.
He has half of a mind to rush from the room here and now. Would, if not for the fact that Pavlova's own words echo within his mind.]
Explain. Now.
[Some part of him feels guilty for his demands. He should not be so forceful with her. Hopefully she can feel that his fury is not directed toward her, at the very least]
( beneath the flames of fury is an affection she cannot name, and somehow that is more jarring than the wrath itself. and yet...
...
she reaches out for him, a gentle open hand wrapped in bandages even now while marble watches him with keen eyes. )
Sit with me? I will explain as best as I can. I just wanted to see if I could open that door so I could hear you somehow... ... You have a wonderful voice.
I'm grateful that it worked.
( she'll wait for his actions and leave the 'door' open, so to speak, before inhaling. )
Crumbling is not as it should be in this realm. While we're under the torment of the fallen God possessing the forest, if we should meet our end... it will be impermanent. ( disgust curiosity fear anxiety wrong wrong wrong why does she always come back how does it work can she save someone with this no no no ) But to come back to life requires a cost- if it is a reminder of his power or a trade for our lives, I don't know.
I had died in an attempt to wake myself from it's curse and in turn, it burst something in my ears, leaving me deaf.
[Her voice still works. That is a relief. Communicating through their souljam would have been enough, but it does not compare to the salve that her true voice proves to be. Still, there is a discrepancy there, and Silent Salt find himself reaching for his helmet. He stops short and instead reaches out once more.]
Can you read lips?
[Reluctant though he is to remove any of his armor — he hates to see just how terribly his dough has changed — he will face his disgrace gladly for her. But... only if he must.
For now, he holds off, opting to instead move around to kneel before her. He sees that hand, but does not dare lean into it. She is his truth made manifest. She should not be tainted by his own failures.]
This threat beyond the trees is more grave than I had anticipated. Pavlova Cookie had alluded to its threats, but for them to go this far...
[He shakes his head faintly.]
I am sorry I was not here for you, My Freedom. I have only just sworn my loyalty, and yet I have already failed you.
( ah... she watches him move around before adjusting herself again. marble stays where she is, basking in the fireplace's warmth, while vernal inches close and curious. )
I am learning to! But it is...a little difficult. The same shape can make different sounds, you see. There is a benefit to these bodies though! Sign language, which is written out with your hands.
( there is a joy in her voice as she talks- she loves learning, sharing, new discoveries. a language spoken without a voice is fascinating, something that can only be achieved through these witch-like bodies. it's incredible! she even demonstrates hello with her hands as she speaks. )
We have multiple people who can teach you, myself included.
( ...
wait. he. his what? he what? eh? lily blinks, trying not to blush at his words or show the flicker of flustering in the open bond between them, but...
...
goodness. what did he experience that she hasn't remembered yet? she falters for a moment, resting her hands in her lap. )
Please, don't blame yourself. From my perspective, I haven't even made it to your domain yet before being stolen to this world... though it is possible I will be able to reclaim the memories. I would not ask anything of you, nor should you blame yourself for something that no one could predict.
[Silence persists for a moment as the cookie considers those words. The answer she gives is the perfect excuse to not remove his helmet. Yet he sees the chance for her to learn in that moment, and lifts his hand all the same. His helmet is set aside, as hair falls down around his shoulders. He cannot bare to meet her eyes directly like this, with his shame bared for all to see, but it is enough, he thinks.]
Then allow me to try like this. [Every word he speaks is enunciated by his voice through their bond. It will be easier for her to understand each motion, he thinks.] At least until I can understand the form of communication that is easiest for you.
[It is the most he can manage before that revelation. Some part of him balks at the truth. If that was the case, could this particular iteration of White Lily be trusted? But just as soon as he casts that thought from his mind, another strikes him. If she were to remember everything, then the gravity of what he had done to her — the agony through which she suffered — would be laid bare.
And there in lies a problem. Silent Salt's stoicism rests largely on the fact that his helmet hides anything he might try to show. Without it, the conflict is clear on his face. He bows his head as if to further obscure it, but knows it does nothing.]
It is better if you do not.
[Pain and regret ricochets through the bond, even as determination and defiance does. Some part of him does still believe it was necessary.
Through it all, White Lily might just catch a glimpse of flame.]
( she can't help but stare as he removes his helmet- that he would. ... and to help her, at that. there's something that hangs in her mind for it; gratitude, awe, confusion, longing, a desire to understand matched only with gratitude and glee that forms a probably strange cocktail of emotions at the fringe of the bond. she wants to reach out and brush hair out of his face, to make him look at her properly, but she refrains.
there is much she cannot understand without the truth only he knows. and as he makes his stance clear, with the lick of fire, she can only smile ruefully. )
Do you think that you are the first to do me harm? ... I don't know what the future will bring. But if I am the only one... then I know I will forgive it.
... Regardless... thank you for what you are doing to help me practice. I know it must bring you great discomfort.
[So many emotions flicker through their bond, clipped and churning though they may be. He does not understand them. Devoted to her though he may be, he does not think himself as worthy. Not of her gaze, and certainly not of her desire. Yet though the virtue was never beneath his purview, he feels greed, the urge to take what she is so willing to give.]
I know I am not. [He forces himself to look at her as he speaks. It is part of their lesson, after all. Still, it is difficult to hide the revulsion like this. He has seen it all, the untold suffering she had shouldered and wrought in turn. Some part of himself yearns to cut down all who had lain hands upon her. To do so would be to strike himself down, and he knows this all too well.]
Any discomfort I feel is but a drop in a lake.
[He has witnessed so much worse. Suffered so much worse. He will manage this.]
Then you should know I have a habit of crawling back to my feet regardless. It's alright.
( really, she's so used to being hurt and moving on without a word that his own guilt is strange. she's not sure how she feels about it at all. but he won't let her offer comfort, either... it's not fair, honestly. to hurt so blatantly and not let her do a thing to help however she can, all while holding her into the light like this.
she finds herself at a loss almost, because otherwise all she can see for the two of them is taking in circles. )
... There is... a lot about this place. About the people here. But I care deeply for all of them- I currently run our clinic, alongside some other healers. I hope that you can find the same here.
[Given their bond, he can feel those faint flickers of frustration. In turn, Lily will likely feel another wave of guilt. Visibly, his throat bobs as he swallows, before forcing at least some of his memories to the forefront. Bodies of cookies falling, both those he had once served and those he had stood against. With each slash, his dough grows darker and darker, until he becomes tainted forever more.
He hopes this is enough to explain why he hesitates. Why in the face of her light, he feels unworthy of her kindness.]
... There is much that this place has to offer, that much is clear. I am glad you have found peace, despite it all.
[He cannot even muster the urge to feel anger at her "abandonment." His own experience showed it was not by choice, after all.]
( she has kept a distance as it seemed to give him... something, but... as she closes her eyes, watches the crumbling, she remembers as well. the fires of the oven, the sickly feeling of dough, wrath. visions of someone else's jamshed as she haunted memories of memories, untouched by war and yet still there- the fall of cities, the fall of kingdoms, all while a manifestation of her own pain and fury couldn't help but laugh--
she opens her eyes again and reaches out to cup his face gently in one of her hands, ignoring the sting of pain bone-deep as she moves. )
If I am somehow worthy of kindness, of grace and love all granted to me by those around me both at home and here, so are you. Please remember that much, if you will not allow me to offer anything else.
[How easily he forgets. Once, he reviled her for these memories, these sins. Now, a cold comfort seeps through them. They have both done terrible things. How silly it must have been to spurn her, knowing he had failed just as readily as she had.
He does not shy away from her hand. Instead, he lowers his head. Even if he will submit to kindness, he will not see himself reflected in her eyes as he does it. It is still difficult to stomach. The only problem is that his mouth is no longer obvious, defeating the purpose of speaking his words aloud.
Instead, they flicker through their bond.]
How long did it take you to reach that conclusion? [He knows her. He knows them. It cannot have come easy.
But before he can dwell overlong on the thought, he feels that pain cut through. White Lily might seek to ignore it, but instinct drives him to seek it out. He lays a hand not against her fingers, but her wrist, as he tries to search through their combined memories.]
... I am still trying to learn it. But there has always been someone who was by my side through every mistake and hurt, to pick me back up again if I could not do so myself. When I thought I lost him for good- ... I had to learn to give myself that love, too, if only to survive. And that meant also accepting it from others.
( pure vanilla cookie... even now he does not remember, but. even before the grove, he was always there. forgiving, healing, loving, accepting.
even now.
and then when she had been torn apart by grief, the town had come together for her- vash tending to her garden, flamebringer bringing her food, joshua taking on a larger share of the work at the clinic, and shadow milk trying to make her smile again. ryan and min-gi's gentleness, passenger's quiet kindness, mephisto trying to help despite being so young. it all flits by, leaving her heart warmed even now. no, to deny them the love hey show would be cruel.
she looks over curiously as he examines her arm. )
... Oh! No, no it wasn't. ... Something... was wrong with me when I was first baked. My dough was weak, and with it came pain I can never heal. It is better, some days. When I was much younger, I couldn't leave my bed some days...
[Silent Salt's mind wanders, to a face that had stood by him even at his lowest. Knowing what became of him, of all that he had lost as a result of his own defilement, he feels an ache well up within his chest. It becomes all the more pointed when he considers the depth of her words, to have someone at his side when he was at his lowest.
Perhaps he had been a fool, but with no other options, when his own banishment was the cost of sparing the rest of the world, what could he have done?
Still, the ache only grows when she mentions loss. Through it all, he cannot help but relate to Lily all the more. He almost wants to ask what he should do, but pushes it down for the time being. He has already borne his vulnerability once.
Besides, there are more pressing matters to attend to.]
Soaking within salt reduces inflammation. A juice bath laden with it, perhaps...?
[Man who has not realized that bathing in juice does not produce the same effect here...]
( lily perks up, blinking a little- it seems every day she learns something new! )
Ah, I didn't know that! I've made salves to use beneath my wraps for my arms since that's where it's the worst, but...
Oh, and these bodies and their maintenance is similar but different... water which once harmed us is the key now, while soda and juice don't help outside of consumption. The bathhouse will have everything you should need, though?
( he's. hes a grown man, she's sure he doesn't need her to explain how to wash himself, right...? )
[This feels... more than a little shameful. He is a centuries old being, after all. it should not be on his progeny to tell him how to bathe of all things. It is a miracle, at least, that she's informed him of as much now, rather than down the line. He's only just arrived, after all. No time to be a stinky salt creature.]
Regardless of... that matter, you should consider properly soaking your hands, at the very least.
[The gratitude is... unexpected. It has been so very long since he has done anything worth being thanked for. He had killed those who used to love him for his efforts after they had sunk a knife into his spine. Now with every bit of jam marring his armor, with every crumb that had stained his soul, he feels unsure how to handle it.
His head bows once more, and lifts only once she speaks again.]
I do not know how you have adapted so readily. You seem... comfortable. [Which is odd, once he thinks about it.] I only just saw you, as I remember you. Yet you are unchanged, and know me not.
Well... from my perspective, I've been here for a year and a half now, give or take. I woke up on the beach in the summer, remembering re-sealing the Silver Tree... and have spent much time adjusting since.
( ...
she wants to know him. she wants him to sit beside her and not before her, to know who she is without dark enchantress's war hanging overhead.
You still have much you wish to accomplish on Earthbread.
[This puts to rest any doubts he might have had earlier in the evening. She still remembered her duty, locked away though she might be. It is all he could ask for in this situation.
Yes. Even before I can consider more selfish requests, I have much to atone for still, and... Dark Enchantress Cookie must be stopped.
( and then there is of course the matter of what will befall the faerie kingdom- she loves it so, but she knows she is no queen. so much to do. ... though his reactions have been strange. she knows pure vanilla was able to win over shadow milk upon his arrival to the grove, but...
lily hesitates for a moment. )
... This community is very kind and accepting. Even... Even your fellow Beast, Shadow Milk Cookie, has changed. He's calmer now. Relearning how to... be. I have watched warlords find gentler paths here, despite the torment we endure.
It isn't a guarantee, of course... but...
... The kindness of the people here will surely reach anyone.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
wildcard; dusk meets dusk
Date: 2025-11-16 08:02 pm (UTC)right.
there is a voice calling out within her, and though she silently tends to marble's fur without wandering out just yet, she hopes there is an answer. it is the first time since she awoke from the coffin that her soul jam has felt alive again, and it wants what is out there. yearns.
she always has yearned so.
no, she will not wander out into the open with this feeling while she cannot hear approaching dangers even with marble at her side, brushing her fur out with trembling hands and ever-sore fingers, and wait, a beacon of light in the tower, so to speak. is it anxiety, fear or glee that make her hands shake? she doesn't know, but marble is at least patient with her and rumbles with purrs all the same. )
no subject
Date: 2025-11-16 09:00 pm (UTC)He needs time to sort through them, to understand what pieces of the web remain intact.
The sticky blue of knowledge and deceit is what comes to him first. He expects the others will follow, but when only one strand takes shape, he tucks it away into the back of his mind. Confronting Shadow Milk in a realm he does not understand will only bring harm. That is especially true when it's apparent that there are collateral souls occupying this place.
But it isn't long until something even deeper than that centuries old connection takes shape. It is the other half of his being, something that has existed as long as he has, different though it has become. Once, he had reviled it. Now it feels like salvation. He had known it for only seconds back home, but it had been enough to completely reshape everything.
And right now, he does not know if he should run to or from its force.
Fate, as it turns out, sees fit to tell him where to go. Pavlova Cookie approaches him, and his first priority becomes dealing with the cherubic creature. Though his initial impressions are off, suspicion remains. Still, more pressing matters begin to take shape. Though he might have hoped approaching her home would take him to her, he is disappointed that the ache within his chest takes him elsewhere.
Matters settled, he realizes he has begun moving in that direction unconsciously. His body knows what the soul needs, and opts to overrule the mind. Doors are swung open, and though he has to duck to enter, enter he does.
And there she is. Despite the relaxed atmosphere, White Lily Cookie shines brighter than ever. Some part of him thinks himself unworthy of her light, the kiss of freedom he had been unable to obtain with his own two hands. But he approaches her all the same.
Rather than face her directly, though, he kneels behind the chair she sits upon. Knowing not her affliction, he speaks aloud.]
I hope I have not kept you waiting.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-16 11:57 pm (UTC)Ah-
( what is he saying? she knows he must be saying something, but she can't- with every new encounter the state of her body drives her higher into a panic, truly. was this what the forest wanted, why it did this to her? her heartbeat spikes, her body feels stiff and weak at the same time and she almost feels sick... after a moment, she grips her staff and tries to think, to tug on that bond that guided him to her and let him understand--
I am so sorry. The forest stole my ability to hear, and I do not believe our memories align. I want to know you. But I am not as you remember.
she can only pray that jam opens to jam.
all the while, vernal- the little dachsologie, white with red eyes and the faintest green tints on it's divine markings- finally stirs. it had been napping curled up beside her but- soul meets soul, and then does so again. the way her thoughts swirl and churn inside her is worrying and makes the poor thing whimper a bit. )
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 03:53 am (UTC)her voice reaches him through the connection of their Soul Jam. He brings a hand to his head, trying to focus on her words.
What do you mean? How did that creature do this?
Rage boils through him. His head snaps toward the forest, the billowing plume of his head crackling with the force. Pavlova had warned about its danger, but if whatever beast lurked within had seen fit to sully his light, then he would make it pay.
He has half of a mind to rush from the room here and now. Would, if not for the fact that Pavlova's own words echo within his mind.]
Explain. Now.
[Some part of him feels guilty for his demands. He should not be so forceful with her. Hopefully she can feel that his fury is not directed toward her, at the very least]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 04:29 am (UTC)...
she reaches out for him, a gentle open hand wrapped in bandages even now while marble watches him with keen eyes. )
Sit with me? I will explain as best as I can. I just wanted to see if I could open that door so I could hear you somehow... ... You have a wonderful voice.
I'm grateful that it worked.
( she'll wait for his actions and leave the 'door' open, so to speak, before inhaling. )
Crumbling is not as it should be in this realm. While we're under the torment of the fallen God possessing the forest, if we should meet our end... it will be impermanent. ( disgust curiosity fear anxiety wrong wrong wrong why does she always come back how does it work can she save someone with this no no no ) But to come back to life requires a cost- if it is a reminder of his power or a trade for our lives, I don't know.
I had died in an attempt to wake myself from it's curse and in turn, it burst something in my ears, leaving me deaf.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 05:06 am (UTC)Can you read lips?
[Reluctant though he is to remove any of his armor — he hates to see just how terribly his dough has changed — he will face his disgrace gladly for her. But... only if he must.
For now, he holds off, opting to instead move around to kneel before her. He sees that hand, but does not dare lean into it. She is his truth made manifest. She should not be tainted by his own failures.]
This threat beyond the trees is more grave than I had anticipated. Pavlova Cookie had alluded to its threats, but for them to go this far...
[He shakes his head faintly.]
I am sorry I was not here for you, My Freedom. I have only just sworn my loyalty, and yet I have already failed you.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 05:18 am (UTC)I am learning to! But it is...a little difficult. The same shape can make different sounds, you see. There is a benefit to these bodies though! Sign language, which is written out with your hands.
( there is a joy in her voice as she talks- she loves learning, sharing, new discoveries. a language spoken without a voice is fascinating, something that can only be achieved through these witch-like bodies. it's incredible! she even demonstrates hello with her hands as she speaks. )
We have multiple people who can teach you, myself included.
( ...
wait. he. his what? he what? eh? lily blinks, trying not to blush at his words or show the flicker of flustering in the open bond between them, but...
...
goodness. what did he experience that she hasn't remembered yet? she falters for a moment, resting her hands in her lap. )
Please, don't blame yourself. From my perspective, I haven't even made it to your domain yet before being stolen to this world... though it is possible I will be able to reclaim the memories. I would not ask anything of you, nor should you blame yourself for something that no one could predict.
... I want to know, though. I...
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 05:35 am (UTC)Then allow me to try like this. [Every word he speaks is enunciated by his voice through their bond. It will be easier for her to understand each motion, he thinks.] At least until I can understand the form of communication that is easiest for you.
[It is the most he can manage before that revelation. Some part of him balks at the truth. If that was the case, could this particular iteration of White Lily be trusted? But just as soon as he casts that thought from his mind, another strikes him. If she were to remember everything, then the gravity of what he had done to her — the agony through which she suffered — would be laid bare.
And there in lies a problem. Silent Salt's stoicism rests largely on the fact that his helmet hides anything he might try to show. Without it, the conflict is clear on his face. He bows his head as if to further obscure it, but knows it does nothing.]
It is better if you do not.
[Pain and regret ricochets through the bond, even as determination and defiance does. Some part of him does still believe it was necessary.
Through it all, White Lily might just catch a glimpse of flame.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 06:06 am (UTC)there is much she cannot understand without the truth only he knows. and as he makes his stance clear, with the lick of fire, she can only smile ruefully. )
Do you think that you are the first to do me harm? ... I don't know what the future will bring. But if I am the only one... then I know I will forgive it.
... Regardless... thank you for what you are doing to help me practice. I know it must bring you great discomfort.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 06:14 am (UTC)I know I am not. [He forces himself to look at her as he speaks. It is part of their lesson, after all. Still, it is difficult to hide the revulsion like this. He has seen it all, the untold suffering she had shouldered and wrought in turn. Some part of himself yearns to cut down all who had lain hands upon her. To do so would be to strike himself down, and he knows this all too well.]
Any discomfort I feel is but a drop in a lake.
[He has witnessed so much worse. Suffered so much worse. He will manage this.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 06:39 am (UTC)( really, she's so used to being hurt and moving on without a word that his own guilt is strange. she's not sure how she feels about it at all. but he won't let her offer comfort, either... it's not fair, honestly. to hurt so blatantly and not let her do a thing to help however she can, all while holding her into the light like this.
she finds herself at a loss almost, because otherwise all she can see for the two of them is taking in circles. )
... There is... a lot about this place. About the people here. But I care deeply for all of them- I currently run our clinic, alongside some other healers. I hope that you can find the same here.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 07:11 am (UTC)[Given their bond, he can feel those faint flickers of frustration. In turn, Lily will likely feel another wave of guilt. Visibly, his throat bobs as he swallows, before forcing at least some of his memories to the forefront. Bodies of cookies falling, both those he had once served and those he had stood against. With each slash, his dough grows darker and darker, until he becomes tainted forever more.
He hopes this is enough to explain why he hesitates. Why in the face of her light, he feels unworthy of her kindness.]
... There is much that this place has to offer, that much is clear. I am glad you have found peace, despite it all.
[He cannot even muster the urge to feel anger at her "abandonment." His own experience showed it was not by choice, after all.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 07:40 am (UTC)( she has kept a distance as it seemed to give him... something, but... as she closes her eyes, watches the crumbling, she remembers as well. the fires of the oven, the sickly feeling of dough, wrath. visions of someone else's jamshed as she haunted memories of memories, untouched by war and yet still there- the fall of cities, the fall of kingdoms, all while a manifestation of her own pain and fury couldn't help but laugh--
she opens her eyes again and reaches out to cup his face gently in one of her hands, ignoring the sting of pain bone-deep as she moves. )
If I am somehow worthy of kindness, of grace and love all granted to me by those around me both at home and here, so are you. Please remember that much, if you will not allow me to offer anything else.
no subject
Date: 2025-11-17 07:52 am (UTC)He does not shy away from her hand. Instead, he lowers his head. Even if he will submit to kindness, he will not see himself reflected in her eyes as he does it. It is still difficult to stomach. The only problem is that his mouth is no longer obvious, defeating the purpose of speaking his words aloud.
Instead, they flicker through their bond.]
How long did it take you to reach that conclusion? [He knows her. He knows them. It cannot have come easy.
But before he can dwell overlong on the thought, he feels that pain cut through. White Lily might seek to ignore it, but instinct drives him to seek it out. He lays a hand not against her fingers, but her wrist, as he tries to search through their combined memories.]
Is this the work of the Forest as well?
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Date: 2025-11-17 08:06 am (UTC)( pure vanilla cookie... even now he does not remember, but. even before the grove, he was always there. forgiving, healing, loving, accepting.
even now.
and then when she had been torn apart by grief, the town had come together for her- vash tending to her garden, flamebringer bringing her food, joshua taking on a larger share of the work at the clinic, and shadow milk trying to make her smile again. ryan and min-gi's gentleness, passenger's quiet kindness, mephisto trying to help despite being so young. it all flits by, leaving her heart warmed even now. no, to deny them the love hey show would be cruel.
she looks over curiously as he examines her arm. )
... Oh! No, no it wasn't. ... Something... was wrong with me when I was first baked. My dough was weak, and with it came pain I can never heal. It is better, some days. When I was much younger, I couldn't leave my bed some days...
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Date: 2025-11-17 08:58 pm (UTC)Perhaps he had been a fool, but with no other options, when his own banishment was the cost of sparing the rest of the world, what could he have done?
Still, the ache only grows when she mentions loss. Through it all, he cannot help but relate to Lily all the more. He almost wants to ask what he should do, but pushes it down for the time being. He has already borne his vulnerability once.
Besides, there are more pressing matters to attend to.]
Soaking within salt reduces inflammation. A juice bath laden with it, perhaps...?
[Man who has not realized that bathing in juice does not produce the same effect here...]
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Date: 2025-11-17 10:09 pm (UTC)Ah, I didn't know that! I've made salves to use beneath my wraps for my arms since that's where it's the worst, but...
Oh, and these bodies and their maintenance is similar but different... water which once harmed us is the key now, while soda and juice don't help outside of consumption. The bathhouse will have everything you should need, though?
( he's. hes a grown man, she's sure he doesn't need her to explain how to wash himself, right...? )
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Date: 2025-11-18 12:03 am (UTC)[This feels... more than a little shameful. He is a centuries old being, after all. it should not be on his progeny to tell him how to bathe of all things. It is a miracle, at least, that she's informed him of as much now, rather than down the line. He's only just arrived, after all. No time to be a stinky salt creature.]
Regardless of... that matter, you should consider properly soaking your hands, at the very least.
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Date: 2025-11-18 01:01 am (UTC)( there's a genuine warmth and appreciation there, but she's also politely giving him a moment to be recover. )
Don't feel ashamed for the adjustments. It is a very harsh change that you couldn't have possibly expected!
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Date: 2025-11-18 03:54 am (UTC)His head bows once more, and lifts only once she speaks again.]
I do not know how you have adapted so readily. You seem... comfortable. [Which is odd, once he thinks about it.] I only just saw you, as I remember you. Yet you are unchanged, and know me not.
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Date: 2025-11-18 05:52 am (UTC)( ...
she wants to know him. she wants him to sit beside her and not before her, to know who she is without dark enchantress's war hanging overhead.
is that selfish? )
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Date: 2025-11-18 06:20 am (UTC)... I imagine it was difficult, arriving here filled with such grief.
[In any case, he does not seem to mind lingering here in this moment. There is much he should do, but being in this moment... it is not so terrible.]
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Date: 2025-11-18 06:35 pm (UTC)It still does, as much as I have come to love the people here.
( ... )
This place will change you, beyond the physical shifts. I am... unsure, if you are prepared for that.
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Date: 2025-11-18 11:47 pm (UTC)[This puts to rest any doubts he might have had earlier in the evening. She still remembered her duty, locked away though she might be. It is all he could ask for in this situation.
Her own statement, though, gives him pause.]
... What do you mean?
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Date: 2025-11-20 12:37 am (UTC)( and then there is of course the matter of what will befall the faerie kingdom- she loves it so, but she knows she is no queen. so much to do. ... though his reactions have been strange. she knows pure vanilla was able to win over shadow milk upon his arrival to the grove, but...
lily hesitates for a moment. )
... This community is very kind and accepting. Even... Even your fellow Beast, Shadow Milk Cookie, has changed. He's calmer now. Relearning how to... be. I have watched warlords find gentler paths here, despite the torment we endure.
It isn't a guarantee, of course... but...
... The kindness of the people here will surely reach anyone.
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