[ hilda just stares, dumbfounded for a moment. seriously? kaiza isn't the one they raised, but he's had such an impact already on hishi's life—it isn't fair that any of them lose him now, after all this. ]
There has to be something we can do—it's too cruel to just leave him!
[ maybe she shouldn't be so invested in this, but the kids have worked so hard—they deserve more than forgetting each other. and that doesn't even get started on what hansa and emet must be feeling.
[ at some point during the exposition, alyssa just starts to... space out, more so than anyone else. and she really shouldn't, she should be paying attention, hishi deserves to get some kind of closure or understanding or just fucking something—
kaiza continues explaining, and she can still understand him, but there's a ringing in her ears that keeps her from being able to keep her focus.
eventually, her knees seemingly give out and she falls to the floor, arms wrapped tightly around herself. ]
Is this... have the past ten years all just been some kind of joke?
[ why hasn't the realm taken this memory from her? ]
...Joke or not, time makes fools of us all, in one way or another.
[but there is definitely-- something strained, in his voice. all the time they've spent, just for it to be erased. not even the curse of feeble mortality taking its natural course, but truly undoing an existence, even if it is one that wasn't meant to happen; erasing memory, leaving the boy forgotten by those who cared.
he grips his bow tighter, and... well. well, if it will all be for nothing, if he's going to be gone either way--
no. he will not suffer it to be like this.]
If it is a death that was undone, then what will happen to the timeline if he should die in this second life-- if he does not live past this moment, will that solidify his place in memory?
[so here's a thing that's happening: he has the bow aimed at kaiza. his hand only trembles slightly.]
Suffice to say that nobody expected this, not even the mod.
This jolts Hishi out of her shock, at least, but now she's horrified for an entirely new reason. Immediately, she moves to place herself between Emet-Selch and Kaiza, because even if logically she might understand his point, this is still. Um. What?
Kaiza is also staring, even if maybe he should've expected this from Emet-Selch. He also tries to gently move Hishi out of the way, although she's being rather stubborn about not letting him. ]
—Please stop. It's fine. I'm fine with this, so just—don't. Please.
[ He doesn't even necessarily seem that appalled that one of his guardians is contemplating murdering him; he just has no idea how to handle this situation! And also, he's feeling pretty guilty for how much Emet-Selch hates this? (Hansa as well, but Hansa's not the one pointing a weapon at him.)
Hopefully someone tries to stop Emet-Selch!
Either way, after staring in shock like everyone else, probably, the spirit speaks up. ]
... Once I pass on, he will be forgotten either way. This act wouldn't change it, so please, put down your bow.
[He's shocked, honestly. Hansa is the type of man who prides himself on action, but when he sees Emet-Selch lift his bow, say he will do this absolutely horrifying act just to keep their child's memory intact, he feels like he can't move.]
[In the back of his mind, his mother, the front of her shirt covered in blood, her eyes dimming, moving forward to take the vampire that destroyed their village with her in death to let her son survive-]
...
[The sudden movement of Hishi breaks the spell - Hansa grits his teeth, moving forward to grasp Emet-Selch by the shoulder, his voice trembling with obvious emotion.]
You can't. Y-You can't, I understand, but...you can't. Please.
[ Much like the rest of the room, Hilda is frozen in shock for a moment—what is going on? Whatever sentiment Emet-Selch is reaching for, it's lost on her. Maybe Hansa understands, and Alyssa is too downed to stop it, but for Hilda—it doesn't strike the right chord.
Dead isn't better than forgotten. Nothing they're doing is going to fix this anymore. It's just making it worse.
And once Hishi's moved, she snaps out her own stupor to run in, hovering protectively in front of this kid she wasn't supposed to get attached to in the first place, who might not even exist after all this, anger flashing in her eyes. ]
Enough! Put it down!
[ There's really no point. But if for some reason he draws that bow any further, she's going to rush him. ]
Oh, so it's perfectly all right if you're fine with this--
[it's lower, closer to anger-- but not at kaiza. he stops himself there, inhales a sharp breath as the ghost says it won't change anything. it doesn't matter.
it really just... never matters, not with humans.
he already knew that. he shouldn't have bothered to think anything might change.
hilda puts herself in the way, hansa grasps his shoulder... and finally he lets the bow drop, shoulders slumped with the motion. he just shakes his head.]
[ That all sure just happened. Kaiza stares at Emet-Selch and Hansa, his expression remorseful and full of guilt. But... there's no turning back now.
As if all the energy has been drained from her, Hishi collapses to her knees. Swiftly, Kaiza crouches down in concern. Once he does, she wraps her arms around him in an embrance, hesitantly, as if she's afraid he'll disappear right now.
... What comes next might be surprising to Hilda (and Alyssa, if she's not completely unresponsive), as it's the first time she'd be witnessing it: she begins to sob. All of her grief, sorrow, and regrets—they spill from her, in her tear and the words she cries into his shoulder.
It's not fair. It's not fair at all, is it?
Finally, ]
... I—
[ But as she hiccups, whatever she was about to say goes unsaid. Kaiza simply smiles, and responds. ]
... I know. I...
[ ... But it seems like neither of them wants to voice it, at this point. Kaiza draws back, before placing a hand on Hishi's head. One last headpat. Afterwards, he reaches to remove his bracelet, the one Hilda and Alyssa suggested Hishi make for him all those years ago. Gazing at it for a moment, he slips it over Hishi's wrist—something to "remember" him by, no matter how futile.
Then, he slips away from her grasp. Time to finish this, especially before Emet-Selch can change his mind and decide that committing fillicide is a great idea after all.
With the spirit's guidance, he reaches under the bed to pull out a box. Like everything else in the ruins, time hasn't been kind to it... but the contents inside appear relatively intact. As Kaiza said before, none of it is what most would consider treasure: instead, it's filled with knicknacks, memoirs, old toys, etc. The signs of who once lived here.
The spirit smiles. ]
Thank you. Kaiza, and all of you, who have helped him.
[ Except, like, Emet-Selch. Anyway, she points to a container inside the box. ]
The items there are best taken elsewhere, but... please preserve what's left. The memories that are precious to me.
[ Nodding, Kaiza takes out the container, before handing it to the nearest person. Probably Hansa or Hilda, since they're not on the verge of a breakdown.
With everything settled, the spirit begins to fade. ]
... It's time for me to leave now, but... I can give you just a bit more time, before you have to return to your place as well. Goodbye, and thank you once again...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
There has to be something we can do—it's too cruel to just leave him!
[ maybe she shouldn't be so invested in this, but the kids have worked so hard—they deserve more than forgetting each other. and that doesn't even get started on what hansa and emet must be feeling.
if it was their kid that was vanishing... ]
no subject
kaiza continues explaining, and she can still understand him, but there's a ringing in her ears that keeps her from being able to keep her focus.
eventually, her knees seemingly give out and she falls to the floor, arms wrapped tightly around herself. ]
Is this... have the past ten years all just been some kind of joke?
[ why hasn't the realm taken this memory from her? ]
no subject
[but there is definitely-- something strained, in his voice. all the time they've spent, just for it to be erased. not even the curse of feeble mortality taking its natural course, but truly undoing an existence, even if it is one that wasn't meant to happen; erasing memory, leaving the boy forgotten by those who cared.
he grips his bow tighter, and... well. well, if it will all be for nothing, if he's going to be gone either way--
no. he will not suffer it to be like this.]
If it is a death that was undone, then what will happen to the timeline if he should die in this second life-- if he does not live past this moment, will that solidify his place in memory?
[so here's a thing that's happening: he has the bow aimed at kaiza. his hand only trembles slightly.]
no subject
Suffice to say that nobody expected this, not even the mod.
This jolts Hishi out of her shock, at least, but now she's horrified for an entirely new reason. Immediately, she moves to place herself between Emet-Selch and Kaiza, because even if logically she might understand his point, this is still. Um. What?
Kaiza is also staring, even if maybe he should've expected this from Emet-Selch. He also tries to gently move Hishi out of the way, although she's being rather stubborn about not letting him. ]
—Please stop. It's fine. I'm fine with this, so just—don't. Please.
[ He doesn't even necessarily seem that appalled that one of his guardians is contemplating murdering him; he just has no idea how to handle this situation! And also, he's feeling pretty guilty for how much Emet-Selch hates this? (Hansa as well, but Hansa's not the one pointing a weapon at him.)
Hopefully someone tries to stop Emet-Selch!
Either way, after staring in shock like everyone else, probably, the spirit speaks up. ]
... Once I pass on, he will be forgotten either way. This act wouldn't change it, so please, put down your bow.
no subject
[He's shocked, honestly. Hansa is the type of man who prides himself on action, but when he sees Emet-Selch lift his bow, say he will do this absolutely horrifying act just to keep their child's memory intact, he feels like he can't move.]
[In the back of his mind, his mother, the front of her shirt covered in blood, her eyes dimming, moving forward to take the vampire that destroyed their village with her in death to let her son survive-]
...
[The sudden movement of Hishi breaks the spell - Hansa grits his teeth, moving forward to grasp Emet-Selch by the shoulder, his voice trembling with obvious emotion.]
You can't. Y-You can't, I understand, but...you can't. Please.
["Please don't do this".]
no subject
Dead isn't better than forgotten. Nothing they're doing is going to fix this anymore. It's just making it worse.
And once Hishi's moved, she snaps out her own stupor to run in, hovering protectively in front of this kid she wasn't supposed to get attached to in the first place, who might not even exist after all this, anger flashing in her eyes. ]
Enough! Put it down!
[ There's really no point. But if for some reason he draws that bow any further, she's going to rush him. ]
no subject
no subject
[it's lower, closer to anger-- but not at kaiza. he stops himself there, inhales a sharp breath as the ghost says it won't change anything. it doesn't matter.
it really just... never matters, not with humans.
he already knew that. he shouldn't have bothered to think anything might change.
hilda puts herself in the way, hansa grasps his shoulder... and finally he lets the bow drop, shoulders slumped with the motion. he just shakes his head.]
...very well.
[what's one more thing to lose, in the end?]
no subject
As if all the energy has been drained from her, Hishi collapses to her knees. Swiftly, Kaiza crouches down in concern. Once he does, she wraps her arms around him in an embrance, hesitantly, as if she's afraid he'll disappear right now.
... What comes next might be surprising to Hilda (and Alyssa, if she's not completely unresponsive), as it's the first time she'd be witnessing it: she begins to sob. All of her grief, sorrow, and regrets—they spill from her, in her tear and the words she cries into his shoulder.
It's not fair. It's not fair at all, is it?
Finally, ]
... I—
[ But as she hiccups, whatever she was about to say goes unsaid. Kaiza simply smiles, and responds. ]
... I know. I...
[ ... But it seems like neither of them wants to voice it, at this point. Kaiza draws back, before placing a hand on Hishi's head. One last headpat. Afterwards, he reaches to remove his bracelet, the one Hilda and Alyssa suggested Hishi make for him all those years ago. Gazing at it for a moment, he slips it over Hishi's wrist—something to "remember" him by, no matter how futile.
Then, he slips away from her grasp. Time to finish this, especially before Emet-Selch can change his mind and decide that committing fillicide is a great idea after all.
With the spirit's guidance, he reaches under the bed to pull out a box. Like everything else in the ruins, time hasn't been kind to it... but the contents inside appear relatively intact. As Kaiza said before, none of it is what most would consider treasure: instead, it's filled with knicknacks, memoirs, old toys, etc. The signs of who once lived here.
The spirit smiles. ]
Thank you. Kaiza, and all of you, who have helped him.
[ Except, like, Emet-Selch. Anyway, she points to a container inside the box. ]
The items there are best taken elsewhere, but... please preserve what's left. The memories that are precious to me.
[ Nodding, Kaiza takes out the container, before handing it to the nearest person. Probably Hansa or Hilda, since they're not on the verge of a breakdown.
With everything settled, the spirit begins to fade. ]
... It's time for me to leave now, but... I can give you just a bit more time, before you have to return to your place as well. Goodbye, and thank you once again...
[ And thus, she vanishes—as everyone's surroundings change. ]