From the ashes a fire shall be woken

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

Voronin Manor, Wednesday, October 14th, Dusk

The sun was in the sky when the ember went out. It should have been a flare. A blazing inferno. Loud and changing the world. I am left with echoing ash in the corner of my mind.

Boku recovered from the choked bite of the late breakfast. I wrapped myself tight in ash and let him have his day with the boy of horse and leather. Let them have their joy in flesh and life and each other until they were wrapped like kittens in sleep. It is much easier to slip out of his arms when a tenth the size. Cat shifts to yamaneko and the journey is swift. The youngest does not comprehend the waves of feeling, but pays his respects to a den mother in speed.

The last of the onlookers have left with the setting sun. There is barely rubble left, just ash cooling. All the embers are gone. My knees hurt where they press against sharp cinders. The black and white all covered in grey. The only thing hot is the water etching tracks in my face.

No more garden dances, winter has come.

[Open to Luke] [Closed]

Comments

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

Wrapped in Luke and taking quiet sips of peace with the tea I slowly feel the ashes swept back into their corner. Wrapped up and cherished and put away.

I am about to say that I seldom let Monster do anything. But he rephrases and I nod. "He quite likes you. Thank you for comforting him so, I... we are glad you are in our life."

Bringing his hand up, I kiss the back and wrap it tight around me once more. I wish to tell him more, but I have no more words inside. Instead, I curl myself into him and listen to his heartbeat, reassured by its steady rhythm.

[a-cheval.livejournal.com]

Smile into the back of his hair, hearing that. Like knowing he likes me. I mean, 's always good having dangerous stuff on your side rather than not, but it ain't that. 's just I reckon I like him too. "Me too," I say. Mind, he probably knows. Think about Neko in the stable the other day, and how excited she got when I took her to meet Gyllir. Knew she'd like him, cause he's coloured like the cat. "All of you."

He curls up against me and I pull him in. Hell even Pollux rests his head on Boku's knee, looking all mournful up at him. Ain't like his usual mournful look, mind, which mainly he just does to make folk pet him. Dunno what's going on with that damn dog today. "I lost a friend once. He didn't die-" I say quickly, cause I know it ain't the same. "But a best mate. And it's horrible. So I sorta know, a bit."

[bakeneko-excolo.livejournal.com]

"All of you."

Like stretching and everything coming into alignment, or cogs fitting correctly, his words sink into us and everything feels right. He offers his own experience as sympathy. "In Dry Run? I am so sorry for you." I wonder whether it is the Nathaniel. The one who went to the truck that was more fossil than anything else. I shall not ask, if he should tell me it is good, if not it is alright as well.

Pollux seems distressed as well. He does seem to have an unusual sensitivity for a canine. Perhaps he is aware of our own sadness. I lean back and kiss the side of Luke's neck and take solace in his arms.

[a-cheval.livejournal.com]

Shake my head a bit, cause it's alright. Ain't something as makes me real sad no more, 'cept in a dull sorta way. Before I come to Excolo it did, cause I'd see him round Dry Run, sometimes, and that was the worst, specially if he was with folks as I'd fought with or something. But all that seems much further off sitting with him. "Nah, s'okay." He kisses the side of my neck, and I smile a bit, running my hand through his hair.

Quiet then, the both of us. Stay where we are a good while, then I take his clothes off, hoping he don't really notice there's bits of ash on 'em. He lets me, just watching me and I like feeling like I can take care of someone too, for once. Then I take him to bed and just sleep.

Wake up once, in the night. 'Bout a couple of hours till dawn yet, and we're tangled up and I can feel him all warm up against me but I can't really see nothing. He moves a bit in his sleep, and says something real quiet in Japanese that I don't understand, and his hair falls against my face. I lie there trying not to move so's I don't wake him up and wondering, if he's asleep in there, are the others awake? How's it work? And I think 'bout the monster with his head in my lap and then his tongue all rough on the back of my neck, and I wonder if he's in there and what he's thinking about. I hope he ain't feeling too bad.