farfromgrace | momquest: a quest for moms

momquest: a quest for moms

[ It's another day in Tokyo-D, and the relentless cycle of content generation for the masses goes on; how long have you been filming this drama, exactly? And it's not that it's a bad show, per se, but the fact that it's really dedicated to showing the gritty realities of combat and using practical effects for it is... kind of a lot.

Also it can't decide if it wants to be a show about frenemies or about enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies. Cowards.

And besides, it's not home, is it?

It occurs to you on break at the really honestly lackluster buffet table set up for the actors and any surviving extras that... there's really not that much security on this show, all things considered, unless there's something you're not seeing... ]

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[ now that you're awake, you can hear a lot of background chatter, like you got stuck on some kind of mental group chat, but specifically, very clearly you hear in Amaranth's voice, like she's responding to someone: ]

I'm not sure yet. I'm—
I know this will sound very strange, but I'm fairly sure I'm in Yu-Shan—that is, probably what most here call "Heaven." It's incredible, but there isn't a clear way back.

[She adjusts admirably quickly to the Amaranth-is-talking-but-not-here bit because lbr that's not strangest thing that's happened in this place by far.]

What? What are you doing there? It didn't exactly work out last time, it broke the world!

[Then after a brief moment, a flick of her tail, she rapidly crosses the dorm to go to the balcony window and check there –– when she and Sabre went to fetch Adora from a permanent transfer, they'd gone through a window, after all.]

[ well, now she seems to be talking directly to you, so ]

No, it was definitely the first thing.

[If she can't see anything funky by the window, she focuses her attention instead on Amaranth herself since there's obviously a connection there. Picturing her face, her mannerisms, her warmth, her scent –– all to go with the voice she's hearing, like she can force a stronger connection just by trying to believe they were side by side.

That's how this Heaven bullshit is supposed to work, anyway, or so she's told.]

[ @ amaranth: you feel a sort of like

a tug, almost. like you're holding a rope and someone firmly grasped the other end of it. ]

[ (...is that....?)

she turns her focus to the feeling—the warmth of it; to answering with a gentle tug of (yes, I am here). ]

[Hey fun fact did you know Kohime is both jealously possessive and selfishly loving?

Because upon getting a response, it's the emotional equivalent of:

ThiS IS mINe.]

[ huh. weird.

now both of you feel like you're tugging both ends of a rope, in a way that feels like... tugging a ship to shore to tie it to a dock, maybe. it's definitely hard, though, like it's something very heavy. ]

[ (daughter—!)

she just—

Kohime? I'll— I'm coming to you— ]

[She believes Amaranth means it.

It's a stubborn, insistent pull, because if Amaranth is adrift then she'll disappear, and that existential terror of ceasing to be is something she'll never forget even as she can never bring herself to really dwell on it.

So Amaranth has to be here, in Tokyo-F, nothing less is acceptable.]

[ she always does, doesn't she? she always means it.

and, stretching out across the sky, across the railing of the heavenly watchtower—there's a thin thread of gold starting to form. ]

[ She always means it.
And even if she does not fully understand that sheer existential terror, she can (feel it), and there's an instinctive response— ]

It's alright, I promise. I'm coming.

[ That golden thread catches her eye, though. Something she could reach out and grab...? ]

[ it seems like you could grab it. it looks fragile, still, like it's thread spinning into existence, but slowly becoming more substantial.

you can definitely hold it in your hand. when you do, it feels warm. ]

(a golden thread...?)

[ She tests the thread's weight, then—realizing its substance—grips it and twines it around her wrist. ]

(...it's warm.)

Whatever you're doing, Kohime, all of you—keep doing it.

[Well now it's more of an impatient yank.

I am, so come here. ]

[More hands lay on the emotional tether joining them to Amaranth, pulling alongside Kohime. Backing her up.

Come home. Come home to your family. You belong here.

If the Saviour could hear him, please-- bring his family back.]

[Cardinal continues praying to *Jehovah Epircurus Donation D'Arouet Mason while pulling.

Amaranth belongs here. It is right that she is returned.]

[ The golden thread grows thicker, more substantial in Amaranth's hand, and now all of avante can begin to physically see it—bright gold threads weaving into it coming from each of them.

Nero's complete belief that family should be together, Kohime's demand that Amaranth be able to come to her, Cardinal's steadfast belief in it being true that Amaranth should be here. Shrike's quiet insistence that she is needed here, and even with Nemesis's skittishness, her ease in talking about gathering intel and strategy for what to do when you're in heaven—

The thread is really more of a rope, now. Certainly strong enough to hold you, pulled taut. If you were dangling from it, you're sure it could hold you as long as your arms could hold onto it—and there's a strange ease in holding it, too.

Amaranth: you're certain that this rope will lead you back to Tokyo-F, if you were to, perhaps, swing from it. And maybe there's a little belief on your part required, too, to get you back there.

But you know this for a fact—all these voices you can hear, the reserved but no less real for it care of those of LiliS you could reach, avante's insistence that you should be there—

If you fall, there will be people there to catch you. ]

[ a surge of answering emotion—at the the feeling of family, could she really be—?
(just because she felt it never meant it was her right or role to ask for it, but even so) ]

[ It is right for her to be there. ]

You are my family.

[ Amaranth grips the golden rope in her arms; wraps it around herself. ]

I'm trusting all of you now to catch me.

[ She jumps. ]

[ oh shit. uh

WELL SHE'S TEXTING EVERY MEMBER OF LILIS SHE HEARD RECENTLY ]

sad bird in snow: she's incoming and uh
sad bird in snow: possibly going to fall out of the sky and we might need some help

Izanami-no-Mikoto: I heard where is she falling

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