momquest: a quest for moms

[farfromgrace]

[ 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... ]

Comments

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[purrrnicious]

[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.]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ 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. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

[ (daughter—!)

she just—


Kohime? I'll— I'm coming to you— ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[purrrnicious]

[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.]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ 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. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

[ 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...? ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ 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. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

(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.

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[purrrnicious]

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

I am, so come here. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[gigadevilbreaker]

[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.]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[deicider]

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

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

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ 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. ]

/3

[worthathousand]

[ 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) ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

[ It is right for her to be there. ]

You are my family.

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

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

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

[ She jumps. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[softlyfalling]

[ 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

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[enlightenedatheist]

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

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[softlyfalling]

[ the manner of typing makes it likely she has probably switched to TTS: ]

sad bird in snow: I am getting the impression that she is heading directly for us so possibly our balcony
sad bird in snow: since there's um a sort of tether now, that seems to be targeted here
sad bird in snow: I think I could theoretically catch her but we'll need to slow her down

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[enlightenedatheist]

Izanami-no-Mikoto: Got it
Izanami-no-Mikoto: Make sure to catch her

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[enlightenedatheist]

[ idk how to deal with emotions like that so i was just kind of in the backseat but HEY DID YOU JUST SAY FALL

ALARM

WHERE is embarrassingly the loudest thought he's ever had while he busts out of LiliS while fumbling with his phone (one-handed, he is wheelchair) ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[vitainmorte]

[ also alarmed but also determined

grabbing his chair let's fucking GO. through the stables.

fortunately she is pretty fit even if she isn't really a runner so it's easy enough to run and wheel him at the same time. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[enlightenedatheist]

[ oh nice

letting go to properly purchase one(1) ability and yell into his phone the speech to text

and, to cypress: ]

Outside—we need to help catch her fall!

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ meanwhile: you are falling.

and it is very clear to you know how very high up you are, falling through layers of clouds and into a space of total darkness, like you're in the night sky on Calibration, or in the space between worlds, perhaps.

it's cold here, and even though there's light from the rope, which is now glowing bright, like it's still lit by the sun, the chill darkness around you feels like it leeches away all other color present—from your clothes and your skin. but the rope is still pleasantly warm, and easy to hold onto. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[worthathousand]

[ She clutches that feeling to her with the full strength of her conviction.

...Though she also never cares to be helpless: once she's fallen some distance from Yu-Shan, she tries to call Nightingale's breeze and petals to her again. ]

Re: ALSO MEANWHILE IN AVANTE

[farfromgrace]

[ the wind won't come, it won't hold you; maybe because you're in some kind of not-space, or maybe—well, you were always the odd one out, among LiliS. sometimes that's been a strength, and sometimes it's left you very lonely.

but still, the warmth of the rope keeps the color in your hands, in your clothes, keeps your wits about you—in a way, it almost seems like the gold of that rope bleeds into your clothes, coloring them gold in places.

and below you, you begin to see a sort of brightness in the distance, a pinpoint of light growing larger. ]