[ that name again, and sierra completely failed to do any research last time on who damian is, because while she cares, she’s also lazy and didn’t feel like looking through the forums to find out if anyone had ever mentioned his name with a hex code. ]
[ sierra no longer seems quite so sleepy, at the mention of the hen. she’s been reading the story, she knows that there’s a rainbow hen of legend, and she knows what it’s supposed to do. she smiles.
best not to make kisa worry. ]
I suppose he must have taken good care of you, if I didn’t notice. You weren’t hurt, were you?
[ If Sierra looks closely enough, there are a few healing scratches on the backs of Kisa's hands, and some faint bruising on her neck-- also healing. All from tiger handling and trying to escape, of course, but she doesn't look to be in any pain. ]
Mm. It was... really pretty, but it lost color by the time we made it back.
[ Which is a shame. ]
But the note... said what the story did, about... the hen bringing true love. But she had to come willingly or a curse will happen. So we think... the person in the story might have stolen her.
[ sierra nods, but her focus is on those healing marks. they’re fine, mostly, so she doesn’t have to kill damian or anything, but she may have to see if he’s truly up to snuff. if he’s going to be carting kisa off into the woods, he should do better than this. ]
[ ... Why does she feel like Sierra's gotten a little scary.
Maybe it's just her imagination, though. She's smiling, so it's probably fine??
Her grip tightens on Sierra's hand a bit, though, as they continue onwards and she tucks her chin down. ]
He's... he frowns a lot... and gets annoyed a lot, too. And he's bad at saying how he really feels.
[ Well, yes. ]
But he can do... so many things, that I can't. And he's always helping me. I... don't know why, but I think he believes in me more than I do. He said... I wasn't worthless. Or a burden.
You aren’t worthless, or a burden. It doesn’t take anyone “amazing” to see that.
[ sierra says this, but she realizes it may not be exactly what kisa would like to hear, when she seems intent on defending damian’s honor in his absence. ]
…but I can see how important he is to you. [ she lifts their joined hands, and gently pats kisa’s fingers. ] So don’t listen to me.
[ sierra would hate to see kisa place faith in someone else’s opinion of her, when it’s her own self-esteem she should be working on—but at the same time, she can see the value of having someone unwaveringly believe in one’s abilities. how complicated! ]
As long as you’re trying.
[ softly, in response to that affectionate lean. ]
[ sierra can sympathize with kisa’s struggle, though self-esteem isn’t something that sierra has had trouble with in centuries. even at her lowest, she never thought herself worthless. ]
…oh?
[ something seems to catch her eye then, up in the trees. ]
[ There's clear dismay in her eyes now. Largely because yeah, she really only wanted to do this for Sierra's sake, so maybe she should have thought to ask first before asking her if she'd come out here, but.
[ Well. She'd been ready to wish that her family didn't come here, so they didn't have to go through this kind of ordeal, but Damian had pointed out that it was probably not a wish the town (or the forest) could (or would) grant. And she thinks, briefly, about what he'd told her she could wish for, but she'd already decided against that.
If she can't do much for her family, then...
Kisa reaches up, wrapping her fingers around the rope and giving the bell a single ring that echoes in the clearing. ]
I wish... for a way to protect the people I care about.
[ it’s a lovely, selfless wish, and sierra’s careful smile melts into something a little more sincere. the pure heart of a child is always nice to witness, and sierra can’t help but feel like she’s a better person just for hearing it. ]
[ That way, if her family ever comes here, she can do something for them. And if not, then she can do something for the people here, who have already done so much for her.
But then she's looking expectantly at Sierra now. Okay, Mom. Go forth. ]
[ she looks down at kisa, and then up at the bell, wrapping her delicate fingers around the old rope. what can she wish for that won’t upset kisa, but isn’t a mockery of coming all the way out here, either? something like a dress or a bottle of wine seems too little, for kisa’s pure heart. ]
I wish…
[ ah. ]
I wish to hear Rean’s voice again, as it was when we were young.
[ her last memories of rean are not good ones, twisted by the horror of the moment and all that he’d done. for kisa, at least sierra can make it seem as if she simply misses him. ]
It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen each other, after all.
[ That's so sad, and if she knew anything about Rean and how things had Gone, she'd be even sadder, but thankfully she doesn't! She continues to believe that he is totally not dead and Sierra can reunite with him at some point and that's great. ]
Does it... ever get easier? Being without someone you care about...
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[ that name again, and sierra completely failed to do any research last time on who damian is, because while she cares, she’s also lazy and didn’t feel like looking through the forums to find out if anyone had ever mentioned his name with a hex code. ]
You must trust him quite a lot.
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[ Here, Kisa pauses, like she's a wee bit embarrassed. ]
He said... because I was important to him. But I... do really trust him.
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[ sierra no longer seems quite so sleepy, at the mention of the hen. she’s been reading the story, she knows that there’s a rainbow hen of legend, and she knows what it’s supposed to do. she smiles.
best not to make kisa worry. ]
I suppose he must have taken good care of you, if I didn’t notice. You weren’t hurt, were you?
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... By tigers. Um, but--! We found a feather... and a note about the hen.
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Did you?
[ she’s genuinely asking, but also now looking kisa over for any potential scratches or bruises that she might have missed. ]
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Mm. It was... really pretty, but it lost color by the time we made it back.
[ Which is a shame. ]
But the note... said what the story did, about... the hen bringing true love. But she had to come willingly or a curse will happen. So we think... the person in the story might have stolen her.
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That wasn’t very nice of that person.
[ an indulgent smile. ]
Tell me more about Damian.
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Maybe it's just her imagination, though. She's smiling, so it's probably fine??
Her grip tightens on Sierra's hand a bit, though, as they continue onwards and she tucks her chin down. ]
He's... he frowns a lot... and gets annoyed a lot, too. And he's bad at saying how he really feels.
[ Well, yes. ]
But he can do... so many things, that I can't. And he's always helping me. I... don't know why, but I think he believes in me more than I do. He said... I wasn't worthless. Or a burden.
... He's really amazing, Sierra.
[ So please don't snap him in half. ]
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[ sierra says this, but she realizes it may not be exactly what kisa would like to hear, when she seems intent on defending damian’s honor in his absence. ]
…but I can see how important he is to you. [ she lifts their joined hands, and gently pats kisa’s fingers. ] So don’t listen to me.
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I think we're around the same age, but... I can't do things that well. Not like that.
[ Well, Damian is also absurdly competent.
But Kisa leans affectionately against Sierra, briefly-- because they're still walking. ]
... Thank you, though. I'm still... trying to believe that about myself.
[ But it's hard. ]
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As long as you’re trying.
[ softly, in response to that affectionate lean. ]
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[ She'll admit it. It's actually kind of exhausting. ]
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[ sierra can sympathize with kisa’s struggle, though self-esteem isn’t something that sierra has had trouble with in centuries. even at her lowest, she never thought herself worthless. ]
…oh?
[ something seems to catch her eye then, up in the trees. ]
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[ Kisa's quick to follow her gaze, and sure enough... there it is. A bell. ]
This... has to be it, I think.
[ How many bells would this forest even have, anyway? With that knowledge in mind, she glances over at Sierra. ]
I think... you should make a wish, Sierra.
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[ that isn’t strictly true, but there are plenty of things that she’d rather keep a secret. ]
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[ There's clear dismay in her eyes now. Largely because yeah, she really only wanted to do this for Sierra's sake, so maybe she should have thought to ask first before asking her if she'd come out here, but.
Shoot. ]
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Oh, well… there are a few things. Don’t you have a wish? You can go first.
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If she can't do much for her family, then...
Kisa reaches up, wrapping her fingers around the rope and giving the bell a single ring that echoes in the clearing. ]
I wish... for a way to protect the people I care about.
[ There. That's simple enough, isn't it? ]
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[ it’s a lovely, selfless wish, and sierra’s careful smile melts into something a little more sincere. the pure heart of a child is always nice to witness, and sierra can’t help but feel like she’s a better person just for hearing it. ]
I hope it comes true.
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[ That way, if her family ever comes here, she can do something for them. And if not, then she can do something for the people here, who have already done so much for her.
But then she's looking expectantly at Sierra now. Okay, Mom. Go forth. ]
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[ she looks down at kisa, and then up at the bell, wrapping her delicate fingers around the old rope. what can she wish for that won’t upset kisa, but isn’t a mockery of coming all the way out here, either? something like a dress or a bottle of wine seems too little, for kisa’s pure heart. ]
I wish…
[ ah. ]
I wish to hear Rean’s voice again, as it was when we were young.
[ she rings the bell. ]
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[ That's not a name she's heard before, and Kisa blinks up at her, intrigued. Someone she'd known when she was young. ]
Is that... the person you told me about?
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[ her last memories of rean are not good ones, twisted by the horror of the moment and all that he’d done. for kisa, at least sierra can make it seem as if she simply misses him. ]
It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen each other, after all.
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[ That's so sad, and if she knew anything about Rean and how things had Gone, she'd be even sadder, but thankfully she doesn't! She continues to believe that he is totally not dead and Sierra can reunite with him at some point and that's great. ]
Does it... ever get easier? Being without someone you care about...
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[ the more she talks, the more obvious it becomes that he’s dead, she thinks—so she needs to redirect this a bit. ]
This is the only time you’ll hear me say this, but I am old. Time is not as much of a problem for me as it is for you humans.
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