Annie followed Sora into her den and snuggled up against her side, peering at the rock on top of the bed of grass. She slowly walked towards it and stood up, peering at it with wonder before looking down at the small pink heart embedded in her chest.

"... A monster?", she said, looking over to Sora again and sitting down near her side, looking up at her as she told her story, described what could have been her family.

The family Sora lost.

"... I'm sorry,", she said, moving to press into Sora's soft fur, wrapping her small front legs against her, "... I'm sorry your family is gone. Was gone."

She walked around to Sora's front and flared her little wings, "But it isn't! I'm your family! My brother's your family! A-and I'm gonna find mama and get her back!!"

She stomped her little feet and pinned her ears, looking up at Sora with sheer determination, "I will find her! Okay? So that... so that you can be happy, so that everyone can be happy."

She hugged Sora around the neck tightly and buried her face in the sow's neck, hanging on tightly. Annie could do it. Annie could help. Would help.

"... I love you, auntie,", she mumbled, "Nobody deserves to be alone."

@Sora

Sora tensed slightly at the contact, but nosed Annie gently closer anyway. "That's a nice sentiment," she said gently, not feeling the need to tell Annie that some people might not want to be found. If she wanted to go search for Morganite, well, that was her prerogative. What could Sora tell her except to be careful? She'd have gone to the ends of the earth and back again, if it had meant she'd be able to see the others again.

But she kept going, and Sora gave a tight smile. "... I hope it turns out to be that easy, Annie. I love you, too." It was... naive, and she expected it to come back and bite the kid in the ass, but who was she to crush that hope? Hope was a beautiful thing. It was hope that let you strive for a better tomorrow.

And maybe, just maybe, this little scrap of fur could be hope to Sora.


@annie

Falling too fast to prepare for this
tripping in the world could be dangerous

annie

Annie purred gently before pulling back. She stood up on her hind legs to peer at the stone, eyes sad.

"My dad has a stone," she said softly, "Mama came to give it to him, he said she didn't want 'Simon' to be with you, but that doesn't make sense. I think mama's sick."

She picked up the stone and cradled it in her hands, "This is one of your siblings, right?"

She looked up at Sora, eyes impossibly sad, and gently set the stone back in the nest, tucking it back in so it was comfortable. She had no idea that stones, once life had been taken from them, didn't feel anymore. She backed up a few steps and clasped her hands together, biting her lip.

"... I wish I could have met them," she said, and looked up at Sora, "What were they like? My dad doesn't talk about them much, I think it hurts. If it hurts you too, you don't have to tell me."

Annie was so young and yet she had a wisdom far beyond her age. A silent understanding. She was her mother's daughter, after all, or at least, the daughter of who Morganite had once been.

everybody circling is vulturous
negative, nepotist

@Sora

Sora sighed. "So that's what happened to that." Wisely, she did not say that she'd planned on murdering her sister over that. It wasn't really relevant, not if Pumpkin had it. "I think she is, too," Sora admitted, "but not in the body way. In the heart way, like I am." After a beat, she added, "... I don't think it's got the same symptoms, but I think it's the same sickness." Grief could poison you something awful.

She followed Annie's gaze to the blue stone on its little pedestal, and nodded. "That one was Orenstein. He was a monkey." She didn't mind talking about her family, though -- it made her feel a little bit like they were still there. "He was so sweet. I haven't brought his stone back because I know it wouldn't really be him, and I don't know if he would've wanted me to. So I'm just keeping it safe where I can see it." Mostly so that somebody else couldn't take it and do something bad with it.

She closed her eyes. "He was like you. He cared about others, and he wanted to keep the peace in our little band of misfits. He was... trustworthy. You always knew he'd be there for you when it really counted. And he was brilliant, too. A lot of my siblings were really smart. I never really understood what they talked about half the time, but that was okay. It was nice to just hear them talking."

Sora mulled over Simon next. "Simon was a snake, the kind that can bite people, but he never much wanted to. He was... quiet, but he cared so deeply about other people. He loved and he loved and he loved, unconditionally. His greatest wish was to see trees, and it sort of rubbed off on the rest of us." She laughed a little, remembering almost hollowly how faraway and amazing trees had seemed. "Him and Orenstein, they both died trying to save someone else." She sighed. "All of them did, actually." Sora cleared her throat. "He was closest with Morganite. I was going to give her his stone, but she didn't like my condition, so I took it home. Then she stole it back from me."

"Then there was Owlface," she settled on. "He was... kind of a lot of things, but mostly lizard and bird, I think. He had this massive frill around his face, and that's how he got his name. He kind of looked like an owl, especially when he was surprised." She opened her eye now, and scuffed a vague circle with a triangle in the middle into the dirt. She'd been practicing since Deli and had gotten a little better at it. "He was so observant. He noticed everything, and cared about everyone. We were all sort of like that, clinging onto each other. We were all we had."

But then, of course, there was... "And Kini-yolotl, of course." Sora felt grief coil around her. "They were our brother, but they were sort of like our dad, too. Kini was... a rock. You could always turn to them if things got rough. They were always there for me, even when I was just an angry little kid with a grudge against the world. They were my main sparring partner, and they always kicked my ass. Er-- whoops. I probably shouldn't swear around you," she murmured, and then sighed. "Anyway. Kini was a ram, but their tail was super long. I was also just a little bit taller," she grinned. It had been just barely, really, but... well. It had mattered to her.

She sighed. "I couldn't find the stones of anyone else. Just Simon and Orenstein, and a couple of the other Gembound who'd gone in with us. But the person who went with me kept those stones; I was only there for my family's."

@annie

Falling too fast to prepare for this
tripping in the world could be dangerous

annie

Annie listened silently, sitting next to Sora as she spoke, trying to imagine the family she'd never known. She put a clawed foot on Sora's own, leaning against her shoulder, offering what support the kitten-sized Gembound could. A smile spread across her face as she listened, and opened a chicken wing to put it as 'around' Sora as she could.

"They sounded wonderful," she said, "I wish I could have met them, but I think they were lucky to have you too, auntie."

She trotted forward to take Orestein off the pedestal and held it up, eyes big, "Orenstein still loves you, I bet. A-and I know none of them blame you or Pumpkin or my mom for anything that happened."

Annie hugged Sora with the stone in her claw, "I'm giving you a hug so it's like they're giving you a hug, okay?"

She held the stone so gently in her little claws, peering into the surface of it, mesmerized. She pressed her cheek against it and looked up, her green eyes sparkling. She put it back after a minute and stared at it, head cocked.

"I don't think they'd want you to be sad," she said, "Well I mean of course you're going to be. But um... you don't have to be. We can do something! Like... a mural! Or plant flowers for them."

everybody circling is vulturous
negative, nepotist

@Sora

Sora laughed a little wetly as Annie moved in to hug her. "Thank you." It was nice to have the validation, in a way, but Sora was also getting tired of people saying they were sorry for her loss. She couldn't be angry at Annie, though. The sentiment was too sweet coming from a child. At mention of a mural, though, she shook her head slightly.

"No, I-- I already thought about that." She nodded at the dye she'd made. "I was going to get a tattoo. I haven't seen the Gembound who was supposed to do it in a few cycles, though. Flowers would be nice, though. A mural would be too flashy. No need to drag everyone else down with us." She thought about Charles, at the meeting. She scowled.

Then, blinked herself out of the thought process and glanced over at Annie again. "Speaking of being with your family," Sora said gently, "I'll bet your daddy is missing you. We should get you home soon."

@annie

Falling too fast to prepare for this
tripping in the world could be dangerous

annie

Annie gasped, feathers poofing up, "Oh no!! I said I'd be home for dinner, it is dinner!!"

She grabbed Sora's leg and tugged on it, "Come on, we have to go and I don't wanna go home in the dark!"

She poked her head outside and hopped out of the den, bouncing around in a circle waiting for Sora. She hopped around and fluttered her teeny little wings, humming happily.

"Auntie, are you coming home with me?", she asked, falling still, "Pumpkin would love to see you, and Hop too! My brother, but my dad made him with a stone instead of with someone else."

She yawned nervously and sat herself down, looking up at Sora.

everybody circling is vulturous
negative, nepotist

@Sora

Sora hesitated for a moment. Facing Pumpkin again... was a troublesome prospect, and she was wary of facing his potential wrath. She'd have been mad at herself, certainly. But... well, she couldn't avoid him forever, not with Annie knowing where she lived now. He'd inevitably show up eventually. Besides, she was right about needing to be walked home -- she was small enough that just about any carnivorous Lesser could've snapped her up no problem.

"... Yeah," she said gently, standing up again. "I'll walk you home." Maybe, if Hop wasn't Simon's stone, she'd get it while she was there.


/exit sora
@annie

Falling too fast to prepare for this
tripping in the world could be dangerous

annie

Annie grinned and galloped after Sora, hopping forward and giggling happily, "My dad's gonna be so happy to see you."

She flapped her teeny wings, grinning from ear to ear as they continued on. She was so friggin' excited!!

She hoped Hop liked Sora and she hoped Pumpkin was happy. She just hoped everyone was happy.

everybody circling is vulturous
negative, nepotist

Exit Annie
@Sora for vis