and it takes, and it takes, and it takes

[acherontiastyx]

[It... definitely takes a while for the weekly after-execution note to arrive, but it does --- kind of scrawly and on ripped paper rather than nice stationery.]

EY. YO. WE GOT EFFIGIES IN THE DINING ROOM AND WE'RE GONNA BURN EM.

FOOD TOO. THE USUAL AND HOT COCOA. GOOD FOR THE SOUL. GET SOME. MAYBE TAKE IT BACK TO YOUR ROOM IF YOU HAVE TO. JUST GET SOME.

[Anyway, in the dining room, there's plenty of mugs set out, with a janky looking arrow sign pointing into the kitchen to where you can get your hot cocoa. On the table, there's Vichyssoise, a pot of green tea, and some booze. There's also a cookie tray on the floor away from the table on which to burn the Wordsmith and Kimbley effigies, which are handily placed near the food on the table.

...also if you go in the kitchen without shoes on just. Watch the northern corner. There's no kidneys, but there's a lot of broken plates there for some reason...]

Comments

[oyashiromama]

[Hanyuu fiercely shakes her head.]

N-no, I- I have to, h-he- i-it's for him-

[She never got to cook for him.]

[deofoled]

Okay.

[...]

Will you let me help at least?

[oyashiromama]

...

[A sharp nod.]

S-some eggs. I-I'm making a, aah...a double, s-so...eight of them.

[deofoled]

I'm on it. [ He practically lives in this kitchen, so he produces the eggs in record time.]

Do you want to talk about something else? I can tell you about the one Netherworld that isn't like the rest.

[oyashiromama]

[As she continues the recipe, trying to quell her sobs, she nods once more.]

Pl-please.

[deofoled]

[ He reaches out to her briefly to lay a hand on her shoulder before going back to making the cake. He's not really good at comforting, but he feels more and more obligated to try lately.

And then after a pause he starts talking.]

It's called Flowerful. I didn't grow up there, but it's my...real home I guess. It's an entire Netherworld full of green meadows, flowers, and windmills. There's no fighting there, because any demon stupid enough to try would get their ass handed to them. The Overlord of Flowerful was Goldion, The Great Demon Fist. He was among the strongest demons in the Netherworlds, but he didn't want to kill and conquer like the rest.

[oyashiromama]

[She...takes quiet note of that was, but she also takes comfort in hearing this. And the hand on her shoulder. Physical contact really does help.]

H-he made...his Netherworld a beautiful...paradise, compared to the rest. With strength, he did s-something wonderful.

[She hiccups as she starts blending an egg into the dough.]

...It sounds wonderful. It sounds like a place...I-I wish I could've lived.

[deofoled]

Yeah, his values were really important to him. He thought that demons didn't have to be intrinsically evil, that they could have hearts too. It's what made him the strongest, because he was able to tap into powers other demons couldn't.

...the best years of my life were on Flowerful. The only good years of my life.

[ He's wistful, but he keeps working as he talks. It's less hard to talk about than he thought it would be.]

[oyashiromama]

[...Ah...]

How long did you l-live there for?

[The more he talks, the more her sobs subdue.]

[deofoled]

A couple hundred of years.

I...ran away.

[ The flour for the cake is kneaded a little too forcefully, but he doesn't seem angry just frustrated.]

[oyashiromama]

Why did you run?

[deofoled]

Because I was young, stupid, and thought I knew better than everyone else.

[oyashiromama]

...I wish you could return there.

[She gets the idea he can't.]

[deofoled]

It's not home if they're both dead.

[...kind of.]

[oyashiromama]

[...both.]

Goldion...and who?

[deofoled]

Lieze. She was his daughter and...she saved me.

[oyashiromama]

...I'm so sorry. I...I lost the one who saved me too, long ago, so I... I'm so sorry.

[deofoled]

...you did? [ He's shocked to hear that, and stops what he was doing.]

[oyashiromama]

[Is it so surprising?]

...Yes. He was a human, named Riku. He was my husband for a...tragically short amount of time, but...he made me feel alive, and taught me I had something to live for.

[deofoled]

[ It makes sense that there would be others who had their life changed by a singular person. But to hear it from Hanyuu who's always seemed so gentle and caring, it's surprising.]

I'm sorry.

[...]

Lieze was similar, she taught me what kindness, friendship and family were. Before that, I didn't care about those things. I couldn't.

[oyashiromama]

[Who would've thought they'd be so similar in this way?]

It's alright. It was a very long time ago, when I only thought of protecting because it was what I was born for...and not of my own life.

[...]

Even though it ended, though...I'm glad you experienced s-something like that too. It's...it's so much better, knowing what it feels like.

[deofoled]

I was a different demon then too.

[ These parallels.]

...yeah, it is. I hope you're able to remember and honor his memory.

[oyashiromama]

I can never forget him.

[...a small sniff.]

I wish the same for you, Killia. ...And I thank you, for...telling me this.

[deofoled]

You too.

[ He's almost done here, but before he leaves he lays a hand on her shoulder again. He's still bad at this, but he really meant what he said.]

[oyashiromama]

[She can't quite smile, but she manages a grateful glance as she continues making the cream puffs.]