(no subject)

[featherbeaned]

Who: Idols! Monsters! Monstrous idols ...?
Where: Anywhere, everywhere
When: 298. early morning

[What are you up to?]

Comments

[worthathousand]

Yes.

What were you going to say, just then? Or should we—
[ a pause ] ...On second thought.

[ She makes a beckoning gesture towards the ground, almost as if pulling on something invisible; her hand closes to a fist as she finishes summoning her cottage from the earth. ]

Let's get a bit of privacy.

[softlyfalling]

[ she follows, sort of idly re-doing her braid, still frowning, slightly.

once they're inside, though: ]

Prudent, though—the issue isn't whether it's public or not.

[ and that's all she says. ]

[worthathousand]

[ brows furrowing, a bit ]

Are you referring to the one whose name we're avoiding speaking? Because if it's something else, I'm already involved in this, and I'd appreciate being properly informed.

[softlyfalling]

I can't tell you, Amaranth.

[worthathousand]

And why is that.

[softlyfalling]

[ how can she put this... ]

You're surely familiar with the abilities of Taisho Roman Revolution?

/2

[worthathousand]

How am I supposed to help if I'm cut out from it to begin with?

[worthathousand]

[ a sharp sigh; trying to redirect the kneejerk irritation ]

Am I making some sort of mistake, sharing this at all, if it's just going to lose whatever trust she's put in me?

[softlyfalling]

It was... a while ago, and—

...well, I think she likes you more than she likes me. I had a lot of ground to make up.

[worthathousand]

She is... a daughter to me.

[ a pause ]

I told Shadow Weaver I would kill her, but [ dry, almost ] so far she has refused to take me up on the offer.

....Perhaps she actually would have accepted the duel if I'd made it clear which daughter of mine I was defending, but I didn't want to risk exposing Kohime to her wrath. And if I'm not taking her out on my own, avante needs to step in.

[softlyfalling]

Oh, I'll kick her ass any hour of any day.

That's—useful context for me, though, as far as why some other things happened. If there's any way to get at her...

[worthathousand]

That's not all of it.

For one thing, Kohime has been desperate to have avante winning games because it's the dance her so-called mother has her performing, in order to earn information. I don't think it's the only thing she's been told to do, though.

Then there was something Shadow Weaver mentioned: that she had tied their fates together.

[softlyfalling]

...shit. I wondered if there was a reason why she cared so much about that.

So—what does that mean, if something happens to her?

[worthathousand]

I... truly don't know. Kohime didn't seem scared for her own life when she found out I'd challenged Shadow Weaver—just mine.

The part of their conversation I saw largely concerned Kohime trying to get a copy of some sort of contract. I initially assumed it was just for information on how the death goddess operates, but... now that I'm articulating it all to you, I wonder if that's part of it.

[softlyfalling]

I think something happened while Shadow Weaver was here. I don't know... entirely what. But I'd wager... it relates to that, yes.

[worthathousand]

Who else should we inform? Normally I'd say Cardinal, and immediately, but you're the better judge of whether Kohime would be comfortable with that.

Regardless, I feel I've sat on my hands more than long enough.

[softlyfalling]

They don't get along at all to the point that I think Cardinal wouldn't want to deal with it and I don't think Kohime would be comfortable. Nero would want to help, though, I'm sure.

[worthathousand]

I'm sure he would too, and I trust him.

[ a pause ]

...Cardinal ought to care, though. [ "ought" as in "surely they must" ]
All of avante is under their care, isn't it? Just as it is yours.

[softlyfalling]

...I don't really think they consider that to be the case anymore.

[worthathousand]

Not at all? Avante is their unit—even if it cannot truly be their bash'.

[softlyfalling]

Well, I mean. We're not that, in the way that you are, I suppose. They just live with us.

[worthathousand]

[ frowning now, the certainty bleeding from her voice ]

I thought avante had been considering one another family for some time—since... gods, since before Harpy left, even.

[softlyfalling]

Well—more or less. Varying degrees, maybe, but I don't think... even though some of us would be happy to think of Cardinal that way, I feel like they've made it pretty clear they don't.

So. You know. It doesn't feel great but it is what it is.

[worthathousand]

[ horrified, almost— ]

You said you were worried about them being distant from you, and I know they don't want to be avante's leader any longer, but I had no idea it was that bad.

[ a pause ]

...Perhaps I should have, though. Gods, when I fought with LiliS, they said I shouldn't give up on being understood by them. But even then, they were talking like there was no true place for them on avante.

[softlyfalling]

...I just don't know what to do, Amaranth.