abaogenesis | LIMELIGHT INBOX

I'll go back anyway. Got unfinished business with the boat.

You all seem to have gotten into quite a lot while I was looking elsewhere.

Hey, give yourself some credit. You got into plenty, too.

Not as such... ah.

[ Pauses. Then shuffles back behind the counter, to pull a book from one of the drawers. ]

That does remind me, I think I should give you this.

A...book?

[ SAID BOOK. MEANT BAG. ]

Ah, no, no. I just needed somewhere to keep it dry.

[ removes one of her silk handkerchiefs, wrapped around something, to carefully hold it out for him. ]

I found this in the clothing of one of those corpses, in the subway.

[ a little inhale as he gently takes the flower ]

...this is familiar. Thistle and I saw a flower a lot like this down there.

Is that so? Then I'm leaving it in better hands than mine.

[ A thoughtful pause... ]

... Ah, one more thing. If you'd accompany me upstairs? Tell me about that flower as we walk.

Oh yeah, for sure.

[ to both things! as they head up, ]

It was alive when I saw it. Growing under this tree that I climbed and asked some questions. Uh, this is gonna sound weird, but I think they were friends? The tree said it wasn't lonely, 'cause it had the flower. But it disintegrated after answering my questions, and...like, I'm 100% sure the flower was heartbroken. I tried to heal it, but...doesn't work like that. I wanted to bring it along, but I got this mega strong feeling the boatman

[ what boatman ]

would like, turbo-kill Thistle and me if I did. So I left it alone. But before we left, someone said:

The flower shall be alright. We have not given up yet.

The "boatman"?

[ waves a hand ]

This creepy boatman guy. Didn't want to talk to me.

[ NOT THAT HES STILL SULKING OR ANYTHING ]

[ huffs, amused. ]

Ah, you were rejected.

... Well, if that's the case-- I'm very sorry to return the flower to you in this condition. Though I don't believe it's dead.

[ GRUMBLES. but then, ]

...you don't?

Put your ear close to it.

[ He'll find that very faintly, it's... ticking? ]

[ puts his ear close, and, oh! ]

...is it stupid if I'm relieved?

Of course not. I would expect nothing less from you. Text me updates, when you have them...

[ trails off thoughtfully. ]

... Ah, wait. There's one more thing... one moment.

For sure.

[ pauses, then ]

Oh, yeah okay.

[ waits, then ]

[ She heads to the back, up the stairs into her apartment.

And it's a few minutes before she trots back down again, a folded shirt in her hands-- which she hands over to him.

It's the shirt he'd asked her, fixed once more-- she couldn't fit her flowers in the rest of the group embroidered along the hem, so instead she simply put a couple of peonies on a sleeve. ]

I hope this is an acceptable placement...? I didn't want it to take up too much space.

[

hugs her, shirt and all ]

[ baby,

freezes up just a moment before wrapping her arms around him, just holding him gently. ]

Dearest.

I'm going to miss you so much.

... Perhaps it is narcissistic of me to say I'm glad I'll be missed.

More than that, I'd rather none of you returned to the boat.

On the bright side, you'll be here for us to come back to.

That's right. I will be.

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