[So, neither of them are probably willing to really address the state of their relationship at this point. There is an understanding between them, that they are lonely and yearn for those that are no longer here, and that together they've managed to hold themselves together.]
[Shadow Milk has wanted to hate Lily from the very beginning, but found himself deeply unable to the moment he knew of Seamus' past. He read through those letters, those journal entries, he saw the love he had for this person and found himself yearning for what fate ripped out of his hands in his next life.]
[He wanted to blame it on Vanilla's influence between their souls, but with him gone, he knows that to have been a sweet lie. He will continue to lie to himself, he thinks, about what might happen when they leave this place, if they leave this place, and greedily bask in whatever this has become. A reason to move forward, to keep living.]
[So, perhaps this is recent, him curling up as a snake under the pillow next to her. Small and warm and mostly out of sight. She likely knows he's there. Or maybe not? But one night his dim, flickering Soul Jam reacts... resonates softly to Lily's light of freedom, and calls her in. A soft plea.]
[For help.]
[Should she answer, she will find herself in a gorgeous hall, the Spire of Knowledge. It's reminiscent of the Academy but its far more grand.]
( lily knows he's there, whether he says something or not. with the bed being empty for so long now, any shift that isn't her stands out. she doesn't say anything, but if her hand lingers closer to that pillow that's between the two of them.
anything closer feels like it invites conversation as to what they truly are.
and yet as she sleeps, she feels the plea, and perhaps it's telling that it only has to flicker once- ▊▍▎ ▚▋▄▃▆▄ only has to open it's mouth, and freedom answers.
... how strange though, this place. it's like walking through a ghost of her childhood, almost... )
[What answers her is ... a soft shining mote of light, a very gentle light blue. It comes to meet here in the hall, floating around her and then moving away, as if to lead her.]
[If she follows, it will take her through the halls before reaching a tall, ornate door at the end. An office of sorts, not unlike the Headmaster's at the academy. It's etched in familiar symbols of magic, of runs. A great big eye set in the center.]
[Inside is a grand office, with high walls lined with books of all kinds. There are celestial instruments strung from the ceiling, grand and beautiful. The floor, as she walks, shimmers like the stars, like the milky way. While the office appears to be empty, the desk in disarray, the mote of light continues leading her to a book shelf in the back that has been opened to reveal a pathway. It's darker, this way, but the light travels in. Follow?]
( of course she follows, even if it's starting to feel like trailing after a teacher on her first day of school... she looks around wide-eyed and curious, but at the same time something twists in her stomach. he'd confirmed it, of course- but seeing it is so very different.
she follows, and continues to follow. from familiar yet different halls and magic and beauty, to something darker and yet so much more comforting. )
[As she steps through, the smell should hit her immediately. The strong scent of flowers wafts through the way as the path opens up into a large greenhouse.]
[The door is ajar, and even from the outside it seems almost overrun. Flowers of all sorts are creeping out, but there is one flower in particular that seems prominent. The Milkcrown. A flower that Shadow Milk has recently begun cultivating in their gardens, though he's always been cagey about it if asked.]
[The mote travels inside and float low until it reaches ...ah, the figure of someone laying on the ground, Milkcrown growing around them as if forming a bed. The mote returns to that person with a soft glow.]
[Dressed in a long, dark blue robe, stitched in gold, lays ...Shadow Milk? Or perhaps not. His long hair is like the starry sky, twinkling with stars as streaks of white flow through it. His face, though unconscious, seems softer, even despite the visible cracks running through his skin.]
she keeps going, only pausing to gently cup a milkcrown before going, leaving the flower as is. and then she realizes- )
No-
( lily runs forward, crouching beside him- he's cracking, why is he cracking? his dough- and... the stars...
something cinches in her chest. it both is, and is not him. the man she's come to welcome into her home. this is the man he was once upon a time.
she stares for a moment before a melancholy settles on her shoulders like snow. and then she gently rests a hand on his cheek, a soft light of healing magic emitting from her touch. )
[He seems in a deep sleep, though not a very restful one, as she comes over to look at him. Once she begins to heal him, that cool, soothing magic gently running through him, he begins to stir.]
[His eyes are ...tired, disoriented. They are a soft gold and blue much like Shadow Milk's.]
...?
[He looks up at her and "oh!"s very softly, weakly, and offers her a smile.]
( her voice is soft, quiet- not unlike her touch, really. as he stirs, she starts to blink away tears. his eyes, this gentle voice- it's so right and so wrong, and he looks so fragile. )
[Slowly, he begins to pull himself up, so he can sit, but the way he holds himself is very cautious. Her healing has mended the cracks a little, but there seems to be more to them. Perhaps something more metaphorical in nature.]
You ...are the Light of Freedom, keeper of the Silver Tree. I am Knowledge, and there is little that escapes my sight, you know. Ah, but ...it has been much harder to "see" lately. I have ...felt very tired.
[His expression is wry, as he threads his fingers through his hair, brushing it back behind his shoulder.]
I fear I've been asleep for some time, and only now had the strength to reach out. Thank you.
[Ah, thank you. He folds his hands in his lap. What lay beneath him were ...swathes of more milkcrown.]
To a degree. He and I are ...one in the same, though he denies it. His sorrow is mine, as is his joy, his anger. However, I am not as all Knowing as I once was.
That's a very good guess, but you're off just a little.
[He sits up straight, the best he can in his state, so that he can speak like he would when giving a lecture of some kind.]
I once explained to another that Death is not absolute, but rather, is the onset of transformation and change. I may "die" soon, but it is a happy thing. It means things have begun to change.
( though she frets gently, she doesn't interrupt either. she just watches his expression, before her hand finally squeezes is- it couldn't have been anyone but pure vanilla cookie. vanny... )
He and I will become one, and I will finally leave this tower.
[His hand gently squeezes back.]
I was worried ...that I might not have ever woken back up. We felt a loss so great, I fell into a deep slumber, a darkness swallowed me, but I called out and you answered. Thank you.
That was never within your control. Don't... think that that is a guilt you have to carry, okay?
( and then he does that and she can't help but fluster because it's shadow milk, but it's not, but it's the man she had admired so and despite everything she really doesn't have a lot of this sort of experience- he may be amused by a little squeak that she's pretending didn't happen.
...
after a moment, lily leans forward, cupping his cheek opposite of the cracks with her own free hand and presses a soft kiss against said cracks. making her own move does not make the blush on her cheeks fade any. )
... I... do too. But what happens now that I'm here?
Oh, my dear ...The guilt I carry has brought ruin to civilizations.
[But maybe that's something else they have in common.]
[Before he can say anything else, she is leaning forward and- oh! That ...such a soft gesture. He looks gobsmacked for a moment, truly caught off guard, but then his cheeks flush and he has to avert his eyes for a moment. Goodness. Spin his stardust hair around his fingers.]
I- W-well! This is ...but a dream. It will fade in time. Would you like to help me water the flowers until then? The Milkcrown have ...have really gotten out of hand...
( she's quiet for a moment. he and vanilla may have been two halves of a whole... but she and this man... are mirrors. good intent leads to hell, knowledge leads to madness, despair leads to carnage. and all that remains in the aftermath are them- bullet shells, hollow with grief.
maybe, with how much she hates herself- the lily who left vanny behind at the spire, and dark enchantress, and yes, herself as she is now- maybe she never would have liked shadow milk cookie off the bat.
...
at least he's cute when he's flustered. normal things to think about a man you definitely don't have any feelings for. )
[Ah, he settles down a little. The Fount of Knowledge was not flustered, he is an illustrious professional! He braids his hair a bit out of nerves, or perhaps excitement? Before he is looking for the edge of a table to try and pull himself to his feet with.]
There is a watering can ...ah.
[He must have dropped it at some point, its over on the ground some distance away. There's still a bit of water left in it, though.]
...I seem to have made a mess before falling asleep. Forgive me.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
some time after the divine library
[Shadow Milk has wanted to hate Lily from the very beginning, but found himself deeply unable to the moment he knew of Seamus' past. He read through those letters, those journal entries, he saw the love he had for this person and found himself yearning for what fate ripped out of his hands in his next life.]
[He wanted to blame it on Vanilla's influence between their souls, but with him gone, he knows that to have been a sweet lie. He will continue to lie to himself, he thinks, about what might happen when they leave this place, if they leave this place, and greedily bask in whatever this has become. A reason to move forward, to keep living.]
[So, perhaps this is recent, him curling up as a snake under the pillow next to her. Small and warm and mostly out of sight. She likely knows he's there. Or maybe not? But one night his dim, flickering Soul Jam reacts... resonates softly to Lily's light of freedom, and calls her in. A soft plea.]
[For help.]
[Should she answer, she will find herself in a gorgeous hall, the Spire of Knowledge. It's reminiscent of the Academy but its far more grand.]
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anything closer feels like it invites conversation as to what they truly are.
and yet as she sleeps, she feels the plea, and perhaps it's telling that it only has to flicker once- ▊▍▎ ▚▋▄▃▆▄ only has to open it's mouth, and freedom answers.
... how strange though, this place. it's like walking through a ghost of her childhood, almost... )
... Hello? I'm here now, so- you can come out...
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[If she follows, it will take her through the halls before reaching a tall, ornate door at the end. An office of sorts, not unlike the Headmaster's at the academy. It's etched in familiar symbols of magic, of runs. A great big eye set in the center.]
[Inside is a grand office, with high walls lined with books of all kinds. There are celestial instruments strung from the ceiling, grand and beautiful. The floor, as she walks, shimmers like the stars, like the milky way. While the office appears to be empty, the desk in disarray, the mote of light continues leading her to a book shelf in the back that has been opened to reveal a pathway. It's darker, this way, but the light travels in. Follow?]
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she follows, and continues to follow. from familiar yet different halls and magic and beauty, to something darker and yet so much more comforting. )
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[The door is ajar, and even from the outside it seems almost overrun. Flowers of all sorts are creeping out, but there is one flower in particular that seems prominent. The Milkcrown. A flower that Shadow Milk has recently begun cultivating in their gardens, though he's always been cagey about it if asked.]
[The mote travels inside and float low until it reaches ...ah, the figure of someone laying on the ground, Milkcrown growing around them as if forming a bed. The mote returns to that person with a soft glow.]
[Dressed in a long, dark blue robe, stitched in gold, lays ...Shadow Milk? Or perhaps not. His long hair is like the starry sky, twinkling with stars as streaks of white flow through it. His face, though unconscious, seems softer, even despite the visible cracks running through his skin.]
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( ...
she keeps going, only pausing to gently cup a milkcrown before going, leaving the flower as is. and then she realizes- )
No-
( lily runs forward, crouching beside him- he's cracking, why is he cracking? his dough- and... the stars...
something cinches in her chest. it both is, and is not him. the man she's come to welcome into her home. this is the man he was once upon a time.
she stares for a moment before a melancholy settles on her shoulders like snow. and then she gently rests a hand on his cheek, a soft light of healing magic emitting from her touch. )
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[His eyes are ...tired, disoriented. They are a soft gold and blue much like Shadow Milk's.]
...?
[He looks up at her and "oh!"s very softly, weakly, and offers her a smile.]
It's you. You heard me, after all.... I'm glad.
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( her voice is soft, quiet- not unlike her touch, really. as he stirs, she starts to blink away tears. his eyes, this gentle voice- it's so right and so wrong, and he looks so fragile. )
... Do... you know who I am?
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[Slowly, he begins to pull himself up, so he can sit, but the way he holds himself is very cautious. Her healing has mended the cracks a little, but there seems to be more to them. Perhaps something more metaphorical in nature.]
You ...are the Light of Freedom, keeper of the Silver Tree. I am Knowledge, and there is little that escapes my sight, you know. Ah, but ...it has been much harder to "see" lately. I have ...felt very tired.
[His expression is wry, as he threads his fingers through his hair, brushing it back behind his shoulder.]
I fear I've been asleep for some time, and only now had the strength to reach out. Thank you.
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... shadow milk cookie... )
... Yes. My name is White Lily Cookie. Are you aware of- of what happens outside of this place, then?
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To a degree. He and I are ...one in the same, though he denies it. His sorrow is mine, as is his joy, his anger. However, I am not as all Knowing as I once was.
I ...am but a remnant, a missing piece.
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( she inhales softly. a remnant who got to live. while he... is here. trapped within himself.
lily watches, and she quietly takes one of his hands in her own with a gentle squeeze. )
... I'm sorry.
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[He takes his free hand and sets it on top.]
You needn't apologize. If anything, I would like to thank you.
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... Anyone would come when called, I'd like to think.
( but that's not the only thing, is it? )
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Not just for that. Ah, these cracks in my dough ...what do you think they might be?
[Uh oh, is this suddenly a little pop quiz? From the First Headmaster?]
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( somehow that seems to calm her down, actually? )
This realm is metaphysical, is it not? Born of your soul and magic. The cracks would be... a representative of a hurt you feel, correct?
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[He sits up straight, the best he can in his state, so that he can speak like he would when giving a lecture of some kind.]
I once explained to another that Death is not absolute, but rather, is the onset of transformation and change. I may "die" soon, but it is a happy thing. It means things have begun to change.
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Don't strain yourself...
( though she frets gently, she doesn't interrupt either. she just watches his expression, before her hand finally squeezes is- it couldn't have been anyone but pure vanilla cookie. vanny... )
... What... what's going to happen, after?
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[His hand gently squeezes back.]
I was worried ...that I might not have ever woken back up. We felt a loss so great, I fell into a deep slumber, a darkness swallowed me, but I called out and you answered. Thank you.
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( she knows she's not who they yearn for. her gaze falls. )
But I'll be there all the same. I promise. ... And, I will be there when you call.
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[He lifts their hands to give hers a gentle little kiss.]
I look forward to the day we can see each other on the other side.
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( and then he does that and she can't help but fluster because it's shadow milk, but it's not, but it's the man she had admired so and despite everything she really doesn't have a lot of this sort of experience- he may be amused by a little squeak that she's pretending didn't happen.
...
after a moment, lily leans forward, cupping his cheek opposite of the cracks with her own free hand and presses a soft kiss against said cracks. making her own move does not make the blush on her cheeks fade any. )
... I... do too. But what happens now that I'm here?
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[But maybe that's something else they have in common.]
[Before he can say anything else, she is leaning forward and- oh! That ...such a soft gesture. He looks gobsmacked for a moment, truly caught off guard, but then his cheeks flush and he has to avert his eyes for a moment. Goodness. Spin his stardust hair around his fingers.]
I- W-well! This is ...but a dream. It will fade in time. Would you like to help me water the flowers until then? The Milkcrown have ...have really gotten out of hand...
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maybe, with how much she hates herself- the lily who left vanny behind at the spire, and dark enchantress, and yes, herself as she is now- maybe she never would have liked shadow milk cookie off the bat.
...
at least he's cute when he's flustered. normal things to think about a man you definitely don't have any feelings for. )
Yes, I can do that.
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There is a watering can ...ah.
[He must have dropped it at some point, its over on the ground some distance away. There's still a bit of water left in it, though.]
...I seem to have made a mess before falling asleep. Forgive me.
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