Ajisai yae Galvus

"The bench over there, just on the other side of the wall. Where the plants are."

She cleared her throat after speaking, then gestured to a wall that had a clear gap leading into a smaller half-room.

"All of my equipment is there, too."

Hm. I think we should, yes!

Where do you want to go?

I already know, but I can pretend it’s not real.

I don’t think I want to know.

"Your usual Allagan-Magitek hybrid devices, some ancient relics, the wing from Shinryu that's been preserved... oh, and a Regulator that a dear friend brought back to me from Solution 9."

She pressed her hand over her mouth, willing the burn and tickle away.

"What else should there be?"

"No, not the egging, he took his gunblade to them."

She paused, mulling it over. He would see anyway, so best prepare him now.

"I have a head in a jar. You remember Octavian? It's his head."

Cute....

"Ah-!"

She tensed for a brief moment, then relaxed with a slight shake of her head.

"Down the flight of stairs into the library. Under the stairs you'll see a cermet door, with your portrait hung slightly above an Allagan device... Yes, I saved one from Varis's spree after your death."

I’m so proud of you Izumi!

I will bring you a gift when next we play!

Minecraft… :)

took." She sighed, looking at the handkerchief for a long moment. Then, she slowly gets up from the sofa. Her legs felt like they would give out on her at any moment, yet she forced it.

"I'll take you to my lab, its just downstairs, in the library... converted the old storage space for it."

"I don't know. Maybe. The machine is down in my private lab." She takes the handkerchief and cleans up her face. Her voice is hoarse and raw, and it hurts to talk.

"It needs a fresh sample. Didn't think it was going to manifest so fast like this...nor did I think it would ever, with how long it+

figured it out a month and a half ago. Just before Markus was born. Nerva helped, but. Turns out all I did was wake up my grandsire, cause Olwen to be subjected to that horror, and Zenos lost his arm /and/ his aether!

What a stupid, fool of a girl I am!"

Her shouting only made the cough worse.

then tried to speak again.

"The day Lucius passed, the palace physicians overseeing him, and the one overseeing me were talking. They spoke about how sudden the disease took him, and how it would only be a matter of time until it took me, too."

She glared into the middle space.

"Thought I had+

want to worry you."

She can't bring herself to look at him, couldn't even look at her own hands, or the trail she left.

"I heard the palace physicians talking. The day he..."

She coughed into her shoulder, a new stain. At least her dress was black. She gave herself a moment to collect herself,+

Her usual dark skin seemed pale in comparison as he cleaned her hands. She seemed to shrink smaller than was her usual as she drew her knees to her chest, keeping her hands free for him.

"I..."

Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, ignoring the metallic tang.

"...tried to cure it. Didn't+

[She'd stopped walking to cough. She now stares at the bloodied handkerchief in her hand.]

Ever time marches onward, leaving the sick to rot and waste away.

A pity I'll miss his namedays.

hand. Tears welled in her eyes. Not again. Not again!

Her hand dropped as the fit ended, her body crumpling in on itself. She had tried so hard to hide it. Hid it for so long, to the point where it would no longer be denied.

The palace physicians had warned her, and she chose to ignore it.

"....-nos"

She could hardly speak. Her fingers dug into her cheek as she stared at the floor, unfocused, darting back and forth wildly.

"Zenos has hi-"

Her body tensed for a moment, and she shook, trying to hold it in, but she couldn't. She coughed, /violently/. Blood seeped out from under her+

He would find her in the kitchen, kneeling on the floor and doubled over herself. There was a small splotch of blood smeared over the black tile; her hand looked like it had slipped.

Her other hand clamped firmly over her mouth, as if trying to keep something in.

grandfather clock. No chatter, no cries from the nearly one month old infant.

@polydegmonsprice.bsky.social

Blood.

That was why greeted Emet when he came to check in on Aji and Markus. Blood on the floor, a smudged handprint on the wall.

It wasn’t a lot, so surely no one had died, yet what was most concerning was the silence. Nothing but the soft tick-tock from the old+

// OOOOHH hehe

do it

//holding my hands out, join me in having varis muses, it would be funny

//yessss join me in the very small varis lovers club

Like any normal babe. He cries in the middle of the night, he fussy when he's hungry or needs changing...

[She pauses and smiles, there is clear worry on her face, but it could be chalked up to any mother worrying over her child.]

Oh no, I don't.

[She smiles, going to fetch her a bowl of stew]

Hearty root vegetables, soft and tender ovim shank.

[She set the bowl onto the coffee table and sat down on the sofa across from her. Markus lay in his little bassinet, cooing softly.]

I made the robe for you. Zenos has one as well.

//as is their right

[She had been waiting for her, the scent of stew simmering on the stove filled the little dining room. On a chair next to the fireplace looked like a very plush, and very comfy looking robe.]

You look exhausted... come, the stew is ready, and that robe there is for you.

See you soon!

Don't worry, the guard know to let you pass, they won't cause you problems.