"the second miracle was the time spent with you" | ASPECTS GAME

[miraculess]

Warnings for violence, self harm, and suicide attempts and ideation.

(Also for overblown symbolism and the fact I am almost entirely winging this ;D)

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[miraculess]

[ the entryway opens up into a living room— the entire thing has an old-fashioned and traditional air, with tatami mats on the floor and soft cushions scattered about. there are paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls, and... several swords?

however, more immediately noticeable is the girl sitting at a kotatsu— she's practicing calligraphy, humming as she scoots the brush over the paper with intense concentration and a little too much pressure for the lines to come out anywhere near gracefully. it's unmistakably Lilith— though a much more well-cared-for Lilith than Rin's ever seen. her hair is neatly trimmed in a shorter cut, there are bandages and gauze painstakingly taped over her seams, and in general she just seems... softer. even her face looks more rounded, although that has more to do with relaxation and a less half-starved look than any apparent change in her age.

her focus on the calligraphy doesn't last long, though. she glances up as she hears footsteps, and freezes with an almost comic deer-in-headlights expression—

THEN SHE DIVES UNDER THE KOTATSU. there goes half the calligraphy supplies. ]

[marezydoats]

Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

[ Rin crouches down. ]

Are you okay?

[miraculess]

[ no reply

...okay, maybe a little shuffle as she tries to figure out how to keep her feet from sticking out underneath the kotatsu's blanket. YOU CAN'T SEE HER, THEREFORE, CLEARLY YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY MEAN HER you saw nothing ]

[marezydoats]

[ Rin reaches over and moves the kotatsu blanket to cover Lilith's feet entirely. ]

[miraculess]

[ ...!

it's too bad someone who doesn't exist can't display manners. or say thank you to nice nee-sans. this is deeply unfortunate.

......mnnnnnnnn. popping her head awkwardly out the other side to eye Rin just over the table surface ]

[marezydoats]

Hello. Do you want to talk...?

[ She's trying to keep her posture as non-threatening as she can. Nee-san isn't a threat. ]

[miraculess]

[ ...

slips back beneath the blankets ]

[marezydoats]

It's okay, we don't have to talk. I'll leave you alone, if you'd like. Do you mind if I practice my calligraphy, too? It's been a while, you see.

[miraculess]

[ ... reaches out, grabs one of the sheets of paper that got knocked off, scoots it over to her, and withdraws ]

[marezydoats]

Thank you.

[ With that, she glances at whatever character Lilith appeared to be attempting, and does her own copy of it. ]

[miraculess]

[ it's... kind of difficult to tell, really, her handwriting is absolutely atrocious. "water," maybe...? ]

[marezydoats]

[ She slowly, deliberately writes "water." For her part, Rin's handwriting is neat and beautiful. ]

[miraculess]

[ well look at you and your developed motor skills :/ ]

[marezydoats]

[ She puts that aside and takes another piece of paper. Rather than trying more words, she's using the calligraphy ink to do a stylized drawing. ]

[miraculess]

[ ...somewhere in the middle of that she starts oozing out from underneath the table's opposite side. it's difficult not to notice; the way Lilith moves normally seems a little off, but this version of her is even worse. it's like she has no idea how a human should be able to move at all. ]

[marezydoats]

[ For now, she keeps at what she's doing... Though out of the corner of her eye, she's watching Lilith. ]

[miraculess]

[ finishes her ooze and— abruptly scuttles out of the room into what looks like it might be the kitchen? this is immediately followed by slightly too-loud rummaging noises ]

[marezydoats]

[ She glances in the direction that Lilith scuttled off to, but she wants to finish her drawing before she gets up. ]

[miraculess]

[ Rin doesn't need to either way; after a few more moments Lilith sidles hesitantly back in carrying a tray with snacks and tea on it only to pause in the doorway and rub one ankle with the ball of her other foot ]

[marezydoats]

[ Rin glances up at Lilith. She doesn't quite smile, but her eyes light up. ]

...Thank you.

[miraculess]

[ nods a little overenthusiastically, almost a very clumsy bow, and looks unabashedly pleased with herself as she brings the tray over to set on the edge of the table. she did a good and was properly polite to a guest ]