[Plenty of people had told her silly platitudes about deciding her own birthday when she’d disgraced herself enough to make that call on communion… that much she remembers. It happened so many times she can’t forget.
And she’d answered so many times that she doesn’t want to do it again, even in this damaged state where she’s somewhat numbly replying to anything just to focus on it. Byleth had told her his situation. She didn’t need a birthday.
She winces and curls in pathetically when Yuri peels the cloak away from the deepest remaining wound, unable to speak for a moment as her teeth grind and a pitiful whimper of pain is smothered in her taut throat before it can breathe air past her lips. Both sets of lungs, upper and lower, heave a bit unevenly, her tail quivers… but that pain begins to ease, too, and she can remember-]
Y… es…
[When she’d handed over that gift… His smile had been so… Her fingers curl uselessly with nothing to hold, tight and empty. If he were here… or another of her “friends”… even if it meant seeing her this weakened, perhaps… just perhaps…]
He said… He loved it…
[If she’d stopped there perhaps it would have simply been a sweet sentiment, but-]
no subject
And she’d answered so many times that she doesn’t want to do it again, even in this damaged state where she’s somewhat numbly replying to anything just to focus on it. Byleth had told her his situation. She didn’t need a birthday.
She winces and curls in pathetically when Yuri peels the cloak away from the deepest remaining wound, unable to speak for a moment as her teeth grind and a pitiful whimper of pain is smothered in her taut throat before it can breathe air past her lips. Both sets of lungs, upper and lower, heave a bit unevenly, her tail quivers… but that pain begins to ease, too, and she can remember-]
Y… es…
[When she’d handed over that gift… His smile had been so… Her fingers curl uselessly with nothing to hold, tight and empty. If he were here… or another of her “friends”… even if it meant seeing her this weakened, perhaps… just perhaps…]
He said… He loved it…
[If she’d stopped there perhaps it would have simply been a sweet sentiment, but-]
I did not fail…