04 ❥

[requiems]

let's do a thing!
• comment with your character. pick a respondent. any situation, any time.
first meetings, fighting together, first dates, whatever.
identify your universe, though! (original, au, game canon...)
• let's do a psl.
• ???
• profit!!

Comments

[falchions]

[The shadow doesn't respond, instead, wailing; loud, audiable sobs.

After a few seconds it chokes out a reply.]

You aren't father, or mother. I don't want Lucina to leave. I don't want to!

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

I may not be either of them. That's true.

[He clenches his fist again. A subtle sign that even he has his failings.]

But if I left her here...what then? Would you rather she be remembered for dying in a place like this?

[falchions]

No one would remember her.

[There's a pause.]

No. That's not right. [Her eyes flicker to Lucina, who has been watching her, fixated. Almost as if that's actually Lucina's statement and not the shadow. The overlay of both voices isn't imagined, at least. She wipes her eyes.] Inigo. Lissa. Frederick. Owain. Cynthia. Kjelle. Brady. Severa. Gerome. Morgan. Noire. Laurent. Yarne. Nah.

[She says them all in rapid fire, but pauses again, her face confused, but also surprised. It's an odd expression as her gaze settles on Souji.]

And you. Seta Souji.

[The surprise is there, in her voice. But it doesn't seem to be a bad thing.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[The boy manages a small nod, meeting Lucina's gaze with his own for all of a few lasting seconds. Yes...there would be people to remember her. There would be people who would mourn, who would cry as another name was added to the gravestones. It didn't matter where they were, or what they were doing. They'd have a new hole in their hearts that may never heal.

But there was one name she forgot...]

Yosuke, as well. [He spares a glance to the Junes boy, before returning his gaze to the Shadow.]

She may be alone now. She may have lost her mother, and her father...she may still not want to be here.

But that's why we're here. We'll make this place her home...and help her change the world. [There's only one truth that we'll accept. She will make a difference...and we'll be by her side the whole way.]

[falchions]

[Lucina herself knew it. She always knew that, but it seemed it was something her shadow had forgotten, in its intent to selfishly keep her safe from more heartache. But now she remembered.

And at the additional name, the child's eyes flicker to Yosuke, standing some way away with the other three.] You're Yosuke, aren't you? [She directs an earnest smile to him, one that says thanks even though neither she nor her real self say anything. It's one of Lucina's more recent memories, but of course she'd know it just as well.

The shadow looks back to Souji. It seems to have taken that all in, nodded, accepted it. Though her eyes go to Lucina briefly, as if judging whether she has accepted it, too. Though there time will come in a moment. First she has something else to say to this boy.]

You'll help her. You promise?

[She holds out her hand, pinky outheld - a pinky promise.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[...He stares for a moment, before revealing a faint smile that said more than words, and accepts it.

Though it was more than that, to him.]

...It's not a promise I'm keeping. It's a vow. [One that he made long ago, as he helped each victim out of the TV World...to shoulder the burdens their secrets left on them.]

[falchions]

[The shadow doesn't say anything save nodding mutely, until it withdraws its hand. Now Lucina steps forward. She kneels to her height. Lets out a long sigh, before she reaches up to place a hand against the child's cheek.

It's what her mother did when she was scared.]

Lucina. [It's strange, talking to herself, but this is an embodiment of many things. And that's something she needs to tell her.]

We're not alone. We never have been. We might have lost, and we miss father, miss mother. But we made them a promise, didn't we? To change the world.

[She smiles sadly to her.]

But I suppose we never allowed ourselves to mourn. I had to be strong. For Inigo, for taking over the household, and when this opportunity to come here came up, we took it. But that feeling did not change.

It's okay. [She brushes some stray strands out of her face, as the shadow looks up at her intently, a mirror image.] You can cry now.

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[Souji stands and steps back, smile fading, and letting Lucina confront her other self in silence. It gave him room to start going over all this in his mind. And truth be told, there was...a lot for him to take in, to meditate on. Plenty that just hit home so hard it made him feel more than a little pity for her behind his passive expression. His gaze lingered on them, lost in thought -- feeling a sharp reminder of what his own family felt like. It felt so twisted. So wrong. And yet, all the same, it feels like he's done a lot more than just rescue her this day. Perhaps it was because of what hit him hardest. Perhaps it was something else. He didn't really know for certain.

All the same... he now knew just what made her who she was now. And he felt bitter inside.]

[falchions]

[Usually, she would look to him, but right now, her focus is on the shadow. Who, as instructed, cries openly. Heartbroken sobs, open, honest; things Lucina never gave herself, before she looks up through her tears.

And she nods, before giving a flicker of a smile, and then, in a flash of light, she's gone, disappearing into irises. Lucina leans back as the light clears, and in her place is a young woman, holding the sword Lucina somehow summoned. She holds it out to her as Lucina stands.

> The strength of heart required to face oneself has been made manifest...

Lucina has faced her other self...

She has obtained the facade used to overcome life's hardships, the Persona Kali!

And then she's gone. But Lucina doesn't immediately turn, watching as the card for strength too disappears into nothing, before facing Souji again.] Souji. Everyone. You have my eternal gratitude- [But she cuts herself short as she blinks, a hand going up to her eyes.

Don't forget you can cry, too.]

I- they don't seem to want to stop.

[Even if she's smiling, that grief, all that pent up ache and sadness and pain and everything that has happened since she made the decision to be strong... it's all coming out, and all she can do is shake inaudiably as she lets them fall.

Finally lets it out.]

[the_tv_is_a_lie]

[He watches that, too, in silence, keeping his gaze on her she turns around to face them. It isn't long before he sees her begin to cry as well -- something that she's denied herself the room to for far, far too long, just as they'd thought. Instinct grabs him for a moment, and he finds himself walking up to her, giving her a firm hug again, letting her sob against his shoulder if need be. She needed this. All of it...

More than anything, she needed to mourn. And perhaps now...she can finally start on the road to being at peace with what she lost.

It's okay. Cry as much as you want.

> The Lucina Social Link has reached Rank 4!]

[falchions]

[And need it she does.

... needless to say, that shoulder is appreciated. And it's likely his shirt will be soaked, but... right now she needs it, and he knows it.

It's likely even when she does stop, the tears won't cease until they truly leave this world.]