#iirc you said you wanted to springboard off this for our thread sooo

[strywoven]

cont'd. // @drippingheart

ONE DAY , he says ⸺ The words ( which might be mistaken for a promise ) inspire in the devourer a s m i l e , an affirming hum.  It is only a meager solace , but one she graciously accepts ( her soul , too , is quelled by the prospect ; imagine , a world where even the condemned might know salvation ) .  ❝ Such a day cannot come soon enough , ❞ The reply is not bitter so much as wistful , her humor m e l a n c h o l i c .  ❝ Glad I am to provide a hand to serve the purpose , at least. ❞  And she means that.

His question feels warranted , the slightest of pries into the woman newly welcomed into the cause.  It is not lost on her that t h i s appears to be a commonality they share ( & one she does not often find footing with amongst others very often , either ) ; she has seen it , he understands what it is like to LOVE & CHERISH a child.  Thus his prompting about own daughter is , despite her secrecies , a w e l c o m e one ; it provides a push in the RIGHT & PROPER DIRECTION , setting the foundation for what might well be a stronger connection going forward ( with any luck ) .

Her hand dips into the fold of her waistcoat , within an inner-pocket , to procure her wallet , and then a set of pictures carded together.  Holding them , h e s i t a t i n g , Verona at last makes the offer , handing them to Suguru so he can see for himself ( there are several , unsurprisingly ; memories tucked together of three people – verona , her wife & her daughter – frozen in moments of laughter & bliss ) .  After watching him sift through the images she steps closer , leaning in to tap her clawed digit to one of them – a photo of a spritely little thing , all frazzled hair and beaming grin with missing tooth , currently holding up a poorly made ceramic monster ever so proudly – and speaks , voice hush and bittersweet , ❝ We named her Ravona.  And she was so … ❞ The thought trails , her eyes drifting over the photos , distant and detached , fading off into a place bygone before eventually continuing , ❝ … P e r f e c t .  Sweet and spirited , and a natural talent.  You know , she would always i n s i s t I use my illusions for her to play pretend.  She was so fascinated by how it worked , always asking questions , always eager to learn and understand and …— ❞

Her voice audibly BREAKS .  Verona gathers herself , shaking her head and taking a breath before pointing to another image in the fold , this of a refined and demure woman perched by the window with a mysterious little smile as she tilts her head back to regard the camera.  ❝ — And this gorgeous woman was my wife , Lenore.  You would have hated her , she was human.  She had cursed energy but no grasp on how to control nor utilize it , neither would her family allow the education for it.  I remember them DESPISING ME ; which only made our runaway marriage that much more thrilling in the end.  It was her idea that we settle and have a child at all. ❞

It falls quiet for several long measures.

❝ … They … They were KILLED .  Taken from me due to my own sins.  I live with that grief and remorse , the image of their bodies , every day I survive them. ❞