[Oh, her poor dear girl. She swipes Nozomi's cheeks gently, not to discourage any crying but to console any tears that come.]
I don't know what drove her to that choice.
[The unfortunate reality Cantarella has lived with for years is that some sicknesses erode people to a point of no return. It is an honor to die as a Fisalia and not as a puppet. In some ways, she has become desensitized to it.
And yet somehow, seeing this girl injured in the wake of it...] And the answer doesn't matter. I'm sorry she didn't stay with you.
[ Her mother always told her that what she was doing was for the good of humanity, the science, the research, some a forward so humans didn't have to worry about the end of existence.
Then she took her own life, leaving Nozomi behind.
She can't help herself from crying, lifting up her arms so she can hug Cantarella, if she'll allow it. ]
I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying this much.
[ Didn't she accept this when it happened? Even so, it still hurts to think about how she wasn't a good enough research subject to have her mother stay with her. ]
[Acutely, Cantarella knows that Nozomi's emotions flagging and becoming more desperate could be a sign of her infection progressing. She's alert in the same way she's been for weeks, trying to spot any signs beyond emotion over a topic that should by all rights break Nozomi's heart.
The hug is returned, gentle and warm. Cantarella's embrace is soft as she wraps her arms around the girl and cradles her close.]
[ She can't really recognize any of the shifts in her own being- all of it feels like herself, even the parts that feel like she'd take on the world if it meant somebody else could survive. But that's not the body she's been granted, that's outside of her abilities here.
She doesn't even notice the flash of reflectiveness in her eyes as she tries and fails to blink away her tears.
It feels so nice to be hugged, safe and warm and loved. She misses her mom so much, but did she ever hold Nozomi like this? ]
[Cantarella pauses. Those little things seem stark up close, but she wonders what she might have missed in Nozomi's quiet nature. All she wants is to care for her...should she not have been paying closer attention?
But she puts those larger thoughts aside in favor of the immediate comfort that Nozomi needs.]
It's all right to do it now. These wounds run deep...and you don't have to pretend they don't still harm you.
[ Even normally, without the infection, she does her best to stay unobtrusive, to not step on anybody's toes. The hurts she holds are hers alone to bear, especially before she arrived here. When everyone else is also a teenager, it feels especially cruel to put her problems on them.
So when she's given permission to cry, she does. It's been so bottled up for so long, and it's such a rush of relief to let herself have this.
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[Cantarella shakes her head.]
It must have gotten into the room somehow...on a draft, perhaps. [She fears that means it was something they were always intended to receive.
Nozomi looks so pained by this. She cups the girl's chin gently with the palm of her hand.] You must miss her terribly.
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It's a little self indulgent, and she knows that, but maybe it okay to take the small comforts when they're offered to her so kindly.]
I miss her. Of course I do, she's my mom and I love her. But... I was also so angry that she killed herself and left me behind.
oh also cw suicide/ideation/etc ig for the entirety of this thread
I don't know what drove her to that choice.
[The unfortunate reality Cantarella has lived with for years is that some sicknesses erode people to a point of no return. It is an honor to die as a Fisalia and not as a puppet. In some ways, she has become desensitized to it.
And yet somehow, seeing this girl injured in the wake of it...] And the answer doesn't matter. I'm sorry she didn't stay with you.
no subject
Then she took her own life, leaving Nozomi behind.
She can't help herself from crying, lifting up her arms so she can hug Cantarella, if she'll allow it. ]
I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying this much.
[ Didn't she accept this when it happened? Even so, it still hurts to think about how she wasn't a good enough research subject to have her mother stay with her. ]
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The hug is returned, gentle and warm. Cantarella's embrace is soft as she wraps her arms around the girl and cradles her close.]
Have you ever had the time to cry for her before?
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She doesn't even notice the flash of reflectiveness in her eyes as she tries and fails to blink away her tears.
It feels so nice to be hugged, safe and warm and loved. She misses her mom so much, but did she ever hold Nozomi like this? ]
N-not a lot.
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But she puts those larger thoughts aside in favor of the immediate comfort that Nozomi needs.]
It's all right to do it now. These wounds run deep...and you don't have to pretend they don't still harm you.
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So when she's given permission to cry, she does. It's been so bottled up for so long, and it's such a rush of relief to let herself have this.
Nozomi hugs her so tightly as she sobs. ]