...what.
do ya' want now?
ow.
Sorry..! I did not notice the.. glass.Ā
ouch
da' only glass window around?
ā¦.. I canāt see glass very wellā¦..
blinder dan' goldie
anyway,
why you... here?
I just wanted to talk to you.Ā
ā¦you havenāt been yourself. Youāveā¦ fallen, for a lack of a better term.
I.. want to help you.
m' fine though, look at me! lookaround!
s' beautiful
Hollyberry. Everything is.. overgrown.Ā
And youā¦ youāre smothered in.. jam.
s' delicious...!
want some?
.Ā .Ā .
N.. no thank you.
...suit ya'self then!
She picked up the whole amphora- yeah its gone.
Theres... Familiar. Boisterous laughter. But it sounds so ššššš...!
. . .I know youāre quite the drinker, but even this seems a bitā¦ much, for you, Hollyberry.
s' only ma' fifteenth one!
goodness graces by the witches i haven't drunk like this in years!
ā¦. Or.. ever, for that matter.
mmh i could go for another round..n
ā¦ thatās. Enough. You shouldnāt be drinking this.
if i shouldn't be, why it taste so good huh? s' just sittin' 'ere! been banned since forever ago and witches i've been cravin' a tasteā¦! heheheheheheh!
It was probably banned for a reason! Look at yourself..!
--and she actually does, flapping the vestigial wings and everything.
...what?
Thisā¦ isnāt like you. Wings? This.. sickly wine?
She attempts to take the bottle. But it's violently wrenched from her hands. A screech of irritation comes from her lips.
You shouldnāt be drinking this. Look at what itās doing to youā¦
Youāre notā¦ normally like this.
This.. complacent, with everything.
mmh?
no i... usually aint-
cuz' i got otha' things ta' worry about! dis oasis ain't gonna maintain itself afterall
ā¦ what part of this place seems like an āoasisā to you..?
She blinks for a moment, before groaning. One hand meets the ground, then another, and evreything šššššš-
'dere we go! maintained plants,
And she sits once again, drinking from the next vessel of wine. The other sits alongside her, but she snaps at her, a giggle erupting from her throat.
ya' pushin' my buttons now! but s' alright, you aint know yet
hehehe! better watch yo' step! cuz m' not opposed taā¦ tryin' dough tonight, i kno' ma' plants like it!
ā¦.Hollyberry. As beautiful as your plants and flowers are, thisā¦ isn't an oasis... far from it.
Iā¦ don't mean to sound rude, it's justā¦ The way things were beforeā¦ this, I thought your kingdom was fine enough as is.
And now? It's... ruins.
back to da' way it should be!
isn't it exitin'!
It's terrifying.
This isn't how things should be. You had a beautiful kingdom.
soon! they'll be nuh'n leftā¦!
And what of your family?
Your son? Your grandchildren?
D'aaaw don't be like dat! Dey safe n' sound in a place no'un can get to, and no'un can leave!
Away from all of-!
this
Do you want to be like Golden Cheese?
mmmh, can't i?
'sides s' not like im gonna crumble evreythin' to da ground for some silly ol' reason.
You just told me that nothing would be left of this place.
i need energy, Lily. Food, Nutrients, Buildings Jam Markets Dough it dont matter
She scoots a little bit away. And the undead stares. Very intently, just behind her head-but then she pulls back, as if she'sā¦ restraining. herself.
don't worry 'bout it! just kno' this grove's gonna be a realm best case scenario!
Hollyberry.
No. You can't. Thisā¦ this isn't the answer.
I know you're starving. I know that feeling, I know what it's like.
The land does not need to suffer, nor do your people.
the land's bountiful! da' seas pink and abundant and the cookies-!
theā¦
Where are your cookies, Hollyberry?
they'reā¦ somewhereā¦?
hol'on where are they?
She looksā¦ Dazed, vines creeping up her dress before-a few of them come stumbling out of the forest.
Ah! Dere they at!
Thanks vinnie!
now m' hungry.
And the trees bring her somethingā¦ large, squirming. clearly in distress.
ooh?
what? who are ya' ta tell me what ta do?
PUT IT DOWN.
Something within the wall of trees causes the formation to violently recede. An ancient power, something that resonates with their very souljam emerges from the shadows.
WHAT DA' 'ELL?
where? what?
MA' TREES
YOUR TREES ARE OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE.
i worked 'ard on those!
ya'kno how much i didn't get ta' drink to feed those things?
i can hear their screams
make it stop
ALL OF THIS NEW GROWTH, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE? WHAT YOU'VE CREATED IS NOT AN OASIS. YOU'VE DESECRATED YOUR OWN KINGDOM IN AN ATTEMPT TO FILL SOMETHING WITHIN YOURSELF.
SOMETHING THAT CANNOT BE FILLED.
respite n' the middle of'a hostile environment? sounds like n' oasis ta' me! even if it'sā¦ unorthodox,
can't be filledā¦?
s'true, m' feelin a littleā¦ empty, adda' moment, but i'll be ova' soon!
itll be all ova,
WILL IT?
YOU'VE CONSUMED, AND GIVEN IN TO GLUTTONY. YET, YOU STILL DESIRE FOR MORE.
YOU'VE TURNED YOURSELF INTO A BOTTOMLESS PIT.
A CHASM.
AND, IN TURN, YOU'VE TURNED YOUR KINGDOM INTO A WASTELAND.
An oasis, b'sides, s' better dis way! There's so muchā¦ Life here! Life dat's been missin' for the longest time-
My kingdom was stagnant,
WHAT LIFE? ALL I SEE IS DESTRUCTION.
THIS.. "LIFE", THAT YOU'VE CREATED, FADES WHEN YOU LEAVE. A MIRAGE, FACADE. YOUR KINGDOM WAS ALIVE, AND YOU CHOKED OUT ALL OF ITS VIBRANCY AND LIFE, LIKE A SICKLY WEED THAT CRAVES NUTRIENTS AND SUNLIGHT.
ā¦
An eye twitch.
i didn't mean ta' make this-! i just-!
it sorta'ā¦ happened? i honesly don't even rememba' when,
this life it'sā¦ mine, the land, the sea, the plants! the whole damn place started fuckin' up once I tried ta' leave ma' kingdom wasā¦ a casualty, a necessary one
...DID YOU JUST CALL ME A WEED?
IS IT WRONG FOR ME TO CALL YOU WHAT YOU ARE?
YOU GAVE IN TO PASSION, THEN TO DESIRE.
A PARASITE FEASTS ON A PARASITE.
i aint' no weed! and i ain't no parasite! who'dyya think ya' are?! commin in here n' insultin' me to ma face?! if ya' dont like it, then maybe ya' should just leave then! I let'cha in by ma' own will, and I can easly put ya' out!
I CANNOT LIE. MY WORDS ARE NOT INSULTS, JUST THE COLD, HARD, TRUTH. AND THIS TRUTH IS A BLIND LIGHT TO YOU, BURIED DEEP IN YOUR CAVE OF DENIAL AND ILLUSION.
YOU WANT TO PLEASE YOUR PEOPLE. YOU WANT TO KEEP THEM SAFE. IT SPROUTED WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG, GROWING AS YOU GREW. PROTECTIVENESS, OVERGROWN. AND NOW YOU, A WILTING FLOWER, ARE SURROUNDED BY YOUR EFFORTS.
FAILED, EFFORTS.
YOU HAVE NOT CREATED AN OASIS.
YOU HAVE BUILT A CAGE.
IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?
IS THIS WHAT šššššš, OF YOU WANTED?
a' course fuckin' not? Who in their right mind would want this?! But it aint like i can stop it! it aint like- i can't stop any a' da' shit dat's goin on! evreyone kno' i can't do anythin' so why waste away on a pointless task? s' insanity doin' the same damn thing ova' n' ova. if m' gonna do anythin, i have ta' be better, and we both know what dat means for the two a' us.
NO ONE IS ASKING YOU TO BE BETTER.
NO ONE IS DEMANDING ANYTHING OF YOU.
THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS PLACED THE WEIGHTS UPON YOUR SHOULDERS,
IS YOURSELF.
what else am'i good for?
s' ma purpouse, ever since i was'a kiddie, who even am i if i aint-?
IT IS NOT THE FACT YOU CANNOT "DO ANYTHING", IT IS THE FACT THE YOU WANT TO BE USEFUL. THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE DEPENDANT ON YOU. TO RELY ON YOU.
YOU CARE. YOU ARE COMPASSIONATE. YOU ARE GENEROUS. BUT THIS HAS MADE YOU BELIEVE THAT ALL YOU ARE "GOOD FOR" IS YOUR SHIELD.
WHAT YOU FAIL TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE PEOPLE YOU CARE FOR ARE CAPABLE OF CARING FOR THEMSELVES.
YOU CANNOT ALWAYS BE THERE TO PROTECT THEM, AND TO BELIEVE YOU CAN DO SO IS UNREALISTIC. YOU WILL CODDLE THEM, AND SUFFOCATE THEM, EVERYTHING, UNTIL ALL YOU ARE LEFT WITHā¦ IS THIS.
YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH YOUR LIFE. YOU DISLIKE THE MUNDANE. YOU HAVE AN ADVENTUROUS, AND VIBRANT HEART.
IT CRAVES FOR MORE, AND IT IS ENABLED BY DESIRE.
A DESIRE TO BE WANTED. A DESIRE TO SATISFY. TO CONSUME, TO FILL AN EMPTY VOID BUILD BY YOUR OWN DEPENDANCE ON OTHERS TO DEPEND ON YOU. YOUR PRESENCE ISN'T ALWAYS REQUIRED, BUT YOU ARE NOT UNWANTED. YOUR PEOPLE LOOK TO YOU AS THEIR ROLE MODEL. THEIR IDOL. YOUR FAMILY LOVES YOU. YOUR GRANDCHILDREN NEED YOU.
YET, THAT WASN'T ENOUGH.
. . .
EVEN AFTER ALL OF THIS. EVEN AFTER TAKING, AND CONSUMING.
ARE YOU FULL?
ARE YOU SATISFIED?
ARE YOU šš¼ššš, HOLLYBERRY COOKIE?
...no iā¦ aint
neither of us are
n'factā¦ i feel even hungrier than before
The vines that gathered to fling them both begin to recede.
i been a shield ma' whole life, for ma', for ma' clan, then a kingdom, a country, a region, a world. i can brace dragon's fire and go through war unscathed, but da' moment i falter evreythin' crumbles
aint it funny? how a single drop sets ya' off? how things spiral further and further outta' control da' moment ya step back? from the first fall, to the seige to vanilla's death to the genocide to the truth-... felt like the roses were ripped strait outta ma' eyes
witches what am i even doin'?
Slowly, she comes to her senses, and looks around her in horror.
. . .
YOU HAVE ACTED AS A SHIELD FOR SO LONG, THAT YOUR PEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO CLING TO YOU FOR PROTECTION.
YOU HAVE PROTECTED OTHERS YOUR WHOLE LIFE, BUT NO ONE HAS PROTECTED YOU.
IT IS ALRIGHT TO REST. TO CLOSE YOUR EYES, TO BREATHE. AS SUFFOCATING AS IT IS.
An.. attempt, is made to reach for her hand- But she scoots back, fangs bared but-ā¦ Not in aggression, not even a warning.
...She pulls back slightly. But, it's still there, as an option as the feeble attempt at intimidation continues. And yet. She doesn't move. She's just.. there.
ā¦You care a lot for your people. For us. You.. always have, ever since we all first met. It was always you that made sure we all ate something, that we were sound and.. safe. But. None of us asked how you were doing. And.. now look where that got us.
ā¦
We all sort of.. moved on, didn't we? Everyone has their own kingdoms. Their people, their children. ā¦We didn't mean to leave you behind. We all justā¦ grew up, I suppose. And.. learned to protect ourselves.
it ain't only dat...i jus' thought, we were done
da' wars, the fightin', da' miscommunication n' hard feelin's all da' same damn mistakes bein' made ova' again- lily we been through dis already. maybe ya' dont know, cuz you... wasn't here, but i seen dis befo', is happenin' again.
none of ya'll... learned... none a' ya'll learned shit
i thought we moved on, i thought-!
things would be alright...
da' only one who learned is 'nilla, n' he did it wrong
da' more the world changes, da mo' it stays the same 'berry
ya' know what we have ta' do, to stop it, ta' stop it all
...If the world doesn't change, Holly, how are we - how is anything - supposed to grow..?
it... shouldn't, cuz none a' you can handle it-
TREES CANNOT GROW IF THERE IS NO SUNLIGHT.
---
She'sā¦ quiet. As if she's trying to listen to something. Faint whispers from a beating heart.
Andā¦ She hears it. Faintly. A heartbeat. It grows louder, and louder- Like it's trying to drown out the terrified blubbering underneath. There's no words, not like Elder Faerie. Justā¦ Fear. Anger. Sadness. Longing. Hope, that's crushed over and over and over-
It notices, the remnants of what she was meant to hear. Not a voice, not even a will. Justā¦ It. Instinct. And it goes to snap at her in fear.
She hears it. She listens, her own heart aching. And, against her better judgement.. she moves in for a hug.
And the body copies the intensions of the soul.
But thenā¦ She calms. Bit by bit. She'sā¦ Trembling. As if she's expectingā¦ Something. What? Only Apprehension comes from the 'whispers'. Yet she's not letting go. Her presence wasn't forceful. She's there for comfort, to soothe and to calm. If she was to be bitten, she wouldn't mind. Her body's tense she-ā¦ She's never been held like this before.
She'sā¦ Confused, and she goes to speak
ā¦You have such a huge heart. It'sā¦ like a sponge. It's so full of emotion. of fear, andā¦ anger, and it's just building up with nowhere to squeeze it all out.
Her arms lower, but they don't embrace her quiteā¦ Yet.
Don'tā¦. Touch meā¦?
When did ya' get so tall? Why is this touch soā¦. Tenda'ā¦?
Her voice itā¦ Wavers. As theā¦ Remnant. Inside perks up and raises all it's hackles.
ā¦You'veā¦ never been hugged before, have you?
ā¦Im sorry. we've.. all failed you, Holly. What kind of friends are we, to let you suffer like thisā¦? To be.. alone, like this? Knowing, that you had so much upon your shoulders..
no iā¦ haven't hugged any a' ya'll.
hehā¦ was 'fraid i'd squish ya,
we would've been fineā¦! we've been through war and.. worse, a tight hug wouldn't have hurt much..!
i could eat ya'. here n' now.
ya'ā¦ really trust me that muchā¦?
ā¦Always. We.. all of us trust you.
I trust you.
evn' afta'...?
Nothing you could do would make me lose faith in you.
ā¦We're friends, even after all that has happened.
. . .
Something wet lands on her forehead, and a gentle hand raises to wipe her tears. ā¦mostly tears. They were stained red.
Itā¦ begun to rain. It was raining. Wings shift under her elytra.. uncomfortably. Not that she knew, anything about fae really. or her own powers, or how it was literally clear skies secconds ago
all she could do was cry, ugly crying, as she embraced White Lily tight enough to break the bones of a normal cookie. It's a tight squeeze, but she doesn't budge. Instead, she simply lays there, calmly. Hands placed gently over scarred arms.
Soā¦ many scars. each one with it's own story that no one but her's able to tell. shown underneath once pristine-white glovesā¦ Her crying subsides, and the rain lightens, but doesn't stop the various pairs of curious and wary eyes peeking from the thick forest surrounding them. She can't tear her eyes off of the scars.
godsā¦ i feel like a bottle 'o pop dat's just blown open
It's.. relieving, isn't it..?
ā¦yeah, but
She begins to let go.
it won't last foreva'
She doesn't stop her. She lets her go.
But you don't have to keep it all to yourself again.
ā¦mhm
She stands up, and breathes in, the 'whispers' fading. She's also up! She. Can't leave though. She extends her hand out again, and sheā¦ Hesitates.
not now,
She lightly pushes it away, not an ounce of the malice from before in her voice.
i ain't ready yet, don't be so naive,
i don't think ya' even ready for dat adda'moment.
ā¦And her hand returns to her side.
That'sā¦ you're right. I..
ā¦when we're both.. better, then.
mhm,
She stretches', and her hands are struck to the ground, and the world bends to her will.
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