The Dream
Moisture beaded upon her brow, the air around her hunched form filled with tension. Fear kept her from moving too much, only the slightest motions were allowed as she tried to get through the agony. Makuro flinched, caught off guard as a bullet turned rivulet ran down the bridge of her nose, tickling at the sun kissed flesh. The twitch, however, ruined everything in that moment, the involuntary reaction making hours of diligence obsolete.
Gold glistened as tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, brow furrowing sharply as she tried to fight it off, but once the first wracking sob broke her will, it was a down hill trip from then on. Tears flowed freely as her shoulders heaved, the waterworks pattering down on the picture the young Miqo'te had once again attempted to complete. The single smear of ink was the least of it's issues, as her strife dug in deeper, hands clutching and crumpling the now dampened piece of art. The small home was filled with the young girl's anguish, her tail thrashing back and forth, bristled up with her anger, the sadness had started to transition towards her legendary tantrums. Though this time support arrived in time, arms wrapped around her chest and lifted her from the ground in a single swoop, cutting off a sob. She fell limp in the embrace, docile, the wracking heaves replaced with sniffles and hiccups, she tried her best to explain herself, though unintelligible was the only way anyone could ever explain that conversation. The embrace turned tight, Makuro instead reaching for the picture and tried to smooth it out on her arm between wiping her nose with the back of her hand.
"It w-was fo-for your b-ur-irthday." Her eyes widened as the tears started back, face contorted, her frown heavy and pronounced, her mother's voice brushing against her ear, gentle coos and shushes, Makuro quickly complying to the soothing attempts. Her mother turned the girl around, holding the sodden girl on her hip and collected the picture, smiling softly, locking her gaze with the small girl that had stolen the liquid gold that shimmered in her eyes.
"Darling, remember, it's the flaws that make things beautiful."
Lips pressed to Makuro's forehead, the girl smiling brightly, though tears still streamed down her face.
"Yes, Momma, I-"
The thought was cut short as the world grew loud, painful, and dark, the last thing remembered being the visage of fear and pain as the wall behind them was erased, the limp form's last movements aimed to gather the girl into it's arms in one last instinctual attempt to protect.
Makuro snapped up, fists clenched, sheets soaked, and body sore.Breath was in short supply for the moment, brow wrinkled as the night terror clawed at her sanity, but in time it simply became another part of her, the normality of the fear tucking the anxiety into the back of her mind. Her brow smoothed and the panting eased, green bangs hung limply in front of dilated pupils, though those too returned to normal. Hands cradled her face as she slumped, the magitek shell crashing through the window on repeat in her mind.
A slow exhale, and her hands slid back until they met at the back of her hed, clutching the short hair she just slicked back, and as she filled her lungs once more, her normal day resumed. Damp sheets thrown aside, daggers snatched off her night table, she moved towards the armoire tucked into a corner leaving her nightmares in the bed behind her.