one year ago today i finished their first reference image <3
they had existed in my brain for a few weeks before that but with their first ref they became official so i count that as their formal birthday jhgtfrgyhuj
everyone come tell ash happy birthday right now (/nf)
idk im bored and procrastinating and the guys wont get out of my head
uhhhhhh tw mildly suggestive
lesbian robot and their cool girlfriend have a conversation and some not-so-cool shit happens
angst angst angst angst angst--
They were interrupted from their writing by the sudden entrance of someone into their chamber. They dismissed the screen hovering in front of them, spinning towards the access shaft to find--
"Hey Ash," Fireflies said, head poking out of the tunnel.
If Ashes from Above had been built with a mouth, they would be beaming. They slowly released the zero gravity in their chamber, gently lowering Fireflies to the floor, and brought their puppet in close. Fireflies laughed, grabbed the sides of Ash's face, and booped the tip of her mask against their forehead. "Morning, love."
Ash let out a giggle, and threw their arms around her. "You haven't come to visit for 4 cycles! I was starting to get worried."
"Your overseers follow me constantly! You could have checked in any time."
"I did!!" Ash huffed. "But you said you don't like being watched all the time, so I tried to leave you alone. Mostly."
They pulled away from the embrace, wheeling away to hover over Fireflies. "So what brings you to finally break your solitude?" They teased. "Ran out of groceries? Wanted to come lecture me on my lack of work as of late?"
"Am I not allowed to just come talk to a friend?"
"Friend??" Ash kneed Fireflies in the side of the face (gently) and spun away to a higher height. "We're just friends now, you say?"
Fireflies laughed. "Sorry. Best friend."
Ash scoffed, causing Fireflies to laugh even harder.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Best of best friends who is such a bestest best friend that I commit unthinkable karmic sins for them."
"Better," they responded, looping around their mechanical arm in mid-air.
"But seriously, why today? I thought you usually took the first of the week to paint."
"Um. Usually, yes. But, I, um... I... I'm just having a bad day."
Ash stopped spinning and immediately brought their puppet up to her, reaching behind her head to unclasp and gently lift off her intricate golden mask.
Fireflies did look more tired then usual. Dark circles surrounded her drooping eyelids, and her lips were dry and cracked.
Ash took her face in their hands, tenderly. "...Is this about Blanket?"
It had been a little over one year-cycle since the mass ascension, when their friend and Fireflies' cousin A Blanket, 32 Stitches per Row had ascended with the majority of society.
Ash had tried to convince him to stay behind.
They had tried to convince all of them to stay behind.
Only 152 of their citizens had listened. Who had trusted in Ash's abilities to care for them after the collapse of society.
And they were doing a mighty fine job, if they were to say for themself!
"I... Sort of. It's partially about Blanket, but there are some... some other things."
"Do you want to talk about any of it?"
Fireflies looked away, pursing her lips. "Maybe later."
"Can I do anything, then? To make you feel better?"
"Just... sit. And talk to me. Please?"
And so they did. They curled up with Fireflies in a corner of their chamber, Fireflies fidgeting with a pearl, Ash talking about everything that had happened in the past 4 cycles.
They talked about their conversations with Lingering Fog and Smoke upon Droplets of Rain, their ongoing argument with East of Eden. They talked about how Calling Voids had been rambling about philosophy in the group channel, and how it had gotten so annoying they had to mute it. They talked about their remaining citizens, and all of the weird things that they had caught on their overseers.
"I've noticed some people acting a bit strange. Not noticeable enough to be a concern, but a good portion of my inhabitants have been... quieter, lately. Some of them have been visiting the temples more often. I know it's irrational... but I do worry that some of them intend to ascend sometime in the near future."
Fireflies tensed, hand curling around the pearl in her grasp. "I... will admit that there are... rumors."
"Rumors?? Of people wishing to ascend????"
"Yeah. Some... some people have been talking about how you don't have the resources to keep the colony going. That we need to ascend before it's too late and we all starve to death."
"But that's nonsense!" Ash cried, sitting up straight, Fireflies sliding off of their lap with a grunt. "Did no one read my sustainability proposals?? I have solutions for all of that!! There are enough stores to last two and half year-cycles, and I have plans for when they run out! Purposed organisms, to hunt lizards and other wild creatures in lower altitudes! Factories that could be repurposed into greenhouses and mills! I have everything planned out, and backup plans for if those plans don't work!!"
Fireflies grabbed Ash's hands, lowering them and squeezing gently. "I know, I know love, I'm sorry. I trust you. I know you'll keep us all safe. But not everyone has the same faith in you as I do."
"I just don't... I've worked so hard..."
"I know. I know. I'm so sorry. It's going to be okay."
"Should I rewrite my proposals? Make them clearer, make my ideas more palatable? Make sure there's nothing I missed, that I can keep everyone happy and alive and safe and--"
"Ash!" Fireflies grasped their hands tighter and yanked their attention to her face, her dark eyes, the small stripes on her snout. "Shhh. It's okay."
There was a beat of silence.
"Promise me," Ash whispered. "That even if everyone else leaves, that you won't. That you'll stay with me until you can't anymore."
Fireflies paused. "I... okay. Yes. I- I won't leave you behind, Ash."
Ash stared at Fireflies before slowly nodding and slumping back against their arm.
"Let's... talk about something else. Anything else." Fireflies whispered, snuggling up to Ash's shoulder.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
Ash thought for a second. "Um. I have a routine maintenance check today? My two remaining mechanics should be going through my structure around now, and will send me any repair orders that need to be executed in the future."
"Mmmm. Anything else?"
"My overseers have reported 72 yeek sightings over the past 20 cycles."
Fireflies chuckled. "That is pretty random."
"You said anything."
They laid there for several minutes in silence, enjoying each other's company. Quietly holding each other close.
Ash received 17 alerts while they were lying there with Fireflies, of which they all ignored. The only thing more important then this moment would be something completely catastrophic, like a system failure. And the chances of that happening were so slim...
They were beginning to think that Fireflies had fallen asleep when her citizen drone beeped and she sat up with a start. They turned away as Fireflies opened her messages.
One of the main rules of their relationship was privacy. Fireflies didn't want Ash peeking through her private conversations and files, and Ash didn't want Fireflies wandering through their memory complexes without permission.
"I. Um. P-probably have to go soon."
Ash turned back to Fireflies, and noticed how panicked they looked from reading whatever message they had gotten. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Uh- yeah. Just... have to go to a meeting. Sort of. It's... complicated. I don't know." Fireflies looked more and more stressed with each passing second.
"...Alright. You should probably get going then."
"No!! No, I- I have a few more minutes," Fireflies blurted, grabbing Ash's hands again. "...Besides, there's something else I want to do first."
"Oh?"
Fireflies pressed her lips to Ash's face.
"Oh..."
Fireflies laughed, breathily, and wrapped her arms around Ash. "It's been too long since we did anything like this."
"Agreed," Ash whispered, burying their hands in Fireflies' hair-tentacles and pulling her forehead against theirs.
Another alert popped up. They dismissed it.
Fireflies made a small noise and pulled Ash even closer, pressing them against her. Her breath was warm and fast on Ash's artificial skin as she frantically whispered, "I love you. I love you so much, Ash. I love--"
- - -
13 Fireflies Amongst Falling Leaves let out a sob as Ash's puppet went limp in her arms. As the chamber lights went out. As the structure around her shuddered and went silent.
She clutched the avatar of the person she loved as the machinery that made up that person deactivated. As the temperature around her started to drop. As Ashes from Above died.
And Fireflies cried.
Her sobs were broken minutes later by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Hundreds of Birds Trapped in a Vortex, one of Ash's mechanics... and the ringleader of the shutdown.
Ash had been right in their suspicions. A good portion of people were worried, and wanted to ascend.
Almost all of them did, at that point.
Many of the remaining citizens had spent the last hundred cycles working on raising their karma. Slowly packing things away, shutting down factories and machines, desperately trying to avoid Ash's notice.
It would break their heart to see them all to leave, the ringleaders had said.
It was kindest for them not to know, the ringleaders had said.
Fireflies was told to distract Ash while the mechanics shut down their systems.
And here she was, Ash's puppet lying dead in her arms.
She would have stayed. If they hadn't made the decision to kill Ash when they left. She would have stayed with the iterator she loved until the day she died.
She had no choice, now.
"I'm sorry," Vortex whispered. "I'm so sorry, Fireflies. It was the kindest thing we could do."
He grabbed her arm and pulled her to standing, Ash's body falling to the ground with a clang. "Come on, we should get going."
"I-- but--"
"They're in a better place now, Fireflies. Perhaps we will meet them again in the Great Beyond. Come along now."
"W-wait."
Fireflies twisted out of his grasp and stumbled over to Ash's body. She knelt down and shakily removed her scarf, wrapping it around their neck. Their hands trembled as they reached up to slide Ash's metallic eyelids shut.
She pressed one last kiss to their forehead, choking out a goodbye to unhearing sound sensors.
Fireflies stood back up and walked over to Vortex, who was standing by the main access door.
The rest of the city was waiting in the mines, ready to venture down to the golden ocean at the bottom of the world.
13 Fireflies Amongst Falling Leaves left the puppet chamber of Ashes from Above for the last time.
Goodbye, my love.
I'll see you in the Great Beyond.
@atthem0ment posted a photo: Kicking back in California with …. my brother? New adventures soon to come. @ashflies
I don’t know if you have any idea how happy this makes me. I’m Mira and your brother - God, that feels so fun to say - is my best friend. I’m sorry I haven’t gotten a chance to meet you yet but I will be back in town shortly and I hope we can get together! Any of my stuff you find around the house (including clothes, shoes, and jewelry - I love getting to share), feel free to use. Make yourself at home.
