although the dead of morning, the presence of another can be felt by djeeta—something she was not expecting. upon hearing the kind words offered by the other’s reassuring voice, she picks her head up with an awe that someone found her, and speaks.
the clocks all around the city read 02:33:45. as the seconds tick further and further into the dark depths of the lifeless morning, there is a girl yet plagued by insomnia finding residence in an alleyway. her knees had been pressed against her chest, her face buried and arms wrapped around legs. without a face to show, no one would know a despair bottled up and ready to haunt the young captain for the time in the city.
she wishes to go home. nothing, she thinks, can be better than feeling the cold breeze on curious cheeks and golden hair whirling. but waking up here felt wrong. it is like everything she worked towards in her life, ever since she was a child, was taken away mercilessly without regard to her accomplishments. she cursed those who dared to take away her future. but instead of the curse, a soft gasp for air between silent sobs is the only sound uttered.
❝ I—you’re right. A smile can change everything. ❞ her lips curl into a half-defeated, half-genuine smile. ❝ Thank you. ❞
✫ 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑒𝒶𝓇. The abyss is a quiet place where one’s thoughts come to fester and clear. Homunculi aside, the true demons that lurk in the shadows can be unexpected allies. They were the ones that guided her to this child, after all. Nitocris would not have found her if not for their aid. “Thankfully, I am here to catch these tears for you.” Lips curve into a thin smile, gentle fingers moving to wipe the dew from her eyes. “Come now, why do you cry?”
It had been selfish to assume that misery was her exclusive company. Complications must ail the majority of those who arrive here, even if circumstances dictated her as a veteran falling on hard times. Medjed peeks out from the corner of the alleyway to glimpse at her, but scurries back into the shadows once they’ve been noticed. “Do you not know that it is dangerous around these parts?”
Or is it presumptious to gather that a moment of weakness equated to general inability? “Allow me to protect you for a while. I am not well acquainted with the moving vehicles in this city, but I am able to transport you in other ways. Let’s remove you from this crevice and bring you to better places. ...Do you enjoy warm, spiced milk?”
