I haven’t seen my children in so long…
Could someone please help me find them? I’ve been searching myself for weeks, but I haven’t even seen any signs of where they could be.
(ooc: @the-evil-librarian intro post)

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@the-real-amali
I haven’t seen my children in so long…
Could someone please help me find them? I’ve been searching myself for weeks, but I haven’t even seen any signs of where they could be.
(ooc: @the-evil-librarian intro post)
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
um.
does it- um, isitnormaltowanttobeaboy
like it goes away eventually right
*Oh, Notts wants to talk about his gender identity. Amali already knew, through the bond she has with her kids, but it’s good to know that at the very least he’s realizing it himself, and that he trusts her enough to talk about it with her. Amali also doesn’t want Notts to know that she knows. So, what with the fact that he doesn’t seem to completely understand his feelings, she’s going to start by just explaining the basics of the messy soup-like thing that gender can be to those who don’t know much of anything beyond the basics of male vs female, or even identifying with the gender one wasn’t born as.*
Well, for some people, it is normal. Just like how for others it’s normal to want to be a girl, or neither, or both, or somewhere in between all of that. Some people feel content with identifying with the gender they were born as, like me and your father. Other people don’t, and so they use different pronouns and gendered terms than they were born as. Other people still will use multiple sets of pronouns, or don’t identify within the traditional gender binary at all, some even are both. Wherever a person falls in terms of their gender identity, there’s nothing wrong with them. I wouldn’t say “normal”, but that’s more because the definition of normal is a social construct, that many people don’t fit into.
Gender identity can be complicated to explain, all at once, but is there any specific part you want to know more about?
you mean it's normal for real boys to want to be boys, right? why would you say "some people?"
...what's a gender
A gender is just, well, how one identifies. Male or female, for example. And it isn’t necessarily the same as the gender one was born as, that one sometimes being referred to as one’s biological sex.
Well, some people identify with the gender they were born as, but some people don’t, so they change themselves to closer feel like the gender they identify as. Such as someone who was born a girl identifying as a boy, and so he would use masculine pronouns, and in most cases wear boy’s clothing and style their hair in ways that a boy would.
you can't just.. do that
that has to be, like, cheating or something, right? it's not allowed!
Yes, people can. They don’t just change on a whim, they think about it enough to be almost completely sure of it, if not completely sure, and then they change their self-expression. It’s not cheating, and it’s certainly allowed.
*Amali’s just trying to help her son understand the process, right now. It’s clear he’s asking for himself, at least with Amali’s knowledge, but that isn’t the point right now. The point is to explain the process, and get Notts to learn that it is a completely acceptable process for people who choose to do it, and hopefully at least accept himself. Even if he doesn’t tell her right away, self-acceptance is always the first step.*
well. maybe SOME people do that but i'm not like that! i know i'm a girl i just hate it
[honestly notts has no idea what half of the things amali is saying means. she IS a girl though. she's very sure about that]
*Amali definitely hears what Notts said, but she knows that he’s likely to shut down further conversation if she brings it up. As such, she rephrases what she said to cover Notts’ muttered words while also seeming like a summary. He looks a bit confused about it all anyways*
The short of it is, some people may feel unhappy with the gender they were born as; they feel uncomfortable with it, or they hate being that gender, or it just feels wrong to them, and sometimes it’s a mix of multiple of those. To fix this, they start identifying with a different gender, and that feels right to them.
...i don't want to talk about this any more
sorry for asking
[this is. there is no way this is actually true it's way too good makes no sense]
[notts really doesn't want to think about it more. something bad would probably happen if she did]
Don’t apologize, Notts. You had questions, and you asked them. If you don’t want to talk about this more, that’s fine. But there’s nothing to apologize for.
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
um.
does it- um, isitnormaltowanttobeaboy
like it goes away eventually right
*Oh, Notts wants to talk about his gender identity. Amali already knew, through the bond she has with her kids, but it’s good to know that at the very least he’s realizing it himself, and that he trusts her enough to talk about it with her. Amali also doesn’t want Notts to know that she knows. So, what with the fact that he doesn’t seem to completely understand his feelings, she’s going to start by just explaining the basics of the messy soup-like thing that gender can be to those who don’t know much of anything beyond the basics of male vs female, or even identifying with the gender one wasn’t born as.*
Well, for some people, it is normal. Just like how for others it’s normal to want to be a girl, or neither, or both, or somewhere in between all of that. Some people feel content with identifying with the gender they were born as, like me and your father. Other people don’t, and so they use different pronouns and gendered terms than they were born as. Other people still will use multiple sets of pronouns, or don’t identify within the traditional gender binary at all, some even are both. Wherever a person falls in terms of their gender identity, there’s nothing wrong with them. I wouldn’t say “normal”, but that’s more because the definition of normal is a social construct, that many people don’t fit into.
Gender identity can be complicated to explain, all at once, but is there any specific part you want to know more about?
you mean it's normal for real boys to want to be boys, right? why would you say "some people?"
...what's a gender
A gender is just, well, how one identifies. Male or female, for example. And it isn’t necessarily the same as the gender one was born as, that one sometimes being referred to as one’s biological sex.
Well, some people identify with the gender they were born as, but some people don’t, so they change themselves to closer feel like the gender they identify as. Such as someone who was born a girl identifying as a boy, and so he would use masculine pronouns, and in most cases wear boy’s clothing and style their hair in ways that a boy would.
you can't just.. do that
that has to be, like, cheating or something, right? it's not allowed!
Yes, people can. They don’t just change on a whim, they think about it enough to be almost completely sure of it, if not completely sure, and then they change their self-expression. It’s not cheating, and it’s certainly allowed.
*Amali’s just trying to help her son understand the process, right now. It’s clear he’s asking for himself, at least with Amali’s knowledge, but that isn’t the point right now. The point is to explain the process, and get Notts to learn that it is a completely acceptable process for people who choose to do it, and hopefully at least accept himself. Even if he doesn’t tell her right away, self-acceptance is always the first step.*
well. maybe SOME people do that but i'm not like that! i know i'm a girl i just hate it
[honestly notts has no idea what half of the things amali is saying means. she IS a girl though. she's very sure about that]
*Amali definitely hears what Notts said, but she knows that he’s likely to shut down further conversation if she brings it up. As such, she rephrases what she said to cover Notts’ muttered words while also seeming like a summary. He looks a bit confused about it all anyways*
The short of it is, some people may feel unhappy with the gender they were born as; they feel uncomfortable with it, or they hate being that gender, or it just feels wrong to them, and sometimes it’s a mix of multiple of those. To fix this, they start identifying with a different gender, and that feels right to them.
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
um.
does it- um, isitnormaltowanttobeaboy
like it goes away eventually right
*Oh, Notts wants to talk about his gender identity. Amali already knew, through the bond she has with her kids, but it’s good to know that at the very least he’s realizing it himself, and that he trusts her enough to talk about it with her. Amali also doesn’t want Notts to know that she knows. So, what with the fact that he doesn’t seem to completely understand his feelings, she’s going to start by just explaining the basics of the messy soup-like thing that gender can be to those who don’t know much of anything beyond the basics of male vs female, or even identifying with the gender one wasn’t born as.*
Well, for some people, it is normal. Just like how for others it’s normal to want to be a girl, or neither, or both, or somewhere in between all of that. Some people feel content with identifying with the gender they were born as, like me and your father. Other people don’t, and so they use different pronouns and gendered terms than they were born as. Other people still will use multiple sets of pronouns, or don’t identify within the traditional gender binary at all, some even are both. Wherever a person falls in terms of their gender identity, there’s nothing wrong with them. I wouldn’t say “normal”, but that’s more because the definition of normal is a social construct, that many people don’t fit into.
Gender identity can be complicated to explain, all at once, but is there any specific part you want to know more about?
you mean it's normal for real boys to want to be boys, right? why would you say "some people?"
...what's a gender
A gender is just, well, how one identifies. Male or female, for example. And it isn’t necessarily the same as the gender one was born as, that one sometimes being referred to as one’s biological sex.
Well, some people identify with the gender they were born as, but some people don’t, so they change themselves to closer feel like the gender they identify as. Such as someone who was born a girl identifying as a boy, and so he would use masculine pronouns, and in most cases wear boy’s clothing and style their hair in ways that a boy would.
you can't just.. do that
that has to be, like, cheating or something, right? it's not allowed!
Yes, people can. They don’t just change on a whim, they think about it enough to be almost completely sure of it, if not completely sure, and then they change their self-expression. It’s not cheating, and it’s certainly allowed.
*Amali’s just trying to help her son understand the process, right now. It’s clear he’s asking for himself, at least with Amali’s knowledge, but that isn’t the point right now. The point is to explain the process, and get Notts to learn that it is a completely acceptable process for people who choose to do it, and hopefully at least accept himself. Even if he doesn’t tell her right away, self-acceptance is always the first step.*
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
um.
does it- um, isitnormaltowanttobeaboy
like it goes away eventually right
*Oh, Notts wants to talk about his gender identity. Amali already knew, through the bond she has with her kids, but it’s good to know that at the very least he’s realizing it himself, and that he trusts her enough to talk about it with her. Amali also doesn’t want Notts to know that she knows. So, what with the fact that he doesn’t seem to completely understand his feelings, she’s going to start by just explaining the basics of the messy soup-like thing that gender can be to those who don’t know much of anything beyond the basics of male vs female, or even identifying with the gender one wasn’t born as.*
Well, for some people, it is normal. Just like how for others it’s normal to want to be a girl, or neither, or both, or somewhere in between all of that. Some people feel content with identifying with the gender they were born as, like me and your father. Other people don’t, and so they use different pronouns and gendered terms than they were born as. Other people still will use multiple sets of pronouns, or don’t identify within the traditional gender binary at all, some even are both. Wherever a person falls in terms of their gender identity, there’s nothing wrong with them. I wouldn’t say “normal”, but that’s more because the definition of normal is a social construct, that many people don’t fit into.
Gender identity can be complicated to explain, all at once, but is there any specific part you want to know more about?
you mean it's normal for real boys to want to be boys, right? why would you say "some people?"
...what's a gender
A gender is just, well, how one identifies. Male or female, for example. And it isn’t necessarily the same as the gender one was born as, that one sometimes being referred to as one’s biological sex.
Well, some people identify with the gender they were born as, but some people don’t, so they change themselves to closer feel like the gender they identify as. Such as someone who was born a girl identifying as a boy, and so he would use masculine pronouns, and in most cases wear boy’s clothing and style their hair in ways that a boy would.
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
um.
does it- um, isitnormaltowanttobeaboy
like it goes away eventually right
*Oh, Notts wants to talk about his gender identity. Amali already knew, through the bond she has with her kids, but it’s good to know that at the very least he’s realizing it himself, and that he trusts her enough to talk about it with her. Amali also doesn’t want Notts to know that she knows. So, what with the fact that he doesn’t seem to completely understand his feelings, she’s going to start by just explaining the basics of the messy soup-like thing that gender can be to those who don’t know much of anything beyond the basics of male vs female, or even identifying with the gender one wasn’t born as.*
Well, for some people, it is normal. Just like how for others it’s normal to want to be a girl, or neither, or both, or somewhere in between all of that. Some people feel content with identifying with the gender they were born as, like me and your father. Other people don’t, and so they use different pronouns and gendered terms than they were born as. Other people still will use multiple sets of pronouns, or don’t identify within the traditional gender binary at all, some even are both. Wherever a person falls in terms of their gender identity, there’s nothing wrong with them. I wouldn’t say “normal”, but that’s more because the definition of normal is a social construct, that many people don’t fit into.
Gender identity can be complicated to explain, all at once, but is there any specific part you want to know more about?
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
it's, um, this way i think!
[she takes off running down the hallway and goes into one of the rooms]
*Amali follows you, though she walks. She closes the door behind her when she goes in the room you went in.*
So, what did you want to talk about?
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
i dunno, there's the woods i guess.. i don't want to go back in there.
um, there's a spare room cree and i stayed in for a bit and i don't think anyone is using it now, we could go there!
Sure, that works. You’d have to show me where it is, though.
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
oh, right, okay! that makes sense i guess..
we can talk somewhere else, i just- i really don't want anyone else to hear.
Of course. I don’t really know this house, so is there somewhere you know would be private enough? It doesn’t have to be inside, just nearby.
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
could we go home? since the blizzard stopped?
no one should.. no one should be there now, i don't think anyone's come back other than us. actually i think i saw tulin earlier but i'm pretty sure he's staying somewhere else? i don't know, i hope he's not home right now
Yes, we could go home. Though, you look like you really want to talk about something, so if you’d rather we can talk closer to here and then go. I’d like to bring Cree with us when we go home, if she want to, so we wouldn’t be able to talk on the way there.
*Amali doesn’t know how the village is doing right now, she left as soon as the blizzard let up enough to safely fly through. She hasn’t returned since, instead just searching for her kids.*
...um, mom
i have- i have a question? if that's okay? i need to talk to you alone
why am i still thinking about this why am i asking about this this is so stupid what am i doing
-@notts-of-rito-village
Yeah, that’s fine. Where do you want to go?
*What does Notts want to talk to her about? She seems to be overthinking whatever it is.*
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*
[cree holds onto her mother tightly, trying to offer and take comfort at the same time. after a moment, she looks over to @notts-of-rito-village , tears in her eyes.]
n-notts... w-when you said kheel h-hurt you... w-were you telling the truth?
[she didn't believe him before, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes...]
[what happened to her baby sister?]
...you thought i was lying.
of course you did.
i.. yeah. i was telling the truth, i wouldn't- i would never lie about that. not to you.
if you still don't believe me, you can ask legend, he knows
[she doesn't join the hug, doesn't want to ruin whatever comfort it provides to both of them]
@the-real-amali
*Amali holds Cree tighter, just holding her close. She almost seems tense. She’s trying to hide it as best as she can, but with how close you are some of it leaks out. Amali certainly tenses as she learns that Kheel hurt Notts. She knows that Kheel has changed it, she saw it first hand with how Kheel threatened her with a knife, but to actually hurt her brother? When she used to be so close with all her siblings? It’s… a lot.
*Amali notices how Notts seems like he doesn’t want to intrude on the comfort, rather than just not want a hug, so she decides to verbally ask him about it as she makes sure he’s okay.*
She… Kheel hurt you, Notts? Are you okay? Physically, at least. And do you want a hug? You wouldn’t be intruding, if that’s what you’re worried about.
*Amali’s voice wavers, especially on the first sentence. It’s clear she’s holding back tears, but she’s doing what she can. She needs to support her kids, at least enough to make sure that they get what they need at the moment*
[cree begins to cry. oh goddesses... @notts-of-rito-village was hurt, and she- she didn't even believe him... she's a terrible sister! how could she?! when he's been helping her so much, she didn't even believe him?!]
[she opens her wings, inviting notts into the hug too. normally she'd run over to him and hug him, but she doesn't wanna let go of mama, either.]
i-i'm sorry... i d-didn't think she'd- oh gosh...
i didn't think she'd do it either. still happened, though
...if i hug you will you stop crying? i don't want you to be sad
@the-real-amali
what... w-what's happened to us, notts...?
we used to be happy... w-we used to sing a-and eat salmon meuniere and t-tell stories, and now-
...
[she sniffles, tears freely rolling down her cheeks. she wants to comfort notts. to comfort her broken, dying family, while they're still around.]
i-it's okay... w-we can be sad t-together...
@the-real-amali
I’m… not sure. I don’t know all of what happened during the blizzard, but that’s certainly what started all this. That and the fact that it took me as long as it did to find you.
*Amali does a better job of keeping her voice even, but it still wavers a bit on the first sentence*
Would’ve been faster if your father would actually help instead of being off playing music for so long I wouldn’t even question if he thought everything was perfectly fine. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he didn’t know about the blizzard in the first place…
*Amali grumbles that part under her breath, louder than intended and with anger leaking out enough it overpowers her sadness and hurt at all that’s happened to her kids. She really doesn’t like Kass right now, considering he wasn’t able to help find her kids, and probably didn’t even know they were missing. Amali might not have been there for their kids either, but at least she was looking for them.*
...do you know where dad is now? if he doesn't know about the blizzard, we should tell him, right?
i miss him too. i miss everyone so bad
I haven’t seen him since he last left to travel and play music. So, weeks before the blizzard at least. He’s probably at least heard about it, though. News of severe things like the blizzard travel fast through Hyrule’s stables, and the stables are among the places where Kass will play.
I know you do, and we can head back to the village as soon as you want. I won’t promise to always be there for that, though, at least until I can find Kotts.
*Plus she has to ask if anyone knows more about what happened to Kheel. Amali can figure out that it started with Genli’s death, and Kheel dealing with it through unhealthy coping mechanisms. However, the extent of the change in Kheel—the fact that she was so willing to draw a knife gain at her mother and has hurt her brother, and whatever else Amali doesn’t know yet—points to the interference of something else, as well. That something else is what Amali needs to figure out, it will likely be a key part of knowing what caused Kheel’s change. And knowing is the first step to fixing the problem. Not necessarily changing who Kheel has become, but teaching her how to use emotions other than anger, how to deal with grief in ways beyond hurting those around her, and even if Kheel won’t be a child again, having grown up beyond that point, at least making sure Kheel knows that she can be, and that Amali will always be there for her. Amali just needs to make sure Kheel stays healthy, especially mentally, which is where she’s struggling most now.
@therealcree
[cree misses papa... his songs, his stories, his musing over meanings. his joyful, caring personality. she remembers he'd carry her on his shoulders when she was a fledgling, and she'd feel like she was on top of the whole wide world!]
[he's probably trying to find them... right?]
y-yeah, we gotta find kotts. b-but... i miss papa too. c-can we go try to find him when all this is over?
@notts-of-rito-village
oh, yeah, we should.. we should find kotts. i really hope she's okay
um, kheel said she saw her, earlier, and that she's alive but she didn't say where she was and i forgot to ask. i should have asked i'm so sorry what if we never find her now i should have asked.
i don't think anyone else's seen her but maybe we should make sure?
Yeah, we can ask around. Even if no one knows where she is, though, I was mostly able to find the two of you without. Though, I did meet Ravio, who was the one to tell me where the two of you were, but that’s because @therealcree was staying with him. If all’s well, Kotts will at least have someone looking after her.
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*
[cree holds onto her mother tightly, trying to offer and take comfort at the same time. after a moment, she looks over to @notts-of-rito-village , tears in her eyes.]
n-notts... w-when you said kheel h-hurt you... w-were you telling the truth?
[she didn't believe him before, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes...]
[what happened to her baby sister?]
...you thought i was lying.
of course you did.
i.. yeah. i was telling the truth, i wouldn't- i would never lie about that. not to you.
if you still don't believe me, you can ask legend, he knows
[she doesn't join the hug, doesn't want to ruin whatever comfort it provides to both of them]
@the-real-amali
*Amali holds Cree tighter, just holding her close. She almost seems tense. She’s trying to hide it as best as she can, but with how close you are some of it leaks out. Amali certainly tenses as she learns that Kheel hurt Notts. She knows that Kheel has changed it, she saw it first hand with how Kheel threatened her with a knife, but to actually hurt her brother? When she used to be so close with all her siblings? It’s… a lot.
*Amali notices how Notts seems like he doesn’t want to intrude on the comfort, rather than just not want a hug, so she decides to verbally ask him about it as she makes sure he’s okay.*
She… Kheel hurt you, Notts? Are you okay? Physically, at least. And do you want a hug? You wouldn’t be intruding, if that’s what you’re worried about.
*Amali’s voice wavers, especially on the first sentence. It’s clear she’s holding back tears, but she’s doing what she can. She needs to support her kids, at least enough to make sure that they get what they need at the moment*
[cree begins to cry. oh goddesses... @notts-of-rito-village was hurt, and she- she didn't even believe him... she's a terrible sister! how could she?! when he's been helping her so much, she didn't even believe him?!]
[she opens her wings, inviting notts into the hug too. normally she'd run over to him and hug him, but she doesn't wanna let go of mama, either.]
i-i'm sorry... i d-didn't think she'd- oh gosh...
i didn't think she'd do it either. still happened, though
...if i hug you will you stop crying? i don't want you to be sad
@the-real-amali
what... w-what's happened to us, notts...?
we used to be happy... w-we used to sing a-and eat salmon meuniere and t-tell stories, and now-
...
[she sniffles, tears freely rolling down her cheeks. she wants to comfort notts. to comfort her broken, dying family, while they're still around.]
i-it's okay... w-we can be sad t-together...
@the-real-amali
I’m… not sure. I don’t know all of what happened during the blizzard, but that’s certainly what started all this. That and the fact that it took me as long as it did to find you.
*Amali does a better job of keeping her voice even, but it still wavers a bit on the first sentence*
Would’ve been faster if your father would actually help instead of being off playing music for so long I wouldn’t even question if he thought everything was perfectly fine. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he didn’t know about the blizzard in the first place…
*Amali grumbles that part under her breath, louder than intended and with anger leaking out enough it overpowers her sadness and hurt at all that’s happened to her kids. She really doesn’t like Kass right now, considering he wasn’t able to help find her kids, and probably didn’t even know they were missing. Amali might not have been there for their kids either, but at least she was looking for them.*
...do you know where dad is now? if he doesn't know about the blizzard, we should tell him, right?
i miss him too. i miss everyone so bad
I haven’t seen him since he last left to travel and play music. So, weeks before the blizzard at least. He’s probably at least heard about it, though. News of severe things like the blizzard travel fast through Hyrule’s stables, and the stables are among the places where Kass will play.
I know you do, and we can head back to the village as soon as you want. I won’t promise to always be there for that, though, at least until I can find Kotts.
*Plus she has to ask if anyone knows more about what happened to Kheel. Amali can figure out that it started with Genli’s death, and Kheel dealing with it through unhealthy coping mechanisms. However, the extent of the change in Kheel—the fact that she was so willing to draw a knife gain at her mother and has hurt her brother, and whatever else Amali doesn’t know yet—points to the interference of something else, as well. That something else is what Amali needs to figure out, it will likely be a key part of knowing what caused Kheel’s change. And knowing is the first step to fixing the problem. Not necessarily changing who Kheel has become, but teaching her how to use emotions other than anger, how to deal with grief in ways beyond hurting those around her, and even if Kheel won’t be a child again, having grown up beyond that point, at least making sure Kheel knows that she can be, and that Amali will always be there for her. Amali just needs to make sure Kheel stays healthy, especially mentally, which is where she’s struggling most now.
@therealcree
[cree misses papa... his songs, his stories, his musing over meanings. his joyful, caring personality. she remembers he'd carry her on his shoulders when she was a fledgling, and she'd feel like she was on top of the whole wide world!]
[he's probably trying to find them... right?]
y-yeah, we gotta find kotts. b-but... i miss papa too. c-can we go try to find him when all this is over?
@notts-of-rito-village
*Amali knows her kids still love their father, and she loves him too. However, she has been angry at him for not being there for their kids and will likely continue to be until she actually has a way to vent out her frustrations. She won’t do that in front of their kids, though. They’re far too young to think about that, that their parents can get as angry at each other as Amali is at Kass right now. Amali takes a deep breath. Her kids are here now, Kass isn’t, so he can wait until Amali’s done making sure her kids are safe*
Of course we can look for him, once this is over.
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*
[cree holds onto her mother tightly, trying to offer and take comfort at the same time. after a moment, she looks over to @notts-of-rito-village , tears in her eyes.]
n-notts... w-when you said kheel h-hurt you... w-were you telling the truth?
[she didn't believe him before, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes...]
[what happened to her baby sister?]
...you thought i was lying.
of course you did.
i.. yeah. i was telling the truth, i wouldn't- i would never lie about that. not to you.
if you still don't believe me, you can ask legend, he knows
[she doesn't join the hug, doesn't want to ruin whatever comfort it provides to both of them]
@the-real-amali
*Amali holds Cree tighter, just holding her close. She almost seems tense. She’s trying to hide it as best as she can, but with how close you are some of it leaks out. Amali certainly tenses as she learns that Kheel hurt Notts. She knows that Kheel has changed it, she saw it first hand with how Kheel threatened her with a knife, but to actually hurt her brother? When she used to be so close with all her siblings? It’s… a lot.
*Amali notices how Notts seems like he doesn’t want to intrude on the comfort, rather than just not want a hug, so she decides to verbally ask him about it as she makes sure he’s okay.*
She… Kheel hurt you, Notts? Are you okay? Physically, at least. And do you want a hug? You wouldn’t be intruding, if that’s what you’re worried about.
*Amali’s voice wavers, especially on the first sentence. It’s clear she’s holding back tears, but she’s doing what she can. She needs to support her kids, at least enough to make sure that they get what they need at the moment*
[cree begins to cry. oh goddesses... @notts-of-rito-village was hurt, and she- she didn't even believe him... she's a terrible sister! how could she?! when he's been helping her so much, she didn't even believe him?!]
[she opens her wings, inviting notts into the hug too. normally she'd run over to him and hug him, but she doesn't wanna let go of mama, either.]
i-i'm sorry... i d-didn't think she'd- oh gosh...
i didn't think she'd do it either. still happened, though
...if i hug you will you stop crying? i don't want you to be sad
@the-real-amali
what... w-what's happened to us, notts...?
we used to be happy... w-we used to sing a-and eat salmon meuniere and t-tell stories, and now-
...
[she sniffles, tears freely rolling down her cheeks. she wants to comfort notts. to comfort her broken, dying family, while they're still around.]
i-it's okay... w-we can be sad t-together...
@the-real-amali
I’m… not sure. I don’t know all of what happened during the blizzard, but that’s certainly what started all this. That and the fact that it took me as long as it did to find you.
*Amali does a better job of keeping her voice even, but it still wavers a bit on the first sentence*
Would’ve been faster if your father would actually help instead of being off playing music for so long I wouldn’t even question if he thought everything was perfectly fine. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he didn’t know about the blizzard in the first place…
*Amali grumbles that part under her breath, louder than intended and with anger leaking out enough it overpowers her sadness and hurt at all that’s happened to her kids. She really doesn’t like Kass right now, considering he wasn’t able to help find her kids, and probably didn’t even know they were missing. Amali might not have been there for their kids either, but at least she was looking for them.*
...do you know where dad is now? if he doesn't know about the blizzard, we should tell him, right?
i miss him too. i miss everyone so bad
I haven’t seen him since he last left to travel and play music. So, weeks before the blizzard at least. He’s probably at least heard about it, though. News of severe things like the blizzard travel fast through Hyrule’s stables, and the stables are among the places where Kass will play.
I know you do, and we can head back to the village as soon as you want. I won’t promise to always be there for that, though, at least until I can find Kotts.
*Plus she has to ask if anyone knows more about what happened to Kheel. Amali can figure out that it started with Genli’s death, and Kheel dealing with it through unhealthy coping mechanisms. However, the extent of the change in Kheel—the fact that she was so willing to draw a knife gain at her mother and has hurt her brother, and whatever else Amali doesn’t know yet—points to the interference of something else, as well. That something else is what Amali needs to figure out, it will likely be a key part of knowing what caused Kheel’s change. And knowing is the first step to fixing the problem. Not necessarily changing who Kheel has become, but teaching her how to use emotions other than anger, how to deal with grief in ways beyond hurting those around her, and even if Kheel won’t be a child again, having grown up beyond that point, at least making sure Kheel knows that she can be, and that Amali will always be there for her. Amali just needs to make sure Kheel stays healthy, especially mentally, which is where she’s struggling most now.
@therealcree
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*
[cree holds onto her mother tightly, trying to offer and take comfort at the same time. after a moment, she looks over to @notts-of-rito-village , tears in her eyes.]
n-notts... w-when you said kheel h-hurt you... w-were you telling the truth?
[she didn't believe him before, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes...]
[what happened to her baby sister?]
...you thought i was lying.
of course you did.
i.. yeah. i was telling the truth, i wouldn't- i would never lie about that. not to you.
if you still don't believe me, you can ask legend, he knows
[she doesn't join the hug, doesn't want to ruin whatever comfort it provides to both of them]
@the-real-amali
*Amali holds Cree tighter, just holding her close. She almost seems tense. She’s trying to hide it as best as she can, but with how close you are some of it leaks out. Amali certainly tenses as she learns that Kheel hurt Notts. She knows that Kheel has changed it, she saw it first hand with how Kheel threatened her with a knife, but to actually hurt her brother? When she used to be so close with all her siblings? It’s… a lot.
*Amali notices how Notts seems like he doesn’t want to intrude on the comfort, rather than just not want a hug, so she decides to verbally ask him about it as she makes sure he’s okay.*
She… Kheel hurt you, Notts? Are you okay? Physically, at least. And do you want a hug? You wouldn’t be intruding, if that’s what you’re worried about.
*Amali’s voice wavers, especially on the first sentence. It’s clear she’s holding back tears, but she’s doing what she can. She needs to support her kids, at least enough to make sure that they get what they need at the moment*
[cree begins to cry. oh goddesses... @notts-of-rito-village was hurt, and she- she didn't even believe him... she's a terrible sister! how could she?! when he's been helping her so much, she didn't even believe him?!]
[she opens her wings, inviting notts into the hug too. normally she'd run over to him and hug him, but she doesn't wanna let go of mama, either.]
i-i'm sorry... i d-didn't think she'd- oh gosh...
i didn't think she'd do it either. still happened, though
...if i hug you will you stop crying? i don't want you to be sad
@the-real-amali
what... w-what's happened to us, notts...?
we used to be happy... w-we used to sing a-and eat salmon meuniere and t-tell stories, and now-
...
[she sniffles, tears freely rolling down her cheeks. she wants to comfort notts. to comfort her broken, dying family, while they're still around.]
i-it's okay... w-we can be sad t-together...
@the-real-amali
I’m… not sure. I don’t know all of what happened during the blizzard, but that’s certainly what started all this. That and the fact that it took me as long as it did to find you.
*Amali does a better job of keeping her voice even, but it still wavers a bit on the first sentence*
Would’ve been faster if your father would actually help instead of being off playing music for so long I wouldn’t even question if he thought everything was perfectly fine. I wouldn’t even be surprised if he didn’t know about the blizzard in the first place…
*Amali grumbles that part under her breath, louder than intended and with anger leaking out enough it overpowers her sadness and hurt at all that’s happened to her kids. She really doesn’t like Kass right now, considering he wasn’t able to help find her kids, and probably didn’t even know they were missing. Amali might not have been there for their kids either, but at least she was looking for them.*
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*
[cree holds onto her mother tightly, trying to offer and take comfort at the same time. after a moment, she looks over to @notts-of-rito-village , tears in her eyes.]
n-notts... w-when you said kheel h-hurt you... w-were you telling the truth?
[she didn't believe him before, but now that she's seen it with her own eyes...]
[what happened to her baby sister?]
...you thought i was lying.
of course you did.
i.. yeah. i was telling the truth, i wouldn't- i would never lie about that. not to you.
if you still don't believe me, you can ask legend, he knows
[she doesn't join the hug, doesn't want to ruin whatever comfort it provides to both of them]
@the-real-amali
*Amali holds Cree tighter, just holding her close. She almost seems tense. She’s trying to hide it as best as she can, but with how close you are some of it leaks out. Amali certainly tenses as she learns that Kheel hurt Notts. She knows that Kheel has changed it, she saw it first hand with how Kheel threatened her with a knife, but to actually hurt her brother? When she used to be so close with all her siblings? It’s… a lot.
*Amali notices how Notts seems like he doesn’t want to intrude on the comfort, rather than just not want a hug, so she decides to verbally ask him about it as she makes sure he’s okay.*
She… Kheel hurt you, Notts? Are you okay? Physically, at least. And do you want a hug? You wouldn’t be intruding, if that’s what you’re worried about.
*Amali’s voice wavers, especially on the first sentence. It’s clear she’s holding back tears, but she’s doing what she can. She needs to support her kids, at least enough to make sure that they get what they need at the moment*
[She walks down the hallway, intending to go to the bathroom. But voices pull her towards the living room. That voice sounds weirdly familiar...]
[The moment she sees you, she freezes. She used to cling to you. She used to see you as the person who would always protect her. But that's not true anymore, is it?]
[She would be shocked if you recognize her. None of your children have green and black feathers.]
- @therealkheel
*Amali is about to respond to @notts-of-rito-village asking if he could come with her when she continued looking for Kotts and Kheel, and his asking if @therealcree wanted to come with, when she sees you. Normally, Amali would see just another rito child. However, as, weird, as her connection to Kheel may have been for a while, Amali can still recognize you as her daughter. So, instead she turns to the hallway, facing you*
Kheel? Is that you?
[She takes a step back, eyes wide, confused, hurt.]
[Why are you here? Why? You had left her behind. And you're here now?]
[Well, you're too late. Kheel doesn't need you.]
[There's a plethora of scars dotting her skin, but the most striking is her hands. Her talons are completely gone, and so is one of her fingers.]
*Amali watches you back away, and she can’t help but wonder why. Though… she feels a feeling akin to anger at the fact that she’s there from Kheel. It’s probably due to how long it took for Amali to find her, but Kheel used to be such a sweet girl. Especially with the inverted colors, Amali wonders if they’re connected. And the myriad of scars and her missing talons and fingers.*
Just what happened while she was gone?*
Kheel, I’m sorry I haven’t gotten here earlier. I started looking for you and your sisters as soon as the blizzard let up, but by then the cave had collapsed, and when I got through you were gone. I had no sign of where any of you were, and no help finding you either. I’m just glad to see you.
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Her eyes narrow. You left her behind. You left everyone behind. And now everything has happened. Maybe if you were here, you would have been able to stop it. But you weren't. She's lost her childish belief that her mom will swoop in and fix everything.]
[She wants to make a biting remark. Her eyes trail to Cree and she pauses.]
Yeah... I'm.. glad you're alive.
Are… are you okay, Kheel? What happened, while I wasn’t there?
(@therealcree @notts-of-rito-village)
[Everything. Absolutely everything.]
Nothing. I'm fine.
[She has work really hard to keep her voice even. She can't yell. Not while Cree is here.]
*Amali can tell that Kheel is not, in fact, okay. But she can also tell that Kheel is trying not to… yell? Cry? Amali can’t tell what, but something strong, either way, Kheel is trying not to do it. Perhaps it’s because @therealcree, @notts-of-rito-village, or both of them are there too? She should ask*
Would you rather talk about it alone? I can tell that at least one important thing has happened while I’ve been gone, so don’t go saying that nothing happened.
*Amali doesn’t say anything about Kheel’s lie about being okay, though. She can tell that Kheel doesn’t necessarily want her siblings to know, at a minimum. At the very least for what is wrong, considering that the drastic changes have made it clear that something is, whether that something is actively wrong or simply a response to something that has already happened*
Again, though, I truly am sorry I haven’t been here for you. I know that won’t make up for it, but I need to make sure you know that before I can start trying to do so.
[An image of her mom, bleeding on the ground flits through her mind. Kheel doesn't notice the way one of her talonless fingers twitches.]
[She doesn't want to talk alone. She doesn't want to torture someone again. She'll just get tortured back again.]
It's not a big deal.
[It's a very big deal. But she's trying to reign in her anger.]
Are you sure? If you really don’t want to talk about it, then that’s fine, but… I’m your mother, Kheel. I can tell that it’s a big deal, and I can tell that it’s been affecting you a lot, even if I can’t quite tell how much and in what ways. So, whether you want to take me up on the offer or not, I’m here for you. Even if I couldn’t be earlier, I am now.
.. You're not my mother.
[She suddenly snaps, and the tone of her voice has turned so hostile. So suddenly vile.]
You're too late! I don't need you anymore!
[She doesn't need you. You left her in that cave to starve! And Genli is dead! And all she wants to do is tear this apart limb by limb. It's all your fault. ALL your fault!!]
*…What? Amali is shocked at Kheel’s sudden outburst. She knows that she hasn’t been with her children during what has very clearly been a very impactful time for all of them, but for a change that drastic to have happened in Kheel comes as a shock to Amali. In all likelihood, it’s probably related to why her bond with Kheel has felt off for a while, as if there was something corrupting it, or more accurately, Kheel’s mind. That something isn’t even necessarily an outside force, it could be a change in Kheel, but there has to be some magic involved. Kheel has never been this angry before, and her coloring has been completely inverted. That couldn’t happen without magic.
*Not to mention Kheel’s missing talons…*
Just because you don’t need me there for you doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t help you. I know I’m too late, and I can’t apologize for that enough, but could you at least explain what happened, that I was too late for? I can’t know how to help, in whatever capacity that may be, unless I know what happened and what’s going on.
*Amali truly doesn’t know, and even if Kheel doesn’t want her help, then she still wants to know what happened. No one has explained it to her yet, even if she’s only had an actual conversation with one adult who knew anything about her kids*
You were too late for Genli! Maybe she would be alive if you were there to get stabbed INSTEAD!
[Cree's here. She's watching. Kheel needs to calm down. She can't do this in front of Cree. But it's too late. The words just continue to pour out of her mouth.]
Maybe if you died, things would be different! Better! Because I'd still have Genli! You haven't even been here, and it's easy to get a new mama! I could never, ever get a new sister! Or-
Or maybe you could've been the one to bury her instead of ME! Nobody else cared to bury her! Only me! I found her body. I had to give her a place to sleep!
You were too late! Way, way too late! I fucking hate you! I fucking hate everyone!
[She's oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face.]
*Amali knew that Genli had died, and she knew that had to be due to unnatural causes, but she didn’t know that it had specifically been a stabbing. She can also see why Kheel blames her; Amali, her mother, wasn’t there when she was most needed, and Kheel, only a child herself, had to deal with it on her own.
*And… Kheel had been the one to bury Genli? No one else bothered? How could they? Even if they didn’t know her, Genli was a child, one who had been stabbed to death. Amali wants to know who simply refused to bury Genli, forcing Kheel to do it herself.
*Amali notices the moment Kheel starts crying. Her fingers twitch, longing to hold her daughter close. Unfortunately, due to the way Kheel now views her, she doesn’t want to push. Amali does, however, take a few steps closer to you, opening her arms to show that she is offering a hug if you want it*
I see where you’re coming from, Kheel. If I had been in your position, back when I was your age, Hylia knows I would have been more than a little angry at my mother. However, if you want it, I can offer you some advice, even if you don’t want me there for you as a mother anymore. Not advice as your mother, but advice as someone who has experience with how to deal with grief, and how to cope with the loss of someone close to you.
Unless, that is, you would rather the advice be from me as your mother, in which case I would be more than happy to oblige that, as well. And… even if Genli is dead now, you still have your other siblings around you. Plus, I plan to visit Genli’s grave once I have a chance, before resuming my search for Kotts, so if you want to come with I would be happy to. I know I’ve already apologized for not being there for you, but I feel like I have to do it again. If there is any way that I can even start to make up for it, to build up to gaining your forgiveness, to make my apology with more than just words I’ve told you, please tell me.
[The moment you take steps forward, she takes steps back. She doesn't want your comfort. Nothing of the sort. She wants her mama. But her mama isn't here right now. Not yet. Her mama will come back later and comfort her.... Her Mama's good at that.]
Nothing can make it up! Nothing will make me forgive you! My life is ruined, and it's your fault!
[Her finger twitches. She pulls out a stone from her pocket. She clutches it tightly.]
[Her grasping the stone brings attention to the scars on her right wing. Both on her shoulder, a stab wound that looks like it was very deep, and a carving of an asphodel. She tries to avoid thinking about that asphodel as much as possible. But it's always there. Branded into her skin forever.]
[She knows she did something similar to her tool. But that was her tool! She was never its tool. And yet it made sure will never forget.]
Most people hate me now. Because of you.
I… I can understand that, Kheel. I wish I could have been there for you as well. But… when I went to go get you from the cave after the blizzard was over, you weren’t there. And there was no sign of where you could have gone. I know I won’t be able to make up or not being there, but I want to be there for whatever happens now. I need you to know that I never once stopped looking for you and your siblings in the entire time that it has been. I spend every second that I wasn’t asleep searching. And I only slept when I absolutely had too. Your siblings and you, all of you are unquestionably the most important parts of my life. More than anything else.
I don't need you! I DON'T EVEN WANT YOU TO BE HERE!
[The stone she clutched oh so tightly suddenly reforms into a dagger. She steps forward. Clearly, she's not afraid to use it. Right now, she may just be trying to get you to leave her alone, but she will strike if you don't get the memo. Her face is dark with anger.]
*Amali had simply been trying to help her daughter, to let her know that she was there for her, no matter what. She would likely have been able to determine that she was, in fact, overstepping more easily had it not been for the corruption affecting her bond with Kheel. Amali hadn’t realized that you had become this angry at her, not until the stone you were holding turned into a dagger.
Amali takes a single step back, making sure to stand in front of Cree and Notts to protect them.*
Okay, Kheel. I’ll leave you alone. Just… know I’m here, if you ever change your mind, okay?
*Amali keeps her voice steady and calm. It takes effort, with the image of her daughter wielding a knife against her, but she manages it, even if only just barely. She needs to stay strong, for her kids. They don’t have anyone else anymore— not anyone they share, at least.
I'm never going to change my mind. Fuck you.
[She pushes past you with the blunt side of her knife, no real harm done, but she clearly ran into you on purpose.]
[She makes eye contact with @notts-of-rito-village. Something in her eyes is a reminder of the times she's hurt Notts. But her eyes are different now. She looks more... Broken than she used to.]
[She doesn't make eye contact with @therealcree. She doesn't want to know what Cree may be thinking.]
[cree stays silent still, just like she'd been for the whole encounter. her beak hangs open in surprise. why... why is kheel being so mean? mama tried her best! cree knows what it's like... she was stuck in the storm too, searching. does kheel blame her too?]
[when kheel walks by, she takes a step back, nervous to get too close. normally cree's very affectionate, especially with her siblings, but...]
[something about kheel is scary right now. and cree is suddenly incredibly aware of how good knives are at sinking into flesh.]
[gently, she walks over to @the-real-amali and gives her a hug. words hurt, mama taught her that a while back. and cree's sure that kheels words just hurt mama much more than the knife ever could.]
@notts-of-rito-village
[she stares back at kheel, not knowing what to say. this isn't how she wanted any of this to go.]
[kheel seems different this time. notts is almost sorry for her; maybe she should be but kheel's not her sister anymore she does not deserve sympathy and he has to remember that]
[she has to remember that]
*Amali fights back tears as Kheel shoved past her. They can wait, she needs to be there for Notts and @therealcree right now. When Cree hugs her, Amali just hugs back, offering comfort. She turns to look at Notts, clearly offering for him to join the hug, but not pressuring him in any conscious way.
It would take too much effort to keep her words from being choked through tears, so Amali just offers silent comfort to the two of her children present, until and unless she’s prompted otherwise*