sovbooks 587. For your life, 4
587. For your life, 4
(Zeslinry)I woke up with Myls clinging to me, still fast asleep.
The warmth of her skin against mine has troubled me for a long time, but it’s soothing now.
So I stay there just breathing peacefully a little linger. I can see and hear that the rain has stopped, and sun is shining warmly again.
One of my hands rests inside her hair. I can hear and feel her breathing as she sleeps finally relaxed.
You’ve made me happy.
I’ve felt a little motherly, alright, a lot; as we lived together. But she was so much younger, no matter how mature she had to be to survive on her own.
Over the time we lived together, we became a family born out of necessity, helping each other to live in this world.
It took us a while to realise us too and our relationship too had to change.
She went through her teenager years her own way I couldn’t fully relate with. All I saw was us still getting along rather well.
Although her desires toward me grew, that was painfully obvious. I never was able to welcome that. I didn’t want to.
But then, I died...
And then, that picture comes back to me. The poppy field. An impossible creature from Dali filling the sky and landscape, and the wounded black rose appeared to me.
She wasn’t quite anymore the young girl I remembered.
And over time, what we are for each other become clearer after that. I’m not what she wanted as a teenager or as a child. And she’s not what I understood nor wanted from a younger friend.
A little more than family, but not about sexuality, and definitely much more than mere teammates, partners in this mess. Lovers doesn’t quite fit my feeling, because there’s nothing really romantic.
Who cares. I’m happy and she’s relaxing gently, slowly.
That Calamity I’ve never met traumatized her for sure and good, but it’s all in the past now.
G – Wake up lovebirds.
Grape likes to mock me when I look peaceful and sweet like that. I may not have the perfect noun for our relationship, but Grape has her own fun about it. She is one of them after all.
Z – I’m glad you’re okay.
G – A cheer then.
Bacchus pours herself a drink, inside her throat, and a glass for me as I softly leave the bedding.
Myls doesn’t care to wake up just yet. I drink the cider and then get dressed.
I kinda’ enjoy my life.
Not sure my liver will in ten years, but we’ll see.
G – I would like to show you something.
Z – You sound unusually serious.
G – Enjoy it while it lasts, eh eh.
We head outside.
The dam is still standing. Giant roots that weren’t there before consolidated it for the storm I notice.
The floating levels have begun to slowly lift up again. Waterfalls dripping water from the rain are falling below. It’s a pretty sight, but surely not what she wanted to show me.
The woods and vineyards and crops in general were flooded and ravaged, but we really don’t worry about it. Between the sun and Grape herself, there’s nothing to be concerned about.
Even without her, Myls and I are farsighted and prepared. By the time everything is back to normal, our stocks wouldn’t be empty.
In the distance, Sanïssia is playing in the sea. She’s doing well too.
I follow Grape in the new swamps that rise below the floating trees.
There was a sink in. A kind of basement has been revealed. It’s only a flooded tank currently but roots are removing its water as we get closer.
Z – You discovered something buried?
G – Yes and no.
Before I can understand what she means, a weird bird flies to her and lands over her shoulders. It looks like a half decomposed crow.
Z – What... What is that?
G – A messenger from the lord of nightmares.
She’s alive?
I’m stunned. Does that mean...
G – Rose Blume is alive. They wish you happiness.
Of course, she cheers to that, while the stairs to a basement slowly appear.
I think we’ll celebrate with Myls. Me for Rose, her for Blume.
For now I just grin, amused.
Z – Another day, another rose.
I’m not sure if Grape gets it, but she sure laughed anyway.
~
In the basement, Grape brought the weird bird to parts of the roots that run along the ground down there.
I notice unusual protrusions along the roots here I’ve never seen elsewhere.
Z – Is this a failed experiment?
G – Good guess! A postponed gift. Nightmare sent the message to you, and a little gift for me.
The bird suddenly laid something almost invisible inside Grape’s hand. Probable not just faeces.
Z – What is it?
G – Hm... I don’t know how to describe that. It’s just life itself.
Z – I don’t get it.
Grape pushes a little pearl inside each colourful node of the roots here.
G – It’s like a new technology, from the new world.
She just bursts in laughter next. Her seriousness is too much even for her, unless I missed a joke again.
The bird was spooked and flew away.
A minute later, still tearing up from amusement, Grape pulled out two of the growing fruits out, and we returned to the surface.
The fruits shrank inside her hands, into the size and shapes of grapes, with a golden shimmer to them.
Grape pulled out two threads of her hair and briskly made two necklaces with the golden fruits as pendants.
I was a little agape as I never saw her do anything like that, and I can guess somewhat what this all mean.
She tossed them into my hands.
G – Here. Until you find prettier necklaces.
The golden grapes looked like jewels but still felt supple to the touch.
Z – These are artefacts... For us?
G – Honeymoon gifts for my two friends and lovebirds!
Z – I told you we’re not like that! But... Thank you. So what do they do?
It was the first and perhaps only time ever that I saw Grape make a slightly melancholic smile.
She didn’t say it.
What her silence meant was, you guessed it right already.
Z – Do you think we should leave?
As much as I love this life and place... If there was another message behind this all...
But Grape grinned, and forcefully made me drink again.
G – Come on! You two are too funny! I want you to stay! And drink!
Kindly evil laughter ensued, and drinks. We can stay.
~
Myls and I are not much into jewellery as they bring no tactical advantage. That’s how uncool and pragmatic we’ve become.
But her eye did brighten when I offered her the matching jewel.
Z – It’s a gift from Nightmare.
Her eye went through many emotions, mostly unpleasant.
Z – And Blume.
Her eye now went through surprise, gawking, and then joy appearing.
G – And with my blessing most of all! If you eat it, you’ll be drunk forever!
Yikes. Myls got spooked while I joined Grape in the amusement over that silly joke.
We shared the real news. And joked further rubbishing that undying Rose. She’s one of a kind.
I rubbed Myls’ hair and held her close to me, smiling merrily. She’s getting softer I can tell.
Grape, aside getting drunk, resumed her wish to grow and expand the garden’s vegetation. Repairing the living infrastructures of her domain.
Myls and I shared another drink.
~