| The Thirtieth Aura • Text | Offline |

[reflectivedawn]

[ - Back Dated To Dawn | Partially Filtered To Sango - ]

[Four o'clock in the morning probably wasn't the best time to be sending a text message, but to one resident of Adstringendum, it really doesn't matter. He had much more important things to worry about.]

I have a surprise for you. Meet me on the roof of the safe house at dawn.

[Dawn. His

Comments

[offline]

[coraltaijiya]

[There's a breath as he holds on again and then none at all. Because for a moment, with him so close, she can't breathe.]

[She really needs to stop doing that.]

[She lets go of the necklace, letting it drop to settle against her collar bone. Not all that surprisingly, it brushes, cold, on a faded scar. Even physically she is an example of being broken and imperfect, if the scars (most faded, all reminders) are anything to go by.]

[No--nothing is perfect. It's a concept that, in and of itself, is imperfect because of its unattainability. Sango doesn't believe in perfect, even as an idea; not anymore, if she ever did. But... relatively speaking...]

[Even in relativity, she is far from (almost) perfect. Sometimes she doesn't mind--others she is acutely aware of it.]

[But she's known for a long while now that it's not going to change, and that it's the same for so many around her.]

[Sango didn't grow up wishing for something broken, either. At first she didn't even think anything of being strong--not until after her frail mother died. Until Kohaku became her responsibility. Until she really paid attention to her father working his way through crises, until she finally noticed the deep, abiding will to live and survive and thrive in everyone around her.]

[She wasn't always a fighter. But she chose to be one; she chose to be strong. She adopted the dreams and aspirations of a culture and somewhere along the way, they became hers--they became her--so that it seemed things had always been that way.]

[In a way, those aspirations are of so very few artifacts from her home, her people. Even if they weren't a part of her, even if she had any regrets about becoming what she is and the price she's paid for it, she couldn't have just let them go. They are precious.]

[Even if it took losing everything to learn the true meaning of strength.]

[Because she would rather be broken and strong than whole and fragile. At least this way she's not so vulnerable, not so breakable. At least this way she has already gotten all the shattering out of the way.]

[There is something both comforting and saddening in knowing that someone understands. Because on one hand--she's not alone. And on the other...]

[Well, if it takes one to know one, it means that the only one who can understand is one who's been broken, too.]

[Perhaps they could be one whole heart, if they tried. They are similar enough, they are broken enough, and they are strong enough to survive being pieced back together again only to break more. But even that one, whole heart could not be without its scars. Because what would be the point of hurting if no lesson is learned, if no memory is retained? They may not make the wisest decisions, but they are not fools--they know better than to refuse lessons of heartache.]

[She doesn't want to stand alone, and she doesn't want to be broken. But she doesn't want to be unbroken, either. She doesn't want to have to pick and choose pieces of herself to form something else. She is her and no one else.]

[And she, Sango, that beautiful imperfection, doesn't quite know how to respond.]

[So she doesn't. She doesn't say anything, just bites her tongue to keep from protesting because bickering would be ruinous right now. Hesitant, she leans into him ever so slightly and closes her eyes.]

[And after a long moment--]

We're really in for it, aren't we.

[offline]

[reflectivedawn]

[He chuckles against her skin lightly, before pressing a kiss to the place his nose had touched. It was so weird, so different, to be able to be affectionate with someone again. It was even more weird to feel the hollowness in the pit of his chest, where he knew his heart should be. All he could feel was the memories flowing back into his mind, and somewhere inside that space his consciousness was supplanting them into this situation, making them relevant to the here and now. Making it seem as if he really was feeling these things and not just living through his memories.

His lips pressed against her skin once more, arms tightening as she leaned back into him. He could still feel the slightly discomfort, the way she hesitated before doing so. And for a moment, he was tempted to back off, to back away as he had done before. But he stopped himself, the moment she leaned back into him, he stopped, his heat skipping a beat at her words.]

Yeah. We are. [Another chuckle.] Why, are you worried?

[offline]

[coraltaijiya]

[kakishaklajdhdkanzu Riku you make it really hard to think straight, you know. But she sighs anyway.]

I'm always worried.

[And since talking makes her feel considerably less awkward...]

It was just an observation.

[offline]

[reflectivedawn]

[Yeah, he knows. Why do you think he's doing it?]

For the last time, Sango, there's nothing to worryd about. Who's to say they'll even know we're together?

[offline]

[coraltaijiya]

[Headshake.]

I worry anyway. You know that.

[LOL irony it is fun.]