(Untitled)

[called_lioness]

And then there's tonight.

Gifts for remembrance--it's like the will, but more personal, she supposes--are given out or about to be given, and the dragons are waiting with her sadly, and mostly Lucy's just sitting and watching the room.

Because it's dear, for all she's ready to leave, and some things she wants to remember perfectly.

And this is

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[mmquitecontrary]

Mary leaves her map on the table, when she sees Lucy, and stalks over.

The first question: "What day is it today?"

[called_lioness]

Lucy's smile is sad.

"It's Sunday, Mary."

Today's the day they say good-bye.

[mmquitecontrary]

Mary's face, already stiff, shuts down even further.

"It is Thursday at home," she says, half-accusing and half-bargaining.

Time is different. She knows that. Still.

[called_lioness]

Lucy's heart breaks a little more as she looks down for a minute and then up.

"But it's Sunday here, Mary."

And there's no bargaining this time and no concession she can make that Mary wants.

[awesome_lilly]

Lilly hasn't been able to avoid thinking about the last time she did this, the neverending day that still went by far too fast while she clung to Alain's side during a parade of final goodbyes.

She's determined to do it better this time.

"Hey, Lucy."

There's a smile, or something close to it, as she sits beside her friend.

[called_lioness]

There's something like a smile back, except it's too sad.

"Hullo, Lilly."

[awesome_lilly]

"I was going to get you something, you know."

Lilly's looking at Lucy, meeting her eyes but also just looking. It hurts, a little.

It'll hurt more when she can't do it anymore.

"But I guess there's not really anything that can top heaven, as far as gifts go. Still."

She hands Lucy a small box.

[called_lioness]

"I did get you something," she says with a crooked smile. "Sort of."

And sometimes you say, "You needn't have," and sometimes you know that...yes. The person needed to. For their own sake if no one else's.

[a_lioness]

She'd promised to be here, and only a lack of consciousness or a direct order from Jonathan would have kept Alanna from honoring it.

Puff came along for moral support.

Dragon on her shoulders, Alanna sits down beside Lucy, offering a quick squeeze around her shoulders, and joins her in her perusal of the room. She'll let Lucy speak first, if she wishes.

My babiessss.

[called_lioness]

MAMA.

MAMA, SHE IS LEAVING US!

MAKE HER STAY?

"Hullo," she murmurs, and smiles crookedly.

[a_lioness]

Head held high with all the assurance of a much larger dragon, Puff alights on the table and gives a regal twitch of her tail.

Humansss are fickle creaturesss. But I am here, my babiesss. We don't alwaysss win. Sometimesss the draw of the Him isss too great for the weaker onesss.

Alanna watches all this with mild amusement.

"How are the twins holding up?" she asks, quietly and perhaps needlessly.

[called_lioness]

BUT MAMA--

WE LOVE HER.

WE WERE GOOD DRAGONS.

WE WERE.

...BUT SHE DID TRUST US TO TAKE CARE OF HER TINY HUMAN.

SHE DID, SHE DID.

"Not well," she sighs, and leans against Alanna's shoulder after a minute.

"I wish I could take everyone with me."