Through a glass, darkly...

[darkestbefore]

Who: Yona and friends, or those wandering by
When: Early in May
Where: Outside the Looking-Glass House, around Aefenglom, her cottage
What: Yona is drawn to her Mirror and comes away with more than she bargained for.
Warnings: sad things??? also spoilers for current manga arc, I guess...


A. Long-Sought Answers
( semi-open, to friends or anyone wandering by the Looking-Glass House )

[ She's not even aware of being drawn when she wanders out of her cottage early this morning, only that there's a restless feeling inside of her tugging, pulling... It's not until she faces the Looking-Glass House that she gets an idea of what's happening. Not that she's experienced this before, but she's heard of such things. Not resisting that pull she can feel, she steps inside and climbs the stairs, stepping into one of the smaller rooms that holds a mirror carved of bright cherry wood and carved with the intricate shapes of four entwined dragons. It's been so long since she's been here that she'd almost forgotten about it entirely, but as she reaches out to brush her fingers over one of the dragon figures encircling her mirror, there's not a speck of dust to be found on the frame.

It's then the reflection in her mirror wavers and she feels herself falling to her knees, vision caught by the reflection that plays out like a dream. It's like it opens some locked part of her memories as new knowledge flows in and settles into place, as if she'd somehow forgotten something as important as all of this. Which was impossible, with what she learns - relearns? - and as she watches memories spill out across that reflection. Familiar faces, familiar voices, ones she hasn't seen in so long now that she cries at the sight of them, missing them with a fierce heartache that reopens and burns through her again as she presses her fingers against the mirror's surface as if that would be enough to reconnect her.

And then the memories of finding a book, a memoir, penned in a delicate but unfamiliar hand, holding the secrets that have haunted her since that first fateful day when her world crumbled around her. The knowledge passed on from her aunt, a woman she barely remembers, but one who had held all the secrets she'd been missing to understand what had come about before of her mere existence. And then her father's words, that handwriting far more familiar but still something she hasn't seen in so long...

It brings up old memories she'd long forgotten. Brings new memories she struggles to acclimate with everything else she knows. And long after the mirror fades once more back into a mere reflection, she still kneels there, shaken, tears streaming down her face as she grieves - for what she now knows, for what she hadn't before. For losses that feel fresh and raw and new all over again.

She doesn't know how much time passes before she walks away from her mirror again, but there's something disconnected in her manner, her thoughts still lost in memories as she descends the staircase and wanders back out of the house. But even then, it's only to sink down on the stairs outside the Looking-Glass House, arms wrapped around her knees as she stares off into nothing, her eyes red and her cheeks stained with tears. ]

B. Heartache
( closed to her Bonded, close CR )

[ She's not even aware of how much of her emotions are leaking down her Bond. Her thoughts and her heart are in such turmoil that part of her is numb to it, the icy shock of grief. She ends up back at her cottage, although even she isn't sure how, not remembering her passage from the Looking-Glass House to there. She goes through the motions of making tea, but really, it's only to keep her hands busy. To do something, even as her mind struggles to come to terms with the new knowledge she holds.

But later she can be found out in her garden, cup of tea growing cold beside her as she stares off into nothing, deeply lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes are still reddened, still show signs of tears, but she sits quietly, subdued, the air of sadness thick around her. It's so deep she might not even realize if someone else approaches her - unusual for her. Ao is curled up on her lap, apparently asleep as her fingers absently stroke over the small squirrel's head, taking comfort in her presence, although there's something about the Princess at the moment that feels very... desperately alone. ]

Comments

[darkestbefore]

[ It takes her a moment to register the voice she hears calling her title. It's not until Vanitas sinks down to sit before her that she blinks and lets herself be drawn out of the endless circling thoughts she's been lost in for far too long now.

Reddened eyes blink at him before coming into focus, her attention drawn at last to the present and not into the horrible truths she'd finally borne witness to this morning. ]

...Vanitas?

[darkcharge]

[ Hmm. She hadn't even noticed him. That is mildly concerning. He frowns and tilts his head to the side. ]

All right. Why are you zoning out. It isn't like you to be so out of it that you sound like the lost little thing that you are.

[darkestbefore]

[ Lost.

That was more accurate than he knew.

She shakes her head, trying to gather her composure and focus on the present instead of so very far in the past. ]

Sorry, I... [ She pauses, shakes her head and takes a deep breath. ] I was drawn back to the MIrror House this morning. Something... happened. I saw things in the reflection. Things I hadn't known before this morning but now it feels like... like I lived them all the same.

[darkcharge]

First time I've heard of that happening.

[ Then again, a great deal of people that he knows have returned from where they came from. None of them have particularly visited the Mirror House and have received visions of anything. Not yet. ]

So? Are you going to go on?