UNDISPUTED.

Normally, Senri awakes on her own, rising to the rhythm of the sunrise. But this time around she stirs awake to a sensation that’s become just as familiar: the faint c-clack of a coin purse on her night table, and then the press of her son’s grizzled chin against her head when he kisses her. She opens bleary eyes with a sleep-drunk noise. Her voice is groggy as a bullfrog’s when she groans, “Settrigh...?”

What time is it? The sky pressed to the windows is still black. Two— three in the morning, maybe. Sett is saying something to her, and her son’s voice is low and gravelly and reassuring. But Senri’s not listening, because all of a sudden she remembers that she’d made mushrooms on sourdough for his late supper, except she hadn’t made mushrooms on sourdough, because that’d only been in her dream, and really she’d made eggs and meat with rice except, ah wait, did she remember to put all of it on the hearth so it wouldn’t be cold when he came home, oh spirits, she’d been so tired she can’t...

“Supper,” Senri mumbles and manages to pull herself out of bed. “Ah, I was...dreaming... Did you see the... Mmmgh, c’mere, sweetie. ‘S so late. How was your day...? You must be so hungry, let’s get some food in you, mm...?”

A touch less half-asleep now, Senri smiles at him and gently pulls him by the elbow into their kitchen. Ceramic scrapes as she pulls out the plates of the food still wrapped by the coals inside the oven. Sett’s supper is hot and good (thank goodness) and she hands him a spoon before sagging into the seat beside him. His upper arm makes a good pillow. His presence, a balm on her heart after such a long day. Senri is happy to be with him, and it shines through in the way she continues to chatter, even partway to nodding off again.

“Y’know, I had a funny dream,” she murmurs, furred ears low and tired. “It was, uhm.... We were invited somewhere. T’dinner. The neighbors, maybe? We were invited, and I wanted t’bring something nice. But I couldn’t think of anything. Ah, no, that’s not... I thought of too much. Like, I’d be workin’ on one recipe, get about halfway through... Then I’d think of another and suddenly I’d be workin’ on that one instead. Right in the middle. Made lots’a favorites.”

She makes a rumbling noise that seems to emit from deep within her chest. Not quite a purr; not quite not, either.

“Milk bread, like my sister loved...your auntie... And a fresh green soup. Ooh, Ma would’ve liked that...”

She continues in that vein for about ten more minutes before finally she huffs a soft almost-laugh, then goes quiet. After long enough that it seems that she might’ve fallen back asleep, Senri raises her head again. This time, her brow pinches, just a little.

“I woke up...making...mustard? Hrm, dunno who would’ve liked that. But, ah, I didn’t...didn’t get to make yours... But I forget? What’s your favorite food again, Settrigh...?”

She turns her head to squint at him — but instead, she peers into his face, and whatever she sees there softens her puzzled expression into a powerful flood of warmth. Drowsily, Senri lays her clawed hand on his arm and leans up to kiss her son on his stubbly cheek. Her boy. Her baby.

“ —THE VOICES OF MY BROTHERS STILL CARRY ON THE WIND.”

𝐖𝐄  𝐀𝐑𝐄  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘  𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒  𝐎𝐅  𝐎𝐔𝐑  𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄!    ———    private & selective irelia xan of league of legends, as penned by lia.

starters  /  prompts taken from f. d. soul’s work ,  between you and these bones .  feel free to change pronouns  /  tenses as necessary .

‘  the problem is you keep trying to use your eyes  ’

‘  how i soften when you pull me against you  ’

‘  you are teaching me to love  ’

‘  i will pretend that i have not already heard the question in your eyes  ’

‘  you perhaps will become my swan song  ’

‘  it is a very human thing to love  ’

‘  you are my good days  ’

‘  i have been loved dearly  ’

‘  i promise you will not always be this war  ’

‘  thank god for the stubbornness of organs  ’

‘  it takes me seven days to stop being in love with you  ’

‘  there will always be another day  ’

‘  there will always be another mercy  ’

‘  perhaps i will take up dancing again  ’

‘  what a pretty little disaster you will be  ’

‘  i am terrified for you  ’

‘  i will fold inside of myself  ’

‘  today i am thankful  ’

‘  i didn’t want to sleep because i didn’t want to wake  ’

‘  come and get me  ’

‘  i tell myself i do not need you  ’

‘  i think i broke again last night  ’

‘  i’m just trying to connect with you  ’

‘  you are an ocean that will perhaps never stop crashing  ’

‘  burn the house down in search of yourself  ’

‘  don’t you dare ever stop looking  ’

‘  i struggle not to feel guilty  ’

‘  you are a wild  ,  unkempt thing  ’

‘  sometimes it is a very sad thing to be human and longing  ’

‘  find that you are made of russian nesting dolls  ’

‘  the trees are always kindest with spring comes  ’

‘  teach yourself the hymns again  ’

‘  he is every amen i have ever laid down on lips  ’

‘  this life is an altar  ’

‘  i am sorry i do not have more time  ’

‘  there is a mountain in me  ’

‘  by the morning i am a triumph  ’

‘  there are words playing hooky in the back of your throat  ’

‘  today is by far the most beautiful creature i have ever come across  ’

‘  there are many things that will fit beneath your skin  ’

‘  forgiveness does not take up much room  ’

‘  some days you will breathe and it will be enough  ’

‘  you do not have to hold it quite so tightly  ’

‘  there is a prayer in me  ,  still  ’

‘  you scare me a little  ’

‘  you can be a good thing and not a whole thing  ’

‘  there are flowers in my chest again  ’

‘  the rain comes and sounds like you  ’

‘  i cannot tell you why i still trust god  ’

‘  find peace and build a home out of it  ’