kendi ☆

polytrix prequel AU: recording studio conversations

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"mama," ha-young asks mira while all three of them lay in bed one early morning. she's poking at the marks etched across the side of her waist. "where are auntie zoey's marks?"

mira looks at rumi, who just shrugs.

"she doesn't have any," ha-young pouts.

"maybe she lost them?" rumi says off-handedly. she immediately regrets it when ha-young starts tearing up, and desperately looks towards mira for support.

"i'm sure she didn't," mira brushes ha-young's hair back and wipes at her slowly-building tears. she shoots an exasperated look at rumi, who can only grin in apology. "we can ask her where she put them when she gets home?"

ha-young is inconsolable all day. when they hear the door open she runs to zoey and wraps herself around her legs, and zoey can only look up at rumi in confusion. rumi just gives her a wry smile as she briefly explains, "she thinks your patterns are missing."

zoey pauses for a minute, and as understanding slowly dawns she smiles, and then laughs. she picks ha-young up and holds her close, trying not to feel too amused by her red nose and splotchy cheeks.

she walks towards the couch in the middle of the dim living room.

"remember the pretty lights we like to look at, when you can't sleep late at night?"

ha-young nods. she lets zoey guide her little hand--and the both of them reach up until they pluck into the strings of the honmoon.

it shines. iridescent and glowing - the same, shimmering colors on her appa's strong arms, and on her soft, rounded cheek.

"i hung them up there, so that whenever it's dark and you're scared and you can't sleep at night, i can shine a little for you." zoey grins. "and you can remember how much auntie zoey loves you."

ha-young's eyes widen in wonder. she reaches out another time until the colors shimmer and scatter and glow.

"auntie," ha-young babbles on, eyes wide and happy and finally at ease again. "your patterns are so pretty!"