#starheaven

Narrated by Lilith.

Ashley: The street is empty tonight. There’s only the two of us.

Narrator: Ashley stood quietly on the snow-covered ground for a long time.

Narrator: Finally, before more snow would fall, she knelt and held the squirrel in her arms.

Ashley: Come on. Let’s go home.

Narrator: Ashley secretly took the squirrel back and placed it in her shabby room.

Ashley: Why did I bring you back? Both of us are going to be in big trouble if you’re found.

Narrator: Suddenly, the squirrel leapt out of her arms and ran onto the windowsill.

Narrator: Ashley watched the squirrel, and it found a beautiful pine cone.

Narrator: Squeaking as it moved, the squirrel ran toward Ashley with the pine cone in its tiny paws.

Narrator: Ashley reached out her hand, and the pine cone fell right into her palm.

Narrator: It was an ordinary pine cone, if anything. It was just a bit smaller and less dirty than other pine cones.

Ashley: It looks so beautiful. It’s the best pine cone I’ve ever seen.

Ashley: ...Is this your gift to me?

Ashley: Do you... like me?

Narrator: The squirrel certainly couldn’t understand Ashley’s words. It just kept squeaking and leaping happily around Ashley.

Ashley: ...Thank you.

Narrator: The bells rang at midnight. It was now Starsnow.

Narrator: It was the first time Ashley ever received a gift. She listened to the bells and gently held the pine cone.

Narrator: Unlike Ashley, I was waiting for attendants to deliver the gifts to my throne.

Narrator: Pearls, gems, silk, antiques... The long line of gift-bringers was endless.

Lilith: There are so many gifts this year. They will all be accepted.

Narrator: An attended opened a box for me, showing me a set of jadeite ornaments from Cloud.

Lilith: Smooth and shiny, they are indeed beautiful.

Narrator: Although I could tell its value at a glance, I had no use for things like this.

Lilith: I remember a maid of mine is going to get married soon. Send this set to her as my gift.

Narrator: The attendant brought me a drink from Pigeon.

Narrator: The ruby-colored juice in the glass was indeed a tempting sight, but that was all it had.

Narrator: I took a sip and put it aside.

Choose either “Don’t you like it?” or “Won’t you pick some of them?”

If “don’t,” ...

You: Why? Don’t you like these gifts?

Narrator: No, I like them.

You: But you don’t seem to care about gifts...

If “won’t,” ...

You: Won’t you pick some to keep for yourself?

Narrator: These represent my people’s love for me. How can I refuse any of them?

You: But you don’t seem to care about the gifts...

--

Narrator: You’re wrong. I care about them more than anything.

Narrator: They carved statues for me, wrote music for me, devoted everything to me...

Narrator: These gifts show their love for me.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Narrated by Lilith.

Narrator: Once upon a time, Paisley had kept a pet squirrel.

Narrator: However, she left the job of cleaning the cage and feeding the squirrel to Ashley.

Narrator: The squirrel was indeed fluffy and cute, but Ashley didn’t like it.

Narrator: Because the squirrel had added more burdens to her in addition to all her domestic chores.

Narrator: She had to clean the cage, feed it regularly...

Narrator: But the squirrel was very close to Ashley, perhaps because they got along with each other.

Narrator: Later on, when Ashley was feeding it, it always deliberately nudged Ashley’s hand.

Narrator: But Ashley only withdrew her hand coldly each time.

Choose either “The squirrel liked Ashley” or “Why was Ashley so cold?”

If “squirrel,” ...

You: I think that squirrel liked Ashley very much.

Narrator: Like? That’s not what it means to like someone. No one liked Ashley.

If “cold,” ...

You: Why did Ashley act so cold to the squirrel? It was just being intimate to the person taking care of it.

Narrator: Intimate? It wanted nothing more than food from Ashley.

--

Narrator: The squirrel was not deterred by Ashley’s attitude.

Narrator: The animal nudged Ashley’s hand again and again, but she was only very cold to it.

Narrator: As Starsnow was coming, exquisite gifts were already piling up under the Starsnow tree in Paisley’s home.

Narrator: Ashley had no family nor friends. All she had were endless chores.

Narrator: No one liked Ashley, so there would never be any Starsnow gift for her.

Narrator: All she could do was to prepare for Paisley’s Starsnow party.

Narrator: On Starsnow Eve, the ones who liked Paisley danced with her and attended her Starsnow party.

Narrator: Nearly all the young people in town showed up to this grand party, and Paisley was undoubtedly the brightest star.

Narrator: Everyone was around her, except Ashley who, as usual, was busy alone in the corner.

Paisley: Ashley, bring me my dearest squirrel so everyone can meet it!

Narrator: Ashley immediately paused in her work, hurriedly rushed into the room, and fetched the squirrel for Paisley.

Narrator: The squirrel was awakened by the loud music and found itself in the hand of a stranger.

Narrator: The stranger was raising it high and showing it off to everyone.

Narrator: Startled by its new surroundings, it struggled in Paisley’s hand and even scratched her delicate fingers.

Paisley: Ouch! It hurts... Ah, I’m bleeding!

Narrator: It escaped from Paisley’s hand and rushed toward Ashley.

Paisley: How on earth did you raise it? So disobedient, and it dares to hurt its own owner!

Paisley: Throw it out! Now!!!

Ashley: ...It ...It might be just scared because of how many people are here...

Paisley: I told you to throw it out! What are you waiting for!?

Narrator: Ashley stopped speaking and submissively took the squirrel out.

Narrator: It was very cold outside, and soon Ashley’s thin, worn clothes were covered in snow.

Narrator: Ashley put the squirrel onto the snow-covered ground and crouched down to look at it.

Ashley: You’ll freeze to death in just one night.

Ashley: I don’t need to prepare nuts and hay for you anymore, and I won’t be scolded for you running around.

Ashley: It’s better this way...

Narrator: The squirrel curled up, its black eyes staring back at Ashley. As she turned around and left, the squirrel quickly followed her.

Narrator: It followed her every step. When Ashley walked faster, the squirrel started running after her.

Narrator: When she stopped, it sat down by her foot.

Choose either “The squirrel doesn’t like the cold” or “The squirrel’s hungry.”

If “cold,” ...

Narrator: All it could do was dream.

If “hungry,” ...

Narrator: Many people were starving just like it was.

--

Narrator: I didn’t expect Ashley would crouch down and reach out to the squirrel.

Narrator: Like before, the squirrel nudged her hand affectionately. She subconsciously withdrew her hand, but didn’t get up.

Narrator: It was silent, and the only thing on the white ground were the footprints Ashley and the squirrel left...

Chapter 1

Chapter 3