sparrow's heart

[soulping]

You're free falling through the sky, faster and faster with nothing to slow you down. Your heart pounds in strange excitement and fear and just when you think you might hit the ground —

The wind catches you, slows your fall to a gentle float until you land on the ground as a mischievous laugh echoes in your ears.

Comments

[carptricks]

[takes the invitation and sits down on the log, spreading his arms to invite Kikii to jump into his lap]

Is there anything I can do to help?

[soulping]

Kikii vaults onto his lap and starts munching on a graham cracker Trust offers him. "You already are. It has been a while since I spoke of it." She starts making s'mores with the marshmallows that are left.

[carptricks]

[he laughs lightly and not unkindly. he also scratches behind Kikii's ears]

Talking helps sometimes, yeah. 'M not exactly sure what happened, but if you want to keep going, I'm all ears.

[soulping]

She hums thoughtfully. "I'm not sure what else to say. I didn't expect I'd have the chance to talk about any of this any time soon, haha."

[carptricks]

[pffft]

Well, s'not like you've gotta force it. I'm just making the offer; it's up to you whether you want to take it or not.

[soulping]

She offers him a s'more, freshly made. "What do you think of Takshaka, Kaito?"

[carptricks]

[he takes it without hesitation]

I s'pose I don't know your new members as much as I knew your old ones, but I always liked you guys.

[soulping]

"And of the way we play?"

[carptricks]

Eh?

[. . .]

I dunno if how you've chosen to play has changed, but you guys are stubborn, right? You refuse to let this place force you into becoming something you don't want to be.

That's admirable.

[soulping]

"We still play like we used to, mostly." She nudges the fire with her stick and it crackles. "I was worried about that for a while when I came back. That the others would want to play harder than I did."

[carptricks]

Well, you're team.

Teams have to find compromises within themselves, right?

[soulping]

"Right." Kikii snatches up another graham cracker. "But... Mmm, I don't know if I could live with playing harder."

[carptricks]

. . . have you talked to the rest of Takshaka about this?

[soulping]

"We've discussed it, yes." A soft sigh. "I'm probably dwelling on it too much, aren't I."

[carptricks]

I dunno about that, necessarily.

If you're dwelling, then something about the conversation didn't sit right with you.

[soulping]

"You think so?"

[carptricks]

It's just a hunch.

Why else would you dwell?

[soulping]

"Hmm..." She doesn't really answer, just hums thoughtfully.

[carptricks]

. . . am I off base?

[soulping]

"I... I'm not sure. I don't think that's quite it, but..." She sounds a little confused, really.

[carptricks]

S'okay.

[he smiles at her again, and then stands up, keeping Kikii in his arms as he does so]

You have time to figure it out, right?

[soulping]

"I do." She still sounds confused.

[carptricks]

[oops]

O-oi, I didn't make it worse, did I?

[soulping]

She laughs softly this time. "No, you would need to work much, much harder to make it worse."

[carptricks]

[he smiles, relieved]

Good.

Where d'you think Kikii and I should go from here, by the way?