Entry tags:
Quiet Confrontation
Story: Quiet Confrontation
Year: 982 FY
Characters: Prince Isshiri
Warnings: References to the events of Sending a Message and its aftermath for Isshiri, references to two other probable murders and long-past deaths of other family members, some internalized ableism.
Isshiri slipped into the mortuary alone a few hours after the service for his cousin Lidare had ended. He hadn't attended--nor had he attended when her sister Minalu had died three years before. Ulore was down here, and he hadn't known...he hadn't wanted to disrupt things when the vigil and everything were supposed to be about the recently-deceased, not the kid her brother had broken years before.
But, at the same time, a part of him really needed to go down there and see where Ulore was now. He'd put it off for six years--though he'd come close after Minalu's funeral three years ago--but he thought he was ready now.
He hadn't told anyone he was coming--Nolani and Dad would have wanted to come with him, and Riluke would've tried to talk him out of it, and Mom and Kirana would've given him a little knowing smile, and all of them would've made this that much harder for him.
The hallway was silent now, and he kept one hand along the wall for balance, holding a little flame for light in his other. He passed the niches for his grandmother and Lidare and Minalu and his great-aunt and the three quicklights, and finally found Ulore's.
He stared at the nameplate for a while, letting his light die.
"I'm pretty sure Mom killed your sisters," he whispered after a long moment. "No one can prove it, and maybe Aunt Lidare really did just get sick, but pretty much everyone's sure she at least killed Aunt Minalu. So whatever message you were trying to send..." He took a deep shaky breath. "But that's not really important. And I'm not here to talk to you about them. I'm here to...you didn't break me, okay? I'm not whole anymore, I know that, but you didn't break me. You need to know that. I'm still me, and I'm still important, and I'm still...you didn't break me. And..." He blinked back tears. "I forgive you. For hurting me." He paused, thinking he should say something--but that was enough. Something deep inside him unknotted. He'd said what he had to say and Ulore was just ashes in a jar, not anything scary anymore.
He took another deep breath, then made another light and started out of the catacombs.
Year: 982 FY
Characters: Prince Isshiri
Warnings: References to the events of Sending a Message and its aftermath for Isshiri, references to two other probable murders and long-past deaths of other family members, some internalized ableism.
Isshiri slipped into the mortuary alone a few hours after the service for his cousin Lidare had ended. He hadn't attended--nor had he attended when her sister Minalu had died three years before. Ulore was down here, and he hadn't known...he hadn't wanted to disrupt things when the vigil and everything were supposed to be about the recently-deceased, not the kid her brother had broken years before.
But, at the same time, a part of him really needed to go down there and see where Ulore was now. He'd put it off for six years--though he'd come close after Minalu's funeral three years ago--but he thought he was ready now.
He hadn't told anyone he was coming--Nolani and Dad would have wanted to come with him, and Riluke would've tried to talk him out of it, and Mom and Kirana would've given him a little knowing smile, and all of them would've made this that much harder for him.
The hallway was silent now, and he kept one hand along the wall for balance, holding a little flame for light in his other. He passed the niches for his grandmother and Lidare and Minalu and his great-aunt and the three quicklights, and finally found Ulore's.
He stared at the nameplate for a while, letting his light die.
"I'm pretty sure Mom killed your sisters," he whispered after a long moment. "No one can prove it, and maybe Aunt Lidare really did just get sick, but pretty much everyone's sure she at least killed Aunt Minalu. So whatever message you were trying to send..." He took a deep shaky breath. "But that's not really important. And I'm not here to talk to you about them. I'm here to...you didn't break me, okay? I'm not whole anymore, I know that, but you didn't break me. You need to know that. I'm still me, and I'm still important, and I'm still...you didn't break me. And..." He blinked back tears. "I forgive you. For hurting me." He paused, thinking he should say something--but that was enough. Something deep inside him unknotted. He'd said what he had to say and Ulore was just ashes in a jar, not anything scary anymore.
He took another deep breath, then made another light and started out of the catacombs.