Work Text:
You hear sniffling as the warmth of your Stardust surrounds you as they hold you close. Sobbing as everything starts getting numb.
Closer.
You bring your Stardust close and press them against you, letting them finally rest all of their weight on top of you.
Closer...
The thought comforts you, knowing you Stardust made it, you sure didn't after all. But that's ok. One of you made it, you're at peace with that.
You can't feel anything, Stardust's sobs are getting more quiet.
You feel a tug on your stomach...
And
The feel of the wind on you is the only thing that you can register right now. There's something prickly right beneath you. The sounds of birds to feel familiar, the feel of the grass is less muted now.
The wind and grass can be felt on your skin... you can....... Feel it on your skin...?
...
You can feel yourself giggle, you can feel you hands clench hard against the grass on your skin, you can hear the birds sing their morning song, you can feel the gentle wind.
You can feel them all.
Just. Like. Every. Single. Other. Time.
You're breathing is picking up as you claw at your skin, your giggle turning breathless as you claw and DIG.
Haha!!! HAHAHA!!!!!! HOHOHOHO. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! You can't breathe, you can't breathe. You can't breathe! You should breathe after all. You NEED to breathe why aren't you breathing--
You punch yourself hard on the chest, it makes you register enough consciousness to take a deep breathe.
You won't open your eyes, you won't dare and open them. You can't. You can't. YOU CAN'T.
As the leaves rustle amongst one another. You hear a voice calling to someone.
"-frin!"
...
Hah... Silly Loop. "You can't open them"? Who said you had a choice to begin with...? Teehee~!
The sound of the grass is the only thing you can focus on as you hear the housemaiden call for a name.
"Ah, Siffrin!!!"
Your entire being feels numb.
The crunch of the grass stops to a halt, it's close enough that you know she can fully look at you now.
"... Siffrin?" Her voice oh so gentle calls for Siffrin. You wonder if she'll find his rotting corpse somewhere in the Death Corridor.
You want to scream.
You sit up slowly, hands supporting you off the grassy floor as you let go of the grass you managed to rip off the dirt when you were losing it.
You look up at her, her bow sitting neatly on her head, the little bells on her brooch jingle beneath the Change ornament, her hands clasped in front of her chest. Her noticeably thin eyebrows compared to Stardust's. Her black eyes stare in confusion and simple distraught for Siffrin.
...
You can do nothing but cry.
Your throat is raw as you scream, as tears shove their way out of your eyes, you double over as your arms are wrapped around your middle as you sob loudly, breathing feels impossible as you claw at your stomach.
You're left when the sound of grass crunching hurriedly as she leaves you to cry.
You hear multiple voices as your world spins and spins. You cough and sob and sniffle and rub at your eyes. You shaking body doesn't feel real anymore.
You hear Mira (MIRA, MIRABELLE. MIRA-BELLE. Yours and only yours) say something as Odile (ODILE. OD-ILE ODILE. ODILE) responds. Bonnie's (BONNIE, BONIFACE, BON BON. BONNIE) voice is small and worried as Isabeau (iSABEAU, ISABEAU, ISA, ISA, ISA-BEAU) says something to them most likely.
Your tears are getting manageable, a part of you screams and shouts to make sure. MAKE SURE THEY'RE YOURS.
You simply follow.
Everyone is looking at you with different levels of distress and fear, Bonnie hiding behind Isa for safety. Odile holding her book to her.
"What did you do? What are you?" Odile forces her words out and you can hear a tremor in her voice, Isa has his Crystal Knuckle strapped on.
"M'dame.." Isabeau murmurs in her direction, and she almost glares at him.
Of course, of course of course of course of course of course of course of course of course of course!!!!!!!
HAHAHAAH!!!!!! HAHA!! STARS.
THEY THINK YOU KILLED SIFFRIN!!! THEY THINK YOU'RE JUST SOME SADNESS TRUDGING THROUGH THE OPEN GREENERY!!!! THEY THINK YOU'RE JUST SOME HUSK OF THEIR FRIEND!!!! AND YOU ARE! THEY'RE NOT WRONG NOW ARE THEY LOOP.
SIFFRIN DIED IN THAT CORRIDOR, SIFFRIN WAS NEVER EVEN ALIVE AFTER THAT DEATH CORRIDOR. YOU JUST CRAWLED INTO HIS SKIN LIKE THE PARASITE THAT YOU ARE AND PAID FOR IT. THE BODY YOU STOLE DIDN'T EVEN STAY YOU!!!! AND THEY DON'T RECOGNISE YOU ANYMORE NOW DO THEY!!!!! YOU'RE DEAD, SIFFRIN IS DEAD, YOU'RE NOT REAL SIFFRIN IS GONE SIFFRIN IS GONE SIFFRIN IS GO-
"Siffrin?" Mira, Mirabelle, says wetly, her wobbly eyes brimming with tears as she steps forward. Odile attempts to put a hand on her shoulder but hesitates when Mira looks at her. You can't see her face when she looks at Odile. But you can guess.
She moves towards you, throwing her repairer to the side and on the grass. She kneels down onto her knees in front of you, and you hold your breathe when she reaches for your face.
Her fingers on your head makes you feel alive.
She makes you feel real.
You can feel tears on your face.
You can feel the star on your chest shine brighter.
She rubs where your cheek would be. Tears running down her cheeks as she looks at you.
"... Oh..." She guides you closer til you feel her body pressed up against yours.
"What happened, Siffrin..?"
You slump against her and wail into her shoulder as you grasp her clothes, her clothes against you has feel like the most real you've ever felt in years.
She gently rocks you both as she places a kiss to temple and sobs.
