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āI put my arms around myself and I'm unbreakable.ā
ćÉĪ¹Ī±ĘĻgĻ Ń cĻĘĻŃ:#BDA0CB ā ŃŠ½ĻĻ gŠ½Ń cĻĘĻŃ #F7B3DAć
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
ćÉĪ¹Ī±ĘĻgĻ Ń cĻĘĻŃ:#BDA0CB ā ŃŠ½ĻĻ gŠ½Ń cĻĘĻŃ #F7B3DAć
|| Dear Winter || AJR ||
Winter sat on the bed, fidgeting with her necklace while Elise showered. "Winter, can we talk for a minute?" Oliver asked, knocking on the door. "Yeah, sure," she slid off of the bed, following him outside of the room and down the hall. "What's wrong?" She asked, noticing the expression on his face. "The Chrysanthemum isn't doing as well as we'd like to pretend it is." He said, leaning against the wall. "The moment you and Elise left, things started going downhill." He opened up the door beside him, "this is my archive room, I've been keeping track of everything that's happened since then, for the day that I hoped you would come back." There were screens full of footage playing different news clips, holo magazine pieces, and photographs. "Like it or not, you sort of become the face that everyone came to know as their protector. Winter, the one that would keep the Chrysanthemum safe with her awesome power. Elise, with her brains, Oliver with his influence, Ezra with his overwhelming destructive power... etc, etc."
Winter crossed her arms, "Are you saying that it's my fault the Chrysanthemum isn't doing well?" She asked, cocking a hip. "No, I'm saying we could do much better if you would... make an appearance. Just a short one, show everyone you're okay. I think it would give them hope that their protector is back, we don't have to mention you're an Heir." Winter shook her head, "I can't do that. I'm not back Oliver." Her hands balled into fists. Of course, she should have known they would do something like this. They didn't care about her, they were just like everyone else. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've always been in the public eye, why is this any different?" A clip playing on loop caught her eye behind him. She pushed past him, watching it. "What is this? Why do you have this?" Winter asked, her hands shaking.
"They were recovered from your farm, Serenity brought a bunch of old holo taps and photos back." It was a video that Winter had burned into her memory of the woman who had given birth to her. She had watched it so often that her Grandmother had told her she had burned through the protective layer on the holo film. "Who else has seen this?" She asked, her voice quiet. "Just about everyone, did you forget your entire life is basically on public record? Do you know how many hits Winter Matsuri has on the web archives?" This was different, this was private. Why did they have this? "I'm not making an appearance," he stood in front of the door, "please, just consider it. Think of how happy everyone would-"
"What about me!" She yelled, accidentally shaking the room. "Winter-"
"What about my happiness? What about what I want! Does that not matter! I should have known you were just like them. You don't care about me, just about what I can do." He rushed towards her, "that's not true-" Oliver encountered a wall of sound, unable to move. "I'm leaving tomorrow with Elise, I don't want to meet your President." She released him, Oliver falling to the ground. Winter stepped over him, heading to the room where Elise had just finished showering. "Yeah, I'm gonna take a turn." She stripped off her clothes, letting the hot water run over her. She was still seething, her entire body shaking with rage. The water began to vibrate around her before it stopped falling altogether.
Control it, she needed to control it. She recalled Yuuki's words.
You're an Heir now, humans are made of things like bones that will break like glass. Your power is too strong for their world. You have to control it, or you might accidentally destroy them.
She breathed in and out, the water falling once more. It was a mistake to come to earth. Pain struck through her chest, recalling how happy she had been earlier to see everyone. Were they all just planning to use her for their gain? Winter shook her head. No, Ezra and Serenity hadn't... they had come to find Winter when her body had disappeared, they were worried about her. She emerged from the shower and wrapped herself in a towel. Elise was laying on the bed, waiting for her. "I don't know if I want to come back to earth anyway," Winter mumbled. "What's so great about earth anyway?" She took off the necklace Oliver had given her, placing it on the mantle.
If she brought her body back to the Boundary, she would never be able to return to earth. Maybe that was what Winter wanted. She turned over in bed, falling into a fitful sleep.