Chapter Text
Fragrant smoke rises, slow and curling.
In a woodland.
In Poster's bedroom. She flips over a tarot card, in a classic reading of past-present-future, and hums.
The Lovers for past, The Ace of Wands for present, and The World for future.
At the sight of a promised greatness, Poster gasps and leans forward, twinkle in her eyes. In her interpretation, The World is the card of perfection, which then means its presence is always good news.
Her gaze shifts leftward. Curiosity piques at what her past could refer to. She's had exes, sure, but her love life was never prominent enough that it'd summarise her yore.
"Elaborate, please," Poster speaks out to the tarot deck, taking another card: The Tower. It represents a metaphorical volcanic eruption. Where the sky burns and below chokes, but once tension resides, the aftermath provides a fantastic fertilizer for vegetation to flourish. This card puzzles her more, for in her life she's never had a period of drastic stress. Another card. Ten of Swords. If these referred to the future, it'd make sense, but for a past she never lived? It then clicked. Thanking her deck, Poster organises her desk briefly before grabbing her journal & a pen, ambling to her backyard. Under shade of a tree, the - sunsetting, violet tulips landscape - illustrated cardstock documents. Magpies flutter close, hungry, then skitter.
Seething at the graves, Holder's dedication of burying Soapy pays off in the cryptically endearing pinnacles. Their tombstone fills out a gap generously and thistles will surely begin to grow there too, as they have on Lychee Box's memorial. Thinking it's unfair the corpse-less graves get no growth, Holder ventures out to collect flowers.
Lunch concludes, society is fast-pacing, Poster & Holder pace slow on a path. Engrossed with one another, fairly there's a need to mention,
"To ensure you aren't worried, I spoke on behalf of you for the damages you caused, and you've been dismissed for the factor you...legally don't count as an object anymore. I think it means you also lost your rights, like the right to have an education or whatnot, but if you have no rights you have no rules.." Poster compresses her voice as she motions a shrug, but stops the act to hold her arm in contemplation.
"I wasn't worried at all to begin with, but thank you! That must've been a lot of work, so I appreciate it,"
"Legality is always super stressful..."
"It's out the way now though! I bet it is, but you've done it, you did great, you deserve a treat," speaking low but uplifting, Holder assures, and leans down to pet - consistently of two quick taps - Poster. The recipient reacting with a side eye but untimely laughing.
"Don't confuse me for a dog, my dearest.-"
"My bad."
"-I do want to mention that I'm pretty sure some group will be sent out to evaluate you. You caught the public's eye, you can't go back now," Poster calmly continues, but when she recognises what Holder butted in with she snorts and dismisses.
"Alright. Thank you for telling me. I guess I'll set out a spot for them! I know tons of awesome spots here," Holder gloats and poses herself as if she's a model. That little quirk brings a tint to Poster's face and enlists another laugh.
"Bring me to one of those extraordinary 'spots', I wanna know what you mean,"
Perking up, Holder leans down. "Oh you're testing me! Luckily for you I reserved an entire hill,"
Clinging to the lichen and wildflowers sealing the cuts and crannies of Holder, perching on shoulder is Poster. Gusts of wind could easily blow her down, but she knows she's safe. And in watching the world from above, Poster acknowledges something. Beauty. How the ground, whether of dirt or concrete, always keeps everyone up. How trees are neighbourhoods of avians and insects, just as buildings for fellow objects. How, no matter what, to persevere to preserve the wonder of this world. No matter what it takes. Poster looks back at Holder, and smiles.
No matter what it takes.
Resting on a chomped off platform dented to be akin to a chair, Holder showcases Poster a waterfall bathing the below stones. Above the cascade is the top of the hill, where an object could see everything the horizon provides on a clear day.
Crooning silence tells them all they need, and tonight, they're alive together.