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“I’m told that talking to plants helps their development.”
A deep sigh, and a long moment of quiet.
“....It’s not like anyone else is going to listen to me.”
Shifting, before a large form settles down next to the seedling.
“I don’t know why I bothered doing this. It’s not like anything can grow down here.”
“Guess I thought it might be nice to make something for my domain, for once. Spice it up down here, add some greenery. Not like the prisoners deserve it, it’d just be for me of course.”
Another sigh, this time more wistful.
“Maybe if I made it pretty down here, they’d visit more often? Appreciate my domains more often? The crystals are beautiful, but it’s just so….”
Contemplative silence.
“It’s just so grey, down here. And red from the lava, of course. But grey.”
A thud, as something large lays back against the ground next to the seedling.
“I don’t know why I’m bothering. They’re not gonna care either way.”
“They don’t see what I see, the corruption seeping in. Builders…. I don’t think he’s too far gone, not yet. I can get him to see reason, right?”
Silence.
“....Right. Yeah. Get him to realize we have to be stricter, get him to stop runnin’ away, get him to come back.”
A quiet, contemplative silence.
“....Maybe it’ll be like before, then. Before Tela shattered away. Fuck I-”
A hitch.
“I miss him. Can’t believe I’m saying that, but I miss him, I really, really do.”
A shuddering exhale.
“Why didn’t he just?-”
The scraping of claws against stone.
“Why didn’t he just talk to us?”
A tear evaporates in the heat.
“Why didn’t he just say somethin’, anything at all? We could’ve helped, I could’ve helped him!”
Quiet, mournful and pained.
“....But I didn’t. I didn’t notice the signs. That’s my fault. I should’ve seen it, should’ve seen him crumbling, but I didn’t.”
Shifting, the sound of something large shifting to its side.
“It’s my Consequence, isn’t it? This pain? It’s my Punishment. I should’ve stopped it. Should’ve fixed it. But I didn’t, and now I gotta deal with what comes next.”
Claws scraping against stone, rhythmic.
“You fuck up, you get what you’re owed. It’s Justice, plain and simple. Everything has Consequence, and everyone gets their fair Punishment in the end. And their Punishment is to stay here, with my Lava and stone, and to suffer.”
Hesitation.
“....I can’t be doubting myself. I’ve gotta be strong now, with Tela gone. Everyone’s scrambling, someone’s gotta be a pillar during this.”
Silence, just for a moment.
“Someone’s gotta take care of them.”
“I’ll be Damned if I don’t do it.”
Finally, quiet, long and peaceful.
“....Thanks for listenin’, little buddy. If you’re even alive. I hope you learned something from this, even if it kinda spiralled.”
“I’ve got work to do, goodnight, little sprout.”