Lily Flower

Misc: Aftermath

"Ugh..." he groaned as the adverse effects of...almost everything swamped him at once.

"Pure Vanilla!"

There was a proceeding thunk and hiss as if someone had smacked a fist into the warrior's armor and then sorely regretted it. Pure Vanilla was happy to be alive, but he was also relieved that someone stopped Dark Choco from expressing his relief physically.

He slowly scooted to the headrest, his entire body twinging with protest. The movement was painful, but to be honest, he had expected worse. Pomegranate had fixed him quite spectacularly considering the circumstances. At this rate, he should be fine enough to heal himself in a couple of days when his magic returns.

The priestess was the first to greet him. "Welcome back to the land of the living. Everyone's here."

"...everyone?"

"I was not going to be obstructed by these loons." Strawberry Crepe sounded a bit strained. It truly demonstrated the weight of the situation that nobody rebuked the child for their rudeness.

He felt rather warm that everyone came to visit, but embarrassed all the same. How many times had the cookies come to see him while he was in bed? This was becoming ridiculous.

"Healer Vanilla, have a shroomie~ It will make you better."

"Sorry, not at the moment." Even as he was speaking, several adults gently pushed Poison Mushroom's offer away from the recovering man. They all gave their blessings for a quick and effective recovery, and then some of them receded into the background.

If Red Velvet was around, he did not speak.

With the remaining two cookies present, Pomegranate gave him a rundown of everything she had done to stitch him back together. He nodded and interjected through her explanation, reassuring her that most faults would be a result of the soul jam's limitations rather than her own mistakes. He then asked if someone could fetch his staff for him, so he could take a gander at the damage himself.

Dark Choco carefully passed him his staff. He took one piece, confused by how light it was. Then the prince handed him the other half.

Pure Vanilla held both splinters of his staff, not yet processing its destruction. He couldn't see, even though he held the pieces of the flower with him. The staff did not wind around his arms with its leaves, nor emote in a way that was connected yet distinct from him. It did not move at all.

The ghost of the rose-gold sunflower had been extinguished.

The healer placed down the remains of his oldest companion shakily. He leaned against the headboard, facing the ceiling.

"Could I have a moment?" he asked politely.

Dark Choco and Licorice were hesitant, but Pomegranate jabbed both of them and they did as he requested. The priestess grabbed the two men and ducked outside, keeping them near. She tapped her feet on the floor with decreasing force, miming the sound of several people leaving. A few seconds later, they heard the healer start sobbing without abandon.

Licorice shifted in discomfort and Dark Choco listened on in horror. He had never heard the older man cry before. Even the cold-hearted Pomegranate seemed to dislike listening to his sorrow.

After a couple of minutes of standing there, the reaper overcame his reluctance to leave or get caught. He poked Dark Choco and wrote a glowing sentence in the air.

Why stay? There's no gain in sitting here and feeling bad.

Dark Choco flipped him off.

Licorice rolled his eyes. He quietly pushed himself off the wall and snuck away.