TFS psl master post /o/

[death_glare]

Set within the world of thefarshore, William's daughter from his mortal life, Abigail, has suddenly arrived. Assigned as Grell's new shinki, the 4 year old girl has no recollection of her former life, her passing, or her father.

This will serve as the master post for all threads related to this plot.

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[untodeath]

[ Eyes softening, Grell's upturned brows knit together. Abigail's cuteness would be the second death of her, she's sure of it; and yet, she's unable to resist wrapping her arms about that tiny frame and holding her dearly. ]

It's settled then. I name you, Hatoki.

[ And thus, the process begins-- shining characters emblazoning into the shinki's skin and all; Grell, however, won't be seeing any of it, while her consciousness is consumed by memories that are not her own.

She's no stranger to this, now, but things are very different this time. When she comes to, it's to the sensation of a wet trickle over her wrists. Her face is hot, her chest aches - and she's crying, she realizes.

Trying her hardest not to sniffle, Grell's face writhes in empathetic agony as she curls in her embrace around little Abigail. ]

[death_glare]

[ Meanwhile, as Grell tries her best not to frighten the small child with her unexpected tears, William is still elsewhere in the temple. He would have liked to return by now and not waste a moment that he's able to see his child again. But the last thing he wants is to worry the girl by becoming upset in front of her. He wouldn't be able to explain himself, after all.

With a shaky hand, William carefully lifts his glasses to attempt to blot away any lingering dampness around his reddened eyes. The large, decorative mirror in the bathroom practically mocking him for thinking he's anywhere close to looking 'normal' right now. Even if he was, he knows he's going to break upon seeing Abigail again. ]

[untodeath]

[ It's unexpectedly difficult to fight back tears, when she hasn't had recent experience with it. No matter how miserable she's been in this afterlife, her expressions have manifested in other ways; perhaps on the worst occasions, her eyes would well over in anger, but this-- this feels truly terrible.

Raising a shaky hand to wipe away the moisture at her cheeks, Grell wills herself to take a deep and steadying breath. If it would take every ounce of her acting skill to make it possible, her voice will become steady. ]

Now, my darling, why don't I settle you in for a nap, mm? It's been an emotional day for you, so far, I'm certain that you must need it... And afterward, I can take you out for dinner! Whatever you'd like.

[ Biting at her lip, she's not ready to pull back to have her shinki see her just yet, so she's soothingly rubbing at her back, instead. ]

[death_glare]

[ Abigail makes a muffled 'nuh-uh' against Grell's chest, protesting the idea of a nap so early in the day. But he body quickly betrays her and she unwillingly lets out a long yawn. ]

I'm not sleepy.

[ Maybe if she shakes her head no enough, Miss Grell will forget she just saw that yawn and let her stay up! ]

[untodeath]

[ GOODNESS, that muffled little voice against Grell's chest isn't making it any easier to let Abigail go! With a strained pout, she gives the girl's frame a soft squeeze with a wiggle of her shoulders. ]

Now, now, that yawn say otherwise, my darling!

[ Placing a kiss atop her dark curls, the death god closes her eyes, finding calm in these intimate little interactions with her, despite it all. ]

How does this sound; if I tuck you into bed, and you can't sleep in fifteen minutes, you can give me a shout and we'll forget the entire thing!

[death_glare]

[ She pouts, obviously not keen on the idea, but at the same time, she's positive that she can win this little bet! Especially if they start timing right now while she's still awake!

Taking the challenge, Abigail crawls back to the center of the bed, where the two reapers had found her originally, and buries herself beneath the bedding again. ]

[untodeath]

[ Grell will let Abigail go, to see what she's up to - and the result leaves her chuckling with a shake of the head.

Reaching over, she'll ruffle up the blankets over the child a bit, before she stands! ]

Alright, bitty bedbug! I won't be far.

[ Making her way for the door, she'll quietly peek over her shoulder to the bed as she slips out, very carefully leaving it open just a crack behind her. Just in case. It isn't until she gets down the corridor a way, before she dares to make any noise - leaning into doorways, as she searches for the man on her mind. ]

Will? William, where've you gone off to...?

[death_glare]

[ Grell's calls will be answered with the shutting of a door a little ways down the hall. Seems William still hasn't quite collected himself, yet. ]

[untodeath]

[ Grell has guessed why William is running from her, yes - but that is precisely why she'll pursue after him. Privacy be damned; she'll merely teleport to the other side of said door!

Opening her mouth to address him, she cuts herself short - instead, reaching out to place a hand over his chest. Her own eyes are emotional, damp and reddened, as sympathy seeps through her every feature. If he won't resist it, she'll throw her arms around him, to pull him in close for an embrace. ]

[death_glare]

[ There's no effort given towards rejecting Grell's embrace. Instead, William allows her to cling onto him, while his own arms remain at his sides. He really doesn't need to ask, as he can tell just by the brief look he got at Grell's face, that she must have seen everything. Still, the words come out anyway. ]

You named her, then?

[untodeath]

[ Burying her face against his shoulder, she takes a shaky breath. ]

I'm so sorry, Will - I truly didn't know, when I'd called you...

[ Yes, her answer went without saying. She's much more concerned about his wellbeing, at present, and she's far too emotional to make proper sense of what to do with herself. ]

This entire thing is unfair to you. She should be yours, and I've-- oh, goodness, you must hate me.

[death_glare]

No.

[ His response is almost immediate. ]

I would rather she be here with you. I won't have her in my temple with that demon slinking about. Besides, I...

[ There's a shaking breath as he pauses. His eyes shut, his shoulders slump, and cheek manages to rest itself heavily against the top of Grell's head. ]

...I don't think I could bear watching that scene again.

[untodeath]

[ The reassurance simply leaves Grell astounded- with a sharp breath, she blinks back more tears. Having him reciprocate in that embrace, even minimally, has the reaper turning her head to curl up more closely against him, however; arms shifting across his back so that her hands may press into him with some comfort. ]

Thank you for trusting me. [ She mutters softly, after allowing a few moments to pass. ] I'll protect her with my life, Will, I swear it.

[death_glare]

I know.

[ Odd how an action he usually finds beyond irritating from Grell is suddenly calming to him. He remains in the embrace for nearly a minute before finally pulling back. ]

Was she alright after I left?

[ That lingering fear of leaving her alone has him glancing towards the door. ]