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Part 51 of Misc Honkai Fics
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Anonymous
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Published:
2023-07-30
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1,922
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Like Salt Dilutes in Water

Anonymous

Summary:

Seele prays on top of the tower. She has nothing else to do with her days, but sometimes, Vita visits.

Notes:

Craving Vita content so I guess I gotta make it myself!!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Seele was praying in silence.

 

In Salt Snow Holy City, someone had just died. This was a solemn moment. Death always saddened her, but she was used to this by now— comforting the spirits of the dead was one of her primary duties as the Sage of the Tower. 

 

In the Country of Iron Sand, through her power, a new flare was born. Gently, Seele weaved the consciousness of the dead woman into it. In her seventies at the time of death… a wise and kind old woman who raised two children, one her own daughter, the other someone else’s child, both who were still alive. She had been a seamstress and a teacher. She held much love for the world, much faith in the stars, and went in peace. Soon, the flare would regain awareness and memory and join the other dead souls…

 

Seele exhaled, her work done, and opened her eyes. Lately, this work felt easier, as if the distance to cross had become shorter and shorter, but it still winded her out. She could use a short break from answering prayers… Though, if she wasn’t using her powers, there was nothing to do aside from staring at the unchanging blue sky from the highest floor of the austere Tower.

 

“Seele! Seele!!” Hm? “Seeeele!!!!” Someone was here.

 

From her kneeling position, Seele stood and walked forward to lean over the edge. Just a floor below, a girl with shoulder-length hair was waving at her with one arm— hooked in the other, she was carrying a heavy-looking basket.

 

As soon as their eyes met, Vita smiled widely, and her waving doubled in energy. “Let me up!”

 

Seele snapped her fingers. A staircase appeared from thin air, which Vita eagerly climbed until she could glomp this most holy Sage. “Hi!”

 

“Hello, Vita.” Seele’s soft voice could barely be heard from disuse. She cleared her throat, and tried again. “Hello, what brings you here?”

 

Vita let go of her hug with a look of confusion. “I’m visiting you. I even brought a picnic.”

 

“Oh. Thank you.” In hindsight, that was obvious. There was no one and nothing else of interest in this section of the tower. Bare stone, Light Salt crystals. Ahh, but there wasn’t much in the tower at all, truth be told. There were some traps, she slept in a hammock on a lower floor, and that was about as noteworthy as anything would get. Perhaps Seele’s social skills were deteriorating from staying alone for too long…

 

Vita had already started unpacking. “I’m surprised you couldn’t tell I was coming,” she said, “aren’t you kept busy…” She laid a plaid cloth down flat, and then started plucking food out of the basket, bread, cheese, jam, cake, some dried and salted meat, a whole feast that must have been terribly heavy to bring a good twenty floors up the tower.

 

Seele tried to help, but Vita slapped her hand away, so Seele simply sat down on the cloth.

 

“You didn’t need to bring so much, Vita. You know I don’t need food anymore…” Seele’s memories prior to becoming the Sage were vague at best, but she was fairly certain that she had liked sweets, which told her that she must have been eating regularly at some point.

 

“What, you can’t just watch me eat! That would be so depressing.” Vita laughed, and sat down next to Seele. “By the way, these are all gifts from the townspeople, so don’t even think of sending any of it back. Grandma Izzy made the jam herself, and uncle Haas gave me the cheese…” Vita’s idle chatter turned into a long list of names that didn’t seem to end. She knew everyone, and she remembered what everyone had said, from the way they made the food to their well-wishes for the lonesome Sage.

 

It should have made Seele feel loved, but somehow, hearing all those names only made her more lonely. As Vita kept talking, she gradually slowed down until she had stopped eating completely, and was merely holding a half-eaten cake. 

 

Her throat was blocked with unnamable sorrow.

 

“Seele…” Although she had said nothing, it seemed that Vita quickly noticed that she wasn’t feeling great. “Seele, you’re crying…”

 

Oh.

 

The Sage of the Tower shouldn’t be crying. Wasn’t that ridiculous? Seele tried to wipe the tears, but they flowed uncontrollably. More than the sweet taste of her cake, she could taste salt on her lips.

 

Gently, Vita took Seele’s food away and set it aside. “Come here,” Vita murmured. “Shhh… you’re okay, you’re not alone.” She took Seele in her arms. Circles were rubbed in Seele’s back with a gentle touch. “You’re too kind to be left alone for long. See, I’m right here. Do you want me to stay over a while?”

 

Wordlessly, Seele nodded. She couldn’t see Vita’s face like this, but she was convinced that the older woman must have been smiling sadly, and something inside of her seemed to fall apart. 

 

This time, Vita didn’t let her go. Seele’s shoulders were shaking from sobbing harder and harder, and she couldn’t even remember why, but Vita didn’t let go, only whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

 

Still, all things have an end. Salt Snow Holy City never sees darkness, but even the deepest sorrow’s tears eventually run out, leaving space for a deep sort of exhaustion. Seele was in a daze while Vita rapidly put away the food they hadn’t eaten, rewrapping everything with ruthless efficiency, and then she was leading Seele back to her “room”, somehow knowing exactly where it was.

 

Had Vita been to Seele’s room before? She couldn’t remember… There really wasn’t much there, because Seele had no need for anything, and because it was difficult to find a room that was completely devoid of windows. 

 

Seele let Vita tug off her clothes and wrap her in a blanket. She closed the door, and then they were huddled together in darkness, shielded from the endlessly bright sky by stone walls. 

 

“Vita…” Seele’s voice was rough from crying too hard, but she didn’t care. “How did we meet? I can’t remember. Was it a long time ago?”

 

“Mhm, yes. Before you took over the role of the Sage.”

 

That made sense. That must be why she couldn’t remember. Everything before these monotone days was hazy… Seele let herself rest her head on Vita’s shoulder. “What was the previous Sage like?”

 

“A nice and hardworking girl just like you, I think. I didn’t know her, I only heard about it.”

 

“What about me? What was I like when you met me?”

 

Vita smiled. Seele could barely see it— only because her eyes were getting used to the darkness. “You haven’t changed much.” That wasn’t a very helpful answer. Vita must have sensed her frustration, because she elaborated. “You’re a little more quiet now, but you were always one to care for others, very cool and smart. You saved me from a rogue envoy with your friends.”

 

Seele tried to remember, but all she could grasp was fog. She had friends back then, but she couldn’t remember their names or faces, tugging on that string only brought a gaping maw of emptiness in her chest. It hurt. Even through the numbness of endless days, it hurt so much.

 

Even so, Seele wanted to face this pain head on, and so she stared into her companion’s eyes, seeking the truth. She had to know. She couldn’t keep living in this limbo. She would write it down— even if she forgot, she would keep the truth somewhere. “Vita, my friends… did they leave me behind?”

 

Vita’s expression suddenly changed. 

 

Vita was no longer smiling, sadly or otherwise; she furrowed her brows. She really looked much more serious than before, even her voice changed, losing its usual levity. “No. No, Seele, I swear they didn’t leave you behind. They did their best to bring you home.”

 

“...but they failed.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Silence covered them like the Iron Sand country’s eternal night. It suddenly occurred to Seele that this might not be the first time that they have had this conversation. Her long-term memory always seemed to fade like salt diluting in water. How many times had Vita visited her? How many times had Seele cried in her arms? How many times had Seele lamented her loneliness? How many years had Seele been the Sage for? Two? Ten? Ten thousand?

 

She couldn’t recall who she missed so badly, nor who she had been before.

 

“Why can’t I remember them?” Her voice cracked. “You… you remember perfectly, but I can’t even tell for how long they’ve been gone. Is it because I’m the Sage?”

 

Wordlessly, Vita leaned into her.

 

“...please answer me.”

 

Vita sighed. “Your role as the Sage of the Tower, yes. You are granted great power, but you aren’t allowed to leave. The rules don’t allow you to be anyone other than the Sage. You were… You were reborn in this tower, and now this is where you belong in this world.”

 

“So I had another life.” Vita nodded. “Did I choose this?” Vita nodded again. “Did I… have a choice?”

 

The young woman hesitated almost imperceptibly. “You said that you did.”

 

Underneath the blanket, Seele sought out Vita’s hand. She was a little warmer than Seele, and holding her felt like cradling the hearth of someone else’s home.

 

“Vita, are my friends dead?” 

 

Vita bit her lip; Seele waited for her to answer, but none came. Which would be worse? Seele was the Sage who crossed the border between life and death, but if her friends were in the Country of Iron Sand, she couldn’t remember who they were, and they had never approached her. Of course, if they were simply gone… then there was nothing she could do, besides mourn their absence, but, if they were alive, and had given up on her? At least they would still be somewhere out there… but…

 

Was Vita considering which answer would hurt Seele the least?

 

In the end, the girl couldn’t decide. “Please believe me, nobody would dare abandon you. This was beyond their control,” was what she said instead, squeezing the untouchable Sage’s hand.  “Besides… you’re my friend, Seele… if you’ll let me call you that.”

 

“Oh… Vita…” Seele’s cheeks felt hot all of a sudden. “Of course we’re friends.” Though the specifics of her visits faded away, at least she always remembered Vita’s name. Vita took care of her and comforted her, always treating her kindly. Even in town, whenever Seele spotted her, she was well-loved and helpful… Perhaps she had her flaws, perhaps she could be overwhelming, perhaps she sometimes chose to lie, but she was an earnest person who only deserved nice things. With her whole being, Seele deeply believed that.

 

“Seele…” Had she said this out loud? Oh no… Now Vita’s voice was full of emotion. Under the blanket, she let go of Seele’s hand to embrace her, pulling her into a tight hug. “Seele, you’re amazing.”

 

“Hehe, is this when I have to reply no, you’re amazing? ”

 

Vita pulled away to stare at Seele —barely visible that she was in the dark— as if she couldn’t believe the sounds that came out of Seele’s mouth. 

 

At the exact same time, they began to laugh.

 

Although the deep sadness and pain hadn’t faded, in this moment, they were free: they laughed like children, and, exhausted of her emotions, Seele drifted off into dreamless sleep onto Vita’s shoulder, wearing a little smile.

Notes:

Thanks for reading! As always you can find me on tumblr!!
there will be more vitaposting, both here and there. this is a threat

Do y'all have any theories on what's going on in this AU? owo

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