Living in hope

[replicatedcourage]

Who: Sola and anyone
Where: Plaza, in front of the coral
When: After his network post
Status: Open to all


[Sola isn't stupid. He's naive and gullible, yes, but he isn't plain stupid. Somewhere, deep down, he knows that sitting here in front of the coral and wishing or hoping or even praying won't bring Link back. It hadn't brought Ion back, or any of his other friends who'd been tossed back to their own worlds.

But what if, this time...?

He'd sat with Darkleer for a time before, watching the coral, and not too long after Signless had returned. He'd sat in front of the coral for days after waking up and finding Johnny had died and his matesprit had come back to him. There's just as much of a chance that Link could return.

Right?

He has to hope. Because without hope, what else is there? Maybe he's stubborn, maybe he even knows it's futile, but he has to hope.

So here he is, sitting on the ground in front of the massive edifice of undersea polyps. Waiting. Watching.

Hoping.]

Comments

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer just smiles at that and brushes Sola's hair off his face.]

It already is, little one. Can't you tell?

[replicatedcourage]

[He thinks for a moment, then shakes his head.]

No, I can't tell. I thought the coral would glow or something.

[He's... not terribly used to waiting for results.]

[onlyasign]

[Sufferer gently touches Sola's chest, over his heart.]

With prayers, there usually isn't a physical sign. It's something you have to feel, something you have to trust in your heart.

[He moves his hand to cover Sola's eyes.]

So ask yourself, son... did your prayer work?

[replicatedcourage]

[He knows that his dad just wants him to be happy, that his heart should tell him that yes, it worked but he really doesn't know. Even with Sufferer's hand over his eyes, all Sola can feel is that the coral at least heard. It had to, he was sitting right here for a very long time.

And maybe that's enough.]

I think... I think the coral heard me.

[onlyasign]

Good.

[Sufferer removes his hand and smiles down at Sola. Even with his own faith a little shaken, he wants his adopted son to feel okay about what he's doing, and to have faith in something beyond himself.]

I think it did, too. Now we'll just have to wait and see what it answers.

[replicatedcourage]

How long do I have to wait?

[He hopes not long, but he has a sneaking suspicion it'll be something like 'as long as it takes'.]

[onlyasign]

I don't know. Prayers can be asnwered very quickly, or very slowly. We just don't know.

[replicatedcourage]

[Sola let's out a sigh. Everything is always "wait and see" or "maybe" or even sometimes "when you're older". It's frustrating, but there's not a lot of help for it.

He indulges in leaning against Sufferer's knee for another long moment, managing to fight down his frustration from turning into any sort of tantrum, then gets to his feet.]

Did you still want to have tea?

[onlyasign]

[Good boy, Sola. Sufferer likes seeing how he controls himself and simply accepts that some things have no answers.]

I would like that very much.

[replicatedcourage]

[With a small smile, Sola offers his hand to his dad to help him up off the bench, though should he take it he won't simply let go after that. He'd prefer to walk back to Sufferer's hive hand in hand, glad for Sufferer and the others that are still here in the bubble.]