Written 2024-10-08
The city was asleep, save for the few who were forced under their higher-ups' orders. And yet, this one wouldn't let go this night. Their arms dangled close to their body, standing tall and sheepish next to the forbidden exit of their home—the window of their willowed household. The wind blew strong, as the prayers from the people had asked for were listened to by /BIOS. Her sister, Yoku, wandered around the city aimlessly in search of someone to nudge. And she found this one.
"Ah, but a wonderful night to watch the stars, is it not?" She smiled at the stranger. "Better times were when the winds blew not as strong," they responded, "when they were weak and couldn't move me." She turned her head, almost like a confused dog. "Whatsoever do you mean? These winds aid your people in moving forward—they blow the same direction they wander yonder."
The stranger gripped the edge of their windowsill, "however helpful you claim your sister's winds to be, they do naught but harm me." The wind only seemed to grow stronger, and their floors trembled beneath the soles of their feet. The goddess still hovered in front of them before approaching them through their window slightly. "I cannot keep up with the strength the wind blows with," said the stranger, "even with no weight to carry, unlike the lower folk." And there was a long pause. "Then," Yoku replied, "what is it that you want?" The stranger started to let go of their window, their legs shaking. "I want to stop."
"Halt, then," she said. "Follow what you wish for yourself. If you believe stopping is the right choice for you, do so." The stranger looked up to Yoku's semi-transparent visage. They let go of the windowsill and, as she moved further back into the sky, they followed through the window's opening.