V3 Incline 12: Nin

Watching as everyone tucks into their meals, my eyes briefly land on Ihtuntar as the Equilibrium feeds him. An arm nudges at me from my left and a spoon rattles on the immediate kitchenware. Turning down towards Aahtha, she smiles and moves her food closer to me. I look at my mostly untouched plate with a rising brow, my eyes feeling ever more seemingly sunken into their sockets.

"Soulie, may you please feed me?" Aahtha asks as she waves a spoon in my face. Out of my mouth comes a small sigh as my eyes pass by distant Motrtha who happens to smile as they go over.

"Fine." I mumble as I can't seem to find my appetite for some reason, the utensil quickly finds a place in my palm. Briefly looking into the bowl that has been passed over, I conclude it must be fruit. The sweet smells and bright colours, the way some of them bleed juices of many colours into a single cocktail. I put the spoon in and it comes out with pill-like, green fruit and another green one, this time with a ring of black seeds and a whitish, circle core.

"Thank you!"

Aahtha's eager maw quickly takes in the spoon and she smiles up at me as she fights to keep the transport. Finally pulling it out, she laughs with a covered mouth that is actively breaking down its contents. It takes the goddess a moment to move through her take and she looks around as she holds her cheeks. One final gulp comes and an 'ah' sound follows.

"I would like to play a game, please." the small goddess asks after jealously glancing at some of the fun her other siblings are having with their food. Letting out a 'hm' of thought, I decide to go along with it as this will help me learn what she is even eating.

"Alright... How about this, then? Tell me what you want on your spoon and I will try and guess?" I suggest as I carefully try to separate the fruit into corners.

"Strawberries! Just strawberries, please!" she requests with a slight bounce as her chair rocks back and forth. Noting how much she is making it do so, I place my hand on the back of it in order to keep her steady. However, grim curiosity makes me wonder if I should let go and see what happens if she falls.

Glancing at her bowl, I hit my first roadblock as I take in how nothing in the bowl looks like a straw. There are no straw-shaped fruits, not even ones I can see as being able to fit on a straw. The spoon heads towards the green pill things I just gave her and she shakes her head, smiling. Watching her expression, she gives away little in terms of hints and she starts to giggle as she nearly stands.

"Silly, Soulie, these are strawberries!" she points out with her index finger going towards this sliced-up fruit that whitens at its core and reddens on the edge. A fob-like shape to it and the signs of seeds embedded all over its skin, I hold it up before my observing eye.

"I am not seeing at all how the name works here." I remark as I guide the spoon back to Aahtha so she can eat them. She quickly gobbles the fruit up and a delightful moan rumbles out of her mouth.

"Orange, please!" she requests this time and I immediately go for the fruit the same colour as it. Though, why she said a colour this time is confusing, who names food after their colour? It'd be like calling white paint sugar or salt!

She eyes me suspiciously as she eats the fruit, confirming my guess was right.

"You're cheating!" I am accused of with a serious, frowny face. Only for it to lighten up into a smile and warm laughter.

"Maybe, I guess you better eat it all yourself, then, that way I can't." I tell her as I hand the spoon back. She moans gently but otherwise takes it and starts to eat on her own again. Watching as she enjoys the meal made for her, I turn to that which was made for me. Motrtha made this with full confidence but...

Shaking my head clear of the bubbling bad thoughts, I look out across the lengthy table for distractions. Landing on Thurnmourer, I watch with curiosity as a building forms on his plate. The golden-brown squares have been made into walls while thin, palish meat has been thatched into a roof. Clohniq leans closer to her brother and she starts to whisper. The God of Thunder nods eagerly as his sister starts to wrap up a brown ball the size of a modest stone with a string of spaghetti.

Thurnmourer snatches up a few odd things and chews them as his sister prepares her demolishing ball. The wreckerous food smashes down the walls of the oven-baked home and the pair cheer. With Clohniq tilting her head back, her fork-holding hand in the air, before she snaps up at the dangling ball. She seems to ignore the lone piece of spaghetti left and gets back into the messy thick of it.

Looking around further, I notice how solemn and otherwise mature Waionr seems to be. As the others play, argue and eat their meals, he seems to be praying with each bite. A mass of yellow-hinted fur stretches behind him and as its jaw comes into view, so do four daggers of the mouth. What can only be the Beast of Pride purrs as it moves closer to its master, disturbing the children next to him.

Whines follow suit and Waionr joins in with the petty squabbling.

Otherwise fine, Pluuit continues to grow his meal from himself to munch on and I pass over Oceniater. The living water most certainly has fish swimming about him. My eyes fall upon Kyarverin again and I notice how the closest chairs to him are empty, making my eyes focus more on each one's unique craft. Meals are prepped, but no one has come to eat them.

One trolley even still has what seems to be fourteen plated and covered dishes remaining on it. I can easily guess who those will go to, but, what is with the empty spaces? Looking Motrtha's way even reveals one more odd spot by her. The other closest god seems to be bothered by this empty space and they are anxious to move away.

Maybe if I get the chance I'll just risk it and ask either of the adults later. I am dead, after all, the worst that can happen only exists in my head. What reason is there to keep me alive, for simple torture?

Shaking my head, I stare down at my food as I struggle to lift up my fork. I still can't seem to find the will to eat even though I ate the ice cream fine. It all looks nice and I can recognise a fair amount of it as there's some kind of bacon and there's eggs. My brow forms upsettedly.

A hand touches my shoulder unexpectedly, making me jump, "M-Motr-"

She places a finger on my lips, "You're not eating."

Turning back to my food, I look down and start to push my chair out. I don't want to be here, I want to get away but she's not letting me. The chair starts to rattle as I am increasingly forced to stress the matter. A soft gaze stops me and her face comes closer.

"Alright, up you come, take it with you." she quietly sighs as I tentatively grip the plate. Following after her, we go downstairs and I quickly put it down. Awkwardly rubbing my arm as she looks my way with a towel covering her hands.

"I'm sorry... I..."

"It's fine, Nin, I understand you have a lot on your mind. Just promise me you will at least eat some of it?" she asks and I nod as I grip my gut. Nothing is in and it's been a while since anything has gone there, but, even with that in mind.

"..." I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

"Maybe you just need to work a bigger hole into your stomach?" she suggests with mindful playfulness.

"Maybe..." I shrug, trying to take on her slight smile to no avail.

"Well, come on, then, help me with the puddings." she orders with a tone likely sweeter than them all combined. Following her, the side is increasingly cluttered with metal and ceramic.

"Here you go." I say as I start to hand her the things she seems to need to get started on dishing it all up.

"Thank you, Dear." she tells me before she gestures to the tucked-away trollies held in reserve. Grabbing one, I bring it over and repeat the process a few more times. The Goddess of Mothers looks towards the still messy sides and yawns.

"Should I handle these so you can get back to your family?" I ask her as the mess seems to draw all of the exhaustion out to the fore.

"No... I will do it, you help me get everyone's pudding up to them." she says and I step closer towards the dirty pots and pans instead.

"Have your time with your family, Motrtha..." I mutter in answer as I start trying to organise the side so that there's some sequence to it. I've polished enough metal decor to know I need some hot water and elbow grease here.

"You... You don't even know where any of it goes once it is dried!" she complains correctly as she comes over to stop me.

"With how much there is for your family to eat... I'll have time to figure it out." I tell her, offering an insincere smile that does little to hide my downtrodden mood.

"Ok, I will leave you to it. Remember your promise." she tells me as the sound of plates and bowls moving picks up and then dies down. Turning the tap on, bubbly water flows out all nice and steamy. Noticing what seems to be a marked line in the sink, I let the water stop there and I slide the worst of what needs to be done into the modest depths. The displacement quickly adds up and I pick up a sponge so I can get to altering it back down.

A plate rings behind me and I turn around to see that the goddess has gone back up to her family. However, presented cleanly on the island is my uneaten dinner with a slice of the tart on a plate next to it, a helping of ice cream struggling on top. Looking back to the washing up, I shake my head and dry my hands off. Pulling out a stool, my fork is soon poking the colder-than-before main meal.

"Not bad..." I say after braving the strangely daunting first bite. It is good that Motrtha is such a great cook as it helps me to start eating the rest. A slow process it might be, but, it's still quicker than what I was doing before. I sniff and rub my eyes as more annoying thoughts bounce about my head.

Slumping down against my palm, a long sigh escapes me and my eyes rim with tears.