no prompt today. just went through an unexpected medical experience last night and wondered what it would be like to survive such a thing on obsidian.

when the planetians arrived, obsidian’s population grew from 3 to 800 people. each task of society belonged to a small set of focused people. aya and e—, privately at odds but publicly acclaimed, soon found themselves holding a place in the history of the planet, but not able to find a place for their love in the future. still the future is irresistible. e— writes about this distinction the first time she gets sick.

…

in the middle of a moment
i found myself suddenly doubled over
holding the edges of the known world
to counter the chaos at my root

i need saving
i was beyond independence
i needed others

i crawled to the door
i whimpered
i prayed to deities of the dark and shadows

and everyone responded
and there was no small talk
but endless laughter against the pain
the end of my torture was the entire task of
those who watched over me
i was no longer alone in a brief future
fearful in the whale’s belly

i was no longer
Aya’s complex broken heart
or my own
i was of a people who would live
holding tight to each other

i would live without aya
i would live far from baya
i would live soft with tenderness
and i would live without apology

that was the promise of obsidian