Character Castle 2.5
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“He didn’t do anything!” the child chases after Oscar. “Uh, he, uhhh…” “
Does he think Oscar is going to hurt Burn? I mean. No but … no. Oscar would never…
“Oh! We got lost and Burn’s going to help us …until we…get back home…”
Would he?
I chew my lip and …
…
Wait.
Why are there so many children?
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.” The child – Alessio even more a child than before? somehow? bows. “We’re extremely grateful that you’ve allowed us to infringe on your hospitality this long, the grounds are exquisite and it was a pleasure to be graced with your presence.”
“What the Abyss punk?” Burn says. “And what happened to your voice? It actually got squeakier?” he pluts Oscar’s sleeve. “Hey. I need smoke.”
“Who are you? What are you?”
Who dat?
Another child glaring at Oscar.
Grimme chuckles. “He’s sure popular.” She whispers.
“He meant no disrespect!” Alessio squeaks, pushing himself in front of … the new child… where did these children come from?
Nithel? I think? He’s all glowy and young now? And looks unsteady? “We are terribly lost, I’m afraid. All of us.”
Oh no. when Burn realizes how many kids replaced our companions …
Alessio ducks behind Nithel, finally acting his age… his current age… and pulling at Nithel’l shining hair.
“Do you know where my parents are?”
Burn looks towards the voice. “WHO’S THAT?” Oscar shushes him and pushes him into the couch.
“What happened to you? Really Burn. You look like you’ve seen a ghost… um.”
“Is that a spider?”
Grimme stops before the words finish leaving the other stranger-child’s mouth.
Seriously. Where did the children … wait. What if…? No way. Unless?
Alessio makes a hurt-pup sound.
Grimme wipes her foot on the carpet wrinkling her nose. “Ew. All gushy.”
“More detail than I need…”
It.
It just.
Pops back up.
Grimme opens her mouth.
“Sh!” Burn doesn’t know. Burn doesn’t need to know.
The … um. Child with a scaly hand? Weird mutation but Burn has claws soooo. – picks up the spider. Gently. Like it’s a cracking egg. “Can I keep him?”
Alessio peeps out again and then tip-toes closer, tugging Nithel – floods I hope it’s him – behind. “What is it? What’s it eat? Can I hold it?”
“Jar.” I whisper to Grimme.
She nods and slips back out of the room.
“No. And it doesn’t matter!” The … I need to get their names – growls and desperately scrambled for a large book. “It could be poisonous and kill us.”
Grimme comes back with the jar. I take it. “Is it poisonous?”
She shrugs. “How should I know? I’m not a bug scientist.”
“Cool!” Alessio oohs. “Is that why you shifted your hand when you picked it up!? I’m immune to most poisons I could pick it up!”
Nithel shakes his head, holding up his free hand, and pointing at younger Ohel. “But if you smash it, it may just come back again. Larger.”
He gives Alessio and the other boy an equally pointed look. “Do not test that. Don’t.”
“Is it hated in your world because it’s different too?” Alessio asked, staring up at him with wide, inquiring dark eyes.
“Not because it’s different…” Nithel says, “Different helps us grow. But their bites kill people. My father-in-law… almost died, because of a bite. He lost a leg. I don’t want any of us to get hurt.”
Great. Just great. I nervously hold the jar.
The book-holding child glowers. “If you’re not affected by poisons, throw it out the window! Because some of us are.”
“Not out the window!” Grimme thunders.
“I have a jar! And it has a lid.” I hold it out. “You can put it inside with some … leaves from the fountain.” Yeah. Good. Enrichment and stuff. “Inside this jar. Now.” Before Burn takes notice.
BURN
“Okay. Just ignore them. All of them. And tell me what’s happened.” Oscar says soothingly.
“I … But… Smoke. Can I have some smoke?”
I feel a hard rod in my hands.
“Staff.” Oscar says. “There’s too many kids for smoke.”
“There should be two kids.” I say.
Silence.
Well. Not silence, everyone is still yelling.
“Alright then. Just … start from the beginning.”
Crap. I need to remember what I was doing today, in the past, so that he doesn’t know I come from the future because he made me listen to that story and I am not wrecking my life that much…
…
“You do remember how this started? Right?”
“Um…”
“Burn. Are you having another memory lapse?”
“Um…”
How did this all start? Actually?
I was … “I was scouting… I was in… I was near …”
No. nononononono not again…
“Hey. Calm down. Just tell me what you do remember and we can fill in the gaps later. Okay?”
“Um. Tripped. I think.” Can’t tell him about the hole in reality. “Yeah. Shifting Lands. Fell into a bit of a nomad caravan.” Believable. But … what actually happened. “Um. Cave in?” pretty sure there was … “I…”
What happened next? When did I even meet everyone?
“Hey. Stay with me. It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s all over.”
“No it’s not! He said something about trials and …”
“Who.”
“I don’t know! He was just a creepy voice and I never saw him. But then things happened … and Nithel died but he came back and now he’s weird and …”
“Hey. Hey.” Oscar wraps his arms around me and I want to push free. But I also want to stay here until my thoughts get clear.
“Just keep going. Okay? Anything you remember.”
“’Kay Oscar. Wait, where’s Grimme?”
“Um… handling your guests?”
“Why is that a question?”
Silence.
I push against Oscar’s chest. “Why is that a question?”
“Just a small disagreement. She’s handling it. Ms. Sonja is helping.”
“Well. If Search is helping. I guess…”
Oscar hums, pulling a blanket off the couch and around my shoulders. “I’m not a baby!”
“I’m well aware.”
And now he’s messing up my hair. Not that I’m good at keeping it tidy.
“So. Ready to try remembering again?”
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
“Don’t…princesses have to be rich?” Tiny Leana asked, cradling her hand, and babbled onward. “I’ve never met one. Have you? Our country doesn’t have them or kings. Just ‘ambassadors’. And they change. One stopped by our house, from our city, once! His horse had hurt itself, and he stayed with us for a week, while Mama and Papa helped it.”
Nathair stared at her like she was some foreign animal he’d never seen before.
Her mind had already completely dismissed his insults and turned it into a monologue…or conversation or…something…She just refused to get angry! Or leave.
“But…why do I care?” She shrugged, staring at him with her big starry eyes like she could save him. “You’re a person. The Star Breather loves you. What other reason do I need?”
Nathair snorted and buried his chin in his knees, but he didn’t try to yell at her again. He just grumbled ‘stupid princess’ under his breath, loud enough for her to hear it. She acted like a princess. Ingratiating and stubborn like somebody who’d always been cosseted and just so frustratingly better and kind.
He was determined not to make ‘friends’ this time.
“Not because it’s different…” Nithel said, measuring his words some. Alessio glanced away half expecting him, like most grownups, to just want to dismiss his outburst. But Nithel continued to explain. “Different helps us grow. But their bites kill people. My father-in-law…almost died, because of a bite. He lost a leg. I don’t want any of us to get hurt.”
The boy thought it over and nodded, still deflating at little as he watched the spider inquisitively.
“Ok.” He said, and bit his lip remembering he was supposed to say ‘yes sir’ or something.
“If you’re not affected by poisons, throw it out the window! Because some of us are.” Interjected Ohel, still clutching his book. Wait, shouldn’t he have build an immunity to poisons too since he’s related to some king or powerful whatawhat? And he was still affected by poisons it just wouldn’t kill him.
Alessio quickly looked at Nithel and compliantly reached for the spider to throw it out the window. He dangled one of its fuzzy, spindly legs up curiously as the creature crawled on his hand.
“I’m sorry Mr. Spi-is it a boy or a girl?” He asked, “It won’t get hurt if I throw it, righ-?”
“Not out the window!” Angry Lady roared, causing Alessio to flinch aaaand drop the spider. With a gasp he watched the thing scurry past him, and he ducked between his shoulders trying to disappear. Raised voices always meant bad things.
“I have a jar! And it has a lid.” Search was saying. “You can put it inside with some…leaves from the foundation. Inside this jar. Now.”
Except…
He dropped it.
“I’m sorry!” He stammered, and backed into Nithel for protection.
While the spider crawled on somebody’s foot *probably initiating howls of panic*
@kimlikesart @hannahrenner @ragnarokTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Nathair only seemed angrier, at Leana’s words, and her shoulders slouched.
“Stupid princess,” he murmured. And… his words honestly hurt worse than his foot did.
You don’t… have to remain a snake… Leana pressed her eyes shut, and sucked in a long breath. But do you want to? Really? She’d never considered there were those… who truly wanted to be evil. Who wanted to be cruel. Until the war. Until all the senseless cruelty she’d witnessed. She struggled to push words out, her voice wobbling a bit as she held down tears. “But… I thought you said… you didn’t like your name?” The hesitant hurt in your eyes, at the meaning of your name, when I said it..? I saw. I thought… alaihtimalat.
–
Nithel tried not to gag and jerked away from Alessio, when he picked it up and the thing crawled on his hand. Nithel scooted what he hoped was a safe distance.
“I’m sorry Mr. Spi-is it a boy or a girl?” He asked, “It won’t get hurt if I throw it, righ-?”
“Not out the window!” The Lady roared, causing Alessio to flinch aaaand drop the spider.
Nithel makes a gaggy/gasp sound, springing onto a couch from the floor, as the spider sailed through the air.
“I have a jar! And it has a lid.” Search spoke. “You can put it inside with some…leaves from the foundation. Inside this jar. Now.”
Nithel’s too distracted to wonder what a ‘jar’ is, or look at the strange thing. Instead, keeping an eye on the bug, which landed apparently safely.
“I’m sorry!” Alessio stammered and backed into Nithel, who startled at the touch.
He pulled in a shaky breath. It’s just Alessio.
*Ohel howls* He flings his foot in a panic, and the spider flies through the air again. Ohel flies onto the couch, shoving aside Alessio and scrambling to climb on Nithel’s shoulders. “Stand up! Get up, you baffoon. It might get me!”
Don’t shove Alessio! Or anyone. Nithel almost kersplats off the couch, but manages to right himself on the squishy surface, somehow. He looked at Alessio with a slightly stunned, slightly worried look. I couldn’t walk at this age. Not. Not if I’m where I think I am. Bad. Bad idea.
“MOVE.” Ohel barked.
*spider lands/crawls on someone else*
——-
@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarokJominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
“What is it?” Another boy, who appeared to be around his age, blurted “What’s it eat? Can I hold it?”
Looks were often deceiving though. He seemed to be a human.
“It’s a wolf spider.” Sage answered, “And it eats other bugs, typically hunting things like crickets or ants. Do you want to hold it?”
“No. And it doesn’t matter!” Another boy squeak/growled and desperately scrambled for a large book. He was going to kill the spider! “It could be poisonous and kill us.”
“But it’s not!” Sage defended, “I thought it was a tarantula for a moment, but it’s really just a wolf spider!”
The adult who was in the immediate area shook his head, holding up the hand that the first boy wasn’t clutching, and staring pointedly at the other one. “But if you smash it, it may just come back again. Larger.”
Hey, he’s right. Where’s that book? Wait, but wouldn’t it hurt the spider?
“Do not test that.” The man sharply commanded.
Sage was about to defend himself, when the man hushed him. “Don’t.”
“Is it hated in your world because it’s different too?” The first boy asked, staring up at him with wide, inquiring dark eyes.
“Not because it’s different…” The man sighed, “Different helps us grow. But their bites kill people. My father-in-law… almost died, because of a bite. He lost a leg. I don’t want any of us to get hurt.”
He sounded a bit like Mother. No, a bit like Father. Now Sage was confused.
“But it’s not poisonous,” Sage added, “And it’s not even big enough to take someone’s leg off.”
Saga, who didn’t look very convinced, cringed in the corner. Very unusual of him. Then again, he didn’t like spiders or snakes much.
Where was he? This looked entirely wrong. There was so much light. So much.
“So good to see you, Hades Irving.”
!!!
“Yes, I know your name.”
Amnesia. Could this be Amnesia?
“I know you have many questions, but I shall answer none of them. For one trial is yet to be completed,”
Pain. It felt like a sword was impaled through his chest. He hadn’t felt pain like this in a long time.
“Go, return to the group. Prepare for your Trial of Malice and Vengeance.”
Marvelous. And that was sarcasm.
“I’m sorry Mr. Spi-is it a boy or a girl?” Alessio took the spider, “It won’t get hurt if I throw it, righ-?”
A loud lady aggressively bellowed over them. “Not out the window!”
“Please don’t throw it out the window.” Sage asked.
The other adult, who had been making disgusted looks, gagged as the spider sailed through the air. He was currently seated on a couch, seemingly disturbed by the spider.
“I have a jar! And it has a lid.” Another woman spoke. “You can put it inside with some…leaves from the foundation. Inside this jar. Now.”
She was looking at him and the other boy. The spider was safe.
“I’m sorry!” The boy stammered and backed into the man, who startled at the touch.
A third boy, once again around the same age, howled louder than a wolf, before leaping on the couch. Was he afraid of the spider too? “Stand up! Get up, you baffoon. It might get me!”
He shoved the nice boy. Now he made the nice looking man fall of the couch.
“MOVE.” Ohel barked.
Sage picked up the spider, looking at the woman holding the jar. “Is there a transparent container we can use to hold him in? I’d rather not shove him in a jar like this.”
You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien
Nithel started when Alessio backed into him, causing Alessio to start too!
And then someone howls with terror, and boy grasps at the short, thin sword-hilt at his side (As if he’d ever been in a real fight at this point! Of course, he had – in the future – but that…that was just weird and hurt his brain!) It’s just the spider, but Ohel was freaking out, sending it soaring through the air.
“Stop, you’re scaring it-whoa!” Alessio warbled, tumbling sideways as Ohel shoved him aside. “It just wants to be friends! Sage says it’s not poisonous!!”
“Stand up! Get up, you baffoon. It might get me!” Ohel yelled at Nithel. Alessio’s eyes widened in indignation (even though he…didn’t know what a baffoon was…).
“MOVE.”
“Get off of him right now,” Alessio threatened, drawing himself to his full…four foot height? “and apologize to Nithel. Now.”
His childish voice – though projected with all the gusto of a young prince trained in oratory – didn’t sound all that intimidating…
Nathair sulked in his corner, staring at his toes. That is until he heard her small wobbling voice above him.
“But…I thought you said…you didn’t like your name?” Leana whispered.
Something cracked inside him. Kind people…didn’t…save…him. He hated
feeling so helplessthem. He hated-he hated them! They weren’t broken-they weren’t broken like him, they…somehow remained kind people. And he wasn’t.His face was wet, and his eyes were red but he didn’t know how that had happened he wanted to kill that emotion. It hurt it hurt it hurt and he couldn’t stop. No no he was crazy and so much too far gone. Why are you doing this to me!? Why were some people so bent on making him feel again?
It was so much easier to stay angry than to admit that it hurt. And he was helpless.
@kimlikesart @hannahrenner @ragnarokTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
Alec (his name is now being changed to Alixer so it’s futuristic [beta readers asked me to have futuristic names and this is the closest to Alec])
I fell out of what seemed to be the sky but this was nothing like his world. There appeared to be no sun and what looked like a device of some kind. Was that… a phone? He cringed, Oh, great! I went back in time to the dark ages, eh (that’s what they call the 2000’s since it’s the 3000s is the time he lives in)? He thought. Were those children? And they were screaming about a spider? Really? He scoffed making those around him turn towards him. “Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.” He squirmed a little bit. His introvertness shining through.
“Get off of him right now,” Alessio threatened, drawing himself to his full…four foot height? “and apologize to Nithel. Now.”
Nithel chuckled nervously, still struggling not to fall off the couch. “It’s alright…” Not that I’d let my children talk to me this way…
Ohel snorted, in reply to Alessio, glowering down at Nithel. “Get up!”
“I don’t know if I can?” Nithel blinked rapidly as he saw a young man appear in the room. Just… appear. Another one?
“You looked buff enough, back in the other place. Like you could carry my adult-self. So move.” Ohel bounced on Nithel’s shoulders, and he clutched at the boy’s legs.
“But it’s not poisonous,” Sage added, “And it’s not even big enough to take someone’s leg off.”
I didn’t there were any spiders, which weren’t poisonous. Nithel’s eyes hesitantly twinkled, though Ohel continued kicking, as if he didn’t hear or care. “I didn’t mean it that way, I… haven’t ever seen a spider able to do that.” Thank You, Holy One. *considers dumping Ohel onto the ground* *thoughts* “Alright… I’ll try.” Nithel pushed off the couch and toppled. He landed Ohel on the floor beneath him, with some amount of righteous satisfaction, careful not to actually hurt him. But the boy cursed so loud and long Nithel’s cheeks turned rosy. Then… Nithel’s eyes slid up to a newcomer, and his blush deepened. Oy. What you’ve fallen into…
“Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.” He squirmed, shoulders hunched.
Nithel’s brows lifted. A name he wasn’t certain of the meaning, or, at least hadn’t heard before. He sat up, pushing Ohel’s legs away, and the boy flopped back to the ground. He stared at Alixer, for a moment, glanced to Alessio, then stuttered. “We- You-” *sigh* “I am Nithel son of Father. And…” Nithel’s brows furrowed, “what does your name mean? A substance that turns others into gold?” I like that… “A healing tonic? I… Something else?”
Ohel sat up, glancing worriedly around, Where’d the spider go? But when his eyes landed on Nithel, he glared darts into his back. You dropped me. You! You fell on me.
–
Leana sighed deeply at Nathair’s tears, glancing toward the mayhem on the other side of the room, before scooting against the wall next to him… but not touching Nathair. She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them, staring at nothing but her thoughts. Her heart ached. I want to go home. To before. To when… Daddy wasn’t gone. And Mama laughed all the time. When Domnik would tickle Bethan, and they’d roll on the floor… Oh, Domnik. I wish Daddy was there, when Herman was born. That… that I’d wake up from this dream. That she’d wake up and the last two years were just a nightmare.
—————-
@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarok @sarafiniJominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
“It’s alright…” Nithel attempted.
“But he-!”
“Get up!” Ohel yelled, leaving Alessio flushing with fury.
“I don’t know if I can?”
“You looked buff enough, back in the other place. Like you could carry my adult-self. So move.” He growled dangling on top of Nithel. (Alessio was kind’ve jealous, he kind’ve wanted a piggyback ride now…) But he was also mad at Ohel for talk so mean to his Not-Dad.
“Your cowardice and insulting speech is becoming only to the knaves of Avonia,“ Alessio challenged, even though he…didn’t really know what that meant, but he’d read it a book and it sounded cool. “Get down right now so I can fight you in a fair dual!”
“But it’s not poisonous,” Sage was saying, “And it’s not even big enough to take someone’s leg off.”
“I didn’t mean it that way, I…haven’t ever seen a spider able to do that.” Nithel said, and addressed Ohel screaming on his shoulders. “Alright…I’ll try.”
Before Alessio could add any more protests Nithel arose. And toppled on top of Ohel.
Pointing at them, Alessio squealed with laughter. Any hard feelings he might’ve had completely dissolved.
He jumped when somebody appeared behind him, and spun around with a hand on his hilt, suppressing a nervous laugh.
“Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.” The dark-haired person with…circular glass balanced over his eyes said.
“Uhh…” Alessio gaped up at the strange man.
“We-You-“ Nithel stammered, tossing Ohel’s legs off of him as he sat up. With – probably a fairly tired sigh – he continued, awkwardly. “I am Nithel son of Father. And…what does your name mean? A substance that turns others into gold? A healing tonic? I…Something else?”
Alessio had never met anybody with a name Nithel couldn’t translate automatically. He stared at the man, and then peeked at Ohel glaring daggers at Nithel.
“Oh, uhh, Alessio!” He suddenly remember to introduce himself, and gave a quick bow. “Long life to you and your kin.”
Whoops, he bit his lip trying to figure out the proper polite greeting and then remembered nobody greeted anybody a normal way here, so he couldn’t blend in too well! Maybe he should mimic Nithel’s greeting. Except, he didn’t know what his name meant, and he didn’t know for sure who his father actually was.
After a second, Alessio ducked behind Nithel and turned to Ohel with a friendly (though still impish) crooked smile.
“We can be friends now!” He said, reaching out his hand for Ohel to help himself up.
Nathair didn’t move, but he could hear Leana sigh and scoot beside him. Still keeping her distance though.
He was waiting to become comfortably numb again.
Maybe the first time he was a child, before Yasha before any of that. Maybe then he would’ve tried to apologize. Instead he clenched his jaw and tried to force the tears to stop. She was going to leave anyway, or hurt him or…
He sat in silence. By now they would’ve drugged him until the ghoul urges (and every other emotions) weren’t so intense. But right now he was on his own, and he didn’t have enough experience to really curb it. Normally Nathair would ‘cope’ by gnawing his own arm if it got uncontrollable. That would…disturb them.
So Nathair his chin in his knees, determined to not look up at the red sparks flickering hungrily in his vision.
@kimlikesart @sarafini @hannahrenner @ragnarokTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
@this-is-not-an-alien, @kimlikesart, @ragnarok, @sarafini
SEARCH
I watch Grimme nearly puke as Alessio lets the spider. Crawl. On. His. Hand.
What the Abyss is this kid made of?
I hold out the jar.
Except.
He.
Drops.
It.
“I’m sorry!” He backs into … ya’know what? That’s Nithel. And everybody here is getting a tiny trinket. This is ridiculous.
The brown-haired, brown-eyed boy flings his foot in sudden panic.
To my everlasting DeLiGhT, the spider flies through the air.
“Stand up! Get up, you baffoon. It might get me!”
“Grimme.” I whisper as brown-eye continues howling. “Next time it flies, scatter it in here.”
“Stop, you’re scaring it-whoa!.”
“What if it gets bigger?” She mouths. If I didn’t know the story, it be funny that a little bug could scare this indomitable woman.
Unfortunately, I know the story. Held Burn through some of the nightmares. And now become a bit scared myself. Abyss-bound cults and their quests for immortality.
“Just …”
“It just wants to be friends! Sage says it’s not poisonous!!”
“Is there a transparent container we can use to hold him in?” The scale-handed one says. “I’d rather not shove him in a jar like this.”
“Lets contain him right now. We’ll get something better in a minute.” I say.
Grimme grits her teeth. “Darn it.”
“What is going on?!” Burn yells in agitation.
Oscar starts hushing him.
“Out of time Grimme.”
She swears – viscously and colorfully – then splinters into thousands of particles of neon-blue, glowing dust. In a gnat-like swarm she darts to the last known location.
BURN
Darn it stuff is happening and Oscar is a dirty lier who lies and why? Why do I always fall for this?!
“Come on punk! You can’t hide the … whatever it is going down on the other couch!”
My entire sentence is in fits and starts because sOmEoNe is yelling the entire time!
“Get off of him right now, and apologize to Nithel. Now.”
“It’s alright… It’s alright…”
“But he-!”
“Get up!”
“I don’t know if I can?!”
“Oscar! Are they murdering each other?!” I try to stand but Oscar pulls me back down on the couch. “What’s going on?”
“You looked buff enough, back in the other place. Like you could carry my adult-self. So move.”
“Your cowardice and insulting speech is becoming only to the knaves of Avonia. Get down right now so I can fight you in a fair dual!”
“Abyss yeah!” I do wriggle free then – mostly because the situation has escalated to it being appropriate to make judicious use of my ‘abnormally pointy’ elbows.
There is a thump of bodies hitting the floor – fortunately not as … slack as many of the bodies I’ve heard fall. Still very full of life! Which mean I lost my opportunity to interfere with a duel yet.
What? Didja think I was going to watch it? With what eyes?
Some tiny punk squeals with laughter – sounds like Vi when Drake accidentally hit his own foot with his war-hammer.
Something.
Splits.
I reel, grabbing my head.
“So good to see you, Hades Irving.”
What? Who … Punk-With-Voices-In-His-Head. Really creepy voices.
“Yes, I know your name.”
Ugh. I wonder if this is what the worshippers of Luna felt like.
“I know you have many questions, but I shall answer none of them. For one trial is yet to be completed,”
This is worse than when I accidentally joined the Apotheosis. I mean. It beat being brutally murder as some kinda human sacrifice. Especially before getting answers…
“Go, return to the group. Prepare for your Trial of Malice and Vengeance.”
Oh. That’s the Abyss-born monster that started this.
Great. Perfect. Wonderful.
“Hey Loony-Punk.” I grab my head. “’s fine. We’ll get him…”
Two splits.
Simultaneously.
Pretty sure Loony-Punk didn’t hear me. Which is find because he needs a better name anyway. Hm.
Ow. By the way. Just. Ow. Punk.
Oscar’s arms wrap tight around me. “Hey kid. Hey. Sh. It’s alright. Come on.”
“I’m a full-grown adult punk.” I grumble and try to get my feet under me.
“Search!” I call. Did someone fall through a hole in reality? “Do we have anymore guests?”
“Eh?” Oscar says.
SEARCH
I … stare at the glasses-person. Who just … appeared.
Poor. Poor punk.
…
I’ve spent too much time around Burn.
“Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.”
“Uhh…” Alessio gapes up at the strange man.
Grimme finally rematerializes beside me. “I’m going to be sick.” She mutters and deposits the spider in the jar.
I have never. In my entire life. Slammed a lid down faster.
“We-You-“ Nithel tosses Ohel’s legs off as he sat up. He sighs – reasonable reaction to the day. I will probably be introducing my head to a wall. Later. When Burn won’t see that unhealthy coping mechanism. “I am Nithel son of Father. And…what does your name mean? A substance that turns others into gold? A healing tonic? I…Something else?”
Alessio stares at the stranger, and then peeks at Brown-Eye glaring daggers at Nithel.
“Oh, uhh, Alessio!” He suddenly bows. “Long life to you and your kin.” Her goes bright red then ducks behind Nithel.
Then he turns to Brown-Eyes with an impish smile. “We can be friends now!”
“Aw.” Grimme beams. “He’s just like Burn when I first found him.”
“WE!” Oscar thunders. “ARE NOT ADOPTING ANOTHER KID!”
Grimme shrugs. “I’ve heard that before.”
Speaking of Burn…
“Yeah. Someone just appeared out of thin air.” I hand the jar to Scale-Hand. “Don’t open it. I promise well find something better later.” I squint at Burn. “Hey? You okay?”
Uh. Newcomer. “Hey. Sorry for being rude. Name’s Search.” I wave as I pass him and help Oscar get Burn back on the couch. “Now. Can everyone. Stop. Yelling. For more than five minutes? Please?”
“That would be nice.” Grimme dusts her arms. Powder – no. Actual dust that she must have picked up during her … swarming? Scattering? – puffs to the ground. “So.” She straightens, assuming that authoritative air that puts Mom to shame. “Welcome to the Woodwall residence. You may call me Grimme. This is my husband who you may call Mr. Woodwall.”
Oscar stands and nods formally, striking his chest with his right fist. “Prosperity to you sir.”
But not long life or happiness. Hm. He must be very irritated. Can’t tell if it’s because of the chaos, the uninvited guests, or Grimme forcing formal mode.
Burn slumps against the couch and clutches his head. “And the other punk?” he says. “Who we talked to by the creepy pool?”
Um. I scratch my head. Oooooh. Yeah. So much has happened and we only talked for all of five minutes. “Hade? Hades? I think?”
“Yeah. Where is he?” Burn rubs his scalp. “Agh. Stupid creepy disembodied voices with creepy trials and evil pools.” He holds out his arm. “And I still have the creepy hearts.” He rubs his chest.
Oscar freezes.
Then swears and grabs Burn’s wrist.
“Anyone else have these markings?” He holds up Burn’s arm.
I hide my arm behind my back.
When life knocks you down, wait 'til it passes over you and then attack it from behind.
@hannahrenner @this-is-not-an-alien, @ragnarok @kimlikesart
Alixer“It basically means hero. I’ve been told that it means sacrificer. Why are you guys so afraid of a spider and what is with the kids running around. I’m 16 btw. Not a kid or adult. In fact, at 10 you’re considered independent in my country. But you’re not an adult yet. I can’t even believe I’m back in the dark ages!” Alixer’s face reddened when he realizes that some of the people were staring at him in surprise. He doubted these people even knew how much better his country was.
“Uh, hi. I’m Alixer.” The dark-haired person with…circular glass balanced over his eyes said.
“Uhh…” Alessio gaped up at the strange man.
“We-You-“ Nithel stammered, tossing Ohel’s legs off of him as he sat up. With – probably a fairly tired sigh – he continued, awkwardly. “I am Nithel son of Father. And…what does your name mean? A substance that turns others into gold? A healing tonic? I…Something else?”
Alixer. Sounded similar to the word exiler: a substance used to heal people.
“Oh, uhh, Alessio!” Alessio gave a quick bow. “Long life to you and your kin.”
Okay, was anyone here normal? Why were they all children?
While the others bickered, he felt something at his leg. Another child. She was small, with short black hair. Oh dear, her eye… it was branded. A rose and thorns symbol, covering that entire side of her face. Almost all the skin on that side was damaged. That… was just wrong. She seemed like she was only thirteen. She looked so starved and underfed. And her clothing, torn in a couple of areas and in dire need of cleaning (no, just replacement) did not improve her appearance.
After a second of eye contact, she took a half mask, putting it on to cover the burned area. The other eye (he wasn’t even certain what color the other eye was), purple, stared up at him.
“What’s going on?” She asked in a voice that sounded to dead to be a child’s.
“I… I don’t know.” How was he supposed to answer that? “What’s your name?”
“Crorie.” She answered, “And you?”
That was a good question. Who was he?
Nu. 2.
That was all he could get. “I go by the name Nu. 2.”
He needed answers. He didn’t care where they came from. He just needed them. Searching the room for anything familiar, Nu. 2 noticed the man from before. Should he talk to him?
No, that was a bad idea. He didn’t know anything about this man. Listen a little, then decide.
While he listened, Nu. 2 looked over what he had. Old jumpsuit, a bag (empty, aside from a small music box. Nu. 2 is uncertain about it, but it seems familiar), and a blade fragment of some kind. It looked like the upper half of a katana. An odd black blade.
“And the other punk?” The man asks. “Who we talked to by the creepy pool?”
Creepy pool. Yes, Nu. 2 remembered that. Burn and Search, those were their names, right?
“Hades? Hades? I think?”
Remember who you are.
!!! What was that?
“Yeah. Where is he?” He rubs his scalp. “Agh. Stupid creepy disembodied voices with creepy trials and evil pools.” He holds out his arm. “And I still have the creepy hearts.”
Did you think I was finished?
Nobody else was reacting. Maybe it was all just in his head.
I split Hades Irving in half, creating you Nu. 2, as a part of this trial. The other half, Nu. 1, is somewhere out there, growing stronger.
“Anyone else have these markings?” Someone, a stranger, held up Burn’s arm.
Looking at his arm, Nu. 2 quickly wished he hadn’t given it much attention.
Your hand is withering. For now at least. Next, it will be your arms, then legs, then the rest of your body, until you die. Unless, you reunite with your other half. You have five days to complete the Trial of Malice and Vengeance.
This day just keep improving, doesn’t it? “Let’s go talk to Burn or Search. They seem like decent people.”
Crorie looked up at him, then nodded. With his clean hand, Nu. 2 held Crorie’s hand. She flinched, but didn’t pull away. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Do you want me to let go?”
Crorie froze, clearly uncertain of what to do.
“If you want me to, I’ll let go of your hand. In fact, I probably should have asked before taking your hand.”
Whoever did this to her needed to be put away in jail for as long as possible. It just wasn’t right to hurt a child like this.
In the end, Crorie just went with Nu. 2, not withdrawing her hand. Burn seemed preoccupied, so talking to him right now didn’t seem like a good idea.
What about Search? Nobody seemed to be bothering her.
“Excuse me, Mrs. Search,” Nu. 2 greeted, “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien
“It basically means hero. I’ve been told that it means sacrificer. Why are you guys so afraid of a spider and what is with the kids running around.”
Nithel’s brows popped up on his forehead, and he glanced toward Leana just a moment, before looking back at Alixer.
“I’m 16 btw.” Alixer went on. “Not a kid or adult. In fact, at 10 you’re considered independent in my country.”
Nithel’s brows lowered. 10 is too young to die in a war.
“But you’re not an adult yet.”
Nithel’s brows lowered a bit more.
“I can’t even believe I’m back in the dark ages!” Alixer’s cheeks blushed, as he looked at everyone staring at him.
“Hero and Sacrifice… What does it mean to be an ‘independent’? But not yet an adult?”
—-
@sarafini @this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarok 🦝Jominkreesa
'Forth now! And fear no darkness!'
Nathair slumped in his spot, dully watching the chaos ensue. Out of the corner eye he kind’ve watched Leana, not really sure what she was going to do. He waited a bit for her to…do something, and squirmed.
Finally, he let out a breath and made something of an attempt to be friendly.
“…why aren’t you with your dad?” He asked, sounding too whiney even for him to stand. “He seems nicer…”
Stupid,stupid,stupid! He squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his teeth together. Such a self-sabotaging fool. He’d just have to wait for her to leave too…
“WE! ARE NOT ADOPTING ANOTHER KID!” Roared Loud Scary Man causing Alessio to jump out of his skin. They kept chattering but Alessio was trying to pay attention and make friend with Ohel while listening to Alixer while protecting the spider (as soon as he found it again…)
“It basically means hero.” Alixer was saying, “I’ve been told that it means sacrificer. Why are you guys so afraid of a spider and what is with the kids running around. I’m 16 btw. Not a kid or adult. In fact, at 10 you’re considered independent in my country.”
Alixer talks when he’s nervous. Or maybe they tapped into a special interest.
“But you’re not an adult yet. I can’t even believe I’m back in the dark ages!” Haha, he thinks he’s gone back in time…
Well. That took him only five seconds to reconcile to something seemingly impossible, he might actually accept the whole ‘from completely different worlds’ thing…? He sounded like he’d be fun to talk interesting theories and science with!
“Hero and Sacrifice… What does it mean to be ‘independent’? But not yet an adult?” No yeah, Alessio wanted to know too. He was considered an adult at fourteen in his world but he wasn’t independent by then, he wasn’t sure if anybody was truly ‘independent’ in his culture.
“Hey. Sorry for being rude. Name’s Search.” Search waves as she moves to help Burn, who…seemed alright. Maybe he was overreacting? “Now. Can everyone. Stop. Yelling. For more than five minutes? Please?”
*Alessio begins counting up to five minutes for literally no reason*
“That would be nice.” Loud Scary Lady said, sweeping her arms before drawing herself into the most formal of airs. “So. Welcome to the Woodwall residence. You may call me Grimme. This is my husband who you may call Mr. Woodwall.”
Politicians, Alessio thought.
He knew there was a good reason he didn’t trust them. (Aside from the fact he usually distrusted everyone on sight…)
“Prosperity to you sir.” Mr. Woodwall greeted, striking his chest with his right fist, which disoriented Alessio, because every formal bow had a different meaning depending on the hand gestures and…the shook his head. Wrong world, it probably was just the formal greeting for this world…
They kept talking, while Alessio looked around at the huge expansive room and the trickling pool with the colorful fish (he wanted to catch one). Then Mr. Woodwall cursed causing Alessio to spin toward him, grabbing the hilt of his sword, just as the man grabbed Burn! The boy went rigid, willing himself not to react until he had a plan. Fire hissed between his fingers and all through his veins.
“Anyone else have these markings?” Mr. Woodwall asked as Alessio clasped his hands behind his back breathing in, gradually soothing the flames away. He noticed Search hide her arm and deliberately didn’t look at his arm but tucked his long sleeves down a little farther.
Darting another look around he saw…someone who looked vaguely familiar, holding a girl’s hand gently. She didn’t look so good, at all. Like the girls in the slums of town, or the kids in the Surreala Guild.
Alessio walked up to her softly, trying not to make any noise that would startle her. Oh. That was Crorie…
“Hi?” He whispered, ducking a little and glancing up at the adult towering over her. Was that…noo. BIG SOFTIE!!! But he wasn’t quite sure, he looked different…(but he was still being nice despite himself). His eyes darted back to Crorie. “…may I hug you?”
She looked like she needed a hug. He spread his arms out some but waited for her to close the gap if she chose to.
Fire was starting to flicker about his fingers again and now it was getting in his hair. He hated them, he hated them so much, he hated whoever hurt her, he hated them.
Nathair glanced up when the noise got louder, and tensed. He recognized Alessio, he recognized everyone – or most everyone else too but they wouldn’t have a reason to want to kill him. Now it was really hitting home how badly things had ended between them. That wasn’t something he wanted to face, but he…he deserved it, he knew.
@sarafini @kimlikesart @ragnarok @hannahrennerTo be a light to the world you must shine in the darkness.
@kimlikesart @this-is-not-an-alien @ragnarok @hannahrenner
Alixer
“Well, Alessio, that’s your name right? It means you can move away, get a job, and live somewhere without your parents but you can’t make those choices yourself without someone signing off for you. If that makes sense. We are considered adults at 17 and we’re giving complete independence from everything at 18. I’m pretty close. Sorry, this is super awkward. I’m introverted but I can’t get my mouth to stop moving in new situations. A lot of people think I’m odd the 1st time they meet me. Which, I am but it still feels awkward when people tell me I am.” Alixer shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. Why did introductions always come out so weird and awkward for him? He was 16 almost an adult this shouldn’t keep happening to him.
“…may I hug you?”
That was unexpected. This one was Alessio, wasn’t it?
Fire was starting to flicker about his fingers and hair. An emotion called anger seemed to be with it. But not directed to Crorie. Nu. 2 could guess what Alessio was thinking about.
In the end, Crorie just nodded and let Alessio hug her. Although she did not return it.
They got rid of the spider. Arsene couldn’t help but sigh with relief. Now, he just needed to find everyone. Quickly searching, Arsene spotted child Alessio hugging… Crorie? She was a child too! How did this happen?!
Calm down, calm down. It’s just responsibility, Arsene could do this. He walked over to Alessio, stared for a moment, and then noticed the other guy. He looked better than most, but was still a little short, rather slim too. And his hand looked like it was injured in some way. Odd.
“And who might you be?”
Sage was about to ask about the spider, when he noticed someone in the corner. He looked thirteen or twelve, with silver hair. Like Father. Sage just stood there, staring. His skin looked a little pale, but natural at the same time. He was hiding his face. Strange.
Without even noticing it, Sage walked a little closer, almost to where he was able to touch the boy’s hair. Had he given it more thought, Sage would have probably kept his mouth shut.
“Are you a non-human? Like my family?”
You can only come to the morning through shadows: Tolkien
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