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“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.

–

Leana sighed deeply, glancing toward the mayhem on the other side of the room, before scooting against the wall next to Nathair… but not touching him. 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.

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@this-is-not-an-alien @hannahrenner @ragnarok @sarafini