THE RAREST OF SINS: Chapter Five, The Scathing Senseless

The Mood is Write

The Mood is Write

Mom-de-Plume
Original poster
DONATING MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Looking for partners
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
Online Availability
It varies wildly.
Writing Levels
  1. Advanced
  2. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Nonbinary
  3. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
I'm open to a wide range of genres. Obscenely wide. It's harder for me to list all I do like than all I don't like.

My favorite settings are fantasy combined with something else, multiverse, post-apoc, historical (mixed with something else), and futuristic. I'm not limited to those, but it's a good start.

My favorite genres include mystery, adventure, action, drama, tragedy (must be mixed with something else and kept balanced), romance (again must be mixed, and more.

I'm happy to include elements of slice-of-life and romance, but doing them on their own doesn't hold my interest indefinitely.
THE RAREST OF SINS

PvAyAEG.png


Chapter Five
The Scathing Senseless
Previous Chapter​



"Auntie Bio!" a high voice called as eager feet hurried down the metal stairs into an equally metal lab. "Auntie Bio, it's—ooh, what's that?"

The curvy brunette, 'Auntie Bio', looked up from her work on a device that looked similar to the Cursor.

"Hey, Pen," she greeted warmly, "Hey, Val." She smiled at both Penelope in the front and the following Valiant.

Both girls were still young, but at nine years old, they had grown a lot since Penny had been a weak kitten barely holding onto life and Valiant had been almost kidnapped by shadows.

Despite their looks, Bio knew them to be fairly normal as far as little girls went, though given their heritage, they had their quirks.

Then again, they had unusual parents.

Still, as they rushed over to hug her, she put her tools down and hugged them back.

"You two 'ere ta sneak in and see yer uncle in the nursery again?" she asked.

"What!" Penny exclaimed. "We haven't snuck in there!"

Bio laughed, then pointed to her own eyes. Penny reddened, then huffed. "We came to tell you and Uncle Jerry that it's time for _dinner_!"

"Mm." Bio nodded. "Thanks, Ah woulda forget. Was gettin' too inta my project." She kissed each of them firm on the cheek as she gave them both a squeeze.

As the two rushed over to Jerry to make sure he was coming, Bio pushed herself from her seat and stretched. She's gained enough weight that she looked fairly healthy, thanks to the girls' reminders to eat, and when she caught a glimpse in a mirror, she didn't dislike what she saw, lately. Not as much as she used to.

Penny ran over to Bio again once she had Jerry's promise that he'd come up, but looked ready to dart away at a moment's notice.

"Aunt Bio, can Uncle Aster come up for dinner with us?"

Bio blinked at her, then smiled and looked toward the room where, once upon a time, a dying kitten was kept frozen in time. Now, a strange and broken child lived there—one who had been good on his word to get along.

She nodded, and as she started to speak, Penny was already off towards the iron-covered steel door.

Bio closed her mouth and shook her head, amused at the eagerness of the littlest cat.

Dinner would be interesting, to say the least. Aster wasn't usually allowed to roam the house.

The child that emerged from the metal doorway was as colorful as ever—compared to how Bio usually saw things as numbers instead of seeing any color spectrum. According to others with normal vision, he had the same dark skin and freckles as Penny, but unlike her, his slitted eyes were brown, and unlike her, there was no black among his white curls, which had grown into a long a messy mane that sometimes hung in front of his eyes.

Where flowers used to grow from his flesh and one of his eyes, there were now flowering vines that grew from them. He'd grown no taller, and though he dressed in anything given to him, he seemed to gravitate towards various types of pinks, and usually towards more traditional and formal clothing.

Today, he wore a frilled blouse and some simple dark pink slacks. His black shoes were shiny and well-kept, and he wore black socks to ensure he looked presentable.

As ever, his movements were jerky, as though he were a broken marionette. Bio could only wonder what the cause might be, since she had no way to tell without some form of equipment.

"Biiii-oh..." Aster greeted as his head fell suddenly to one side to rest briefly on his shoulder before he jerked it back upright. "Hel-hel-hel-hello." The word took effort to come out, his head jutting forward with each try before it rolled to one side as he finished, hands twitching.

"Hey," she greeted, "Hungry?"

"Aye, naw, but... I wou-woul-woul' like te join-n-n-n-n-n ev-ev-evryon-n-n-ne."

Bio smiled and nodded, and as two children, two adults, and a changeling ascended to the main floor of the house, she hoped she wouldn't need to act as damage control again.

At least now, they didn't have any empty seats at the table. The two little girls filled in for their father and grandfather respectively, and Aster used a folding chair from the cellar—or Felicie's seat, when she skipped dinner.

With no empty seats, it was a little easier to handle their losses, Bio thought, though her thoughts still slid inevitably to a cool gaze that wasn't present there, but whose owner she missed dearly. Whose owner was alive. Whose owner she strove to find again.

It was her personal project, and she worked on it often.

She had to find him—the man who rekindled her spirit and brought her to this family that so readily accepted her. If he could be there, too, if she could have him and Jerry both in the lab with her, learning and experimenting and exploring...
 
"Sinclair... I know you as you stand at Death's door. I am not life, nor death, but I see every step you have taken up until that moment. This path you walk shirking your responsibility with cause all to be lost to your selfish desires. You may wish to look human, but you never will be."

Valiant carefully follow her sister while wearing the sundress her mother had so carefully slid onto her. Valiant did her best to keep her left arm from touching anything. Though she was only a young child, she had learned from the shock and despair of her family that what this arm could do was not normal.

Bio did not look at her like a little monster though. Valiant liked their aunt Bio. She knew Valiant's Daddy. Though Auntie Bio was smart, smarter than Daddy probably, she could not tell anyone why Valiant's left arm, monstrous in appearance, also had the peculiar quirk of making anything she touched vanish. It wasn't as if a simply poke made things blink out of existence, but what she touched just... was gone. A strange void was left in the space before the universe seemed to naturally seal the patch.

The same effect applied to the air, leaving a constant rippling around the tips of her fingers, including trails in the air when she moved. It made Hide and Seek difficult to play. It made helping around the house hard because she only had one hand to use, and the other was worse than a limp arm. She didn't properly hug anyone in her family because she was afraid she'd made them disappear.

So, she obediently followed her elder sister. It helped keep Valiant from speaking her mind. She was a smart child, with a harsh tongue.

"We'll be up soon littlins." Jerry smiled at the girls. Bio had helped him improve over the years. A set of working teeth, though few were real. He kept his head shaved, and his chinstrap beard was still a bit unruly, but he'd gained some weight, though he was still a strangely gaunt man, as if a part of him had been taken from the harshness of his life that he couldn't get back. He reached out and pet Penelope while he took a hold of one of Valiant's many horns.


That was another weird thing. Valiant didn't have two horns like her mama. She had a bunch of em one day, and another day she had less. Some would grow, some would disappear, and they would ceaselessly grow if she didn't file them into preferred shapes herself. She avoided pull over clothes due to those as well. Yes, she had a unique little life, but she had a loving, unique family.

There was Aster, the other uncle? Brother, thing. Valiant wasn't sure how he was related but he was pretty. She liked his bright clothes and strange twitch. Valiant wondered if she could make him talk normally if she "removed" whatever thing kept him from talking like everyone else.

She was happy to see everyone around the table when they arrived. Her other dad, Penelope's daddy, was there despite being king of something called Tyr Na Nogg. Penelope's mama didn't like that place, but apparently Elli had many resources through them. He didn't look he did in the pictures Felicie showed them. He looked more like the man Felicie had called Bear. Though not as big, he had the colors, like someone had thrown paint all over Elli to make him like him. His mask thing was weird, and his missing arm made her feel a strange kinship to him. He did a weird thing where he connected the arm to things in order to make it work, but it couldn't do it for long as whatever he connected to seemed to decay.

"Girls." Elli smiled at them with a kindness that didn't show in older pictures of him either. If he had been wounded by life, his love for the girls had certainly brought out some kind of fatherly side to him. Valiant had once been playing with Penelope when they heard him talking to Poppy about how he wanted to be more like his own Dad. That began with smiling. Elli lost his dad too, but he got to know him unlike Valiant.

"Aster, take Feli's seat." Falren said as he began setting out the food covered plates. Agelessness suited him well. His mustache was a bit thicker than it used to be, and the age lines on his features had seemed to soften just a bit while his smile lines had deepened.
"She's off doin' what not tonight." Falren glanced at Elli. The mention of his mother always made his face harden just a little bit. He hadn't forgiven her for her horrid treatment of his father towards the end.

"Well, then..." Elli walked around the table, scooping up each of the girls. "Who wants to sit by me? Your mommies probably need a break from you little devils."

He smiled as he held them, but Valiant specifically leaned away, sticking her fingers into her mouth as best she could. She couldn't hurt herself with her limbs, and she couldn't accidentally touch someone if her hand was in her own mouth.

Elli noticed, but his smile didn't leave, even if it vacated his eyes. He knew well the curse of baring the mark of Sin. Valiant definitely was not just a demon's child. But her life alone was a miracle, as was Penny's. None of them should have been able to exist, yet they both did.

"Do they know how you slowly kill yourself? Yes, I believe you are suicidal. You had all you needed, you could have prevented all of this and you gave it away. You've grown lazy."

"Any news?" Jerry asked as he slid into his seat. He spent a good deal of his time with Bio. Much as he loved Liz, he knew he'd never be Falren. He'd also never be Sin, but he was satisfied with his life. It was more than he could have hoped for. More than he'd had.

"Shadow man... visited." Valiant spoke the words that haunted her family. The shadow man to her was this figure that seemed to walk between their place but always seemed not quite there. No one else ever saw him, but she did.

""With... um... a... doggie?" Valiant screwed her little face up as she tried to think about it. She had seen dogs, but this thing was... not the same. Still, she had a feeling it was something like it.

Valiant smiled as she reached for her fork, unaware of the looks she was getting.

———————————————————————————————————

Sinclair walked, or thought he walked. He wasn't sure anymore. He had been in this place for what seemed an eternity. This unmarked inbetween. He hadn't seen Six in what felt like Eons. All the while he simply continued to follow this strange beast through the abyss. It had sniffed something out. Six had visited the brothers and explained to them what help Sinclair needed but it was not clean cut. He was beyond their spectrum, leaving Sinclair to try and figure it out. This beast had sniffed Six then.

Sinclair wasn't sure how, but he had the feeling that the beast had somehow caught a scent off of her, though it was impossible. It had been leading him for some time in this place of non-existence. If he'd been truly alive, he was sure his body would have worn out and he'd have truly died.

"Sinclair." A deep booming voice stopped Sinclair in his tracks. Well, what he considered his tracks. He turned to a see a hulking figure. His skin was dark as the night, his eyes a pure, beautiful blue. He crossed his arms, smirking at Sinclair. Despite the new appearance, Sinclair recognized the Bio Spectrum of the man.

"Lazarus." Sinclair spoke the name with no animosity. The massive men presented no aura of resentment either.

"I have decided... if you are not suicidal, then you must be a coward." Lazarus and Sinclair had spoken several times since Sinclair's escape. Each time Lazarus bore a new shape. He had explained to Sinclair he was not a god of life or death, but he did see what people called their 'lives flashing before their eyes.' All of them, of every species, constantly. When Sinclair had said his goodbyes and destroyed himself in Utopia, Lazarus had seen it and known to find him.

Sinclair said nothing despite the insult in the words. He simply quirked his brow.

"You either fear meeting those that you destroyed, or you fear your penance for your sins." Lazarus mused.

"Sins are a scale of what people call morals weighed only by specifics deities and soul planes. To many they are fictitious." As usual Sinclair remained matter of fact. Lazarus, knowing this from the weight of Sinclair's death, caused the man a great deal of amusement.

"Right. Well... allow me to explain." Lazarus glanced at the hound thing which guided Sinclair. The white bone face, like a mask over flesh pleased the strange man. After all, he had worked hard to try and birth the creature. Even if it was with Sinclair, it was only due to his work. Sinclair may have been the source of the creatures imprinting, but Lazarus knew the truth of his work.

"You gave Felicie the elixir because you fear the idea of being alone. True immortality is not something easily shared. You claim you still wish to recreate the elixir yet... you have done everything you can to avoid it. You've no power anymore. Instead, you have a child of destruction, creation, and magic. You possess only your mind, and Biocybera... she is wiser still." Lazarus rolled his neck as he said Bio's name with a licentious air. She died and came back many times, which allowed him a view of her life over and over. Yes, she was a wonderful, beautiful thing he had desired for some time. Sadly, Sinclair had found her first as well. Just like the creature leading him.

"Lazarus, if you had not desired my child. We needn't have come to this." Sinclair's gaze sharpened, suspicion building. Lazarus let out a deep chuckle and raised his hands.

"I know Sinclair. I believe you. I did not come to fight. I wished to simply speak to you before you died again. You see, you rewrote reality, your own, and made three children. You yourself know that should have been impossible. While I'm in awe, your hubris, your weakness will mean you created them only to suffer. You bare no power." Lazarus' words flow with such certainty, Sinclair was sure the man could convince people that red was blue even when they had posters, ads, textbooks, and other people screaming that he was wrong and lying.

Slowly, Sinclair looked at his own hand. It was too thin, almost just bone, and less still. He was not quite solid, not quite astral. He'd been inbetween for so long now, he was forgetting what any felt like.

"Thank you." Sinclair said as he closed his fist. What a peculiar creature. Sinclair always fascinated Lazarus. There was no reason for him to thank the man, and yet Sinclair chose to do so. There was no new revelation presented here, it made absolutely no sense.

"For what?" Lazarus couldn't help but ask. He had to know.

"For opening the way out." As Sinclair said this, the hound like beast barked. Lazarus turned slowly, seeing three figures emerging from nothing.
 
"You're late," Elizabeth accused, unable to hide the smile in her eyes. Her family was so large now—so beautiful—she didn't even really mind that they were late, but simply said it out of habit—everyone was always late for dinner when they arrived last, after all.

"Ay-y-y Ma, I'm-m-m-m-m sor-r-r-e-y," Aster crooned, and at Falren's invitation, his eyes lit with unadulterated obsession and worship. "Yes, Fa-a-a-a-ather-r-r-r!"

For a moment, there was quiet at the table, and Elli and the two girls broke it and lightened the mood of the strange family with his affection towards the two girls.

Valiant was the next one to make the dinner table awkward, and her mother stared at her for several long moments before wide champaigne eyes sought around for help. It had to be Sinclair. Dread and hope waged war in her guts as jealousy rose in her throat like bile.

Bio's expression by contrast was one of excitement. "What were they doin?" she asked, eyes bright as she stabbed a piece of broccoli and took a bite while she waited for the answer.

Rare shot her a dagger-filled glance that melted away quickly to worry as Bio used her eyes to indicate the present children.

"Ah wonder if it's the same shadow man what was there when you were born. That one protected ya from somethin weird, Ah remember." Bio grinned wide as she shot an excited glance toward Jerry as her heart's tempo grew quicker.

Elizabeth frowned slightly, then sighed to herself and shook her head as she changed the subject, answering Jerry's question at the same time. "Speaking of news, I've gotten leave to take holiday from work for three weeks starting Wednesday. the next few weeks. I was thinking it might be nice to go to the beach—all of us together."

Elizabeth's gaze slid toward Aster, and on feeling her eyes on him, he looked over, eyes wide, having not paid any attention since his father offered him Felicie's seat.

"Beach!" Poppy chirped as her eyes moved away from her mother to look to Elli, eyes bright as her tail vibrated, asking without words if he was going to come.

"I wanna go!" Penny shouted, starting to rise from her seat, ready to pack before Poppy reached past Elli to put a hand on her shoulder and keep her at the table.

"Wednesday! T'day's Sundy, you silly!"

⋯﴾⛧﴿⋯​

"Hm, you were right," Jebediah murmured as he hung back, allowing his brothers to walk forward.

Josiah was the first, walking quickly to close the distance between himself and Sin, eyes direct and wrathful as he pulled back his fist, readying to punch Sinclair.

Junichi was slower, watching Lazarus with wary suspicion.
 
Valiant focused on her food as they mentioned the beach. She chewed it with loud, eager crunches as she considered what the man and the dog were doing. As a child, they just seemed like they were flowing by. She couldn't really imagine what else they could be. It was just interesting to her, the curious little child. She was lost to her meal as the rest of them engaged in their making of plans.

"That sounds nice actually." Elli said without the eagerness of Poppy or his daughter. It wasn't as if he didn't want to go, but he was trying to be a good father, and the smiley happy bit wore him down at times. Weeks with Elizabeth would be nice, it meant someone to be with the girls while he went and continued to run his kingdom. His kingdom, the thought still felt strangely bitter. That Ahndille was consistently trying to sleep with him. To make herself his queen in the absence of Poppy wanting to be there. It would be nice to go to the beach.

To be that kid again that had been literally forced to grow up. To maybe care about his mother again, to have his father. He'd have to be what he couldn't have. Even Valiant, who wasn't his child, was someone he tried to take care of. She was his daughter's sister after all. Being made to look like Bear, being forged of fae and man, and whatever Sinclair had made, hadn't excluded the fact that he had literally been born of Sinclair. It sickened him to think of it, yet, he felt ashamed when he remembered when Loki had told him that he wasn't Sinclair. It was difficult trying to live up to the image of two men, in two different worlds.

"I'm bringing beer. Me an the sirens ain't exactly partners." Falren scratched his scruff as he began to dig into his own food. He wasn't much of the jovial beach kind of guy, but he wouldn't mind relaxing in the sun with a beer and a smoke. Maybe make some sandcastles with the girls. His gaze slid to Jerry, who was eying Bio strangely.

"We'll wear... bathing suits right?" Jerry's obsession with alternate dimension Liz complexions had not exactly been removed, but his time with Bio had been giving him new ideas. As a man who wasn't exactly the best at keeping from his base instincts, it was easy for him to be swayed by those desires. The idea of actually getting to see Bio out there excited him, even though any one else might have been fully aware of how being pale in the sun was not exactly Bio's thing. Still, his immature mind could at least ponder on it.

"Lost." Valiant suddenly said. Her gaze rose, bright crimson eyes glowing. They were not the rosy chocolate of her mother's, but literally glowing. "He lost... hide and seek." Valiant said.

Elli, Falren, and Falren all locked eyes on the little girl. While Jerry's head cocked, Elli and Falren shared a hard look at the child before she looked down at her food, angrily muttering something about someone being stupid.

"The fuckin 'ell does that mean?" Falren asked, looking towards Elli. The king of the fae shrugged. Elli, helpless, naturally looked towards Elizabeth. She had known Sinclair the longest after Falren. The only person that could know more was... The one person not in the room.

——————————————————————-

Lazarus watched as Joasiah's fist connected with Sinclair. If the lost man had even thought of dodging it, he made no effort to do so. The impact was not what one would expect though. Joasiah's fist entered Sinclair's flesh. No broken bone or wet splashing sound. Simply it passed into him as if he'd put his fist into a beam of light. What came after was the shocking thing. Sinclair's entire form rippled and sparked like an image being distorted as he flew back several feet in what looked more like a skipping image.

The creature with him instantly become hostile. A feral thing, dark tendrils with glowing tips burst from its back, while a vicious aura surrounded it. The flesh around its limbs seemed to flow with a lava like energy, pulsing and angry. It lunged at Josiah, fully ready to devour him.
Lazarus' eyes widened as a massive smile took him. Excitement, true thrilling terror erupted from him as his tongue pressed to the back of his upper teeth. Josiah was about to die. He was going to be consumed.

"No!" Sinclair crashed into the hound, rippling and distorted the two of them were falling through the nothing. Lazarus lunged, wrapping his massive hands around the tendrils he dragged Sinclair and the hound back, slamming them into the essence of world that might be a floor.

Lazarus chuckled at the sight of them.
"That was close. You wanted to get out don't you. And... he should certainly be let out." Lazarus crouched down, and gently grazed his hand over the top of the hound like creature. It gazed up at Lazarus, the tendrils flicking here and there as if watching him as well.

"You are the alpha." Lazarus mused. "But... even you love your father." Lazarus slid his hands under the creature's jaw and gently scratched it. The beast whined in pleasure, as Sinclair's form started to come back together. Slowly, but surely his being came back into form.

Sinclair looked towards Josiah, rather than putting his attention onto Lazarus and the hound.
"I presume you will at least be helping me." Sinclair said. He'd just been attacked, nearly fallen apart, and yet... he knew he had nothing more important than leaving this. If he wasn't physical enough, if he wasn't physical, then he was either dead... or something else.
 
"Ah spose Ah'll watc—" Bio cut off as she noticed Jerry's gaze and the chemicals surging through him, and her expression softened into a tolerant, amused half-smile before she shook her head. "Actually... Ah ain't been to a beach in a long tahm. Maht be nice t'push mahself outta mah comfort zone a lil."

Oh, she certainly had a soft spot for Jerry. He didn't even need words to talk her into something—she just didn't like to see him sad, and in times like this, when she didn't really feel strongly, it didn't hurt to change her mind.

Valiant's sudden words caught her ear, though, and her head jerked toward the girl fast enough it sent a twinge of pain through the muscle that connected her neck just below her ear.

Sin.

It had to be Sin. Her breathing stopped so she wouldn't drown out the girl's voice with its noise, and wide eyes stared as her grip tightened on her fork, all while her lips formed a thin line.

She was thinking, churning through the girl's declarations even as she listened for more.

Penny, meanwhile, took note of how everyone else at the table responded to Valiant. Having grown up with her sister, she was used to the seeming-random outbursts.

It was the rest of the family who was weird to her, not brushing them off. She tilted her head as her slitted eyes looked to her Papa—he looked lost. He hid his emotions well, but she grew up with Papa, and as a cat, she knew his scents and shifts deep in her heart, even better than Mama did. The lost way he was looking to Gamma made her crinkle up her face as she squinted between the two in confusion.

She huffed quietly, then smiled as sweet as she could. "Not a big deal," she said as she shrugged, then grinned at her sister. "Losing is good, too."

Rare looked between the two and fought to relax. Right now, her biggest instinct was to run to Valiant and carry her to some dark corner and simply hold her tight so that maybe, just maybe, her baby would remain hers.

Aster only tilted his head, then straightened sharply at the sound of his father's voice as it sent a thrill of manic excitement through to his core, just as it did every time it caught him off guard. He began to twitch as he stared at Falren, a grin plastered to his face of twisted euphoria.

Elizabeth, for her part, simply let out a small sigh, then shrugged. She hated not knowing—hated the lack of control, the lack of preparation that came from it, but she didn't want to scare the children—nor to make Valiant think that for some reason _she_ was making people uncomfortable.

So, Elizabeth kept a neutral, curious expression as she looked toward Valiant.

"Val?" she asked, "Did something happen just now?"

Rare used one leg to move her chair towards Valiant's, then reached out and began to stroke the girl's hair, using the touch to reassure herself that yes, her daughter was real, and yes, she was still there—Sin hadn't taken her daughter away or made her unreal.

⋯﴾⛧﴿⋯​

Josiah watched all of this with a glare and seething rage that followed Sinclair to each place he went and utterly ignored the strange hound. He drew back his lips in a snarl as Sinclair finally spoke to him.

"No. These two needed my eyes." He didn't say out loud, but in exchange for helping them locate Sinclair, he demanded the right to take his anger out on the being who had abandoned his daughter—the very woman who begged Junichi to check through the records in secret to try and find the very man who abandoned her.

Death, in Josiah's eyes, was no excuse. It took all of his willpower to keep from doing to Sinner what he'd done countless times to his daughter, but his brothers wanted Sin alive and intact, and the strange dog plus the deity nearby were unknowns.

A cloaked figure with a skull for a head cleared its throat—or made the sound of it—and stepped forward, glowing yellow pinpricks in the eye sockets locked onto the dog and Lazarus even as he spoke to Sinclair with the same voice of Junichi. "Julie asked us to try to find you and take you back," he explained, only to pause. "If we do get you out of here, will you go to her? If not..." he turned his white-bleached face and looked purposefully at his scythe, and his tone became for the first time firm. "Your choice is to either return to Julie or to be taken to Judgment and reincarnate properly."

The skeleton hand that gripped the scythe's handle shifted tighter as Junichi stared at Sin, waiting for an answer.
 
Last edited:
"Losing bad. Dumb." Valiant scolded her sister for her maturity, though that hadn't been the intent. She just didn't like the idea of losing, there was something inherently bad about it and she knew that deep in her genetics. As if the fear of loss had been too great in the universe, and now its sting still lingered.
The sense and smell of loss came from elsewhere too. Valiant took the last big mouthful of her meal and looked dead on at her mother. She chewed slowly, but animalistically as she tried to talk to her mother with her eyes.

"Mwamuh?" When her eyes failed, the little girl spoke through a mouthful of food. The little girl was so focused on her she nearly missed Elizabeth's question, only to make a little purr of delight when her own mother's hand landed in her hair.

"Nuh uh Nana." Valiant said with a smile. As much as she knew that something had happened with the shadow, the girl could not see beyond the spectrum of her current moment. As the man in the far off place could do nothing to affect her family, she showed no recognition that it was a problem. She had simply seen him there, but she knew he wasn't there. He wasn't even in the same place he had been last time. There was just something… that could see him.

"Let's focus on eating." Elli muttered, and placed a hand on his own daughter's head. His one eyes moved to his beloved. His mask had been adjusted over time. Elli had used some intricacies of his magic, and a special tool to bend the shape into something more comfortable, less clunky. Though the holes continued to run through it, he no longer appeared to have a massive chunk of metal and stone protruding from his face. It was not smooth to the shape of him, but it at least was less ridiculous in its design.

"Would you care to eat like a person dear? Or do you want your food on the floor? You could be of use under the table." Elli couldn't wink, but a flush of magic behind his mask and a crooked grin said that his mind had gone to other places. His libido had grown over the years. Surrounded by fae constantly eager to be with him, and Ahndille's too beautiful form always too close, always insisting, Elli needed the physical affection of Poppy. He had grown less sweetly than his father, and sometimes the dark places that summoned his arousal came out with Poppy. No he didn't abuse her, but he had grown from that vanilla child who had simply been eager to be inside of something.

"Kids're at the table Elli." Falren snapped as he glared at Elli from across the table. Poppy was still Falren's daughter, even if he hadn't known that until later. He respected Elli as a man, but Falren couldn't forget his connection to Sin over a palette swap. The kid still had that man's features in a lot of ways. In fact, Falren wondered if Elli was just what would have become of Sin if he had remained addicted to Ever. The same stuff Elli was keeping in his pockets.

Elli clicked his tongue at the man and then placed his good arm around his daughter's head, pulling her to him. "They'll be fine. No need to overthink it."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sinclair considered the figures before him and the implication of their words. He didn't know who Julie was, or… he hadn't meant to. As the colors flowed from the man's… thing's… reaper's lips he couldn't help but see the color in the name. As if the name had been given life, he could see Biocybera's colors in it. Sinclair of course knew who would have sent these men, but he had never once considered Bio had a name beyond her… well, name. How little had he taken into consideration? He'd become satisfied with seeing the world at face value. There was little he had researched or explored in his hunger for the synthesizer and what came next. He had neglected the family he had claimed to love, and turned their lives and births into an experiment.

"Painful isn't it?" Lazarus asked. "When you realize all at once from one tiny piece of your life that you have been the monster all along." Lazarus slowly stood up, and the beast beside him went into a defensive stance against the figures which had come while Lazarus eyed the reaper, though his words too, were meant for Sinclair.

"Julia is a lovely specimen, worth more than you can give her." Lazarus' gaze slowly turned towards Sinclair. "But… she'll be too blinded to see it. That perfect creature and her need for love. You just had to be the one to show it when she was most vulnerable. Unaware just how incapable you are of seeing just how incapable you are of giving it."

Someone else might have been stumped by Lazarus' words, but Sinclair knew their intent, though he did not feel the sting of it. He couldn't. He'd been gone for so long, torn himself apart so many times, he wasn't sure how much of himself was actually left. The piece of him that lingered, Sinclair wasn't sure what to call it. It wasn't a soul. He didn't think so anyway. His family had died and he'd found no place for them to go anyway.

"I do not think proper reincarnation is possible for me." Sinclair said matter-of-factly. He made sure to say he thought, because he couldn't be sure without trying. Still, he believed it would never work, not for the likes of him.
"Besides, if you take me from this place… I will not have a body on earth. What I need is waiting for me somewhere far away." Sinclair had of course, made sure there was a contingency plan. He was always sure to have something lined up, but getting there had been the part he wasn't sure about. Assuming these reapers didn't try to just rip him apart, then there was a good chance he could get back to his family.

"But… I am not sure what to do with him." Sinclair said, glancing at the beast he had taken from Lazarus. "You wanted my daughter's life to grow his but… he lives regardless. Here… but out there…"

Sinclair gazed into nothing, not sure what would become of the creature if he was welcomed into a realm beyond this one. Lazarus sighed as he pulled back his sleeve to reveal a golden watch that showed no hands or a face for reading time.
"I'll take him. He-"

Lazarus was cut off when the hound like thing bounded away from him and did a little circle around Sinclair. His being tugged on Sinclair's essence, drawing him a little in every direction. Lazarus' scowl was not lost on Sinclair.

"Would rather remain with you. I do not understand these creatures that adore you." Lazarus shook his head, but chuckled despite his bemusement. "Fine then. Reapers, if you'd kindly take him to wherever he needs to be… I'm sure by now he has learned his lesson. After all, Sinclair… if you disappear at the end of every story, then one day you either won't return or… when you do, no one will care."

As Lazarus spoke these words he began to melt into the darkness. Vanishing from all their sights, leaving Sinclair with the reapers. The Firstborn did not bother following Lazarus' dramatic exit with his eyes, and instead turned to the reapers.
"I will go where I must, and I will contact my…" Family? Were they his family? Maybe they despised him as Lazarus had implied.

That didn't matter though. They needed him… right? Sinclair didn't like the doubt he was feeling. The vulnerable state of his being was getting to him. He needed to be rid of this place, of this abyss. He needed to seek life again.

"I will return to them."
 
"Finish chewing before you speak," Rare chided absently as she continued to stroke her daughter's hair, a tiny smile appearing at the obvious delight of the girl. "You have such a pretty voice, don't garble it by talking with your mouth full."

She leaned over and kissed the girl's head. Her own voice had lost its hoarseness over the years as its use helped to strengthen her throat, though she still remained very soft-spoken, and she still spoke with a subtle undercurrent of submission—at least, when she wasn't unhappy.

Elizabeth nodded to Valiant, willing to believe her. The child, she had a feeling, didn't tell the whole truth sometimes, but there was no use in trying to interrogate her at the dinner table.

Elli's suggestion was a sound one—the first one, at least, and her nod stopped short as slitted yellow eyes stared at Elli, the pupils little more than narrow slits.

Poppy stubbornly stared at her meal. Absently, she answered, "No fenks," as shaking fingers forked bite after bite into her mouth. It was like trying to eat sawdust as she tried to act normal—act like she didn't just imagine his words in Loki's voice—the same that still gave her nightmares.

Her eyes shot to Falren as he spoke, silently begging him not to make a big deal of it before they returned to her plate.

Penny huffed at all the weird at the table, lower lip jutting out as she looked around, pinned against her Papa by his good arm.

"Papa, you should say you're sorry," she pouted, nose covered from the thick scents of fear and despair coming off of her mother.

⋯﴾⛧﴿⋯​

"We'll meet up with you outside," Jebediah called, and Josiah snorted, then walked over and departed with him, but not without directing a hate-filled glare at Sinclair.

"Alright," Junichi said, then reached out toward Sinclair his free hand. "First thing is to make sure you can grab onto me, because once we leave, if you let go, it's gonna suck to try and find you again... and you'll want to carry your uh... dog?"

He paused.

"Hey, that thing isn't going to tentacle-rape existence out of being or something else awful, is it?"
 
Elli didn't register his folly until his daughter told him to apologize. He quirked his brow at the child, which was still not quite as effective on him. He looked from his daughter, to Elizabeth, then to Falren. He could see the sheer grumpiness in the depth of that man's wrinkles. Elli swallowed, realizing he had done something wrong and tugged at the collar of his tank top, which of course had no real impact. He then gave his daughter a hard look.
"You're right Penelope. I'm sorry Poppy."

Elli reached out and tentatively touched her as Valiant stuffed her cheeks and stared at her mother. She visibly worked on a visual of excessive mastication, but she did not speak with her mouth full.

"How's being Oberon doing for you?" Falren didn't quite heed Elizabeth's request as he stabbed a piece of his breakfast. He had noticed the peculiar change in the boy's demeanor as time went on. Falren feared that Elli was losing his humanity. Becoming more lost, more like Aster. Only with the mind of a genius and the ability to use ferocious magic. It had done nothing to lessen the apprehension he had been feeling towards Elli for some years now.

Elli met Falren's eyes, but did not let the bitter rage inside of him rise to the surface. He sighed, and wiped his hand across his face. "Exhausting."

It was all he would say. Elli didn't find it all to be exhausting, but the way he lived a duality tended to get to him.

"Penny." Valiant said once she had finished her food. She looked up at her sister, cocking her head. "What did unca do?" Valiant asked, curious, though she couldn't understand what Elli had done.

Poppy was in cat form, she would most definitely be useful under the table. Hunting mice, or collecting scraps. There was a lot she could do down there. Of course she had no idea what Elli had really been implying.

"It's nothing Val. Yer da's being a gobshite." Falren muttered.
"Gobshite!" Valiant called in her pretty voice, giggling.
"Gobshite." Jerry chimed in as well, grinning, and hoping to take some of Rare's wrath. He couldn't help as Falren tossed him a hard look now.

<><><><><><><>

Feli sighed as she sat by Bear's grave. She wrapped her arms around her legs and gazed down at the new life growing in the place that Rare had put Bear.
"Elli hates me y'know." Felicie whispered. "But… I can't blame him. It's my fault after all." Felicie sighed, giggling as she tilted her head and rested her cheek on her knee.

"I didn't understand how you could be so dumb. So big and yet so gentle. I was… am a terrible woman. You deserved better dummy. I was at my worst when I became immortal. It wasn't going to get better."
Felicie unfolded herself from her fetal position and shifted to lie on her stomach. Her legs gently bounced one up then the other and she played with one of the leaves growing from the grave plant.

"Your grand daughter is smart. Your son… he looks more like you than ever." Felicie knew she was telling him the same stories she had told him before but, what else did she tell him? It was selfish to talk about Sinclair. It was even more selfish if she told him she had looked for ways to bring him back. So, she just told him about his family. The one he died to protect.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sinclair paid no heed to the dark looks. He was used to that, but he was intrigued by Junichi's inquiry. His eyes roamed towards the hound thing which had become strangely attached to Sinclair.
"I… have no idea." As Sinclair said this, a certain light sparked in his eyes. He didn't know what this was, but it was important to Lazarus. To many beings apparently. Sinclair had not faced a new mystery in some time, at least not one that wasn't of his own creation. A small smile tugged at his lips before he turned back to Junichi.

"I do not believe I need to hold it. It will…" Before Sinclair could finish the thing coiled a cosmic limb around one of Sinclair's legs. The firstborn nodded then reached out for Junichi. The sensation of contact was not what he expected. It was like touching jell-o. Only the gelatin sensation was coming from him. As if he were a slime being that could feel someone reaching into him. Sinclair squeezed hard, ensuring a firm grip but it was like being half asleep. He felt little strength coming from his grip. He was insubstantial. Not quite real, nor alive, nor dead. He was in some strange boundary.

It was at that moment that he felt as if he were being watched. A strange, overwhelming sensation as if millions, maybe billions of eyes were upon him. As Sinclair turned and peered into the void they stood within he felt something wrap around his arm. Another tentacle came from the hound thing and wound itself around the arms of the two men. It let out a pleasant little yelp while several other tails wagged happily.

Sinclair was eager to explore this, but he had to get back to life. He wasn't sure he could continue to exist in this inbetween form much longer. Six was waiting for him. Though in truth, he really didn't like that sudden feeling. It was like being a rabbit in a forest with hundreds of wolves and he had finally just stepped on a twig and alerted each and everyone as to his presence.

"I'll admit, death is one thing I am not certain of where it pertains to my kind. This journey will be as new for me as it might be for you." Sinclair felt no shame admitting this. If anything, he felt a twinge of panic. He couldn't help but wonder if this is what his own family had gone through. No, Sinclair still barely clung to life. Though as Lazarus had said, it was not a line he could keep walking. Sinclair had not consumed universes in a long time. Not to the degree he needed. He was too weak now. Besides, making his family worry wasn't fair.
 
"S'foine," Poppy murmured, picking at her meal. Her face felt uncomfortably hot, and she wanted to leave the table, appetite gone.

The conversation continued around her, and in the brief quiet after Valiant asked what Elli did, she rose slowly. "Oi needta go feh a gypsy's kiss," she excused, then pushed in her chair and began to leave the table.

Penny, in the meantime, was distracted by her leaving by her grandpa's answer, and she grinned, echoing it cheerfully, "Gobshite!" The look that Granda gave to Jerry only encouraged her, since that meant it was naughty, and she repeated it again, "Gobshite!"

Elizabeth bit both her lips to try to keep from laughing, but she couldn't keep the amusement from her voice, regardless, "Fen, look what you started!"

Worry for her daughter was present, though, despite her amusement at the chorus of 'Gobsite' around the kitchen, and she glanced toward the bathroom, only to see Poppy take the stairs up instead—perhaps she was going to use the one in her room?

At Elizabeth's scolding of Falren, Aster stiffened, eyes wide, and forced a few deep breaths as he forced himself to remain calm.

He couldn't come to dinner with Father if he lost his temper. He couldn't enjoy time with his nieces if he lost his temper. People might again tell Mother to kill him. All of those were worse than Father being scolded a little bit.

He had to remember those things, and even as his intense stare remained on Elizabeth, he was in his own mind, working on 'calm' as he spoke under his breath the lullaby his master used to sing to him in mocking tones, "Suantraí sí, a linbhín. Luasc go mall sa chliabhán. Lú lá luí, a linbhín. Dún do shúil, a naíonáin..."

As for Rare, who Jerry feared would scold Valiant, she only laughed quietly, tempted to join in—she gave in quickly with a quiet outburst of 'Gobshite!' before she noticed Aster's recitation and blinked, curious about why he'd started muttering Gaelic under his breath, and she tilted her head as she listened to the normally stuttering Aster—speaking gaelic, with its softer sounds, seemed to suit his tongue better, though he did blip into higher and lower pitches and volumes at random.

~*~​

After this long, the grave plant had grown. It was a tree now, and its roots encircled the small graves of Penny's siblings. Drooping willow-like branches formed a shady spot and reached nearly to the ground, and no weeds grew near those small headstones.

Its bark was rough and golden-brown, and the trunk and branches were thick and growing thicker rather than taller.

The leaves were plain, pointed and long and a golden green that somehow always seemed like they should have sunlight filtering through them, and in the fall they turned as yellow as the man's hair had been. During the spring, flowers formed—four white petals, streaked in colors that were subtler hues of those that had been found in his true eyes. The tree had pollen, but no fruits or seeds ever formed.

As she played with one of the leaves, she could feel warmth from it, even in the shade, hidden from view of the house by the plant's hanging branches.

⋯﴾⛧﴿⋯​

Junichi didn't like how Sinclair didn't know, nor how interested he seemed in finding out first hand. Still, they were ready to go as their hands clasped, and as the strange creature held on as well.

Junichi seemed to take a deep breath, then let it out.

"First step, get out of here," he murmured, reminding himself.

And then, the trio were in a waiting room. There were people waiting in the chairs at the side, and a large being sat beside the counter, going over a file with someone.

Everyone turned their attention to the new arrivals, including the giant and monstrous-seeming being, made of darkness and seeming to shift constantly in appearance between different judges of the dead as he stared not at Sinclair, but at Junichi.

"What are you doing...?" the giant asked.

"Uh... nothing," Junichi lied as he scratched the back of his head through his hood, laughing nervously. "I was just... uh... going to show this guy the awesome view from the waiting room!"

Silence, and then, "Hn. He shouldn't be here. You're on thin ice as it is. Be quick about it, Chaoine."

"Sure thing, boss," he assured, voice faltering slightly. The stare from his boss continued, flat and unbelieving, and Junichi turned away from him suddenly and walked toward the window.

"If you look out and think about people from your life, you can watch over them. This window exists so that the dead can find some comfort and calm before they're judged."

Under his breath, he whispered for only Sinclair to hear, "You should feel solid enough in the waiting room. If you fall through, I won't be able to stop you from landing in the scene you're seeing."

He hoped Sin could take a hint. If Sin could just fall through the window, he'd be golden. Somehow. He'd just a short time ago witnessed one girl do it, and she came out a little crazy, but alive in a fresh body... Well, something close enough, at least. He wasn't sure how it worked, but it had, and this was the best chance they had. Sin just had to think about the right person and (hopefully) make a good show of an accidental fall. That was it.
 
Sinclair was silent as he followed Junichi. In truth, he was terrified. Terrified because he had never come to the place of death, and in fact he wondered if his path here was natural. The giant figure surprised him a bit, and Sinclair couldn't help but smile at the less than biblical visuals that made up what he could only assume was some kind of afterlife. At least until they called it a waiting room. Sinclair didn't like that. He didn't want to wait. Still, he followed along, already trying to think of how to get out when he was brought to a window. A window which would show him his loved ones.

"There is no one to judge me." Sinclair whispered almost sadly. He did not consider the opinion of those that watched this place as worth merit for him. They couldn't know what he had done before they had come to be. No one here could, and any judgement they would make would be incomplete. His fist clenched as he gazed out through the window. Was Six like this window? She could be anywhere? Would this show him current time?

Sinclair's mind was not like that of most mortals, and as he gazed into the window he saw a million worlds and more. A kaleidoscope of those he had come to know over his near eternal life. He took a deep shuddering breath as each one caused a memory to pop in his head. Then, they began to vanish one by one. It was like watching stars go out, rapidly vanishing until he looked at only a few images.
His family, Felicie apart from them, A place of pure white, Bio. Sinclair took them all in, still so unaware of himself he didn't notice the tightening of the cord around his leg, or the beast that had bound itself to him coming flying through and launching them both into the window.

--
Valiant giggled when her mom joined in on the humorous banter, and it lessened the edge Falren had adopted when he had presumed Jerry would only make it worse.
"Right right, this is breakfast, not a pub. Get t'eatin!" Falren commanded before he started digging into his own meal.

Valiant needed a moment to settle her giggling before she dug into her meal with her right hand. The monstrous left hand she kept folded in her lap, away from the material of her clothing so she didn't make it or anything else disintegrate into nothing. Despite focusing on her food, her pointed ears flicked just a little at the words Aster was speaking. She didn't understand them and yet did. It was like a far off memory, something she was supposed to know, like she had forgotten it. The girl scrunched up her face and wriggled her nose before taking another bite of her breakfast,
She wanted to ask, but Falren had ordered them to eat and she was hungry. Elli was busy musing over his daughter, failing to notice as Elizabeth had that Poppy's path did not coincide with her words. He did however, look up when he felt he got what he could only describe as a gut feeling.
In the next moment the refrigerator thumped violently as something landed against it. One hand pressed against it, there was something coiling around him. Dark tendrils of something cosmic with a white bone layer around the neck and a shoulder that looked like something was latched on using its teeth.

"What the-" Elli looked into stone gray eyes, timeless, and worn. There was something off to him, as if he wasn't all there. As if pieces of him were missing. Despite that, Elli knew who he was looking at. The color drained from his face as he stood up so fast his chair toppled over and a rotting arm formed from his stump, pulsing as an arcane conduit.

"No feckin way." Falren turned to the ethereal being standing in their kitchen. Sinclair stood there, taking the loved ones he had left behind in. His lips parted, trying to speak but no words came out.

"Ixil-Ora!" Valiant called, speaking the language that only Rare would understand, and Bio could catch pieces of. Valiant called to her firstborn father, smiling as she hopped from her place with the same excitement of a child who knew their parents had just returned from war. She didn't pay much heed as her hand severed a chair leg, making a part of it literally vanish, sending Jerry tumbling to one side as Valiant hurried towards the man.

"Dursh mana kwu eh, Ora!" Valiant reached for him with her monstrous limb, reading the lips that spoke to her. The world slowed for her as he reached out and wrapped a hand around one of her monstrous fingers. Valiant smiled bigger than she ever had, until ivory tendrils burst from the man, pulling and yanking him. He kept his grip on her finger and the little girl screamed a she tried to reach out with both hands. But it wasn't enough, and once more Sinclair fell through the aether.

"Ora!" Valiant called out before tears started to pour from her eyes. She dropped down , knees pushed together as she started full on bawling over the loss of her father.

"Mama! Mama! I… hiccup… I made… Papa… leave!" Valiant didn't bother trying to hide her tears as they spilled freely from her.

Outside, a similar event was unfolding.

"Sinclair!" Felicie cried out, reaching for Sinclair was the white tendrils pulled him away from her.

---

If one could know what it was like to feel themselves being born as if they were being drawn with a pencil, then Sinclair knew it in that moment. Every atom, every molecule, every cell, and the galactic sized essence that made up his soul all conglomerated in one place. The same place he had left his loved ones. He felt flesh being born with the fresh hot sting of not enough skin, and the cracking of bones before they fused. His eyes were pools of water that gathered components from the world around him until he could see again.

Sinclair awoke lying in a pool of milky white, on a world of pure ivory. Utopia. He was back. Sinclair tried to move his limbs, and felt everything shift. Everything shifted because he was everything.

"It worked." A familiar voice. Sinclair's eyes moved until he could take in Six. "The cradle has ensured you survived your little trip. Now we just need to figure out how to give you a body that isn't the size of a moon." Six mused, looking up only as she noticed another creature. The same creature which had literally thrown itself into Sinclair and shoved them through the window. The window where Sinclair had thought of the only people he loved for more than one cycle.

"I will need to thank the reapers." Sinclair said, and he felt the entire Cradle, what was once known as Utopia, groan from the effort. Six sighed and shook her head.

"In time. I know you don't want to stay like this. Did you find a way to contact your family?"
Six and Sinclair stared at one another for several long moments. The beast thing mewled in exasperation before hopping off and starting to walk. It was only then that Sinclair noticed how heavy it must have been. Each step felt like an asteroid was crashing into him. He ignored it as best he could, and nodded, causing the entire Cradle to rotate just a little, as if he had some cosmic neck.

"My daughter could hear me. I think her mother may have as well. They'll tel Bio…"

"Utopia. Where I left you." Those were the words he had spoken. Clear message that should bring them to him. He had felt so insignificant standing in the kitchen, but now… now he was feeling himself coming back together.
 
Rare stared at Sin, and she stood quickly enough to send her chair clattering, food instantly forgotten and appetite gone. She rushed toward Valiant, eyes not leaving Sin even as he spoke.

She got there only after he was gone, and she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms tight around her child, throat tight, but still managed to speak softly to the girl.

"No... No, it wasn't you," she assured, "You didn't make him leave."

But she was relieved that he left without taking her. Without stealing away the treasure he'd so thoughtlessly given her. She held her daughter tight, stroking the girl's hair and showering her head with kisses.

Utopia. He was going back to that cursed place. He wanted them to go there.

Her arms tightened around her daughter as fear clamped her heart in its chill.

She held her daughter close, stroked the girl's face and hair, and murmured reassurances.

Bio forced herself to unclench her hand, revealing the ceramic spoon's handle, broken by her tight grip, and letting it clatter to the table. She couldn't restrain her grin as she finally rose, then laughed, ecstatic. "It's Sin!" She laughed again, then hurried over to Rare and Valiant. "C'mon, get up, what'd 'e say? Had ta be a meeting place, raht? Les hear it!"

Rare steadfastly ignored her, unwilling to say it.

Elizabeth's lips tightened into a thin line, and the lines across her face deepened with tension as she stared at the table, unintentionally holding her breath as she thought not about the return of family, but the repercussions of that return being Sinclair of all possible people. The most dangerous person—but the one who'd brought them all together. The one responsible for not only the gaining of a family, but for several of the losses in the family as well.

Had he just had Felicie safeguard the elixir, Ober would be there still. Elli could have remained young, Poppy would not have ever met Loki...

If he was coming back, things were going to become a great deal more chaotic.

A glance toward Rare told her plenty about what Rare thought. Bio wore her excitement in the most obvious way. Others were wary. Aster was clueless.

If they were going to do anything about this, the children would need to stay home. Rare would be useless if she felt like her child was at risk of being taken, and it wouldn't be fair to bring Penny without Valiant.

Bio wouldn't let them simply not go, either. She'd be the first in line wanting to go, actually.

But Bio would complicate things. Rare, also. It would be best if it was just her and Elli—Elli to take them there, and her to manage Sinclair. She wanted to take Falren and Jerry as well, but Bio would doubtless need Jerry, and Falren was likely the only one aside from her who could keep chaos from engulfing the household.

Outside, the tree began to tremble. Leaves rustled despite the lack of wind, and a few leaves and twigs dropped off their branches.
 
"You know we can't bring them back here." Six said, looking at the strange fusion of Sinclair with the Cradle. He sort of stared back at her, sort of not. Death was not so easy for him. Just because a reaper said he could come back did not mean he could pull together the atoms, molecules, and cells it would take to regenerate something like himself in an instant. He loved seeing his family, to be with them for a moment, but he couldn't stay. No, the best he could do was this. Well, this and one more.

"We need to go back there. To avoid dealing with a dimensional rift." Sinclair said. The strange way he spoke like this did nothing to Six, but she had a feeling it would bother other individuals who may run into him. Besides, humans liked to survey the worlds beyond and she had a feeling that they would notice a moon sized celestial body crashing towards earth. She didn't hate his idea, but she knew Sinclair, for all his wisdom and years, did not have a single iota of common sense when it came to things like this.

"You told your family to come find you. Isn't that selfish? Did we not bring them here before?" Six said. There was a great level fo satisfaction in the moment of shame he felt as she pointed out something that should have been very clear to him. Sinclair's entire celestial form blew out some air, well, whatever air was to Sinclair.

"I... see your point." Sinclair said. Six scoffed.

"You should know... Rare is scared." Six said, lacking the same morals and conscious limits that others did. At this Sinclair looked hard at her. "She loves that child Sinclair. You..."

Six considered finishing, but there was a strange glossiness in Sinclair's eyes. Six couldn't believe that he had actually heard her. Maybe it was true that being a father changed men. Though, he technically had two daughters in a way.

"The boy... Elli, his glamour broke. Your gift to Bear... it is too late. He died. Died for that last deal. Do you..."
"I did what I had to. Gamelan was not simply holding the elixir for me. It is a means to an end." Sinclair said. The air was tense between them. Six did not like the sound of that. She had a feeling it was best if the others knew nothing of it either.

"I'll go speak to them." Six said, but she never left, nor had she actually waited for Sinclair's permission.

——————————————————————

The sound of a child crying was not something Six had expected. She had assumed the girls were be pleased to see their father, but Valiant was sobbing eagerly. Even as her mother tried to soothe her. Six made a noise which sort of rippled through the room.

"Everyone, hello again." Six said as jovially as she could manage. It was hard for a being like her to manifest much of what one would consider a personality.

"Allow me to retract any misunderstandings Sinclair may have... suggested." Six let her strange firelight gaze fall on Rare.

"Where's Ora! I want papa!" Valiant sobbed, glaring at Six. She broke free of her mother's grasp, rushing towards Six, hands outstretched. Her strange hand pressed into the air around Six and for a moment, one pure moment, utter fear filled Six's eyes. She vanished, and appeared in a different point in the room. Valiant stumbled forward, hitting the ground, her hand landing on the ground for less than a moment before it snake through the floor, ripping reality apart. Valiant didn't try to get up, she just lied there, crying, her arm through the floor as hot tears began to spill. Her horns began to grow, curling into gnarled shapes like angry trees.

"That is... Sinclair's child." Six seemed to have a husky, scared breath in her strangely multi toned voice.

"I thought you couldn't be touched." Falren said, comprehending what had almost just happened. Jerry still looked confused, and his excitement for Bio was quickly shifting. Six didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected that terror. She hadn't known that the youngest could... possibly do that. Just what had Sinclair created?

"Sinclair... will come." Six said. "Do not leave this plane. You will need to find him, but not in that place." Six said. "I will act as a..." Valiant's crying was making it so that she wasn't sure if the others were hearing her. She didn't know what was going to happen. They had to go to space to find him, but it would be best not to rip them to a new realm. Especially not with Valiant running amok.

"Perhaps we should meet at Pluto?" Six suggested. It was far, but close.

————————————————

Felicie looked at the growing tree. Her brows furrowed, curiosity and concern mixing in with the agony she felt as seeing and losing Sinclair again. She wanted to go speak to the others, but there was nothing to explain this phenomena. Her lips thinned as she carefully reached towards the tree of her dead love.

"What in the fuck?" She asked, used to magic, but still not sure what this was.
 
Elizabeth looked over quickly at the sound of Six's strange voice, and her eyes widened as she witnessed Valiant's lunge. A grimace touched her lined features as some floor disapeared, but she said nothing until Six suggested meeting at Pluto.

That earned Six a raised brow.

"Give her a moment, Six," Elizabeth urged. "We can't breathe at Pluto, anyway."

Despite to unease of the others, Rare walked calmly to her daughter and pulled her back into her arms. "My Lily-of-the-Valley," she crooned quietly, "Papa's friend came to tell us about what's happening with him. Don't you want to hear?"

Rare certainly needed to hear. If Sinclair was coming... If they were being told not to leave this plane... It felt like a boulder in her stomach. Sinclair... he would surely take Valiant away. Valiant would go, too, Rare was certain of it. Valiant... loved him, even if they'd never spent time together. Likely more than she loved her mother.

Rare covered her daughter's head in kisses, fearless of the girl's arm and desperate to show the girl which parent was there—which parent was loving her no matter what. She didn't fear Valiant's arm—it hadn't hurt her while Valiant was inside of her womb, so she didn't think it would hurt her now.

"I know it's hard," Rare urged, "But, please, we should listen."

"Should I get Mummy?" Penny asked, her voice uncertain, looking around to find anyone who would answer. "This is an everyone thing, right?" Her sister was crying. She didn't know how to make it better, and it made her chest hurt to see. She gripped the sides of her chair, body tense as she kicked her legs, eager to do something—anything—if it meant not having to see her sister cry while she didn't know what to do to make it better.

"Dayumn," Bio muttered, then shook her head and scratched at it before she looked up at Six, only to grimace at the overpowering sight. She quickly looked away. "Lab's soundproof, if yer in a hurry! Same fer Liz's office!"

Elizabeth grimaced at that particular shortening of her name from someone other than Falren, but given the circumstances, she didn't say anything about it—_priorities_, she reminded herself.

It was the broken boy at the end of the table who spoke up after it all, head twitching violently to the side as he stared with unblinking directness at Six.

"D-d-don-n-n-n't ru-u-u-u-un from her-r-r-r. Sh-sh-shEE deser-er-er-erves to know abou-ou-ou-ou-ou-out-t-t-t her Fa-a-a-A-THer..." he trailed off, his eyes seeking Falren as his tone and expression on the last word shifted to adoration and desperate love, his grin looking more than halfway like a grimace as the word alone sent him into one of his 'adoration fits', leaving him twitching and grinning, but unresponsive as he stared at his own father.

~*~​

The trunk felt lightly warm to the touch, and she could so-subtly feel a slow—so very slow—pulse as the tree grew quiet again.
 
Falren looked to Aster the moment he talked about "Fathers," he knew how the boy was and simply offered him a light nod before he turned his attention to the sobbing child. Valiant's tears slowly began to dissipate at the mention of her nickname. He looked up at her mother, and gently grasped her with the giant monstrous hand. Her big chocolate red eyes swollen with pink veins clawing at her iris. He sniffled, before pouting and turning her attention to the strange woman with a harsh glare. Six eyed the child warily, amused that tears still slid down her face despite the harsh look she was giving Six.

"I suppose I should explain as much as possible." Six said, looking around the room. Valiant nodded fervently, quite eager to hear what could possibly bring her father back.

"Well, to make it as simple as possible, there was a very, very slim chance Sinclair would come back. He has, though it is once more, probably not what you expect. So he may come here, but... it would help if we could get some direction. If we cannot meet him out there, then perhaps it is best we invoke the cursor." Six said, noting how the mention of that device earned a harsh look from Elli. He approached his daughter, putting his hands on her shoulders, and finding himself thankfully that Poppy was in fact not in the room.

"It's going to be quite the task and Sinclair is nowhere near full strength, even for his current state." Six's explanation was was simple as she could make it. There was no way to say a planet sized body was going to be coming here without earning an intense protest. Sinclair could not just zap himself here, but the cursor would work as a beacon to help guide him in the right direction. Unfortunately it did not have the potential to transport something of his size.

"I do believe Bio and Elli should be able to figure something out." Another harsh look from the current fae king. Elli quickly directed it towards the room Poppy had vanished into. He doubted she'd be happy to hear about that. He also doubted she'd be too excited to see him after what he had said. She seemed easier to keep at a distance as of late. Her choices to not be around him growing entirely clear.

"What if we don't want to?" Elli said, though he knew Bio would oppose him. He looked down at Penny, not interested in letting her meet her grandfather and pseudo father in other ways. Six did a thing that made Elli think of a smile, though to anyone observing it looked like no such thing.

"Sin will find a way."

——

Felicie's shock at the tree's strange life did not deter her from the distraction of Sinclair. She had to see him. To figure out what had happened so she could get him back. She rose from her place slowly, whispering a farewell to the tree as she headed towards the house.
 
Rare stroked her daughter's hair, holding the girl tight as she listened to Six. She wanted to bring Sin there.

Rare couldn't hide the tremors in her fingers, so kissed her daughter's head.

Penny leaned against her father, head tilted as she looked between him and Six, curious. about the new tension in the room, and glad that Rare had managed to calm her sister.

Bio, unlike Elli, was excited by Six's news, and grinned, only for the expression to fall away at Elli's comment about not wanting to.

"Ah want to," she huffed, scowling. "If all y'all are done actin' lahk he's some kinda evil mastehmind, let's show 'im the way home." She placed her hands on her hips as she looked directly at Elli, her naturally-bitchy face forming a pout. "He ain't a monster fer crissake! If you cain't bring yerself t'help, Ah'll work on the cursor mahself."

Her eyes narrowed in challenge as she muttered. "Y'all keep actin' lahk he's some kinda monster, and he ain't... He's just weird s'all."

Elizabeth remained quiet for a time, listening and processing not only what Six said, but the rest of the reactions around the room.

Of the lot, only Aster and the two daughters hadn't met Sin—well, Valiant had, now.

Aster was having another of his 'daddy fits'—worrisome as always, but normal. Rare was wary, as was Elli. Penny was confused. Valiant had calmed enough to listen. Falren was paying attention to Aster. Bio was getting belligerent—Jerry seemed a little slow on what was happening, as did Vargo.

She slowly rubbed the bridge of her nose, thoughtful. It sounded like Sin would be coming regardless. If he was left to his own devices, that was the most dangerous option.

"To be honest, it's... safer for the entire multiverse if we provide a beacon, at least," she sighed. "We know how things go when he does things on his own." A glance from Bio, and Elizabeth raised a brow at the moment. "I didn't say he does it on purpose, Bio, but clumsy is an understatement."

Bio snorted, a tiny smirk on her features. "Tha' works—clumsy." A tiny laugh escaped, and she shook her head. "So, Ah'm ready to get ta work."

Rare's arms tightened around her daughter. They were going to bring Sin there. They were going to light his way. She thought rapidly before she suddenly blurted, "Does this mean no holiday?"

More time with her daughter to herself—she felt like she needed more time. Sin was going to take Valiant away. She'd lose her baby, just like all the others. The thought ate at her, and she stared forward, remembering each time she finished birthing in the infirmary back on headquarters, and then was taken away, only allowed to see a bundle of cloth held in Doctor Alsoome's arms as he cast her an apologetic look.
 
"Bio and your daughter are the only ones who seem eager to see you." Six said with no concern for feelings. It just wasn't something that she really had. Still, she watched Sinclair, well, the face of what he was and tried to determine if he had a reaction to it. His eyes locked onto hers hadn't flinched. Six did not appear and disappear, she just held both conversations and passed the information along. Of course, he showed no reaction. He probably wasn't surprised. One thing she had noticed about him was that when it came to this family, well… it was the first time he was really a part of a family since he had lost his own. Of course it was having an effect on him. Of course, he wouldn't show it.

"The cursor is likely the best bet. There is no telling what would be the best. I do believe it will be best, at least safer." Six knew best what Sinclair could do, and in truth, it was the big reason she had been his partner before. How she had come to care for him, as far as he could do. That universe had suffered quite a bit, and she wasn't sure the world could handle such a thing.

"They're going on a holiday." Six added. "I think Rare wants to enjoy a family vacation." She saw the reaction there. A small one, but she could see what was perhaps pain. Discontent. Maybe even guilt.


----

"I don't see why we can't have our holiday." Elli said. He like Rare, wasn't exactly keen on the idea of Sinclair returning, though his reasons were drastically different. "We don't all need to go. I'm sure Bio will be enough."

His gaze slid to Bio, disagreeing with her without saying it out loud. Her eagerness to see Sinclair still bothered him. Afterall, it wasn't just because of his mother that his father was gone. That man had been a big part of it. In fact, ultimately, it was Sinclair's fault that anything had happened.

"I still wanna go." Jerry chimed in, though he looked around at the others without much certainty in his assumption. Yes he wanted to go, but he knew it wasn't really his choice. It would take everyone together.

"Me too. We can bring Ora." Valiant added, looking around excitedly. Bio was the only one reflecting her excitement. Valiant looked at her sister, grinning. "We can all make sand castles."

Valiant's excitement, beaming at her sister, was cut short when she finally noticed that there was a hole in the floor. A big hole, that wasn't a normal hole. It was one of her universe ripping orifices. Valiant looked down at her hand and admired the way the air around it seemed to ripple. It was being eaten by her hand, just as the floor had been.

The reality of her failure kicked in. Slowly her eyes began to moisten. She knew it was bad when she touched things with her bad hand. The Valiant looked to her mom, and stuck her hand into her mouth in order to ensure she didn't touch anything else. Now, only her big eyes projected to her mother that she still wanted to go on the trip, and that she hoped to have her father come along.

"Now now, let's calm down." Falren said, deciding he needed to take Liz's usual position as mediator. He placed his hand on the table, clapping it a couple of times to keep everyone's attention.

"We'll take the family vacation. Don't take all of us to collect a man from the airport." Falren was doing his best to ground this situation. In all this world, it was still something that he could not help but have the urge to simplify. He walked over to Aster, and gently placed a hand on the boy's head. He gave him a reassuring look before he looked to Liz.

"I think we should all go out. No harm in Bio enjoying a road trip." Falren couldn't help but agree with Bio at least a little bit. Sure he knew what Sinclair being alive could mean, but they were all acting as if he were some kind of monster who purposely wanted to destroy the all of them. Falren knew that at least Sinclair did not desire their demise. Though that could make things worse.

"What d'ya think Penelope? You gonna be a good big sister and watch Val out at the beach?" He knew that technically, this made Aster Valiant's uncle, but he avoided making that connection for now. He just wanted the girls to focus on getting along.
 
Aster melted under Falren's hand. He closed his eyes, a gap in the left as the flower growing from it held the lid open slightly, and he leaned into Falren's hand. Perhaps it was psychological, but whenever his father touched him, his woodenness seemed to fade a little bit, even if only for a few minutes.

"Da's... got good words," he murmured, his voice quiet and distracted as he concentrated on feeling the weight of Falren's hand on his head. Broken as he was, he did his best to try to fit in—to get along—but his father was the one whose presence he craved the most.

He still wasn't a fan of his mother, but he was no longer antagonistic toward her, and he was respectful, and even sometimes, when the mood was right, affectionate.

Much better than when he first arrived and said bedtime prayers about hoping for her suffering and how he called her a brasser.

Elizabeth wanted his love, but she understood the ways of cats and scars, and she didn't force herself onto the boy. Instead, she provided for him and gave him opportunities to bond with her, if he wished for them. If he wanted to stop, she stopped.

The feline woman now smiled at Falren, warm and approving. "Also, we don't need to leave right away Wednesday if it takes a little while. I'm approved for three whole weeks." She looked to the multidimensional being. "What do you think, Six? Do you think he'll be here in the next week or two? Bio works very quickly."

She could smell Rare's fear, but... her gut said that Sin didn't plan to steal away Valiant. Her gut said that he gave Valiant to her because he cared—he wanted Rare to have a reason not to return to the known that was captivity. A baby, which she could not have under Crow's ownership, was the ideal way to do this. By the time Valiant was grown, Rare would be in the habit of freedom, and have no wish to return to enslavement, she assumed.

Clumsy, but perhaps the most effective possible way.

Besides, she was very good at scolding people, and Sin even listened to her sometimes. She'd protect Rare's motherhood.

Rare couldn't help but remain still, gripping her daughter tighter as Falren, Elizabeth, and Penny all vouched for bringing Sinclair back. Broken little Aster, too. Her heart beat painfully fast in her own ears, and she tried desperately to calm herself. Her daughter's shame and guilt pulled her from it, and she kissed the girl's head.

Rare wasn't sure what to do, but knew she had to do something.

"Shh," she murmured, "It's just a floor. I'm sure if you ask really nicely, Auntie Bio will fix it." She smiled at the girl, hopeful that it would calm her.

Penny beamed at Falren, then at her sister. "Yeah!" She nodded, firm and excited. She could smell Valiant's guilt, but she knew about how to deal with that—distraction. "We'll build sandcastles and go swimming and wear the cute swimsuits that Mummy got us! And we can try learning to swim again!" She looked up at her father. "You'll help Auntie, right? It'll make Vally super happy!"

Bio blinked at the little girl's little manipulation, then laughed quietly. "Ah thenk yer baby's just decided what yer gonna do," she joked, shaking her head in awe. "It's ok, Pen, Ah thenk he'd rather spend 'is time with you before the vacation." She ruffled the girl's hair, then grinned at Jerry. Poor guy seemed lost in the conversation, but at least he still wanted to go. She grinned at him, excited and happy. "Sounds lahk plans're still on," she assured, then winked at him.
 
"I'm not sure when we can arrive. The cursor has not been used to move… well… Sinclair is still not quite in a stable state. His survival is leaning upon a rather large… we'll simply call it a life support system. If he were healthier I'm sure we could just open the portal and be done with it." Six explained it as delicately as she could. It wasn't as if she wanted to tell them that Sinclair was basically bonded to a parasitic embryonic sac that had fed on the life of everything that had entered Utopia.

Even his own family had been components to feed it. It was that one piece of knowledge that made her realize that Sinclair still had not developed a heart as one would expect. Sure, he had grown affection towards these people. He held himself back for them, but in the end he maintained the mannerisms of a creature that could appreciate, but not quite understand the truth of being a part of something greater than oneself. Of course… had he ever seen anything greater than himself?


"So…" Elli began, internally sighing at the suggestion that his daughter had thrown upon him. "You NEED me to calibrate the cursor."


He had a strange innate ability to understand the device. Of everything that was probably the thing that had bound him to Sinclair the most. Understanding how to use that thing, but the power, the curiosity, that had all fled him. In fact, he feared he had seen the power in Penelope. The girl did things in her sleep, and Elli had even found something that had not been there, nor had it existed. He'd taken it and hidden it, not wanting to expose her to what she could be.


"Does that mean you have to go?" Jerry asked, brows furrowing as he tried to decipher the course Elli would take. In truth, it would be best if he participated in the process of using the cursor, but the problem remained that it would likely take them from their vacation.


"I… don't think so." Elli cupped his chin, then glanced towards the room where Poppy had vanished. His brows furrowed as he looked towards the hulking figure that had gone silent in the corner. The golem Sinclair had saved and bonded to Rare. The thing that went quiet when he wasn't needed, even if it bothered Rare.


"Does Sinclair need time?" Falren asked, realizing that is what it would come down to. "Other than Elli needin' to sort this out. That's not a journey easily made, an' if Sin's gonna be need to house that… life support." Falren let his words end there, allowing Six to fill in the rest inside of her own head. It wasn't like Sinclair could actually bring all of the Cradle with him. The thing was feeding him remnants of his old life. Of the new DNA he had collected. There was no telling what his condition would be when it was over. Bringing the Cradle here would be dangerous too. It could throw the orbit of the planet out of place.


"Perhaps it will be best if we give it time." Six said. "I've explained to Sinclair the dangers associated with his original intentions. He's a bit impatient it seems but… he's coming around. It would be best if he was given some time."


Six began to say something when the front door was thrown open.


"I saw SIN!" Felicie called out as she burst into the room. She clung to the frame as she looked across the faces. Falren, Elli, Vargo, Valiant, none of them showed any sign of surprise. Jerry did though, as if he were not quite aware that they were all speaking of the same individual.


"Late to the show." Faren muttered.

"Yes, he made quite the entrance. He scared Valiant." Elli chimed in, irritation clear in his words.


Valiant pulled her hand from her mouth. "Nuh uh. Nuh uh. Mama tell 'im. Tell HIM! I just wanna see Da'!" Valiant couldn't help but jump between the languages for her dad. Penelope's accent, as well as Poppy's affected how the girl addressed her father as well.


"Uh… so… then… the Bear tree moved. That was… weird." Felicie reached across herself, gripping her elbow as she changed the subject to something that surely would be more surprisingly. The reaction was a silent mixture of hope from Elli, apprehension from Falren, and uncertainty as to the purpose of the statement by Valiant and Jerry.
 
Elizabeth, brows furrowed and head held up by fingertips on her temples, looked up sharply at mention of the tree's movement, pupils narrowing to black lines.

"What?" she asked after a moment, her voice slightly thick. She glanced toward Elli, worried for the young man, then looked again toward Felicie.

Rare rubbed her daughter's back, distracted now by hearing that Bear's grave tree had moved. She frowned, thinking, then shook her head and started to stand up, offering a hand up to Valiant as well. "For now... maybe we should..." Rare paused, hesitant, then glanced toward Bio. "Could you... check on him?"

Bio looked toward the back garden then ran a hand through her hair. "Hard ta see. Too much color..." Ever since Sinclair wasn't there, the existence of color in her world had become something bitter. Magic was beyond her ken, and even trying to work with Elli to get around it, the best she could do was hand projects to him that needed magical elements once she'd done the technical work.

She crossed her arms, tapping her fingernails against her arm in thought as she scowled in the tree's direction.

Penny looked around, then spoke up, her voice unusually quiet, "Doezzis mean... we get grandda and Val's da bof back? It's a good fing, righ?"

She grasped the edges of her shirt, fidgeting with it by stretching the fabric.

"Why's everyone' actin like it's bad? We should be figuring out beds and stuff, righ?"

Elizabeth's gaze turned toward her grandchild, and she smiled. "Someone has good sense. Ober's room is still as it was, just a little bit dusty, so he has a place to sleep. As for Val's father, well, we'll have to figure something out." The easiest thing would be either rooming him with Rare or Bio, though Bio had her obsession and Rare had her strange conflicted love. It might be better to move the rest of Falren's things into her room and let Sin have Falren's room...

Yes, that seemed the wisest course. Even if he didn't use it, it was near the children, and neither Rare nor Bio would think that the rooming arrangements were unfair.

It would mean Falren lost his privacy, though. Like her, he was a very private person. She'd have to talk to him about it first, away from the rest of their hodgepodge family.

"I have a few ideas, but for now, it'll be a little while," Elizabeth offered with a smile. "We don't know for sure if Ober is coming back, and it might take a while, so for him, we'll just keep his room ready."

Penny nodded, seeming cheered up, then looked at Valiant. "Sissy, everyone's comin back!" she chirped as she pushed forward to hug the other girl, strong and tight. "We can meet your da and my grandda!"

Rare glanced at Elizabeth—the Councilman might not have done it on purpose, but she implied that Ober was coming back for sure. She just hoped that Elizabeth wasn't getting everyone's hopes up.

"I'll clean it," Rare said after a moment. It would be cruel to have Felicie, Elli, or anyone else handle it, just like it would have been cruel to subject them further to the sight of Ober's mangled and gored corpse after his death.

"Anyways," Bio said after a few moments more of squinting toward the tree, "Fer now, we got a beach trip ta plan, ain't we? If it'll be a while, we got time to have some fun. We can come up with ideas fer a welcome home party or somethin while we're there." She shook her head, then stretched. "And in the meantahm, Ah'll work on that project Ah been doin. Who knows, maht even be our way to bring Sin home once he's ready!" She grinned, then started to turn from the table.

"Fa-a-a-ath...ers... are im... imimimimimpor-or-or-ortan-n-n-nt..." Aster stutteringly crooned, his manic-addicted gaze locked still on Falren.
 
"They've agreed. After much debate, that your return is not an unpleasant one. I think." Six made it clear that she was uncertain, but, Sinclair had already been forced to face that reality a moment ago. His family, the ones he loved, were not nearly as excited as he felt inside. Perhaps it was because he destroyed everything he loved. Their apprehension was warranted, but... at least they would let him come back. He would get to see his children, his loved ones, Felicie, and Rare. Too bad he was still bound to this moon sized hunk of life; but it was better than devouring billions of souls all at once just to support himself. They never needed to die. He was just more powerful and greedier than they were.

——

"Oooora! Ooooora!" Valiant whined, soothed by her mother's attention. She liked the idea of making room for everyone, but it sounded like they were going to separate her from her papa. Not to mention she didn't understand what the hell was going on with a talking tree. All she wanted to do was see the man who had helped to make her, and... to make her Mama smile at him.Valiant looked up at Rare and clung to her mother, not wanting to be parted from her. She nuzzled the woman, eager to see that she was their way to Sinclair. After all, it was his meeting her that had brought them all together. His meeting Rare that made Valiant exist at all.

"If we like... water the tree. Will Bear come back?" Felicie asked the question with a mixture of apprehension and hope. A part of her had come to terms with Bear's departure, feeling a wave of guilt at his loss, but understanding that with him gone, he wouldn't feel pain towards her betrayal any longer. She had loved him, truly, but none would ever be able to take the place in her heart that belonged to Sinclair.

"I..." Falren was about to protest, thinking it sounded stupid. He met Jerry's gaze, as if both of them had the same idea, and then were both left without being sure the idea was even remotely valid. "Dun know."

Falren's finish did nothing to soothe Elli, who was hopeful for it as well. However, the reality that his father might return made him turn a bitter eye towards his mother.
"I'll go look. I can probably determine better than Bio. That way she can focus on... whatever." Elli didn't dislike Bio the way he held a subtle hatred for his mother, but he did not like her infatuation with Sinclair. The similarities between herself and that man made Elli want to keep her away from the magical shape that was his father.

Elli looked down, and pressed a hand to his stump. He dug into it with his finger until blood began to drip and he performed his own magic upon it.The blood sprouted, changing colors and creating a beautiful sapphire bloom. The thing resembled a carnation, with tiny starlight droplets from buds. He handed it to his daughter, crouching so he was level with her.
"Take this to yer mama. Tell her I'm sorry. Really sorry for being a dick."

"Oi, don't be talkin' to yer kid like that!" Falren scolded. Elli let out a low, amused sound before he kissed Penny on the forehead. "Tell her, then tell her she can be mad at me for such language. I'm gonna go check out the tree."

With that, Elli left his daughter her responsibility and headed outside.

"Well, can we talk about the beach. Worry about the red when I'm drunk?" Falren said with a light groan. Valiant kept staring at her mother, while Felicie remained in her place, curious and quiet as she watched her son head out.

Elli stopped at his father's tree, gazing at it with a curious, hard gaze. He wondered what it would do. Would it live? Would it sprout a creature nothing like Bear? Elli wasn't entirely sure on how fae worked, even if he was one. He dropped down in front of it and drew blood again, this time dripping it gently onto the tree petals.

"Dad... if you're in there somehow I'm gonna find you." Elli whispered this, then watched his blood drip along the tree. It was only the start. Once his essence had settled enough, he would continue the spell so that he could get a deeper sense for it. He could not simply see souls, and magic, or whatever it was, but with practice and application, it would not be beyond him to decipher if his father had only been resting in this form.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back