PSA: I AM MORE OVER HERE RN ON MY SIDEBLOG @scrunklycrowned
Important Rules Addition
These will be in addition to my normal rules page, but theyâre important enough that quite a few especially I need seen as their very own post, so this will be pinned for a while. I apologize for its length, but due to such terrible experiences on this platform for the past several years and since Iâve been on tumblr in general actually, I need to set some firmer boundaries and have people be aware of some things. So please like this if you read so I know who read these rules. Some are rules, and some are just important things to keep in mind!
Iâm well aware that my verses arenât to everyoneâs tastes, and neither are my portrayals, but a lot of what I write is a way to sort through my own trauma. Itâs not the most conventional way to cope with abuse I guess, but everyone copes differently. Where most people self project by the way of writing them getting out of an abusive situation/maybe even killing their abuser, I like to writeâŚredemption. I like to write things how I WISH they could play out, as inspired by my own real life experiences. I like to write the abuser changing and the relationship changing, like I wish mine might⌠Iâve done this through any fandom Iâve been a part of really, and Iâve received backlash and even abuse through every one so far. In one fandom, it got so bad I had a smear campaign against me because of it and lost rl friends and that stops now. I shouldnât have to out trauma just to be free to cope in the way I need, but Iâm also not new to the internet.
That being said, youâre free to ask me to tag anything you donât wish to see and for the most part I try to tag everything anyway, but I want to make people comfortable. I wonât stifle myself though. Iâm not gonna stop writing the verses, and relationships that help me. (Yes theyâre all legal)
I will not tolerate being referred to as an abuse apologist or a victim blamer, both things Iâve been called across this platform. As a victim, it is extremely insulting and feels dehumanizing to not have my own experiences considered just because I write a different take on villains, or because I cope in a more unconventional fashion. There is more than one way to cope, and I could honestly go into a 10 page essay about the tunnel vision on this site⌠It isnât âglorifyingâ their actions to write them owning up to it and changing from it or imagining a scenario differently. Mind you, I donât do this with all characters, but I also donât write them as one dimensional either. I like to peer into the psyche of what made them the way they are and self project through them sometimes. I recognize that in CANON a lot should get whatâs coming to them, I just like writing things playing differently sometimes. And I get that isnât everyone cup of tea so theyâre welcome to not follow. I tag every one of my aus but again, you can ask me specifically about tagging things.
If you want to unfollow me, just do it and let that be the end of it. Donât vague about me, donât vague about the reason and my friends. If we were close, I would hope we could talk this out as friends before any rash decisions are made. Itâs always best to communicate after all. But I canât force anyone to do anything they donât want to do. But once you unfollow, please just softblock and let that be the end of it. Please. Iâm heavily, HEAVILY triggered by people vaguing about me due to past abuse on social media.
I will NOT follow anyone that participates in callout culture, or does any of the sort that name drops in a negative light, and that is an instant unfollow for me. To me all it does is just incite harassment. If there is a certain url you want tagged (even though I always try to tag urls) let me know privately. There are of course exceptions to this in serious cases if someone is a known predator or something, but not when it comes to petty discourse.
It might take me a while to follow any new followers I get because I want time to be able to check out peopleâs blogs, rules, and see if styles mesh with mine. You know, pretty routine stuff.
Please tag the url of who you write with or interact with. This is etiquette not only to make things easy to find on your blog, but to filter. It helps to minimize seeing urls and content that might make people uncomfortable. Itâs just good practice overall!
This is a personal preference and I have no will for anyone that does it! I donât do exclusives. I do mains but I donât make anyone exclusives. There are certainly people who come to mind when I think of a character, but I like to interact with all sorts of versions of said characters! c: Mains are another thing, I donât mind that!
I have MEMORY LOSS. Legit memory loss. I have a hard time remembering things: Triggers, threads, and basic info especially. Iâm going to forget things about your muse, about your verse. Even about you⌠Iâm not trying to be insulting. It does not retain in my memory, I have a slew of mental and physical disabilities that effect my memory and make me struggle a lot in real life. I get that might be a deal breaker for some people, if I keep forgetting to tag a certain thing that doesnât usually come to mind. Or forget threads. If you canât tolerate it and want to unfollow I understand, justâŚplease donât get angry or think Iâm trying to be ignorant. Iâm trying here.
I have a hard time being close to people due to trauma. Itâs difficult to be comfortable enough to be able to call someone my friend, but that doesnât mean I donât love talk and make connections, even if I may take a while in my messages. Youâre free to dm me any time, even if we arenât mutuals! I love talking, just be aware it may take a while. Iâm not as forward with my discord either usually, but youâre free to ask if Iâm comfortable sharing it yet.
More will probably be implemented but these are the most important additions for now.
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These images are so important to me. Two women who were originally forced together from the pressure given by themselves and their parents. Now close friends, choosing to pursuit their interests together instead of being controlled by others. Look at Amityâs grin, Lilithâs smile. They are genuinely so so happy to see each other. Lilith is the mother figure Amity never had and Amity is the mentee Lilith always wanted - a second chance for both of them.
So... When you say that Luz will get "grounded" by Philip.... Will there be trigger warning?
oh donât worry, any chapter that has anything more than like just a remark like Evelynâs âif you piss Nana off Iâm not saving your ass from the spoonâ would have a tw in the tags and maybe even before the chapter. And âgroundingâ aside, there are a lot of implications of other trigger heavy content especially concerning the wittebane childhood, because it was very fucked up. Most things are just implications, but any of that will have tws anyway to be safe
Not even sure if him âgroundingâ Luz will happen, but that is a chapter thatâs meant to show how far he has to go as a parent and his many fuck upsâŚand thatâs a pretty big fuck up for a parent to make, and likely in that time especially. In fact in that time is normalized.
(honestly any âgroundingâ moments would be from their scary grandmother Varuka lmao)
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I know luz would never really view Philip like a father figure, just like how she'd never call eda "mom". But would she ever see him like an uncle?
Definitely, but I gotta say although I donât think sheâd ever call Eda âMomâ unless she slipped up, thereâs heavy implications she sees Eda as her second Mom, from seeing King as her little brother, to calling Lilith her auntâand then much more implication from Edaâs side, which she never refutes or gets uncomfortable with
So that being said although I donât think Philip would ever get âDadâ by her, especially once he knows about Manny, thereâd be subtle implications like with Eda, and if he ever reached the point of offhandedly referring to her as his child, like Eda does, she probably wouldnât refute. And being called their big sister by Eclipse. (though that might make her heart ache at the same time) And calling Caleb Uncle.
Eclipse of course is far more explicit about it, as a child thatâs always wanted a family that loves him. (And already called Philip âPapaâ last chapter.) And I donât think Philip can fight off the âPapaâ fever much longer lmao
Iâm doing so so. Dealing with autistic burnout really bad and the seventeenth was my Birthday! đ Now Iâm searching everywhere to find a good indoor swing stand for my sensory swing Iâm getting. (anyone have recommendations for good indoor swing stands? đ)
(When the time pool closes before she reaches it and Luz finds herself hopelessly stuck in ancient times, an incident forces her to work together with her enemy to ensure their survival. In the midst of it, Luz learns there may be more than meets the eye to the frigid Puritan, and discovers the real secret to saving The Boiling Isles may just lie in reuniting an estranged familyâŚ) Â
Chapter 5 - Ultimatum
Chapter Index
It had to be the first time in a while, longer than Philip could recall, that he woke up feeling moderately rested and content. He didnât awaken with tears coating his face, or shivering from the lack of warmth provided by body heat. The ever present gnawing of grief was always thereâŚbut it felt cushioned as he opened his eyes and looked down.
As the rain had tapered off theyâd all crawled just to the outside of the tree for more space, but yet through the night, at some point, both children had cozied up to either side of him. Luzâs warm cheek was pressed against his stomach, and Eclipse was splayed out on top of her.
He smiled, and was thankful no one was awake to see it.
Philip gazed down at the sleeping childrenâs face. Eclipse was already starting to wriggle and rub at his eyes. Luz was strangely taking more time to rouse. âWakey wakey Luzura,â he told the girl with a gentle nudge. A far cry to the cruel kick heâd always given her before. The toe of his boot barely pressed against her midsection, and to his secret endearment and great amusement, she giggled and covered her belly.
âI said wakey wakey Luzura.â When his foot pressed to her stomach, it gave it a bit of a jiggle this time. Luz squealed and gave a subconscious snort through her dozing, but appeared to fall right back into her slumber when the giggles tapered off.
Philip sighed. âI tried being nice.â He looked at his spider. âArakate, you know what to do.â
The little arachnid seemed to give a battle cry as she eagerly skittered over to the teenager and slipped into her sleeve. Philip turned around to pack their things just as, predictably, shrieks and laughter rose up from behind him and he smirked darkly.
Luz was on her feet in an instant, dancing around as her lumpy shirt could be seen wiggling about from the merry spider crawling all over her.
âThis is what happens to those that arenât up at the crack of dawn,â Philip shrugged as he wrung out his jacket and snuggled it up over him again. âWell actually theyâre eaten usually, butâŚthis is what Caleb would have her do to me if I was foolish enough not to get up when told.â Apparently he didnât realize what sensitive information he was divulging.
âOhâŚ?â At least not until Luzâs far too inquisitive and smirking tone could be heard. âOh you donât sayâŚ?"
Philip flushed pink, but luckily, he found a way to divert the conversation. ââŚYou look like hell.â
She stopped smirking and now looked a tad annoyed. âGee thanks?â She scoffed. âCanât say you look like your Sunday's best at the crack of dawn either!â
âNo, I mean you really look terrible. Did you sleep that badly?â he blinked. In the morning sun now, he could see the bags under the childâs eyes had practically packed themselves and gone to bed. She appeared disheveled, and her darker complexion was even a bit lighter. There was a strange look in her eyes, almost glazed, and it didnât appear to be from morning grogginess.
âWell I feel okay, just a bit tired. Hey, do we have any of those snapping berries left?â She changed the subject fairly quickly and avoided his stern eyes boring into her.
TheyâŚhad had a difficult night, after all. Maybe she was just a bit under the weather.
Philip shrugged and ruffled through the small satchel of snapping berries. The pouch immediately growled and he rolled his eyes. âThe audacity, honestly. A fruit that growls at you, never imagined Iâd experience the likes.â Only in this hellâŚ
âHey at least they arenât snapples!â Luz laughed as she fished out a berry. The raspberry shaped eyeholes seemed to narrow, and its pulpy jaws snapped angrily as it was retrieved.
âEvelyn taunted me once when I was being ârudeâ and said if I didnât behave, the tree would turn me into a fruit. I thought it rubbish. This hell had to draw a line somewhere, right? So I picked up a snapple and it bit me. Only after I noticed my fingers became the consistency of pulp did I believe her.â
Luz burst into laughter, pulling a chunk of the purple pulp off the snapping berry and chewing at the sweet seeds. âThatâs why I like snapping berries better. They bite you with their gummy fruit mouths but you canât feel itâŚand you donât turn into anything.â
Eclipse sat on a stump and looked at the berries, seeming a little downtrodden that he couldnât eat any of them. Philip took notice.
âWhat did you like to eat, when you had a physical form?â he hummed to the star baby.
âOh!â They grinned. âWell we didnât really have to eat, but I liked doing it because it helped me feel like a mortal! And it looked fun and tasty! I liked star candies! Which basically is just when I took a big bite out of a star.â
Both looked at the blissfully smiling entity for a good moment, and returned to their respective breakfast. In the middle of licking the remnants of berry juice from his fingers, Philipâs caught sight of the complexion Luzâs pale face was taking.
Somehow, she was turning a sickly jade, and he didnât back up in time. He heard the grotesque sound before he felt the stomach contents splash his shoe. He shuddered, but didnât have much time to mull on that, because he had to rush to steady Luz before her head slammed into a rock.
He caught the girl and supported the small of her back, giving her an incredulous look. Luz had the audacity to look sheepish.
âSorry about that. Heh, I guess Iâm more nauseous than I thought⌠âŚYour boots were gross anyway.â
Philip rolled his eyes. âDonât make me second guess dropping you on the rock,â he drawled. He pulled the girl back to sit down. She was still wobbling and he kept his hand hovered near, just in case. âNow what is going on with you?â
âNothin,â Luz huffed, rubbing at her eyes. Philip fixed her with the kind of look she hadnât seen since last her father scolded her. It was the same warning tone as well.
âLuz.â
It had the same immediate compliance from her. âOkay okay! I donât really feel the bestâŚmy tummy is kind of sore. Itâll feel okay later.â
He wasnât convinced, but the sun had already kissed the horizon and they needed to get a move on. They couldnât exactly stay in that hollow for the rest of time. They needed to find a new base of operations, some newâŚtemporary dwelling.
Or you could go home. Philip jumped when he heard his spider give a chitter, and he hissed at the persistent arachnid. âOh, make yourself useful and turn into a staff!â
As expected, the staff-hating palisman made a series of disgruntled noises, before she materialized back into wood. He was certain the wood was glaring. HonestlyâŚall these vile creatures and he had to get the one that didnât even know how to be a palisman.
Philip decided to fly low. He wasnât sure how well he could trust Luz to stay on Arakate, and if she fell off, he certainly didnât trust his own piloting skills. His brother had always tried to encourage him to work with Arakate and try to fly with her. He really wished, just for once, he went against his bigotry so heâd have the practiceâŚ
âHey can I call you Papa?â Eclipse was suddenly in front of him, grinning their large and hopeful cheshire grin. The question was so unorthodox that he could only blink for a moment.
âNo.â
âPlease?â
âNo.â
âPlease?â
âWhy do you even want to?â The man finally tossed his hands out in exasperation, and partially to try and wave off the shadow child looming over his head. âŚHe wondered if he might also wave away the warmth that seeped within, to the question.
These brats and theirâŚemotional cursesâŚ
âWell you kind of look after us,â Eclipse shrugged. âOh, and it annoys you so I want to.â
Ah, well there went the warmth. Philip felt the embarrassed and endeared pink drain from his cheeks and ears as his face fell deadpan in record speed. âSeriously? Why arenât you bothering Luz, like you always are? Luz loves playing with you.â
âLuz isnât much fun today!â the baby complained, as his gaze drifted back to the teenager that had her face pressed against Philipâs back. That was concerning enough on its ownâŚbut it was honestly the uncomfortable heat that was radiating through the fabric that was the most concerning.
It was very chilly outside now, the post boiling rainstorm having cooled in the grass and left its damp in the air. SheâŚhad no reason to have a body temperature like that.
âLuz?â He jostled her lightly with an elbow. âLuz? Are youâŚnapping?â he asked awkwardly.
Eclipse floated back next to the teenagerâs side, but in typical child naivety, he didnât seem to grasp the situation. âYeah whatâs with the nap, Luzzy? You promised me youâd teach me to fly a staff, and here youâre allâŚâ He trailed off at Philipâs withering glare.
Philip redirected his attention to Luz and his face softened an increment. Seeing the darkening bags under her eyes as she weakly looked up, it softened more. âLuz.â
âJustâŚmore tired than I thought.â Luzâs lips turned up in what she hoped was a convincing smile. Her lips looked paleâŚ
Philip merely nodded, deciding to humor the veryâŚblatant lie. She looked like she needed a moment, and perhaps he could take the time to examine her.
âRight. Well, weâre going to do a supply run then,â he informed the kids as his feet finally hit the damp auburn grass. Hopefully the heinous creatures of the town had some sort of medication suitable for human children⌠âEverybody off the staff. Arakate does not like to be a staff, ever. Sheâs partially why I could never learn real magic even if I wanted to,â he drawled. âShe absolutely hates being on top of the stick and wouldâŚrather ride my head or shoulder.â
âOhhh sheâs your Pikachu!â Luz giggled, delighted with her joke. Philip might have misconstrued it for fever delirium if he didnâtâŚknow her decently well by now.
He shook his head incredulously and decided it was just best not to ask further. Maybe the kidâs brain shouldnât be stressed anymore than it had to be.
Youâre right, I do hate that thing, he heard his spider echo in his mind, concern strong in each bulbous eye. But it doesnât look like she should be walking anywhere right now. So just for this one time, Iâll make a sacrifice.
He nodded in satisfaction and gratitude to the arachnid and propped himself up against the staff. The moment his legs slung over the wood to hop off however, he seemed toâŚgrossly overestimate Luzâs center of balance, and how strong her body was at the moment. Without him to lean against, the poor child toppled into the grass like a sack of bad potatoes.
âLuz!â Philip yelped in surprise as he found himself beside her on the ground in a span of two seconds. Luz groaned and her eyes drifted skyward to gaze up into the pink clouds. Everything spun, the painted tinge of the sky and his horror stricken face and wide blue eyes as they came into view. âChild, did you forget how to walk??â
âWalking is for lame-osâŚâ the teenager mumbled as she pulled away from his hands.
Philip shook his head in disbelief as he turned to Arakate. âWhat do you make of this?â
Arakate hopped down and skittered to the young girlâs side, darting back and forth as she performed a small examination and chittered in concern. The child was pale as could be with the exception of her clammy, and reddened cheeks. Sweat clung to her brows and her clothing was even starting to stick to her from it.
I donât know butâŚshe doesnât look that good, Philip, his spider said gravely. Sheâs getting awfully feverish. Her long spindly legs tapped at the girlâs skin, and her gaze trailed down to where Luz was flexing her leg in apparent discomfort, face contorted.
Eclipse gasped when he saw the state of the girlâs leg. It was patterned from the thigh to the knee in what looked like fuzzy splotches of blue and purple. It looked like the spores of a spoiled loaf. âEw! Sheâs all fuzzy like bread gets right before you throw it out!â they cried in alarm. âOh no, we have to throw Luz out!! SheâsâŚ.sheâs EXPIRING!â
âEclipse calm down,â Philip instructed the frantic child. âWe do not have to throw Luz out. She will be fine, we just need to get some care for her.â He refused to think of the fact that, in a sense, Eclipse was right. If they didnât figure out what was wrong with this girl she wouldâŚno. No, that wasnât happening.
âNight night,â Luz mumbled in a sweet little croon as she turned onto her side and tucked her knees and her hands beneath her cheek. It was, to say the least, a horrifying thing to hear after what Eclipse had just said.
âNo, not night night!â Philip exclaimed as he hauled the whining teenager up by her shirt collar. Her noodle legs unfortunately couldnât sustain her body weight and she buckled once more into the grass. âCome on now, childâŚyou just need a bit of assistance.â He dipped down himself, and with a bit of adjusting, he soon had the girl pulled up onto his back.
Luz flopped forward like dead weight against his back, and despite the uncomfortable heat sweating through his jacket, Philip felt a strange unnerving chill. Something was very wrong.
The teenager was heavy. Heâd built up a bit of muscle mass through living on his own and hunting, but she was still difficult to carry. âPut your arms around me. You like hugs, remember? Hold onto me all you want.â
Luz mumbled in barely coherent acknowledgement, but after a moment her sweaty arms flopped around his neck and hung there like limp strings that she could barely even support.
Philip cursed. He cursed whoever was out there that made these hellish ailments in this hellish place. âHow did she start to fade so fast?â he demanded Arakate anxiously. âShe was fine last night! Chatty, annoyingâvery annoying. All of the usual! Did she become sick because of the rain? The fluctuating of body temperature with damp clothes? NoâŚthat doesnât quite add up to these symptoms.â
She has a terrible rash, the spider pointed out, skittering down the girlâs back to once more get a look at it.
âRight, rash, rashâŚargh! So many damned things cause a rash! Well, small pox doesnât make one fuzzy and blue, so I suppose thatâs one we can scratch out. The common mold definitely doesnât cause such symptomsâŚâ
âIs it dragon pox?â the baby collector wondered as he lingered by his friendâs side and tried to see if this weird rash looked familiar. It didnât.
Philip shook his head. âDragon pox causes an affliction of scales. NotâŚscale like rash, literal scales. And your eyes turn hideously yellow. If this is dragon pox, itâs certainly a new strain Iâve never come across. And I almost died from it soon after getting here, during the great plague. We need an expertâs opinion.â
We need Varuka, Arakate told the young man pointedly, and Philip felt a small surge of panic. He waved a hand dismissively and ignored the annoyed eyes.
âOh, no need to go that far. Thereâs a healer in the town that we were in earlier. Remember that little tent? Weâll get the girl there. A potion, or a spell, and sheâll be in pristine condition.â
There werenât many resources in that tent, Arakate frowned at him. And you still have quite a black and white view of how magic works. Itâs not necessarilyâŚthat simple, especially if she has a rare sickness. You know that Varuka-
âEclipse!â Philip cut off loudly. âWe're going to walk back to the town we were in. It isnât far, and itâs safer than flying for her right now.â He hiked Luz up against his shoulder blade, and tried to ignore the pang of concern as her face flopped against him. Her eyes only fluttered now and again.
âTheâŚhealer will be able to help her, right?â the baby collector hesitated. ââHealerâ is in the name, after all.â He nodded his affirmation. âYeah, of course they can. Th-that lady will know just what to do!â
Philip said nothing, but away from the godlingâs imploring gaze, he bit his lip and just hiked on through the trailsâŚ
-
âWhereâs the markets?â Philip felt his stomach drop as they approached the near barren square. At least, it was certainly more barren than it had been the day beforeâŚ
People arenât out here everyday, Arakateâs trill rang through his head. There were mainly a couple tents with carts of produce, and an unfortunate jeweler that was still vainly searching for some customers. Donât forget, they have to restock. Tend to their fields, pick the herbs they sell for potionsâŚ
âWell how am I supposed to find that stupid witch then?â Philip snapped.
There is still Varuka, Arakate reminded, and this time her tone carried a bit of an annoyed edge. The cottage isnât that far. We could easily make it by evening on foot. Shorter if we can somehow manage flight.
Philip bit his lip and felt sweat forming on his brow from the anxiety of the situationâŚand the fact that he knew options were dwindling if they couldn't find that healer. Luz needed medical care and she needed it now. Still, he shook his head adamantly. From this apparent connection he had with the blasted arachnid, he could feel her growing ire. âWeâre here now. N-not only that, but flight would still be quite dangerous with the girl. She cannot even support her own weight and gripping your staff would be a near impossible thing trying to hold her.â
Eclipse was unmindful to the angry spider, his silhouette stretching up as far as he could manage to get a good view of the surrounding place. âWellâŚ.thereâs a tent up ahead thatâs set up next to where the old lady was!â
Philip looked over to where the shadowâs finger was pointing. Sure enough, he could see the glint of silver, and steel from setup armory. There was also an older vendor that vaguely resembled a reptile, and he did not look enthused to even be there. This should be funâŚ
Philip sucked some air into his cheek and sucked up his pride as he marched forward. He despised asking for help, least of all someone that was literally carrying weapons. His footsteps fell heavy and sunk into the wet ground, but the vendor didnât even glance up.
âExcuse me, Sir-â
âGo away.â The voice was gruff and begged not to test it, but Philip still did.
âI said excuse me, Sir,â Philip repeated with an air of feigned politeness. âI was wondering-â
âI donât sell to your kind,â the vendor growled once more. âLeave. Now.â
Philip felt a flare of indignation, but he smothered it. âIâm not interested in your wares, Sir. I was wondering if you knew where the healer is, the one that was set up in the tent next to you.â
âI told you to fuck off,â the reptilian blacksmith grunted. The gleam in his eyes suggested he was definitely thinking of ramming him through with one of those swords. âI ainât telling your kind anything. Especially you.â He pointed a harsh and accusing finger towards Philip, and he saw hatred in his eyes. Other than in passing, Philip had never really interacted with this manâŚbut something in his stomach curdled. He tried to fight it off.
âI wonât bother you further Sir,â Philip grit his teeth, tearing his gaze away from the hateful one that bore into his blackened heart. ââŚAfter this. Please, I need to know where the healer is.â
âOur friend is really sick!â Eclipse cried, springing up from his rock. Philip pulled back the obol protectively, even knowing that Eclipse was merely a shadow right now and this witch could do nothing to him.
It was difficult hiking the slipping Luz up on his back and handling Eclipseâs stone, but somehow he managed. âShe is sick and she needs help.â
âThe less of you the better,â the vendor grunted as he polished off his wares, spitting along the metal hilt and shining it with a cotton cloth. Both travelers gasped and Arakate hissed.
It took everything in Philip to keep from slamming his boot against the base of the table and send the metals tumbling. âYou savage! You barbarian!â he shouted. âSheâs a little human girl, how can you-â
âAND MY SON WASNâT MUCH OLDER THAN HER!â the witch roared. Philip fell into an immediate stunned silence, and he jerked back as if heâd been slapped. Eclipseâs silhouette darted behind his leg.
The reptilian sneered, and suddenly Philip could trace the features back to something with a more hauntingâŚfamiliarity. âYou think I donât recognize you, but I do. My son was a curious oneâŚbut one day he met the wrong person. A man that took advantage of that curiosityâŚand naivety. I have no evidence, but I know. â
Philip felt his legs shaking, he could feel Eclipseâs confused gaze and ArakateâsâŚstrangely resolute one. It took a moment before he could speak again. ââŚLuz is not resp-â
Before he knew it, before either of them could react, he felt a blinding pain in his stomach and was sent crashing backwards into the ground. Luz let off a weak, squeaky moan as she smacked against the ground. It took a moment for Philip to realize that heâd been slammed in the stomach by the hilt of a swordâŚand that the other side of it was now pointed inches away from his face.
The witch ground his sharp yellow fangs. ââŚTalk to me again and itâll be the sharp end next time.â
Philip held his breath until the weapon was pulled away from him, and even after it was he remained in the wet grass for another few good moments, processing. It was only when he heard a small bleary sob from the bundle on the ground that he finally looked over.
Almost in a daze, the man mechanically scooped the teenagerâs damp form into his arms and started to stagger away from the tent, and away from the almost empty market.
Philip didnât answer as he continued to limp his way back to the trail, and it was visible easily by the way he just aimlessly wandered in a half circle, that he had no idea where he was going. He didnât know what he was doing.
Philip sunk down against the trunk of a tree, and he just sat thereâŚwith Luz in his lap. Luzâs breath came in shallow inhales, and each breath sounded clogged and thick and wheezy. Her fever made her uncomfortable just to touch.
The worst thing about this wasnât the shadow's curious eyes that looked at him, but instead the multiple eyes that bore into him from Arakate. Her gaze wasnât like Eclipseâs. It wasnât confused and agitated with curiosity. Her expressionâŚwas grim. It was sad, and it was disappointed andâŚknowing.
âPhilip I donât understandâŚâ Eclipse said in a quiet and meek voice.
Why did it matter? Why did he care? He didnât care. No, heâŚhe was just shaken at nearly being gored through.
âHelp, a human? There ainât enough snails for me to ever do that.â His ire had bloomed at the reaction from the crowd. A few had jeered, a couple had sneered, and most in fact, had just nervously returned to their business.
Blast it. Bloody charisma was a magic in its own, and one he never seemed to have a handle on, unlike Caleb. Caleb had been here long enough to have most of them eating out of his hand, but he had no such luck.
Heâd been about to lick his wounds and prepare to try again another day, when a small wide eyed reptilian demon had approached. He looked to be about seventeen. His curious and excited gaze made the man resist a smirk. It would be easy to get his hooks into this oneâŚ
âIâm interested, Sir! My pops doesnât like humansâŚbut I think your kind is quite fascinating and exotic!â
If only the boy had caught the malevolent glint to his eyes, as Philip had feigned a diplomatic bow, and sweet words. âNot to worry, dear boy. Treat me with respectâŚ..â He smirked. âAnd I shall return in kind.â
Heâd been so eager for adventure that heâd trusted the scorpionâŚ
Philip shut his eyes quietly. The weakly shifting form in his lap took his gaze and he quietly ripped off a part of his vest, dipping it into their canteen of water and applying it to her forehead. He wasnât sure what difference lukewarm water would make. She flinched momentarily, but her muscles seemed to relax slightlyâŚ
His eyes were shut for a moment, contemplating. He heard what sounded like softer footfall through the muck, but thought nothing of it until a voice spoke up. It was older and soft, and right now it honestly coated his ears in honey.
âBoy, what are you doing out here in the wet grass? Youâre the little group from earlier, arenât you? Oh dear meâŚis your child alright?!â
Philip almost cried with relief. There she was, standing with her brows wrinkled in concern, and already bent down to his level to check on Luz. âI-itâs you! We were searching for youâŚâ
âYouâre lucky,â the healer sighed as she touched the girlâs cheeks with a calloused hand. Quickly she withdrew in alarm. âI had to pick some herbs for a potion order nearby. My cabin isnât far from here. Come along, and Iâll see what I can do for the young one.â
Philip felt a chill as he tried pointedly to ignore the very quiet mumble of âif thereâs anything I can do for herâŚâ
-
âSleeping Shade Indigo Cap Mushrooms?â Philip repeated incredulously, trying to make sure he got that mouthful right. They had Luz laid down on a cot in the elderly witchâs cabin. It was even smaller than Varukaâs cottage, condensed into mainly one room that split into an older kitchen, and what Philip supposed was the womanâs make do hospital.
âTheyâre an incredibly rare and lethal relative of the sleeping shade family,â the witch informed him as she helped the tired human to dump another bucket of ice into the pail of cold water they had perched beside the childâs bed.
âIâve yet to find a relative of the sleeping shade family that isnât poisonous,â Philip said tersely as he dunked the cloth into the water to let it soak and absorb the icy water.
âWell they all are, but unfortunately the fungal relatives of the sleeping shade are the mostâŚpotent.â
âOf course,â he muttered. âWith my luckâŚâ
âAlthough the gray sleeping shade herbs have their oils extracted for lethal dosages of poison, minimal drops can be used for a deep sleeping potion. Sleeping shade herbs are only dangerous if ingested, but the funguses are far worse. The slightest brushing against one of these dastardly things can set off a chain reaction of rashes that can kill a grown man in less than three dayâs time. A child in...much less."
Philip went as cold as the bucket next to the teenagerâs bed. âB-but how is this even possible?!â he spluttered furiously. âLuz has not ingested a sleeping shade herb. She eats puzzlesâŚ.and I might have had to stop her from licking a frogâbut she did NOT eat a sleeping shade herb! Or touch one of those mushrooms!â
âI donât know if thatâs true, Philip,â Eclipse pointed out.
âWhat are you talking about?!â Philip snapped. Suddenly, he remembered.
âUgh those smell like gasoline!â
âHow curious, I donât believe Iâve seen those mushrooms before!â
He staggered, and was appreciative for the kitchen basin that was thankfully just a few paces away, which he found himself gripping onto as his complexion rivaled Luzâs. âItâŚit was me,â he mumbled faintly. âIt was me.â
âOh right, you pushed her into those mushrooms!â Eclipse cried. Philip shrunk into himself as the old healer turned slowly towards him, simply aghast looking.
âI didnât know!â he snapped desperately. âAnd I didnât push her into them! I pushed her, playfully! W-we were in a tree hollow!â
The witch gravely shook her head at him. âOh-ohâŚthatâs where they frequent the most.â
âTHANK YOU for the tip, Orla!â Philip snarled venomously. He sat in one of the bedside chairs and wrung his hands out in distress. The progressing fuzz and what almost looked like spilled ink splotches had only seemed to spread up her skin, far beneath the rim of her shorts and creeping towards her feet. âSoâŚwhat do we do now?â he asked helplessly.
Orla leaned over to check on the cauldron she had hissing and bubbling on the wooden countertop. The concoction smelled simply foul, but if Philip knew anything about medicine, it was that the worse it smelled and tasted, the better it was for you...Normal medicine anyway.
âSo this will heal her. This will heal her then, itâs some magic drivel.â He nodded and watched to see if Orla nodded along as well. A tightening formed in his chest when she seemed to pause in her step, and then justâŚcontinued to the bed. âThis will heal her,â he repeated loudly. ââŚWhy arenât you agreeing, you blasted hag?â
âChild, this might help with the fever,â Orla sighed as she spooned out a mucus green colored stuff into a small pestle and crushed it up a bit more. âButâŚthatâs it. IâŚcan do nothing for the fungal infection.â
âYouâre a witch!â he cried furiously, shaking his head in disbelief. âA damned witch! If thereâs anything good thatâs supposed to come of you, at all, for this situation, itâs that you have magic! What good is your kind if you canât even do that one cursed function?â
Orla pursed her lips in impatience, but chose to chalk his ignorance to his parental stress. âYou have quite the narrow vision of our kindâŚbut I knew that already,â she sighed. She bottled him up some potion and dropped a few other herbs into a homemade drawstring pouch. âI have a tent set up to tend to more minor illnesses and injury. Cuts, bruisesâŚ.and Iâm mainly a potion maker.â
She sighed as she looked back at Luz. Luzâs clammy hands were heartbreakingly reaching out for a blanket to drape over herself, but Orla had pulled them away with the spike of her fever. âWhat she needs is a disease specialist, someone that has studied various types of diseases and infections and has turned every mushroom and herb over in the realm just to find out its medicinal properties.â
Donât say itâŚ
âWhat she needs is Varuka,â Orla finished. Philip grit his teeth. âVaruka is the most powerful healer in this realm. Sheâs been studying for nine hundred years! Everything I learned I learned from that woman.â
Philip grit his teeth in desperation. He suddenly spun angrily to Eclipse. He was frustrated, he was terrified, and he handled it in the only way he knew how toâfind someone else to target.
âAnd why arenât YOU doing anything?!â he snapped. Eclipse looked taken aback.
âMe?!â they spluttered.
âYouâre the collector! Youâre supposed to be this all powerful being, supposedly one of the most powerful beings in the realm! What was the good in recovering you when you arenât even strong?!â
âI am!â Eclipse snapped. His silhouette had grown five times the size, towering now over the smaller man that stood there defiantly. âBut Iâm also trapped! Iâm in another dimension that can only project from a rock! I canâŚ.â He sighed and his shadow deflated. âI can pass on the knowledge that I know, and give instructions, butâŚI canât do much from where Iâm at!â
His options had been utterly exhausted, and Philip quietly deflated to sit on one of the stools. Eclipse paid no attention to him as he just floated quietly back to Luz.
Orla watched as Philip hung his head in his hands, barely perching his forehead up against both palms. âI knew I recognized you.â He froze until she continued, âWhen you were all at my tent earlier. I could tell I recognized you. One of Varukaâs boys. Quite easily distinguishable. I donât think thereâs many other humans but you and your brother.â
Heâd turned away from her on the chair, and his pained gaze just took in every one of Luzâs ghastly features. This disease had already taken so much. Her tanned complexion, and the soft healthy pudge to her face seemed to have sunk in. Her skin was either whitened or blue⌠It certainly didnât appear her sleep was peaceful either.
ââŚI donât know whatâs keeping you from going home to them,â Orla continued quietly. âButâŚthis child needs more care than I can give.â She chose to pick her words carefully as she looked over at the silhouette of Eclipse.
Philip took in a deep steady breath. âWatch over her for a moment Orla. IâŚneed to step outside.â
Numb, Philip made his way quietly to the door, and once outside, he slid down the side of the house. From here, he could see the cliffs of The Boiling Isles, overlooking a view of the sea. He could see the titanâs skull in the distance. He heard tiny legs skittering behind him.
ââŚThis is all my fault.â
Arakate looked up at him. PhilipâŚyou didnât know, his spider began hesitantly. You didnât know there were mushrooms there and had no idea they were this poisonous.
Philip shoved himself up from the siding and shook his head angrily. âNo! All of this, Arakate!â he cried. âEverything that has happened to this stupid girl since she got here is because of me! I am why sheâs in this blasted place in the first place!â He paced angrily. âIâm the reason sheâs even in this time! She came through that stupid pool to find me! I-I donât know, for some information on getting home!â
He snapped a branch off of a tree, just needing something to throw. The dry twigs snapped as they hit the bark off another tree. âEvery bad thing since she has come into this time that has happened to her is because of me! And do you want to know the best part of this?â he laughed brokenly, with bitter sarcasm. âIt. Should Not. Matter to me!â He stabbed himself in the chest with his finger.
âI should be happy! All I have done since getting stuck with her is gripe about the fact that Iâm stuck with her! That I canât get rid of herâŚand nowâŚnow I am going to be rid of her. And I am not happy, and I cannot figure out why.â
He knew the truth. He knew he knew the truth of why he wasnât happy. He knew the truth for why the thought of this annoying little beam of sunshine snuffing out like an extinguished candle, threatened to twist him into two. âŚBut he wasnât sure if he was ready to admit that one to himself yet.
âI should be happy.â
âŚ..But you arenât, Arakate finished quietly. PhilipâŚit is abundantly clear to me that you care about this girl. He crossed his arms and he looked away, but he refuted nothing. That you care aboutâŚboth of these children. Youâve spent today doting over Luz. I watched you spend two hours teaching them how to write in caligraphy, using up countless pages in your precious journal to let the girl practice.
Philip unconsciously gripped his satchel, where he could feel the bulk of the journal. This bookâŚfor so many years now, it had felt so empty even when filled with words. Deliveries of lies, the telling of the ghost of memories for a life that no longer existed. Now, at least ten of those pages were filled with messy scribbled attempts of letters of the alphabet, and even a page of her stupid little doodlesâŚwhere sheâd made fun of his beard.
You care about this girlâŚso I think you finally need to ask yourself something. How much do you care about this girl?
Philip looked up. Even through the broken shutters of Orlaâs window, he could see Luzâs prone form. He could see the way her face was drawn up in pain, see the way her chest spasmed now and then.
âŚ.Do you care enough to face your greatest fear?
-
The tree beside Varukaâs cottage was always one of his favorite places to be. That one single tree to him, was like the rolling waves to Evelyn that she sailed across. It was his calming place.
It was one of those trees that, back in the human world, you might see a swing roped up to. Or, in a more grim set of lenses, a tree that you might see used to hold the swinging bodies of the accused. It was a deep red, and large enough that it towered the height of the cottage.
Everybody had things they liked to do in this tree. Evelyn worked on star maps, and would sit with Aasha and him many nights as theyâd look at all the constellations. It was something Caleb used to do with Philip as well. Varuka had a garden that either she or Kiki tended to, and sometimes sheâd sit and read. âŚAasha of course just climbed it, fearless of the snapples that hung above, and even of that fire bee hive they had at one time. Thankfully, cotton bees had moved in instead. It always was adorable watching her play with the harmless little flying cotton balls.
The tree was full of carvings as well. There was a heart that Caleb and Evelyn had carved together, with a small engraving in their respective handwriting. An âEâ with so many fancy and eccentric curls, his simple âCââŚand below it, a tiny, tiny little messy scrawl with an âA.â
Nana and Great Nana say itâs getting late!
Caleb nearly yelped as his daughterâs tiny body suddenly flopped onto one of the lower hanging branches he was on. He didnât help her. Heâd learned the hard way that trying to help her climb it would only produce an angered screech.
âRah! Getting late! Supper time! Late supper!â her palisman screeched as the parrotâs large talons hung onto the girlâs shoulder.
Caleb sighed, but he gave a smile as he scooped his baby into his arms. Aasha squeaked and giggled with delight, her tiny nose rubbing against her fatherâs. Her straw colored hair was shoulder length like her motherâs, with two long braided bangs that cupped her face and were tied into beads at the ends. She had his fiancĂŠâs beautiful green eyes, that he smiled into each time he looked at themâŚand she had a nose much too similar to his baby brotherâs, and it made his heart ache just to look at it sometimes.
âSorry sweet thing, I was just reminiscingâŚâ As the five year old tilted her head to him questionably, he chuckled. âIâm thinking back fondly on things. AndâŚthinking back to some sad things.â
Caleb cupped his hand softly over one of the tree carvings. It was an older, decrepit âPâ, that his brother had begrudgingly forced into the wood just to please him. It was shafted off to the side, refusing to be in the heart Caleb had drawn with Evelyn.
âYouâre lucky Iâm carving the stupid thing at all,â Philip had angrily spat as heâd thrown down the tools and stormed back into the cottage. The P had faded with time, buffeted by their last storm. How fitting⌠Caleb choked down his tears.
Is it Uncle Philip again? Aasha signed sadly. Mimic jumped on her back. âUncle Philip! Pippins! Uncle Pippins!â
Caleb laughed as he wiped his eyes. âI really donât know how heâll feel about Uncle Pippins, but yes.â It would be hard enough just getting the kid to accept Aasha. âŚNot so much a kid now, he supposed. It had been years, and although Philip had always made himself scarce, heâd heard rumors of a human man that was out thereâŚ.dwelling in caves like a cryptid. Titan, did he hope those rumors were true.
Youâre out here a lot, his daughter signed, and Caleb nodded.
âI knowâŚbut it helps me think.â He sighed. âItâs a good resting place.â The father smirked as he poked his daughter in the tummy, and she squeaked. âWhen a little monkey isnât interrupting me.â
He shrieked, and slipped slightly as a slender wrist gripped a hold of his ankle. Twisting over his arm to look down, he made playful beady eyes at his beloved.
âOr a bird of preyâŚâ Evelyn gave a few more tugs, and laughed as Caleb pouted and held onto the branch. âHey, Nana says dinner is ready and sheâs getting impatient. If she gets the wooden spoon out, I am not saving your assâŚâ A trail off as Caleb scowled and held Aashaâs ears. ââŚortment of sweets,â Evelyn finished with an eye roll . âWhat are you even doing out here, starlight?â
âJustâŚthinking,â Caleb mumbled as Evelyn took up the last of the space on the massive branch.
âAbout the little twig?â she asked softly, and her expression fell as somber as his did once he nodded. Turmoil always filled her gaze. She felt the ache of regret with her grief. She always envisioned it - he flash of her anger, the magic sheâd whipped at himâŚand frightened away a boy that had needed more understanding than they gave.
âI get itâŚyeah, thatâs pretty normal,â Evelyn cleared her throat as she tried not to look at the faded, angrily scrawled âPâ on the trunk. âMiss when heâd sit up here and sulk in the tree,â she laughed sadly. âYou knowâŚrefusing to come into the cottage, and refusing dinner. He always assumed it was poisoned.â
âIt really is about to be poisoned if you miscreants donât get your sorry rumps into the house,â a gravelly and angry voice spoke from the ground, nearly startling all of them off the branch. âYour Mother and I have bent our backs over this stew all day and itâs already getting cold.â
Varuka was a small stout demoness with maroon skin and two world weary heterochromatic eyes of orange and yellow. Her hair, actually moss colored hands, were drawn up tightly into two fists on either side of her head. It was slightly different than the one ponytail shaped hand of her daughterâs, and both of their hair was tucked up into a bonnet. The difference was in their faces; whereas Kiki had a younger and shapely face, her mother carried the wrinkles of the world, and the tribulations that had come with it.
âItâs congealed,â Varuka continued, in that same deadpan tone of voice. âLike the way your blood is going to be when it dries in a few days on my walls.â You could never tell when this woman was joking because of her delivery, and they never wanted to take the chance.
âOy, weâre coming!â Evelyn huffed as she started sliding off the branch. She reached up to pluck Aasha, but the child started to screech, and wisely, she let her hands drop to her sides. âCome on Caleb.â
Evelyn held out a hand to her beloved, but Caleb didnât take it. He was staring ahead, towards the direction of the grassy slope and winding trees. âCome onâŚâ She smirked after a moment, and didnât seem to catch the way his eyes had widened, and the way his limbs trembled. âWhat? Expecting to see something special? A shooting star?"
It took a moment for his moving mouth to get anything out that was audible. âBetterâŚâ
âCaleb?â Evelyn gaped as the man just dropped from the branch. He didnât even climb down it, and honestly, he didnât do anything less than catapult himself into the grass, surely bruising something. âCaleb, what the hell?!â
His feet hadnât even gained footing, and he wasnât even running so much as he was rapidly bear crawling down the hill on all fours, like a mad man. The speed of which he moved down such a slope caused him to tumble multiple times, but he didnât care.
âCaleb!â the girls shouted after him. They were wiser and took the actual dirt path to give themselves more traction on the ground. They held their dresses up as they ran along the path. From this distance, they could begin to see what had caught Calebâs eye. There was an approaching silouhette. They could see Caleb as well, just a few feet away from the silouhette and both stood still as a granite statue.
The girls reached the bottom, and the silver moon finally illuminated him.
Evelynâs knees gave in and she fell to them in a crumpled flounce of fabric. Varukaâs own eyes had shot open and both hands were cupping her mouth, leaving no secret for once to what she was feeling. Aasha blinked in confusion, looking at everyone and wondering why they were reacting in such a manner.
Somehow, it was the two men that stood almost calmlyâŚprocessing. Wide eyes took in each otherâs features for the first time in half a decade.
The oldest stood taller now with his ponytail long abandoned. His jawline was more pronounced and it seemed heâd never replaced his coat. Somehow the one thing that never changedâŚwere the same hazel eyes that stared at him withâŚso much unadulterated affection, that spilled out now in the form of steady tears.
And there the younger brother stood, carrying a wheezing bundle. He was still wrapped in his coat, the only life line he had of his brother. His scraped and dirty hands clutched a limp child so protectively, tucked nearly under his untrimmed beard. His own blue eyes lacked the spark of life Caleb had seen before. They looked empty enough that surely if he called into them, he would only hear an echo.
ââŚPhilipâŚâ he finally whispered.
ââŚCaleb.â Philip swallowed. He lost his voice. He wanted to run the moment he saw everyone's eyes gazing at him, with expressions that elected emotions much too complicated to be hatred.
He felt frozen into the grass, prepared to bolt into the other direction. It was the rattling from Luzâs chest that ignited a determined fire he had never felt, and finally gave him the strength to speak. â...I need your help.â
-
(DUN DUN DUN! Finally I return, and on a cliffhanger! Just imagine if I abandoned it after this lmao. No, I have no plans to abandon it, but chapters may be more sparse because of rl problems.
This chapter was going to include an illustration but I haven't felt like drawing so finally I just decided to post it. Next chapter may be a while, as it is very thicc with juicy plot.
So excited to finally include the rest of the gang! We have reached the first climax and turning point for this fic, and things are really gonna be picking up now~ Stay tuned!)
Chapter 6 - If I Stay- Luz experiences confusing revelations
Chapter 7- Brothers Can Be A Pain - Philip dreads the consequences of his actions
Chapter 8 - A God Fearing Minister - Repressed trauma of the boys is revealed
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đ I was going to wait until I have the illustration done to post the chapter but I barely have the spoons to draw these days and people probably want the chapter more, so!
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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In the new chapter, can we expect fluff? Also, I hope your doing well.
I am definitely not! C: It has a lot of angst but there is much fluff if you like that âfretting parentâ side of Philip. This is its first real debut