Carver Bones

swallowing thickly, la'iria climbed into carver's lap, making herself as small as she could so he could still work but the warmth of his bare torso soaking down into her bones. his scent wrapping around her like a blanket - the comfort that she searched for but could never find. "i've missed watching you work," her voice softly, as her forehead rested in the crook of his neck for a moment before shifting to just rest on his chest.

Carver chuckled softly at her compliment and the little bit of teasing, nodding a little. She was right, it was entirely in his wheelhouse and he’d been doing it all his life. She agreed with him then about the human names, still having a little giggle about it and again he was struck by how lovely she was. How lovely it was to hear that sound again. After all the screams or silence he was surrounded by for so long. “Carver is fine,” he replied as he sat. After a moment she was shifting and he watched her from the corner of his eye as he prepared to start the project for the kids. She was moving, slowly and hesitantly at first, but he knew what she was doing. And as she finally moved to climb into his lap he adjusted naturally to the new position. It had been so long, but she had done this often before. He breathed in the smell of her again as she curled into him, closing his eyes for a moment while she settled. “I missed having you watch,” he replied before pausing for a moment. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “And I am very real.”

really, anyone who knew la'iria knew she was more socially awkward than she appeared to be. it was why she enjoyed photography, she didn't have to talk too much, could just motion with her hand and people adjusted. leaning her head against the back of the chair, ria's gaze moved down to the card in her hand. carved creations. a little on the nose, but still perfect for him. but what caught her attention more than that was the name. at the sound of the thwack of the ax against the wood, she waited until he'd brought the ax up again and was in the middle of the downward swing before opening her mouth, "carver bones? really?"

“Not bad. They seem to like my…art,” he replied to her question between chops. He’d been surprised that the booth had gotten as much attention as it had. Well, mostly. The shop itself had done well when he had first opened it so it wasn’t crazy to do well at the festival, but people really did seem to think his carvings were impressive. He wished they weren’t all so strangely bothered by death and could see his true art, but humans had big feelings about bones. In this place, this city, it wasn’t so bad but still. As he swung then she said something else and he stopped mid-swing. A laugh escaped him and he nodded. “Yes, really. It’s what I am isn’t it? Besides, have you heard some of the names around here?” he replied with a grin back at her. He finished the swing and then gathered up the wood to go sit next to her then.

closing her eyes at the feeling of carver kissing the top of her head, la'iria hummed for a moment at his question. "brought me a..." she started to echo, shaking her head with a laugh before pulling one of her arms from around him. "cheater." a small smile on her face as she lifted her now free hand to rest on carver's jaw. "first..." trailing off as she leaned up on the balls of her feet to press a soft kiss to his lower lip, needing to do that before she lost her mind before nodding. "now we can sit."

It sparked a strange feeling in his chest to see La’iria cry, but he could feel the emotion in those tears, and it wasn’t sadness. Not entirely anyway. But he couldn’t help the smirk on his face as she registered what he said about the chair. He chuckled softly at her reply. How he had missed hearing that word. It was a strange thing to miss, he was sure, but oh how he had. As always, he only shrugged in reply. She didn’t move towards the inner part of the booth though and he raised a brow as she lifted her hand to his face. He leaned into the warmth of her hand there and leaned down to meet her as she pushed up on the balls of her feet. That little kiss. The sparks shot through him, followed by the all encompassing warmth that settled clean to his bones brought another smile to his face. A truer smile than he had worn in a long time. “I have a custom order to work on,” he commented idly as he led her back to where the chairs were in the back of the booth. He wasn't really sure what else to say. There was so much he wanted to say, to ask, but this was not the place for such things. So for now he would have to just make idle chat.

flinging her arms around him, fingertips sliding against the sticky, dampness of his skin - slick with sweat from chopping wood she assumed but didn't care. this was what she needed more than anything in any realm. the one thing that could repair the damage to her soul. tears still fell, slowly down her cheeks as she buried her face into his chest. "i've missed you." every nerve in her body was firing but as she let out another shaking breath of air, there was a sudden calmness that washed over her body.

He felt La’iria melt into his touch and the slow nod of her head told him she understood, wouldn’t push. This was his favorite version of their reunion. He couldn’t help but smile a little, the relief and longing were a heady mixture as she finally closed that space between them and slid her arms around him. He sucked in a breath at the feeling, that bright, warm connection. “More than you know, my love,” he breathed back before burying his face in the crook of her neck. He took in the scent of her, basked in the deep sense of home that washed over him. Nothing ever felt so right as La’iria in his arms. The hound appearing was barely enough to make Carver lift his head away from that, but he could feel the beast’s energy like hackles raised. Curiosity raised his brow as he looked at the way Mykie’s energy shifted, but before anyone could speak Mykie said she would be back and towed the hound away. Curious, very curious, but for now it meant little to him. He could deal with that later if he needed to. He placed a soft kiss to the top of La’iria’s head and breathed her in again for a moment. “Would you like to sit with me? I brought you a chair,” he said softly.

that shrug. oh how she used to tease him when he made that motion, swatting him on the arm or shoving him in the chest - it was little things like that that felt so insignificant until it didn't exist anymore. until even him with that smug face and little shrug became nothing but a memory. her soul could never forget him though, would never be able to. he was too perfectly wound within it. and kyrios, she looked more like him as she grew. just prettier and with longer hair. ria released the trembling breath of air that she didn't realize that she had been holding at his feather-light touch. her eyes watching the trail he was making, as her magic flickered and faded away. tears welled up and threatened to fall as she looked him over, every inch the same man that she remembered. this physical form. she was surprised he kept it after all this time. there were things that she should really be concerned with, with him standing in front of her, starting with -- he was out, which meant, were his siblings out too? how had they gotten out? why were they here? -- but none of that even registered in her mind. not when she was willing her body to move. finally it did move. forward. not the way she intended but everything else in her was drawing her to him. instead of running away to regroup, get mykie away, she found herself fighting to jump up into his arms. clenching her hands at her sides, the tears falling as she softly sobbed. "h-how?" was all she could bring herself to say. she wasn't ready for any hatred he'd have towards her, but she deserved every ounce of it. they said the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

Despite the gentleness with which he was approaching the situation, Carver could still feel Mykie bristling next to her sister when he touched her and the fear in La’iria was still palpable as well. His brow furrowed a little as the glamour faded and she let out a shaky breath. He wondered if this version of things was the one where she ran or not, but the tears that slowly spilled down her cheeks answered that question. In this one she stayed. Mykie was still standing by, stunned to silence and waiting to see what would happen between them. In this version he knew she did nothing more than that. She would just wait silently while her sister decided what to do. When La’iria finally did move, she came closer and he could feel the almost tingling static sort of sensation in the air around her. He always liked that feeling. But he couldn’t bask in it now. Now she was crying and her little utterance of a question needed answered. The urge to give her a playful non-answer, something cryptic like he would have centuries ago, was strong but he knew it was better to be direct for now. This was not the time or place, not with so many other people around. “That explanation is best left for less mixed company,” he replied softly, reaching out to brush the tears from her face. “Too many eyes and ears here,” he added, glancing at a group of girls eyeing them as they walked past. "I have no intentions of hurting her, Mychaella," he added, giving Mykie a gentle smile. Her shoulders relaxed but he knew she was still ready to act if need be.

leave. they needed to leave. they needed to leave right at that moment. why hadn't she felt like she was in danger? had her senses been dulled that much these last centuries? had she made herself that vulnerable? la'iria was frozen in place, that voice. the smoothness of that voice speaking her name from behind her had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. part of her was honestly hoping that she was just seeing things and could have continued to run from whatever ghost haunted her, but it wasn't a ghost. it wasn't a mirage. it was real - he was real. his true name escaped her in a whisper as her trembling form turned back towards him. her stomach was doing cartwheels, her heart was beating rapidly. she couldn't even play it off like he'd mistaken her for someone else. there was only one other person in this world that knew her actual name and it was mykie. "i-" what could she even say? her eyes turned to mykie who was still frozen in place, much like she was. every nerve in her body was firing, so many emotions all at one time. on one hand, she was terrified, terrified of having to explain, of whatever anger he might have held towards her - but on the other, she wanted nothing more than to run into his arm again. "you knew..."

She seemed frozen in place for a long moment and Carver could read the fear in that subtle trembling. Slowly, so slowly, she turned to face him. He understood the fear, but still it did surprise him. Even if only a little. She had betrayed him after all and it had been centuries since they had laid eyes on one another. She couldn’t have any idea what he might feel about her after being locked away in a tiny cell. He knew what she felt though, the guilt almost palpable in every version of her he had watched through the years. He watched in silence as she processed, trying to come up with words and glancing at her sister who looked even more horrified by the moment. But then she spoke and again he smiled a little. Of course he had known. He gave a little knowing shrug and a nod, taking a step or two closer to her. In arms reach now. His eyes drifted over her form again now that he was closer and caught at that arm. The one where their bond should be. It was bare. His brow furrowed for a moment before he reached out, slowly and carefully, to brush his fingertips over that arm. Where his fingers made contact the flowers slowly began to appear and spread out, the glamour keeping it hidden fading. His smile spread as he looked up at her face once more. “Much better.”

“Ria…it’s…it’s not…a coincidence…” the words echoed in her head as she turned her head to look at her sister. "what? what are you talking about? how isn't it?" it wasn't lost on her. however, that her sister suddenly was starting to talk softer than she had been before. "why are you acting so weird?" their native tongue slipping from her in a hushed tone. her gaze still followed the length of her sister's arm as she pointed. pointed to the back of the booth where a man was cutting wood. when she first saw him, she only saw the profile of him. "it's the wood carver, i'm assuming, what's the matter?" her question was answered, however, when mykie turned her head back into the booth where she saw it. the thing that was freaking her sister out. that tattoo. that all too elaborate tattoo. "no...it can't be.." all the oxygen sucked out of her lungs as the carvings she was holding went clattering back onto the table. with a whimper, she quickly tried to clean them up. grabbing mykie's hand, she turned to leave as quickly as she could but paused at the sound of a voice behind her. her hand was trembling as she clung to her sister.

A small, crooked smile danced on Carver’s face as he continued to chop the pieces of wood he needed while he listened to La’iria practically coo over the items he had strategically placed in his booth. He had known she would be drawn to them of course but hearing her right there behind him was even more thrilling and intense than he’d expected. It took Mykie no time at all to notice him, but La’iria seemed to be in denial. He couldn’t help the soft chuckle that left him as he set down the ax and turned to face the twins just as they turned away from him. “Leaving so soon La’iria?” he said softly, though he knew she would hear him. His eyes flicked to Mykie for a moment, still smiling. Mykie seemed to be glued to the spot, frozen and staring. He slowly approached the pair, eyes sliding back to La’iria and drifting over her form. How he has missed her. The dull ache in his chest lit up, flipping between that ever-present pull of desire and the devastating pain of betrayal. Still, he couldn’t help but smile.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I appreciate it either way.

No worries. I'll be here all day. Closing up about sunset.

You're too kind, thank you, very much. I know they'd thank you as well.

I don't know about too kind, but I'm glad to help.

It's been hard for them and she had a small collection of wood carvings of foxes that she loved, so i figured it might help them with their grief. How much do I owe you for all of them?

I bet it has. I'm happy to help, consider it on the house for the kiddos.

My kids lost their mom a couple years ago. I was hoping for three foxes, a lemur, an axolotl and a bear.

Sorry to hear that. I have foxes and bears, and I can get you an axolotl and a lemur by the end of the day.

do you also have carvings of animals? i have a few people that could use one.

Yeah, I've got a collection of animals. If I don't have the one you are looking for, I can always do a custom order as well.