And Now I Know This Hasn’t Always Been My Fault.

May I come in?

- @iphigenia-thewronged

[Elias jolts awake, doing a very poor job of pretending to be well-rested when as he opens the door.]

I hope I didn’t wake you, I just wanted to know if you wanted to make bracelets with me, Bownes got me this kit and I made one with him already!

~ She sets the kit down on the table, opening it up grabbing the elastic thread and the mini scissors. ~

Alright, so first we have to measure how much string we have to use. Like this.

[Though his hands are shaky, he measures and cuts the thread without error.]

~ As she’s talking, she ties the knot on the right side of the bracelet, leaving the left side open. ~

[Elias continues to follow along, tying the knot just as she did. He passes his thread to Iphigenia, hands still shaking a little.]

And now you just add whatever beads feel right!

May I come in?

- @iphigenia-thewronged

[Elias jolts awake, doing a very poor job of pretending to be well-rested when as he opens the door.]

I hope I didn’t wake you, I just wanted to know if you wanted to make bracelets with me, Bownes got me this kit and I made one with him already!

~ She sets the kit down on the table, opening it up grabbing the elastic thread and the mini scissors. ~

Alright, so first we have to measure how much string we have to use. Like this.

[Though his hands are shaky, he measures and cuts the thread without error.]

~ As she’s talking, she ties the knot on the right side of the bracelet, leaving the left side open. ~

May I come in?

- @iphigenia-thewronged

[Elias jolts awake, doing a very poor job of pretending to be well-rested when as he opens the door.]

I hope I didn’t wake you, I just wanted to know if you wanted to make bracelets with me, Bownes got me this kit and I made one with him already!

~ She sets the kit down on the table, opening it up grabbing the elastic thread and the mini scissors. ~

Alright, so first we have to measure how much string we have to use. Like this.

May I come in?

- @iphigenia-thewronged

[Elias jolts awake, doing a very poor job of pretending to be well-rested when as he opens the door.]

I hope I didn’t wake you, I just wanted to know if you wanted to make bracelets with me, Bownes got me this kit and I made one with him already!

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

Mhm! Lady Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, and when Lady Persephone was abducted by Lord Hades, she turned the world into a great winter in her grief. Why Lady Persephone was in the underworld, she was tricked into eating a pomegranate, six seeds specifically, and so she became bound to Lord Hades realm. Eventually, Lord Helios- or maybe it was Arethusa -told Lady Demeter who kidnapped Lady Persephone, she went to the underworld to bargain with Lord Hades. Because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds, she would stay in the underworld for six months out of the year, which is when Lady Demeter is distraught so it’s autumn and winter. The other six months of the year, it’s spring and summer because Lady Demeter is happy to be reunited with her daughter.

~ She wonders if her own mother would’ve bought the world into a great winter upon her death. And that makes her think about something else. ~

I remember my mother showed me she had commissioned an artist to paint a scene on a vase for her wedding day. It showed Lady Persephone walking with Lord Hades to the underworld. Except, she didn’t look upset.

"That's really interesting."

...huh. we understand seasons as happening because the planet moves, but I don't know the specifics.

...something about it going aroumd the sun wierd.

[Does Iphi even know that the Earth orbits the sun?]

~ She’s smiling and swinging her feet, I guess she was happy that she got to show off her smarts. ~

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

Mhm! Lady Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, and when Lady Persephone was abducted by Lord Hades, she turned the world into a great winter in her grief. Why Lady Persephone was in the underworld, she was tricked into eating a pomegranate, six seeds specifically, and so she became bound to Lord Hades realm. Eventually, Lord Helios- or maybe it was Arethusa -told Lady Demeter who kidnapped Lady Persephone, she went to the underworld to bargain with Lord Hades. Because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds, she would stay in the underworld for six months out of the year, which is when Lady Demeter is distraught so it’s autumn and winter. The other six months of the year, it’s spring and summer because Lady Demeter is happy to be reunited with her daughter.

~ She wonders if her own mother would’ve bought the world into a great winter upon her death. And that makes her think about something else. ~

I remember my mother showed me she had commissioned an artist to paint a scene on a vase for her wedding day. It showed Lady Persephone walking with Lord Hades to the underworld. Except, she didn’t look upset.

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

...wouldn't a reverse mermaid have a fish head?

~ She shuts the book and takes her seat, a tiny bit embarrassed that she proposed such a silly idea. in an attempt to direct the conversation away from her “reverse mermaid” idea, she says; ~

Do you have any birthday wishes, Bownes?

~ He won’t tell you, but I can probably guess what he’s wishing for. He wants to grow old with Scare. To see Iphigenia grow up. To have Elias and Ribs over for frequent dinner parties. To serve more guests and serve more good meals. And maybe a few more recipes. He smiles thinking about it. ~

~ Iphi looks a little disappointed he won’t spill the beans, but she understands. ~

[He tries to split his gaze between Scare, Ribs, and Iphigenia, but mostly focuses on Iphi.]

|| Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a Mycenaean calendar, so I decided to use the Corinthian calendar. ||

~ Ironic how she was born on the month dedicated to the same goddess that called for her sacrifice. It also hasn’t clicked for her that she is using a completely outdated calendar. ~

|/ they hum to themself for a moment. \|

"I think I'm turning 23 or something this year."

[He is befuddled amd confused.]

I understand entirely.

~ She starts counting on her fingers for a moment. ~

January 29th I think. I’ll be turning 19!

~ She looks over at Iphigenia, a little bit confused at her answer, but she doesn’t say anything. It looks like Iphigenia is a little confused now too, hearing months she’s never heard of. ~

"The 6th of Artemísios?"

|/ they don't mean to sound rude, but their voice is a bit off. \|

...what month do you think it is currently?

~ It occurs to her that she hasn’t really thought to check what month it is. All she knows is the year, although even that makes little sense to her. Rather than answer Elias’s question, she just kind of shrinks away and stays silent for a moment. ~

"The 7th month of the year's July, though."

|/ their cold stare breaks, a smile finding Scares face yet again. \|

"Eh, whatever."

[He realizes he doesn't even kniw what season her calendar starts in.]

uh, july is a summer month. our calender starts about halfway through winter.

~ It occurs to her that her memory is a little foggy. I guess that’s just the result of dying. Not like I would know. ~

My calendar started a little after autumn, a little before winter. Demeter’s anticipation of Persephone leaving for Hades, I guess.

|/ their head tilts to the side, clearly confused. \|

[He tunes in to the bit about Demeter, Hades, and Persephone.]

...who're they?

You know, Lady Demeter causes the world to go into winter when her daughter, Lady Persephone, goes to the underworld to be with Lord Hades for the next six months.

~ Truthfully, she had always been a little bit doubtful of her gods. ~

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

...wouldn't a reverse mermaid have a fish head?

~ She shuts the book and takes her seat, a tiny bit embarrassed that she proposed such a silly idea. in an attempt to direct the conversation away from her “reverse mermaid” idea, she says; ~

Do you have any birthday wishes, Bownes?

~ He won’t tell you, but I can probably guess what he’s wishing for. He wants to grow old with Scare. To see Iphigenia grow up. To have Elias and Ribs over for frequent dinner parties. To serve more guests and serve more good meals. And maybe a few more recipes. He smiles thinking about it. ~

~ Iphi looks a little disappointed he won’t spill the beans, but she understands. ~

[He tries to split his gaze between Scare, Ribs, and Iphigenia, but mostly focuses on Iphi.]

|| Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a Mycenaean calendar, so I decided to use the Corinthian calendar. ||

~ Ironic how she was born on the month dedicated to the same goddess that called for her sacrifice. It also hasn’t clicked for her that she is using a completely outdated calendar. ~

|/ they hum to themself for a moment. \|

"I think I'm turning 23 or something this year."

[He is befuddled amd confused.]

I understand entirely.

~ She starts counting on her fingers for a moment. ~

January 29th I think. I’ll be turning 19!

~ She looks over at Iphigenia, a little bit confused at her answer, but she doesn’t say anything. It looks like Iphigenia is a little confused now too, hearing months she’s never heard of. ~

"The 6th of Artemísios?"

|/ they don't mean to sound rude, but their voice is a bit off. \|

...what month do you think it is currently?

~ It occurs to her that she hasn’t really thought to check what month it is. All she knows is the year, although even that makes little sense to her. Rather than answer Elias’s question, she just kind of shrinks away and stays silent for a moment. ~

"The 7th month of the year's July, though."

|/ their cold stare breaks, a smile finding Scares face yet again. \|

"Eh, whatever."

[He realizes he doesn't even kniw what season her calendar starts in.]

uh, july is a summer month. our calender starts about halfway through winter.

~ It occurs to her that her memory is a little foggy. I guess that’s just the result of dying. Not like I would know. ~

My calendar started a little after autumn, a little before winter. Demeter’s anticipation of Persephone leaving for Hades, I guess.

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

...wouldn't a reverse mermaid have a fish head?

~ She shuts the book and takes her seat, a tiny bit embarrassed that she proposed such a silly idea. in an attempt to direct the conversation away from her “reverse mermaid” idea, she says; ~

Do you have any birthday wishes, Bownes?

~ He won’t tell you, but I can probably guess what he’s wishing for. He wants to grow old with Scare. To see Iphigenia grow up. To have Elias and Ribs over for frequent dinner parties. To serve more guests and serve more good meals. And maybe a few more recipes. He smiles thinking about it. ~

~ Iphi looks a little disappointed he won’t spill the beans, but she understands. ~

[He tries to split his gaze between Scare, Ribs, and Iphigenia, but mostly focuses on Iphi.]

|| Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a Mycenaean calendar, so I decided to use the Corinthian calendar. ||

~ Ironic how she was born on the month dedicated to the same goddess that called for her sacrifice. It also hasn’t clicked for her that she is using a completely outdated calendar. ~

|/ they hum to themself for a moment. \|

"I think I'm turning 23 or something this year."

[He is befuddled amd confused.]

I understand entirely.

~ She starts counting on her fingers for a moment. ~

January 29th I think. I’ll be turning 19!

~ She looks over at Iphigenia, a little bit confused at her answer, but she doesn’t say anything. It looks like Iphigenia is a little confused now too, hearing months she’s never heard of. ~

"The 6th of Artemísios?"

|/ they don't mean to sound rude, but their voice is a bit off. \|

...what month do you think it is currently?

~ It occurs to her that she hasn’t really thought to check what month it is. All she knows is the year, although even that makes little sense to her. Rather than answer Elias’s question, she just kind of shrinks away and stays silent for a moment. ~

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

...wouldn't a reverse mermaid have a fish head?

~ She shuts the book and takes her seat, a tiny bit embarrassed that she proposed such a silly idea. in an attempt to direct the conversation away from her “reverse mermaid” idea, she says; ~

Do you have any birthday wishes, Bownes?

~ He won’t tell you, but I can probably guess what he’s wishing for. He wants to grow old with Scare. To see Iphigenia grow up. To have Elias and Ribs over for frequent dinner parties. To serve more guests and serve more good meals. And maybe a few more recipes. He smiles thinking about it. ~

~ Iphi looks a little disappointed he won’t spill the beans, but she understands. ~

[He tries to split his gaze between Scare, Ribs, and Iphigenia, but mostly focuses on Iphi.]

|| Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a Mycenaean calendar, so I decided to use the Corinthian calendar. ||

~ Ironic how she was born on the month dedicated to the same goddess that called for her sacrifice. It also hasn’t clicked for her that she is using a completely outdated calendar. ~

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

...wouldn't a reverse mermaid have a fish head?

~ She shuts the book and takes her seat, a tiny bit embarrassed that she proposed such a silly idea. in an attempt to direct the conversation away from her “reverse mermaid” idea, she says; ~

Do you have any birthday wishes, Bownes?

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

[He picks up the pace a little, but still can't match her or Scare.]

~ He counts on his fingers for a moment. ~

24. Been around for 6 years now.

~ He probably means how long he’s lived here.. right. ~

"Where were you before hand?"

[He's eaten a little over half of his slice of cake, now. He quietly pushes it towards Iphigenia and gives her a small smile.]

Oh, I just..

~ He hesitates. He certainly doesn’t wanna lie, but.. ~

I just sort, walked out of the sea.

~ He takes another bite of his slice, before looking to Scare. ~

Want me to cut you another piece?

|/ they tilt their head, their ears flopping to the side as they do so. \|

[Elias folds his arms on the table in front of himself.]

~ He smiles to himself for a moment, the kind of smile when you think of something funny in your head. ~

I guess it was kind of a good thing I live far away from the village, I would be embarrassed as hell if anyone saw me get knocked down by like, three different waves.

"How... how does that even work?"

|/ their starting to suspect that Bownes might be part fish. but, that's also absurd. \|

...did nobody in this town get born from their mom at age zero?

uh, are you like... a ghost or something?

[He does not know the difference between any mythological creatures. I believe he means a mermaid, but I have no idea.]

~ He holds out his hand for a hi-five across the table, and Bownes takes it. Iphigenia looks even more confused now. She just looks up at Elias and shrugs. ~

"Are you guys fish people..?"

but uh, yeah, what?

~ Iphigenia gets up, quickly excusing herself from the table, and then coming back with a book. “Children’s encyclopedia of mythical animals”. She begins flipping through the book, pushing it over a little so Elias can see too. ~

...I forgot what it was called...

[He freezes, remembering the topic of discussion.]

wait, so... how? did you... come from the ocean, then?

~ He looks like he’s remembering something, maybe he just hasn’t thought of that period in his life for a while. ~

I thought Bownes was a cute name, so that’s what I named myself.

|/ they look over at Bownes, a saddened look in their eyes. they feel bad for people who don't have parents. \|

hey, lucky you. my dad sucked.

[He notices the sad look in Scare's eyes turn to something else. He can't tell if it's anger or confusion, but he knows to shut his mouth.]

~ He smiles, reaching his hand across the table to take Scare’s hand into his own. ~

But aside from that I can’t really complain.

~ It seems like the topic of parents has gotten Iphi quiet. Ribs is still snacking on her slice of cake. ~

"I guess that isn't so bad, then. At least you knew how to take care of yourself on your own!"

|/ Scare chuckles a bit at their... joke, I suppose? well, it isn't really anything the others would get, considering he hasn't shared much about his past time before this house. \|

This says when mermaids die then turn into sea foam, and you were born from the sea foam, so maybe you’re a.. reverse mermaid?

~ Bownes laughs a little and pat her on the back. ~

Heya, I made some cake for my birthday, I wanted to know if you wanted to come have some?

~..Huh. I didn’t even know it was his birthday. ~

- 🦷🎀 @bownes-anon

|/ theres some scrambling and a wierd groan heard before Scare is at their door. their floor, as per usual, is a mess. its a lot more messy by the bed. \|

"Oh, yeah yeah yeah!!"

|/ their ears then turn down a bit as they realize that they didn't know. \|

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. I wont mess it up."

|/ they cackle a bit and let go of Bownes's hand. \|

"And, happy birthday, love!"

Hey, Elias, you in there? I made some cake for my birthday and I wanted to know if you wanted to come join us for some?

[He opens the door, giving Bownes a small smile.]

~ And with that, he’s off knocking on Ribbon’s door and going out into the garden to retrieve Iphigenia. ~

[His eyebags are back, but he seems content enough.]

Buon appetito! I hope you guys like it.

[He eats his piece of cake at a more... reasonable pace. It may be a low bar to reach, but this is the best cake Elias has ever eaten.]

How old are you now?

~ Immediately after she chugs a glass of milk before going back to eating the cake. ~

everyone come out to the living room! I have important notes to share!

((@that-one-anon @iphigenia-thewronged @ribbons-anon))

((-@dream-of-elias))

((also. i know that Vex runs three of those but. i pinged them for emphasis on "everyone"))

~ Ribbons seems to be in the kitchen, and she turns to Elias with a confused look on her face as she joins him in the living room. Iphigenia follows shortly after, and she seems to be readjusting her scarf as she walks out of her room. Bownes follows out of his own room shortly, a little panicked. ~

Is everything alright? What happened?

"'Fuck got you all wired?"

[He pauses for a moment, allowing time for anyone to go and check. When nobody does, he continues.]

I've been taking notes,

[He turns his notebook around, quickly flipping through three pages of bullet-pointed notes, interspersed with shockingly good drawings of Feral, Icarus, and the cocoons. His handwriting is terrible.]

and I wanted to catch everyone up on the... situation with them.

any questions before I begin?

~ Iphigenia tilts her head, and starts towards Feral & Icarus’s room, as she had not yet seen whatever he was talking about, only heard of it through Elias (and his drawings have piqued her interest), but she’s quickly stopped by Bownes. ~

Maybe it’s best you.. don’t see it.

~ He’s probably speaking from his own repulsion of the cocoons. She looks a little bit disappointed, but doesn’t protest. She sits on the couch, waiting for Elias to start, more than interested in what he has found. The same can be said for Bownes. ~

"What do you mean by.. eh.. 'notes'?"

[He flicks the notebook before turning it back towards himself and continuing.]

firstly, for those who don't know, Feral and Icarus have, uh... cocooned. right now, they're big fleshy pods stuck to the ground in their room.

[Elias pauses for a moment, giving everyone a second to process the disgust and dread.]

I'm setting a few ground rules for everyone, unless you have access to my notebook and can be sure you're being careful with them.

firstly, do not touch. no matter what you do, don't touch them. especially with your bare hands. the oil in our fingers make them start bleeding when they're touched, and dust on my gloves did the same before I cleaned them.

secondly, they should be watered. last any of you saw, they were all shriveled, like this-

[He turns his notebook to point at two drawings. They're recognizable as the cocoons, but next to them is two other drawings of them, swelling and fleshy.]

they absorbed water really quickly. I'm willing to bet they were dehydrated and struggling. if I'm here, I can water them, but whenever I'm not, I trust Bownes or Ribs to do it. does that work?

~ He pauses for a moment. As much as he’d rather not see the cocoons again, he wouldn’t want Feral and Icarus to be hurt from dehydration while they’re, in Elias’s words, “marinating.” He’ll probably work out and agreement with Ribs to alternate watering the cocoons when Elias is away. ~

Mhm, I can do that.

~ Iphigenia is marveling at the drawings as Elias speaks. ~

[Elias trails off.]

...and they don't need to eat. or at least, it wouldn't absorb bread like it did with water.

[Elias stands there awkwardly for a few moments, before holding his notebook out to the group.]

if you'd like to review my notes for yourselves, feel free. just stick to these last few pages, please.

Woahh…

~ After looking at the pages for a while, she brings the notebook to Scare in case they want to have a look at it. ~

"Are you sure that... this is normal?"

|/ they turn to Elias, motioning at the sketches. \|

[Elias shrugs.]

anyone have any better ideas?

~ He’s silent for a moment, peering over at the sketches as Scare holds the notebook. ~

When it comes to watering them, is there a certain amount we should be, like, pouring on them? How would we know if we know if we’re.. overwatering them? Do you think it would help if we tried watering them with.. god this is gonna sound stupid vitamin water? Because.. you know.. vitamins and stuff will help them grow..?

"If we over water them, I would assume they would swell slightly.

Also, what if we lightly scorched them? That might speed up their cocooning process."

[Elias whips his head to face Scare directly.]

do not burn them. I don't trust you even a little bit with fire, especially not around them.

[Harsh.]

[...Fair enough, though.]

Yes, I agree maybe scorching them isn’t the.. best idea, I’m sure that Scare is more then capable with handling a fire.

~ Didn’t Scare cause a forest fire?? Isn’t that literally how him and Bownes met?? ~

"Yeah, I'm fine with fire. It may get out of control at times, but it isn't like I'd burn this house down! Besides, with the small area of the bedrooms in this house, I wouldn't use a flamethrower. Maybe just a hand-held electric lighter."

[Aw, he called them his kids.]

is this how people feel when I start talking about guns?

either way, no fire. does anyone... smarter... have any ideas?