Lux Imperator, God of Light

Not the donuts!! Raven lunged to catch the box, but he still had one hand full with his own donut; his other hand gripped the box, which collapsed under the uneven grip, dumping the donuts to the ground. Raven's ears flattened as he let the box go, and he gave an irritated hiss when Ring pulled him close. "Devang is dangerous, too!"

Dangerous didn't have to mean bad! Raven's tail got to lashing, and he looked between Ring and Sutekh with rising anxiety. Why was Ring this upset? Sutekh just wanted to talk. Talking isn't scary! Well- okay, it was, sometimes. But not PANIC scary.

Raven's shoulders had started to rise, and his head lower, but when Sutekh gave him the floor, he straightened up again, pulling his shoulders back and puffing up his chest. "He's teaching me how to defend myself! So I can go outside!" Raven pushed a pace away from Ring, hands balling into fists. "I don't want to be scared all the time, like dad! And like- and like you!"

Lark nodded solumnly, going quiet for a few moments, but then waved it off. "Yuh, well- we don' need t'talk about that! What have you been up to? Seen any good movies lately?"

"Has he told you who he is?" Ring pleaded weakly.

Sutekh gave a dark chuckle. "Does it matter? I have not harmed the boy, have I? But we have dallied on this subject long enough. You are unwell, Ring."

Ring snapped his head up at that, defensive. "Excuse me?" And what business was that of the god of death? That sounded, frankly, ridiculous! Unless - unless, what, he was going to take his life? Was he actually dying?

Sutekh seemed to sense the distress and was practically rolling his eyes even if it was impossible to tell without pupils. "Your refusal to awaken your potential is weakening you. As you are now, you are simply a distraction for Lux Imperator. He has not been entirely truthful to you."

The toon really didn't want to be hearing this. The less involvement with the Pantheon of chaos, the better. He gritted his teeth, shaking his head. "I - I don't care about any of that! What does it matter to me?"

"You do not care that you 'living your life' as you are right now, is exactly what he wants? Is by his design?"

Ring recoiled, eyes wide. "What?"

"You really think you have free will," Sutekh sighed, almost sympathetic. "He's created within you that illusion. A very good one, I will admit. You are but a 'what if' scenario of his making. For himself. Of himself."

---- "Yeah! Don't need a buzzkill!" Lux said with a wave of a hand, sitting back to relax. No need to dwell on all that noise! Right! "I got a buncha new movies in last month, actually. Finally got to watch Wicked!"

As he rambled on about movies, though, he couldn't help but stop mid talk over the possibility of making his 'own' films when he suddenly felt a freezing sense of cold. He blinked, trying to shake himself out of it.

Raven held his donut carefully, and momentarily dreaded the walk home. He wasn’t the best at walking while carrying things. A donut was manageable, but this felt like a high stakes day. It needed to go perfectly.

He wondered where Sutekh was.

Raven hasn’t really thought this through, not entirely. He knew Sutekh wanted to see Ring, and he knew Ring was kind of in trouble. Sutekh had explained that Ring lost sight of his purpose. Raven mostly figured that was adult stuff he didn’t need to understand, but he also thought perhaps Ring’s problem was similar to Lark’s; he was too afraid to go outside and live life.

So the ruse was fair, and there was no reason to be afraid of what was about to happen. But Raven felt..just the tiniest bit guilty. Especially when Ring reacted that way when Sutekh finally showed up.

Raven however, turned to greet him, tail high, waving a donut. We’re here! We did it! He looked at Ring again, frowning. “Why? It’s just Sutekh.”

Raven understood some fear of getting in trouble with a family member, but this seemed kind of over the top. Like Lark’s constant anxieties. If Ring just turned around, he'd see that it's a family member! Right?

It's...it's not like Envy, right...?

Lark sat down with a thankful sigh, happy to set down the donuts and dig into his coffee. Lark’s wasn’t sugared like it normally would be. Envy doubted Lux knew him well enough to consider that weird, nor would Lux be drinking Lark's drink, so who cared.

"Lake's teachin' th'kids about internet safety t'day, and I needed t'get outta th'house. Figured I'd come harass you!"

They caught Lux's look out the window, and pretended not to notice. But they did let his smile wane and rub at his neck. "Uh- Envy's been pokin' around again, so I'm kinda...jumpin' from safe spot to safe spot fer now. Figured they prolly wouldn' mess with you and yer stuff. Since yer uh- probably too much trouble? Compared t'like..y'know, me n'Worth n'all."

"Listen kid, ya shouldn't get close to him! He's dangerous!"

Sutekh's eyes narrowed before he clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Enough." He reached out a gnarly hand, half skeletal, with skin and fur hanging on. Ring's eyes widened at the sight and took another step back with Raven. "Just like your creator, you are wasting your potential. What he created you for is such an...embarrassment."

Ring bristled at that, snorting in almost disbelief. "Don't make me laugh! This again? So what if I was, what, his imaginary friend or whatever? I'm living my own life now! There's nothin' wrong with that! What's it to you?"

Sutekh sighed heavily. Ring really had no idea. "We really do have much to discuss."

"No! No, we don't!" Ring's voice raised, nearly squeaking in hysterics "And what have you been doing with Raven, huh?"

"He can speak for himself." --- Lux snorted as he sipped at his coffee, glancing back at Lark. "Well, harass away!" At the change in mood when he caught on to what he might've been sensing, what he was told made...sense. But it felt more familiar than what he assumed Envy's meddling might feel. Still, it probably wasn't any of his business. He nodded sympathetically, regardless. "That must really put a damper on things, always havin' that guy in the corner of your mind, huh?"

Rough week? Time for some catharsis. New Into the Inkwell pages have just arrived!

Huge thanks to @celebi9 and @lizzybeanbutt for help with this chapter, and everyone send prayers to Lizz's laptop this week because it just got an accidental soaking- delays could be possible as a result, get well soon Lizz machine!

Raven barely had the patience for Ring's hesitation at the door. Raven played out in the yard all the time, so the door was NOT the scary part! In fact, he carried himself with the confidence of somebody who was not gently influencing a family friend to believe that it was a perfectly normal and smart thing to take a child away from home without telling anyone. Particularly THIS child, who had a very predatory DNA donor out there waiting to snatch him up.

Devang didn't possess the yard, far as Raven knew. She probably wouldn't immediately flag a problem with Raven leaving the house with Ring.

But impatient or not, he did feel Ring's concerns, and had just enough empathy to wait until his companion was ready.

When they finally got outside the property, Raven was oddly content. No fear, and no huge surge of excitement either; it was just...normal. It was normal out here, just like everywhere else. He was determined not to let that morph into disappointment. It was kind of morphing into the a hint of anger, to be honest. Why wasn't he allowed out? Why couldn't he GO anywhere? It was fine! Nothing bad was happening!

Both his paws slapped against the glass of the shop display, making big prominent prints on the glass. His eyes narrowed slightly, the shopkeeper's weariness about children not keeping their greasy hands to themselves drifting into his awareness. He ignored it. Who cared about the prints on the glass? He pointed at several different donuts, all things HE wanted..before he remembered that of course, his siblings would like donuts too. He mumbled this one for Duck, that one for Goose. Lark likes all kinds, but he'd probably like this one best.

Raven's hair stood up a little, sensing something nearby. But to him, this ominous something was a friend. His tail lifted slightly, and he didn't give Sutekh away. Raven is good with secrets.

Lark gave a knock before letting himself in, carefully balancing the drink carrier on top of the donuts as he elbowed his way inside. "Uh- hi-ho cherry-o?"

An absolutely absurdly stupid greeting that Envy had heard Lark utter once. They hadn't the slightest clue why that was what he picked. Social anxiety? Okay, maybe they have the exact idea.

With the purchase finished, he offered one of Raven's choices to him with a napkin so he could have an early breakfast snack for the walk back while he'd carry the box and his coffee, pushing the door open with his back, whistling his signature song with a pep in his step. He didn't know what he'd been so worried about, everything was fi- When they stepped onto the sidewalk down the street, he couldn't help but feel a sudden sense of cold dread, his chest tightening. He didn't even see the shade coming out of his shadow, forming behind him into an almost solid mass. He was too terrified to turn around. His adam's apple bobbed.

This felt just like that time he and Worth were inside that weird...void...place. That he tried to forget.

"Raven, get in front of me," he whispered, first thought trying to protect the kid. "That's no way to greet an old friend." --- Lux beamed a smile over at Lark, taking a coffee out of his hands to help with the balancing act. "Don't make me laugh! He's not here anyway, so he doesn't have to feel left out."

He gave the coffee a sniff. The aroma wasn't unpleasant. He didn't mind coffee too much, though he definitely preferred it with sugar. Bitter flavors were hit or miss. But that was what the donuts were for. He snapped his fingers and conjured up a table for Lark to set the boxes down and a place for them to sit in the lobby. "What made ya decide to visit this mornin? Not that I mind, of course! I'm always happy to see a familiar face!"

Raven’s tail lifted immediately at the suggestion, and he even put on a proper smile. Not an insincere one! He just didn’t tend to emote outwardly unless he very specifically wanted somebody to know he was happy. And obviously, when Ring not only took his suggestion but immediately ran with it, Raven was very pleased.

Some small part of the back of his mind was trying to remind him that he wasn’t actually going on an outing with Ring; he was taking him to see Sutekh. And maybe the secretiveness made that weird? Something about it was weird.

But Raven liked Sutekh. And he liked to think maybe all three of them could go get donuts.

And he absolutely wanted to pick his own!! “Yeah,” was all he said, quiet and leaned in to match. He reached up to take Ring’s hand, enthusiastically pulling him towards the door. Let’s go!!

Meanwhile

Across town, Envy Lark was on an early morning walk to the palazzo…by some strike of incredible coincidence, he carried two coffees and a box of donuts.

Normally, Lark would have called ahead and asked for whatever specific coffee and donut order Lux enjoyed…but not today. Lark felt like he could guess.

He led Raven towards the door, trying not to look a little nervous at the door. Sometimes he imagined some kind of force was going to stop him from stepping out, or even the simple touch of sunlight would just...make him disappear. Nothing like that had happened since that day that changed everything, but the fear still gripped him every time he tried to take a step outside again.

Didn't stop him from pushing the door open, though. It just took him a moment, was all. He let out a sigh of relief when the worst did not come to pass and he smiled reassuringly over at Raven. "I, uh, think it's this way!" he chirped as he led the way to the donut shop he was pretty sure was down the street. With his sense of smell, he was sure to follow the scent of coffee and sweets anyway!

And soon enough they did come upon the donut shop. Ring's antennae twitched at the sound of the bell jingle announcing their arrival. Grinning, he hurried to the display, pressing his face against the glass. "Ooooh, they sure have a lot!" When he pulled away, he motioned for Raven to point to whatever he wanted while he ordered himself a mocha. He was completely oblivious to the three set of eyes lingering in his shadow, watching and waiting.

---

Lux had been finally let the nanny-bot take over Desiderium for the morning so he could have a bit of a break, settling down to watch a movie when he sensed company approaching the Palazzo. He perked up immediately, heading for the windows to peer out. Lark? Oh!

He stepped back and slapped his cheeks to perk up a bit so he didn't look so tired. Not that the god really could get all that tired like mortals did, but, well, as a toon...appearances could be a bit dramatic when it came to the emotional side of things. And he'd been a bit gloomy lately.

‎ ‎ ‎ Vox remains mostly limp as Lux works on undressing him, his only movement an occasional brush of his hand or a light shift of his hips to readjust himself. Pet on the cheek and called good, he smiles small and puts aside his disgruntlement. “Good, good… ‘cause I seemed very….” Looking to his now-removed suit jacket, he narrows his eyes. “…Glittery?”

‎ ‎ ‎ He takes a greedy breath when air flows up beneath his shirt, cooling his sides, which he didn’t realise had felt so warm and stinging, like he’s scratched up the skin around the edges. Lux asks —would you do this again?

‎ ‎ ‎ He wasn’t under the impression it was a choice. Vox can’t be removed from the public. They’d tried that, initially, but he was too important, obviously, and had to be brought back out; and they didn’t trust him (his own partners, friends) but they let him out for the people to see and all Vox has left to think is that he might be forgiven. But, if he can’t remember….

‎ ‎ ‎ “I don’t think it’s up to me,” he murmurs, batting Lux’s fussing hands away so that he can instead pull him to his chest like a plush toy, legs pulling up to trap him in the embrace. “Can't just... disappear.” He almost smiles. “Like before.”

Raven woke feeling just as rested as he often did these days. Which is to say, maybe slightly less rested than he would have, had he not been hanging out with Sutekh. But that was fine, he would have his cat nap later in the day, and the moment his eyes snapped open, he was full of anticipation.

Duck and Goose were still asleep as Raven carefully extracted himself from their room, shutting the door quietly behind him. The first thing he did was go to his dad's room to check if he was awake. Lucky, Lark was stirring, but not quite ready to get up. Raven took a minute to suggest to his mind that everything was okay, and Raven was safe hanging out with Ring. It was so much easier to plant a suggestion when Lark wasn't quite awake yet to put up any defenses.

After that, down the stairs he went, carefully clinging to the handrail so as not to stumble. He was quiet, and still quite small, so he doubted Ring would see him before he made his presence known. He waited until the mess was mostly under control before tugging on his sleeve. "You spilled your coffee," He mumbled, with a yawn.

Lark and the others had been so kind and patient since they'd taken him in, and, well, shouldn't he do more to show a bit of growth? He puffed out his chest a bit and tossed the soaked paper towels in the trashcan.

Hm. Raven didn't necessarily...see what was wrong with Ring. He liked the guy well enough, although he was kind of silly and...didn't seem to do a whole lot. Didn't he have the power to leave the house? And yet he never did? What was that about?

Even DAD left the house more than Ring.

And there were the nightmares. He could see Ring having nightmares and being sleep-deprived. Maybe Sutekh was right. Ring needed to get out more, at the very least. Raven certainly needed out! And Sutekh promised just that.

Raven didn't really see how this proved his strength to his dad...it would probably freak him out, to be honest. But Lark was already trying to convince himself to loosen the leash; Raven had heard him thinking about it. Maybe this would tip him over the edge.

And, well, if it didn't...could Lark really...stop him?

"I look forward to it." With that, he turned into a mass of shadows, fading away into the dreamscape to allow Raven the rest of his sleep...and to torment Ring's nightmares without being distracted.

Raven was young; to him, though it started serious (and surely would end serious), this constituted as play. He was proud and happy, and with every lesson his trust in Sutekh grew.

As well, there was this feeling in the back of his mind, that maybe before too long he could show Lark how strong he was, and he'd be allowed to go outside. Not just outside, not just to a safe house, but outside. In the world.

Raven didn't straight up laugh at Ring-a-Ding's name, but he gave a little sniff and his tail swayed. "Dad calls him Ring, or Rad." You don't HAVE to call him by his full title every time.

Duck had a tendency to call him Ringady. Raven didn't imagine that Sutekh would like that much better.

He created a vision through the shadows, like a mirror, catching sight of the poorly rested Ring-a-Ding in his room, twisting and turning. "And he is getting worse. I will fix what ails him."