#laerinic

He turned, feeling a pair of eyes on his back, seeing Rhen standing in the doorway, "You're awake early."

Vix tried at a smile, "Can never be too careful." He brushed his hair back and began tieing it off with a small leather strip.

"I wanted to talk to you anyways. It's rare to see another demigod with the touch of nature. You even caught the interest of some elder sea sempites. I can't say I'm not intrigued." She sat on the floor beside her sleeping brother.

"My partner saved me from death and my family gave me a reason to keep living. Nature can be kind to those in need and all we can do is repay them." He stood, walking to the window and staring through the forest at the rising sun.

"Had I not seen you with a crew of your own, I could have sworn you were of The Lost. Many of those shunned by common folk end up in their midst." Rhen brushed a hand through her long brown locks, "You're an odd one, child of Defeat."

"The Lost?" Vix asked, perplexed.

Rhen was surprised by the question, "The Praeterus? Those who have lost their purpose or their way and are looked over by Caldem? They speak highly of you, having found your purpose so close to joining their numbers." She realized he truly didn't know what she spoke of and began to wonder how a demigod could be so ignorant.

"No. I've never heard that name in my life." He was interested, looking down at her with a thirst for information.

"You'll meet them in time, I have no doubt they would like to talk with you." She stood, "You best start waking up your crew, I believe a message just arrived for your thief."

----

Rogue was laughing as she stood out in the rain. She had a harness made of rope to keep her on the ship, but this far from quelled her excitement as she fended off storm spirits. She was an effective body guard, sure, but not the most comforting.

Heron felt sick, unable to stomach the way the winds battered him around. They seemed to avoid Sadie and Rogue and specifically targeted him and Acantha. Being knowledgeable on godly history, Heron knew why this was so, but he still hated it.

"This sucks," he grumbled as Rogue jumped on the back of his stool and slashed a spirit away. Heron turned to her, "Maybe not that close next time!"

She stuck out her tongue in her usual childish manner before smiling and giggling manically. Rogue hadn't changed since she met him, and likely wouldn't.

But Heron was frozen, his gaze locked on an island nobody else could see. He didn't know if he could, but he could sense it. He knew the island.

"What's that look for?" Sadie shouted through the wind.

"I may have just found sanctuary."

Sadie gave him a skeptical look before nodding and running to lower decks to defend the ship from a newly formed storm spirit.

Heron was exhausted and out of breath by the time they anchored. But Heron couldn't sit. He drank in the island, traveling through memories. The rocks they would use as a meet up spot. The swing hanging from the branches of Red Oak. And the path leading into the forestry, within it a cabin. Inside would be the person who likely hated him the most, the one he unwillingly abandoned all those years ago.

"Where's are we?" Vix placed a hand on his shoulder, and despite the continued rain, looked considerably healthier than he did before.

"Conch Island. Otherwise known as my birthplace."

----

So he stayed outside. He decided to get started on a long overdue project: Expanding the garden. His axe felt familiar, but the scabs and bandages made it uncomfortable. The pain distracted him from his other problems.

Thud.

He could ignore his inability to make proper food and how underweight he had become.

Thud.

He could ignore the holes in his clothing and blankets.

Thud.

He could ignore the sempites nervously watching him, not daring to approach their caretaker.

Thud.

He could ign- he couldn't. It wouldn't leave his mind. None of it would. Every problem was just stacking atop one another and creating a mountain which he feared the prospect of climbing.

Thud-Thud

The axe finally went through, lodging into the next fence rail. Calyx took a deep breath, pulling one hand from the handle and brusing back his overgrown hair. He looked at the bandages, noticing the blood seeping through.

He furiously pulled the axe from the wood, swung it above his head and brought it back down, yelling "I'M A FAILURE!"

A pair of hands grasped his shoulders and turned him around, "You take that back." It was Smith. "You take that back right now. You are not a failure and you're a fool for thinking so. Look at us. Look how healthy we all are."

Calyx's hollow gaze scanned his surroundings. The blooms of Vervain, Lily, Lupine, and Lilac. The bright red fruits of Cherry. The unripe apples in Smith's hair. The bees in Fireweed and Belladonna's area. The grapes in Oregon's vines. The towering figures of Hemlock and Douglas Fir.

"You did that. You. No failure could do that."

Calyx took a second, allowing the tears to pour down his cheeks, "But-"

"No. No 'but's. We'll figure this out, okay? I know you can do it. And we can help. I'd say we're strong enough to do a lot of things. Don't worry about us for a while, you need t-"

He couldn't finish his sentence before Calyx collapsed into him, heaving with sobs, "I- I- I need help."

Smith hugged back, "We will be here."

----

She fussed about them, making commenta about how they should eat ant stay for a bath. Heron and Rogue weren't sure what to do with the attention, both silent and simply nodding along with what was happening.

But eventually, Laurie made her way to the kitchen and left them at the mercy of the girls.

"Do you all know your godly parents?" Acantha leaned forward, all of her attention on Rogue.

She slung off her bag and jacket, revealing a halter top and the sigil of her mother displayed across her back. A bloodied dagger with corvid feathers serving as a backdrop. "Araysh."

Heron rolled his eyes, "I don't have a fancy symbol or anything, but my mom is Felika."

Vix looked up from inspecting the damage to his axe head, "Fluksus." Though he didn't show it, he was terrified of their reactions. Would he be shunned? Attacked? Kill-

"Really? Two decendents of the ocean‽" Acantha leaned forward, unintentionally revealing the sigil of Barbeau along her left colarbone. A shark tooth overlaying two crossed spears.

Vix was taken aback by her forward nature, looking to Sadie, silently mouthing "child of Barbeau?"

Sadie shook her head and shrugged, mouthing back "we don't know."

"This is really cool, it's so epic to meet all of you. And a decendent of the Moon, what an honor." Acantha put all of her attention back on Rogue, leaning forward eagerly, "You use daggers? Is that becuase of your mother?"

Heron was shocked when Rogue didn't explode from excitement, bouncing off the walls with information. Rather, she was looking down at her daggers, blushing deeply, "They were a gift from her to my father and I got them when he was imprisoned."

Acantha looked about ready to burst with interest as she grabbed Rogue's wrist and began to lead the girl to her room, "I might have something for you."

Rogue followed happily, fixing her hair and silently inspecting Acantha as she walked.

This left the boys with Sadie, who looked between them, gaze still lingering on Vix's jewelry. But Sadie's expression immediately fell into annoyance at the sound of claws hitting wood, "I forgot to introduce you to the pain in my ass, Dirk."

Dirk squacked, loudly saying a word nobody should have the translation to.

Vix turned to the bird, disturbed by the fact he subconsciously knew the meaning of an audibly unfamiliar word, "Did he just...?"

"Curse in a language I can't identify? Absolutely." Sadie said, smiling sarcastically as a parrot climbed her pantleg.

"Do you also understand it?" Vix asked hesitantly.

"You do???"

----

Beachgrass refused to leave Vix's side, ensuring his human was always in arms reach. The other sempites offered them a break, but they insisted on staying, holding to the promise they had made when Vix was freaking out.

Vix gradually became more and more comfortable with the sempite, eventually leaning on and cuddling with Beachgrass for comfort. He felt safe, not needing to hide his scars from them, they had already seen all of them.

Beachgrass played with Vix's hair as the demigod rested with his head on their lap. It hadn't been tangled in days from how many times they ran their fingers through it.

"Thank you." Vix looked up, a certain sincerity in his tone.

"Oh," Beachgrass looked at their hand and back at their human, "You're welcome."

Vix laughed slightly, "No- I mean- thank you for the hair thing but- for not freaking out when I was scared. I heard you. It helped me get past...." he trailed off inspecting a small blemish on the sempite's shoulder.

"You can talk about it if you want. It's just us two here."

Vix almost started talking a few times before he seemed to wrangle his words, "You've seen the scars. They're- they- the mortals tried to kill me." Each syllable looked like it stung and his eyes flashed with fear.

"You don't have to say more." Beachgrass leaned down, wrapped their arms around him and pulled him into a hug, "You're very brave. I'm proud of you."

Vix melted into the embrace at the word "proud". He'd never heard it describe him before and it felt good. Maybe life could get easier. And he could just stay with the sempite who made him feel so comfortable. Who made him feel like he had a home.

He didn't know how he cried, but it didn't matter. It felt good to let out all of the emotions he'd suppressed for the purpose of survival. All the fear he'd dismissed charged back and struck him in the gut.

How many years has it been since this human was safe? How many years had death stared him in the face? How could mortals be so cruel?

Home

Hartronus exists in some capacity in every hearthfire. But when there is a larger level of godly activity (gods, demigods, immortals, sempites, etc), he can appear in physical form. When Demi-gods gather around a hearth, Hartronus can often be found tending to the flames. Unless he is asked something directly, he will remain silent. (And often times, blend in with the flames)

Thievery

Araysh has a sort of "holy land" filled with all items that have been stolen by her or her children and followers. Araysh's children steal and smuggle as a sort of tribute to her. Araysh cares for her children, so she often instructs them to steal from mortals. When her children are dealt a death sentence due to their crimes, she considers it a badge of honor.

Music

All of the greatest musicians throughout the ages are descendants of the goddess of instruments, vocals, and melodies, Sonata. When Sonata herself approves of a musical act, whether it be a singer, songwriter, or something in between, songbirds will sing the melodies for all to hear.

Happiness

Dinifin, the daughter of Olwen (goddess of beauty and seasons), was given to Avilynn (goddess of emotions and relationships) before she had a purpose. Avilynn pittied the goddess, and gave her the role to spread happiness. Dinifin was overjoyed. So the first thing she did with this power was to give humanity a creature to spread joy: the ferret. Her ferret, Prince sits on her shoulder and should always be depicted with her, lest happiness abandon the maker

Misery

Of the Children of Avilynn, Desdemona was given a purpose last. She felt abandoned, replaced by Dinifin, who wasn't even given to Avilynn in the first place. Deirdre, seeing this opportunity, took advantage of Desdemona. He drove her away, telling her of her worthlessness. So she ran. And as she laid down one night, a mamba approached her. The snake, Huso, spoke to her, telling her that she had discovered her purpose in solitude. And thus, the goddess of misery sadness and solitude was born.

Revelry

The god Sinkri is unlike other minor gods, for he was not formed by Boedi. Sinkri is the manifestation of mortal impulses formed from intoxication. When a mortal hears him speak, they hear the voice of their impulses. He medles with the minds of sailors using his dolphins. Sinkri's children have spread the tale of dolphins guiding sailors to safety. The safety they lead to is the island Aubados, which he created in tribute to his father, Aubade, god of music, alcohol, and ecstasy. The island holds the Never Ending Revelry. Time moves different on Aubados, holding its revelers there for eternity.

Hope these were interesting! Thank you for reading

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