#rahas

So I'm just thinking of him outside at some point at night and he just happens to look up and finally for the first time noticing the stars, and he's just fucking entranced cuz he never knew the sky could look like that. Simmons notices him standing there and his eyes are just wide with wonder, literally starry eyed, and he gets to tell Rahas about why his parents guild was named Nova and why he named his guild Cosmos and he just points up and goes "that's what our guild is named after" and just... gonna cry give me a minute ☝🏻

Awww, that would be adorable~

But you're right. Rahas had a very sheltered but abusive upbringing. The only thing he was supposed to do was to become a mindless Yes-Man, a puppet, and an assassin doing Taksony's bidding. But Shiki put the rebellious fire in him and Lynus allowed him to understand what it means to protect someone.

Ok, like, imagine Simmons showing little Ghali the amazing things in life, like the plants and flowers, the crystal-clear waters, the shimmering gemstones that can be discovered. And Rahas is watching from a distance. Contemplative. Such genuine innocence. The beauty of watching someone care for another. The genuine warmth an older figure is supposed to show to someone younger.

He never had a childhood. He never lost his youthful innocence; he never had it. He was never innocent. He can never be innocent. It's just not him.

But...he can enjoy life. His life.

Despite all the trials, the suffering, the pain; life is actually quite beautiful, you know? The stars far above. The might Yggdrasil tree fill with natural beauty. A town filled with explorers, with people who are just living their everyday lives.

Like his new family.

It's...nice.

And he will do whatever it takes to ensure the beauty and innocence of others remain untouched. He was born in darkness, but that doesn't mean he's going to allow others to suffer when darkness rears its ugly head.

Cosmos is in the labyrinth for something and they come across a ton of spiderwebs blocking that path and Tiffany full body shakes. "Ugh I HATE spiders!"

Rahas without a moment of hesitation picks up a long twig to tickle the back of her neck with and she SHRIEKS so loud that birds take flight.

It's the first time any of them hear him laugh, and he's bent at the waist WHEEZING from laughter. Tiffany can't even be mad cuz she's never heard him laugh before and it's actually so nice to hear. She does kick him in response though.

Aww, man, that would be adorable, honestly XD

I imagine Gerald having a slight chuckle at the scene, too, which makes Shiki oh-so INCREDIBLY happy~

And of course no one is allowed to talk about Simmons or cosmos like that so rahas decides well i guess I gotta punch this guy a lot. It's during this delightful fight Rahas realizes huh, I think I got stronger, cuz he's beating this guy up pretty easily. Has the dude by the collar when he hears someone like "so hey man what are you doing" and he turns his head to see axel there.

Rahas simply explains that this guy was badmouthing his cousin and axel, bekng a family man, nods sagely and goes "ah I see". They both proceed to finish beating the guy up together as a team and Cass is nice enough to open a window for them to toss him out of the bar because no one is allowed to talk about his friends like that (Cass picks favorites for sure and his favorites are the guardians and cosmos he told me so himself).

Axel and Rahas share a drink in solidarity. Axel compliments Rahas on his fighting form and clear right hook. Etc. They're pals now.

Pffft~! Yeah, I can see that happening.

But, like, also imagine Rahas just going feral on the guy and Axel is like "Hey, what's up?" And Rahas tells him, and Axel is like "Oh, cool. Make sure you put your shoulder into it. That carries the punch more. And go for the fleshly parts first as it will save your knuckles." And Rahas is like "ok, cool" and just keeps pummeling the guy because this guy is badmouthing his guild, and he wants everyone to know that Cosmos is HIS guild. Get it, HIS GUILD. And no one is to ever badmouth them again.

And Axel just lets this happening, not letting anyone else interfere. Because Rahas is spitting facts and it'll be good for him to show the newcomers in town not to fuck with him and HIS ENTIRE GUILD, OK???

And the fact he can understand Tiffany so well that is so special 😭 I bet Tiffany secretly appreciates him so much and loves getting into arguments with him. And I feel like they both love Macerio in the same subtle way too, so they understand each other without even saying anything. She's like his unexpected twin and I'm so happy dude.

I know, right!

Lynus will always be an important person to Rahas. But Rahas' obsession with protecting him has soften into familial care. He can truly see that they are brothers now. Lynus will always love and care for him, but sometimes a guy needs to find his own path. Lynus can only do so much for him.

But Gerald will be like a parental figure to him. The fussing comes from experience. He knows what little gremlins like Rahas, Simmons, Tiffany, and Kerri (heck, throw Shiki in there too XD) are like. Someone needs to keep an eye on them. Gerald's mothering comes naturally. There's no big moment, just him nagging, reminding, poking. Little things. Rahas doesn't really notice at first, until he does. And he's like "huh. I guess I do have two fathers now."

Shiki the hazardous dad who finds everything hilarious. And Gerald the constantly worrying mother who seems exasperated but loves his kids dearly.

Gerald: The literal toddler is the least troublesome out of this lot. Oh, Gerald, you know you care~

Also, like, imagine Rahas and Tiffany communicating.

Tiffany: You stupid asshole, you had me worried! Rahas: Well, Soooooooory, it's not like I did it on purpose, dipshit! Tiffany: Don't do it again! Rahas: Of course, like I did it on purpose in the first place!

Honestly through yelling and insults. Everyone in the house knows that is how the two communicates. It's when everything is quiet that they start to worry XD

Okay so hear me out, Rahas gets bitten by some nasty bug in the labyrinth, thinks nothing of it but he ends up developing a pretty gnarly fever, chills and hallucinations of his bastard father, yknow, the makings of a good angst pie. Wakes up finally at night and everyone in cosmos is asleep around him cuz they were worried and watching over him and he just thinks oh I BELONG here and would also kill for any of these people huh.

*holds them all gently in my hands before squashing them between my palms* because I love them ~

Aww, that would be so cute~ Also, like, imagine Lynus (because of course he would be called for help) leaning casually against the doorframe and is like "this is your life now." And Rahas being completely fine with that.

But, also, Gerald beginning to mother Rahas. Nagging at him not to do anything dangerous; pinching his ear and dragging him away from any fights he tries to get into; sending him and Simmons off to get some groceries; sitting together for breakfast every morning. Domestic, everyday things. Things Rahas has never experienced. Things that others take for granted. But here he is, right in the middle of it. Like, just imagine him helping with the laundry and having casual, pointless conversations. Taking Farley for a walk. Cleaning up after dinner. Getting ready for bed. Kicking at the bathroom door when Tiffany takes too long in the shower.

This is definitely his life now.

I had a really random thought, but does Rahas know how to swim? I really don't imagine he was allowed out of the castle much, no rivers or anything where he could learn, it made me think of him falling into the water in the labyrinth only for Simmons to have to jump in an save him oh nooo~👀

Unexpected evidence of how differently and isolated Rahas was raised.

Ahaha~

Rahas finding the romance novels and is just like "what the hell is this tripe?" and he snaps his head to Kerri, who was the one who gave Simmons those books, and gives her an accusing glare. Only for the hexer to stoically tilt her head to the side in a silent "what are you going to do about it?"

No one knows this, but Kerri loves romance novels. Loves them. And she is the one who points out passages in books to Simmons in order for him to be more romantic. And as soon as she finds Rahas living with them, she does the same for him. And gets reactions that are honestly a lot more fun. She's not playing matchmaker, absolutely not. She's just the doting older (yes, she's actually older than everyone in that house) sister for a couple of oblivious love struck idiots.

Sharing a bedroom does indeed lead to a lot of cute moments. The two just talking about nothing, casually lounging about. Leading to times where they talk seriously, only to each other. Where Rahas wakes Simmons up in the night after finding him tossing and turning from bad dreams or shaky memories. With Rahas, Simmons can be a little bit more open. He keeps things hidden from others, not out of fear or spite. But just because. Rahas understands his secret fears and concerns, though. And while Rahas still hasn't mastered the art of comforting, his honest and protective replies, both dismissive and attentive, eases Simmons' concerns.

As for Rahas knowing how to swim, you are correct. He doesn't know how to swim. Never learnt. Never cared. It had nothing to do with his survival. He's not afraid of the water, but like anyone who can't swim, tends to panic if he should ever fall in water that is deeper than he is tall. As I'm sure you can imagine, he's quite the grumpy little gremlin should he ever find himself thrown into a pool of water.

Oooh, thank you so much! I had a lot of fun writing that story, I'm sure you can understand!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, where do I start? :'D

Let's answer some of the most burning questions, shall we~?

Is Rahas comfortable with his new guild?

Yes, he is! He's found his people. A guild filled with weirdos and outcasts. A decision he made for himself.

The Guardian Guild treated him well and they tried to engage him in some manner, but Rahas himself was the one who was holding him back. The Guardians were a guild already established. With people who were close, who had their roles to play. Lynus and Lirit settled in easily because of their outgoing natures. But Rahas, he has zero social skills. Not his fault, of course. And he himself knew just how volatile he could be at times. Besides, joining the Guardians wasn't really his decision. He followed Lynus and Lirit. He didn't feel like he really fit in. He always felt that it was his duty to be the protector somehow, but with how well the Guardians protected each other, there was no space for him to fully develop his skills.

But Cosmos? Yeah, he finally found his place. He could be the protector he needed to be.

How does Rahas get along with the other members of Cosmos?

Simmons: Needless to say, but Simmons adores Rahas! And Rahas is incredibly protective of Simmons. Simmons is innocent, naive, and carrying a lot of pain and sadness. Simmons has some idea what Rahas had to do, and that in itself bothers him as Rahas shouldn't have had to do such a thing. So, to counter the grey, Simmons will adore him unconditionally.

Shiki: Again, it doesn't need to be said. Shiki has his feisty, emo son in his guild now. Living under his roof. In his family that is growing. Oh, how happy he is.

Gerald: Truth be told, Gerald feels a little awkward around Rahas. And that mainly stems from what the kid had to do to save him and his family. No one should need to do such things. But there is true evil in the world, too. And sometimes, the actions of Dark Hunters are needed. Still, he's glad that the kid is still a feisty loudmouth at times. Makes him forget the bad that has happened.

Kerri: Oh, Kerri absolutely does like Rahas. He can keep Simmons safe. Keep Gerald and Shiki safe. Keep everyone safe. She's his partner in crime, should the need call for it. Lead Simmons to safety while Rahas does what needs to be done. Neither will outright attack anyone with Simmons around as the boy is too kind hearted. But the moment he's out of sight or hearing range, the two will get violent.

Tiffany: Now, Tiffany. She doesn't really know what to make of him. And he of her. You see, Tiffany only really knows how to communicate by yelling and making a huffy fuss. She grew up with Macerio, a boy who suffered a horrific trauma and who's her own mother is protective of, so she felt that she had no other way to get attention then by being a loudmouth. In a way, Rahas kinda understands as his first instincts in the face of society is to be aggressive and loud. Good lord, do these two communicate by getting into pointless arguments with each other. Too bad everyone but Gerald finds them entertaining.

Housing arrangements?

Lol, he's not sharing Simmons' bed, unfortunately! He first starts out on the couch, which he doesn't mind. He's slept at far worse places. Eventually, they get him a bed to share a room with Simmons because their house is not big enough for all of them at the moment. But Shiki and Gerald are seriously thinking about getting a new home. One that is theirs. Their current residence holds a lot of memories, old memories. But perhaps it's time for the two of them to start afresh. To find a new home that they can fill with new memories.

Any interesting behind the scenes facts?

Rahas joining Cosmos is exactly what's needed for him and Axel to get along. Ironic, right? Not really. Rahas was intimidated by Axel. Axel has his shit together, he's strong, protective, and is basically the first person everyone turns to in a time of need. But it's when Rahas moves out of his shadow and onto his own feet, he begins to understand the public pressures that Axel carries. Like, he's basically the one who needs to solve problems for others. Like Lynus, he has a lot of expectations thrown at him by others. And you know, that kinda sucks. Rahas understands now what it means to be a, well, a guardian.