Druig doesn't even request the clapping to stop as he does his walk of shame, instead he takes a seat with a small grin on his face. "can we all stop doing this right now? it is morning and we're having breakfast."phastos says, though i can tell he's holding back a laugh. "we're all done with breakfast."sprite says. "why do i even try?"phastos asks, getting up from the table. "alright then! everyone up, it's time to do the dishes."sersi says, all too excitedly as she starts grabbing plates and utensils.
"very well."thena replies, getting up. "i've got this, no need."gil says but he is silenced when thena places a delicate hand on his shoulder. something, whether it be some sort of silent language they've created or a connected mind, he seems to understand and lets himself oout of the room. "i'm assuming, i'm next to be kicked out?"druig asks, watching as ikaris leaves. i stare back at him, silently begging for help.
but instead he smiles, the smile reaching his eyes as he leans forward. "i'll see you later, flower."he whispers, getting up and leaving too. once he's gone, long gone into the domo it's finally free rain for my friends. "flower?"sersi asks, a soft smile coming across her beautiful features. it amazes me, seeing how beautiful everyone is. arishem has made them all flawless, probably taking thousands of years to design them. from kingos eyebrows, druigs nose and sersis eyes they're all perfect. "don't hold back, tell us everything."sprite insists although i can't remember them staying here.
this feels like an interrogation.
"it is,"sprite says, turning a chair around before sitting, arms resting on the neck of the chair. "now, how did it go?"she asks as four druigs form around the room. "well i don't see a ring on that finger,"thena comments, carefully picking up my hand and turning it in hers. "which is lucky for him, seeing as he hasn't asked for my blessing."she says.
or mine. makkari signs.
"or mine, but they aren't marrying yet."ajak says.
we went to a nice little spot, by the stream.
"did you push him in?"sprite asks as druig #3 tumbles into a stream that has grown out the of the floor. "or did he start helping you find new stones?"she asks as druig #2 holds up a large piece of emerald. "but i don't see anything in your pockets."they sigh as the illusions break away. "well, judging off of his dramatic entrance i'd assume the first option."ajak says, turning on the faucet. "he told me how worried he was, and i must admit i'm not used to druig seeking comfort from me. or most people, for that matter. now tell us, howd you like the statue?"she asks.
it's incredible.
"id hope so, i had to stand around for three hours with that illusion so the sculptures could get it right. three hours a day, actually. because apparently according to your boyfriend they couldn't get the curve in your stomach or your nose right. and then it was the depth of your eyes and the length of your hair."she sighs, moving her hands as she speaks.
i have a few of the discarded ones. he's not wrong, they gave you a teeny tiny nose, the a wide flat one, then a curved one. i don't think he's very fond of most sculptors now.
it's beautiful, how he cares so much. i wonder, if i saw the old ones, if i would see the mistakes. i think he might know my face better than i do. "the love that he has for you, it's unbelievable. and you feel the same way, right?"sersi asks. i can only imagine what druig is going through at this moment. with kingo alone he's probably facing a storm of questions and jokes. but with gilgamesh and phastos? he'd probably rather be in tartarus. sersi looks at me, awaiting my answer.
i do.
"so why do you look so worried?"she asks. a look on her face comes together, one that can only be identified as dread. i couldn't tell her why i look worried because i certainly don't feel it
i'm being interrogated by the great sersi, the goddess of war, the leader of the gods, godess of speed and thieves and the illusionist. i'm a bit worried.
to this, they laugh. the tension fades away, jokes stirring in their minds as i pull water through the plates. "and we are speaking to the gorgeous goddess of earth, i'm practically shaking."thena replies. "remember, if he ever treats you wrong you tell me and he's gone."thena says, half joking as shown by the smile on her face but a subtle seriousness formed in her tone.
she squeezes my arm lightly before making her way out, white robe trailing behind her like the train of a wedding gown that i know i'll see her in one day. her and gil will have a brilliant wedding, i can see it in my mind. flowers and candles, a three course meal and gorgeous jewelry. maybe in a few centuries.
and remember, i'm number one. lunch at the river?makkari signs.
of course. what will we have?
whatever athens has to offer.
"with payment, yes?"ajak asks. she knows about makkaris mild kleptomania, but as she'd say, it's simply compensation for constantly saving the day. makkari looks to me, a small smirk on her face tells me that that wasn't the original plan. makkari is one that loves a rush because killing deviants and saving earth isn't quite enough. she likes a souvenir and the severed arm of a deviant just won't due. i nod my head.
i'll go get some crystals from the wall, i'll see you in a few hours.
makkari is gone before i can even nod and something tells me that the main topic of our lunch will be druigs confession and showing her all of the poems. "and brelione, i know your fear of commitment. but anyone can see how right this relationship is, the very chemistry you have is simply undeniable. and i've never seen him show any interest in anything as he does you, commit to this."ajak says, her voice low and calm like she's telling me the biggest secret of the century. truly, it might be the biggest secret of the century.
thank you, ajak.
"no, thank you. for the longest time i thought he was going to be the gloomy one, standing away in the shadows. but you've brought out the best in him, i can feel it. you have my full blessing, young one."she says, slowly pulling me into a hug. it's warm and full of love, my arms around her.
"and i think you should go get him out of there, he's probably being attacked by now."she jokes, hands on my shoulder with a beautiful smile. she goes, not in the direction of phastos' lab, but in the direction of her own room. and from behind me, sersi speaks. "brelione, i must ask you something. about ikaris."she says.
about druig and ikaris?
she shakes her head. "no, though i'm sure id love to know about that. but.... i learned something recently. about you and ikaris."she says. no. no, why? why must this be brought up? "is it true? that he... kissed you?"she asks.
some three hundred years ago, yes. it's never come up since.
"i'm sorry, did i just hear that?"sprite asks, making us both jump. did he never leave? "ikaris kissed you? when?"she asks. "have you been invisible?"sersi asks, her hands on my wrist out of fright. "yes, now back to the topic."she shakes it off. sersi and i both stare at the ginger for a moment as we recollect our sanity.
we were fighting deviants and it was just a bad decision on his part, i suppose. we've never talked about it, it's just a thing that happened. no big deal.
"wait a minute, was that the same day that you raised the island?"sprite asks. i nod, wondering how on earth she could remember that. "no."sprite says, gasping. sersi looks at me, trying to figure out the significance. "does druig know?"sprite asks. "does druig know what?"a deep accent calls out, druig coming into the doorway, dark suit on his body and his hands together in true druig fashion.
you're doing it.
i sign to him, making his eyes widen as he pulls his hands apart. "what is it that i know?"druig asks. sprite let's out a laugh, saying that she'll leave us as she pulls sersi along with her.
"REMEMBER THAT WE EAT OUT THERE!"kingo shouts, his voice echoing off the deep green walls. "TRUST ME, ILL REMEMBER."druig shouts back. "tell me, did they interrogate you as they did me?"he asks. "because personally, i never want to be asked about my intentions with you again while i have ikaris staring at me like i'm a deviant."he says, pulling my hand up from my side and kissing it lightly. "did you know that apparently, according to kingo, we are disgusting?"he asks.
did you know that if you do me wrong that thena and makkari will be getting rid of you?
"that, i assumed. they care about you a lot, as they should. and if i were to hurt you, id hope they hurt me. and there's not a single doubt in my mind that if i were to ever even say your name wrong that the last thing i will see before meeting death will be the end of thenas sword."he says.
you better keep up with your pronunciations, then.
"what is it that sprite is wondering about?"he asks. i shrug, tempted to start hitting the air just in case sprite is concealing herself with an illusion.
what does he ever wonder about?
"hmm, that is something i don't ever want to know."he responds. conveniently, in the middle of conversation, thena needs a glass of water. she glares at druig as she does so, sipping from her glass. "you treat her well."thena says. druig takes half a step away from me, out of fear or respect. "i do."he responds. i'm blushing like a fool, looking at the floor. "continue to do so, one mistake and you won't ever make one again. i'll see you both later."she says, placing the half full glass in the sink.
one mistake, apparently.
he nods, grinning. "believe me, darling, i heard. what does the day have in store for us?"he asks.
well, i see a nap in my very close future.
he nods. "and for lunch?"he asks.
makkari has asked me to lunch at the river, do you want to go swimming with me at dusk?
"is that even a question?"he asks. before i know it, we've both ended up in my room, i lay on my bed as he holds his hands behind his back as he inspects the walls. the flowers that begin to sprout, the jars of rocks and tiny, tiny little creatures that hide in the plants. "beautiful brelione, why do you have this?"he asks, holding up a blade. green swirls of light and dark, carved and tied to perfection.
it was a gift.
"what's this stone going to be called?"he asks. to that i shrug, i've always preffered to leaving the names to the humans. i don't always invent the plants and the stones, usually i just let them rise from the depths of the earth where they would've gone untouched and undiscovered. "it looks like your eyes, in a way."he says, placing it down before he approaches the bed.
"can i lay down with you?"he asks, making me smile as i nod. he sits down, sighing as he slowly sinks into the soft mattress. all of them are different, mine is softer than thenas but harder than sersis. i've found myself wondering what that says about us as people. and now i wonder what druig's feels like, how he looks when he sleeps in his bed, how he chooses to make it. i know that he doesn't have many decorations, he's more of a minimalist. the only decorations he has are the ones that i've given to him. "what's going on in that gorgeous mind of yours?"he asks as he tucks a pillow under his head.
do you worry what is to come when our mission is over? i sign.
it sounds like it makes more sense than thinking about how much of a minimalist he is. he looks at me, not showing anything in his expression. "once we've destroyed all the deviants, i imagine we'll stay here until arishem decides we are done."he says. "do you believe something different?"he asks. truly, i'm not sure about what i think. but after my dream this morning, i'm starting to think that maybe somewhere in my mind i know that something bad is to come.
is arishem proud of us?
to this, he doesn't respond. for a moment, we sit in silence. it's not awkward, comfortable as we both think. "i don't think arishem has feelings."he replies. the bluntness of the statement almost makes me laugh. "i think he envies us. i cant imagine whatd be like to be a celestial, to make planets and monsters and humans and eternals. i think, if he does have feelings, hes jealous. because living that long you can't possibly be happy, watching war and the destruction of worlds, the death of planets. not being able to experience a sunset, or love, or finally being able to admit things you've been keeping hidden away for two thousand years."he says. he says it carefully, slowly as he thinks. and the more he says, the more his tone seems to fall.
do you think we will be so old one day that we will become like that?
"we will never be like that."he promises.
never?
"never."he repeats firmly.
A/N: this is the longest chapter yet omg
also this week i will only be posting every other night. hope you enjoyed the chapter xoxo-H.