Rest in Pax? - Zac Leila and Pax

[endejester]

He was trying to head to the Library, it didn’t always work that was certain, but he tried none the less, But at the same time maybe it was just as well he ran into a more familiar face.

Leila, whom he hadn't seen since the rift he was pretty sure.

He raised a hand in greeting to her and moved to say hello. It would be interesting too to see what she thought of all the new stars.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Hi, Zac!"

Leila float-bounded over to the familiar face with all the grace of an extrovert who was also magic. There were some clear signs of stress on her features, but whatever she was dealing with didn't seem to slow her down much. Instead she gave Jeremiah's son a friendly smile while leaning in to take a look at him.

"Yep, still sparkly. I think I see some new ones, though... how've you been?"

endejester

 

[endejester]

“I’ve….” He hesitated. “I’ve been alright, getting used to all the changes we wrought. I, still miss Sunny, but I met Sonny too.”

It was strange because the names were so close, but at the same time as different as night and day all the same.

“And um… I guess you know in this world I’m actually adopted, so that’s…. cool, except he still can’t see or touch me.” He rubbed the back of his neck. What about you though?”

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

There was a long, careful breath from Leila when the same question was turned to her. "We learned we have a son," she said, and tried a shrug but it wasn't very convincing. It would be obvious to anyone watching that even though her feelings on the topic were complicated sometimes, for the most part she was happy about it. "Ezra. I have his birth certificate and everything. So I guess you're not alone on the weird family developments... though as far as I can tell yours was a long time coming."

She grinned, brightly, at Zac on that note.

"Also got some more psychic powers, and the flock's all grown up," she continued. "I'm actually here to see if I can reach Biscuit from this side. So far it's been like mixing oil and water."

endejester

 

[endejester]

“I… wait you have… Ezra?” He looked –stunned-.

“Like, B-burning man, Ezra?” He said a little anxiously. His experiences with the man being, mixed, and not wholly separated from Jerimiah’s experience, and the oath to distance himself from Sunny, the consequences that the complicated dealings had caused. It really wasn’t on Ezra’s shoulders, but it was still a strange feeling.

There were so many things that they needed to re-evaluate.

“I mean, that’s good, right? Is he, are you? I only know a little about him, other than ‘he’s on fire’ and he is a guess a noble?”

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"He's a lot of things," said Leila. She was blushing a little, and running her hands a few times through a long lock of hair like she was a fresh-faced undergrad being asked about her long-term plans. "But... that's what he's known for, yeah. You don't have to like him to stay on good terms with me, don't worry."

She adjusted one of her sleeves bashfully. "So are you looking for something, or just wandering around? I still have Friend with me, so I might be able to help you out if you're after something specific."

endejster

 

[endejester]

“I… “ he hesitated. “I was going to try and make my way to the Library. I told Sonny that I’d help them find their Dad. I know we all have mixed feelings about them, and I’m still not sure I trust what Renard might have added to the sigil but…”

He rubbed his arm anxiously.
“So, I mean, I should give him a chance, I think my thoughts on almost everyone have changed the more I lean. I won’t say all my opinions have gotten better but it would be unfair of me to place anything at his feet for… why I have mixed feelings about this.”

“So if you think well of him it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t give him a chance.” He nodded and then shrugged and shifted some of the bangles he was wearing to show off the mark on his wrist, then turned his hand over to stare at his palm where the rock had sunk in.

“And, I admit there are a few other things I’d love to find answers about. Like…this mark and, well the stone that sank into my hand before everything went to hell. Especially because of the stone in the rift, it’s probably nothing of the kind but, yeah I mean, I’d rather not find out that I’m a hazard to everything I love more than I already have been.”

cibarium

shibrogane

whenever you want <3

 

[shibrogane]

There was nothing to find by the library. The doors stayed stubbornly shut. Pax had previously been found in the forest; maybe it was still there.

cibarium

endejester

 

[cibarium]

Leila gave Zac a concerned look as they walked. "We need to be careful around Renard," she said. "He doesn't see us as the people he knew, especially those of us who were involved with the new sigil. I don't think we can change that, either..." Which made her sad, to be honest. He'd been the officiator for her wedding with Eve, once. Now they were enemies.

The library door wasn't budging, even when Leila threw her whole weight at it (which was a lot).

"Okay, so that's a bust... and Friend's telling me I was a chump for trying." Those weren't Friend's exact words. Leila put her hands on her hips, thinking. "I haven't been to the forest in a really long time," she said. "Want to go check on Pax? Or... see if they're there. It doesn't have much to do with your stuff, but I've been a little worried."

endejester

 

[endejester]

He blinked at her curious.
“Doesn’t…. see us as the people he knew? Like, he sees us as the people who fit this, setting?” He tipped his head as though changing his view might make the answer fall into place.

The library earned a crinkled nose and a pat on the door. “It… has its own ideas on when it’s needed. Or maybe we just haven’t earned the right yet…here does that make sense?” He fumbled for a concept that might make sense.

That last comment Leila made though.

“Worried? Why? Are they ok? Are they, are they missing Heliodora?” He bit at his lip worried.
"I'm...I'm ok seeing them, I mean, we've never really talked but I'm ok with it."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Missing Heliodora? "Probably," Leila answered. "But... I dunno. It really scared me, what happened to Eve, so I've been worrying a little about everyone, I guess." She shrugged. "In between the Spinel Lady and Renard, there's a lot that could happen. They're both ruthless..."

Her hair caught on a bit of shrubbery that was more intelligent than previously appeared, and she stopped talking for a second to break free -- losing more than a couple of strands in the process, which made her frown some. It deepened when she resumed to talk about Renard.

"Not in the same way. But that part about letting nothing get in their way? That's what we've become, as far as I can tell... potential obstacles. Maybe Eve misread him, but she saw something in him that terrified her, even thought he said he doesn't plan on hurting anyone. I hope we're wrong."

That wasn't a concrete reason to see Pax so much as it was a tangent.

endejester

 

[endejester]

“I…er, wait, what happened to Eve??” He said with growing alarm.
He reached to help detangle her hair but it seemed she had it well in hand, save for that it was clearly upsetting to see strands left behind.

“I… is this why you’re worried about Pax too? Did something happen to them? Did they happen to each other? Um, I mean, I’m a little confused.”

There was the idea too that they were obstacles – that, he wasn’t sure was totally different, but the question became, had they made progress towards the goals of Liam and Renard which had them charging forward? Or was it the reverse? Did they now need to scramble to catch up, or regain lost ground?


He frowned a bit gears turning.

Did he remember seeing Liam after the Void at all? What if they… undid… well, never mind.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"The Spinel Lady took all of Eve's magic ability," Leila said flatly. "And the deer triplets have all been in bad shape for a while. I don't know all the details, but breaking the cage ended up really hurting them. Each of them was bonded to a different Principal from the old sigil."

endejester

 

[endejester]

“I… oh….” He said lamely. The forest growing closer with each step they took.

He felt terrible not knowing, but maybe it wasn’t a surprise. He’d cut himself off trying to grasp the new world and to smother the guilt he had over the loss of the Sunny that he’d wanted to say, that they wanted to save.

“Did we…. Are we, are we going to loose them too?” he asked almost breathless. “Can they, can they bond to the new principals? I mean, do we know who they are?”

He reached out to lift a branch out of their way, leading the way into the deeper woods.

c1barium

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

They didn't see Pax in the remains of Heliodora's grove. There was only a boy in his late teens curled up among the roots of a tree, like something awful and stillborn. Near him was Sonny, their face screwed up in concentration, hands sunk wrist-deep into the bloodied earth. It had splattered up the thighs of their pants, soaked through to their knees, to the wrists of their sport coat.

They didn't seem to realize anyone else was there.

cibarium

endejester