Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. A loud knocking was at the front door in the early hours of the morning. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. It didn't cease. It continued for a few moments before it awoke Ryder. "I'm coming!" the frei called, floating down the hallway mid stretch. He didn't care to be disturbed, and since Reuben hadn't gotten to the door, the toadstool knew that his guardian had to be meditating or away doing something else (because heaven knows Reuben would be awake at this hour). Hair a mess, eyes half open, the frei opened the door to a delivery man who looked at him with a strange, wide eye. "Uhh, d-delivery!" "Thanks," Ryder stated annoyed, grabbing the envelope from the man's hand and closing the door, only to see him through the window a moment later running away as if he feared for his life. Geez, had he never seen a raevan before? Upon inspecting the letter, it was addressed to Reuben, of course. But why didn't the mailman just drop it through the slot? Why have a courier deliver it? It had to be important. Ryder set it on the kitchen counter and went back into his bedroom, not wishing to be disturbed any longer. "Oh my god," a soft voice came from the kitchen as Reuben read the letter.
Ryder was at the kitchen table eating a bowl of wet bark Reuben had collected on a walk earlier that morning. "Oh, yeah, you got that letter this morning. What's it say?" he asked, curiously. "M-my dad...he's dying." Ryder's eyes widened. All he knew about death was that the victim was no longer of this world, even though their physical body was. And, of course, that their physical body began to decay. He also had noted that death wasn't typically a good concept, especially of friends, family, and others that's lives are tied to yours in some way. "Okay, what're you going to do?" "My mother wants me to come visit him. Wow. I haven't heard from any of them in years." Silence filled the room. "What're you waiting for? Go," Ryder stated mid-bite. Reuben's eyes narrowed, he crinkled the letter and walked over to the trash and tossed it away, shaking his head. "No, I won't," he said, voice soft and shaky. Ryder raised a brow. It wasn't any of his business, he knew that. But he could sense something deeper was going on in his guardian's mind. And he knew that if Reuben didn't go, he'd just be miserable and mopey. If anything, Ryder knew he needed to talk to him just to alleviate that negative vibe in the house that would occur if he didn't go. With a sigh, he spoke up, "Well, you don't have to go. But wouldn't you regret it if you didn't at least try to see him one last time? I don't know a lot about your family since you've never opened up about them. I just know what little I do from the stories Calista has told me. They didn't seem like nice people from what she had to say. But, if you're just going to sit there and be angry about it, wouldn't it be good to go for a visit. Maybe get some closure, perhaps?" Reuben leaned up against the counter and sighed in return. His charge was so wise for his young age. "You're right. Let's pack up and go to Durem," the man stated as he walked to his bedroom. Ryder's eyes widened, almost spitting out his most recent bite. He didn't suggest that so he could tag along. He didn't want to go. When he swallowed the food in his mouth, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Slowly, he rose from the seat and made his way towards his own bedroom. "Why do I do this to myself?" he stated as he closed the bedroom door. "Are you ready?" Reuben asked from the threshold of Ryder's bedroom. The frei nodded as he zipped up the mushroom duffle bag Reuben had found online and just had to get. With a sigh, he threw it over his shoulder and floated to his guardian's side. With that, the two packed up the Prius and began their trek to Durem, the place in which Reuben held many terrible memories. "Gods, why am I here? I don't actually want to be here. Why the hell did I come? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Reuben stated softly to himself as he sat parked across the street from the house in which he grew up.
Ryder rolled his eyes and shook his head, listening to his guardian go through a miniature meltdown. He gazed upon this house, which seemed pretty well-to-do. The front lawn was freshly cut and green as could be. There was a large, towering tree in the front yard that stood tall and proud, yet bare in the autumn season, yet not one dried leaf was on the ground. If anything, Ryder saw a beautiful home, one which took much care in the way they were perceived. He opened the passenger door, causing a shocked Reuben to shoot a glance at him. "What're you doing!?" Reuben shouted in shock. "We're here, right? Let's go," Ryder stated coldly as he shut the passenger door and floated around the car to the driver's side. "This is really happening. Shit. Oh my god," Reuben stated aloud. His palms were sweaty, his hands shaking. He felt as though he was about to go on the most important date of his life. This could end in either a renewed life for him and his family, or a terrible, tragic death of his father in which he never found closure. Ryder opened the door to usher out his guardian. Reuben took a deep breath before getting out and fixing his button up shirt and wiping any 'imaginary dust' from his pants. Clearing his throat, he strode across the street, Ryder in tow, up the small pathway to the front door. Knock. Knock. Knock. Three sturdy blows to the beautifully crafted wood door with exquisite glass paneling. The anticipation killed. Reuben could hardly stand the thought of his mother, or worse, his father, opening the door. A swift creak pierced the air as the door flew open. There stood none other than Reuben's brother, Pete. "You came," a deep voice spoke as a large man emerged from within the house. He looked about just about Reuben's age, and very similar, except much more brawny with a fade haircut and no glasses or stubble. Very clean cut, to say the least. "Mom! Reuben's here!" he called back into the house, opening the door wide and ushering him in. Reuben's heart raced, he was about to see the woman who birthed him, and who also disowned him all those years ago. "Y-yeah, I did. I had to," he said, turning to Ryder and waving for him to follow. "What the hell is that?" Pete stated as the two entered. "I mean, sorry. Who're you?" Ryder stayed silent, not really knowing what to do or say in that moment. Obviously this man hadn't seen a raevan before, or many extraordinary creatures that the world had to offer. "This is Ryder, my-" "Son! You're here!" a woman interrupted as she ran down the small hallway with arms open wide right into Reuben, grasping around his smaller frame and squeezing tight. "M-mom, hi." "Mom, get a load of this," the deep voice stated, pointing directly at Ryder. The woman's eyes widened bigger than Ryder had ever seen eyes go. It almost gave him the creeps, but he floated there, barely inside the doorway waiting for something, anything. Reuben opened his mouth to speak, but Rubi had beat him to it. She turned to Reuben and grabbed his arm, pinching it in turn and with a stern, quiet tone, she began to speak, "What did you bring into my house? One of your 'projects'? Is it some demon? Tell me now." Reuben's eyes narrowed, his heart raced and he could feel the adrenaline building. "No, he is my charge. My son, so to speak, and your grandson. He's a magical being called a raevan. You-" "Magic!? In MY house!? You know how this household feels about magic! I can't believe you'd do this to our sacred home. And it is not my grandson. It's filth and demonic. Now we have to have the priests come out for a cleansing! Pete, get rid of the demon, please." "Fuck you! This is one of the many reasons I left in the first place! What the hell is wrong with you!? He's a living creature just like you. He's-" "Ugh! It's disgusting is what it is. I think this was a very bad idea, summoning for you. Your father would be very disappointed." As Pete opened the door and grabbed Ryder's arm, Reuben stepped in between. "Don't you ever touch him! And you're right, this was a very, very bad idea. We're leaving. Tell dad I said hi." With that, Reuben pushed Pete off of Ryder and the frei floated out the door, a bit shaken by the sudden hostility he had never witnessed before. Reuben then stormed out of the house and straight to his car, face red with anger and tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't you ever come back!" his mother yelled from the doorway before slamming the door. Reuben shook his head as he got into the car, Ryder following suit right behind. As soon as both doors were shut, Reuben took off to home, shaken, visibly upset, and completely appalled at his mother's actions towards his charge. Ryder just stared out the window, not really knowing how to feel. He wasn't extremely upset, because he didn't care about the opinions of people he had never met. He was more saddened for Reuben having to go through a traumatic experience like that. The two had been sitting in silence the entire car ride home. As Reuben pulled up to the house and parked. He turned to Ryder and spoke, "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into that. I knew it was a bad idea to begin with. I...wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. Rubi is just a complete bitch...sorry, I just mean she's-" "A bitch. It's okay. I'm fine. I've read enough literature to realize that prejudices exist, and something two people I've never met, and probably won't ever have to see again, say doesn't affect me. I'm more sorry for you having to deal with her. Let's just get inside." Ryder definitely seemed to be growing up. All those books Reuben had bought over the past months had really been turning him into a smart young frei. He understood a lot of the world, all because he read so much. Reuben couldn't be more proud in that moment. Ryder hated going to sleep. Oftentimes he would just lay awake in bed for hours, hoping not to fall asleep. His dreams lately had been nothing but problematic for him. They were nightmares, and they didn't do him any good. He always awoke in a panic. To make matters worse, Alice wasn't there when he woke up. Of course, being fashioned from imaginations, the frei often had dreams, nightmares, and the like, depending on what he had gone through for the day. Some dreams were fantastical adventures in far away lands. Some were nightmarish horrors in the fogged dreamscape. But the one dream that kept recurring in the poor boy's mind at night was hard to forget.
The nightmare began like any other. The mirror sat across the room. The red beady orbs floated to where his eyes were while the crooked smile in the mirror opened up to allow the eerie laughter through. The frei's heart began to race, but he pursued on, allowing the laughter to continue, staring at this darkened, dim figure in the mirror with the wide mouth and red glowing orbs for eyes. Ryder lifted his hand to touch the mirror. But its reflection was not that of Ryder's hand. A dark, twisted version of his own hand was what showed itself in the glass. Confused, Ryder tapped the center of the mirror, the dark hand within it doing the same. The moment the two fingers touched, the mirror rippled like water from the center to its edges. The laughter became deeper, more dark and muddled. The unease began to set in. What had Ryder done? Suddenly, without warning, the dark hand from before burst through the center of the mirror, which rippled outward like before. The voice deep and demonic, laughing at the sheer horror on the toadstool's face. The frei quickly floated backward and jumped back into bed, his breath short and the fear very apparent in his being. The demonic arm continued to stretch out of the mirror until finally, the long, jagged fingers grabbed ahold of the frei's arm. They held tight as the frei tried to get free. He tried to pry the fingers from his arm, to no avail. Then, the frei felt the tug on his arm, pulling him towards the mirror. Ryder screamed, but nothing escaped his lips. He closed his eyes tightly and the tugging stopped. The pressure of the fingers on his skin dissipated. He opened his eyes to see the ceiling above him, his covers completely drenched in sweat. He sat up quickly, noticing a sharp pain on his arm. The frei looked down to see nothing but a dark bruise formed on his arm. It was then that reality set in. He was no longer dreaming. The eerie laughter wasn't there, the room wasn't as reddish and dark. It was just his plain, real life room. But there on his arm was the proof. His proof that the dream he had just endured, was real. Reuben was running around the house like a chicken with it's head cut off. Getting everything cleaned and ready for the party. Even though the gathering was literally just Evan and Calista, he wanted the evening to be perfect. The winter solstice was upon them. Plus, Calista and Evan hadn't had a very close relationship ever since the falling out months prior. Evan and Reuben had only just began truly connecting again, hanging out during the weekends, spending time with each other whenever possible. The entire time just being 'buddies', although Reuben couldn't help but think of it as more than that.
Ryder stayed put in his bedroom, because as he had realized, when Reuben was going crazy cleaning, it was best to stay away. After all, he didn't want to be put to work, and he knew that he would be told to do something to help if he was even seen. As the night continued, the guests arrived, and Ryder was told to come out and be courteous and spend time with everyone. As it was, Ryder did as he was instructed. He played the 'outgoing kid', and tried to be as "normal" as he could. The night went on, and Ryder was socially and mentally exhausted. Trying to be outgoing and act like he wanted to be there was the hardest thing to do. He'd much rather be in his room reading or...well...even attempting to practice magic. But he couldn't, for if he wasn't socializing, Reuben would be angry. Thus, the Winter Solstice passed. The cold came and went. But around the Rothmore fireplace, friends gathered to enjoy a day of peace in a rather solemn time. An entire month had passed since his last nightmare. Each night before bed, Ryder would stay up late, staring down at his small bruise where the hand had pulled and grabbed him. It was sore a few days after the initial incident, but after the pain subsided, it was just ugly to look at. Pale white skin surrounded the blue tinted handprint. With each passing day, the blue became lighter and lighter, turning a grayish peach, and finally, his pale skin with the colorful freckles returned after a few weeks.
Every night still, he would stay up long after laying down in bad, staring down at the spot his arm was attacked, and from there staring at the ceiling, afraid to even fall asleep because of the fear behind that nightmare. He hoped it wouldn't return, it was the worst feeling in the world. Of course, the frei hadn't thought to tell Reuben, or anyone for that matter, about this nightmare. He didn't want to worry anyone, and seeing how Reuben acted in some circumstances didn't make Ryder feel all that comfortable sharing. So, he kept it to himself, hoping that it would stop and never return. Hours passed and sleep began to beckon. The weight on his lashes were far too heavy to sustain. Sleep had won. The dreamscape began hazy, blurred. But soon enough his focus returned, allowing the frei to witness the disturbing blip and ripple of the mirror. It was almost as though he wasn't in control of his body any longer. This nightmare began basically where the last left off. As the mirror rippled outward, the dark hand burst from the glass, grabbing hold of the toadstool's arm once again. The red orbs staring into the depths of his soul, the cackle emitting an eerie echo about the room. Ryder could feel the tugging on his arm, the immense pressure and pulling. The arm pulled through a shoulder and finally, a head burst forth from the mirror, the red floating orbs following suit as eyes, the widespread smile popping out from the mirror to be visible in the real world. More and more of the dark creature's body was being pulled from the mirror, and Ryder seemed stunned, he wasn't in control. He was stuck in place as a post to be tugged at and pulled on to save this creature from it's mirror prison. Once the dark figure was fully free, it let go of his arm, and Ryder looked up to see nothing but a dark, looming shadow of himself with deep red glowing eyes and a wide, sharp toothed smile. It was himself, a dark shadow self. A stinging pain emitted from his arm, and the pain throbbed and throbbed. The shadow cackled again, and Ryder finally felt as though his dream was coming to an end. As the raevan opened his eyes, he quickly sat up in bed, gasping for breath. Fear filled his eyes as he glanced around the room. The throbbing pain of his dreams still emitting in reality. He looked down at his arm, only to see a deep cut and dark bruise. It was a stinging pain. He quickly floated into the bathroom to clean up the cut and wrap it like he was taught to do when such a thing had happened. Once he calmed down and the wound was cared for, questions began to fill his mind. What was happening? Why were his nightmares becoming reality? Why were they happening in the first place? Should he even alert his guardian? It was time to do some research. ◈ WHO: Pohl, Ryder, & Reuben (Smerdle & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Almost sunset on January 10, 2018 ◈ WHERE: Outside somewhere... ◈ WEATHER: Clear and cold. ◈ WHO: Holle, Nina, Ryder & Reuben (radishleaves & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Early afternoon on January 14, 2018 ◈ WHERE: The Mystic Herb ◈ WEATHER: Sunny, but getting colder. The forest was dark. It was late in the night and there he was, practicing magic yet again. But this time was different. When he got to this place, however he had gotten here, it felt...strange. The frei's fingers glistened with dark red magical energy, and a smirk crept upon his face. From one hand, a plethora of that red energy shot off like lightning in every direction, lighting up the forest for a quick moment. Each of those small bolts turned into a bat-like creature, which all collected together and flew around overhead. Wicked they looked, but poisonous and powerful they were. Then, in his hands, a ball of that same blood red energy floated between them. It grew and grew, his magic was becoming so powerful and he could feel it pulsing through his veins. The ball floated outward from him and continued to grow. His imagination magic was nothing in comparison to what it used to be. All those months of practicing had paid off. The ball then burst, and from it, a mighty dragon broke forth, opening his wings and letting out a terrifying roar as it landed in a thud against the ground. The mushroom then turned around and another ball of energy formed within his hands. He allowed it to grow, just as he had previously done. From this ball burst forth a monstrosity unlike any other. A mighty tar-esque colossus, bubbling and gurgling upward as it stood over all the trees in the forest. Suddenly, the frei began to feel this eerie power overcome him. It wasn't like anything else he had ever felt before. It was as though he began to have an out of body experience. The view shifted and what he could only describe as his very soul floated upward, looking down at the scene below. He looked at his body, and at all of the creations he had just formed within his imagination. The forest was dark, but through this darkness, all of the creations stared down at the small creator on the forest floor. With his hands he motioned outward and with a cackling laugh, he let out the words: "Destroy. It. All. Hahahahahahahahaha." From the moment the words left his lips, the frei above watched as his creations began to spout fire, tar, and poison across the trees, shrubs, and grassland; burning, killing, and smothering everything in their wake until the forest, as far as the eyes could see, became a wasteland. The frei's heart sank. He watched as his body below continued to cackle and spout off words of power at the creations. What was happening? It wasn't him, was it? It couldn't be. He'd never use his magic to do something like this to a place he found so much solace in. The forest began to further darken as the manifestations of his imagination began to dissipate into the nothingness, continuing to wreck havoc as far out as they could. It was then that the soul of the toadstool could sense something watching him. He looked down at his body, and there it floated, staring straight at him with a smirk most wicked. Laughter filled the frei's mind, cackling laughter, a truly evil laughter. The frei's heart leapt from his chest as he awoke in a panic. He sat up in his bed and took a look around the room, his sheets drenched in sweat. "It...it was all just a dream?" Ryder hung his head down into his hands, rubbing his eyes, relieved. "You mean...nightmare," a familiar voice echoed within his room. Ryder, startled, looked up quickly to see his reflection in the mirror across the room. But something was off about it. In the dead of night, the frei could swear that, even though he was obviously frightened, the face that stared back at him was smirking menacingly. Then the reflection began to laugh that same maniacal laughter that he heard from his dream. Suddenly, his reflection from the mirror began to burst quickly into reality, and there he floated, at the foot of the bed, a dark, black and white reflection of Ryder. Erryd. Something within Ryder already knew him. He'd never met him before, he'd never even seen him before. But Ryder didn't even have to ask his name. He intrinsically knew it. The frei's heart pounded within his chest. He could even feel it in his ears and throat. Was this some sort of twisted continuation of the same nightmare he'd been having for months? When would he finally wake up? He kept closing his eyes tightly and opening them, each time the darker reflection of himself still floated in the same spot. This all felt real, but so did the dream he had supposedly just woken up from. What was reality anymore? Was this really it? "I'm so excited to finally be here, you have no idea." That voice, the second time Erryd spoke to him, the frei placed it. It was his very own voice, the one he'd been hearing inside his head for months. The one that would tell him to keep pushing himself to the very limit of his magical power. The same one that would continuously tell him he'd never amount to anything great unless he practiced his magic from dawn until dusk. The one that pushed magical power and prowess over intelligence and studies. The voice he had, many times, tried to quell with books and other distractions. That voice. Ryder pushed himself up against the headboard and took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing pulse. "You can't escape from me now," the dark frei began, smiling as he floated upon the bed towards Ryder. "Erryd has finally come out to play." Ryder shut his eyes as tight as he could and shook his head. "No, you're not real. You're just a dream, a figment of my imagination. Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away!" the frei stated, covering his ears, his tone increasing with each repetition of the words until he ended with were a quick scream. It wasn't until then that he felt some sort of relief. The toadstool dropped his hands to his sides and relaxed the tightness of his eyes, slowly opening them only to see the dark, dim, lifeless eyes of his shadow self staring directly into his from only inches away. "Boo," Erryd cackled, floating up into the air as Ryder quickly flung himself off the bed and to the floor in a frightened mess. "I told you, I'm not leaving. You can't just tell me when to come and go like you can with...oh, what's her name again? Alice?" the shadow spoke, drumming his chin with his fingers until he finally spit the name from his lips, leaving but a pursed smirk on them. That name brought such strong feelings forth from the frei on the ground. "Don't even say her name," he said, defensively, finally gathering the courage, and now anger, to float up off the ground. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. You can't even summon her anymore, can you. Hmm...maybe it's just that she doesn't want to come out to play. You've probably bored her to death with all of your reading. Or maybe she just hates you because of how annoying you are. Just like how Reuben hates you for not being more outgoing. Wait, I know you've been trying to be more like him: outgoing, confident...but we both know that's not who you really are." Whilst Erryd spoke, all Ryder could do was continue telling the shadow, "Stop. Stop it. Just stop." Anger building up inside. "Actually, you've been pretty pathetic ever since he grounded you...that asshole. Can't even conjure up a decent looking story anymore. And even crafting a toadstool takes it out of you. Everything you do looks so...dim, dingy, blegh. What happened to you? At least you used to be a decent mage. Now look at you; a pathetic whelp. A simple shell of what you used to be. Disgusting." "STOP IT!" the frei screamed, letting loose all the anger that had built up over the course of the small altercation. The fear was gone, and all he was left with was anger and frustration. All of a sudden, his bedroom door burst open and the room was instantly illuminated. "Ryder! Is everything alright!?" a scared, confused, and worried Reuben called from the threshold. Ryder quickly glanced between Reuben and his bed, seeing nothing, nobody. Erryd was gone. Great. Now he had to explain...or not. "I...I am so sorry Reuben. I was talking to myself," as strange as that sounded, it wasn't false. Reuben took a deep breath of relief, he knew that Ryder had many imaginary friends come and go, and it was bound to catch up with the poor boy eventually. "Okay, I'm glad to know you're alright. Just keep it down, will ya? I'm trying to sleep. It's only 1AM. Goodnight," the guardian stated, turning off the lights and closing the door behind him. Ryder took a deep breath following the shutting of his door. "Why would you apologize to that prick after what he's done to you?" The frei's eyes darted back to the black and white version of himself which, once again, floated above his bed. Anger built up instantaneously all over again, and just after he had calmed himself enough. Ryder simply ignored him and laid back down in bed. "Alright, that's fine. Go to sleep. But just know I'll follow you into your...nightmares. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha." The maniacal laughter continued to echo for the rest of the night far after Erryd had dissipated into the darkness. ◈ WHO: Sam, Mary Ann, Ryder, & Reuben (Byagane319 & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Mid-morning on January 23, 2018 ◈ WHERE: The Mystic Herb & Rothmore Residence ◈ WEATHER: Cold. The time had come and gone like a flash of light. A year, Ryder's first year on this planet had almost come to an end. By the middle of the month, Ryder's time here would be countable, not in months, but in years henceforth. How Reuben counted the time. It seemed just yesterday that Reuben was hastily rushing to Lab 305 to pick him up. Just a blip in time a moment later when he was destined to meet Alice for the first time as well, how confused he was, and how nervous he was to become a father. Although the boy never took to calling him dad, father, or the like, Reuben definitely felt as though he had such a relationship with Ryder.
Taking the day off to go to the store, Reuben decided to stop at many different places. He knew he wanted to get Ryder his very own computer. The frei took well to electronics enough and he enjoyed playing games on his phone. He could only wonder what sort of adventures he could conjure if he had the means to play some video games. The tarotist thought back on his own life, when he was a teenager playing video games behind his parents backs. Especially the ones of magic, folklore, and the like. World of Warcraft came to mind. Games such as those that had lost their joy to the man, the teenager inside of him burst with joy at even the thought of hitting the raids once again. However, Reuben did want to make sure Ryder would even like such a thing. He knew he favored medieval times, and thus the realm of fantasy was not lost on him. It was clear that what Reuben wanted to do was show him worlds that he didn't have to craft on his own, especially since it seemed as though Ryder hadn't been practicing his magic like before, but instead, show him fully built worlds in which he could craft his character and explore. "Hello sir, how can I be of assistance today?" A young salesman stated as he approached. "Ah, yes hello. My...umm..." How would he describe him? Son? Charge? Raevan? "...s-son has a birthday coming up and I'd like to get him his very own computer. I'm leaning towards a desktop so he can play video games on it whenever he'd like. Do you have any suggestions?" "Oh, of course. Follow me," the worker stated with a smile as he led the man over to their gaming computers on display. "Here is a fine one, especially for a beginner. It has an i7 processor with 16gb of RAM, and a one terabyte hard drive. All of which can be upgraded if you so please." Taking a quick look at it, Reuben's eyes narrowed. "So...how much is it?" he questioned curiously. "Well, it's on sale right now for $599. But that deal ends this weekend." Reuben nodded. Not a terribly high price for a brand new computer. He remembered his first computer he had bought when he moved out, and that was just under a thousand. So, this seemed well worth it. "Okay, I'll take it," he stated, a smile on his face. "Great! I'll go in the back and grab it. While I do so, why not look around at some monitors and if you need more help, I'll be glad to help you out once I return." With a simple nod, the boy was off to grab Ryder's new computer and Reuben strolled around to find a wall full of monitors of all shapes and sizes. It was a beautiful sight, he had to say, but so many choices. He noticed a wonderfully sized 24" widescreen monitor that could be flipped either landscape or portrait. He also strolled across the room to find a nice new keyboard and mouse, as even he hated the generic ones that came with the computer most of the time. Picking up a nice set of matching Corsair accessories, Reuben returned to the monitors and just in the nick of time, as the boy had come back with a cart which included the desktop. "I see you've found a new keyboard and mouse. Mighty fine choices if I do say so. Are you a gamer?" Reuben laughed and shook his head, placing his items in the cart. "I used to be. I haven't played much recently. But I know a good gaming setup when I see one. Also, I think I'll go with this monitor here," he stated, pointing up at the Benq monitor on display. "Ah! A very good choice, sir," he said, picking up the box and adding it to the cart. "One last question," he stated, narrowing his eyes. "What's that?" "What computer games do you suggest I get for someone who enjoys the fantasy genre?" The boy laughed. "Right this way, sir. I'll show you everything we have in stock. You're in good hands." Reuben nodded, grabbing his cart and pushing it behind the boy. Oh how Ryder would love this, he just knew it. And if Ryder didn't, Reuben certainly would. ◈ WHO: Reinhardt, Samael, Ryder, Reuben, & Evan (Byagane319 & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Around 2pm on March 12, 2018 ◈ WHERE: Rothmore Residence ◈ WEATHER: Slightly overcast. There he lay, in the dark recesses of his bedroom, not saddened by the fact that his magic wasn't where it should be. Not distraught that he couldn't practice day in and day out. Just lying there in the dead of night, staring at the ceiling...smiling. Why, you may ask, was he happy? Especially since the past six months of his life... the whole second half of his life thus far in this world, he had been inadequate in comparison to the first half. He had nothing to be smiling about, especially in the middle of the night, or so you'd think...
Reinhart... It had been days since Reinhart left him. But the memories from his birthday stuck with him. Erryd hadn't shown his slimy face since Reinhart tossed him away during that eventful day. His first birthday was definitely a success. For the first time in so long, Ryder felt nothing but peace. Erryd would normally terrorize his nights and pester him during the day. It wasn't fair...but ever since Reinhart came into his life, it's as though Erryd was too afraid to show his face; and for that alone, the toadstool was grateful. The frei sat up in his bed, staring at the mirror across the room. It was just his reflection. Him and himself alone; no looming darkness over his shoulder. Just him. Just peace. Ryder slowly closed his eyes as he took a few deep breaths. Now, in the dead of night, it was quiet and he could sleep. But why was he still awake? Why couldn't he sleep even though the evil in his life had left? Also...Reinhart... The thought of the fellow frei touching his hand with a bare hand, with no repercussions at all; it thrilled him. The warm touch he had, the caring way he spoke. He was different from the other raevan, and Ryder could feel it. He truly cared. The way he called him his 'rainbow', the way he looked at him. He was so urbane. Perfect. His own personal protector from evil. But...these feelings were lost upon the young frei. He had no idea what to make of it all. All he could understand was that Reinhart saved him from himself. He saved him from Erryd. At this point, it was a welcome distraction from the fact that he couldn't perform any sort of magic whatsoever. It was just nice to be able to relax again. Ryder looked at the computer in the corner of his room. Maybe it was time to learn a thing or two on how to use it. It had been a couple of weeks, and Ryder had been on strict notice not to play the video game any more than a couple of hours per day. As much as he hated this fact, he realized that he needed to just get through this little bout of Reuben being a 'crazy controlling father figure' and soon enough he would relax and let the frei do whatever he wished once again. In the meantime, however, Ryder didn't have any patience for things. He turned to his bookshelf and gave it a glance over. Yes, it was large and full of wonderful stories, but Ryder didn't feel like reading. He often loved listening to Alice read to him, but alas, she wasn't around anymore for whatever reason. So, he decided to try something new. He pulled off the shelf a small book, flipping through it's empty pages he smiled before returning to his room with it. This was one of the gifts he bought himself with the money he had been given by Calista on his birthday. He reminisced about the times he'd fill pages and pages of texts with his imagination, creating stories from nothing and just imagining what a page would look like and in turn, 'printing' the pages with his magical, imaginary ink. Though, sadly, those pages would fade over time until they returned to blank pieces again. Thus, he needed to learn how to write. He had all the vocabulary and knowledge necessary on how to write, but putting the pen to paper was much harder than he'd ever anticipated. Each time he had tried to write or draw in the past, it was as if a one year old had grabbed a crayon and scribbled nonsense onto a page, which frustrated him since he could magically enchant a page to look however he'd like when his magical abilities were working for him. Nowadays, however, his imagination magic was basically ceasing to exist and he had no other options. He had to do something, and training himself how to write was going to definitely occupy his time during the hours he wasn't allowed to touch the computer. As he began, it was just like the old days. scribbled words after scribbled words were written, almost illegible words. After much concentration, the boy turned to YouTube on his phone and sat it on the desk next to him. Learning to write would happen, if it was the last thing he did. After watching a few videos and practice lettering on scratch paper, the toadstool felt confident enough to attempt a page of journaling. He scribbled his way through one page, and another, and another. Just writing whatever sentences came to him. This was good practice, as his handwriting improved slightly more each page that was turned. It was obviously nowhere near a perfectly and beautifully handwritten note, but it didn't look like a one year old's artwork anymore. More like a six or seven year old, perhaps. The frei told himself he'd journal as often as he could to practice. Had he put just one forth the determination towards this project that he did when he was practicing magic when he was first brought to the Rothmore estate, he'd learn this handwriting thing in no time at all. Throughout the day, Ryder had given it his all and had scratched out and ripped out multiple pages of text he had attempted to write. Through frustration and heart ache, the boy had seemed to get some sort of rhythm down. He took to scratch paper multiple times to learn the alphabet, the way each letter would work together, and also what words he could write down easily versus which words were a bit harder for him. "What do you think you're trying to accomplish here?" An ominous voice echoed within his room. Ryder's eyes closed and he took a few deep breaths. It was that voice again. The voice in his head that hadn't been noticed, hadn't been even thought about since his birthday. The nightmares had even stopped and everything was so fine...until today. The one day that Ryder tries something new and different. "What is it? Cat have your tongue, kid? Don't have your big bad boyfriend to protect you today? Hahaha." the echoing voice continued. "Leave me alone," Ryder stated sharply, opening his eyes and turning around to see Erryd floating there, directly behind him. The grungy, dark version of himself floating above him. This was not what he needed right now. Not at all. He had been doing so well the past month and now this? "But Ryder, it's been a while and I need to have some fun. I haven't come out to play since the birthday party. The storm cloud needs to rain on someone's parade," Erryd began, following the pun with some laughter which filled the room before continuing. "Oh how I loved that nickname your boyfriend gave me." Ryder sighed heavily. "First of all, Reinhart is not my boyfriend, we have barely spoken to one another since the party. Secondly, you need to leave as I am not in a mood to have you around today." Erryd's eyes widened slightly before an evil grin grew upon his face. "Wow, the little rainbow sure is feisty today. Almost as though he's attempting to stand up for himself. Hmm...that's a bit...out of character for such a weakling like you, don't you agree?" he said, stroking his chin a bit, the grin returning once finished. Ryder's eyes narrowed, his fists clenched. He floated to Erryd's height and looked him dead in his dark gray eyes. "Leave. I shall not deal with you today." Erryd's grin softened and a look of utter anger overcame him. He glanced past the frei and took a look at the table, scrawled notes and scribbled out letters on paper covered the desk. "It looks like a child's handwriting. You should really practice harder if you ever want it to look the least bit decent." With that, as soon as he appeared, the muse vanished in a blink of an eye. Was it Ryder's strength and determination which led to Erryd's disappearance? Or was Erryd just not getting through to him today like he had in the past? Whatever it was, Ryder was relieved to see Erryd gone, even if it was only temporarily. Now, Ryder could continue his writing in peace, maybe even happily now that Erryd had left. "Practice makes perfect," he spoke aloud, taking pen to paper yet again to try and write whatever he could to practice. The sunlight peaked through the bedroom window at dawn, and Ryder was already awake. He awoke with a sense of determination to get something done. He had already done his daily ritual of playing his video game, some reading, and even some practicing of his calligraphy. For whatever reason, the frei was restless and needed something more to do.
Upon staring at his ceiling, the frei realized something he hadn't tried to do in a very long time. Mushroom magic. With his imagination magic so blocked he'd get a headache even trying to conjure some horns, the frei decided he'd try something different. Practice the power of mushroom manipulation just like the day he had created his first mushroom wizardry hat. Floating out into the kitchen, Ryder hadn't found any mushrooms whatsoever. It was rare for Reuben to not have any in the house, but alas, there was nothing to be seen. Thus, it prompted the frei to leave and find them elsewhere. Taking a trip outdoors and into the nearby forest was his best bet. Before leaving, he texted Reuben, who was busy working in the shop, stating he'd be out for a moment and return in an hour or so. With Reuben's blessing, the frei left for the forest. It took no time at all to find a wild mushroom nearby. Upon first inspection, the mushroom seemed the perfect specimen to practice with. Plucking it ever-so-neatly from the earth and holding it within his hands, Ryder smiled. The power came back to him rather quickly, much more so than he ever expected it to. This power...this was nothing but natural for him. His hands began to glow a dim green before scrunching the mushroom into a ball. He then began to mold the mushroom like clay into a small figurine of a person. Ryder wasn't the most artistic or talented individual when it came to doing things with his hands, but this was the best it would be. It gave him a small confidence boost when he realized that, at least this power hadn't left him completely. Though it wasn't the power he wished to be practicing, at least he could practice something. The toadstool spent the rest of the morning picking different mushrooms and turning them into hats, scarves, and even wobbly glasses. All of which didn't look great, but at least one could somewhat tell what the items were. It kept his mind off of his video game and other magical inabilities at least, and that's what was so important to begin with. On Friday, July 20th, Ryder was given a task to set up some sort of surprise party for Reuben while he and Calista were away for a few days to celebrate Reuben's birthday. This was the first time Ryder had truly had the house to himself since he was brought here, and he was so happy to have that much needed space and time to do really whatever he wanted. Well, the words of Calista seemed to fall on deaf ears since the plan was to have the house fully decorated and Reuben's closest friends (ie: anyone they had ever met from Lab 305, basically...and Evan) be there to surprise him when they arrived back at the house around 5 PM. Ryder, however, had forgotten all about the party, the invitations, and worst of all, getting the decorations. The frei had spent the entire weekend, including Monday and Tuesday, playing his video game. Since Reuben wasn't there to keep an eye on him, it was his chance to go all out and just really play until his heart was content. Well, time slipped away from the frei and it seemed as though the days came and passed all too quickly. 1:54 PM. The clicking of the mouse and the wondrous sound of mechanical keyboard keys clicking were afire. The character on the computer screen was going wild with attacks and magical abilities, dousing enemies in flames whilst the others sliced and shot their way through the latest dungeon. Ryder then realized that Reuben was going to be back that night. Then had the thought that something was forgotten. What was it again? Ryder pushed the thought aside for a few moments until the dungeon was completed. 2:23 PM. After the dungeon ended and they were ported back to whatever they were doing before, Ryder logged out, as he was getting slightly hungry. Luckily, Reuben had left him some food out to mold over the weekend and it was all for him to consume. The thought that he was forgetting something never did leave his mind, however. He couldn't help but think that something was missing, or that he was supposed to be doing something, but what? Though, upon floating into the kitchen, he saw some cash sitting on the table. That...was for...REUBEN'S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE!? Panic completely set in. Ryder had no idea what to do. "OH FUCK!" He exclaimed, frantically pulling out his phone from his chest pocket. The frei had approximately three and a half hours to completely clean up the house, set up the party (with cake and decorations), and get everyone over here for Reuben's birthday (although he had totally forgot to even send out invitations). Otherwise Calista would surely kill him. Ryder fumbled to text as many people as he had numbers for. He tried to send texts to all of his raevan friends, although that was futile as everyone was probably busy. But there was still Evan! Maybe he could help? 3:46 PM.
"I have the stuff and I'm on my way. Be there soon." Beep. Beep. Beep. Ryder placed the phone back into his coat pocket after speaking with Evan. Finally, he was on his way. At this point the frei was a bit frantic and had no idea what to do. He had tried his best to clean up the house and get it ready, but no matter what, he only had another hour and fifteen minutes before Reuben and Calista returned home. All the toadstool could do was pace back and forth around the house until Evan could show up. Then he would finally be able to get the house together and decorated. Oh how he wished his imagination magic worked, at least that way he could do something and imagine some sort of decorations. How he hated himself for not being able to control that magical ability anymore. It was just so...annoying. So completely irritating that he couldn't do anything. He felt so helpless in so many ways. 4:11 PM. A knocking at the door was heard and Ryder couldn't believe it. Upon opening it, Evan stood there with his hands completely full of decorations. "The cake's still in the car. But here's the decorations," Evan stated with a smile as he brought the bags full of decor into the house and set them on the nearby couch. "Thank you ever so much, Evan. I cannot believe I have forgotten such an important task." Evan chuckled. "No worries. I'm happy to help. And I'm actually stoked to be here on his birthday. I have an important question to ask him when he arrives. I'm going to get the cake." Ryder smiled and nodded, he didn't care much for whatever they would talk about, all he wanted to do was get these decorations set up before they arrived. He instantly spilled out the bag and got to work. 5:07 PM Reuben's Prius pulled up to the house soon after the time Calista stated they'd be home. Calista and Reuben made their way up the steps and into the house, which was dark. Upon opening the door and turning on the lights, however, the mood changed. "SURPRISE!" Ryder and Evan screamed as the lights came on. Reuben was stunned, his mouth agape. "Oh my gods..." Calista was happy, yet half disappointed nobody else showed up. Though, the stun on Reuben's face was enough to dissipate that emotion quickly. The house was completely decked out in bright balloons and streamers of every color, and there was a beautiful vegan cake from his favorite bakery on the counter in the kitchen. The two had pulled together the birthday surprise in spades. "You guys really shouldn't have! This is so amazing, thank you." Reuben stated, coming to give Ryder, then Evan a large hug. "Of course, it was actually all Ryder's idea." Ryder chuckled a moment, "I shant take credit from the real planner, Calista." A bellowing laugh was heard from the door as Calista shut it after entering. "Happy birthday, babe. I'm glad ya'll were able to pull off such a feat!" "Gods you guys, I'm shocked. Thank you. You all are the best. And I thought that the sake from last night was my real birthday present!" Reuben laughed. The four then settled in for the party, cake, and festivities. 9:33 PM. As the night came to a close, Calista left and Ryder had decided to escape to his bedroom for the evening. Meanwhile, Evan pulled Reuben outside to the gazebo for a moment. "Happy birthday, again. I just hope that you have had the best birthday yet." "Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better time. Between all four of us being here, I'm happy to conclude that this birthday was the best so far. The house looked amazing and that cake was delicious," Reuben said with a smile as he leaned out over the gazebo's edge and looked up at the stars that began to twinkle in the sky. "I'm glad. So, there's something I wanted to ask you," Evan stated with a smile, leaning his side up against the gazebo and gazing into Reuben's eyes. Reuben looked back at Evan with a confused look on his face. "Will you be my boyfriend?" Reuben's eyes widened immensely. He'd had a crush on this man for a year and a half. Finally, the words escaped his lips. Boyfriend? Reuben's face lit up and all he could do was throw his arms around Evan's neck. He whispered in his ear, "I'd be honored. Yes, of course." Evan pulled Reuben close, the two could feel each other's hearts beating wildly and as they loosened their embrace Reuben kissed Evan lightly on the lips as the stars sparkled in the sky above them. It truly was the best birthday surprise of all. |