Yule in Gaia was always such a huge deal. Snowmen with candy. Santa and his reindeer lurked on every street corner. Everywhere you looked, no matter where you were from, there was some sort of holiday cheer awaiting you. People bustling about getting gifts and wrappings. It was a ton of work for some shop keepers who presented the more high-tech gifts kids wanted.
Sadly, for Reuben, the Mystic Herb wasn't as bustling during this season. The regular clientele would come in, but not as many people as he had expected. People were getting sick, sure, but they weren't wanting the natural remedies. All they wanted were the quick and easy, the simply pill popping that true doctors gave. Reuben hadn't even seen a doctor in years due to his new lifestyle. He was always fairly healthy and even the slight colds and things he did get were easily taken care of by herbal tea and natural remedies he'd create himself. But, the time had come to close the shop and get ready for the Yule celebration with Calista and a few of her co-workers. He locked up the shop and put up his "Happy Holidays" sign on the front door before returning to his house to ready it for the party that evening. Within two hours, the entire living room and kitchen was decked out in winter decorations. Snowflake streamers drooped in the entrances to the kitchen. A large Yule tree stood tall in the corner of the living room. Garland was strung up across the entire house. The large chalkboard behind the bar in the kitchen even had a winter flair to it. The drinks and dessert platters were prepped and ready. There was even a fire started in the fireplace. The sound of wood crackling under the heat was so soothing to him. Then, the wait for the guests began. The large grandfather clock struck 8 o'clock and Reuben sat alone in his living room enjoying a mug of hot, fresh apple cider. Finally, a knock was heard. The first guest had finally arrived. He picked himself up, placed his mug on the coffee table and waltzed over to the front door. Opening it up, it was none other than Calista. "Hey, girl. About time you showed up. Where is everyone?" "Ugh, you'll never believe it, Reu," Calista stated as she walked into the room, taking off her large overcoat in the process. "What is it? Did something happen?" Reuben asked, closing the door, slight worry in his voice. "Everyone bailed, again. I invited my co-workers for friendsgiving, nobody showed up. I invite them for Yule, again, no-shows. Why do I even bother?" she said, plopping herself down on the couch. "Is this cider?" she asked, picking up Reuben's cup and taking in the aroma. A sigh of annoyance escaped the alchemists lips. Of course they'd cancel without actually cancelling. "Well, that's just wonderful. A waste of all the decorating I did, not to mention the baking," he mused quietly, more to himself than directing it at Calista. He took a seat on the opposite couch and watched as the witch brought the cup to her own lips. "Can't you just get your own?" he spat, eyes narrowing. Calista rolled her eyes and sipped the cider once more before putting it down. "Can you stop being a little bitch? I'm just as disappointed as you are." Reuben's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he leaned back in the seat, resting his head upon the cushion. Calista stood and made her way into the kitchen, picking at the desserts and grabbing a cup of cider for herself before returned to the couch. "Well, is tonight going to be a Netflix and chill kind of night?" Calista suggested, taking a bite of the delicate vegan cookie. Reuben looked over at the clock, then to the kitchen. A moment of silence passed and he finally spoke. "Yeah, might as well be."" Reuben went to the kitchen, filled his cup, and grabbed the plate of goodies before bringing them all back to the living room and setting them on the coffee table. He slipped off his shoes and propped his feet up on the large couch he was sitting on before grabbing the remote and turning on the Smart TV that hung on the wall above the fireplace. He flipped through the apps on the television until he found Netflix. Starting it up, he looked over at Calista who was gobbling down on some homemade carob covered pretzels he made. A smile grew upon his countenance as the realization of what the holiday season was really about sunk in. It was about spending it with people you care about, people you love, and enjoying their company. Parties don't matter, the perfect plate of desserts doesn't matter, and neither does the hot apple cider. All that truly matters is time spent with loved ones; and with that, Reuben truly did understand the meaning of Yuletide cheer. ◈ WHO: Sam & Reuben (Byagane319 & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Early Afternoon on November 27, 2016 ◈ WHERE: The Mystic Herb ◈ WEATHER: Partly Cloudy, but some sun shining through. Valentine's Day. A holiday, according to Reuben, used to promote fake, over dramatic ideals of love, relationships, and a day to make the chocolate and floral businesses flourish for a time. At least until today... Reuben was out with Calista running some errands on a lunch break before returning to the shop. All he could see for a mile was people bustling to get their gifts for their loved ones. Pinks, reds, and whites lined every street. Items shaped as hearts, boxes of candy, balloons, and fluffy stuffed animals were in everyone's hands. The tarotist knew to keep his attention on his work, not rifle with affairs of love or affection. He had a business to run. Sure, he'd find people cute here or there, and even have a fun time with someone on rare occasion; but there was nothing worse for a career than establishing a "lifelong" or even long term bond with someone else. "You really need to download Tinder. I'm telling you, you could get a lot of dates if you just tried. You're an okay looking guy," Calista jested as she kept her eyes glued to her cell. "Swipe left, swipe left, swipe right. It's truly very simple," she concluded, sipping her coffee and following the motions she spoke as a new fellow's photograph popped up in place of the prior. "Cali, you know I have no time or patience for an actual relationship," Reuben stated coldly, pushing forward. "Not anymore at least." "Who said anything about a relationship?" she chuckled. Shaking her head, eyes still on her phone, she continued, "All I'm saying is that you should go out and have some fun. You've really delved into your work ever since you supposedly 'fucked up' the soul capture for Lab 305." "I'd really rather not talk about that," he replied, rolling his eyes as they continued their walk down the street. "Fine, we don't have to. But you really do need to do something else to get your mind off of your stresses. Shit, go get yourself a fuck buddy if nothing else." Another long sip, this time, with sound. Reuben sighed. "If it'll get you to shut up, I'll go download the app." Calista grinned, finally locking her phone screen and placing it in her pocket. "Good. But you have to know I'll never shut up." The evening came quickly and before Calista left back to Durem, she forced Reuben to download the popular dating app and quickly showed him how to use it.
It didn't take long for Reuben to get the hang of it, swiping left and right on people became second nature. It wasn't like him to judge someone so superficially to think someone was a "good match" for him, but this was like a game. Those whom he swiped left on would never know. He spent a good portion of the evening going through the local men that popped up, one after another, on his screen. As the night progressed, Reuben took a break, only to come back to a few matches and a couple messages. He dove into the messages quickly, probably too quickly and began to get a bit too personal early on and never received responses. Finally, a message popped up from a guy named Evan, 28.
Reuben couldn't help but snoop a bit. Something about this man felt familiar. He had remembered swiping right, but only because he was in a swiping fit and hadn't really taken a deeper look into their photos or about me's. Now that he got a message, he decided to look a bit deeper. The about me was very weak, in Reuben's opinion. A small blurb about him liking the outdoors, the fact that he's a bartender in Aekea, likes to dye his hair a multitude of colors constantly, and the fact that he owns a German Shepherd who he named Axel. His photos, however, proved a bit of insight into the man's life. A couple selfies, quite cute; one with bright green, acid-esque hair, shirtless (abs for days), and the other with a cute little outfit and titanium-gray hair. Another was a photo of him and Axel lying on a bed together. And finally, his fourth and fifth picture were of him and this woman. One of them was a cutesy couple-esque photo of them hugging and acting "adorable" to the camera, something he could see a multitude of his gay friends doing with their girlfriends. The other was a shoddy photo of, what seemed to be them at Halloween last year. Reuben's heart picked up pace as he glanced at that final photo. Both of their faces were done in Dia de los Muertos paint. The man's heart skipped a beat as he wished the photo was slightly less overexposed and a bit less dark overall to make it easier to make out. Obviously the photo was taken at night, and by the background lighting, it looked as though it was at the Durem Fairytale Fair. His heart sank into the pit of his stomach. Nerves overtook him and all he was doing was looking at his phone screen. This couldn't be the same man that sat with him on the bench that night, could it? Reuben couldn't remember what the man told him his name was, but this was promising. Finally, after about twenty minutes of figuring out what to write back, Reuben decided it was time to respond. He knew he didn't want to overshare like he had been doing all night, but keeping it kind and to the point.
It didn't take long before Evan responded.
Reuben's heart dropped, this time in sadness and disappointment. 'My girlfriend'. What kind of shit was this? Tinder was a place for dating, right? Not for someone to go to make friends. With a heavy, saddened heart, Reuben couldn't help but continue the conversation, even if it wasn't going anywhere.
The responses slowed down, and it took Evan a good hour to respond. It was getting late, but Reuben was determined to stay up and continue to text this guy.
Reuben laid in his bed, light cascading down onto his face from the phone screen alone. A saddened facial expression was all he could muster. With a sigh, he clicked the lock button and laid it beside him, staring up at the ceiling in the pitch black room. A good few minutes of thinking later, he couldn't help but respond. Strangely enough, however, the topic of the Fairytale Fair hadn't come up yet. Maybe that was something he should ask about in person. Coffee was innocent, right? With little friends in his own personal life, he decided to just go with it.
Even with a saddened heart, Evan's number was placed into his phone and a date officially set for February eighteenth in the morning. This would be a nice little distraction from Lab 305 and work, even though they were to be just friends. Reuben placed his phone to charge on his bedside table and rolled over, ready to sleep. The morning of the coffee date had finally arrived. Reuben awoke early to prep himself mentally and physically for such an occasion. He and Evan had been texting for the past few days just getting to know each other more and more. That little blurb of an "about me" on Tinder was nothing in comparison to learning about a person through messaging and talking on the phone.
Even though there was no reason for it, Reuben still had butterflies in his stomach. He had no idea why, but deep down, he had begun to like the man he was getting to know. If only he was single...and gay. That thought would come and go during the days following their initial meeting on Tinder, but Reuben suppressed those feelings deep within, never to see the light of day. One thing Reuben knew he wanted to bring up on this little excursion was Halloween night. He needed to know if this was the man that sat with him on the bench. It haunted him not knowing, but he did want to get to know Evan on a deeper level. Finally, the time had come to leave the house. Reuben was ready and looking rather cute, even in his own personal opinion. He got into his Prius and drove to the local Starbucks. As Reuben arrived at the Starbucks, he got out of his car and leisurely made his way inside, only to see the titanium haired hottie that was seated in one of their leather seats in the corner wearing a gray tank top that accentuated his biceps and faded, slightly ripped blue jeans. He was on his phone, not paying much attention to his surroundings. Reuben walked up to him and waved a hand between his phone and his face only to receive a surprised Evan in response. "Oh, hey! So glad you could make it," Evan stated as he stood up with open arms. "Bring it in." Reuben chuckled and nodded, going in for the hug. The smell of this man's cologne was to die for. So masculine. As the hug ended, Reuben finally spoke, "I'm glad I could too. Did you order already?" "Nah, not yet. I was waiting for you," Evan stated, walking around Reuben towards the cashier. "What do you normally order here?" "Well aren't you sweet," Reuben stated with a chuckle as he followed. "I generally go for the passion tea or the passion tea lemonade." A fairly simple drink, yet so tasty. "Sweetened?" "Definitely." As the barista called out Evan's name, he scurried over to pick up both drinks and returned to the small table the two were seated at. "Thank you so much," Reuben said with a bright smile as he took the drink. "Of course, so tell me, what's it like to be a business owner?" "Rough, to say the least. But very rewarding. I'm just so lucky to have been able to use my expertise and craft a business from it. I love my work, I do, but I do agree with my friend, Calista, when she says that's all I think about." "That's awesome, man. I wish I could own my own business, but shit's expensive." "Yeah, it takes a bit to start up, that's for sure. But save up little by little and you'll be able to do it in no time," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "Can I ask you a random question?" "Shoot," Evan stated with a curious smirk after sipping his own drink. "When you messaged me, you looked awfully familiar. Were you, by chance, at the Durem Fairytale Fair for Halloween last year?" A look of shock overtook Evan's face. "Actually, yeah, I was. I assume we've met?" Reuben laughed. "I doubt you will remember, but I was a vampire and I think you sat with me on a park bench while our friends were off doing their own thing." Evan looked as though he was trying to reminisce. He vaguely remembered a vampire, though that night had been one of his drunkest in a while. "Yeah, I do kinda remember talking to a vampire that night. That's hilarious. Is that why you swiped right on me? You remembered me from that night? What makes this more funny is that one of my Tinder photos is my girl and I from that night." Reuben nodded with a smile, taking another sip of his tea. "Actually, if I'm being completely honest, I swiped right because you're cute. It was only after I was matched with you that I noticed the photo and remembered who you were. Though I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but I'm fairly positive you were the one chatting with me for a few minutes there. It was so brief, but it was definitely the highlight of my night." Evan just chuckled. "Well, I'm glad I was able to be the beacon of light in your otherwise dim evening." Reuben smiled and shook his head. He was quite enjoying himself on this mini coffee date. He hadn't done something like this in quite some time, but this was really something he enjoyed. As the two continued to converse, they seemed to really hit it off. Reuben became comfortable quite quickly and the conversation just flowed as though the two had known each other for years. Soon enough, day turned into night, and the two realized they had been in a Starbucks with empty drinks for a few hours now. "Oh, dude! It's already seven! My girlfriend is gonna be pissed! I'm sorry, I have to go." "Ah, it's not a problem. I didn't even realize how late it was getting. I'm sorry to have kept you." "Nah, man, not your fault at all. I've really enjoyed our chatting. I think we'll be good friends. Definitely gonna keep in touch!" Reuben smiled. Evan stood up and stretched, baring a glimpse of abs that Reuben couldn't help but get caught up in. The tarotist quickly cleared his throat and stood up as well, trying to avoid the fact that his cheeks began to blush. Evan grinned and held out his arms for a hug. As the two embraced, Reuben couldn't help but take a deep breath of his cologne, which still smelled very good. The two left the Starbucks together and as they split ways, Evan waved and gave a soft smile, a hand making it's way through his titanium hair before turning around and walking off. Reuben just watched, as Evan made his way towards his car, with a huge smile on his face. He had really enjoyed himself and was sad to see his newfound friend go. With the "date" completed, Reuben returned home. Turning on the lights in his house and sitting on the couch, he couldn't help but bring out his phone and clicking on the Tinder app, going to Evan's profile to stare into those beautiful blue eyes some more. He knew nothing would ever come of this "schoolboy crush", but it was nice that he was able to find a friend in this stranger from the fair. ◈ WHO: Sam & Reuben (Byagane319 & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: On the weekend of February 24, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Large national park a few hours outside of their hometown. ◈ WEATHER: Sunny with a slight breeze. ◈ WHO: Delia, Adrian & Reuben (Ebony Shade & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Midday on February 24, 2017 ◈ WHERE: The Mystic Herb ◈ WEATHER: Clear skies, albeit a bit windy. ◈ WHO: Zeke, Reuben & Ryder (Ravina Loki & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Around 10AM on March 12, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Lab 305 ◈ WEATHER: A fair bit chilly, but sunny at least! The first moments in the car were rather quiet. Reuben kept glancing at his charge sitting shotgun, who kept himself busy by looking at the world outside. "So...ummm..." Reuben mumbled to try and get the frei's attention. The toadstool ignored the request for attention completely, staring out the window. Everything that passed by was beautiful to him. His imagination went wild. He imagined himself walking on the pavement as the passerby's did, not even knowing what it would feel like whatsoever. He looked down at his ribbon, which was draped gently beneath him on the seat and became discouraged. He then glanced at Reuben's legs as he drove. "What are those?" The frei asked, pointing down at Reuben's legs. "Alice has them too. What are they for and why don't I have them?" Reuben's face lit up as he heard the frei's voice, but nerves overcame him instantly. Glancing at his charge's finger to figure out what "those" were referring to which, in turn, led Reuben's eyesight up into his charge's face and then back to the road quickly. "Uh...umm...well, they're called legs," he began, slowly, looking at the frei as he spoke the word 'legs' to really get the point across. "They're used to move about. Like your wings help you move. So, I guess you could say, your wings are your legs," he concluded. That sounded like a good enough answer, right? The raevan simply nodded. "Huh...okay." Reuben smirked and his heart leapt into his throat. The first question in the real world and the kid was receptive to it. This wouldn't be so bad after all, right? Reuben pulled up in front of the house and a bright smile grew upon his face. "So, this is our home. Where you will live with me."
The toadstool looked out the window and gave a half smile at the sight. "Cool," he stated quietly. It was a nice place, definitely not as nice as the building they had just left to come here, and not as nice as some of the buildings they passed on their way, but it would definitely do for now. Reuben ran around the Prius and opened the passenger door for the toadstool to get out. With wings outstretched, the frei floated up into the air, his ribbon dangling below him. Reuben closed the car door and ran up the short path to the front door, unlocking it and opening it up for the raevan to enter. The toadstool entered the house, and it was as if out of a movie. A scene where the main character enters a darkened house on a windy day with an ominous "hello" echoing before removing their hood and closing the door behind them. Only this wasn't a movie scene. The frei entered the home and floated about the living room, curious to see what he could find out about this new place he was supposed to call "home". "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable and look around. I'll be right back with some tea," Reuben stated with a smile as he half-jogged into the kitchen to whip up a quick pot of tea. Tea. Now that was a familiar word to the frei. After all, Alice drank tea at the party. It didn't take the toadstool long at all to find a seat on the couch, staring down at some tarot cards that were left out on the coffee table. The raevan tapped the side of the deck, causing the cards to slide a bit. With curious eyes, he picked it up and began to thumb through the cards a bit, taking the time to really look at each one. As he did so, Reuben returned with tea. A smile on his face, Reuben looked down at his charge. "So, you found the tarot cards." "Tarot?" the toadstool questioned, looking up from the cards into his guardian's eyes. Reuben got lost a moment looking into the large green eyes his charge possessed. Shaking himself from it, he sat the platter of tea and cups down on the table and took a seat next to the frei. "Yeah. They're called tarot cards. They provide some answers to willing querents. They are a fortune telling tool. There are many decks as well. This is the Rider-Waite deck." The raevan kept his eyes on his guardian the entire time he spoke. "They're pretty," he said as he looked down at the cards in front of him. Reuben smiled and nodded, pouring himself a small cup of green tea. "Rider-Waite. That sounds nice." Reuben's eyes widened. "Yeah? It's one of the most well known decks." "I see. You said earlier that I could pick my own name. Can I be called Rider?" Reuben's eyes lit up and a smile grew upon his face instantaneously. "Well, of course, if that's what you'd like. But, see, Rider is spelled with an "I", which is oftentimes a last name. But if you change that "I" to a "Y", it becomes more like a first name," Reuben stated, taking a pen to his tarot journal he had sitting on the coffee table and drawing out the names to make it more visual for the frei. The raevan raised a brow and shrugged, a slight smile growing on his face. "That's fine. I prefer the way it looks better with a 'y' anyway." Reuben chuckled. "Well, I'm glad. Welcome home, Ryder." A smile grew upon Ryder's face as he heard his guardian say his name for the first time. This was to be the beginning of a beautiful life. The first week had come and gone in a blink of an eye. Ryder was alive, well, and living within the home. The two Rothmore men were still getting used to each other, how to integrate into each other's lives, and just over all getting to know one another. This was far different from growing with a baby, Reuben mused daily. Ryder seemed like he had a past, even if it was unknown. The fact that he was able to communicate so fluently, easily, and could now read, just after a few days of him and Alice reading the books together, was incredible. The fact that he could pick up on human concepts after a bit of explanation was fascinating to the tarotist. Ryder had become accustomed to his room, the home, what went where, and just little things over the course of that last week. He hadn't met anyone else, yet, but didn't necessarily care to. He had Alice, Reuben, and the books in his already growing collection. Reuben had gone out and bought him a few books on day two, and by day four, they were read completely. Ryder's mind just swallowed information and continued to flutter with thoughts and imaginings constantly. Reuben prepared a very quick meal in the kitchen for the two of them. Over the course of the week, he realized very quickly that all Ryder truly liked to eat was moldy and rotting foods. Once he got hungry, Ryder just took to the fridge on his own and found an old, rotting bag of spinach at the bottom of the bin. When Reuben told him not to eat it, Ryder didn't listen and felt much better for it. Thus, Reuben realized the fungus in his charge would crave the older food. That's what a fungus' job was, after all. To decompose rotten items. Well, in this case, Ryder would just scarf down anything he could. But it was never truly satisfying to the toadstool. Ryder kept to himself most of the week, even with Reuben's attempts to bring the toadstool out of his shell. All Ryder wanted to do was read. But, towards the end of the week, and when all the books that Reuben had bought him were complete, he did venture out a bit to explore the garden, the gazebo, the small lake next to the home. It was all so peaceful, and Ryder recognized it as such immediately. Through all of this, Reuben knew that he had one specific person to talk to, whom he hadn't yet told of Ryder's existence. One person he knew would be just as fascinated, if not more so, with the news of his charge's birth. Calista. With a quick text, Reuben got Calista's attention.
Within a minute, Reuben received a text back:
"Ryder, go to your room for a little while. There's someone I want you to meet, but I want it to be a surprise," Reuben stated with a grin on his face as he walked out of the kitchen with a towel over his shoulder and a knife in one hand. The toadstool glanced up from the couch and sighed. With a small flap of his wings he floated up into the air. "C'mon Alice, lets go," he said, looking straight ahead before floating off slowly down the hallway. "Fine. Why does he have to be so bossy? And why does it have to be a surprise?" she questioned as her long legs galloped behind the frei to the bedroom. She began to dissipate into the void before she was even able to enter the room. Reuben rolled his eyes with a quick chuckle at the girl's questioning. She was a strange one, that much was for sure. He still didn't completely understand his raevan's abilities; but he knew that she was just a figment of his imagination. After a few minutes of food prepping, he heard his front door open. With a smile on his face, he put down what he was doing and scurried into the living room. "Hey babe, got here as soon as I could. What's up?" she asked curiously, walking over to the couch and setting her purse down on it. "Like I said, I've got some news that I'm excited to share. Have a seat. I'll be right back with some tea." With a curious, unamused glare, Calista walked around and sat down on the couch to wait for her friend to return. "Who are you?" Alice's voice chimed from behind the couch. Calista jumped and spun around to see nobody there. "What the fuck..." she huffed under her breath. "Who are you?" the voice spoke again, this time it sounded ominous and echoing about the living room, followed by a high pitched, little girl giggling. Calista's fingertips flickered with magic as she stood up and moved towards the center of the room. "Don't you mess with me, Reuben Rothmore. I swear to the gods above and below that I will kill you." The giggling continued. "Don't you worry. No worries. No worries. No worries." Calista's eyes narrowed as she turned around the room. Nobody was there, but the ominous echoing of this girly laughter wouldn't leave her mind. Reuben re-entered with some tea only to see Calista looking crazed and hearing Alice's voice echoing throughout the room. "Alice, stop that!" Reuben called with annoyance in his voice. A heavy, ominous, high pitched sigh could be heard throughout the room. At that point, the giggling had completely stopped. "Reuben, what the fuck is going on?" "Alice, that's what. You'll see. Sit down. I'll be right back," he said as he set the tea set down on the coffee table and walked down the hallway towards the bedroom. Calista eyed her friend as he went down the hallway, but did as she was told. She could only hear muttering, but he was definitely talking to someone. She couldn't even imagine what was going on. Had he somehow enchanted his home or something? So many questions ran through her mind. Reuben finally appeared at the hallway's entrance. "Cali, this is Ryder," he stated with a smile, stepping out of the way to bring his frei into the light of the living room. Ryder floated in, a soft smile on his face. "Hello." Calista's jaw dropped. She instantaneously knew what Ryder was. "HOLY FUCKING SHIT REU-" "CALISTA! Language!" Reuben scolded. "Words are words, Reuben. Language is a wonderful thing. She should be able to express herself however she likes," Ryder said with a smile on his face, turning back to see the woman quite excited and giddy over seeing him. Reuben rolled his eyes at his charge. He seemed so smart for being so new to this world. What books had he been reading, anyway? "No, no, I'm sorry, Reuben is right. Umm, well shit. You're alive! Welcome home!" she exclaimed with a huge smile, walking over to inspect the frei. Grabbing him and giving him a hug, she caressed his soft skin ever-so-gently and squeezed. Ryder didn't do anything but accept the hug. Though, in all honesty, he wasn't enjoying the contact. Reuben hadn't even tried to hug him. Ryder just took that as how Reuben was. The physical contact lasted longer than Reuben had wished, and Calista pulled back a bit, slightly dizzy. "Whoa," she stated as she backed away. "Man, you are so fucking beautiful, hahahahahah!" Reuben's eyes narrowed. What on earth was going on. He had never seen Calista burst into laughter like that. At least not when she was sober. Turning her attention towards Reuben, she glanced back at Ryder a moment. Her body drooped a bit. "He's so colorful. So magical. Wow." "Cali, are you alright?" "No, yes, yeah, of course. Wow." Ryder just raised a brow at his guardian's friend. "Thank you for the compliment, I think." "Oh, baby, of course. Anytiiiiime." "Calista, sit down, drink some tea." "I'm fine, I don't need to sit," Calista insisted, waving a hand as she hunched over, acting almost annoyed. Reuben eyed her and looked at his charge. "Did you do something to her?" The mushroom raevan was taken aback by Reuben's questioning. He wouldn't have ever purposefully done anything to cause something like this. What was his guardian thinking? "Of course not. At least, not that I know of." Reuben watched as Calista wobbled her way towards the couch again to sit of her own free will. He was sure that something had overcome her the moment she had hugged his charge. "Here, Cali, drink this," the tarotist stated after pouring a cup of tea and shoving it into his friend's lips. Ryder hadn't moved, but instead just watched as his guardian took care of his friend. Behind the frei, Alice began to manifest slowly out of thin air. "What's wrong with her?" "I'm not entirely sure." "Shall we go read and leave them alone?" Ryder just continued to watch the scene in front of him and, with a shrug of his shoulders, Ryder couldn't think of anything he could do to help this situation. "Sure," he stated quietly. Alice smiled and turned around, hobbling off into the room. Ryder turned and began to follow, but before he made it down to hallway too far, he turned around to see Reuben still fussing with the tea cup and trying his best to get Calista comfortable. An hour later, a knock was heard at the raevan's door followed by a slow and steady creak of it opening.
"Hey Ryder," Reuben's voice called out. "Calista is feeling much better now, and if you'd like to join us in the living room, feel free." Ryder closed the book and set it beside the bed on the table. He then floated up and began to follow Reuben out into the living room. Alice continued to lay upon the bed still with an annoyed look on her face before dissolving away. As Ryder floated into the living room, Calista stayed seated on the couch. "Hello Ryder, I am so sorry for earlier. I don't really know what came over me. But I am so happy to finally meet you." Ryder nodded, a very slight smile creeping in the corners of his mouth. "I'm glad you're feeling better." The frei floated over and sat across from the woman on the opposite couch and she began to talk, pouring her heart out trying to get to know the quiet mushroom frei. ◈ WHO: Ethiriel, Henry, Ryder, & Reuben (NeonMace & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Midday on April 15, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Gambino Books ◈ WEATHER: Comfortably cool and clear. I will it to happen and it does. That sentence crept it's way into the mind of the small toadstool frei many times over the course of that week. "All I have to do is will it to happen." Ryder stated, floating about his room as if to pace back and forth while thinking. Ryder was quite the studious little frei, but for whatever reason, he didn't truly understand his powers, nor how to control them. He recognized that magic was innately inside of him. That he was basically created of magic and imagination. That he was actually quite powerful, even Ethiriel had said so. It was just a matter of learning to control these powers and actually go figure out what all his magic was capable of. The logical first step was to figure out what exactly it was that caused those he touched to react in such a way. The conversation Reuben had with him on their way home from the bookstore that day played out in his mind. The Other Day: "So Ethiriel told me what happened. And I think her theory is correct," Reuben stated, hands on the wheel of his Prius and eyes strictly on the road. How was he supposed to turn down or turn off a power he barely understood? His skin was his skin, he couldn't help that. The only thing he could think of was to will it to happen.
The frei glared at his soft, pale hands and turned it over to view the many freckles that adorned the backs of his hands and speckled their way up under the ruffles of his sleeve. He closed his hands to create fists and then relaxed, flipping them back over palm up. With a heavy sigh, he just looked up and continued to pace back and forth across the bedroom. "I will it...and it happens," he stated aloud. "You have to believe in something enough to make it work. That's what magic is...a fair amount of imagination, belief, and will." With that said aloud, he closed his eyes and continued to repeat it over and over in his mind. He didn't feel any different, and after a few moments he realized that just telling himself that he believed his skin was no longer hallucinogenic wouldn't be enough. He had to test the theory. "Reuben, can you come here?" Ryder called through a small crack in his door. Reuben came in a few moments later with a concerned face. "What's the matter?" "Nothing. Here," the frei stated, holding out his hands. "Ryder, what're you doing?" "Just hold my hands, please." Reuben's brow raised as Ryder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The toadstool began to think the thought that his skin was no longer hallucinogenic over and over again. Reuben nervously took a deep breath and slowly clasped his hands onto Ryder's hands. Ryder tightened his grip on Reuben's hands and scrunched his face as Reuben began to feel more and more uneasy. Finally, Reuben ripped his hands away. "Okay, that's enough!" he exclaimed. As Reuben backed up, his hands began to shake and his skin fell pale. Nausea overcame him and he began to sweat instantaneously. "I...need to sit down," he said, wobbling over to Ryder's bed. Ryder felt sick to his non-existent stomach as well, more out of nerves of what he had just done to his guardian. "I-I'm so sorry! I won't ever touch you again!" he exclaimed in nervous sadness, his own hands quaking at the thought of what he had done. He quickly floated out of the room in embarrassment as Reuben laid down on his bed feeling faint and sick. Reuben knew what he needed to do was sleep off these effects, while Ryder didn't know what to do whatsoever. Ryder paced the hallway outside of his room while Reuben laid down in the fetal position on his bed. "What have I done?" Ryder huffed under his breath. "It was supposed to work. Willing it to happen...that's what Ethiriel said. She just wills something to happen and it works. Why didn't it work for me?" Your magic is quite strong already if you are able to give me hallucinations just by contact. Ethiriel's words danced inside of his head. His powers were strong...potent... But he wasn't able to control them. Not by will alone, anyway. What could he do? He only held onto Reuben's hands for a mere ten seconds at best, and it sent him into a state of nausea and instant sickness. There had to be another way. There just had to be. In the days that followed the event that occurred with Reuben, Ryder became saddened by what he had done to his own guardian as an experiment. Staying cooped up in his room, he felt a sense of failure overcome him. There wasn't much he could really do, at least not that he felt he wanted to do. Practicing his magical skill when it came to his skin wasn't working. Thus, he gave up and turned to his growing collection of books. He delved deep into fantasy, myth, and adventure. Reading all day, every day. "Ryder, can we talk?" Reuben stated through a closed bedroom door. Ryder took a deep breath and exhaled. It stressed him out, but he closed his book, remembering which page he was on, and set it aside. "Yes," Ryder stated bluntly, folding his arms over his chest as the door opened, revealing Reuben peeking in. "I just wanted you to know that there's no hard feelings for what happened. It's in the past. I just don't want you to coop yourself up in the room all the time. You've barely left since the incident." Ryder nodded. "I just figure it's safer for you, and everyone else, if I just stay away. Plus, I like my room." Reuben shook his head as he approached the frei's bed and sat down near the end, looking at his charge. "Don't think like that. You'll figure it out one day. Don't worry about it so much. I had an idea; lets go out." Ryder piped up and softly floated up to a more straightened sitting position. "To the bookstore?" Reuben chuckled softly. "No, no. I meant like, out into the woods. On a small hike. It's a beautiful day." "A hike?" "Yes, where we climb hills and adventure into the wilderness a bit." Ryder's nose scrunched. That didn't necessarily sound appealing. He would have much rather stayed in and just read. But, reluctantly, he decided to agree to go on this 'hike'. "Get dressed and meet me in the living room when you're ready!" Reuben stated with a smile as he left the room. Ryder sighed. He was already regretting his decision to leave the confines of his safe space. His room was his everything. These walls connected him to the stories of his mind where he could stay for hours. But; he did as he was told and met Reuben in the living room a few moments later. "It's so hot," the mushroom stated as he floated behind his guardian, the sun blistering down upon him.
"You shouldn't have worn such extravagant clothing. You really should have just put on the tank top I bought for you." "I feel so uncomfortable in that, Reuben. I love my garments. They're exquisite in every way!" Reuben laughed. "Well, if you really feel that way, you shouldn't complain when it's hot out." As the two made it towards the edge of a small forest, Reuben smiled. "Through this little trail the sun won't be so apparent." Reuben was right! The sun cascaded down in puddles around this forest floor. It was as though they were walking into a fantasy novel, Ryder thought. His mind began to explore the different creatures that could potentially live throughout this forest. As they entered the forested area, Ryder began to feel more and more at home. The trees were like the walls of his bedroom. This. This wasn't so bad whatsoever. It seemed much cooler here than out there. Ryder decided he didn't mind this part of the trip so much after all. "Ah! Look at this!" Reuben called to Ryder. Looking at his guardian, Ryder saw Reuben hunched over. With a raised brow, Ryder investigated. "It's a toadstool. This is what you were partially created from," Reuben stated with a smile, looking up at his charge. Ryder floated down to the toadstool's height. "It's so...tiny." Stroking the top of the mushroom, he watched as a spark flew off his finger and caused the mushroom to glow slightly. This caused the frei to recoil in nervous fear. But, with a second attempt, his touching the mushroom again caused the same effect; only this time he continued. The glowing of the toadstool almost made it feel like a soft clay. Ryder was honestly surprised it had taken him almost two months to even see, in person, a toadstool that he was fashioned from. After a few more strokes of the mushroom's cap, it began to flow outward, almost as if his fingers stroking it were pulling the cap outward and making the toadstool flatter on top, and much wider. Bringing in a second hand, he began to mold the clay-like toadstool into a large, flat, pizza-like shape as it stuck out of the ground still. The frei floated back a bit and as the glowing ceased, the mushroom now looked like a Picasso painting in real life. Reuben stood back astonished. "That's...incredible," he stated, his jaw dropped. Ryder looked up at his guardian. "That was really fun. I'm going to play with it some more," he said with a smile, going right back to it. Reuben just looked at his charge with awe. Ryder was powerful and he hadn't even gotten a simple grasp on how powerful he really could be. Able to completely manipulate the fungus to his bidding. Ryder continued to play with the mushroom for an hour, fashioning it into a wizards hat and placing it upon his head. By the end of the hour, he had learned how to start and stop his glowing touch as needed to get the right feel. Ryder grinned with pride at what he had done. "I'm ready to return home now," he said with a smile and waiting patiently for Reuben to be ready. ◈ WHO: Dani, Ryder, & Reuben (derivitave & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Afternoon on June 9, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Sunny and a little hot. ◈ WHO: LuLu & Ryder (shushida & Skyeforge)
◈ WHEN: Mid-afternoon on June 11, 2017 ◈ WHERE: Barton Town ◈ WEATHER: Is the pavement sizzling!? Meeting LuLu made Ryder think. Was he so wrong to wish to feast upon Reuben's dreams? He felt it weird considering it wasn't something he could physically touch and bring to his mouth like the molding and expired food he'd become accustomed to eating every day. "I can't see it, I can feel it ... Warm and heavy. Right here." That scene played out in his imagination time and time again. He imagined LuLu hovering her hand over her chest with a look of desire on her face as she chomped down on the creativity over her GramGram knitting. It brought a smile to the frei's face, but he wished he knew what it was that drew him to Reuben's dreams, his mind, and even the minds of others. Reuben's dream was just the first time he had ever felt a twinge of hunger that deep all those months ago. Of course, he didn't ever do anything, for he wasn't sure what that twinge was. But, looking back, it was definitely hunger. Since then, he'd become accustomed to this twinge whenever someone nearby had a sudden "eureka" moment, a new idea, or was day (or night) dreaming. He just never knew what to do with these small twinges. Should he actually accept it, would he feel that warm and heavy fuzzy feeling in his chest too? It was food for thought. Ryder vowed that the next time he felt this ache in his chest, he'd accept it, he'd voluntarily take whatever this ache was and allow it to envelop him; he always knew it was calling to him, but never once did he think to take it in. What Ryder didn't know is, the twinge was coming soon. "Ryder, I'll be in the shop if you need me!" Reuben called from his own bedroom as he made his way out the door to his workshop.
Oftentimes, Reuben would just yell to him, alerting him of his absence in the house. It was during these times that Ryder found himself at peace. Not because he didn't care for Reuben or the company, but just simply because he liked being alone with his muses and books. And if Reuben was out and about, Ryder had full reign over the house, the books, the trash can, everything. Though, it was at this point that Ryder felt called to go outside in the back yard and spend some time under the gazebo. He liked going out there just to get away from it all, even if it was for only a few moments a day. He'd take his book and go relax and just enjoy the freedom given to him by Reuben. It was under the gazebo that many wonderful images came to him. It was a different world out there and he garnered so much inspiration from that place. Draping his ribbon gingerly across the small outdoor wicker sofa that sat underneath the gazebo, the toadstool opened the book he was currently reading back up to where he had left off. His imagination roamed with the stories of dragons, sorceresses, elves, heroes, villains, and even the common folk within the book. Every sentence meant something to the frei. Whilst he read, however, he felt that twinge from deep down in his chest. The one he promised himself he'd allow in. But how? He quickly sat up and closed his book, setting it on the sofa before floating up into the air and following this feeling of longing that he desired. It strengthened with every flap of his wings towards Reuben's workshop. As he neared the shop, he saw Reuben sitting at his desk, looking off into the distance with a smile on his face as though he wasn't fully present. Upon closer inspection, Ryder could sense the man's thoughts roaming. He couldn't see them, but he could definitely feel them turning like cogs in a clock. The ache he felt in his chest just grew stronger. Ryder floated right up to the window and gazed deeply at Reuben's daydreaming face and suddenly, the ache was gone, it was replaced by a feeling of warmth, satisfaction, and fullness; things he'd never experienced before. Reuben shook his head, as if he was snapped back to reality and he laughed and knocked on the window when he noticed Ryder sitting near the garden outside with a goofy smile on his face. Ryder's head snapped in the direction of the clinking glass. With a smile on his face he quickly waved and floated off back towards the gazebo while Reuben chuckled and sat back down in his seat. Upon arriving back at the gazebo, Ryder couldn't help but feel completely satisfied. "I totally get it. That was amazing. I feel so energized," he said, looking down at his hands. His freckles almost seemed to glow their faint colors, and his rune sparked a brighter shade of red. He was full. This feeling was full. This was wonderful. "I'll never deprive myself again!" |