pyrighteous | [OOC] Folkmore IC Inbox

It's- [He looks. Oh, right, they just sort of left it out, oops. He'd meant to cover it before he fell asleep to let it be a surprise... well, if the guard hasn't noticed it, then it all worked out.

He scoots to the edge of the couch and carefully lifts the bird off the table, holding it up on both palms so the guard can see. His expression is eager, hopeful, and once again tentative, waiting for the one opinion that really matters most, ultimately.]

It's right here.

[Please be okay, please be okay...!]

[ The guard jolts in surprise - he STILL hadn’t realized what he was looking at even when Casey brings the bird body over - but when Casey points it out he abruptly leans forward, eyes going wide. ]

That’s - going to be mine - ?

[ The guard has always been terribly hard to read due to his muted reaction to everything, but there’s no mistaking this: he’s utterly awed by it. The fine craftsmanship - the feathers and the hint of wind and -

He’s entirely overwhelmed in the best way. His voice drops to a whisper as he gently, gently reaches out a finger to touch a beautiful blue wing. ]

I’m going to be able to fly?

Um- that's the idea, yeah! There's glyphs on the wings under the feathers, same as my staff, and between that and the galdorstone chip, it should let you fly. And Mom enchanted a few of the feathers to help you feel the wind, they should activate automatically. There's a warming enchantment on the head feathers, too, it should feel like sunlight.

[He's rambling a little, still nervous, but... optimistically so? The guard seems okay with it.]

You should have full motion, but if anything's twitchy or out of place, just let me know and I should be able to fix it. Lots of extra feathers, too, I kind of miscounted, so if any get damaged they'd be easy to replace. It's got artificial lungs, Master Draxum is gonna push air into them during the ritual- you should be able to breathe.

[Speaking of breathing, he stops to do that, after everything just comes out in a big rush. Inhale, exhale. Phew.]

...Is it okay?

[ The guard listens to all that - ALL of it, another layer after another it seems, and each a little more amazing than the last. Enchantments from Rue and sunlight enchantments and breathing and -

It’s more than he dared hope for. More than anyone has ever given him before. He’d resigned himself to death; instead it seems he’s going to get a life better than anything he’s ever had before. And the bird is SO beautiful.

He cups the little body in his hands. And then he can’t hold back a few sniffling tears. ]

It’s - amazing. Are you sure it’s for me?

[Casey's expression softens at that, his shoulders relaxing at last as it sinks in- he's happy. He's not just okay, he likes it.

It's like a weight's been lifted off of his shoulders, a full layer of exhaustion wiped clean in light of this humbling response he's receiving. All the hours he'd poured into it, blood sweat and tears, the moments of frustration when one part or another didn't work, the flashes of inspiration to add one feature or another, the triumph at seeing it all come together and work. His sore hands and stiff back and bagged eyes, all of it.

Worth it, just seeing the look on the guard's face.]

It's just for you, [he says quietly. It isn't mass produced, replicated, or cloned. This isn't Belos building a grimwalker he couldn't be bothered to give a new name, or outfitting and arming the Golden Guard to replace the last one he heartlessly destroyed. Every inch of it, built specifically for him and him alone.]

Just for me ...

[ The guard gets that immediately. Has he ever in his life had anything made specifically for him? Much less an entire body, completely free of Belos's taint. It's part of why he hadn't even been tempted by some kind of sharing arrangement with Hunter: this guard doesn't want anything to do with Belos. Nothing. Even something built by Hunter would have had that hint of their horrible heritage.

No, this is so much better. It's perfect. The guard can't stop the tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. Really, Casey could have made anything to stuff him in and the guard would have accepted it as a reasonable alternative. He wasn't expecting something this wonderful.

He twitches his hands, instinctively wanting to do something to communicate his appreciation, but so far away from the mental space of being able to just offer a hug on any level. ]

I can't repay you. I don't even know how to thank you.

[Casey smiles and shakes his head. This poor guard has had hardly anything at all his whole life, and what little he did have was taken from him with such cruelty. He couldn't dream of accepting any kind of payment even if the guy did have something to offer.]

Just saying it is plenty! You don't need to do anything. I feel like- I dunno- this is my way of apologizing to you.

[ At that, the guard interrupts his own teary expression to look at Casey like he just grew an extra head. ]

Why would you apologize to ME?

[Casey fidgets a little at that, gaze shifting downwards.]

When we talked for the first time... I was only thinking of Hunter. I didn't- or I couldn't... see you as a person yet. Or not enough of a person to look for another way of dealing with this. I wanted to save him, but the only solutions I could think of were kind of just getting rid of you. Letting you rest, or putting you back in a portrait... that's all it boils down to either way.

[He shakes his head.]

It was really thoughtless of me. I should've realized this was an option, that there was a way you could both live. So... I'm sorry.

[ Well. The staring at Casey like he grew an extra head is certainly coming to a middle. ]

Of course that's what you thought. You prioritized Hunter - that was correct.

[ Like what else was he supposed to do! ]

I didn't think there was an alternate way out either.

I mean... maybe. [Correct, yes. He should always prioritize Hunter. They're dating, he loves him- there are many reasons.

But.] I didn't... feel good about that, though. After. And I've been thinking about it a lot since Master Draxum suggested finding another body for you. It isn't like you asked for any of this. [He swallows hard.] I don't want to be like Belos. Throwing people away when they're inconvenient. That isn't me.

[ Oh. Well. Ah. The guard sees it now. It took him a moment, but...

He swallows rather thickly. ]

I don't think you could possibly be like him. He would never have even tried to help.

[Casey looks at him for a moment, then offers up a tentative smile.]

He wouldn't have apologized, either.

[The distinction is important. To recognize he messed up in a big way, even thinking the way he did, and to make amends by choosing this third path and doing everything he can to make it happen... well. Actions do speak a lot louder than words.]

[ That gets the tiniest hint of a smile in return, barely visible. ]

... No. He wouldn't have. I don't think I ever saw him apologize once.

[A smile from the guard! That's a victory, small or not.]

Not surprised. You need to have a heart to care enough. [A jerk. What a huge jerk!] Anyway, if you really want to thank me, you'll promise to fly with me sometime.

I can promise that. Yeah.

[ He says it quite seriously - then again he says everything seriously. ]

I'm ... looking forward to it. Now that I can see what I'm going to look like.

[ he keeps sneaking shy little peeks at the bird. ]

[So very serious... he wonders if finally getting to live again will eventually lighten the guy up. Though it had taken Hunter some time too, so it's no wonder.]

I figured it would be important for you to see it, yeah. Draxum said that once you're out of Hunter's body, you might get confused and not know where to go, so we'll all have some kind of talisman to avoid being possessed. But if you know what your body's supposed to look like, then maybe it'll be easier for you to find it during the ritual.

[ The guard looks dimly ill at the thought. Wandering around as some kind of ghost, struggling to find his way, maybe ending up in someone else's body ... He shivers a little. ]

I'm glad you thought of it. That ... alternative is horrifying.

That was all Master Draxum. I never knew about that part...

[Pretty horrifying for him, too. It would be the same problem all over again, except he's not sure the rest of them could have managed it half as well as Hunter has.]

... He knows what he's doing, I'll give him that. He knew what to do in Hunter's head too.

[Casey makes a face at that. He's still trying not to be angry with that man, but a little bit still lingers.]

He doesn't always know as much as he thinks he does.

[ The guard cocks his head a little at that. ]

What do you mean?

[He hesitates, then. The fight's over and done with, Draxum won't do it again- that's enough, right? Now it's just a matter of Draxum learning how to do better, and Casey figuring out how to gradually trust him again. (Hopefully. Eventually.) And Hunter... well, he learned plenty too. They're all good.

On the other hand, he'd want his big brother to look out for him, if he had one.]

Did he tell you any of what happened? With Draxum and his galdorstone.

[ The guard slowly shakes his head. ]

Nothing at all, aside from the fact that he bought one specifically to chip off for me.

[ Unsurprisingly, Hunter hadn't really wanted to relay his fight with Casey - or bad decisions with Draxum - to the guard. ]

[Well, he can't blame Hunter for that. Hopefully he won't get mad that it's getting shared now, but... Casey hadn't told anyone else, and he kind of wants someone to hear about it, if only so he has someone else to help him keep an eye on Draxum's poor decisions. And to rant a little. (Mostly just in case, though.)]

Draxum wanted to open a portal to our world to send a message, but he needed more energy to try it. Hunter offered his galdorstone as a power source.

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