songerein | [Open] ☆ 5th Page ☆ Owl Be Back

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[Open] ☆ 5th Page ☆ Owl Be Back

Who: Stolas and you!
Which: Open Log
Where: The little cabaret club in Reverein.
When: Back dated to when he puffed for his canon update three days later
What: Stolas returns back from disappearing to have a jolly ol' time back in Hell, only to puff right back in the middle of town looking like a cat chewed him up.
Warnings: Possible talk of death. And dad jokes

The day started out normal enough. Well, as 'normal' a dreamland could be after the most recent event that rocked Reverein that is. The town square was probable a buzz with native and dreamers alike as they went about to survey the damages the Stary Eater's chaos had brought. Though whatever powers were at play had another idea instore.

As if a new arrival was entering Reverein, though the timing was all wrong, a portal opened smack dab in the middle of The Square. Unceremoniously it dumped out one Ars Geotia out on his ass. The sudden drop got a shocked hoot from the massive owl as he crumpled to the cobblestone below and the gateway closed behind him, its job complete. Welp, not as graceful as the first time he arrived... Though Stolas had seen better days. The Goetic Prince had returned sporting injuries that he did not have when he disappear. He was covered in bandages with his left arm and right leg in a cast, making it impossible for him to stand. In fact, he was just laying there limp as a ragdoll as he stared up at the sky.

What the Hell was going on? Trying to make sense of what he had just experienced... It felt so real, going back home, no memory of this place... He would have chalked it all up to it being a vivid dream if his injuries didn't painfully throb. Yep... yep... it was real. It all happened. But why did this place send him away only to bring him back? Ugh... He would have to wait to address that later... First thing first, getting himself off the ground would be a good start.

Rolling over onto his side, Stolas called out for help. "E-excuse me, could you lend me a hand? Currently I have no leg to stand on."

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Dammit. God dammit. "... Thank you. For being honest with me."

Hated it. Hated the inevitability of it. But it wasn't a shock, and it only served to strengthen the conviction in what he knew he needed to do next. "... I didn't mean to startle you, earlier. I heard you'd come back, and. I wasn't thinking. Do you... need anything? I can- I can get it. If you need it."

"I'm sorry if that wasn't the answer you were searching for." Stolas offered his sympathies. "However, if there is a way to retrain our memories, I promised Blitz that I would try and find a way. That fact that I could remember anything could be a positive sign that it is possible."

There was a beat as he let a lull pass between them. With his good hand he waved it to pull up a chair for the boy by his bedside. He shouldn't be standing up the whole time.

"A kind offer but I have everything that I need right how. Come, that a seat. You look like you ran the whole way here."

Not... knowing what else to do, he took the offered chair. "I'll. Help you. I'd been planning on investigating it myself. There's no reason it shouldn't be possible, since people remember dreams in real life all the time. But... I need to do it. I don't... Not just because I don't have a future, without it. But I don't- want to lose. Anyone else."

It might be a good project for the both of them, to keep their minds busy. Stolas had first hand experience on how losing his memory felt like... how he wished now that he had then back that he could have kept them. The last thing he felt before returning was a deep sickening feeling that Blitzø doesn't care about him. ~~Ashamed to admit that it still lingered in the dark corners of his mind.~~

Shaking it off, his face soften as he felt the boy's pain. "If there is a way, we'll find it. Don't you worry, I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. You have my word on that."

His right hand reached out to give a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"I haven't gotten any ideas on how to go about testing it. Not like I make jumps to and from on command. But upon my return, my memories all returned so they are not lost. They must be stored somewhere."

His brows furrowed. "Yes... you're actually living proof that the concept is sound. The memories have to exist in some external form, because..." The story tree. That was as good a place as any to start. His mind raced at the possibilities- but for now, he turned to look-

Stolas had touched him, and he'd barely noticed. When had that stopped bothering him? Shit. "Later. Stella... did this. Didn't she. Or paid to have it done, I didn't get a sense of 'good for anything useful' from her."

Stolas let the boy rattle off his thoughts, glad to see that his mood had shifted a bit. He truly did feel for Akechi, wanting to hold onto hope that there was a way to remember. Looks like he had a lead on the matter but that could be revisited once he had time to rest and heal.

Going with the shift of topic, the great owl chuckled slightly at the jab at his soon to be ex-wife as he pulled back his hand. "You're always one step ahead, my boy. Stella was indeed behind the attempt. She hired an imp assassin to eliminate me. My involvement with Blitz caused her great embarrassments that she seeks retribution."

He fell silent, for a moment, seething in the knowledge- but there was nothing that could be done. Stella wasn't here. "If we ever meet. I'm going to make her hurt. I'm going to make her pay. Everything she's done, to you, to Octavia, I- I don't-"

He inhaled. "I haven't had anyone who wanted me around, like- like you do. I had friends, but that's- that's different. You- I haven't had anything like a family since- since Mom died." His voice was halting, stuttering, nearly, as he said it, uncertain and hesitant even now. "And I thought- I thought it was falling apart, again."

Stolas knew that Akechi was prone to emotional outbursts. Hell, he's seen him fight. But when the boy started to waiver from his usual path of anger, it made the owl's heart twist. This was a side of him he hadn't seen before. Sure, there were glimpses of his pain that peaked through now and then but... this was different. To hell with his injuries as the goetia's body moved on its own, pushing himself up. It was such a knee-jerk reaction to want to comfort the boy as he sat up to wrap his good arm around Akechi's shoulders pulling him in with a one armed embrace.

"My Little Raven..." Stolas nuzzled his beak into the crook of Akechi's neck. "It's going to take a lot more than dream magic to keep me from returning. I'm so sorry my disappearance caused you to have unpleasant memories. I swear to you, I will find you, where ever you may be. I won't let you be alone."

He froze, when touched, but after everything- it was hard not to crack, feel himself threaten to shatter under the strain. For the moment, he leaned in as carefully as he dared, but this- he'd known it was irrational, known the fear was baseless, the poisonous thought that he'd be rejected, here- and here it was, being simply brushed aside, replaced with... warmth. Even if it burned, seared him to the bone, like warming a frostbitten hand at the fire.

What came out wasn't a word, so much as an exhalation, half-choked and half-muffled by feathers in his face. It was all he could really manage, at the moment.

Fuck, that little choking sound utterly broke him. If he was going to cry, he was going to start to cry. Keep it in Stolas... Keep it in. The goetia continued to hold the boy close, afraid if he lets go that he would slip through his talons. He knew what it was like to be lonely, to not be wanted, to not really have a family to speak of. Hell, he never knew his mother other than the fact that he knew he had to have one.

"Its okay... Let it out. I'm not going anywhere." Stolas reassured giving him a small pat of the hand along his back.

Why was he like this. Why was he so fucking desperate for this, for someone to just... be there. To accept him, warts and all.

And it was so easy to stay there, to drink it in like a man dying of thirst. This, he knew, was what it was supposed to feel like. That which was promised, but never delivered. "She- she would've liked you. You don't- you don't judge people. You don't put them down because they're fuckups, or because they've made a mistake, or... different."

Continuing to hold the boy in his good arm, he listens quietly to him studder over his words. This well spoken boy who was always very careful on how he cherry picked his words was shaven raw. Stolas gave one last squeeze before pulling back with a chuckle in his chest.

"One of the perks of living in Hell I suppose..." Stolas smiled softly, cupping gently a hand on the boy's face, swiping his thumb over the apple of his cheek. "If I were to judge other's 'fuck ups' I would have to also look myself in the mirror. There is not a single person I know who hasn't made mistakes. Being different is what makes us special, even if it can lead into being misunderstood by others. Holding yourself up to someone else's standard of who they want you to be is suffocating. You don't need to hold your breath around me."

"I know that. I just- it was clear she didn't. Want me. I wasn't what she planned. But she tried. She tried to never let it show, do the best she could, and then... you know how it ended. Everyone was so fucking shitty to her. Her neighbors, her own parents. Everyone pushed her away. If she'd had just... one person. One person who cared enough, maybe-"

He inhaled. "I know it's pointless to think about it. But it just makes me so... angry. That things could've been different, if just one of them had cared as- as much as you do."

"You have a right to your anger." The goetia responded simply, still cupping the boy's cheek with a gentle hand. He could se the pain in Akechi's eyes and the hurt in his voice. "I don't think I need to tell you that life is cruel and unfair, not just in the human realm but I'm speaking about my own as well. We cannot choose the circumstances of our birth but we can choose who we call family. And Akechi..." There was a brief pause as Stolas gave him the biggest ~~dopiest~~ smile. "... you have become like a son to me. A very pink, squishy, featherless son."

"That. Is... possibly the dumbest way you could've phrased that."

And yet, in the circumstances, he couldn't quite stop the ghost of a smile.

"Its an accurate description, is it not? All newly hatched birds are pink and featherless." Stolas chuckled, giving the boy's cheek a light squeeze. Was he calling Akechi a baby? Who knows?

"Say... It may be a foolish idea but... you live alone, right? My treehouse is more than large enough to house one more. If you want your own space, I understand but the offer to move in here is yours to take. I'm sure Via would love the company as well."

His expression twisted, slightly. "It's not- that I don't want to. It's... a lot to think about. That's all. But... thank you. I'll probably... spend more time there now, anyway. Since you invited me."

He drew a shaky breath. "I'm not. Used to this. I don't know how comfortable I am with... the topic of fathers. Maybe I just need to get over myself. Maybe I need therapy, I-"

He wanted this. Needed this, like a drowning man needed air, but- the prospect was like facing a drop into unlit darkness, having to trust there was someone to catch him at the bottom. "I know it's not what you wanted to hear. I'm not going to apologize, but- I do feel like an idiot for saying it."

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