-5 years ago-
Continent: Fimbulwinter
Location: Orb's Mansion
Staring at the withering man on his giant bed, Orb crawl over to him, picks up his arm, and then wraps it around his face. "A Capti scarf!"
Giggling, Captivant says, "A real scarf is a lot comfier than this."
"Nothing is comfier than this."
"One day, when you get married, you're going to take back those words."
With his cheeks puffing up, Orb says, "No, I won't, and I'll prove it to you in the future, so you better be there."
Captivant smiles at Orb's small face and pure white hair, but, interrupting his mind, a vicious, deep cough roars out from his chest. Moving over to Captivant, Orb quickly places his small hands behind Captivant's back and starts rubbing it rapidly as he says, "It's okay, it's okay, I am here, you don't have to worry."
The coughing continues for a few minutes, eventually leaving Captivant lying on the bed with his heart to his chest. Smiling, he rubs the face of the crying child beside him, and says, "My son used to say things like he would never get a wife, and would always stay with mommy when he was younger. Despite her cool expressions, it made Draga start trembling with happiness. You can't believe the sadness that emerged in her eyes when Dragoste started bringing home his future wife for play dates. I still think if I divorced her, she wouldn't be so upset, though I could say the same in regard to my epic daughter."
Looking at Captivant, Orb asks, "Did you love Dragoste?"
"What kind of question is that? Of course, I love him, he is my son."
"Whenever you talk about him, versus how you talk about Intrare, you tend to be quieter, and throughless complimenting language. Even now, you looked slightly annoyed when you were talking about how much Draga loves Dragoste."
"I thought I was good at hiding things like that, but it seems the little wolf boy is rather perceptive. Don't go becoming a stalker, Orb."
Orb tries to push his little fists into Captivant's face, as he says, "I am not a stalker, Capti, answer my question!"
"Huh. In all honesty, my son is nothing like me. He doesn't talk like me, act like me, like the same things I do, or even look similar to me outside of our eyes and some tiny facial features. In lots of regards, if someone were to say he was another man's child, I don't think lots of people who knew us would've been surprised. At times, I had horrible thoughts that maybe I was given him as a punishment from the Messiah, so that I could never experience a true father-son relationship."
"Well, if that's the case, then I could be your son."
Captivant smiles, then stares towards Orb as he says, "I tried to live my life searching for the greatest path in existence, and I found it. A life where I take in countless beauties and share them with the world, a life where I announce the love I have for those around me every single second of the day. A life where I accepted my innate humanity and leave it up to the Messiah to bring me forward, and that life allowed me to truly be happy, to etch my name into the hearts of those around me, and the world itself. Yet Dragoste took another path, a life where he made his world just a few whom he held close. A life where he showed his love through an immense amount of care and respect for those around him. A life where he step by step overcame the weakness that dragged him down each day of his life until they were nothing but memories to him.
With that path, with that journey, he has etched himself into the hearts of those around him and even the world itself. He spent his life walking a path completely different from mine, yet it was just as beautiful as the perfect answer I was looking for. In truth, Dragoste causes me so much pain, because if another path could've allowed me to move forward, I wish I had tasted it, I wish I could extend my life so I can experience all the world has to give. Dragoste doesn't feel like my son, but like that of the heroes I used to read about every night before I fell asleep. He makes me want to live Orb, he makes me regret being born his father and not his peer. He is just that amazing. I love you lots, but there is no way I could be prouder of having the honour to be someone's father more than Dragoste."
Φ His body looks weak, weaker than it ever did before. I can't believe this withering corpse I see in Orb's memories is my father. It must be an illusion, it must be a trick, yet I know, my mind knows my body knows that smile which always greeted me, no matter how often I tried to ignore it, it's his, it's my father Captivant's.
Φ With his forehead over Dragoste on top of Balaur bone, Orb looks down at Dragoste's body, whose face has half returned to normal with tears falling from his human eyes as blood from Orb drips down on top of the side made of bones.
"More so than anything, Dragoste, your father loved you."
Orb falls over to the side of Dragoste, who says, "I have betrayed that, I have insulted that, because, because, I am a-."
"Captivant made me read these story books that he wrote, and I always thought they were just random legends and figures, but I know now they were of people he knew, like you. And through them I know a lot about you and Liina's relationship.
I know of the time you helped Liina get accustomed to her new school by running over to her school to join her for lunch break. I know when you helped her patch things up with her brother after she spent years belittling them due to their intelligence. I know of the time you helped her hand-knit a dress for her childhood friend, which she destroyed because she was jealous. I know of the time you helped her overcome her fear of bats, which she got made fun of for. I know of them time you helped her when her mind broke under all of the stress coordinating all of her new responsibilities. I know of the countless times you stood at her bedside when she got indigestion due to all the things she broke down with her curse as a slime. I know of the times when you stood by her through all her rampages when she was pregnant. I know of the times you supported her during her post-partum months as she almost gave up on Viata. I know of the times when you confronted her parents for always putting pressure on her to be the genius of the family. I know of the time when she and your mother started fighting, and how you helped her join hands with Intrare instead of seeing her as an obstacle. I know of all the nights you reminded Liina of your love for her, no matter the stress, problems or fights you had earlier. I read it all, and yet somehow in your memories, you forget to share all those moments with me. Because to you, they were nothing; they were just normal to do such a thing for people. That's why I know deep inside, in the depth of your soul, that you're a good person, Dragoste."
Staring into Orb's eyes, Dragoste, with pain rising and ripping across his face, says, "Thank you Orb, I don't know how to repay you."
Orb taps Dragoste's forehead with his knuckle and says, "It's no big deal. But if you REALLY want to repay me, some snacks and conversation about mutants would be nice after you serve your long sentence."
Looking at Dragoste's body, Orb sees bones from his torso slowly grow out, forming little limbs, "Sentence? Haha, I probably am going to get the death penalty."
"No way, I will plead every single day and night, and even tie the economic deal between both of our countries to you living. I am sure that the economic value you bring is still worth it from a prison cell."
"How kind."
"I am a very kind boy as Capti told me. I am kind, cute, adorable, strong and super-duper smart. But I wonder if it's enough for Intrare and you to like me."
"You already have my favour, and I am sure Intrare is going to love you. Though be warned, if she happens to like you too much, she will kidnap you and take you away from all of your allies in Niflheim, so I suggest avoiding her until you're at least as strong as a 2nd seat of the Blestadrac."
"I can see how that would be necessary, but that means I can't see the unknown Nightfall, Captivant's other grandchild, yet."
"Don't worry, I am sure that your paths are going to cross. Though if you ever see her, make sure to apologise to her for me. She was always strangly found of me, and I should've spent more of my life giving her the love I still had in me."
Confused, Orb's hair turns grey, and he stares at Dragoste, saying, "Apologies are better in per-. DRAGOSTE!"
Orb sees the bones forming from the torso leak massive amounts of blood as Dragoste's face turns pale, causing his body to move over to the top of Dragoste's chest. With pitch-black hair, Orb says, "What is going on? Why are your bones bleeding? This shouldn't be happening?"
Spitting up blood, he says, "It seems I pushed my cursed body a bit too far. My body can no longer function if I don't remain in that horrible state."
"Wait, then that means, that means I kil-." Orb's hair turns verdigris and white as despair begins to overtake him, with tears flowing soon after. "No, no, no, no NO!"
A bone quickly shoots up from Dragoste's body and pierces Orb's cheek, bringing the boy's attention to him. "I am my own man, one whose choice led him down a path that gave him a wife, a daughter, and a world he loved more than anything. My actions are my own. And I thank you for allowing me to relish in the joy of living as myself again, even if just for a brief moment, Orb. I am happy that when I die, I do so as a Nightmare, as a human."
"But, but I-."
"You have a very cute crying face, Viata liked that on boys. I think she would've taken a liking to you. The idea of her marrying someone like you fills me with joy. I would get to give her away at the aisle, watch as Liina spews tears, and then see Viata devour her wedding cake as you cheer her on."
Trembling as his tears fall onto Dragoste, Orb says, "I-I-I-I don't thi-ink she would've l-l-liked to be married to me."
Dragoste's eyes stare at Orb's with confusion, but as a realisation dawns on him, causing him to say, "Ahh, I see how you are. I guess you are a child after all."
He starts to grow and extend his bone, making the amount of blood leaving accelerate, causing Orb to say, "STOP!"
"Sorry, but this is as far as I could extend myself. I hope it will be enough to form a cursed item for yourself. Though I must ask, could you at least bury the unused parts next to my mother and father, I would like to be near them once more time."
"I-I-I promise I will, along with Liina and Viata, I will bury your remains altogether on that mountain, where the stars shall shine down on you for all eternity."
Smiling with the rest of the energy he can muster, Dragoste says, "Thank you, Orb, my brothe-." Unable to finish his words, Dragoste's soul vanishes from his body, and the tears that once dripped down onto him fall into the palms of Orb's hands, which press against his crying face.