Chapter Text
It's well into the evening, and a thick, early summer storm is coming down full force outside. Rain batters the roof like the hands of the wind faeries on their drums. Ianthina watches the rain pour down the back window from the couch. It's an old, green couch, well loved and draped over the back with a couple of hand-woven blankets. (one of which is now wrapped around Ianthina, as he sits with Lucia's little white and olive cat, Sprig.)
Everything is all but a quiet buzz, rain on the roof, the simmering pot in the kitchen, the light chatter between Acacia and Lucia in the other room. That is, until the door shivers with a forceful knock. With the rain pouring down, Acacia might've mistaken it for nothing but the thunder, but Ianthina ran into the kitchen and said the door most definitely shook. Acacia leans down and, with a friendly smile, tells Ianthina to stay in the kitchen with Lucia until he finishes talking at the door. The door rattles with another heavy knock, this time unmistakable, and Acacia answers it.
An absolutely soaked figure stands clad in a black cloak, or maybe a shirt with a hood, and loose pants, just like the ones Ianthina had. Their wings flare out behind them, sparking angrily with magic despite their utterly soaked state.
"You have five seconds to tell me where my son is, mortal," he grits out, and Acacia is suddenly aware that tears fall down his cheeks with the rain.
"He's safe pal, but you need to tell me his name." The figure at the door looks impatient. Deadly impatient. "Look, how am I supposed to know you're who you say you are if you can't tell me that?"
They slam their fist into the doorframe and let out a dangerous hiss, "Ianthina. Now, where is he."
Acacia smiles, hardly even flinching at the intimidation. The air around the doorframe diffuses with nothing but the intent to protect, find, carethere's not an ounce of hurt or harm in it. "That's all you had to say. Thina, you can come outta the kitchen now buddy: I think someone's daddy is home!"
Ianthina runs out into the living room, Lucia following close behind. "Daddy!!" He squeaks, skittering right past Acacia to hug the figure at the door.
"Little dove!? Oh my stars there you are... There you are," they cry into their son's shoulder. Now Acacia can hear his voice cracking with tears. It makes the empty space in his chest shudder with something tight and a little painful. Empathy, maybe.
"I'm sorry Daddy, I didn't mean to get lost..."
"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, are you hurt?"
"No, no daddy, Acacia and Lucia were very nice. They let me make sphagetti!"
"Really now?" He laughs, knocking their skulls together.
"Yeah!"
"He-e was much he-help i-in the ki-i-itchen," Lucia says. When the stranger looks up to find him there, he seems surprised.
"I'm Acacia, and this is Lucia, my mate."
"Wow," he pauses, looking a little stunned before apologizing, "sorry, I just... haven't seen a mortal and a fae together in a very long time."
"It's alright, we get that a lot," Acacia murmurs, still smiling. He shares a look with his husband before speaking. "Lucia thinks you should come in, at least until the storm lets up."
"No, I-i-i-It'll go a-all ni-ight, just stay wi-ith us the ni-i-ght, i-it's no trouble, we'd love to have your little one around a bi-bit longer," Lucia says with a smile.
"What would I owe you?" Scylla asks, hesitant.
"Oh please, we won't take the crumbs i-in your coi-i-oin purse, get i-in here and get warm, you can't go back up the mountain i-in this mess," Lucia says, shoving Acacia aside and gesturing for them to come in. "Don't worry about my stupi-i-id mate either, he's not the ki-ind to bi-i-bi-bite."
Acacia gives him a flat look, but sighs and agrees, "yeah, look, the rain man knows his stuff. If he says it'll last all night, it'll last all night. We've got a spare bedroom and plenty of warm sheets, oh, and we've got plenty of dinner too, so nothing to worry about."
"You don't even know my name..."
"We know you're Thina's dad, and that you clearly love him a lot. That's good enough for us." Acacia says, shrugging.
Ianthina tugs at his father's hand, trying to get him to come inside. "They're nice daddy, I said so!"
"I know, dove, I heard you..." He pauses as he looks at the two strangers, "I just..."
"I get i-i-i-it. You've got every reason to be cautious, but I give you my wo-word as a-a fae, you and your son are both safe here," Lucia promises, fluttering his wings with a smile.
The other man only sighs, scooping up his faerling as they laugh. "My name is Scylla," he answers, holding out his hand.
Lucia frowns almost imperceptibly at the gesture, taking a step back. "Sorry, t-t-touch... Uh, uhm... I, i-i-i-it-it's just... not my th-thi-i-i-ing."
Acacia shakes his hand in Lucia's place, and then tugs him inside with a smile before carefully letting him go. "Well, it's nice to meet you Scylla."
Scylla stumbles a little, expression filled with nervous anticipation. "You really plan to let us stay here and ask nothing in return?"
Lucia sighs. "A-Acacia, can you go fini-ish cutting up those mushrooms? Oh, and Thina, would you be so kind as to stirr the sauce and keep an eye on it, we wo-wouldn't want i-i-it to burn before your daddy got some, yeah?"
Ianthina's little wings puff up at the thought, and he looks up to his father, quietly asking to be let down. Scylla sets him down with a little sigh, and he runs off to the kitchen with Acacia. Scylla feels unnerved, letting them out of his sight. He calms himself by focusing on Thina's little soul, still pulsing steadily nearby. Another concern entirely, is why exactly this fae wants to speak to him without anyone else around.
"So? You have me alone," Scylla says, nervously.
"You're rea-a-al-" Lucia pauses and takes a deep, frustrated breath before continuing to speak, "really shi-it at greeti-ings. When was the last ti-ime you were a-around anyone? Good stars, I understa- and livi-ing in i-isolation, but—"
"Water fae don't typically live alone," Scylla interjects, looking curious(or maybe suspicious is a better word).
Lucia sighs, "you do when you do something they consi-ider unforgi-i-ivable— and I- I know you can see how much LV I ha-ave."
His words seem a little snappy, but he doesn't seem upset. At least not at Scylla. He just has this sort of distant look in his eyes, burning with anger stowed away from years past. Of course, Stacius had gone through something similar. Left behind by his brood when the wars with the humans began, too sick for them to care for in trying times. It's unfair, there's not a doubt in his mind about that. It hadn't occurred to him that they'd leave behind someone for wracking up LV. He'd seen wetland fae with much more LV than Lucia in the past. Something in him leans towards suspicion, but he tamps it down for now.
"Right. Sorry. It's not something I consider often. My kind y'know — Celestial fae — we didn't ever... abandon each-other. It's just not something we do."
"That's ni-ice," Lucia mutters, "i-it-i-it'd be a good world if everyone thought li-ike that, huh?"
"Yeah."
"You needn't worry, i-it earned this protecting my own. You're both perfectly safe here."
"I don't presume every fae's LV is a threat," Scylla clarifies, adding in a more playful tone, "I'm not a human."
Lucia smiles, "I thought I-I'd tell you i-i-in any case."
Scylla glances towards the floor with a long sigh, "you must want something for allowing us here."
"No-ope. Just curi-i-ious about a- a couple things, would you humor me?"
"I suppose."
"You're the fi-irst celest-i-ia- ... celestia-ial fae I-i- i've seen..." Lucia pauses, looking thoughtful, "ma- maybe ever."
Scylla frowns a little at that, "I haven't seen one of my own kind in... Around seven hundred years, other than Thina."
"Well, you're sure not exti-i-inct. If there's one of you? There's others some-ewhere, I promise you tha-at. Di-i-id you know we've sti-ill got lunar and solar fae walki-ing around?" Lucia asks.
"Really? I haven't seen one of them in... Goodness maybe five hundred years?"
"I know a-a couple of em, a brood of a lunar fae to the north of here, and a solar fae off towards the ca-capitol... He's a bi-i-it of a freak."
Scylla snickers, "glad to know I'm not the last elder fae around, at the least."
"Oh not even close, don't you worry," Lucia sighs, "I could i-introduce you someti-i-ime. That sweet kid of yours needs t-to get out mo-o-ore."
"Right... Look, that's not exactly easy," Scylla murmurs, seemingly going on the defensive.
Lucia sighs, "oh calm down, I-I know i-i-it's difficult. But he won't be able to make i-it out here i-i-if he doesn't even know what a horse i-is." Scylla makes a face when he hears that. "That's the whole rea-ason he followed us, he was curious about them. Sating a child's curiosity i-is i-i-i-important, i-i-i-it-i-it's wha- wha-a-at keeps them a-a-alive. Just ask me how I-I- I know..." Lucia sighs deeply, before taking a long breath in.
Scylla's face twists into something of a frown, "I'm so sorry... That must've been... truly awful."
"I-i-it was," Lucia sighs, as if he were somewhere far away and not standing right in front of him. He sits down on the couch, patting the spot next to him in offering. Scylla hesitantly joins him, after standing there confused for a moment or two. Lucia is looking at the floor when he speaks next. "I had a fa-aerli-ing... when I-i was i-i-in my brood. I-it was a long time ago now, back when the wars were still ra-a-agi-ing. I di-id not sate thei-eir curi-iosity. That unsatisfied curiosity is what took them from me. I-I-I don't want you to ha-ave to go through that... Least of all with a fa-aerling as ki-ind as your own."
"That could've been what happened today." Lucia looks up and sees that Scylla's sockets are full of big tears. Clearly the adrenaline of being out in the rain is wearing off.
Lucia sets a careful, light hand on his shoulder, "yet i-it was not. He's safe, and well. Your faerli-i-ing has a beauti-iful young so-oul, with beautiful young e-emotions. He's at that age where they spark wi-ith every new i-i-idea, and you've got to gi-ive them the room they need to grow while still protecting them... And that's ha-ard. Especi-ially when you're alone."
"It is... It really is." Scylla is really crying now, big, pitiful tears. "I'm so lost. I... I can't do this on my own. I feel like, like I'm letting his father down..." He sobs, attempting to wipe his tears away with his sleeves. Lucia takes his hand away from the taller's shoulder, but offers him a dry handkerchief from the side table instead: to make up for the lack of physical comfort.
"You're not letting hi-i-im down... Thina is one of the happiest fa-aerlings I-I-I've ever met, he knows how loved he i-is. You've done so well for him... You don't have to raise hi-im alone, though. He will always ha-ave your love to rely on, but i-i-it's okay to ask for help. You need somebody to lea-a-an on before you crack, ma-an. You're obvi-i-io-i... obviously not well, and you're putti-i-ing yourself under so much pressure you ca-a-an't get better."
"I'm so scared to lose him too... He's the last piece of his father left in my world."
"You mi-i-iss hi-im."
"I do," Scylla admits quietly, "more than anything."
"I-I understa-a-and your grief... I do. It's hard to give them the room to grow at thi-is age... In this world. War, tentative peace, or whatever it may be," Lucia speaks to him so softly, "but that just means i-i-it's ti-ime to find some allie-ie-i-es... Right?"
"How?"
"Well, you can start here. Don't you thi-ink? It gets boring around here... And I love A-Acacia dearly, but he's no fae. It would be ni-i-ice, to have my own kind around sometimes."
"You hardly know me, why would you suggest such a thing?" Scylla asks tearfully.
"I get rai-isi-ing a faerli-i-ing on your own. It's hard. It's scary... And honestly, I-I-I-Ia-anthi-i-ina remi-mi- reminds me of my own fa-aerli-ing..." He sighs, his multicolored fingers toying with the hem of his shirt... Exactly where a souling might have rested, should it be so. "Your whole situation hits close to home. I suppose. So, you can call it a selfless selfishness. I'd like to be there for you, where no one was for me," Lucia answers, sounding more certain in himself as he looks up to him.
Scylla smiles a little, "I guess this is a good place to start."
"Maybe once we're a li-i-tt-tle more accustomed to vi-i-sits, I could introduce you to some more fae. The lunar fae aren't far from here... And besi-i-i-ides, those fools owe me a vi-i-isi-it. I haven't seen them i-in far too long, and A- Acacia's stupi-i-id market gossip from their mortal just isn't the same."
"Their mortal?" Scylla laughs.
"Yes, a-a sweet boy. He took care of one of their own after he ended up i-i-in a, frankly stupi-id si-i-ituation. Their mortal took care of the i-i-idi-iot for months while he looked for a way back home," Lucia huffs. "After he returned their mate safe and sound, they took the mortal into their brood. A romantic little story i-i-if I say so. They're all good friends of mi-ine. I've met their mortal a few times now. He's a good man, but I wouldn't just i-i-invi-i-ite him around your faerli-ing unless you'd met him first. I'm sorry even Acacia had to be around him without your knowing. He's a dope and a sweetheart, but it must've been scary to see a mortal open our door. I-I-I really am sorry about that."
"No, it's okay... Acacia seems... Kind. And he is good to you?"
Lucia smiles and sighs a long, lovestruck sigh, "the best."
"I'm glad. I was around before all mortals were a threat... It's a pleasant idea to think that may come to be true again, one day."
"Yea-a-ah... For sure. But also, the couch i-is defi-i-initely wet, and your clothes are completely so-s-s-soaked."
Scylla stands up, seeming distressed by this realization.
Lucia only laughs, "you're fi-fine, I just meant we need to get you i-into some warm clothes! You look pi-iti-i-iful, li-ike a wet cat," he says.
Scylla smiles a little, "that would be nice..."
"Come on, I sew i-in my spare ti-ime, and all my time i-is spare these days. I'm certain I-I've somethi-ing you can wear," Lucia assures.
He sets off down the hall and past the kitchen. Scylla follows him, peeking into the kitchen to see Thina sitting in a chair with a wooden spoon in their little hands, watching a simmering pot on the woodstove, and Acacia watching them with a happy little smile. Scylla never thought he'd see the day where a mortal would look at a Faerling with such kindness in his expression. He follows after Lucia, comforted by the sight.
"I can see you pre-e-efer bla-ack, but I don't ty-ypi-i-ically work with a lot of dark fabrics. Too moody."
Scylla laughs, "do I look moody to you?"
Lucia walks into a room and turns around just to give him a pointed look, "you were crying on my couch less than a mi-mi-i-inute ago," he says with a grin. He turns right back around and walks into the room, which Scylla can now see is some kind of workspace. It's covered in fabric cuts and lamps and has a big desk with a sewing machine and thread laid out everywhere. A few dress forms stand along the wall near a window with the curtains drawn wide open.
The place is a mess. Lucia looks around with humility, "i-i-it's not usually thi-is ba-ad. I'm making a few things for that Lunar fae friend of mine, I've got to have them done by next week when A-A-Acacia runs the-ei-i-ir market i-in town. The clutter unn-n-nerves me too."
"No, no, it's just funny, I thought you'd be the organized type."
"A-acaci-i-ia's bad ha-abi-i-i-its rubbed off on me..." He grumbles, rifling through a big wardrobe.
He pulls out a soft-looking cream sweater with a button up back and some softer looking light brown pants. He hands them to Scylla, "I'll hang up your cloak to dry i-i-in the mudroom," he starts, pulling a light green cloak out of the wardrobe and offering him that too, "but if you'd li-ike something in the meanti-i-i-ime, thi-is should work."
"Oh, yeah, that'd... Be great. Thank you."
"You can change i-in the bathroom, i-i-i-i-i-i—" lucia takes a deep breath, gritting his teeth before trying again, "i-it's the second door on the left, over there. There's fre-e-esh towels i-in the li-i-ittle closet, they're not hard to find," Lucia says, pointing in the general direction of the door.
"Right, thank you..."
"Of course, now go on, I've got to check on my mate. Never know if that i-i-idi-iot still has all ten fingers after chopping vegeta-a-ables..." He mutters, walking past him to the kitchen.
Scylla laughs a little, walking into the bathroom to change.
