Eddie’s Words

[Edema Rue she/her]

5 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Eddie! no i cant! wow! i love your writing as always... however i personaly chose the worse time to read it all... curses be thy name roy for reading right after closing night of midsummers night dream... 

keep up the good work! silver is such an intresting character! i'd love to see more of her!

aww, closing nights are so hard. Was it at least a good show?

1 minute ago, ɴɪɢʜʈ said:

almost

 

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

5 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

aww, closing nights are so hard. Was it at least a good show?

 

An excellent show! I enjoyed every moment of it. Somehow we pulled off a Indonesian retelling of Shakespeare 

[Edema Rue she/her]

Little baby Liz scene for ya.

Spoiler

Liz:

“Why are you here, Liz?”

“To ki—” she started, but Byrd cut her off, shaking his head. 

“You aren’t a murderer. I know your type. Young, innocent, sure that the whole world would bend just to match your dreams. Stars know I’ve killed enough of you.”

Liz pursed her lips. She would not let him intimidate her. “What’s your point?”

“Are you a spy?”

Liz started. “I thought you just said I was young and innocent.”

Byrd shrugged, studying her. “You are. Or you’re a very good actress. I should be able to tell—anyone here should be able to tell. But somehow, we can’t, and that tips your hand.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz said firmly. “Can I go?”

“No.” Byrd watched her for a moment longer. Liz let him. She’d noticed that he liked to watch people squirm, especially new recruits and especially girls. Since she was both, this was no surprise. This was normal. Still, logic didn’t make her feel less queasy. She wondered if this was how he looked at his victims. “Why are you here?” He asked again.

Liz bit her lip, then met her eyes, trying to infuse them with the supernatural confidence she’d seen in the most experienced assassins. “I’m here to learn. Are you going to teach me?”

The corner of Byrd’s mouth turned up. “I like you,” he said softly. “All right then, little Lizzy.” The nickname felt dirtied for having been in his mouth. “Come with me.” She followed him down the hall, then up a short flight of stairs to a balcony above the dining area. “You’re here to learn. Tell me what you see.” Liz glanced at him, trying to see in his face what he wanted to hear. Nothing. How was he so unreadable? She turned back to the room and watched for a moment. 

“Idiots,” she finally mumbled. “Kids who want to look cool.”

Byrd grinned widely and gestured for her to follow. Again, she did, and found herself on another balcony over another dining area. “Now what do you see?”

She opened her mouth to say the same thing, then froze. They were different, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint how. “There’s a weight to them,” she said slowly. “A sadness, but also a power. Everything they do is intentional.”

“Good,” Byrd said, and Liz was surprised at how wonderful the compliment made her feel. Praise was a strange thing to miss, but miss it she did.

“Why? What happened to these ones?”

“Nothing,” Byrd said, then winked. “Nothing just happened. They chased it.”

“Fine.” Liz rolled her eyes. “What did they chase, then?”

“Their god.” Byrd smiled. “These are the newest Acolytes of Death. I expect you’ll join them soon enough.”

Liz felt her breath catch. The gods aren’t real, she wanted to argue, but looking at the people below…what else could explain it? Byrd was watching her, so she cleared her throat awkwardly. “What about you? You aren’t like either of these groups. Are you an Acolyte?”

“Sure,” Byrd said smoothly, “but not like them. You’ll understand.”

Liz nodded, struggling to hold back her fear. And, oddly enough, her excitement. It was the same thing she felt before a test, at the start of a difficult class. She couldn’t see this as anything but one more challenge, one she intended to overcome. And one that would change her, strengthen her. “Is there anything else? Lord Marsvall wanted to speak with me.”

Byrd’s grin was dark and coy. “I want you to remember that even the people you called idiots could kill you before you knew you were in danger. I don’t much care if you’re a spy, darling Lizzy, because nothing you do can hurt us. And if you really are just here to learn, You’d best hope your will is stronger than you are. This isn’t a game.”

“I know that,” Liz said, trying to project annoyance. Do not let him see your fear.

“Good,” Byrd said. “Then just one last thing.” Before Liz could react, his arm was around her waist. He pulled her into a kiss, holding her for an uncomfortably long moment before releasing her. “We don’t care who you are or where you came from. From here on, I am your commander. Everything you do or don’t do is on my orders. If you want to succeed, you’ll work to impress me.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “You’re a good girl, Lizzy. Luckily, that shouldn’t take too long to fix.”

 

[Through the Living Hope]

2 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Little baby Liz scene for ya.

  Hide contents

Liz:

“Why are you here, Liz?”

“To ki—” she started, but Byrd cut her off, shaking his head. 

“You aren’t a murderer. I know your type. Young, innocent, sure that the whole world would bend just to match your dreams. Stars know I’ve killed enough of you.”

Liz pursed her lips. She would not let him intimidate her. “What’s your point?”

“Are you a spy?”

Liz started. “I thought you just said I was young and innocent.”

Byrd shrugged, studying her. “You are. Or you’re a very good actress. I should be able to tell—anyone here should be able to tell. But somehow, we can’t, and that tips your hand.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz said firmly. “Can I go?”

“No.” Byrd watched her for a moment longer. Liz let him. She’d noticed that he liked to watch people squirm, especially new recruits and especially girls. Since she was both, this was no surprise. This was normal. Still, logic didn’t make her feel less queasy. She wondered if this was how he looked at his victims. “Why are you here?” He asked again.

Liz bit her lip, then met her eyes, trying to infuse them with the supernatural confidence she’d seen in the most experienced assassins. “I’m here to learn. Are you going to teach me?”

The corner of Byrd’s mouth turned up. “I like you,” he said softly. “All right then, little Lizzy.” The nickname felt dirtied for having been in his mouth. “Come with me.” She followed him down the hall, then up a short flight of stairs to a balcony above the dining area. “You’re here to learn. Tell me what you see.” Liz glanced at him, trying to see in his face what he wanted to hear. Nothing. How was he so unreadable? She turned back to the room and watched for a moment. 

“Idiots,” she finally mumbled. “Kids who want to look cool.”

Byrd grinned widely and gestured for her to follow. Again, she did, and found herself on another balcony over another dining area. “Now what do you see?”

She opened her mouth to say the same thing, then froze. They were different, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint how. “There’s a weight to them,” she said slowly. “A sadness, but also a power. Everything they do is intentional.”

“Good,” Byrd said, and Liz was surprised at how wonderful the compliment made her feel. Praise was a strange thing to miss, but miss it she did.

“Why? What happened to these ones?”

“Nothing,” Byrd said, then winked. “Nothing just happened. They chased it.”

“Fine.” Liz rolled her eyes. “What did they chase, then?”

“Their god.” Byrd smiled. “These are the newest Acolytes of Death. I expect you’ll join them soon enough.”

Liz felt her breath catch. The gods aren’t real, she wanted to argue, but looking at the people below…what else could explain it? Byrd was watching her, so she cleared her throat awkwardly. “What about you? You aren’t like either of these groups. Are you an Acolyte?”

“Sure,” Byrd said smoothly, “but not like them. You’ll understand.”

Liz nodded, struggling to hold back her fear. And, oddly enough, her excitement. It was the same thing she felt before a test, at the start of a difficult class. She couldn’t see this as anything but one more challenge, one she intended to overcome. And one that would change her, strengthen her. “Is there anything else? Lord Marsvall wanted to speak with me.”

Byrd’s grin was dark and coy. “I want you to remember that even the people you called idiots could kill you before you knew you were in danger. I don’t much care if you’re a spy, darling Lizzy, because nothing you do can hurt us. And if you really are just here to learn, You’d best hope your will is stronger than you are. This isn’t a game.”

“I know that,” Liz said, trying to project annoyance. Do not let him see your fear.

“Good,” Byrd said. “Then just one last thing.” Before Liz could react, his arm was around her waist. He pulled her into a kiss, holding her for an uncomfortably long moment before releasing her. “We don’t care who you are or where you came from. From here on, I am your commander. Everything you do or don’t do is on my orders. If you want to succeed, you’ll work to impress me.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “You’re a good girl, Lizzy. Luckily, that shouldn’t take too long to fix.”

 

Wait wait wait hold up- 

Wasn't this her bf's dad?!

[Edema Rue she/her]

43 minutes ago, Spark of Hope said:

Wait wait wait hold up- 

Wasn't this her bf's dad?!

Byrd is not

he’s just a chill assassin dude (actually super jerky tho)

Lord Marsvall is her bf’s dad

[Through the Living Hope]

2 minutes ago, Edema Rue said:

Byrd is not

he’s just a chill assassin dude (actually super jerky tho)

Lord Marsvall is her bf’s dad

Oh

That makes it less worse

But still bad

(But so well doneee)

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

10 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Little baby Liz scene for ya.

  Hide contents

Liz:

“Why are you here, Liz?”

“To ki—” she started, but Byrd cut her off, shaking his head. 

“You aren’t a murderer. I know your type. Young, innocent, sure that the whole world would bend just to match your dreams. Stars know I’ve killed enough of you.”

Liz pursed her lips. She would not let him intimidate her. “What’s your point?”

“Are you a spy?”

Liz started. “I thought you just said I was young and innocent.”

Byrd shrugged, studying her. “You are. Or you’re a very good actress. I should be able to tell—anyone here should be able to tell. But somehow, we can’t, and that tips your hand.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liz said firmly. “Can I go?”

“No.” Byrd watched her for a moment longer. Liz let him. She’d noticed that he liked to watch people squirm, especially new recruits and especially girls. Since she was both, this was no surprise. This was normal. Still, logic didn’t make her feel less queasy. She wondered if this was how he looked at his victims. “Why are you here?” He asked again.

Liz bit her lip, then met her eyes, trying to infuse them with the supernatural confidence she’d seen in the most experienced assassins. “I’m here to learn. Are you going to teach me?”

The corner of Byrd’s mouth turned up. “I like you,” he said softly. “All right then, little Lizzy.” The nickname felt dirtied for having been in his mouth. “Come with me.” She followed him down the hall, then up a short flight of stairs to a balcony above the dining area. “You’re here to learn. Tell me what you see.” Liz glanced at him, trying to see in his face what he wanted to hear. Nothing. How was he so unreadable? She turned back to the room and watched for a moment. 

“Idiots,” she finally mumbled. “Kids who want to look cool.”

Byrd grinned widely and gestured for her to follow. Again, she did, and found herself on another balcony over another dining area. “Now what do you see?”

She opened her mouth to say the same thing, then froze. They were different, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint how. “There’s a weight to them,” she said slowly. “A sadness, but also a power. Everything they do is intentional.”

“Good,” Byrd said, and Liz was surprised at how wonderful the compliment made her feel. Praise was a strange thing to miss, but miss it she did.

“Why? What happened to these ones?”

“Nothing,” Byrd said, then winked. “Nothing just happened. They chased it.”

“Fine.” Liz rolled her eyes. “What did they chase, then?”

“Their god.” Byrd smiled. “These are the newest Acolytes of Death. I expect you’ll join them soon enough.”

Liz felt her breath catch. The gods aren’t real, she wanted to argue, but looking at the people below…what else could explain it? Byrd was watching her, so she cleared her throat awkwardly. “What about you? You aren’t like either of these groups. Are you an Acolyte?”

“Sure,” Byrd said smoothly, “but not like them. You’ll understand.”

Liz nodded, struggling to hold back her fear. And, oddly enough, her excitement. It was the same thing she felt before a test, at the start of a difficult class. She couldn’t see this as anything but one more challenge, one she intended to overcome. And one that would change her, strengthen her. “Is there anything else? Lord Marsvall wanted to speak with me.”

Byrd’s grin was dark and coy. “I want you to remember that even the people you called idiots could kill you before you knew you were in danger. I don’t much care if you’re a spy, darling Lizzy, because nothing you do can hurt us. And if you really are just here to learn, You’d best hope your will is stronger than you are. This isn’t a game.”

“I know that,” Liz said, trying to project annoyance. Do not let him see your fear.

“Good,” Byrd said. “Then just one last thing.” Before Liz could react, his arm was around her waist. He pulled her into a kiss, holding her for an uncomfortably long moment before releasing her. “We don’t care who you are or where you came from. From here on, I am your commander. Everything you do or don’t do is on my orders. If you want to succeed, you’ll work to impress me.” He started to walk away, then turned back. “You’re a good girl, Lizzy. Luckily, that shouldn’t take too long to fix.”

 

LIz! Liz! Liz! wonderful scene about my favoret of your OCs... keep up the good work! 

[Edema Rue she/her]

Siren: (but this one isn't creepy cause I think I wrote a creepy siren thing here)

Quote

“My mom used to say that there was nothing more powerful than music,” Dayla said quietly. “I always hated her for that.”

“She didn’t want to hurt you,” Oren said quietly, and Dayla’s jaw tightened involuntarily. “I’m not justifying her,” he said quickly. “But I know how much it hurts to hate, and I’d do anything to keep you from hurting.”

Dayla’s hand tightened on his. “I know,” she said quietly. “I’m just…healing. I should be over it by now. I should be over it a hundred times. But I’m not.” Oren didn’t say anything, just pulled her closer. She sighed softly. “Sorry. You don’t need this.”

He shrugged. “If it’s what you need, it’s what I need.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Dayla murmured, for a moment sitting in the feeling of being loved, wanted, needed. Relishing the fact that he was hers.

He laughed softly. “I think the same thing every—” he was cut off by a sharp knock. They shared an uneasy look, and then Dayla stood to open the door. She wasn’t expecting anyone, but in her business, people could turn up anytime. Then she saw the figure and stopped dead.

“Liza?” She hissed.

Her sister smiled brightly, all perfect blushes and petite grace. “Day!” She spread her arms, as if expecting a hug. When Dayla didn’t comply, she frowned a tiny, beautiful frown.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was just in the neighborhood,” Liza said slowly. “Thought I’d stop by.” Her voice had an ethereal musicality to it. 

Dayla crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “You’ll have to try harder than that.”

Liza pursed her lips, a wrinkle of annoyance appearing on her forehead. She quickly smoothed it away. “Can I at least come in?”

Dayla opened her mouth, but then Oren was there, his hand on her shoulder. “Who’s this?”

“I’m Liza,” Liza said quickly. “Dayla’s sister. Day, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend! We never talk anymore.”

“Sorry about that,” Dayla said flatly, still blocking the doorway. Oren started, his hand tightening on her shoulder. 

“Day…this is your sister?”

Dayla grimaced. “Fine,” she hissed to Liza. “Come inside.” Liza smiled warmly and walked in, looking for all the world like she was gracing the room with her presence. Then Dayla closed the door and Liza deflated, sinking onto a couch. Her eyes were wild and panicked. Dayla opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but Oren pulled her into a side room, brow furrowed.

“Tell me this is a joke.”

Dayla looked at him, then scowled at the floor. “I should have told you.”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “You should have. People like her—like you—don’t belong with people like me.”

“I never lied to you,” Dayla said quickly, almost desperately. “I know it was a mistake, and I’m sorry. I couldn’t figure out how to tell you.”

Oren’s eyes softened the tiniest bit. “You don’t have to be scared of me, Day.”

“I know,” Dayla said, fists and jaw clenched. “I know. But it doesn’t, and every time I wanted to tell you, I just…I can’t lose you.”

“I can’t lose you either,” Oren said. “This doesn’t change anything. But…let’s talk later, okay? I know you’re scared, and I know it isn’t your fault. Just let me in.”

Dayla pulled him tight, burying her face in his shirt and remembering what it was to feel safe. “I’m trying,” she murmured.

“I know.” Oren smiled, and it was like ice was melting. “Figure out her sister, then come find me.” Dayla grinned, recognizing his habitual way of proposing a hunt. His head start was however long she spent with Liza. “And hey–I love you.”

“I love you too,” Dayla said, letting him pull away and slide out the door. Then she turned and walked into the other room, sitting on the couch across from Liza, who swallowed nervously.

“Day, Mom is dead.” Dayla blinked once, feeling time stop. Her heart started to pound, but then it slowed. She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel, but sadness wasn’t the first thing to come to mind, and she wasn’t going to force it. “She left us everything.”

“Us,” Dayla echoed, perfectly monotone. No music in her words. “Then my portion is yours. Is that all?”

Liza met her eyes, utterly grief stricken. A tiny part of Dayla wanted to comfort her. But they were long past the times when they had shared everything with one another, and Dayla wasn’t sure she had the ability to empathize with this girl who was nearly a stranger. “What am I supposed to do?”

Even in misery, Liza was perfect. Perfectly sad. Perfectly nervous, but too innocent to feel terror. Dayla tried to shove back the familiar wave of hate, but it seemed lodged in the pit of her stomach. “Guess it’s about time you figured it out for yourself.”

Liza recoiled. “I’m not you.”

Dayla froze. Music, her head whispered. Perfect music that you will never create. And behind that voice was a person, a little girl who was desperately afraid and trapped in those three words. I’m not you, she screamed at Liza, slamming a door that crumbled to dust behind her. I’m not you, she whispered to her mother in a disappearing moment of panicked vulnerability. A little girl who had never grown up was the foundation of everything Dayla had become. And Liza had that same girl inside her–a girl who was angry, scared, and broken. Music, she thought bitterly. The power to shake a person to their core, to make them feel the things they’d always known. The power she was supposed to have, the power given to her younger sister instead. The power that had ruined them both.

“I’m sorry,” Liza whispered, and Dayla could feel in her bones that it was true.

She shook her head, unwilling to accept the apology or offer her own, but somehow grateful all the same. “I shouldn’t have hated you,” she said instead. “It wasn’t–isn’t–your fault.”

“Not yours either.” They sat in silence for a moment, and then Liza bit her lip and pulled her legs up onto the couch with her, curling in on herself. “I didn’t mean to become her,” she mumbled. “Mom, I mean.”

“Lize.” Dayla said firmly. “Mom was the greatest woman I’ve ever known. I wish I’d known her as a friend. There is no shame in the person you are.”

“Maybe,” she said, and Dayla heard the music creep back into her words. There was no other way to describe it. Music. The power woke up, and her words were weighted with emotion and truth. When she spoke, you couldn’t help but listen. When she sang, she may as well have been a siren. “I see flashes of the person I used to be. The person I could have been. But I can’t figure out how to bring her back. I never wanted to be Mom; I wanted to be you.”

Dayla closed her eyes, feeling something in her heart break. Or maybe…maybe that was what it felt like to heal. Maybe that was what it felt like when the most decayed part of her soul started to grow. “I understand you,” she said deliberately, opening her eyes. “I feel your hurt.” She swallowed, picking her mind carefully for the perfect words. What did I always hope someone would say? “You haven’t failed, Liza. I can’t say it the way you can, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. You aren’t alone.”

Liza nodded slowly, her lower lip trembling. “I miss her,” she whispered. “I miss her so much.” Dayla moved to sit next to her, pulling her younger sister into a hug for the first time in too many years. After several minutes, she finally pulled away. 

“I know this place isn’t what you’re used to. And I know that I can’t make it better. But you’re welcome to stay here. I don’t regret leaving, but I am sorry that I never came back. Let me make it up to you.”

Liza nodded once, slowly standing up. “You always used to say there’s no such thing as a happy ending,” she said softly. “Do you still believe that?”

Dayla felt herself smile before she could stop it. “No,” she said. “I found mine. And even if it takes a whole lifetime, you’ll find yours.”

Finished this like 5 minutes ago, so no editing yet. I like it though.

EDIT: awwww I accidentally put it in a quote...too late.

Edited February 5, 2025 by Edema Rue

[Through the Living Hope]

On 2/4/2025 at 10:01 PM, Edema Rue said:

Siren: (but this one isn't creepy cause I think I wrote a creepy siren thing here)

Finished this like 5 minutes ago, so no editing yet. I like it though.

EDIT: awwww I accidentally put it in a quote...too late.

Awwwww

[Through the Living Wrath he/him]

On 2/4/2025 at 11:01 PM, Edema Rue said:

Siren: (but this one isn't creepy cause I think I wrote a creepy siren thing here)

Finished this like 5 minutes ago, so no editing yet. I like it though.

EDIT: awwww I accidentally put it in a quote...too late.

…

Which one dies?

Please

i need to know

[Edema Rue she/her]

52 minutes ago, SpiritOfWrath said:

…

Which one dies?

Please

i need to know

What do you meannnn no one has to die

i’m trying so hard to be more wholesome in my writing xD

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

On 2/5/2025 at 12:01 PM, Edema Rue said:

Siren: (but this one isn't creepy cause I think I wrote a creepy siren thing here)

Finished this like 5 minutes ago, so no editing yet. I like it though.

EDIT: awwww I accidentally put it in a quote...too late.

Aww that’s such a nice peice. Slightly sad but still nice 

On 2/7/2025 at 5:58 AM, Edema Rue said:

What do you meannnn no one has to die

i’m trying so hard to be more wholesome in my writing xD

It is wholesome enough 

[Edema Rue she/her]

3 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Aww that’s such a nice peice. Slightly sad but still nice 

It is wholesome enough 

Thanks! I’m writing lots of “sad but nice” type things recently :))

[Edema Rue she/her]

Actually, speaking of sad but nice…

This scene is tiny, and I’m not sure it says everything I need it to but I wanted to write it. I’ve been having some pretty rough times recently and…well, there’s been a lot of late night hymns on the violin, reading with my parents, walks and drives and crafting and hoping. And while I don’t treasure the struggles themselves, the things we do to fight them are becoming memories I’ll cherish forever. I hope this scene helps paint that picture.

Coping:

Spoiler

“We used to go for walks,” Tal said, eyes distant. “Late at night. It got bad for both of us, and sometimes trying to sleep was unbearable. We’d walk for hours, naming the stars and reveling in the feeling of not being alone. We’d just walk, sometimes for hours, talking about all the little things that didn’t hurt.”

Eyna glanced at her father. “I wish I could have met her.”

“Me too, sweet. Me too.” He smiled, winking at her. “Once we tried to learn to cook.”

Eyna made a face. “Didn’t work.”

Tal snorted. “Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. But it was something to focus on, a way to push it out of our heads. I think it was mostly her excuse to get us both covered in flour.”

Eyna bit her lip, fiddling with a loose end of her hair. “Dad?

“Yeah?”

“Does it ever go away?”

Tal pulled her into a hug. “Not completely. But there are waves, cycles. Brighter days. And we can fight it.”

“The way you guys did?”

“Exactly,” he murmured. “We knew it might never leave, so we treasured the good days and bore the bad ones. When you’re with someone you love, you can do anything.”

“What about when you’re gone?”

Tal leaned back so he could look her in the eye. “Eyna—”

“I’m not stupid. Someday you’ll die, and I’ll still be here. Someday I’ll be alone.”

“Enya,” Tal said seriously, wishing desperately that Ace was here. “I need you to listen to me, all right?” She nodded. “I can’t live forever. I can’t even make promises for today, or tomorrow, or a year from now. But I can promise you that you aren’t going to be alone. Your mother had worries too. She’d have been so much better at this than I am, but…it’s too late for that. What I can say is that you’re tough. And no matter what this curse of a power tries to make you, I know that you’re stronger than anything it says. You have a whole life ahead of you. You’ll make friends, fall in love. Have kids. Just like your mom.”

Enya smiled, but her eyes were nervous. “Am I really like her?”

“More than you know.” 

“Tell me more.”

Tal pursed his lips, thinking. “She tried to kill me the first time I met her.”

Enya burst out laughing. “I meant something cute and romantic.”

“That is cute!”

“Da-ad…”

Tal laughed softly, cementing the moment in his mind. “She loved flowers.”

Enya’s eyes widened. “Really? Even though she was a brave warrior?”

“Yes. She’d go off the road and come back an hour later with mountains of wildflowers. I’d pick her daisies or blossoms…once we found a field of dandelions and made a million wishes in one afternoon.”

“Will you take me there?”

Tal started. “It’s halfway across the world…”

“So?” There were stars in Enya’s eyes, and Tal didn’t think he could tell her no if she’d asked him to bring her the moon. If only Ace could have met our daughter…

“All right.”

@Spark of Hope

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

2 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Actually, speaking of sad but nice…

This scene is tiny, and I’m not sure it says everything I need it to but I wanted to write it. I’ve been having some pretty rough times recently and…well, there’s been a lot of late night hymns on the violin, reading with my parents, walks and drives and crafting and hoping. And while I don’t treasure the struggles themselves, the things we do to fight them are becoming memories I’ll cherish forever. I hope this scene helps paint that picture.

Coping:

  Hide contents

“We used to go for walks,” Tal said, eyes distant. “Late at night. It got bad for both of us, and sometimes trying to sleep was unbearable. We’d walk for hours, naming the stars and reveling in the feeling of not being alone. We’d just walk, sometimes for hours, talking about all the little things that didn’t hurt.”

Eyna glanced at her father. “I wish I could have met her.”

“Me too, sweet. Me too.” He smiled, winking at her. “Once we tried to learn to cook.”

Eyna made a face. “Didn’t work.”

Tal snorted. “Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. But it was something to focus on, a way to push it out of our heads. I think it was mostly her excuse to get us both covered in flour.”

Eyna bit her lip, fiddling with a loose end of her hair. “Dad?

“Yeah?”

“Does it ever go away?”

Tal pulled her into a hug. “Not completely. But there are waves, cycles. Brighter days. And we can fight it.”

“The way you guys did?”

“Exactly,” he murmured. “We knew it might never leave, so we treasured the good days and bore the bad ones. When you’re with someone you love, you can do anything.”

“What about when you’re gone?”

Tal leaned back so he could look her in the eye. “Eyna—”

“I’m not stupid. Someday you’ll die, and I’ll still be here. Someday I’ll be alone.”

“Enya,” Tal said seriously, wishing desperately that Ace was here. “I need you to listen to me, all right?” She nodded. “I can’t live forever. I can’t even make promises for today, or tomorrow, or a year from now. But I can promise you that you aren’t going to be alone. Your mother had worries too. She’d have been so much better at this than I am, but…it’s too late for that. What I can say is that you’re tough. And no matter what this curse of a power tries to make you, I know that you’re stronger than anything it says. You have a whole life ahead of you. You’ll make friends, fall in love. Have kids. Just like your mom.”

Enya smiled, but her eyes were nervous. “Am I really like her?”

“More than you know.” 

“Tell me more.”

Tal pursed his lips, thinking. “She tried to kill me the first time I met her.”

Enya burst out laughing. “I meant something cute and romantic.”

“That is cute!”

“Da-ad…”

Tal laughed softly, cementing the moment in his mind. “She loved flowers.”

Enya’s eyes widened. “Really? Even though she was a brave warrior?”

“Yes. She’d go off the road and come back an hour later with mountains of wildflowers. I’d pick her daisies or blossoms…once we found a field of dandelions and made a million wishes in one afternoon.”

“Will you take me there?”

Tal started. “It’s halfway across the world…”

“So?” There were stars in Enya’s eyes, and Tal didn’t think he could tell her no if she’d asked him to bring her the moon. If only Ace could have met our daughter…

“All right.”

@Spark of Hope

Sometimes all we can keep are memories…

lovely piece as per usual…

 

[Through the Living Hope]

9 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Actually, speaking of sad but nice…

This scene is tiny, and I’m not sure it says everything I need it to but I wanted to write it. I’ve been having some pretty rough times recently and…well, there’s been a lot of late night hymns on the violin, reading with my parents, walks and drives and crafting and hoping. And while I don’t treasure the struggles themselves, the things we do to fight them are becoming memories I’ll cherish forever. I hope this scene helps paint that picture.

Coping:

  Hide contents

“We used to go for walks,” Tal said, eyes distant. “Late at night. It got bad for both of us, and sometimes trying to sleep was unbearable. We’d walk for hours, naming the stars and reveling in the feeling of not being alone. We’d just walk, sometimes for hours, talking about all the little things that didn’t hurt.”

Eyna glanced at her father. “I wish I could have met her.”

“Me too, sweet. Me too.” He smiled, winking at her. “Once we tried to learn to cook.”

Eyna made a face. “Didn’t work.”

Tal snorted. “Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. But it was something to focus on, a way to push it out of our heads. I think it was mostly her excuse to get us both covered in flour.”

Eyna bit her lip, fiddling with a loose end of her hair. “Dad?

“Yeah?”

“Does it ever go away?”

Tal pulled her into a hug. “Not completely. But there are waves, cycles. Brighter days. And we can fight it.”

“The way you guys did?”

“Exactly,” he murmured. “We knew it might never leave, so we treasured the good days and bore the bad ones. When you’re with someone you love, you can do anything.”

“What about when you’re gone?”

Tal leaned back so he could look her in the eye. “Eyna—”

“I’m not stupid. Someday you’ll die, and I’ll still be here. Someday I’ll be alone.”

“Enya,” Tal said seriously, wishing desperately that Ace was here. “I need you to listen to me, all right?” She nodded. “I can’t live forever. I can’t even make promises for today, or tomorrow, or a year from now. But I can promise you that you aren’t going to be alone. Your mother had worries too. She’d have been so much better at this than I am, but…it’s too late for that. What I can say is that you’re tough. And no matter what this curse of a power tries to make you, I know that you’re stronger than anything it says. You have a whole life ahead of you. You’ll make friends, fall in love. Have kids. Just like your mom.”

Enya smiled, but her eyes were nervous. “Am I really like her?”

“More than you know.” 

“Tell me more.”

Tal pursed his lips, thinking. “She tried to kill me the first time I met her.”

Enya burst out laughing. “I meant something cute and romantic.”

“That is cute!”

“Da-ad…”

Tal laughed softly, cementing the moment in his mind. “She loved flowers.”

Enya’s eyes widened. “Really? Even though she was a brave warrior?”

“Yes. She’d go off the road and come back an hour later with mountains of wildflowers. I’d pick her daisies or blossoms…once we found a field of dandelions and made a million wishes in one afternoon.”

“Will you take me there?”

Tal started. “It’s halfway across the world…”

“So?” There were stars in Enya’s eyes, and Tal didn’t think he could tell her no if she’d asked him to bring her the moon. If only Ace could have met our daughter…

“All right.”

@Spark of Hope

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

[Edema Rue she/her]

8 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Sometimes all we can keep are memories…

lovely piece as per usual…

 

It’s true. Good days to fight the bad ones, rays of light against the darkness. Thank you!

1 hour ago, Spark of Hope said:

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

LOVE

[Throw TheLiving Silverware he/him/il/lui]

On 2/5/2025 at 5:01 AM, Edema Rue said:

Siren: (but this one isn't creepy cause I think I wrote a creepy siren thing here)

Finished this like 5 minutes ago, so no editing yet. I like it though.

EDIT: awwww I accidentally put it in a quote...too late.

 

11 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Actually, speaking of sad but nice…

This scene is tiny, and I’m not sure it says everything I need it to but I wanted to write it. I’ve been having some pretty rough times recently and…well, there’s been a lot of late night hymns on the violin, reading with my parents, walks and drives and crafting and hoping. And while I don’t treasure the struggles themselves, the things we do to fight them are becoming memories I’ll cherish forever. I hope this scene helps paint that picture.

Coping:

  Hide contents

“We used to go for walks,” Tal said, eyes distant. “Late at night. It got bad for both of us, and sometimes trying to sleep was unbearable. We’d walk for hours, naming the stars and reveling in the feeling of not being alone. We’d just walk, sometimes for hours, talking about all the little things that didn’t hurt.”

Eyna glanced at her father. “I wish I could have met her.”

“Me too, sweet. Me too.” He smiled, winking at her. “Once we tried to learn to cook.”

Eyna made a face. “Didn’t work.”

Tal snorted. “Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. But it was something to focus on, a way to push it out of our heads. I think it was mostly her excuse to get us both covered in flour.”

Eyna bit her lip, fiddling with a loose end of her hair. “Dad?

“Yeah?”

“Does it ever go away?”

Tal pulled her into a hug. “Not completely. But there are waves, cycles. Brighter days. And we can fight it.”

“The way you guys did?”

“Exactly,” he murmured. “We knew it might never leave, so we treasured the good days and bore the bad ones. When you’re with someone you love, you can do anything.”

“What about when you’re gone?”

Tal leaned back so he could look her in the eye. “Eyna—”

“I’m not stupid. Someday you’ll die, and I’ll still be here. Someday I’ll be alone.”

“Enya,” Tal said seriously, wishing desperately that Ace was here. “I need you to listen to me, all right?” She nodded. “I can’t live forever. I can’t even make promises for today, or tomorrow, or a year from now. But I can promise you that you aren’t going to be alone. Your mother had worries too. She’d have been so much better at this than I am, but…it’s too late for that. What I can say is that you’re tough. And no matter what this curse of a power tries to make you, I know that you’re stronger than anything it says. You have a whole life ahead of you. You’ll make friends, fall in love. Have kids. Just like your mom.”

Enya smiled, but her eyes were nervous. “Am I really like her?”

“More than you know.” 

“Tell me more.”

Tal pursed his lips, thinking. “She tried to kill me the first time I met her.”

Enya burst out laughing. “I meant something cute and romantic.”

“That is cute!”

“Da-ad…”

Tal laughed softly, cementing the moment in his mind. “She loved flowers.”

Enya’s eyes widened. “Really? Even though she was a brave warrior?”

“Yes. She’d go off the road and come back an hour later with mountains of wildflowers. I’d pick her daisies or blossoms…once we found a field of dandelions and made a million wishes in one afternoon.”

“Will you take me there?”

Tal started. “It’s halfway across the world…”

“So?” There were stars in Enya’s eyes, and Tal didn’t think he could tell her no if she’d asked him to bring her the moon. If only Ace could have met our daughter…

“All right.”

@Spark of Hope

I love those so much

[Edema Rue she/her]

Sweet chasms it’s been a hot minute

Have a poem

Ash and Ember

Spoiler

The Ash met the Ember in a moment that meant nothing to the flame.

The Ash

And the Ember

Smiled

Without faces.

 

The Ember was cracking when it saw

The Ash

Already decayed.

The crack

Halted.

 

The Ash knew the Ember

And though the Ember

Should not have known

The Ash

It did.

 

The Ember met the Ash 

In a blaze of unexpected

Light

The Ash felt the heat

And knew it had none to offer.

The Ember was the heat

And felt

Nothing.

 

The Ash

Looked on the Ember

And said

Warmly

”Why do you burn?”

 

The Ember,

Coldly

Replied

“I do not burn for you.”

 

The Ash

Laughed

As much as Ash

Can laugh.

 

The Ember

Froze

As much as Ember

Can freeze.

 

The Ash

Told the Ember

That he lived

For her

 

The Ember

Told the Ash

That he

Did not live.

The Ember

Was a wild thing,

And she grinned

With the life

That sparked from her

 

The Ash

Laughed again

And in its laugh

It became solid

“I,”

Said the Ash

“Want you.”

 

“I,” 

Sang the Ember

“Want to burn.”

“Then burn,”

Said the Ash

And the Ember

Burned.

 

The Ash

And the Ember

Wove

Through the fire

The Ember

And the Ash

Were the fire

 

The Ash

Turned red

And then

There were two embers

 

The Ember

Turned gray

And then

There were only ashes.

 

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

45 minutes ago, Edema Rue said:

Sweet chasms it’s been a hot minute

Have a poem

Ash and Ember

  Hide contents

The Ash met the Ember in a moment that meant nothing to the flame.

The Ash

And the Ember

Smiled

Without faces.

 

The Ember was cracking when it saw

The Ash

Already decayed.

The crack

Halted.

 

The Ash knew the Ember

And though the Ember

Should not have known

The Ash

It did.

 

The Ember met the Ash 

In a blaze of unexpected

Light

The Ash felt the heat

And knew it had none to offer.

The Ember was the heat

And felt

Nothing.

 

The Ash

Looked on the Ember

And said

Warmly

”Why do you burn?”

 

The Ember,

Coldly

Replied

“I do not burn for you.”

 

The Ash

Laughed

As much as Ash

Can laugh.

 

The Ember

Froze

As much as Ember

Can freeze.

 

The Ash

Told the Ember

That he lived

For her

 

The Ember

Told the Ash

That he

Did not live.

The Ember

Was a wild thing,

And she grinned

With the life

That sparked from her

 

The Ash

Laughed again

And in its laugh

It became solid

“I,”

Said the Ash

“Want you.”

 

“I,” 

Sang the Ember

“Want to burn.”

“Then burn,”

Said the Ash

And the Ember

Burned.

 

The Ash

And the Ember

Wove

Through the fire

The Ember

And the Ash

Were the fire

 

The Ash

Turned red

And then

There were two embers

 

The Ember

Turned gray

And then

There were only ashes.

 

have you been near a camp fire recently? also how have you been?

[Edema Rue she/her]

5 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

have you been near a camp fire recently? also how have you been?

Unfortunately I have not, but I have been shoving a lot of clothes into a fire place (our costumes are supposed to be dirty and we happen to have a wood burning fire place).

lol I have been every possible emotion it is possible to feel, probably most of them in the last 24 hours. It’s really something, this whole being alive thing.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

On 4/12/2025 at 2:33 PM, Edema Rue said:

Unfortunately I have not, but I have been shoving a lot of clothes into a fire place (our costumes are supposed to be dirty and we happen to have a wood burning fire place).

lol I have been every possible emotion it is possible to feel, probably most of them in the last 24 hours. It’s really something, this whole being alive thing.

1.1. Hadestown? 

1.2 that sounds like a lot of fun... be carefull not to burn any of your - and this is just an assumption - amazing costumes. 

2. *throws a bucket of love at you* thats life. stay safe. 

[Edema Rue she/her]

10 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

1.1. Hadestown? 

1.2 that sounds like a lot of fun... be carefull not to burn any of your - and this is just an assumption - amazing costumes. 

2. *throws a bucket of love at you* thats life. stay safe. 

YES HADESTOWNNNN

i’m so obsessed with us, if we get a video I’ll try and share it

[Edema Rue she/her]

Here’s a scene. I know what comes next in the story, but who can say if I’ll ever write it. I like the stories that give you bones and let you imagine flesh.

Small Steps:

Spoiler

Sera froze when she saw him. He looked different, but it was undeniably Mir. She didn’t believe it was real. But she blinked, and he was still there. She blinked again, and he was looking at her. A third blink, and he was walking towards her. She stumbled back and found herself against a wall.

“Sera? What are you doing here?”

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”

He stiffened. “There’s more going on…Sera, I didn’t leave.” She raised an eyebrow. He looked away, fists clenched and shaking. “I did. But there were—there are—other things. I didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Sera said. A part of her wanted to run away, to make him feel her absence. But she hadn’t seen him for almost three years, and she couldn’t stand the thought of him disappearing again. “I needed you.”

Mir’s jaw clenched, then slowly released. “Let’s talk. Will you hear me out, Ser?”

She nodded once.

“Not here,” he said, glancing around. The bar was crowded and noisy. Not a place Sera had ever thought to find him. Not a place she’d ever expected to be.

“Where else?”

He bit his lip. “We could go home. I should probably come see everyone else.”

“No,” Sera snapped, a little too sharply. 

Mir blinked, taking her in for the first time. His eyes widened. “What happened? You’re thin as…is that blood?”

Sera tugged on her gloves. It was stupid to be embarrassed by her own brother, but she was. “Somewhere safe.”

“Right,” Mir said, eyes still on her hands. She put them behind her back. “I know a place.”

Sera tried not to feel betrayed as she followed him out of the bar. He’d let them all think he was dead, and had already been back in the city long enough to find a haunt? They didn’t talk, just walked further into unfamiliar territory. Each bar was gaudier than the last. Beautiful. Terrible. To her surprise, Mir slipped down a side alley. Right. He probably had some sort of safe house…but no, the door he opened created a pool of warm yellow light on the empty street. Sera cocked her head, and he winked. 

“Charming as ever,” she mumbled, trailing off as she saw the room inside. It was a bar, but a completely different world from the place she’d been only minutes before. People lounged about, comfortable but controlled. At ease, but respectful. They chatted, laughed, gambled in a few places. Coats and bags were sitting freely on chairs and by walls. Sera felt a surprising itch to take what she could and run. These people, she realized, had no fear. Several waved at Mir, a couple eyebrows raised at Sera. Mir waved back and no one approached.

“All right,” Mir said. “You tell me your story, I’ll tell you mine. What have I missed?”

Sera snorted, angry and miserable and hopeful all at once. “Where did you go? Why?”

“I guess that’s fair,” Mir said softly. Sera studied his face. There was a weight to him, a strength that had always been there but was more pronounced now. “It feels like such a long time ago. I know I said I was going to run away, but I didn’t mean it. I was walking home, actually, but then I just started to wonder…I wanted more, Ser. It didn’t feel like a real option, but it was enough to keep me walking. I stumbled in here.”

“What,” Sera said, “you just opened the door?”

“Not quite,” Mir said. “I don’t know how to explain it. There was a pull. I didn’t want to go to the house, I wanted to go home. It’s probably stupid, but that’s how it felt here. How it feels.”

“Yeah,” Sera whispered, looking around. “It does.”

“Well, I sat down. Didn’t have any money, but I just wanted to sit in the feeling, try to decide what to do next. Things escalated. I met some people, then some others. Almost before I knew it, I was on the Far Side.”

Sera stiffened. “Don’t ever lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Mir—”

“I know. No one comes back. But the regular rules don’t apply here. Can you see it? Can you feel it?” He meant what he said. But his eyes were solemn and his posture was just a little too stiff. What wasn’t he saying?

“I feel it,” Sera said. “But you chose Hell over us and didn’t even tell me.”

“It’s not Hell.” A boy who couldn’t have been older than Sera approached with a couple of bottles. Mir thanked him and watched him leave. “I know the rumors, but it isn’t true. There are people there. It’s safe, in its own way, just more desperate than the world you’re used to.”

“You’d be surprised,” Sera said dryly. Mir reached out a hand, as if to put it on hers, to comfort her. She started away before the movement had even registered. Mir pulled back. The space between them was suddenly awkward and heavy, weighted by the three years that had changed them in ways neither had expected. “Dad’s dead,” Sera blurted. “Last year. He got caught up in a riot. The guards just shot into the crowd.”

Mir’s mouth opened slightly. He closed it. Opened it again. “What was he doing in a riot?” He asked faintly. 

“Things were hard,” Sera said. Did he notice that she spoke too fast? Spirits, she was a terrible liar. But she wasn’t going to tell him. No matter how angry she was with Mir, giving him the blame for their father’s life was not something she intended to do. “He was trying to help.”

“I’m sorry,” Mir said. “I should have been here.”

“Yes,” Sera said sadly. “You should have.”

“Will you…what else? I can’t promise to come back, but if you’re in trouble, if Jax or Lynn or Fill…you’re my family. I know I’ve made mistakes, but trust me to do better. I’ll make this right.”

“Who says you can?” Mir started to say something, but Sera cut him off. “Not all wounds heal. Or sometimes they do, and it’s worse, because they heal wrong and leave sharp edges where there should be none. Mom’s death broke us. You leaving made it worse. Now Dad’s gone too, and with Jax in charge, things are different.”

Mir’s head snapped up. “Jax? But—”

“No one else knows about him, and it’s going to stay that way.”

“What if I took him?”

“What?”

Mir nodded. “His gift isn’t as rare on the Far Side. There are people who could teach him to use it.”

Sera scoffed. “So he can hurt more people?”

“So he can use it without hurting anyone.”

“It isn’t possible.”

Mir leaned in, and Sera caught a glimpse of something wild and old and dangerous behind his eyes. “Don’t ever tell me what’s possible.”

“Right,” Sera said meekly. 

Mir cringed, and the look was gone. “Don’t do that. Please, Ser, I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I’m trying to help.”

“The way to help was to stay with us,” Seraa said. “The way to help was to keep Jax controlled.” But the fire was gone from her arguments, and she sat back limply, grabbing one of the bottles and taking a long drink. “Cider?”

“You’re seventeen.”

Sera shrugged. “How does he know that?”

“You look fourteen.”

“Rude.” They sat in a silence that was just a hair too forced to be comfortable. 

Finally, Mir sighed. “Why don’t you leave?”

Sera thought for a long moment, trying to put the emotion into words. “He’s my brother. And he’s trying to get better. Mir, he’s trying so hard. He doesn’t hurt Lynn or Fill. But if I leave…” She saw the look on his face and stood up. “Maybe you should see for yourself. They’ll be glad to know you’re alive.”

“All right,” Mir said. “I’m sorry, Sera.”

Sera met his eyes, then nodded. The brother she remembered had not had the ability to apologize. Whoever Mir had become, it was a person she wanted to understand. “I’m not going to let you leave again.”

“I’m not going to stay.”

“I know.”

The house was dark when Sera opened the door. Mir paused in the entryway. “Never thought I’d be back.”

Sera nodded, not sure how to answer. She made her way up the stairs, listening outside Lynn’s door and then Fill’s. There was soft breathing inside each room, so Sera continued down the hall. Light was barely visible under the door to Jax’s office.

“I need you to wait here,” Sera whispered to Mir.

“Why?”

She didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s been more than three days since he used it last. He’ll be desperate.”

“No.” Sera couldn’t make out Mir’s expression in the dark, but she could feel the rage pouring off him. “I’m not going to let you—”

“You don’t control me,” Sera said, careful to keep her tone neutral. “This isn’t your choice to make, or his. Stay out here. He’ll be more reasonable when he’s finished.”

Mir glared. Sera glared back, and he finally nodded. She knocked.

Jax opened the door immediately, the relief on his face an almost tangible thing. “I expected you hours ago.”

“I know,” Sera said. “But I’m here now.” The door slid shut, and she tried to banish the feeling that Mir had been a dream, that he would disappear now that she wasn’t watching him.

“Barely,” Jax muttered, already returning to his desk. Sera sat in her comfortable chair in the corner, leaning back and closing her eyes. She heard Jax take a breath, and then a high pitched whine started. It penetrated deep into her ears, coursing through her head and every part of her body as she shook. She dug her nails into her palms, digging new crescents into layers of identical scabs. She couldn’t make a sound. Not ever, but especially not tonight. There was no telling what Mir would do if he heard a scream. He had the look of a hero. But that was the problem with heroes. They never knew the whole story, only the parts that let them destroy their villains. The pain got stronger, and Sera’s thoughts disappeared as it overwhelmed her.

 

Mir froze when Jax opened the door. It was like seeing a ghost. Jax froze too. He was older. Thinner. His hair was sweaty and hung over his eyes, his shirt only half buttoned. 

“I’m sorry.” They were the last words Mir had expected. “I’m sorry,” Jax said again, backing up. Mir strode into the room as Jax slid to the floor, his back to the wall, resting his head on a chair. Sera sat on it, looking at nothing. Fresh blood trickled from her clenched fists. A delicate crystal flower sat on her lap. Mir glanced at it, then back at Jax. His head was bowed. “I’m sorry.”

He looked like a child waiting to be scolded. What a bizarre position to be in with his older brother. “Sera, can you hear me? Are you all right?”

She didn’t move.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sera!”

A slow blink.

“I’m sor—”

“Stop saying that!”

Jax flinched. “What else am I supposed to say?”

“I don’t care what you say, I care what you do. And what you’re supposed to do is protect our family.” Mir knew he was acting on emotion. He knew he was supposed to be better than this. But that was a problem for tomorrow. That was a problem for when his brother wasn’t using his magic to push their sister to the brink of death. 

“Pointless,” Jax muttered.

Mir saw red. “Say that again.”

Jax’s shoulders shook, and Mir couldn’t say if he was laughing or crying. Maybe neither. Maybe both. “It’s pointless, isn’t it? I’ve spent thousands of nights like this. There’ll be a thousand more, and another thousand, the rest of my life. Nothing I do is going to change that.”

Mir barked a short laugh. There were people on the Far Side who would sell their souls for Jax’s power. Lives were lost every day because there were too few people with the gift. “Are you going to sit there and pity yourself all night? Because that’s all that matters, isn’t it? How you feel?”

“It’s not what I feel, it’s what I am.” Jax stumbled to his feet. His hands were shaking, but his eyes were determined. “Maybe you think this isn’t real. Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, because you can just run away from it again. But the rest of us have to live with this.”

“With this?” Mir threw up his hands. “With you not being able to control your own cravings? With you being so weak you have to torture your sister just to get through the day? Sounds to me like something you should be able to fix.” A distant part of Mir’s brain knew he wasn’t being fair, knew that there was more to the gift than magic and creation. But he wanted to make Jax mad. He wanted him to feel what he felt.

“You don’t understand,” Jax snapped. “You don’t know what it means to want something so badly that you can hurt everyone you love just to get it.”

“Don’t I?”

“Stop.” The voice was a bare rasp, quiet but penetrating in the small room. Both boys’ attention snapped to the chair. Sera was uncurling her fists, then gently picked up the crystal flower. “Both of you stop it.”

“Ser,” Mir said. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry, Seri,” Jax said at the same time.

Sera smiled. “I’m fine. But if I ever see you two fighting like that again, I’ll make you regret it. We aren’t enemies.”

“He’s—”

Sera aimed her glare like a weapon. “I’m glad you’re home, Mir, but you don’t know or understand him. You said you wanted to help? Prove it.”

Mir felt his anger leave him. She was right, this sister of his. So he turned to Jax and gave him a nod. “I had no right to say what I said. I’m sorry.”

Jax’s eyes widened until there was more white than pupil, but he took it in stride. “No harm done.”

Sera was studying the flower. “It’s beautiful, Jax.”

For the first time Mir had seen, Jax smiled. “It’s yours.”

Mir felt his stomach drop. “You made that?”

“Yes,” Jax said, pride in his eyes and fear in his posture. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Mir held out his hand, and Sera gave it to him. It was more intricate than any Unmade item he’d seen before. On the far side, it was rare to see anything other than basic supplies and crude tools. Even most foods were too complex to be created magically. This was something different. It was graceful, artistic, something a master would slave over for months. Not something his brother could materialize in five minutes. “This is incredible. There are so many ways we can use this—”

Mir cut off as Jax snorted. “And he pretended to care about you, Ser.” Sera tried to say something, but Jax kept going. “I don’t hurt her for profit, Mir, and if you want me to then we’ll be better off with you gone.”

Mir froze, too shocked to say anything. Sera answered instead. “That’s not what he was saying, Jax.” How did she sound so calm? His sister had become a warrior, his brother an addict. Who was he, in their eyes? “Mir said there’s a place where they can teach you to use it without hurting anyone.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” Sera said lightly, glancing at Mir. An olive branch. Mir looked away. Sera’s lips tightened. “It’s not exactly close by, though.”

“If it was, we’d know about it.” Mir was keenly aware of Jax’s eyes on him. “So? How are you going to fix me, little brother?”

“Best way I know how,” Mir replied, finally meeting Jax’s eyes. “By giving you the chance to fix something else. It’s on the Far Side.”

To his credit, Jax didn’t immediately denounce him as crazy. “So that’s where you’ve been.”

Mir dipped his head. “Some of the time.”

“What’s Hell like?”

It was an answer Mir had given dozens of times before, but today it carried a new weight. “Broken, but healing.”

Sera smiled. “Like us.”

Sorry, I didn’t go through and add italics. Hopefully it still makes sense.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

12 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

YES HADESTOWNNNN

i’m so obsessed with us, if we get a video I’ll try and share it

i've only ever listened to the songs though i have been keeping an eye out for any showings near me... i'd love to see a vidio of it though. i've heard such good things about hadestown in general!

4 hours ago, Edema Rue said:

Here’s a scene. I know what comes next in the story, but who can say if I’ll ever write it. I like the stories that give you bones and let you imagine flesh.

Small Steps:

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Sera froze when she saw him. He looked different, but it was undeniably Mir. She didn’t believe it was real. But she blinked, and he was still there. She blinked again, and he was looking at her. A third blink, and he was walking towards her. She stumbled back and found herself against a wall.

“Sera? What are you doing here?”

Her eyes widened. “What are you doing here?”

He stiffened. “There’s more going on…Sera, I didn’t leave.” She raised an eyebrow. He looked away, fists clenched and shaking. “I did. But there were—there are—other things. I didn’t have a choice.”

“There’s always a choice,” Sera said. A part of her wanted to run away, to make him feel her absence. But she hadn’t seen him for almost three years, and she couldn’t stand the thought of him disappearing again. “I needed you.”

Mir’s jaw clenched, then slowly released. “Let’s talk. Will you hear me out, Ser?”

She nodded once.

“Not here,” he said, glancing around. The bar was crowded and noisy. Not a place Sera had ever thought to find him. Not a place she’d ever expected to be.

“Where else?”

He bit his lip. “We could go home. I should probably come see everyone else.”

“No,” Sera snapped, a little too sharply. 

Mir blinked, taking her in for the first time. His eyes widened. “What happened? You’re thin as…is that blood?”

Sera tugged on her gloves. It was stupid to be embarrassed by her own brother, but she was. “Somewhere safe.”

“Right,” Mir said, eyes still on her hands. She put them behind her back. “I know a place.”

Sera tried not to feel betrayed as she followed him out of the bar. He’d let them all think he was dead, and had already been back in the city long enough to find a haunt? They didn’t talk, just walked further into unfamiliar territory. Each bar was gaudier than the last. Beautiful. Terrible. To her surprise, Mir slipped down a side alley. Right. He probably had some sort of safe house…but no, the door he opened created a pool of warm yellow light on the empty street. Sera cocked her head, and he winked. 

“Charming as ever,” she mumbled, trailing off as she saw the room inside. It was a bar, but a completely different world from the place she’d been only minutes before. People lounged about, comfortable but controlled. At ease, but respectful. They chatted, laughed, gambled in a few places. Coats and bags were sitting freely on chairs and by walls. Sera felt a surprising itch to take what she could and run. These people, she realized, had no fear. Several waved at Mir, a couple eyebrows raised at Sera. Mir waved back and no one approached.

“All right,” Mir said. “You tell me your story, I’ll tell you mine. What have I missed?”

Sera snorted, angry and miserable and hopeful all at once. “Where did you go? Why?”

“I guess that’s fair,” Mir said softly. Sera studied his face. There was a weight to him, a strength that had always been there but was more pronounced now. “It feels like such a long time ago. I know I said I was going to run away, but I didn’t mean it. I was walking home, actually, but then I just started to wonder…I wanted more, Ser. It didn’t feel like a real option, but it was enough to keep me walking. I stumbled in here.”

“What,” Sera said, “you just opened the door?”

“Not quite,” Mir said. “I don’t know how to explain it. There was a pull. I didn’t want to go to the house, I wanted to go home. It’s probably stupid, but that’s how it felt here. How it feels.”

“Yeah,” Sera whispered, looking around. “It does.”

“Well, I sat down. Didn’t have any money, but I just wanted to sit in the feeling, try to decide what to do next. Things escalated. I met some people, then some others. Almost before I knew it, I was on the Far Side.”

Sera stiffened. “Don’t ever lie to me.”

“I’m not lying.”

“Mir—”

“I know. No one comes back. But the regular rules don’t apply here. Can you see it? Can you feel it?” He meant what he said. But his eyes were solemn and his posture was just a little too stiff. What wasn’t he saying?

“I feel it,” Sera said. “But you chose Hell over us and didn’t even tell me.”

“It’s not Hell.” A boy who couldn’t have been older than Sera approached with a couple of bottles. Mir thanked him and watched him leave. “I know the rumors, but it isn’t true. There are people there. It’s safe, in its own way, just more desperate than the world you’re used to.”

“You’d be surprised,” Sera said dryly. Mir reached out a hand, as if to put it on hers, to comfort her. She started away before the movement had even registered. Mir pulled back. The space between them was suddenly awkward and heavy, weighted by the three years that had changed them in ways neither had expected. “Dad’s dead,” Sera blurted. “Last year. He got caught up in a riot. The guards just shot into the crowd.”

Mir’s mouth opened slightly. He closed it. Opened it again. “What was he doing in a riot?” He asked faintly. 

“Things were hard,” Sera said. Did he notice that she spoke too fast? Spirits, she was a terrible liar. But she wasn’t going to tell him. No matter how angry she was with Mir, giving him the blame for their father’s life was not something she intended to do. “He was trying to help.”

“I’m sorry,” Mir said. “I should have been here.”

“Yes,” Sera said sadly. “You should have.”

“Will you…what else? I can’t promise to come back, but if you’re in trouble, if Jax or Lynn or Fill…you’re my family. I know I’ve made mistakes, but trust me to do better. I’ll make this right.”

“Who says you can?” Mir started to say something, but Sera cut him off. “Not all wounds heal. Or sometimes they do, and it’s worse, because they heal wrong and leave sharp edges where there should be none. Mom’s death broke us. You leaving made it worse. Now Dad’s gone too, and with Jax in charge, things are different.”

Mir’s head snapped up. “Jax? But—”

“No one else knows about him, and it’s going to stay that way.”

“What if I took him?”

“What?”

Mir nodded. “His gift isn’t as rare on the Far Side. There are people who could teach him to use it.”

Sera scoffed. “So he can hurt more people?”

“So he can use it without hurting anyone.”

“It isn’t possible.”

Mir leaned in, and Sera caught a glimpse of something wild and old and dangerous behind his eyes. “Don’t ever tell me what’s possible.”

“Right,” Sera said meekly. 

Mir cringed, and the look was gone. “Don’t do that. Please, Ser, I don’t want you to be afraid of me. I’m trying to help.”

“The way to help was to stay with us,” Seraa said. “The way to help was to keep Jax controlled.” But the fire was gone from her arguments, and she sat back limply, grabbing one of the bottles and taking a long drink. “Cider?”

“You’re seventeen.”

Sera shrugged. “How does he know that?”

“You look fourteen.”

“Rude.” They sat in a silence that was just a hair too forced to be comfortable. 

Finally, Mir sighed. “Why don’t you leave?”

Sera thought for a long moment, trying to put the emotion into words. “He’s my brother. And he’s trying to get better. Mir, he’s trying so hard. He doesn’t hurt Lynn or Fill. But if I leave…” She saw the look on his face and stood up. “Maybe you should see for yourself. They’ll be glad to know you’re alive.”

“All right,” Mir said. “I’m sorry, Sera.”

Sera met his eyes, then nodded. The brother she remembered had not had the ability to apologize. Whoever Mir had become, it was a person she wanted to understand. “I’m not going to let you leave again.”

“I’m not going to stay.”

“I know.”

The house was dark when Sera opened the door. Mir paused in the entryway. “Never thought I’d be back.”

Sera nodded, not sure how to answer. She made her way up the stairs, listening outside Lynn’s door and then Fill’s. There was soft breathing inside each room, so Sera continued down the hall. Light was barely visible under the door to Jax’s office.

“I need you to wait here,” Sera whispered to Mir.

“Why?”

She didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s been more than three days since he used it last. He’ll be desperate.”

“No.” Sera couldn’t make out Mir’s expression in the dark, but she could feel the rage pouring off him. “I’m not going to let you—”

“You don’t control me,” Sera said, careful to keep her tone neutral. “This isn’t your choice to make, or his. Stay out here. He’ll be more reasonable when he’s finished.”

Mir glared. Sera glared back, and he finally nodded. She knocked.

Jax opened the door immediately, the relief on his face an almost tangible thing. “I expected you hours ago.”

“I know,” Sera said. “But I’m here now.” The door slid shut, and she tried to banish the feeling that Mir had been a dream, that he would disappear now that she wasn’t watching him.

“Barely,” Jax muttered, already returning to his desk. Sera sat in her comfortable chair in the corner, leaning back and closing her eyes. She heard Jax take a breath, and then a high pitched whine started. It penetrated deep into her ears, coursing through her head and every part of her body as she shook. She dug her nails into her palms, digging new crescents into layers of identical scabs. She couldn’t make a sound. Not ever, but especially not tonight. There was no telling what Mir would do if he heard a scream. He had the look of a hero. But that was the problem with heroes. They never knew the whole story, only the parts that let them destroy their villains. The pain got stronger, and Sera’s thoughts disappeared as it overwhelmed her.

 

Mir froze when Jax opened the door. It was like seeing a ghost. Jax froze too. He was older. Thinner. His hair was sweaty and hung over his eyes, his shirt only half buttoned. 

“I’m sorry.” They were the last words Mir had expected. “I’m sorry,” Jax said again, backing up. Mir strode into the room as Jax slid to the floor, his back to the wall, resting his head on a chair. Sera sat on it, looking at nothing. Fresh blood trickled from her clenched fists. A delicate crystal flower sat on her lap. Mir glanced at it, then back at Jax. His head was bowed. “I’m sorry.”

He looked like a child waiting to be scolded. What a bizarre position to be in with his older brother. “Sera, can you hear me? Are you all right?”

She didn’t move.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sera!”

A slow blink.

“I’m sor—”

“Stop saying that!”

Jax flinched. “What else am I supposed to say?”

“I don’t care what you say, I care what you do. And what you’re supposed to do is protect our family.” Mir knew he was acting on emotion. He knew he was supposed to be better than this. But that was a problem for tomorrow. That was a problem for when his brother wasn’t using his magic to push their sister to the brink of death. 

“Pointless,” Jax muttered.

Mir saw red. “Say that again.”

Jax’s shoulders shook, and Mir couldn’t say if he was laughing or crying. Maybe neither. Maybe both. “It’s pointless, isn’t it? I’ve spent thousands of nights like this. There’ll be a thousand more, and another thousand, the rest of my life. Nothing I do is going to change that.”

Mir barked a short laugh. There were people on the Far Side who would sell their souls for Jax’s power. Lives were lost every day because there were too few people with the gift. “Are you going to sit there and pity yourself all night? Because that’s all that matters, isn’t it? How you feel?”

“It’s not what I feel, it’s what I am.” Jax stumbled to his feet. His hands were shaking, but his eyes were determined. “Maybe you think this isn’t real. Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, because you can just run away from it again. But the rest of us have to live with this.”

“With this?” Mir threw up his hands. “With you not being able to control your own cravings? With you being so weak you have to torture your sister just to get through the day? Sounds to me like something you should be able to fix.” A distant part of Mir’s brain knew he wasn’t being fair, knew that there was more to the gift than magic and creation. But he wanted to make Jax mad. He wanted him to feel what he felt.

“You don’t understand,” Jax snapped. “You don’t know what it means to want something so badly that you can hurt everyone you love just to get it.”

“Don’t I?”

“Stop.” The voice was a bare rasp, quiet but penetrating in the small room. Both boys’ attention snapped to the chair. Sera was uncurling her fists, then gently picked up the crystal flower. “Both of you stop it.”

“Ser,” Mir said. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry, Seri,” Jax said at the same time.

Sera smiled. “I’m fine. But if I ever see you two fighting like that again, I’ll make you regret it. We aren’t enemies.”

“He’s—”

Sera aimed her glare like a weapon. “I’m glad you’re home, Mir, but you don’t know or understand him. You said you wanted to help? Prove it.”

Mir felt his anger leave him. She was right, this sister of his. So he turned to Jax and gave him a nod. “I had no right to say what I said. I’m sorry.”

Jax’s eyes widened until there was more white than pupil, but he took it in stride. “No harm done.”

Sera was studying the flower. “It’s beautiful, Jax.”

For the first time Mir had seen, Jax smiled. “It’s yours.”

Mir felt his stomach drop. “You made that?”

“Yes,” Jax said, pride in his eyes and fear in his posture. 

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Mir held out his hand, and Sera gave it to him. It was more intricate than any Unmade item he’d seen before. On the far side, it was rare to see anything other than basic supplies and crude tools. Even most foods were too complex to be created magically. This was something different. It was graceful, artistic, something a master would slave over for months. Not something his brother could materialize in five minutes. “This is incredible. There are so many ways we can use this—”

Mir cut off as Jax snorted. “And he pretended to care about you, Ser.” Sera tried to say something, but Jax kept going. “I don’t hurt her for profit, Mir, and if you want me to then we’ll be better off with you gone.”

Mir froze, too shocked to say anything. Sera answered instead. “That’s not what he was saying, Jax.” How did she sound so calm? His sister had become a warrior, his brother an addict. Who was he, in their eyes? “Mir said there’s a place where they can teach you to use it without hurting anyone.”

“That’s impossible.”

“I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” Sera said lightly, glancing at Mir. An olive branch. Mir looked away. Sera’s lips tightened. “It’s not exactly close by, though.”

“If it was, we’d know about it.” Mir was keenly aware of Jax’s eyes on him. “So? How are you going to fix me, little brother?”

“Best way I know how,” Mir replied, finally meeting Jax’s eyes. “By giving you the chance to fix something else. It’s on the Far Side.”

To his credit, Jax didn’t immediately denounce him as crazy. “So that’s where you’ve been.”

Mir dipped his head. “Some of the time.”

“What’s Hell like?”

It was an answer Mir had given dozens of times before, but today it carried a new weight. “Broken, but healing.”

Sera smiled. “Like us.”

Sorry, I didn’t go through and add italics. Hopefully it still makes sense.

loved this peice... didnt quite understadn the farside and jax but still a good peice