mini event: growing pains

[sticksandbonesmods]

Who: The Grove
What: Something is happening!
When: Time is Fake you know that
Where: The General Store
Warnings: :)

It's a normal day, isn't it? Or as normal as it can be in Aldric's Grove while a mischievous and loving skeleton is pranking literally everyone. The Goddess's statues rest in the center by the well. Flowers are blooming. Plantimals are also blooming, and getting into things they shouldn't, and playing. Biblically accurate animals are grazing peacefully or resting in trees.

It might even be pleasant.




Up until a large crash from the General Store. Maybe you should check it out.

Comments

[purevanillacookie]

"Do you not find them growing from plants?"

[sticksandbonesmods]

"No. ... We're mammals, Van. Humans with uteri grow the children inside them before giving live birth. Its a mess process. ... Got pictures of my actual kids around somewhere, though- after the... birth, obviously."

[purevanillacookie]

Silence. Mammal was not a word he knew until coming here.

Humans what?

[winterfrosting]

Yeah he's just turning to stare too. He has no idea what those words are buddy.

[sticksandbonesmods]

... Heimr just puts his face in his hands. And... proceed to explain the words he just said but I'm too much of a baby for embarrassment comedy so that's all you're getting.

[purevanillacookie]

....

"Ah."

That's disgusting, Heimr.

"That sounds quite... inconvenient..."

[winterfrosting]

Cacao touches his side, a place Vanilla would know is where he has a particular large scar.

"Hm... sounds even more painful than rebaking dough..."

[sticksandbonesmods]

"I won't say it's a glamorous process- nor entirely safe. Marlene suffered more than a few complications with the twins, bless her. But it's got its own beauty, too."

[purevanillacookie]

Silence for a moment as Pure Vanilla studies the broth. Then he smiles.

"That must take quite the commitment, and labor of love. I cannot imagine such a decision being made lightly."

[winterfrosting]

Cacao just kinda wrinkles his nose at that.

"I suppose... Though if I needed to do so to have Choco, I would endure." Still gross though.

cw child death mention

[sticksandbonesmods]

"It's meant to be, yes- but there's more than a few cis men who think little of the process, since they don't have to endure carrying the child. ... I'll admit I've given more than my fair share of black eyes to folks like that.

My children through blood are Evan, Rillian, Audrey and Elijah. Eli and his mother are no longer with us, and Audrey... passed some months ago. Evan and Rillian... are in the manor still."

Heimr goes quiet and then manages a sip of tea. The kids wouldn't accept him like this either, would they?

"... The plant animals are minor nature spirits, not unlike Moder- but not as old or strong as she is. Whoever told you they were human children was likely teasin' ya. They like playin' shop, though."

[purevanillacookie]

"I think you would do wonderfully."

He pats Cacao's arm and beams at him, then turns his attention to Heimr. The term cis goes above Pure Vanilla's head. Gender is a vague concept to Cookies, pronouns are chosen as they desire. But the black eyes comment helps him understand. Ah.

The name Audrey makes him think back to his look at the manor and the name stone there he honored with a little fabric flower. Oh. When the man goes silent, he reaches out to gently touch his arm, squeeze it. Silent reassurance, and though he's curious, he won't ask if the other two are trapped. Now is not the time for that.

He ah's softly that the plant animals are just nature spirits, huffing a little sigh. People really do lie over the netbook, huh? No wonder Wolfwood was so disbelieving over him being a Cookie.

"Well they have done a great job, nonetheless."

[winterfrosting]

Cacao frowns softly at the mention of lost family. It makes sense: it's been a long time. But still...

"I know exactly who to blame for our mistaken... ideas." He mumbles, huffing.

[sticksandbonesmods]

Heimr just chuckles.

"Some people like their pranks. But I'm glad I was able to set the record straight, even if it's not entirely ideal."

[purevanillacookie]

"Oh, don't grumble, my dear. It caused no harm. Thank you, Heimr. We do appreciate the clarification."

Even if humans are so gross. Sitting himself down as the broth simmers, he beams a little. Share time!

"It is quite different for Cookies. We do not need another individual to create children, though the doubling of life powder does sometimes help quicken the process. We merely take a piece of ourselves - the larger, the better chances - and reshape, then rebake the resulting dough."

[winterfrosting]

"Mmhm. I baked Dark Choco on my own, but the odds are better with a partner or two."

[sticksandbonesmods]

"That sounds much simpler. ... Dark Choco, huh? You were a father here, too. Some things don't change."

... He wonders, briefly, if things went better for them as cookies. And then he quickly dismisses the idea because everyone thus far has lived miserable second lives and he will blame the forest forever.

[purevanillacookie]

"It is, but the success chances are still quite low, and taking dough from yourself does hurt."

!

Heimr has activated Pure Vanilla's interest.

"Oh? He was a father here as well?"

Please tell him everything, Heimr.

[winterfrosting]

Cacao says nothing, but he's practically glowing from this information. Was his child here another version of Choco? Or someone else? The man is awash in parental feelings just thinking about it.

[sticksandbonesmods]

"A single father, yes. I was never told what claimed the mother's life- the plague that took Marlene and Elijah, childbirth, or something else. Some things you can't talk about, I know. But the boy was bright, brilliant- like Chung, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps. ... Chung is the son of the town's guard captain. He was reborn alongside Elsword and Add. He vanished ages ago, but I think he's alive out there. Somewhere.

Damian was kind and brave. He looked like you. And I can count on more than two hands how many times he had to be pulled from the training grounds because he was handlin' a sword bigger than him as a kid, eager as he was."

[purevanillacookie]

Oh no. Pure Vanilla's expression is absolutely enamored. It's almost identical to the times he visited the Cacao Kingdom when Choco was young. Following after his father, learning to wield a bow, the sword. Determined to be just like his dad.

He reaches out automatically to find Cacao and take his hand, squeeze it tightly, because he knows in his heart how the other is going to feel hearing this. The yearning.

"The soul never changes. That sounds exactly like Dark Choco."

[winterfrosting]

"Ah... it... it really does." He can't say for sure if his son was here, or if he and Dominic were so alike they simply raised similar children. But that yearning hits either way. His eyes feel very wet all a sudden.

[sticksandbonesmods]

Heimr says nothing, just leaning over to place his hand over Cacao's. He understands.

[purevanillacookie]

It's a feeling Pure Vanilla himself is only just beginning to learn about with Clotted Cream. He squeezes the hand he took hold of, letting the silence turn comforting.

[winterfrosting]

Cacao is silent for a long bit, soaking in the comfort. Eventually:

"Thank you my friends."