[Shadow Milk is too emotionally constipated to like, actually check in and ask Pavlova how he's doing like a normal ass person. He's come a looooong way from the deranged lunatic, half mad from his own Soul Jam, that he was back in Beast-Yeast, but there's ...still a very long way to go!]
[What Pavlova finds instead in his room one day, is a doll. It is a doll of Shadow Milk, because of course it is, only it looks a little more like his current appearance rather than the jester of home, or even the fount that Pavlova might remember.]
[No note or anything, but perhaps the action speaks enough.]
[ Oh he loves it. Had he noticed the handmade one he'd made when he was little or something? He guesses his dad's vanity wouldn't allow such an ugly thing to bear his likeness or something.
It's fine. The ratty old one can go on his shelf.
He carries the new one around the house as he plays with the pets. It goes to bed with him at night. Not a word is spoken about it. The only time it is absent... is when Pavlova bothers the real thing.
Like he is now. Hi dad, he is snuggling against you, whatever you're doing right now. ]
[Oh god affection. His hair, even short, does the ghibli puff thing when he comes up to snuggle him.]
[He is currently working in his atelier, the one White Lily put in the house just for him. He's got an assortment of craft projects on the table, half finished. The man is cycling through his adhd by having ten things going at once, but that's not a surprise.]
[he makes a noise of surprise.]
-Little Cherub, is that you?
[He knows it is, even if technically his staff is centered on his workbench.]
[ he thought Shadow Milk would have heard him. He forgets how quiet he can be... or maybe in this case Shadow Milk had just been consumed by his projects. Either or. At least he's careful to stay out of the way of his arms so his dad can keep working.
[Pavlova will find that he has some blue fabric in an embroidery wheel, and he's stitching gold fabric into the pattern of flowers. Despite being blind and relying on a vision source stationed above him, he still works with deft hands.]
Have I lost track of time? You seem a mite sleepy! What time is it?
[ It's not really that late, honestly. This is more a result of the poor boy still being scared to sleep here lest he find himself back in the garden.
They should probably put a clock in here. ]
Um... about 9:30.
[ Basing that on the light in the windows or lack thereof and the last time he looked at a clock. Imagine having a concept of time when your norm is a garden where it's always midday and everything is a nap ]
[akaza... isn't sure who else to turn to, for this particular thing. he'd be loathe to ask a child at all, but pavlova did mention his true age more than once -- and akaza, eternally eighteen, would be a hypocrite if he let someone's appearance dictate their capabilities.
besides, the kid can always say no.
so it is that, shortly after sundown, he follows the energy of pavlova that he'd been acquainted with at the tavern. whether it leads him to a public space or a private residence, akaza has the wherewithal to announce himself first, be it by knocking or clearing his throat. then, he doesn't waste much time.]
Hey, Pavlova! Can I interest you in a little adventure of sorts?
[ This is a little weird for him, people don't usually go out of their way to involve him in stuff. He lives with White Lily, so Akaza might notice that when he gets close.
But the little one does answer the door when called for. ]
[it makes sense. people from the same worlds seem to flock together, here, for the most part.]
I received a task from our local trader to find some flowers in the forest.
[for all his confidence in initiating a conversation, here akaza takes pause, and something akin to... maybe anxiety, maybe embarrassment, crosses over his features. someone isn't used to asking for help or admitting his shortcomings.]
Admittedly... I don't have a very good track record for sniffing out flora! You seem like you know a lot, so I wondered...
[ Trader, huh? Well he guesses it's not weird for a trader to want rare flora, but this still settled oddly with him. It felt like there was more to it. ]
You wondered if I could help you find it.
[ He finished the sentence easily enough. He doesn't seem mad about getting roped into it at least. ]
I guess I don't mind. It shouldn't be that hard to find!
[ Even if it's rare, they've been all over this grove before- Pavlova has an idea of the more likely spots to find things. ]
[Somewhere in the midst of the soiree, after watching the weight of their actions begin to weigh down on Elder Faerie's shoulders, Silent Salt makes a decision. He is lucky that it doesn't weigh on his face, that his grief does not show, at least not until the festivities die down and he finds himself alone.
He can only hope that Pavlova is in a good mood after all that he has witnessed. If his boon is knowledge of happiness, then surely this evening was a veritable feast for him. It would bode well for Silent Salt if it were the case — he gets the feeling that he will need Pavlova Cookie to be in a good mood for his plan to work.
It doesn't take terribly long to find the boy, even if it means knocking on his door so late. He'll feel guilty about that later. Maybe.]
[ He is, and he isn't. The dance was wonderful, and Salt may have seen him on the dance floor with a few different people if he'd been looking for him. It was a wonderful distraction from the dread weighing on his consciousness. He's already started to read, after all. He's read about them planting the tree together which was... damning in itself, but he hadn't gotten to any talk of the seal yet.
It's enough to make him uncomfortable when he answers the door to find Silent Salt there. He rubs sleepily at his eyes. ]
Un-- mm. Lord Silent Salt Cookie?
[ He... hesitates, but waves him inside. The temporary room is. Cute. Soft pinks and whites and yellows. A writing desk with a very large book on it, plants hanging near the window, pillows piled in the window nook, bookshelves, art supplies. A normal kid's room save for his bow, perched next to the bed to be easily grabbed. ]
[Indeed, Silent Salt had allowed himself to track Pavlova Cookie throughout the evening. It was largely for his own sake, making sure that the young boy hadn't gone to whisper in the ears of those who would damn them. It became especially pertinent after Silent Salt found his resolve.
The last thing he wanted was for the boy to act before he was ready.]
I apologize for the late hour. But... there is an urgent matter I must attend to with you.
[He's almost certain that he does not need to clarify what this matter is, either. Regardless, he does not jump right into it. Rather, he finds his way into the room. It is odd to look at, considering. The childlike whimsy seems oddly juxtaposed to the matter at hand.
Nevertheless, he allows himself to settle, leaning against a wall far from the door. If the boy ever felt at risk, he could easily flee.]
Given your latent abilities thanks to your progenitors, I suspect you know what I came here for.
[ He notes the unwillingness to use the more humanizing term. He doesn't comment on it. ]
... This is about what you and Elder Faerie did. The tree.
[ And the implications therein. He's not sure how to process that. ]
What about it?
[ Part of him thinks he's come to finish the job- but he wouldn't do that to White Lily. For better or worse her good grace is probably the only reason Silent Salt's put up with him for this long.
Which means he has a point for being here that doesn't involve making him a jamstain on the carpet. ]
[It is worth noting that Silent Salt has come dressed in his same attire from the ball. His blade is nowhere to be found. Granted, he has far more tools at his disposal than just his weapon, but he's done his best to indicate that he is not here for a fight.
Not that he would blame Pavlova for believing otherwise.
Still, without his helmet, Pavlova will find that Silent Salt is rather expressive. He's never needed to learn to school his expressions when he could simply hide his features overall. And what the boy will find is someone who is... almost fretful. He does his best not to let it show, but worry coats every action that he takes.]
More than the tree.
[He does not attempt to deny it. Not when he's come to do the opposite.]
I have come to inform you that I intend to tell the others. Though I suspect it will dampen what little good will exists between myself and the others, it is only a matter of time until any secrets between one another are used to divide us.
[His gaze has remained on the floor up until this point. Only now does he meet Pavlova's eyes.]
[Don't think he hasn't noticed the scarcity of a particular Cherub. Though he has put the pieces together to realize the reason Salt had taken the initiative to come clean was because Pavlova must have figured something out with his power, so he thinks he understands why someone might have a guilty conscious. Despite how raw he feels still, over the multitude of things that confession brought him, there is one thing he wants to set right.]
[So, come evening, Shadow Milk knocks on his bedroom door.]
[ It takes a second, but Pavlova does answer the door. After all, trying to avoid it when he lived in the same house was just a bad idea.
He feels horrible. Not least of which being his own complicated feelings over the reveal... but his father is particular about loyalty sometimes and this feels like something of a betrayal on some level, too. ]
[Alright, time to Be Dad. He's got to do this right. Communication and all that! He knows they've had a few dicey conversations in the past, and Shadow Milk has tried to learn from them.]
[He straightens up.]
May I come in? I'd like to talk to you about something.
[ Pavlova has been fairly particular about his room since recieving it, rarely having others in with him and instead venturing out when he wanted company.
It's probably a positive sign that he lets Shadow Milk come in, given that. Not much about it has changed since it was first added. Lots of books, half scribbled magic circles for homework, art, and the witches forsaken cage he kept and made a planter out of. ]
[He does take in his room, quietly. He's really made it his own and that makes him happy. His eyes linger on the cage though, but that's not what they're here to talk about.]
[Good, he doesn't have to explain himself.]
Mm.
[He takes a deep breath. His voice becomes ...dangerous for a moment.]
[despite making amends with Salt, Elder Faerie is still feeling apprehensive about his relationships with the other Cookies. he's mostly kept to himself, at the inn, preferring to stay inside, away from the chilly winter and even chillier atmosphere.
but, sometime later, he finds himself wandering towards the greenhouse to be around nature. he's hoping to run into White Lily Cookie, first and foremost, but it doesn't seem as though she is around. no matter! he goes to check on the plants and see if anything interesting is growing in there.
it's nice, to be around flowers and shrubs, even if they don't normally grow like this in his own world]
[ Much the same, Pavlova cookie has always found himself drawn to nature and flowers in particular in no small part due to his upbringing. The smell is grounding, as is the feel of soil between his fingers, so it's little surprise that he's here.
What is perhaps more strange is the bird cage he has with him, but it's serving as a planter, so it's not totally out of place.
... He tenses when he sees Elder Faerie, but he says nothing for now. Salt may have tried to lessen Elder Faerie's involvement to the others, but Pavlova knows all of it. ]
[he doesn't notice Pavlova until he looks down in front of him]
Well, hello there, young Pavlova Cookie.
[he's nervous, but he's definitely not hostile. in fact, he looks relaxed, his hands behind his back as he takes a leisurely stroll. riding on his shoulder is his little pet familiar thing, the dachsologie named Puck]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Persnaps a little time after his arrival. After settling in at the house
[What Pavlova finds instead in his room one day, is a doll. It is a doll of Shadow Milk, because of course it is, only it looks a little more like his current appearance rather than the jester of home, or even the fount that Pavlova might remember.]
[No note or anything, but perhaps the action speaks enough.]
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It's fine. The ratty old one can go on his shelf.
He carries the new one around the house as he plays with the pets. It goes to bed with him at night. Not a word is spoken about it. The only time it is absent... is when Pavlova bothers the real thing.
Like he is now. Hi dad, he is snuggling against you, whatever you're doing right now. ]
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[He is currently working in his atelier, the one White Lily put in the house just for him. He's got an assortment of craft projects on the table, half finished. The man is cycling through his adhd by having ten things going at once, but that's not a surprise.]
[he makes a noise of surprise.]
-Little Cherub, is that you?
[He knows it is, even if technically his staff is centered on his workbench.]
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[ he thought Shadow Milk would have heard him. He forgets how quiet he can be... or maybe in this case Shadow Milk had just been consumed by his projects. Either or. At least he's careful to stay out of the way of his arms so his dad can keep working.
Poor thing seems sleepy though. ]
What're you working on?
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[Pavlova will find that he has some blue fabric in an embroidery wheel, and he's stitching gold fabric into the pattern of flowers. Despite being blind and relying on a vision source stationed above him, he still works with deft hands.]
Have I lost track of time? You seem a mite sleepy! What time is it?
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They should probably put a clock in here. ]
Um... about 9:30.
[ Basing that on the light in the windows or lack thereof and the last time he looked at a clock. Imagine having a concept of time when your norm is a garden where it's always midday and everything is a nap ]
Hey Dad..?
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a few nights after the king's game
besides, the kid can always say no.
so it is that, shortly after sundown, he follows the energy of pavlova that he'd been acquainted with at the tavern. whether it leads him to a public space or a private residence, akaza has the wherewithal to announce himself first, be it by knocking or clearing his throat. then, he doesn't waste much time.]
Hey, Pavlova! Can I interest you in a little adventure of sorts?
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But the little one does answer the door when called for. ]
An adventure? What kind of adventure?
[ Interest is piqued. You have his attention. ]
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I received a task from our local trader to find some flowers in the forest.
[for all his confidence in initiating a conversation, here akaza takes pause, and something akin to... maybe anxiety, maybe embarrassment, crosses over his features. someone isn't used to asking for help or admitting his shortcomings.]
Admittedly... I don't have a very good track record for sniffing out flora! You seem like you know a lot, so I wondered...
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You wondered if I could help you find it.
[ He finished the sentence easily enough. He doesn't seem mad about getting roped into it at least. ]
I guess I don't mind. It shouldn't be that hard to find!
[ Even if it's rare, they've been all over this grove before- Pavlova has an idea of the more likely spots to find things. ]
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That's great!
Do you need a pair of those special glasses? I wouldn't want you to get lost in the woods if we were separated somehow.
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Besides he's been wanting to try actually being helpful more often ]
Glasses? Um... yeah probably.
[ He doesn't generally go far enough out to need them, but his dad would probably lose his mind if he got lost in there and no one wants that. ]
What flower are we looking for, anyway?
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j'zargo voice: if anyone sneaks up on us, i'll smell them coming
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Late at night, after the dance
He can only hope that Pavlova is in a good mood after all that he has witnessed. If his boon is knowledge of happiness, then surely this evening was a veritable feast for him. It would bode well for Silent Salt if it were the case — he gets the feeling that he will need Pavlova Cookie to be in a good mood for his plan to work.
It doesn't take terribly long to find the boy, even if it means knocking on his door so late. He'll feel guilty about that later. Maybe.]
... I would like to speak with you. Privately.
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It's enough to make him uncomfortable when he answers the door to find Silent Salt there. He rubs sleepily at his eyes. ]
Un-- mm. Lord Silent Salt Cookie?
[ He... hesitates, but waves him inside. The temporary room is. Cute. Soft pinks and whites and yellows. A writing desk with a very large book on it, plants hanging near the window, pillows piled in the window nook, bookshelves, art supplies. A normal kid's room save for his bow, perched next to the bed to be easily grabbed. ]
What did you need?
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The last thing he wanted was for the boy to act before he was ready.]
I apologize for the late hour. But... there is an urgent matter I must attend to with you.
[He's almost certain that he does not need to clarify what this matter is, either. Regardless, he does not jump right into it. Rather, he finds his way into the room. It is odd to look at, considering. The childlike whimsy seems oddly juxtaposed to the matter at hand.
Nevertheless, he allows himself to settle, leaning against a wall far from the door. If the boy ever felt at risk, he could easily flee.]
Given your latent abilities thanks to your progenitors, I suspect you know what I came here for.
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... This is about what you and Elder Faerie did. The tree.
[ And the implications therein. He's not sure how to process that. ]
What about it?
[ Part of him thinks he's come to finish the job- but he wouldn't do that to White Lily. For better or worse her good grace is probably the only reason Silent Salt's put up with him for this long.
Which means he has a point for being here that doesn't involve making him a jamstain on the carpet. ]
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Not that he would blame Pavlova for believing otherwise.
Still, without his helmet, Pavlova will find that Silent Salt is rather expressive. He's never needed to learn to school his expressions when he could simply hide his features overall. And what the boy will find is someone who is... almost fretful. He does his best not to let it show, but worry coats every action that he takes.]
More than the tree.
[He does not attempt to deny it. Not when he's come to do the opposite.]
I have come to inform you that I intend to tell the others. Though I suspect it will dampen what little good will exists between myself and the others, it is only a matter of time until any secrets between one another are used to divide us.
[His gaze has remained on the floor up until this point. Only now does he meet Pavlova's eyes.]
But I must ask for your silence in one regard.
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the next day after The Reveal
[So, come evening, Shadow Milk knocks on his bedroom door.]
Cherub?
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He feels horrible. Not least of which being his own complicated feelings over the reveal... but his father is particular about loyalty sometimes and this feels like something of a betrayal on some level, too. ]
Yes dad?
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[He straightens up.]
May I come in? I'd like to talk to you about something.
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It's probably a positive sign that he lets Shadow Milk come in, given that. Not much about it has changed since it was first added. Lots of books, half scribbled magic circles for homework, art, and the witches forsaken cage he kept and made a planter out of. ]
Its... about Lord Silent Salt Cookie, isn't it.
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[Good, he doesn't have to explain himself.]
Mm.
[He takes a deep breath. His voice becomes ...dangerous for a moment.]
Did he threaten you?
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sometime after the Reveal
but, sometime later, he finds himself wandering towards the greenhouse to be around nature. he's hoping to run into White Lily Cookie, first and foremost, but it doesn't seem as though she is around. no matter! he goes to check on the plants and see if anything interesting is growing in there.
it's nice, to be around flowers and shrubs, even if they don't normally grow like this in his own world]
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What is perhaps more strange is the bird cage he has with him, but it's serving as a planter, so it's not totally out of place.
... He tenses when he sees Elder Faerie, but he says nothing for now. Salt may have tried to lessen Elder Faerie's involvement to the others, but Pavlova knows all of it. ]
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Well, hello there, young Pavlova Cookie.
[he's nervous, but he's definitely not hostile. in fact, he looks relaxed, his hands behind his back as he takes a leisurely stroll. riding on his shoulder is his little pet familiar thing, the dachsologie named Puck]