⇛ Drabbles ⇚

[fromage]

dnp! this will be where i put my brief writings and stuff!

maybe itll get longer than just a drabble words but who knows?

[fromage]

"Line up! Say your name and titles!" Farrow demanded, standing poised and straight, facing group of workers.

"Aww, coooome on. That never works. This is just a factory, not an army base!" Hotaru stuck her tongue out from her place upside down on a beanbag.

"I'm trying to make it stick," Farrow sighed, "something new. New systems, new machines."

"Let's just humor him." Zvan pipes up, bouncing up from the seat and over to stand in front of Farrow. "Zvan, The crash dummy!"

"..Thank you, honey. Your title isn't crash dummy, though."

"I like it better than the boring 'tester'."

"Didn't you say you wanted to humor me?"

"Boo, fine." Zvan cleared her throat and restarted. "Zvan, Tester!"

Lop-eared viscet rolls off of the table he had been laying on oh so causally, trots up to stand next to Zvan.

"Mickey, Painter."

Calico cat-like viscet shifts to get up after a moment of making faces at her two fellow workers, standing on other side of Zvan.

"Hotaru, Builder."

More and more workers got up to join the line, making it longer and bigger, pleasing Farrow more.

"Thank you. I will do this daily. I'm putting in new rules and regulations too. I will inform you of new ones tomorrow." Farrow nodded, crossing his arms proudly, then looked at viscet in front of him. "Zvan, can you meet me in my office in few minutes?"

After watching the lion viscet go, Mickey turns to his friend.

"Hey, isn't that weird?"

"What? Zvan going to Farrow's office? You really missed out on the gossip, didn't you?" Hotaru scoffed, shaking her head. "Come on, Mickey. Farrow likes her, but she's too scared to get close to anyone like that."

"Ooooh. Why though? If anyone's crazy as Zvan, they'd be daring enough to sleep with their boss."

"Ssh! I don't know. Something with her past, maybe. She came here looking alike to Zuna's missing poster. She claims it's her twin sister."

"Hmm."

Mickey left it at that, it was still weird, though. Zuna was one of the most famous disappearance cases, everyone knows about it, making it an urban legend, going to train stations and saying 'hold onto your viscling or Zuna will take it'. It's awful since she had good intentions for leaving her son on the train with a note saying to give him to a better family, then jumped off. Her mate was probably abusive or something. Although she became a missing viscet to this day, nobody really found her or the evidence of her whereabouts.

[fromage]

Peregrine could always recall the day that changed his entire life, the day where he met Sigmund.When he was a little kid, he always dreamed to be different, otherworldly. His parents would laugh, and suggest the simplest of things to do. Things that normal kids don't do, help their parents do tasks rather than running off to play with friends. It was good, but too tame. Percy wanted to do something extreme.

One day, he was awoken by his parents dragging him out of bed, but he went back to sleep after being carried in his dad's arms. He couldn't, not with everyone running alongside them, shouting something about mystical orb. The orb, was opalescence in color, shone so brightly that it could act as a beacon under moonlight, and it was well protected.

When few viscets found out about it first, everyone gathered together, passing along the orb as they took a moment to examine it. Several claims they could feel life from it, some claims they saw a human inside the orb. An agreement was made quickly to put it back where it originally was, and built a shrine right where it appeared. His parents took him to the orb often, wishing for good health, fortunate life for their son, sometimes even wealth. Whoever made this orb appeared truly is a god to everyone.

Currently the orb is floating right above it's pedestal, soon as everyone gathered into a circle around the shrine, his parents forced him to stand up in middle of them. He begrudgingly did so, but the floating orb did hold his interest for a moment, but Peregrine became more fascinated when the orb began shaking. It became more violent, everyone began to hold their paws up to be ready if the orb suddenly flung itself somewhere.

The moonlight rose enough to shine directly down onto the orb, making it blindingly bright. A lot of viscets end up having to shut their eyes, or shield them with paws if they really wanted to see what's going on(it was impossible anyway). The light eventually dimmed down, giving them a good enough of a look.

The shrine was demolished, and perching atop the pedestal was a gigantic viscet, holding the worshiped orb in his paws. It looked down at the circle of viscets, confused, and spread its wings out to look at them. Some viscets scattered out of fear, so did Percy's parents, he was swooped up into his mother's arms protectively as she ran with his dad. The son looked back, desperately wanting to get more closer as he was pulled more further away.

Eventually with braver viscets trying to talk to the strange winged viscet, it became uncomfortable, and flew away awkwardly akin to a baby bird practicing to fly. Peregrine often asked his parents about it, but it was always a taboo topic. He never understood why, everyone spent so much time praying for material stuff, and now they're scared? The viscet had also vanished, so another agreement was made to forget it. It was a brief hallucination, something in air, excuses here and there.

So Peregrine decided to brave it, and set out on a trip. He knew of a mountain that had a cave, the winged viscet might have went there. It was a long trip, but Percy made best of it by collecting stuff as an offering, or a bribe if you will. A bowl of mangoes, three rabbits, and a cactus. A random selection but at least one of them is bond to excite the viscet enough to befriend. It has been a year, he doesn't know if it even left it's hiding spot, or died from lack of food.

After two days long of traveling, Percy finally reached his destination. The hike up the mountain was the hardest, some paths was lost so he had to climb his way around here and there. He slowly approached the cave entrance, peering inside.

"Hellooo?" Percy steps inside, noticing the body of viscet breathe, then shift at the noise. "It's okay, I brought food."

The winged viscet pushes itself to sit upright, opening their mouth wide to yawn before peering over at the smaller viscet in front of him. Peregrine quickly noticed that the orb is in their paws, still. Is it their life? Simply a prized possession?

"You said you had food?" The low voice surprised Percy, but the viscet quickly scrambled over to place bowl of mangoes and rabbits on the rock that was nearby. The mysterious viscet sniffed at mangoes, keeping the orb against their chest with one paw, other paw reached out to pick a mango up. Another round of sniffing, the viscet finally threw it in their mouth to eat it in one bite.

"M-my name's Peregrine Edvin! It's a pleasure to meet you." Percy bowed, he had seen that the winged viscet was of a greater authority when he was human, a prince or something, it would make sense to still treat him like one, right?

"Mm, Sigmund Aldenure."

Oh, a male viscet. With that messy mop, he really thought otherwise.

"You're not like others," Sigmund started, picking up another mango, eating it in smaller bites, "either they run, or they invade personal space. You bring me food, and yet you keep your distance. I like that. Thus, I have a proposition for you."

"..A proposition?" Percy repeats, wondering what it could be. If it was to keep bringing Sigmund food, that wouldn't be so bad.

"Here," the winged viscet snapped a necklace around his neck off, holding it up for Peregrine to see, "would you trade me your heart for this? It is a special flower, it blooms every hundred years." At end of the string, there was a small glass orb with a tiny flower sprout nestled in soil inside. It sounded like a love thing, is it a promise to be his friend forever? That sounded so silly, but he didn't want to upset the stranger.

"Sure." He says with confidence, reaching out to accept the necklace, but Sigmund tugged it away. The orb was placed behind himself, beckoning for smaller viscet to come closer. Percy listened, bowing his head as the winged viscet fixed the necklace around his neck.

Soon as he stood upright, to look at his new accessory- Sigmund's paw was already inside his chest. He watched in horror as his heart was ripped out, leaving no hole or wound. His chest was injury-free, he didn't feel like dying, but he could literally feel a void. He snapped his head up in time to see his heart vanish into the orb, floating inside, beating.

"You, Peregrine Edvin, will serve me, Sigmund Aldenure for as long as I live. I hold your heart inside mine, so if the orb is damaged, we both die." Sigmund swept his hand over the orb as to seal the deal. Percy could only watch in terror, realizing that his parents were right. It is best to stay away from this viscet, but now it's too late.

"Oh, yes. About the flower, once it blooms, it will sap your emotions, you will become just like me. Empty, apathetic, and full of lies. Lastly, my first order to you; do not go back to your parents. You are dead to them, and alive to me." Percy stood frozen in horror, but slowly he manages to nod. This is the day where his life changes completely, working alongside Sigmund, following every order, and serving him. He just hopes nothing becomes difficult, such as burying a knife in a friend.

[fromage]

"It's been five hundred years, Raven. How do you feel?" Sigmund's voice pulled the smaller viscet away from the little book he was flipping through. He grabbed at his orb necklace, inside, a flower had bloomed.

"I don't know. My parents are dead, everyone I knew and loved are dead. You're the only one I know left, and I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it." Percy stared at the poster he'd picked up on one of the treks they went on. It was a missing poster of him, his parents had been relentlessly looking for their son up until they died. He never got to say goodbye, or even went to their funeral. Sigmund wanted that, and Peregrine couldn't disobey.

What's worse is when Sigmund had emerged from hiding fifty years after his appearance, he'd conned everyone into allowing him to become a leader. Scarily enough, he made a really good leader, and the smaller viscet only knew of his nasty personality waiting to come out if anybody tried to disobey. What's distressing is his parents didn't even recognize him. He had been introduced as Sigmund's servant a year after the whole leadership happened- his parents looked past him, looked at him as Raven, not Peregrine. It tugged at his void even more, he couldn't scream at them that he's their Peregrine, Sigre would've killed him. He didn't want to provide his parents with the visual of their son dying.

".. That's the point. I warned you."

Peregrine wanted to scream at him that the warning was made after the deal was made, but he stayed quiet. Out of corner of his eye, he noticed Sigmund had left their home, possibly to tend to the civilians and do some stupid leadership duties. Percy stayed where he is, flipping through the pages as he tried to recall some memories he was fighting not to forget.

[fromage]

Viktoriya finally got the approval to visit Freymoor forest to snap some pictures with the condition of them being personal keeping, not for sale. It worked with her anyway, she had always wanted to see what the enchanted forest was like! It was so exciting to even see a large tree with bioluminescent bulbs growing out of the trunk. There was some odd animals, but it would just be a regular deer but with longer tail or lop ears, or something like that.

She expected anything slightly out of ordinary, but she was not expecting to find a smaller viscet wandering around as if they were lost, butterfly-like wings tufts no less!

"Hey! Are you alright?" She called out, and that seemed to startle the viscet into a defensive position. "Oh no, hey. I'm not going to hurt you, I'm worried, I'm here to help." She reassured, slowly approaching other.

"..Depends."

"Oh," Viktoriya started, not expecting them to respond quickly, "like.. are you injured? Lost?"

The viscet shook their head to injured, but shrugged sheepishly at being lost.

"Um. Do you want me to help you? Where's your parents?"

Another shrug.

"Let's start with names.. yeah? I'm Viktoriya, what about you?"

"..Cricket."

Viktoriya quickly recalled what her mom would do with orphans, or lost kids.

"Let's find an authority, okay? Here-" She took a wrapped melon bread out of her satchel, handing it to Cricket, who took it with a moment of hesitation. They unwrapped it, took a bite, and then few more with newfound enthusiasm.

--

After a while of traveling to Centuria, which wasn't far but they got lost here and there. Cricket wouldn't complain if they had a melon bread, luckily Riya brought three. She located a building that looked useful, telling other to sit at the lobby as she went up to counter.

"Hey, I'm here about a lost viscet, is this the right place for it?"

"We don't have a place like that in Ou'Aorares, but I can call someone for you." The viscet behind counter started punching in numbers, then handed the phone to Viktoriya.

She repeated her question, then described the viscet when she was asked, along with the name.

"Oh mh, Cricket, yes. Cassandra Ivot. I believe it is recorded here that she's disowned, and missing. The reason of disowning being 'No longer have funds to afford a child, nor the time.' The parents have separated too, and they would prefer not to fight for custody. Cassandra is supposed to be in a foster home, but she'd ran away and declared as missing since two years ago."

"..How old is she?"

"Seven."

Viktoriya took another look at Cricket, reminding herself that she's still slightly young, and a traveling photographer..

"Is there a way I can adopt her?"

"Yes. If you come to Yatell with Cassandra, we will work through the paperwork together. We need to make sure she wants you to be her mother, as well."

"Alright, thank you! Appreciate it."

After hanging up, Viktoriya managed to get Cricket to agree to riding in a rowboat, it was a feat bringing the kid all way to Yatell but she managed it. Fortunately for her, Cricket expressed interest in having her as mother. The paperwork was long and boring, but she dealt with it. If Cricket ran away from a foster home, she'll do it and get herself lost again.

--

"Mom, or should I say, grandma!!"

"What? Are you trying to scare me?" Atticus asked from behind the counter, glaring at Viktoriya. She clearly had enough of Keaton's antics today.

"No! I mean grandma, as in literally."

"Are you pregnant?"

"Mom! Come here, Cricket."

Cassandra peered around the corner shyly, and Atticus changed her attitude very quickly to one of describable happiness.

"Cricket, is it, honey?"

The viscet nodded, but she didn't have time to react before getting wrapped up in a hug.

"It's so, so wonderful to have you part of the family! Do you want anything to eat? Drink?" Atticus pulled away, holding her new granddaughter's shoulders.

"..Bread?"

"Oh, she means melon bread." Viktoriya corrected, and the green viscet left quickly, returning with two. Cricket took them appreciatively, chowing down on them as she sat down a bit away from them.

"..Viktoriya!" Atticus started, shoving cup of tea at her daughter. "Tell me about it."

"Oh god, okay. I went to Freymoor, remember? And I found her wandering, that's about it."

"There's no, 'that's about it', did you find an authority?"

"Yeah I did. Her name is Cassandra Tivon, she's about nine, and her parents disowned her due to lack of funds. She's supposed to be in a foster home, but she ran away. Likes melon bread a lot, apparently."

"Ivot.. I know of them. Lack of funds my butt. You know how Tilo dynasty and Sigmund came here?"

"Yeah, by an afterlife spell, or something?"

"Yeah, so. I know of an Ivot that did the spell and came here, but she died a year ago. I believe Cricket has an unlisted sibling somewhere. This woman.. Ivot family is basically a carrier or a donor for visclings, but they price really high for that since their genetics is exotic. If Cricket still has Ivot as her last name, that means the purchase probably fell through and she ended up taking care of the kid. I mostly heard all of this from Ohana, who used to know more of Ivot families than I do." Atticus explained in a whisper to a shocked daughter.

"That's.. I mean, exotic for sure. I don't ever see a butterfly tufted viscet anywhere! I guess that's why Cricket's so withdrawn, her mother probably didn't give her enough love..? I want to see if this sibling of hers has a happy life or not."

"I bet it's going to be hard. They always restrict histories or last names from records. I should bet that it's another butterfly tufted, though. Just keep your eyes peeled and maybe you'll come across them."

"Yeah.." Viktoriya said as she looked over to her new daughter.

--

Viktoriya looked back at her mother, sighing.

"It's been six years already. Time goes fast..."

"Oh yeah, but it's sure worthwhile, right?"

"I just can't believe she's gone so soon."

"Oh, hey, right back at you. I only had you for four years and you were off across the country taking pictures. I'm sure she'll contact you when she can, like you."

"Mm, yeah. I hope Harlow takes good care of her, and teaches her to best of her ability. I just didn't expect her to start learning magic last year, and I only found out a month after."

"She will, Harlow is a good woman."

Viktoriya sipped her tea in silence, thinking about past six years. All of her siblings took an liking to Cricket pretty easily, despite one of them being almost same age. She had realized how her daughter found her calling, it was through Atticus, whom used to brew only tea for a living. She'd learn how to mix spells into teas to give them ability to heal, to sleep, stuff like that. Often it failed, or had an opposite effect. She needed a mentor before she killed anyone, so Atticus contacted Harlow.

Although, the mother could foresee her running a tea shop that helped others in the future, taking after her grandmother.

eh i got tired of writing rip