Viscets 2919 + 2918

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At first it was the fickleness off children that delayed their parents realization that their one child was actually more like two. Caster Pollux Smith was a difficult child, or so his parents thought. At different times, he would prefer a different name. At two he could prefer Caster, and then at 2:30 he might prefer Pollux. He insisted he had chosen and stuck with his name, and it was his twin that went by the other name. Their parents assumed the indecision of names was due in part by an imaginary friend, and a troublemaking quality that would come out at the same time Pollux did.

In fact it wasn't until the twins were eleven, and by all accounts should have been out of the imaginary friend phase, that their parents started to wonder if there were two children inside the body of their one. As for Caster and Pollux, they disliked the stress their switches caused their parents, and often found themselves at the library. Pollux was unaware that Caster was searching for a tale he heard long ago, and assumed this was just how his brother relieved stress. He had always been the quieter and more thoughtful of the two, and so it was him that took it upon himself to ease the tensions in their household.

"What's this obsession with old gods you've had lately. It's all you look at in the library, nothing exciting like sword fights and daring rescues." Pollux chided. It wasn't meant to be hurtful, it never was, but it irked Caster all the same.

"As if you've been dealing with this any better. You've taken to long-term pranks. You never do those, you're too impatient. It's worrying." Caster said, venom riding the edges of his voice.

"It was you that wanted me to be more patient, after all, and now once I've developed that patience? Telling me to go back to quick, short pranks?"

This was another problem. Although Caster and Pollux got along better than most siblings, they had their spats, and when the two resided in the same body there was nowhere to go.

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Caster found himself in the library yet again. He hadn't told Pollux what was bothering him, but while Caster slept Pollux had managed to wiggle into the library and spread out all of the books on old gods Caster hadn't yet gone through. Despite the fact that Pollux had been awake mere minutes ago, he had declined to explain why exactly he had done this and was now fast asleep.

So Caster took advantage of the time he'd been given, and sifted through the books. It was hours before he stumbled across Nahiri, a divine of twins among other things. She had split her soul in two long ago, and cross-checking with the few other books that mentioned her name, had the ability to split others souls if she pleased. She also seemed to have a reputation for a certain fascination regarding the business and items of the mortal world.

Caster carefully put the rest of the books back onto their shelves, leaving the one with the most information for last. His fingers ran over the page, in awe of the information he'd stumbled across. It was early now though, and he could see the skies beginning to gray. Reluctant to be caught in the library, and to open any sort of window for the information to be torn away from him, Caster looked up at the window Pollux had slipped through. Although Pollux had a certain knack for acrobatics, Caster believed he could get up there without hurting himself. He took the book with him as he climbed the shelves, and prepared to jump from the top of the shelf just under the window. He'd return the book soon enough, he promised, as he caught the edge of the open window and pulled himself onto the roof.

Caster followed the path through the old trees back towards his home, Pollux had worn it well enough that Caster could follow a steady path weaving over and under branches. It was worn into the bark, as if it had been used for decades longer. In reality, Caster visited the library 3-4 times a week and Pollux enjoyed the chance to feel the wind in his fur.

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This was Caster's fault. It was him that left the page open suggesting a ritual to 'summon' Nahiri, and it was him that hadn't thought to tell Pollux not to perform it as he was falling asleep.

This was all Caster's fault.

He was stuck in space on a giant... well he didn't know what it was. Caster would know. He wished Caster were here. But Caster was asleep, and was gonna be for at least a few more hours.

"Well?" the voice echoed through the cavernous room, emanating from the large winged viscet that towered over him, "Why did you call me?"

"I-" Pollux paused, "we.... We thought maybe... well Caster did most of the thinking. I got here by not thinking enough." The viscet watched him, and the stern eyes softened slightly.

"Go on."

"We heard you could separate beings. Into two."

"Well, yes. It's more mentally though, and you two seem to be fairly separate already. I've never done a physical separation, besides you'd have to have a reason." She began to turn away, under the impression that the conversation was over.

"We are the only ones who know we're separate." She raised an eyebrow, "Our parents can't tell who's out, and they don't know what to think that there's two of us. They don't know if we're serious or just pulling their legs. It stresses us out too. We love each other like any other sibling... but other siblings can escape each other when necessary. We can't."

"I can try to separate you two. You will, however, need to return once every month or two. Bring more... you call these books, yes? When you come back. As well as anything else I may find interesting."

"Before you... separate us, I'd like to make sure Carter is really ok with it. It may take awhile before he wakes up, he's been up for a long time."

"Very well, I suppose I should get to know the both of you."

[Trphlthdl]

By Silver Samuri

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Caster and Pollux woke the next morning curled together on their twin bed, wrapped around each other in a mess of fur. They had vague memories of speaking to Nahiri and being separated, and knew only that the borrowed book had been left in Nahiri's realm while the pages with the ritual were hidden in a corner of their closet.

They untangled themselves, and hobbled downstairs still leaning on one another. Still getting used to truly being separate, the nearness of the other was comforting.

They were met in the kitchen by their frantic parents and a police officer. They used the silence that immediately followed them being seen by the trio in the kitchen to utter a word each.

"Caster."

"Pollux."