|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2026 10:56 pm
[backdated to ~july 20, 2026]
Ilse couldn't help but be proud of what she'd done, in restoring her world, or at least the parts that she spent most of her time in. The beautiful, Rococo-styled castle with its sprawling gardens were her favorite place, and based on her memories, the place the previous Ilse had spent much of her time; but she'd gone out into the city around it too, and found even more lovely things; beautiful buildings, a quaint little market square, and everywhere she looked, beautiful blue roses.
There were creatures starting to return, too; bees and butterflies and even, to her surprise, little blue-black spiders that seemed all too happy to avoid human contact. But bigger things, too; the last time she'd come, she had found a tiny mouselike creature with soft pastel pink fur fast asleep in a flower.
Every time she visited, there was some new wonder.
This time, she hadn't spotted any new creatures in the garden, but she was here with Fang, and his presence was wonder enough.
"I'm really proud of how this place looks, now," she said. "I know a lot of it is magic, I didn't fix the benches or put the paths back together, but I did a lot of the gardening, and it just...feels really nice." She ran her fingers over the petals of an impossibly blue rose, a color she was well aware simply did not exist on Earth.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 12:52 pm
Fang loved seeing every planet start coming back to life. Mostly, he saw his own, of course, and Ilse's, now. His girlfriend. Part of him would probably always marvel at that. He'd been too young to think anything of having a romantic partner in his own life when the planet Fang had begun to decay, leaving him alone for eternity. Or so he'd thought. Now, he thrived on Earth, restoring his planet, living with friends he considered closer than family, and dating probably the most amazing girl the universe had to offer. His heart would always ache for a certain someone, he was pretty sure, but that would be okay. He was happy with Ilse. "It look very nice," he said, watching the way she petted the blue rose. "Very happy here. Animals come back. Slow, but good. Ilse proud. Should be."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 1:10 pm
Ilse nodded. A little fuirther into the garden, she could see the deer-rabbits she'd found the last time she visited, with their little antlers and their flippy deer tails, playing among a bunch of wildflowers. Really, even though the garden was slowly returning to its more manicured state with a lot of time and effort, it was still obvious that it would always be a little wild, now.
Ilse sort of like that.
"Oh, very much so. I think...the best part is knowing it's because of me." On more than one layer. "That I could do all this...I imagine it's how you feel now that things are recovering on Fang, no?"
What a precious thing for them to be able to share.
There was a rustling among the bushes, and from under them came a little creature--wolf-shaped, generally speaking, but about the size of a large rabbit, with floppy lop ears in place of wolfy ones and a little, flicked-up rabbitish tail. Its coat was a brindle of soft blues, with a white underbelly, legs, and chin, and darker markings around its face, and it looked up at Fang curiously, like it was evaluating if he was friend-shaped.
It made its decision quickly, padding over and shoving its nose into his leg in the way of a small dog demanding attention.
"Oh! Hello, look at you! Love, I think you've made a new friend."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 1:57 pm
Fang nodded. "Very same," he agreed. All the plants that were blooming and all the little creatures that ran about now... All of it made him so happy. He wished he knew every one of their names, but he didn't. There were only so many creatures he'd learned about in the seven-and-a-half years he'd lived before Chaos consumed his planet. The nose on his leg had him startle a bit, but Ilse's words made him laugh and he squatted down, offering his hand to the wolf-like creature. It nearly stumbled over its own ears as it surged forward to get its head underneath Fang's hand. He laughed happily, scratching behind its ears. "Friend," he agreed with Ilse again, happily.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 3:38 pm
Ilse laughed, softly, charmed by Fang's immediate rapport with this new, silly little creature. It seemed so happy to be receiving affection, little bunny tail wagging back and forth.
She began to withdraw her hand from the flowers, but slid her fingers in just the right way to catch on one of the thorns, and winced.
"Oh, I need to be more...careful..."
Her voice trailed off, because suddenly she was not in the present moment with Fang anymore.
Floribunda smiled, fondly, watching the two young parents--both men, one with a silvery-blond braid and the other with deep blue curls pulled into a bun--select a rose from the garden. They were hers, personally curated and grown with care, and it always felt especially important to use them in these ceremonies.
Naming a child was a special occasion, and presiding over namings was perhaps one of Flori's favorite ceremonies. That and weddings--and she had married these two just a year and a half before, so to see them again so soon and with such a precious addition....a treasure.
When they'd selected a flower, she stepped in, carefully taking it and trimming it from the branch, then offering it to the young couple. Each of them pricked a finger on one of the thorns, and the blood ran delicately across the flower's stem; Flori carried it over to a small dish, filled with a shimmering substance.
"Your blood upon this rose, as your blood is within your child. And as this rose will be preserved, so too will you preserve your love and care for your child." She let the rose fall into the shimmering liquid, and after a moment, carefully reached in to withdraw it--it looked as if it had been dipped in a glittering resin, preserved carefully, with the blood held in place upon its thorns. "Do you accept this responsibility?"
"We do," the young couple answered in unison. Flori smiled, and handed them the preserved flower.
"What is the name that you have selected?" Flori asked.
"Gloriana," the young father with silvery-blond hair replied.
"My grandmother's name," the blue-haired young man said, a light blush just visible on his cheeks.
"Lovely," Flori said, picking up a carved wooden box from next to the bowl and holding it up, opened. "Then place your rose, and keep this with you always."
It took Ilse a moment to drift back to reality, and she stared down at her finger, and at the little bit of red on her white gloves.
"Oh."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 4:22 pm
Fang stopped giving the little wolf-rabbit creature attention, turning to look at Ilse with concern as she went a little... vacant. What was— Ah, they were on her planet. She was probably getting a flashback to something. The wolf-rabbit huffed in annoyance, then trotted over to Ilse and pawed at her foot. Fang chuckled at its behavior, standing and scooping the little fellow into his arms. "Ilse?" he prodded gently when she seemed to come back to herself, looking at her hand. "Okay? Bad memory?" He offered the wolf-rabbit to her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 6:11 pm
Ilse had to shake her head just a little to reorient herself in the present. When she did, though, she smiled at Fang, and at the wolf-rabbit in his arms.
"No, the memory was good," she said, and she gathered the little creature into her arms. "I saw...a baby naming ceremony. Both parents pricked their fingers on a rose, and then it was magically preserved and put in a box to keep as a symbol of the commitment they were making to their little one."
The wolf-rabbit snuggled up against her chest, clearly quite content with being held.
"I wonder if there's some of the preservation fluid, somewhere." Not that there were any babies any time soon, but...it was such a nice idea.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2026 6:28 pm
Fang felt better at hearing the negative response—he didn't like the idea of his partner having to remember something bad when something so good was happening right now. The presence of returned life. Rather adorable returned life, too. He felt warm and happy as the creature snuggled up to Ilse when she took it from him, his tail wagging gently. "Good ceremony," he stated with a nod. "Maybe fluid. We look together?" He wasn't sure why she'd want to find some—as far as he was aware, nobody they knew was having a baby anytime soon—but maybe it was just because she hoped it would trigger more memories. But all that he really knew was that she'd like to find some, and that was all he needed to know, really. If it would make her happy, he would do it. After all, she made him plenty happy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
