[2254] Flower Child

Takes place between Doomsday Clock and Never Say Goodbye.


Desmond:

I gaze around Snarel Town's trading center unoptimistic.

I wanted to get flowers for Ettie like her drawings. But not like the cut bouquets that people leave at the graveyard. Those will eventually wilt. I wanted to give her ones that would live.

It wasn't that it would be hard to find flowers... Given the big market for them for all those that were used to honor the dead.

It was... The fact I didn't have anything to... actually give people to trade for any.

At best I figured I could try to charge their batteries with my bio-electricity. It would leave me pretty tired, which would be fine, really... But... Snarel Town wasn't very... technological to begin with... Let alone to find someone selling flowers that would happen to need something charged.

Sighs, disappointed. I run my thumb over the cresent moon bracelet.

I wonder if they would take something creative as payment... Like poetry?... No, that's stupid. Everyone's lives are hard they don't need something like that... Hmm...

Desmond:

I look around at the bleak environment wondering if maybe I can figure out something that way.

"Hmm.."

What the planet did have was a lot of sand...

I sit down cross-legged on the ground and run my hand over it, then scoop some up. I run my thumb over the silica between my fingertips for a moment, feeling the pieces before letting the sand fall and brushing my hands on my legs.

I unwrap my marked hand and put the bandage in my pocket. Then take a handful of sand into my palm and press my marked hands palm over it, pressing my two palms against each other hard, and feel the heat. Hellfire engulfs my hands and I focus all of my attention on it. I wince and jerk back slightly as the sand starts to melt. I end up dropping it and waving my hands at the sting of feeling the melted hot substance briefly against my skin. I gaze down at the lump of melted sand as it starts to cool into glass.

.... How could I do this without it hurting? And without having anything like molds?

I ponder this for a moment, then get up and find a decently sized flat rock. I scoop up more sand piles, tensing at the feel of it against my hurt palms. I put the silica onto the rock into little piles, then trace out little shapes for petals with my finger, then brush away the excess sand and use it to make a line for the stem. Taking other rocks, I place them around the outlines hoping it'll be good enough one the sand starts to melt. After blasting it with hellfire for a while, I feel exhausted at all the spent energy. I take a nap as I wait for it to cool.

Later, when they're done I poke at the rocks I used for the mold, getting them off. Obviously, the glass isn't shaped that great given all the little spaces between the rocks. I frown and take some time to rub the sides of the glass against the big rock to smooth them out. It takes a bit of time and the action is a bit repetitive and I feel tired again, but I keep at it. The pain from my hands help with that. I finish it by using some more heated sand as a glue to hold all the pieces together.

It's not colourful, being clear glass, and it isn't living like I had set out for, but I hope she likes it.

Heads over to her ranch holding the glass flower.

Little Ettie:

I watch wide eyed feeling overwhelmed by all this space and the fresh air and the sky.

My cousins, apparently and other kids on the ranch were riding a hoofed animal creature called a horse and taking lessens. 

 I watch the big animals intimidated feeling I'd never be brave enough to try too.

I sit on a fence waiting for the lessens to end so Dad would come back and take me home.

I stare at the clouds finding them to be so strange, messages in the sky ALL the time?

I am mesmerized by a winged shape and zone out lost in place and time and then sense something coming. I turn to look at the path for whose coming.

Desmond:

I come up the path and pause to look around. There were creatures and kids on the creatures... I automatically assume that the kids are the kids of the creatures and those creatures are their beast form.

And Ettie is here...

Ooohh... So THATS what Ettie is? Awe. That must be cute!

Wonders if her creature form's hair and mane match her hair or is different.

"Hey." I greet going up to her. "Um."

I pause glancing down at the ground awkwardly. I had made up a stupid rhyme since I had spent so much time making the flower. I knew it was probably really dumb.. But... Maybe it's lameness will be funny to her at least and that's all that matters.

I steel myself and look back at her and hold out the glass flower to her.

"I know things can be grim and dour..."
And.. I know it isn't much at this hour...
But... Would you accept this flower?
Maybe it can give a boost to willpower?"

Little Ettie:

I look over surprised at the gift. It was a flower made out of glass! I never saw such a thing.

Maybe they grow on his planet?

He was such a mysterious alien to all these ... aliens. I think still not quite at home here.

"Ooo pretty!" He used some big words that rymed like singing without music. It was pretty too.

"T..thank you."

Desmond:

I smile. "You're welcome."

I look from her to the creatures, tilting my head considering their unusual forms. Such long necks... And such unusual paws... Those look difficult to use. Bummer. Maybe they have telekinesis then or something?

"Interesting..." I realize I gave no context to that. "Um... Species..." Ooffhh that was awkward.

I back to her and take in how she's not with them... Doing... Whatever it is they're doing?

"So uh, how's it hanging and uh.. what's up, little dudet?"

Ettie:

He says species and trails off, I guess they dont have horses wheres hes from too.

"It..its a ..h..horse. It..carries.. instead of .." I nod to a ship parked over there by the barn. 

Something about low fuel?

Saving the rations going back to old ways.

Desmond:

I nod listening intently. She shared with me its name and that it carries stuff.

Right... like the kids on their backs... Since... weird paws....

I follow her gesture looking to the ship. Ah, an alternative to that.

I then look back at her. Then to the kids being carried. Then back to her.

Maybe there aren't any horses available? Or did she already have a turn? Or just not want to?

"You're not being carried..."

Great Des, state the obvious... So good at talking... I think to myself nervously. Finally, just a one-on-one casual convo with cool, strong and sweet little dream vision girl and I'm an idiot!

Yeah and what was I supposed to say?! Maybe...

"Do you want to be carried?"

Ahhh that's worse! Fix it! Fix it now!

Smiles awkwardly. "Like... by tiger back?"

Yess... Yes... That's better... Crisis adverted. I think warily.

Ettie:

I look at Desmond confused for a moment but then understand what he meant. 

Tiger. It felt familiar. *dreams of lil Des*

"T..his?"

I unfold a piece of paper showing him a cat with lines (stripes) I never visualized them big as the horses.

 I thought they were small, now I want to see a real one. A big one.

Desmond:

I look at her drawing and smile.

"Yeah! Like that! Nice one!" I tilt my head admiring and observing it. Her art was just so cute and drawing just seemed like such an interesting skill. I don't know how people do it so well and in so many different ways.

The back of my mind wonders when she could have seen a tiger. There was Crystal and her social media but how much was her in tiger form, let alone if Ettie would have seen the vampire fight feeds...

I get down on all fours and start to shift as my bones pop and snap and grow and white and black striped hair spreads over my pale skin. The skin on my hurt hands changes into paws. I wince at the pain as it shifts but relax once it's over.

After I transform I shake and kick off the fabric.

Peers at her with my blue eyes and rubs head against her side, and purring and waving my tail.

Ettie:

I gulp only ever saw Dad transform. It was intense. I cant imagine doing that.

It seems so scary...
.....

I have to look away.

When I look back I see a REAL tiger.

Whoa...

It was so much bigger then a cat. He rubs his head and purrs. The vibrations are so loud.

I timidly pet the fur.

"Ss.oft."

I pet him and pause for a moment.

"D..did it hurt?" I ask.

Desmond:

Tilts head, tiger ears twitching as I hear the trotting in the background.

I think of that feeling. Tendons and muscles stretching. Bones elongating or shortening, snapping, and popping into place. Claws piercing flesh and teeth pushing each other and growing.

I don't even understand the tail part. Dr. Morgain has all those alien body direction classes but I haven't asked about that. We'd probably have to do x-rays during the process to actually know such mysteries. But did I actually want to know? Couldn't that just make me feel it more if I was aware of it?

(("Yeah, but no worries. It's nothing I can't handle."))

I lay down on the ground, so it would be easier for her if she did decide to go for a ride. Though I don't know to where or how fun it actually would be. Given everything being built now and all that radiated wasteland around town.

I had thought she was a 'horse' but it had sounded like she probably wasn't. Given they had a function and all, maybe they were just others here to help rebuild by shuttling things around.

I consider asking her what she is and if she has any other forms but I don't want to be rude. Especially if those other forms pain her and she feels obligated to show. Plus, she's amazing and adorable just the way she is and no matter what she is biologically.

I realize I've been cat staring at her for a bit and race to fil the space.

I righten my head and swish my tail faster and instead ask, (("Can we be friends?"))

Ah! That's what comes out of my mouth! I hope it wasn't too soon to ask that or if she feels pressured.

(("It's okay if we need to hang out more before you decide. It's just... Think you're awesome. You just genuinely seem nice."))

Which is true. She survived so much and yet she keeps going. And it's not just her past that only defines her. It's her sweet, endearing current self. She makes those cute drawings and gave us those heart-felt bracelets.

There was all the background stuff too. Not that it compares to Ettie herself of course. The visions, Mer and Beo are both dead now. Tamsin got promoted so... I don't really have... friends... anymore...

Little Ettie:

I feel bad Desmond gets pain when he transforms. He was really pretty though.

There was something about beauty coming from pain. 

Like a diamond.  I think staring at his blue eyes oh so piercing against the white fur.

Almost SOUL piercing..

I snap out of a trance when he asks to be friends. 

"A..rrent we?" I crawl on his back hugging onto the tiger neck to hold on.

"Y..you w..on the rafle for .. me." I say though I felt like I knew him longer then that somehow. 

It was hard I guess starting over when I got rescued, I haven't been here too long but as long as it has been its felt like forever maybe. 

I try to make sense of it.

Desmond:

My blue eyes widen slightly.

(("Oh!"))

I swallow down the emotions that arise in me and blink my eyes at the simple powerful answer and the feeling of her arms wrapped around my neck.

(("Yeah, sorry... I guess I just needed to hear it..."))

Anxiety and doubts and all that.

During my mourning for Mer and Beo, a thought had occurred to me. I couldn't remember if Beo ever used the word 'friend' for me before he died... And the thought hurt my chest. But maybe it was just an unsaid thing, or I literally did just forget. I wouldn't put it past my memory.

I get up and start walking around the fence.

(("I'm glad you feel the same."))

I take in the surroundings as I walk and fight the instinct when she brings up the raffle to try to glance back at her over my shoulder. It wouldn't do any good and with her holding my neck I didn't want her to accidently cause her to fall off. So I just content myself with knowing she's there. Holding me.

(("Oh yeah? You knew about that?")) I'm surprised, she knew it was me. Did.. whatever that thing was even survive the attack, I wonder? I guess either way it was the thought that counts, I hope.

I think about what I can show Ettie now. Looking around where she is now. It seemed right to repay the favor and show her some unique sights incase she couldn't teleport on her own. But maybe start small.

(("What do you think about heights? Want to see the horses from above?"))

Little Ettie:

I ponder how I knew about the raffle because he didn't tell me.

It was strange sometimes knowing things.

Desmond asks me about heights and I wonder if he was going to fly.

Winged tiger?

"Uh thats f.f..fine."

I reply looking at his sides for wings.

Desmond:

I check out the roofs. I didn't trust landing on the slanted ones in this form and with Ettie. But the middle barn actually didn't look too bad. It would be closer to the horses and give a better view of those moving things I think.

(("Alright. Hold on.")) I warn before I teleport us onto the middle of the roof near the edge.

I make sure to get my stance sturdy upon it just in case, then gaze down at the kids and the horses below.

(("What do you think?"))

Wags tail and looks out at the scenery and then the sky.