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 Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:15 pm
"Goodnight." Lori was still smiling when he hung up and stood, looking at his phone fondly as if Luca existed within it. He looked to Maia in surprise and nodded.
"Where's Seamus?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:19 pm
"Stomping around," Maia said, gesturing to the bedroom. "Seamus! We're leaving now," she looked around for him. "Come on kitty, maybe you'll get a fairy cake."
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:23 pm
Silence. Not a footstep to be heard. Lori paused, expecting the sidhe to appear, then furrowed his brow.
"Seamus?"
He went to the bedroom door and the cat sidhe bolted from under the bed and began attacking Lori's feet playfully.
"HGAK. WE'RE READY TO GO, OKAY? I'm sorry I have a boyfriend now."
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:33 pm
Maia was grinning at Seamus' antics. She shook her head. "Are you ready to go, Seamus? We're staying underground." It wasn't really unpleasant, but Maia definitely failed to see any appeal. Maybe they should take something for the cat to play with?
"Did you bring any toys for him along?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 8:35 pm
"Yeah." Lori went back into the room, leaving Seamus trailing behind his ankles a moment and then just sprawled on the carpet. Lori gathered up a few things for the sidhe and nodded.
"You had better behave. They won't like have an Unseelie there."
Seamus stood up with a fluff of his tail. Humph!
"Come on." And they began out.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:21 pm
Dari's eyes were finished by morning the next day and he was grinning in excitement when they handed him his ring. He had been about to put it on when Toby grabbed his hand. "Hold on. Not here. Let's go to Breyer."
Dari sucked on his lips a moment, looked down at the simple band, then nodded. It would probably do better in a magic-infused area, wouldn't it? So they wished the elves goodbye and thanked the queen, then changed into the clothes brought to them (Dari was of course briefly confused by the t-shirt and khakis) and then headed out for Breyer in the car.
The walk into the forest was the longest Dari had ever taken in his life.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:36 pm
Maia was smiling at Dari's enthusiasm as they walked. He was certainly excited to try. She took time to admire the forest, stopping only to glance at Dari. She flashed him a smile.
It was Seamus' first time in the forest and she wS looking forward to seeing the cat sidhe's reaction.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:42 pm
Seamus was too amazed to misbehave in his usual way and didn't get too distracted except to bat at a faerie or orb, which earned him an admonishing nudge.
Toby knew they would never find a specific area again having come unannounced, but they reached a small clearing between the trees and Toby turned to Dari. He he breathed deep and sighed it all out through a grin.
"You ready?"
He asked.
Dari nodded. Yes. He thought he was. He took the ring in his fingers and turned it over. Could something so simple really change his life?
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:49 pm
"Don't bother the tiny fairies," Maia said, leaning down to pet Seamus. She straightened after a moment and smiled st Dari. "Well, go on," she urged him.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 1:58 pm
Dari's face went blank with nervousness and slid the ring over his finger. The moment it hit the base there was a change. It was instantaneous, not painful, now slow, no-lead-up, just a sudden flash to a Dari none of them had met yet.
What hit him first was the sense of smell. He could smell the woods, he could smell the air around them, and then a bird chirped and he heard it in the way everyone else did. He breathed in and turned to look toward the others. He was weeping. He tried to step to Toby to hug him, but instead fell to his knees amongst all of these new senses and clutched his chest as he wept and grinned. It had worked. By God, it had really worked. Even the ground against his shins was different, and he clasped his hands over the lower half of his face and felt tears falling on them. He was overwhelmed in the grandest way.
What the other would see was a Caucasian man who rather resembled Toby but a little shorter, with a little bit less cheekbone and a little more nose; the shape he always took as an alien. His hair was darker than Toby's, just growing in stubble atop his head, and his eyes were an unbelievable, striking shade of ice blue.
Toby found himself crying as well and threw himself to the ground to take Dari in his arms and hold him close, tightly, as if he never wanted to let go. No words were necessary.
Lori was grinning, eyes wet. Ah, Dari. Good. Life would be the way you'd wanted it now. Now you had a chance.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:25 pm
Dari put on the ring and in his place was a--was Dari! In human form. Maia stared, eyes beginning to water. It'd worked. It'd worked, and now they could do all those things Dari wanted. Anything he wanted to experience, he could.
She stayed back, though, giving Dari and Toby time. Now they resembled the brothers they were in heart. She wiped at her eyes and grinned.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:31 pm
It was a while before the boys got up and Dari was released to go hug Lori and then Maia. His eyes, human eyes, were wet and red and he didn't seem to mind. He stroked Maia's hair and whispered "thank you."
When he hug broke, he looked down at his fingers, feeling them and the bone beneath. His flesh. By god, he was human on the outside. Toby came up behind him and wrapped an arm around him, kissing the side of his head.
"Welcome back, man."
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:40 pm
Maia returned the hug tightly, beaming at Dari. "I told you it'd work," she whispered back. She'd been hopeful. It'd worked and now Dari would be the happiest he'd ever been.
She took Dari's hand, beaming at both he and Toby. "I think you'll have all of HQ surprised, Dari," she said.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:44 pm
Dari could only nod and gasp for air, which now seemed to be totally involuntary. On a whim he placed a hand to his chest, searching for a heartbeat.
There was one.
He grabbed Maia's hand and put it to his firm chest so she could feel it too.
"Is it beating?" Toby asked.
"Yeah." Dari's voice was the same as always but lacked the indeterminable ethereal quality it had in his natural form.
"Let me feel."
Toby went next, then Lori. Both men smiled slowly and laughed.
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Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 2:58 pm
Maia smiled brightly as she felt his heartbeat. She leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I love you, Dari. Congratulations." How would they celebrate? By going back to the hotel? No, Dari had wanted to go shopping, hadn't he?
"Want to go celebrate?" She asked, smiling at the alien.
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