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 Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 6:18 pm
 The sun was rising high in the sky and it seemed to be an unseasonably hot day in store for this late in the year. The jungle floor remained shaded thanks to the thick canopy, though the heat made the area feel stifling instead. It would have been a good day to spend at the bottom of the ravine by the river, sharing time with family and enjoying some time away to relax.
Takeko was instead heading deeper into the jungle with a few members of her immediate family on more solemn business. She led the way, followed closely behind by Saffron and Mei Lien, with Cabel bringing up the rear. She had asked Kane to come along originally, but when he cited some business to take care of around the village and seemed evasive, she hadn't pressed. This wasn't something she could force; it would defeat the purpose. Everyone coped in their own way, after all.
She had scouted out the site herself nearly half a season before, but had hesitated before taking the final step. Looking back, she realized that she'd held out hope, despite it having been far too long to do so. Mei Lien's return had been a resurgence of that hope, quickly dashed, then followed by the realization that it was time to let go. Her daughter had returned to her...yet her mate had not. And with no sign of him in more seasons than she cared to count, it was time to accept the truth.
Aspen was gone.
The spot she'd selected was little more than a break in the trees forming a small glade where a few rays of sunlight broke through the canopy to dance over the jungle floor below. There was nothing particularly remarkable about the place, it was simply peaceful and just enough removed from the commonly used paths through the jungle to remain so. In her hands, Takeko carried a wreath, woven with a selection of flora that she had selected piece by piece. Woven throughout, she had included rosemary for remembrance, its intense scent filling the air as she knelt to set the piece against the trunk of a tree. Silently, she checked the arrangement, fingers lightly trailing over the petals of the gladiolus, included because of the symbolism she'd read in one of her books. As she touched each, she thought about what it was said to represent: faithfulness, honor, strength of character.
Her children knelt around her, and though she felt sadness, she also felt love and support weaving around her as they added their own tokens to the memorial. Fingers brushing the wreath, she bowed her head and offered up a prayer.
Guardians bless you and keep you, wherever you are, Aspen.
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Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 3:30 pm
 Trudging through the thick undergrowth, Saffron kept one eye forward on his mother, the other glancing behind at his sister. Even under the sobering circumstances of the day, he could scarcely suppress the wonder he felt at seeing her again. It had been seasons...years...and yet here she was again. He could barely believe it.
At first, he and his mother had held out hope that her return meant that his father would return soon as well. But, after she admitted no knowledge of his wearabouts and there'd been no other signs, well...
It had been his mother that insisted that it might be time to let go.
The spot she had picked out was peaceful and serene; the perfect sort of location for a memorial. After Takeko placed the wreath, he added his own trinket, a bundle of dried aromatic herbs, as well as the token from Aster. His son had sent a tiny doll, reminiscent of a Pae, but created from woven reeds and grasses; a small token for a grandfather he'd never had the chance to meet. The gifts were placed with the wreath, then Saffron sat back at his mother's side while the others moved forward. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as her head lowered in prayer, bowing his own in turn. He felt rather than saw his sister kneel at his other side. A quick glance showed her kneeling in a hunched position, looking awkward and unsure. Poor thing; she still didn't quite seem herself yet after the shock of finding her way home and discovering how much time had passed.
Saffron's opposite wing unfurled, stretched, then enveloped his twin's shoulders warmly.
It's okay, Dad. I'll take care of them. I promise.
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Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 2:54 pm
 Keeping her wings tucked tightly against her back to avoid catching on the surrounding foliage, Mei Lien quietly followed her mother and brother to the serene glade. She had little to say on the solemn occasion and was still coming to terms with the strangeness of the situation. For her family, they had been going on about their lives for seasons...years even without her and her father. But for her, it felt like only a couple of weeks since she had last seen her father. To know that he had been gone for years...though of course...so had she...it was still so hard to wrap her head around.
Though they put on very strong fronts, she had seen the sorrow and pain in her mother's and brother's expressions. They had been ecstatic to welcome her home again, but it had mixed with the saddening realization that she hadn't brought Aspen with her. She couldn't even answer their questions fully about where she had been; she could offer nothing for their questions about him.
She knelt and watched her mother and brother arrange the offerings they'd brought, feeling awkward. In her hands, she held a woven circlet of flowers, fingers fidgeting nervously with the edges of the petals. She missed her father as well, but had little of her own to offer yet, having only started to settle in the new village. She couldn't believe how the area around her childhood home had grown up; she felt like a stranger, intruding on lives that were no longer tied to her own.
Her silent turmoil was shaken as she felt her brother's feathery wing envelop her in its warmth. She blinked and looked up, meeting his eyes for a moment and receiving a brief, reassuring smile. The change in him had been remarkable as well. Though they were twins, he'd always felt like the younger brother, acting like such a brat when they'd been growing up. But, now that she'd returned, it seemed like he'd stepped back into her life like a protective older sibling. A big brother, always looking out for his little sister. Without being overwhelming, it seemed like he was always there to check that she was doing okay or ask if she needed anything or find out if everyone in the village was treating her nicely.
When he had become such a responsible adult, she had no idea, but she was sad she had missed it.
Taking the prompt that it was her turn, she reached out to lay the flower crown over the bottom of the larger wreath. Her own token added to the others, she folded her hands and lowered her head, unconsciously leaning slightly on her brother's shoulder.
I don't know where you are or what happened, but...I miss you, Daddy.
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 3:45 pm
 On the trek out, the sunny-colored Fae's disposition had clouded. He watched the other family members pulling together, drawing strength from one another...and here he was, an outsider. Or he felt like it. It had been so long; did he really even have a right to be here? He felt like he was intruding on what should be a family's personal time.
You were a part of this family once too.
It was a tiny voice, pushing up from the encroaching darkness. But, it was enough to give him pause. His grip tightened on the glass jar in his hands and he closed his eyes to focus inward while the others had their moments at the memorial site. Though he'd never really had the chance to get to know the twins before he'd sought his own fortune, that didn't negate the fact that he was once a part of this family too. These were his origins. This was where he'd come from. These Pae were part of what made him the man he was today.
He had just as much right to be here as K--
But, he hadn't come.
Cabel had come from the beach, joining Takeko and her children on the way to the site, and hadn't entered the village. It still seemed strange to imagine so many Pae'il living in the area around his old home. Perhaps with time he'd become comfortable enough to visit, but as it were, he preferred not to risk interacting with so many others just yet. So he hadn't been there to see the exchange between his adoptive mother and adoptive brother. He didn't know the details; maybe he didn't want to, given what he remembered of the demon. Though, the story that was painted of Kane these days...he couldn't believe it. Not without seeing it. All the memories he had of the wild, aggressive demon who only wanted to be left alone...none of them showed any indication of turning into the man he now heard oversaw security in Kekomura.
He had heard mention of a family of his own as well. That was even harder to believe."...Cabel?"Realizing he'd been staring off into the jungle in thought, the fae blinked and turned back towards the angel and her children. He was rewarded with a warm smile of understanding and he took a deep breath before moving forward. The glass jar in his hands was added to the offerings at the memorial; it contained a piece of honeycomb, fresh from his bee colonies, the lid sealed with wax. He knelt a short distance away from the others, head bowed. Even if he'd not been biologically related, he'd always been treated like their own child. He remembered many times, playing outside the house Aspen and Takeko were building together, being called to eat, being welcomed to sit in his father's lap while they ate. Stories at bedtime. Adventures outside the home. Heck, adventures inside the home, with sweet smells wafting from the kitchen to interrupt whatever imaginative game they were playing.
He was startled from his thoughts as Takeko reached over and took his hand. He glanced away before realizing he shouldn't be ashamed of the emotions likely playing over his face. That was why they were here. With a deep breath, he laced his fingers with hers, giving her hand a brief squeeze in recognition. She wanted them all here, together.
Hope you're safe, wherever you are, Dad. And if not...then at least be at peace.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 4:58 pm
Surrounded by family, the thought crossed Takeko's mind that the entire original family had come together in memory of her lost love. Well...all except the eldest son. While Kane had always been the distant sort, or seemed it, she had not been so oblivious to not have noticed that he and Aspen had never been the closest. Nor had she discarded certain comments said in passing by her lost lover. He had never seemed to fully embrace their 'wild' son or his lifestyle. Though he was different, she'd never seen that as a reason to regard his life choices as bad. Simply different.
He'd been a challenge from the start. A young adult, on her own and trying to find her own way in the world, Takeko hadn't been prepared for the responsibility of a child. But, when the wild little thing had found her (she always knew he had found and claimed her, rather than the other way around), she couldn't very well have done anything other than taken him in as her own. She'd been nearly overwhelmed though with the responsibility and difficulties of such a task. Then, she'd met Aspen and he'd shared a desire to make a life with her and Kane. He was like a knight in shining armor, riding in to rescue her. Just like a fairy tale.
It had taken a lot of time and a lot of retrospect...years of it, in fact...but eventually the angel had started to realize, perhaps it had been just that. A fairy tale. She had written off things at the time, but looking back, it hadn't been perfect. Far from it. She had glossed over the details, brushed things aside...and years later, she was looking back with doubt.
It wasn't that Aspen wasn't a good man. He was. It was just...
She had always believed that she had been lucky enough to find her one true love so early in life. That the Guardians had brought him to her as a reward for being a good person. That they were meant to fall in love and live happily ever after.
Sometimes, life isn't like that though.
She had loved him. She'd felt very deeply for him, they'd built a family, raised little ones. She'd mourned his disappearance. Yet...perhaps it hadn't been the glorious, perfect, fairy tale romance she'd remembered once. He'd seemed a shining knight, come to rescue her...had that been it? Had she been so overwhelmed at the time that she'd reached out in desperation to the first one to offer her help?
Takeko had squashed the thought down, but it wouldn't disappear completely. She'd been scared at the time and she remembered the old her, so full of timidity and self-doubt. She'd relied heavily on the demon to be her strength and support. She felt like she could do anything with him there at her side. Life didn't seem so scary anymore.
Then, it seemed he was gone more and more. She assumed he was busy with his parents and family, but she began seeing him less and less. Sometimes for extended amounts of time. He'd return and lavish her with attention as if he hadn't seen her in seasons, which she enjoyed, but it seemed like he wasn't always there when she needed help. Eventually, she had to face the realization that as much as she loved him, she couldn't continue to depend on him for everything. It had been a harsh battle, but she had her children to support her now, and past successes to draw her confidence from. Slowly, but surely, her independence had grown.
One day, he simply...hadn't come back. Days...weeks...seasons passed, and though Takeko mourned her lost lover, deep down in her soul, she somehow had known that this day might come. It had been a deep-seated dread realized, hitting her again the day her long-lost daughter had returned home, with no knowledge that she or her father had been missing for years.
She'd had no idea of his whereabouts either.
It had been a double-edged blade. As if someone was playing a cruel joke. In a moment of weakness, she'd questioned the Guardians: Why take one daughter away from me...then return another? Of course she was thrilled to have Mei Lien back and the poor dear needed lots of time and love to recover and come to terms with all that had happened. Takeko would have loved to introduce her to Xiulan as well.
Fingers laced with Cabel's, Takeko looped her other arm over the twins on her other side, suddenly feeling like she needed the physical connection. This was a time for family, for cherishing what they had, and saying prayers for those who were gone. She'd spilled enough tears for seasons to come, even if her heart still felt heavy with memories. There was little need for words anymore. Nothing more needed to be said. They had come here to say goodbye to a good man; a father and a dear lover. With a final bow of her head, the angel concluded her private prayers before speaking in a soft tone.
"Come, children. Let's go home."
*****
[FIN]
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