Information

current name Achilles	original title Beast	true name Orthrus
age 4200	pronouns he/him	height 6'10

Appearance

executor mark

The first thing anyone would notice about Achilles/Beast (aside from his height) are the two pairs of horns on his head, one set pointing upwards and the other curling downwards. Afterwards they may also notice the long serpentine like tail, which is both prehensile and expressive. While originally in Can Cry he started out with none of these things and instead had a large pair of raven wings on his back, his fifth memoria made him realize these wings were never originally a part of him and he regained the horns and tail that were. He also originally appeared to be in his 40's with some visible aging, but since remembering his past as a shapeshifting ageless being, he has regressed back to the age he usually presented as in life: early 30's, with the signs of aging now gone. His ears have also become pointed, and the fangs that used to occasionally be visible when he opened his mouth are now a little more pronounced and easier to notice.

Colour palette wise his hair, eyes, horns, and tail are black, with most of his clothing also being black or sometimes white. He does try to add more colour here and there but usually just in accents. When first appearing in purgatory he had a more formal, royal outfit that he wore exclusively until the second layer, when he branched out into backless sweaters and comfy pants. Now that he has lost his wings he has had to replace most of his wardrobe and while he still likes sweaters and ocassionally formal clothes, he can almost always be seen in some kind of jacket with a faux fur collar. He also always wears a black crystal earring on his left ear. This earring never comes off, not even while bathing. Or more accurately, it can't come off. Thus, he is never seen without it.

His Executor mark is on the back of his right hand, fully visible when he plays his harp. It resembles the shape of his earring (upside down) and his horns, with what appear to be four eyes on the crystal part. His Executor form overall is a little boring and is more or less a slightly more elaborate version of his original default outfit with ornate, gold embroidery added to the trim. Since regaining his preferred form, fur has been added to the collar.

Achilles has another form that he is aware of, his true form, but he has yet to fully recall it. All he knows is that it's not humanoid, the horns and tail are part of it, it's furry and also VERY large.

Audio wise, Achilles' voice is like a character voiced by Liam O'brien. While at first it was a little haughty, with his speech more formal and befitting of someone who deals with fantasy royalty, since becoming closer with everyone and regaining his memories, it has started to become more relaxed and casual. He still often addresses people as either Sir, Lady, or Ser, but he has started to drop it with some Executors.

Powers

Weapon

Achilles current Executor weapon is a small, portable black harp, with a wing like shape to the neck.

Strum of Attack

Quickly strumming the strings of the harp in a single motion will result in a slash attack hitting the enemy, allowing for the harp to be more practical as a weapon. It basically looks like this in action.

Song of Drowsiness

A simple song that makes hostiles feel sluggish and a little drowsy but without actually putting them to sleep. It slows their movement, giving an opening to others to attack. More specifically, it knocks off a point of enemy movement for the turn it is used. It can be used 3 times per battle and can't be used twice in a row.

Shield of Sunlight

With a strum of his harp an energy shield in the shape of the sun appears in front of an ally (or himself) and blocks a single attack for 1 turn. After deflecting the attack it immediately shatters and dissolves. To start the shield will be about the size of this.

Memoria

"The most precious thing to me is..."

Achilles' adopted son. Achilles remembered the child's face and his love for them, as well as a few other basic details, but at the time the child's name was yet to be remembered.

"Ehhhh... I know that face. That's the face you make when you're being a big chicken."

An afternoon Achilles spent with his best friend, Orpheus, a talented bard and prophet. Orpheus tried to teach Achilles how to play the harp before they then started to talk about their friendship and respective life spans. The memory and what Achilles learns from it is more detailed here.

"Father... what should I do?"

A memory of Achilles speaking with his now grown up child, whose name now returns to him: Odile. In the memory Odile seems uncertain of whether he should leave his country to help assist a "woman from another world", brought here by Rhearth's goddess to assist her. Full summary here.

"...Right. I... always forget that you're not really a man. You're just a beast, after all."

Over 1000 years worth of memories of Achilles' time with a group of Rhearth people known as the Beastials. In these memories, Achilles was found and taken in by the Beastial village chief Patroclus, whom later became his first love. After Patroclus passed on, Achilles watched over and protected the Beastials, who had taken on several of his kind's physical traits as a result of the way mana influences evolution in Rhearth. Achilles did this until one of his sisters appeared in Rhearth and tried to wipe all the Beastials out in order to hurt him. A series of vignettes are written about this montage of memories, rather than a summary.

"Ah, do they frighten you? I can give myself some wings like yours if that would help-- see?"

The memory of how Achilles came to adopt Odile. After being in a deep slumber in his true form for a long time, Achilles was awakened one day by Odile's mother, Queen Rotha, mistaking him for their prophesized Beast of Demise and trying to offer Odile as sacrifice to him to get him to leave the Queendom of Cygnia alone. Upon seeing Rotha treat Odile abusively, Achilles became enraged and killed her on the spot. This led to him transforming back into a humanoid form and disguising himself as Odile's father so that the child wouldn't become a political puppet in the wake of the queen's death. This memory gave him back his horns.

Extra

Originally in the game, Achilles went by his title of Beast until the third layer (Avaritia), at which point he requested to be called Achilles instead. His true name is Orthrus and he also went by Bartholomew de Corvidaea after adopting Odile, both of these having been used on the Taken Page at different points (he also does not remember either yet). For consistency though, I try to refer to him as just Achilles on this page (but some Memoria summaries still use Beast).

Achilles lives in the Executor House in Limbo with some of the other Executors, but can also be found at the mansion in Invidia from time to time, depending on what layer he's exploring or who else is around. During their time in Avaritia, he officially adopted Rei as his daughter and so sticks primarily with her.

He considers a world called Rhearth (a portmanteau of the name "Rhea" and "Earth", pronounced "Ray-arth") as his home world, though it is not the world he originally came from (which he does not remember the name of yet) just the one he lived in until his death and considered home. In Rhearth, "human" is a term only used for the base ancestor of all the other humanoid races so Achilles often uses terms that refer to the other races in their place. These include: the Resilient (the closest to actual humans), the Furred (half furry animal, usually canine or feline), the Feathered (half bird), the Aquatic (whale like merfolk), the Elementals (horned giants attuned to specific elements), the Polished (gemstone people), the Beastials (elves who became part mythical creatures like dragons and phoenixes after exposure to Achilles himself), and the Fair (half faerie). Rhearth is also overseen by a Goddess and her faeries, so Achilles often uses "goddess" in place of "god", as is common in Rhearth itself.

He also does not remember much about his original race yet, only that they can shapeshift and that he was mistaken for one of Rhearth's "Beasts", which are more akin to devastating forces of nature than actual animals. He does however know that his original race do not die of natural causes and need to be slain by another living being. Yes, he has already realized that this means he was probably murdered to end up here. No, he is not thinking about it too hard. Or mentioning it! (For now)

Thanks to his friend Orpheus, Achilles is an accomplished harp player and usually plays songs that Orpheus herself wrote (which I usually just grab from anime or games bc I'm not writing my own harp music for tags, fuck that). Sometimes though he plays a classical song from Earth that he really should not know, but somehow does. It is safe to assume your character has heard him play at least once because he does so constantly when there's some down time, sometimes in public spaces like parks.

Achilles also LOVES food, especially sweets, and is always excited to try new food. However he is a vegetarian and will not eat anything with meat. This is because most animals in Rhearth gained human intelligence and became capable of speech after being domesticated/lived around people long enough, so most people in Rhearth are either entirely vegetarian or only eat fish or wild game (which haven't evolved like this). As the Beastials ate no meat period and he learned to be human through them he is the same. (Animal byproducts like milk and eggs are fine though) He also tries to avoid chocolate, on account of it making his tummy hurt.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

OOC PERMISSIONS

Backtagging

Threadhopping

Fourthwalling

Offensive subjects (elaborate)

IC PERMISSIONS

Hugging this character

Kissing this character

Flirting with this character

Fighting with this character

this shit

Injuring this character (include limits and severity)

Killing this character

Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character

Warnings

Edited 2020-12-04 01:39 (UTC)

Beast's first memoria is the face of his adopted son, Odile, and the love he feels for him. There's some details about Odile that he knows instinctively about the child (like that he's gender non-conforming and also has small, stubby wings as a result of a birth defect) but Odile's own name and royal title have not been remembered.

Beast's second memoria is an actual memory of an afternoon spent with his best friend Orpheus, whom he mostly refers to as "Orphy". This happened when Beast was much younger than he was at death, long before he became a father.

The memory starts with Beast listening to Orpheus play her harp, until Orpheus asks if Beast wants to try playing it himself. After scrambling to find reasons not to, Orpheus goads Beast into admitting that he tried to play an instrument once in the past but did so poorly that he decided "music is not compatible with my kind". With some convincing, Orpheus gets him to try again, with her instructing him.

After a while, Orpheus begins to ask more about the first time he tried playing, specifically how long ago it was. Beast reveals that it was when he still lived with ■■■■■■■■■ and that he also broke the other's lyre while trying to play it, hence his apprehension. Orpheus seems surprised at how long ago that was, and comments that instrument crafting has come a long way in the past several centuries, so it probably won't happen again unless he's careless.

She then asks if he misses ■■■■■■■■■. When Beast answers yes, Orpheus shifts the subject to discussing death in general and if Beast ever "regrets coming here" since he'll outlive everyone he ever loves. Beast reassures her that he doesn't, expressing distaste for where ever he came from before and confessing that he now thinks life is beautiful because of death.

"Even though we only got to spend a few decades together, I wouldn't trade meeting him for anything in all the worlds. Even gone he is still one of my dearest companions-- just like you are."
"...Me?"
"Yes. You're as important to me as he was... there isn't a day that goes by where I'm not grateful for meeting you, Orphy. You know that, don't you?"
"...Of course. I feel the same."

They talk a bit more about their respective lifespans as Beast gets better at playing, and it's offhand mentioned that at least they'll have a few more centuries together because of Orpheus' own lifespan as "a Fair" (a half faerie person). Orpheus starts to act a little spacey, and comments that it would be nice if Beast could continue to play her music and keep her legacy alive even after she's gone. Beast assures her that the Fair would probably be celebrating her music for millennia when Orpheus suddenly cuts him off and gets unusually serious.

"...Hey ■■■■■■■? There's something important I need to tell you... and you mustn't tell anyone else, no matter what."
"...Orpheus?"

The memory ends there.

Edited 2020-09-30 18:08 (UTC)

As of Beast's fourth memoria, he now knows the person Orpheus was asking him if he missed was Patroclus.

A memory of a scene with the grown up Odile. Odile comes to talk to his father while he is playing "Clair de Lune" on the harp (which Beast claims to be the only song that he knows to play not composed by Orpheus and supposedly comes from another world). Odile is looking for advice, because that day the palace was visited by a woman from Earth tasked with becoming the new "Priestess" and taking care of the fairy that will become the new Goddess. They have agreed to help the priestess and her group get to Avalon, one of the party's homeland, but Odile feels compelled to go with them and is unsure if he can leave his duties to do so.

Over the course of the conversation they talk about how Rhearth is in fact dying and has been without a goddess for hundreds of years. Odile seems concerned that the Beast of Demise is somehow involved, a being prophesized to end the royal family of Cygnia. Eventually Odile is so torn he wants Beast to decide for him but Beast tells him he can't, as Odile is an adult now and he won't always him there to make every decision. But he promises that no matter what Odile chooses, he'll support him.

"What does your heart tell you, Odile?"

Finally Odile decides to go with the protagonists, leaving Cygnia in Beast's care. The memory ends with Beast seeing him off.

This memoria basically covers his arrival to Rhearth and his time spent with a race of people called the Beastials.

Since this memoria covers a HUGE span of time (like, literal centuries), rather than trying to summarize it all like the other memoria, I've instead written a number of short vignettes of stand out moments from this period that I feel are important for understanding Beast. They uh... kind of got away from me a little but! lol here we are. In Beast's own mind this probably showed itself to him as like an extremely long montage.

(I'll try and add a bullet points summary to the end)

"Lord Patroclus what... what is that creature?"

"Is... Is it dead...?"

"No, it's alive and can talk like other intelligent ones do. It says it fell from the sky - caused that loud crash everyone heard. Quickly, help me with it, I think it's hurt from the fall."

"R-Right away, Lord Patroclus! Where are we taking it?"

"My house will do fine. Someone go fetch Panakeia as well, we'll need--"

[ The young man stops, seemingly realizing that the Beast is awake again and watching him. He leans in close to one of its ears: ]

"Don't worry - these people won't hurt you."

[ The Beast goes back to sleep. ]

--

"Are you up now? Here, I don't know what you eat but I tried to make something easy to digest--"

"I don't need to eat."

[ The young man pauses. ]

"...You really do just... sound like that, huh."

[ And then he shrugs, like deciding he'll just get used to it. ]

"Anyway, don't be like that- you're hurt, you need to eat something--"

"No, I mean my kind has no need of such things. We don't eat."

"...Oh. Okay then."

[ He sits in a chair opposite the Beast and starts to eat the food instead, contemplating the other being carefully before speaking again. ]

"So... I get that you're from this... ■■■■■■ ■■■■■ or whatever but what I'm not sure I get is... why? Why are you here?"

"...I wanted to find my moth-- ...my sister."

"Your... sister?"

"Yes, my older sister. She found me when I was still very small and raised me. But a long time ago she was... banished from our world."

"Banished...?"

"Yes. That's the punishment of killing another of our own, which she did in order to protect me."

"...Oh."

[ The Beast sighs and rests its head again. ]

"I spent many years staring at that portal they sent her through, watching all the glimpses of different worlds it showed. I missed her so much and dreamt often of leaving everything behind on the slight chance I could see her again, even if it meant I could never come back. Finally I decided I could take the agony of being in that place no longer and that's how I ended up here."

"...I see. Well, maybe I could help you find her. Does she look anything like you? We have all sorts of creatures here but you stick out a lot even in comparison to the weirder ones."

[ The Beast thinks for a moment. ]

"...More heads."

"...Okay then she'd definitely stick out."

[ He puts the plate aside and stands before walking closer. ]

"I'll let the others know about this and they'll ask around next time they travel. If she's here at all we should know before the sun finishes its current cycle."

"...Thank you, human."

"...I don't know where you learned the word 'human' from but don't call any of the others that. It's super archaic, you'll just end up offending them. We're the Beastials - okay?"

"Bea....stials....?"

"Yeah, that's right."

[ He then reaches out and... stops for a moment, hand hovering in mid air as if he's unsure where to place it. But eventually he puts it down and pats the Beast's head gently. ]

"I'm Patroclus by the way; I'm the leader of this village. Do you have a name?"

"My name is--"

[ ... ]

[ Patroclus smiles. ]

"Well then, welcome to Rhearth, ■■■■■■■."

Edited 2021-01-11 19:16 (UTC)

"Get your face out of my dinner. I thought you said you couldn't eat?"

"I said I don't eat, not that I couldn't. But I don't want to eat it, I just-- why does it smell like THAT?"

"What are you talking about? It's just some vegetables, I didn't even cook any pungent ones..."

"I'm telling you it smells... strange! Everything here smells strange but this--!!"

"...Oh my goddess. Things don't have a scent in your world, do they?"

"Huh?"

"You said you never saw colours before, right? That it was overwhelming you just walking around the village or looking at my hair. Well I bet nothing had a scent either, except your own bodies."

[ He then shoves the plate over to the Beast. ]

"Here, just try eating it. I bet nothing had any taste in that place too."

[ The Beast stares the food down for a moment before cautiously picking up a potato and eating it. Immediately following that first bite he starts devouring everything. ]

"What... what is this?! This is amazing--! Patroclus, is all food like this?!"

[ Patroclus leans back with a satisfied smile. ]

"We don't just eat because we have to, ■■■■■■■. We eat because we enjoy it. Food is one of life's joys."

[ The Beast finishes and looks at Patroclus excitedly. ]

"Is there more?! I want to try more!!"

"Nuh uh. I'm not going to let you gorge yourself and get sick just because you discovered food is delicious."

"But Patroclus! Patroclus, please!! I want to!!"

[ He tugs at the other's clothes, but Patroclus just shakes him off as he moves to clean up. ]

"Go to sleep tonight and you can have something different to eat in the morning."

"Really?!"

"Yeah. And I'll make you something just as delicious every morning, all right? So no more staying up and running around the house all night."

"Okay!"

--

[ Patroclus stares at the ceiling as most of his bed is now taken up by the Beast. ]

"...I didn't mean sleeping with me but..."

[ But the Beast is already asleep before he can finish. ]

"Patroclus, Patroclus!! I have a great worry!"

"Huh? What is it now?"

"The nice, friendly grey hairred lady down the hill that always gives me those fried mashed potato snacks hasn't been at her stand in two whole moons! We must try and find her!"

"Fried mashed potato snacks...? Wait were you begging for food from the neighbors behind my back?!"

"I was not begging! She gave them to me and told me not to tell you!! But that doesn't matter! She has disappeared, Patroclus!"

"Geez, are you kidding me-- wait. Hold on. You mean..."

[ Patroclus freezes and trails off, staring at the ground. ]

"■■■■■■■... that woman passed away."

"Passed... away? I do not understand this term..."

"...It means she died, ■■■■■■■."

"What?! She was slain?! Then we need to find her killer post-haste!"

"No... no ■■■■■■■, no one killed her. She just... her time had come. She died of old age surrounded by her children and grandchildren."

"...I... I do not understand... that... can happen?"

"Of course... everything dies in this world eventually, ■■■■■■■."

"Every... thing...?"

[ The Beast moves closer to Patroclus and tugs at his sleeve. ]

"Even... you? Patroclus will you also... die?"

[ Patroclus just looks at him before patting his head gently. ]

"Not for a long time, my friend."

[ But one day. ]

"■■■■■■■... I'm sorry, but I don't think your sister is here."

"...I know, Patroclus."

"...You do?"

"Once my senses acclimated and I got an understanding of this world's mana, I tried to detect her presence. If another one of my kind were here I would know it and they would know me. But... there was nothing."

"...How come you didn't say so sooner?"

"I knew you truly wanted to help me and did not wish to undermine your efforts. But... if I am entirely honest there was a part of me that wanted to believe I was still adjusting to everything and that she herself would... come find me. Like she always used to... no matter how many times I would get lost, no matter the danger I was in... she said she would always find me..."

[ Patroclus stares at the Beast for a while before sitting down and leaning against him. ]

"I'm sorry, my friend. I wish I could do more for you... but you know I was thinking about it. Have I told you the legend of the Goddess Ascension yet?"

"...The what?"

"You know how I told you everything dies eventually here? That includes our Goddess. But when she dies a baby fairy is chosen to replace her. And they say that fairy goes and finds herself a protector... a Priestess from another world."

"Another world...?"

"So I was thinking maybe... maybe the next time a Priestess comes here... maybe you could meet them. Maybe your sister is in THEIR world, you know? And if not then maybe the Goddess with her power to go to other worlds can find out where she is and help you get there."

"I... I suppose that's worth a shot..."

[ But the Beast isn't even thinking about his sister anymore. His mind is elsewhere. ]

"Patroclus... can I still stay here?"

"Huh? Of course you can. This is your home now... uh, unless you don't want it to be..."

"No, I like being with you, I don't want to go but... you let me stay here because you were helping me, and the villagers that were here earlier..."

"...Ah. So you heard all that."

"You spend too much time with me..."

"No that's... ugh, that's not it. It's not that they want you gone, they just think I need... a more suitable companion in my life."

"A suitable companion?"

"Yeah... a man to have a family with."

"A man... family..."

"Anyway, don't worry about it, they're just pushy. I've told them time and time again that I'm not going to force myself to settle down with just anyone all for the sake of whatever stupid magic blood lineage needs to be preserved. When the right guy comes along then maybe I'll think about it."

"...I'm still not sure I understand but if you... are sure that you are happy like this..."

"Yeah... happier than I've ever been, ■■■■■■■. It's fine."

--

[ Patroclus fell asleep against him that night and the Beast tried his best to get him into bed afterwards. But the Beast himself did not join him like usual, unable to sleep at all.

What could I possibly do to repay you for everything... how can I make you even happier...?

Something under the bed catches his eye; a book of illustrations that he had seen Patroclus hastily shove under there the day before. He pulls it out to take a closer look.

It's all men.

Tall, dark and handsome young men.

He looks for more, finds them and looks through them too. More of the same.

A man to have a family with.

Hm... maybe.... just maybe... ]

"Good morning, Patroclus. Did you sleep well?"

"...Who are you?"

"Ah, don't recognize me~? I'm hurt, Patroclus... I know I've changed but I would hope you would still recognize my voice--"

"No really, who the hell are you and where is my dumb ■■■?!"

"...You think I'm dumb?"

[ Beast approaches the bed at that point and carefully takes one of Patroclus' hands in his. ]

"Patroclus... it is me... I'm ■■■■■■■..."

"..................................................What."

[ He gets even closer, beginning to climb onto the bed. ]

"Is this not to your liking after all...? I've never done this before so I tried really hard to get the form right, but there were some traits I still couldn't hide..."

"I... You..."

"Aren't I a more suitable companion now? Now no one will complain and we won't ever have to be separated!"

"...Oh my goddess, are you for real? Did... did you... are you trying to become my boyfriend?"

[ Beast stops and blinks. ]

"...What's a boyfriend?"

"................................................"

[ And then Patroclus hits him with a pillow. ]

"Get off, I'm going to make breakfast and then you're going to properly explain everything to me, got it? Oh and get some damn clothes on!"

"...But all the men in your books weren't wearing any..."

"...........................................................YOU LOOKED AT THOSE?!"

"Wow, you sure are Mr. Popular lately huh."

"I'm sorry - I was waiting for you and those girls just came up to me with a bunch of questions..."

"Uh huh. Of course. You're such a looker now how could they not."

"...Patroclus, are you jealous?"

"What? Me? Of you? I'm not interested in women, remember? Why would I care."

"No, I mean--"

"Anyway, what do you want for dinner tonight? I've got fresh milk so w--"

"Patroclus... should I change back?"

"...Huh?"

[ The two stop walking and face each other. ]

"I just wanted to make you happy, but you always seem aggravated now..."

[ Patroclus eyes him for a moment before sighing and stepping forward. ]

"Bend down, dummy."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

[ Beast complies and as soon as he's within reach Patroclus grabs a fistful of hair and pulls him in for a quick kiss. ]

"...Don't even think about changing back for a second, all right?"

"....Patroclus what... what was that?"

[ Patroclus averts his eyes and Beast follows his gaze to see the girls who were talking to him before... now all looking mortified and heartbroken. To call the smirk on Patroclus' face satisfied would be a gross understatement. ]

"Oh, you know. Just marking my territory a little."

"????"

[ In Patroclus' hands was his grandfather's precious lyre, the only memento he had left of a family that had long since passed before him... all of its strings broken. ]

"I'm... I'm sorry Patroclus... I just wanted to try playing like you do, but I..."

"It... It's all right. It could have been a lot worse."

[ Patroclus sighs and then moves to the table to place lyre down before he goes to search for replacement strings. ]

"Could you... leave me alone for a while? I need to focus on fixing it."

[ Beast hangs his head and leaves without another word, his feet taking him out of the village and back into the mountain forest where Patroclus first found him. ]

--

"Where have you been?!"

"I... You said you wanted to be alone so I..."

"I meant for an hour not for two whole moons!! I've been worried sick!! Where were you?! What were you even doing?!"

"I... I only meant to take a nap and... Patroclus? Are you crying?"

[ Patroclus clings to Beast's front and in frustration hits his chest. ]

"Of course I'm crying!! I looked everywhere for you! And you were just... you were just... you were just gone, I thought something happened to you and it was my fault--!!"

[ He tries to wipe his tears away hastily to no avail but Beast just... watches with a face of hurt and confusion. ]

"I don't understand... weren't you angry with me? I broke something precious to you and..."

"You... You big dummy... stupid idiot...!"

[ And before Beast knows it, Patroclus has buried his face in his chest and wrapped his arms around him in a tight but desperate hug. ]

"Strings are meant to be broken, you can always replace them! But there's only one you!!"

"P...Patroclus..."

"So don't ever do something like that again! You... You can't be replaced, ■■■■■■■... no one can replace you..."

[ Unsure what else to do but being distinctly reminded of the way he himself looked when his sister left, he wraps his arms back around Patroclus. ]

"...I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"Patroclus... what are those people doing?"

"What people--"

[ Suddenly Patroclus freezes, looking mortified before looking downright pissed. ]

"Stay right here-- Hey!! I see you there, idiots!"

[ It's a while later when Patroclus returns, successfully chasing the couple off. ]

"Geez, I don't care what you do in the bedroom but you can't just do that in public where anyone can walk in on you! Not everyone consents to being involved in your exhibitionism, good grief."

"...I don't get it. Were they doing something bad? I know they started with that 'kissing' thing you showed me but..."

"...Wait. You really don't know? They were having sex."

[ Beast tilts his head. ]

"Sex...?"

"...Oh goddess. Don't tell me. Does your kind seriously not have sex?"

[ Another head tilt. ]

"No....?"

[ Patroclus looks ahead, pressing his fingers to his temples. ]

"I'm not dealing with this right now. I'm going to go get a stiff drink and we'll deal with this later."

"W-Wait, Patroclus! Wait for me!"

--

"...Are you really sure about this? Once we start it might... hurt a bit."

"I told you a dozen times now - I'm sure. I just want to give it a try."

"But... what if you don't like it? Your kind... doesn't even do this..."

"Then I'll know I don't like it. But I thought I didn't like food at first too, remember?"

"...You trust me this much with this?"

"...Patroclus."

[ Beast lifts his head and presses their foreheads together, keeping his arms around the other's shoulders. ]

"I trust you with my life, my dear."

"So Panakeia told me something interesting just now."

"Hm?"

"She told me that the baby she delivered this morning had horns coming out of his forehead."

"...Horns? That's strange... has that ever happened before?"

[ Patroclus shrugs as he removes his cloak. ]

"Elementals all have horns and we're basically the forest equivalent of them. The parents were all excited, thinking it's a sign that the mana here has blessed us like it did when our ancestors' hair changed."

"Oh! Then it's a good thing?"

"Probably. Or maybe just a fluke. That happens sometimes when you're around a lot of mana."

[ But as he finishes hanging it he stops and takes a long hard look at Beast. ]

"...I really wonder though."

"?"

--

"All the kids born this year have horns too huh..."

"So it's probably not a fluke then, right? It was... what did you call it before? A generational mana mutation?"

"Yeah... looks like it."

"..."

"..."

"...Patroclus? Why are you looking at me?"

"Hey! Hey ■■■■■■■!"

[ Beast is shaking uncontrollably, choking out sobs inbetween desperate gasps for air. ]

"P-Patroclus--!! Y-You need to hide--! She's...!!"

"Hey, calm down! Nothing's wrong, okay?"

"But she was just here!! ■■■■■■■ was just here--!"

"No one can get in here without setting off my spells, ■■■■■■■. You just now woke up from a deep sleep."

"...I was asleep? But... it was so real, she..."

[ Patroclus eyes him closely, before drawing closer to him and holding him tight. ]

"I think you had a nightmare. Probably your very first one ever."

"A... nightmare?"

[ He starts to calm down, his breathing returning to a regular rate and his tears starting to dry. ]

"...Do you want to talk about it? You've... never mentioned a ■■■■■■■ before..."

"She... she is my sister..."

"...The one that was banished?"

"No... no, a different older sister.... she..."

[ He swallows thickly before finally focusing his eyes on Patroclus'. ]

"Patroclus, I... have not been entirely honest with you about why I left my world..."

--

"Good morning, did you sleep better after all that?"

"Mm... not really, but no more nightmares at least-- huh? What's this?"

"Oh, well... since you had such a rough night I thought that I would treat you a little bit and make your favorite breakfast foods."

"Really?! Should I just have nightmares every night then?!"

"...Don't push it, my friend."

[ The two grow silent as Beast sits at the table and gets ready to eat while Patroclus finishes cooking, his back to the other. ]

"...Hey ■■■■■■■."

"Um... yes, Patroclus?"

"If that bitch should ever show up here... you come tell me right away... okay?"

[ And that's when Beast realized that every other time he'd seen his companion get angry or irritated wasn't true anger. Not like the silent fury he had in this moment was. ]

"I'll kill her on sight."

"■■■■■■■... what do you think about... getting married?"

"Married? What's that? Is that another one of those 'kinks' you're into?"

"...You'd think I'd know better by now. You think I'd have learned. This is what I get... this is what I get for liking my men stupid."

[ Patroclus sighs and recomposes himself. ]

"No ■■■■■■■, marriage is... it's when two people who love each other very much decide they want to be together for the rest of their lives, and so they get married and then in some cases start a family."

"Oh. Well then we don't need to worry about that, we're already going to be together forever!"

"N-No, it's... ugh, it's like a way to make it more... official? You get to have a wedding - you know, those big events in the village you asked me about before? And there's usually rings and-- goddess, why is this the subject that's so difficult to explain?!"

[ Beast just tilts his head. ]

"But... why would you need any of that...? I don't get it... do you marry everyone you love then...?"

"W-Well... I mean some cultures definitely do that but even then not like... everyone..."

"But... you love everyone in the village, right Patroclus? You always tell me you do, and I love everyone here too... why would you just get married to me?"

[ At that, Patroclus' heart visibly sinks. ]

"You... ■■■■■■■ do you not... my love for you is different from how I feel about everyone else, ■■■■■■■. Do... do you really... not see that? And do you not feel the same?"

[ It's in that moment that Beast gets the distinct feeling that he somehow messed up... because Patroclus is clearly hurt.

But when he thinks about it... actually thinks about it for the first time ever, it does feel different for him when it comes to Patroclus. And yet... ]

"I... I'm sorry Patroclus but I... it is different with you, you're so important to me but I don't... I don't understand the difference right now. Most of my kind... doesn't love at all, so I'm still... figuring these things out. And so I don't know if this married thing is... I don't think I understand the point of it? Other than the big party part?"

[ Patroclus looks away from him, gathering his thoughts... before ultimately turning his back to him altogether. ]

"...Right. I... always forget that you're not really a man. You're just a beast, after all."

[ That one word breaks his heart.

Even though he knows what "beast" means to the beastials... that a beast is just a force of nature, grand creatures of power, beings that herald beginnings and endings, things that they revere so much that they even named themselves after them... in this context it hurts.

It just makes him feel like what his brethren back home were: Cold and heartless. ]

"...I'm sorry. I hurt you again, Patroclus. I didn't mean to--"

"No. It's all right. I'm the idiot this time. I shouldn't be expecting you to understand everything about the culture here so easily, even after all these years."

"...But this is important to you. If it's important to you, then let's--"

"No. No, no. I don't want you to agree to it because you feel like you have to. I'm not going to let you force yourself into something you don't fully understand yet."

[ He goes quiet for a moment though, before turning his head back to Beast. ]

"But... I truly hope that some day you understand. Even if you don't feel the same way I do about me or anyone else, I hope... one day you understand why I wanted this with you, specifically, and not anyone else."

"You know... it would probably be good for you to travel. Learn more about the world."

"Oh, you mean like that time you took me to the ocean? It would be nice to see places like that together again...!"

"Ah... no I mean... on your own. Without me."

[ ...... ]

"..........Huh?"

"You're kind of dependent, you know? It'd be good for you to learn to manage on your own, explore and discover new things."

"...Ah..."

"And I'm going to just get busier, you know? I gotta figure out this whole settling down and passing down my blood line stuff, train someone to eventually take over for me--"

"...Are you breaking up with me?"

[ ........ ]

"...Where'd you learn that phrase?"

"People were asking me yesterday... they asked if we had broken up and then explained to me what it was... said you mentioned needing space..."

"....."

[ Patroclus keeps his eyes down, then with a sigh finally raises his gaze to meet Beast's. ]

"Yes. I'm breaking up with you."

"...You came back."

"...Patroclus."

[ He takes a shaky step forward, out of breath from all the running, not sure what to make of the frail man before him who looks familiar and unfamiliar all at once. ]

"Is it true...? They told me... they told me that you're--"

"Did you have fun travelling? I know you came back a few times and I refused to see you then but--"

"Don't try to change the subject, Patroclus!! Are you dying?!"

"S-Sir ■■■■■■■, please don't raise your voice so mu--"

"...Yes, ■■■■■■■. I'm dying."

[ Beast's eyes widen, standing there like the wind has been knocked out of him. He can't contain himself any longer and in seconds he's rushed over to Patroclus' bedside, falling to his knees and reaching desperately for his hand. ]

"Please don't!! Please don't die, Patroclus!! I don't want you to die...!!"

"This isn't something I can control, ■■■■■■■."

"P-Please, Patroclus... I missed you so much! I don't want to be alone anymore, I can't stand it...! So please don't go!!"

"...You never left, did you? When I told you to go. You stayed up in the mountain the whole time, didn't you."

"Of course I did!! You said this was my home, Patroclus! I didn't want to leave, I have no where else to go! So I went to sleep in the mountain, hoping that when I woke up you wouldn't be angry with me anymore...! But it was so lonely-- I was miserable on my own...!"

"...I knew it. That explains why-- no, never mind. This isn't the time for that."

[ He shifts his hand in Beast's until he's weakly clutching back. ]

"I'm sorry, ■■■■■■■... I... was also miserable. There is nothing I have regretted more than the day I sent you away. I wanted to go look for you so many times but I thought..."

[ He turns his head and looks away. ]

"I thought staying apart was what I would have to do to ensure my own happiness and future. That if I saw you again I would never be able to move on. But it didn't matter how much I tried... I could never get over you."

[ He looks back at him, smiling sadly. ]

"You really can't be replaced, my beloved ■■■■■■■."

"P-Patroclus please... please don't leave me alone... not when I can finally see you again, not after I've missed you so much...!"

"I told you, ■■■■■■■. This isn't a choice."

[ He pauses for a moment, before taking his hand out of Beast's and placing on his head instead, just like the way he used to pet him long ago. ]

"...But you won't be alone. I'll make sure of that right now."

"H...Huh...? Patroclus what are you...?"

"You can let everyone else in here now, Ganymede. I'm sure they're all waiting outside eavesdropping anyway."

[ Soon enough the other side of the room begins to fill with young and old alike, with even more still outside, hanging back so the ones closest to Patroclus have priority. Some of the faces Beast thinks he knows from all those decades ago, but many of them are too young for him to have known. The younger ones all have horns but to his surprise... some of the children also have tails and even wings.

Patroclus takes his hand again and squeezes it to get his attention. ]

"■■■■■■■, light of my life... do you love this village and the people here just as I do? Do you truly see it as home?"

"O-Of course I do, Patroclus... th-this is where I... where we lived together... it means e-everything to me..."

"And if I asked you to protect them from now on, until the end of your days... would you do that for me?"

"I... y-yes, Patroclus. Anything for you..."

"...Good. That's all I needed to hear."

[ Patroclus does his best to sit up and raise his voice. ]

"Everyone! I want you all to listen to me and listen well: this will be the last request I will make as your former chief and village elder.

For ages our clan has revered and worshipped this forest and the long passed beast that made it. When it was clear to our ancestors that we were no longer the ancient humans of old, that we had become something else entirely, we changed our name to reflect our connection to that beast. And for just as long we believed another beast would come, one that would signal a new beginning for the Beastials and guide our future. Other races called us fools, believing beasts to only be creatures of destruction, but we clung to this belief despite all that.

Well that beast has at last come... and he is here in this room with you all now."

[ The crowd of Beastials are shocked and confused, but none as much as Beast himself. ]

"Patroclus, what are you...?"

"I've had my suspicions for a long time but now I am certain; he is the reason that our young have changed so rapidly and have taken on all these new traits. Even as he slept near the village his mana continued to influence us and give us these new forms that we have so warmly welcomed. He is a beast from another world, a gift from the sky bestowed upon us and more importantly than that... the love of my life that I foolishly tried to push away. So now I ask you to do what I no longer can....

Cherish him. Take care of him. Comfort him when he needs it. Support him when he leaves and welcome him with open arms when he returns to you. Love him as I always have. Make him feel like he always has a home with the Beastials, that we will always be here for him. And in turn he will love and protect you back... give you what he has given me.

For he... he is one of us now. One of our kin. He is... your Guardian Beast."

--

[ Beast held Patroclus' hand all through the night, his head in the other's lap like old times. He held it even as the other went silent, until he could go longer feel the life in his frail grip.

And then he cried. He cried and wailed until his throat became hoarse. And the whole time the Beastials cried with him, holding him just as they held each other. ]

"Everyone! Lord ■■■■■■■ is back!!"

"Wait, really?! Lord ■■■■■■■ is back?!"

"Lord ■■■■■■■, welcome back, welcome back!!"

"We missed you, Lord ■■■■■■■!"

"Ah, I'm sorry-- I was gone an awful while this time wasn't I?"

"It's okay! We're just excited you're back!"

"Do you have any new stories for us, Lord ■■■■■■■?"

"Everyone, please don't crowd him..."

"Oh, plenty of new stories. But I'm afraid they'll have to wait. You all know who I need to visit first--"

"Ah-- Are those flowers for the Great Founder then?"

"Yes, I found them in Avalon and they reminded me of his h--"

[ And then Beast pauses and turns to the beastial who just spoke. ]

"Wait... since when have you started calling him 'Great Founder'? Patroclus wasn't the one who founded the village..."

"Oh! Well that's because he's the one the one who found and brought you to us!"

--

[ Once the grave is tidied up and the flowers are set, he sits on the ground in front of it, legs crossed. ]

"I'm sorry I was gone for so long, Patroclus, but it seems the barrier spell I learned held up quite nicely while I was away."

[ He reaches to his side, opening a basket that one of the local housewives had shoved at him as soon as he returned and pulling out a fresh bun. ]

"Avalon was beautiful, you know - just like you always told me. I'm glad I finally took up your advice to travel, I just wish you'd been there with me... Ah, but I suppose you're always with me now, right?"

[ He looks up at the canopy of trees above the graveyard, watching the way the setting sun trickled light through the leaves. ]

"...Great Founder, huh? I suppose adding another great to your elder status might have been a bit too much but I worry what your ancestors would think of that..."

[ He takes a bite, thinking it over some more. ]

"I wonder sometimes... if this pedestal you've put me upon is too high, my dearest."

"Lord ■■■■■■■, what kind of beast am I?"

"Mmm... judging by those scales and horns... I would say a dragon."

"Wow! A dragon!"

"What about me, Lord ■■■■■■■? I have scales too, right?"

"Ah yes, but these are more in line with a serpent I'd say. The sort you'd find in the oceans of my original world."

"What about me?"

"Oh, that's incredibly obvious. You are a ■■■■■, just like me."

"Really?! You hear that, everyone?! I'm just like Lord ■■■■■■■!!"

"Um... Lord ■■■■■■■..."

[ Beast looks down and from the crowd of children around him finds a young girl with feathery wings tugging at his sleeve. ]

"Do... Do you know what I am...? Everyone was trying to say I was a Feathered and not a Beastial..."

"Now that's foolish. Your parents and grandparents were definitely Beastials, as are you. You have the horns after all."

"B-But..."

[ Beast gives the other children a Look that clearly says "okay, who's been bullying?" and when they all suddenly get quiet and shy away, he bends down to the child's level. ]

"Let me get a good look... oh, yes I know these kinds of red plumes and I can guarantee you in all of my travels I've yet to see a Feathered look anything like you."

"Really?"

"Yes, little one. There's only one thing you can be and that's a phoenix, the most majestic of all winged beasts."

"Lord ■■■■■■■ do you um... do you like phoenixes...?"

"Oh, sunshine. Of course I do."

[ And then he picks the girl up, rising to his feet and holding her up above him. ]

"I love all you little beasties."

"Oh come on!!"

"No fair, Phoebe! I wanna be lifted up too!"

"Me next Lord ■■■■■■■, me next!"

"You know what I heard when I went into the city the other day? The locals there were calling our Lord ■■■■■■■ 'the Beastials' trickster god' of all things!"

"I heard that too! Apparently it's because he's been playing all sorts of harmless pranks with magic and shapeshifting lately!"

"Oh, that makes sense. He's tried to pull pranks like that on me before too but they never did work."

"Me too! But we'll ALWAYS be able to recognize our beloved Lord ■■■■■■■ no matter what he looks like, won't we?"

"Mmhm, that's right. So you can stop hiding in that tree like that, Lord ■■■■■■■. We already know you're there!"

[ With a huff Beast jumps from the branches he was hiding in and changes back into his preferred form. He crosses his arms and pouts. ]

"You could have at least humored me a little..."

"Aww, don't be like that, Lord ■■■■■■■!"

"Heehee, why don't we make it up to you by making you dinner?"

"Lord ■■■■■■■... may I have a word?"

"Ah, Phoebe. Of course, what is it?"

"It's... about my son, Helios. I don't know if you've heard but he'll be leaving for Cygnia tomorrow."

"Ah yes, I did hear. Cygnia received a rather grim prophecy about a beast and requested a Beastial to come assist them with the analysis of it, correct?"

"Yes, that's right. I was wondering... you've been to that region plenty of times before, yes? Would you... would you terribly mind going with him?"

"To make sure he makes it safely, you mean?"

"Yes. I know he's a grown man in his 100's now, but it's the farthest he would have ever travelled and as a mother I can't help but worry."

"My dear, if it would ease your mind then it would be no trouble at all for me to accompany him should he allow me. I was planning on heading out that way soon anyway."

"Oh! Thank you, Lord ■■■■■■■! I shall tell him right away!"

--

"I think this is as far as we should go together, Lord ■■■■■■■. If the Cygnians find out I brought a beast with me past the country borders they might throw a fit. Things are tense for them right now, you know?"

"I understand, Helios. Tell me, do you know what date you'll be leaving by? I can come back and accompany you home as well; I'm sure it would ease your mother's heart if I did."

"...Ah... that's the thing, Lord ■■■■■■■... I'm not going back."

".......Huh?"

"Ahhhhh, that mother of mine, she knew this was bothering me. Everyone in the village already knew, but it was really hard to try and tell you for some reason..."

"Helios... what's going on?"

[ The red winged man takes a deep breath. ]

"You know the town outside the forest that we always trade with? There... was a girl there. A Feathered girl that I loved. We've been seeing one another for years now and even talked of settling down together but... her father just passed and her mother is ill, so she went back to Cygnia to care for her. We've been writing constantly but I can't stand being apart from her any longer, so I volunteered right away when the Cygnians asked for help."

[ Helios had his back to Beast before but now he turns to look him in the eye. ]

"I'm going to ask her to marry me, Lord ■■■■■■■. And if she says yes, I'll settle down here, start a family... and with Cygnia being as sensitive as they are right now... I'll probably never see you again."

"Helios..."

"I-I'm sorry Lord ■■■■■■■ for not saying anything sooner. But it truly made me happy when mother said you were coming with me... you always do so much for us and I... we all love you, you know?"

"Oh Helios... my little sun spot..."

[ In an instant Beast's arms are wrapped around him tightly and he's pressing a kiss to the crown of Helios' hair. ]

"I know you all do. And I'm proud of you. I know you'll make that girl very happy, Helios."

"L-Lord ■■■■■■■... thank you..."

[ He holds on for a little while longer, Helios now overcome with emotion and shedding tears that he'd been holding back... but eventually Beast lets go and sends him on his way. Once those red feathers are gone and long out of sight, he turns his head up to the sky. ]

"Being willing to leave your home and family to be with someone who means that much to you... did you feel that way as well, my dearest Patroclus?"

[ He sighs, regret swelling again in his chest as he thinks back to the feelings from those days that he finally has the capacity to understand... feelings that can no longer be acted on. ]

"I wonder if I'll ever feel like that again..."

"Lord ■■■■■■■, Lord ■■■■■■■!"

"Ah, Delphyna. Where are your mothers?"

"They're out doing some stuff! But it's okay, they know I'm here!"

[ "Probably because Artemis expects me to watch you..." he thinks to himself. He bends down to pick her up, which she gladly lets him do. ]

"Well, I suppose so long as they know where you are, it's fine."

"Hey Lord ■■■■■■■! Mommy told me something!"

"Oh?"

"She told me about your beast form! She said it's like a big ■■■■■ and really ■■■■■■ and that you used to let her hug you when she was scared!!"

"Did she now..."

"I wanna see it! Pleeeeeeeeeeeease?"

"Now, now, Delphyna. I only--"

"Oh... I would also like to see it."

[ Even in a memory, Beast can still vividly remember the feeling he experiences in his chest when he hears that voice. Warmer than anything he's ever felt before, yet tight and painful. Something he might have only once felt before, back when Patroclus was still alive, back when he couldn't recognize what that feeling was... but he recognizes it now.

Love. Unrelenting love and adoration.

And yet... while everyone else's faces and voices have been crystal clear, hers is not. He forgets what her voice sounds like as soon as he hears it, and her face and body are nothing but a blur even when he turns to look at her. ]

"May I... ■■■■■■■?"

[ His face turns beet red and he looks away anxiously. ]

"W-Well... maybe later..."

[ Delphyna looks at him, grins widely, then squirms out of his arms to make her way over to the woman. ]

"Miss Priestess, Miss Priestess!! Are you going to dance with Lord ■■■■■■■ at the Festival tomorrow?!"

"D-Delphyna...!"

"O-Oh, well... if he wants to..."

"Mommy told me it's going to be the last one we have in this village so--"

[ Beast freezes. ]

"...Wait. Artemis said what?"

"You can't be serious, Apollo! Please, I beg you to reconsider!! You must rethink this!"

"I'm sorry Lord ■■■■■■■ but we all decided to do this. It's for your safety as much as ours."

"But... But it's not fair! You and your ancestors have lived here for millennia! Why should you be the ones driven away from your home?!"

"I understand how you feel, but the Gaius Empire has made it clear they have no intent of ever leaving us be. How many times now have you driven them and their camps away over just this past century? They won't stop, Lord ■■■■■■■. All they see us as is an obstacle in the way of what they want, a bunch of heretical vermin that just pose a nuisance, and everyone is tired of dealing with it."

[ Apollo looks off before continuing. ]

"And if what they say is true... if they're really after you now and have a Beast on their side helping them... we can't risk it any longer."

"But..."

[ Beast looks to the ground, the fight beginning to leave him. He wants to protest more, tell him again that he's sensed no other beast, but Apollo didn't just make this decision on his own as leader: every Beastial did the moment they realized their guardian could also be in danger.

Apollo smiles sadly before crossing the distance between him and Beast, putting a hand on his shoulder. ]

"Everything will be all right. Even without this forest the Beastials will live on and adjust to a new life - it doesn't mean an end. The Evercold tribe has already agreed to help us move to their mountain range, and the Empire won't touch any of the Elemental's land. So let us do this for you, after you've always protected us."

[ Beast is quiet before finally sighing. ]

"It's no fair... saying all that when you have the same face as my beloved Patroclus. You all really are stubborn when you put your mind to it."

"And you're one to talk. Where do you think we learned this from?"

[ He then moves to take Beast's hand in his. ]

"If you want to go say good bye to the Great Founder right now I won't begrudge you for it. But I hope you and your girlfriend will still join us at the festival at least. After all, we're not going to go out without a bang."

"My girlfriend...? Ah-- n-no, no, no, no, you've got the wrong idea Apollo!! She's not...!"

[ Apollo gives him a Look. ]

"See? Just as stubborn."

Edited 2021-01-11 19:39 (UTC)

[ He was only gone a little while after that. Not even a month. But the next time he returns all he sees is one thing:

Fire.

The forest, the village, the place he had protected for all so long... all of it is ablaze. And yet he still ran in, still desperately wanted to believe that he had come in time to save them. But there was only destruction and lifeless bodies to be found. He would have burned in there too if his companions had not done everything they could to save him and try to control the fire. But there wasn't much they could do and so now Beast just watches from a collapsed heap at the forest entrance he used to so often come and go from.

He's in shock, his mind completely blank but eventually he notices something. A spell scorched into the ground. A magic message... and just by looking at it he can tell it was left for him. Cautiously he reaches out to touch it and instantly the words are in his mind:

Did you have fun with your toys? Did you have a laugh making me do this?
This is no one's fault but your own, baby brother.

And then all at once he's screaming. A deep, guttural bellow of rage and anguish from his very core as he realizes who did this. Why they did it. That he had failed his beloved Patroclus and his precious kin not just by not being there to help them but by also leading a monster straight to them.

And then when the angry screams are done, they give way to profuse sobbing as he collapses even more into himself and grieves the loss of life. Of his family. Of the first people to ever truly and thoroughly love him since the loss of his eldest sister. ]

"■■■■■■■..."

[ It's her again. Even her voice sounds strained with tears. ]

"Orpheus used her powers and found out that a lot of the Beastials escaped... They were already starting to leave for the mountains, so many of them evacuated..."

[ A lot. Many, even. But not all. It's still somewhat reassuring though to know that not everyone had died. Yet who had managed to survive? Artemis, her wife and little Delphyna? Apollo? ]

"There's still time, we can go find the survivors and--"

"No... No, I can't. I can't... ever see them again..."

[ Even as the words leave his mouth, they sting. They hurt more than anything else he's ever had to say. ]

"If I... If I see them now... then she'll just follow my mana trail like before and do this all over again.... I... I can't..."

[ He covers his face with his hands and hunches over as low as his body can go. ]

"I've lost... everything..."

"■■■■■■■..."

[ And then he feels her body pressed against his, her arms wrapped loosely around what parts of him she can comfortably manage. ]

"I'm... I'm still here for you. I won't leave you, ■■■■■■■..."

[ His shoulders shake with more sobs, but eventually he takes one hand away from his face and shakily puts it over one of hers. ]

Bullet points copypasted from the ones I shared in chat:

-so shock to absolutely no one, Beast is not a Feathered and also wasn't originally even remotely humanoid. Whether or not he always had wings is still up in the air, he's just some kind of creature.

-he is also not from Rhearth but arrived there after going through a portal in his original world and was found by a man named Patroclus who is the leader of a village of people called the "Beastials"

-he claims to have left his world bc he wanted to be reunited with his eldest sister, who raised him in place of their actual mother but was banished from their world bc she killed another of their kind in order to protect him and that's big no no where they're from

-though later he also reveals that he also left because of his OTHER sister who.... listen i'm not going to beat around the bush about it anymore, she flat out abused the hell out of him and is the worst

-his kind don't need to eat and don't die from natural causes, only from being slain (they also don't reproduce or mate though that comes up later). His original world also didn't even have colour or scents or anything like. fun. it sucked. Beast falls in love with food and trying new shit bc it was just something he never had.

-He grows really close to Patroclus and out of a desire to stay with him and make him happy, figures out how to transform himself into his humanoid appearance (though he says "there's some traits I couldn't hide") and their relationship changes to one more like romantic partners (though Beast still struggles to understand a lot of it)

-Eventually Patroclus tries to bring up the idea of getting married to Beast but Beast doesn't Get It bc he's still struggling with understanding these sorts of emotions.

-The children in the village start being born with horns and other features which just.... happens in rhearth bc of how it works as a world but it's eventually realized that Beast's presence is the reason for this, as his mana is directly affecting them

-Patroclus and Beast break up bc Patroclus does want a family eventually but ultimately regrets the decision. Beat sleeps on and off in the mountain nearby and when he finally gets to see Patroclus again it's on the other's death bed

-Patroclus declares Beast to be the Beastials' Guardian Beast in an effort to make up for leaving Beast alone for so long and tells them to take care of him. They fucking love the hell out of him.

-The Beastials are clearly all turning into hybrids of various mythical creatures (which is what Beast's original world entirely consists of) such as dragons and phoenixes and all sorts of shit. All of them have horns though.

-Beast also starts being called a Trickster God by non-beastials bc he's started using his shapeshifting powers to play pranks, but these pranks never work on beastials bc for some reason they can see right through it and always recognize him (this isn't just a "oh they love him so much" thing it's literally an ability of theirs bc of his mana being what changed them)

-At some point Beast becomes acquainted with the new "Goddess Priestess" from a legend that Patroclus told him long ago. He cannot remember anything about her right now bc she's a separate memoria, but it's very clear that he's in love with her. The beastials even call her his girlfriend

-The Beastials decide to leave their forest bc of something called "the Gaius Empire" being unrelenting in trying to get rid of them no matter how many times Beast fights them off. Supposedly the empire has a beast of their own now and is after Beast himself.

-Before they can all leave though, the forest and village are completely burned to the ground. A message is left for Beast at the scene that makes it clear that this was done to hurt him specifically. While several of them apparently survived and escaped the fire, Beast makes the hand choice to never see them again.

Edited 2021-01-11 20:36 (UTC)

Memoria of Achilles adopting his son (by killing Odile's abusive mother)

memoria of Odile's childhood and Achilles raising him

memoria of Achilles meeting his would-be-wife Odysseus and falling in love with her/entering a relationship with her over the course of an adventure they took together with friends. These memories cover the first half of that journey.

For clarity, Achilles will be referred to by his true name, Orthrus, throughout this write up (though he has not remembered the name yet).

The following memoria deals with Orthrus’ childhood in his home world, up until he left it for Rhearth. To make it easier on myself I'm just doing a bullet point summary, divided into 5 sections (one for the world history itself, one for each of his three main sisters, and one for the circumstances surrounding his departure). This section of Orthrus’ life is extremely dark, especially when it concerns his older sister Chimera. While Chimera’s section will have its own listed trigger warnings (which uh. Please please please PLEASE be sure to take a look at them), please note that this whole write up will at times deal with: genocide/mass death, child death, suicidal thinking, depression and grief.

If you have any familiarity with Fate/Grand Order, it would probably be easiest to think of this as similar to a Lostbelt.

Divided into two comments bc lol I hit the word limit

Astrath

Orthrus' homeworld is known as Astrath, though it is also sometimes called The Astral Realm by outsiders aware of its existence. The occupants of Astrath are also referred to as Astrals.
Orthrus' race were called Beasts but to separate them from the actual Beasts of Rhearth (which are a very different thing) they are called Astral Beasts.
Like Rhearth, Astrath also has a Goddess - all worlds in this universe do, actually. But Goddess does not mean they are that world's creator, rather they are supposed to be the caretaker/protectors of it. Supposed to be.
Every world has a different relationship with their Goddess and each Goddess themselves is different. Some have very little to do with their worlds, some are worshipped, some are shunned. But they are distinguished by their large mass of tree root like horns and galaxy hair, and are usually true immortals. (note though: Rhearth's Goddess is missing her horns, as losing them was part of the process of entering her eternal cycle of death and rebirth)
Astrath's Goddess is named Echidna (known to the Astral Beasts as The Allmother). She resembles a human woman with a snake tail instead of legs and a massive toothy maw on her stomach. She is also FUCKING ENORMOUS and instead of flesh, her body is made of earthy materials such as clay.
As a side note: Orthrus' human form STRONGLY resembles his mother's human side (here's a slightly outdated, preliminary design sketch of her). All of the Astral Beasts in human form subconsciously copy their mother's face without realizing it. It takes actual effort on a beast's part to avoid looking like her (because... you know, she's their mom).
Echidna was shunned and feared by the humans of Astrath on account of her appearance and size. She was seen as a monster, not as a Goddess and so she kept her distance from them, hiding in mountains and not really caring what happened to her designated planet.
Eventually though she met Typhon, another monstrous deity like being born from volcanoes and considered a fire god. Typhon became Echidna's husband and the two began to consider how to make children together.
In the end they found a way: Echidna would take clay from her body and sculpt it into a beast, and then Typhon would bring this creation to life by creating a piece of obsidian crystal full of his fire mana to act as the beast's heart. Clay of the mother, crystal of the father... or in other words: flesh of the mother, soul of the father.
When these newly formed creatures would reach adulthood, their clay was considered "hardened" and so they could no longer be killed by natural means. In order to kill these beasts, one would have to slay ("shatter") them. They would live forever like their parents otherwise. Echidna would also celebrate their adulthood by giving them a special "gift", usually a special power or domain to call their own.
As the children grew up and set out into the world, man looked on them with fear. Tales began to spread that these creatures were monsters out to kill people and so would be heroes would rise up time and time again to slay the beasts.
Echidna wept the loss of each child. Sometimes it wasn't even man who had done the slaying. The beasts themselves had started to learn to shapeshift (a side effect of being made from magic clay) as a defense mechanism, trying to disguise their crystal cores as jewelry so as to not give themselves away, but this did not always work and many of them were still killed.
Then, the event that changed Astrath forever, the single thing that ended it, was the slaying of Typhon himself.
It doesn't matter who did it or why. In her grief and rage, Echidna decided that she had enough and nothing would ever harm her children ever again.
She killed everything.
Every person, every animal, even every plant. Anything that could conceivably kill a beast could not be suffered to remain.
In a mere instant she murdered all life on Astrath. The world became no longer able to sustain life and is now considered a Dead World, inhabited not by organisms but by the immortal automatons that roam it. It is completely closed off, with no way to enter it now even with worldhopping magic, and if you somehow found the one portal to leave you can never return.
Echidna also made it so the adult beasts were banned from killing each other. Doing so would result in banishment to another world which some saw as a better fate but others (who still remembered man) feared would result in a brutal death at the hands of the occupants of whatever world they ended up in. As killing oneself also happens to be impossible for a beast, this left the beasts with no way to ever safely and comfortably die
As a result, the beasts started to become hollow husks of what they once were. Nothing had meaning to them anymore, and they became more and more devoid of any emotion or feeling towards one another. Most of them avoided each other, spreading out over a barren and wide world and keeping to themselves. Some who remembered the old days stayed together as family units but one by one they all began to succumb to the depressing horror of their current situations and either abandoned one another or found ways around the Allmother's law (killing each other at the same time, accepting banishment in exchange for killing your loved ones, fusing into "one" being, and so on.)
Possibly most disturbing though is that Echidna, whilst trying to fill an endless void in her heart left by Typhon's passing, continued to create more beasts.
When Typhon died his entire body turned into the same obsidian he would make for his children's hearts. Echidna guards his corpse carefully and whenever she makes a new child, she merely chips off a tiny piece of the crystal to use.
At first these children grew up in this desolate world without issue but over time, some of the older beasts began to grow concerned. Eventually it became common practice to kill the new children before they could reach adulthood, as it was realized that the law against killing other beasts actually only applied to adult beasts. After all one could easily say a child beast had simply fallen to its death, didn't survive a particularly cold night, or had been accidentally crushed while playing in ruined architecture.
Make no mistake though: while there were beasts who did this simply to spare new ones from having to suffer this awful endless life, there were also just as many, if not more, who took pleasure in killing. Ones who had literally nothing else to do, nothing to look forward to. And Echidna knew this, knew that she was sending out sacrificial lambs. And did not care.
"If they don't survive then clearly they weren't worthy of my eternal love."
Because of this, many millennia passed with no new beasts being recognized as adults by the Allmother. With the exception of Chimera, Orthrus was the first in several thousand years.

Cerberus

Cerberus was the eldest living beast prior to her banishment, living for over 10,000 years.
The third made by Echidna and Typhon, she was noted for being her father's favorite and considered one of the strongest - hence why her mother decided her gift would be guarding the Lake of Realms, a pool of water that reflected other worlds in its surface and served as the only existing portal out of Astrath. (Mistakenly believed by humans at the time to be the entrance to the Underworld)
Cerberus was stern and serious but also incredibly soft hearted towards her younger siblings. This was why when the world changed, she was one of the ones to gather up the siblings closest to her and do her best to care for them. However by the time Orthrus was born, the only other one of these original siblings left was Hydra (whom also soon after left Cerberus to sleep in the ocean). Because of this Cerberus had become cold and jaded over the years, though she still refused to participate in killing newborn beasts.
Some time before Orthrus' own creation, Cerberus came upon Chimera who had stumbled into the ruins she used as a den. Cerberus decided to take Chimera in and take care of her, but Chimera's hostility towards Hydra (and later Orthrus) at times made this relationship a little strained.
Orthrus however was a different matter. It was on one of her walks that small puppy Orthrus saw her and tried to get her to play with him by attacking her tail. This caught Cerberus' attention as every other child usually ran from her in fear. Sensing something different in Orthrus, Cerberus decided to bring him home and raise him along side Chimera.
While originally she introduced herself to him as his sister, when explaining to him what a mother was (and bitterly saying Echidna is "anything but a mother now"), Orthrus asked if that meant Cerberus was his mother. She allowed him to call her that instead.
During this time with Cerberus, Orthrus' childhood was actually quite happy. While Chimera was hostile and jealous towards him (and even tried to kill him at one point), Cerberus kept her in line and protected both of them. Orthrus was able to be an excitable and curious puppy, and Cerberus found herself warming back up and beginning to remember what she had loved about life before it became an endless slog. To her, Orthrus became like a single ray of sunshine in an eternally overcast world, one that she swore to protect no matter what.
Cerberus kept warning Orthrus that he shouldn't go out by himself until he was an adult, but he continuously disobeyed this, never fully understanding what the danger Cerberus kept warning him about actually was. One day another beast came across him and immediately tried to kill him.
Cerberus intervened and when the other Beast would not stand down and leave, she fought him to the death.
Because of this Cerberus was subsequently punished and banished to another world, though not before angrily lashing out at Echidna for what she was allowing to happen to the child beasts. Orthrus and Chimera watched all this happen in hiding, and when she vanished into the Lake of Realms it took all of Chimera's strength to stop him from running after her.
This event would scar Orthrus for life and also mark the beginning of even more severe mistreatment from Chimera.

Hydra

Hydra, like Cerberus, was another beast from the days before the world changed though much more draconic in appearance. She and Cerberus had always been quite close, and so stayed together with some other siblings when things went to hell. The special gift Echidna gave her was claim to a portion of the ocean to serve as her personal dominion.
Originally she only had two heads, however as her siblings began to struggle to withstand the pain of their current existence, she began to offer to take their pain as her own by merging with them. This is an ability the beasts have because of the material used to make them and merely involves taking the other beast's crystal into your own body. However is strongly advised against, as it results in the consumed beast losing all sense of self and consciousness, while the remaining beast suffers the weight of the other's pain and other emotions. Still, Hydra had already been consuming the crystals of her fallen brethren before the world changed, and so offered this anyway out of compassion for her siblings and a longing to ease their suffering.
As a result Hydra now has hundreds of heads, one for each sibling. Over time this warped her personality and she became an apathetic, depressed shell of her former self.
Orthrus only met Hydra once, as Chimera's hostility to Hydra had convinced her that she was better off moving into the ocean and living a solitary life style. Cerberus caught her before she was gone for good and introduced Orthrus to her.
Orthrus was immediately scared of Hydra because of her size (the largest of all beasts) and hid behind a rock while the two sisters talked.
In the end Hydra went into the ocean and Orthrus never saw her again. But she told Cerberus that if Orthrus ever needed help, he could always call for her at the beach and she would hear.
Unfortunately, when Cerberus explained to Orthrus how Hydra came to be the way she was, he took "consumed" to literally mean "eat" and became convinced that this would be what Hydra would do to him if he ever tried calling for her help, and thus he never did.

Edited 2021-11-01 23:34 (UTC)

WARNING! The next section contains the following: abuse (physical and mental), gaslighting and incestuous overtones.

Chimera

Chimera is a fire breathing beast with both the head of a lion and the head of a goat. Before Orthrus, she was the first beast in ages to survive till adulthood. Like him, Cerberus felt like she was different in some way, but could not pinpoint exactly how or decide if it was a positive or negative difference.
Chimera was attached to Cerberus' hip throughout her childhood, wanting to be just like her but also not wanting to share her with anyone else. This caused her to be extremely hostile to Hydra trying to get her to leave, which eventually succeeded despite Cerberus' attempts to keep her in line.
This became even worse when Orthrus was brought home and Chimera became convinced that he was a replacement for her. She was extremely jealous of him, and though the two managed to get along sometimes, she tried to get rid of him on more than one occasion, even going so far as attempting to kill him once. (Though she did not try this again after Cerberus ripped into her for it, one of the only two times Orthrus has ever heard Chimera cry)
When Chimera reached adulthood, Cerberus took her to Echidna to be officially recognized by her. While Chimera had been excited to finally meet the Allmother and gain her approval, Echidna seemed strangely uninterested in Chimera and even referred to her as one of the "failed ones", implying that there was something she was unhappy about with Chimera's design. To make things worse she was also unable to give Chimera a gift, as there were simply no more gifts to even give, making her the first beast to not receive one.
When they returned home Chimera was a wreck, and had to be consoled by Cerberus. Orthrus overheard her crying to Cerberus about not understanding what was "wrong with her" and begging Cerberus not to abandon her. Orthrus never saw this vulnerable side of Chimera again.
When Cerberus was banished that's when things went to hell. Chimera was enraged but her attitude towards Orthrus also shifted. Shifted into one that was much more obsessive. While she blamed Orthrus for what happened and made sure he knew that it was his fault (bringing it up constantly to guilt and manipulate him), she decided that it would now be Orthrus' job to take Cerberus' place and stay at her side forever.
Sometimes she would be extremely sweet and doting with him, but at the drop of a hat she could change and lash out in anger. Cuddles could turn into maulings in an instant. She physically attacked him so often that, in her own words, she had become an "expert in hurting him just enough to not kill him". Every time she hurt him she would always follow it up with heavy gaslighting, telling that it was really his own fault and she wouldn't have to keep doing this if he wouldn't do this and so on and so forth.
In addition to this, Orthrus was strictly confined to the ruins they lived in and not allowed to leave. Where as before he could leave with his sisters, now he wasn't even allowed that much, with Chimera insisting it was for his safety. Now terrified of other beasts, Orthrus for the most part obeyed. But the older he got the more he wanted to leave as all beasts feel an innate compulsion to seek out the Allmother for recognition once they reach adulthood. Still she would not allow him to and the times he managed to sneak out were always met with severe punishments, with Chimera boasting that no matter where he went she would always find him. Constantly she would accuse him of trying to abandon or replace her, no matter how much he insisted that he wasn't.
As Orthrus came of age, Chimera also became even more possessive and her language around him changed. She would often point out what a handsome beast he had become, and that he was meant to be hers and vice versa. That he belonged to her. Orthrus himself did not think much of it at the time since Astral Beasts are biologically asexual and don't engage in romantic relationships (Orthrus' own romantic relationships with mortals make him an EXTREME outlier). Later though he would come to realize that Chimera's words sounded more like a lover's than a sister's, which would then greatly disturb him.
In truth, Chimera's feelings for Orthrus were never that of a sister or a lover: to her, he was only ever property. In a way she did see him as someone that completed her but only in the sense that having absolute control over Orthrus made her feel superior and whole. She might have actually cared for him somewhat, but in a purely narcissistic way. In contrast to Cerberus seeing Orthrus as something to protect, Chimera saw him as something to own and keep only to herself.
If we were to quantify what actually makes the two of them different from other Astral Beasts, it's that Orthrus embodies love, while Chimera embodies lust. Orthrus is like earth that gives and gives, while Chimera is the fire that simply takes. She will consume and destroy everything in her path to sustain her, and she will not tolerate Orthrus giving any of himself to anyone but her.

Leaving Astrath

Despite all of Chimera's best efforts, Orthrus did eventually escape long enough to find his way to Echidna and was recognized as an adult.
Unlike Chimera, Echidna was very interested in Orthrus, remembering him as the child that Cerberus had killed another to protect. She noticed a strong resemblance to Typhon in Orthrus and wondered if perhaps that was why Cerberus developed such a fondness for him.
At mention of his father Orthrus asked more about him to which Echidna decided to bring him to see Typhon's body. However the sight of the picked apart crystal horrified Orthrus and he had to look away.
Before letting Orthrus be off on his way, Echidna asked him if he would like a gift. This confused Orthrus, as he knew from Chimera that all of the gifts were gone, but according to Echidna there was finally one more available.
She gave him the Lake of Realms. Cerberus' gift, now free to give again with her gone.
With man gone, Cerberus had long abandoned guarding the Lake, believing that anyone who wanted to leave Astrath should be free to do so. Because of this Orthrus had only seen it when Cerberus was banished, but had no idea what the surface looked like. Instantly he became entranced with it and all the different, colourful and lively worlds reflected, worlds nothing like the only one he'd ever known.
When Orthrus finally left Echidna and the Lake he found Chimera waiting for him not too far away. Orthrus feared Chimera's reaction but Chimera seemed to take the news of Orthrus' meeting in stride, albeit while acting coldly to him. When asked if she was mad that Orthrus had received a gift when she hadn't she merely shrugged and declared it was fine... because she now believed Orthrus himself was her gift.
Now that he wouldn't be in danger of being killed by other beasts anymore, Orthrus started frequently leaving the ruins, something that made Chimera unhappy but she had no more excuses to force him to stay. He spent all his time at the Lake of Realms staring into it obsessively and desperately trying to see if he could catch even a single glance of Cerberus. He began to fantasize about jumping into the lake to explore these new worlds, but fear of Chimera and the unknown held him back every time.
Chimera herself would seek him out constantly and demand he'd come home when he was out too long. Orthrus started to become a little more rebellious and would openly disobey and talk back to her, which would result in more of her violent outbursts.
After one particularly bad one, Orthrus revealed that he had been looking for Cerberus, which caused Chimera to relent as she also still missed their sister. In a huff she left Orthrus be but not before reminding him that just because he was an adult now didn't mean he wasn't still hers - that he could ever escape her.
"Until the sun itself dies, you will always be mine."
Something about this exchange finally broke Orthrus down and he could no longer take the helpless feeling in his chest. He wanted to see Cerberus again, he wanted her to make Chimera stop... but more than that he wanted to know what these other worlds felt like. What things like grass and rain were like.
What it felt like to be free. In worlds still brimming with life.
In worlds without Chimera.
He hesitated a little longer. But in the end he jumped into the lake and fell through Rhearth's sky.

Edited 2022-03-04 02:22 (UTC)

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Memoria

"The most precious thing to me is..."

"Ehhhh... I know that face. That's the face you make when you're being a big chicken."

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"Father... what should I do?"

"...Right. I... always forget that you're not really a man. You're just a beast, after all."

Arrival

Discoveries

Death

Resignation

Transformation

Companions

Irreplaceable

Intimacy

Horns

Nightmare

Marriage

Separation

Goodbyes

Home

Beasties

Mischief

Helios

Love

Leaving

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"Until the sun no longer shines, you will always be mine."

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