Forum Thread

Thirteen minutes and forty seconds... thirteen minutes and forty one seconds... thirteen minutes and forty two seconds...

Cloudy looked up from his watch, staring at the vivid pins streaking across the blue sky. White clouds crawled at a leisurely pace. A perfect, not-sunny afternoon. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. He sure would look ridiculous, or atleast mighty suspicious. A middle aged man dressed entirely in a suit, gold watch and sparkling diamond ring adorned on his slender fingernails. Onyx ram horns glinting in the mellow light, protruding out of his still-purple hair. An attempt to cut it short was made, but locks of curls still fell over his face and around the back of his neck. Yes, if Cloudy saw himself on the other side of the street, he'd think he was awfully familiar, and also awfully peculiar.

Lilya would've kissed him on the cheek and told him he looked stunning. The thought of her voice made the corners of his lips perk up. She was waiting inside the teashop, with the rest of his family, err, a part of his family. After all, someone family would be visiting them today. It'd been a long time since they'd talked, an even longer time since he'd left the cottage. But the image of a fellow laughing, smiling witch with a clock in hand always brought joy. Did Iteral receive his letter? Email may have been faster, but an old fashion letter never hurt anybody. He closed his eyes, trying to remember what he wrote.



Then, he'd slid the letter (along with the paper with information) into an envelope, sealed it with green-gold wax and sent it off, hoping he'd picked the right address. Wouldn't that be funny? If he'd picked the wrong address? Iteral wouldn't have gotten the letter in the first place. Cloudy inhaled deeply, running his hand over his face. He watched the sky again as a plane droned across the sky. The wind blew through his hair and he sighed. He looked back to his watch.

Seventeen and twelve seconds... seventeen and thirteen seconds... Seventeen and fourteen seconds

Cloudy's counting of the second was suddenly interrupted by a familiar sound, it was a little louder than usual, though that was by intention. Two shadows appeared, quickly reforming into actual humans, or at least what looked closest.
One was Iteral, of course, dressed in an ordinary white shirt and long black skirt. Her hat was obscuring most of her face but her hands were a little wrinkly, she wasn't in her young form... but not old either, else they would shiver a bit. As she looks at the letter in her hands again, she utters something in Latin before handing the letter over to the other newcomer.

"Are you sure this is the right place... here, you read it."

Then, the other person kindly extends his hand to her to read the letter himself. He was taller than the witch, even whenaccounting the hat, long brown hair that was combed back behind his shoulders and dressed in a fine sapphire blue suit, even with a little clock emblem on his left breast pocket. Dashing, could be a correct word. He smiles and points at the tea shop.

Then, just as quickly as one could register, she held a clock and vanished for a brief moment before appearing on the correct side of the street. "Cloudy!" She smiles, looking into his direction. The hat tilted slightly in her small temporal leap, causing it to fall forward a little but she could still see enough to do the classic "loving family charge" that is usually reserved for airports. The other man was more restrained, he took the traffic light nearby to get across instead. He also spoke Latin, though he had an accent, much like Itty when she spoke English.

"No matter how old, you keep your youthful energy." Instead of the attempted bear hug, he instead gives a gentle bow, a perfect 15°.

---

Cloudy stared back in wonder before the gears in his head turned. He finally realized the "Iteral!" He shouted loudly and immediately swept her into a hug. He spun around on the sidewalk, holding his sister in his hands with glee like a little child, hugging his cousin at a dinner. "Iteral!" He said again, almost disbelieving before he spotted the other person. He gently let go of Iteral and nodded in acknowledgement. "Good evening, I assume you are my nephew? Iteral, I didn't know you could pull." A childish smile pulled at the side of his mouth.

Iteral didn't even let go, she keeps hugging him after and her hat actually fell down because it pressed against Cloudy, revealing a little change of her own. Her hair was still black but had slight strands of pink instead of white now, while her heterochromia could now be seen. Left eye, a striking brown with hints of blue and while the right eye had a contact lens, it was slightly smaller than her actual iris, revealing a small ring of pink. "Ahhh, it's been too long." She actually turns red a little when Cloudy mentioned it.

The young man smiles and picks up the hat of her partner, dusting it clean with a quick exhale. "Well, she does have a certain charm and it's hereditary enough to work for her daughter too. Else, I wouldn't be here." He puts the hat back on her and extends a hand, but only after Iteral breaks the hug. "I'm Ambrose Caelo Lucenox, her grandson."

---

Cloudy blinked for a few moments. "Grandson." He turned his head to Iteral, eyebrows up. "You have a grandson? You've had two generations worth of family, already? That-" He shakes his head adoringly. "You and your time hijinks." Cloudy smiled and took Ambrose's hand, shaking it firmly. "It's grand to meet you, Ambrose. Now, I have a question for you." He spread his hands wide. "Do you like tarts? My wife prefers cupcakes, but I'm a right sucker for fruit." No doubt, Cloudy wasn't young anymore. He wasn't the scrawny kid with bruises dotting his arms, nor the one that cried himself to sleep holding his horns. His eyes glittered green as he lead Iteral and Ambrose to the door. He held himself with confidence, maybe with a sprinkle of suave. Though underneath, he was a bumbling hive of nerves. His mind swirled with the things to say.

The two Lucenox follow, with Iteral being her old bubbly self and looking around, trying to find as many details as she can but Ambrose held her back slightly by putting a hand on her shoulder and whispering something in Latin. Then, her eyes were the only things that darted around. She finally responds. "You know me, Cloudy, I am content with everything that was baked with love!" Ambrose smirks back and nods, his handshake was quite formal but Cloudy could feel him trying to not apply too much pressure. "I like a fine tart though. You seem well-off... and quite mature, on our way here grandmother told all about you as a kid."

---

Cloudy's eyebrows raised, glancing from Iteral to Ambrose. "Oh? What did she say?" He opened the door and instantly the sweet aroma of honey tea and crumble cake flooded out. The shoppe itself was fairly simple, rustic in decor. Wooden planks lined the ground, contrasting the phthalo green wallpaper of triangles. The counter sat behind many circular tables and chairs with booths lining the walls and windows. The shop was empty, except for the barista patiently waiting at the counter. Cloudy's family sat in the booth by the sunniest window. An old man and woman sat together, dining through a pie while a small girl and a woman waited patiently. As they entered, the girl's green eyes lit up and she dashed towards her father. "Daddy!"
"Eunice, baby!" Cloudy bent down, kissing her on the forehead. She giggled and hugged him back before peering at Iteral and Ambrose with wide eyes.
"Good afternoon." She smiled cheerily. Seems she inherited her father's manners.

"You know the stereotypical muttering of a loving sister." Ambrose chuckles, his voice a soft baritone. "How you were adorable as a kid, how she tried making up for great-grandmother's busy nature and how sweet you would have looked in certain outfits of hers." He just smiles, while Iteral was just enamored by the atmosphere and smell. She always was a dedicated cook at heart, smelling them was just an added bonus. But as soon as someone called Cloudy "Daddy", her attention immediately shifted. "YOU'RE A FATHER NOW!?" She shouts, immediately hugging him again and rubbing her cheek on his. "Awww, it's been toooo loooong!"

Ambrose did nothing but chuckle at her. Did she forget that she became a grandmother in the same time...? Ahhh, sentimentals.

---

Cloudy laughed along with Iteral, poking her in the stomach with one arm while having the other around his daughter. "Sure has been, Iteral. I've been getting into all sorts of trouble without you. And so have you! I still can't believe you have a grandson! What does that make me? A grand-uncle?" He cleared his throat, patting his daughter's shoulder. She ran back to the table and sat down. "Why don't I introduce you to everyone? Iteral, Ambrose, this is my wife, Lilya and my daughter, Eunice. Those are my parents, Protos and Aaliyah. I..." He turned a darker shade of brown, sheepishly. "I may have brought too many people."

Iteral giggles and proceed to shake everyone's hand, regardless of how willing they were and, in her classic voice of "having an accent and slight gear noises at the same time", she just radiates happiness. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet everyone who's made the life of my adorable brother even better. Hmm, I could send a message so the others could come too."

Ambrose chuckle, holding a phone in his hand. "Not needed, grandmother. I already sent a message to the others." He instead bows down more this time. "It's an honor to meet the extended family."

Iteral then hits herself playfully. "Oh, where are my manners! I'm Iteral, pretty sure Cloudy told at least one story about me messing up his youth." She was joking of course. "And this is Ambrose, my grandson. Named him after my father, they do look very similar."

---

"It's an honor to meet you too, Iteral and Ambrose." Protos chuckled. He sounded like mellow thunder without rain, unassuming yet lingering. He was a tall man whom sat up straight. His straight hair was cropped to his neck, greys and whites threading through his jet black hair. His sideburns reached down to his chin forming into a thin beard. He wore a haori of dark green. When he combed his fingers down his kimono, small sparks sprouted from his fingertips. "Cloudy speaks highly of you. A witch of good humor and lovely baking skills."

"Not as good as mine, though. Right, hubby?" Lilya pinched Cloudy's shoulder as he sat down before kissing him on the cheek. "Why didn't you tell me your sister was so gorgeous? And that your grand-nephew was handsome?"
"Please don't leave me for my grand-nephew." He replied with a smile and she kissed him again, her dark coils bounced on her head as she laughed. She turned her twinkling bronze eyes to Iteral. "What would he do without me, am I right?"

Eunice gasped, then giggled as Iteral shook her hand. Many had done that before, of course. Her father was a businessman after all. But none had been as light and fun-feeling as her aunt's. She thought that Ambrose's name sounded a bit like a weed but decided to be respectful and not comment on that. "Could I ask you? Are you a magician?" She said as politely as she could.

Iteral turns a little red, she isn't very used to compliments, both past and present. Though after a short while (and a sip of water from a bottle Ambrose brought), she takes a deep breath. "Cloudy's just an adorable one, I knew he'd be alright after I left but I didn't expect him to just seize the jackpot like that! And who knows, we can have a bake off! It's been a long time since Cloudy tastes the fervor bread and this time, maybe you can taste a different emotion than anger!"

Ambrose shakes his head slightly. "I do practise magic but I am no magician or wizard, though I'm not shy of a few parlor tricks myself." As a little joke, he slides a few cards from his wrist, shows them - all four aces - before letting them vanish in a flick of his hand. "I just finished my studies and plan on becoming an astronomer. Grandmother told me about the stars and how her mother controlled them and it's been a dream since I was little to see the night sky in it's full glory."

---

"Oh, you're so on!" Lilya pulled up her sleeves and held up her arms in challenge. "You may be a Witch, daughter of a Goddess but I am a determined human! I make the best focaccia!" Cloudy sighed dreamily. He smiled a lot more now, face just melting into a gooey grin as he stares at his wife. He didn't seem to hide it either.

"That's so cool!" Eunice started, ducking her head around Ambrose's hands. "Magic tricks are so... engrossing! My dad sometimes has one on his ship. He makes doves out of coins!! And crows out of handkerchiefs! It's so cool." Her eyes lit up even more. Green specks glittered in her amber irises. "No way! I like- I like stars too! I watch them on the bridge sometimes! It's super cool on the sea. No light pollution at all!"

"Hey now, my cooking skills didn't come from my magic or my mom! They come from my other mom and lots of training! And foccacia, you challenge me in Italian food? You're on, sis-in-law!" Iteral lifts her fists, smiling at Lilya and Cloudy. She already got along with her quite well, maybe they can cook together after she defeats her!

"Perhaps we can share a telescope together some time and go stargazing together?" Ambrose offers, smiling gently. He had this interesting aura of calmness around him, almost like he already knows what her answer will be. "I am sure together, we could even discover a star or a planet. I will make sure to credit you for it."

---

"Heck yeah! A worthy opponent!" Lilya laughed. "I didn't go through all those years of culinary school for nothing!"
"Girls, girls. You're both beautiful." Cloudy grinned, putting an arm around Iteral and hugging her. He crossed his legs and leaned back slightly on his chair. "How've you been, Iteral? You seem happy. That's wonderful! What's been going on with your life?" He bit back the eagerness in his voice, curiosity sweeping into his words instead.

"That'd be awesome! I'd love to go stargazing with you!" Eunice clasped her hands together, a slight spring in her step. "We can roast marshmallows in the pit, too! And we can sleep on pillows and blankets. It'll be so fun!! What's your favorite constellation? You've got to have one, right?"

"I teach culinary classes, mind you!" Iteral laughs before Cloudy interrupted and she turns a little red. "Nothing, nothing, to be honest... heh, after the third war thing, I went back to my normal life. Teaching witches during the week, culinary classes on Saturday, my life is pretty boring but content. And sometimes, my daughter or Ambrose over here visit me. What about you though, you all seem to be more on the heavenly side of life! How have you all been?" Iteral smiles, folding her hands together and her eyes wide open.

"Well, my favourite constellation happens to be Cassiopeia. What about you?" Ambrose chuckles, Eunice seems a lot more child-like in her ambitions but in a charming and non-condescending way. She reminds him a little of her grandmother, though less overwhelming. "And you've got yourself a date, I suppose."

---

"Oh, you know me. I fought a lot. Won a few wars. Uhhh," He rubbed the back of his neck, static springing through his fingers. "Fixed some... issues in Godsworld." Aaliyah chuckled. Unlike her husband, her voice was louder, rolling and thunderous yet elegant like waves against a cliffside. "By issues, he means arrogant gods in need of disposal." She looked youthful for her age: not a single grey hair in sight. Smile lines and crows feet were etched into her warm skin as her hoop earring gleamed in the soft light. Though, most striking of all were her bright blue eyes, contrasting deeply with her skin and hair. "I'd have gotten rid of them myself if Cloudy hadn't rebelled. Imagine that! A blue god, one from the council no less! Dethroning other gods!"
Cloudy grinned sheepishly again and gave Iteral a look. "She's not lying."

"Cassiopeia! The queen! I love how it's shaped like a crown! It's so fun to trace it on the sky." Ambrose was fun! The only other people Eunice talked about astronomy with was her family. But her mom often mixed it with astrology, and her dad was always busy. "My favorite is the Argos! It's made up of three different constellations! I saw it in a tv show but it was so cool and I've always loved it since!" She giggled.

---

Iteral looks aside for a little while, though not really because she felt sympathy for the gods. There are some deities in the garden too that she would rather beat with a rolling pin than talk. Her sympathy actually went towards Cloudy and his family, still having to fight things... while her biggest fight is a rowdy student, they fought godly things. It reminds her of her own wars, or rather how useless she was back then. But then, a brief moment of silence later, she smiles. Because this time, she chose it herself. And she knows Cloudy, if he was in trouble, he would have asked her earlier. "Well, I'm glad everything worked out for everyone though! Hm, what kind of a god is Cloudy now then though?"

"Argo Navis, made from Puppis, Carina and Vela." Ambrose looks up at the ceiling, a little smile forming on his face. "Travelling the Milky Way for the Golden Fleece... I must admit, it is quite a spectacle. A shame it is no longer recognized..."

---

"Still lightning, no longer murder or misfortune." Cloudy waved his hand a bit. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. This whole god thing is... strange. I'm mostly human now. 'Cept for the horns, and the hair, and the lightning." He looked to Eunice and Ambrose, a smile growing on his face. "Eunice got a little more sunshine than lightning. By that I mean, nothing at all. Completely human."

"What!?" She shouted and then lowered her voice to a hused tone. "What do you mean? My granpappy tells me it's still there, in the sky. Stars don't... die immediately like that, right? I mean they die, yes, but not so suddenly!"

---

"Oh, it's like I always told the people in the garden. You know Mona's old books on mythology, those pure-blood gods had their flaws too. Perhaps it is time for a change of scenery..." Iteral takes off her hat and holds it in front of her face, moving a little behind. "After all..." She places it down completely, showing her right eye being an interesting hue of pink that turns blue towards the pupil... wait. The pupil is star-shaped! "It's not like you're the first demi-god, hehe~"

Ambrose blinks at Eunice a little, then starting to laugh a little. A short laugh, as he then shakes his hand. "No, I mean that people no longer see it as a whole constellation. It's like Pluto being a dwarf planet now. Now, it's three constellations."

---