Private In Divine Domains

[Arcturus Dinn]

Fucked.​

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That was one word for it, wasn't it?​

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He wasted no further time even so, even with that ominous message lingering in the back of his mind, he took Pharus by the hand and whisked them away. The Nether passed them hastily by, so fast it all seemed to blur together into an odd amalgamation of silvery streams, red rock wastelands, blackened forests, and purple-peaked mountains.​

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On the other side of the veil, they were rather unceremoniously spat out into the waters of the cenote itself. The shock of landing drew all of the air from Arcturus' lungs, and he found himself fast drawn toward the bottom of the water.​

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Meanwhile, where the chrysalis had previously lay now only an empty shell remained in the center of the dodecagram.​

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Pharus Dystra ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Pharus grit his teeth as they were forced out of the Nether and spat back into Realspace—directly above the pool. He didn’t even have enough time to scream or curse before he hit the water, bubbles swirling around him on impact.

---

When butterflies emerge from their cocoons, it is a slow, gradual process. That wasn’t the case for Rhiannon. She had burst free of the chrysalis violently, gasping for breath as she sat up.

Did she feel different? Not really. She felt a little groggy, like she had just awoken from a long nap, and her vision remained blurry even when she rubbed her eyes. Then she felt something move inside her and froze.

The long skirt of her white dress had never felt so endless as she blindly scrambled to lift it up to her waist. As if making up for lost time, the slight bump of her belly had gotten bigger while she was inside the chrysalis, the baby growing strong and healthy the way it was supposed to. She could feel her belly button against her palm, pushed outward by her full womb. Another kick from within coaxed a laugh out of her, relief washing away all her worries. "My little Star..."

A loud splash to her right made her turn her head on instinct, but she still couldn’t see a thing! “Arcturus?” she called out. No answer. But she could sense him through the Force. Was it just her, or had their bond gotten a whole lot stronger?

Crawling forward, she made her way to the edge of the water and plunged in. Using the Force as her guide, she swam toward him, her hands reaching out with each stroke…

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

As he sank beneath the water, all that Arcturus could think about was the boy he'd ripped back to realspace and unintentionally plunged into these warm waters. While he went deeper and deeper he reached out through the Force and sought the presence of the blonde boy, and with the last of his strength, when he found him there, he pushed telekinetically and knocked him up out of the water, to where the shore lay.​

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It had been a long day, an arduous day, many days in fact, filled with ritual and focus. Everything that Arcturus was had been sapped at, strained, and once he felt Pharus expelled from the water he simply succumbed to it. His eyes closed, mouth opened to free small bubbles of carbon dioxide, and all went black.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

Rhi’s fingertips finally found purchase against flesh. It had to be Arcturus, but why wasn’t he moving? Oh, great!

Kicking her legs, Rhi pulled him up to the surface, then swam back to shore. At around the same time, another body washed up on the beach of the tiny island.

“Mrs. Dinn?” Pharus sputtered. “You… You’re…”

“Not now, dear, Arc is drowning,” she replied. The water had washed some of the gunk from her eyes, though her vision was still somewhat obstructed. She had to feel for his mouth before affixing hers to his, breathing air into his waterlogged lungs.

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

There was nothing for a while there, not even the blackness one might associate with nothingness. No colour, no light, no sound, no feel, no nothing. Not even a thought capable of thinking about how little there was.​

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Lay there in the shore, Arcturus didn't move. He didn't twitch, his lips were fast turning blue, and his red hair was almost brown it was so soaked and stuck to his head.​

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Then, all at once, with a gasp and a sputter, it all came back. He came back.​

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Arcturus coughed a great cough, his chest heaving, and turned onto his side in order to dispel the water from his mouth. His head span, body shook, but once he was gasping for air again he found himself pushing all of that aside.​

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"Rhiannon" he gasped, "Rhi--" When his eyes focused he saw her there, knelt before him. She was the picture of perfection, colour had returned to her cheeks and her stomach was swollen with child. Even her hair seemed more vibrant and filled with vitality. He let out a teeny tiny sob of relief, and wrapped his arms around her; he didn't even notice her wings, not right away.​

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As he clung to her with his left arm, his right reached out toward Pharus. Just this one, Arc decided, just this once he'd make sure he gave the boy a hug even if he tried to protest. They had come so close to losing everything, he needed a moment to realize all that he had in life.​

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Ishani Dinn ​

 

[Ishani Dinn]

“Thank goodness you’re alive,” Rhi murmured softly, hearing Arc coughing. “You really had me worried for a second there.”

Pharus, still shaking the water from his body, found himself pulled into the arms of a sobbing Arcturus. He didn’t have much choice but to acquiesce, letting himself be dragged along. Rhiannon was now noticeably pregnant, huzzah. She was also wearing a soaked white dress that clung to her skin. Pharus averted his gaze awkwardly, but not before getting an eyeful of her new wings.

Multi-colored and covered in fuzz like that of a butterfly or moth, they were just beginning to unfurl. She fanned them a few times, perhaps subconsciously, trying to dry them. Most of her focus was on Arc. “You did it,” she said, kissing his cheek. “You saved him. Star knows it, too. He leaped in me when he heard your voice.” She smiled, then said, "Are both of you all right? We probably shouldn't stay out here in our wet clothes. I'm sure you're both exhausted, too. As for me, I'm starving. And I'm sure Marcus and Eloise are wondering where we are..."

Arcturus Dinn​

 

[Arcturus Dinn]

It was done. He'd managed it, no... They'd managed it. ​

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"Pharus, you were phenomenal" he coughed, one hand slipping down to lightly touch the bump. "Oh, I'm so glad the three of you are all alright, I couldn't bear to lose even one of you."​

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She was right of course, remaining out here in their damp clothes wasn't a good idea. With that in mind, and in spite of the fact that he was thoroughly exhausted, Arcturus rose and once more swiped her up off the floor, carrying her bridal style. His gaze shifted to Pharus. "Are you okay?" he asked, "Come on, fresh clothes and some hot cocoa are in order."​

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Nudging his head in the direction of Beholder, he led the way and soon enough they were all dry, dressed, and dining as a family. Arcturus couldn't keep his eyes off Rhiannon, save for the moments where he glanced Pharus' way, afraid that the boy had suffered more than he'd let on. The twins noticed the change in Rhiannon's stomach immediately, and were happy to hug and fawn over her and it.​

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Then, satisfied that all was well, Arcturus took a much needed sleep. The actual tattoo could wait a little while longer...​

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Ishani Dinn ​