She'd been walking as she usually did among the fields where she had been living since her death. She knew where she'd been, the world she lived in now. What everything looked like...so when she saw the green fields give way to the snowy ground and the sunset skies turn to darkness, curiosity drew her forward. She kept on until she saw the familiar sight of pines and the place where she'd been buried. Her grave was marked...and beside her, her eldest son, Dragon had been laid to rest as well. Confusion hit her, along with sadness. She had yet to see her beloved child in her world...though perhaps he was still making his way there. She took a steadying breath as she looked around, the familiarity of the grounds and the smell of the pines bringing her comfort. "What's going on...?" She wondered aloud to herself. Amber gaze looked to the sky and she noticed how dark it was. Perhaps it was just late in the evening. Though she wondered where everyone else had gone. Last she remembered, there was a pack here, but...it didn't seem to be anymore. There were lingering scents, but they were scarce. No pack scents that she could make out. "Avalon?" Her head whipped around and she saw a face she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. A warm smile touched her lips, tail wagging as she didn't hesitate to approach him. "Greed, my dear...it's nice to see you again." "Talk" "You" Think

He had returned to the place he had always considered home. With or without a pack, Greed always found comfort in the Pines. Spring had crept up on the lands, though with the now never-ending darkness, it didn't quite feel like Spring...the elder male made his way to where Avalon and Dragon lay buried. He had marked both their graves, though had initially been surprised when he'd found Dragon's body lying still near where Avalon rested. The old Ancoran prince had finally passed, and Greed had buried him properly alongside the Ancoran matriarch where he belonged. They were both home and at ease, no longer suffering or in pain or worrying about the troubles of the world. He was sure that someday soon, he'd join them as well...but when he didn't know. Claire was the only one left that he knew of...the others had dispersed into the world, though where they'd gone he wasn't sure. Even Claire had taken her own path, but she still came around to see him every other day to make sure he was still okay. He approached the gravesites but stopped when he saw someone standing over the graves. Hackles rose instinctively, a growl starting to form, though stopped abruptly when he heard the voice. He stood still. Quiet. The silence nearly deafening as he couldn't believe his eyes. But then he realized who it was. "Avalon?" She turned to look at him, and he couldn't wrap his head around it. She spoke to him, and he swore he almost stopped breathing. How was this possible? She was...dead... And yet, as he looked at her, she looked almost like she was alive...but not quite. "Wh...how...?" He stammered in disbelief. The glow of the crystals and mushrooms that surrounded them in the darkness made the scene look even more eerie and surreal, but even without them, he still would've been in shock just as much. "Talk"

His surprise at seeing her here was...unsurprising at best. Though she didn't let it deter her from approaching him. She reached out to touch him with her nose, though quickly found she wasn't actually able to touch him. She frowned for a moment, sadness creeping into her gaze. "It appears I am not quite tangible...though we can see and hear each other, I'm afraid a hug may have to wait another day." She said sadly. Oh what she would give to be able to be alive and whole again...

She sighed as her smile returned, the fae glancing around for a moment and noting the crystals and mushrooms that seemed to grow on just about every surface around them, and even the little blue fireflies that danced around. "You're up late, and..." She gestured to the strange glowing things that surrounded them. Even her beloved pine trees were glowing a dull shade of green, with some needles glowing brighter. "What's all this? Why is everything glowing?"

He didn't move when she approached him, and as she reached forward, he closed his eyes and waited for her touch. But...it didn't come. At least, not in the way he thought it would. He felt a slight shiver run through him, and when he opened his eyes, she was frowning. She said she didn't appear to be tangible...and that a hug would have to wait. Sadness crept into his own eyes then. And he felt it creep into his heart. He'd been feeling a lot of that more and more as the years went by, and though he was saddened by the fact he couldn't physically touch her and feel her warmth and comfort, he didn't blame her. The wariness and disbelief he had in the situation seemed to fade the more he looked at her and the more she spoke. Her voice had always been comforting...and he had to admit, he sorely missed her. "You're up late, and...What's all this? Why is everything glowing?" She asked him, and his own gaze would follow hers as they looked at the large crystals and the mushrooms and the trees. He shrugged. "I...actually don't know what part of the day it is...things have been strange nearly all winter...and it seems to have continued into Spring. It's dark all the time now, and these crystals, mushrooms, and even strange blue lights have been appearing all over the place." He'd done well to keep his distance from them so far. The wariness in his old age kept him from trusting in getting close to any of these strange phenomena. He wasn't sure about Claire though...he hadn't seen her for a few days now. "Now that I know I'm not...seeing things...I was hoping you'd know but, it seems you don't. I've never seen anything like it in my life..." He trailed off as a blue firefly floated past his nose between them. He stepped back, unwilling to let it touch him. He didn't trust it. Didn't trust any of this. But the only thing he knew he could trust, was Avalon. "I...I'm sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this...around you. I never thought I'd see you again..." "Talk"

He explained to her what had been happening. That he didn't know what any of it was, and that the dark skies had been lingering for a little while now. How strange..."I've never seen anything like it either, I'm afraid." Sure she'd seen some things in her life. Had even been victim to some of the harsher sides of nature, but she'd never seen anything like this before. He apologized to her. Explained he was still trying to wrap his head around things, and she shook her head. "It's alright, Greed. I never thought I'd be back home but...I'm glad I am. And I'm happy that I get to see you again, even if it's just for a day but..who's to say for sure, hm?" Whether she was here in the physical world for a night or a lifetime, she was just glad to be able to see someone she cared for as her own. "Walk with me,"

She didn't wait for him to accept or refuse, and instead, had started walking along the familiar path she had known so well. Mist clung stubbornly to the ground, though it didn't seem to really be affecting her. Her legs seemed to blend seamlessly with the mist that covered the ground, though she seemed to practically drift through it despite her moving in her own time. It was...strange...seeing herself like this. She knew she wasn't physically here, but it was hard to imagine herself otherwise. "Tell me, Greed. How are my other children doing? It...saddens me...that I left them so young..."

The little bit of hope he had, faded as soon as she said she had never seen anything like this before. Well, he supposed that was to be expected...it seemed this was a first for all of them, at least in Boreas, anyway. His tail wagged a bit when she spoke again, saying she was happy to see him again even if it was just for a little bit. He nodded in agreement. Of course, he was happy to see her, too. Whether it was just for today, or for the rest of his days...he just wished he could feel her. At least once. But that was something he would just have to keep to memory, he supposed. "Walk with me." Ears perked up, and without hesitation, he followed her. Like old times, they walked the familiar paths they had both grown familiar with, even with mist clinging to the ground and snaking around his legs. He couldn't help but glance at her feet, noticing how the mist didn't even seem phased by Avalon's phantom appearance. It was all so...strange...but there was no point in him trying to comprehend it now. He just wanted to enjoy her presence while he had it. "Tell me, Greed. How are my other children doing? It...saddens me...that I left them so young..." He paused. Hesitating in his steps for a moment as his brow furrowed, but continued on. Clearly, she was already aware that Dragon had passed away...so he didn't need to share that. Swerving around a cluster of crystals in his path, he was careful to not touch them. The elder male did his best to avoid touching any of these things as much as he possibly could. "Things took a turn after you passed. Acere's nephew, the red one... eventually took over the pack and it drastically changed. I don't know if that was part of the reason but...Ocean and Chrystelle left. Abandoned the pack. I haven't seen them since they left, so I don't know where they are or how they're doing. I'm sorry..." He felt like he'd failed her concerning them. But they were grown adults now, surely they could take care of themselves. "As for Claire...we see each other from time to time. She hasn't wandered too far from here, but I haven't gone out of my way to keep her rooted here, either. She's...a wonderful girl...I must admit, I am fond of her. I've trained her and guided her as much as I could in the hopes she would blossom, much like you did." He stopped, gaze drawn to another small cluster of crystals. The glow of the light purple crystals reminded him of Claire's eyes...and he couldn't help the small smile that touched his lips. "Talk"

Avalon

You are allowed to temporarily exist again, that in itself should be enough for you...

You receive an Ethereal Somnium Pass (character-bound).


You gain:  

• Ethereal Somnium Pass- Character-bound. One time use. Allows a Somnium character to return to thread freely for 1 in-character season (2 months) after event is concluded. Restricted to only threads where you have permission to enter, no trespassing, pass will be revoked if abused. Post in Maintenance when ready to use this pass.
  

Greed

You have been infected with strain 1 of the Ooze.

You see a shopkeeper out of the corner of your eye, but unfortunately you have nothing to offer him... oh well, better luck next time.