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(no subject)
[ Content Warnings for parental abuse and light body horror ]
[ It had started out as just a persistent headache.
Beast - now Achilles - had gone through this enough times now to have an idea of what was happening. This sort of headache only came when a memory was also onset, and after the last one being as a big a blow to his identity as it was he decided it was better to just stay home at the Executor house and wait for it to happen. He was trying to avoid Avaritia anyway what with Greta knowing his face, so he would just have to find something to do on this side.
The one thing he didn't notice was all the feathers he was molting everywhere.
He had spent the morning looking through his book of Greek monsters again but come afternoon the headache was at its worst. It felt like his head was about to split apart and he could no longer concentrate on reading. It was when he had gotten up to put the book away though that--
He had been asleep for so, so long now. There was no more village to protect, no more companions to love... he had forced himself into isolation, only waking up and moving every so often to make it harder for anyone that might be looking for him to find him. All he wanted was to be left alone, to sleep in peace.
And yet now there are two figures in front of him, rousing him from his slumber. Queen Rotha of Cygnia herself and her 6 year old child, Odile. She seems to think he's the Beast of Demise from their old prophecy, the one said to end the royal line, and is trying to make some sort of appeal to him. But soon the appeal grows dark, as the queen throws her own child before him, telling him to end the royal line now and leave the rest of Cygnia alone.
...Ah. So that's what this is.
Sacrifice.
What follows isn't pretty. A terrified child crying and begging their own mother for an explanation, resulting in a cold hearted woman who could barely be called a mother unleashing six years worth of hatred and bile at the life she brought into the world. And for what? Because his wings wouldn't grow? Because he wasn't the heir she had wanted and was somehow a failure before ever even being allowed to wear the crown?
"I wish you had never been born--!!"
Those words are the last straw for him. In one swift movement he crushes the queen to death with one enormous, furry, black paw, all life snuffed out of her in an instant.
Wait... a paw?
The rest of it is a bit of a blur. He remembers transforming back into the humanoid form he hadn't used in over a century, hoping to not scare the child any more than he already has. He remembers trying to figure out what to do now, how to make sure the newly orphaned Odile would be safe and not thrown into government turmoil, how to even bring him back home safely without being skewered by every soldier on sight. It's while he was deep in thought that the previously too scared to speak Odile finally says something.
"Um.... M-Mister...?"
"Yes?"
"Your... Your horns..."
"Ah, do they frighten you? I can give myself some wings like yours if that would help-- see?"
--the part of his wing below where he had been injured in the Underside suddenly falls off, landing on the floor with a light thud.
He covers his mouth with one hand as more feathers fall off in big, uneven clumps. But they don't hurt, and unlike before when he was injured there's no pneuma. It's like a prop, a part of a costume, just falling apart after wear and tear. But he had already suspected that's what they were, hadn't he? He had suspected for a while now--
No what hurts... is his head, somehow even more than before. The moment it dawns on him why that is, he's bolting out of the house to find a place to be out of sight, passing anyone who might also be home and leaving a trail of feathers behind him as he does. ]
[OOC:I'd like to try and limit the threads of people chasing after Beast/Achilles to two or three, please! There will be another top level on this post after he's found for everyone else to tag if they want to react to this change, thank you! Limit reached! Here's the top level open to everyone! No content warnings for this part unless otherwise stated in a subject line. ]
[ It had started out as just a persistent headache.
Beast - now Achilles - had gone through this enough times now to have an idea of what was happening. This sort of headache only came when a memory was also onset, and after the last one being as a big a blow to his identity as it was he decided it was better to just stay home at the Executor house and wait for it to happen. He was trying to avoid Avaritia anyway what with Greta knowing his face, so he would just have to find something to do on this side.
The one thing he didn't notice was all the feathers he was molting everywhere.
He had spent the morning looking through his book of Greek monsters again but come afternoon the headache was at its worst. It felt like his head was about to split apart and he could no longer concentrate on reading. It was when he had gotten up to put the book away though that--
He had been asleep for so, so long now. There was no more village to protect, no more companions to love... he had forced himself into isolation, only waking up and moving every so often to make it harder for anyone that might be looking for him to find him. All he wanted was to be left alone, to sleep in peace.
And yet now there are two figures in front of him, rousing him from his slumber. Queen Rotha of Cygnia herself and her 6 year old child, Odile. She seems to think he's the Beast of Demise from their old prophecy, the one said to end the royal line, and is trying to make some sort of appeal to him. But soon the appeal grows dark, as the queen throws her own child before him, telling him to end the royal line now and leave the rest of Cygnia alone.
...Ah. So that's what this is.
Sacrifice.
What follows isn't pretty. A terrified child crying and begging their own mother for an explanation, resulting in a cold hearted woman who could barely be called a mother unleashing six years worth of hatred and bile at the life she brought into the world. And for what? Because his wings wouldn't grow? Because he wasn't the heir she had wanted and was somehow a failure before ever even being allowed to wear the crown?
"I wish you had never been born--!!"
Those words are the last straw for him. In one swift movement he crushes the queen to death with one enormous, furry, black paw, all life snuffed out of her in an instant.
Wait... a paw?
The rest of it is a bit of a blur. He remembers transforming back into the humanoid form he hadn't used in over a century, hoping to not scare the child any more than he already has. He remembers trying to figure out what to do now, how to make sure the newly orphaned Odile would be safe and not thrown into government turmoil, how to even bring him back home safely without being skewered by every soldier on sight. It's while he was deep in thought that the previously too scared to speak Odile finally says something.
"Um.... M-Mister...?"
"Yes?"
"Your... Your horns..."
"Ah, do they frighten you? I can give myself some wings like yours if that would help-- see?"
--the part of his wing below where he had been injured in the Underside suddenly falls off, landing on the floor with a light thud.
He covers his mouth with one hand as more feathers fall off in big, uneven clumps. But they don't hurt, and unlike before when he was injured there's no pneuma. It's like a prop, a part of a costume, just falling apart after wear and tear. But he had already suspected that's what they were, hadn't he? He had suspected for a while now--
No what hurts... is his head, somehow even more than before. The moment it dawns on him why that is, he's bolting out of the house to find a place to be out of sight, passing anyone who might also be home and leaving a trail of feathers behind him as he does. ]
[OOC:
no subject
[ that isn't going to help much when the cause of his pain is his horns growing from his skull. as she thought, she isn't any use in situations like these. in any situations. the best she can do is just... be there. that isn't always enough. ]
Um! I could get you medicine, or I could bring Medic or Chiron here, or...
no subject
[ He doesn’t want to bother anyone. He doesn’t want to cause trouble. But also, now that someone else is here with him... ]
It... you just being here... helps a lot.
[ He doesn’t want to be left alone. ]
no subject
We'll have to change your clothes again...
[ there's only one reason why his appearance would have changed, so she can guess; there's no need to ask. if he wants to talk about the memories he regained, it's his choice. ]
no subject
Ah... I suppose we will...
...Might be a bit of a blessing though. At least now we won’t have to ruin perfectly good shirts by cutting out the back.
no subject
[ she can't help teasing a little bit. maybe it'll help him feel like it's less of big deal, too. ]
no subject
...Okay now he’s laughing a little. ]
Hah... I suppose I will. It’ll feel rather silly but at least it’ll be a bit easier to deal with.
[ He pauses and then: ]
It... truly doesn’t frighten you? At all?
no subject
Should it? The way you look has changed a bit, that's all. [ there's a moment where she considers her words, tries to arrange them clearly before she speaks: ] If that's what you're worried about... then whatever you remembered didn't make you any less kind. So why would I be frightened?
[ that's where she means to leave it, but she finds herself adding— ] You aren't a monster.
no subject
There’s something about those words that hits Achilles right in his heart. Like it was something he needed to hear. ]
And... would you still say that if I... if I changed even more? If I had fur and claws and didn’t even resemble anything humanoid anymore...?
no subject
... but one that says Achilles' words, no matter how grating its voice. his gentle gaze, his caring touch, even his absentmindedness. ]
It's still you. [ she announces her conclusion with a firm nod. ] If you have feelings... and your heart is the same as the Achilles I know... then there's no way you could ever be a monster. Not in any way that matters.
no subject
Maybe he was just worried about losing family again.
Realizing that he’s tearing up he hastily wipes away at his eyes. ]
Thank you... Mona. I... really needed to hear that, I think.