[o] for the first time in years

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

There was some kind of hidden kindness in this boy, one that didn’t judge him for how he talked or how little of it he did, and unashamedly willing and there to over explain – all of which are things Glas has zero qualms listening to. He’s always grateful to listen, finding it easier in most instances than trying to fill the silence himself. Unless he had a paper and a pen.

He nods at the mention of the luxere, though, his smile still remaining even as the words that leave him are less than happy in regards to them. “Yes. They d-don’t like me much.” He admits, though it had never once stopped the crafter from admiring the beautiful herds. And as Erebos explains that they’d helped to make the hot springs, Glas is willing to indulge him in letting him explain it further if he so wished, precisely as he reaches out with his own free hand to scratch Orsino as well just so he didn’t feel quite so left out. “How d-did they d-do that?”

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

Petting both Blaze and Orsino took up much of the youth’s attention, but not to be swayed or dismayed, he persisted, head tilting to glance back at Glas as he admitted the semblances of luxere issues. His mouth rounded into a tiny ‘o’ of surprise, but then he utilized that as a tiny bit of nothing too, as if the crafter had nothing to be dismayed over. “Oh, but that’s okay! They’re scared of Dad too, but they still come. You gotta sing and give them treats, like apples and hay, and they seem to do all right. They’re uh…what’s the word…,” he would’ve tapped on his chin, but the sentiment could only be expressed in the mild wrinkle of his nose in confusion. “Wavy? Hairy…nervous,” he eventually landed upon, proud of that with a dignified nod.

The frost fox gave another high pitched, icy yelp at the bonus attention of Glas, whipping around in circles again as Erebos carried on, given his pulpit to preach. “So they’ve got light magic and Safrin used it to help lend healing into the springs! I think. I know a bunch herded ‘em there! I got to feed and pet them.”

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

Between the two greedy companions, Glas’ gaze focuses between them all before landing on the young boy’s face with the surprise over the fact the luxere weren’t huge fans of him. And he braces for the question that most children often had – the why’s and the how’s and the well there’s gotta be something that can fix it, right? But none of those come – instead a wiser answer, the okay of it all that has a small smile tugging back on the crafter’s face.

So he nods with the explanation, something he hasn’t tried though he doesn’t often venture out anyway, still a touch traumatized by the results of his own youth to never want to wander alone. “I’ll have t-to try that.” He assures Erebos, though whether or not he would do anything about it was another story.

Hearing Orsino’s yip, though, Glas focuses more on giving the companion some more scritches while he listens to Erebos boast about their help with the springs and Glas is struck with the fact that it’s nice to hear so much praise about everything that’s gone on despite the hard work and the tragedies that had struck, that it renders him a touch speechless at first before he remembers himself. “Were they soft?”

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

Erebos had already inherited the more flexible platitudes of his family; unbothered, no needing to question experiences when so many in his household had already been immersed in multitudes. To hear Glas’s issues paralleled his father’s own, at least when it came to luring sacred deer and darker threads of magic; he knew and understood how it had come to be, and how it could be conquered. “You should! If you see any soon!” He beamed, content with the idea that the crafter would try. “And even if you don’t, I bet you can take someone with you to help too.”

Scratching behind Blaze’s ears and then under his chin, at least until the cat had enough, his eyes flickered upward, over doorframes and stone walls, back to Zuriel’s imperious glances, then along to Glas again at the question. “Yeah! Have you ever felt horse noses?” Pointing directly at the unicorn’s muzzle, who snorted, obliging the youth with an indulgent spray of her unimpressed derision, he still grinned, unbothered. “It’s like that! I didn’t get to touch their antlers, but maybe next time!”

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

“Deepfrost is soon.” He agrees, as if it might be more likely to spy the illuminous creatures during the darkest season they all have to endure together. As for the idea of bringing someone with him, well, it’s a sweet thought in theory – but this is perhaps the most social Glas has been in ages. He doubts he’d find anyone else to come with him because he knows he wouldn’t ask. All things he doesn’t say to the youth, but he nods as though he will.

The feline is content with all of the attention until Blaze yawns and starts to squirm a little in his hands. Glas lets him down and he straightens back up to his full height and gives Orsino one last scritch before he’s taking in the unicorn and her unimpressed attention, thinking better of reaching out to touch the companion’s nose. He does note the velvet appearance of her muzzle, though, even as she snorts at the youth with a cool spray that has a smile brightening on his face. “Yeah. Let me know n-next time if you get to.” He offers out to Erebos with a nod, happy in spite of himself to have this new penpal that would go on far more adventures than Glas would ever find himself doing.

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

“Yeah! Deepfrost is nice though because it's most of our family’s’ birthdays.” Wholly unbothered by the change into a more vicious season, and more or less excited about the prospect of having presents and celebrations, he nodded enthusiastically anyway. Plus, he could say most because his incoming sibling wasn’t born yet, and that was going to be honored by Leafchange’s decrees. “You could always go after though,” unaware that Glas rarely had intentions of departing further than Citadel walls.

With Blaze having had enough, Erebos took the sign of backing off, sliding his hands under Orsino’s muzzle instead as the frost fox moved to curl into his lap. Zuriel was giving him a look, but the boy ignored it (used to it, truly) for nodding at Glas’s decree. “Okay! Would you ever want to help herd them around and stuff? It sounded like fun.” Plus, Marcus had gotten to do it and Erebos was going to beat him at more adventures.

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

“Yeah?” Glas asks, having no relation to that when it comes to when birthdays were. He didn’t have any family left to celebrate theirs and his own was in the brightening refreshing season of Flowerbirth. So the crafter nods and offers a small lopsided smile to the mention of going after, like he was dead set on the plan of it even if he wasn’t at all going to attempt it on his own.

As the cat hops down and winds between Glas’ feet, Blaze settles halfway between the door and his cat tree, almost in a moment of stasis as if he’s trying to figure out when the next time food is. It leaves Glas to answer Erebos’ question, one he’d never thought would be an option, but if it were to better Halo in the future the crafter would always be willing to try and help where he could.

He nods, without giving it too much thought. “S-Sure. I’m happy t-to help.” He murmurs softly. "Are there p-p-plans for it soon?"

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

“Yeah!” Erebos echoed with far more enthusiasm; as any child would when it came to the concept of birthdays, presents, cake, and everything themed around them. “Do you like big parties?” he asked with his usual air of innocence, having already attended multiple festivals, rodeos, and shenanigans.

If Erebos hadn’t expected the acceptance of driving groups of luxere, he didn’t show it – eyes widening in glee and then sudden dismay, emotions playing across his face, like he’d forgotten about five steps beforehand and didn’t know how they’d arrived at this destination. “Well, I haven’t heard of any. But maybe we could make our own! Or like track a herd or something.” An equally dangerous and unfathomable wake for a six-year-old with protective parents and his lack of ability to do anything remotely sneaky or in half-measures.

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

Big parties? It’s a thought that has him internally shriveling at the idea itself before he’s keeping that small smile aimed at Erebos to not give away his feelings on the matter, not wanting to crush Erebos’ child-like spirit. “I’ve never had a b-big party.” He admits. “Or been to one, I don't th-think..” He tacks on, uncertain as he thinks about it. It sounds like too many people, too social, not unless he sits on the sidelines and watches from an observer standpoint.

For now, though, he lets the youth settle with that thought at the mention of plans and the possibility of making their own plan with the lack-there-of. “J-just us? Or w-would your d-dad join?” He asks, playing along for the sake of it but willing to not commit to anything without Deimos’ explicit approval.

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

Pondering over this circumstance, his nose wrinkled, as if trying to justify the very thought of not attending said parties. Because while his father certainly didn’t seem to be overly enthused at the thought of joining them, he always did; ensuring Erebos was escorted, and they could all have a good time. Sometimes they had to do uncomfortable things for the sake of others. Or just in general, he supposed. “Hm. Wellllll,” he tapped on his chin, and then stopped to grant Orsino another round of scratches as the fox rolled around on the ground. “There’s always the Deepfrost ones here.” That he’d been attending since he was a baby, strapped to his parents’ and giggling amidst snowballs. “You could always try that first. See if you like them.”

But then Glas seemed to be one of those adults who knew better than to gallivant off with the very young and intrepid fools, so the lad huffed a breath, thwarted again. “Yeah, he probably wouldn’t let me just go off,” at which he glanced pointedly at Zuriel – who granted him much the same stare in return. “But it’d still be fun! And I bet I could beat Marcus at stuff!”

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

As the mention of the parties leaves his lips, Glas watches Erebos curiously – his sea foam gaze drifting only briefly to look over at Zuriel as she watches Erebos in turn. Blinking back to the youth when the answer comes about Deepfrost gatherings. Something that the young crafter does know about but often stayed in for. Perhaps, though, the boy brings up a good point. “T-true.” He agrees with a soft smile. Maybe he would have to give it a go one of these days, see what he’s missing.

As for the mention of Deimos joining them on the outing, he waits to see whether or not Erebos is more of the rebellious children or if it meant that it was a given that the Warden would join. And not wanting to ruffle any feathers, the crafter would very much want to be sure everyone knew what was going on. “Probably not.” He agrees – because Glas had only done it once before he’d learned his lesson. And even then, he wasn’t alone. He’d just been the target.

The result of that attack still lingers on his face, even as a smile tugs on the corner and he glances between the youth and the companion before nodding – not sure who Marcus was. “What.. kind of stuff d-does Marcus do?” He asks, in case there was a baseline bucket list of things Erebos wanted to do better.

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

With the agreement, Erebos nodded again, presuming that meant Glas had every intention of stepping out into the threshold of said festival. “I don’t know what dad is cooking up this year, but last time it was a snowball fight, so it might be tamer this go ‘round.” Or not, and there’d be some other wild competition. But it was hard to tell where and when because Deimos always had loads of plans and the capability of pinpointing them to what hadn't occurred to the youth yet. “I can make snowmen with you if you want! Or sometimes there’s sledding, and you can knock people down who get in your way!”

At the notions of Marcus however, the youth’s eyes narrowed, a little conspiring glance tossed the crafter’s way, a wrinkle of his nose indicative of his heritage. “Oh he got to participate in the luxere herding, but I want to see more stuff than him, y’know? He’s Noah’s son.” Older, but Erebos wasn’t certain if he was wiser. It was hard to tell when one was six. “He said he chased auroras and climbed cliffs. And that if I beat his list it was cheating, which is lame, because it’s not.” Then he glanced back at Glas, as if expecting full agreement on the childish way the conversation and argument had spurred on.

erebos

and then we dream so much

// it's really bursting at the seams from absorbing everything //

A little laugh leaves the crafter as Erebos lists out all the things his father plans. A snowball fight was very much not his style – preferring the tamer alternative that might hopefully crop up. Making snowmen were more up his alley than sledding, and he nods to Erebos in understanding. “I’d like t-to make a snowman with you.” He offers, gentle and easy, because a snowman was far less of a thing that would bring attention to him. He could get behind it.

But then he’s asking about Marcus, Glas’ attention lifts to the youth’s face again. “Oh. Right.” He’d heard that Noah had a son, though without venturing out much he has yet to meet the boy. In fact, it’s been a little while since he’d seen his father, too. “What other kinds of stuff d-do you want to do that he h-hasn’t?” He asks, opening it up for the chatty youth to continue to list out all of the options he can think of.

He can’t guarantee he’ll help him with all of them, but for as much as Glas stays to himself, he can appreciate a good amount of competition.

Glas

// the spectrum's A to Z //

His smile turned sunny and bright once more at the notions of snowmen – pretending he hadn’t heard any accord with the potential for sledding/demolition purposes. “Awesome! And we can decorate it however! Because I was thinking like a hat, a scarf, and then, what about like boots and stuff, though I guess we’d have to give him legs…he could be sitting down though…,” and his little mind was already trying to conjure and picture this out. Instead, he opted to put one gloved finger into the snow and make a rudimentary sketch – which mostly looked like a blob.

Glas didn’t bring up cheating allegations though about Marcus, so Erebos sighed, pondering. Wondering. Because he didn’t remember the older one saying anything really concrete about his plans. Probably on purpose. “Well, I want to go exploring, but I have to save that until I’m older unless my parents or Amham take me. I'm gonna be better at fighting...” Plucking his hand out of his defeated snowman sketch, he started rattling things off. “Get waaaay more magic than Marcus, obviously. I already have a companion before him.” Here, Orsino proudly yipped. “I can’t beat him on the shift thing yet. But maybe one day.” Pausing, and realizing Glas hadn’t said a word in between, he glanced back up at the crafter. “Do you have any of that?”

erebos

and then we dream so much