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Prince ⦽f Madness

 Chapter_8://Gravity

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Despite how badly those meteorites destroyed half of Prism, we were okay. We lacked soldiers and staff members so I had to work extra rounds, no questions nor complaints. Not that I minded, it felt as though my routine was back to normal.

After my rounds, I went to the store outside of Prism. I always go there but it was the only alternative because the base bazaar was destroyed.

I normally grab a basket, but I chose a cart to fill up on supplies. I had a list so I wouldn't forget anything. The best part of shopping outside was the fact no one knew me. “Josiah?” I cursed under my breath when I heard my name. Ice and Darrell were shopping at the same store. I wanted to die. “Josiah, I didn't know you be frequenting at the supply market.” Ice smiled. Darrell wasn't too happy to see me. “I didn't think you even buy food considering you have a pod…”

“I used to have a pod,” I clarified. I continued to read the ingredients of the box in my hand, scanning for keywords such as milk and by products. “I didn’t think you would be eating so much. Unless it has to do with your girlfriend…” Ice commented.

I glanced at her before continuing to scan the box before I placed it back on the gondola. Apparently, thanks to Darrell’s stupid melodrama, people thought I actually had a girlfriend. “I don’t have a girlfriend,” I answered and pushed the cart down the aisle looking for another alternative to make sweet rice.

I think the correct term is I have a boyfriend. At the rate our relationship was we just had a silent understanding. 

“Really? Then could it be for your roommate?” she asked. It was no secret he was living with me, many of our neighbors had to see him at least once. “Speaking off, where is he?” Ice asked.

“Did he leave because he couldn't handle the hostility?” Darrell asked.

“He works,” I answered somewhat in a soft growl. I did notice something off about them, I saw outlines of pinks and blues on Ice and red and yellow on Darrell. This was a new thing, and I don’t know if the ritual I was in has anything to do with it. It wasn’t just them, it was everyone. Everyone had this assortment of colors bouncing off their skins. I felt dizzy if I stared for too long.

Ice and Darrell followed me the entire store, questioning me, pestering me, pissing me off. I had enough of them fucking around with me and I just waited my turn at the line, but there they were, talking bullshit to me. I internally cursed the woman in front of me looking for her goddamned coupon clips for not having them in the ready. She didn’t find them, she instead pulled out a bag of coins and quarters. I palmed my frustration and grit my teeth before I exploded. The cashier counted them pretty quick and completed the sale. “Thank you for shopping with us, have a great day.” I sighed in relief, I pushed my cart forward and the clerk scanned them with a quick pace.

The aura he had was so warm and inviting, it changed the moment we glanced at each other's eyes. I had to double take, the red hair sort of startled me. “Wow, it is true, his hair is really, really red…” Darrell whispered to Ice. “He looks a bit… fat don’t you think?” Ice asked Darell. “He looks very familiar, too,” she added.

The cashier ignored the comments about him. He flashed me a sweet smile and continued to scan my items. “Your total amount is thirty dollars with ninety cents,” he said. I knew I bought a lot, but that wasn’t the total. “There must be some mistake--” I see him shove a chocolate bunny ear into his plump lips before shoving the box of chocolates and assorted candies into my cart. I took a deep breath before I gave him the exact amount. Blue and white stripes looked really good on him. “See you at home, my love…?” he whispered to me. “Yeah, I’ll start dinner.” Elyan flashed me a chocolate stained smile before I left.

Elyan and I agreed he needed to get a job to fill in his free time since I am almost seventy-two hours in the hospital at a time. He thought it would be a great idea to work at a supermarket considering that the most we spend is on food. Soon, we'll be spending a lot in clothes because what Ice said was true, he was fattening up. Not morbidly obese but he was on the fluffy side. I didn’t mind it either. It’s pleasant to see him in a healthy glow rather than watch him fall apart.

The first thing I did when I got home, was to spark the joint and instantly my body numbed and I was able to see things in front of me, like how clean the apartment was. I was thrilled to see that Elyan still does his chores. Before leaving to work, he tries to finish most of what he can. I feel bad he now deals with the house work by himself most of the time but he didn’t seem to mind as long as I pulled my weight.

I was stuck in my own head though. The event, while not as bad as a rapture, it was high up there. All my mind wondered about was what the hell is Elyan. I thought about this for a while now and it doesn’t scare me as much as it should. Maybe we bonded to the point we are comfortable in each other's presence but I kept thinking about what that Unknown was telling me, “wait till you see what I have planned for you.” That honestly scared me, mostly because his presence was both appreciated and disturbing. I know he has something to do with Elyan, but even Elyan was at a loss and perhaps his brother-in-law could tell him.

I have several clues as to what Elyan could be: first he resembles a hunter. It is of no surprise he has attributes and many striking similarities to the ones I witnessed, but he is the only hunter with free will. He said he was a god. While some things do check out, like his essence and his unusual characteristics and ties to the outside, I feel that he is not just a god, but he is also a demon. I never met one but I guess that term is derogatory. Not everyone speaks of demons lightly unless it is a romanticize version of them. I guess in Elyan’s case it is true, but I bet if I sneak into the core files of Prism I can figure out what they found and what he is.

Elyan didn’t deny the fact he wasn’t a demon. We talked about it the day we bought a rug and tried it out. “Are floor rugs just artificial grass?” Elyan asked rolling on the white plush mat.

“I am not entirely sure.” I answered simply due to me studying for a test scheduled for the following week. “My father, grandparents and my sister’s wings were this soft…” He nuzzled his face on the carpet. I lowered the book and looked at him. “They had wings?”

“Yes, over their heads.”

“How come you don’t have any?”

“My mother didn’t have any.”

“How come?”

“My mother, was not human, she is a demon. She had a mind and body parts that do not resemble a human. What made her a demon was how she birth her children, I was her first born, and while yes I had similarities to them I was very different from them.”

“But your other siblings, they certainly sound demonic according to what you described to me.”

“Because they are a higher power than us. My father could intimidate anyone because of how beautiful he was. Most of the time he hid his face with his wings to avoid that. Mother, she had a horn pierce her head and her knees bent backwards, as well as having eight eyes and a humanoid body.”

That blew my mind somewhat, and it also unnerved me. I could only picture her knees broken. “Hold up, your mother was half unicorn?” Elyan’s laugh ruptured his chest. Apparently he too pictured what I did. “In a sense, yes!” he answered before he quiet down and ran a hand across the soft surface of the carpet. “I was always jealous of my sister…” I kinda figured there would be family feuds. “My sister resembles my grandfather. She is closer to them than I will ever be. I resemble more of my mother, but my mother was so beautiful and I am so ugly…” He pressed his hand on his neck under his jaw. That scar never healed. It was just there. I expected that the pod would remove any trace of it.

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I like you this way,” I said. Elyan looked up at me curiously. “Why so?”

“Because if you had chicken wings coming out of your head I would be dreading the mess you would make flapping those around.” Elyan stared at me before exploding into laughter. “It is true! My father sometimes would slap my mother’s face with his wing accidentally! And my sister once tried to catch petals but her wings would blow them away from her grasp!” I crack a smile and I set my book aside. “I bet she was frustrated,” I commented.

“Oh! she was.” Elyan tried to speak in between his fit of giggles. “I remember her crying so much because she wanted a flower crown like my mother, so I made her one with rock salts and pearls…” he paused, savoring the memory before sharing it with me. “The smith helped me make it for her. Now she only wears pearls.” He glided his fingertips across the bracelet longingly.

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“Your sister sounds spoiled.”

“My sister is at a great disadvantage at home, so we protect her and spoil her.”

“How is she at a disadvantage?”

“She’s blind, and she has a long tail. She's really pretty too, and she can only sing!”

“Hopefully, I get to meet her then,” I grabbed my book to continue reading.

“I hope so too...” He glanced out the window.

“So in a sense they all had a unique trait?” I asked him. I wanted to know him better to understand his behavior.

“Yes,” he answered with a smile.

“What is your unique trait?” He went eerily quiet and avoided my look. “M-my unique trait…?” he echoed. I watched him carefully for any signs of distress. After a long lingering silence, he grasps a strand of red hair and whispered, “my hair…”

While he did tell those tales, I can’t help but feel he was just crazy. Well obviously if you were in my stead wouldn’t you think the same thing? I thought I was just unsatisfied. Mostly because I still do not understand how powerful beings were so careless to lose their child. But according to what he said, he sounds more like a hunter that was bred in captivity.

I finished dinner; sweet rice with strawberries and blueberries for Elyan, and spicy chicken and rice for me. It didn’t take him long to get home. “My love, I am home,” Elyan announced. I took one last drag before I put out the joint under my boot. I was more aware of his aura, he was talking to me about his day but I didn’t hear anything. I could have been so high I couldn’t come down or I was just as crazy as he, give or take.

“Josiah?” he called to me, apparently he was doing that for a while now. I just hummed to let him know I was listening. “You look… dazed?” he was concerned despite how sweet he wore his smile. “Your…” I started to say, and I just drifted off, watching his aura shift with his scales. “My what?” he asked, he took a seat next to me at the table. “My what…?” he whispered carefully. “... Dinner is ready,” I finished saying. I knew it’s not what I had in mind but I was making us both uncomfortable. I was hungry too, maybe I was just trying to tell him and myself to shut up and eat. He just smiled and said, “I know.”

Elyan was first to finish. “I will shower and go to bed early. I am tired, I know you are…” he chuckled and walked towards the bathroom. I nodded slowly and followed him. As he undressed I proceeded to wash my teeth. “Josiah,” Elyan called to me, I looked at him as I shoved my toothbrush in my mouth. “Would you like to join me?” he asked. Normally, I don’t like showering in such a small space, especially with how big he was getting. It is inconvenient and every time Elyan asked, I always respond no. However, I nodded yes and undressed. Elyan was mildly shocked when I got in the shower, toothbrush still in my mouth.

We took turns under the showerhead while the other lathers up in soap. I stared at his back and I slowly reached to touch it with soapy fingers and traced constellations on his skin. Elyan jumped at the sudden contact and looked back over his shoulders, giggling. “What are you up to?” he asked me.

My toothbrush was lost somewhere in the shower. “Your skin is really pretty…” I rub my hands with soap and watch the water drag it along down his thick, muscular legs till it swirled down the drain in a rhapsody. “You caused quite an uproar in the supermarket…” I said very quietly. My tongue had a mind of its own, “and your warm…” I coil my arms around his torso and press my face against his back. Elyan was stunned at my approach. He turned and cupped my face between his slippery hands. “You’re not ugly, Elyan…” I said before he spoke to me.

Those statements are still true, I guess somewhere deep in my mind I wanted to tell him at the moment he needed to hear it but I am too much of a stuck-up bitch to say it. “Elyan, you and I... cease being humans the moment we start counting differences between us and everything else. However, it’s things like these that I find endearing about you…” Despite how pungent the soap was, I could faintly smell his original scent. His scent was… strangely salty but like a star cluster? In my high that was the best scent.

I had no fucking idea what the fuck I was saying or where I was going with that tangent, but Elyan was moved; his eyes glazed like the stars in space, even the faint stars on his flushed skin glimmered into an array of colors. “Josiah…” Elyan whispered before he covered my chest and neck with kisses. It was so light I barely felt them. My heart felt lighter, too. I could see stars wherever his fingers touched. It felt warm. It was the same sensation I felt when he healed my wounds that night. It felt like adrenaline, like waking up to a good day, or jolts of electricity, or eating rice, or standing by the grace of Elyan.

Both of us stopped when we heard a knock on our door. We pressed our foreheads together and gave each other a knowing look before I slipped from his hold to leave the shower. I left a soaked trail, and I answered the door. On the other side of the door, Darrell stood with a guilty look on his stupid face. He literally killed my buzz and my face contoured from a dreamy relaxed state to a scowl. “H-hey Josiah,” he stammered. “I hope I am not interrupting anything…”

“On with it, dildo...” I demanded an answer. God, I was so pissed I was finally opening up to my fucking boyfriend and some douche needed to interrupt us. “Look, I just wanted to invite you and your girlfriend to dinner with me and Ice. I feel like I haven’t been treating you with the respect you deserve.” I wanted to punch him. Neither of them understood I hate them.

“No.” I slammed the door in his face. “Is that the same man from earlier today?” Elyan asked as he left the bathroom.

“Yeah,” I answered rather hostile. “I feel bad for him,” he said and tossed me a clean towel so I could dry my hair.

“I fucking don’t, why do you feel bad?”

“He is trying to act like you.” I stopped and looked at Elyan as all the pieces click into place. “His girlfriend doesn’t love him… they, they don’t feel normal. Unlike us, we are comfortable with one another. Annoying as he seems, he is wrapped around her fingers.” I never saw it that way till he pointed it out. I actually felt genuine concern over Darrell because Ice was named that way for a reason: she legit had ice in her veins. She was a stone cold bitch. “I am impressed you can read people so easily.” I walk over as he prepared our sleeping garments for the night. “My best asset is my hearing.” Elyan slipped under the covers and I follow suit. “Perhaps, we should consider his offer?” Elyan asked. I just hummed in deep thought.

Suddenly Elyan sits up and whispered, “do you hear that?”

“What?” I propped myself over my elbow.

“... He's crying,” Elyan said. I groan in frustration and I cover my head with the blanket. I knew what that meant. “Elyan, please don’t make me beg my enemies…”

I fucking hated my boyfriend sometimes…

He had woken up early and told Ice about our date in the evening. Elyan picked a carnival.

I was studying for my thesis meanwhile Elyan picked out what to wear. I looked down at my ring and thought about what Elyan said the night before. To be honest, I was slightly uncomfortable about this entire situation. I set aside my thesis and got ready with him, and by getting ready, I mean get high enough to survive a night with Darrell and Ice.

We agreed to meet at the carnival near the Merry-Go-Round. They were running late, so I watch Elyan get on, he was ecstatic as he spun around with the mermaid statues and sea-horses. It was rather mesmerizing, and even hilarious as the children were following his lead as he sung. “I didn’t expect you to change your mind or even agree to this.” I hear Ice say standing next to me. I just hummed. I look back again and there stood Darrell beside her, holding cotton candy. “So where is your date, anyway?” Darrell asked rather passively. I dart around the Merry-Go-Round looking for him. He burst gracefully from the ride and landed slowly defying all gravitational law. I was not impress whatsoever. “show off…” I grumbled.

“Hey ain't he the guy from the supermarket?” Darrell was rather impressed by the way he gawked at Elyan. “Wait, you’re his roommate? I thought we were having a double date.” Ice didn’t catch on. “He isn't my roommate,” I said.

“Then who is he?” Ice wondered as her eyes got lost in his slick back red hair. “He is my boyfriend,” I answered. Elyan smiled softly and extended his hand towards them. “We were never properly acquainted,” he said.

Ice and Darrell were flabbergasted, almost offended by the thought. Darrell dropped his cotton candy and Ice almost dropped her jaw. I was mildly irritated they left him hanging. “You’re gay!?” They shouted. Elyan slowly retreated his hand back feeling somewhat embarrassed of their behavior. I could actually sense his anxiety and I almost felt bad.

Almost…

We walked around and all of us felt a mild tension brewing. We had to stop somewhere because Elyan really wanted ice cream. “Sooo… How is it living with Josiah, Elyan?” Ice asked trying to cut through it. “It is wonderful.” Elyan said cheerfully. “I bet he must be a hard ass huh??” Darrell asked, with a soft laugh.

“No, Josiah is very kind.” Elyan replied. “Vanilla?” I asked him. “And chocolate syrup, please!” he added.

“I bet he loves you very much if he allowed you to stay with him. Josiah was straight until recently,” Ice said looking at me. I pay for the ice cream and hand it to Elyan, which he licked contently. “We just understand each other,” I jabbed at Ice giving her a frigid look of my own. “Do you really…?” Ice challenged me. “Cause most of the time, you both fight like cats and dogs,” she added. “Yeah, so?” I questioned her.

“Hey look!” Elyan pointed at the clown making balloon animals. “Hey that looks pretty neat!” Darrell said to Elyan. “Let's go get one!” he added, and both raced down the street, almost assaulting the clown. I crack a tiny smile and followed them.

The clown was freaked out two grown men asked for full armor and weapon. Elyan in the end helped the clown make really weird things till they ran out of balloons. They played war, Elyan with his army of children and Darrell commanded his. I think they were the funnest attraction of the entire carnival. Imagine a giant chess game, live action with role playing. I guess Elyan brought the inner child out in all of us.

Ice wan't too happy with the whole date, she was a sourpuss the entire time. You expect that behavior from me. She was standing in a corner glaring daggers at us. Something evil festered in the corner of my heart, like if she whispered curses at me and Elyan. But I ignored her, jealousy is a scary monster and I rather not deal with her. Besides, the whole point was to make Darrell more comfortable, and it was working, they played for hours and won many prizes.

The last thing we did was ride the Merry-Go-Round, more like run the opposite direction it went. Darrell looked happy, and not the annoying type he always was, but relieved. Elyan sparked something in everyone, whether it was joy, nostalgia, or even love. I think that was his celestial essence, the one I fell in love with. And I think, in a way, Darrell fell in love, too.

As I ran the other way, I see Elyan standing with a soft smile, he was waiting for me. Our hands met halfway, and we slowly floated, the ride was our anti-gravitational chamber. We pressed our foreheads together before our feet touched the ground and the ride slowly stopped. He sang to me, “Surma, Florhem.” No clue what he said, but my heart understood, because it was beating a billion fucking light-years per second.