I Just Want A Simple Life (ABO)Chapter 10

{ Chapter Ten }

  XdvhmI

The house located on #OWS4, tucked away within the safe confines of the meadows, hadn’t always been in the greatest of states. What initially appealed to Finian when he was first informed about such a location, wasn’t the aesthetics of the place but instead of what such an environment could provide. A safe-haven for him and his unborn child, within sight of Nova and yet completely out of their reach due to the impenetrable security-measures which surrounded the designer-planets; the very thing Nova themselves broadly celebrated when it was developed.

It was once nothing but an expensive plot of land with a soulless, modernised shell of a property built upon it. Which Finian abruptly took upon himself to treat as a personal project that helped distract him from his grief, all while quelling the flurry of anxieties he possessed about raising a child on his own.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

The transformation from a house into a home was instantaneous, and what soon stood within the remote location was a building that looked like it finally belonged there. Roots deeply ingrained. Wildlife which had once been discarded in the process of laying the foundations of the previous building, were eagerly welcomed back and in the short time it took for the designer planet to rotate on its artificial axis, a plethora of plants began to sprout. 

Currently there was only one species flower that didn’t originate alongside the others, and one Finian had painstakingly introduced through his own careful cultivation. Resulting in weeks upon weeks of his evening routine’s ending with him scrubbing soil off his hands and knees.  H7JKOy

The focus of his blood, sweat and tears— poppies.

Vibrant red flowers that naturally came into bloom during Spring and Summer, yet under the meticulously-acclimatised conditions of the planet, lasted a little while longer.

They were bold, attractive and ultimately the species of flower Finian sought to find when he looked out of his window every morning.

But the weather was inevitably shifting and the petals wilting. The harmonious silence that usually filled the hallways of the house, possessed an abnormally eery feel to it on this occasion. One of the only dominating sounds coming from an antique clock that stood in the parlour. 

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A baritone chime dragging out when it reached every passing hour. Outlining the copious amount of time that seemed to have gone by without any movement from any of the rooms. But contradicting the lifelessness within the hallways, in a particular wing of the spectacularly-crafted home, was the man who had gotten straight back to work once he had recovered.

As soon as the flu-like symptoms had shifted, and the weight had lifted off his chest, Finian left the bed he had been restricted to for the past seven days. So many thoughts had plagued his recovery, the familiar taunts belonging to the man he once knew. During that rare moment where his state of mind had been compromised, a singular memory would play on a loop.

Auryn Tryst introducing himself to Caius, that continuously-adapted smile performed to perfection. His eyes giving away the truth, as they had always done if one knew just how to look properly. A skill, which Finian begrudgingly admitted, he obtained far too late.

Finian was left with a never-ending string of regrets, which he had long since come to terms with. But it was for that reason that he couldn’t ignore the recent deceptive tactics used by his old classmate. Not when those eyes had intentionally glossed over Finian’s entire existence when his little soul arrived. I0QDN6

Just as he had done once before, Finian turned to the one person he knew he could trust above all else. Someone he had been hoping to introduce Caius to after he had completed his offering. But with Nova’s unrelenting gaze throughout the day, it proved impossible.

“I never expected them to be so bold, but then again what else did I expect?” Finian stood in his office, leaning against the edge of the table, a shawl draped over his shoulders as he felt the drop in temperature now more than ever because of his premature and self-proclaimed recovery. However pale his skin may have been ordinarily, it currently appeared more pallid than usual.

“Darling, you are not omnipotent. You cannot have known Nova’s plans.” The warmth of her tone still shone through, even when it was distributed via the Link on his Communicator. For a multitude of reasons, they were not in contact as much as they once were. But Finian found it especially difficult to look at the woman who was in her prime and yet wore it with the utmost grace. Because with every fleeting glance he would be reminded of the loneliest time of his life.

But it was no excuse for his tardiness, “I should have at least predicted that they would make a move. Especially when they know how important the ceremony is to us.”  zfE4L0

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

On the other side of the transmission, the older lady who sat in a high-backed chair in front of a variety of family portraits, tapped her chin in thought. “As ever, I will abide by our agreement to keep certain aspects amongst ourselves. However, given recent events, it has become clear that Nova deems their new goal more important than that of upholding their own traditions. And we both know how integral their traditions are within Nova’s society.”

Finian rubbed his forehead, “And to have sent him.”

“Helaf gluta. Ktfgf lr tjgvis j vfugff bo reyaifas lc atja.”

“Rflatfg vlv tf wjxf la jcs rfmgfa atja atf tf jcv atf qfbqif tf kbgxr obg lcafcv ab qjlg Jjler jcv tlr ilaaif mibcf abufatfg.” Mlcljc mbeiv yjgfis tbiv yjmx atf rcffg lc tlr nblmf. pcLHfY

Steadily she arched her brow, “He admitted that? Straight to your face?” She wondered. 

Mlcljc cjaegjiis ecvfgrabbv, “P xcbk ktja sbe’gf atlcxlcu. Pc ojma la lr atf fzjma atbeuta atja qijuefr ws wlcv: P xcbk ktja atfs kjca yea P mjccba mbwqgftfcv atflg jcuif.”

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She tipped her head to the side, long strands of her perfectly straight grey hair tumbling down from her shoulder. Her exaggerated mannerisms never failed to lighten the situation, which always made her a firm favourite in the eyes of those under her care. No matter the age of those who sought her help, she never turned her back on them.

“You mentioned them acting especially gentle with Caius, which implies to me that they perhaps know more than we originally suspected. That and the fact that they likely used the coming-of-age ceremony as a convenient means of formally introducing themselves to him.” kJKUjX

Finian wholeheartedly agreed, and it made the already-present doubts fester. Instinctively he sought out the view from one of the few windows in his private office. The least amount of light meant for better protection of his precious collection. Taking this into consideration when his interest in plants became an absolute fascination with gardening, he made sure to completely cover the area outside his window, and in his immediate eye-line, with poppies.

On an average day, he likely spent the better part of an hour doing nothing but reminiscing as he stared at the flower which grew more shrivelled by the day. 

“—Finian.”

“Forgive me.” He looked back to the screen, “Perhaps another day in bed is in order.” He halfheartedly joked but there was no amusement on the face of the woman opposite. She looked concerned. BuI5g3

“We can say for certain that right now, you are both safe. So take this time to properly get better. You’re working yourself to the bone to try and keep Caius out of harms way, but don’t forget that while he is the most important thing to you, the feeling is undoubtedly mutual.”

While Finian nodded, the woman he seemed to always turn to in times of great need, went on to say, “Nova has acted brashly, in a way we could consider to be riddled with flaws. Which makes it very uncharacteristic of them. They tested you with Auryn Tryst, but that is all I can think of it being. A test. A way to leave you unsettled and then proceed to monitor your movements henceforth. Because it doesn’t matter who they introduce, when it comes down to it there is no plausible way they will be able to come between yourself and Caius. The bond is too strong, and a relationship those raised under the embellishments of Nova can never hope to understand.”

Finian used her words to try and reassure himself, and to a certain extent it worked. But the fear of the unknown was always going to win when it came to fretting over the wellbeing of his only child. “Have you heard anything? Such as Nova’s plans?”

The most gentlest of smiles came in response. One hand calmly folded over the other and set on her lap. She was a figure that Finian had been never seen become agitated by recent events. No matter the circumstance, she possessed a level-headed approach. iElAYp

“Are you sure you wish to know? You know the steps that must be taken if I reveal whispers.” There was nothing in her voice that told Finian that she would refuse to tell him. However, there was a perfect balance to the way many things operated and for many of those years Finian had maintained a safe distance.

He still found himself shaking his head, refusing her offer. “Just like how you have supported me all of these years, I fully support you and what you represent. But I want nothing more than to keep Caius safe, and it’s only the whispers pertaining to him that I would like to hear.”

She put down her cup, scraping a few strands of her hair behind her ear. “Of course, my darling. I would never knowingly keep details about a child from their parent. But my reasoning for reminding you of our single rule is purely to keep you safe. Trading whispers is always going to be a risky job, one you are most suited to avoiding. Especially when I’m beginning to believe that Nova’s plans and their intentions for Caius are intrinsically linked.”

“Then what do you suggest I do? If they continue to test the boundaries, then it leaves me with little other option..” dLC3y1

On the other side of the holographic image, a bell began to toll. While the grandfather-clock positioned in the hallway not too far away from where Finian stood, also rang out. Outlining yet another hour’s passing. 

It lasted only a couple of moments before falling silent. 

“Pooling together everything we have spoken about, I can at least presume that Nova are intent on moving slowly. From what we know, they didn’t immediately react to the little one’s sudden absence from Thebaria First and are carefully orchestrating occasions where they can come into contact with him. Since they acted recently, it’s safe to assume that they won’t do so again for the time being.”

Finian rubbed his aching neck, stress wreaking havoc across his shoulders. “What sort of life would that be for Caius if he’s completely restricted to this planet? We both love our home, but I have no intention of imprisoning him inside of it.” krd6Xv

Instead of addressing Finian’s open worries, his biggest support directly asked about his son. “How is the little one doing? Was he at all troubled by the ceremony?”

It was impossible for a devoted father such as Finian to talk about his child without a smile instinctively crossing his face. “He’s as well as always. I probably caused him unnecessary worry, as you say, but he is in good health. And from what Ace has told me, from when he asked Caius about the people we met at the ceremony, Caius implied that they didn’t leave much of an impact on him. He was more fascinated by the statues.”

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A soft laughter reached Finian’s ears, the lady having closed her eyes as she chuckled. “That’s good to hear. If that’s the case, and he has no issue with it, then why don’t we attempt our meeting once again? I was looking forward to meeting my godson last time, but fate is sometimes cruel and that opportunity dissolved.”

That surprised the Omega, “Are you certain?” gtTAbl

“Your strength is admirable, darling. But there are times when it’s perfectly fine to let your heart dictate your actions. Even if Nova’s golden eyes are upon us, there is no harm in you returning to the place where your forefathers are buried.”

Finian stood up straight, shaking his head even though he very much wanted to comply with her wishes. “I don’t want any unnecessary attention to befall to you.”

“Darling, not too long ago I had individuals boasting white and gold strutting around all over the place, snubbing the very ceremony we hold dear. They are already very much aware of our presence.”

Slowly Finian turned his head. The older lady watched him closely, the most motherly smile still adopted. “When you are here, only then do I have some whispers to share with you. Some information I believe keeping from you would be irresponsible. It involves the blue birds courageously flapping their wings.” VBnrFL

Just as his instincts had responded at the mention of Nova trying to take Caius away, Finian sneered just as profoundly at the thought of certain savages also trying to obtain something that didn’t belong to them.

The expression vanished by the time he turned to face the hologram once again. He had regained his regular composure, agreeing to eventually return to #OWS3.

As for the second body within the otherwise deserted home; the young teen who was entirely distracted by the easel in front of him. What had initially started off as yet another rendition of his most beloved home, gradually transformed into something else entirely. 

Caius avidly used the expensive paints he had been generously gifted by Ace a few days after the ceremony, but knowing from his past life the worth of such a material, he painstakingly selected only a handful of colours as he began experimenting. Gaze fleeting briefly towards the projected time that sat on his wrist, yet another gift courtesy of his teacher. One restricted to telling the time only. bwAvEk

It would beep every time he had to take a break, since the man wasn’t able to accompany Caius and monitor him himself. Which Caius diligently stuck to, taking breaks when he was required to and eagerly getting back to work when that brief period was over.

However, without him knowing it, the thoughts he had refused to share with Ace when he asked, resurfaced. Specifically when he began to mix colours: red, blue and yellow to create brown and from there he added that to white and some more yellow. Slowly but surely, under the paint brush he took the best of care of, a golden paint emerged.

Next to the left-over white paint, he felt compelled to start drawing something completely new. Even as the beeps echoed somewhere in the back of his mind, telling him to confirm that he was taking a breather from painting, Caius continued.

His previous painting had started with a block background, which he intended to build upon with the brightest and lightest of colours, to signify the flowers that were still struggling to remain as beautiful as they could be. Clinging to their last scraps of energy, refusing to give in. bwmS3j

Now, the background looked like the very space that sat in between all of the planets. The only life coming from the warmer streaks of paint that Caius had boldly added in amongst the dark ones. But what naturally stood out the most on the canvas was the white block which had steadily become a figure. Now with the addition of gold in places, a smile that looked like Caius’ and the shape of his eyes deliberately added with care, it would be clear to anyone that the figure was from Nova.

His uniform as eye-catching as it could be.

Caius only stopped when he came across a problem. In order to fully bring the character to life he had to firstly know his face, and other than a few basic facts shared by his papa, his other father’s face was completely unknown to him.

Placing his paint-brush down, he took a few steps back away from the easel that stood by his windows. The back of his legs eventually met the soft covers of his bed and he plopped down onto it. His complicated gaze still transfixed on the unfamiliar figure he now felt he deeply longed to know about. AXPWmg

He soon came round, his studying of the painting shattered. The disruptive beeping from his wrist incessantly crying for his attention. He granted it, swiping the screen with the least amount of care; no doubt reporting his wrongdoings straight back to Ace.

Unwilling to get up, Caius let himself fall onto his back. Staring up at the ceiling which became the first thing he woke up to and the last thing he saw before he closed his eyes at night. 

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Turning onto his side, he dipped his head so he could peek at his painting once again. A strong sense of loneliness emanated from it, and he concluded immediately knew it was a piece of artwork that he had to somehow get rid of before his papa spotted it. 

The thought alone spurred him into action. Sitting up, he went to get off the bed when his restricted form of Communicator beeped once again. He thought nothing of it, putting it down to his own error in the way he previously treated it when coming out of his daze. But when he looked at it, intent on swiping to accept the timed-notification, he paused. wFjvoi

In fact it wasn’t a notification that had been set up to monitor him when he was painting, instead a title popped up and flashed: ‘Incoming Transmission’.

 

{ To Be Continued }

  mTr0Pi

[ A/N: I’m really sorry it took me longer than I anticipated to get chapter ten up for you. It feels like I’m currently swimming against a tide of work. Plus it’s that time of year where my house is filled to the brim with treats that are calling my name. Also plus, my birthday is this Saturday (19th) — but I’m still going to be working on the next chapter for you all. Hope you enjoyed reading chapter 10 & kudos to you if you made it through my ramblings! <3 ]