Needing To Relocate To Heal Who: Anghard & Finn Bellweather What: For your health - move out of Las Vegas Where: Lux, Las Vegas When: June 2020 [Flash-back Scene] Ratings/Warnings: Low - just a bits of sadness here and there
After a long shift at the Circle-K, Finn almost fell asleep as he walked to the small studio apartment he rented within a stone's throw of Lux. But as soon as he was safely inside and shoes and jacket peeled off, he collapsed on the mattress on the floor and slept. But the ten hours of z’s didn’t replenish his energy. Finn got up, drank some orange juice, showered, clothed, and made his way to visit Angharad.
She was the closest person to family these days and her club/residence seemed to feel just right. Finn passed through and stopped once through the curtains. He still felt tired, drained even, but he had come to expect it after working so hard and also not resorting to his natural and smaller Fae form.
“Angharad?”
The sorceress looked up as the young pixie entered and beckoned him over to where she was seated on a gold velvet chaise lounge that was located next to the stage area. The layout was different to what had greeted guests during the Samhain festivities, the venue now smaller again, more intimate, and a soft mellow light emanating from the smooth sandstone walls that arched overhead. The ceiling looked as if it was covered in velvet with pinpricks of light that gave the appearance of a night sky, which may have been an illusion, or may not. It was difficult to tell.
She patted the chair close to her as Finn approached. As he did she hid the concern she felt at his appearance, both physical and his aura. There had been a weakening of his spirit for a while, and she'd been looking into the possible causes, concerned about her young friend's state of wellness.
She knew it wasn't related to the loss of his beloved earth-mother, a young Wicca who had adopted the tiny stray when he'd accidentally managed to slip through to this realm before learning who he, or what it was, and how to return from it. He had told her his story when she had first found him wandering around Las Vegas, astounded by the sights and sounds, in awe of the lights and numbers of people, and keen to learn all he could.
She also knew it wasn't related to affairs of the heart, nor his longing to return to visit their realm as she had been helping him refine his abilities to slip through the veils to the safety of Faere if he felt he was in any sort of danger. That was still a work in progress as a number of times she had had to go and retrieve him when he hadn't returned to the right point in this realm.
What she had come to realise was it was possibly the City itself that was causing his decline. As a young fae he'd fallen through the veils, far younger than any would normally be allowed to cross, and had not been able to return. His formative years had been with his earth-mother who had raised him surrounded by the life of the forest, plants of all kinds and sizes. But Angharad believed it was more than just Finn needing plants around him, she had determined that his early crossing had left him susceptible to a deterioration of his fae protection from the synthetic and constructed world in this realm. The danger each fae faced when dealing with iron in this world was well known. As this world had increased its use of the metal in the strengthening of buildings, creation of mechanical transport and new technologies, the fae had developed a stronger resistance, but only in those who had had sufficiently slow exposure over many centuries, especially during their youth. This enabled them to exist despite its everyday use in this modern world, those who bothered to continue to reside on this side. But Finn hadn't had that time to develop this and now, she feared, the City itself was causing his deterioration.
She signaled to one of the fae at the bar who looked at the new arrival, nodded to Angharad and disappeared behind the bar.
"My darling child, come and rest your weary self here, I have missed your smiling face. Tell me what you've been doing since we last met. It's been weeks!"
Finn always liked Angharad’s place. The magic of changing the size and look of the place was something so wonderful! And he was learning more and more on how to move between the realms. He felt safe in Las Vegas, attributing his fatigue and sickliness to the long hours at work, maintaining his human form, and concealing his wings.
Crossing the room, Finn soon sat down in the chair the other Fae had indicated and sighed. “Hi! I’ve been working a lot - stocking shelves, playing games, keeping out of trouble - I promise!” He smiled. His enthusiasm was there, but not nearly as boisterous as he usually was. There were times back in Colorado where he grew tired and spent a lot of time sleeping, especially in the winter months. But after that time, he was better and his earth-mother had always tried to keep more plants around and they would take frequent walks in the forest.
“Of course you have,” she replied reassuringly. She unfolded her legs from beneath her, stretching them out before lowering them to the ground, the gold slippers adorning her feet seeming to reflect the pinpricks of light from above. She reached over and took his hands in hers, leaning her elbows on her knees as she looked into his face, openly studying him.
“Now tell me truthfully darling, how are you feeling?”
Finn’s posture was not as straight and puffed out as usual. His tension spring legs were slack as he sat there with his shoulders a little sunken. He found being around Angharad quite calming but also unworldly compared to what he had grown accustomed to. The Faere realm was still quite new. Gently, he curled his fingers around the Fae’s hands. Blinking, Finn bowed his head a little at her gaze.
Frowning a little, but smiling, he shook his head. “I’m just tired. I slept a good bit last night after I got home from my shift at work. Usually that does the trick. Maybe it’s the heat.” He fidgeted a little, his fingertips moving a little out of nerves.
As he spoke the fae from behind the bar appeared again, and carried a tray with two glasses across to where the sorceress and young Finn sat. “Thank you Aonghus,” she said as she lifted the two glasses from the tray. She presented one to Finn. “Here, my love, drink this, it will help you.” She sipped from her own glass as she watched him over the rim.
Finn smiled at Aonghus and then looked back at Angharad as she offered the glass to him. Taking it, he nodded, “Thank you.” Then he sipped it slowly and could feel how smooth it was as he swallowed the liquid. Honestly, the young fae missed seeing the forest as he did back home in Colorado. Finn sipped from the glass a little more. He hadn’t noticed just how bad he was feeling.
The young fae opposite her was now as familiar to her eyes as any of those who called Lux ‘home’. Of those who visited, also living in this realm, he had become like a son to her, and she was as aware of his aura as any she knew. She watched now, and hummed softly as he swallowed, then took another sip. What she could see confirmed what she had come to suspect, and strengthened her resolve. She would encourage him to relocate, as much as it would sadden her to not have him so close.
“Finn, I need to talk to you about something,” she said, lowering her eyes to her drink before lifting them again to meet his.
It had been so long since those winter’s where he hibernated. Somewhere in the back of his mind he had a feeling this was similar. But the city was so wonderful that he had ignored it. Sipping some more of the liquid with closed eyes, Finn sighed. Angharad had become such a close person to him. He had no idea he would have been able to get as close to his kind so soon after losing his earth-mother.
“Yes,” he blinked and opened his eyes to look over at the older Fae. “What is it?” Finn asked, his voice soft with concern.
Angharad lowered her glass to place it on the reflective surface of the small table nearby, again the pinpricks of light above seeming to twinkle in the reflection. Again she caught Finn’s eyes, studying them before she spoke.
“I am worried about you, and why you are so tired,” she started. “In the time you’ve been here, in this City, I have watched and admired you, your tenacity, and your passion for life and learning all that there is to learn. During all these cycles, from Beltane to Samhain and on again you have shown me again the incredible excitement simply being alive and part of this realm can bring, and you know I’ve come to love you as one of my own,” she continued, indicating all the other fae there with a loving sweep of her eyes and hand, all of whom were her offspring. “Each time we have stepped through the veils, your love for both realms has reinvigorated my own passion for the world in which we live, and our own home.”
Finn frowned a little, noticing how quiet she had become in the moments before she spoke again. His fingers stayed wrapped around his glass, waiting to sip again.
Then he smiled a little at Angharad’s compliments and how she regarded him like one of her own children. Finn loved that, ever thankful for the kindness and chance of her finding him not soon after he arrived in the City. “So...maybe...it’s more than me working so hard? Is it because I’ve been away from the forest?” Finn sipped from his glass and reached out his free hand to Angharad.
She took his hand, her hand warm and strong feeling his rest in it, a little cooler and his energy matching his aura, with a little less sparkle and weaker now than when he first arrived. It again confirmed for her that her suggestion was the best for his well-being long term.
"When I first came to this realm it was very different,” she started. “As I’ve described before, it was very beautiful, and so varied. Magnificent forests that stretched for days, mountains with their secrets buried beneath, wide plains that fed so many who grazed and took only what they required for sustenance. The streams and rivers all ran clear and true, and the ocean spent its time lapping at the shorelines. Sometimes it would carve at the coast, others it would caress and cajole rocks and sand, causing cliffs to crumble, or sands to spread.” She paused as memories of those times tumbled in her mind, bringing a smile to her face. “When we continued to visit, and some of us choosing to spend more time here, we watched as the humans started to make changes, at first for protection, and safety, for themselves and their younglings, just as the birds who build nests, the bees with their hives, or the ants who build mounds. But then the humans started building beyond their immediate needs, creating places that took from the earth, and the seas, and brought elements together which had laid resting for the life of this world. And one of those is something we cannot bear - iron they call it.” She paused again, sighing softly as she held his hand in both hers. Even now she could tell she was right, and again it gave strength to her resolve.
“Much of the City is forged with this iron, much of their transport, the buildings, the way they use technology, all of it has been created using this element. For those of us who have been here during the times where this realm was in balance, and have remained during the changes, we have developed some strength, like a basic level of immunity to life in these cities. We can still be in danger from it, in concentrations, and of course a journey home will give us time to restrengthen if required.
“But you, my love, have not had this time, and I fear that this is contributing to your current condition.” She reached up a hand and stroked his cheek, her fingers traveling down to cup his chin. “I can see in your aura that your life force has weakened in the time you’ve been here in the City, and I worry that while you are still developing your skills at passing from this realm to our homeworld and back again safely, you may lose too much of your spirit to this City, that it will drain you.”
Finn slowly let out a sigh as Angharad described the world as she must have seen and experienced. Beautiful, magical. He wished he could have seen it then. He couldn’t remember much of his first six years of life in their homeworld. But the forest he was found in and frequently visited was the closest he had felt in a long time. The place breathed as he did. Finn gently squeezed Angharad’s hand.
“Oh, right,” he nodded as she described iron and how it was everywhere. Then he started seeing where she was going with things. How he was at a disadvantage, how vulnerable he was. The City was making him sick.
Then Finn leaned into her touch to his cheek and then his chin. “It’s making me sick.” He frowned as he looked over at her and nodded. “I like it here, Angharad, but do I need to go to our homeworld for a while or where should I go?” Moving about was disorienting to him and he didn’t want to leave his new ‘mother’.
“I believe both would be good for you,” she admitted, “though it pains me to say.” She sighed softly, knowing it was for his good. “I would suggest we find somewhere close by that doesn’t have the same heavy level of development, where the buildings are not made of steel and there are fewer lights and signs and use of electricity.” She paused as Aonghus came over and sat with them as he had been doing research for her on this. As he had a human father he was able to use technology and was soon showing them a map of Clark County, pointing out the type of towns that might be suitable.
“Searchlight,” Angharad said, repeating the last name he had said. “Near the water?” she asked, Aonghus nodding his confirmation. “Yes, there is a place there on the shoreline, a resort building and trailer park. It is just twenty minutes drive from Searchlight, but there is little in the way of plant life,” he pointed out.
This concerned Angharad, and she looked at Finn. “We must investigate further, whichever town you choose,” she told him. “Aonghus can take us whenever you’re next free.”
The young fae continued to frown, but he understood the need. He didn’t want to distance himself from the person he cared about most...again. But he wanted to live. Finn looked over at Aonghus as he came over and showed them the map. “Do I need to stop using my phone too?”
Blinking, he looked at Searchlight and the water. Maybe it could work. But it seemed as barren as the City.
“Okay.” Finn replied as he looked over at Angharad. “Maybe I could fill wherever I live with plants? Maybe try Searchlight first. Uhm, I don’t want to get any sicker.” He gripped Angharad’s hand.
The sorceress held his hand, sensing his trepidation. “Yes, we can make sure you have whatever it is that will help you,” she reassured him, glad to have something to distract her from her own concerns. “Aonghus can take us there, and it is not far from here, but far enough from anywhere that has concentrations too high for you to bear. And as time allows you to rejuvenate and continue to develop your skills, you can still visit here, at least, and we can continue your training in all our ways.” She dearly wanted him to master the ability to step from one realm to the other without ending up somewhere else on the face of this earth, which had happened on a few occasions and had led to some terrifying, and some rather humorous retrievals. It was the main protection a fae had in cases of imminent danger.
“One of us will stay with you until we are sure this is helping, and you’re healing,” she added.
“Okay,” Finn nodded and took another sip from his glass. He needed to stay close to Angharad, he had learned so much in the last three years. “I would like that, visiting here still. I’m still a mess up with my going back and forth.” He sighed. The young fae wanted to find a place where he could see the stars at night, but also sleep in his fae form in a jungle of ivy, violets, and orchids.
“Thank you.” he smiled and gently squeezed Angharad’s hand. Finn hoped he would be able to heal, but also make some new connections when he settled in his new home.