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Tweak says, "Yes what?"

Aetheria Elias (ex_whisperin601) wrote in light_of_may,
@ 2011-06-15 13:46:00

Entry tags:

2009-08-17, aetheria, diana

Even though the moment passed me by, I still can't turn away
Who: Aetheria and Diana
Where: Local ice cream store
When: Noon

There were many things that Aetheria found herself getting giddy over: fluffy animals, rain, pretty dresses. Somewhere in that list, ice cream and being with her family popped up, so that had to make the tiny air elemental beside herself when she was able to set up some time with her mother to go out for some ice cream. She would have invited her twin along if she hadn't been the typical air elemental and totally forgotten, but by the time she was in the car to leave the Ad Gustum property, she figured it was better this way. The encounter with the demon still plagued Aetheria's dreams and she wanted to talk to Diana about it without upsetting her twin... after they got some ice cream, of course.

Once she reached her destination, Aetheria bounced out and proceeded to wait in front of the shop to wait for her mother. Ooo, maybe they could share one of those banana split things! Aetheria had loved it when she and Aurora bought one of those at Riverfest, but wished they had help with eating it. It was huge! Eating aside, she was just happy to spend some time with her mother. It felt silly thinking that a month or so ago, she didn't have the luxury to do this. But everyone's here now and we're all happy and that's all that matters.

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ex_whisperin601
2011-06-19 05:03 pm UTC (link)

Why do I have to pick?! Aetheria scrunched her face up in thought as she stared down that menu of flavors. Coming to a final decision had to be an air elemental's worst nightmare, but all things considered, Aetheria knew she had worse nightmares than trying to pick one flavor over another. She couldn't figure out if she wanted something new or pick one she at least knew she enjoyed. Well, Aurora had enjoyed the banana split with her, so maybe her mom could do the same. After a moment of thought, she jotted down: 'Can we get the banana split, mom? We can share it! It's really yummy.' And whatever they didn't finish could be brought back for Aurora. She'll like that!

And while ice cream did make her happy, as did being with her mother, she knew it couldn't hide the fear that lingered in her. Once they were done with meeting up, Aetheria would have to leave for Ad Gustum. That part always got to her - the leaving bit. She wished they could all stay together, but Aetheria did enjoy working and making people happy. Actually, she could have stood on the street corner using her powers to make balloon animals for passing children and she would have been happy. Aetheria strived to make people smile. If it meant having a vampire munch on her, then so be it, but getting her family to smile lately seemed to be harder than she imagined. I wish we could smile forever - myself included. She knew that demon was still at Ad Gustum and wasn't leaving any time soon. That was a reason enough to want to cling onto her mother and never want to leave. The air elemental fidgeted while trying to think of something to write to take her mind off of the subject, but only one thing came to mind: 'Mom, do I make you happy?'

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airspriestess
2011-06-19 05:43 pm UTC (link)

A banana split? Diana blinked, confused for a moment as she tried to figure out whether it was the banana itself was split or if it was some term she just hadn't heard. Ah well, Aetheria said it was good and Diana had decided to allow her to choose. "Of course we can." Diana smiled at Aetheria and smoothed back a piece of her hair before turning to the boy behind the counter to place the order. When he just stared at her, open-mouthed, she stared right back until she realized that she had probably spoken in Greek. Repeating the order in English went over far better. This was why she liked conversations with just her family. They understood her no matter what language she slipped into.

Diana may have been a little air headed and unable to keep her mind focused on one thing, but she was good at picking out the emotions of those close to her. Five years may have passed and they all may have changed more than she had imagined, but she could still tell when something was bothering one of them. Like Aetheria at that moment. Instead of asking what was wrong she waited. And found herself wishing that Aetheria had said something else because once upon a time she would never have needed to ask that. She'd just have known that of course she made her happy. How could her daughters not make her so? "Of course you do, Aetheria!" Not caring that they were in an ice cream shop, Diana reached out to hug her daughter tightly. "All of my children make me happy. Just knowing that you're alive is enough." No it wasn't, that was a lie, and Diana struggled to keep from correcting herself. She would've been happier if Aurora and Aetheria were at home, not wherever they were doing things that left marks on their necks. "But I confess. I would be happier if you were with us. Where you belong."

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ex_whisperin601
2011-06-21 02:31 am UTC (link)

Another hug made Aetheria's lips curl up in another bright smile. You shouldn't have doubted yourself. Not seeing people happy just made Aetheria sad, even more so when they were family. And then there were those tricky times when people smiled, but didn't really mean it. Why anyone would ever fake a smile was beyond her. She might have tried, but the poor blonde always failed. Just like she was trying to that moment. Oh, the first smile was genuine for sure, but after hearing her mother saying she belonged with her, it grew harder to keep that smile up.

You know you don't belong in a house with a demon living in it. That's not safe for you. Or Aurora. Or anyone for that matter. Going to bed at night knowing that her family was all under one roof would make sleeping easier for sure. And they could wake up together each day and make breakfast together and keep an eye out for one another. It would be like they were back home in the mountains.Though the one thing that held her back from leaving Ad Gustum was.... well, good question. Aetheria doubted she and her twin could leave for good on their own free will and they did make so many people happy there. In a different way, true, but they left with smiles.

The thoughts continued through her head as she scribbled out more for her mother: 'Awww... I wish I was there with you, too. I'm sorry Rora and I haven't been. The people have been nice to us so far where we live and we make people happy there, too, and I just want to make everyone happy. I never want to see anyone sad.'

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airspriestess
2011-06-23 03:40 pm UTC (link)

Diana didn't believe with Aetheria wrote. Or rather, she believed that it was true but she didn't want to. She knew what they did. Or part of it. She also knew that Aurora came to their home and cried. One twin wanted to make everyone happy and the other clung to them until she felt like she didn't have a choice but to leave. Diana wished they both felt the same way as Aurora. It'd be easier to keep them from going back and she would be damned by the dark gods if anyone took her daughters away again unless they wanted to go.

But she couldn't say that. Her throat wouldn't let her.

"Aurora comes often," Diana corrected her daughter, smoothing back another piece of hair. Accepting the banana split, or what she assumed was it, Diana turned to locate a seat. "She takes comfort being with us, especially with Cheila, and it's good for her. You should come with her." Picking up a spoon she took a little bit of the ice cream. It hadn't ever been her favorite treat. "You would be every bit as welcome and you might want everyone to be happy where you are... but what about your twin?" Diana wasn't cruel, but she was a priestess and she'd spent her life teaching lessons. "Aurora is not happy, Aetheria, and you should care more for how she feels than anyone. She stays where you are, does as you do, and doesn't remain with us because she would never leave you." Diana tilted her head as she studied Aetheria's face. She may have been the younger but if there was a leader between the twins then it had always been her. Diana knew her children. She knew what she had told them, not just once but multiple times because it was that important - look after Aurora. Now they were all damaged and all needed to be taken care of; but her middle daughter had been born impaired. Aetheria's voice was gone now, stolen, but Diana still saw her as perhaps seventy-five percent of the whole that was the twins.

"Remember what I told you when you were a little girl?" She reached over and cupped Aetheria's cheeks, touching her thumb to the lids of each eye. "You have two eyes and with one you look out for yourself and with the other you look out for Aurora. And if you do it right then the two are always actually looking out for the same thing because they are linked the same as you are with your twin. If she is unhappy then can you be anything else?" Diana doubted it. Aetheria was just better at pretending.

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ex_whisperin601
2011-06-23 08:46 pm UTC (link)

Aetheria truly was disillusioned into believing that Ad Gustum was a healthy environment and the people there were on par with angels. Well... not anymore, if there was a legit demon there, but that wasn't the point. She had spent five years in places that made her cringe; the lowest of the low carted the twins around and did whatever pleased them. They lived behind bars and in boxes more so than actual bedrooms. Aetheria didn't want to tell her mom about that. Those times were over and they survived them. That was what mattered, right?

She was all smiles when she saw the banana split, eagerly following her mother over to a seat until she realized what Diana had just said: Aurora wasn't happy. Aetheria did her best to make sure Aurora had a smile on her face. If they weren't together through all those times, then they both would have fallen apart and shattered.But... I thought she was happy. Did she tell me she wasn't and I forgot? Why would I forget something like that? ...or why would she just not tell me? Aetheria felt herself sunk back into her seat, feeling nothing but guilty sit upon her drooping shoulders. Here she was, claiming she wanted to make people happy and she couldn't even make her own twin happy.

The ice cream remained untouched as Aetheria rubbed her eyes and looked up to her mom with a pout. "I would leave with her if it made her happy." The sentence was forced, each word crackling out past her lips. It didn't help that she was on the verge of tears, either. Looking back down, Aetheria sniffled. You messed up. You made Aurora unhappy. The thoughts continued to haunt her as she placed her face into her shaky hands. "I'm sorry..."

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airspriestess
2011-06-24 08:36 pm UTC (link)

Diana saw how Aetheria's face fell and all she wanted to do was pull her into her arms and take the words back. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt any of her children. But Aetheria needed to hear that. Diana didn't know if Aurora would ever be able to tell her and so who was left? Standing, Diana moved to sit next to her daughter, pulling her to her side with one arm before kissing the side of her head. "How you want to make other people happy... I think that's how Aurora thinks of you, she wants you happy. If she thinks you're happy like this she wouldn't want to take you from it. Just like how you don't want to keep her now that you knew." It truly wouldn't surprise Diana to learn that Aurora wouldn't tell Aetheria that. Just like it didn't surprise her that Aetheria would do whatever she had to to make Aurora happy.

"Don't apologize to me, Aetheria." Diana stroked back a piece of her hair. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I'm just telling you what I think you need to know. And not just because of Aurora, but because of yourself too. I just want all of you to be safe and wherever you are isn't." There was a demon there for the love of everything.

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ex_whisperin601
2011-07-01 01:48 am UTC (link)

She could never blame her mother for saying those words. Not in a million years. Diana was a good person and she always meant well. Aetheria instead blamed herself for never noticing that perhaps something wasn't right in their little world. She knew she should have been in more tune with Aurora's emotions. It was even raining this morning! I should have picked up on something. The blame could have being pointed at the fact she was an air elemental and thus tended to forget, but that was no excuse for not being there for her twin sister.

Having her mother's arms around her did help, for she instantly clung back onto Diana and buried her face into her chest. The random looks from the people in the ice cream shop didn't bother her. This was important! Her head only came up to nod to Diana, for yes, she did know that she was only telling the truth and that Aetheria deserved to be safe and happy as much as her twin. The concept of safe had morphed into various different things over the years. Safe meant not going to sleep in a box at night. Safe meant no one binding them with ropes and metal to keep them in place. Safe meant not having a knife slicing her throat open. Though safe also meant being with family, something she didn't have over the past five years. As much as Aetheria wanted to think she got through those times better than most people, she knew it broke something in both herself and Aurora.

Writing a response to her mom was hard when tears remained swelled up in her blue eyes, a few of them even landing onto the paper. 'Would you let Rora and I stay with you and daddy and Cheila and Dashiell if we left?'

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