#Pollux Codex

[2d-dreams]

two halves

of a whole

[ciphercalamitiez]

@cybersp4ced @2d-dreams

[rjalker]

AU where all the people who called their hotline learn what happened and storm the asylum and jail and rescue them and they get to get actual therapy and fight for equal rights together.

(Chromatists putting pride flags on their sides is the best thing ever)

(I seem to recall art somewhere with Bill with the aroace flag...? Might be remembering wrong)

@2d-dreams I love your story and characters. They're so cute.

[ID: A simple, lineless digital drawing of Pollux Codex, an original Flatland character, and Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls, sitting in a bench under a tree and smiling at the camera while saying, "Cheese!". Pollux is a blue hexagon with his left side, which we see on his right, darker blue and covered with scar tissue, with another scar on his lower side. He has a black bowtie, and holds a yellow cane in his right hand. The two of his sides on the right have been painted in the gay flag and the ace flag. The gay flag has stripes of dark green, seafoam, off-white, medium blue, and very dark blue. The ace flag is black, grey, white, and purple. Bill is a yellow equillateral triangle with darker scars on his lower half, concentrated on his right side, wearing a black bowtie and a tall tophat, holding a blue cane in his left hand, which we see on his right. His diagonal sides are painted with the gay, agender, and aroace flags. The araoce flag is orange, yellow, white, light blue, and dark blue, and is drawn upside down here. The agender flag is black, grey, white, light green, white, grey, and black. He has his eye closed while he smiles, and both he and Pollux are reaching out with their hands around the other while looking at the camera. Behind them is a large tree, and below them is green grass. The background is blank white. End ID.]

You should all go read The Arts of Being. You don't have to know anything about Gravity Falls except for the very ending. You can read Flatland here for free for context for that stuff.

They're adorable, your honor.

[the-arts-of-being]

i remember Bill mentioning that Pollux absolutely falls for all his merchant tricks every single time, and this reminded me of something he would do

[cybersp4ced]

pyoo pyoo

[panspy-draws]

digitized some old dnd doodles + pin cause he gets gets second oldest oc privilege

[xaloncat]

Helllooo meet the bowtie system!

Alter Count: 63

🎀| Xalon/Eclipsar/TwoTime [he/they/xe] - Host

🔆| Daze [he/she/they] - Caretaker

👁| Yang [he/they/it]

🌃| Ender [He/they]

🌗| Ember [He/it/stars/suns] - Sillyness Amplifier + Little

🔷️| Shadow Milk [He/They/She/It/Ze/Pix/Voi]

🌼| Pure Vanilla [He/They/She]

💠| Shepard [all pronouns] - Little

🔥| Burning Spice [He/Him]

🧀| Golden Cheese [She/He/They]

🤍| Mystic Flour [any pronouns]

🎙| Black Sapphire [He/They/Ze/It/Radio]

🍎| Candy Apple [She/Her]

🌸| Lotus/Eternal Sugar [She/they/he/it/rose]

🧂| Silent Salt [She/They/It]

🍭| c00lkid [any pronouns] - Little

🦴| Shelly [She/They]

📺| Vee [She/They/Ze/It/He]

🌠| Astro [It/They/He/Xe/Moon]

🍓| Sprout [He/They/It]

💟| Rasberry/Glisten [He/They/She/Pix/It]

💾| Austin [He/They/It/Tech/Bot]

🐟| Sebastian [He/They/It/Fish]

🖥| pAInter [They/It]

👑| Eclipse [He/They/Ze/It]

🫐| Sage Of Truth/Blueberry [He/They/She]

🔪| Bloodmoon [He/They]

☪️| Kia [She/Her]

⚡️| Stormbringer [She/They]

🕊| White Lily [She/They/Vi]

🍮| Custard Cookie ||| [He/Him] - Little

🐦| Mercury [He/They]

🍫| Dark Cacao [He/Him]

💚| Emerald/1x1x1x1 [He/She/They/It]

♟️| Issac/Angelo [He/They/It/Byte/Cyber]

🎈| Dazzle/Star/Fluke [She/They/Fae/It/Gem]

💌| Lychee/Sap/Harvest/Raz [They/It/Ze/He]

🍕| Elliot [He/They/It/Star]

🎲| Chance [He/They]

💣| Ferris/Wilbur (if close) [He/They]

🎭| Darius/DreamXD [He/They/Xd/It] - Gatekeeper

🎰| Gigi [She/He/They/It/Pon]

💫| Caspian/Truthless/Oracle [He/They/It/Fai]

🔮| Dune/Aspen [He/They/It/Zi]

🎮👾| Codex/Fizzy [He/They/Ze/Pop/H☆]

☕️| Affagato [He/Him]

📖| Clearsight [She/Her]

✨️| Twilight Sparkle [She/They]

🐍| Shurkien [He/They/It/Fang]

🎉| Noob/Skylar [She/He/They]

💥| Taph [He/She/They]

❔️✨️| Mystery [He/They/Xe]

🧊| Itrapped [He/Him]

6️⃣| Guest 666 [He/They/It]

💜💐| Azure [He/They/It]

🔵| Blu/Bluududd [He/Him]

🪙🌿| Sycthe/Arena [She/They]

🎩| Comet / Spade [He/They/Starz]

🃏🔮| N0l1 [It/He/They/Voi]

🧨🍧| Subspace [He/They]

🌙💙| Lunar / Pollux [He/They/She]

[2d-dreams]

tucks you in and kisses your forehead then shows you my knuckle tats that say SEEP TITE

[thefandomexpert]

So I guess you've already read pharos if you know pollux and dantioch? Or is that next on your reading list?

I simply know of them! I have a warhammy friend who has informed me about the guys; being relative newbies to the canon we like to liveblog to each other to cover more ground, so to speak, or at least share details not included in lexicanum (which is a lot). I forget if they’ve actually read Pharos but they definitely did some Scythes of the Emperor content, who’s founding chapter master is the baby ultramarine scout in this book, and are somewhat tangentially related. also polux and dantioch are only like. a little bit important to the nid problem. like a little. So I have definitely heard of them from the context of ‘basic wh40k lore u should know.’

I will probably eventually read Pharos for one reason or another, if not for the Guys then for the lore. it’s not on my immediate list because my immediate list is things important to the current chapter of Updated Codex (so, Ultramarines and Ynnead/in and around plague wars era) or things that have been specifically rec’ed.

[2d-dreams]

[accessible-flatland-art]

Here's a post with tips for writing your own image descriptions.

If you have Flatland OCs you regularly post art of, and would like to help me at least tag them properly, here are the tags I use for this blog, saved to a notepad for easy copying and pasting as needed.

If you want to help, you can go through these and create a specific tag cluster for your different OCs for me to copy and paste.

Just pick out whatever here is relevant to your OCs, and put it in a paragraph, separated by commas. It should include their name, anything you think people would want to search for (like Queer characters), and if applicable, the title of any stories they appear in.

I have been considering adding tags for the shapes of each characters, so you can add that in as well. (Ie: Rectangle, Cube, Straight Line, Kite, ect)

Then you can send me the results in an ask, and I'll be able to save those to a document, so all I have to do when I reblog your OCs is copy it in and all the right tags will show up.

You can have each character's tags separated by a paragraph.

IE:

Billie: [paragraph of tags separated by commas]

Bomb: [paragraph]

Joe: [paragraph]

I'm not sure what the character limit is for asks these days, but feel free to send as many at a time as you can fit in an ask.

Including the names of the characters in your art whenever you post them will also help.

_____

described images, described art, Flatland, Flatland art, Flatart,

transcribed audio, transcribed lyrics, lyrics, music,

Photoedits,

Physical books,

Flatland a Romance of Many Dimensions, Flatland Illustrations,

Book collections, Flatland collections,

The Color Revolt, Configurationism, Circularchy,

Stylized form, Literal form,

Flatland animals, Flatland rabbit, Flatland bees, Flatland horse, Flatland chicken, Flatland dog, Flatland cat, Flatland mouse,

Flatland technology,

Flatland anatomy, Flatland worldbuilding, Flatland cosmology, Flatland structure,

A Square, A Sphere, The Grandson of a Square, A Square's Wife, The Wife of A Square, The Sons of A Square, The Great Great Great Great Great Grandfather of A Square, The King of Lineland, The Monarch of Pointland, Chromatistes, Chromatistes the Pentagon,

memes, Flatland memes,

Public domain characters in Flatland, Flatland versions of characters,

Public domain characters,

Family Trees, Comic, Animation,

Flatland OCs, Original characters, Flatland original characters,

Character reference,

Disabled characters, Neurodivergent characters, Physically disabled characters, Characters with mobility aids, Characters with disability aids, Characters with prosthetics, Characters with canes, Characters with walkers, Characters with swimmers, Characters with glasses, Characters with wheelchairs, Characters with chairs, Characters with sleds, Characters with crutches, Characters with rollators, Characters with scars, Characters with facial differences, Characers with limb differences, Characters with visual impairment, Blind characters,

Queer characters, LGBTQIA+ characters, Gay characters, Bi characters, mspec characters, Lesbian characters, Trans characters, Nonbinary characters, Characters who use neopronouns, Aroace characters, Aspec characters,

Black Characters, Characters of color,

Irregular characters, Deirregular Characters,

Werestars, Stellanthropes, Shapeshifters, dragons, serpents, weredragons,

Characters with wings,

Sphereland, Flatterland, The Arts of Being, The Breaking Point, Neopronouns in Action, Flat Dreams, Flatterland, Flatland the film 2007, Flatland the movie 2007,

Neopronouns in Action 062, Neopronouns in Action,

Neopronouns in Action 090, Neopronouns in Action,

A 2024 Flatland Summary,

Tarzan of the Apes, Mickey Mouse,

Dayo,

Esther Flat Dreams, Nora Vigenere, Nora Flat Dreams,

Pollux Codex, Madelyn Schwarz-Carver, Hunter Schwarz, Marianne Smith, Michael the Misogynist Pentagon, Providence, Nature, Providence and Nature, Germs, Mr Square, A Shape,

Oblisi,

Liam,

A Son of A Square,

Cy,

Frau Line,

Lily Cipher,

Ruth Galton, Ruth, Liz, Elizabeth Huntsworth, Stella, Orbis, Irene Huntsworth, Mama Huntsworth, Chief Jr, Atlas Huntsworth, Atlas, Vance,Vance Huntsworth, Elijah, Elijah Huntsworth, Jasper,Jasper Huntsworth, 01 Isosceles,

Vincent, Trey,

Rutabega,

Hauntlight the Irregular Line, Cenotaph the rabbit aether, Sirenade the Irregular Multiangulus, Raptigan the _, Avispa Oro, Beatris Baker, Mo Guy, Unnamed characters, Billie Bob and Joe, Billie the Straight Line, Bob the Circle, Joe the Hexagon,

Jerult the Irregular Kite, Cairis Garret the Equilateral Triangle, Letel the Isosceles Triangle, Aralinda the Straight Line, Leteralinda the Straight Line, Ambrosine the Straight Line, Lucille the Straight Line, Carolayn the Kite, Tristram the Isosceles Triangle,

Arsenn Lupin, Arsene Lupin, AScrossover, Arsene Lupin crossover, Ortence Daniel, Hortense Daniel,

Flyssa of Ib-Wa, Dearg of Ib-Wa, Lieutenant Kellite the Configurationist, Grandna Tuokeli,

Vikki Line, Victoria Line, Lee Line, Jubilee Line,

Huffy,

Bill Cipher, Gravity Falls, GFcrossover, The Book of Bill, The Mother of Bill Cipher, The Father of Bill Cipher, Dipper Pines, Mabel Pines, Ford Pines, The Axolotl, Andrew Kryptos, The Mosaic,

Carlton,

Randie,Gravity Falls, GFcrossover,

Spacelanders, Flatlanders, Linelanders, Pointlanders, Hyperspacelanders, Higher Dimensional Beings, Beings From Unknnown Dimensions, Planiversers,

Alternate Universe Forms,

Video, autoplay, GIF, Autoplay, WIP animation, Unnamed Animation 001, Animation,

Flatland Merch, Art you can buy, Art you can print,

Art templates,

plush, plushies, arts and crafts,

Ty for adding it to the original,:), ID added in reblog, ID in original,:),

Plain text ID added in reblog, Original ID in ALT text, :),

[rjalker]

Werewolf descending from its dimension to shame 3D+ shapekind

[ID: A digital drawing of a blue Flatland style hexagonn with repeating question and exclamation marks in front of him, being cast in multiple shadows from things above him off screen, with giant yellow subtitled text overshadowing most of the image from someone shouting above him, reading, "What part of 'do not poke internal organs' did you not undersand???". End ID.]

[the-arts-of-being]

By the way, Hunter, you won't have grandchildrens. just nah 👎

[cybersp4ced]

pollux spotted

POLLUX SPOTTED!!!

[kismetmoon]

“All that I want is a pair of wings to fly, into the blue of the wide open sky.

Show me your scars, I’ll show you mine.

Perched out of the city on a pair of power lines”.

[ID: a digital painting of an original, stylised Flatland character named Pollux Codex.

Pollux is a blue hexagon with black limbs, two white and greyish-blue wings coming from his sides, a single eye in the centre of his body and a dark blue line along his bottom edge and right side.

He is posed as though floating in midair, his wings extended out behind him and his legs hanging down. His hands are held out in front of his body, with his left arm reaching out closer to the viewer than his right and both palms facing upwards. His eye is closed in a gentle expression.

The background is a sunset fading from burnt orange to pale yellow going from the bottom to the top of the image. There are some clouds around the edges and the sun is above Pollux, between his wings. There are power lines beneath him at the bottom of the image.

End ID.]

of course for @2d-dreams, with everyone’s favourite homosexual hexagon :D

also a close-up shot that i really like the framing of under the cut because why not

[ID: a close up of the above image, with Pollux’s body and wings shown in full - but the surrounding background has been cut out of frame. End ID.]

[talesofealdancynedom]

Castor in fairy robes; need to look smashing when you run away to be a hermit in a Saharan pocket forest.

Tale 15: Castor Radcyning & Pollux Erolcyning (chapter 5 - Finding Your Wish 5/5 ) part 3. Stories of True Love

   Augustine stayed in town for a month. Spending the last of his blood money to keep the family together. He still made assets in his estates in Fort De Lapin; House Musham owned half the land around the Rat Gate. Thus, Augustine had the resources to spare to help himself too. Being in town tore at him though. Augustine’s childhood home was visible from main road, four floors of white marble and glass. It reminded him of his late family; Augustine opted to stay in a hotel for now. The pristine marble mansion had remained unkept and vacant since his parents died, but now hosted his nieces; Who didn’t remember him.

Augustine first helped Pollux finish school; She was in her last year. He made her presentable and walked her to and from school to make sure she was ok; And actually went. Next, Augustine found some therapy clinics each of the family members could be referred to for free. Augustine considered whether he should have a psychologist as well. Still waffling about his pursuit of change, he disposed of that thought temporarily.

Every time Augustine went about his hometown to run errands, he past the ballet school. The ballet school he went to when he was young. It was on rout between the bank, hotel, and the trailer park; He passed it both ways almost every day. Augustine grew up in this town, but it felt like a nightmare instead of nostalgia. Everything was where he left it, if not slightly different: There was a new store front or rebuilt housing unit, but otherwise For de Lapin was still a romantic brick and stone town by an enchanted bluff. Memories of this place made Augustine on edge, as if he was going to see something bad again. The happy town was now stained by the grimness of the situation and trauma. Biking on the bridge he had seen a man jump off, or the alley by the school that give him flashbacks to brutally murdered fey. Each day tested Augustine’s ability to resist the temptations of addiction, and ability to get out of bed. Yet, Augustine was determined that he wasn’t leaving until everything, and everyone, was in order. The fear of doing nothing was strong enough to get him the strength to survive minute to minute.

When Augustine got back to the family trailer, he joined Castor in a lawn chair in the front. The smell of dead grass and dust hung in the air. Castor was fiddling with a camera, and smoking, while wearing Tree kingdom robes. They were terracotta like his hair, and for some reason didn’t make Castor as conspicuous as Fairy-Robes usually do. Augustine reached over and snatched the cigarette from Castor’s mouth, and put out in a can on the ground.

“Hey!” Castor snapped, glaring into Augustine’s expressionless mint eyes. Augustine pulled Belle out of his side bag, and put her onto his lap. He offered Castor an Iced tea from his bag, which Castor begrudgingly accepted.

“What’s that.” Augustine asked.

“It’s a camera that creates whatever it takes a picture of. An alchemy camera if you will. You put the magic frequency of each material you want the replica to be made of in top dials. It only works if you can summon light to power it. Did you know all materials have a magic frequency? It’s caused by differences in the way magic moves through matter between the veils. Some materials have frequencies that allow mages to move or teleport through them.” Castor explained with a smile. “My sister’s dope at hearing these frequencies; She can pick up a frequency with a winter silver tuning fork, within three significant digits. I made a codex full of all the frequencies, in Hz, that me and Pollux collected together. Every material we have ever come across.” He gleamed. He still had that youthful spark when he talked about magic. Just as Augustine had hoped. Augustine was very proud; Castor had become quite an impressive warlock.

“Oh, now I have competition!” Augustine chuckled. “A camera that breaks copyrights, versus jewelry that contorts what you believe? The world we live in, am I right? By the way, you’re all dolled up like a true magic-user. Are you going to go on a quest to take the perfect picture? Or maybe see a tree fit to be king?”

“Not a bad idea. That’s what my parent’s say too.” Castor smiled. He swigged the iced tea; It was unsweetened, and he coughed in surprise. “The robes are authentic too, I tested them. Dad gave them to me a few years back. Apparently, there hasn’t been a magic-user in his family for four generations. Hey, uncle August; In school they taught me mages wield destructive power, and you taught me only mages can make magic tools and friends with woodland creatures. Are the thing’s we learn in school wrong? If me and Pollux do those things, are we mages like you? And like the ones in the books you read to us? Are we dangerous?” Castor asked.

“Mages are just people of magic houses, born with more magic going through them; and thus are intuitive with magic. We just do different spells, and aren’t restrained by incantations, potions, and wands, like wizards. We even tend to be more neutral in nature like magic itself. Unlike wizards, who’s natures and morals are all over the place. No respect for magic, even if they coo at it. We’re not evil for talking to trees, or making epic swords for art. That’s stupid.”

“I don’t know. I can kind of see where they’re coming from. Polaris was scared of magic, and made a point of telling us why. Some common-folk find fey and magic unsettling, and scary. When you think about it, it’s weird all enchanted plants are crude and have opinions; One could be anywhere, silently watching and judging you. I know every fey in this magic forest, and tree children are something else. Wish there was a Terralith Tree here. After all these years, I still wish I could see one. I think it can still happen If I look into it. Guess I didn’t grow out of that dream. Do you think there might be one in the Tree Gate Forest? my dad grew up in those lands.” Castor mused.

“Mages love gates; So much ether to surround yourself in, without casting a single spell. Magic forest’s love mages too; They need someone in the Day Veil who loves them, and protects them from foolish commoners. If your adamant to see the Tree Gate, just pop through the Rat Gate by the creek, cross the Shadow Veil, find the Tree Kingdom; And Poof! You’ll be by an entire orchard of Terralith Trees that stand Infront of their mother the Tree King. You can alchemize water for them, and win them over in one ten-minute quest. Don’t forget to go dark on the gate once you’ve gone through it. It might need to be opened.” Augustine laughed. “They’re just like me and your dad’s stories. I got to see them in passing once. They make any fruit you ask for, and have pearly bark with crystal leaves and flowers. They are half human being royal fey, thus having a human form. Maybe one of those tree princesses will even fall in love with you.” Augustine joked. Castor coughed out a giggle, choking on his beverage again. He was obviously charmed by the idea.

“Maybe I will then.” Castor laughed.

“It will beat smoking and brooding. Perhaps even allow you to have a new life. Bit jealous. I could use a new life myself. Perhaps get even just one wish I had from when I was your age.” Augustine said coldly.

“Why don’t you just go and apply to work at the ballet studio in town? The one you say you learned how to dance at. You haven’t been here in a lifetime; Why not start over here? It’s like life is giving you an opportunity! I bet this whole time, you never gave up dancing, and are a badass talented ballerina with forty years’ experience; Trapped in an ideal aged body. Move into your family home, get a therapist, keep clean, and stay in touch with everyone if you’re the one who needs help. Shit, Make a magic forge in that dumb palace while you’re at it. Find a pretty partner that accepts your gender identity; You know, that white picket fence garbage. You have a real chance here.” Castor rambled. Augustine froze for a second. In a comedic way, Augustine and Castor sat there in a relaxed calm. The world, for a rare moment, was their oyster. They were sitting in a dirty trailer park, on lawn chairs drinking vending machine beverages, musing about wishes. That enchanting feeling of ‘what if’ and ‘that sounds nice’ Drifted in their minds without doubt. This time, it was real. Not just a ‘what if’, but a ‘it will’. They sat silently smiling stupidly for a bit together. Just two guys realizing they still have a chance to make, and get, another wish.

   The next day, when Augustine walked past the studio, it was opening time. The nice lady who was opening smiled at him, and they exchanged waves. Augustine hadn’t had much casual friendly interactions in his life. Time was either frozen for a game, or he was in his basement high and miserable. Did hanging out with Mathilda and Mattias count? He wondered. The town was becoming comforting again, after he had been there a few months. The people who recognized him, smiled and said hello or good mourning, peeling away his emotional shell. Sinking into his spirit. On Augustine’s way back to the trailer park, after paying the last of the debt, he decided to smile and wave back.

“You keep stopping outside,” The woman said, stopping him. “You look like a wizard. An exemplar Franc. Do you also dance? Is that why you stare at this place like a shy cat?” she chimed.

“Yes. I used to go here. When I was young. I may of froze my age some years ago. Do you like the mirrors by the way?” Augustine asked. “I put in special ones to help the students a while back.”

“Really? Hmm, I did hear this place gets odd renovations now and again. If you’re interested in this place, we’re hiring. If you want to audition or apply; Since you seem to be staying in town.” The lady smiled, handing Augustine a paper advertising the school. That felt too easy.  Like after fighting for so long, his second chance was just right next to him ripe for the taking. It made him feel like an idiot. It was anticlimactic in it’s effortlessness. Augustine now had the clarity and strength to see a chance, and take it. Is this what Happily Ever After spells feel like? He wondered.

Augustine stared at the phone number on the pamphlet all the way back to the trailer. He almost ran into the screen door again ,when Pollux stopped him.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“A job offer? I think? For the dance studio I used to go to too. I wonder if my plaque and picture is still in its trophy cases.” Augustine said.

“If you apply, you will be officially moved into town! You already live in the hotel; And maybe in your original home soon? Cassy says your family home is that massive white house by the bluffs. Mage loves a gate, Gate loves a mage!” Pollux laughed. “By the way, what are you telling brother? He wants to go to the Tree Gate in the Southlands where father is from. To be a mage and marry a Terralith Tree?! I need Cassy still!”

“I thought that outcome was apparent since he was ten.” Augustine snickered. “If you finish school and be a good girl, you might be a paladin and prance around a gate too.” He added.

“You don’t understand. I don’t care if he canoodles with a birch; I just don’t want Castor to go. I don’t want my family to fall further apart; I’m scared. What if I move out one day too, and my parents are alone, and I never see anyone again.” Pollux admitted. She begun trembling. Augustine did the only thing he could think of; Give an honest hug. Neither of them were huggers, but it didn’t seem to matter.

“Well, your safe now, and you can go visit him through the Rat Gate. I can keep you and your parents’ company like I used to. Since I may be staying a while anyway. I will need friends nearby too I think.” Augustine said, looking back at the pamphlet. “I want you to finish school before you go on any quests. Castor will be fine; He’ll be hermiting it up in a suspiciously placed stand of tree children. Waiting there, like a creepy crotchety spirit. I promise.” Augustine snickered. Pollux knew this, but her heart still hurt. She hugged back again, and sobbed. Augustine wondered what he had been doing with his life in that moment; Her tears, him actually sober and caring for a child responsibly. It took so long and so much to get here, but it felt instant.

“What are you going to do about your family uncle August? If you stay here, wont they miss you too? You have a family, right? They can’t all be gone.” Pollux said.

“Oh, I have some nieces, a nephew, and my dear brother in-law, Mattias. He’s off being happy after finding his son in the Grand West. My nieces are the second reason I haven’t moved into Musham Manor, remember. I removed their memories, to protect them, so I’m just a stranger to all of my sister’s children. However, I think Mattias might be happy to hear about this. He worries about me, and I kept this whole thing with you three kids a secret. Mattias saw the worst of me, and I brought out the worst in him. I saved my most sugar-coated self for you. It will be a great relief to him; He saved me from injuring myself, and was with me after all I lost and witnessed.” Augustine replied.

“So, you’ll be ok too? And you promise to tell him, or bring him over some time?” Pollux said still clinging to Augustine. They had begun rocking a little, and Mathilda walked into the kitchen and watched quietly in endearment. Castor was getting a camera ready to take a picture of the saccharine moment. He had silently snuck in, and was there the whole time.

“You never said you had a nephew, or nieces, or a sister! How much did you keep from us!” Pollux asked.

“As much as I kept from Mattias… Also, it never came up.” Augustine sluffed. “Now please tell me you’ll be a good girl. No more sticky fingers and chewing people’s sneakers.” He smiled.

   The following mourning, Augustine went back to his childhood home froze time, and went to the untouched forth floor. He uncovered the furniture and cleaned the old family pictures. It was a good way to use soothe tension. Augustine left a notice on the front door for his nieces, to let them know he was returning and legally the rightful owner.

After his housing was prepared, Augustine decided to stop by the dance studio; And actually enter. The nice lady was happy to see him, introduced some students and instructors, and asked if he needed to be shown around before the audition. Augustine handed her his resume, adjusted the strap of his gym bag, then led her down the hall to the star of the trophy case. In the first cabinet, Augustine knelt down to a silver trophy with a pink ribbon. Augustine pointed to a picture behind the trophy, at a boy that looked like him, but with brown hair and green eyes. The boy stood in the front, and was holding the trophy.

“That, is me,” Augustine said quietly. “I must have been twelve.” He smiled. The lady smiled too, starting to notice the similarities.

“Well, if magic isn’t the wildest thing. You don’t look a day past graduation! If that is you, I hope your bones aren’t too old to show us the final act that won that trophy, would you? I trust you know En Pointe now that you’ve grown?” she asked. Augustine, though still sad inside, felt a glimmer of joy. It was unfamiliar and precious. Getting up, Augustine faced her, and enthusiastically agreed to dance the last act for the audition.

Augustine had forgotten dance was even better with and for others.  He'd forgotten joy itself. A real stage, where he could hear the slippery wood underfoot, which bounced yet was firm. The gorgeous yet uncomfortable costumes, that smelled like old linen and plastic prop paint, brought back fond memories he thought he had forgotten. Augustine moved like he was made of peaceful air. But inside he was nervous, still feeling unfit to teach or be in front of people again. to his audience he look young, but on the inside, Augustine was an old soul who regretted wasting his life trapped in suffering. When he bowed, Augustine got an applause. He had forgotten what one of those was like too. He’d forgotten what it was like to embrace it.

The next day, Augustine was waved into the studio; He had gotten the job as an instructor, and was to start the following week. They suggested he could join a dance company, but Augustine declined; There’s no place like home. Just as he left his first day of work, Mattias called. He said his daughters told on him, and Mattias would come over with his son to throw a sobriety party for Augustine. Before bed, Augustine summoned all the magic creations, pictures, and cards, he had coveted; Each displayed in a spare room in the house, next to his.

At ease, Augustine visited Castor in the Tree Gate Forest. Castor had made many tools of magic in solitude; Mostly cameras and paints. Castor was in a fluster to tell Augustine he had seen and met Terralith tree. In fact, he had fallen in love with one who loved him back, just as uncle August said. She was the youngest, and had a crystalline crown; Glimmering like pink aura quartz.  Augustine was sad he didn’t get to see how Castor reacted when he finally saw a Terralith Tree. He imagined Castor acted like a child finally being tall enough to go on a carnival ride. Castor gave Augustine a beautiful photo he had taken of her, and the picture of Augustine and Pollux hugging before he left.

“Also here is some new gear for Pollux. Tell her not to visit so often. The fey are scared of her.” Castor said, waving goodbye. Augustine didn’t know Pollux was wildly prancing around the Shadow Veil, and hopping locations on her spare time. But he did know it was futile to stop her.

Exhausted, Augustine went to visit Mathilda. She admitted Pollux was becoming everyone’s problem. But more importantly, she was happy her friend was getting some of the wishes he had given up on, or given away.

“That’s wonderful that you got the job! hopefully you won’t stop making magic mirrors on the side, and keep going to meetings? Maybe, show me some of these memory devices, next we meet? Oh, I must see that fancy house too, you’d have me.” Mathilda smiled. She wilted a moment, looking into her cup of coffee. “In your mythical arsenal, do you have something that might, perhaps, let me see my own memories? Good ones I mean.” She inquired. Augustine did; And often used them with Mattias over the years, when he wanted to see his sister again. Thus, he understood why she asked.

“It still hurts doesn’t it.” Augustine said dropping Pollux’s new gear on the table. They decided to keep the trailer, but it had been gentrified a bit. Mathilda sighed deeply. Comforted, yet sad, Augustine understood. Maybe irritated that Castor made Pollux more ammunition.

“I admit, even with the debt gone, my babies have grown up, or left me too soon. I don’t wish for the pain to completely leave. This hurt is important, because she was important. I know it hurts you too, because you said your sister died in a similar way; And all those tragedies you remember. That’s a lot of important to walk around with, Augustine. Maybe focusing on the happier things will make it a little easier.” Mathilda comforted. Augustine curled a bit, reflecting on her words.

“Well, I might have something we can use to share memories. If you want.” Augustine shrugged. “It doesn’t make things go away, but seeing those happy memories again does provide a moment of peace. By the way, as you can see, Castor upgraded Pollux’s junk. Is she well? With Castor and Polaris gone?” Augustine asked.

“She’s hard to keep track of on the weekends, but she’s not a little child anymore. Pollux is finishing school, if that’s what you’re asking. You try controlling someone that age; Who wields wolf magic and too much personality. She’s quite the paladin. It does make me proud. I do wonder sometimes, if you handed me some mage genes.”

“Perhaps. Though I’m sure that is not how it works.” Augustine chuckled. This moment is so nice, he thought. Augustine felt strange as he laid back into his seat smiling. The end of a tumultuous journey, yet also begging another more wonderful one. Finally, Augustine and those he loved, had all their wishes come true. It was a sigh almost, a smile inside. The bitter taste of everything still with him, as he sat in the stale room. A sort of serenity seeped in, with someone next to him he never thought he would ever meet. In a familiar town he never thought he would be happy in. Augustine had found that tiny moment of peace that would stay with him for the rest of his life; that would not have existed, if he had arrived to anything in his life any moment sooner; Or had done anything differently.

TABLE OF CONTENTS--->

<---PREVIOUS