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Julian awoke to darkness, and pressure all around him. His clothes were heavy yet floating, and he was soaked to the bone.
Bubbles of panic leave his mouth, frantically rising up, showing him the way. Uncoordinated, but the best he could, he rushes to the surface.
He bursts out of the water's surface, gasping desperately for air. Waves lap over him, ushering him to shore while gently drowning him in the process.
Julian sputters, landing harsh and heavy against the sands of land. The water lapping at the wet sand and his wet boots pulls away the grains he disturbed with his body. He's heavy as a dozen cannon balls!
Julian coughs up some water, gasping and coughing. When he isn't dizzy from the lack of air in his lungs, he starts gauging the world around him.
The world is a shade of deep, dreamy blue.
Grass waves dreamily across the plains.. In the middle of nowhere, stood pedestals and platforms that looked as if they stretched up to the moon. They stood motionless and still.
The water around him was white, and glimmered like the stars above the various pools of shimmering stillness.
The moon was bright above all the natural pitchers, where the waterfalls pour from. He blinks, rubs his eye, and swallows.
"Ah hell.. Where am i now?.."
He lazily comes to stand, his legs feel like jelly and wobble as he stands. His clothes slowly begin to become less sopping wet then they once were. But still, the soggy wet cloth was heavy on him.
He comes to stand albiet clumsy and a little off balance, but he's standing. One leg at a time, he inches closer to the stone platforms that quietly overlooked the empty plain.
Julian stumbles, and falls.
"Oh- Oof!"
He uses the help of a nearby, and naturally smoothed edge, like it grew as such. The pedestal afore him stood tall, forboding over him.
It's made out of.. Moonstone?
It leads upward as path to climb up, but Julian's limbs can barely function as is, there's no way in hell he's pulling himself up there..
"Hello?.."
Julian calls out, echoing in this realm he ended up in. Nothing but soft water flow, the wind, and his own echo meets him back.
"All alone, huh?"
"Not Quite."
Julian instantly startles at the voice. He looks around frantically searching for where it came from. Up, down, left and right.. He can't pinpoint it.
"Who-Who's there-?"
Julian asks, trying to mask his nervousness. This must be a magic realm.. He's seen many. The Hanged Man, The Magician, The Tower, The Star, Death, and The Devil's.
This realm is different..
As he gazes upward, he can see waves ripple above, as if... He was under water again.. He remembers this realm. The ripples are coming from the moon, which now had eyes.
The eyes are forboding as they are mysterious.. Anything is possible when your dreaming. Was Julian dreaming right now? The cold water sure as hell felt real.. And the almost drowning part wasn't so fantastic.
Julian is startled again, falling down, as a wolf's head forms from the moon in the sky, it's bright white light fading into greyish blue.
The wolf's face had a darker shade of the natural blue from its snout to it's forehead, shadowing it's eyes. Bright white streaks line its nosebridge, on it's upper eyelid and down its cheeks. Running down through the fur cleanly, down its furry neck.
The wolf emerged from the moon, easily forming a whole body, covered in the beautiful fur. The form is masculine, dressed in a tunic.
Its sleeves are nonexistent, the fabric that holds it up starts as a soft satin purple, fading into a richer blue the further it went down. The fabric stops at his knees.
His hands and paws became a smokey version of the dark patch on his face. His tail the same, the tip being a deep dark black, with stars twinkling in his fur.
A tiled cresent moon replaced the moon the wolf emerged from, standing atop a moonstone pillar that descended as a path downwards.
Julian didn't have any words, he wasn't expecting to meet a member of the Arcana so long after the whole excursion that almost brought the world's end.
The wolf easily descends the moonstone path before him, and keeps his yellowy sclera on Julian the entire time.
"I've been eager to meet you, Julian."
"M-Me?"
The wolf steps down before him, offering a padded hand to Julian. Wearily, Julian takes the hand.
Strong, and cool to the touch. With the wolf's help, he comes to stand.
"Yes.. I hope your awakening wasn't too startling.."
Julian swallows nervously, and laughs a little. His clothes are now bone dry, and light again. The Arcana has an arm wrapped around Julian to help keep him steady.
The wolf brings him down to sit on a moonstone pedistal, comfortably high enough to sit on without being too high or too low.
"Wasn't the worst way i suppose.. This uh-.. Might sound a little dumb on my part, but who might you be? Where are we?"
The wolf crosses his arms and smiles ever so slightly.
"I am The Moon. Am i ever so elusive to you? I am your lover's affiliate card after all. We are in my realm, as you can see."
Julian blinks, processing that this was Blue's tarot representation.. The Moon.
Upright, he stands for illusions, dreams, vagueness, fear, subconscious, and insecurity. But, reversed, he means releasing fear, unveiling secrets, subduing anxiety, and regaining composure.. Julian can see the uncanny resemblance now.. Just as The Hanged Man represents himself.
He takes a deep breath, and tries to hide his nervous shake.
"It's a pleasure to meet you.. Uh.. Moon?"
The wolf smiles a little bigger at him. He doesn't laugh, his forboding energy emitting strongly off of him.
"Please, call me Caliban."
"Caliban.. It's a honor."
The Moon, Caliban hums, crossing his arms like Blue does.
"Mmh. I'm ever so glad to finally meet you. Your calm, for being in a world you've never seen. Or that you don't remember…"
Caliban hums with a mysterious canine smile.
"Hehe, that's all thanks to Blue.. He's helped me so much."
"Pardon me, who?"
Julian blinks. Did.. Caliban not know his lovers name?
"Oh! Uh-.. I mean Demyan.."
Caliban smiles just a little wider at him.
"I jest. Blue and Demyan are the same person, i know this."
"Ooh.. Haha, i see. Uhm.. Why might you have brought me here, Caliban?"
Caliban's smile falls, his expression becoming serious.
"I've brought you here to tell you something important, about you and Demyan. You have an impending crossroad in your life currently.."
Julian swallows nervously. Caliban smiles at him again.
"Do not worry, it's nothing bad. However."
"H-However?"
Caliban hums, stepping closer to Julian, he unfolds his arms, his right hand places on Julian's abdomen.
"Uhm.. What're you doing??"
"Ah yes, as i presumed. The seed has sprouted, your kin has began to develop.."
Julian blinks, a dull expression on his face. He looks up to Caliban.
"Uh.. What? My.. Kin? Hold on-.. I don't have any kin! I mean, there's Pasha, but-"
"You carry your kin within you as we speak. Just a speck.. Barely even considered alive at this point, but, they exist."
Julian's eye widens, and he shakes his head.
"Wait wait wait-! Are you-.. Are you saying im.. Pregnant? Impossible!"
Caliban laughs.
"We Arcana cannot Lie, even the Devil was subject to this rule. Deny what i say all you wish, but i speak the truth.. You are pregnant, indeed."
Julian didn't have any words. He was speechless, and looking paler than he already was.
"I-... I..."
"It's not news you ever expected to hear, mh, love?"
Julian's head goes into his hands and he combs through his wild auburn locks out of nerves. He's biting his lower lip, trying not to cry.
Caliban sits besides him easily, casually, and puts a hand on his back. Running up and down Julian's back in a comforting manner.
Julian doesn't want to start sobbing infront of an Arcana, but the tears flooding his eyes decide for him.
"I-.. I'm pregnant-.. Pregnant.. Oh god-.."
"This is your crossroad. Where shall you go from here?"
"I-I.. I don't know!... I.. Im still.. Processing it.. You cannot lie- why would you?"
Julian wanted to be in denial.. He laughed nervously.
"You've your answer as to why your so sick, What will you do, now that I've given you your answer? Are you satisfied?"
Caliban asks, smiling this whole time. Julian swallows hard and he can't hold back his tears.
"I-I don't know-... I really can't answer that…"
Caliban hums and rubs Julian's back again.
"Don't worry.. I already know."
The wolf's voice echoed softly within Julian's head- not the realm itself. His body begins to feel heavy, and his head drowsy. Caliban caresses his jawline, as everything starts blurring around him.
Julian sways where he stood, an uneasy yet sure feeling instilled within him.
The world faded from around Julian. A midnight blue creeps up from the corners of his vision, and suddenly he feels weightless.. Like floating.
Caliban's eyes were the last thing before his vision went dark. It was silent now. Julian's eyes close, falling into the conscious world again.
Julian awoke with a startle, gasping and sitting up. Blue jumps as Julian sits up so suddenly. His eyes wide and cold sweat beading on his skin.
It's morning- the day Blue is leaving for his trip. He'd be gone for months on end, unsure of his return. Only being sure that it will take many months to travel to Lordron alone.
He turns his concern to Julian, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Ilya? Are you alright?"
Julian is pale, and sick feeling. He remembers his.. Meeting with Caliban perfectly. He looks to Blue, hair mussed up from tossing and turning.
Blue stood all dressed and ready for his trip back to Lordron for some rare Rain Lilies and Tulipifer Ferns, powerful magical ingredients. His concern flashes in his eyes.
Julian gulps before he speaks. Shivering like a cat in the rain. His lip quivers a bit, before he bites down on his lower lip.
"Blue.. I need to tell you something."
Blue blinks and nods his head, appearing at Julian's side.
"I shall listen- What is it my love?"
Julian takes Blue's hands and looks him in the eyes. Completely serious, no hint of humor
"Im pregnant.."
Blue's sky blue eyes widen, and his jaw falls open.
"W-What-?"
"Caliban- The Moon came to me.. He told me. Directly…"
Julian was nervous- but Blue needed to know. The Arcana cannot lie- Caliban spoke the truth.