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Derlik moved to sit down with Luca, pulling his head to be resting in the god's lap. He hummed some, running his fingers gently through Luca's hair.
"Okay," He said softly. He couldn't push too much for this to work. "We'll try again tomorrow." Derlik kissed Luca's head as his body lost the joints, still playing with his hair to help him calm down.
Luca leaned into the gentle touches, a content sigh leaving his lips. He liked how gentle the god was with him. He flexed his fingers as he watched the extra joints disappear before curling up a bit. "I'm sorry." He murmured quietly, sounding guilty now. He had cut the visit short. The drug still flowed through his systems, but he still felt a bit panicked. Like he had insulted his god.
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"Shh, it's okay, Luca." Derlik hummed softly, still playing with Luca's hair. "You didn't do anything wrong. He shouldn't have brought up those bad memories of yours." Derlik bent down to kiss the man's head, hand moving to gently rub his back as well.
"I'm not mad at you."
Luca felt himself ease again. So the god wasn't mad at him… That was good at least. That made him relieved. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "It's okay… It just… Scared me." He murmured softly. He leaned into the touches and kisses, relaxing. He was safe. He was okay. He didn't have to worry anymore. His god loved him and was taking care of him.
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Derlik moved his hands to gently cup Luca's cheeks, having the man look up at him.
"I'm not going to let anyone try to do that to you," he said softly, pressing a kiss to Luca's cheek. There was something dark in his eyes, though.
"And I'm going to make those who already did pay." Derlik was a vengeful god, after all. The councilwoman was proof.
Luca paused at that. People already had… He shook his head, trying to force the memories back. Let the drugs take over again. He didn't want to think about it. He nods slowly, shutting his eyes and pressing closer to his god. "Thank you." He whispers softly. He wasn't sure what the god was going to do, but at this point he didn't care. He just wanted to sleep and forget the past again. Get lost in the comfort of his god. He'd be fine. Hopefully.
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Derlik finally moved to lay down with Luca, kissing his head once more.
"Let's get some sleep, hm? You've had a long day, I want my precious doll to get his rest." The god tucked Luca's head under his chin, still rubbing the other's back. He had… plenty in mind for what he was going to do to those that had hurt Luca when he found them. Dead or alive, they would pay.
There would be three people to find if Derlik was so intent on finding the people that had hurt Luca. Two were still alive, the third was dead. Luca curled up into his gods arms, slowly dozing off to sleep. He liked being held by the god in front of him. He would out like a lightbulb, snoozing peacefully now that he was sure that his god wasn't angry with him. He wrapped his arms around Derlik in his sleep, cuddling closer.
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Derlik stayed awake, though. He had something- someone, he wanted to look into. He kept Luca in his arms, hand going to his head. The god closed his eyes, focusing. He needed names, faces, places- all the information he needed to track down those who had hurt his doll. He kept his searching separate from Luca, so he wouldn't be able to tell a thing. Derlik didn't want him having nightmares.
Three people appeared in his memories, their faces hazed for the most part, but there was a peculiar symbol on each of their hands. Two of them were men, the other a woman. She more stood to the side while the men did the work. Her face was a bit more clear. No names were said, but their appearances were good enough, especially with the mark on their hands. Luca didn't seem to react to Derlik reaching into his mind, he was sound asleep as the god worked.
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Derlik watched, making note. He could work with this. He could find them with this. He committed the symbol to memory, and their faces, before moving on. He let out a hum, looking for a place now. Anything, really, he could use to find a place to start. He gently ran his fingers through Luca's hair as he worked, keeping him calm and asleep.
It was the village closest to his home, the one that took about three days to get to. He had walked there, it seemed, since he carried the bag on his back and had nothing to ride to get him home. It was a small house that he had been dragged into, on the outskirts of the town. Luca flinched slightly, but other than that there didn't seem to be anything else that might be useful.
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That was it. That was all he needed. Derlik pulled out of Luca's mind, kissing his head gently as he opened his eyes. He held the man close, humming softly.
"I'm going to make them pay," he said, to himself. He hummed again, hand to Luca's cheek. He shrunk the man, carefully putting him in his pocket. He made sure not to wake Luca up, striking some. He'd take care of this himself.
He stood, the world twisting around him and spitting him out in front of the house. Who knew if they knew of the god or not- they would soon.
Luca hummed softly when the god pulled out of his mind and kissed his forehead, a small smile on his lips. He cuddled closer to the god and relaxed again. Luca didn't even seem to move when he was shrunken down into a smaller size, just curling up contentedly as his god placed him in his pocket. When the god arrived, the house looked different from Luca's memories. It was much neater now, with flowers growing along the windowsill, laughter could be heard within the house. It was no longer in shambles, rather it was rebuilt and clean. A woman, different from the one in Luca's memories exited the house carrying a water bucket, talking to the people over her shoulder before startling a bit when she noticed Derlik. "Hello, sir. It's… rather late to be wandering out like this." She offered a small smile. "Is everything alright? Are you lost?"
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Derlik took a moment to think. He had to know what had become of the people from Luca's memories, where they had went. Perhaps they were inside now, but the god wasn't so sure.
"Ah, yes, I am," Derlik said, lying expertly through his teeth. "I'm not quite sure where I am, and it's already getting late. I'm sorry for intruding."
She smiled softly and shook her head. "No, no. It's alright. Mama!" She called over her shoulder. "There's a traveler out here." She called happily. She glances at Derlik. "I'm sure we can offer a place to sleep. Are you looking for someone?"She tilts her head. "Most of us know each other around here. Or… at least in the outskirts." She smiled a bit. "Let me go get some water and then I'm sure we can figure something out." She chuckles before hopping off to a nearby well. Another woman exits the house, she looked much older. Too old to be the woman in Luca's memories. She smiles, "Please, come in."
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"Thank you, then," Derlik said, offering a smile. He needed to get the information out of them, after all, and if anyone recognized him? He'd drop the act in a heartbeat.
"Thank you, ma'am." Derlik was on the lookout for any trace of the people he had seen, as well as the symbol. He moved to step to the home, quiet. He'd find them, somehow. Soon. He glanced at Luca, then away. His sweet little doll…
Luca was still sleeping peacefully in his pocket, his hair had fallen into his face, and he was holding onto Derlik's shirt, but he was still stuck in a blissful sleep. It was obvious that the house had been renovated. But there was almost a shrine like thing in the living room. It was filled with candles and incense as well as various jewelry and small items. In the center of it all, was a beautiful young woman. The woman from Luca's memories.
"Please, have a seat. I'll go get some food and Tanya will be back any moment with water." The old woman smiled kindly.
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"Thank you," Derlik said once again. So, she was dead. That was good- Derlik would have no problem finding her. He just had to find out how long ago she died, and they would be set to collect her and learn what happened to the other two. If they were dead, perfect! If not, he'd make the woman's soul help him track them down.
Derlik took the seat offered, eyes on the shrine for a moment more before looking away. Perhaps he should just drop the act now, force them to tell him. He didn't feel like taking their souls, though, which was a rarity. If they knew, they should have felt relief and honored by it.
She noticed him looking at the shrine. "Ah… my eldest daughter, Navinne." She murmured sadly. "I worried for her… She often hung out with the wrong kinds of people. Especially those two nasty boys…" She sighed deeply and shook her head. "Something… something tore at her heart terribly. I remember her crying to me the night before she…" The old woman closed her eyes and inhaled softly. "She made mistakes. She was a wonderful girl, she just hung around the wrong people." Her eyes narrowed slightly before she set some food down. "Please, help yourself."
Tanya entered with more water and shut the door with her hip. "I have water!" She calls proudly. She hums as she walks over to the kitchen area.
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"Oh, the poor thing…" Derlik didn't care. She had helped hurt his doll, and she was going to pay for it. He took a small bit of the offered food, looking up as Tanya came in. If she had died rec gently, hell even within the past few years, it would be so, so easy for Derlik to get her. She'd be right where he needs her.
"Actually, those two boys are who I'm looking for. They hurt my friend."
"That's not surprising. They hurt a lot of people." Tanya piped up from the kitchen. "No one is strong enough to get to them though. They harass men and women alike." She comes out with a pitcher of water. "We've tried reaching out to the gods, but no one listens."
"Tanya." The mother spoke sharply. "You do not speak ill of the gods."
"They did nothing to save my sister, they do nothing to stop the reign of those men. All they do is get our offerings and leave us to suffer." Tanya spat back coldly. "If the gods had listened, my sister would not have fallen prey to them. She would not have lost herself. It is the gods and the men's fault."
"The gods have their own things to worry about. We are merely people under their guidance. One person is not enough to-"
"It wasn't one, or two, mama! They've hurt almost every woman. Every man! They're unstoppable and they'll probably keep going until someone strikes them dead!" Tanya bit back. She stood and stormed off to her room. The old woman sighed and hung her head. "I apologize for her anger… ever since Navinne died…" She turned her attention back to the god. "If you're looking for the boys, you can find them a few blocks from here. They have the biggest house." She said softly. "Now… please excuse me. I have some things to finish up." She bowed slightly before moving up into the upper part of the house.
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Derlik felt his blood boil as the girl spoke such ill of the gods. Even if they had ignored them, it didn't matter. She had to learn her place too, then. He waited uptil the mother was gone- she had done well, she had been respectful to him and the gods in general. Derlik stood, following Tanya into her room. He was seething with rage, bursting in. He didn't give her time to think, hand going to her face. She could process just what was going on herself as she was turned into a doll, shoved into Derlik's skirt pocket. She could come to the horrible realization of what Derlik was on her own.
With that anger satiated for the most part, Derlik smoothed his clothes down and checked on Luca once more to make sure he was asleep still.
The poor old woman. Losing both of her daughters before she had even taken her last breath. Luca woke up slightly but didn't move much else. He hummed and slowly opened his eyes, looking over at the god and offered a sleepy smile before falling asleep again. Other then that he didn't react much. He looked rather adorable like that, curled up and snoozing peacefully in his gods shirt. He looked rather adorable.
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Who knows- if she begged, Derlik might just let her come along. Let her spend the rest of eternity with her daughters. If she learned what happened, of course.
Derlik smiled some at Luca when the man looked up at him, gently patting his back through the shirt. So, so cute… This was why Derlik liked him. No matter what he did, he just looked so adorable.
Derlik looked up, then, walking out of the room calmly and taking the daughter with him. She would learn. In fact, just because, he took her out of his pocket. She could watch. So, then, the god started to walk away. He had to men to take as well, after all.
He smiled a bin in his sleep before relaxing again. Luca was just so quiet and happy as he was held. He just liked being taken care of.
As for the men, they were currently drinking themselves silly. They were laughing and messing around. There was no welcoming of the gods, there weren't even any shrines, it was just them laughing and messing around, no care in the world. Usually there was at least a shrine, but it showed just how much the two men cared for nothing but themselves.
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The self-centered pricks. Derlik let his hand with the girl swing some. He didn't bother with formality or any show. He was scowling, forcing his way to the two men.
"So, you're the ones I've heard so much about," the god spat. "What, can't even bother with a shrine? It might have saved you." Derlik grabbed one of the men by the head, not waiting for a reaction. He held the new doll in his hand, showing it to the one remaining.
"Too late now, though. I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my precious, favorite doll."
The men became confused, their eyes widening at the sight of the god. The first man could barely get out a scream before he was turned into a doll, the other man became so confused, the audacity. "What the hell are you talking about man? God? Doll? What the hell are you here? Who are you?" He backs away from the god, raising a beer bottle, as if that would protect him from the angry god. "What doll?" To think he had the audacity to question the god in front of him.
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Derlik took his time, ignoring the man's questions. He sat the two dolls, the rude girl and the horrible man, down, turning to the one remaining. He grabbed him by the chin, fingers digging into his cheeks.
"Can't you recognize a god when you see one?" He spat. "Surely not, if you can't recognize the god of chaos. And you hurt my dear, sweet Luca. You used him. Now, I'm going to take your body from you." The god slammed the man's head against the wall, holding him there. He made the man's body turn slowly, painfully into a doll.
The man startled a bit and shook his head. "What- listen buddy there are a lot of people that I've fucked, or messed with. You're going to have to be more specific-" he snickers softly. He startles when he was grabbed, crying out in pain. "What the hell- let go!" He struggled a bit and cried out. Based off of Luca's memory, this was the man that had done the most damage. This was the man thst hurt Luca the most. Luca slowly woke up at the cries. He woke up and looks around.
