[Homestuck Fic] Mother-Daughter Time
Apr. 13th, 2012 10:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bay_alexisonTitle: Mother-Daughter Time
Author::![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bay115/![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
Bay
Fandom: Homestuck
Characters: Roxy Lalonde, Frigglish (cat), Frigglish (Complacency of the Learned), alpha!Rose Lalonde
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,229
Warnings: Mild language, character death, spoilers for Act 6
Summary: Roxy dreams of being a character from her mother’s books and then meeting Mom herself.
Note: HAPPY 4/13 EVERYONE! For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
god_tier’s Reverse Big Bang, where the artists does the art first and then the writers do a short piece based on that art. The art I had to write the story for is entitled “Mother Daughter Time” by masumi_hijiri (art below). Thanks to bobnbill for the great betaing!
(art by masumi_hijiri)
Mother-Daughter Time
Every night before bed Roxy made it a routine to read her mother’s Complacency of the Learned books, sipping either wine or vodka in between. Very often she found herself unable to stop diving further into the story. She always wanted to find out what happens next for Calmasis and the disciples. Sometimes Roxy pictured herself as one of the characters being swept up in the events—she tend to think herself having a wild imagination, especially after being tipsy from a few too many drinks.
More than once the teenager wondered how Mom got inspiration for the series. Perhaps she too was a fan of wizards and magic so she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her favorite writers. Or most likely she was damn tired of the same plot and characters and decided to write her own spin on a fantasy novel. Either way it had worked to her advantage and made her famous. Roxy wished Mom wasn’t gone so that she could ask her questions like how come the seventh Complacency let Calmasis kill him instead of finishing the wizard off, or why the disciple Freda believed the third Complacency’s words when she knew in her heart what he said were bullshit. For now she was content with being able to hear her mom’s voice through the books.
+++
“The book Frigglish obtained started out as a small one, the pages crisped and fresh. With every newfound knowledge the wizard discovered he scribbled it down, his handwriting full of careful elegance and beauty that even the Gods would envy.”
Roxy lost track how many times she reread the third and fourth books of Complacency of the Learned, which featured the bumbling wizard Frigglish. The many witty lines he would say she knew by heart and laughed at. She should be tired of his appearance by now, but was still entertained by his every word. After stealing a small sip of her wine, Roxy tensed upon hearing a low cry. She jerked her head then sighed in relief when in front of her was Frigglish the cat.
“You almost scared me there, Frigglish!” Roxy said, her voice harsh. It was a miracle the martini glass hadn’t been dropped, she mused.
Frigglish responded with a sad mew and titled his head. The teenager frowned. She felt bad lashing at her cat like that.
“Sorry there, buddy. I was startled, that’s all.” A small smile settled on Roxy’s lips. “You wanna listen to me read one of Mom’s books?”
This time the cat made a joyful sound before cuddling on her lap. Roxy chuckled and stroked Frigglish’s back as she continued reading aloud.
“Throughout seasons passed that was all Frigglish had done---recording his wisdoms. He was set on making sure not one piece of information went unwritten. That would prove to be unhealthy for him as his mind grew less and less organized and his handwriting slowly turning into dreadful scrawls. Pages upon pages were added to his book, which one would say towered higher than the tallest library in all of earth if they were to witness that accomplishment themselves. The wizard’s mind had spun out of control with no ending in sight and it was due to the curse Calma…”
Eyes feeling heavy, Roxy let out a heavy yawn and in an instant her head dropped onto the pillows, sleep overtaking her.
+++
Even though Frigglish noted down all of his knowledge, he never shared any of them with anyone, but held it in reserve for himself. There was this monstrous anxiety that another soul would steal his ideas and not credit him once he passed it down to someone else; that should always be prevented when possible. Frigglish had questioned if his uneasiness over that was part of Calamsis’s curse, only to not care since it was a moot point. Thus, he continued being alone in undisturbed solitude.
+++
The first thought that came to Roxy’s mind upon waking up was whether she felt a hangover about to come. When it hadn’t, Roxy gazed around her surroundings and knew for certain she was at a forest, noticing the many tall trees and the cool wind lashing her hair and her fingers touching the grass. She looked up to stare at the cloudless sky.
Wait, how did I get out? I don’t remember leaving home.
The teenager considered the possibility this must be a dream, which might be the reason she hadn’t gotten a headache yet. Another hint was that her house was nowhere at sight. No doubt this was definitely a dream. Roxy shrugged.
Eh, what the hell. Guess I can wait and see where this goes till I wake up.
A part of her believed everything might go downhill from there and to run away, but she brushed it off. It wasn’t like she could leave the dream this instant.
Once Roxy got up she began heading off without any clue where she was suppose to go.
+++
Rumors flew about Frigglish living alone deep within the woods where a lake could be found. Calmasis knew there were several forests with a lake hidden within, making it harder for the young wizard to find him. Far and wide Calmasis had searched for him while at the same time remained on the lookout for the Eight Complacency, only to unsuccessfully locate Frigglish until by fortunate chance at Jocelyn Forest.
It was on one cloudy afternoon when Calmasis and the disciple Thomas were stranded at that forest and seeking for temporary shelter before the upcoming storm. They eventually caught sight of a lone cabin next to the lake. Calmasis smirked.
“Is something the matter, Calmasis?” Thomas questioned, a baffled expression stretching across his features.
“Frigglish is inside that cabin.” A hint of triumphant glee was laced in Calmasis’s voice.
Thomas’s eyes grew wide. “How do you know?”
“I can sense him,” Calmasis responded with confidence. For years the wizard hadn’t given up hunting Frigglish, no matter the temptation of forgetting about him. The wizard was glad he hadn’t gone through with that.
At that precise instant thunder crackled like booming drums and rain cascaded down heavily.
+++
Ten minutes didn’t seem to pass by for Roxy as she shot a quick glance at the sky and saw black clouds gathering already. Strange. She then shrugged and looked around to see if there was shelter nearby. Seeing none, Roxy rushed off. The sooner she find a place to stay for the night, the better.
A short moment later, Roxy halted upon seeing a cabin house not far from her. Next to it was a large lake that seemed safe to swim in (and perhaps throw parties at too, mused Roxy). Beaming, the teenager mentally cheered “thank goodness” before hurrying towards there. When she reached the cabin Roxy knocked on the door, only for no one to answer. She frowned, but went ahead to grab the doorknob and turn it. The door opened with a creak sound, causing Roxy to jump a little. She forced herself in.
“Hello? Anyone here?” Roxy yelled.
There was a sofa in front of a fireplace, the flames burning strong, with a coffee table in between and a bear skinned mat on the floor. The kitchen and dining area was on the right corner while the door to the bedroom Roxy could see straight ahead. This was just as Roxy suspected from a typical cabin, unsurprising.
Hearing no response from anyone, Roxy glanced around once more and gasped in astonishment. In front of her was a book—a tome, to be exact—that looked to be a little over half of her height. Curiosity getting the best of her, Roxy opened the book to a random page. Eyebrows furrowed, she couldn’t make sense of the shitty handwriting. Once she flipped to a different page, she found even more unreadable scribbles. Roxy sighed in annoyance. Did this person write while drunk like she does, sometimes?
This seems awfully familiar…
The dreaded feeling sunk inside Roxy’s stomach once more and this time she listened; she decided to be cautious. Roxy was snatched away from her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching and a man rambling.
“Of course there is more than one universe besides the one I am living in now. It’s a debate as old as time, itself! I am very much a firm believer that there is another me in another world living in the past. No, in the future. Perhaps the other me is living in the present, but there must be a different outcome in that other world!”
Before Roxy had a chance to hide, out of the corner of her eye she saw an old man had appeared and stopped and stared in horror at her. She took a second to note he was donned in a tattered robe along with a pointy hat. That man was a wizard, she was sure of it.
“Calmasis, is that you?”
Roxy’s face fell. He didn’t mean the wizard from Complacency of the Learned, did he? Then again, she believed Mom would be the only person ever to thought up that gender neutral name.
“Calmasis? You must be mistaken, I’m not him…her…them.”
“But you must be! Don’t you always dress in that outfit?”
Speechless, Roxy narrowed her eyes at him. How many vodkas did he fucking drink? Wait…
As luck would have it there was a mirror not far from Roxy, so she took a good look at herself. She screamed, noticing her skin had changed into gray (It wouldn’t be hard to recognize the young wizard, skin similar to clouds during a rainy afternoon). Her hair wasn’t blonde but white (Calmasis’s hair white as a flash of light, messier than snow blanketing a city) and she was in green attire (The only article of clothing not shimmering emerald was the bow brighter than blood). On her hand was a thin wand (Legend has it that Zazzerpan’s apprentice had a lightweight but powerful wand that had been handed to Calmasis just recently).The only recognizable feature Roxy could tell herself apart from Calamasis was her feminine face, which much to her relief left unchanged.
“You wouldn’t happen to be Frigglish, right?” Roxy asked, turning around to look at him straight in the eye. If the wizard indeed was Frigglish, she admitted to more or less picture him like that.
The old wizard cracked a grin. “Frigglish, that is I!”
Roxy stared at him for a moment. First Calmasis, now Frigglish? Again, Mom’s book came to mind. The teenager had an idea perhaps what was going on, but she wanted to make sure.
“What has happened to you?” Roxy asked as she frowned. This was the first thing that came to mind.
Frigglish arched a confused eyebrow at Roxy. “You don’t remember, Calmasis? You had put a spell on me that caused me to fill everything I know in this thick book.” He pointed to the tome Roxy took a peek earlier. “Every day I can’t seem to stop my mind from racing, even when I take my daily walks in the forest as my relaxation. That doesn’t seem to help much, sadly.”
At that precise instant Roxy heard thunder crackle and rain cascade down heavily from outside.
Calmasis. Lone cabin next to the lake. Tome filled with knowledge. The storm. Frigglish turning insane. Everything pierced together as Roxy’s jaw dropped.
Oh shit, I’m in a scene from Mom’s books!
This was something Roxy should be used to already, having imagining herself being involved in her mother’s stories. Dreams, on the other hand, she considered different—anything could happen and she had no control over the actions about to follow. If this dream were to be exactly like from the books, then she already knew the outcome.
Silence lingered around the room for a while until a rough laugh tore from Frigglish’s throat, causing Roxy to flinch. It sounded much more sinister hearing from Frigglish himself.
"Ah, the sound of rain, the crack of thunder. The Gods from above must be telling me that my time is coming to an end soon. This is why you’re here, am I correct?”
Roxy remained silent. She remembered from the book Frigglish had mentioned to Calmasis hearing voices from several gods, only for the other wizard to dismiss them— they would be gods if I couldn’t beat them in chess. A cold sensation coursed through her spine from thinking that line.
"Just as I figured,” Frigglish said, distracting Roxy from her thoughts. The older wizard then laughed once more. “You know, I knew this day would come.”
“Now hold the fuck up, Frigglish!” Roxy finally said. “I’m not here to kill you. Hell, I don’t know why I’m here as Calmasis in the first place except that I’m totally sure this is a dream.”
“Dreams, you say?” A thoughtful expression crossed Frigglish’s face, which made Roxy’s stomach jump. “How you know if you’re in a dream or in reality? If you’re in a dream, are you actually in reality? If you’re in reality, are you actually dreaming? Hm, this goes back to when I was talking to myself about different realities. Can there be several dreams as there are several realities?”
As the wizard continued rambling about dreams and reality and then something unrelated, a sad smile tugged onto Roxy’s lips. She pitied Frigglish and his curse of being unable to stop finding new knowledge and unable to relax like he once did. This wasn’t how one was suppose to live
“I’m sorry Frigglish, but I’ve no other choice,” she said in a low voice.
Closing her eyes and shuddering a deep breath, Roxy pointed her wand where Frigglish stood and heard an electric-like noise that startled her for a second. Soon she forced herself to reopen her eyes and her jaws dropped. Just like from Mom’s books, a tome that was as thick as Frigglish’s crushed him to his death—one difference was on the binding read Roxy’s Creative Writing Journal. Roxy supposed her journal was the perfect way to end his life, her writing being horrible and all. Kneeling down, she couldn’t tear herself from staring at him. A part of her wanted to apologize to Frigglish for murdering him, but there was no use in that as it wouldn’t bring him back.
A sound of rumble caught Roxy’s attention, and it wasn’t from the storm outside. Roxy gasped when she looked down and noticed the floor began shaking. Before she made herself able to get up, a gaping hole appeared and swallowed her. And Roxy kept falling and falling down…
+++
Frigglish’s body was found the next morning by his daughter, Eva, as she came at his cabin for a long overdue visit. The young lady had screamed in utter dismay when she found his corpse underneath the tome.
Eva and her dog were the only ones at the old wizard’s funeral since Frigglish ceased socialization from everyone except for her. Her father never wanted to be buried, so the daughter had his body burned in flames. She gazed at the fire with no light in her eyes.
Unknown to Eva, Calmasis and Thomas had been watching the smoke billow from a hill not too far from the cabin.
+++
Roxy dropped down on the floor with a loud thump, landing on her butt; it was a hard fall, so she winced in pain. At least she wasn’t in thin air anymore.
As soon as she stood up, Roxy glanced around to figure out where she was now. Several tables scattered everywhere and a hint of freshly brewed coffee greeting her. It was clear that it was a coffeehouse, but there was nobody inside lining up to order anything. She then glimpsed around herself, realizing she still was in green colored clothing and her skin still gray.
Crap, I’m still Calmasis and haven’t woken up yet.
Groaning in exasperation, Roxy wondered if her mind was playing games with her again. She noted to lay off that specific wine for a while if possible. Roxy stared at the ceiling for a short moment before suddenly hearing the sound of…fast typing? She turned around to see one other person, which Roxy knew for certain must be a woman, with a laptop sitting besides one of the tables.
“Um…hello?” Roxy asked in an uneasy tone, her voice low.
It seemed forever until the lady stopped typing, swung her head, and smiled. She had short blond hair, similar to Roxy’s but straight and without the curly bangs, and the exact same eye color. Wearing a buttoned blouse and long skirt, she looked like a professional writer ready to do book signings. Stunned, Roxy felt her heart beating against her chest.
“Mom?”
“Surprised to see me, Roxy?”
Surprised didn’t describe half of the many feelings overwhelming Roxy. She only had an idea how Mom looked like from the book jacket photos at the back of the covers and now her mother was right in front of her. Why in a dream, though?
“You can say that,” Roxy said slowly, forcing herself to speak.
“I can tell you have many questions concerning my Complacency of the Learned books, correct?”
Unsure how to respond to that, Roxy just nodded. A short silence fell between the two while Roxy ran over which questions she wanted to ask her mother in her mind. There were several she wanted answers to. She then saw Mom motion her hand for her to take a seat across from her. At first Roxy hesitated, but then accepted the offer and sat down.
“So…I guess what I want to know first is why wasn’t there comic relief in the books?” Roxy stopped for a second, fidgeting her fingers. “Your writing is awesome and all, but it’s missing some lighthearted moments to break off from all the intense shit that had been going on.”
“The reason why there are none of those kind of moments in the story is because I don’t think those will mix in well with the overall dark and bleak tone I was going for.”
Now she thought about it, Mom did have a fair point. Sometimes a bad joke could fall out of place in such a serious piece like Complacency of the Learned. Still, Roxy felt some comic relief would loosen the story up a bit.
“Something else I’m curious about. Where you get your inspiration for your Complacency of the Learned books?”
“I’ve always adored the concept of wizards and magic since in my younger years,” Mom replied without missing a beat. “I thought of the idea of Calmasis several years down the line before I found an agent that was pleased with my manuscript.”
Roxy’s heart stopped. It was hard for her to believe some agents thought Mom’s story was trash.
“Wait, so your story went through several rejections? But it’s badass!”
Mom made a small laugh. “Not everyone embraces the dark tale of an anti-hero and antagonist wizard on a bounty hunt. I’m glad you enjoyed my piece so much, though.”
Roxy beamed, thinking most likely her love of wizards and magic came from Mom. Her smile then instantly faded as Roxy remembered being Calmasis and having to kill Frigglish, which she was still baffled over. Maybe her mother might know the reason behind that.
“Hey, maybe you can help me figure this out. Why was I suddenly Calmasis?”
Mom arched an eyebrow and looked at her in a funny manner. “I see you indeed have been changed to Calmasis. Care to elaborate?”
Roxy expected Mom to ask her that, but she still struggled how to describe what had happened to her recently. “Er…well, before dropping by here I met with Frigglish, but as Calmasis. And like from your books, Calmasis, or I to be exact, murdered him.”
This time her mother nodded in understanding. “The simplest answer I can respond to that question is you’ve been reading my books countless times.”
An embarrassed laugh escaped from Roxy. She shouldn’t be surprised Mom would say that. Frowning, Roxy remembered another question she wanted to ask her.
“Speaking of Calmasis, why must the wizard kill Friggilish if they were the one that put the curse on him in the first place? I know the book says Calmasis did that to put Frigglish out of his misery, but it didn’t feel like it. If anything, that was just in cold blood.” There was an edge in her voice Roxy realized she never used before. She pondered if Mom noticed that.
A long silence stretched between them until Mom offered Roxy a sad smile.
“You’re right in that it didn’t feel like Calmasis murdered Frigglish for that reason, though it wasn’t out of cold blood. Calmasis actually loves him dearly.”
Roxy blinked. “Loves him dearly? You mean…”
Mom didn’t hesitate to nod, her smile still stretching around her features. “The hardest part with writing an androgynous character is describing his or her feelings. The male and female sex have different ways in revealing their emotions. In Calmasis’s case he or she loves Frigglish but is unable to show it until the wizard ended his life.”
Roxy let it all sink in for a moment. She had no doubt believed it wasn’t easy for her mother writing a character like Calmasis, deciding which emotions to evoke from the wizard. The reasoning behind murdering Frigglish began to become clearer now.
“So I guess Calmasis felt bad putting the curse on Frigglish all this time?” The reason for Calmasis’s curse on Frigglish was because the wizard found out he had been telling Zazzerpan and two other Complacency their whereabouts and was furious. Roxy assumed Calmasis realized Frigglish wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t forced to.
“That was why he or she tried to find Frigglish from the beginning,” Mom began explaining, “knowing the curse would get worse on him. Calmasis wanted to prevent the worst from happening, but it was too late.”
This was something Roxy never realized before—Calmasis had compassion for someone. And all it took was to be in Calmasis’s shoes for once. She had never forgiven the main protagonist for murdering her favorite character in the worse possible way, but now the teenager just might. Perhaps it was because her mother hadn’t described much of Calmasis’s emotions on a personal level and the wizard seemed to be cold and cunning. This was romance at its best. Roxy smiled in satisfaction.
“I get it now, Mom. Thanks a bunch.”
Mom smiled back. “My pleasure. However, I must be going now.”
At that instant Roxy’s face fell. “What, really? But we only just met! I still have loads more to ask you!”
“I know you do, and I apologize. Perhaps we shall cross paths once more. Goodbye, Roxy.”
Before Roxy could say anything, Mom tucked the laptop underneath her arm, pulled off from her seat, and began heading out. The teenager wanted to run towards Mom and grab her hand, but she remained still, only able to stare at her mother’s back that kept distancing away with each step she took. From that moment Roxy realized she not only wanted to talk to Mom about her books but also about her favorite music, her hobbies, her friends she still hung out with, even her love life…What she wanted most was to just enjoy her company.
“Hold up, Mom! Don’t leave just yet!”
She hoped that would bring her mother’s attention, but Roxy was no longer able to see Mom’s back anymore. A part of Roxy didn’t want to believe her mother already left.
“Where are you going? Mom? Mom? Mom!”
+++
Roxy immediately sat up and heaved in deep breaths. Once she managed to calm herself down, Roxy glanced around and noticed she was not at the cafe anymore but back at her room, the morning sun spilling through from the windows. Frigglish—the cat, not the wizard thank fucking goodness—apparently already woke up, staring at her in worriment. Roxy smiled a little.
“Hey, Frigglish. I just had the craziest dream. At first I was Calmasis and I had to kill my favorite wizard. You know, the one I named after you. The dream then changed to where I was at a cafe and I met Mom. We had an awesome chat about her books.”
Frigglish mewed in interest, as if he understood her every word. Roxy didn’t care if he really did--as long as he seemed to be interested that was fine with her. She was still overwhelmed with finally able to meet with Mom, finally having some mother-daughter time with her, and hope they indeed would meet one another once more.
“I wish I get to talk with her more, but I still enjoyed it. Our next meeting I’m sure will be a million times bett…” Roxy stopped there and grinned. “I think Mom gave me a wicked idea for my wizard stories.”
Suddenly feeling a burst of creative inspiration, Roxy snatched her journal that was next to Frigglish and began writing. She planned it to be an alternate reality story where Frigglish and Calmasis began a romantic relationship and how it developed overtime. Roxy was certain the story might not be great, but for now she would roll with it and thank her mother for that.
Author::
bay115/Fandom: Homestuck
Characters: Roxy Lalonde, Frigglish (cat), Frigglish (Complacency of the Learned), alpha!Rose Lalonde
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4,229
Warnings: Mild language, character death, spoilers for Act 6
Summary: Roxy dreams of being a character from her mother’s books and then meeting Mom herself.
Note: HAPPY 4/13 EVERYONE! For
god_tier’s Reverse Big Bang, where the artists does the art first and then the writers do a short piece based on that art. The art I had to write the story for is entitled “Mother Daughter Time” by masumi_hijiri (art below). Thanks to bobnbill for the great betaing! (art by masumi_hijiri)
Every night before bed Roxy made it a routine to read her mother’s Complacency of the Learned books, sipping either wine or vodka in between. Very often she found herself unable to stop diving further into the story. She always wanted to find out what happens next for Calmasis and the disciples. Sometimes Roxy pictured herself as one of the characters being swept up in the events—she tend to think herself having a wild imagination, especially after being tipsy from a few too many drinks.
More than once the teenager wondered how Mom got inspiration for the series. Perhaps she too was a fan of wizards and magic so she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her favorite writers. Or most likely she was damn tired of the same plot and characters and decided to write her own spin on a fantasy novel. Either way it had worked to her advantage and made her famous. Roxy wished Mom wasn’t gone so that she could ask her questions like how come the seventh Complacency let Calmasis kill him instead of finishing the wizard off, or why the disciple Freda believed the third Complacency’s words when she knew in her heart what he said were bullshit. For now she was content with being able to hear her mom’s voice through the books.
+++
“The book Frigglish obtained started out as a small one, the pages crisped and fresh. With every newfound knowledge the wizard discovered he scribbled it down, his handwriting full of careful elegance and beauty that even the Gods would envy.”
Roxy lost track how many times she reread the third and fourth books of Complacency of the Learned, which featured the bumbling wizard Frigglish. The many witty lines he would say she knew by heart and laughed at. She should be tired of his appearance by now, but was still entertained by his every word. After stealing a small sip of her wine, Roxy tensed upon hearing a low cry. She jerked her head then sighed in relief when in front of her was Frigglish the cat.
“You almost scared me there, Frigglish!” Roxy said, her voice harsh. It was a miracle the martini glass hadn’t been dropped, she mused.
Frigglish responded with a sad mew and titled his head. The teenager frowned. She felt bad lashing at her cat like that.
“Sorry there, buddy. I was startled, that’s all.” A small smile settled on Roxy’s lips. “You wanna listen to me read one of Mom’s books?”
This time the cat made a joyful sound before cuddling on her lap. Roxy chuckled and stroked Frigglish’s back as she continued reading aloud.
“Throughout seasons passed that was all Frigglish had done---recording his wisdoms. He was set on making sure not one piece of information went unwritten. That would prove to be unhealthy for him as his mind grew less and less organized and his handwriting slowly turning into dreadful scrawls. Pages upon pages were added to his book, which one would say towered higher than the tallest library in all of earth if they were to witness that accomplishment themselves. The wizard’s mind had spun out of control with no ending in sight and it was due to the curse Calma…”
Eyes feeling heavy, Roxy let out a heavy yawn and in an instant her head dropped onto the pillows, sleep overtaking her.
+++
Even though Frigglish noted down all of his knowledge, he never shared any of them with anyone, but held it in reserve for himself. There was this monstrous anxiety that another soul would steal his ideas and not credit him once he passed it down to someone else; that should always be prevented when possible. Frigglish had questioned if his uneasiness over that was part of Calamsis’s curse, only to not care since it was a moot point. Thus, he continued being alone in undisturbed solitude.
+++
The first thought that came to Roxy’s mind upon waking up was whether she felt a hangover about to come. When it hadn’t, Roxy gazed around her surroundings and knew for certain she was at a forest, noticing the many tall trees and the cool wind lashing her hair and her fingers touching the grass. She looked up to stare at the cloudless sky.
Wait, how did I get out? I don’t remember leaving home.
The teenager considered the possibility this must be a dream, which might be the reason she hadn’t gotten a headache yet. Another hint was that her house was nowhere at sight. No doubt this was definitely a dream. Roxy shrugged.
Eh, what the hell. Guess I can wait and see where this goes till I wake up.
A part of her believed everything might go downhill from there and to run away, but she brushed it off. It wasn’t like she could leave the dream this instant.
Once Roxy got up she began heading off without any clue where she was suppose to go.
+++
Rumors flew about Frigglish living alone deep within the woods where a lake could be found. Calmasis knew there were several forests with a lake hidden within, making it harder for the young wizard to find him. Far and wide Calmasis had searched for him while at the same time remained on the lookout for the Eight Complacency, only to unsuccessfully locate Frigglish until by fortunate chance at Jocelyn Forest.
It was on one cloudy afternoon when Calmasis and the disciple Thomas were stranded at that forest and seeking for temporary shelter before the upcoming storm. They eventually caught sight of a lone cabin next to the lake. Calmasis smirked.
“Is something the matter, Calmasis?” Thomas questioned, a baffled expression stretching across his features.
“Frigglish is inside that cabin.” A hint of triumphant glee was laced in Calmasis’s voice.
Thomas’s eyes grew wide. “How do you know?”
“I can sense him,” Calmasis responded with confidence. For years the wizard hadn’t given up hunting Frigglish, no matter the temptation of forgetting about him. The wizard was glad he hadn’t gone through with that.
At that precise instant thunder crackled like booming drums and rain cascaded down heavily.
+++
Ten minutes didn’t seem to pass by for Roxy as she shot a quick glance at the sky and saw black clouds gathering already. Strange. She then shrugged and looked around to see if there was shelter nearby. Seeing none, Roxy rushed off. The sooner she find a place to stay for the night, the better.
A short moment later, Roxy halted upon seeing a cabin house not far from her. Next to it was a large lake that seemed safe to swim in (and perhaps throw parties at too, mused Roxy). Beaming, the teenager mentally cheered “thank goodness” before hurrying towards there. When she reached the cabin Roxy knocked on the door, only for no one to answer. She frowned, but went ahead to grab the doorknob and turn it. The door opened with a creak sound, causing Roxy to jump a little. She forced herself in.
“Hello? Anyone here?” Roxy yelled.
There was a sofa in front of a fireplace, the flames burning strong, with a coffee table in between and a bear skinned mat on the floor. The kitchen and dining area was on the right corner while the door to the bedroom Roxy could see straight ahead. This was just as Roxy suspected from a typical cabin, unsurprising.
Hearing no response from anyone, Roxy glanced around once more and gasped in astonishment. In front of her was a book—a tome, to be exact—that looked to be a little over half of her height. Curiosity getting the best of her, Roxy opened the book to a random page. Eyebrows furrowed, she couldn’t make sense of the shitty handwriting. Once she flipped to a different page, she found even more unreadable scribbles. Roxy sighed in annoyance. Did this person write while drunk like she does, sometimes?
This seems awfully familiar…
The dreaded feeling sunk inside Roxy’s stomach once more and this time she listened; she decided to be cautious. Roxy was snatched away from her thoughts when she heard footsteps approaching and a man rambling.
“Of course there is more than one universe besides the one I am living in now. It’s a debate as old as time, itself! I am very much a firm believer that there is another me in another world living in the past. No, in the future. Perhaps the other me is living in the present, but there must be a different outcome in that other world!”
Before Roxy had a chance to hide, out of the corner of her eye she saw an old man had appeared and stopped and stared in horror at her. She took a second to note he was donned in a tattered robe along with a pointy hat. That man was a wizard, she was sure of it.
“Calmasis, is that you?”
Roxy’s face fell. He didn’t mean the wizard from Complacency of the Learned, did he? Then again, she believed Mom would be the only person ever to thought up that gender neutral name.
“Calmasis? You must be mistaken, I’m not him…her…them.”
“But you must be! Don’t you always dress in that outfit?”
Speechless, Roxy narrowed her eyes at him. How many vodkas did he fucking drink? Wait…
As luck would have it there was a mirror not far from Roxy, so she took a good look at herself. She screamed, noticing her skin had changed into gray (It wouldn’t be hard to recognize the young wizard, skin similar to clouds during a rainy afternoon). Her hair wasn’t blonde but white (Calmasis’s hair white as a flash of light, messier than snow blanketing a city) and she was in green attire (The only article of clothing not shimmering emerald was the bow brighter than blood). On her hand was a thin wand (Legend has it that Zazzerpan’s apprentice had a lightweight but powerful wand that had been handed to Calmasis just recently).The only recognizable feature Roxy could tell herself apart from Calamasis was her feminine face, which much to her relief left unchanged.
“You wouldn’t happen to be Frigglish, right?” Roxy asked, turning around to look at him straight in the eye. If the wizard indeed was Frigglish, she admitted to more or less picture him like that.
The old wizard cracked a grin. “Frigglish, that is I!”
Roxy stared at him for a moment. First Calmasis, now Frigglish? Again, Mom’s book came to mind. The teenager had an idea perhaps what was going on, but she wanted to make sure.
“What has happened to you?” Roxy asked as she frowned. This was the first thing that came to mind.
Frigglish arched a confused eyebrow at Roxy. “You don’t remember, Calmasis? You had put a spell on me that caused me to fill everything I know in this thick book.” He pointed to the tome Roxy took a peek earlier. “Every day I can’t seem to stop my mind from racing, even when I take my daily walks in the forest as my relaxation. That doesn’t seem to help much, sadly.”
At that precise instant Roxy heard thunder crackle and rain cascade down heavily from outside.
Calmasis. Lone cabin next to the lake. Tome filled with knowledge. The storm. Frigglish turning insane. Everything pierced together as Roxy’s jaw dropped.
Oh shit, I’m in a scene from Mom’s books!
This was something Roxy should be used to already, having imagining herself being involved in her mother’s stories. Dreams, on the other hand, she considered different—anything could happen and she had no control over the actions about to follow. If this dream were to be exactly like from the books, then she already knew the outcome.
Silence lingered around the room for a while until a rough laugh tore from Frigglish’s throat, causing Roxy to flinch. It sounded much more sinister hearing from Frigglish himself.
"Ah, the sound of rain, the crack of thunder. The Gods from above must be telling me that my time is coming to an end soon. This is why you’re here, am I correct?”
Roxy remained silent. She remembered from the book Frigglish had mentioned to Calmasis hearing voices from several gods, only for the other wizard to dismiss them— they would be gods if I couldn’t beat them in chess. A cold sensation coursed through her spine from thinking that line.
"Just as I figured,” Frigglish said, distracting Roxy from her thoughts. The older wizard then laughed once more. “You know, I knew this day would come.”
“Now hold the fuck up, Frigglish!” Roxy finally said. “I’m not here to kill you. Hell, I don’t know why I’m here as Calmasis in the first place except that I’m totally sure this is a dream.”
“Dreams, you say?” A thoughtful expression crossed Frigglish’s face, which made Roxy’s stomach jump. “How you know if you’re in a dream or in reality? If you’re in a dream, are you actually in reality? If you’re in reality, are you actually dreaming? Hm, this goes back to when I was talking to myself about different realities. Can there be several dreams as there are several realities?”
As the wizard continued rambling about dreams and reality and then something unrelated, a sad smile tugged onto Roxy’s lips. She pitied Frigglish and his curse of being unable to stop finding new knowledge and unable to relax like he once did. This wasn’t how one was suppose to live
“I’m sorry Frigglish, but I’ve no other choice,” she said in a low voice.
Closing her eyes and shuddering a deep breath, Roxy pointed her wand where Frigglish stood and heard an electric-like noise that startled her for a second. Soon she forced herself to reopen her eyes and her jaws dropped. Just like from Mom’s books, a tome that was as thick as Frigglish’s crushed him to his death—one difference was on the binding read Roxy’s Creative Writing Journal. Roxy supposed her journal was the perfect way to end his life, her writing being horrible and all. Kneeling down, she couldn’t tear herself from staring at him. A part of her wanted to apologize to Frigglish for murdering him, but there was no use in that as it wouldn’t bring him back.
A sound of rumble caught Roxy’s attention, and it wasn’t from the storm outside. Roxy gasped when she looked down and noticed the floor began shaking. Before she made herself able to get up, a gaping hole appeared and swallowed her. And Roxy kept falling and falling down…
+++
Frigglish’s body was found the next morning by his daughter, Eva, as she came at his cabin for a long overdue visit. The young lady had screamed in utter dismay when she found his corpse underneath the tome.
Eva and her dog were the only ones at the old wizard’s funeral since Frigglish ceased socialization from everyone except for her. Her father never wanted to be buried, so the daughter had his body burned in flames. She gazed at the fire with no light in her eyes.
Unknown to Eva, Calmasis and Thomas had been watching the smoke billow from a hill not too far from the cabin.
+++
Roxy dropped down on the floor with a loud thump, landing on her butt; it was a hard fall, so she winced in pain. At least she wasn’t in thin air anymore.
As soon as she stood up, Roxy glanced around to figure out where she was now. Several tables scattered everywhere and a hint of freshly brewed coffee greeting her. It was clear that it was a coffeehouse, but there was nobody inside lining up to order anything. She then glimpsed around herself, realizing she still was in green colored clothing and her skin still gray.
Crap, I’m still Calmasis and haven’t woken up yet.
Groaning in exasperation, Roxy wondered if her mind was playing games with her again. She noted to lay off that specific wine for a while if possible. Roxy stared at the ceiling for a short moment before suddenly hearing the sound of…fast typing? She turned around to see one other person, which Roxy knew for certain must be a woman, with a laptop sitting besides one of the tables.
“Um…hello?” Roxy asked in an uneasy tone, her voice low.
It seemed forever until the lady stopped typing, swung her head, and smiled. She had short blond hair, similar to Roxy’s but straight and without the curly bangs, and the exact same eye color. Wearing a buttoned blouse and long skirt, she looked like a professional writer ready to do book signings. Stunned, Roxy felt her heart beating against her chest.
“Mom?”
“Surprised to see me, Roxy?”
Surprised didn’t describe half of the many feelings overwhelming Roxy. She only had an idea how Mom looked like from the book jacket photos at the back of the covers and now her mother was right in front of her. Why in a dream, though?
“You can say that,” Roxy said slowly, forcing herself to speak.
“I can tell you have many questions concerning my Complacency of the Learned books, correct?”
Unsure how to respond to that, Roxy just nodded. A short silence fell between the two while Roxy ran over which questions she wanted to ask her mother in her mind. There were several she wanted answers to. She then saw Mom motion her hand for her to take a seat across from her. At first Roxy hesitated, but then accepted the offer and sat down.
“So…I guess what I want to know first is why wasn’t there comic relief in the books?” Roxy stopped for a second, fidgeting her fingers. “Your writing is awesome and all, but it’s missing some lighthearted moments to break off from all the intense shit that had been going on.”
“The reason why there are none of those kind of moments in the story is because I don’t think those will mix in well with the overall dark and bleak tone I was going for.”
Now she thought about it, Mom did have a fair point. Sometimes a bad joke could fall out of place in such a serious piece like Complacency of the Learned. Still, Roxy felt some comic relief would loosen the story up a bit.
“Something else I’m curious about. Where you get your inspiration for your Complacency of the Learned books?”
“I’ve always adored the concept of wizards and magic since in my younger years,” Mom replied without missing a beat. “I thought of the idea of Calmasis several years down the line before I found an agent that was pleased with my manuscript.”
Roxy’s heart stopped. It was hard for her to believe some agents thought Mom’s story was trash.
“Wait, so your story went through several rejections? But it’s badass!”
Mom made a small laugh. “Not everyone embraces the dark tale of an anti-hero and antagonist wizard on a bounty hunt. I’m glad you enjoyed my piece so much, though.”
Roxy beamed, thinking most likely her love of wizards and magic came from Mom. Her smile then instantly faded as Roxy remembered being Calmasis and having to kill Frigglish, which she was still baffled over. Maybe her mother might know the reason behind that.
“Hey, maybe you can help me figure this out. Why was I suddenly Calmasis?”
Mom arched an eyebrow and looked at her in a funny manner. “I see you indeed have been changed to Calmasis. Care to elaborate?”
Roxy expected Mom to ask her that, but she still struggled how to describe what had happened to her recently. “Er…well, before dropping by here I met with Frigglish, but as Calmasis. And like from your books, Calmasis, or I to be exact, murdered him.”
This time her mother nodded in understanding. “The simplest answer I can respond to that question is you’ve been reading my books countless times.”
An embarrassed laugh escaped from Roxy. She shouldn’t be surprised Mom would say that. Frowning, Roxy remembered another question she wanted to ask her.
“Speaking of Calmasis, why must the wizard kill Friggilish if they were the one that put the curse on him in the first place? I know the book says Calmasis did that to put Frigglish out of his misery, but it didn’t feel like it. If anything, that was just in cold blood.” There was an edge in her voice Roxy realized she never used before. She pondered if Mom noticed that.
A long silence stretched between them until Mom offered Roxy a sad smile.
“You’re right in that it didn’t feel like Calmasis murdered Frigglish for that reason, though it wasn’t out of cold blood. Calmasis actually loves him dearly.”
Roxy blinked. “Loves him dearly? You mean…”
Mom didn’t hesitate to nod, her smile still stretching around her features. “The hardest part with writing an androgynous character is describing his or her feelings. The male and female sex have different ways in revealing their emotions. In Calmasis’s case he or she loves Frigglish but is unable to show it until the wizard ended his life.”
Roxy let it all sink in for a moment. She had no doubt believed it wasn’t easy for her mother writing a character like Calmasis, deciding which emotions to evoke from the wizard. The reasoning behind murdering Frigglish began to become clearer now.
“So I guess Calmasis felt bad putting the curse on Frigglish all this time?” The reason for Calmasis’s curse on Frigglish was because the wizard found out he had been telling Zazzerpan and two other Complacency their whereabouts and was furious. Roxy assumed Calmasis realized Frigglish wouldn’t have done it if he wasn’t forced to.
“That was why he or she tried to find Frigglish from the beginning,” Mom began explaining, “knowing the curse would get worse on him. Calmasis wanted to prevent the worst from happening, but it was too late.”
This was something Roxy never realized before—Calmasis had compassion for someone. And all it took was to be in Calmasis’s shoes for once. She had never forgiven the main protagonist for murdering her favorite character in the worse possible way, but now the teenager just might. Perhaps it was because her mother hadn’t described much of Calmasis’s emotions on a personal level and the wizard seemed to be cold and cunning. This was romance at its best. Roxy smiled in satisfaction.
“I get it now, Mom. Thanks a bunch.”
Mom smiled back. “My pleasure. However, I must be going now.”
At that instant Roxy’s face fell. “What, really? But we only just met! I still have loads more to ask you!”
“I know you do, and I apologize. Perhaps we shall cross paths once more. Goodbye, Roxy.”
Before Roxy could say anything, Mom tucked the laptop underneath her arm, pulled off from her seat, and began heading out. The teenager wanted to run towards Mom and grab her hand, but she remained still, only able to stare at her mother’s back that kept distancing away with each step she took. From that moment Roxy realized she not only wanted to talk to Mom about her books but also about her favorite music, her hobbies, her friends she still hung out with, even her love life…What she wanted most was to just enjoy her company.
“Hold up, Mom! Don’t leave just yet!”
She hoped that would bring her mother’s attention, but Roxy was no longer able to see Mom’s back anymore. A part of Roxy didn’t want to believe her mother already left.
“Where are you going? Mom? Mom? Mom!”
+++
Roxy immediately sat up and heaved in deep breaths. Once she managed to calm herself down, Roxy glanced around and noticed she was not at the cafe anymore but back at her room, the morning sun spilling through from the windows. Frigglish—the cat, not the wizard thank fucking goodness—apparently already woke up, staring at her in worriment. Roxy smiled a little.
“Hey, Frigglish. I just had the craziest dream. At first I was Calmasis and I had to kill my favorite wizard. You know, the one I named after you. The dream then changed to where I was at a cafe and I met Mom. We had an awesome chat about her books.”
Frigglish mewed in interest, as if he understood her every word. Roxy didn’t care if he really did--as long as he seemed to be interested that was fine with her. She was still overwhelmed with finally able to meet with Mom, finally having some mother-daughter time with her, and hope they indeed would meet one another once more.
“I wish I get to talk with her more, but I still enjoyed it. Our next meeting I’m sure will be a million times bett…” Roxy stopped there and grinned. “I think Mom gave me a wicked idea for my wizard stories.”
Suddenly feeling a burst of creative inspiration, Roxy snatched her journal that was next to Frigglish and began writing. She planned it to be an alternate reality story where Frigglish and Calmasis began a romantic relationship and how it developed overtime. Roxy was certain the story might not be great, but for now she would roll with it and thank her mother for that.
