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He can hear Chosen somewhere in another part of their small house, though Dark isn't currently seeking him out. Tonight for him is special, something he is treating as almost sacred. Dark knows Chosen is aware of this, which is probably why Chosen is making himself scarce, or as scarce as possible. He's still singing along to whatever he can find on their portable radio, and Dark can hear water running and dishes clinking together.
There's a smile on his face. For once, Dark's not feeling inclined to seek out and bother Chosen. He's focused on the herbal water he'd just created, filled with lavender, mint, and a bay leaf. It's river water he'd boiled earlier, and now is using herbs to make sure it's purified.
Carefully, Dark pours his mixture into a glass jar, before screwing the lid on. Humming to himself quietly, he heads outside, toward the small shrine he'd built just a few nights ago. One would think it's odd for him to be in this position, but it's not like Dark had ever kept his beliefs under wraps, either.
"Dark?" Chosen's voice rings out. Chosen follows him outside, standing just a few feet away, watching curiously. "It's the full moon tonight, isn't it?" Chosen continues. He glances upward, first at the moon, then at the hole in the sky. "Do you want me to leave you alone?"
In other words, he's offering the chance to give Dark all the space he'd need tonight, and hang out with Second and his friends. Dark doesn't like the idea of Chosen going up there without him, but he says nothing about it. Shrugging in response, he sets the jar down on the ground, before piling stones up around it. "If you'd like," Dark says. "I don't mind if you watch, either. This doesn't take long."
He steps back, and stares at the small statue he'd placed in front of the jar. "I know you've been curious."
"I have," Chosen says. "I never really bothered to learn before though. It's never interested me." There's an apologetic note to his words; Dark can practically hear his brow furrowing. "Sorry if that's offensive."
"Hey, believe what you want to believe. It's not my place to force you." Dark turns to give Chosen a grin. "I'm feeling rather calm tonight, in fact. Something about the moon must be doing it."
"Or it's you, channeling Hekate." Chosen waves his hand toward the figurine. "You know I recognize her, right?" He snorts. "Dunno who else you worship or whatever."
"Quite a few." Dark pats at his pockets, before pulling out a piece of paper. On it, is something very personal he'd written out. Waving it toward the jar, he turns back to Chosen. "You know, we've got all night, as long as the moon is out. You interested in performing your first ritual?"
"Sure?" Chosen tilts his head to the side. "Does it still count if I don't actually believe in this though? I'm more doing it for your sake." The stick moves closer, waving a hand toward Dark. "What am I supposed to do anyway?"
"Well. I'm a bit less rigid than most people would be. I got my moon water here with my herbs. We can fill a random cup with some river water for your half and sprinkle some herbs in it. Then, only if you're interested, you write out whatever you want to leave behind during the full moon, and then burn the paper."
"That doesn't sound less rigid," Chosen points out. "That still sounds like a whole ass ritual. You want me to perform a spiritual ritual with you."
"Yeah!" Dark grins, showing his teeth. "But it sounds cool, doesn't it?"
Chosen rolls his eyes. "Maybe I should have taken your beliefs seriously all these years. I'd be better guarded for every time you try to manipulate me into joining you."
"I haven't asked you to dance naked under the moonlight with me yet," Dark jokes. "That's still a possibility."
"Careful, I might actually convert just so I can enjoy that view," Chosen teases. He pauses then, turning his gaze back to the shrine. "Though in all honesty, I'm not entirely sure right now. It all kinda sounds like too much. The witchcraft, the spirituality, all of it. Maybe when I'm less depressed, y'know?"
"I'd never push you," Dark responds, just as honestly. He's quick to hide the disappointment flooding through him though. It'd be nice to have someone else in his corner that understands all too well what this is like. "It's all on your timetable, Chose. I'm a lot of things, and I own that I'm a dick to you on a good day, but this is something beyond me. You don't even have to participate if you just want to watch."
"I want to watch you," Chosen responds. "I'd like to know more about what it is you're doing before I jump in headfirst, and blindly. I don't want to offend your gods."
"You could also do research," Dark points out. "The internet has many sources, both well researched articles and anecdotal. But again, I won't force you to do anything." Turning away from Chosen, he stares back down at his jar, before looking back up at the moon. For some reason, it feels almost bigger now than it did just a few moments ago. Somewhere behind him, Chosen is settling down on the grass, still keeping some distance. Presumably, it's to give Dark the space he needs for this ritual.
Dark also sits down, gracefully lowering himself into a cross-legged position in one fluid movement. Keeping his gaze on the moon, he holds out the paper, sparing only a quick glance at the words written on it. Dark's memorized it ― having been reading from it all day, whispering it to himself until such a time when he could be here.
He hasn't shown it to Chosen though. Chosen's going to hear the words soon enough, but Dark conjures up a small fire in his hand, turning his head to cast a sidelong glance at the other stick. For Dark, this moment couldn't have come soon enough.
Slowly, Dark lets his eyes close. It's not something he consciously does, but he lets himself grow still, everything around him fading into the background. The words for this moment are tumbling out of his mouth in a whispered reverence, all his thoughts being directed toward the Goddess the figurine represents. Dimly, Dark can sense Chosen scooting closer to listen more closely to the words pouring from Dark. Even then, Chosen is also far more still than normal.
After just a few minutes of speaking, Dark's eyes open slowly, glancing at the fire still burning around his fingers. The flames dance and flicker, but don't fade out, as if the energy around him is keeping the flames alive. Moving his slip of paper over the flame, Dark watches as the paper catches fire, crumbling into ash and falling to the ground.
"With this flame," Dark intones, once more glancing upward at the sky. "I send the ash to the wind, carrying my energy and focus with it."
The rest of the paper burns out, with a slight breeze blowing around the pair of sticks. Dark smiles serenely, before leaning back to rest on his elbows, flame flickering out.
"Uh, yeah," Chosen says. "Take my depression with you too. Tired of being a mopey bitch." Chosen laughs at his own joke, but slides to rest next to Dark. "So that's what your moon ritual is. You really do this once a month?"
"Well, I don't have to just do it on the full moon. I can make moon water any night under any moon. But with the seasons changing, and it approaching Samhain and a lot of other holidays, I wanted to rechannel myself. Ground myself all over again, y'know?"
"You're not usually this calm," Chosen says. There's a slight frown on his face. "Your programming isn't bothering you at all right now?"
"Well, first off, you're right next to me, so I'm not getting twitchy having to look for you. Second off, no. For some reason I'm at my calmest when the gods are around me."
"You don't literally mean around you, right?"
Throwing his head back, Dark laughs boisterously. "By the gods, no, Chose. Not literally. But it's all in the energy and mindset you adopt. Or me, if we're being specific. But more mundanely, they generally do exist around us. In the sky, in the water, in the wind. It just is, since they had a hand in creating the world."
"Technically, humans created this world," Chosen says, lifting his arm up. "This entire universe is man-made."
"Still counts, grass is real, water is real and drinkable, wind is real. As long as this shit is all real, I see no reason to indulge the technicalities of your logic. Therefore, I substitute my own reality."
"Fucking dork," Chosen mocks.
"I'm not ready to go back inside yet," Dark says, slightly changing the subject. "It's a nice night, and I'm feeling energetic."
"Because your ritual is complete, or because you want to have that naked dance party?"
"Erm, excuse me," Dark begins mimicking Chosen's voice. It's a good enough impression, given the way Chosen's eyes widen. "If we're going to bring in facts and logic, then by all rights, we are stick figures, and therefore already naked. Furthermore―"
"Stop using my voice, you asshole!" Chosen's laughing as he shoves at Dark. "You're not allowed to sound like me."
Rolling over Dark tackles Chosen completely back, before straddling him, pinning Chosen down by his shoulders. "I can do whatever I want," Dark says, sticking his tongue out. "I also thought we could go for a swim."
"You want to swim?" Chosen squirms, lifting a hand to pinch Dark's thigh. "Why didn't you say so to begin with?"
"Does that mean you want to?"
"We ate dinner, I got our dishes cleaned, I watched your moon ritual, and…yeah. I've got nothing better to do." Chosen pushes Dark off him, sitting up. Sitting back on the ground, Dark looks back at his shrine, then at the jar filled with water.
"I'm willing to teach you, you know."
"I know." Chosen puts a hand on Dark's back. "I know this is important to you. All of it. Which is why I don't judge you or mock you or anything for it. I want to be more supportive though, and I should have been years ago. But hey, I'm learning now, sort of."
"You think Second and his friends would be?"
"Are you lonely?" Chosen asks. "Is that what this is about?"
"Not lonely in the sense I want company." Dark rolls his eyes. "I've got you, you're all the company I need. I meant more like, would I be able to have a partner with this?" Waving his hand toward the altar, he makes a frustrated noise. "You know. Someone else I can share my beliefs with. Someone who'd also do their research and know what the fuck I'm talking about. I don't even need a friend, just…" trailing off, he sighs heavily.
"Want me to ask Blue for you?"
"Why Blue in particular?"
Chosen shrugs. "Because Blue is the one most interested in plants and herbs like you are. I've also seen the kind of shit he gets up to when he thinks no one is looking. He's definitely embraced the witchy aesthetic. If you don't want to ask him, I'll ask him for you. Cause if not me, then yeah, you deserve at least one other person in your corner."
"I suppose." Dark shrugs. "He's also the only one that doesn't seem to outright detest me, which is something."
"It's not like you're clamoring to befriend them either. You still shit talk Orange every time you get the chance. You also don't exactly seem to like Green much."
"That's because Green is a loud, self centered asshole," Dark gripes. "I'd say Second could do better for a best friend, but Second is just as arrogant and demanding."
"My point has just been proven." Chosen snorts. "Let's go swimming, Grumpy."
"No lecture on how I should treat your brother nicer?"
"Nah. You had a good evening, I'm not going to get on your case until morning." Chosen pulls Dark to his feet, before dragging him toward the cliff. "As a bonus treat, you can add your spiritual energy to the river. I dunno if you can cleanse the entire god damn thing, but hey, I'll humor you."
"I'll make a pagan of you yet," Dark threatens, though it's a lighthearted, joking one. Digging his heels into the ground, he successfully halts Chosen's dragging. Then, Dark shoves the stick back into the river. There's a surprised yell from Chosen, followed by a rather large splash.
Giggling quietly to himself, Dark dives in after Chosen. Chosen's right, he did have a good evening. He'd gotten to accomplish exactly what he'd set out to do, fully prepared even. Chosen had even inadvertently promised at least one other stick would ally with his beliefs. By the gods, Chosen had even insinuated that he himself was mildly interested.
Dark would never force anyone to believe what he does, but it's nice to think about not being completely alone in them, either. And hey, maybe tonight's full moon will grant his wish in the end, too.