Luca inhaled softly as he was turned smaller, now clinging desperately to his gods finger as his forehead was kissed. "Okay…" He murmured back, tilting his head a little bit in fear. He didn't dare look down. His precious eyes were filled with fear. He didn't want to be dropped, not in the slightest, but he knew his god would take care of him. Derlik cared for him and that's what was important. "I feel… okay." He murmured softly.
"I've got you," Derlik said, keeping his voice low. He held Luca close, rubbing his back with one finger. He was so… adorable, like this. Derlik loved to see that fear in Luca's mind as much as he loved how desperately Luca clung to him.
"I could never let my precious doll get hurt, you're not going anywhere."
He nods at that. That part was relieving at least. Hit god wouldn't hurt him like that. Besides, this was only for a day… That was fine. Sure. It meant he couldn't cuddle the god like he used to and he could easily be squashed like a bug, but he knew his god would take care of him. He clung to his gods fingers and nods slowly. "Okay." He murmured quietly. He knew it would be okay. After all, Derlik had been kind to him.
Derlik ran his finger over Luca's head, kissing him again. The god let out a soft hum, tucking him against his chest.
"Do you still want some rest?" he offered, setting Luca against his shoulder and holding him there securely. The god laid back against the boulder, rubbing Luca's back. His. His precious little Luca Doll.
He leaned into the kiss and smiled a little bit and nods slowly. "Yeah… some sleep would be great." He mumbles quietly, pressing a quick kiss to his hand before shutting his eyes. He liked how gentle Derlik was with him, liked how warm he was. This was nice… being loved and cared for. But then again he really had no idea what the gods true intentions were.
From now on it would take a bit more… finessing, to break Luca down. Unless Derlik just decided to keep him like this. There wasn't really anything Luca could do about it, anyway. He was just a small, fragile little doll. And oh, hold pretty he looked with those tears in his eyes.
Derlik hummed, laying on the boulder still with Luca in his hold.
"Get some rest then, Luca, I'll wake you up later."
Luca was easily manipulated, after all, he was a sweet, naive baby who knew very little about people and very little about anything really. He cuddled up into the god, a content sigh leaving his lips. He liked being held as he was sleeping. "Thank you…" He whispered quietly, holding his gods jacket and slowly falling asleep again. He was feeling better, that was for sure, and his god was taking care of him. What more could he need.
"Of course, my little doll." Derlik smirked some to himself as Luca started to fall asleep. Once he was sure, the god sat up, slipping Luca into his pocket with a soft hum before standing. He stretched, looked himself over, and started his walk out into the forest to check on his little village.
The village was quiet at the moment, almost peaceful. There were a few people on the street, talking quietly with one another. Children were most likely tucked into bed. Luca's mother was sitting on her porch as usual, staring up at the stars above her sadly. It was clear the loneliness of her son being gone was getting to her. It was apparent she wasn't getting sleep, and wasn't eating, she was definitely smaller.
Derlik didn't care much, in the end. No one looked upset to him, no one seemed to care about his actions to cut them off from the world. They'd never make it out of the forest alive.
He looked down at his pocket for a moment, smirking some as he watched Luca sleep. So adorable…
"It's a cold night," the god said, appearing by Luca's mother's side. He was looking up at the stars as well, sitting down on the porch by her chair. "Wouldn't it be a good idea to head inside and have something warm to eat?"
Luca's mother looked up slowly at the god before looking at the stars again. "I barely recognize the cold…" She murmured softly. "On cold nights like this, Luca would always make this stew… He would hunt when he could… Harvest anything from the gardens. It was always warm… Kept us warm no matter how cold the night was." She sighed before looking at the god. "I mean no disrespect… But you must understand… Turning my son into a doll. For him, that is a death sentence. Do you know what people do to dolls? They play with them, break them, and then discard them. And my son… He's been hurt enough. I can't do anything. I'm simply his mother, I'm not a god. But I recognize manipulation. His father was the same way. To him… Being hurt like that will be worse then death. If you want him to stay, don't hurt him."
Derlik kept his gaze to the stars as he listened to the woman's concerns.
"Oh, I know how he's been hurt," the god said. He reached into his pocket for the two men he had taken before, holding them for the woman to see what he had done to those who had hurt Luca.
"And in the end I am no person. I am a god, and you will find my treatment of my dolls aligns much more with what they deserve than that." The god let the two dolls fall to the woman's lap before standing. He bent down, picking the woman up out of her chair and carrying her inside her home.
She glances at the two men, her eyes widening slightly. She remembered her son describing these men to her as she cleaned the blood off of him. She couldn't do anything and the village wouldn't do anything. She startles with disgust when they were placed into her lap. These were the men… "Thank you." She muttered quietly. She startles when she was picked up, her eyes flitting to gaze at the god. "Just know that my son is just as human as you are god. He's not a prize." She murmured softly. "He's gentle and warm, he doesn't know when to stand up for himself… Just- don't hurt him. He's gone through enough." She murmured quietly.
"I would never dream of hurting him." Derlik sat the woman down on her bed once they were inside, turning from her once he had wrapped a blanket around her. Derlik had left the two dolls on her lap for now.
He moved to find something to cook, but for the most part the ingredients he was going to use to make this soup would be from him himself.
"He is going to be taken care of. Even if you don't like my methods, he is okay." Derlik paused as he prepared the soup, reaching into his pocket and gently pulling the sleeping doll out to show his mother. He let Lucas lay chest down on his hand, his small arms dangling down between his fingers.
She listens quietly, looking down at the dolls in her lap with such hatred and anger. She was half tempted to throw them in the fireplace, but she knew it was probably best not do to do something that might possibly upset the god. After all, he might want to get rid of them how he pleased.
She turns her attention back to the god. Looking down at her son sadly, "He looks so small…" She whispers. "Is he breathing?" She asks softly. She couldn't really tell because of how tiny he was.
Luca, however, was as content as ever, his eyes shut peacefully as he leaned into his gods warmth. The transformation had made him tired, so he was happily snoozing away without a care in the world.
"Yes, he is," Derlik assured. He hummed some, holding Luca for a moment more before offering him to his mother.
"Here, while I make some dinner," he offered. He glanced at the two frozen dolls in the woman's lap, picking them up with his free hand and just tossing them to the side for now. He fully intended on leaving them there for the woman to do with as she pleased.
"Luca doesn't know about them," he said after a moment. "But they will get what is due."
She gently takes her son, running her thumb along the top of his head. Her eyes sadden slightly. He looked so tiny like this, so vulnerable. She glances up at the god, "Good… for what they did to my child, and I have no doubt many more… They deserve whatever comes to them." She held her son gently to her chest, letting him rest as she talked with the god. "What… what do you plan to do with Luca?" She asked after a moment.
Derlik turned as Luca's mother took the doll, starting to work on the stew he had for her dinner.
"Do with him? I plan to have fun. He's along for the ride." Derlik hummed some, not looking up. "We've gone dancing, I've shown him more of the world than even you could dream of. We've traveled through time, hell, even taken drugs together. There are some he won't have again, but… the weak ones? They're fun." Derlik stirred the pot, hair hanging to his shoulders and gently swaying as he spoke.
"And be it a few years or a few centuries… we will have had our fun, and then he will be able to rest."
(I'm back! Ish- lol)
She gently held her son, looking over him sadly. "Oh my baby boy…" She whispers softly. "Drugs?" Her breath hitched. "You're giving him drugs?" She held her son to her chest, her eyes widening slightly. "What do you mean a few years? A few centuries? What- you're just going to let him overdose and let it rest at that. I've seen what happens to people in the other cities- I even-" She took a deep breath. "My family line doesn't do well with drugs, no matter how good or bad they may be…" She stared down at her baby boy. She prayed she could take his place, save him from this- this world he was being forced into. She knew her son had difficulties holding boundaries, and he was quiet at heart. She just wished he could have had a better life than her.
Derlik looked over at the woman, setting the ladle down before stepping over to her.
"He's not going to overdose," the god said, hand moving to cup her cheek. "I'm the god who looks over those who use them, I know better than any how to keep him safe. We're going to spend time together until i grow bored of him, and then he's going to have time to rest. And I would be more than happy to take you, but your son made sure I wouldn't. That's his fault." Derliks stepped back over to the stove, getting some soup for the woman and offering it to her.
"But I can tell you, the moment you die you're no longer considered his mother. Then I'll take you."
Her expression suddenly turned cold, even as the god cupped her cheek. She was fearful, yes. But this was her son. "So you'll play with him until you grow bored of him like a spoiled child? You're playing with a human- someone with feelings and you're just going to do with him as you please and then discard him and move on? At this point I don't care if I die, but my son doesn't deserve that kind of life. A fake facade of affection and happiness, only to be thrown to the side when he's no longer useful?" She held her son closer to her chest. "Even when I die, he will always be my boy. He's gone through enough in life. You hurting him will only make it worse." She glanced down at her baby boy as he moved a little in her hands. She looked like she was going to burst into tears, her thumb gently rubbing the top of his head.
"I'm a god- I can do whatever I so please with a mortal. The only reason I don't do things is because I don't want to." Derlik sat the woman's food down, taking her chin in his hand.
"And do not accuse me of faking anything. If I did not care for Luca, I would not bother giving him affection. What use do I have for a toy I don't care for? And, like any would, when I outgrow him…" Derlik thought for a moment, tilting his head.
"Why don't I just show you?" Derlik moved to scoop the woman up in one arm, taking a few steps. A door appeared, and he opened it, bringing her… somewhere. It was a small room, with light blue walls and a desk on the opposite side of the door with paperwork laying across it haphazardly. The most notable thing, though, was the rows upon rows of shelving, stretching high into the air. And almost every single inch of them was covered in dolls… ones just like Luca. Their movement was taken from them, their voices. All they could do was sit there prettily.
Her eyes narrowed when he grabbed her chin. It was rare for her to do something like this, for she was just as meek as her son. "You'll end up hurting him! My son has gone through enough." She whispered. However she stopped when she was picked up, her eyes widening at the sight of the door. An audible gasp left her lips as she stared at the rows of dolls.
At the sound of his mother's gasp, Luca slowly woke. But the way his mother was cupping him Derlik wouldn't see his eyes flutter open. But he could see the rows and rows of dolls. He didn't dare make a noise, shutting his eyes again as his mind reeled at what had been revealed. He was going to become that? The god had said- the god had lied to him? He could feel panic rise in his chest, and suddenly he was moving.
His mother was pulling out of the gods grasps, getting down. "I've seen enough." She said sharply. She moved back to the door, entering her home again. She glanced down at Luca and her expression softened. She knew she needed to get her son away, save him somehow. But her legs were frail, she couldn't do much. But she could tell he was awake.
"My darling Luca…" She whispered softly. "Do you remember our little place by the lake?" She asks gently, to the god it might sound as if she was reminiscing. After all, Luca was still asleep right? "Remember how we used to run through the daisy's? And played hide and seek along the creek?" She inhaled sharply and turned heel to face the god. "You were right. My son is in good hands." She said simply. She glanced at Luca, before gently setting him back in the gods hands. "Take care of him."
Derlik just laughed as Luca's mother said he would hurt him. He would do no such thing, not unless he wanted to. He let her pull away, moving over to one of the shelves to gently run his finger along the jaw of one of the dolls.
"You have no idea how the gods work," he said after a moment, not looking at her. "You have no idea how this works."
It wasn't hard to feel the panic rising in Luca. So, he had seen? It was his loss. The god gave no indication he knew, though, turning and following after the woman. He closed the door behind him, the room disappearing. He took Luca back with a small smirk, running his thumb over the man's head.
"As long as he doesn't try to deceive me, I will," the god said. His last chance to fess up. If he didn't, well, Derlik wouldn't confront him. He wanted to see where that little 'talk' from his mother would go. He didn't think he could run away, could he? So foolish.
Luca knew he needed to keep calm, his sweet little mind racing with terror. Is that what he was going to turn into? A doll left on the shelf? He didn't know what to do at this point. He felt so torn. His god had been so kind to him. Had taken care of him. But to see that he would be discarded… To know he might be left behind once again, it made his heart ache in so many ways. So much to the point where his chest hurt and it felt as if he could not breathe.
However, when his mother mentioned the daisies, and the hide and seek it was clear he calmed down, not necessarily in a "I'm going to flee" kind of way, but more of a gentle calm and assurance. He relaxed in his gods hold, a soft sigh of calm leaving his lips. Just think of the creek, think of the daisies, think of the good times. He'd be okay then…
When the god said that, his emotions didn't change, he was still calm, still sleepy.
She watched her son in the gods hands. He looked content, even now… She saddens, and settles back into a chair. She knew the gods were powerful, and she wondered if there might be another god willing to help… But she knew that was pointless. At this point the gods were more concerned about themselves.