[Aster]
The fire was out. Only dying embers faintly glowed in the pre-dawn darkness of their little dome of ice, enough to notice the vague shapes of the girls trembling in their sleep but not much more. Lying on top of his mother in her strong arms, Aster's chest still rose and fell with every soft, sleepy breath he took, his dry throat causing him to swallow a little too loudly for his own liking. The sound of the wind howling against their hut had not ceased since he'd fallen asleep last night. It was just as ferocious, as angry, as pitiful as before.
His tired eyes wanted to flutter back shut and return to the dream he was having—something about floating after an actual cloud made of cotton candy—but as the responsible man of the house, it was his job to keep his family warm. 'The cloud wasn't that tasty anyway...' Aster thought, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand and letting out a wide yawn.
He then carefully untangled himself from his mother's loving embrace, sliding off her hip and onto the soft bed of pine needles. A soft little groan from Nivalis, followed by the tightening of her arms around nothing, startled him and made him almost bump into his sister slumbering just nearby.
Luckily, Aster managed to keep his balance, freezing in the most awkward pose until his mother relaxed back into her sleep, only then letting out the quietest sigh of relief he possibly could. With the grace of a hunting cat, he got on his hands and knees and made his way to the small pile of wood, wincing every time a pine needle crunched under his bare knees. His pale silhouette was briefly illuminated by the few stubborn embers that remained, his pale butt up in the air reflecting them like the moon reflects the sun.
He tossed a few dry sticks onto the ashes, then another handful, all with blurry, sleepy eyes. Enough to keep the fire going for the entire morning. With a flick of his wrist and a whispered, almost nonexistent "foomp" to make it more dramatic, a small flame appeared in his scarred palm, which he carefully nudged against one of the sticks.
When the flame caught and a cheerful crackle began, Aster crawled over to the wall near the entrance, where their fire pit was tucked away, the one they used to smoke fish. Inhaling fish all day long wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, so they had no other choice but to come up with something, and it was their something. Probably the crudest something ever—just a small hole in the ground covered by a stone, with a small trench leading up and out of the dome to let the smoke escape into the blizzard outside. But at least it worked.
Grunting softly, Aster pushed the stone aside just enough to peek in at the small, dying flame surrounded by thick smoke, along with seven fish hanging in a neat row above it. Carefully, he tossed in a handful of pine needles and blew air through the gap to help the flames catch before covering it back up. The whole thing took him barely a minute.
As he crawled back, that was when he felt it, that faint, bitter taste at the back of his throat and on his tongue, the remains of his messy birthday gift. "Ughhh, right. Ew..." Aster muttered to himself, his face scrunching up in disgust for a moment, only to be replaced with a silly, nostalgic smile when he remembered what else happened last night. He'd probably never forget. 'Well...' he thought with a slight tilt of his head, '...kinda worth it.' His shoulders gave a little shrug as he decided just to pretend that whole kiss at the end never happened. He'd deny it till his dying day if someone other than his mother brought it up.
Nevertheless, instead of crawling straight to bed, Aster took a slight detour to their entrance. There, he grabbed a handful of snow that had managed to drift inside through the cracks in the branches and ice, and shuffled back to the fire. With that stupid, dreamy smile still plastered across his face, he plopped down onto his butt, facing the soothing warmth, and began munching on the cold, fluffy stuff like a rabbit on a carrot, trying to get rid of that nasty taste. It barely helped.
While his jaw worked on crunching the snow, his tired eyes kept drifting to his sleeping mother just a few steps away, admiring her peaceful face in the soft firelight. "Huh," Aster hummed as he stared at her, forgetting even to blink when he felt a rush of something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Something that made his chest flutter and his mind race... inspiration. The want, the need to create something sweet for her, a little verse, or maybe even a song if it was generous enough. Something that would make her smile that beautiful smile of hers, when nothing else helped. He had a feeling he might need something like that later today.
After a few moments of crunching on another mouthful of snow, he ignited a bit of mana inside his chest, then raised his hand into the air and simply began writing. Pale-golden mist trailed after his forefinger in mid-air, forming delicate, swirling letters, his face scrunching in thought. 'What rhymes with lake?... Make, take, shake, ache...' he pondered, waving his free hand to dismiss the last line, only to write something else a moment later.
It was hard to tell whether he was just remembering things or making it up himself, or both. His memories... of before... they were like a dream you can barely recall upon waking, a nightmare even, the more he thought about it. He could hardly remember a thing from when he was three, let alone from another lifetime.
It's just how brains work; the older you get, the more faded your memories become. Only the brightest and darkest bits managed to stay, little fragments, notes from someone who didn't exist anymore that he could read whenever he pondered long enough or when an inspiration struck. Like right now.
For the next only-gods-know-how-long, Aster sat there, a skinny boy on a dirty floor of pine needles, writing nonsense in the air, occasionally pausing to nibble on some snow to keep that nasty taste at bay. Lost so completely in his thoughts that he actually flinched when his mother's hand started patting the spot next to her, searching for him. Only to start freaking out a moment later when she found only emptiness.
His golden mist was everywhere in the hut now, from floor to ceiling, the remnants of his deleted lines that now only warmed the air. "Asty? Honey...?" Nivalis called out in a sleepy, panicked voice, her hands patting the bed of needles more frantically now, eyes still half-closed even when she tried to sit up.
Before she could see anything he'd written, Aster waved his hands wildly around to get rid of every flying letter in the air. Then, hurried to her on his hands and knees as fast as he could, shushing her with his childish whisper. "I'm here, Mom. It's okay. I'm okay."
Her arms immediately wrapped around him as soon as she heard his voice, pulling him into a tight hug, his whole body shifting upward until he lay on top of her again. Nivalis buried her face in his silver hair, inhaling deeply, only to sigh in relief against his ear. "You promised me you'd still be in my arms when I wake up," she mumbled sleepily, tightening her embrace even more until he could barely breathe in that suffocatingly loving grip.
Aster wheezed out, "The fire went out. Had to... relight it," before wrapping his skinny arms around her delicate neck and pulling himself even closer to her. "But I'm here now, not going anywhere. Sorry for leaving," he added and began peppering her warm, soft cheek with tiny kisses until she finally eased her hold on him, letting him breathe normally. "Everything okay?" he then asked, tucking her hair behind her ear, his gaze searching hers for any signs of guilt returning.
Nivalis mumbled a tiny "...yeah" after a few moments, looking around the dimly lit hut, the drooling girl nearby, and all the mist swirling around. "You overdid it a bit, sweetie. It's as warm as a summer in here," she then said, but went quiet as her sleeping brain finally registered the strange taste in her mouth. Her lips smacked together a few times, the tip of her tongue giving them a little lick.
Her brows shot straight up the very moment after, a flicker of recognition—and horror—appearing in her blue eyes. "Oh gods, right after..." Nivalis muttered, her hands leaving his back to fly to her face, hiding the crimson blush that had spread all over it. "This is why you were wriggling so much when I went in for that kiss! Oh no, no..."
— "Yep," was all Aster said with a sad little nod, and a shudder that made his pale, naked butt cheeks jiggle atop her. "The rest, though..." he tried to reassure her, but she didn't let him say anything further.
"Why did you even let me... dear gods, I'm the worst mother in the world. Not only did I do something terrible, but I did it wrong. Now, when you think of your first time, you'll remember me kissing you with a mouth full of your own..." Nivalis trailed off again, shaking her head in frustration, her words muffled by her hands. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, a series of short, panicked breaths.
Aster could feel her heart pounding beneath his own, a frantic drumbeat against his ribs. To calm her, he almost blurted out, 'It kinda wasn't my first?' but stopped himself just in time. She didn't need to know more about what he and Silvia did together; there was a lot left untold. The amount of spanking he just avoided by doing that was hard to comprehend, so much so that for a fleeting moment, he could almost feel a phantom sting in his butt just at the thought of it. A quiet gulp was all his throat managed instead.
He squirmed his way up until his face hovered just above hers, his own frowning as he tried to pull her hands away. "I won't. Stop it. You're the best mother in the world," he whispered urgently, squeezing her cheeks between his palms while looking into her already watery eyes. "If anything, it was my fault. I shouldn't have finished in your..." his golden gaze darted to her puffy lips briefly, "...mouth," Aster finally whispered. "I'm sorry for that. I'll make it up to you today. Or even now? Would you like a massage?"
She didn't answer, just stared at him for a moment with those big, wet eyes before pulling him down into a tight hug again, burying her face in his neck this time. "My silly boy... I just wanted you to have a nice memory, not... this," she mumbled, squeezing the air out of his lungs. "Oh gods, why did I even agree to that? It was all such a big mistake to begin with..."
When her arms finally loosened enough for him to breathe, Aster muttered a quiet, "It wasn't. It just shows how much you love me, that's all. And oh, you don't have to worry, it was a nice memory, alright." A cheeky smile touched his lips at the same time as her face tilted up to him, and he quickly added, "Half of what you did, I didn't even know was possible. It was... ohmygods. Pure wizardry. Better than anything I ever dreamed of."
He then pressed his lips against her ear and began whispering all the things he liked, starting with, "My favorite part is when you took my... everything... in your mouth at the same time..." It was a soft, breathy murmur meant just for her ears, the same way he often did with Silvia. The reaction wasn't any different, either.
At first, Nivalis tried to push him away with a few embarrassed no-nos, but his arms were wrapped firmly around her neck, tightening whenever she did that. More and more with each new naughty murmur, her grip on him loosened, and her face became hotter, along with her ears. When he got to the part about his outline on her cheek, she whined out a soft, "Nooo..." and hid her face back in the silver mess of his hair.
...
The entire morning was spent in the comfort and warmth of their cozy home while nature threw a tantrum just beyond their walls. Hearing all that naughtiness made Nivalis feel a tad better about herself, knowing that at least she did the woman part right, despite blushing so hard she looked like a tomato by the end. Afterward, the promised massage was given right in their sleeping place.
It was a long, thorough massage that lasted nearly an hour and ended when Silvia woke up, all grumpy and hungry. A quick breakfast followed, after which the girl had to spend some time fixing their slightly melted ceiling because, quote, "Some idiot thought it would be really smart to turn our home into a sauna," unquote. A bit of tickling fixed that frown of hers.
Next came the unavoidable morning task of peeing and pooping, a not-so-pleasant experience, given how cold and windy it was outside, and the fact that they had to dig themselves in first to get there. But they managed, with a lot of curses and slightly frozen butts.
A lot of laziness followed upon return, the three in a warm, cuddly mess of limbs. Not a single thought was given to fishing, hunting, or any other chore, as they had a good excuse just to stay inside and do absolutely nothing. Instead, they spent time talking about everything and nothing at all, occasionally interrupted by a tickle fight between the siblings. It was nice, if not for their mother being a bit gloomier than usual, something she tried to hide behind that forced smile of hers. Aster did, however, manage to get a few giggles out of her.
Closer to the afternoon, the blizzard finally passed, leaving behind an eerie silence and a world of white so bright it hurt to look at. All the green and brown was gone, buried under just ridiculous amounts of snow. "You coming?" Aster called, turning away from the blinding brightness to look down at the small entrance of their home, almost buried in the snow. Nivalis was standing beside him, busy brushing herself off, flakes falling from her hair and clothes as she did so, two spears sticking out of the snow near her.
An annoyed hum was Silvia's only answer before she shoved her silver head through the narrow opening and looked up at him. "Do I have a choice?" she muttered, her face getting all flushed in mere seconds when the cold winter air hit it, her expression scrunching the more she pushed herself out of the coziness of their home. "G-gosh, it's even colder than yesterday. Can we stay home today? I vote for staying home," she whined as Aster helped her get on her feet, snow reaching almost to her waist.
"We're going, sweetie," Nivalis muttered, puffing warm air into her cupped hands before rubbing them together briskly, to keep the blood flowing in her fingers. As Silvia opened her mouth to whine some more, Nivalis cut her off with a gentle but firm, "And no, you can't stay here by yourself. We stay together, always."
The girl's mouth smacked shut at that, a dramatic, frosty puff escaping her nose as she nodded. "Okay..." she muttered, taking one spear sticking out of the snow and handing it to her brother. "Are we going to the main lake today?" Silvia asked while Aster busied himself swooshing the spear around, making plenty of "whoosh" and "shing" sounds in the process.
"Yeah. We need to find a place where we wouldn't stand out too much," Nivalis answered, her voice softening as she gave Silvia's trembling shoulder a few brief rubs, trying to give what little warmth she could, despite looking just as miserable. "Come on. The faster we get there, the sooner we can make a fire and warm up." With that, she grabbed her own spear and led the way, her legs sinking into the deep snow with every heavy step.
Aster and Silvia panted right after, struggling through the waist-deep snow in a single file line, managing to catch up only thanks to their mother leaving a trail for them to follow. Everything was quiet, save for the crunch of their footsteps and the occasional, distant call of a lone bird that made them all flinch.
Well, not so quiet after Aster decided to throw a snowball at his sister's back. It was hard not to, as the snow was just perfect for it, the kind that would make even the elderly remember their younger days. The sudden impact made her stumble forward with a surprised yelp, her face disappearing into the snow. A sharp gasp followed a heartbeat later when she emerged, her hair and face all white and fluffy.
The glare she sent his way after spitting out a mouthful of snow made the boy gulp nervously. "Okay, I might have thrown it a little too—" Before he could finish his apology, a snowball hit him square in the forehead, sending him stumbling backward into the snow, leaving only his legs sticking out. His spear sank into the snow just nearby, the blunt side up.
Silvia let out a triumphant giggle that echoed through the otherwise silent forest, but not for long, as Aster popped back up, looking no better than her, with his silver hair all fluffy and disheveled like a startled cat. Her laughter quickly turned into a shriek when another snowball came her way, hitting her flat chest, right into the boobie. "Ow, you...!" she squealed, bending down and scooping up a handful of snow, forgetting for a moment about the cold. "You are SOOO done for, you buttface!"
Their mother stood there, blue eyes following their every move, a genuine smile finally touching her lips at the sight. The two of them chased each other clumsily around the pine trees, throwing snow in every direction, their puffs of breath creating little clouds in the crisp air. A few times, she had to remind them to be quieter when they got too loud or excited, but she didn't stop them, even though it wasn't the best place for it. It was a happy memory in the making.
"You do realize... I can just use my mana and throw like... a dozen at you, right?" Silvia breathed, ducking behind a particularly thick trunk of an old pine as Aster's snowball flew at her. "Hehe, is that all you got?" she giggled as she peeked from behind the tree to taunt him some more, only to duck again when another snowball came her way, smacking against the bark with a soft thud.
Aster didn't answer, too busy trying to feed his lungs with all the air they demanded. Pants grew even heavier when he noticed her kneeling to grab some snow, giving him the chance he needed. With the speed of a predator, he launched himself in her direction, and right before she could throw her snowball, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tackling her into the deep drift nearby, causing another cute shriek of surprise.
They both disappeared in white for a moment, only to reappear again, rolling and laughing without a care in the world. A breathy, "Idiot!" kept escaping from Silvia's lips as she tried to fight him off, her small hands pushing against his naked chest with all the strength her smaller body could muster. "Not fair! You're bigger!"
Noticing that their mother was still just standing there, watching them with a fond smile, Aster stopped wrestling his sister and hushed, "How about we team up against Mom? She's just watching us," against her flushed, snow-kissed face. A wide, mischievous grin spread across it after he said that, and she quickly nodded in agreement, not saying a word.
"You're finally done?" Nivalis muttered as the two troublemakers trudged toward her, covered in snow from head to toe and not answering her just yet. "Come, I'll dust you—" Before she could finish the sentence, two snowballs appeared from behind their backs, thrown almost simultaneously. One at her chest, with her large breasts cushioning the impact, and the other at her hip, making her yelp in surprise as the cold seeped through her ragged clothes.
For a moment, the three of them stood there, staring at each other amidst the pine trees and blowing snowflakes. Smug grins plastered on the kids' faces, and a shocked one on Nivalis's that slowly but surely twisted into a small, dangerous smirk. "Alright," she eventually breathed, dropping her spear into the snow.
Then, she bent down, her heavy breasts almost spilling out of her worn-out tunic as she packed a large snowball between her hands. "Did you know that your grandfather used to have these yearly snowball games back in our courtyard? Every noble kid participated, all the far cousins of mine, even the guards' kids. And I won every... single... one of them," she said with a bit of a dark edge to her voice, her smirk widening.
That successfully wiped the smug expressions right off their faces and replaced them with worried, almost panicked ones. A series of loud, adorable shrieks came from the two troublemakers as she slowly began to advance on them, her eyes narrowing playfully as they tried to run away.
...