Those legs worked very well for several years. Whatever the aenke sent after him, he managed to run or, if cornered, claw his way to escape. He grew scared, hungry, and most of all angry. Angry with them for chasing him, angry with other people for not accepting him, angry with his lot in life for what it was.

He covered his mangled face and yet people were still scared of him. He felt something about himself deep down had changed. Not just his body, but something innate and something that should have been immutable. His mantle was one of rage and confusion.

reincarnate. v. re-en-kar-nat. from incarnatus (to made flesh)

1. To be born again into a new body.
2. (of an aenli) To be reborn as aenke, usually after traumatic death.

By the time he was 18, he'd spent nine years isolated, mute, and running. "Feral" was probably the most fitting word for him, but he was getting tired. Very tired.

So when one more came for him, he lay down and thought about letting himself finally get caught. He wasn't sure what they'd do to him, and surely after all this trouble and hurt and fighting it was going to be awful, but he couldn't stand the thought of spending that long running. He couldn't die, he'd tried, and so maybe capture was the only escape.

Being captured wasn't actually all that bad, which is what he found himself thinking as Janus sat him on the bed and started cleaning off his wounds. He'd been treated kindly, gently, and though he found himself crying more often than not wasn't in distress. Their food was strange but it was food, and their water was clean. Their city was also strange, but also clean. He still got strange looks, surprise mixed with fear, but he was pretty used to that. Though, he wasn't sure what to think of still getting those looks from demons.

"There, that should do." Janus gave him a satisfactory pat before going back business elsewhere in the room. Touching his face, he found the still-wounded half cleaned and bandaged. Relief washed over him, and for the first time in almost a decade he let himself start to relax. Healing could finally start.

A few more years went by. Safe and comfortable, his wounds healed over. He found his voice again, and he used it to say thank you, thank you, thank you and most of all, I'm sorry.

He started learning all that he was, all that he'd run from. Immortal (sort of, he was warned). Reincarnated. Different. But most of all, they taught him, he was aenke, and that meant he was family. Not his old family, of course, and they understood if that was upsetting. But their family, and they would do everything for him. They understood when he hurt, they understood when he felt joy, they understood what he needed and gave it freely. And though there were stumbling blocks, he tried and tried to give it back.

This was who he was now, which was what he realized he'd have to accept. It was hard. He hadn't wanted much before he died, he was young and concerned with what was in front of him. But the drastic change of plans that this reincarnation presented, it was hard. But this was good, it was better than running.

And though he loved them, he loved the aenke and the city he was now growing up in, something still felt wrong.

Immortality was a distressing burden to bear. Here they spoke in terms of centuries, life was slow and steady and nothing changed. Eternity was here. And he couldn't stand that. He'd allowed himself to love and be comfortable, but now it was time for something new. And there was none of that here.

So he left, shifted himself to hide in mortal society, and took up lives there. He reconnected with an old friend, frankly telling her the truth of what had happened, creating an anchor for himself in this new life he was to lead. But of course, he outlived her, he outlived the loves he made. This, too, was distressing, but at least he didn't have to think about it as he moved to the next new thing.

chapter three →

For Alex, it was…. something at first sight. He wasn’t sure what. He didn’t really want it to be anything, he was a private person who had just been dragged to some party and left to be a wallflower anyway. He figured he’d mooch off some free drinks and food, then head home for a cozy weekend to himself. But he kept seeing that guy. Little thing, all freckles and fluffy hair. Infectious smile. Seemed nice. Probably? He couldn’t bring himself to go talk to him. He wanted to write it off as simple attraction, but there was something in his stomach that wasn’t usually there.

For Marco, it was nothing. He didn’t notice the guy. He’d come out to forget what was waiting for him at home. He’d been in a triad for the past fifty-odd years, and earlier that week they’d all sat down and decided it would be better for Marco, still brimming with youth and energy, to find someone else. “Because we’re not always going to be here.” Well he knew that, but he didn’t want to think about it. Now here, he could think about this. Drinks and food, and lots and lots of people to talk to about nothing at all.

So when a guy (bigger, lots of hair, looked younger than he was) came up to say hi it was nothing. He noticed the slight stutter, the flush when it didn’t come out quite right, and it made him laugh. In a good way. Sure, take my number, why not. Didn’t matter.

After a bit of chatting back and forth, they got into fling territory which eventually blossomed into a comfortable friendship. At that point Marco didn’t really think too much of it, he was happy for any company at all and was used to friendships coming and going, but Alex was nervously pining for the first time in a long time.

Eventually Alex would sputter out a confession, to which Marco would just tell him to calm down and “if you wanted a date you should’ve just asked!”

Marco would take it very nonchalantly for the longest, which was a bit distressing for Alex, who desperately wanted something serious and deeper with this guy. He wasn’t used to wanting people, not in the love sense, and this conflicted with the sturdily-built walls he had around him.

He fumbled and tripped and made all sorts of mistakes, lashing out and hiding secrets and all-around just not knowing how to do this. But for all of his other flaws Marco was patient with him, sometimes acting more as a coach than anything else, but was fine with that. He liked the company.

It took a while and a lot of work but eventually Marco realized this was something he could really see himself taking into the long-term. He disclosed being an immortal aenke not too long after.

That wall removed, they moved in together and happily spent about a year before Alex ended up proposing. “I know you won’t have me for very long, at least not long for you, but I want you to have me as fully as I can.”

Marco is an original character created in January 2007 for my Corpora universe. He is a member of the shapeshifting aenke species, and is generally a chill dude.

For extras and art, you can check out his Toyhouse profile or go straight to the gallery. For more on Corpora, you can check out the wiki.