#i prefer calling just calling her mymble...
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moomimania · 6 months ago
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SIBLINGS.
i stumbled upon this great post by @itsmedrawpower and was like YES. instant inspiration! 🌟
these were the ages i imagined them being for this, but does anyone actually know their age gaps?
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moominpapasfanficblog · 2 years ago
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The Second Littlest Mymble
On beginning to find yourself
“Sarah!”, said Sarah, “Sarah Mymble. That’s the name I choose for myself.”
“Very well.”, said Dame Elaine, “ ‘Tis a fine name! I shall make sure to remember to call thee by it from now on.”
They were enjoying their usual time together in the small tower study in the highest room in Gobble Manor. When The Mymble and her latest family moved into the manor, the first unspoken order of business for her thirteen children was to explore every nook and cranny of the sprawling mansion as quickly as possible. Sarah lagged behind in this effort and instead savored each room and its potential gradually over the course of the first two months that her family lived there.
Sarah loved enjoying everything she encountered thoroughly before finding the next thing. She would return frequently to the places and beasts that she loved most. Her siblings moved quickly from one experience to the next for the most part. The manor’s library and other quiet rooms didn’t hold their interest for very long and they became refuges for Sarah when she wanted to have time to herself.
Sarah was only a head taller than her legendary older sister Little My. But, unlike My, she didn’t resent being left behind when her siblings rushed ahead of her. She set herself apart by finding spaces where she could find herself in peace rather than by seeking to stand out by fierce independence and deliberate mischief.
Dame Elaine and her boyfriend, Duke Clovis, only held the attention of the Mymble’s children for a short time. They were too formal in their manners to be much fun and Dame Elaine’s thirst for long conversations didn’t interest them. Sarah, however, was always transfixed by Dame Elaine’s stories of court life centuries ago and they would get together in this isolated study and in the library to spend hours conversing and reading.
When Mrs. Fillyjonk became The Mymble’s girlfriend and the co-mother to Sarah and all her siblings, she tried to give all of The Mymble’s children as much individual attention, education, and basic, healthy discipline as possible. The Mymble took care of all the household affairs and gave her children maximum freedom to be themselves. With thirteen children to care for, the two of them made a well balanced parenting team. Sarah eluded Mrs. Fillyjonk’s attention for a long time because of her taking advantage of her smaller size and lack of presence to lead the peaceful life she preferred. When Mrs. Fillyjonk discovered her friendship with Dame Elaine in the sweep of the mansion that she had decided to undertake that day she wasn’t sure what to do. She felt guilty for having overlooked Sarah even accidentally and was genuinely grateful that Sarah had found such a good friend in Dame Elaine, but she instinctively disapproved of ghosts. But then, Dame Elaine was nobility and deserving of respect.
With all of these conflicting thoughts and feelings running through her mind, Mrs. Fillyjonk carefully approached the pair as Sarah chose her name.
“I must agree with Dame Elaine.”, said Mrs. Fillyjonk, “Sarah is a fine name….I’m sorry to intrude. It was by accident, I assure you. I….would like to join in your friendship, if you’ll let me. If you want me to join you when you get together, just find me. If you need time to yourselves, I won’t interfere or insist on joining you, or feel jealous afterwards, I promise.”
“I’d love that….Mama!”, said Sarah.
“Thou wouldst be most welcome.”, said Dame Elaine with a friendly smile on her face. The three of them sat back down in the comfortable lounge chairs that took up a good part of the tower room and Dame Elaine resumed the story that she had been telling.
The End
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looneyllama-archive · 3 years ago
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Moomins: the Next Generation
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I was hesitant about posting this, since I almost never make OCs (and to be honest, these are more like projections of my hopes and insecurities than actual characters), but so many people have made Snufmin fankids that I couldn’t resist joining in on the fun!  As a bit of a twist, I went with Shin Mumin’s Moomin and Snufkin, since I have a soft spot for this adaptation. 
Ramblings on the characters, plus a concept doodle with younger versions, under the cut. 
Lineup from the color picture, from left to right:
Len--actually not a Snufmin kid, but the significant other of their eldest daughter.  They’re a hemulen who is nervous about settling on a single field of study, as their own family expects.  Fortunately, they’ve found a safe place in Moominvalley. 
Juniper--kind of like a muddler but with antlers (’cause why not).  She’s the type who always asks questions; in this society where people just tend to be named after their species, she will always ask people what they want to be called, just in case.  She’s also just a tad nosy. 
Moomin--Moominpappa now, I suppose, though that gets a bit confusing.  I decided that his one accessory should be a work apron, with lots of pockets for anything he could possibly need.  He’s become a talented carpenter. 
Snufkin--now Snufkinpappa.  He still travels every winter and spends the rest of the year in Moominvalley.  Moomin (and later, the kids) makes him an amulet for safe travels every year before he leaves.  Even though omamori “expire” after one year, Snufkin could never bring himself to burn a gift from Moomin, so he just wears all of them.  At once.  It’s getting a little out of hand. 
Fillie--a fillyjonk who has too many sensory issues to fit into that neat and tidy fillyjonk mold, she was put up for adoption by her birth parents.  Once free to live as herself, she found that she much prefers comfy knitwear to starched collars.  She makes all her clothes herself, as well as lots of knitted presents for her friends and family. 
Nuisance--a mumrik who loves the sea.  They spend most of the year on a ship, serving dual purpose as a crewmember and a ship’s lucky cat, but always visit Moominvalley between voyages.  Their signature hat is actually a folded newspaper, which they make fresh every few weeks. 
Bylly--technically Snufkin’s nephew, but was primarily raised by him and Moomin.  He’s Mymble Jr’s only child.  Since she spent so much time taking care of her siblings, Mymble Jr. never really wanted kids herself, but Bylly was unplanned.  Snufkin and Moomin took him in and are his primary guardians, but he is still on friendly terms with Mymble Jr. 
The trees in the background are actually Woodies!  I’ve had the headcanon that they’re only mobile as children, and plant themselves upon reaching maturity.  From left to right, there’s Pine, Willow, Ash, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Birch, and Ginkgo. 
Concept doodle of younger versions of the characters:
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smokedstorybara · 5 years ago
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Perchance to Dream part 4
It was a late summer evening one year, the air warm and heavy with the smell of flowers and fruit, when Joxter came to Moominvalley.
Moomin and his friends were lounging on the Moominhouse veranda, soaking up the lazy atmosphere. Snufkin sat on the railing, playing a tranquil melody on his harmonica, with the others sprawled about beneath, chatting aimlessly. Moominpappa was sat at the table, supposedly trying to write but Moomin was sure he was dozing.
A cheerful “Hullo!” brought their attention to the figure in a red hat making his way up the path to the house.
Moominpappa snapped awake and jumped up when he saw the figure.
“Joxter!” He called out.
“Moomin!” the figure responded jovially and picked up a little speed.
“It’s Moominpappa now.” Moominpappa corrected him just as he reached the veranda.
“Moominpappa?” Joxter had stopped in his tracks to gasp in mock surprise, a hand clasped dramatically over his chest. “Nobody tells me anything!”
The both of them had a good laugh at that and then he jumped up onto the veranda and they greeted each other properly as old friends do. With an enthusiastic hug, a hold at arm’s length to see how the other has changed, and a “How have you been?”
Though Moomin noticed the strange man looked a little sad behind his roguish smile.
The two seemed to forget anyone else was there as they caught up on the years since they’d last seen each other. Joxter sharing his adventures, much like Snufkin did, and Moominpappa speaking of settling down with his family and writing his memoirs.
And then Moominmamma cleared her throat as she placed a fresh pitcher of lemonade on the table and Joxter stiffened up, flinching slightly when Moominpappa turned away to send a sheepish glance toward her.
But then, as soon as Moomin had noticed the change in the man’s demeanor it was gone, and he was back to being all smile and lazy movement. And Moomin put the whole thing out of his mind. It wasn’t his business, after all, and despite his natural curiosity it felt whatever it was should stay none of his business.
“Ah,” Moominpappa gestured between Joxter and Moominmamma, “Joxter you’ve met my wife, Moominmamma.”
“I have.” Joxter responded awkwardly.
Moominpappa turned to shift his vague gestures to Moomin’s direction. “And this is our son, Moomin, and his friends. Children, this,” he patted Joxter on the shoulder, “is Joxter. He’s an old adventuring buddy from my youth, and Snufkin’s father.”
“What?”
Everyone spun to Snufkin at his soft but emotional exclamation. He was staring at Moominpappa and Joxter with wide eyes and looked about ready to fall off the veranda railing.
“I have a father?”
“Of course, everyone does.”
Snufkin slowly lowered his feet to the wooden floor of the veranda and pushed off from the railing. Moomin quickly stood up and pressed his shoulder against Snufkin’s when he saw the way he was trembling.
“You knew who my father was this whole time?”
Moominpappa nodded. “More or less, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Snufkin’s voice broke. Moomin felt the urge to fold him into his arms and hide him away from the world, but he knew that wouldn’t help.
“Well, I assumed you knew.”
“How did you know, Moominpappa?” Snorkmaiden cut in, brow raised and arms crossed.
“Snufkin looks much like Joxter did when we were younger… with a bit of his mother in there as well.”
“You know my mother as well?”
“Why yes, the Mymble,” he looked to Joxter, “right?”
Joxter nodded.
Moominpappa continued. “They were together for a time when we were younger. She’s the only person I remember Joxter ever showing any interest in, really. So there weren’t many women your mother could’ve been.”
Moomin forced himself to ignore the way Joxter stiffened again and looked down and away. Instead he focused on Snufkin’s increased shaking and irregular breaths. Seeing his friend so distressed made something in his chest hurt.
He turned slightly toward Snufkin and quietly spoke.
“Do you need some time alone to process?”
Snufkin nodded.
“Ok.” Moomin responded. “Go. I’ll try and distract them.” He walked closer to the door and continued in a louder voice. “How about we continue this inside? It’s much too hot out for such talk. And besides which, it’s almost dinner time.”
Everyone quickly agreed. Moomin held the door open while they all shuffled in and he watched as Snufkin escaped over the bridge and into the forest.
~~
Snufkin returned a little over a day later, without much fanfare. Of course, most the inhabitants of Moominvalley were quite accustomed to Snufkin disappearing for a few days for one reason or another. And Joxter seemed content to spend his first day at the house endlessly chiding Moominpappa, in a good-natured manner, for his error.
It was as if remembering Moominpappa had flaws had snapped Joxter out of the strange mood from his arrival.
But then, like usual, Snufkin’s camp went from empty one day to quietly occupied the next.
Moomin was glad that Snufkin had returned so soon and was quite eager to talk to him about the whole thing, but then he noticed a figure in a red hat sitting by the river next to Snufkin’s camp. And he knew he should give them some space and some time to talk and get to know each other and other things along those lines.
So Moomin spent the day helping around the house and in his Mamma’s garden, keeping himself busy so he wouldn’t fret too much. He wanted so badly to make sure his friend was ok, see how he was handling everything. But he could wait. He’d let Snufkin come to him when he was ready.
And again, the next day, he helped Moominmamma with the chores after breakfast and was out weeding the garden before noon. This time he worked in one further from Moominhouse - the one they’d all made for her birthday the year before - instead of the small flower beds just in front of it.
He wasn’t out there for long when Snufkin quietly joined him.
The two worked in silence for an hour or so before Snufkin finally began to speak. Moomin waited patiently during that time; he knew Snufkin well enough to tell when he needed Moomin to talk first and when he needed to think for a bit.
When he finally did speak, Snufkin started the conversation in his usual, direct way. He stated plainly that he was still somewhat upset at Moominpappa for not saying anything. That him and Joxter had talked about it - about how if Moominpappa had said something sooner they could’ve known each other longer - and that they’d both agreed that they had a right to be upset. But they wouldn’t be angry forever and not enough to affect any friendships with the family.
It was clear to Moomin, from the last thing, that Snufkin had feared that Moomin would assume the worst about the future of their friendship. He knew that Snufkin sometimes worried about things like that, about things he said coming across wrong and Moomin thinking he hated him, about not being clear enough or there enough, about driving Moomin away or making Moomin think he’d driven Snufkin away.
“He told me,” Snufkin continued, “he told me that he’d been so excited,” he laughed a little, “and a little scared, when he heard he had a son. He said that he’s been searching all over for me since he found out I existed. He wants to… to get to know me.”
Moomin smiled, indescribably happy for his friend.
“He also told me about the Mymble. My mother. About how they met during his adventures with Moominpappa.  How she had dozens of kids all running around everywhere.”
Here he stopped and sat back to look at Moomin with wide eyes. “I suppose those would be my siblings.” He shook his head with a single laugh. “I never thought that I might have siblings.”
Moomin chuckled until Snufkin flicked some loose dirt at him and then he gestured for Snufkin to continue.
“What was she like? Did he say? Were they madly in love?”
And suddenly the atmosphere changed from lighthearted to something more weighty. Moomin had a brief moment to worry whether he’d said something wrong before the thought was interrupted by a soft reply.
“No, they weren’t.” A breath. “He tried to avoid mentioning it. But when I asked, he admitted they’d only been brief distractions to each other. Mutually beneficial and nothing more. Just a… a…”
He trailed off and Moomin’s heart ached. For the second time since Joxter’s appearance, he wished he could gather Snufkin in a soft hug, safe from anything that might hurt him. Instead he shifted over to press his shoulder against Snufkin’s and gently cover one of his paws with his own.
“I…” Snufkin let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it, honestly, or even how I should feel.”
“Well,” Moomin mused out loud, “I think it’s perfectly acceptable to be unsure in such a circumstance. And besides, even if they don’t love each other, you know your father cares about you and wants to be in your life. That’s good right?”
“Yes.” Snufkin nodded, his lips curving up into a small smile. “That is true.”
They both returned to the weeding as Snufkin detailed how him and Joxter had talked about family. What it meant to them and what they wanted it to mean going forward.
Joxter wasn’t much different from Snufkin in that he prefered to travel and didn’t much care for attachments, so for them family wasn’t going to be like the Moomins; living together in one house all year round. They would still travel and still live by themselves, but Joxter would stay in Moominvalley as long as he could stand to and would visit as often as he could, and if they crossed paths in their travels they’d take some time to catch each other up on their lives.
Moomin agreed that that plan sounded very sensible.
“And after that,” Snufkin continued with some energy, “he asked about my life so far, said he wanted to know all the important things.”
Moomin grinned over at Snufkin. His excitement was quite contagious.
“So? What all did you tell him about?!”
Snufkin gave a little giggle and Moomin found himself blushing at how adorable it was.
“Well, I told him about the orphanage I spent a part of my earlier years in, before I started traveling.” He whirled to face Moomin with a paw raised in mock outrage. “He had the gall to compare me to Moominpappa for that!”
Moomin burst into laughter at that. Snufkin feigned offense for a moment more before joining in.
Eventually, he collected himself and continued.
“Then I told him about traveling the world. Some of the more interesting things and places I’ve seen and people I’ve met.” He waved a dismissive paw through the air next to him. “And of course I told him all about meeting you and coming to Moominvalley and all the adventures we’ve had together.”
Moomin smiled down at the flowerbed. “So we’re one of the important things?” He asked, letting his smile bleed into his voice.
“Of course.” Snufkin pulled the brim of his hat down, blocking his face from Moomin’s view. “One of the most important things.”
Moomin’s breath caught in his throat and his face burned and it felt like his heart was trying to beat it’s way out of his chest. His smile widened uncontrollably and he bent further over the flowers to hide it.
~~
The Moomin family invited Joxter over for his last meal at Moominhouse before leaving the valley. It was planned to be a fairly intimate celebration; just Joxter, Snufkin, the Moomin family, Little My, and the rest of Moomin’s friends - Sniff and Snorkmaiden.
Snufkin was late. Moomin knew that this was because he didn’t feel ready to say goodbye to his father just yet, but also that he didn’t want to admit it. So everyone else was under the assumption that he’d gotten distracted while out fishing.
Everyone else was already there, however. And they figured that Snufkin would arrive whenever he arrived and that he wouldn’t want them to put the whole thing on hold just for him.
They all socialized while they waited and Moominmamma cooked up a storm in the kitchen with Moomin and Snorkmaiden helping set the table. They talked about this and that - how Moominpappa’s writing was going, where Joxter might go on his travels, Sniff’s latest money-making scheme.
Eventually the topic turned to Moomin and Snorkmaiden’s relationship.
“They’ve been together for a few years now,” Moominmamma explained from the doorway, “since just after the comet, I believe.” She lifted a paw up to her cheek. “Isn’t it just lovely?”
“Yes, I suppose it is.” Joxter responded. “Though I assumed it was expected for soulmates to stay together for very long.”
Everyone went quiet.
“Oh.” Moominmamma breathed.
“We…” Moomin started, before having to try again. “We aren’t soulmates. I… I don’t have a soulmate.”
“But I thought all Moomintrolls have soulmates.” Joxter frowned. “Or have you been lying to me all these years Moominpappa?”
There was pain in Joxter’s voice. Moomin heard it. Felt it. It deepened the inner wound caused by the conversation. Talking about his soulmate had grown easier with Snufkin, but the pain had never truly gone away.
It added to and mixed with the guilt over using Snorkmaiden as a distraction, still, after so many years.
It ate at him. Always there at the edges of his thoughts.
It wasn’t fair to her. It wasn’t like Joxter and the Mymble who both knew and understood that their relationship was just a distraction.
He found himself wishing, as he sometimes did, that Snufkin was his soulmate. Everything was simple and easy with Snufkin.
But that wasn’t fair to Snorkmaiden either. If anyone, It should be her he was wishing to be his soulmate. And it wasn’t fair to Snufkin, who wasn’t much different from Moomin’s soulmate after all, and who a soulbond would likely hurt in the ways it ties one to another.
And it very much wasn’t fair to Moomin’s soulmate. He hadn’t chosen to be bound to him, and Moomin had been the one to decide to take the herbs to end their dreams.
None of this was fair to any of them.
Moomin was just being selfish.
But it hurt so much.
It swirled and built and tore him down again and again in a never ending spiral.
He couldn’t handle it.
He took one last wild glance around the room before bolting up the stairs.
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geminiamethyst · 5 years ago
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The Nightmare Before Christmas AU. Chapter 4: Town Meeting.
Yes. This AU that is NOT DEAD (no honestly, it’s still alive, I just thought it would be best to work on it during the Halloween and Christmas period, especially since I was still working on Possession when I started writing this). If you haven’t read the previous chapters do so now by using the links down below at the end of the chapter.
During the afternoon, everyone that had been in the search party was found collapsed by the Mayor’s van. The Vampire Brothers had their parasols up, providing shade for them from the sun. The were slumped against the vehicle, still exhausted, and not to mention angry, by Mumrik’s rude awakening. It was quite a wonder to know how on Earth they continued to stay awake throughout the whole ordeal of Kyun going missing. The Werewolf and the Clown were no different. Both were sitting on the floor, back to back. The Werewolf was panting with his tongue hanging out, and the Clown held his unicycle in his limp hand, exhausted from the frantic searching. Alicia and her Grandmother were no different. They sat in the driver and passenger seats, waiting for their broomsticks to recharge after having them run out of the black magic that kept them powered up.
“Did anyone think to drench the lake?” The Mayor moaned in despair as he lay flat out on the the roof of the van. “This morning.” One of the Vampire Brothers yawned.
“Hear that?” The elder Witch suddenly asked, her sharp ears picking up the unmistakable faint sound of barking. “What is it Grandma?” Alicia asked, rubbing her half tired eye. Her grandmother shushed her as she leaned her ear more towards the sound. The faint sound became louder and louder with each bark emitting past the Town’s gate. Everyone pricked up as the noise became more and more clear. “Sorry-Oo!” One of the vampires exclaimed as everybody turned around towards the barking. Everyone in town turned towards the gates as they opened up. Almost immediately, the named ghost dog drifted into the square with Kyun following close behind, driving a snowmobile. The vehicle dragged a cart full of items but covered completely by a sheet. The monsters gathered around, clamouring over the fact their leader had returned. “Where have you been?” The Mayor demanded, his worrying ceasing to exist. “Gather everyone for a town meeting and I will explain everything.” Said Kyun trying to keep from getting overwhelmed from the townspeople. “When?” The Mayor inquired, his grey face showing.
“Immediately!” Kyun barked, his patience suddenly running thin.
Shin looked towards the window as he heard the announcement of a town meeting. He had a feeling that it was to do with Kyun’s vanishing act. The Hemulen snores loudly as the sleeping potion had taken affect after he had the soup. After briefly covering his creator with a blanket, he slipped out of the tower just as quick as the Hemulen passed out. He followed the crowds of townspeople, eager to see what the fuss is about. He also was eager to see Kyun there as well, saying that he was alright, that there was no need to panic and what had happened to him while he was gone. Once he entered the town hall, he felt a little crowded. The hall was packed full of monsters, a lot of them sitting on the benches available. The noise was full of nothing but chatter. Each conversation was full of what the meeting might be about. Despite wanting to be in a crowd, he suddenly found that he preferred it to be outside and not in a building such as this. HONK!
Shin jumped a little as the Clown went past on his unicycle, giggling away. The rag doll steadied himself, trying to get himself back together. He suddenly found that he was not comfortable in a crowd like this. He actually found that it was a little hard to breath. He was quite surprised himself as this only started to happen now. It was a little daunting to feel like he had become trapped in something that he wanted to be a part of. He didn’t know where to sit and almost opted to stand somewhere in a dark corner to watch Kyun from afar. Again.
“Shin! Up here!” Shin sharply looked up to see Mumrik drifting around the Hanging Tree at the top branches. The ghost made a gesture for Shin to sit on the sturdiest one. Shin gratefully accepted the invitation. Mumrik muttered a word of thanks to the tree before he levitated next to Shin. Shin looked more comfortable sitting in the tree than he was on the ground. The rag doll looked like he would’ve popped a good number of stitches if the ghost hadn’t stepped in. Shin took a breath of relief as the air felt more open up high. The crowd cheered as Kyun stepped out onto the stage.
“Listen everyone. Let me tell you all about Christmas Town.” He announced, a grin spreading across his face excitedly. As a spotlight beamed down on the leader, Mumrik felt his eyes go so wide that he thought that they would pop right out of their sockets. Christmas? It couldn’t be... 
“There were objects so peculiar,
They were not to be believed,
All around, things to tantalize my brain.
It's a world unlike anything I've ever seen,
And as hard as I try,
I can't seem to describe,
Like a most improbable dream.”
As Kyun was announcing this, his eyes seemed to shine, remembering all the sounds and lights that he had seen. So many differences that it had with Halloween Town. “But you must believe when I tell you this,
It's as real as my skull and it does exist, Here, let me show you.”
Kyun pulled a cord next to him, parting the curtains on the stage. On the stage there were many things that made almost everyone stare in awe. They were marvelled by the decorated tree and the bright lights and the colourful decorations. Only Mumrik didn’t have the same reaction as everyone else. All he had was concussion mixed with sadness on his face. Kyun saw that everyone had all their attention turned towards him and picked up a bright coloured box.
“This is a thing called a present,
The whole thing starts with a box.”
“A box? Is it steel?” The Devil asked, standing up.“Are there locks?” Asked the Werewolf raising a paw.
“Is it filled with a pox?” Mymble the Gorgon inquired.
“A pox? How delightful a pox?” The Devil grinned at the prospect of a beautifully hideous thing inside. Kyun realised that if he needed to explain everything he wanted to say, he will need to try to remain some ground control. “If you please.
Just a box with bright-colored paper,
And the whole thing's topped with a bow.”
“A bow? But why?” Alicia asked, tilting her head a little like a cat. “How ugly!” Her grandmother sneered at the pretty looking decoration.
“What's in it? What's in it?” Both witches chanted, wanting to know more.
“That's the point of the thing, not to know!” Kyun explained quickly. He would’ve put it down if it wasn’t snatched from his hands.
“It's a bat!” Exclaimed the Clown, giving the box a little shake.
“Will it bend?” The monster under the stairs asked.
“It's a rat!” Exclaimed the Clown again.
“Will it break?” A demon asked.
“Perhaps it's the head that I found in the lake?” The undersea gal pondered, her gills flapping in excitement. Kyun immediately snatched the present back before setting it back down by the tree.
“Listen now, you don't understand!
That's not the point of Christmas land.”
As Kyun picked up something else, almost everyone mumered about the other objects that were on the stage. They all thought about what they could hide in the presents to scare the kids for next Halloween, or wha else they could learn about Christmas. Kyun quickly picked up a bright red stocking and walked toward the nearest wall.
“Now, pay attention.
Now we pick up an over-sized sock,
And hang it like this on the wall.”
The Hyde approached the stage, his medium and smaller self popped up from the hats.
“Oh, yes! Does it still have a foot?”
“Let me see, let me look!”
“Is it rotted and covered with gook?”
Kyun backed away a little, feeling overwhelmed a bit. It was clear that everyone was getting more than a little excited and interested in his new findings.
“Hmm, let me explain.
There's no foot inside, but there's candy,
or sometimes it's filled with small toys.”
As soon as the leader pulled out the toys that resided inside the sock, the children immediately grew excited by them.
“Small toys?!”
“Do they bite?”
“Do they snap?”
“Or explode in a sack?”
“Or perhaps they just spring out,And scare girls and boys!”
Even the Mayor himself got really excited. He got so excited that the lost his balance, knocking the spotlight.
“What a splendid idea!
This Christmas sounds fun!
Why, I fully endorse it!
Let's try it at once!”
As the spotlight swung around, Kyun realised that once again he needed to try to keep everyone on track.
“Everyone, please now, not so fast!
There's something here that you don't quite grasp!”
With this, everyone started to mutter amount themselves in confusion. Only Mumrik didn’t talk among the chatter. He kept trying to figure out where Kyun could’ve learned about Christmas. It is literally Halloween all year round, no other holiday crosses over. How did Kyun come across Christmas? Unless...? ‘Well, I may as well give them what they want.’ Kyun thought with a sly smirk.
“And the best, I must confess,
I have saved for the last,
For the ruler of this Christmas land,
Is a fearsome King with a deep mighty voice,
Least that's what I've come to understand.”
The residents listened intently as the leader was describing who he saw. Shin watched him in confusion from where he was sitting, wondering what Kyun was talking about. Mumrik only felt a little dread at this. He silently, and hopelessly prayed that Kyun wasn’t talking about who he thought he was talking about.
“And I've also heard it told,
That's he's something to behold,
Like a lobster, huge and red!
And sets out to slay with his rain gear on,
Carting bulging sacks with his big great arms.
That is, so I've heard it said!”
Mumrik’s frown only deepened as he immediately knew what he feared was coming out of Kyun’s mouth. The residents leaned forward as they grew more excited over this discovery. “And on a dark cold night,Under full moonlight,
He flies into a fog,
Like a vulture in the sky!
And they call him Sandy Claws!”
As the curtains closed, the monsters all around cheered and chattered amongst themselves over Christmas. Mumrik didn’t join the chatter. He needed to talk to Kyun about this right now.
“Mumrik? Where are you-“ Shin asked once he noticed e ghost wandering away from him.
“Sorry Shin. I’ll be right back.” Mumrik interrupted, drifting right through the curtains. He glanced around, looking for Kyun. He immediately spotted the holiday leader looking almost longingly into a snow globe.
“At least they’re excited, but they don’t understand that special feeling in Christmas land. Oh well…” he sighed as he set it down, the fake snow inside it swirled around in it before setting. He turned around and was surprised by the ghost levitating behind him. “Whoa! Hi Mumrik.”
“Santa is not like how you’ve described him, Kyun.” Mumrik snapped, immediately giving Kyun the hint that he wasn’t impressed. Kyun raises an eyebrow at this.
“Now what’s the matter? You sound like someone’s walked all over your grave.” He smirked a little, trying to add some humour to the situation. This however only made Mumrik glare at him.
“Yes. And that someone is you!” He shouted, taking the last comment as more of an insult. Kyun once again was taken aback by the ghost’s sudden change in behaviour. Normally the ghost was quiet, so it was different how he suddenly was now. “To everyone else, you have basically told them that you discovered something new, but to me, you haven’t told them the truth.”
“What’s a little white lie going to do?” Kyun shrugged, packing up some of his souvenirs. “I’m just delivering them something to be excited about. Besides what do you know about Christmas?”
“More than you. Kyun, unless whatever brain you have in that skull of yours has turned to dust, you should know that I was human once. I have celebrated Christmas just as long as I have been alive.” Mumrik reminded, ignoring a twinge of sadness that hit him. Kyun only dismissed him with a wave, as if he didn’t even register what the ghost was saying.
“Look I’m sorry Mumrik. I’d love to continue this debate, but I need to do some important research. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He dismissed as he walked right through the ghost causing him to recoil a little in disgust.
“First of all, that’s rude. And second, this isn’t a debate. You need to tell them the truth, right now!” Mumrik shouted as the Nightmare King went towards the door. Kyun only gave him another dismissive wave as he opened it. “Kyun!” Again the holiday leader ignore him and left. Mumrik would’ve felt like ripping out his own hair if he could. He figured Kyun will get the point sooner rather than later. He took a deep breath before leaving the stage, ignoring the few things that brought him happy childhood memories. He was faced with Shin once he drifted through the curtains.
“You okay?” The rag doll asked. “I’m fine. You know, I’m kinda struggling to understand what you see in him.” The ghost sighed, his brows furrowing a little in frustration. He noticed the confusion that crossed his friend’s face. “Sorry. I gotta go.” Before Shin could say anything, Mumrik flew off, heading back to the graveyard so no one could see his tears.
That night, Kyun read many books on Christmas. To say that his skull was becoming sore from all the research. No matter how many times he had read them or strung about all the lights and tinsel, he couldn’t figure it out. He didn’t know what Christmas turkey meant, what it’s meaning was. Standing up from his chair, he started to pace a little. He was staring to get a little frustrated by the realisation that it may take more than books to work it all out.
“You have poisoned me for the last time, you wretched boy.” The Hemulen hissed. Shin only sat miserably on his bed. Sure enough when he got home after the meeting, the Hemulen was awake and looked like he had a terrible hang over. He had to sit through a whole, painful lecture about the use of Deadly Nightshade and how he was going to be sure that the rag doll was going to be staying inside for a long time. The doctor pushed the door hard, wincing as the bang that the metal door had made pounded at his sore head. The door hatch locked the door, making sure that the doll stayed inside for good. The doctor breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he would at least have Shin in one place for a while. However, the peaceful moment was interrupted as soon as the door bell rang. The Hemulen moaned in agony as it felt like someone had pounded at his brain harshly with a hammer. “The door is open!” He called down below, his voice faintly echoing around the tower.
“Hello Doctor!” Kyun shouted as he opened the door. The Hemulen bit back a wave as the young leader’s voice bounced off of the walls. “Ah. Kyun, what brings you here then?” The doctor asked as Kyun started to make his way up.
“I need to borrow some equipment. I’m performing some experiments.” The leader said as he stopped in front of the Hemulen.
“I see...come this way my boy. I’m sure I’ve got plenty of spare equipment that you can borrow.” The doctor hummed in amusement. As he made his way to the top, Kyun followed, their voices becoming faint to Shin from his room. Experiments? What is Kyun up to?
While Kyun’s house continued to light up from Shin’s window that night, the said rag doll was still up and ready to leave. He wasn’t focused on that for the time being. He was too focused on mixing up something in a bottle. He thought that Kyun was more than likely too focused on his experiments than stopping to take a break. He placed the cork in the bottle after finishing off making the potion and placed it in a basket. He tied the end of some thread from a sewing machine on his desk to the basket. He pulled at the basket a little, to make sure that the thread was strong enough. Using the thread from his sewing machine, he lowered the basket through the now open window. Slowly and carefully down it went, with Shin making sure that the bottle wouldn’t fall out and break. If that were to happen the Hemulen would immediately know that Shin was trying to escape again. Thankfully, nothing happened that would give Shin away. He looked over towards Kyun’s home, the lights still planning from whatever it was he was doing. With a rush of excitement beating rapidly in his heart, Shin didn’t hesitate to jump out of the window. There was a hard and solid thud when he landed. For moments, he lay on the cold hard ground, completely still. He opened his eyes, not feeling any pain (one of the best advantages to being undead and being a rag doll). He pushed himself onto his knees as he looked up at the window. He didn’t hear any shouting that indicted that he was in trouble. Knowing that he was safe for now, he looked over himself. Leafs were scattered around him as he realised that the fall had cost him an arm and a leg. Literally. Shin reached up to his ear and pulled out a needle from behind it. He pulled out some thread that he kept in his pocket. He stitched back together his limbs and made sure that they were secure. He united the basket from the thread before he stood up. He stumbled a little as he made his way through the town towards Kyun’s home.
Kyun had been working hard with his experiments. All around the room were multiple Christmas objects ranging from toys to decorations. A stuffed toy bear laid on the table, cut open from a dissection. A paper cut out of a spider was discarded on the ground after Kyun had made a failed attempt at making a snow flake. Books were piled up and some were even left open. A glass flask even has pieces of a Christmas bauble in it after the leader had watched it react in an interesting way. Whilst musing over an equation on a blackboard, Kyun hadn’t paid any mind to anything around him. All that kept consuming his mind was nothing but Christmas and it didn’t seem that it was going to leave him alone anytime soon. He was so consumed in his thoughts that he didn’t even notice a basket being hauled up to his window until a light tapping was heard from it. The young leader turned around, surprised by the woven basket outside his window. He cautiously opened it and took the basket. He looked down, confused as to who had left it for him. That’s when he realised that if his heart was beating it would’ve skipped more than one beat. Down at ground level was a rag doll, and Kyun couldn’t be more amazed by him. He had never seen him before, but he was sure glad to see him tonight. He had to be the most beautiful thing that the leader had ever seen. Kyun waved at him silently in thanks and brought the basket further in inside. Neatly placed in it was a rotten fish pie and a green bottle that was filled with a potion. Kyun took the bottle and opened it up. With the pop of a cork, a golden mist drifted out taking the form of a bat. Kyun beamed at the small show that he was shown. Marvelled by the rag doll’s gift, he leaned out the window to invite him in. However, his face fell when no one stood there. Kyun looked around a little, but couldn’t see his visitor anywhere. With a rather sad shrug, Kyun closed the window, wondering when he’ll see the beauty again.
Shin watched as Kyun closed the window from the gate. He let out a huge sigh as he slid down the wall to sit on the floor. He felt a little relieved when he noticed Kyun had become distracted by the contents in the basket. He was a little sad though that he decided to take off before Kyun could talk to him. He didn’t know what the Nightmare King would’ve done though. For all he knew Kyun would’ve had him sent back to the doctor. He spared a glance at a flower that grew beside the wall. With a gentle pluck, he picked it. He plucked away a couple of petals before the flower shifted in his hand. He stopped plucking the petals and watched it. It turned into-what did you call it? Oh yes- a small “Christmas tree”. It was bright and radiant with a gold star decorating its top. That was until it burst into flames. The rag doll stared at it in complete horror. And not in a good way. Was this what‘s going to happen when Christmas comes?
Chapter 1: click HERE
Chapter 2: click HERE
Chapter 3: click HERE
Chapter 5: coming soon..
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lopsidednebula · 6 years ago
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writing prompt: soft tooticky and mymble, picking flowers, maybe first kiss, maybe theyve been wives for years,
Tooticky was walking. If asked where to she wouldn’t have had a definite answer. Not to anywhere particular, she didn’t think. she was more doing it for the sake of itself than anything else. She was enjoying the peace of the valley and that seemed like more than enough of a reason for the moment.
She eventually wandered into the wildflower fields. She stood on the edge of the field, just off the path she had been following before, taking in the sight. It was rather nice, she thought, maybe not quite as nice as the glistening winter snowscapes she tended to favor, but the sight of the dandelions and windflowers popping out from their green beds, the lady’s bedstraw waving in the breeze was a pleasant one. And there was something else she spotted out in the field, rustling and moving about, making a disturbance in the otherwise undulating field of flowers, though she couldn’t quite make out what it was at this distance. 
She gamely set off to investigate, the springy greens a much better cushion underfoot than the hard cobble. A mystery, even a small one, was at the very least a tad more interesting than a stroll.  
As she got closer she saw who it was. She smiled, soft and slight.
“Hello Ms. Mymble, how does it go?“
The Mymble’s daughter, or Mymble as she preferred to be called smiled prettily over her shoulder, there was a slight redness in her cheeks from the windswept field and a large basket in her arms over half full with bluebells and daisies and the like. She had clearly been hard at work for a good while.
“Quite well, Ms. Tooticky. The flowers are in full bloom today!”
Mymble gestured out into the field with enthusiasm, arm waving past the slightly trodded path Tooticky had made on her way over. Tooticky’s smile broadened unconsciously.
“I see they are,” 
Tooticky shifted her gaze to the basket. It looked rather heavy, being nearly half the size of Mymble herself. 
“Would you like some help?”
Her hand hovered over one of the handles of the basket, clarifying what she meant in her question but not taking it in her arms without Mymble’s agreement. She knew what it was to want to do a thing yourself for the sake of yourself and while she rather enjoyed the idea of an afternoon following Mymble around carrying her flower basket she wouldn’t want to prevent Mymble from her independence if that’s what she so wished.
Mymble hesitated for a long moment and Tooticky was nearly ready to retract her offer, not wanting to make her friend have to find a polite way to decline. 
“Are you certain? I don’t want to trouble you and I’m managing well enough on my own.”
She gestured over the bright bounty in her basket with no small hint of pride in her countenance. 
Tooticky huffed a small laugh under her breath. It was the other sort of politeness behind Mymble’s hesitation then. That was alright then.
“I’m sure enough. I don’t have anything else planned with my day.”
Mymble slumped a little in slight relief. It really was a very large basket.
“Besides, I can’t think of a better way to enjoy my afternoon than in a wildflower field.”
Tooticky tilted her head slightly in Mymble’s direction as she hefted the basket up in her arms with a quiet ‘uffta’. She let a puckish smile shape her mouth just a little.
“Or better company to do so with.”
She shifted the basket in her arms to stabilize her grip as she pretended not to notice how Mymble’s wind-reddened cheeks had gotten even redder after her comment. 
“Now where are we going with the basket Ms. Mymble, this is your endeavor, lead the way.”
Mymble fluttered her arms a little, thoughts seeming to momentarily have stuttered to a halt. 
“W-well, I believe...hmm”
She scanned the nearby area of the field. She fidgeted with the bow in her scarf as she looked out, ribbon twisting around her small fingers, leaving slight dirt smudges on the faded pink material. There was some fraying along the edges. It must be her ‘work-bow’ Tooticky thought with pleased amusement. Mymble’s eyes darted from the field to the being beside her, so quick Tooticky might not have noticed if she hadn’t already been watching Mymble so intently.
“I do think I see some goldenrod right over there, that would be perfect.”
Tooticky nodded, she saw what Mymble meant, there was a large patch of the tall gold tufted bloom a scant twenty feet away. She gestured forward with her head, indicating that Mymble should go first and slightly dislodging her hat in the process. As a delayed action it fell forward, partially obscuring her vision just as Mymble stepped in front of her to lead the way.
Tooticky considered her predicament for a moment before giving a mental shrug and simply leaned her head back far enough that she could see the path in front of her and a bit of Mymble’s heel as she followed behind her. 
Mymble didn’t notice her predicament until they had nearly reached the goldenrod patch, having looked back to tell Tooticky where to set the basket.
“Oh really, why didn’t you say anything?”
Mymble reached up on her tiptoes to adjust the red cap for Tooticky, pushing it back on her head to reveal her eyes looking down on her, sparkling with quiet mirth. 
“I thought I might see what happened.”
Their faces were rather close, Tooticky realized.  She also realized that she didn’t really mind. She saw how a loose hair from Mymble’s usually pristine bun drifted down to touch her nose, making Mymble wrinkle her nose unconsciously. No, she thought, she really didn’t mind at all. 
Mymble shortly finished righting her hat and straightening out Tooticky’s flyaway hair. A useless venture if Tooticky had ever heard one, to be sure. She stepped back to examine her handiwork. 
“Perfect!”
Tooticky smiled again, she tilted her head to the side as if to show off her profile and winked.
“I’m glad you think so.”
She didn’t keep a straight face for long, as soon as she caught Mymble’s eye she had to duck her head, shoulders shaking in deep hearty laughter that mixed quite nicely with Mymble’s jingling laugh.
Once they had finished giggling, Tooticky turned to set the basket down beside her. When she looked up Mymble had gotten a sharp look in her eye that Tooticky knew meant she was considering something quite intently.
“No,”
She mumbled, staring at Tooticky quite intently. She tapped her dainty, dirt-smudged finger on her chin, leaving a small smear of soil stuck to her that she paid no mind to. 
“...Not quite” 
Tooticky didn’t have time to be even slightly hurt by her words before Mymble was digging into her basket, mumbling to herself, a single foot on the ground, the other delicately pointing up in the air as she balanced precariously.
“Aha!”
She popped out of the basket as suddenly as she had dived in, giving Tooticky a very clear reminder of how Little My was definitely her sister,
She turned to Tooticky, a single grey wood violet clutched by the stem in her small hand. She reached up slowly, hesitant now, waiting for Tooticky to pull back or say no. 
Tooticky did neither of these things. Instead, she crouched slightly and leaned her head forward so Mymble might reach easier.
Mymble gently parted Tooticky’s freshly arranged hair so that she might tuck the wood violet behind her ear. 
“...perfect”
she said this softly. Staring into Tooticky’s blue-grey eyes, now at equal height with hers, with a sort of realization dawning in them. 
Before either of them knew what she had done Mymble darted up and placed a butterfly soft peck of a kiss on Tooticky’s forehead, right below her blonde bangs and just above the top of the bridge of her nose.
Tooticky blinked, startled. She slowly reached up to touch the spot, then the tip of her ear where the wood violet still rested. She smiled, face bright red, watching Mymble who had already turned, bustling over to the goldenrod furiously chattering about this and that in a futile attempt to hide how red her own face had grown. 
You never know, she thought, where you might find yourself until you’re there.
 Mymble was tugging at a particularly stubborn goldenrod base, seeming to have forgotten the shears that lay beside the basket.
She thought she would like where she was ending up.
Tooticky joined Mymble at the goldenrod. And if their hands brushed more often than they might have otherwise or if they caught each other stealing looks between the flower buds? Well that was just fine with Tooticky. Yes, just fine with her.
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smokedstorybara · 5 years ago
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Perchance to Dream part 6
After Joxter’s departure, all Little My and Sniff wanted to talk about was the disastrous farewell dinner. Moominmamma and Moominpappa tried to discourage the topic whenever they could and Snufkin became and expert at refusing to let the subject go on for more than half a sentence, but still they persisted.
Little My even managed to pull Snorkmaiden into it by getting her outraged at Joxter’s prying.
Moomin hated the whole thing.
Not only was it a reminder of everything with his soulmate and Snorkmaiden, but now also of how Snufkin had held him that night. How safe and right it had felt to be enveloped in his arms. Cradled as if Moomin was the most precious thing on earth. It terrified him how much he wanted it to happen again. Preferably with less crying.
They were on the subject again when Snork visited Moominhouse to talk to Moominpappa about something.
Moominmamma had let him in and offered some tea and as he passed the sitting room something said made him pause.
“What’s that about Moomin not having a soulmate?” He asked, confusion thick in his voice.
“Well, you see,” Sniff responded, “Moomintrolls all have soulmates they meet in dreams. Except Moomin, for some reason he doesn’t.”
“We’re trying to find out what that reason is but he won’t tell us.”
“Little My!”
Snork frowned. “So he’s not Snorkmaiden’s soulmate? I always assumed.”
“Oh, so you already knew Moomintrolls have soulmates?” Sniff pouted.
“No, not at all. But Snorks also have soulmates, in much the same way.”
Moomin felt himself freeze in shock. His mind struggled to process this new information.
“So Snorkmaiden has a soulmate?” Little My asked. “What’s she doing with Moomin then?”
“Little My!” Moominmamma scolded. She continued in a softer tone. “I think it’s quite romantic, her choosing to be with Moomin despite him not being her soulmate.”
Moomin desperately cast about for a change of subject. Or a redirection of focus.
He barely managed to keep his voice even as he cut back into the conversation. “What about your soulmate, Snork?”
“My soulmate?”
“Yeah!” Little My pounced on the new target. “You’ve got one too, don’t you?”
“Well, yes,” said Snork, backing towards the stairs, “they live very far away and don’t like to travel so don’t go asking when you’ll meet them cause you won’t.” His foot bumped into the bottom of the stairs and he whirled around and practically flew up them, calling down as he went. “I need to talk to Moominpappa now, it’s very important so don’t come bothering us!”
Little My stared up where he’d just been for a few moments before snorting and shaking her head. She then loudly declared that she was bored and demanded they do something more interesting than sit around talking about gross stuff like romance.
Moomin let out a small breath of relief and could swear he heard a matching sigh from Snorkmaiden.
~~
That evening, after dinner, Moomin made his way across the bridge to Snufkin’s camp. He had a lot of feelings about that day’s revelation and knew talking to his friend about it all would help. Snufkin never judged him, just patiently listened and then sometimes offered some of his simple wisdom when Moomin was done.
He settled next to Snufkin on the riverbank and stared at the darkening sky as he searched for the best place to start.
“Snorkmaiden has a soulmate.”
He felt Snufkin stiffen beside him for a split second before he responded.
“She does?”
Moomin nodded. “Apparently all Snorks do, just like Moomintrolls.”
“Oh.”
“She hasn’t said anything about them but I can’t help feeling even more guilty than I already was. What if they wanted to be with her but she chose me over them?” He turned onto his side to face Snufkin. “What if I’m stealing her away from her soulmate? All because I wanted a distraction from the loss of my own soulmate!”
Snufkin turned, mirroring Moomin, and took one of Moomin’s paws in his. Moomin’s heart skipped a beat. Snufkin’s face was so close, his eyes filled with so much emotion.
The guilt grew again. Here he was talking about his relationship with Snorkmaiden and at the same time wishing he could close the distance between himself and his best friend.
When he finally calmed himself enough to speak again his voice still broke.
“I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I never meant to hurt anyone.”
Snufkin’s grip on his paw tightened reassuringly and his other paw reached out to gently brush against Moomin’s face. Moomin realized, quite suddenly, that he was crying. He closed his eyes and let Snufkin wipe away his tears.
“I think,” Snufkin said slowly, in that thoughtful way of his, “that you should do what you feel is right.”
Moomin let out a wet giggle. “That’s not very helpful.” He tried to pout around the shaky smile.
Snufkin chuckled and rolled onto his back, paw still holding Moomin’s.
They stayed like that long into the night. Talking mostly about silly things and constellations and dreams. And in the morning Moomin helped Snufkin pack up his camp for one of his little solitary trips and saw him off with their usual soft goodbyes.
~~
Snufkin had not yet returned when Moominhouse welcomed another guest.
The family’s friend Too-ticki had briefly visited and had explained how she had come to be the caretaker of an invisible girl named Ninny and how the girl’s condition was a result of the emotional abuse she’d suffered under her previous caretaker, her aunt. She told them that she had hoped the Moomin family would be able to help.
They had, of course, welcomed the girl with open arms.
Moominmamma set up the guest bedroom and whipped something up from her grandmother’s book of remedies and Moomin and his friends took Ninny out with them every day she was there. Picking mushrooms and making flower crowns and playing games.
She had never played any of their games before but she was very good at finding lots of mushrooms.
Snorkmaiden seemed the most eager out of them to spend time with Ninny. Sometimes she would take off with her for hours and refuse to tell the others where they went or what they did. Little My complained about it once, pointing out that Ninny couldn’t even talk to respond to anything Snorkmaiden said.
“Well,” Snorkmaiden had responded, “she’s still nice to be around.”
When Ninny finally became visible enough to talk, she and Snorkmaiden spent even more time with just the two of them.
If Moomin were being honest, he’d say he was a little jealous for a short time. Though he felt immensely guilty for it. He didn’t think he had much right to be jealous, if any at all. He wasn’t entitled to her attention, even though they were dating. Especially with his own split as it was between her, his soulmate, and Snufkin.
She had every right to make a friend she wanted to spend all her time with. Especially if that friend was Ninny, who definitely needed it.
Then, finally, one day while they were all at the beach Ninny regained full visibility.
As soon as she saw Ninny’s face, Snorkmaiden gasped.
“Oh, it’s you!” She laughed brightly. “I should’ve realized! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I was scared.” Ninny admitted.
Everyone else looked between them in confusion.
“What’s going on?” Little My demanded. “Realized what?”
Snorkmaiden’s smile grew.
“Ninny’s my soulmate!”
~~
“There you are.”
Moomin turned at the sound of Snorkmaiden’s voice. He’d been sitting in a secluded field for the better part of the day, thinking about everything.
He would’ve gone and talked it all through with Snufkin but he’d already told him all his thoughts and feelings about Snorkmaiden having a soulmate. Those hadn’t changed much with her meeting her soulmate and the discovery of who her soulmate was. And the changes there were felt more like something to be talked over with Snorkmaiden before anyone else, he’d just needed to get all his words straight in his head first.
“We should probably talk, shouldn’t we?” Snorkmaiden said as she settled in the grass next to him. “We never really talked about my soulmate. I know I should’ve mentioned it to you ages ago,” she continued, “I just… I was worried the subject would be too painful for you. And now I’ve gone and made things worse.”
Moomin figured he should let her get everything she wanted to say out before adding in his own thoughts on it all, so he started picking some of the flowers around them while he waited and listened.
“I… “ She paused briefly to gather her thoughts. “This doesn’t have to change anything. I mean… I���m not going to break up with you just because I’ve met my soulmate. You know I wouldn’t do that to you, right?”
“Of course.” Moomin smiled softly at her, trying to hold back tears. She was such a kind person. But he knew they’d both just end up hurting.
He looked back down at the flowers and took a steadying breath.
“I lied to you.”
“What?” Snorkmaiden’s voice was thick with confusion.
“When we first got together. I… “ He faltered.
She rested her paw on his. “You what, Moomin?”
“I used to have a soulmate. Long before we met. He was a Mymble and a wanderer, like Snufkin.”
“Oh.” Her grip tightened. “What happened?”
“Nothing terrible! He just… didn’t like the idea of soulmates. Didn’t want to be tied down like that. So I started taking herbs to stop our dreams so he wouldn’t be stuck with me.”
“Oh, Moomin.” Snorkmaiden sounded near tears.
“It’s… I’ve somewhat come to terms with it. He couldn’t help his nature any more than the rest of us can. But it does still hurt, and I don’t like talking about it. You’re the second person outside my family that I’ve ever told, nobody else knows.”
“The first was Snufkin, wasn’t it?”
Moomin looked up to see a wry little grin on her face. He shrugged helplessly.
“He’s easy to talk to.”
“Mmm.” Her grin turned a little more knowing. Moomin narrowed his eyes at her, trying to figure out what it was she was thinking. He quickly gave up and refocused on the original topic.
“Anyway.” He paused. “It… hurts. A lot. To give up your soulmate. It’s like… like ripping out a piece of yourself. And you have to live with the constant question of what might’ve been different if you hadn’t made that choice. Would you be happier? Would they? The ache of missing them and the guilt for feeling that way when you’re with someone else. It’s confusing and overwhelming and there’s no proper advice to be found anywhere. Nobody who can tell you if it gets easier. Nobody who can really tell you anything. Because every soul-pair is different so every split is different too, the very few there are.”
Moomin was struck with the sudden realization that he was crying.
“The pain of giving up your soulmate - whatever the reason - is not something I’d wish on anyone. And I definitely don’t want you to do it for my sake.”
“Moomin… I just. I don’t want to hurt you anymore than you already have been.”
He smiled sadly. He’d hoped to convince her without admitting this.
“You really don’t have to worry about that.” He whispered, closing his eyes before continuing. “I… started dating you to distract myself from everything with my own soulmate, and in the hope that I’d fall for you and stop hurting. But it didn’t really work like I’d wanted it to.”
“Oh.”
“I really wanted to be in love with you. I just wasn’t. Maybe I couldn’t. I don’t really know. I do know that you deserve to be with someone who can and will love you. Please don’t put your happiness aside for a lie.”
Snorkmaiden took in a deep breath and Moomin mentally braced for the hurt or anger.
“That’s… honestly, a bit of a relief.”
Moomin blinked in confusion. What?
“I may have agreed to date you because I was flattered that you’d chosen me. I did want to like you like that, and the whole thing was quite the boost to my self-confidence. I just… “ She shrugged.
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into loud, relieved laughter.
When he finally recovered enough to sit up, Moomin turned back to Snorkmaiden.
“So… just friends?”
She beamed and nodded. “Best friends.”
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