#reth fanfic

[bubble-leaves]

gosh id love to request more reth… whether it be headcanons or a oneshot.. anything youre comfy with! (er. maybe even spice for the scoundrels [me]) but you have soo much reth id feel so bad.. same anon that complimented before if you saw that. ill sign off as 🍲 :)

Gotcha covered with spice! Also, thank you for your supportive message, I really appreciate it ☹️🩷

NSFW (18+)

reth knows what's you're doing

Reth . . .

Is obviously a service top, and a switch that leans primarily toward . . . well, whatever you want! He is not afraid to use dirty jokes and playful innuendo, but will always get caught off-guard and flustered when you reciprocate with genuine desire (“Now you got me all riled up, how am I supposed to focus on the soup?”). Despite that, of course, he adores seeing you become shy whenever he touches or kisses you beforehand. Shaky, nervous hands, soft panting, and little cooes of bashfulness from his lover easily get him going. Being prone to please, Reth NEVER has sex without foreplay. Your pleasure is his top priority, and he wants to extend it as much as possible and get you in the perfect mood. Adding onto his servicing nature, Reth loves doing everything he can to make you tremble and whimper for him to keep going without using ‘himself,’ so to speak. Translation: expect a lot of head. Hearing you gasp, sigh, and moan out in bliss gives him life, not to mention how your fingers grab his hair when you’re close.

That’s the thing about Reth, though; he wants you to cum your brains out. He’s not afraid to let you know that, too. He can adapt to what you need every time; feeling exclusively desperate and horny? Dirty talk and slight degradation it is. Feeling passionate and lovey-dovey? Praise and worship it is. Feeling sheepish or nervous? Encouragement it is. Or a combo, it all depends. Reth’s an expert at reading the room and what you want.

Despite being a major flirt and giving off fuckboy vibes, Reth actually takes sex very seriously. He’s not all about just “fucking.” He wants to show you how much he cares about you, trusts you, and loves you without words. Plus, sex with you is the most validating thing he’s ever experienced. Reth’s heart just races whenever you express how much you want him and love him. It’s hard to believe. But each time, with every touch, kiss—hell, even every deep scratch on his back—you make him believe he’s worth loving. Being pleasured by you, as well, drives him crazy with how loved and desired he feels. When you take control, Reth surrenders everything. He trusts you more than anyone. You have full reign over his body. He’s a blushing mess, but alas, he’s your mess. He loves being trapped under you, watching you ride your gorgeous body on his. And yes, Reth tries to hide his moans at first. The first few times, he’s afraid the noises he makes will be embarrassing or turn you off. After a few more times, though, he’ll learn to be more vocal, especially when he’s desperate. He can’t help but be loud whenever you’re on your knees for him, as well. Giving oral is the most honoring thing you can do for Reth. He’ll try to balance the worship out by running his hands through your hair and telling you how beautiful you are, and how good you’re doing. It just feels strange being serviced without offering something else in return; doing things for others has been a major point of his entire life. But with you literally on your knees, happy to oblige in giving him mind-numbing pleasure, that point is completely discarded. You’re the only person that can do that for him.

Reth tells himself how lucky he is every time he wakes up to you after a night of passion or lust. He doesn’t know why you chose him to be yours. No clue. However, he’d never pass up the opportunity to love you, to thank you for accepting him and loving him as he is.

[yoongikapi]

THE COUNCIL HAS SPOKEN HERE YOU ARE

(also based on a quest i finished a while back)

something sweet || reth || oneshot

fluff

masterlist

you basically sprinted out the door of the furniture shop as tish yells out one last thank you; smiling to yourself as you rushed to the tavern.

it had been about a week since you and reth confessed, and decided to give a possible relationship a try. it was hard, with reth constantly working and you keeping yourself busy with your own quests, you barely had any time to see him. you both knew it’d be hard, but neither one of you could shake your feelings for each other enough to not try. still, you saw him as often as you could.

as you enter the dimly lit tavern, you find reth in his usual spot behind the counter, wiping it clean as his eyes meet yours and he smiles.

“hey you!”

you blush, “hey, i brought you something!”

he rests his arms on the counter and leans in close as you take a seat, reaching into your bag you pull out a new recipe you finally mastered.

his smile grows, “macarons? i thought you didn’t like baking?”

“yea but i’m pretty good at making macarons now, and im learning a new soup recipe too!”

he chuckles, he loves seeing you try new things and take interest in his interests, it really makes him feel like you care about him.

“hey soup is my thing, you stick to baking.” he says and takes the pink pastry.

[heartdrop]

i’m currently writing a reth fanfic and i was wondering where it would be best to post it? like here in parts as long posts, wattpad or maybe on archive of our own? or all three tbh why not 💀🙏

also here’s a wip pic from when i was drawing my recent art :3

[reigningcheesesun]

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚ RETH x READER

wc: 2983 tags: fem!reader, she/her reader pronouns, reth from palia, canon events (i guess could be spoilery?), finding your shepp, self indulgent writing, not proofread or beta read :D

masterlist

“Find a shepp,” you muttered to yourself with a sigh. It was hard enough trying to navigate this newfound world, let alone trying to find a shepp per Eshe’s request. Since spawning into this place they called Kilima Village, you had been thrown into task after task. How would you ever find the time to build relationships with the villagers if you were always busy? You decided that today you would take a break from being the errand girl for everyone and instead would meet everyone you could find in hopes that you would find someone who would be willing to be your shepp. Up until now, you had only briefly spoken to most of the town, but no one knew you well enough to be your shepp just yet.

As you came into town, you assumed that Ashura would probably have wise words of advice on the fact of the matter. Hurrying along, you walked into the inn to find Ashura at his desk. 

“Hey, Ashura!” you said cheerily as you approached him. The large, gentle giant softly smiled. “Welcome in, y/n! Good to see you today. How are things going for ya?” he asked.

“Honestly? Well, I need some advice. You know this place, and the people, better than anyone, so I was going to see if you have any tips for me on picking a shepp?” 

“A shepp? So that’s what Eshe has you doing, I see. Well, many of the townsfolk would be more than happy to be a shepp- but,” he gave you a look, “asking them to be your own comes with a lot of responsibility on their part. You don’t want just anyone to be your shepp, and it should be someone you feel close to or have a connection with.”

“Responsibility? Eshe didn’t really explain much of all this to me. I thought they just told Eshe ‘Yep, she’s one of us!’ and that was it.”

Ashura chuckled. “In a way, yes, that is what they do. But their job as your shepp doesn’t stop there. They’re responsible for you, so anything you do- whether that’s good or bad- reflects upon them, too. Likewise, anything they do can also affect your own standing in Eshe’s eyes, if you get what I mean.”

“Oh… so we are kinda tied to each other’s social standing?” The wheels in your head began to turn. Who would you choose as your shepp then? It seemed the task wasn’t going to be as easy as you once thought it’d be.

“Yes, at least in the beginning it will be. But once you’re on your feet, most of us will forget who you picked as your shepp and there won’t be a little red string tying you guys together anymore. But don’t just rush into it, you’ve got all the time you need to pick someone who best fits you and your lifestyle. I know you aren’t Majiri like us, but maybe figuring out what path you like can help you narrow down your candidates.”

“Path. That’s right! A lot of you guys have your own path, so maybe I should find one I could call my own as well. Thanks, Ashura! I knew you’d be a big help for sure.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s what I’m here for, of course. Kilima Village has a pretty good variety of those in different paths, there is a path for everyone- from farming, furniture making, to cooking-  you’ll figure it out.” Ashura placed a hand on your shoulder and gave a soft smile before walking past you to go about his day.

There is a path for everyone. Surely someone in this town had a path you could find yourself in, you just had to figure out who it was. As you stood there, racking your brain through the makeshift list of names in your head, you heard the rumbling coming from your stomach. You had been so immersed in your search for finding a shepp today that you forgot to make yourself something to eat. You looked around the inn, seeing the bar open for business.

“What’cha got on the menu today, Reth?” you asked as you put your hands on the counter. The elf playfully contemplated his response, acting as if he was thinking long and hard about it. “Well, I would say my famous lettuce soup, but I’d be willing to whip up something different if you wanted,” he said with a smirk.

“As much as I love your lettuce soup, I don’t think I can have that for breakfast. How about some bacon-stuffed mushrooms? What do I have to do to get some of those on your menu?” you laughed. Reth was someone who was fun to talk to, in your opinion. You knew that the rest of the town had their own opinions about him, but none of it mattered to you. You enjoyed how go with the flow he was and how he always seemed to take each day one at a time.

“You know what, for you, I can make those. Just don’t tell people I make stuff off the menu.” He winked and turned around to start prepping the food. As you watched him chop the ingredients and assemble your meal, you wondered what his thoughts were on paths and choosing a shepp. “Reth, what do you think I should do about finding a shepp? Ashura said I should find someone who’s on a path that I can find myself in, but I don’t even know where to start.”

Reth scoffed to himself. “You sure you want to ask me about paths and shepps? I don’t think I’m really the best one to give you any advice on that, y/n. But if you wanna know how I feel, I think that these paths people take just because their parents do is a little outdated of an idea. I think what Ashura means is finding a path that you like, that you enjoy doing. You lucked out being human, even if you changed your mind, no one is really gon’ say much about it.” His tone changed towards the end of his sentence.

“Yeah, so I’ve heard. The Majiri don’t seem too understanding if you change paths… but I’m sure you know it all too well, but I’m glad you’re doing something you like.”

“Me too, this stuff is way more fun than getting splinters all day and hammering away on furniture,” he said as he put the plate of bacon-stuffed mushrooms in front of you. The food looked immaculate, you could tell it was made by someone who truly loved what they were doing.

Hey, Reth,” you said quietly as you started to cut the food into pieces. Reth turned around and wiped his hands on his apron. “Yeah? What’s up? It’s not good? Don’t tell me that, just lie to me,” he snickered.

“No, no. It’s not the food, this is good, great even,” you said as you finished a bite. “Do you think, maybe, you would be my shepp?”

Reth looked astounded by the question. “What?! ME ?! Y/N, I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself as a shepp. Maybe if I knew you better, but even then, you sure you want me to be that person? I don’t really have the best reputation in the village.”

You pushed the food around on the plate, almost feeling stupid for even thinking he’d agree to something so serious. It wasn’t like Reth to be tied to anything, let alone a new person in the village who was asking a lot of him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. You’re probably right,” you said quietly.

Reth leaned on the counter and met your eye level. “Look, if it comes down to it and you still don’t have someone, then I’ll do it. But there’s gotta be someone way better out there for your decision than this guy. But I will do it if no one else will-”

“Really?!” you exclaimed, cutting him off. Reth put up his index finger. “Yeah, but on one condition,” he chuckled. “You just have to promise to keep coming into the inn and having breakfast, lunch, and dinner here for a while before I really agree to it. I gotta know the person I’m shepping for before saying yes for real, don’t I?”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “You know what, Reth. I think I can do that, but only if you promise me you won’t make me lettuce soup every time I come in.” Reth laughed heartily at your response and nodded his head in approval. “Fine, you got a deal.” He made his way to the other side of the counter to take someone else’s order and began prepping their food for them. 

It was hard not to watch in awe as he prepared the orders he had coming in. He was meticulous with his cuts and attentive to all timers in the kitchen, basically ready to take stuff out before the timers could even go off. It was like watching an artist paint a masterpiece as he plated the food and garnished it before passing it across the counter. As you continued to watch, you admired how much fun it looked like he had cooking. Finally, you finished your food.

“Reth,” you called to him as you placed your coins on the counter. “For the food.” You got off the seat and waved goodbye. “See ya later, Y/N! I’ll be here all day,” he laughed as he waved back. You left the inn in a better state than you came in, at least you knew that if all else failed with the rest of the town, Reth had promised to be your shepp.

ɞ────⋆˚₊⋆ ๑

The coming weeks didn’t bring any result in picking a shepp. Everyone was either too busy to commit to it or didn’t feel right with your relationship being so new with them. You walked into the inn and sat at the bar, laying your head in your arms and letting out a long sigh.

“Hey, hey, hey. This is a ‘no-sad-human-zone’, you can’t do that here,” Reth said as he leaned on the counter in front of you, resting his head in his palm. “Ughhh,” you groaned dramatically. “Wow, that bad, huh? I bet I know what will fix it.” He snapped his finger and walked into the back of the bar where the pantry and other cooking supplies were at. A few moments later, you could feel him put down a plate of food on the counter beside you. “This one’s on the house,” he said as you raised your head up to look at what he brought out. It was a fresh bowl of ramen, complete with boiled eggs and green onions on top. Reth leaned over and whispered to you. “Just don’t tell anyone I let you have it for free, okay?” He winked and grabbed a cleaning rag to start wiping off the counter.

You appreciated the sentiment, especially coming from Reth since you two were starting to grow a little closer after all the visits you had promised to make to the inn. “Reth, what do you do outside of this place?” Reth paused for a moment, a little confused by the question. “You mean like once I leave work? Uh… I do…. stuff, I guess.” His tone implied he wasn’t really trying to answer the question, but you couldn’t pinpoint why.

“Well, are you going somewhere when you’re done today?” you asked, not really sure where you were going with the series of questions.

“I have a few things I have to do later tonight, but nothing right after we close up here. Why? You tryin' to ask me to hangout?” He chuckled and kept wiping the counter. 

“Actually, yeah. Do you want to?” You were still unsure yourself what was even going on, but the conversation just seemed to flow naturally. You did want to know more about Reth after all this time, and he did say he needed to know you more before officially agreeing to be your shepp. Short conversations over a meal while he worked weren’t really the best way for you two to get to know each other.

“Oh, uh,” Reth said, scratching the back of his head and smiling. “I didn’t expect you to actually say that was the plan. But ya know what, I think we can do that. Why don’t you come back later at say, 6pm? I’ll be finishing up here and we can go somewhere then. How’s that sound?”

“Sure, that sounds good. Thanks, Reth.” You started to eat your food as you noticed Reth checking the clock on the wall. “I’ll be right back, I have to.. Get a few things from the storeroom.” Reth scurried off out of the bar and rushed down the stairs to the basement area. After a few minutes, you felt a large hand on your shoulder. You turned to see Ashura standing beside you, he looked like he needed something.

“Have you seen Reth? I got a few things I need to talk to that boy about, but he’s always in and out doing things,” he said.

“He just had to go to the storeroom for something, but when he gets back I can let him know that you need him?” You gave a shrug as you suggested.

“Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks, Y/N. I have to head out to the garden, but he should know where to find me.” He gave a sincere smile and left the inn. You looked up at the clock. Reth had been gone for at least 10 minutes. What on earth does he have to even get down there? And what about his job? Luckily, the bar wasn’t full of people waiting on him, but what if it was? He would be in high water with Ashura come the end of the day, and you definitely didn’t want to see if that sweet man was capable of bringing down the hammer.

You glanced around the bar; it didn’t look like anyone was coming to get food anytime soon so you decided to go downstairs to see if Reth needed help with whatever it was he was getting. You got up from the bar and made your way down the steps of the inn. It was your first time down there, but the store room was just across the room past the little boat docks under the inn. As you grabbed the door handle, you felt it turn and pull open as Reth left the storeroom. “Oh! Uh.. Y/N, what are you doing down here?” he asked nervously.

“Well, you were gone for so long, I thought maybe you needed some help or something. And plus, Ashura said he was looking for you.” Reth let out a groan. “Yeah, I forgot I have some errands I have to run tonight for him. He’s probably just reminding me.” He let out a soft sigh under his breath. “We may have to reschedule our little hangout tonight, if that’s alright.”

“Yeah, that’s fine…,” you said. The two of you sat awkwardly in silence for a moment before you broke it. “Maybe I can help you with some of the errands so you get done early?” Reth’s face lit up at the offer. “Hey! That just might work.” He snapped his fingers. “How about you do a few of the deliveries and pick up some things, and I’ll take care of the rest? I promise the deliveries aren’t that bad, just a handful of things to take and pick up.”

His bright smile made you smile as well. “Sure, you just tell me where to go.” Reth pulled out his order pad and wrote down the people to deliver to and who to pick up ingredients from. “There, that should be it. Eshe’s stuff’s all done, just upstairs in the back fridge. You’d be a real lifesaver doing this for me.”

You took the list and walked back upstairs with Reth. He led you into the back kitchen area and got the delivery package out of the fridge and handed it to you. “Careful with it, it’s a luxury to deliver this special dinner of mine to Eshe. Gotta deliver it safely or it’s both our hides that’ll be skinned,” he chuckled. “And just let the others know you’re picking up for me, they should have the stuff ready for you. Thanks again.” He bashfully smiled, something you hadn’t really seen before, but it was endearing. “No problem, I’ll be back before long,” you said before you left the inn.

Eshe’s delivery was your first priority, so you made your way across the bridge down from the stables and found her waiting, impatiently to no surprise. “Hey, Eshe! Have something for you,” you said as you pulled the package out and offered it to her. You watched Eshe look at the package and then back up at you before taking it. “So Reth has you doing his job for him? Hmph, seems fitting. This better be what I’ve been waiting for, not like that awful lettuce soup he pushes every time you order at the inn.”

“He doesn’t have me doing them, I offered to just help him out. I’m sure the food he made is well up to par; he really puts in a lot of work into his food, ya know,” you said assuredly. Eshe scoffed at your reply and tucked the package under her arm. “For his sake, I hope it is. If not, he will surely hear about it.” She walked off towards her house and left you standing there alone.

“These people really feel some type of way about him, don’t they?” you mumbled to yourself. 

2024 ©️ reigningcheesesun. please do not copy, translate, and/or distribute my work. divider.

[puddle1212]

I want so desperately to go work on chapter 3 of the Reth fic on my laptop but my bf is napping right next to me right now and he can never know I am capable of such fluffy and embarrassing fan fiction writing like I will take this work to the grave from anyone who knows me irl

[palia-obsessions]

Cookie!! So good! I loved reading this as a start to my day!

singularity 6 let him take a nap

[rethydarling]

[subira-stan]

I open Palia

I go stand at the tree in front of the library and imagine Reth and Kenyatta passing a knapweed joint back and forth while she makes fun of him for checking out Romance for Dummies and tries to convince him to tell her who he’s interested in.

I stay there for 3 irl hours while I write fanfic.

I close Palia.

[spoopydeboop]

Made a sheet for my Palia OC!

Based loosely off of my Palia character — this is the OC I’ve developed lore for and am writing a fic for in the universe as well. :]

More info below the cut!

Meet Nico! (He/Him)

Nico is one of the humans that ended up in Palia when everything went down. He is a water type personality and his Starstone is onyx. He’s quiet and lost in thought often. He tries to keep himself busy and often goes on gathering excursions for whatever the townsfolk may need. Ashura sees that the guy is struggling and takes him under his wing, leading to Nico eventually choosing Ashura to be his Shepp.

Nico is fast friends with Tish and also the Pavels. Najuma and takes to him quickly and he does his best to be there for her like a big brother. Something about their bond is strangely… familiar.

Nico struggles to find where he fits in this strange new world, but he focuses maily on foraging and gathering. He loves collecting stones and cool rocks. He feels that the more busy he stays, the less time he has to think about everything.

He wears loose-fitting and comfy clothes for hiking and climbing!

Nico is always seen with his tattered backpack on. It was a gift from Tish and Jel when he moved in. Tish embroidered the tiny bee and Nico’s name at the top.

The goggles are something he commissions from Zeki after he’s been in Killima for a couple months. They’re flow-powered and allow him to see in the dark and zoom in like binoculars!

Nico is oddly apprehensive about flow at first, and his lore reveals it’s for good reason! Eventually be begins wearing a wooden ring necklace made with flow-infused wood.

And, well, he always has cool rocks. Who doesn’t?

Before you ask him, no — he doesn’t remember how he got his scar from before. None of the humans he knows of have clear memory from before Kilima. Maybe, by some divine intervention, Nico’s will begin to return?

I’m having SO much fun with this fic and OC! I’ll link chapters as I go if anyone’s interested. :)

[caleris-library]

It Starts With H

You can also read also on AO3!

Summary: Reth was on his way to deliver a “cake” in Bahari Bay when he stumbles upon a bittersweet love letter to “T.” Who else could it be other than his dear sister, Tish? Well, whoever this person is better prove themselves if they want to get back with her. There’s no other way to determine it except by investigating all the villagers whose names starts with “H.”

Author's Note: This may possibly be out of character for most, if not all, of the characters that show up in this fic. I do hope that you will still enjoy this!

What a coincidence their names both start with T.

Can’t blame Reth for accidentally messing it up. There were only a few people he knows their names that start with T and one of them is his sister. A love letter? Who would it be for if it weren’t to his sister? If he wasn’t the most wanted person, then that title would’ve gone to Tish. There was nothing to not love about her. She was the village’s sweetheart.

Just as there were only a few people he knows their names that start with T, there were only a few people he knows their names that start with an H. But, who the person writing the letter was more obvious than anything. It was an open secret.

It was Hodari.

.

.

.

Jel’s face falls flat at that conclusion. “You couldn’t be anything more than wrong,” he says, voice dragging out the last word.

It was a warm, busy evening, despite the season getting colder as if shifts from summer to fall. There were preparations being made with the Maji Market, furniture being made for the Watcher, the humans’ upcoming Acceptance Ceremony... A lot to do. Reth was busy enough already having to make food for literally all three events.

Yet, here he is.

The Tailor was small and quiet shop, fitting for the lanky melancholic man that works the place. Reth always makes his way after his shift to Jel’s store. All he has is three hours to spend time with Tish, his little sister, and Jel, his little sister’s best friend. However, it was only the two of them today.

Tish was working overtime at her shop for the Watcher. The materials needed were hard to come by. From what Reth remembered about Tish’s rambling, they required palium ore.

And, Hodari is a miner.

“How could I be wrong?” Reth asks flabbergasted. “If it’s not Hodari, who could it be?”

Because, without a doubt, it was certainly meant towards Tish. Who wouldn’t want Tish? Well, next to the furniture was the library. And, guess who stands in front of the library.

Reth gently smacks his palm on the table. “Hekla!” But that doesn’t sound right.

Jel rolls his eyes and chuckles.

“Then, who could it be?!”

At the same time, both Reth and Jel lean over the table to look at the letter. Reth found it while making a delivery in Bahari Bay. The words were sickeningly sweet — Reth is sure that Sweet Tooth would eat this up if he were to show them. However, he can’t reach out for their help right now as they were busy.

Reth huffs a little and slides the paper towards Jel while he rests his head on his palm. Jel takes the paper in between two of his fingers and rereads it again, over and over, through his tinted lens (how can he read through that?).

“How about you ask Tish?” Jel suggests. He leans on the table with his other hand and swings his other hand with the paper in it. Everything about him just exudes elegance.  “She’ll tell us whenever she’s ready. It is her letter after all.”

Jel was right. Whatever happened between Tish and her secret partner — ex-secret partner — is between them. There was probably, obviously, a reason she kept it a secret. Even though the thought of his little sister keeping a secret from him hurts a little, Reth knows that he has more secrets that he has never told her before either.

How something like ours was never meant to last. Did Tish say that to them? Was it something about her health? Was she getting worse? Is that why they both broke up? Is that why Tish was keeping it a secret?

Clearly, whoever wrote this letter to her cares about her. And, whoever they are, Tish must’ve really trusted them to tell them about their health first before her own brother. Reth would do anything for her — even if it meant going in debt to the cartel. Still, Reth wants to see himself if the person Tish broken up with was really a good person. If they would do anything for her, they gotta prove themselves they could do more than him.

It was nearing 8 pm. Reth stands up from his seat, some of the paper falls off the table, and stretches his arms. “Well, looks like my time is running short,” he says. “I think I’m gonna stop by Tish’s before I head back to the Tavern. I have to make sure she gets her dinner.”

“You’re gonna ask her?” Jel asks lightheartedly, offering back the letter.

Reth takes the letter off his hands and slides it in his apron pocket. “Nope,” he answers, popping the ‘p.’ “Like you said, this is Tish’s business.”

Jel raises a brow at that statement. “And, what does that mean?”

“Nothing you should worry about.” Reth winks. “Don’t tell Tish about this. If she stops by later, I was helping you come up with ideas.” He waves as he departed from the store.

Jel sighs and pushes his glasses up his nose. His eyes wanders to the floor and spot the fallen sheets of paper. As he picks them up, he realizes they were sketches for his new clothing line and he gasps. “Oh, right. I need to talk to Hassian about the fur.”

Jel quickly gathers all the paper up and places them on his desk neatly. There was a small closed box where Reth was sitting at, taped with words “Fragile! Zeki’s Special Cake Delivery! Keep Refrigerated.”

“Oh dear, did he forget to take this?”

Well, he’ll just put it in his fridge until Reth comes back. It would be awhile until Reth is available and he doesn’t want the cake to spoil.

Very rarely does Reth and Tish have a full day together.

Tish doesn’t know how Reth did it, but she assumes that he got a human (Sweet Tooth, he calls them) to do his work. Nothing wrong with that. It’s fine to slack off for one day or two. Despite what the other villagers may think of Reth, she knows that Reth works hard. She could never blame him for getting some help. Tish is grateful that he has a friend, maybe more, he can rely on.

But, it was a very strange day.

It was early when the two of them set off from their house. The morning was chilly. After all, it was very important to get some clean fresh air. Kilima Village had that rural essence that a city can’t achieve. It was a quiet village yet it was noisy in it’s own way. Everyone pretty much knows everyone. Mostly.

They made their way straight to the Mirror Pond Ruins. The plan was to have a picnic first thing in the morning. Leafhopper Hills was usually a nice place to have one — lots of land and grass, a good amount of trees, and a nice view of the beach. Reth suggested that they should try a new scenery.

That wasn’t the strange part though.

It was when he invited Jina and Hekla over to their picnic.

“Are there any dishes I can make with mushrooms?” Reth asks casually. He’s sitting criss cross applesauce while holding a bowl of his world’s famous lettuce soup. “I’m trying to expand my menu and Sweet Tooth complains about having too much mushrooms.”

Jina lights up and leans forward. “I know one that fits right in your expertise!” she answers excitedly, but she coughs a bit as she regains her composure. “Have you heard of cream of mushroom soup? It’s a simple recipe.”

Tish doesn’t mind the company. In fact, she considers herself and Jina to be good friends. She often goes to Jina to ask her about the ruins for some craft ideas and it’s fun learning new stuff. Old human civilization had some creative choices. Thinking about it, maybe she has some sort of magnet that pulls Water-type personalities towards her.

“Oh, right, Hekla, didn’t we discover what brightshrooms could do?” Jina asks, facing towards her Galdur partner.

Hekla’s head bobs and tilts before answering, “Brightshrooms get their glow from absorbing flow. Because of this, brightshrooms have some healing properties.”

In the corner of Tish’s eye, Reth glances at Tish then back at Hekla. His face was slightly scrunched. He had one hand rubbing his chin while another on his bowl of soup. In front of him was a small notepad. Tish remembers him writing on it earlier when Jina shared the recipe. She leans in a bit. There were some doodles that looked like Hekla and... was that Hodari?

Reth places the bowl of soup down, on top of the notepad. Gosh darn it. “So, basically, you’re saying is that we can make an immortality potion out of that,” he jokes and Tish giggles.

“The flow intake is too little to cause any change when consumed,” Hekla finishes. “Most of the flow is used to make it glow, so when it is cooked, the flow is transferred somewhere else. Flow cannot be destroyed.” Her head sinks back into her body. “The only thing it adds is an umami flavor, as humans describe it.”

“It would be really cool if someone figures out how to make medicine out of that.” Tish claps her hands together and smiles brightly. “Maybe Kenyatta knows more about that! When I visited her at the City Hall, she suggested that I put some heat root when I got injured while I was crafting.”

Jina nods her head. “Brightshrooms have a lot of alchemical purposes and...”

And, the entire time, it was about mushrooms. Tish had a lot of fun conversing with Jina and Hekla. It wasn’t every day she talked with them when they were always on some sort of adventure together. Just whenever she leaves her store and sees them at the library does she give them a small chat. Maybe suggest a few books on architecture or such. It was a nice experience.

It was just strange. Reth’s a social guy, but he wouldn’t try to get interruptions during their hangout. Even though he invited Jina and Hekla, he was overall quiet with the exceptions of a few jokes. It was mainly her and Jina talking with Hekla making some more commentary.

After Jina and Hekla left to head to the temple, Reth was writing something in his notepad before packing all the stuff up. He sighs contently, brushing his hands off after putting all the bowls into a backpack. “That was fun. Maybe Jina and Hekla will come around more often at the Tavern once I put that recipe in the menu. What’s your opinion on them?”

“Well... Jina’s a good friend and I would like to know more about Hekla.”

Reth nods his head quicky and stares at Tish expectantly.

Tish tilts her head. “We’re not gonna stay around here a bit more?” she asks. Typically, they would stay in one spot and catch up with each other since it’s not every day the see each other despite being family, until it was the end of the day or until they were busy. Regardless, she helped carefully place the bigger pots in another bag.

“Nope,” Reth answers as he takes the picnic blanket. “I had another idea planned. We’re gonna go to Bahari Bay.”

“Bahari Bay?” Tish squints her eyes as she picks up the basket. “Why?”

“Heard from a certain Sweet Tooth you were eyeing some Palium Ore to make the furniture for the Watcher. So, I thought, maybe we should go mining together!”

“Mining.” Tish slowly nods her head and squints her eyes. “Reth, uhm,” how does one say this kindly, “we don’t have pickaxes.”

Reth clicks his tongue and points a finger gun at her. “I already asked some human friends to lend me some of their old pickaxes. Had to mend it a little since it was getting worn out. It’s a great chance to go sightseeing and get a little bit more exercise.” He mimics a quick run. “Don’t worry. I’ll do all the work.”

For some reason, Tish was convinced.

Najuma’s breakfast was interrupted when her dad unexpectedly came back with the village’s cook and carpenter following after him. Her mouth was opened, the spoon in her hand halfway into her mouth. She couldn’t even take her first bite. Her dad stops at the table where she was eating her fried eggs and diced tomatoes and says, “These folks have some worn down picks. I’m gonna head back to the workshop and grab them some better ones. You don’t mind talking to them, right?”

Yes, she does very mind it, but she doesn’t say that out loud. Najuma didn’t say anything as her dad already left off to head to their workshop. Well, there he goes.

Fortunately, Tish was good at making small talk. Sure, it just the regular ol’ “the weather is lovely here” type of small talk, but Najuma admires Tish for being so friendly and welcoming. She’s, like, one of the few people who always greet them and check out what they have whenever they are in town.

It wasn’t long until Hodari comes back with some two picks and his own. “Now, considering that I have never seen you two ever hold a pick, do you folks know where to mine?” he asks.

Najuma sighs in relief that it wasn’t very long that she had to keep a conversation up.

“Nope,” Reth answers, popping the ‘p.’ “Just kinda figured, as long as we hit a rock, it would give us something, right? That’s what Sweet Tooth’s tells me at least.”

In other words, they have no idea what they are doing at all.

Najuma recognizes the opportunity and stands up from her seat and exclaims, “I can show them around Bahari Bay!” This is her chance to check out the mines.

“No can do,” Hodari immediately denies.

But, those two don’t even know what they’re doing! she wanted to yell, but that would be embarrassing to argue with her dad in front of someone. She certainly doesn’t want to drag them into it either.

Tish raises a hand and suggests, “Maybe, she can come with us?”

Reth nods his head. “You’ll be with us too, aren’t you?” he asks, glancing at the three picks. “I figured you would show us a spot with that question.”

Hodari glances at the two siblings before he sighs. He didn’t plan on taking the two into any dangerous mining spots, so it would also be safe for Najuma to also come along. Plus, as long as he is with them, he can keep an eye out on Najuma.

He looks at Najuma. Her eyes were sparkling with hope. She already knew the answer after the first sigh.

“As long as you stay outside the area,” he grumbles, crossing his arms. “I don’t want you to be getting into any accidents.”

.

.

.

They were around Hideaway Bluffs, it’s not a cave but it’s a safe place to mine. There were always ores around the cliffs so it’s no wonder why her dad picked this place out. Najuma kicks her prosthetic leg as she watches Hodari teach Tish how to hold a pickaxe. Her dad swings the pickaxe at the ore, then tells Tish to copy after him. Reth was a bit in the back and watched the two closely.

What’s strange though was him suspiciously inching closer each time they hit the ore.

“Do you need something?” Najuma asks hesitantly.

Reth pulled out a notebook with a pen in his hand and asked in a hushed tone, “Say, Najuma, do you know anything about Hodari and Tish?”

“Do I know anything about my dad... and Tish?” Najuma asked back flabbergasted. She squints her eyes. A question worded like that could be misinterpreted in such a way. “Are you trying to imply something here? And,” her eyes dart to the notebook, “and, what’s with the notebook?”

“It’s a book of notes,” Reth answers plainly.

He wasn’t wrong there.

Najuma fidgets around with her hands. What else more can she say? There’s still that first question that needs to be answered but the only answer she has was that she’s only seen her dad and Tish only have small talk. She respects Tish. The young woman has always made an effort to welcome everyone.

“Well, she would make a great... business partner?” Najuma answers hesitantly. “Though, I think she wouldn’t be as interested since it’s more... mechanical stuff. She has great ideas though.” Her hands try to grasp at something. Being around the mines for the first time in a long while, she feels empty without a pick in her hands. “May I ask why are you asking?”

Reth pulls out a sheet of paper and answers, “There was a letter I found with no names except T and H.” He passes the paper to Najuma. At least her hands are less empty. She doesn’t know what to do with them. “I was wondering if you know anything about it.”

Najuma skims through the letter. The letter was so romantic and so... sad. She’s glad it wasn’t advice on like “do you think I wrote this letter good” or “how should I respond to this?” She was never good with her words, so giving emotional advice really wasn’t her forte. Especially when it comes to the sappy stuff.

Najuma replies slowly, “You think... my dad and Tish were dating at some point?” So, that’s the whole reason why they’re here in Bahari Bay. And, Tish doesn’t know anything about this.

Reth nods his head dumbfoundedly.

She giggles a bit at the idea. “I think you got the wrong people. My dad can’t write words like that. Plus, they really are nothing more than acquaintances, like everyone else.” Najuma passes the letter back to Reth. “Are you sure, though, that it’s to Tish?”

“Positively,” Reth answers and folds the letter back in his pocket. “There’s no one else who’s name that I know that starts with a T. Well, maybe a few. But, it’s most definitely Tish.”

Najuma wasn’t sure what made Reth so confident, but she was convinced that it could really be Tish with the way he declared it. It never crossed her mind that maybe it could be the other two people that lived in Bahari Bay besides her and her dad.

“Do you know anyone else’s name that starts with H—”

Their short conversation ends when Tish finally manages to mine out an iron ore. “Look, Reth! I got sapphire! This is Jel’s starstone!” she cheers. “He’s gonna be so happy to see this.”

Reth smiles brightly. “That’s great!”

Najuma’s mouth agapes. “Do you guys know how rare that is?!”

They both were running up to her, Hodari yelling in the background, “Be careful!” to Najuma, as the previous topic was long forgotten.

It was nearing the end of the day. The skies were a pretty red-orange with some clouds in the sky. As they were heading back to Kilima Village, there were humans using their gliders and jumping off carelessly off the cliffs. Surprisingly, Tish was still pretty energetic compared to Reth and was carrying all their treasures that they earned today. Then again, she probably has carried heavier stuff than Reth ever had.

Tish was humming happily, her hands behind her back as she carried a small but heavy satchel of ores. Even Najuma said that they were pretty lucky today to be finding so much starstones. That’s all Tish’s luck, honestly.

Reth sighs tiredly, swinging his shoulder around to ease the pain.

“Today was nice, wasn’t it?” Tish cheers. “I’m so excited to use these ores. I can just feel the inspiration flowing right now.”

Reth laughs. “What do you plan on making out of them?” he asks.

“Well, for Jel, I was thinking with the sapphire I got, maybe a chair that has the jewel at the top...” Tish talks about all the ideas she could make. “..with the quartz I got for Najuma. Then, with this citrine, I think it would be nice to make a bracelet for you.” They stopped at the front of her store. She takes a small breath and glances at Reth. “You know, despite how strange today was, I had lots of fun.”

Reth scrunches his face. “Strange?! How was I acting strange today?” he asks dumbfoundedly.

“Well, for one, we went to a picnic—”

“We always have picnics when we hangout! Was it the change of scenery?”

“Yeah, no, yeah, but you invited Jina and Hekla to sit with us!” Tish answers quickly. “I had no problem hanging out with them. The more, the merrier after all. Then, we went mining which was a very, very outlandish idea.” She fiddles with her fingers as she was carrying her satchel. Her voice goes more quiet as she says, “It makes me worried, you know? It felt like you were checking out a bucket list with me. Trying to get me close to Hekla ‘cause she used to be a caretaker. Trying to mine because maybe that’s something that you always wanted to try before you... You’re not gonna disappear on me, are you?” At the end of her question, her voice shakes a little.

When their parents disappeared, Tish was really young where it was hard for her to remember their voices. Despite that, she was still affected by their disappearance. She only had Reth to rely on. Her shelter, her clothes, her meals, her medicine. As her older brother, Reth did everything, sacrificed everything for her to grow up well. He deviated from his path in order to get money and food on the table. Reth pretty much raised her.

“I’m not gonna disappear, I promise,” he says gently. “It’s just...”

This is going to sound stupid.

“There was this letter I found at Bahari Bay. To T, Love H.” Reth sucks in a deep break. “I thought it was meant for you and I tried to figure out who it was from.”

Tish furrows her brows. “What type of letter?”

Reth pulls out the letter from his pocket and unfolds it before he hands it to Tish.

“Oh my dragon, this is so sweet!” Tish exclaims. “Oh, I hope it works out for them, whoever they are. This is so romantic... But, this isn’t for me, you know. I would tell you if I was courting someone.” Tish lightly punches Reth on the shoulder. “I tell you and Jel everything! You guys are the closest family I have. Did you think I was dating Hekla or Hodari?” 

Reth looks away. “No...?”

Tish laughs. “Of course not, silly!” She returns the letter back to Reth. “I think you should return it back to where you found it. I’m sure someone has put it there for that person to read it. Maybe it was their meeting spot, or something.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Reth replies as he takes back the letter. “I probably should go do it now while I still have my day off.”

Tish does a shooing motion with her hand. “Go, go! Stay safe, Reth! I had fun today!”

Reth waves back and makes sure that Tish entered Jel’s store before he walks all the way back to Bahari Bay again.

Reth was in a bad situation.

A very bad, bad, bad situation.

Maybe what Tish was worried about earlier, him disappearing, might come true.

Reth was walking back to Bahari Bay and accidentally dropped the letter. It so happened to fall in front of a certain plumehound. As he was about to pick it up, someone’s shoes were in front of him.

Hassian sharply glares at him as he snatches the paper out of Reth’s hands. “Where the hell did you get this from?!” he asks angrily. The paper crinkles in his tight grip. “You didn’t read this, did you?”

Well, what’s the right answer to this? Yes, how else would he figure out the names, then Hassian gets angry at him for reading it. No, he’s never read it, then Hassian gets angry at him for lying. Then, Reth will get—

Will get what? Punched, slapped, choked? Reth knows Hassian isn’t like that.

Reth swallows dryly and as he stood up straight. He knows what the right answer is. “I... I did read your letter and I’m sorry.” He rubs the back of his neck and kicks his foot. “I found it in the ground at Bahari Bay. I didn’t realize it was you who wrote the letter.”

Hassian was still staring at him, eyebrows furrowed. Tau, which also starts with a T, was standing between them, his tail tucked between his legs as he worriedly looks at his partner.

Reth takes a deep breath. “Listen, I’m not going to question who’s it for or anything about it. I just want you to know that I don’t have any bad intentions with it.”

“... Did anyone else saw it?” Hassian asks, voice low and deep.

Reth shakes his head immediately, pauses, then nods. “Only three people. Jel, Najuma, and Tish. They don’t know that it was you though and I was only asking for help to figure out who it belonged to.” He’s definitely going to leave out the part where he thought it was meant for Tish, before he learned that it wasn’t meant for Tish. “I was planning on returning it back to where I found it since I figured that whoever wrote it, or you, have purposefully left it there or something...”

Imagine if he learnt that it was Hassian before Tish told him it wasn’t for her — he could only imagine how many ways it could’ve went and how all those ways will result in embarrassment. Reth is grateful the world didn’t set him up for that. How Reth didn’t think it was Hassian in the first place however was one heck of a wonder though. It’s an open secret about Hassian’s interest in romance stories, so it’s no wonder his writing is on par of one.

“I apologize for raising my voice,” Hassian calmly says, resorting back to his usual stance. He coughs before he stands up straight and crosses his arms. “It’s... a sensitive issue for me. I appreciate that you will not bother me further about it. Thank you for returning it to me. I will take my leave now.” He waves his hand at Tau and the two started continuing their walk back to Bahari Bay.

Well, Reth didn’t exactly returned it to him, but he didn’t have the chance to say that.

.

.

.

Reth steps out of his storeroom and enters the Underground. There was already a bunch of humans all surrounding themselves at the tables. One certain table has soup spilling out all over as the group were yelling at each other and laughing loudly. Some of their friends surrounded them, arms hung over each other’s shoulders as they were cheering.

Great. Now, he’s gotta stay longer after his shift to clean up the mess.

Reth ties his apron around his waist as he makes his way to the bar. As he enters the hallway, a door creaks open. Zeki steps out of the office and adjusts his suit. His four ears perks up as he spot the familiar business associate. 

“Hey, kid. I haven’t seen you all day!” the ginger cat exclaims with a sharp smile that closes his eyes. It turns into a threatening grimace when he asks, “Have you finished your little cake delivery to Tamala, yet?”

Right. The package. The “cake delivery.” The whole reason why he was in Bahari Bay the first place yesterday. Reth groans, sliding a hand down his face. “I’m really sorry, Zeki. You see I was already delivering the package to Tamala when—”

Reth pauses.

Tamala... T... Bahari.

Oh.

Author's Note: There are were some things I wanted to include and fix with this fic, but it's been so long that I have wrote something properly that I feel a little rusty. I appreciate constructive criticism. I still hope that you enjoyed this fic!

[tryingtobecoollikeyou]

So I'm working on a Palia fanfic because damn has this game latched its hooks into me. And I came across these sketches and just...

Yeah...it was too perfect.

And then I found this one:

Yeah...

BTW, I wasn't the one who cropped the siggy out of the bottom one. I found it like that so if someone knows where to find the full pic, I'll update. Gotta credit the artist.

But yeah, I've only got a few unconnected scenes written but once I get the thing started I'll post the AO3 link. <3

[bubble-leaves]

Can you write more Reth headcanons?

Is this even a question?!! Of course!

Reth . . .

- likes when you show off your outfit or jewelry you bought; the way you smile excitedly and wait for his input is so wholesome, he can barely take it

- is all about cooking, obviously, so there will be seldom nights where you need to cook

- always compliments your cooking, even if it does in fact suck

- always, every single damn time, asks where his kiss is when he’s making meals, since you have to kiss the cook, right?

- will usually refuse any service or help you offer; be assertive!

- rarely gets upset with you, but when it happens, he’ll give you the silent treatment until you ask what’s wrong

- is horrified about cartels coming to harm or capture you; he makes sure to keep up on his payments to them even more now

- can’t believe when you comfort him about his troublesome situations in life; he’s not used to people caring, at least not as deeply as you do

- loves, loves, loves your praise; hearing you say he’s doing great or that you appreciate him gives him complete euphoria

- secretly doodles portraits of you or silly little cartoons of things you two do while working early in the Black Market

- adores hearing you sing to yourself from another room

- does everything he can to keep your spirits up; headache? Massage time! Someone hurt your feelings? Psh, he’s already putting a centipede in their shirt when they turn around. Feeling under the weather? SOUP!

- finds any joke you say hilarious, even if you ridiculously screw up the punchline

- cracks tf up when you tell a funny story about something you experienced, like genuine wheezing and occasionally inaudible laughing

- feels so lucky waking up to you; feeling your warmth and soft skin as he stirs awake is a dream

- would stay in bed all day with you if he could

- smirks and softly laughs if you kiss his neck; it’ll fluster him a bit, considering he’s usually the one to kiss you there, but he loves the feeling

[yoongikapi]

𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓱ᡣ𐭩

┌──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────────┐

❥ something sweet

> baking him a nice little treat

└──────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────────┘

[heartdrop]

i like you more than soup 🍜

[lunar-weebin]

Touch Starved 🍲

a palia based reth x player slow burn

hello!

my name is luna and this is the first fic I’ve written in probably ten years? (the way this game and this majiri soup boy have a hold on me goes without saying but I’m saying it anyway.)

anyway, this is a teaser for the first chapter. I’m proud of this little self indulgent project and hope my fellow reth enjoyers will have fun reading it in its entirety once I finally get my AO3 invite.

in the meantime, enjoy the appetizer! 💛

tags — reth, palia, player character, reader, she/her pronouns, slow burn, romance, some game spoilers, cartel centric plot, some negative emotional themes like anxiety and depression.

The heels of your leather boots scuff against the stone path, your feet aching as you make your way to the Ormuu’s Horn in search of some reprieve after a long day — at least, that’s what you tell yourself as the sun sets over the horizon, the patter of civilian foot traffic against the masoned trail around you.

Somewhere deep down, though, you know that practically every trip you make to the inn as of late is an excuse to see a very specific smug, flirtatious smirk on the other side of the bar. One that belongs to a charming — albeit shady — Majiri cook you’ve grown rather close to ever since you materialized from a mysterious pink void deep inside an ancient ruin almost a year ago.

Reth.

Brief recollections of his familiar, cocky expressions flash across your thoughts, curling your lips into a soft smile and tinting your cheeks as you make your way past Jel’s shop.

Auni calls out to you from the village green with a quick greeting, grinning wide and showing off the adorable gap in his teeth as he waved, lugging his humorously large pack over his shoulders. His voice snaps you out of your little daydream, prompting you to wave back at him and return a warm beam in his direction.

As you slow down, you happen to notice Jel and Tish on their way out of the tailoring shop, deciding to trot over to them and catch up. You were more of a night owl these days, mostly for Reth’s sake, so the chance of running into them was pretty rare unless you absolutely needed to stop at their shops during the day as part of an errand run. You offer a friendly wave as you casually make your way over to them.

“Jel, Tish!” Calling out to them gets their attention, and they wait at the foot of the stairs leading from the village circle. They both wave back, smiling at you, though Jel’s coy-but-gloomy simper nearly cancels out Tish’s eager, happy grin.

“Hey stranger, long time no see,” Tish says playfully, narrowing her eyes in an exaggerated expression of speculation, then giggling. Her laugh reminds you of the tinkling chime of bells, pure and sweet, and you can’t help but feel a stab of guilt at her words. You clasp your hands together nervously in a pleading gesture.

“I know, I know. Don’t hate me,” you start. “I’ve just been really busy. I’m sorry.”

This wasn’t a complete lie. You have been really busy… helping Reth. By making cartel runs. Which, of course, Tish knows nothing about.

You inwardly grimace at having to omit that bit of information, but you quickly justify it by remembering you’re only doing this to keep her safe — Tish’s safety, along with the importance of her not finding out about Reth’s involvement with Zeki and the cartel, was something you and he had discussed so much the past few weeks that it was thoroughly drilled into you. You couldn’t slip up now.

Tish smiles at you empathetically, sensing the strain of discomfort in your tone and trying to ease the obvious remorse you feel for being so absent. “Hey, I understand,” she smiles, her blue eyes wide, bright and brimming with kindness. “Jel and I have been busy too, what with designing new lines and all.”

Jel emphasizes her words by ruffling a stack of supplies in his arms that seem to be an assortment of design sketches — some of them of his extravagant outfits, others of Tish’s furniture blueprints — and bundles of colorful fabric swatches.

“Trust me, we get it. Inspiration never sleeps,” he offers, pinching the bridge of his nose and adjusting his glasses in an exasperated movement that just screams I have so much work to do. “Ah, the things we do for art.” He shrugs, rolling his eyes.

Tish places an encouraging hand on Jel’s shoulder in solidarity, looking about as spent as he does before directing her attention back to you.

“You know,” she hums, “I see you about as much as I see Reth these days.” Her voice takes on a sudden sad lilt with her next words. “It would be nice if you both stopped in at the shop sometime.” Her face drops at the mention of Reth’s name, a small concerned frown tugging at the corners of her lips.

Reth had an evening ritual of stopping over to chat with Tish and Jel after his shift at the inn, letting them fill him in on their latest ideas and designs over whatever dinner he whipped up before the kitchen closed. It had become a consistent habit for the three of them, and for a moment, you fondly remember walking past the shop windows when you first made your way through town, seeing their trio huddled in the back around Jel’s desk, laughing and thumbing through piles of design drafts as they pecked at bowls of steamed fish and fried rice.

You pick up on the melancholic change in Tish’s tone, and a slightly panicked question pulls at your thoughts.

“Did Reth not stop by tonight?” You do your best to sound mildly inquisitive instead of worried, and the question hangs in the air between the three of you for a painfully long beat before she finally responds.

“No.” She says the word curtly and turns away, fidgeting with her long blonde hair, her face showcasing the very same worry you were feeling just under the surface.

“–But,” Jel cuts in, an attempt to minimize the rapidly growing concern surrounding the topic at hand, “it’s possible he just had a long day. He’s probably restocking his storeroom or getting a lecture from Ashura as we speak.” It’s Jel’s turn to put a reassuring hand on Tish’s shoulder as she weakly smiles up at him, a nonverbal thanks for the support of her friend.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s probably nothing. I just… worry about him, you know? He’s my brother, so it’s not like I have a choice in the matter.” She gives a halfhearted chuckle, her brows still knitted together in a bothered expression. “He barely touched his food yesterday and he seems really… on edge?” Her words come out as a question instead of a statement, her eyes prodding at you, expecting you to provide some insight.

Yeah, that’s because he’s working in illegal underground flow trade so he can pay off his massive debt to the cartel, and he’s having his life threatened on a biweekly basis because of it, and he can’t even ask for help at the risk of being locked up by the Order forever. That tends to make people a little anxious.

You want to air out the wild string of words that swirl in your mind and beg her to help you get him out of this mess, but you don’t.

Instead, you give her a look of reassurance and choose to respond in a way that doesn’t spill the many, many proverbial beans — or alarm her further.

“Reth… has a lot on his plate.” You pull Tish into a quick, comforting hug, then draw back to look at her, your hands resting on her shoulders, clutching them softly. “I’ll talk to him and see what’s up. I promise.”

That lie hurts more than words can describe, but the light returns to her face as she beams up at you in gratitude.

“Thank you,” she sighs, a wave of relief visibly washing over her, smoothing the lines of dismay from her face for the time being. She clearly trusts you to handle this, and that makes it hurt even more.

You fully release her from your friendly embrace, holding onto her hand and giving it a firm final squeeze before exchanging goodbyes, giving her and Jel a hurried wave as you move quickly toward the inn. You push down the momentary guilt you feel in favor of focusing on finding Reth, conscience be damned.

You approach the doorway of the Ormuu’s Horn, the warm scent of clay and sapwood smoke from the hearth immediately wafting into you as you enter. You notice Ashura’s towering, broad form, still at his desk diligently filling out ledgers and other various forms under lamplight.

He spots movement across the room, accompanying the sound of the door closing behind you, your figure caught in the light from the low fire going in the lobby. He looks up at you over his reading glasses, scribbling something quickly on the paper in front of him before giving you his full attention.

“Come in,” he says with a beckoning hand gesture. “I’d ask what brings you here, but I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.” He smiles, a warm and compassionate glint in his eye.

Ashura has been the closest thing Reth has to a father figure since moving into Kilima from Bahari, and he pretty much acted as his guardian. Looking out for him, doing his best to guide him and keep him out of trouble. By Dragon’s grace, Reth’s second less legitimate venture was flying under his radar — for now.

“Reth?” Your inquiry came out rushed, your voice tinged with anxiety. Ashura furrows his brow, setting his reading glasses down on the desk between you.

“It was a slow night, so I told him he can leave early,” Ashura starts. “Naturally, he tried to argue with me, but I insisted. He’s running on fumes. He needs to rest.” He brings two fingers to his temple, massaging small circles into it as if he has a headache before he continues.

“I helped him clean up the kitchen, then he must have slipped out of the lobby while I was checking in a patron. Haven’t seen him since, so I’m hoping he’s at home getting some rest for once.” He scratches his beard thoughtfully, then reaches to turn off his desk lamp. “And I’m not too far behind him. I’m too well past my prime to be up late, so I’m turning in for the—“

“Did you see him go out the front door by chance?” You interrupt him, your words coming out so fast they were nearly indecipherable, but Ashura managed to understand them somehow.

“Well, no, I—“

Before he could finish his sentence, your feet were already carrying you so fast you practically flew past him in the direction of the storeroom. His eyes tried — and failed — to follow you as you disappeared around the corner.

“Okaygreat!ThanksAshura!” You throw the rushed jumble of words over your shoulder, hearing only a fading “Huh?” from him in reply as you swing through the doorway and dart downstairs.

Apart from the loud creaking of the floor boards as your feet hastily thud against them, the cellar was peaceful this time of night. Normally, the only sounds would be the gentle beating of rippling water against the wooden framework of the dock, and the quiet chirp of crickets outside.

A single ceiling light hung over a table surrounded by crates, just bright enough to see, casting a warm glow across the space. If you were a little less stressed, you’d be tempted to sit out here and enjoy it. But you can’t. Not with your heart racing a million ticks a minute.

What if he messed up a delivery? What if he was caught by a Watcher? What if he abandoned a job and the cartel got to him?

You beeline straight up to the door to Reth’s storeroom on the other side of the cellar – the room he affectionately dubbed your “special spot” shortly after giving you a key to come and go as you please.

This was the place the two of you would go to discuss any and all crime-related plans and activities. It was also the place you would sneak away to share some late night laughs and try some of Reth’s new recipes when he was feeling restless between shifts, which lately, was all the time.

Please be here, please be here, please be here.

You repeat the words in your head as you rummage through your pockets for the key, releasing a breath you hadn’t even realized you were holding when you find it. The brass feels cold against your fingers as you shakily slip it into its place and turn it clockwise until the mechanism makes a satisfying metallic click.

You draw in one final deep breath before nudging the door open, the oldness of the wood creaking quietly as you do so. A single stripe of light leaks from the storeroom, dancing on the cellar floor and growing wider until it captures your silhouette, then you make your way inside.

Much to your relief, Reth is here.

You let out an audible sigh as your eyes lock onto his figure. He’s in a chair, slumped over, his head resting on a small table as he snores softly. You gingerly step through the doorway, closing the door gently behind you, and moving a bit closer to him to further inspect the scene.

On the table, you see a cutting board packed with neatly cubed potatoes, their russet skins discarded in a browning pile of scraps next to it. A small knife for dicing, and a wire potato peeler.

Your eyes trail from the table to Reth, focusing on him.

You take notice to the state of his hands first, a small bandage on almost every other knuckle, and no less than a dozen other superficial cuts — probably from being too tired to cook, making too many mistakes with his knife work and burning his fingers the stove.

You notice the gentle rise and fall of his back as he breathes, and the way he sleeps with his head down on the table, cradling it with his arms. He was still in his chef’s jacket, although a couple of the buttons were undon, and the apron he typically wore around his waist while he worked was tossed over a nearby chair.

You slowly move closer to him, softly calling out his name. “Reth?” Your voice is small and quiet, but usually it’s enough to wake him up. “Reth?” You try again, to no avail. His snore falters, but he still doesn’t stir. “Reth,” you say, a little louder, still trying to keep your tone soft enough that you don’t startle him, again, with no result.

You pad lightly up to his side, getting a closer look at his face. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, and you try to burn the image into your mind. Despite his usual laidback demeanor and devil-may-care attitude, it was rare for you to see Reth this serene.

Over the time you’ve known him, there has always been an undercurrent of stress in his features; lines of worry permanently etched into his forehead and bags under his eyes from sleepless nights. You hadn’t understood the sadness behind his cheery disposition when you first met, but the more you got to know him, the more those subtle details made sense.

Now though, he seemed different. The plains of his face were smooth. Free of any indication that his life — and Tish’s life — hung in the balance. Free of the burden of sacrificing everything he had for the people he loved. Free of being a mule for the Grimalkin cartel.

For a moment, your heart aches, and the familiar need to protect him bubbles up inside you once again, leaving a bittersweet taste in the back of your mouth that you can’t quite wash away by swallowing. So strong, it almost burns.

Something about watching him sleep soundly for the first time in weeks, the gentle ebb and flow of his breathing, pulls on your heartstrings, and suddenly you’re met with the same thought you’ve probably had a million times since Reth first told you about his implication with the cartel:

You’d do anything to absolve him of his debt.

hope you enjoyed!

I know this is a bit of a long read for a teaser, but honestly, I’m terribly impatient. I’ve literally been sitting on this fic for months.

I’m currently about three full chapters into writing, and as soon as I get my AO3 invite, I’ll be posting at least two of them there as well as on wattpad — just because I’ve never used either and I’m curious about which will work better for me personally.

this fic will contain smut and kink and angst, but it is intended to be a slow burn, so please be patient with me while I flesh out the story. also be prepared for some violent themes.

follow for updates if you’re interested in reading more. I’m having a lot of fun writing this one and hope to start really getting into my groove with dropping chapters regularly pretty soon.

header / dividers are from @strangergraphics

[puddle1212]

Ok y'all I did it! Realized once I got it in AO3 that it's kinda short but I'm working on the next chapter RIGHT NOW so please be gentle I promise we'll get to Reth romance soon this is my first fic ahhhhh

Ok so apparently while shitposting Palia stuff I inspired somebody to start an Einar fic a few days ago and I subscribed once they posted the first chapters and oh man they’ve been pumping out so many more it’s inspiring ME

Never wrote a fic before though, would it be so crazy to write one with a bit of creative liberties on the lore? Because ideas have been going WILD in my head for the past few days since I finally leveled up Reth enough to start romancing him and I wanna write it down but I’m so intimidated and what if no one likes it