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the-forests-blessing · 3 months ago

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Chapter 11

“Lukas! Hey!”

Outside the front door of BeacInn, our optimistic author stands. Last night's random downpour has ceased since the early morning hours and now leaves the stone street shining and a mist of steam rising from the evaporating water. The building’s drip with rain droplets that glisten under the rising sun. An orange sorbet of fluffy clouds decorate the sky, encouraging Lukas into an uplifting mood to start the day.

In his freshly washed and dried adventure gear, Lukas turns to the sound of a squeaky voice he can only identify as the jovial ex-intern of BeaconTown, Radar. He appeared from across the street, waving down Lukas who had to adjust the ocelot in his arms so he could wave back. In the morning, Beacon seems more lively than usual with a couple of unfamiliar faces walking the streets. Distant conversations can be heard as Radar's hurried steps make it across the street to greet Lukas as he steps down the short flight of stairs.

“Good morning, Radar. What brings you over here?” Lukas asks, giving the ocelot in his arms another quick adjustment so Dewey too could look over at the approaching man.

“Morning! Woooah cool outfit.” Radar gawks in amazement, to which Lukas utters a quiet ‘thanks’ for the compliment. “And hellooooo to you too Mr. Dewey,” Radar smiles fondly at the ocelot, approaching with an outreached hand. He smothers the jungle cat's head with some rather aggressive pets, squishing his ears and causing him to scrunch his face up. When he relents, Dewey shakes his head and twitches his tail irritably at the undesired and all too enthusiastic attention. “I caught you just in time! I was just about to head over to our local bakery for some morning grub. Wanna join me?”

“Bakery?” Lukas repeats, definitely interested. He glances up and down the street, wondering where Radar could possibly be talking about. From what he's learned, BeaconTown has five major streets all connecting to the beacon monument in the middle. The one he's been sticking to is on the far left of town as you enter. He's spent a generous amount of time scrounging around for food related establishments, but the best he's found so far is that small cafe on main street, and a few vendor stalls here and there. “You guys have a bakery here? Consider me shocked.”

“Ohh yeah. Here, walk with me.” Radar nods his head, convincing Lukas and Dewey to follow his lead. “You’re right to be shocked. BeaconTown lost a lot of its best restaurants after uh.. Petra became mayor and everyone kinda started leaving.” The ex-intern scratches at the back of his head awkwardly, dropping his gaze down to the stone brick street. Lukas looks down too, searching the waterlogged cracks that occasionally pool into little puddles of water he occasionally finds himself stepping in. “But we were able to help some establishments survive. Nell went to work at the bakery after the great collapse, and with her help, it’s been able to thrive for years!”

“Great.. Collapse? What, is that supposed to be some kind of humorous term in regards to Petra becoming mayor?” Lukas chuckles at the thought. “Seriously, I don’t see why the town elected her.”

Radar laughs a bit awkwardly, shoving his hands into his green hoodie pockets. “Ah.. No, the great collapse is, well.. Basically when BeaconTown officially fell. Oh and we didn’t elect her. She kind of just appointed herself and didn’t take no for an answer.”

Lukas’ brows raise at that. “Why..?”

Radar shrugs. “Don’t know! Or.. Well, I have a few theories, buuut I’m trying to have a good day, so I really don’t want to think about it.”

Lukas nods, turning his head away. More information to keep him curious... “Huh, so I assume the bakery is another spot I can find you two hanging out at?” Lukas changes the topic to avoid an uncomfortable silence. He asks with that one day in mind where he went to Radar’s and Nell’s shared residence and found no one home at the time.

“Yeah! Or I may be at the library. It’s my favorite place to go when I’m feeling all scatter-brained.” Radar does this silly gesture at his head, then looks back at Lukas, smile ever prominent on this boy’s features. Lukas takes it he must be the kind of person to fake a smile, always quick to recover from some of the dark topics he occasionally treads down. “What about you? You got a favorite place to be?”

“Is that a trick question?” Lukas asks, humored by the ask and it's obvious answer. “I prefer to be one with nature. Out in the field is where I’m one with the elements. It does a lot of good for you mentally, you know? Surrounding yourself with the nature our world generously provides us.”

“Hmm.. Is that why you're so strangely charismatic? I'm still amazed you and Dewey haven't ran out of town with your tails between your legs yet. Nobody ever stays here this long..”

Lukas smiles at that, grateful for the compliment. “Well, I guess it's hard to feel discouraged when I'm making the progress I need towards my goal. I've spent too many years working on this encyclopedia and I'm not gonna let any obstacles get in the way of that. It's my.. Uh.. You know. It's all I kinda got..”

Radar ponders on that for a few seconds before he nods his agreement. “Yeah, I totally get you. Your optimism towards your own future kind of inspires me to get more invested in mine. I just wish I was as brave as I used to be, then maybe I too would– you know…” Lukas raises a questioning brow. “Enter the forest. Take in all those healing elements of nature you mentioned. From the way you talk about it, it sounds like you’re getting a real taste of heaven…” Radar leans in a little close, covering his mouth to whisper, “Well– whatever heaven has demons residing in it.”

Lukas scoffs out a laugh. “Demons? Don’t be ridiculous– the forest doesn’t have demons.”

Radar gives the author a doubtful look. “Then you’re just lucky you haven’t come across him yet!” He gives Lukas an elbow nudge, then nods his head towards an upcoming purple building. “Come on, over here!”

Demons? He can’t possibly be talking about the Admin. He’s not evil. The real evil is what burnt down the forest… Lukas thinks begrudgingly, and with a hint of annoyance towards Radar’s ignorance.

Our author stops outside the establishment while Radar scurries in. He watches the ex-intern go, then turns his head up and looks over the front entryway. The building has definitely seen better days. The purple concrete walls have cracked and been chipped away at by the elements over time. The windows are all surprisingly intact, but many of them have been covered by dense vine and ivy overgrowth. The sign outside the building too has withered away, making the text mostly unintelligible. Lukas frowns at the state of natural decay. In another world, he could imagine a building as cozy looking as this thriving off the love of baked goods and happy smiles. It's sad to see.. but he steps forth with Dewey anyways.

Entering the building, a little bell rings as the door opens. To Lukas’ surprise, there’s actually quite a few people here and they all look… mostly happy. Conversing with one another at their tables and booths, something he hasn’t seen since the last town he’d stayed in. Upon stepping in, he can already smell the heavenly scent of baked goods. He draws in a deep breath, then exhales, feeling his own mouth watering at the confectionery sweet scents. Like the exterior, the overgrowth has squeezed its way through parts of the deteriorating purple concrete walls, making the building quite lush in appearance. It's quite pretty, despite the history.

Lukas steps across quartz flooring, approaching the counter with Dewey in his arms. Next to him stands Radar, the scholar looking over to the blond who now investigates the menu thoroughly. “Oooh what’s your favorite? I like the apple fritters. Those are my faaavorite. Oh! Oh! And the frosted honey-butter biscuits!” The dark haired male practically vibrates with excitement where he stands. While Lukas stays focused on the menu, Dewey lay in his arms, staring at Radar like he’s a crazy person.

Hmm… Honey-butter biscuits do sound really good, Lukas decides on that for himself while he still hones in on the menu. And what for the Allay… Has to be something small. What if it can’t eat certain things like chocolate being toxic for dogs? Maybe I’ll just share mine with it.

Lukas’ gaze searches the purple cursive text and dolled up pictures on the menu, finding trouble deciding what the Admin might possibly like. He has absolutely no knowledge of what his likes and dislikes are. As far as Lukas is aware, the man is a god . He could deem anything Lukas offers unworthy for all he knows. So maybe…

“I think I’ll get the honey-butter biscuits and some chocolate chip cookies. Hard to go wrong with those right?” Lukas shrugs, finally looking back at Radar who stood in eager anticipation to hear the blond's decision.

“Yes… Yes! The perfect combo. The cookies here are the most popular on the menu. They’re so soft with melt in your mouth goodness!” He sighs wistfully, his smile softening. “They used to be Jesse’s favorite.”

“Well if the New Order leader liked them, I’m sure they’re delicious.” Hopefully Admin isn’t a picky eater…

“Oh he liked them alright.”

Lukas stills in his spot. That voice…

The two men turn slowly and look up to find the cape wearing huntress gazing down at them. Lukas can hear the man next to him suck in a sharp breath, noticing the way he tenses at the sudden, most definitely unexpected appearance of mayor Petra here at the bakery this morning. The woman stands tall with her hands on her hips, her scarred lip curled in what looks to be a smug expression. To Lukas, it looks like she finds satisfaction in having surprised the two.

“Oh, what a surprise. The local nerds have found each other.” She says in a teasing tone, then has the audacity to chuckle at her own words.

“P-Petra– Sir!” Radar salutes, causing the redhead to roll her eyes.

“There’s really no need for that here, Radar.” She assures.

Lukas’ forced calm demeanor wavers as the woman passes, his eyes narrowing in on her as her heavy steps come between them, cutting her way to the head of the line at the front of the counter. He glances at Radar who seems totally shaken, then an idea sparks in his mind. Lukas bumps his arm with his elbow, gaining the scholar's attention. In a hushed whisper, “Hey, no pressure here but uh, now would be a pretty good time to ask about that build.” He nods toward Petra at the counter.

Radar quickly shakes his head, then turns his attention down to the floor as the huntress makes her approach once more, carrying a sweet smelling paper bag with her. “Sup Lukas.” She officially acknowledges him. “How’s the whole forest study going?”

Lukas squints at her, taking in the question with some skepticism. While she did give him the ‘okay’ to venture into the ancient woodland, he by no means trusts her after yesterday’s discovery. So, Lukas turns to performance mode, one of his own hidden natural skills. “Well I’m glad you asked!” He spent many hours preparing for this. The author reaches into his satchel, making the warrior raise a ginger brow as she watches the man shuffle through his belongings, pulling out a journal. “Check this out. I’ve come across so many extraordinary specimens!”

He offers the journal to her, Petra taking it with a look of suspicion, then flips through the confines of its pages. “Wow uh…” She lands on a page in the middle, finding nothing but snail drawings and snail notes. “Snails. Cool.” Flipping through more pages, her face only becomes weighed down with boredom, finding nothing but nature illustrations and words… too many words. She shakes her head and snaps the journal shut, offering it back to the most satisfied looking Lukas.

“Do you like it?” He asks with a smile shining as bright as the sun itself.

“Yeah.. Really cool stuff, Lukas.” She says in a unamused tone as she turns away, leaving the blond beaming with satisfaction.

“Can I see your snails?” Radar asks. “Or should I say snotes?” Lukas gives him a questioning look. “Snail notes. Heheh..” Okay, that one did get a light chuckle out of him.

“Sure Radar. Here,” he offers Radar the journal. “I’m gonna go take my order.”

Lukas leaves the bakery a little bit after getting his order. He had a brief chat with Radar, as well as Nell. The blonde had hidden in the back waiting for Petra to leave before making her debut in her work attire. Nell was totally impressed with Lukas’ tan colored garb, while Lukas himself didn't make much of a comment on her purple apron. Come to find out, the two are planning to start their build without the mayor’s permission, which explained Radar’s urgent head shake when questioned about it.

Sounds like the start of a little rebellion. Lukas is uncertain that is the step in the right direction, but at this point, what else can they truly do? Radar briefly mentioned his interest in ‘beautifying’ the street they both live on. It's a small start, but at least it's something.

Looking down, he has with him a little woven basket that Nell offered him in the hopes that he’ll become a regular and return with it. Hard to say no when the scent of fresh baked goods coming from beneath the checkered cloth is making his mouth water. Before he left, he'd bitten into one of the frosted honey-butter biscuits, and wow. The frosting is delicious, albeit a little sticky.. But the biscuit itself practically melted in his mouth. Perfect texture.. perfect tastes.. He had to close his eyes in a momentary state of bliss, savoring the flavors dancing on his tongue and making his taste buds sing.

Walking away from the bakery and heading back towards the BeacInn, Lukas is stopped by that same familiar voice from before calling out to him. He turns, watching the mayor approach him with a cookie in hand. “Yo, Lukas.” She says, swallowing her last bite and then patting the crumbs off her hands. “You heading to the forest today?”

“Uh.. I was planning on it. I found quite a rich patch of parrot mushrooms that needs to be studied closely. A specimen like that is too rare to pass on, and with such abundance..” Lukas says oh so whimsically, then ponders a second more and adds on, “care to join?”

“No..” Petra quickly declines. “You.. do your weird.. Etology-”

“Ecology.”

“Whatever.” She crosses her arms, then glances down at the basket of goods Lukas carries. She raises a scarred brow, gazing at the full basket. “That’s an awful lot of sweets for one person.”

“Huh? Oh.. Yeah, I’m uh.. Kinda a midnight snacker. You know, I can't help but get those sweet late night cravings.” He shrugs sheepishly. “Bringing most of them back to where I’m staying. Don’t want to attract any bears out in the woods with the smell of something this tasty.”

Petra stares at him with an expression Lukas can’t quite decipher. Confusion? Suspicion? After a few tense seconds of silence, the woman’s gaze softens, adjusting to straighten and hold her hands behind her back. Creators, in a world where Lukas is usually the taller one, BeaconTown sure has a lot of towering citizens to make him feel small. He’s not used to this feeling yet.

She flicks her gaze, eyeing him up and down before asking, “Where are you from, Lukas?”

“Where am I from?” He repeats the question, then puts Dewey down onto the ground beside him. The ocelot gives himself a good stretch beside his legs while the author answers. “I’m from The Citadel. Heard of it?”

Petra quirks a brow and Lukas takes that as a probable no .

“The Citadel is a massive city. In the center of it all is a huge building called the Spawn Center. There’s a crazy human spawn rate there, so they built a city around it. It’s right in the middle of multiple biomes for newspawns to explore. I spawned at the Spawn Center and they guided me to the city where I was able to learn about the world and decide what kind of career I wanted to make with my life. It’s pretty amazing. A real pillar of human society where people who aren’t sure what to do with their life can find themselves.” When Petra doesn’t immediately respond, Lukas presses his own question. “What about you?”

“Me? Uh.. I don’t know, probably spawned out in the woods somewhere. Been too long to remember.” Petra shrugs, then takes a few steps away from the author as she begins to pass by. “That all sounds great, Lukas. Try not to waste all that life experience by going out too far into the forest and getting yourself killed, alright?”

And with that, she leaves. Lukas drops his friendly demeanor the moment she departs. If looks could kill, Petra would have exploded seven times already. “She’s suspicious of us.” He says, then looks down at Dewey. Dewey looks up to meet his gaze, the ocelots emerald eyes wide and frightened. “Don’t worry, I planned ahead for any future interrogations.” Lukas ruffles his ocelot behind his ears. “Come on, let’s head back to the forest.”

The Admin’s forest is surprisingly.. Lively today.

Lukas caught the twitter of some small finches up in the dark trees, even caught sight of them as they flew around the tall trunks of the evergreens in a playful pursuit. This is the first time he’s seen any wildlife in this part of the forest.. Well except for Allay and Admin of course. He stopped to make note of this while Dewey kept his nose held high, gazing up into the branches of the trees in hopes to see the finches again.

Adjusting his satchel over his shoulder and grabbing his basket, Lukas stands with his gaze searching the trees and fog.. Checking to see if Admin is early to make his appearance known. “Hmm.. Nothing yet..” Lukas says, then glances down at Dewey. “It’s still hard to tell if Allay or Admin are able to sense when we arrive. Well, Admin does for sure, but I’m not so certain about the Allay. …Maybe I should call out to them both?” Dewey shakes his head at that and Lukas just rolls his eyes. “Oh why do I even bother asking you? You totally puffed up three times your size at the Admin yesterday, and he gave you salmon anyways! You should be thankful.”

Dewey growls at the comment, making Lukas put his hands on his hips in a stern manner. “What? You gonna throw a hissy fit again when he shows up? What did we talk about on the way here?”

Dewey’s sassy demeanor drops suddenly, the ocelot’s eyes widened and his fur begins to puff as he slowly starts backing away. A dark, massive shadow approaches the unsuspecting author from behind.

“He welcomed us here, so the most you can do to show your gratitude is behave yourself and respect.. The.. Admin..?” Lukas’ words come to a gradual stop, distracted by the way his body suddenly tenses up, raising his hand to gently touch over the back of his neck, feeling the prickling chill of goosebumps rise over his skin. Then.. the sound of earth being crushed beneath heavy steps sounds behind him. Without a second thought, Lukas turns to find just the guy he was hoping for standing over him, staring directly down into his own eyes with his own shadowed over, piercing turquoise glow.

“Oh there you are!” No ounce of fear in this man's words. “You’re awfully quick this time. Beat me before I had to call your name.” Lukas’ gaze shifts from the Admin’s own, noticing a bright blue light emitting atop the deity’s mossy cape. It seems he won’t be having to call out to the Allay either. The little creature perks up from the moss, its eyes blinking as it lazily looks around as if it has just woken up, more than likely from the sound of Lumas’ voice.

When it finally notices Lukas, the Allay does a happy chirp and floats up from the Admin’s shoulder. Unmoving, the Admin’s gaze follows the spirit, watching as Lukas holds his hand out to invite the innocent creature to settle on his palm. Its blue glow is something Lukas is finding more as a source of comfort with each second he spends with it.

“Good morning, Allay, I brought something special for you today.” Lukas kneels down, settling on his knees in a bed of moss and dirt. “Here,” he reaches into the basket, scooting the cloth away so he can grab a biscuit, tearing off a piece of the glazed frosted sweet, then offers it to the spirit. “It’s a frosted honey-butter biscuit.” The Allay takes it into its little blue paws, giving it a few sniffs before it does a jolly little spin and takes its ‘bite’. Lukas smiles, finding unending affection towards this little creature and its ever positive nature.

Our author then stands, picking the basket up along with him as he now turns to face him.. The Admin. The deity’s grump expression strengthens as Lukas gets closer, the Admin curling his lip, seconds away from telling Lukas to back off with a warning growl before he’s..

“Here.” Lukas holds out a cookie. “This is for you, Big Guy.”

The Admin.. hesitates.. Staring at the cookie before he turns his scarred nose away, side eyeing the small dessert. With passing seconds, Lukas holds in a sigh as his hope dwindles, even shaking the offered cookie to tempt the deity out of his skepticism. “Please take it. I wanted to make up for all the trouble I’ve been causing.. And to thank you for letting me keep coming back here despite it all.” Lukas’ cheeks warm slightly, smiling sheepishly as he watches the Admin’s dark, mangled brows knit, his glowing eyes fixated on him, then snapping down to the cookie.

Slowly extending his hand to Lukas, the large man sniffs the air lightly as the chocolate chip cookie is placed upon his gloved palm. With such closeness, Lukas notices how worn the gloves on him are. Tattered and torn in certain spots, he can just barely see the hint of blue skin peaking out through the holes. The leather has even lost color from years of use on his palm and the underside of his fingers.

His human heart pounds heavy in his chest as he hands the cookie over. He can’t help but obsess a little over how small the treat looks in the massive palm of the Admin as compared to Lukas’ normal human-sized hands. The author releases a small, yet kind-hearted laugh, smiling at the way the deity holds the cookie close and examines it the way Lukas examines the plant life in this very forest. Completely still for a few seconds, he watches the Admin take in a deeper breath and exhale slowly as his hand lowers to his leather-guarded chest. His glare had faded into a blank, yet somehow shining stare. He glances back to Lukas, illuminated with an unreadable expression. Lukas smiles back in silence, only now catching on to the sound of Dewey’s growling, the blond turns to search for his unruly ocelot before finding him puffed up and low to the ground a couple feet away. “Oh for Creator's sake, Dewey, would you give it a rest? Look, he’s not–” Lukas turns back to the deity, come to find he’s… vanished. Lukas blinks, then looks around hurriedly. “Wha-? A-Admin?”

The Allay approaches the bewildered author, catching his attention with a playful little laugh. Lukas looks down, watching the spirit’s ever present glow as it ascends slowly, then does a happy spin. Lukas chuckles softly. “Did you like that honey-biscuit, Allay?” He asks, to which the spirit closes its eyes and nods eagerly, something Lukas has learned is an expression of joy. Perhaps the Allay’s own version of a smile.

Lukas looks around once more, feeling pretty disappointed with the Admin’s unforeseen disappearance. He sighs, running his hand up his neck and up through his short, scruffy blond hair. Well.. after yesterday, he can’t expect Admin to want to be around him. So.. He’s sticking to the plan he came here with, and that’s to purposefully keep distance between himself and the evasive deity. He doesn’t want to force the man into any more uncomfortable situations, and he certainly doesn’t want to anger him anymore either.

The Admin has done more than enough. He welcomed Lukas into the forest, even after his own selfish and rude behavior.. He showed him the lengths at which the hunters have caused harm to his home.. So with that, Lukas finds himself with a plethora of information waiting for him amongst the trees, and with more than two and a half months left here, he’s got the time to do it too.

“Well.. looks like it's just the three of us again huh?” Lukas shrugs, trying to stay optimistic despite his disappointment. Allay floats over to where the author stands, sizing him up before it decides to settle down upon his shoulder. The light of the Allay illuminates Lukas’ own pale features, the little creature doing some pointing gestures down at the bakery basket. “Want some more?” Allay nods enthusiastically. Lukas huffs out a soft laugh and scrounges around the basket, plucking off a bite suitable for his friend. “Of course you can have more. Ready, Dewey?”

The jungle cat has calmed since the Admin’s disappearance. He was in the midst of grooming his puffed up pelt when Lukas called for him, making the ocelot turn his head up, tongue poking out mid-lick. He corrects himself and gives the rest of his body a good shake before trotting up to his companion… Only to find…

Dewey’s eyes narrow, glaring at the Allay perched up on Lukas’ shoulder again. His tail thrashes with annoyance at this little pest. If it's not prey, why is it prey-sized? He’ll never understand his human’s logic. The ocelot gives his paw a quick lick, staring up at the Allay and meeting its pearly white eyes. They indulge in a bit of a staring contest as Lukas begins walking, with Dewey walking behind, keeping his gaze narrowed on the Allay that keeps looking back at him.

Lukas spends hours in the ancient forest. The morning sun has risen, meeting the afternoon mark high in the sky. By now Lukas has made it further into the Admin’s forest than ever before. He’s stopped an ample amount of times, his attention being snatched by strange mushrooms that begin to appear at the base of trees the further he gets. Kneeling down, he closely examines the fungus, unable to identify them despite his knowledge regarding the subject.

“They look like honey mushrooms… Yet they’re gray..” Lukas snatches a book from his inventory, flipping through its pages until he lands on the desired passage. He holds the book up next to the mushrooms, comparing the image in the book to the fungus on the ground. They look vaguely similar, except the coloration is entirely off. Lukas closes his book and presses his face into the moist dirt, attempting to get a look at the base of the caps without plucking them from their roots. “Woah..” His eyes light up at the dim blue glow the mushrooms produce underneath their caps. He sits up quickly and takes time with his note taking.

Whilst Lukas goes about his study, Dewey finds himself a nice patch of moss at the base of a different tree nearby to settle in. He curls in on himself, resting his tail over his nose and stares at the Allay who still resides on his owner's shoulder.

As time goes on, Lukas still sees no signs of the forest deity anywhere. The evergreens sway back and forth due to heavy wind gusts winding through the pine canopies, occasionally dropping pine needles or cones, something of which catches the ecologist’s curiosity.

At one point he stopped to examine one of the cones, taking out one from the first forest layer to compare the two. Amazingly, they’re extraordinarily different. Allay watches closely from Lukas’ shoulder, looking at how the human compares them both. The natural one he holds in his left; it’s a plain, ordinary pinecone. While the other he holds in his right is dark, almost black in color, yet the tips of its scales emit this enchanting glow Lukas has never seen before.

“I wonder if I were to plant this outside of the forest, it would grow an evergreen like Admin’s.. Or would it lose its magic and revert back to normal?” Lukas ponders it, twisting the cone around between his fingers. “Well, Admin, if you’re watching this, I’m uh..” He holds it up a bit whilst looking around his empty surroundings, “taking this!” Lukas says rather loudly, in hopes to garner some attention. He then lowers it again, his gaze scanning around and still… nothing.

Well… He can’t say he was looking forward to him showing up and plucking his interests from his fingers, but.. He kind of wishes he was here regardless. It doesn’t feel right to be investigating someone's home without their supervision, even if said home is hundreds of chunks of dense woodland. Speaking of… Lukas stands, putting the cones back into his satchel and retrieves his map.

“Uhh.. Hm..” Lukas holds the wide sheet out in front of him, finding it more or less useless no matter how much he maps out his trails. “Gah, I should have spent more time in cartography class..” He shakes his head, stuffing the map back into his bag. “This forest is huge ,” he gestures to it all. “Without Admin’s help, I’d probably have gotten lost in here the second time around..” He sighs.

Then an idea strikes him.

Wait a second…

“Allay?” Lukas turns his head, startling the blue spirit into attention. “What about you? Do you have a specific part of the forest that you enjoy?” Lukas asks. Allay seems taken aback by the question, then puts its little paw up to tap its face in thought. After a few moments of consideration, Allay sits up and floats off Lukas’ shoulder, fluttering a few blocks away before turning back to Lukas with a little flip. “Oh? I’ll take that as a yes?” Lukas perks up with a smile, then quickly steps forward. “Well by all means, lead the way.”

Thump thump thump…

Lukas and the Allay both come to a full stop at the sound of crushing twigs and shifting branches. The heavy footsteps already tell Lukas who it is, and he looks to his right just to see glowing eyes piercing through the darkness. The Admin walks casually, taking his time stepping closer and closer, approaching both of them now with his gaze shifting from Lukas to the Allay. This time Dewey hurries over to Lukas and stands behind his legs, his eyes wide and ears flat, but he makes no sound.

The Admin’s gaze is blank until he settles on the Allay, then the deity’s expression sours and he slowly shakes his head back and forth.

No? Lukas stands idly, watching the silent communication between the two. The Allay’s wings droop and its gaze lowers, visibly disheartened. The deity gestures with his hand for Allay to come, to which the creature slowly floats over. Looks like I got it in trouble.. Lukas frowns with guilt at the thought.

The Admin then turns, his gaze resting on Lukas. The author’s head slowly raises as the dark blue man takes his heavy steps closer, their eyes locked on one another. Lukas’ skin coats with goosebumps and a chill runs down his back being forced to look up at the imposing male, decked out in heavy armor and everlasting shadow. The Admin’s glowing stare, though he no longer glowering at him, is sharp and captivating. There’s no otherworldly pressure keeping his body pinned to the earth, even as the Admin stops a mere two feet away.

The Admin stares… and stares as seconds pass. Lukas feels as though he’s begun to shrink under this man’s powerful aura he exerts. “U-uhm.. Hi, Admin..” He stutters, unsure of the reasoning behind the deity’s unyielding gaze. As more silent seconds pass, Lukas fumbles, heat rising and coloring his pale cheeks a bit darker as he turns his head down to look away. The presence in front of him is unmoving. Every passing second has Lukas feeling more and more nervous.

He looks back up finally.. Just to find that the eerie stare has softened, something he has yet to see from the ever grumpy forest deity. Lukas gazes back, his jaw dropping, trying to form words but he’s clamming up. The turquoise glow then shifts, descending Lukas’ form and landing on something, locking his gaze. Lukas follows it down to the basket he holds in his hands and.. Things suddenly begin to click.

“O-oh.. Did you want another cookie?” Lukas offers up the basket, then stops. “Actually, hold on,” he quickly turns and kneels down away from the deity, laying the basket on the ground but taking the cloth and all that rest in its confines along with it. The blond shuffles the goods around a bit so they sit in the middle of the cloth, then he wraps the fabric over them and ties a knot. “Here,” he says as he stands, “Allay and I ate most of the honey biscuits, but there’s still one left for you. Other than that, the rest of the cookies are all yours..” Lukas offers up the bundled sweets, feeling his heart throb with mixing waves of joy and relief when the Admin extends his waiting palm and accepts them.

With that, Lukas adjusts his satchel over his shoulder and looks up at the deity, offering him a soft smile. “I hope those can cheer you up a bit. I feel horrible about what BeaconTown has done to your forest and I…” Lukas looks away, rubbing at his arm. “I hope you can find peace again someday.” And with that, the blond turns and begins walking back in the direction he came. “Come on, Dewey.” He calls his ocelot along. The big cat stares between the Admin and his Allay, then back at Lukas in confusion before he too stands and hurries up to walk beside Lukas.

Each step carries him further and further away from the unmoving god. His heart is beating so fast, he feels almost out of breath with how badly he wished to stay, but… This is for the best.

He accepted them… That’s all that matters. I’ll bring more for him whenever I visit. It’s the least I can do for him.

For all that's happened in life leading to this very moment, all Admin can do is watch Lukas walk away. The warmth of the cookies heating his palm through the thick leather glove, the scent permeating the air around him. He lowers his overshadowed gaze to the bundle, adjusting his grip around it. The sweet aroma is something he’d never thought he’d smell again, and the flavors brought him back to a forgotten life long ago.

The Allay chimes just above his head, looking down at him with emotion. It lowers itself down to Admin’s eye level, only to float out of reach when their eyes meet.

Admin waves it away, grunting as he turns his attention back to the bundle. He carefully undoes its bow tied knot, and sighs as the cookies fall out of their stacked order. Admin immediately offers the Allay one of the treats and watches it float away in Lukas’ direction, leaving him alone in the narrow trail.

There’s something different about Lukas.. Something Admin cannot figure out. Maybe more time together will help him figure out what that something is. So long as he keeps bringing him cookies.

A single biscuit?

Admin retrieves that first, holding it in his teeth as he wraps the cookies up again. With a deep inhale, the scent of honey and sugary sweet icing make his mouth fill with drool, and the first bite brings him back to that safe time before BeaconTown fell…

A better time, where he could live in peace.

He ought to thank Lukas.

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