#the only way you can have bazaar/sun work really should be HIM making an effort for the bazaar not the other way around

[hellisntreal]

trying to solve a humanoid Sol design, and also an idea of a descended sol design, because the only acceptable king is no king at all. he would be murdered instantly, several times, and I'm not sure stone would bring him back.

[angelinteractivestories]

Harbinger of Rot - Part 2

You enter the village to find everyone essentially ignoring you. They are living their own lives, paying no mind to each other much less you. Many of them appear to be farmers or travelers who have just stopped here for the time being. The bazaar is bustling around quite a bit. You look down at yourself. You know you need a new outfit. But it strikes you that you have no money and no way to earn any.

Odd jobs Asking around for any odd jobs most people give you an odd look before hurrying off on their business. Weren't countryfolk supposed to be more hospitable? You have an odd itching that was supposed to be true. Eventually some people do respond. A young girl, a teenager, and an old woman. Old woman She brings you to her house and slowly leads you down into her basement. It's been hollowed out of the dirt and left there. Some stonework has been laid down here and there but it's all very shoddy. "There's a demon down here," she states very boldly.

"And I am supposed to..?"

"Get rid of it!" She slams the door behind her, returning to the fresh air above. Well you're down here with a supposed demon.. Examine the stonework. The stone work is all set into place. It appears to have been like this for quite some time now. The basement must be much older than it actually looks. On the farthest wall from the entrance you find a small section of stone that appears to have some chalk markings on it. Most of them have been worn away but you get a sense of foreboding from it. Nothing sinister, though. Just energy spilling forth. Very peculiar indeed.

Leave and lie You wait a few moments to increase the believeability of your story and exit. "There, done. It was just a lesser-demon. Even weaker than an imp." ...The words come out of your mouth before you can even think of what you're saying. Was that a factual statement, did your brain go faster than you could comprehend or.. Was it that voice controlling you again? The woman glances to the door and shoves a small leather purse into your hand. You can feel the warmth and hear the jingle of coins inside. "Thank you kindly." She shoos you away. Teen. You go to the teen. She's a young girl, can't be much older than seventeen. Her hair has been hacked at recently, leaving it an uneven mess just above her shoulders. You assumed she meant help on her family's farm but once you actually arrive you realize she did indeed mean Her farm. "I'm willing to pay you for the full day's work. I just need some help getting it going, this is my first season on my own."

Two open crates next to her house suggest she has already grown at least one healthy round. You could use the money, but perhaps its better for her to do it on her own. Sure. "Alright." The first task she sets you two is hoeing up half a new field. She gives you a pair of sturdy leather gloves so your hands don't blister you. It takes you the better part of three hours to finish up job with both of you meeting half way.

Afterward you're given seeds to help her plant. The seeds are thick and as wide as your palm but you have an easy time planting them. In your idle chitchat she mentions these are spice-umpkins. Currently, as you gathered from the little girl earlier, the only way to get them around here is in the wild. She's hoping if she can get some growing locally she can make a killing off of them. It isn't a bad plan, actually. Eventually you finish this as well.

"I can handle the rest myself if you want to go on. But I do appreciate any more help if you're willing to offer." Help more. "I'll help out. You said a full day's work, I won't feel right unless I put in what I get out." She smiles and allows you to help her. The sun is close to beginning its setting when you both finish. She brings you to her small hut of a home, offering you three fists of coins.

"Counted exactly to seventy-five. It's the most I can offer. I really appreciate this." She gives you a bright smile. You smile back which seems to make her slightly uneasy but nothing too noticeable.

The bazaar. You make a dash to the bazaar, hoping to catch at least someone selling clothes so you can find something more comfortable. Most of the travelling merchants have packed up and moved on it seems. A few of the townsfolk who have permanent stalls are still milling about. You do manage to find two merchants, side by side, selling clothes. One of them are clothes of the homier design. Loose fitting, easy to work in, but don't offer much protection. The other is a balding monk who greets you even with his eyes shut when you approach. On top of clothes and robes he does offer a few chainmail pieces.

Bare minimum, just work clothes. The man greets you with a sage nod. You pick out a simple cotton shirt, much like your current, with slightly longer sleeves. It's soft. The pants you choose are roughly made but you can't exactly identify the material it's made of. You take them nonetheless. "Thirty pieces." You open your purse to fish out thirty of the silver coins. Holding them in your hands you notice the warmth earlier awsn't just the purse but the coins actually do generate heat on their own. How odd..

The man graciously takes them, allowing you to move away with your new clothes. Could you wait to change, or is it an urgent matter?

Sneak. You go to the outskirts of town, just behind one of the newer buildings, throwing off your old clothes. Looking down at yourself you notice your knees first. They had been aching a lot and looking at them you notice they're extremely bruised. Your elbows appear to be the same. Everything else seems to be fine as far as you can tell... You throw on the clothes without a second thought, leaving behind the ruined ones as you make your way to the tavern.

Entering in you're welcomed by a cacophonous roaring that can only be attained by those not musically inclined and far too drunk to care. It appears a band of adventurers off in the corner are the ones making the noise. Everyone else seems to have varying degrees of murder contemplation or enjoyment about their faces. to the owner You go to the person at the would-be bar, leaning against it. She gives you an acknowledging nod. "Would you happen to be the owner," you inquire. Her dark eyes glance up to you before throwing another nod. Not very talkative. ...You pause when you realize you weren't sure what you wanted to do. You hadn't drunk or eat anything since you first awoke on the beach. Yet you still felt no need to. What was it you wanted? A meal. "What do you have as ways of food around here?" Her face moves to fully acknowledge you now. Her eyes are still dark now that you see them fully and not in a glance. Her light hair is beginning to grey but it's hard to notice unless you're actively looking for it.

"Depends. What are you looking for? I have something to fill you up, I have stuff to just keep you going. And I have stuff to give you a wild ride."

Let's go on a ride. "Let's go on a ride."

"Fifty pieces." You drag the money out for her. This leaves you with a small surplus of twenty for necessities. Should work out fine. She motions for you to take your seat at the bar as she disappears around the corner for a moment. Within seconds she's back assuring you your meal will be ready momentarily. What can I expect? "What can I expect from this?" She just grins and lays her hands on the surface in front of you.

"It's different for everyone. Some say they see the face of their God. Others have told me they had their ancestors tell them how to live the rest of their life. And Old Jim, bless him, believed it was spiked with a fire-skin potion and threw himself into the fireplace. Of course he may have had problems before he ate it but you get me." Grin You flash her a grin of your own before the food is laid down in front of you. It's a small slab of pork from what you can tell. A purple spice has been sprinkled over it and the green beans that surround it. "Eat up." A quick breath and you dig in. The taste starts off heavenly but the more you eat the more you notice the taste fading away into what can only be described as expiring produce. You manage to finish the entire thing before the taste entirely overwhelms you.

You're sat there as she watches you. Nothing appears to be happening. Nothing "Nothing." The moment you open your mouth a brick wall slams into your face. Literally. You're vision blacks out for a quick moment before a red grain over takes it. Only seconds later has it returned but the room around you is.. different. No one is laughing anymore. They're all silent. Staring at you with their cold, unmoving sockets. 'What have you done?' The scratchy voice from before is back in your head.

Your breathing is accelerating. Whispers are spreading around you. 'You fool!' You try to move your hand, noticing the skin feels rubbery around the bones. How do you feel your bones? Flashes of faces. Smiling, laughing, crying... They all look so familiar. Part of you wants to return to them. You're terrified. Or half you is. The other half is screaming to kill, to devour flesh. Your mind is split in two. Calm down You try to calm down, taking deep and slow breaths. Bubbles are now appearing from your breaths. Are you underwater? The tavern fades away and you find yourself surrounded by a green viscous liquid. 'Is this your attempt to get free?' You aren't sure how to respond so you don't. 'Or are you just that dumb?' The remark stings. More than it should you believe.

'Sleep.' You feel yourself hit a hard surface before you pass out. That night your dreams are filled with the faces from before. Why do they all look so familiar? Something wasn't right. About this dream, about you. Why were your knees and elbows so bruised? Even in the dream you could see them. Why did they always hurt when you stay still?

...You wake up in a warm bed. Sit With small effort you sit up in the bed. The room is tiny at worst, small at best. Your clothes are laid out in a small chair next to you. Why were you undressed? Trying to recall the night before you are only assailed with memories of the visions. Instead you try something more productive and stand up slowly. You seem steady enough to walk… Get dressed You dress yourself once again, still perplexed as to why anyone would undress you before putting you to bed. Surely that would be much more of a hassle than it was worth? Stepping out of the room you find Yourself entering a small hallway with the dining room at the nearest end. Stepping out the owner yells at you, waving you over. "I have to apologize about last night, I didn't realize you'd react like that. The room is free of charge." Thanks. What happened? You nod your thanks, rubbing your head. "What happened?"

"You started screaming 'get out of my head', and 'I want to go back'. All kinds of shit, then you fell over and hit your head on the bar and passed out." She pauses for a moment nodding to herself.

Thanks for the room.

"Thanks for the room." Without any further interaction you leave the room. What do you do now? You're in a small, homey village, no idea who you are. A voice in your head, insulting you and controlling you. Weird visions in your dreams… Stay here. Maybe the teen would like a farming partner. With no recollection of who you are and violent psychotic voices in your head you decide it's best to settle down and try to figure yourself out. You seek out the teen girl from before who welcomes you on her farm with a healthy bellow and a wave. At the time she was watering the crops you two had planted the day before. "What can I do you for?"

"I have no real place to go, and was wondering.." You sigh, motioning to the small area she called a farm. "I can help you out with the farm. Two of us can get exponentially more work done. Hell, I'll even build myself a house or a bigger one for us both if you want." The offer seems to tempt her but she is wary, looking you up and down.

"Expect to be paid?" You shake your head. "Against my better judgement, sure." She offers you her gloved hand which you take with a hearty shake. ask if she wants to stay separate You leave her to the crops and go off to start gathering materials, stopping in your tracks when you realize she never specified earlier. "Want me to build my own hut, or build a house for the both of us?" In speaking it hits you that it may be a good idea to just build a small hut for yourself and then start building some utilities like a well or a barn for the farm.

"I'll leave that up to you!" Hut.

You decide it would be better to just build a hut for now. Would cutting down trees at random be fine? Was there even laws to things like that out here? It would be better to check, you suppose. It takes you about an hour of asking around before you're directed to an old man who is supposed to be the mayor for him to just verify what you thought and you are allowed much wood you need as long as you gather yourself. But he did ask that you replant any seeds you come across so that the trees may repopulate themselves. Simple enough.

large n sturdy

About two hours searching along the edges of the woods finds you with a large, sturdy tree that towers above the rest. It's wood would most likely do for your hut and a good amount into that barn you wanted to make. With the axe the teen lent you you start to chop away. Thunk, thunk, thunk goes the wood.

Focus.

You focus on the chopping and cutting. Time is flowing by before your very eyes as you go. You start early morning and the sun is setting when the tree begins to lean and eventually comes down. You're tired to your bone. It was the best idea to leave the tree here and come back to continue tomorrow. But you could hack some branches away for a fire tonight. Doesn't hurt.

take some branches

You hack and tear away a good haul of branches to bring back with you. By the time you're there the moon is beginning to rise above the tree line. You see the girl sitting next to a small fire already, munching away at something she must have cooked. You throw down the branches in a small pile next to the hut and take your seat across the fire from her. "Got you a tree going?"

"Mhm."

What's your name? "If we're going to be living together, could I get your name?"

"Call me Ang*. What's your name, friend?" You couldn't remember, admittedly. But if you're making yourself a new life, may as well give yourself a new name.

Til.

"Til. The name is Til." She nods to you with a smile. You can't help but return the smile.

"I'm going to sleep." Ang enters her hut without even so much as a second glance to you. You stare into the fire and think to yourself. You were starting a new life and it was going well so far. But why were you so sorrowful? Being alone in silence the visions from the night before began to scratch at the back of your mind again. You fall asleep that night with thoughts of yourself. Who you were, who you are, and who you are going to be.

[yoghurtslut-blog1]

This War We Fought Chapter One (Not edited, title undecided).

“The weather these past few days has been irriguous. Showers happen nightly, but the sun shines in the morning. Overall, it has been warmer than that back in Xeno, but not uncomfortably so. The meeting has not started yet, as we are still waiting for those from Scherzo and Ashen to get here. The other six Associations are accounted for.

“All we know so far about the Overviewer is that he plans to get rid of us, somehow. We have not gotten any lead on how, when, or why, and the information otherwise is the same as the last meeting. I hear Scherzo is in the middle of a drought, but this is only a rumour and is yet to be confirmed.

“Please, if you will, let everyone know that things are well over here and make sure that they behave. Thanks a lot, Aimeric Kanaan,” Aimeric took a deep breath, holding it for a second and then releasing it. “Did you get all of that, Ezra?” the young, newly appointed Scribe nodded slowly, his eyebrows scrunching together. His lips moved as he silently proof read what he wrote. Aimeric smiled.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch which Associations weren’t accounted for. You said Scherzo and- which one?” Ezra bit the end of his pen, looking up at Aimeric through his mop of brown hair. Aimeric glanced down at the boy’s writing.

“Ashen. Scherzo and Ashen,” Aimeric said.

“Actually, Aim, it’s just Scherzo now,” Lea, in freckled glory, corrected as she strode into the large, lifeless room. A grin spread across Aimeric’s face as he saw her, and he welcomed her into his arms.

“Nice to see you again, Lea. Have you heard any word from Lorenzo and his troops?” he asked. Lea shrugged, pulling away from the hug.

“No, actually. Since his last Scribe died, he has been silent,” she said solemnly. Aimeric frowned.

“His last Scribe? Since when has he ever used a Scribe?” Aimeric demanded. All the warmth that had been in his voice previously was replaced by confusion. Lea grimaced and looked at the ground.

“Well, I don’t know, actually. That is what he told everyone, though; his Scribe died and he wouldn’t be able to communicate with us all for a while,” she pressed her lips. Her words lingered in the air. Ezra broke the near-awkward silence.

“Ashen and Scherzo are pretty close, right?” he asked. Aimeric and Lea looked at him in an almost shocked way, as if they had forgotten he was there. Ezra’s face heated up as the attention was suddenly converted over to him.

“Yes, they are. Why do you ask?” Aimeric tilted his head as he talked.

“Well, I just thought that since they are close, maybe Lorenzo would be here within a day or two of you, Lea. Is that usually how it happens?” the two Advisors considered that, glancing at each other and then back at Ezra.

“Yes, that is. Maybe he just left late this time” Aimeric started, “as he is usually here before Lea. In fact, usually everyone is here before Lea. I’m surprised she hasn’t missed a meeting yet,” he nudged her gently. Lea fake laughed and elbowed Aimeric in the gut.

“Hilarious, my friend,” she rolled her eyes. “Where is everyone else? I want to talk with them before we have all the business to do.”

“They went to the bazaar to get Rin everything needed for supper,” Aimeric said, glancing at Ezra. “Why don’t you go and see if they need anything, eh?” he winked at the young Scribe. In response, Ezra’s face lit up.

“I don’t have a crush on Rin! I just met them!” Ezra’s voice cracked, only making his face catch on fire. Aimeric laughed and Lea elbowed him again.

“Stop teasing the boy. You remember how it was like at that age; hormones and shit, y’know?” she winked at Ezra. “But, if you want, go get ‘em, tiger.”

Ezra buried his face in his hands and groaned. “I hate you both,” he mumbled, the words muffled. Aimeric and Lea laughed a bit.

“Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you repeat what you said? Was it, ‘I love Rin’? That’s what I heard. What do you think, Lea?” Aimeric said, a mocking tone in his voice.

“I think y’all should stop teasing the kid,” came a low voice with a mild southern drawl. The slim figure strode over and placed a hand on Ezra’s shoulder. Ezra flinched, uncovering his face to look up.

“Thanks, Rin,” he squeaked. Rin smiled down at him, giving him a reassuring squeeze.

“Aw, you guys would be cute together,” Lea teased, mocking the accent. Rin shook their head, closing their eyes as they let out a breathy laugh and tucked their hair behind their ear.

“You guys would be cute drowning,” they replied. Aimeric laughed and Lea gasped, faux offended. She placed a hand on her heart.

“Well, I never,” she said, continuing to mock their accent. Rin rolled their eyes.

“Oh pah-leez,” they started, really exaggerating their accent. “I do not sound like that!” Ezra gave a small giggle, then turned even more red. Aimeric laughed even harder once he saw Ezra’s face, now closely resembling a ripe tomato. Rin reached over and slapped the man with his long, elegant hand.

“I don’t think that would help him stop laughing,” Lea said. Rin shook their head.

“I think that just made it worse, honestly,” Rin sighed. They took their hand off of Ezra’s shoulder, leaving a cold spot. Rin started away for the door, and Ezra felt a flood of panic. He didn't want to be left alone with these two idiots, but he also didn’t want to go with Rin, fearing of more teasing.

“Wait, Rin!” he shouted. The three others in the room turned to him, looking shocked, but he thought he surprised himself the most. Ezra’s face turned red again and Aimeric and Lea exchanged glanced. Rin looked amused, but they turned and stopped.

“Yes, Ezra?” they purred. Was there a hint of mockery in their voice? Ezra couldn’t tell. His face was back to the bright shade of tomato it had been before.

“Uh, do you need any help? In the kitchen or otherwise. I mean, I’d be happy to help you anywhere. If you want me to, that is,” he mumbled, stuttering and tripping over his words. His tongue suddenly felt like a fish in his mouth, flopping around uselessly. Rin smiled at him.

“Your help would be greatly appreciated, actually. I would love if you joined me,” they beckoned him over and Ezra, feeling more like he was floating, walked over. He glanced back at Aimeric and Lea, who were trying to stifle their laughter. He looked at the ground to hide his blushing cheeks. He saw Rin’s hand go up and heard Aimeric snort loudly. Only for a moment did he care to know what Rin did, but then they had rested their hand on his back and was leading him out of the room.

The touch sent electricity through his spine, and when they took their hand off, it left him feeling empty again. The two then silently made their way to the kitchen.

“Well, since they won’t be here for a while still, we have some time to talk without those two assholes harassing you,” Rin said as they hopped up onto the counter. Ezra leaned against the wall, still not meeting the other’s eyes. “Ezra, are you okay? They were only joking, yeah? It didn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just that it’s still awkward, I guess,” he said with a shrug. Rin laughed a bit.

“I gotcha. You don’t actually like me, though, right? ‘Cause, I’m way too old for you,” they said jokingly. Ezra laughed nervously.

“You aren’t that much older than me. You’re only, like, seventeen.”

“Actually, I just turned eighteen. You, at the tender age of 16, are practically a fetus,” Rin said. They hopped from the counter and walked a few paces back and forth. A few seconds of silence passed before they talked again. “You don’t actually like me, right?”

Ezra huffed, blowing his hair from his face. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve never liked someone before. I got nothin’ to compare it to!”

He knew he was being illogical, but it was getting frustrating. For the past three days since the young Crypt Advisor had arrived, Aimeric had been teasing him relentlessly for having a crush. Tears pricked his eyes and threatened to spill over. He quickly wiped them away. Rin frowned and walked towards him.

“Hey, kid, it’s okay if you do. I don’t care. Honestly, I don’t. Us Advisors, we usually get bombarded with a bunch of serious work. These meetings are when we can goof off a lot so we go hard. Lorenzo hasn’t gotten here yet, but he usually brings fine wines from Scherzo- the entire town is a vineyard, pretty much,” Rin laughed a bit. “Reese, Advisor of Omni, and Hecate, Advisor of Incendium, usually get it on every time they see each other. They say their relationship is purely physical, but the rest of us think that there is definately something else going on between them. I mean, it sucks, my room is right between both of them. It doesn’t matter which room they go to, I always hear it. I even had to invest in earplugs-”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Ezra cut his androgynous friend off. Rin blinked a bit, then flushed peach.

“I was trying to cheer you up and got off topic. I don’t even remember what I started with, honestly. Sorry,” they laughed. Rin scratched the top of their head, disrupting the dark curtain of hair that fell around their face. A strand of dark hair fell into their almond shaped eyes and, without thinking, Ezra brushed it out of the way. Rin blinked in surprise and Ezra’s eyes widened. He quickly pulled his hand away.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he said, rushing over his words. He put his hands behind him and leaned on them so they wouldn’t be able to do anything else. Rin laughed a bit, taking a few steps back.

“No, it’s fine. Thanks, actually. You saved me the effort,” they stared at him for a few moments, eyes narrowing a bit. “But maybe you should leave for now. Go back to the Scribe’s corners and talk to them,” Rin turned away from him and walked over to a drawer and got out a chef’s knife. Ezra’s blood ran cold and he nodded, offering a small bow before hurrying out of the kitchen.

He nearly ran Aimeric over on his way out, only muttering a small ‘sorry’ before hurrying on, ignoring Aimeric’s talking. He went into his assigned bed in the Scribe’s corners, ignoring the other Scribes as well. They wouldn’t have talked to him, anyway. In the few days that he had been here, the other Scribes and him barely found anything in common. Regardless, he didn’t feel uncomfortable with them. They were just like distant family, in a way. All the same, he didn’t want to listen to them gossip. He covered his ears with the pillow and covered himself in the blanket so he wasn’t noticeable. Then, he let himself drift to sleep, hoping he wouldn’t dream of his embarrassment.

A while later, Ezra was woken up by a sudden dip in his mattress. He refused to acknowledge his sudden awakening, and instead squeezed his eyes tighter.

“Hey, kid, wake up,” His blurry vision wouldn’t focus, but based on the dark skin and long hair, he came to the conclusion that Aimeric had woken him.

“Dinner is ready, kiddo,” Aimeric said softly. Ezra shook his head, groaning a bit and turning back over. He covered his head with his blanket. Aimeric chuckled a bit. “Please wake up. There is someone I want you to meet.”

“Why?” Ezra complained, yawning as he spoke. Aimeric groaned.

“You are terribly hard to wake up. You know that, right?” he huffed. Ezra shrugged a bit. He covered his eyes with his arms.

“My brother would tell me the same thing nearly everyday,” he smiled a bit at the memory; back when he was in school and had to be woken up at the crack of dawn and Rhys would be rushing both him and Apollo out the door.

“Well, since your brother isn’t here currently, it seems that the job has been transfered to me. Now come on- get your ass out of bed,” Aimeric gently slapped Ezra’s stomach, making the younger boy wrap his arms around himself and groan.

Eventually, Ezra sat up and backhanded Aimeric on the arm.

“I’m only doing this because I’m curious now,” he said. Aimeric laughed and shook his head. The elder led him out of the room and they walked together to the Main Room.

Everyone was seated there. The oak chairs and table were filled up with only two seats remaining- one for Ezra, one for Aimeric. One right next to Rin and the other next to someone whom he had never seen before. The table was set nicely, filled with enough food to last them for a few days.

“Welcome back to the real world, Ezra. Did you enjoy your break?” Rin asked with a grin spreading across their face. Their arms opened wide in a welcoming gesture. Rin’s face was flushed and their eyes were mildly bloodshot. Ezra rolled his eyes, ignoring them and taking the seat next to them. Rin sat as well. Ezra noticed that, when he pulled his chair in, he scooted it slightly closer to Ezra. His face flushed slightly.

Aimeric took the chair next to him. He leaned forward and grabbed the pitcher of water, pouring some into both of their cups. Ezra muttered a thanks and took a sip.

“Ezra, I take it you know most of these people, but you haven’t met Lorenzo yet,” Aimeric scooted back in his chair so Ezra could see the man next to him. He was young, about Rin’s age, and had short, brown curls on his head, slicked back and tucked behind his ears. He was dangerously pale had dark circles under his eyes. His cheeks and collarbones were very hollow and he seemed fragile. “This is the Advisor of Scherzo. Lorenzo, this is Ezra, my Scribe. Speaking of Scribes, you have some explaining to do.”

“Do I?” Lorenzo asked, his voice raspy. A hint of amusement played into his words. Aimeric back-handed his arm, earning a wince from the smaller man.

“Yeah. Since when have you had a Scribe, and since when has he died?” Aimeric demanded. Rin whistled.

“Okay, while those two argue, Imma tell y’all what’s for dinner,” Rin said, standing up. They stumbled as they stood.

“Skip dinner, what’s for dessert?” Jazzabelle, Advisor of Jade, asked. It was clear that they had broken into the booze already.  Rin winked at her.

“For dinner, we have a nice turkey, some grain salad tossed with olive oil and herbs, tomatoes with mozzarella, herbs, and vinegar, a garden salad, and some mashed sweet potatoes. Please enjoy,” they said, taking a bow and sitting back down. The frenzy of starving people took their share of food. Ezra was too shocked to move, so Aimeric made the plate for him, patting him on the head as he gave it to him.

“Thanks, Aimeric. I didn’t know people could move that fast,” he muttered. Aimeric chuckled a bit.

“This is the first real meal any of us have eaten for so long,” he spoke louder now, and around him, everyone quieted down. “We have Rin to thank for making this excellent meal!”

Cheers and clapping sounded for a few short moments, soon replaced by the sound of forks and spoons scraping plates. Ezra didn’t know where to start on his meal, overwhelmed by the options. Everything was so colourful and pretty, he almost didn’t want to ruin it. He looked over at Rin, who was sitting on their hands and rocking themself back and forth. He noticed that they didn’t have food on their plate.

“Hey, Rin, why aren’t you eating?” he asked, keeping his voice down. Rin glanced at him, then at their plate. Their lips formed a small “o” shape.

“I barely even realized. I was waiting to see what others thought first. Is it good?” they asked, turning in their chair to face Ezra.

“I don’t know. It was too pretty for me to eat. My brother was an awful cook, so these foods are all new to me.”

Ezra chuckled a bit. They turned on their chair to face him, resting one foot under the crook of their knee. “I like the tomatoes the best, so try those.”

Ezra picked up a tomato and took a bite of it. The tomato juices wet his hand, but he managed to get it into his mouth without too much of a mess. Rin grabbed a napkin from the center of the table and handed it to Ezra.

“Thanks,” Ezra said, wiping his hands off. Rin shrugged, turning back to face forwards in his seat. He stood up again and leaned on the table, using one of his hands to motion to Lorenzo.

“Hey guys, should Loren bring out the wine?” he called. A fury of cheers echoed throughout the house. Lorenzo whispered something to Aimeric, who nodded and stood up. He tapped Ezra and two other Scribes on the shoulder and beckoned to them as he walked across the room. The three followed; the girl, dark skin with long, straight hair, glanced at him. Ezra shrugged. The child seemed unbothered, however, chatting up a storm with Aimeric, who tried his best to seem interested.

“Since you guys are too young to drink, Lea and I decided to bring out some board games and let you guys play in the living room. Once everyone who doesn’t like to drink finishes their supper, they’ll come in here to keep an eye on you guys and to make sure none of our drunk asses come in and annoy you,” Aimeric said with amusement saturating his words. “Ezra, in translation, I won’t need you until tomorrow afternoon, and hopefully you won’t see me until then either.”

Ezra let out a small, awkward laugh, but he didn’t want Aimeric to leave him. Once they were settled in the living room, though, Aimeric left without so much as a wave. Clearly, he didn’t share Ezra’s concerns.

The two teens sat in silence as they watched the young child play with a wooden toy beast. The child made roaring noises and crashing sounds to accompany his playing. Ezra would have thought it was cute if he weren’t feeling so awkward; he knew these two were Scribes, but he hadn’t talked to these two very much yet.

“So, you’re Ezra?” the girl asked, poising herself to face him. Ezra took a deep breath and nodded.

“Yeah. What’s your name?” he asked as he turned to face her. Proudly, she stuck out her hand.

“Elizabeth Wolfe of Dracon” she said, “but you can just call me Eliza,” she added as an afterthought.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. What’s Dracon like?”

“It is pretty cold usually. Which sucks, because I packed for cold weather and guess what? It’s freaking hot here. So now, I have a lot of coats and stuff that I don’t even need and they are just dead weight. But I have to take them back to Dracon anyway, so it just means more backbreaking work for our poor donkeys,” she talked fast. Ezra wasn’t even sure if she took a breath between any of her words. “And what about Xeno?”

It took him a moment to process that she had asked a question, but finally he got it replying. “It’s a little bit cooler than here, and a lot drier. I’m definitely not used to all this rain,” he said with a laugh. She nodded a bit.

“We get about the same amount of precipitation, but usually as snow,” Eliza looked at the small kid. “What’s your name, kiddo?” she asked. The child looked at her; his short, brown hair was messed up and his cheeks were rosy.

“I’m Ancel!” he said. “I am four years old,” He said proudly, holding up four fingers into Eliza’s face. Then he showed his fingers to Ezra, who offered a small smile to the kid. He couldn’t say his “r”s very well.  Eliza’s face was lit up. Her smile spread from ear to ear.

“So Ancel, you are from Scherzo, right?” She asked. Ancel nodded. “Can you tell us what it’s like there?”

“Uh, hot. Like fire,” he then went on to make some side effects, featuring his wooden beast, to show the two how hot it was. Eliza glanced at Ezra, laughing a bit. She covered her mouth when she laughed. Ezra laughed a bit too. The kid was kind of cute.

“Ah, fuck!” someone shouted. A loud crash followed.

“Aimeric! Go up to bed,” after a pause, the voice added, “No, go up, now. You don’t need more wine. There is plenty more for tomorrow. Bed.”

Two figures walked into sight. Ezra instantly recognised Lorenzo to be the unnamed figure and his drunk Advisor was leaning heavily on the smaller man. Ezra instantly got up to help.

“Hang on, kid, I just have to help him up these stairs,” Lorenzo said without glancing at Ezra.

“Noooo, I can do it by myself. Why don’t you have faith in me?” Aimeric whined. Lorenzo huffed.

“You already fell once in the hallway. I don’t want you to fall down these stairs, you stupid drunk giant,” Lorenzo herded the bigger man up in the stairs, standing behind him and literally pushing him up. After a few moments, he came back downstairs.

“Is he okay?” Ezra asked. Lorenzo snorted.

“Yeah, he’s fine. He just drank too much, as per usual. Sorry you had to see that,” he said, but his attention diverted as he looked over Ezra’s head and into the living room. “Is Ancel doing good?” He asked, walking past Ezra and not waiting for a reply.

“Lor!” the child cried and hugged the curly-haired man’s legs. Lorenzo patted his head.

“You wanna sleep with me or with the other Scribes tonight?” he asked, kneeling down to be eye level with the kid. His voice had kind of an edge to it, though, as if he didn’t trust either of the options.

“Scribes!” the kid practically shouted. Lorenzo forced a smile, grabbing another one of the child’s wooden toys from off of the ground and handing it to him.

“Are you getting tired yet?” he asked. Ezra glanced at Eliza, but she was too busy watching the other’s conversation to notice.

“No!” Ancel shouted again. Lorenzo scowled and pouted a bit.

“Are you sure? Because I think it’s past your bedtime, kiddo,” he said, picking the child up and spinning him a bit.

“I don’t want to!”

“How about I take you up and I read you a bedtime story?” Lorenzo suggested. Ancel scowled.

“Which one?” the child asked, seemingly intrigued.

“Well, we can see what we have. Sound good?” Lorenzo bounced the kid and adjusted his grasp. Ancel thought for a moment.

“Okay,” the kid said. “but only if we can find one on pirates!” Lorenzo laughed, a sound like bells ringing. It carried throughout the room.

“Pirates? I might have to search for a while to find one about those, kiddo,” he swung the kid around, then set him down. “Why don’t you say goodnight to Eliza and Ezra, okay?” Lorenzo gave a gentle, encouraging nudge towards the two teens.

“Okay!” Ancel ran towards them and hugged and kissed them both, saying goodnight to each of them. Then, without prompting, the kid raced to the steps and ran upstairs. Lorenzo shook his head, letting out a sigh. The corners of his lips tugged upwards.

Looking back at Ezra and Eliza, he dropped down to his knees and dropped his voice to a whisper.

“It would be advisable to sleep with your advisors tonight. Ezra, since Aimeric and Rin are both three sheets to the wind, you can sleep in my room with me. Jessie probably won’t get too drunk, Eliza, but otherwise, Jaz probably won’t mind having you. I just don’t trust Lea’s Scribe.” Lorenzo opined. Eliza and Ezra nodded simultaneously.

“Since I don’t want to wake Ancel up once he falls asleep, would you come down to get me?” Ezra asked slowly. Lorenzo pressed his lips and scowled.

“Yes, probably. Thank you for mentioning that.”

“Lorenzo, are you being a buzzkill again?” Jessamine Caceres, the Advisor of Dracon, said as she slapped Lorenzo on the back. Lorenzo winced a bit, scowling at her.

“How much wine did you drink?” he asked, huffing once more.

“Oh, I dunno, not much. Not like the others. I’m still pretty sober compared to them. I just left because it was growing to vulgar,” she wrinkled her nose. “Would you be a dear and shoo Reese and Hecate out of the dining area?”

Lorenzo paled. “I don’t know what they are doing, but I don’t want to see it, thanks. Since you are “sober”, why don’t you take your Scribe up to sleep in your room? I don’t want any of the children to see anything. I hate to leave so fast, but I have a child waiting for me,” he said, glancing behind him several times throughout the sentence.

Jessamine arched one of her fine, over-plucked eyebrows. “That doesn’t sound dodgy at all,” she snorted. Lorenzo rolled his eyes, not responding to her comment as he turned and walked the other way.

“Just saying, watch what you say!” she called after him. He ran up the stairs. She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Men, ammiright?” she joked. Eliza snorted and nodded. Ezra pressed his lips together awkwardly and slowly nodded. Jessamine jokingly punched Ezra in the arm. “Sorry, pal, forgot you were here.”

Ezra smiled a bit.

“So where are the others?” Eliza asked, looking around the room. “Or are you and Lorenzo the only relatively sober ones?” Jessamine snorted.

“It’s pretty much just him and I, yeah. Rin was nodding off last time I checked. Lea and Jazz were cheering on Reese and Hecate. The Scribes, bless them, went down to their corners once things got too rowdy.”

Ezra scowled slightly. “Is Rin alright? Shouldn’t someone take them up to bed or something? The are the one who cooks around here,” Jessamine looked thoughtful for a second.

“That is a good point. C’mon, let’s go get them,” she said, walking out of the room. Eliza and Ezra glanced at each other before quickly scrambling to follow.

To say that the dining room was a mess was an understatement. There were dishes broken on the ground. Chairs were knocked over. Food was everywhere. Ezra heard Eliza groan next to him. He felt the same way; tomorrow, bright and early, they’d have to clean the mess up.

Reese and Hecate were having a food fight against Lea and Jezabelle. In the middle of it all was Rin, fast asleep. Jessamine screamed, which got everyone’s attention. They all looked at her. Rin fell off of their hand and hit their head off of the table. Ultimately, that woke them up. They looked around, confused.

“Okay, everyone, bedtime,” Jessamine shouted. There was a collective amount of sighs and groans and protests, but Jessamine ignored them and pointed, glaring at everything and silently challenging those who would dare disobey.

Slowly, everyone but Rin filtered out of the room and went upstairs. Rin blinked at us several times, mouth agape.

“Well? Aren’t you going, Rin?” Jessamine demanded. Rin blinked again and then vomited. Jessamine rolled her eyes. “I’m banning you from all alcohol, you dead weight.”

She helped Rin up and helped them walk into the living room area. Once they were sat down, she turned to Eliza and Ezra.

“Ezra, go to bed now. Eliza, stay with me. It may take a while for Rin to sober up, and I want to keep them awake until that happens. In the meantime, go get me some water, please.”

The two went off to do as she said; they split into different directions and Ezra slowly went up the stairs. He had never been up here before, not even to wake Aimeric up. He didn’t know which room was Lorenzo’s, so he stood there and waited for Lorenzo to come out and get him. Luckily, it didn’t take long. The frail looking man slowly and quietly opened his door. He wore striped boxers and a large, black tee-shirt.

“It’s a bit packed on the Bocelli bed, but it’ll be fine,” he whispered, opening the door to let Ezra in. He quietly shut the door behind them. “If you want to get into better sleeping clothing, I have some in my drawer that you can borrow. I have shorts and tee-shirts. Otherwise, you can just wear what’s comfortable.” Lorenzo said softly. Ezra took off his linen pants and folded them, setting them down where he stood. He felt his way over to where Lorenzo’s bed was.

“How many people are you housing in here?” he asked quietly. He felt the bed sag next to him when Lorenzo sat down.

“Three, including you. I bet you can guess who the other two are, though,” he laughed a bit. “You can be on the edge. Aimeric reeks grossley of alcohol. I have a cot, but Ancel sleeps in it on a nightly bases, and sometimes during the day when he needs to nap.”

Lorenzo pulled his feet onto the bed and laid down. Once he was comfortable underneath the covers, he pulled at Ezra to let him know. Slowly and carefully, Ezra laid down. He pulled the covers on over him, but quickly became too hot. He stuck a leg out from the covers.

“Does Aimeric sleep in here often, too?” Ezra asked quietly. Lorenzo let out a hard breath.

“Well, no, preferably not. I don’t particularly like people in the same bed as I am, believe it or not. I don’t particularly like people, though, so that could be an influencing factor.”

“Then why are you letting us sleep with you?” he asked.

“I’m worried about all of you, of course. Aimeric may be an idiot, but he is usually pretty nice to me and knows when to shut up,” Lorenzo’s speech was slowing down now.

“And one more thing; you said he was pretty nice to you, as if other people aren’t.”

“And? Not everyone likes me. Someone spread nasty rumours about me and the others believed it. Goodnight now, Ezra,” Lorenzo huffed, turning around and ending the conversation. Ezra sighed silently. He could feel Lorenzo’s stiff back against his side. Ezra turned so that he was facing the outside of the bed.

Somehow, he had managed to fall asleep.