#threw some colours on a canvas and boom

[viminoo]

baberoe in bastogne

[crow-in-a-teapot]

tower of nero spoilers

i have just finished the tower of nero. and before i go searching for other people’s thoughts and art and more of the characters i love so much, i want to write down some of my own thoughts because i know as soon as i delve into that ‘ton spoilers’ hashtag there are going to be complaints and criticisms and so much that i don’t want to hear, or essays that’ll make me upset, or things that’ll change my perception on the book (because on this website people really love to hate the trials of apollo).

i want to start with: i loved it. it didn’t feel earth-shattering or huge and momentous like some of my favourite riordanverse books (house of hades, the blood of olympus, the last olympian and maybe some of the magnus chase books take those pedestals for me) but it was satisfying. and i think it was satisfying because it in no way felt like an ending. whether because eventually rick will write that will-and-nico-go-through-tartarus-and-save-bob novella, or because we (or at least i) will continue writing and imagining and creating for this world i don’t know. he didn’t wrap up the story in a perfect little bow like ‘nineteen years later’, he simply put it on pause. gave us a glimpse of where every character was at at the end.

the only thing that makes me so angry and upset is that i did manage to get some spoilers for moments that i know would have been so good to experience for the first time if i hadn’t been spoiled for them. the moment where rachel mentions penguins in a mansion near her house, nico getting mental health advice from mr d, the fact that will and nico were going to be in the book for so much of the story, but the big thing was literally spoiled for me two days ago, it was the reason i sat down to read it as fast as possible because i was terrified of getting more spoiled and not being able to experience the moments for myself, was that piper had a girlfriend. i know that reading that for the first time would have been so cool and surprising, and the fact that when it came up for a moment in the last couple pages all i felt was disappointment because it was spoiled for me and because it was now tinged with whatever that person was saying about her having a girlfriend.

but i still had some warm fuzzy moments, the two parts where apollo thinks he’s going to die but nico comes up behind him - so good. impeccable. 

Leader Guy spat. ‘Now, I kill you.’

He raised his sword... and froze. His face turned pale. His skin began to shrivel. His beard fell out whisker by whisker like dead pine needles. Finally, his skin crumbled away, along with his clothes and flesh, until Leader Guy was nothing but a bleached-white skeleton, holding a sword in his bony hands. 

Standing behind him, his hand on the skeleton’s shoulder, was Nico di Angelo.

and

Nero raised his hand, ready to give the kill command, when behind me a mighty BOOM! shook the chamber. Half our enemies were thrown off their feet. Cracks sprouted in the windowsand the marble columns. Ceiling tiles broke, raining dust like split bags of flour. 

I turned to see the impenetrable blast doors lying twisted and broken, a strangely emaciated red bull standing in the breach. Behind it stood Nico di Angelo.

gods. poetic brilliance. i can’t believe i’m still a nico di angelo stannie in the year 2021. in five years i have not changed (ever since the tv show announcement last summer i have managed to morph into myself from 2017)

from here i’m not sure where to go next i kind of want to go through everything, except it’ll be more difficult than my tyrant’s tomb reaction because i wasn’t reading on a kindle and thus can’t just do funny little reactions to screenshots of quotes, so i’ll just skim through the book page by page and see what i can comment on (i’m not planning on doing analysis today, no thank you, just enjoying the end of my childhood and trying to squeeze as much out of it as possible)

i have an emotional attachment to mr. snake from the very first chapter, and am very upset that he’ll never get off on his baltimore stop and get to see his wife, lu had no reason to shoot and kill him like that.

that brings me to lu, i liked her, it was interesting to see how rick kind of brought in not only the overarching theme of abuse, but also people who let the abuse happen, i have more i could say on this i’m too lazy to right now, and i promised no analysis - or the fact that Lu had conspired to make the show non-lethal to spare Meg’s feelings rather than - oh, I don’t know - refusing to do Nero’s dirty work in the first place and getting Meg out of that house of horrors. 

And are you any better? taunted a small voice in my brain. How many times have you stood up to Zeus?

Okay, small voice. Fair point. Tyrants are not easy to opppose or walk away from, especially when you depend on them for everything.

the parallels to meg and lester heading to percy’s apartment, and then to camp half blood to the hidden oracle was so cool to read, every callback to the hidden oracle just there to remind us readers exactly how far apollo has come and how he’s changed; the entire chapter with sally, paul and estelle just felt sickly sweet, it just didn’t seem real how wholesome and good that family is, like i get why apollo broke down and just sobbed in that shower.

also rick really saying acab again in toa, i thought he was done after that elf cop chapter in magnus chase (the magnus chase series is a masterpiece) but apparently not, with A ‘good cop’ is still a cop... still a part of the mind game.

the grey sisters, i forgot about them completely but this threw me back into was it the sea of monsters when annabeth summoned them? i’m not sure, it could have been the lightning thief either, they really remind me of the disney hercules movie. the whole ganymede paragraph was gold, i love gods being canonically confirmed lgbt in the riordanverse. i also love the whole eye-tossing part - 

‘He will crush our eye,’ Anger cried, ‘if we don’t recite our verses!’

‘I will not!’

‘We will all die!’ Wasp said. ‘He is crazy!’

‘I AM NOT!’

‘Fine, you win!’ Tempest howled.

also, the explanation for why dionysus chooses to look the way he does was perfect, because it was something i often wondered about and wasn’t expecting to get an explanation for, and i imagine the whole mythological dionysus to look like.. well like a more feminine apollo i guess, beautiful in a gender non-comforming way.

Other Olympians could never comprehend why Dionysus chose this form when he could look like anything he wanted. In ancient times, he’d been famous for his youthful beauty that defied gender.

... 

In retaliation, Dionysus had decided to look and act as ungodly as possible. He was like a child refusing to tuck in his shirt, comb his hair or brush his teeth, just to show his parents how little he cared.

every scene with nico at camp just BREAKS ME, i would throw in screenshots of every damn quote but unfortunately, as said above, cannot and would rather not type every one; we’ll start with, obviously apollo confirming to him that jason is dead. 

He didn’t look angry exactly. He looked as if he’d been hit in the gut not just once but so many times over the course of so many years that he was beginning to lose perspective on what it meant to be in pain. He swayed on his feet. He blinked. Then he flinched, jerking his hands away from Meg’s as if he’d just remembered his own touch was poison.

ugh then will talking about how nico’s doing, confirming that he’s suffering with ptsd, mr d giving him advice, helping him sort though what voices in his head are real and which ones aren’t, then the paragraph that just recounts every horrific thing poor nico has been through, how will has to reassure him that he’s okay and ‘with friends’ when he wakes up after shadow travel

will’s kindness to apollo, buying him clothes, and apollo finding seymour the leopard’s head in his bed, put there by mr d aaaa AAAA A A A A A THE ORDINARY, EVERYDAY CAMP HALF BLOOD THINGS..

i could go on for years and years about how much i appreciate rachel having a big role in this book, and the visit to her apartment, everything, her art, the fact that she got what she wanted, she’s going to PARIS to study ART, she isn’t forced to be someone she’s not by her dad, and gets to be a big part of a demigod mission and not stand on the sidelines for once.

i love that her landscapes are still visions, that she still paints the quests demigods go on - the burning maze, jason’s funeral pyre, caligula’s ships; and how nico ~appreciates art~

‘And, hey, di Angelo -’ she pushed him playfully away from the canvas he’d been ogling - ‘don’t brush against the art! I don’t care about the paintings, but if you get any colour on you, you’ll ruin that whole black-and-white aesthetic you’ve got going.’

i. love. rachel.

WILL GLOWS!! THE HEADCANONS FROM LIKE FIVE YEARS AGO THAT YOU’D SEE FLOATING AROUND ABOUT HIM MANIPULATING LIGHT!! CONFIRMED!! CANON!! AMAZING

I AM  OBSESSED WITH THE TROGS, I LOVE THEM, THEY ARE GREAT, not gonna lie, i was expecting something more dramatic and spooky with how worried will was and how dionysus was going.. visiting the cavern-runners isn’t ♫ good for your mental health  ♫ but the little hat frog gremlins were a good addition. i like them very much and their funky little soup shenanigans. quoting the ghost king himself: trogs good. nice hats. (IM SORRY I KEEP MENTIONING HIM BUT I JUST) also how apollo starts wishing for breadsticks a s ajoke and theY STRAIGHT UP HAVE BREADSTICKS? HUH? WHERE DID THEY GET THE BREADSTICKS FROM??

yeah, i’m also still very much upset by every mention of jason grace, it’s funny how ever since his death in the burning maze i have grown to love him more and more and that’s not fun for me, for that boy to become one of my main comfort character’s and have his death and sacrifice and nobility mentioned every few chapters. i’m pretty sure i cried when he appeared to talk in apollo’s dreams, and this time the tears weren’t from the effort of keeping my eyes open and working for hours straight reading this book (i remember staying up until 2am to finish the sequel to beautiful, broken things, it was very much worth it)

‘All right, Jason. We miss you, though.’

ALSO. THE FACT THAT THIS KID. THIS CHILD. HAD TO THINK ‘BUT IF A HERO ISN’T READY TO LOSE EVERYTHING FOR A GREATER CAUSE, IS THAT PERSON REALLY A HERO?’ A KID ISN’T SUPPOSED TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND BE READY TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR THE GREATER GOOD,, i,, ugh,, he’s supposed to be finishing school and designing temples not being the perfect hero and soldier,, spain without the s,,

as @couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name said: ‘thinking about how ghost! Jason didn’t seem to understand why Apollo was so upset about his death because he’s been raised to believe a hero’s sacrifice is noble and his life doesn’t matter in the grand scheme and also if he doesn’t understand why the person who watched him get horrifically killed is so torn up over his death he probably doesn’t even realize his other friends are grieving him..’

IM SO UPSET THE ARROW OF DODONA IS DEAD D: IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ALL THE FUNNIEST MOMENTS WERE BECAUSE OF THAT ARROW AND IT'S DEATH WAS SO SAD WTH LIKE WE FIND OUT HOW USELESS THE ARROW FELT AND HOW THE GROVE OF DODONA ALL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CRAP AND WOULD FAIL APOLLO AND THEN ONCE WE FEEL BAD FOR IT, IT DIES??

the entire python battle was pretty grim, there is a part of me that's like because this is the last book series i would have loved say the magnus chase and kane chronicles gang in a giant battle with everyone like the battle of manhattan but even more dramatic, but even so, i did appreciate that python battle and the whole almost-falling-into-the-depths-of-tartarus thing.

him talking to artemis was cool, but JESUS: 'I turned and strode out of my room, trying to recall how the god Apollo walked.' like that HURTS. it was such a huge culture shock for apollo to go throught this huge character arc and be so human and understand the pain of others, to be around gods again who are so.. apathetic. also, zeus. 'Interesting how he put that: I had done him proud. I had been useful in making him look good. My heart did not melt. I did not feel that this was a warm-and-fuzzy reconciliation with my father. Let's be honest: some fathers don't deserve that. Some aren't capable of it.'

OKAY OKAY SO THE END?? CHIRON TALKING TO A CAT (BAST) AND A SEVERED HEAD (MIMIR) ABOUT SHARED PROBLEMS WITHIN THE PANTHEONS!! WILL AND NICO RECEIVING A PROPHECY FROM RACHEL TO GO TO TARTARUS AND SAVE BOB!! THE HUNTERS OF ARTEMIS, INCLUDING THALIA AND REYNA BEING BEST FRIENDS (qpr.. qpr..) HUNTING THE TEUMESSIAN FOX!! PERCY, ANNABETH AND GROVER, THE ORIGINAL TRIO, GOING ON A CHAOTIC ROAD TRIP TOGETHER!! - SO MANY STAND-ALONE SET -UPS PFSJSJSJ

okay quick word on the reunions at the end: funny little elephant visitation program with livia and hannibal. love that for them. calypso and leo's relationship seems rocky and complicated, but that's to be expected, i think even if they do get properly back together again it might not last long, because it does pretty much feel like a teenage relationship where the two aren't very compatible, but we'll see. hazel and frank are so funny with their gold plated necklaces. lavinia - tap-dance icon. almost cried at the mention of jason's temple-extension plan again. percy not being sure about what he wants to do in college is accurate and i like that that's left to be up-for-interpretation (rick does THE MOST for the fanfic writers pfsjsj). i am OBSESSED with aeithales, like i hate deserts so the burning maze setting is not my favourite but GOD that HOUSE, the vibes are off-the-charts. i'd love a house made of living trees that's also a greenhouse filled with dryads. meg gets a unicorn. that is so great.

i kind of wish the book hadn't ended with 'Call on me. I will be there for you.' because every time I imagine the friends theme song and i don't think that's the vibe he was going for, BUT i do love him talking to meg, that was genuinely emotional - 'You'll come back?' she asked. 'Always,' I promised. 'The sun always comes back.' ; i really wish it had ended with that, but i guess apollo does tend to break fourth walls and talk to the readers, like a lot of the protagonists of riordanverse books.

[ahnheeyeonee]

One layer, two layers, getting painted like watercolors (1/2)

Prompt by @exidprompts

One day, Hyelin comes across an emaciated beggar wearing a strange, colorful mask. Worried for his health, she shares part of her meal with him. As thanks, the masked man gives Hyelin his blessing and promises to help her achieve her dreams.

The girl is confused and doesn’t think much of his words, but upon returning to her art shop, she discovers that her favorite set of oil paints has somehow come alive, transformed into an assortment of tiny fairies. They seem to be in an animated discussion over which color is superior to all others - and look more than ready to throw hands.

The doorbell jingled and broke Hyelin out of her reverie; causing her to start and splash a large contour of dark blue across her painting. It contrasted starkly again the pastoral scene of a small hut with a large river passing next to it, nestled at the base of a snow-capped mountain. She stared at it, horrified for a moment as the colours began to bleed into each other, idyllic greens into muddy blues. A loud bang startled her out of her shock, and Hyelin grumbled as she tugged her paint-splattered apron off over her head, before marching across the messy room towards the foyer of her store, the long skirts of her dress swishing around her ankles.

The store had been a small addition her home a few years ago and matched the rest of the village nicely, not standing out too much but just enough for trading caravans and merchants to notice that gold could be made there. The village that she lived in, Yedang, was a small community where everyone knew everyone else. Usually, that meant that everyone knew everyone else’s business too. The Lord and Lady that looked over them all lived in a large stone castle that rested upon a nearby hill.

"Hello!" A customer called out to her as soon as she entered their vision.  Hyelin greeted them back politely and pushed her unruly dark hair behind her ears, cringing when she felt a wet line drawn over her cheek. She quickly peeked at her hand and sighed when she saw a mess of green paint that she was now sure had transferred onto her cheek. Grabbing a rag that was left on the counter, she scrubbed her cheek before speaking.

“How can I help?” She asked the woman whose appearance didn’t quite seem to fit into her shops aesthetic. The woman’s luxurious white fur coat was wrapped snugly around her body with blonde hair tucked underneath an equally pristine white hat. Her lips were painted a startling shade of scarlet and slightly overlined. She appeared to take a moment to pause before speaking, glancing at Hyelin’s attire first; eyes hesitating over the patches that had been sown on. This woman definitely seemed as if she was out of her comfort zone here, most probably used to having her servants carry out these tasks. Perhaps she was from a nearby city. More than likely, the larger city of Yuehua which was currently a booming centre for trade.

“I’m searching for a specific colour of paint. I was hoping that you may be carrying it within this store as you’re the only one left in this town! You see, I’m just travelling through but my son at home just loves to paint and he needs this one colour to perfect his latest masterpiece.” The woman lamented, placing one hand on her forehead dramatically, pride injecting into her tone.

Hyelin tried not to let a giggle escape. No, you have to be serious for this. This was the first customer that had come through her doors for almost two days now and she desperately needed that sweet sweet cash.

“Okay, if you tell me what colour that he needs; I can check and see if I have it.” Hyelin told the woman. “However, there are some colours that we are sold out of, I’m afraid.”

Sold out was a bit of an emphasis when Hyelin hadn’t even ordered it in the first place. People rarely had time or money for arts and crafts in her small town; especially since the winters had become so harsh. They would rather save for firewood and food and Hyelin couldn’t blame them one bit.

The woman lifted her chin and looked at her through narrowed, kohl-rimmed eyes.  

“It’s Mummy Brown.” She answered and Hyelin winced. That was an incredibly rare colour. Not even stores in the larger cities would be carrying that. It was almost always needed to be ordered from a speciality distributor, especially as excavations for the needed ingredient were becoming so risky recent years with more rumours of curses on those who decided to breach the ancient tombs. 

Taking a deep breath, Hyelin delivered the unfortunate news to the lady.

The woman’s face instantly changed, morphing into something ugly as her face twisted and lips pursed.

“What sort of art shop are you to not be carrying paint?” She scoffed and Hyelin frowned.

“I’m sorry but Mummy Brown is such a rare colour that-.” She began but the woman slammed a hand down on the wooden counter causing her to jump in surprise.

“I don’t care!” The woman shrieked, “My son needs that colour and if you aren’t going to provide it for me then I am leaving.” With that, the woman spun and stalked towards the exit. “You call yourself an art shop but you will fail in this miserable little town.” The woman threw over her shoulder. “You should count yourself lucky that I even set foot in here.” And with a flounce, she was gone, leaving only the ringing of the bell perched above the door in her wake.

In all this, Hyelin stood frozen at the counter, eyes wide. She felt her eyes burn with the telltale feeling of angry tears building up and wiped at them roughly. She shouted out to the empty shop and stomped back into her living room before stopping at the sight of her painting. A blind rage took over as she witnessed the large mark that had disfigured the canvas; an otherworldly dark smudge against the calming setting of trees and a riverbank. Hyelin grabbed the painting and cracked it over one of her knees before throwing it into the fireplace which crackled wildly, the fire almost seeming pleased to be fed. A large bang sounded behind her as her easel and favourite set of oil paints fell to the ground and scattered across the floorboards. Breathing deeply, Hyelin placed her hands over her face and sank down to the floor.

She needed this shop. She needed the sales to keep going. She needed to reach her dreams of her art being shown in Yedang Castle. It was all she had ever wanted since she had inherited the shop from her parents two summers ago. She had to be successful. She had to. She had to. She had to.

Hyelin sat there for a few more minutes and allowed herself to wallow in her own misery.

“Right,” She grumbled as she pulled herself together and climbed to her feet. “Enough’s enough.”  

As she muttered to herself, an acrid smell reached her nose which she scrunched delicately. Sniffing once more, she turned to identify the cause of the smell.

Her apron.

Her apron which currently sat in the middle of her fireplace on the smouldering canvas.

Her apron which currently sat in the middle of her fireplace on the smouldering canvas. And was on fire.

ON FIRE.

Hyelin shrieked loudly and scrambled over to the fireplace and whipped the offending object out of the fire by one of the ties, causing ruby embers to flutter into the chimney and past her face. She batted them away and stamped on the white fabric which was rapidly turning a myriad of shades of gray and black.

Chest heaving, she sat back with a thump into her armchair; her gaze fixed on the slightly smoking remains of her apron. Hyelin sighed loudly once more as she considered her predicament. She knew that she had a few hours before the sun began to set and the nightly blizzard engulfed the town. Looking at the logs next to the fireplace, she made a mental note to grab some more from the woodcutter whilst she was getting some food for dinner. Her stomach let a small wail as her attention was directed towards food and she considered what to make.  Smacking her lips together, she rose from the armchair to grab her kettle to hang over the fire; she was feeling stew tonight.

Placing her last few logs gingerly on the fire, Hyelin filled the kettle with water and placed it above the embers; seasoning it with some herbs, and a dash salt and pepper. Her painting was still in the fireplace and Hyelin stuck her tongue out at it before huffing and turning to the counters. Good. Let it burn.

Perhaps the paint would give some extra power to the flames. Or cause her to go on a paint fume inspired trip. Hyelin chuckled to herself as she grabbed one of her knives and roughly began chopping vegetables to place into the stew. Either one would be good.

“Stupid posh woman.” She grumbled. “Who does she think she is?” Hyelin slammed the knife down and cleaved a carrot in two. “‘My son needs this colour because he’s a posh little brat who doesn’t understand the word no and deserves everything despite having the world’s bitchiest mom!’”  Hyelin mocked, raising her voice into a screechy tone. Ugh. She scoffed and grumbled to herself quietly.

The woman continued to roughly chop an assortment of vegetables and place them into the bubbling water. The stew would be okay to be left alone whilst she popped out to get more firewood, she decided and placed the wooden board and knife into the sink nearby. Hyelin glanced out of the window and noted the slowly setting sun.  Time to head out if she wanted to make it back before the blizzard hit.

Grabbing a small wicker basket, she shuffled through the shop and to the front door where her navy blue cloak and matching scarf were waiting. The dark haired girl slowly wound the woollen scarf around her neck and placed her cloak around her shoulders, making sure that she was completely covered. She opened the heavy wooden door and exited the building, securely locking it and shivering as an icy blast of wind hit her. Tucking the key back into one of her roughly sewn pockets in her dress, Hyelin turned on her heel and ambled down the street, now piled at the sides and discoloured from the many footsteps and carriage tracks that had traversed it during the day.

It was definitely colder than the day before, Hyelin decided as she noticed that her breath appeared in front of her in wispy white curls. The streets, which had once been bustling earlier in the day, were now empty, save for a few individuals with their heads down and hurrying to their destinations. Smoke curled from buildings on either side of her and the scent of wood fires tickled her nose. A large majority of those that lived in the town relied on the woodcutter and the wood that they provided, for a fee of course. Hyelin slowly trudged through the off-white sludge and felt her boots slowly dampening as she made her way to her destination; shivering as she went.

Within a few minutes, she had arrived at the Woodcutter’s shop and pushed her way inside sighing slightly as she hit a wall of warmth. She noticed that most of the wood that had been dotted around the shop had gone but, thankfully, there were still a few bundles that she could get and would keep her warm for the night. She called out a greeting to Yoongi, the Woodcutter’s assistant who greeted her back softly, his attention focused on his notebook

which he was known to furiously scribble in when inspiration struck. She quickly stomped the leftover snow from her boots whilst still stood at the entrance and strode through the shop to pick up some logs and kindling. She pursed her lips at the lack of choice but it was her own fault for not coming earlier; she had been so wrapped up in trying to paint her latest masterpiece that time had flown. Hyelin placed them onto the counter and Yoongi quickly counted them up and told her the total cost. She felt her purse shrivel up slightly as she hesitantly handed the money over.

“Will you be okay carrying these? I could go grab Hoseok or Jungkook to help you if you need it.” Yoongi asked whilst gesturing towards one of the back rooms. Hyelin shook her head in response.

“No thank you, I’ll be okay.” She replied and he nodded, turning back to his notebook and tapping a staccato rhythm with his pencil on the page. Hyelin quickly loaded up her basket and exited the shop; giving Yoongi a smile and a goodbye as she left.

Since the few minutes that she had been within the shop, the sky had turned from a dark grey to a myriad of reds and yellows, with oranges intertwining the soft white clouds that were slowly gathering. Another cold blast of wind rocked Hyelin’s frame as she remained still and stared up at the sky. This would be her next painting. Curls of smoke drifted from chimneys and she smiled slightly to herself at the picturesque image before checking the street for carriages; crossing quickly when nothing appeared.

Her walk home took very little time as the winds began to blow harder and the temperature dropped. Hyelin rounded a corner as fat snowflakes began to drift from the auburn sky which signalled the beginning of the oncoming nightly blizzard. She groaned, her breath coming out in a thick white mist that dissipated into nothingness. She wanted to get these logs on the fire as soon as.

Finally, her house was in her sights and Hyelin hurried her pace to get inside and out of the chilly wind. Just as she reached her front door and pulled the key out of her basket, her eyes noticed something in the reflection of the glass in the door. Hyelin turned. A small figure was crumpled across the street, against where the jeweller came to sell their goods. An occasional shiver wracked their frame as she stood with her gaze fixated on them; with their breath appearing in white gasps every few seconds. A flutter of concern began to bubble in Hyelin’s stomach. Or maybe that was last night's dinner.

In those few seconds of staring at the figure, Hyelin could almost have imagined two mini versions of her pop up onto her shoulders. Angel-Hyelin and Devil-Hyelin.

“Let them in. Give them food, Lord knows you've made enough.” Angel-Hyelin said serenely as she fiddled with her halo; finally happy as she placed it at a jaunty angle.

The Devil-Hyelin snorted and sneered at the angel. “And why would she do that? Invite a stranger in. Have tea. Get murdered. Sounds like an amazing idea.”

Angel-Hyelin frowned, her brows furrowed daintily as she peered around the back of Hyelin's head to glare at the devil.

“There's no way that could happen. Look at them. They're harmless! What happens if you come out in the morning and they're frozen solid!”

Devil-Hyelin shrugged. “At least it won't be you.”

Hyelin frowned at that statement and quickly brushed off her shoulder, starting with the one with the devil first.

“Hey!” She called out. The figure didn't acknowledge the shout and remained still. Hyelin tapped her basket absentmindedly and came to a decision. She hurriedly unlocked her door and rushed through the shop, placing her basket down next the fire and the bubbling stew. Hyelin gave it a quick stir and grabbed a fleece blanket from her sofa.

Hurrying back outside, she crossed the street and came to a stop just in front of the figure, clutching the blanket and wringing it nervously between her paint stained hands.

“Excuse me.” She said faintly, jumping as the strange figure moved slightly. Their brilliant maroon cloak shifted. “Excuse me?” She asked again and managed to contain a yelp as the figure’s head shot up; jumping only very slightly. She mentally patted herself on the back for not fleeing immediately.

“Hm?” The figure looked up at her. Their face was clad in a colourful, ornate mask. Golds and silvers intertwined along the edges and down the long nose of the mask. Hyelin faintly recalled that she had seen these before in one of her books; it was similar to a Venetian mask but was so different at the same time. Furthermore, the figures eyes were opposite colours; one bright emerald and the other dark as the oncoming night. A small shiver crept up Hyelin’s spine.

“Can I offer you some food? And maybe a warm place to sleep?” She asked meekly, still almost hiding behind her brave shield; the threadbare blanket. The individual smiled slowly and nodded. Hyelin smiled back. Then, she remembered about the blanket in her hands and offered it to the stranger.

“My name is Hyelin.” She said, wrapping the blanket around the stranger’s shivering frame. They reached up to securely hold the blanket around themselves and nodded to her.

“Not too much of a talker are you?” She joked with them. They smiled at her as they made their way across the road and into the warm shop. The stranger responded by shaking their head and gesturing to their throat and making and crossing their arms in the shape of an ‘x’.

Hyelin felt the embarrassment curl at her stomach and the tips of her ears begin to burn as she realised the individual was unable to speak or just simply didn’t want to. Devil-Hyelin popped back momentarily to cackle at her misfortune.

The two made their way across the shop and into the living area. Hyelin saw the stranger visibly relax as she went over to check on the stew; “Just take a seat anywhere!” She called over her shoulder. She took note that the stew would only take a little longer and moved some of her newly purchased logs onto the fire.  

Hearing noises behind her, she turned and saw the stranger pick up her easel and paints and place them upright. Hyelin noticed their fingers dance over her paints as they looked through the assortment of colours. The stranger turned to her and tilted their head slightly, the question of how they ended up on the floor almost audible in the quiet room.

Hyelin laughed nervously. “That was me. I made a mistake and it ruined my painting. I just can’t seem to get what I want to be painted. It’s so clear in my head but when it comes to putting it on canvas I’m just not able to do it.” She trailed off.

The stranger nodded as if in agreement and brushed a small bit of fluff off of the easel and lowered themselves onto the chair once more. Hyelin felt her ears burn slightly in embarrassment and quickly busied herself with tidying the dishes that she had left in the sink.

“It shouldn’t take too much longer.” She called over her shoulder as she became elbow deep in warm water. “It’s stew, I hope that’s okay. It’s just vegetables though.

Time passed quickly as she wiped, rinsed and set her chipped dishes to dry and with a quick glance over at the rapidly bubbling meal, Hyelin decided it was ready. The Masked individual appeared to be slowly nodding off to sleep, basking in the warmth of the fire like a lazy cat; the long tip of their colourful mask’s nose tapping the centre of their chest.

Hyelin placed the final dish to dry and dried her hands on her skirt; once dry, she opened one of the many cabinets within her busy kitchen and pulled two wooden bowls down. Fetching two wooden spoons from a drawer, Hyelin made her way back over to the stew. Stifling a sigh as she felt the warmth of the fire, she filled the bowls and sat in the ragged armchair that she had patched up after finding it discarded on the street.

“Here you go.” Hyelin handed the second bowl of stew over to the Masked stranger who eyed it hungrily. Both with steaming meals in their hands, the strange duo dug into their meals with vicious ferocity. Hyelin was surprised when the Masked stranger finished first, as they let out a large, satisfied sigh and placed their bowl next to themselves on the floor. They pulled their faded leather boots off and curled up on the chair. It made an odd sight as their limbs almost seem to overflow from the creaky wooden chair.

Hyelin took her time finishing the rest of the stew; enjoying the warmth of the food and the sound of the fire crackling in the background. Glancing out of the window Hyelin noticed the snow was now falling faster and in plump drops, dancing in the night as they were whipped about in the winter wind. She felt her eyelids begin to dip and with a look at her odd companion begrudgingly removed herself from her comfy armchair and retrieved the other bowl from her now softly snoring companion. She padded quietly over to the sink and placed both bowls in, deciding to leave them for tomorrow.

With one final look at her companion, she headed into her bedroom; shivering slightly as the heat from the main room hadn’t reached the other room entirely. Hyelin quickly changed into her sleeping clothes and dove under the layers of thin cloth that made up her blankets and thought back on her day. It has been strange to say the least. From that horrible woman and her ruined painting to the stranger that was currently asleep in her main room.

Her eyes shot open and she scrambled out of bed, cursing as she knocked her knee on the hard wooden floor. Hyelin marvelled to herself that she was about to fall asleep so easily with a complete stranger in her house. She grabbed the end of her bed and pulled with all her might; dragging the object so that it blocked her door. Hyelin shakily climbed back into her bed and panted at the effort that it had taken. With her heart racing, she took a couple of deep breaths and slowly attempted to fall asleep.