#usually I feed them fish food as a dry food but they love how fine grain this one is

[fyanimaldiversity]

I’m glad you guys like Poptart! You guys are lucky my beetles are all typical colored for their species otherwise I’d spam you with pics of them too.

Anyone have any fun pics of their interesting colored/patterned/etc pets for me to look at? Even ‘normal’ types are interesting!

[handspunyarns]

You Were Marked: Day Three.

pairing: din djarin x fem!O/C   

word count: 6.6k   

summary: The Dahls rise to mate. 

warnings: 18+, MINORS DNI! , Mando'a and English cursing, unprotected PiV sexual situations, non-con sexual situations 

You Were Marked: Masterlist 

<-You Were Marked: Previous Chapter 

Din awoke the next morning the same way he had the previous morning: flat on his back, floating in a fragrant cloud of herbs and dried flowers.  He slowly opened his eyes to see golden diffused sunlight streaming in angles across the dark curtains that surrounded him.  A light breeze luffed the fabric panels, revealing triangles of bright sunshine. He felt warm from a deep, dreamless sleep that was restful rather than restless.  He heard the clatter of a metal pot lid, the hiss of meat hitting a hot pan.  He sat up, rolling his left shoulder that was always stiff upon waking up, the shoulder that would always make a hard click noise when he moved it.  He tilted his head to the left side, then to the right, relishing the series of cracks his spine made, realizing that his usually sore back did not hurt at all this fine morning.  Rolling to his feet, he parted the curtains, and looked down to see the carcass of a partially eviscerated dead furry animal of some sort on the floor.   

Well, good morning to you too, he thought.  He looked over to the fire to see Marathel cooking with her usual brisk efficiency.  Grogu sat on the table, playing with what appeared to be some smooth stones.  His gaze returned to the dead critter.  “So . . . What happened here?��� 

Marathel took a quick glance over her shoulder.  “The Dahls brought you a gift.” 

“This is their idea of a gift?” 

“There were actually three of them.  I’ve already got two skinned and gutted, but I thought you’d like to at least see one of them.” 

Din nudged the carcass with the toe of his boot.  “What was this thing?” 

“A gochgoch.” 

“Well, that tells me nothing.” 

Marathel shrugged.  “I don’t know what to tell you, other than that’s the noise they make, and they’re not good for much other than dried meat.”  Din picked up the carcass between his thumb and forefinger, bringing it over to Marathel.  He laid it on a wooden board on the counter where she had processed the other two critters.  “You should feel very privileged.  Dahls are not known for sharing food.  You must have impressed them much.” 

“I’m sure that has more to do with Grogu than it has to do with me.” 

“Perhaps, perhaps not.  He is easy to love.  You, however . . .” She left the thought unfinished and went back to her cooking pots.  “Are you hungry?” 

“Not especially.” 

“Gochgoch guts too much for you?” 

“No,” Din said, turning to the table.  “I just feel that I am being too idle and eating too much.”  He stacked three of the stones for Grogu to knock over.  Grogu squealed.  “Grogu, on the other hand . . . I sometimes worry that he does not have time to play.   To be a child.” 

Marathel looked over her shoulder to see Din stroking the child’s ear.  Grogu purred with contentment, gazing up at his foster father.  The sight tugged at her heart, reminding her that her own childhood was far different.  A thought occurred to her.  “Have you taught him how to fish?” 

“Fish?  Not yet.”  Din hadn’t gone fishing in years.  The idea was tempting. 

“The boys here learn to fish and hunt.  I sometimes fish myself, but I don’t often have time.”  She rummaged around in her stack of baskets until she found her lengths of dry line and hooks.   Within a few minutes, she had packed a bag with the fishing gear, some food, a jar of water, and a blanket.  “This should work.  If you keep going past the necessary, you will see a path.  Follow that past my vegetable garden, and it will go down towards the sea.  There is a river that feeds into it.  There are tidal flats that Grogu will enjoy running on.” 

Din reached for the bag.  Their fingertips touched.  Time stopped for a moment. Din recovered first, taking the bag from her.  “Bait?” 

“I put some gochgoch meat in there.  It should be enough for you to catch some bait.”  

“What will we be catching?” 

“At this time of day?  Probably just bait.”  Marathel shrugged with a smirk.  “Do you have a knife in that basket of weapons?” 

Din wasn’t going to tell her he had a knife in his boot.  Possibly two.  “I have a knife.” 

“Then you’re set.  I must tend the garden, but I will come down later to make sure you don’t get dragged away by the Great Godynferth.” 

Din tilted his helmet.  “I assume there’s a story there.” 

“Maybe you’ll get to hear it.  If you’re lucky.” 

Din and Grogu followed Marathel’s directions and found the tidal flats that she described.  It seemed to be an ancient lava field that had flowed from the mountain where the Mist originated.  The tide had gone out, leaving the tidal flats empty, save for the occasional low wave that spread out over the rocks.  The river was a sizeable one that fed into the sea.  Din talked Grogu through the process of tying a hook to the line, and how to bait it before casting the line into the river.  After a few false starts – Grogu had thrown the entire line into the shallows a few times – Grogu toddled through the shallow water, dragging the line behind him, enticing small fish to nip on the gochgoch bait.  Din found a long reed to use as a pole, cutting a slice to thread the line through the end, wrapping the line down the pole so that he could feel with his fingers if there were a bite on his line.  Marathel was correct: they only caught the kind of fish that was good as bait.  Grogu, of course, preferred to eat the fish, instead of allowing Din to cut them up.  Then Grogu realized he could just levitate the little fish out of the water using the Force, abandoning the fishing line altogether.  Din lost count of how many times he said put it down, Grogu as Grogu happily splashed in the water, surrounded by little flying fish.  He eventually gave up and removed Grogu’s robe and pants so he could play unencumbered.  Din set his pole between two rocks beside him, in case he got a bite – and settled back against a large boulder to watch Grogu scamper over the tidal flats.  The child brought Din little treasures: some pretty shells, a crab, a curled piece of driftwood.  Din traded these for the bits of dried fruit and meat Marathel had packed for them and arranged the shells and driftwood on a large flat stone next to him, allowing the crab to scuttle away. 

It was sometime later when he felt the ping of a small stone hitting the top of his helmet.  “Wake up, Bounty Hunter.” 

“Wasn’t sleeping.”  This was technically true.  Resting his eyes was not sleeping. 

Marathel came up beside him.  She had a light wrap around her head and neck to keep the sun off her, and she carried a large basket of vegetables in one arm and a wooden rake over her shoulder.  She looked out at Grogu.  “Well, if that isn’t the cutest little bare green bottom I’ve ever seen.”  She set down her load and sat down next to Din, stretching out her legs and crossing her dirty feet in front of her.  “What did you catch?” 

“Bait.” 

“Unfortunately, there’s not much on this side of the Hold.  They fish on the far side of the Hold, away from here.  Big fish over there.”  She found the clay jar of water and took a long drink from it.  “Your armor must keep you terribly warm.”  

Din shrugged. “The sun is always shining when you’re wearing a metal helmet,” he said sagely. 

Marathel burst out laughing, finishing with a most unladylike snort that caused Grogu to turn to her.  Upon seeing her, he ran towards her, giggling.  He leapt into her lap for hugs, which Marathel was more than happy to give.  She picked out a large orange berry-looking fruit from her basket and tore it in half, giving a piece to Grogu.  Grogu relinquished the clam shell he had been playing with, took the fruit, and toddled back to the tide flat.  Watching him go, she bit into her half of the fruit, juice dribbling down her chin.  Din gazed at her while she wiped her chin with her sleeve.  “How ever did such a charming child end up with the likes of you?” 

Din turned his eyes back to Grogu.  “He was a bounty.  Some . . . very bad people wanted to cause him harm.  I kept him with me instead of turning him over to the bad people.” 

Marathel frowned, trying to think of the words.  “It was good of you to keep him safe, even though I do not understand what a bounty is, or why you hunt them.” 

“I do it for the money.  It pays well enough.”  He didn’t feel the need to discuss how dangerous it was. 

“Money?  I don’t understand.” 

Din was not surprised in the least that she didn’t know what money was.  “When I find people, I receive a reward.” 

“So,a bounty has . . . worth?”  Din nodded.  “And when you bring me to the Hold, with the eggs . . . you will receive a reward?”  He nodded again.  “What is my worth?” 

Din was silent for a moment.  “I was offered 167 Ossum Aurodium coins for you.” 

“Is that a lot?” 

“If they are in fact Aurodium, from Ossum, minted into coins, that would be worth an exceptional lot.”  Marathel looked down to her hands, dirty from digging in the dirt.  She slipped them into her sleeves.  The fact that The Bishop would offer a stranger from another planet what was apparently something so valuable for her . . . it added another layer of dread to her thoughts.  So much for the thin thread of hope that The Bishop would forget that she existed.   Her eyes drifted closed in despair. “What I don’t understand, though,” continued Din, “is . . . why . . . there would be Aurodium coins here.”  Marathel’s eyes flashed open.  That was not what she expected him to wonder about.  “It doesn’t make sense that this self-sustaining Hold you have here would have anything like Aurodium to trade or offer.  You know nothing about the history of your planet, right?  How your people got here?” 

Marathel looked down to her knees.  “No. Nothing.  The Hold has always been there.  The Elders have always been there.” 

Din was tapping his finger in irritation on one of the shells next to him.  “The Elders.”  He turned to her.  “Were you . . . betrothed to this Bishop?   Why is it so important that you go back to him?” 

Marathel opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again.  After a long time, she said, “I was . . . supposed to be a Whyn, but when Diwhyn Olba realized I could hear the Dahls when no one else could, she knew it was . . . safer for me to be out of the Hold.” 

“That also doesn’t make sense.  And what is a Whyn?  There’s something more to it than just a girl who has grown up, isn’t there?”  Marathel lifted her head, but then her attention was suddenly and completely stolen from Din’s words.  He noticed that she was no longer listening to him but was focused on Grogu in amazement.  He looked over to see Grogu levitating a tentacled creature, larger than he was, over his head.  The creature was slowly twirling like a gyroscope. 

“Frith in heaven,” she breathed.  “What . . . How . . .” 

Din sighed.  “Yeah, he does that too.” 

“He can . . . heal, and he can . . . lift things?” 

“Grogu has powers with the Force.  His people were Jedi.” 

Marathel frowned.  “Magic, then?” 

Din tilted his head.  “Well, no, not magic at all.  The Force is . . . an energy that flows through the universe, and certain people, they can . . . harness and use it.  I don’t understand it much myself.” 

“That must make your life interesting.” 

After a moment, Din answered, “It is an adventure.” 

They sat quietly for a long time.  Din wanted to keep asking her questions, but when he turned to look at her, he saw such sadness in her face that he remained silent.  She drew her legs under her to stand.  “We should go, so that we are not caught out in the darkness.  The Dahls are restless, and when they’re restless . . . they can be dangerous.”  She walked out to collect Grogu, removing her headscarf to wrap around the little green body.  Din pocketed the shells and driftwood and collected Marathel’s basket and rake.  She raised her head to look at him, standing on one hip, holding her basket like it weighed nothing, the rake over his shoulder, armor reflecting the sunlight.  She felt a hitch in her heart, and then chided herself for thinking foolish thoughts.  If only the straight-line path of her life could go in a different direction.  She may be currently sidetracked, living Holdless as she was, but her future loomed larger as she heard the Dahls louder and louder in her head.  Tired, Grogu’s head clonked against her shoulder.  She pressed her cheek to his, and a single tear dropped from her eye to land on his petal-soft ear.  Grogu lifted a tiny hand to her mouth, which she kissed, and felt better. 

It took a while to walk back.   Marathel seemed to get more distracted as they walked along.  She kept slowing her pace to gaze out over the distance.  Sometimes she just stopped walking to close her eyes and take deep breaths.  Din frowned at her under his helmet.  Had he managed to upset her with his questions?  Was she falling ill, or experiencing some after-effects from the Mist?  He finally ended up walking ahead of her, depositing the heavy basket of vegetables in the kitchen, replacing the rake, and then meeting her back at the steps to collect Grogu.  He took Grogu from her, headscarf and all, accidentally taking hold of her tunic as well.  He muttered “Sorry,” under his breath, but then kept out a hand for her to assist her up the steps, which surprised her.  Surely, he didn’t think I needed help to go up three steps? she thought. Still, she took his gloved hand, and he did give a slight pull on her as she ascended into the hut.  Dropping her hand, Din unwound the wrap from Grogu.  “He really should have a bath,” he said.  “Is it all right if I bathe Grogu in the sink?” 

Marathel nodded.  “Of course.”  She set about adding hot water to the reservoir, finding towels, bringing the jar of soap off its shelf.  She noticed that Din kept his gloves on to bathe the child rather than remove them in her presence.  As she chopped vegetables for dinner, she stole glances over to the sink on the other side of the hob, smiling as Din created stand-up curls of soapy hair on the green child’s head.  “You are a good parent to him, Bounty Hunter.” 

Din considered that high praise, coming from her.  “I try.”  He poured a cup of water over Grogu’s head.   He didn't know why it was so easy to speak to this woman, but being around her loosened his tongue.  “I wish my own parents had lived longer, so that I could have learned more about how to parent from them.” 

Marathel was immediately saddened.  “You lost your parents when you were young?  I am so sorry.” 

Din lifted Grogu out onto a fluffy towel.  “A foundling raising a foundling seems appropriate.  You probably got to grow up with your family in the Hold.” 

Marathel put her knife down.  “I actually don’t know who my mother is.”  Din paused in his drying of Grogu to look at her.  “All the children are raised together in the Hold.  All the Whyns who give birth raise all the children together.  There are no families.” 

This struck Din as incredibly sad.  In the covert, although the children were also all raised together as a village, each child who had parents in the covert knew who they were and lived in their family units.  Even the foundlings had the fortune of being apprenticed to an adult Mandalorian who served as a foster parent.  “Diwhyn Olba was not your mother?” 

Marathel moved on to slicing meat.  “She might have been.  If she was, I never knew.  She did not tell me.” 

“What of your father?” 

Marathel stood still for a moment.  “I know who my father is, yes.”  Her tone indicated to Din that she would not continue on this subject, and she returned to her slicing.  Din went back to drying Grogu.  Then he heard Marathel hiss, “Oh, for the love of Frith!”  Din looked over to see that Marathel had cut her fingertip quite badly.  He took a step towards her.  “I’m fine!” she snapped, sticking her finger in her mouth.  Din did not offer to help her again and dressed Grogu in clean clothes.  She wrapped her finger with a bit of towel and began slamming things in the kitchen in irritation.  She couldn’t find the herbs she wanted; the meat cooked unevenly; the pot of grains boiled over.  Din stayed silent, entertaining Grogu on the steps, giving her wide berth.  She finally served the dinner, and Din fed Grogu on the steps.  Grogu seemed to be happy about what she had made, but then he would eat anything that would remotely be food.  Din set the child down to run around the yard, and he brought the dish back to the kitchen.  He saw Marathel sitting on the bench closest to the fire, her back to him, elbows on her knees, her face in her hands.  He didn’t want to raise her ire, so he placed the dish in the sink without a word, the clunks of his boots making his presence known.  Marathel sat up and sighed.  “Forgive me.  I am . . . cranky.” 

“Naas baatir.” 

“And that means . . .?” 

“’It is nothing.’” 

“At any rate, thank you.” 

“Naas baatir.” 

She softly snickered at that and got up to make their late afternoon tea.  His with a saucer, hers without.  Din was already at his usual place on the steps; Marathel placed the tea at his hip and sat at her usual place on the other end of the steps.  The late afternoon shadows were already creeping across the yard.  Marathel held her mug in both hands, hunched over, her elbows on her knees.  Her head was bobbing slightly as if she were hearing a staccato drumbeat in her head.  Din watched her out of the corner of his eye as her thumbs began tapping on the edge of her mug.  This went on for some time.  He finally turned his head to ask what the shab was wrong with her, but she must have noticed his movement, as she turned her head and snapped, “It is . . . It is naas . . .Naas . . .” 

“Naas baatir.” 

“Naas baatir.  As you say.”  Marathel put her mug down on the step -- a bit harder than she had intended -- and pushed herself into a standing position.  She ran her hands roughly through her hair, piling it up on top of her head with her hands, then letting it fall.  She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath, before walking out to Grogu in the yard.  Calmer now, she sat next to Grogu and began to weave the pile of flowers he had picked into crowns and necklaces, all of which she draped over him.  By the time she was done, Grogu was twice his size, the floral crowns piled high on his head, bracelets from his shoulders to his hands, and so many necklaces only his eyes were visible above them.  Grogu happily trotted off to show Din, who laughed, stood up and then bent into a deep and formal bow, proclaiming, “Your Majesty!”  Marathel laughed too as Din picked up Grogu and held him high above his head, flowers falling and bouncing off his helmet.  Din lowered the boy and tucked him into the crook of his arm.  Marathel sat where she was, elbows wrapped around her knees, watching the armored man interact with tiny green child, her smile falling from her face.  She closed her eyes and swallowed.  The Dahls were getting noisy again in her head.  She grimaced and looked out towards the tall grasslands, wondering how she was going to get through the night.   Finally, she stood up and walked into the stream up to her ankles, the setting sun to her back, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, forcing herself to breathe as naturally as possible.  

Din watched her as she stood ankle-deep in the cold stream, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath, the sunlight reflecting on her silver hair, turning it into a burnished gold color.  Something was wrong with her; he knew that much.  She had said the first day that eggs would be coming in four or five days, and this was day three of his time here.  He decided that she was nervous about having to go to the Hold to deliver the eggs; it was more than obvious she feared The Bishop.   

He felt Grogu growing heavier in his arms; the child had a long, exciting day, and the flowers were lulling him to sleep.  Din carefully removed all the garlands from Grogu and made a bower of the floating pram, laying the dozing child in the center of the flowers.  “Sweet dreams, buddy,” whispered Din as he shut the lid of the pram.  He wondered for the briefest of moments if there might be insects in the flowers, then figured that Grogu could have a midnight snack if that were the case.  By the time he looked up again, Marathel had left the yard.  Looking around, he noticed that she was walking through the stream, past the hut and away, deep in her own thoughts.  Din picked up the mugs and took the opportunity to lift his helmet enough to drink his tea, thinking that he needed to find out what herbs were in it before he left this planet.  He put a little hot water in her mug of tea to warm it up, leaving it on the table.  After a moment’s thought he put the saucer over it.  After another moment’s thought he put one of the fallen flowers on top of the saucer.  Then, worried that she might misconstrue the gesture, he removed the flower.  He was standing there, overthinking a silly flower, when Marathel stepped back up onto the platform at the back corner.  “What are you doing, Bounty Hunter?” 

His head snapped around as if she’d caught him stealing her entire stash of bread.  “I, uh . . . warmed up your tea.” 

She stood there, staring at him silently with a quizzical look on her face.  She reached over, removed the saucer, and took the mug.  “I think I will lie down.  Excuse me.”  She turned and disappeared behind her curtains.  Din glowered down at the little yellow flower in his hand, as if it were the source of his confusion and irritation.  With a small sigh, he walked over to the steps the furthest away from her curtains as possible – as loudly as his steps could be, for her benefit -- and sat down.  After a while, Din tucked the little yellow flower away in the inner pocket that held the shells and driftwood from earlier that day.   He leaned against the post, and stared into the sky as the stars began coming out, listening to the yip-yip-yehs of the Dahls in the far distance. 

Marathel could not sleep.  She could not relax.  She tried to stay as quiet as possible, knowing that the Bounty Hunter was probably still awake and able to hear every move she made as the rushes in her sleeping tick crackled.  Damn these rushes, she thought.  Damn my desire to be comfortable. She wished for her worn-out pallet that she had in the Hold.  It had been very thin, and she had felt every stone of the kitchen floor underneath it, but it didn’t make any noise to announce that she was not sleeping.   She rolled to her back, stretching her arms out, trying in vain to let her body receive any cool breeze it could, but the air was still, and the yip-yip-yehs of the Dahls carried easily in the night air, but they were even louder inside her head, reverberating with her heartbeats.  With a soft grunt, she rolled to her feet, giving up on any kind of sleep.  She left her curtains on the kitchen side, hoping not to attract attention.   She wanted cool water, but all she had was what was left in the reservoir.  The fire had gone out, but the water there was still too warm.  it was too dark -- even with the moonlight -- to see if her hanging waterskin still held water, so she grabbed the small lantern that she kept above the dry sink, shaking it to wake up the glow worms inside, giving off a pale light.   

It was the light source that made Din turn his head in her direction.  He had been sitting quietly, still leaning against the post, facing her curtains.  He had been listening to her toss and turn, and heard her get up.  The floating pram was quiet.  He was surprised to see that she had any kind of lantern.  She lived like a farmer – up with the sunrise and down with the sunset.  The lantern hardly gave off any light at all, and all he could really see was her outline as she held her hair on top of her head with one hand as she held a wet cloth to the back of her neck with the other.  As his eyes dragged down her back, he could see that she was wearing a thin gown with a wrap over it.  He stood, hoping not to startle her, his boots announcing his presence on the wooden plank floor.  She took a deep breath, dropped her hair, tossing her cloth on the counter, moving past her curtains and out of sight.  He followed her.  He turned to his left, just past her curtains, when he saw her leaning against a post, her back to him.  Her arms were wrapped around the post tightly as she hugged it. 

Din crept closer.  “What is wrong?” 

Marathel gave a raspy sigh.  “It’s the Dahls.” 

Din stood quietly, listening to the cries of the Dahls. “They are very loud tonight.” 

She dropped her forehead to the post.  “They’re rising to mate.” 

A long pause. “I see.” 

Marathlel’s breath grew faster and more ragged.  “I can hear them.” 

“I hear them too.” 

She shook her head vigorously.  “No!  I . . . hear them.  Not just in here,” she said, indicating her ears.  “But here . . .” she put her hands on her head.  “In here,” her shaking hands crossed over her chest, and her wrap fell to the floor, leaving her only in a whisper of a nightgown.  “And here . . .” her hands slid down her breasts to her belly.   

Din took in her words, the full truth finally getting through to him -- then he breathed out, “Oh.”   

Marathel panted, wrapping her legs around the post, pulling herself close to it with a low moan.  Din stepped forward and bent to retrieve her wrap.  As he straightened up, Marathel suddenly leaned back, holding the post, and her spine met his beskar cuirass.  Her head shot up with a gasp, and she immediately tried to press harder against him.   

“I’ve . . . always been alone before . . .I don't . . . I haven't . . .” she whimpered. 

Din stood motionless, holding her wrap with one hand.  He closed his eyes tightly, knowing that he should back off, that he should leave her, that he should just take Grogu and walk off into the night, but just then she dipped her knees, rubbing her backside against the front of his breeches, where he did not wear beskar.  His eyes opened, his penis twitching into life against his will, and from that moment, there was no existing force that could make him leave. She mewled deep in her throat, grabbing at the cuisses he wore on his thighs, pressing her round buttocks harder against him.  She turned around slowly, taking hold of whatever piece of armor or flight suit she could grab, desperately pressing whatever part of her body she could against his.  She scrabbled at his cuirass, pulling him towards her against the post, her teeth bared, her eyes gone dark and glazed, her breasts heaving against the thin fabric of her gown.  Din grabbed at the post with the hand holding her wrap over her shoulder, his own breath growing ragged.  He heard her growl as she clawed at his chest armor, breaking her fingernails.  He reached up with his free hand to release the catches and the armor fell to the floor.  She clutched at his now-exposed flight suit, straddling his thigh, rubbing herself hard against the armor there, her own thigh pressed firmly into his crotch as his erection grew.  He automatically rutted against her thigh, pressing his whole body against hers, pinning her to the post, feeling the weight of her breasts against his flight suit.  She quietly growled again, sliding her hips to his center, curling her spine, thrusting her pelvis against his, her barely covered vulva against his clothed tumescent cock, matching his rhythm.  His knees were slightly bent to accommodate her, so she wrapped her own legs around his, placing her bare feet on the backs of his calves, and climbed him like a tree until her thighs were wrapped tightly around his ribs, continuing to thrust her hips against his, her arms clutched around his shoulders.  Gasping, he reached under his helmet to rip his glove off his free hand with his teeth, and he reached between them, shuddering at her heat, her wetness, her unspoken pleading against the back of his bare hand.  He could barely register the thought that he was touching her with his bare skin as he clumsily loosened his breeches and opened them enough to let his cock spring free, aching, desperate for her.  He felt his tip touch her hot wet center, thinking that he should go slow into her, thinking that he should be gentle, thinking that she didn’t have control of herself, that this wasn’t Marathel before him but a woman with a mind and body possessed, when she lowered her chin, her dark eyes flashing at him, her teeth bared in a snarl, and she dropped her weight enough to impale herself onto him, forcing his cock as deep into her as it would go.  She gave a small cry, throwing her head back against the post, her knees squeezing his ribs hard enough to break them, her thighs going into spasm as she immediately, powerfully, exquisitely, came. He felt the flutter of her quim against his cock, and he thrusted madly against her, pinning her to the post, his hand not holding the post clutching a cheek of her round, sweet, soft, ass, losing all control of his previous thoughts of gentility.  Her thighs continued to squeeze, her quim continued to clutch, her cries continued to peal against his helmet, as she rode out not so much a series of orgasms as one long continuous one that seemed to ebb and flow as she moved her hips in counterpoint against his.  With every thrust, Din grew weaker and weaker, the greyness that had been just around the very edges of his vision growing stronger and stronger.  Her return thrusts grew more determined against him, harder, faster, her quim clasping his cock as if she were sucking the very life out of it, and Din began to feel that he might just pass out before he came if she kept this up.   

At that moment, she thrust her hips furiously against him, squeezing her thighs even harder than he had thought possible, locking her ankles together, driving her heels into his spine, rendering him motionless with a ragged cry before she dropped her face against his chest, biting him hard through the flight suit as she trembled and fell apart at the peak of her long-riding orgasm.  The pain of her teeth sinking into his chest sent him right over the edge, grunting, his hips convulsing against her as he finally released into her.  First spasm, second spasm, gasping against her shoulder as he willed his body to finish before he fell to the floor.  He twitched his hips, he had more that he desperately needed to fill her with, when he sensed, he felt, her body change against his.  Her gasps of frantic pleasure were now gasps of panic; he felt her whole body stiffen, her head drawing back against the post, her hands pressing against his chest with a need to escape as Marathel came back into herself, displacing the raw need of the mating Dahls that had just completely possessed her.  All this happened in the tiniest of moments, but he needed a bit more time, so he kept her captive, whispering, “Wait, wait,” into her ear, as he felt his pelvis and testicles clench.  Third spasm.  Marathel gasped.  “Shhhhhhhh,” he breathed.  He grunted again as the fourth and last spasm finally went through him and into her.  Marathel gasped again, this time with a little cry.  “Shhhhhhhh”, he whispered again. “You’re okay.  You're okay.”  He kept himself pressed against her, his upper arms holding her thighs against his sides, willing his breathing back to normal, as his erection faded.  Her body was still completely tensed up, ready to spring away at the slightest opportunity.  He slowly, carefully reached between them, the back of his hand touching her again, causing her to whimper as he removed himself from her, tucking his now-flaccid penis back in his breeches.  He then used that same hand to gently remove her trembling left leg from his waist, carefully setting her foot back on the floor, smoothing down her nightgown against her thigh.  He switched hands on the post, performing the same task with his other hand on her other leg.  Still keeping her captive against the post, he pulled his head back to see her staring with wide eyes at his left pauldron.  He took the wrap, miraculously still in his hand after all this, and carefully draped it over her shoulders, covering her front to grant her some modesty.  He looked down at her.  She continued to stare at his shoulder, trembling, biting her lips.  “Hey,” he said softly.  Her wide eyes shifted to his helmet.  “All right?”  She nodded and looked away.  He took a half-step back, turning his head so that he would not see her gown, which had been captured at her waist, fall back down to her ankles.  Finally released from his grasp, she turned and launched herself off the platform and into the night. 

Din took one shaky breath, then a second, and then collapsed with his shoulder against the post.  Dank ferrik, he thought weakly.  It hurt his shoulder, but at that moment he was thankful for that damned post, otherwise he would have face-planted on the floor.  He released the catches on his helmet and quickly pulled it off, feeling the cool air on his face and hair as sweat dripped into his eyes.  He looked off to where Marathel had run and saw nothing.  The lantern was much dimmer now, but he figured he didn’t have much time before she came back.  He went to the sink, grabbed the cloth she had used on her neck, resoaked it in the now-cool water from the reservoir, and quickly wiped his face, head, and neck before replacing his helmet.  He took a quick glance over his shoulder and still didn’t see her, so he quickly opened his breeches to clean himself up, making sure the cloth ended up in her dirty laundry basket.  He replaced his glove and reached down to pick up his cuirass when the fabric of his flight suit dragged across his chest, reminding him that she had wounded him. 

He went to the lantern, which was now almost completely dimmed out.  He gave it a shake as he had seen Marathel do, and the glow worms within glowed brightly again.  He opened his vest to find that she had indeed bitten him rather badly. As he sought out a clean cloth and her jar of soap, he saw Marathel returning, clutching her wrap around her tightly.    He turned his back to her so as not to expose the wound – or his bare chest -- to her as he cleaned the bite mark.   A ridiculous move, he thought, considering that they had just fucked like blood-hungry womp rats against a post, but he did it anyway.  She climbed up on the platform, decidedly not looking at him, and went to the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth.  Glancing over his shoulder again at her bent form, he said, “You bit me.”

She froze for a moment.  “Is it bad?” 

“It broke the skin.” 

“I, um. . .”  Putting down her toothbrush, she reached up past his shoulder and brought down a jar that looked familiar.  Her breasts brushed against the back of his flight suit, and she jumped back.  “Use this salve. It will keep infection away.”  She went back to the sink and her toothbrush. 

Din used the salve as directed and closed his flight suit.  Lifting his cuirass over his shoulders he asked, “Does your cycle follow the Dahls’ cycle?” 

Marathel fell still again, and her face grew hot as she realized what he was asking her.  She swallowed and said, “No.  No, it does not.” 

Din nodded.  “You should be okay anyway; I’m fixed.” 

“I’m sorry?” 

Din clicked the last of the catches on his armor.  “I’m shooting blanks.” 

Marathel softly said, “Oh,” and went back to brushing her teeth.  She didn’t understand what he was talking about, but she knew that she did not have the courage to ask.  She returned her toothbrush to its proper place.  Din walked back to the floating pram, glad that it was still completely shut.  He was not ready to have that conversation anytime soon.  They each moved to their curtained partitions, but they both paused, both knowing that words were being left unsaid and both unsure if they would – or should -- stay that way. Din turned to look at Marathel.  Marathel had half-turned, but her eyes were downcast.   She stammered, “I . . . good night,” and escaped behind her curtains for the second time that night.   The pale fabric fluttered closed.  Din stepped behind his dark curtains and laid down, flat on his back, and linked his fingers together across his stomach.  He blinked into the darkness and thought, Well, that was different. 

Marathel sank down to a sitting position on her sleeping tick, staring off into space for a long time after the Bounty Hunter had fallen asleep.  Over and over in her head she thought, dear Frith in heaven, what have I done? 

You Were Marked: Next Chapter ->

[aseioh]

Of Cakes and Late Celebrations

Author’s Notes: This was supposed to be posted on Mother's day. But just like this fic, I got derailed and ended up being late. (picture taken from the internet)

It was Mother's day.

Or to be precise it will be Mother's day in 15 hours 25 minutes. It shouldn't be a problem for Alcina, she usually just buys something from the Duke to give to Mother Miranda.

Unfortunately, such a thing is not possible right now. The Duke was delayed with his routine arrival at the castle opening, something about a spooked horse and lycans trying to get a nibble.

Honestly she lost interest after the word delayed was spoken through the phone. How is she going to remedy this. The gift itself was one of the finest silk she was able to obtain, she was sure Mother would appreciate a new ritual robe.

This is bad. To show up without a gift on this special day. She was sure she would be made a mockery during the gathering. Whats worst was that fool Heisenberg would be the first to lead with his pathetic insults.

Just the thought made Alcina's blood boil.

”I should send Bela to switch that man's shampoo with dog shampoo. Although the man still smells like wet dog. No. I'll think of something more devious.“

But back to the matter at hand. It's almost Mother's day and she doesn’t have a gift. Taking a deep drag off her cigarette, she considers her dwindling options.

At western part of the village

Donna is also facing a similar problems.

"What do you mean you're not coming?! Where am I supposed to find a present at this hour?!" Angie's raspy voice filtered through the phone "do you know how hard it is to find a 1st edition book on occult and rituals."

"Apologies Miss Angie, but the horse spooked and the carriage suffered a broken wheel. Even if the servants manage to haul themselves your house to the Duke's location and back it would still be too late." The main servant said trying to sound as apologetic as he can come across.

"This would not do" Donna said finally in her normal voice.

Somewhere inside the Stronghold.

Karl Heisenberg was having a meltdown.

"YOU STUPID LYCANS! I GAVE YOU ONE JOB AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO IT RIGHT!!" Heisenberg paces around the small assembly hall. Ten Lycans looked very apologetic, although it was very hard to tell from their looks. One even lets out a soft whimper.

“I told you to stall The Duke for a while. I didn’t said to derail him completely. The man has a package for me, now how am I supposed to get it!?” Heisenberg seethes.

His plan was a simply one really. Stall The Duke so that he would arrive at Castle Dimitrescu late, that way Alcina would not get her package and present it to Mother Miranda. That would show her, a little payback for calling him a child.

What he didn’t count on was the utter incapability of the Lycans to follow simple directions. Now even he doesn’t have a gift. Oh Miranda’s gonna blow a gasket.

“Augh... I hate the consequences of my actions” He lamented

 At Moreau’s Reservoir

“NOOOOOOO!! That’s not fair, that’s not fair!!!” Moreau starts throwing his stuff on the floor. He had finally saved up his money to buy Mother Miranda that nice jewelry that would go perfectly with her black wings.

“Someone’s gonna pay” He vows to take revenge on the Lycans responsible for his problem.

 After all his pet fish has been hungry for some Lycan meat.

 Castle Dimitrescu (13 hours until Mother’s day)

“I have gathered you here today for a very important meeting” Alcina starts looking at the sad (Donna) and tearful (Moreau) faces of her so called ‘siblings’. Heisenberg is surprisingly calm which puts Alcina on high alert, but lets it slide in favour of the more pressing matter

“We have a big problem. The Duke will not arrive on time for Mother’s Day. That means all the presents we bought for Mother will not arrive”

“We need a solution, any ideas?”  

“We kill the Lycans responsible and feed them to my fish”

“Yes Moreau, but that’s after we solve this problem” Donna said and tries to placate a Moreau by patting him at the back.

“Whoa, that’s a bit dark but I like it. And Moreau is right, we’re gonna make fish food out of those Lycans” “Better off those basdards, after all I don’t want to implicate myself” Heisenberg thinks

“People, you’re missing the point here” Alcina says pinching her nose to ward off an incoming headache. “Listen, we don’t have time. You know Mother Miranda, She’ll say she wasn’t really expecting something and then low-key punishes us for missing the day. We don’t want a repeat of the 1967 incident do we?”

Moreau whimpers from the trauma.

Donna goes into a slight trance and starts to shake.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough” Heisenberg stands. “Why don’t we just bake something and say it’s from all of us”

 *beat*

“Do you know how to bake?”

“I work at the Factory, I make steel molds for a living how hard could it be?”

“That doesn’t answer my question Heisenberg”

“We could make a small doll” Donna pipes up

“Sorry Donna that would still take time. And I don’t think we have the right materials on such short notice.” Alcina says

“For someone who’s looking for a solution you sure are shooting down all of them”

“Because it’s not feasible Heisenberg.” Alcina huffs “Can you gather all the materials in less than 10 hours? No? Of course not”

“And I keep telling you just BAKE A CAKE!”

“I don’t know how to bake, child! I’m a BLOODY COUNTESS not hired help” Alcina bellows at Heisenberg

“I know how to bake”

Everyone turns to Donna.

“Really?”

“Of course, I used to watch my Mother bake cakes before the accident. I just need help decorating. I never got a hang of that part” Donna beams with pride as she explains the basics of baking

“And we can gather the ingredients no problem. You have a pantry here somewhere right Alcina?” Moreau asked

“Of course. We always have a full pantry for the servants.” At that Heisenberg looks at Alcina with a hint of disbelief

“What? We need them healthy to serve us. I’m not a complete monster.” Alcina defends

“In any case we should start early. It takes time to cool and decorating is hard”

 Castle Kitchen (12 hours 30 minutes before Mother’s Day)

It was truly a sight to see. In a way it was enough for the Castle’s servants to wet themselves in fear when they saw the 4 Lords gathered at the kitchen in various forms of concentration. Needless to say, everyone was warned to steer clear of the kitchen for now.

Moreau was together with Donna supporting her with mixing the wet ingredients. Meanwhile, at the other side of the cooking station Alcina and Heisenberg are charge of measuring out the dry ingredients.

“You need to be precise, don’t put too much. Remember what Donna said and look at the damn recipe”

“I know what I’m doing you damn woman. I’m all about precision. Why don’t you move away and get that mixing bowl at the top shelf.” Heisenberg grouched

“I’m not your servant. And I certainly will not start fetching stuff for you” Alcina shot back

“Alcina, we need to work together. We don’t have time and you’re the tallest of us all. Please cooperate with Karl just this once. Please?” Donna implored

“Once. I’m helping him for this one time only. When I get my hands on the Lycan responsible for this problem, I’m gutting him and throwing him at Moreau’s reservoir.” At Donna’s admonishment of Alcina, Heisenberg gives a shit eating grin, showing some rather very pointy canines.

“And Heisenberg, stop provoking Alcina.” Donna adds

“Fine, you’re no fun Donna”

Suffice to say, the baking went well. Who knew that the 4 Lords working together would be a great success? If only Mother Miranda saw her children working together peacefully she might have had a heart attack and thought that she suffered one as well.

Or she might have been dreaming.

 Castle Kitchen (6 hours before Mother’s Day)

“Alright, the cake has cooled down completely, So what color will be the icing?” Donna asked

“Yellow” “Cream” “Light Blue” the other three said simultaneously.

 *beat*

“Light blue? Really? Not everything needs to be manly Heisenberg”

“And not everything needs to be boring like your color, Alcina”

“It should be yellow, like Mother’s sunny smile” Moreau explains

“And in which ever universe has Mother ever smiled like the sun?” Heisenberg counters Moreau

“Hey now. No need for that tone!”

“Tsk, sorry Moreau” Heisenberg apologizes to a quiet Moreau

“Fine, let’s do pastel yellow it’s easier for the eyes anyway” Donna supplies, getting ready to start coating the cake with the yellow cream

 Inside the Sanctuary

“Happy Mother’s day”

“We hope you like the cake Mother”

“Yes, we poured out our love in baking it. I hope you appreciate it” Heisenberg said

“Why thank you loves. This is a wonderful surprise. And Moreau said that you all worked together in baking it. How wonderful!” Mother Miranda said grateful for once that her children worked together without collateral damage (that she knew of).

“Although Heisenberg, I heard something interesting from Urias” Mother Miranda looks pointedly at Heisenberg, who for some reason starts to sweat and turn pale.

��oh shit’ “Really Mother? Good news I hope” Heisenberg tries to bluff his way out.

“Why it was quite peculiar really. He said that you got 10 of his Lycans for a special project. I wasn’t aware that you have some side projects”

 The 3 Lords turn to Heisenberg

“Wait what?”

“I KNEW IT!!” Alcina unsheathes her claws

“You’re responsible for this mess in the first place!!”

“Really guy relax, if anything I just proved that we need more than one traveling merchant in the village for a successful and on time delivery” Heisenberg starts to carefully ease his way to the nearest exit.

 “GET HIM”

In the end, Alcina was more than ready to feed Heisenberg to Moreau’s pet fish. Only Donna stopped her, citing Moreau would probably be inconsolable if his pet got indigestion from all the metal.

And that is how Heisenberg saw himself in doggy jail for a week along with his Lycan cohorts. Mother Miranda did get her Mother’s day gifts from her children although a bit later than expected.

 And the cake?

 The cake was surprisingly delicious.

[bibliosophist]

Soft as Bread, Sweet as Honey, Chapter... Idk, 4?

Hi folx! I guess there is more to this story. I’m working on what will be chapter 4 on here, and chapter 2 on AO3. You can read it below the break if you want to, or you can hop on over there and just read the whole thing properly. Beelzebub x Female Reader

Cooking duty is one of the chores at the House of Lamentation that you mind the least. You’ll certainly take it over cleaning the common room. It never ceases to amaze you how much of a mess fully grown men- demons- whatever- can make. Like all chores in the house, everyone takes turns cooking. Unlike other chores, people usually double up on cooking duty on account of there being so many mouths to feed-- especially when one of those mouths belongs to Beelzebub. Your cooking partner this semester is Levi, and though he does more talking than cooking, you’re generally fine with that. His constant stream of anime and game related chatter puts you at ease as you cook.

It had taken some time for you to get familiar with some of the more exotic Devildom ingredients, but you had found many that bore a close resemblance to food you were familiar with from the human world, and whatever you were unfamiliar with you were pretty good at researching on your DDD. You’d found a few Devildom dishes that you were comfortable cooking, but most often you ended up making food inspired by things you’d loved eating in the human world. Tonight you have decided to make okonomiyaki, a personal favourite. It would be easy enough to prepare a large quantity of, and allowed for enough customization of toppings that everyone would end up happy. Plus, you figured, Levi probably wouldn’t mind actually helping-- his fondness for everything Japanese outweighing his innate laziness.

When you enter the spacious kitchen, Levi is nowhere in sight. No matter, you think. You’ll start without him. You busy yourself washing vegetables and preparing a large pan of Covetous Cod fillets to bake. The mild fish, you think, will pair well with the tangy sauce.

You’ve almost finished peeling a pile of yams when you hear a voice behind you.

“Uh, hi.”

That is most certainly not Levi’s voice. Slowly you turn around, meeting Beel’s eyes from where he stands, large frame taking up most of the doorway.

“Hi,” you say back, your stomach fluttering.

This is the first time you’ve been alone together since the incident in the alleyway a few days ago. Between your project with Sibyl and his brothers’ constant presence, you haven’t been able to say two words to each other in private, and thanks to another one of Mammon’s pranks backfiring, the brothers’ texting privileges have once again been temporarily revoked. You briefly considered texting him anyway, but shuddered at the thought of Lucifer finding out and reading your messages. Though you haven’t had any alone time, it hasn’t stopped him from holding your hand under the table when nobody's looking, or smiling at you in the halls.

“Sorry I’m a little late.” A rosy tinge crept into his cheeks. “I got Levi to switch with me, but, uh, I got hungry on the way home and stopped for a few doughnuts.”

You can feel a grin spreading over your face. “You got Levi to switch. How did you manage that?”

“It wasn’t hard. He doesn’t like making anything more complicated than instant noodles.”

You laugh, running the peeler over the yam you’re holding. “So I’ve come to realize. But why did you ask him in the first place? Isn’t this just more work for you? Are you that tired of Ruri-chan Ramen?”

“Instant ramen is good, but I like variety in my meals. I get a little bit bored with just one flavor. Not,” he says, panic on his face, “that your cooking is boring. I like your cooking very much...” he trails off, cheeks on fire.

Your grin widens and you turn back to your task, beginning to grate the yam into fine strips. “I agree. It’s better when there are different, complimenting flavours.” If he doesn’t have a problem with your cooking, could he have come here just to see you? Your heart beats a little bit faster.

“Are you okay with my plan of making okonomiyaki? It’s a human world dish, but it’s really versatile. I think it will work well with the ingredients we have here.”

“Ah, yeah, I’ve had that before when I visited up there,” he says, pointing at the ceiling.

“Is it really “up” from here? Like, if I sprouted wings and flew straight up, would I get to the human world eventually?”

“I’m not sure,” he laughs, “I don’t know if anyone has ever tried getting there without using a portal.”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” you say, gathering the grated yam into a bowl and beginning to thinly slice cabbage. “The cod is already baking. It should be done in a few minutes. Do you want to start on the batter for the pancakes?”

He nods, coming to stand beside you at the counter. “I can do that. Can you tell me how?”

“I actually wrote the instructions out over here,” you say, gesturing to a piece of paper.

“So...” you trail off, keenly aware of how close he’s standing to you. “What kinds of things do you like cooking?”

“Oh, um. I don’t think anybody has ever asked me that before. Usually they only ask me what I want to eat,” he says. When you glance over at him, he’s got a finger in his mouth. You suspect he’s just dipped it in the flour. You can’t help the smile that pulls at your lips again, or the memory of how his skin tasted. Thankfully you don’t think he’s noticed you peering at him, because he keeps talking. “I guess I like grilling best. It’s pretty quick, and you get to watch the whole thing. It’s not like baking. That’s frustrating.”

“I don’t have the patience for baking either,” you say, resting your hip against the island as you watch Beel begin to crack eggs into his bowl. “One wrong measurement and the whole thing is ruined. Oh, hang on, you’ve got an eggshell in your batter.” You reach over, plucking the tiny fragment of shell out and wiping it on a teatowel.

“Sorry,” he mumbles.

“It’s completely fine, it happens. That looks good, now just stir it all together.”

“Is it supposed to be kind of... runny?”

“Sure,” you say, carrying over the bowls of vegetables, “if it’s too thick, it won’t cook through properly. Here,” you reach into the bowl, transferring handfuls of cabbage and yam into the batter. “Make sure the vegetables get well coated. I’m going to take the fish out.”

“Thank you for letting me help,” he says.

“What do you mean?” you ask, sliding protective mitts over your hands before opening the oven. It smells incredible, and your stomach rumbles. Normally you’d cut off a big chunk and snack on it while you finished cooking-- Levi had usually wandered off by this point in the process-- but you’re acutely aware that it’s not Levi standing behind you.

“Well, usually my cooking partner is Lucifer. He likes things the way he likes them. And...” he trails off, bringing the batter over to the stove. He looks a little dazed, eyes locked on the pan of cod. “That smells incredible.”

“Thanks. I hope it tastes as good as it smells. Wait- no!” Your warning comes too late, he’s already reached out to pinch off a corner of the flakey flesh. He hisses in pain, pulling his fingers back, shaking them vigorously.

“That’s another reason he doesn’t like me in the kitchen with him,” he says bashfully.

“Come here,” you say, taking his other hand and leading him across the room to the faucet. You turn the cold tap on and test it with your own hand before taking his injured one and running it under the chilly water. “Is that better?”

“Yeah, thanks,” he mumbles, cheeks pinker than his fingers. “I have a hard time controlling myself. It’s like I know better, but I forget when there’s food around.”

You chuckle, rotating his hand under the stream. “I get that. Normally I snack while I cook. I don’t like waiting either. Then I end up eating way more than I should.”

He nods along with your words. “I do the same thing. There’s this one soup that Belphie really loves, but every time I try to make it for him, I end up eating it all before it’s ready and have to start all over again.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” you say, turning the tap off. You gently dab his hand dry with a clean teatowel. “I’m going to go get the first aid kit from my bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

“No, wait,” he says, catching your arm as you turn away from him. “Stay here with me.”

“But your fingers-”

“Already feel much better,” he says, drawing you back to him. Now his eyes are glazed with something other than hunger. He cuts off your protest with a kiss. His lips are so soft and warm; you melt right into him. When your lips move against his he scoops you up in his arms, sitting you on the counter, bringing your face level with his. “I missed you,” he whispers, pulling back to kiss your nose.

“I missed you too,” you whisper back, resting one leg on either side of his hips. You wrap your arms around his neck and your mouth back to his. His hands find your waist and he holds you tight as your tongues explore each other’s mouths. You hadn’t realized how badly you’d wanted to touch him these past few days, and now that you are you can’t get enough. Your hands find their way under the collar of his jacket, fingers running over his broad shoulders. You’re in the process of sliding his jacket down his arms when a familiar voice cuts through your haze.

“- getting hungry, do you need any help in- oh.” Breaking apart, you look to the source of the interruption to find Satan standing in the doorway, one hand on his hip and a smirk on his face. “So dinner will be quite late, then.” he says.

“Beel burned his finger,” you blurt.

“Uh-huh,” Satan nods. “And to sooth it he had to stick his tongue down your thro-”

“Get out,” Beel yells, seizing a nearby piece of fruit and throwing it in his brother’s general direction.

Satan steps to the side, smoothly avoiding it. He chuckles. “I’ll tell the others dinner will be a bit late.”

Face absolutely on fire, you hop off of the counter and cross back to the stove. “I’ll just heat up some oil,” you say.

Beel follows after a moment, resting his hands on your hips as you begin cooking the pancakes. “Can we finish that kiss after dinner?” he asks

It takes all your willpower to continue spooning batter in the pan. You don’t trust your voice, so you just nod.

[sunshinesukuna]

just right

pairing: miya osamu x reader

tws: body insecurity, catcalling, self-starving

wc: 5.1k

prompt: Person A and B aren’t a couple, but A is crushing massively on B. A decides to change to get B’s attention, and while B doesn’t know about this crush, B starts to notice that A is starting to look and act differently... But B doesn’t like it and decides to confront A. What is the confrontation like? How does A react?

summary: the 6 things you want to avoid for him, and the 1 thing he wants you to avoid for him.

insp: GOT7′s Just Right, lovely - millz

special thanks to the betas that read over this @haikyuu-ink @fukuronani and @ardorwrites-hq-mha <33

this is a special love poem for all y’all that are going through something like this. psa: it gets better <3333

The lunch ladies were all flabbergasted when you skipped your usual side dishes and asked them to give you a piece smaller than your usual. 

“But you’ll go hungry!” one of them said. You shrugged and gave them an apologetic smile.  You turned your head to the side to avoid smelling even more of the scrumptious food in front of you. Instead, you focus your eyes on the small bowl in front of you. There’s some rice the size of a child’s fist coupled with a piece of fish smaller than an iPod shuffle.

Osamu pulls out his regular bento that he made himself after complaining that the ones you make weren’t enough to keep him fed throughout the day. There are three onigiris per usual. All three of them were meant to be for him, but you started nicking so much of them for yourself that he let you have one eventually.

So when you didn’t creep your hand from under his larger elbow to swipe at the snack, he stopped eating all at once. The onigiri hung suspended inches away from his ready mouth, locked in their place by your out of place habits. 

He holds it out so tantalizingly in front of you, the human personification of the devil on your left shoulder egging you to take the snack from the plastic bag in front of you. Osamu doesn’t say anything, but the nudge on your arm and the small raise of his chin asks you soundlessly: “You’re not going to eat it?”

You shake your head and continue nibbling on the fish to savor the flavor for longer. Osamu tilts his head.

“You’re not going to eat it?” Osamu says out loud. Atsumu stops his blabbering from across the table and puts his chopsticks down.

“Oh? What’s this? Our gluttonous (Y/N) isn’t eating that much anymore?” Atsumu asks. You wrinkle your nose at the other twin. Osamu’s still holding the onigiri. He makes it look like an object worthy of being your Holy Grail, perhaps even better than that. It takes all your resolve to hold back from running to the lunch ladies and demanding seconds.

“I figured that you would be tired of me stealing your food all this time, so,” you pushed his outstretched hand away from you, “you can have it this time.”

“But I don’t want it,” Osamu says. He slides the unwrapped onigiri back to you and opens another one.

“You can give it to Atsumu,” you say, sliding the snack to the other side of the table.

“Yeah, ‘Samu,” Atsumu says, using your nickname for his twin. It drips in mock sweetness that would make anyone grimace. Atsumu mockingly opens and closes his hand, even though there’s a mountain of rice and enough vegetables to feed an unwasteful family for a month on his own plate. “Give it to Atsumu.”

Osamu rolls his eyes at his twin and looks back at you. Like he’s going to give the fruits of his hard work to his no-good twin. His eyes widen again as he taps your elbow with the onigiri like you’re a stray cat deprived of warmth.

“You don’t have to give it to me, ‘Samu. I’m fine.” The groaning of your stomach says otherwise. Osamu looks at you with his ‘I-told-you-so’ eyes. You bat your eyes and open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. He holds out the piece of onigiri again.

You chew on the last mouthful of rice, sucking out all the flavor from the grains before swallowing it and putting down your chopsticks. Osamu keeps eye contact with you as you rise from the lunch table, looking like a puppy that had been kicked to the streets by its beloved owner.

“I’m on a diet,” you mutter, as you make your way back to class alone. “See you at practice later.”

Osamu stares at your retreating back, before finishing the onigiri that was meant to be yours.

Osamu forgot the name of the female idol a minute into the interview. The other boys in his class had been raving about her since class began. The minute the teacher left to go to the office, it was phones out and social norms out the window apparently, as they ogled the beauty giving the interviewer a way too good view of her legs.

He balances the pencil between his lips and nose as he eavesdrops on the conversation. He catches glimpses here and there of who they’re talking to, but they’re not enough to pique his interest. Truth be told, Osamu would much rather like it if the ones talking to each other in close proximity on a loveseat were you and him. 

“Yo Osamu!” one of his classmates, Osamu has better things to know than his name, calls out with a slap on his back. 

“Are you a fan of her too?” the classmates asks. Osamu twirls the pen around his fingers silently, not feeding into the question.

“There must have been something you liked about her,” one of the boys says, leaning on Osamu’s desk. Osamu has half the mind to tell him to move his arse to the dumpster where it belongs.

“She…” Osamu shrugs saying the first things that come to mind, “has a cute laugh, I guess. Doesn’t snort like those comedians on game shows,” he says. Of course, he doesn’t mean it, he just hopes that the boys will go away if he makes a dry comment.

The boys thought that Osamu couldn’t even digest the basic mechanisms of a laugh at the end of the day anyway, so they rolled their eyes and went back to happily watching. 

You stare at your hands as you listen to his words on the other side of the class.

“And then she slams into the wall, face first. When I saw her through the window, I thought she was Peppa Pig reincarnated as a human, without the pig,” Atsumu jokes later at practice.

A smile breaks out onto your lips, widening into a hearty laugh. You’re about to slap your thigh in mirth, but are suddenly jolted back to reality when you catch a glimpse of Osamu.

You laugh, but your signature snorts and chortles are gone, replaced with a tinkly giggle that makes Osamu want to punch people who laugh like that. And the wide smile on your face is hidden behind your hands, what’s up with that? But since you’re the one that’s laughing, he clenches his fist and squeezes his knee to redirect his excess tension.

You keep it up for the rest of practice as you continue with your duties as manager. The first-years that see you as their friendly senpai chat you up as usual. Osamu has more pressing appointments, like the ball hurtling towards his face at 75 miles per hour, so the face of the fella that’s making you cover up your pretty little laugh automatically stamped onto the ball in Osamu’s mind, as he spikes the ball back with a deathly force.

Osamu’s always been content with the circumstances he was born in, but right now, he wished that he was born with a superpower. Telekinesis, more specifically, so he can ward off the hands that cover your mouth and the vocal cords that constrict the laughter that is so uniquely you. 

Maybe that’s why he’s thinking about you much more than he usually does.

He doesn’t pay much attention to how much of it he’s giving you until Atsumu brings it up later on the way back home. 

“Ya’ was staring at her so hard I thought your eyes were ‘bout to pop outta your ugly face,” Atsumu says. Osamu isn’t fazed, having faced almost 17 years of the same insults over and over again from his twin that just never seems to learn any new ones. He keeps walking. 

“We have the same face, Einstein,” he retorts. There are a few minutes of silence between the twins as they pass the scenery of Hyogo. But curiosity gets the best of Osamu.

“Staring at who?” Osamu asks, finally getting his twin’s insult.

“Ya got the nerve to call me Einstein but can’t figure out something like that, eh?”

Osamu stops right in his tracks. Atsumu keeps on walking but stops as well when he realizes he’s left behind his twin. Osamu gives Atsumu a blank look. 

Atsumu clicks his tongue. “(Y/N), ya’ dummy. From the way you were lookin’ at her, I thought she ate one of your snacks or something.” Atsumu rests his head between his hands.

 “Not like ya’ would ever let anyone hurt her.”

You had anticipated what was going to come ever since the bus had dropped the team off at the beach. The boys of the volleyball team were overall respectful men, but they were teenage boys, at best. You caught their lingering stares and the way they would fight for the court nearest to the biggest gaggle of girls on the beach.

Which is why you had come prepared.

The boys rush into the sea one by one as they strip off their jerseys into the sand. You shake your head as you pick them up one by one. You roll up the sleeves of the crewneck to make it easier to reach below, but the sheer insulation it’s giving you is making it hard to take a step.

“Come on out (Y/N)! We’ll feed ya to the sharks!” Atsumu shouts from where he’s paddling in the surf. 

“How about I feed you sand and rocks in your rice later tonight?” you holler back. Atsumu instantly goes slack-jawed and camouflages himself amongst the sea foam and other beach-goers. 

There’s exactly one jersey missing from the bundle you have in your hand. Huh. All the boys should have finished practice by now. You scanned the beach line, looking for any black shirts in the distance. All of them were swimming in the ocean shirtless by now.

Except the one looming over your shoulder right now. You jump back at the sight of his shadow standing intimidatingly above you, but you reel back once you get a peep of his ash hair.

“Aren’t you going in the water, (Y/N)?” he asks. There’s a stick of fried squid in his hand. “You worked really hard back there, you know.” The combination of sudden confrontation and the crewneck’s heat-trapping material has you sweating a flood.

“I’m fine just sitting here, Osamu. You can go play with the boys if you want to,” you say. Osamu gazes at the water that reflects the sunlight so perfectly it mimics freshly polished diamonds. He rubs his chin in thought, before turning back to you.

“What are you going to do in the meantime?”

You settle back on the chair you had put in a shady spot before everyone else was even up. It took a little pocket money and some convincing, but the guy that owned the shaved ice stand right in front of the chair had saved it especially for you. You hold up the book on the table. 

“Calculus.”

“In this heat?”

“Just because we’re at the beach doesn’t mean I can slack off on my studies.” You flip open the book. “You can just leave me here. I’ll be alright.”

Osamu looks at the sea, then back at you. You’re praying to the heavens above that he’ll just go play, so you can get this damn thing off without having to worry about any of them— especially the twins— seeing. It’s the first time you would be exposed this much around them anyways. You really should have brought a lighter and looser shirt along with you.

“Then I’ll stay here with you,” Osamu says. Shoot. 

“Y-you will?” He nods. “Sure you don’t want to go cool off in the sea? Or get some food? You should really go out in the sun, you know. Everyone’s been asking me if you’re alright because you’re so pale.”

“Do they?” You curse at yourself as he pulls over an unused chair from an unoccupied table. Osamu sets it in the sun, inches away from where you’re sitting in the shade. He props up his leg. “This counts as tanning, right?”

“I guess,” you mutter.

Osamu puts his sunglasses on and goes back to eating the stick of fried squid. From time to time, he glances at your sweaty body. It was 30 degrees outside and you insisted on wearing the team’s winter crewneck? Some heat tolerance you had. Or probably it wasn’t your heat tolerance. Osamu wouldn’t know, seeing as he was interrupted by loud hooting.

“Nice bikini, sweetheart! Sure you don’t wanna share some of that with me?” 

“I would tap that!”

“Major babe at 10 o’clock!”

Surely that couldn’t be the team. They had been raised better than that after a whole school year spent drilling the Peeping Toms of the team harder than ever, courtesy of their kickass manager: you. 

Thank goodness it wasn’t. A group of boys around your age paraded around just a few meters from where you sat on the beach. Their noisy brags sent a young toddler screaming back to his mother and a poor dog back to the ocean. The crowd parted like the Red Sea for them as they made their way down.

“What about her, bro?” a scrawny one asked the tallest, most likely the leader of the group. They stopped just in front of the shaved ice stand you were lounging at, waiting at their friends to finish their transactions.

“Which one?” the leader asked.

“The one near the table.” You looked up. The boy was pointing a long, thin finger your way. There was no one around where you were sitting except for Osamu.

“Nah. Bet she’s not worth it. I wouldn’t go for her, and I feel sorry for the bros that do.” 

They were talking about you.

You fished around in your bag for your sunglasses. Shoot, you had left them at the inn this morning. You settled for putting a hand on your temple in hopes that they wouldn’t see your eyes. 

But you would be lying to say that it didn’t hurt. The one thing you were trying so hard to avoid during your stay at the beach now thrust on you when you didn’t even ask for it? After all you had taken to avoid it?

The lump in your throat was getting bigger and bigger by the moment. Maybe you should remove yourself from the situation. The boys already knew what time their curfews were and they were in good hands. You shut the book and put it back in your bag. Osamu pulls down his glasses to see you getting ready to go somewhere.

“Where are you going?” he asks. Osamu stands up again. Please don’t follow me, please don’t follow me.

“I’ll be—” your voice cracks. Shoot. “I’ll be back at the inn if you need me.” Before he can ask you any more questions, you turn on your heel and make your way back.

“Hey, say that again,” a voice says. It’s soft, but pillows used to suffocate people to death are also soft. It’s Osamu.

“Say what?” the leader asks. “You her boyfriend?” 

You freeze in your tracks and take a peep behind you. The boys are chest to chest, Osamu having the advantage of height by only a few inches. The boy isn’t fazed at all. He smiles at Osamu,but it’s poison honey that would make anyone want to slap him across the face. 

“I can hook you up with some chicks way out of her league. You could do it, man. Come on,” the boy says.

“Shut your trap,” Osamu retorts. 

“You’re just salty ‘cause you couldn’t find a chick hotter than her.”

Things are going to get worse. Without looking back, you make your way back to the safety of the inn.

Maybe Osamu was lying about the scars on his knuckles.

Osamu loses his sanity at the same pace the clock ticks. A few more minutes left. Maybe he should go get some fresh air out in the hallways. The hallways are almost empty, save for a few last-minute stragglers that rush to get to their classes on time. With everyone that passes, the feeling of dread eats him up as he worries that you’re not going to make it.

“Morning, ‘Samu!” someone greets from behind him. The early morning sunlight on your face made it look like you had a rosy tint on your cheeks. As you stepped closer, Osamu realized that if he stroked a finger across your cheek, it would definitely come back absolutely stained with blush.

There was also a light sheen of pigment on your lips. Not like the normal shade of your lips weren’t perfectly kissable. But Osamu would digress. 

“Are you wearing makeup?” Osamu asks. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

“You just…” Osamu gestures at your face, now caked on with makeup that you usually wouldn’t wear. “This is why you were late?” 

“No! I actually—” But then there’s a knocking on the table at the front, and everyone is back in their seats in an instant. The bespectacled teacher surveys the room. His eyes linger a bit longer on your bedazzled look, but they flit away just as quickly to the open book in hand.

“Today, we’re going to talk about ideal types,” the teacher says. A few people in the back snigger, but the teacher pays them no mind. 

“Miya Osamu! What are you looking for when it comes to a partner?” You roll your eyes at the classes jeering, but find yourself leaning back to hear Osamu’s answer. Osamu looks up at the ceiling.

“Someone… quiet? Maybe so I don’t have to deal with all their bull—” Osamu’s just bs-ing it of course, but there are people in the class that hand onto his every word like it’s the actual truth. Yourself included.

“Language!” the teacher snaps.

“In accordance with the reading material, does anyone know the reason why we have ideal types?” 

“Yes, (Y/N)?”

“We have ideal partners whose natural defenses contradict with our own. If we’re shy and quiet, we tend to pursue people who are aggressive and pursuing, for example.”

“Good. Can anyone tell me how this would have protected us in the past?”

“Yes, (Y/N)?” the teacher asks again. The teacher sighs, even though you see no one behind you raising their hands. From your peripheral vision, you catch Osamu laying his head on his hands. He stares out the window like he’s bored with class… or perhaps bored with you? 

“I... was just stretching, sorry.”

“Very well then.” 

The second you put your hand down, Osamu looks back at the teacher. Did he not want to hear you yammer on again? He did say that he liked quiet girls. 

All the more reason for you to turn it down a notch.

So you do, during math, when you clearly have a final result of 25 written clearly on your paper. Yet when the teacher asks for answers, you fumble with the pencil on your desk to make it seem like you’re working.

And again, during science, when your group in lab has finished the experiment yards above everyone else. But you stall and crumple up the paper near your chest, and only hand in the result once another group has gone and given the teacher theirs.

And again during History, when you give another lame excuse that your report on Date Masamune isn’t finished, just so you wouldn’t be the only one presenting in class that day. Osamu clearly sees the papers with “One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu, Date Masamune,” on the title page, but says nothing. 

He doesn’t really do anything. It’s your life after all, why should he tell you how to live it? But he would be lying if he said that he didn’t miss your quick answers to the teacher’s questions, always summing up the points better than the teachers.

In the end, he leaves you be and ignores the feeling in his gut he gets whenever he sees you wearing more makeup than you usually do. That is until he’s passing by the teacher’s office on his way to practice and happens to spot you. It’s unlike him to care about other people’s business, much less snoop into them, but Osamu finds himself stalling at the water fountain next to the door even when his own bottle is still full.

“I just think I ought to hold back a bit. Everyone probably thinks I’m a bit overbearing, so i’ll just… tone it down a bit,” you say. Tone what down? 

“You don’t need to, (Y/N),” someone, probably your science teacher, replied.

“It’s alright, sir, I promise.”

“Really? You seem to have changed a little this past month.” Pure facts. Even though he never said it out loud, anyone would have noticed the way you put on more makeup and started to become quieter and quieter.

“I haven’t, really.”

“You’re also starting to become more tardy, (Y/N). Is everything alright back home?” You chuckled.

“Everything’s fine, sir, it really is.”

How believable.

The final straw that breaks the camel’s back comes a few weeks after that. Coach looks over at the boys that aren’t playing on water-refilling duty, their manager absent and nowhere to be found. 

“Where’s (Y/N)?” the coach barks at the second years. Aran shrugs and looks expectantly over to Atsumu and Osamu. 

“Sick. Stomach flu,” Atsumu says in the middle of his set. 

“And no one’s gone and checked up on her?”

“Her mom said that (Y/N)’s “not in the mood for entertaining guests,” or whatever excuse she has for missing that killer math test yesterday.” Atsumu puts in air quotes for emphasis. 

It’s Osamu’s turn to serve, but his legs don’t seem to want to move anywhere. They’re anchored down to the floor by the thought of none other than you. You were generally healthy, with no other severe conditions that would knock you out for a long time. And Osamu was with you for the past few days. You hadn’t eaten anything sketchy, albeit you did eat a lot less than your usual portions. 

He shrugs it off and slams the ball to the other side of the net. 

The bell screeches from up above, the savior melody of bored students who are aching to eat and spend some time away from the teachers.  

“Hey, (Y/N), wanna go get some…” You heed him no mind, the only acknowledgment of his presence a slight bump on his shoulder as you walk out into the hall. That’s odd. Osamu steps out of the classroom to call your name out into the hallways, but you’ve disappeared under the wave of students heading for lunch. Rather than embarrass himself, Osamu decides to go eat. 

He has half a mind to go get you from your other friends to go home when the sun starts to dip against the Hyogo sky. A raised eyebrow graces his face as he is told that neither your friends can be able to locate you, what with your bag and other possessions gone from your lockers. 

Practice is another pain in the back to deal with, harshened by a new realization. It’s been dawning on him for a long time now, but he’s hesitant to take any action without further proof. 

Osamu lays a hand on the doorknob of the locker rooms. There are whispers outside the door. Normally, he couldn’t care less for other people’s business—tea was where Atsumu truly shined— but of course, it just had to be your voice on the other side of the door.

“Why can’t you just give it to ‘em yourself?” Atsumu asks. If this was going to be a scene straight out of a cliche teen romance, Osamu would make a run for it. You click your tongue.

“Just because, Atsumu. Give it to him or I’m not leaking the answers to tomorrow’s chemistry quiz to you,” you reply back. 

“If this wasn’t my twin, I wouldda cast you out to the streets already, (Y/N).”

“He’s better off not seeing me, okay?”

Oh. Well, now all the puzzle pieces have fallen into place.

You’re cornered. Why does coach have to have this day of all days to direct his frustration at Osamu. Maybe coach’s anger wasn’t really that baseless though— Osamu constantly missing his serves and crooked spikes would be enough to irk any volleyball player enough to make him run laps around the gym. And since it was getting late and everyone wanted to go home, who else to better oversee Osamu’s punishment other than their sweet manager?

“And… 100,” you call from across the hall. Osamu crouches on his knees and pants. With heavy, laboured steps, Osamu trudges all the way to the wall next to the bench where you’re sitting. And promptly makes himself comfortable just a meter a way from you on the wooden tiles. You furrow your eyebrows at him from on the bench. 

“Hey, (Y/N),” he asks almost lazily. You grip the bench seats. Please don’t drag this out, please don’t drag this out. Osamu turns his head slowly to fix his eyes on your shaking figure. You spy the door over at the edge of the gym, wondering if you can make it before Osamu’s athlete reflexes can catch up to you. 

But your neck moves on its own, turning your head around to make direct eye contact with your former best friend.

“Take ‘yer makeup off.” Osamu says it like a command, the tone of his voice alone enough to make you reach for your eyebrows that you had so painstakingly labored over this past morning to look presentable… for Osamu. 

“What?” you ask. With a click of his tongue, Osamu rises up from his position laying down on the floor and moves to where you’re sitting. He doesn’t break eye contact as he puts either hand on the sides of your hips, effectively caging you inside his arms. You can feel his heavy breaths on your forehead. 

Osamu looks up at you. For someone like him, he looks disoriented as can be. Pupils widened, breath turning shallower, and sweating even heavier.

“Why’re you doing this, (Y/N)?” he mumbles. “You’re clearly uncomfortable under all that makeup, and I can tell you wanna punch the daylights out of that girl for making fun of Isaac Newton’s wig.” 

He catches himself, realizing that the volume of his voice is growing steadily louder and louder, and that you’re shrinking in your seat. Osamu sighs and takes his hand off the bench. The air is now fresh, but Osamu’s musk is still enough to make you dizzy with images of his face only a hair’s width away from you. 

You’re not sure if you hate it.

“I-I’m sorry?” you ask Osamu, who has now taken a seat on the bench right next to you. He leans on the wall, only eyes moving to look at you. Osamu shrugs and takes a swig of the water bottle on the bench before dropping his head in between his legs. 

You scoff. Osamu, being the one to say all this? The nerve this boy has. The mental wall that is the dam to your emotions breaks. 

“You really are dumber than Atsumu, eh?” Osamu perks up at the sound of your voice. “You know why I didn’t go to school for those two days? I burned myself on my hair straightener, because I didn’t want to take a chance to let you see me like that!” 

You let the neckline of your sweater fall, the purple, rectangle burn still as clear as day on the skin of your neck. Osamu’s eyes widened. He raises a hand to touch it, but the likes of an invisible lasso hold him back from getting anywhere near you. 

There’s a burning behind your eyes. The ground under you felt like a waterbed, wobbling with each step you take. This was not how you planned your first confession would go, but here you were. 

“It’s because I like you, you dummy!” you cry, standing up.

Your words echo throughout the empty gym.  If it didn’t echo through Osamu’s mind, then you were—

“I’m the dummy here? Tch, yeah right.”

Osamu looks to the sides of the hall like he’s planning an escape route. Well, no way to escape this situation now. You’re both mice in a trap, lured by the cheese that is your feelings, and pinned down by the current circumstances. He locks eyes with you for a second, before his eyes find something more interesting to look at— your lips.  

“Only an airhead like you would go on to change themselves just so I would like them,” Osamu rises up to his full height, “when I already do in the first place.”

“You… what?” you ask. 

“I like you.” Osamu can’t seem to make a decision on wether to look at your eyes or not. “But fuck that, if ya think ya gotta change yourself for me, then I’d rather not date at all.”

You scoff. So all your efforts had been for nothing?

“But you said you liked quiet girls! And—” Osamu raises an eyebrow.

“You believed that?” 

“What else was I supposed to believe?” you screech.

There’s a large hand that’s harsh enough to send the hardest spikes across the net, yet gentle enough to toss the most careful sets and decorate the most delicate pieces of food in his bento. It’s on your cheek, wiping away tears that you didn’t know were there.

Hands lead up to muscular arms that greet you as you step inside his comforting embrace. There’s nothing except the sound of muffled crying through the halls. He does what he can, patting your back and offering his sweaty jersey as your handkerchief. If anyone walked in the gym right now, he would have given them a glare to send them running away for as long as they could run. 

“That I like you just the way you are.”

taglist: @akaashit-baeji​ 

[ships4you]

the innkeeper

Pairing: Sokka x reader & some motherly Katara

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of blood

Authors Note: Someone requested a shy reader afraid of confronting Sokka but I accidentally deleted the request :( So this is for my lovely anon who requested this <3 Also I’ve been trying to make my fics as gender neutral and all that jazz, but please call me out if I slip up so I can fix it!! I may split this into 2 parts, so stay tuned :):)

Prompt: The reader and their family are in charge of the only running inn of the Northern Watertribe. When the Avatar and his friends come to the city the reader finds themselves befriending our favorite Southern Watertribe prince.

“The avatar is in the city!” your younger sister, Kana yelled running into your room. She grabbed your arm before you could resist and before you knew it she was dragging you to the courtyard. “The avatar? Here?!” you responded, “What is the avatar doing in the Northern Water Tribe?” She shrugged, “I’ve heard some people say he’s here to learn waterbending. I don’t see why though he should be like 1000 years old by now.”

The courtyard was crowded with familiar faces from the Tribe, everyone had seemed to rush just to get a glimpse of the all powerful avatar. Your sister had dragged you to an empty bridge overlooking the mass of people. Suddenly a large fluffy beast entered the courtyard walking next to three kids. “Avatar Aang,” the chief boomed, his voice bringing the crowd to a hush. The youngest of the three, dressed in colorful clothing you’ve never seen before bowed before the Chief. Kana latched to your side overflowing with excitement, “Do you think that’s him?! There’s no way, he’s my age...” You lightly pushed her off chuckling, “Shush up, I can’t hear what’s going on.”

As the Chief’s welcoming speech dragged on you focused on the two dressed in large blue sweaters similar to your current outfit. They both were clearly Water Tribe, but you had never seen them around the city before. The boy was looking around, amazed by his surroundings. You smiled at his giddiness, the smile stretched across his face was so pure and cute. He had deep blue eyes that were shifting every which way. You were so distracted, it took you a second to realize he had glanced up at you. Your eyes met and he smiled offering his hand up for a friendly wave.

“Eeep!” you squeaked squatting down behind the icy railing. Did he notice you staring? Was he weirded out? Obviously he was, who stares at people- creeps! That’s who. That was so embarrass-

“(y/n).” your sister said distracting you from your thoughts, “Why are you on the floor.” she pointed out unamused. You tucked your head between your legs and groaned, wincing at your awkwardness.

***

The inn your father ran scarcely had any customers. Most of the time your customers were either locals or Earth Kingdom generals visiting to discuss the war. All of a sudden your dad’s humble business became the talk of the town. Classmates constantly bugging you with questions, “What’s the avatar like?”, “Have you seen him airbend at all?”, “What are the two from the Southern Water Tribe like?” You didn’t have the heart to say you haven’t met them yet. Your father handled their rooms when they arrived, along with your nosy sister (who threatened to scream bloody murder if she didn’t get to meet the avatar). You on the other hand had been actively avoiding the group, especially the blue-eyed boy.

When people were staying at the inn; which was basically three extra rooms in your home, you were in charge of feeding the guests. It had been a few days since the avatar and his friends started staying at the inn. You were up early in the kitchen chopping the fresh caught fish for lunch, humming an old song your mom used to sing to you. Guests mostly ignored the kitchen, usually preferring to make small talk with the adults and patiently wait for food in the dining room. It was relaxing being safe from meeting new people.

“That song doesn’t sound watertribe.” A voice rose from behind.

Startled you turned around a little too fast and cut the side of your arm with the knife. “Shit.” you exclaimed grabbing your forearm. The boys eyes widened “Ah crap, Katara!” he yelled before running over to your side, grabbing a nearby drying cloth. You stared at him speechless. Would he recognize you? Spirits you hoped not.

“I’m so sorry,” he began blabbering focusing on your arm, his fingers grazing your skin as he pressed the cloth against the wound, “I really didn’t mean to startle you, I offered to bring the dirty dishes back here. The annoying little girl told me to bring them here, I didn’t think anyone would be back here...” His words slowing as he turned to face you. His eyebrows clinched together.

Shit.

“You look really familiar.”

Shitttt.

Before he could question any further a girl with long, brown, braided hair rushed into the room. “What is it Sokka?!” Was that his name? You had never met a Sokka before, maybe it was a common name in the South Pole. “Katara, thank the spirits! We need you to do your glowy-water-magic!” Sokka said waving his hands around. The girl, Katara, ran over bending the water out of her pouch. “What happened?” she asked unwrapping the bloody cloth off your arm.

“Umm, I cut myself. It fine, really.” you said quietly while Katara pressed her hand to your injured arm. The water started sparkling a bright blue hue. You winced at feeling. Katara smiled sweetly at you, “Does it hurt?” You shook your head, “No just feels weird.” As the glowing stopped she pulled away from your arm, bending the water along with her. “Shoot, it’s still bleeding a little.” She said examining your arm, “Sokka, I need more cloth.” He quickly glanced around the room and held out the bloody cloth he used before hand. “One that doesn’t have blood on it.”

“Oh! I got it,” Sokka began unwrapping the cloth tied at the waist of his tunic and handing it to Katara, “Here, use this.” Katara rolled her eyes and began dressing your wound. “I’m sorry I couldn’t heal it completely. I’ve only been taking classes on healing for a week, the wound should be clean now and the bleeding should stop in a couple days.” Her eyes were kind and warm when she smiled at you. “Thank you, I’m sorry I can be clumsy at times.” you murmured looking down at your arm. “I’m Katara by the way, and that’s my idiot older brother Sokka.” she said gesturing behind her. You pressed your lips together in a small smile, “I’m (y/n)”

***

Since then you had grown to enjoy being around Katara. She was sweet and easy to be around. She would often come to help clean after meals, despite you opposing her help several times.

Sokka however, you avoided him like the plague. Not because you didn’t want to talk to him. You wanted to. But you couldn’t stand to face him after embarrassing yourself twice. You knew it would have to happen sooner or later, you still had his belt Katara had used to wrap your cut. It took hours to wash all the blood out but the cloth was finally clean, dry, and folded neatly on top of your bed. Mocking you.

The simple solution would to have Katara take it to him, but then you’d be mad at yourself for running away. Which you had already done. a couple times... There were times you tried to give it back to him, but in the end you would wimp out.

“Oh my spirits, just give it to him.” Kana groaned. “You don’t get it Kana, I was so weird around him he probably thinks I’m a freak...” you said shifting the folded blue cloth between your fingers. “You. are. ridiculous.” she said tightly grabbing your arm, “Come on. We are doing this right now.” She yanked your wrist, dragging you through the hallway. “Wait! Like right now, right now?!” She nodded, harshly knocking on his door. “Yup. SOKKA! (Y/N) HAS SOMETHING FOR YOU!!” she screamed before running off, “Good luck!”

Before you had the chance to run after her, his door swung open. “Uh hi,” he said “was that your sister screaming?” You stammered back “Umm yea, she was just- she uh... I have your belt.” you interrupted yourself holding out the cloth. “Oh, right, thank you. How’s your arm?” You glanced down at the newly wrapped cloth wrapped around your forearm. “It’s doing well, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed.”

“Good. Good, that’s good.” he spoke as he were tripping over each word, “You know, I had been hoping you’d come by.” your eyes widened at the comment, “No, no-no-no, that sounded weird.” He explained, “I meant the belt. It’s my lucky belt so thank you.” You hugged your sides and pressed your lips into a tight smile, “You’re welcome, sorry I took a while to bring it back.”

“It’s all good, I’m just glad you’re here now.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “Hey, so... I haven’t seen much of the city yet and it gets kind of lonely while Aang and Katara are at training. I was thinking maybe you would like to go for a stroll sometime... With me.”

You couldn’t believe he was just as nervous as you. He always seemed so confident around the Inn, you just assumed he would be more outgoing. “A stroll?” you questioned slightly giddy.

“Yea, or a walk, whichever you prefer. Or not. Either is good if you wanted to, but if you don’t that’s okay too. You just seemed like a really cool person and I feel so bad about scaring you and-“

“Sokka. I would love to go for a stroll.” you stopped his rant before he could finish. His smiled widened, “Ok, yea cool. Totally chill... So, I’ll come meet you in the kitchen after breakfast tomorrow?” You fiddled with the sleeve of your shirt, “Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow then.” You said backing away. He leaned against the door frame, waving the same way he did the first time you saw him. “Yea! Tomorrow.”

Sokka spent the next five minutes mentally screaming at his awkwardness.

***

tag list: @myexgirlfriendisthemoon

[i-like-plan-m]

Something I've been thinking about is what if Madame Yu was just a bit more obvious in how much she hates wwx, and wwx ran away from Lotus Pier? It's clear his siblings matter more to him than anything else and he hates causing them strife. If he believes that he's the cause, he'd take steps to make them happy, right? I want to write story about that but I dont think I have the ability. If you ever wanted to write something like that I would be overjoyed to read it! - an0n

[Ao3] [Chapter 1/3]

I love this, thank you!! _____________________

“What are you doing?” 

It was the fear in Jiang Cheng’s voice that stopped him. 

Madam Yu’s last words to him still ringing in his ears, Wei Wuxian pasted on a cheery smile and spun on his heel to face his... to face Jiang Cheng. 

“Ah,” he said on a little laugh. “Jiang Cheng…”

“She didn’t mean it,” Jiang Cheng said desperately, stumbling towards him with a panicked edge to his words. “You know that. She wasn’t serious, it’s just the same stuff as always.” 

“I know,” Wei Wuxian said gently. That was exactly the problem. Madam Yu’s hurled abuse at her children hurt them, and Wei Wuxian was too convenient of an excuse for her to ever pass up. She would never stop, not while he was there to set her off again. 

“You can’t leave,” Jiang Cheng said, curling a fist in the front of his robes and holding tight like he could keep Wei Wuxian in Lotus Pier if he just held on tight enough. 

“Madam Yu is right,” Wei Wuxian said with a sad smile, reaching up to cover Jiang Cheng’s hand with his own. “I’ve spent too long causing trouble for her and the sect to stay any longer. I shouldn’t be a burden for you all anymore.” 

“You’re not a-- did you even tell jiejie? Does she know you’re leaving?” He seized on Jiang Yanli, knowing that she was his weak point. “She doesn't know, does she? Were you just going to disappear?” 

Wei Wuxian ached at the thought of Jiang Yanli, of never seeing her again or having her hate him for leaving. But Madam Yu had been clear-- she no longer wanted him at Lotus Pier. He’d heard such things from her before, basically ever since he’d been brought back by Jiang Fengmian, but Madam Yu’s use of Wei Wuxian as a way to torment and ridicule Jiang Cheng had only escalated since their return from the lecture at Cloud Recesses. 

Without him, she would have fewer things to be angry about, and less anger to take out on her children and husband. 

“I left shijie a letter,” Wei Wuxian said, swallowing roughly. He reached down to pick up his bag, Jiang Cheng still clinging to him, and took one last look around his room. He hoped whoever got it next appreciated the art carvings, the hidden stash of snacks and alcohol under the floorboard, the small, colorful trinkets he’d collected over the years. 

Or maybe they would get rid of it all, erasing the signs that he’d ever existed here. 

“Then go give it to her yourself,” Jiang Cheng snapped. 

“I can’t,” Wei Wuxian said truthfully. He tried to smile, felt it waver in the face of Jiang Cheng’s betrayed expression. “It’s time for me to go, shidi. Ah, and think of it this way! Now you can have dogs again.” 

“I don’t want the fucking dogs,” Jiang Cheng choked out. “I want you to stay here. You promised we would be brothers, in this life and the next. You promised.”

Yes, he had. But Madam Yu had told him she’d had enough of him taking advantage of their family, of him thinking himself a part of it when in fact he was nothing but a burden. When he did nothing but make Jiang Cheng and by extension their sect look bad. 

So. Better to leave now under his own power before the rest of them started to feel the same, or Madam Yu made Jiang Cheng hate himself and resent Wei Wuxian even more than he already did. 

“I’m sorry,” was all he could say. A thousand words between them and not a single one spoken, their relationship permanently fractured by the competition neither of them had signed up for, that neither of them had ever wanted. 

Wei Wuxian’s presence at Lotus Pier made Jiang Cheng’s life harder. There was no way around the truth of it. 

Jiang Cheng’s grip went slack, as though he realized that this was really happening, that his brother was leaving him behind. Wei Wuxian saw stark pain in his eyes before they shuttered, anger becoming his armor against such hurt. 

“Fine,” he spat, but the hitch in his breath betrayed him. “If you want to leave so bad, then just go.” 

“Jiang Cheng,” Wei Wuxian said, torn to pieces at the anguish in his brother’s voice. “I don’t want to leave you or shijie. But…” 

Jiang Cheng looked away. They both knew the real reason he was leaving. Coming to terms with it would be hard for both of them. 

“I’ll write,” Wei Wuxian offered quietly. “If… if you want.” 

“You’d fucking better write,” Jiang Cheng said, swiping impatiently at his damp cheeks. There was a brief pause, the tension softening into a quiet, shared grief. “Where will you go?” 

“Who knows!” Wei Wuxian said, trying for cheerful and sounding uncertain instead. “There’s a whole world out there, you know. Plenty of trouble to find.” 

Jiang Cheng made a familiar exasperated sound that made him want to laugh. “Weekly letters,” he threatened. “Or I’m coming to find you.” 

Wei Wuxian’s smile was a little more genuine this time. “I can do that.” He hesitated, then added, “Can you…” 

“I’ll tell jiejie,” Jiang Cheng said quietly. 

“Thank you.” Wei Wuxian enveloped him in a hug, squeezing his eyes shut against the tears that threatened when Jiang Cheng gripped him back hard enough to bruise. 

“I will see you again,” he promised, and felt the eyes of his brother watch him leave. 

~*~ 

His new mantle of rogue cultivator hurt a little less when he thought of his parents. They hadn’t belonged to a sect after they married, and he wondered if they’d been happy to freely wander the world. 

His one clear memory of them made him think so. There’d been laughter, and warmth, and a sense of safety and security that Wei Wuxian found himself wishing for during those first few weeks after leaving Lotus Pier. 

Too much freedom, he’d discovered, was a hard adjustment to make. He had no responsibilities other than finding food and water, no duties or chores around a sect, and no sect leader to answer to. 

He’d considered, briefly, going to Gusu. The lecture would be over by now, the guest disciples returned home. He wondered if Lan Zhan was happier now that the Cloud Recesses was quiet again. He wondered if Lan Zhan would even want to see him. 

But after losing his home so abruptly, Wei Wuxian found that he did not want to go where he was not wanted. Usually he wouldn’t pay any attention to it, would not care what others thought of him or his presence, but now… 

Well. He’d been kicked out of Cloud Recesses. Out of Lotus Pier. Neither would welcome him now. Maybe he could go to Qinghe and accomplish the trifecta of banishment. 

The thought would be funnier if he weren’t so cold and hungry. 

There was a trick to surviving as a rogue cultivator, and that was bartering. Larger towns were typically protected by sect cultivators who could banish spirits or ghosts. Smaller villages usually could not afford such services, so they would trade shelter and a hot meal for a cultivator’s help. 

Wei Wuxian hadn’t yet made it far enough away from Yunmeng territory to find these villages. Mostly he hunted or fished to feed himself, and slept out in the open since he couldn’t afford to stay at an inn. It was a far stretch from his days in Yunmeng, never wondering where he would sleep or when his next meal would come. 

He was lost in a way he hadn’t been since a recently orphaned child living on the streets and eating trash to survive. Funny, how these things came back full circle. 

Wei Wuxian poked at his miserable little fire, hunched over it in the fading light within the forest to soak in the weak warmth it emitted. The wood was too wet to truly burn, still damp from the downpour earlier. 

So was he, as a matter of fact. His wet robes clung to him uncomfortably, and he would take them off to let them dry if the descending night weren’t so cold. 

Quiet voices had him lurching to his feet, Suibian in hand as he warily scanned the heavy shadows thrown by the trees. They were coming closer, light footsteps that echoed through the forest and hid the direction of their approach. 

And then white robes bled out of the darkness, his heart skipped a beat in breathless, astonished hope… and then fell at the sight of a stranger’s face. The man’s companion wore dark robes like his own, a curious pair that moved in sync and spoke without words. 

“Our apologies, Young Master. We did not realize there were others so deep into the forest,” the white-robed man said with a polite bow. 

Wei Wuxian returned it, noting with a spark of interest that they carried swords that marked them as cultivators. “No apology necessary. I am Wei Wuxian,” he said, rising from the bow. “I was hunting for dinner and didn’t realize how far I’d walked before the sun set.” More like he’d had nothing to turn back for.

“My name is Xiao Xingchen, and my companion is Song Lan.” Xiao Xingchen looked around his campsite with a mild look of curiosity. “Are you traveling alone?”

“I am,” he said, his smile dimming despite his best efforts. 

Song Lan studied him for a moment, then shared another brief, wordless conversation with Xiao Xingchen. “Do you have a destination in mind, Master Wei?” 

“Ah… no? I’m just wandering,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“You are welcome to travel with us, if you wish,” Song Lan offered. “Rogue cultivating can be dangerous and challenging on your own.”

Wei Wuxian looked uncertainly between them, remembering his recent vow to stop going where he wasn’t wanted. These two were obviously close, and he wondered if he would be intruding. 

“As Song Lan said,” Xiao Xingchen added at Wei Wuxian’s hesitation. “You are welcome to join us.”

“Yes,” Wei Wuxian decided, spirits lifting. “I would appreciate your company.” 

“We are headed for a nearby town,” Song Lan said. “Do you need to rest, or can you make it through the rest of the forest tonight?” 

Wei Wuxian stomped the dying fire out and eagerly grabbed his bag. “No need to wait!” He followed them through the forest, grateful to have their company. The world seemed less lonely all of a sudden, and the companionship was a buoy for his spirits. 

“Have you two been traveling together long?” He asked. 

“We met a few years ago. I was raised in Baixue Temple,” Song Lan said, drifting gracefully over the uneven ground. “And Xiao Xingchen was a disciple of Baoshan Sanren.” 

Wei Wuxian made a startled sound and nearly tripped over his own feet. Song Lan steadied him and traded a look with Xiao Xingchen over his head. 

“Baoshan Sanren?” Wei Wuxian asked, stunned by the reminder that he had family left in the world. 

“Yes,” Xiao Xingchen said, eyeing him with some concern. “Are you familiar with her?” 

“She is my grandmother,” Wei Wuxian said distantly. 

Xiao Xingchen’s eyes widened. “You are the son of Cangse Sanren? Adopted into the Jiang Sect as a child?” Wei Wuxian nodded, and Xiao Xingchen’s surprise morphed into a smile. “Your grandmother wishes to meet you, Wei Wuxian.”

Wei Wuxian was a little surprised she even knew he existed. “She does?” 

“Yes, she does,” Xiao Xingchen said, smile lines crinkling at the corner of his eyes. “I can tell you where to find her, if you wish.” 

What else did he have? No place to call home, no family left other than the immortal cultivator secluded on her celestial mountain-- and the part of his heart that urged him to find her, the only ones left in their line. 

“There is no hurry,” Xiao Xingchen said gently when the silence stretched too long. “You are still welcome to travel with us as long as you wish. Your grandmother is a patient woman; you can take as long as you need.” 

Wei Wuxian swallowed hard and paused to bow to him. “Thank you, Master Xiao. I… I think one day soon I would like to know how to find her.” 

Xiao Xingchen nodded. “You need only ask.” 

Wei Wuxian let the pair lead him out of the dark, unknown forest, with something like hope burning in his chest. 

[jubilantwriter]

Heart Shaped like Sea Glass

(First)  (Previous)  (Next)  (AO3)

Part 9 - Melting like Snow on Water

Summary:  Seasons come and go with a familiarity Jasper should be used to.  That is, until he realizes that not all seasons are the same, and that where that season settles is what makes the difference between the sea and the forest.

// // // // //

He was never one for seagulls.  But he did appreciate the noise they provided.  Nothing beats the quiet like listening to the calls of the gulls, ever present, ever loud and grating.

Except now, he's been hearing them less and less.  Sees them populate the sand and ocean less and less as the sun sets sooner and the clouds remain to obscure the stars from sight instead.  The breeze becomes colder.  The chill in the air becomes more than just a chill.  It's with a certain kind of mental stumble that he realizes that he's never witnessed a seaside winter.  True, he's experienced a winter surrounded by the ever present scent of pines and the quiet life it brings.  But never had he thought that the gulls would leave him in silence as well.

The quickly approaching winter has him realizing that he is... ill prepared.  As it should be.  With winter comes the end, he thinks, of many things.  The death of green, the threat of freezing limbs and chattering teeth, and the worry of never having enough to last through the cold.  He knows he doesn't have enough.  Doesn't have enough food.  Doesn't have enough clothing or wood.  Knows that he hasn't even begun to foster relationships with other people to justify relying on them.  But then again, he used to pride himself on being self-sufficient to a point.  It was one of the things David loved about him.  How he could leave Jasper alone for a while, knowing that when he would return, Jasper would still be there having finished making dinner, or carving out a new bowl, or completed his numerous self-assigned tasks to keep them alive and well through the seasons.

Things change, of course.  Whether or not he wants them to.

Jasper stares out into the dreary world, his arms resting on the frame of the dusty window.  Dark, almost stormy weather outside.  The moon doesn't shine through the clouds well enough to provide light, and the fire he's started is just enough that he can see a bit of his shack.  He's lacking in resources, but he doesn't care.  He can't be bothered with worrying about himself, or of being self-sufficient, or even of whether or not his little shack is built ready for the winter.  It probably isn't.

He closes his eyes with a sigh.

That's fine.

His mind drifts off to snowier scenes, where the cold dusts more than a layer of powder onto the ground, and a bright, happy blush overtakes David's features as he takes Jasper's hands with a laugh.  David had knitted scarves one year.  The yarn wasn't easy to come by, but a neighbor of theirs gifted some to David, and somehow he'd managed to procure two warm scarves from the bundle.  One for David.  One for Jasper.  Both the same shade of white.  Matching.

David was so pleased with himself.

They both had them for that winter.  He had hoped that they'd keep wearing them together until the color aged and faded into something not quite white, but still well-worn with love and warmth.

The scarves are still that shade of white.  Maybe not as new as before, but still a noticeable shade of white.  Almost untouched in essence.  For a moment, he wonders if he has traded those scarves away too.  Has he?  The past month or so feels like a fog he's barely trudged through.  Did he even bring them with him?  He didn't expect he'd get this far, didn't think he'd live this long to make it to a winter without David by his side-

A faint knock at his door.  It's enough to rouse him from his thoughts.  Odd.  Nobody knocks at his door.  The knock sounds again, before a clawing noise replaces the feeble knocking.  Except.  The clawing sounds more like a faint scratching.  As though whoever is behind his door is barely able to put their weight into it.

Winter.  It's.  Winter time, isn't it?  Winter time means that birds go off to warmer climates and better grounds for living.  More stability and greater chances of living.  All the gulls have gone away, but he'd forgotten another pair of wings that still visit him like the ever present crash of the waves.

He rushes to his door, for once not kicked open, and is greeted by the siren, soaked and trembling, one hand still held up and shaking as he'd been clawing at Jasper's door.

A fish is held tightly in the other.

"Oh, gods."  Jasper pulls the siren in without another word, and the scent of salt and feel of icy skin only has him pushing the dripping bird man towards his fire.  "Sit here."  He takes the fish from the siren and leaves it on the table.

"E-eat."  Even in this state, the siren demands that Jasper eats.  As if this is all he cares for.  Jasper keeps from grinding his teeth together.

"Later."   He looks around for something he kicked away a while back, when they had been standing in the rain together and he'd dried the siren off.  The sheet.  Getting to his knees, he looks under his bed and finds the discarded fabric still there.  As he pulls it out, a musty scent wafts from it as dust scatters in the air.

It'll have to do.

He turns back to the siren, the blonde curled up with his wings wrapped around him protectively.  But he's still soaked.  Still smelling of the sea and looking paler than usual.  Sand is scattered all over the floor, and Jasper only belatedly realizes that the siren isn't just tracking in sand with his bare feet.

First things first.  He looks at the feathers scattered about the siren's back.  They look fine, almost like down with how small they are, unlike the long, sleek feathers that make up his wings.  White in color.  Soft to the look.

Whiter than the scarves.

He blinks and shakes his head.  No, Jasper can't get distracted now!  The siren's pale skin could take a dangerous looking hue if he's not quick, and he begins with wiping and drying off as much of the siren as he can.  He's careful around the small feathers as he presses down gently.  A soft noise comes from the siren, but he pays the blonde no mind.  With his back as dry as he can get it, he moves onto the wings.

The large, sleek feathers are smooth to the touch.  They don't look too wet, damp perhaps, but a quick rub down with the sheet has the feathers dried in no time.  The real danger is the soaked chiton, clinging to the siren's skin and leaving the man shivering even as he sits so close to the fire.  There's only a small beat of hesitation before Jasper drops the sheet to kneel in front of the siren and carefully, gently uses his fingers to pry a small gap between the wings.  Bright, blue eyes stare at him from within, the gaze narrowing just enough that Jasper scoffs at the unspoken threat.

"Don't worry, I'll eat."

A soft harrumph answers him.  Worry nips at his mind that perhaps that's all the sound the siren can make in his state.  

"Hey."  He pulls the wings apart just a bit more, and the light from the fire reflects on the siren's face.  "I can only do so much from out here.  You'll freeze to death if you keep that on."  A little nod towards the white cloth still clinging to the siren's thin frame.  "Can you take it off?  I'll leave the sheet here next to you so that you can wrap it around you.  I promise not to look."  For a while, the siren merely stares back at Jasper.  He looks... tired.  He must be tired.  All that cold must have sapped the energy from the blonde, and judging by all the sand Jasper can see covering the front of the siren, it took all his energy just to make it to the shack.  "You'll feel better, I promise."

Quickly, he steps away from the siren and turns to direct his attention to the fish instead.  Still dead.  Still just... laying there.  He should cook it.  For whatever reason, the siren must have taken a dive into the freezing waters to catch it for Jasper to eat.  Usually, the siren would catch more than just one fish but...

All Jasper can do with a fish is roast it, maybe boil it, but it won't be enough to feed both of them.  The siren needs to eat more than him too, especially given his state.  A wet thump sounds behind Jasper.  He'll need to wring and dry out the chiton later, maybe even find the siren something else to wear.  But for now, he needs to worry about food.  Food to regain strength.  Food for warmth.  Food to survive.  

And all he has is one fish.  

Frustration.

He didn't care that he had nothing else to eat.  Not really.  Not at all.  Who cares if Jasper starves?  Not Jasper.  The only one who cares is the siren, and that's for the blonde's own purposes.  Shit, why does he care about the siren anyways?  He didn't ask to be fed.  Didn't ask for this fish that nearly caused the siren to freeze to death.  Didn't ask to be cared for in the first place.

He doesn't care!  And yet.

When he turns around, because of course he does, a bit of him hurts from the sight of the siren, hunched over still, sheet tightly wrapped around him, yet still exposed around his shoulders and the small of his back.  The wings.  At least now, they aren't curled around him protectively.  But he's still shivering.  Trembling.  Cold with lips slowly changing hues still.

He and David look so different and yet.  And yet.

Jasper grabs the thin blanket off his bed and approaches the siren slowly.  "...Can you spread your wings for me?"

The siren looks at him with a cautious look.  It is a strange request but.  Maybe it'll help him relax more.  He doesn't say a word as they continue to stare at each other.  And slowly.  Slowly.  The siren relaxes his shoulders.  Fans his wings out across the floor.  Sighs with the faintest sound of chattering teeth.  Jasper's blanket isn't enough to cover the entire wingspan, but it's enough to drape over thin shoulders and sopping wet hair.  

"You'll be okay."  He doesn't know why he says this, but as the siren's gaze lingers on Jasper's, he finds himself repeating the words again.  "You'll be okay."

He'll be okay.  Jasper just-

He looks around his shack.  His empty, bleak shack.  With nothing around to help.  Help.

Jasper needs help.  He thinks quickly.  The fish.  A pot.  Something hot and warm.  Filling, even.  A stew.  But he needs more than just a single fish and hot water.

He needs vegetables.  Herbs.  A touch of spices.  David was always better at cooking, always so willing to teach Jasper to cook, and Jasper learned of course.

But all he has is a fish, a pot, and some water from the nearby town well.

It's not enough.  It'll never be enough.  He needs help.  But how?  And who?

And Jasper blinks.  A bushy, graying beard.  Light, blue eyes.  A friendly smile.  A friendly fisherman. 

And he doesn't live too far away.  A walk's away, really.

Help.

Jasper can get help.

"Wait here."  He gestures with his hands as he backs away from the siren.  Doesn't study the look on the blonde's face.  Doesn't think too hard on the mix of emotions that flash in those bright, blue eyes.  "I'll be back, I just- I need to get something.  Some food."

The siren opens his mouth as if to say something, but he merely sneezes instead and continues to look miserable.  A weak sound rumbles in the blonde's throat, and it has Jasper rattling out a weak sigh.

The noise reminds him of-

No, not right now.  Instead, he puts his hand on the door and grips the handle tight.

"I swear.  I swear I'll be back."  A pause.  "You won't be alone for long, I promise."

He dashes out of his shack without looking back.  The brisk cold greets him as he races across the sand.  It's a quick run, but he finds himself impatient with how long it takes him.  Every second matters.

Jasper knows this.

He has to be quick.

He doesn't want to come home and find-

And find-

His fist connects with the wooden door in front of him, and he pounds at it loudly.  The fisherman takes seconds too long to answer the door.  Seconds too long to face Jasper with a surprised gaze, as if he'd never expect Jasper to approach him in such a hurried state.  Seconds, seconds, all flying by as Jasper huffs and puffs.

"Please."  It's hard to catch his breath.  When was the last time he ran?  Ages ago, in a forest far away, when he was looking for a familiar head of red.  Red in red.  And what if he comes back and sees something else?  Blue surrounded by blue.  Because the fire wasn't enough.  Because he wasn't enough.

Jasper's never enough.

"What is it, sonny?"  The fisherman's voice is deep, rumbling in his chest as he watches Jasper patiently.  Wrinkles frame his eyes, and if the old man didn't bury half his face in his beard, Jasper would assume that the wrinkles would be framing his mouth as well.  From laughs or frowns, he can't be sure, but the old fisherman gestures him inside.  It's only then that Jasper realizes his own shivers.  When the door shuts behind him, he can't help but notice the clutter all around the fisherman's own home.  Maps are scattered on the walls, a few resting on a nearby table.  A few fishing rods are leaning against a wall.  Plates and bowls are left haphazardly on the window sill, some lingering on the floor itself.  Doors hiding a bedroom, maybe even a small kitchen.  But what catches his attention the most are the tools resting on the table.  A compass.  A pencil.  And a looking glass.  Before he can take a peek at the maps however, a heavy hand lands on his shoulder.  The fisherman continues to wait as Jasper stammers out a few words.

"I.  I need help."

"Help?"  

"Yes.  Um."  He has nothing to offer.  Nothing of value he's willing to give that would justify suddenly barging over and asking for help.  "I just- I realized I've- uh."

"Yes?"

"I need-"  Jasper pauses, squeezing his eyes shut and willing himself to come up with something.  "...I need some food."

"Is that all?"

"Um, yes, but!"  He waves his hands frantically in front of him.  "I can... work!  Help you with things to... repay you!  I'm- I used to be good with repairs, and- I'm a quick learner, sir, I know it might not seem like a lot but I'm willing to work if-"

"Now, slow down there, sonny."  The fisherman chuckles and gently squeezes Jasper's shoulder.  Twinkles in the man's eyes remind Jasper of the stars that would decorate the night sky.  "We can sort that out later.  But you say you need food?"

"Yes."  Right.  The siren.  Seconds passing and slipping away.  "For a stew.  Fish stew.  Um, anything would help, I just have a fish, really."

"Not much for a stew."  Despite his words, another chuckle escapes the old man as he ambles away from Jasper.  "Wait there."

He does as he's told, standing by the table as more seconds escape him.  His eyes wander to the map on the table.  It's... different from what he was expecting.  Dots and lines litter the large parchment as he fails to find islands and landmarks that usually decorate maps.  But no such things are drawn down.  Just lines and dots and measurements.  He follows the lines for as far as some of them go.  Strange shapes seem to make up some of the connections, but nothing really sticks out to him.  Just dots and lines, lines and dots, numbers occasionally, but nothing more.

There's not even a compass on the map.  What kind of map even is this-?

"Here we are."  Jasper's eyes snap back towards the returning fisherman, a bundle of vegetables wrapped tightly in some parchment.  "This should do ya good."

"Thank you, sir-"

"Ah bup bup."  The fisherman wags his finger and retreats back to the end of the room where his own fireplace is going.  A brief shuffle and rustling later, the man stands up tall and walks back over to Jasper with an armful of chopped wood.  "Now we're good to go."

"...we?"

"Yes, we."  Another chuckle.  Jasper wonders how much mirth fills the man.  "I've never seen you once hold a fishing rod, or even see you step out of your shack for more than a few minutes.  I'd like to see how you got your fish."

"I..."  Jasper shifts idly, weighing his choices quickly.  On one hand, everyone seems to know about the siren.  He's not even an open secret.  People know that the blonde perches and croons to unsuspecting visitors - it was one of the very first warnings Jasper was given.  But the fisherman isn’t a stranger.  He’s a local who is well aware of the risk.  It can't hurt to lead the fisherman to his shack to where the siren is.  But on the other hand... the fisherman, despite his age, looks strong.  Like he could cause pain if he put his mind to it.  And the siren is thin.  Thinner than David ever was.  There's hardly any muscle on him, and whatever muscle he does have seems to be in his wings.  

But the logs.  More warmth would help the siren, and Jasper doesn't think that he can carry back both the food AND the logs by himself.  And the fisherman is... kind.

Surely, he can trust the old man for just the day.

Only for the day.

"I promise no harm," the fisherman soothes, as if seeing the very thoughts Jasper thinks to himself.  Reluctance has Jasper lowering his tense shoulders.

"...Alright."

"Good to hear."  With a smile, the fisherman leads the way back to Jasper's shack.  "I wanted to get a good look at the ol' hut I gave ya, anyways.  It wasn't in the best of shape when you came here, but it was all I could offer.  Never really understood why you accepted it so quickly, but maybe the view made up for it."  He talks out loud as Jasper follows silently behind him.  Despite his age, the fisherman takes longer strides than Jasper as the younger of the two half-jogs to keep pace with him.  "I've been meanin' to come over and see if any repairs are needed, but ah, you keep brushin' me off before I can.  No harm, though.  Makes me wish I brought my tools in hindsight however."  Another deep chuckle.  By the time they make it to Jasper's shack, Jasper loses his chance to respond as the fisherman easily opens the shack.

Jasper braces himself, already ready to accept that he's too late, that the siren is a crumpled, dead heap on the floor in front of his fire because he took too long, like he always has, like he's always done-

"Ahh, Daniel.  I was wondering where you got off to."  The fisherman's voice rumbles through the shack as he walks around the trembling heap.  Daniel?  The siren's name is Daniel?  Jasper watches as the old man kneels by the siren to start adding more wood to the fire.  "Thought you'd have flown off by now."

A growl answers the fisherman, but it sounds more of annoyance than aggression.  Jasper blinks.  They seem... familiar with each other.  Another growl greets his ears as the fisherman ruffles the blanket covered head.  

"Haven't changed a bit.  Sonny," he turns back to Jasper, gesturing to his near empty table with the lone fish on it, "why don't you get the ingredients ready for the stew?"  Jasper nods dumbly, setting the vegetables on the table and reaching for his knife.  He hears a clatter, a territorial growl, and an answering chuckle.  Without looking up, he feels rather than hears the fisherman breeze past him as leaves the shack with what Jasper assumes is his pot.  Probably to get fresh water.  That leaves him to the task of descaling and gutting the fish.  A moment's hesitation reminds him to take care of the vegetables first, poorly chopping up the carrots, potatoes, and onion into chunks as he can hear a faint, melodic laugh in the back of his memories.

David always did say that he was a bit careless in the kitchen.

Silence reigns between him and the siren as he begins to clean the fish.  The crackle of the fire, now a warmer blaze with the added logs, isn't enough to fill his mind up with senseless noise, so Jasper clears his throat.

"The um, the fisherman."  A soft rustle of the sheets is his answer.  "He seems to know you."

Silence.  He glances over to the siren and finds those icy blues staring him down.  The blonde's mouth is parted slightly, as if trying to say something.  Instead, what comes out is a hoarse, rough noise that sounds more like a cough and less like a response.  

"Okay, it's okay."  He motions with his hands to soothe the siren, frustration overtaking the blonde's face.  "We can talk later, when you've eaten."  A pointed glare has Jasper amending his sentence.  "When we've eaten."  By the time satisfaction makes itself known on the siren's face, the fisherman makes his reappearance with a half full pot of water.  A quick glance at Jasper's handiwork has another chuckle escaping the fisherman as he easily pats Jasper's shoulder.

"Attaboy."

The stew's components are dumped in as the trio sit quietly in the shack.  Jasper and the siren linger by the fire, the siren making inquisitive sniffs towards the stew as Jasper fumbles around with the siren's chiton.  The fisherman sits at the table, and Jasper doesn't miss the way he looks around at the bare shack.

Despite whatever thoughts must be going through his mind, the old man says nothing.

Luckily, Jasper has enough bowls for all three of them, but the old man declines with a smile.  It leaves more for the siren and him, but he only eats with a quarter of the gusto the siren has.  The siren makes pleased noises as he slurps away at the stew while Jasper pushes a carrot around the broth.  He only eats when he feels not one, but two pairs of eyes pressuring him to take a bite.  With a sigh, he slowly eats his stew just as the siren makes for seconds.

"So, Daniel," the fisherman speaks up as the siren slurps loudly, "are you strong enough to fly back to your little nest?"

"It's a cave," the siren growls out, voice a bit scratchy as he clears his throat, "and I will be, once I warm up some more."

"Your clothes are still wet though."  Jasper toes at the fabric he had spread out by the fire.  "You could get sick if you try to put it back on in this weather."

"Oh please, as if that'd be of concern."

"You almost froze to death!"

"A simple mistake!"  

"Why did you almost freeze to death?"  The fisherman breaks their growing aggravation easily with his curious gaze.  "Shouldn't you have left days ago?"

"Hmph."  He gestures towards Jasper with annoyed exasperation.  "If I'm gone, who's going to feed this idiot?"

"Hey."

"Am I wrong?"  A beat.  "Didn't think so."

A chuckle this time.  "I see.  Well, Daniel, if you still need some time to recover, you're always free to stay in my home-"

"And be forced to smell wet seal every fucking minute?  No thanks."  The siren makes a disgusted noise.  

"You're not worried he's going to eat you?"  Their conversation is too easy.  Too familiar.  The siren is... well, a siren.  But the fisherman is human too, just like Jasper.  Why isn't he scared of the siren?  And why is he so familiar with him?  So strangely comfortable and at ease with the blonde that he's willing to extend an invitation to his home to the siren?  

"Of course not."  The fisherman shrugs easily as the siren makes another disgusted noise.  "He didn't manage to do it years and years ago.  Now I'm at the age where he thinks I'm not worth the effort any longer."

"Too tough," the siren interjects.  "Old people are harder to chew, and their flesh tastes too dry."

"Exactly."  Despite the demeaning words, the fisherman smiles brightly.  "But that's besides the point.  Where are you going to stay while you wait?"

"Uhh, my rock?"  He rolls his eyes.  "Where else?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."  Jasper cuts in, looking at the blanket and sheet covering the siren.  "Those won't keep you warm or dry out there."

"So what?  I'm supposed to stay with you until my clothes dry?"  The blonde's sneer should have cut through Jasper if it weren't for the fact that he's seen much worse from a ten year old.  

"Yes."  It was his fault the siren nearly froze to death in the first place.  A part of him wants to make it up to the siren.  Offer him a warm place to stay until he's well enough to survive the winter on his own.

If he can.

"...You're kidding me."

"Not really."

"I'm glad that's settled then!"  The fisherman stands up with a creak, a light groan escaping him as he pats his knees.  "I'll take my leave then.  Sonny," he glances at Jasper with a twinkle in his eyes as Jasper meets his gaze, "come by my hut whenever you please.  Whether it be to repay me or simply for a visit.  An old man like me wouldn't mind seeing someone around every once in a while."  

"I'll... I'll remember that."

The fisherman makes an agreeable hum as he makes his way to the door.  "Sounds fine by me.  Enjoy your evenin', boys."  Before either of them can get another word out, the fisherman leaves without any fanfare.  Neither of them say anything else as Jasper gathers their bowls and puts them to the side.

Daniel.

That's the siren's name, isn't it?

He remembers the siren asking for his name days ago, and the almost crushed look of anger when Jasper refused to tell him.  It's almost unfair that he knows the siren's name, but the siren doesn't know his.  But... at the same time, he meant it when he said that he didn't want the siren to get attached to him.  It wouldn't work out.  Neither of them would get what they want.  So then, what does he do with this newfound knowledge?

"You... your name."

"What about it."  The siren doesn't look to him and focuses his gaze on the fire instead.  

"Is it... Daniel?"

"No, it's Simon."  He rolls his eyes and glares at Jasper.  "Yes, it's fucking Daniel, what else could it be?"

"I just-"  He backtracks quickly.  What was he trying to say?  Trying to do?  He asks that the siren stay the night, almost by force at this rate, even if it's to subtly apologize for putting him in that position in the first place.  It's just temporary.  It's not like they'll grow attached just because of one night.  "...Sorry.  I just wanted to make sure."  He stands up abruptly and stokes the fire.  With the fire still going, the siren's clothing should dry out by the time morning arrives.  He flips the clothing over and hopes it'll be enough to get it to completely dry.  "Are you comfortable sleeping on the floor?  It's not much, but I wasn't sure-"

"I've slept on fucking rocks, stop assuming I'm a sensitive chick."  As if to prove his point, the siren quickly curls up on the wooden floor.  The sheet and blanket cover him as he lays on his stomach, wings spread out a bit to catch some of the fire's warmth.  "Stop worrying."

"Okay."  Jasper crawls onto his bed and curls up on his side.  No blanket.  Not that he worries about being cold but.  He rolls over and looks at the siren.  "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes, shut up or I'll find worms to shut you up."  The glare on the siren's face is serious.  "Go to sleep."

"I- ...okay."  He turns away from the siren to face the window instead.  The moon's glow is starting to bleed through the wispy clouds, and the fire continues to warm his one roomed shack with ease.  Just as he's about to drift to sleep, a soft, almost nervous voice barely speaks up.

"...Daniel."

"Mmmgh?"  Sleep begins to overtake him as the voice continues.

"You can... call me Daniel."

He doesn't dignify him with a response, but a small bit of warmth keeps him feeling just a little more cozy.  It's just for the night.

Only for the night.

[solartranslations]

VF Dante Love x Laugh 1: Ojou-sama is a Part-Timer

Dante calls for the heroine while seemingly in a hurry…

~*Scene: Fiore Street*~

Dante: I’m sorry for calling you here so suddenly, Ojou-san. It’s a good thing the Swords’ patrol just ended

❤≪Dante≫ Seems as usual

Person: We need Ojou-san’s help

Arcana: This is a respectable job as well

Daily: I’d even get the alley cats to help if that were possible

Dante: The Maid Triad is already on the way, but it seems like that still isn’t enough

Felicita: ?

Dante: Remember how the pesce scorfano from Sabine’s ristorante had gathered attention from abroad?

Dante: A whole crowd of tourists showed up there today out of nowhere and she’s asking for help

>What do I need to do?

>Does she have enough ingredients?

Dante: Right, I was getting into too much detail

Dante: I’d like you to help with waitressing at the ristorante

Dante: If I asked Mondo, he’d end up preparing a whole outfit for you. So I thought I’d just ask directly

Dante: There’s no problem there

Dante: We at Intelligence have been fishing since this morning to stock up

Dante: I’d like you to assist the Maid Triad

❤≪Dante≫ Seems concerned ❤≪Dante≫ Seems concerned

Pleasure: I’m glad Ojou-san is quick to understand

Daily: I guess cats can’t carry food

Arcana: …Mondo had a maid outfit in his “secret collection”

Food: That’s what Ojou-san is worried about?

Arcana: There’s a waitress apron ready for you

Daily: I guess cats can’t carry food

Dante: This is of course, an official request made to the Family

Dante: You’ll receive a reward and a meal in return

Dante: Can I count on you to help, Ojou-san?

Felicita: Yeah

~*Scene: Ristorante*~

Liberta: There’s too many plates!

Dante: Just wash the giant stack in front of you!

Felicita: …

Dante: Ojou-san, the next order is ready

❤≪Dante≫ Seems as usual

Food: The dishes come one after another…

Place: I didn’t realize this would be such a battlefield

Pain: This is harder than I expected

Dante: Now I know why Sabine was in such a panic when she came to me for help

Dante: Have you seen the customers? With bellies like that, they won’t be full no matter how much we feed them

Dante: You’ve been bringing out plates this whole time. Are you doing okay?

>I’m fine…

>I’m tired…

Dante: Impressive, Ojou-san. You have even more endurance than the men over there

Dante: But, seeing you look so tired…is making me worry

Dante: I can imagine… You’re not used to this kind of work after all

Dante: Thank you for being honest

❤≪Dante≫ Seems concerned ❤≪Dante≫ Seems concerned

Pain: She doesn’t look fine though…

Place: She shouldn’t push herself too hard

Person: Ojou-san’s work ethic is amazing

Pain: I pushed her too hard

Place: She should get some rest

Person: Ojou-san’s really trying her best

Dante: Alright, I’ll take over bringing out the food for a bit

Dante: Can you dry the plates that Liberta is washing?

Dante: Right. Just so you know ahead of time…

❤≪Dante≫ Seems to be hiding something

Daily: I’ll have to work hard too

Pain: I can’t stand seeing her like that

Place: She should take even just a short break

Dante: I look very weird in a waitress apron, so please don’t look at me

Liberta: Dante! The next dish is ready!

Dante: Ojou-san, take a seat over there and help Liberta

❤≪Dante≫ Seems as usual

Daily: Leave it to me!

Pain: Don’t even imagine it!

Dante: Alright, we’re almost at the end! Keep up the good work, Ojou-san

Love

~*Scene: Ristorante*~

Liberta: We’re finally done… I, can’t even stand

❤≪Dante≫ Seems to be plotting ❤≪Liberta≫ Can’t seem to handle it

Person: Ojou-san worked hard to the very end

Pleasure: There’s still something important left

Person: I’ll thank Liberta later too

Person: The Triad are amazing for doing this everyday…

Pain: I’m hungry…

(*collapse)

Dante: Haah, we’re finally out of the storm

Dante: Well, I’ll get started with our final job. I’m borrowing the kitchen

Dante: Just give me a few minutes, Ojou-san

Dante: Add this sauce…and cream…

Dante: Whoops. I squeezed too hard

Dante: Sorry for the wait

❤≪Dante≫ Seems concerned

Link: This is to show my thanks to Ojou-san

Food: I hope this helps her recover her energy

Dante: Here’s one of your rewards for today. Do you like it?

Felicita: !

Dante: Hm? There’s cream on me?

Dante: I guess I really am not used to this…

Dante: Sorry, can you tell me where it is?

Felicita: …

Dante: Ojou-san?

Felicita: *sigh*

Dante: !

Liberta: Nope…I can’t watch this. I’ll just lie here a little longer…

Dante: You really always do things that I don’t expect

❤≪Dante≫ Seems shocked

Love: My heart can’t take this…

Link: I didn’t think I’d receive a reward from Ojou-san…

Dante: If I get this nice of a reward, maybe I should help out with waiting tables at the ristorante more often

Dante: When I do…can I count on you again, Ojou-san?

❤≪Dante≫ Seems nervous

Food: This is a reward sweeter than any dolce

Person: Ojou-san is the one who’s more skilled at this

Pleasure: Today was fun

Felicita: Yeah

~*End of Scene*~

Laugh

~*Scene: Fiore Street*~

Liberta: Ahh, all done! Good work, Dante, Ojou!

❤≪Liberta≫ Seems to want to go out to sea

Person: We worked really hard

Food: I’m hungry~

Place: Maybe I’ll see how the sea looks at night on the way back

Dante: That was some unexpected exercise for today

❤≪Dante≫ Seems as usual

Daily: It’s a satisfying kind of tiredness

Person: I’ll have to report this to Mondo

Pleasure: They worked hard until the end

Dante: But the meals we got in return were delicious too, right?

Dante: Food and drinks after some exercise really do taste that much better

Dante: By the way, those customers mentioned that they would continue sightseeing tomorrow. So I was thinking…

❤≪Dante≫ Seems to be plotting

Person: Their stomachs were bulging like a certain someone…

Pleasure: It’s a satisfying kind of tiredness

Dante: We could have them experience the Intelligence Division hands on

Felicita: ?

Liberta: Intelligence? How?

❤≪Liberta≫ Seems concerned

Person: Did Dante get an idea?

Food: I’ll eat while watching the sea

(*smirk) Dante: Some spice that’ll make good food taste even better

Dante: We’ll get them to experience Intelligence’s special training tomorrow morning

❤≪Dante≫ I hope my new joke won't flop

Place: They’ll get good exercise at Intelligence!

Daily: Their bellies…could use some shaping up

Pleasure: I’ve got the perfect regimen for them!

Dante: Then I’ll have them trade in their belly fat for muscles by the time they leave the island

(*bulge) Dante: While serving them, I overhead that they were worried about their weight

Dante: So it’ll be two birds with one stone

Liberta: But if all of them get on the ship, it might sink

❤≪Liberta≫ Can’t seem to handle it

Person: They’re all so big and round!

Pain: How much do you even have to eat to get like that!?

Felicita: Yeah

Liberta: Huh…Ojou, you agree with him!?

Dante: Tomorrow sure will be fun!

Dante: It could even become a new tourist attraction

(*just kidding)

Dante: Hahaha!!

~*End of Scene*~

(Continue to Dante Love x Laugh 2)

(Back to Directory)

[ordonianhero]

A strange rivalry and mended hearts

Content warning: alcohol usage.

Character: Warriors/Twilight

word/pages: 11,260 (22 pages)

(Characters are based off from @linkeduniverse @jojo56830 )

Upon visiting Twilight's Hyrule, Warriors own ego get him into trouble. The two butt heads, however admits the rivalry they exhibit, words are exchanged. Out of hurt. However Warriors is not the only one to blame. Twilight has some faults of his own. Still trying to process a few things going on in his life, he failed to see the hurt even he was causing to the person he cares the most for. Will He and Warriors end their rivalry and will the hurt be mended? Maybe surprised how much just a simple conversation can do so much.

 Ilia had made up a fine breakfast with the help of wild of course. Time sat near the Mayor, sipping on his tea. The two engaged in an intense conversation about the Village life. All the boys where happy to have a cooked meal and a place to rest, since they arrived in Ordon village the other night. The only person not present was Twilight. Which didn't go unnoticed by a few. "wonder where he is?" Legend smirked as he was about to bite into a sausage. Ilia was warm and smiling  and thanked Wild for the help and told him to go take his place by the table. "I am sure he is just sleeping." she jumped in. "Twilight sleeping in." scuffed Warriors. "sorry Honey but sleep is not in his vocabulary." He continued. Ilia could quickly tell this warrior was a smooth talker and a flirt. "Oh, I wouldn't be shocked." she teased back at him with the same energy as Warriors. Warriors catching on, smiled and flashed her one of his winning grins. "Sure you can share with us his dirty little secrets then?' he states biting into some wheat bread. Ilia scooped up a bit of egg and leaned close to Warriors, making him turn nearly bright red, getting flushed how a woman could match his game. "Splat" went the eggs on his plate. She smiled and whispers closely to him "what do I get in return then?" flirting back and seeing him turn a shade of red that got the table snickering. Warriors quickly covered his face. "Never mind, you win." he stammered.

 Ilia chuckled and moved down the table plating everyone. The food all from the village itself. Pumpkin juice and Goats milk. Smoked fish from the local water, and eggs from the cuccos, along with the sausage. Mayo Bo smiled at his daughter, "thank you dear." Ilia smiled squinted a smile back "Oh it was not all my handy work. Wild helped as well." Wild ducked and blushed a bit. Hyrule patted Wild on his back. "stop being so bashful. you do good cooking." the boys hummed in agreement. "So my cooking isn't good enough? I see how it is." chuckled Twilight as he quietly came in. He stealing a sausage off of Wild's plate. Ilia then smacking him in the chest slightly with the wooden spoon. "get your own plate." she playfully huffed. "ow. that hurt." Twilight whined rubbing his chest slightly. Time hid his amusement, how much Ilia and Twilight's interaction were a lot like Malon and His. "That's what you get." she smirked at him.  He glared and stuck his hand to his nose and wiggled his fingers at her as he went to go plate his own plate. The Mayo just chuckled whole heartily at the two.

Once both Ilia and Twilight both plated their own plates, the two sat by each other. This was the first time many of the member of the group saw twilight behave differently. Twilight, was far more down to earth then this stoic, person. sure he goofed with the others a few time. However here, they saw like they saw in Time when they Visited Lon Lon Ranch. Sky just loved seeing how how Ilia and Twilight interacted. nobody knew for sure the relation between Twilight or Ilia, but their ease and comfort of get at each other was fun to watch. Though Ilia seem more in control of Twilight and he just went along or glared at her. Time, even though he was busy talking with the Mayo, would often watch Twilight as well. At some point Ilia poked Twilight face with a spoon full of food as if she was babying him, like he had not eaten and she felt the need to feed him. There was just sweet and tender stuff she did too, like fuss with Twilight's hair. Twilight, not use to the boys seeing him this way would get slightly uncomfortable and  brush her hand away. Resulting in her huffing at him. "so Ilia, how long have you and Twilight know each other." legend question with a smirk." Twilight's heart fluttered. He didn't really talk about his private life much with the other's beside Time or often hints to Wild. "Oh, I have known him all my life. We grew up together." Ilia said smiling. "oh, so you do have some great stories about him, eh?" Warriors chimed in. "Oh I do." she smiled. "many of them." she continued Eyeing twilight who seem to use his hand to cover his face.

Time witness twilight's discomfort. So did Wild. "Oh come on Ilia, stop it. I don't need those two with information they could black mail me with." twilight sighed, getting up and grabbing his plate. It had been some time, but Ilia struggled to understand Twilight's own mood. was he angry? She then placed a hand to her own mouth and looked down. Twilight placed his plate in the sink and then walked out of the house. The Table sat quiet. Wild slowly raised his eyes to see how everyone was reacting to thing. The mayo looked shocked at some. Time held his usual neutral look, unreadable. Ilia looked as though she was in a deep thought. the rest of the boys didn't really know how to react to that. Wild wanted to say something, but what? The table just stayed quiet through the rest of the meal. Time and the Mayo often only being heard. Ilia after some time, got up, and took care of her own dish. Wild watched her. So did sky.

 After breakfast, Wild and sky offered to help Ilia with the clean up. the Rest of the guys went about to explore the village. Time and Mayo Bo seem to go off into his study. Ilia looked sad. As Wild and Sky helped. "He talks about you." Wild softly spoke. Ilia looked over at him. "He does?" she asked, looking puzzled. "what about?" she continued. Sky listened in. Wild smiled and was helping dry off a plate. He then looked up at her. Into her forest green eyes. "He speaks about how scared he was, about how he had to do stuff to help you remember some things." She softly smiled. "He's good like that." She relied. "he doesn't often share much about himself. however I think most of us don't really talk about it either." Sky added. "I wouldn't be shocked. He really does look after others. He so protective of this area. His home, his family." Ilia softly says, washing a bit of food off the plate. She didn't continue. "I get in his own time, maybe he will share more with us." Sky said with a smile. "I agree." sky joined in.

 Twilight seem to be gone the whole late morning and into the afternoon. Time found this quiet odd. However he wasn't going to worry too much about it. Twilight was in his own Hyrule. The Mayor and Time made their way to Rusl's place. Uli, Rusl's wife was outside weaving a blanket. Their little daughter playing in the stream nearby, playing leap frog with the few frogs near it. She looked up and greeted the men. "Good Morning." She paused and looked at Time and then the Mayor. "By hylia, is it not you?" she recognized Time. The Mayor chuckled. "Sure is him. Him and a lot of others like him." he continued. Time Warmly smiled. Uli got up from her work and Gave Time a hug. "Oh Rusl will be so happy to see you." She said as she pulled away. Rusl upon hearing the commotion outside opened the door. "AH, ITS YOU!" He loudly stated with the largest smile on his face. Time Chuckled. "sure is. not dead yet." Joked Time. Rusl and Time hugged. Once they pulled away. "Oh you have to come on in. Tell us about your life." Rusl stated. "Time blushed and rubbed a hand over his hair.

"sure. as long as you are willing to tell me how you been old pal." smirked Time.

"sure thing." laughed Rusl.

Uli called the little girl in as the four of them went into the house. "okay ma'ma." the little one called from the water. "I will come play with you all later." the little girl spoke to the frogs and ran up to the house. Time took a seat on the couch next to The mayor. Rusl sat across in a wooden chair. Uli went about making up a fruit, cheese platter with some Tea. The little girl ran up to her father, but paused in front of Time. her hair was blond like her mother's. She eyed time closely and then bluntly states, "You got a funny face. why do you have one eye closed?" Rusl chuckled along with Time. Uli gasped and placed the food down in front of the men. Pulling the little one to her. "that was rude. he's a guest and long time friend of ours." Uli spoke softly to her. She then looked up and giving Time an apologetic look, "I am so sorry, she young."  Time let out a laugh, "No worries Uli." Time then leaned over to face the little girl. "I had a little too much fun and it got stuck this way." he said jokingly. The girl gave a gasp. "Like Link did?" the little girl spoke. Time didn't know how to answer that. Rusl chimed in, "well sort of. Though his are more from something you don't mess with." The little girl nodded, she then went off like any little child her age did and went to go play off in her toy corner.

Rusl sighed and Looked back at his old pal. Time seem sadden, but he then warmly smiled back at him, "so tell us about your adventures." Rusl then said. Time nodded. "oh there is a lot to tell."

Four, Wind and Hyrule, walked a bit of ways to a place that looked like a ranch. Legend and Warriors following behind. There was a rather Tall looking man. He seem to be busy turning over some hay out of the stables. "Hey, this must be Ordon goats." Legend chuckled. Wind squeed at them size, "They are so large!"  The Ranch hand came over to them. "Ah yes, Ordon's fines. Who might y'all be?" said the man in his very thick country tongue.  Warriors stepped forward, "well we are all friend's of twi-Link." The others nodded. "I am warriors." He stuck his hand out. The man took his hand and shook it. It was a strong and firm grip. "Name's Fado. Ranch hand here at Ordon's goat ranch."

"I am Wind!" stated wind ever so cheerfully. Then the Rest Introduced themselves. Fado shook or smiled at each one. "so you said Link's friend's eh? where is the sticker?" Fado chuckled. His broad shoulders lifted with each laugh. "well he probably off being sensitive on his own. somewhere." Warriors stated giving a smirk. "eh, sensitive you say." Fado questioned the Knight. "Oh yeah, very. gets touchy on certain subject." Warriors said matter of fact. "Oh, like you aren't?" jabbed Legend. "Ignore the Rat. he doesn't know what he is talking about." jeered Warriors. Fado confused by the two banter between each other. Four stepped in before they made a scene. "So what's the ranch Like?" Fado, smiled at the slightly smaller guy. "Ah well nice, relaxing really. it can be hard work. However its rewarding. How bout I show you about? we got baby goats." Wind jumped up, "Baby goats, wheeeeeee! I wanna see!" "come along then." chuckled Fado Leading them into the ranch showing them about.

The Hyrule liked looking at all the goats and the baby goats were equally cute. Four found appreciation for the hard labor this man did. Fado laughed at the easily excitable Wind. Who seem to just fall in love with the baby goats. who then went off on Telling the strange man about the Pigs on his island back home. Warriors and Legend also seem to have a lot of respect for the guy. "so that's ranch life. couldn't ask for a better life ever." he stated as he finished the touring.  "You look like a sturdy young gent. How would you feel 'bout helping me wrangle up some of these guys?" Fado Tapped Warriors. "who me? ha-ha. Sure willing to try something new." Fado then suggested the others to stand a bit of distance. Wild Warriors and Himself got the goats into the barn for the evening. At this Point, Rusl with Time came up to the ranch themselves to see what was going on. Rusl suggested they stand over by the other Lads.

"so all you got to do is walk slowly and follow my lead, a whoop and Ha! Usually this much easier with a horse. However I have faith you got this." Fado explained. Warriors liked a challenge. He chuckled, "Okay bud. A whoop and a Ha! how hard can this be?"

"How much would you like to bet this will fail?" Legend whispered to four. Four glared and crossed his arms, "None." he whispered back. Wind and Hyrule both got excited to see what was about to happen. Fado let out a whoop, and the goats slowly started moving. Warriors fallow after. The goats on his side ever gave him a look of "seriously?" and went back to their grazing. "got to be more commanding." yelled Fado. Commanding Eh, I can be commanding. thought Warriors. He then Huffed up his chest and let out another Whoop. This time his tone more deep and serious. Time was impressed, as the goats looked shocked by Warriors change in demeanor and tone. The goats started moving in the direction of the barn. Warriors understood commanding and team work. so Though this was not his area of specialties, he wasn't bad. However Warriors got a little too over his head near the end. A goat then turned its head and Instead of heading towards the Barn, started making a flash run, head bent down. Bout to knock Warriors to his feet. Warriors Froze. he didn't know what to do. Fado, and Then Time both rushing to try push warriors out of the way. "Oi, Look out!" Yelled Fado. Warriors, was stuck. The Goat rushing ever faster, snorting, hooves pounding the ground.

Suddenly he was pushed out of the way by someone. He looked over once he gathered his sense. There Stood Twilight. With the Goat's horns in his hand. Every muscle in his body tight, his teeth bearing. At this very same time, Wild, sky and Ilia were running up to the ranch. Fado and Time paused in their own track. Twilight wrestled with the Large goat till he brought it to the ground. the ground seem to shake a bit from the goat falling over. "whoa." wild softly said. All the other hero's had a look of astonishment. Twilight knelt close to the goat which was huffing. He gently stroked the goat, speaking softly, "whoa there big guy. it's okay. it's okay." the goat's wild eyes seem to go calm and so did it breathing. The goat then slowly stood up, Twilight gave it a light pat, before it headed off to the barn. Fado came running over and slapped a hand on Twilight's back, "thanks again. they been acting up a lot." Twilight nodded. He then walked over and stuck out his hand to Warriors.

Warriors looked up at Twilight, then took his hand. feeling slightly silly now. Twilight pulled him up. "oof." stated Warriors. Twilight smirked and shook his head. "whose idea was it to let you try your hand at goat wrangling?" Twilight joked. "Actually it was me." said Fado coming up behind Twilight. "ah." responded Twilight. "he did a good job up till that point." Fado stated feeling ashamed for putting one of Twilight's men in danger. "Yeah, hey, got to try some time eh. sure the Captain did good though. just got a few stubborn lot every once in a while." Twilight attempted to be encouraging that Warriors wasn't fully at fault for what happened. "tis true." replied Fado ruffling up his hair. "anyways I got the rest to finish. i will catch up with you tonight eh?" stated Fado. "ah, yeah. later." Fado waved at the rest as he went about closing up the barn.

Four, Wind, Wild and Sky all ran over to Twilight. "whoa, That was amazing! you took that Big Goat down." winds said fairly loudly. "That was Impressive." chimed in Four. "Sky and I came late, but that was pretty amazing what you did there." said Wild. "Yeah well anyone could of done that." huffed Warriors, who now seems more embarrassed by what happened. Twilight looked over at him and smirked, "Oh. okay. next time I will let you try taking a thousand pound goat then." Warriors smirked, "Fine. can't wait." Time approached slowly, with the few others coming behind. He caught Warriors and Twilight's little sneers at each other again. Which borderline playful and also insulting. "Very Impressive." was all he could say to Twilight as he approached.

Twilight just smiled at the Older mentor. Rusl smiling as well. Twilight was about to turn and give Rusl a hug, when Ilia pushed her way through and with finger pointed straight at him, "ooooo you are so RECKLESS! So Foolish....." she yelled. The other saw Twilights hands go up as he flinched. "Ilia, he-" Rusl tried stepping in. "No! He could of been injured." "He could of been injured too." stated Twilight finally. "Had to do something." he crossed his arms. She huffed and looked back at Twilight and then Warriors. "true, just be careful okay. don't be reckless. Either of you." She then turned and walked off. Twilight sighed. Rusl flung and arm around his shoulder, "you know she means well."

"yup." the one single line. That was all it took for Time, Wild and Rusl to know Twilight was in no mood to discuss the matter. "So it looks as though the Village is putting on a feast to greet you all here. How 'bout the lot of you get cleaned up and ready." Rusl cheeringly said. The group nodded. "ooo Feasts. This should be fun." said Wind. The boys all went off to get ready. Rusl had let go of Twilight to say a few things to Time, the two men then witnessed Warriors brush past Twilight and with a smirk and a low tone, "I had it and you had to go Mr. Hero on the moment." than walked off. Twilight's jaw clenched. Time and Rusl then looked at Twilight who seem to roll his shoulder back and let out a deep sigh. "see you all at the feast."  he calmly stated. Both Men looked at each other and then watched as Twilight walked off back into the village.

----

As the sun started setting, a few lanterns were lit above the festival. There was food and drinks of all sorts. The Ordon villagers all dressed semi festive like. Ilia was sporting a summer like dress, which showed her shoulder, the dress being help by a tie around her neck. The dress was a soft pastel yellow with a green bow that was tied behind her back. a few ribbons in her hair with a little flower crown. Twilight had on something that matched the bare shoulders of Ilia, a wolf shash tired around his waist and a forest green skirt. Not uncommon for men to wear in Ordon villahe, many of the men wore similar looks with different pattered tops and wraps. The rest of the eight heros though kept to their regular attire. They had no space for different clothing. other then Wild who Twilight knew he had other's to wear if his main out got filthy. Time however shed his armor and just more his shirt and pants. out of comfort reasons. The Ordon Teen (not children anymore) Wore their semi festive wear. There was music playing from a few Villagers along with singing. Warriors had changed into his more Formal knight wear. He looked pretty handsome. He sat beside Hyrule and Wind, watching as Ilia seem to tug twilight off to dance with her. Twilight smiled and looked bashful, however obliged to her request.

Legend plopped by walked by about to take a seat by Hyrule. "shocked he can dance at all." Legend joked. "you call that dancing? I dunno what to call what he is doing." Warriors replied, before taking a swig of pumpkin ale. "Will you two stop." Sky said angrily. "I know your joking legend, but Warriors- you been downright mean." he continued. Legend had to agree. Warriors and Twilight often had their private jabs at each other. However this was a whole new thing. Warriors could be sweet, he often was with Wind at least and the few other. often he jokingly said things to Time, bullied Legend, but Legend dished back. Twilight. He'd say something, and Warriors would just have something more insulting to state back. which now resulted in Twilight keeping quiet and ignoring what Warriors said. "We are guest here, in Twilights village. you're on his turf basically." Four chimed in. "oh and what is Farmer boy going to do. put me to back breaking work?" Smirked Warriors. The guys dropped it. Feeling like it wasn't getting through to him how his behavior was uncalled for.

"He and Ilia nearly tied the knot. Then suddenly it just ended. so they sort of stuck as close friend." Mayor Bo could be heard. Time softly smiled, "oh." then looked to Rusl. Rusl smiled back. "I think Ilia and Him had their reasons to not go through with it and very glad they both are able to stay so close as they did as children. though." The men took a drink. Uli was busy keeping the little girl occupied. Time watched as Ilia and Twilight dance, which later then got Interrupted by the ranch hand Fado playfully scooped up twilight, carrying him off, Ilia chuckling. Twilight and Fado laughing too. The Ordon children then rushed over to try and rescue Twilight from Fado. Like they were all playing some sort of game. Wild rushed over to join in. Warriors down his drink and then made his way over to Ilia.

She had not noticed Warriors there, till he lightly tapped her shoulders. She turned, she was still laughing at the scene of Twilight being carried off by Fado, she then looked at Warriors out reached hand. then up at him. His handsome blue eyes, his smile. "may I have this dance m'lady?" he asked. She smiled back, "if you insisted good gent." she curtsies. She took his hand in one, the other on his shoulder. He placed his hand on her back. They begin to dance slowly to music. Pergie came by and tapped Rusl on the shoulder and chuckled, "Looks like the Knight came swooping in." The three men, Time, Rusl and Mayor Bo all looking over. "Oh, how romantic." Sera started, sitting nearest the Mayor with her Husband Hanch. "Well its cute for sure. However he's a bit much don't you think?" Uli who spoke softly, finally getting their little one to stop fussing over sitting still.

"well Ilia is getting older, she can't be waiting around anymore." stated Pergie. Jaggle choked on his ale a bit. "Honey, not sure this appropriate conversation to be having with Guests among us." Time who was never one for festivities, arms crossed and shrugged. Mayo Bo frowned with baby eyebrows, "well I think my daughter will choose when she is ready."

"There goes the prospect of children any time then." Pergie heartily laughed.

"MY WORD! Would you leave it be." swore Jaggle at his wife.

"Sure the girl has many suitors when she wants. Now is just not her time." Sera said smiling. Then she sighed, "Link on the other hand...." Rusl now had a turn of choking on his drink, "what about the lad?" The table went quiet. Time reached for his own ale and took a sip. Mayor Bo then cleared his throat after a while, "Well the lad is busy, when would he find time for that sort of thing? Besides, I think he prefers not being with anyone. The boy has had enough heart breaks that for sure." Rusl nodded in an agreement. "Well his end of a relations with Ilia was fairly civil. Good to see they bare no ill feeling towards one another. That's for sure." Uli softly states. "Not even jealousy."

Time felt fairly uncomfortable of the children being talked in that manner. However the term raised by a village that it's like a family, rang through his mind. They equally helped raised Link and the other children. So of course they would discuss the ongoing of them. Time Looked up, in the direction of where Twilight was, he was now getting piled onto by the Teen. As he flailed playfully. Twilight sure was great with the Village children. From the few private conversations, the thought of settling down or marriage, or love never seem to be one he talked about. The boy still seem to be processing some deeper stuff he had not revealed.

 The evening started to come to an end, the music died down, people started leaving. There were only people left,  Gathered around a fire pit. Drinking Ale. Though Twilight did not part take, he sat beside his friend Fado. Rusl sat nearest to Twilight. Ilia who seem fairly drunk, had her arm around Warriors. The captain feeling fairly please as the two flirted and joked with each other. Twilight Knew that Warriors was equally buzzed. Jaggle joined. Wild follow Hyrule back to the Mayor's place with some of the younger members of their group. Time before going off to Sleep, gave Twilight's shoulder a squeeze before heading off to bed himself. Twilight remained quiet as the other seem to go on talking. Warriors being who he was, felt like discussing his rise to captain hood. Twilight, watched as his childhood friend seem to fawn over the captain's words. He didn't even feel remotely jealous of her feelings towards a charming guy. However he was feeling protective of her at that moment, like he had so many years ago. She was in no position where she could easily say no. Warriors being Drunk actually might not know how to take no for an answer either.

"So, we took down hordes of enemies. Large masses......" Warriors said, charmingly smirking. His goblet in one hand and over on his leg. Ilia's one hand on his muscular arm and the other holding her own goblet. She gasped at the Captain's tale. Twilight snorted, "Hordes, eh? Thought it was pretty women?"  Rusl let out a booming laugh, "Women, really?" Jaggle and Fado joined in to the laughing. Warriors face flashed with anger towards Twilight and embarrassment. "Really, from what I heard his charmingness brings all the ladies about. However when it comes down to engaging with them, he either flop and gets stools thrown at him for something he has said or he runs and hides." Twilight states chuckling. His arms crossing. check-mate! He gained another glare far Warriors. Twilight eyed Ilia, who also seem very unamused at Twilight's words. She then sat up straight and with her own words, "says the one that can't keep a solid relationship." stab! Twilight snorted and glares at Ilia. Fado, Jaggle and Rusl all went quiet. The only sound was the crackle of the fire. Warriors face then slid into the most evil smile, "oh, ho okay so the hero of whatever can't even keep anyone in his life. That's not a shocker." He let out a slow chuckle eyeing Twilight. Twilight kept his mouth shut, jaw clenched. Baring a look that Time often wore when angered. "Oh, got nothing then? What you do? Shatter their heart?"Warriors continued. Twilight felt bile and anger rising with each word Warriors spat. Ilia in her too drunk state just laughed along with Warriors. "Yeah, what was it honey? why couldn't you commit?" she then joined in on Warriors vial insults. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Come on now. " Rusl then jumped in seeing this was no longer just two people joking around, and with Ilia. He was shocked in her behavior.

Twilight stood Up, quickly turning and walked off in the direction of his home. Warriors looking ever so please, feeling he won some sort of one up ship game. "Ha-ha, look at him scatter. That was a good one." Warriors chuckled. Ilia was however not in the same victory feeling. The three other Men felt disgust at the filthy game that was just played. "I think it's time to turn in men. Its rather late, and I don't think I can handle any more fun for the night." Rusl stated, feeling angry. Jaggle and Fado agreeing. The three leave after that. Ilia stood up without a word, arms by her side. She set her mug down on the outside table. Warriors, getting up too and following her. "hey, hey, thought we were having fun. being a team." as he said, drunkenly puzzled by Ilia's reaction. She turned around and smacked him. Then quickly making her exit away from Warriors. He raised a hand to his cheek. He suddenly sobered up enough to realized he crossed a line. However Twilight had too. So it wasn't all his own doing. or was it?

Twilight closed his door hard. He quickly fought he way out of his event wear. Angrily flinging part of his outfit on to his furniture. Pulling on his loose casual wear.  He then rushed up to his bed on the third balcony and flopped face first into the pillows and sheets. He let out scream. Then flipping over frustratedly. Running a hand through his hair and sighs. He could feel his throat sore and raw from the screaming. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eye. As he was falling asleep, he felt his bed shift. He peeked open one of his eyes to see Ilia sitting at the edge of his bed. Twilight flipped over, Facing away from her. He had nothing to say to her. Her face fell into her hands, sobs. Twilight sighs and sits up. "I am so sorry." she sobs. "I am so sorry."  she turned around folding her knees under her as she now kneeled on his bed. She looked tearfully at him, the tears streaming down her cheek. She saw Twilight was fiercely angry. He stayed quiet. I can handle his silence, not that kind of silence, Rung in his own mind. He was doing as Malon had said about Time when he was upset. He just puffed out a sigh. They sat there in silence for some time. "You hurt me." he said, his voice hoarse still. "You're drunk still and I think its best we don't talk. Cause right now, you wouldn't even begin to know what you did." He then turned away and curled up in a ball and closed his eyes.

Ilia unsure what to do, slowly shifted and left the bed. back down the bottom floor. Carefully folded up his event wear. Placing them nicely on the couch. She then turned and exited his house and heading back to her home. The lanterns still lit. The fire now had gone out. She walked into her house where the eight other Heroes who traveled with Twilight slept. Making her way up to her bed and curled in bed. Crying into her pillow quietly. Till sleep finally took over.

A deep early fall Frost had set in around Ordon that morning. It nipped at anyone who was near an open window. Covering both the roofs and plants about the Village. It glistened in the sun light like a jewel.  However the clouds rolled back in, a gentle rain begin to fall. Twilight shifted in bed and pulled his blanket around himself more. burying his head slightly under his pillows. After the night before, he was not ready to face the day yet.

Meanwhile, the other Hero's were just waking. Breakfast was being made by Pergie. While after washing up, he walked into where Wild seem to be looking at a few books. Warriors walked over and plopped beside wild. He glanced over. Wild looked over at Warriors. Warriors just smiled, "what're you reading?" Wild lifted the book to show the cover. "Hm. okay, it looks like a book about a person." Warriors said examining the cover. Talo walked by, after being ordered by his mother (Pergie) to help with the table set up. "Oh that book, its bout Link." He states walking by carrying a few plates. Wild and Warriors both looking at Talo and then at each other. "wait, you mean as in the guy whom is traveling with us?" questioned Warriors, looking back to Talo. "Yup. One of the greatest swordsman and hero." Talo said excitedly, setting the plates down. Few other Link's filed in, followed by Time.

Each of them stood there awkwardly about the room and some taking a seat at the table. "wait, someone wrote about him? I am shocked. He never opens up to us about anything he has experienced. I mean we get bits and pieces." Stated wind. "you know we all sort of don't all share much about ourselves. wouldn't expect him to either." Four explained. Talo was quiet for a bit. "well, he is really amazing. The things he did. the things he experienced." Ilia came out of nowhere and placed some scones on the table she had made. She looked wet from the rain and like she hadn't slept much. "not everything in there is true. some is exaggerated Talo. I have read it." Her voice was small and quiet. Time took the book from Wild and looked through it. He spotted a few things he knew Twilight would of never said. "so it's meant to inspire people that anyone can do what he did?" Time question the young lass. Ilia looked up at Time, he saw the sadness in her eyes. "ah." Time responded. "I get you. sometimes we only share what we want with certain people." He handed the book back to Wild. Warriors then snatching it. and flipping through it. "if you looking for something to hurt him with, you won't find any." Ilia turned and left to go help Pergie out. Talo looked confused at Ilia's behavior.

Jaggle came in carrying in more wood for the fire. "Morning Y'alls." he responded. " pretty quiet. something go on?" he continued. Warriors, handed the book back to Wild. Jaggle spotted the book. "ah you reading about our Link. The Ranch hand, turned hero. I mean he's more Ranch hand then Hero. he did things to protect the people he cared about. Rescuing our village children and taking down one of the most evil being to ever exist. Never once asking for anything in return." Talo Looked at his Dad as he spoke. Pergie came to the table and set the food down. in a way for everyone to self serve. "Enough of this talk, time to eat. Let's not get gloomy." Everyone joined the table. sitting down. Ilia took a seat next to Talo and Malo. Before Time took a bite of food, he spotted an empty seat. "Ilia dear, you think Link will be coming? sure he would love to have you scones." Pergie asked, looking over at the young woman. Ilia didn't say anything. "he's pretty sleeping still." laughed Talo. Wind gasped, "he does that when we travel. he will either not be around or he sleeps in before we head off. The guy hardly sleeps."

Time got up and pushed his chair in. "excuse me." he said gruffly. He then headed out, taking his cloak. "was it something I said?" asked wind, feeling guilty. "no. no its nothing you said." Warriors said calmly, patting the young teen on his back. Warriors looked over at Ilia, whose head was bowed as she ate. Time walked down the path and head up to Twilight's house. He climbed up the ladder, than pushed open Twilight's front door. He quietly closed the door. A few cats looked at him and gave a soft mew at him. he removed his wet cloak and hung it up by the door, then removed his boots. The kitties took interest in his boots and sniffed them. Twilight crouched down and pet the black and white one. "where's your owner." he softly asked. The cat looked up and rubbed up against Time's hand, letting out a soft mew. He slowly stood up and looked up at the loft up on the third balcony. He made his way up to it. The little kitty following behind him. when he got to where Twilight was sleeping. There was a calico kitty sleeping off to the side of Twilight and the black little kitty hopped up on the bed.

Twilight was laying on his stomach. Head stuffed under his pillows. A single foot was exposed out from under the sheets. One side of his shoulders was exposed. "you thinking to sleep the day away or something?" Time states in a deep tone. Twilight made no effort to move or respond. Time looked at little black kitty who gave out a tiny mew. The Calico looked up and let out a yawn before stretching its body out. Then it begin kneading Twiligh's bare arm. Time held his chuckle back in amusement. Time then took one of his fingers and ran it up against Twilights' exposed foot. Then came a loud disgruntled noise from under pillow. Twilight's head popped out and turned to glare tiredly at Time. Who let out a soft chuck. knowing Malon had done that a few times to him, sure enough, worked on his blood as well. Twilight's hair all disheveled. "can Hyrule really rely on such a lazy hero." Time jokingly states. Twilight groans and flops onto his back. The black cat nearly getting knocked off the bed. Twilight resting his other arm over his face. The small black cat climbed onto his stomach and mewed obnoxiously. "okay, I'm awake. " He groaned again. Slowly sitting up. The blanket falling on bout his waist.

He had seen Twilight's own scars a few time. Unlike Wild whose scares were distinctive in their own way, Twilights were deep. Partly from all the transformation he has done and the rest from the few acid ruminants. It always seem to shock Time and made his own hurt for the Pup. Each of those Boys had been through and marked in some way. Time had a few scares himself, the worst of the worst scares were the one's unseen, but the pain Twilight must feel with the ones around his stomach. Twilight reached for his top which was on the floor, the cat hopping off of him. "Must of fought my top off. I do that sometimes." He states tiredly before yawning. Pulling it back over himself and then shifting out of bed to stand. He stretched and then moved past Time. both kitties following in pursuit, Time a little ways after. Twilight padded his way into the kitchen, getting the his cats some water and then grabbing them food. Time entered the kitchen. Despite how small the space was, it was homely. He spotted a few pictures of the children, a few of the goats and Epona. Another was of Fado the friend and other Ranch hand. Twilight lit up his fire place and put some water on for tea.

The soft sound of rain could be heard outside. "hm, one of the boys must of played the rain song." Twilight tiredly joked. Yawning again. Time took a seat in a chair. Sitting quietly and watching twilight. "tea?" Twilight asked. "sure." responded Time. Twilight suspected Time had something he wanted to talk about. however he was either waiting or trying to find the way to ask. The sound of the water boiling filled the room along with the crackle from the fire. Occasionally the sounds of the cats chattering and then chasing something. A bug most likely. Twilight came over with a mug of herbal tea. Time took it and thanked Twilight. Twilight just nods, going back to pick up his own cup. As Twilight blews on his tea. Time clears his throat. Twilight takes a sip. "So, what happened the other night?" Time asked in a gentle tone. He then took a sip and waited for Twilight to reply. After a few moments of silence Twilight spoke. " It started out with a few people drinking a bit too much..."

"warriors?" Time interrupted.

"Well him, my friend and other villagers. What started out as just the captain and I have a few playful jabs- kind of turned into personal attacks. I am not one to really care. However, when the words come out of your childhood friend's mouth. It's no longer fun. So I left." Twilight finished, taking a sip of his tea. Time nodded. He now understood Warriors odd behavior change and why Ilia looked so sad that moment. They both realizing there was a line and it was crossed. Twilight was not one to push around. He also was one who hated seeing other being bullied. However it sounded like Ilia must of said some so raw to Twilight, that her left. With Alcohol being a factor, pretty sure played a huge part in it. Time knew why Twilight swore off from drinking. However probably witnessing others lose their inhabitations to the stuff must be hard. Often some things that are said under the influence is deeply rooted emotions, not being let out. He knew too well of that with himself. "Thats got to be painful? was it about, her and you?" Time spoke, trying to not be too pushy. The room just went quiet again. The calico, walked over to Twilight and rubbed up against him. Then looked up at him. "we ended things because, we were not on the same page. It wasn't so much of a break up, but more of a revaluation. I feel she must be hurt we didn't go through. however it started get to be all one side. never about being on the same page. Though I was no help. My head was just not-"

"You were still processing some major event you went through and such?" Time filled in.

"Yeah. I mean she knew, she knew all I went through. I feel like she must of thought that having this fantasy wedding, having children would fix all that. I am not even close to healed. Wasn't then and I am still coping with a few things." He stopped and let out a Growl and turned away, Setting his cup down. "When will I ever be?" Time got up from his seat and put his cup down and place his hand on Twilight's back. He felt the tension just tightening. "It takes time. You do have to go through your process. Nobody can fix that. However I can say, the way you two interact with each other. I can tell you both still care a lot about one another. Mal, your Mom and I had sort of a similar situation. I think one of the scariest thing and opening up and talking about it. From there, everything kind of fell perfectly into place once we were able to really talk." He felt Twilight let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, guess that's where we went wrong. Losing our ability to talk to one another." Twilight turned and faced Time. Time moved in and gave Twilight a hug. "You'll figure things out pup." Twilight didn't respond, Just wrapped his arms around Time. Time gently rubbed Twilight's back.

After a short while, they pulled apart. "Thanks." Twilight said smiling softly. "No problem. so what we going to do with Warriors and You then?" he chuckled. Twilight chuckled back, "Guess same thing, have a talk. 'Bout the only mature thing to do." They both laughed. Twilight then gathered up his own cloak and slipped on his boots. Followed by Time. They both stepped outside, the rain still coming down. They made their way into the village. "You know, if I had met you back when I was your age....I would of thought you stuck up." Time chuckled as they walked side by side. "Oh wow." laughed Twilight. "Well I would be completely wrong. You're not stuck up at all, You're just-"

"what?"

"Pretty humble. Stubborn like me, but humble. Probably don't always know when to relax. Tense, but yeah." They both smiled at each other.

"Thanks old man."

"oi! don't you start on that."

----

Sky and Wild offered to help clean up after everyone seem to be done eating.  Pergie felt grateful for the help. Since Talo ran off to go play with some of the other Village children. Warriors went back to sitting on the chair nearby and reading the book. Ilia walked past him. he put the book down and walked after her. "hey." he said quietly. She turned and looked at him. "I am sorry about last night." he said softly to her. She clutched the plate close to her chest. "Thank you, um. that wasn't really your fault. I honestly shouldn't have drank that much. I am sorry for slapping you. Anyways I have to go. Got chores to do." She turned to Leave, just as Twilight and Time enter the house. Twilight's and her's eyes met. Twilight, reached out to her, "Ilia, I" she looked away and walked out the door. He was about to go after her, but Time caught him. "Let her be. you can talk to her later." Time explained quietly. Twilight let out a sigh. the two of them removing their cloaks. The other Link's seem to be sitting at the table still. Pergie walked over to Twilight and Time, "Sorry you two missed out on Breakfast." Time raised a hand and shook his head. "It's okay, no need to apologize." He then stated. Twilight rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, I will be fine. however thank you though for feeding us all. either way." Pergie smiled and nodded at them. Time patted Twilight's back as he went off to have a conversation with four.

Warriors and Twilight's eyes met. Warriors wanted to duck and cover. Twilight however looked away as Pergie seem to start a short conversation with Twilight. Warriors made his getaway and sat back down and picked up the book again. from where he was sitting he could see Twilight simply shrugging to Pergie's questions or half responded. After some time she give Twilight a reassuring smile. Leaving him be. A few of the Link's started a card game, which Time was trying to get into and understand. He was struggling though. As Twilight walked by, he looked over at Times hand. Plucked out a few cards and placed them on the table. The others groaning. "That's not fair, he can't do that." complained Legend. "well he did. Its Time's cards. so he wins." stated four.  Twilight stood in front of Warriors. "I think we should talk." Twilight said firmly. Warriors nods, "I agree. do you have somewhere without a whole crew watching us?" he questioned, closing the book. "yeah." Twilight answered. He turned and pulled his cloak back on. Warriors following doing the same. as they left the house. "are they going out to duke it out?" Questioned wind. Four laid a few cards down. "Dunno." he replied. "Hope not." said Sky joining them at the table after wild and Him cleaned up the kitchen. "My money is on Twilight if they do." sarcastically stated legend.

Twilight and Warriors entered a new building that was constructed as a community center, swords/sumo training area. It had a fighting ring in the far end of the building, the rest has table and chairs. Twilight remover his cloak and set it down on a chair, Warriors doing the same. He followed Twilight to the fighting ring. Twilight picked up two wooden practice swords. He tossed one to Warriors. They went into the ring. What are you thinking Twilight. Warriors thought. He just readied the sword. Twilight made his move. Warriors quickly blocked. Twilight stepped away. The both staring intensely at each other. Twilight makes another move, Warriors blocks again, but then swing his sword out of said block. Twilight then blocking back. Moving his sword now and making a quick motion, warriors slashing back, both their swords meeting. Neither of them speaking. They went back and forth rapidly, sword against the others. Their feet shuffling with each movement they made. Like they were in a dance for their life. sweat begin to form on bother their faces. Just when Warriors was thinking he might be getting the upper hand, Twilight switched hands. Warriors Nearly falling forward, as Twilight dodged and then gently tapped Warriors shoulder. Then lowered his sword. So ending their sword battle. Warriors turned breathing hard. He could see Twilight breathing hard as well.

Twilight walked of the ring and grabbed a towel and tossed to Warriors. Warriors caught it and wiped off the sweat from his face. Twilight takes a seat on the bench, setting the wooden sword aside. Then lifting part of his ordonian garb, exposing his stomach with the scars visible, to wiped away the sweat from his face. Warriors had hardly noticed Twilight's scars before. Other then the noticeable markings on his face. Warriors took a seat beside Twilight. Setting the sword off to the side. They sat there quietly, both still trying to catch their breath.  "Good move back there. Kind of forgot you are skilled with the sword in either hand." Warriors finally spoke up. "Hm, You landed a few good moves as well. Good foot work." responded Twilight. Silence again. It was starting to feel a little awkward now with the silent pauses in their conversation. "So how did you get to be good with the sword? Your sword ability is seems like you were trained by at least another warrior. Something I couldn't imagine a Farm hand would know." Warriors stated, wiping away a bit more sweat. "I was, I was actually first trained by the Swordsman of this Village who had some training himself. Then gained more skills from another mentor along the way as I was defending Hyrule. Never truly forgot it." Replied Twilight. "How'd you get into Knighthood?" Twilight asked looking at Warriors. "hm, I was sort of raised into. My father was a knight, so it passed down to me later on. Then because I was so skilled, I was made Captain. To help defend Hyrule." Warriors explain. Twilight nodded. "Look, I am sorry if I said or did anything to offend you Twilight. I am use to being with my knights. We often make comments or jabs. Never intend to hurt one other. We are a brotherhood us and the other Links. I do end up being cocky or full of myself. That is true." Warriors begins to apologize. Twilight chuckled, "No, no, no you didn't offend me. I mean sure I take issue when you pick on the others. you can come of vain and a bully at times. Sure there have been a few times I wanted to deck you. I am use to having things hurled at me though. I can take it, also sort of know how to jab back. Don't always realize how blunt or brash I can be." explained Twilight. "Oh no, Twilight, you hardly have been either of that to me. Most part. I think your silence is scary though. That when I know you mean business and you ignore me." chuckled Warriors. "you are scary that way. however we kind of always had this rivalry. Is there a reason to it?"  

Twilight chewed his bottom lip and then sighed. "Look, so. When I was out there saving Hyrule, what were once Knights. Brave Knights willing to stand up for our queen. Just suddenly became useless cowards. So honestly, it has nothing to do really you, but what you stand for. I don't have a positive outlook on Knights. I know you are nothing like them. You fought bravely for your Hyrule. Dunno what I am to you. Just some silly Country Bumpkin who happens to be good sword must feel threatening to your own image." Twilight looked down at the ground. "Ah, well no. I mean yes, to your a country bumpkin who has amazing sword skills. I have grown to respect you. The whole team does. Also you're an absolute fool."

"Excuse, me what?!" Twilight turned to Warriors.

Warriors chuckled and threw his hands up. "I said you are a fool. A fool to not see your friend still loves you. Sure she flirted with me. I saw her motives. Not saying that i don't mind a girl who can toy back with me, but she still loves you." Twilights heart skipped a beat. He then frowned at Warriors. "says the guy who seem to get stools thrown at him." Twilight replied firmly. "True, beside the point. She felt so upset after she realized what she had done. oh and boy does she slap hard, but she still loves you and seem to be holding out hope you did too. How can you not see that?" Warriors asked. Twilight looked away. "oh." Warriors finally realized. There was an awkward silence for a good while. The rain could be heard pounding the roof of the building. "We didn't have a falling out. Its more were not on the same page. I still love and care about her. I hope I haven't ruined it." Twilight said softly. Looking down at the ground. "Brother." Warriors said seriously. Resting a hand on Twilight's shoulder. "You couldn't, not in her eyes. She understand her faults, how she failed to see you were still going through something. All while she was trying to help."

"I know." Twilight said quiet.

"Then go patch that up, or this will just be another things of things I use against you." Warriors stated in a joking way. Twilight smirked, "You. wouldn't. dare?!"

"I don't know, I just might." Smirked Warriors. Twilight then signed a swear word and Warriors signed back an equally not nice word. which resulted of them both wrestling on the ground a bit. Laughing. Before they fell away from each other and laid on the ground panting. "We should get cleaned up for Lunch." Twilight finally said after they lay there on the ground. "good point. whose cooking..." Warriors asked. As he helped Twilight off the ground. "ah, think Uli is." said Twilight. The two Hylian's grabbed up their cloaks and left the building side by side.

---

 "Ah that was a fantastic meal Uli." Rusl complemented his wife. The tabled hummed in agreement. "don't mind if you teach me that recipe do you?" Wild asked kindly. "of course you would ask for that." teased Legend. Wild sort of blushed. "I know who is getting extra Goron spice in their food the next time they get a meal from Wild." Warriors smirked. the table laughed. "oh my. well Yes hon. I can totally give you the recipe." Uli says with a soft laugh. "Not that we are bored of Pumpkin soup." added Four. Twilight gave a soft chuckle. Twilight watched as all their group chattered happily after a warm meal. Time was having what seemed a intense conversation. Twilight then quietly excused himself. Colin shot up, "can I come too?" The room went quiet. "Sure. I was only going to stop off at Ilia's."

"oh. well not sure she will want to talk to you though. she is still sort of upset." Colin then quietly said. Twilight sighed and scratched his forehead. He turned and Left, Colin following behind. "I mean it!" Colin yelled, stopping on the stoop. Time noticed Twilight had left without his cloak. out into the rain. "oh dear." was all Uli could utter, holding a hand to her mouth. "Hon, the boy will figure it out. "said Rusl, getting up and standing by her side. Colin came back in and noticed the cloak. He grabbed it and went running after Twilight. "Colin looks up to both Ilia and Link. when things sort of fell apart. He felt so confused." Rusl explained. "love is a confusing thing to young minds. all the children had hope for having a love like Link and Ilia's." he continued. Legend felt his own heart ache when his mind flooded to memories of Marin. he then got up and threw on his cloak and left. "wait why'd he go?"asked wind. "Eh, he probably getting all sensitive about the subject." Warriors stated.  "says the guy who is terrified of women." Hyrule joked. "more like terrified of commitment." Four quietly states. Warriors huffed and crossed his arms, "Try having nothing, but clingy women after you. Then talk." Time got up from the Table and left. he was tired of the constant jabs and arguments. he grabbed his cloak and left as well. "would you look at that, you got the old man to leave. Good going Warriors." Said Four frowning at him.

Time was about to round the corner, when Legend's hand pulls him off and out of site. "what the-" he stammered. "shhh." Legend whispered, he then pointed in the direction of where Sera's shop was. There stood Ilia and Twilight, in the rain, talking. Suddenly Time was aware half the Villagers were watching, just out of sight. The Rest of the Link's then showed up, then also choosing to duck and hide with Time and Legend.

"I can't talk right now." Ilia's voice could be heard. "Ilia, we can't keep ignoring each other all day. We have to talk about this. We got to talk about us." Came twilight's own voice. His voice was firm but caring. "Yeah, well you made it very clear, you feel nothing for me." Ilia angrily says back. "I never said that. I said I was unsure of things. That I needed some time, some things I need to work on." Twilight angrily replied. "Well good for you. Did you find what you needed to figure out?" Ilia's voice sounded unstable, like she was fighting her will to not cry. She pushed past Twilight and start up the path back to her place. Twilight following. "How am I suppose to Love some, when I am broken. How am I suppose to give you what you need if all I am is a empty shell." Screamed after her. The Links all shuffled to try and hide better. Ilia whipped around. "I dunno? Let me help you!" She barked. "For once, let someone help you. You never even gave me that chance. However you also said nothing. You never once Told me you were going through something. NOT ONCE!" Her voice echoed through the rain and throughout the village. At this point the whole village had their eyes on the situation.

Ilia just dropped to her kneed and placed her hands and sobbing could be heard. "You did so much for me and I could not do anything in return. I felt helpless on what to do." she said softly, that only Twilight could hear. Twilight step forward and just wrapped his arms around her. Holding her. "I am so sorry. I-" He says softly, stroking her wet hair. "I really should of opened up a bit more then hide it. I was afraid I guess or thought I could handle it on my own. I did not want to burden anyone." He said admitting to his own faults. Ilia slowly pulled away and placed her hand on Twilight's cheek, "You aren't a burden. You don't always have to be this image of 'must face this alone.' Tough attitude. I am here for you. If we want to make this work, be both have to be open with each other. However scary it may be. okay." She gently says through her sniffle. She smiled at him. He placed his hand over hers and smiled back. "Now let's get out of this rain be for either of us catch a cold." She laughed. "right." he chuckled back. He stood up first and then helped her off her knees. He picked up her stuff and they left towards her place. "Also, I am pretty sure everyone heard that." Ilia giggled, arm linked with Twilights. He let out a chuckle, "Oh no doubt." Twilight and Ilia's disappeared into the house with the door closing.

The group stood there for a bit. "well that happened." Legend said sarcastically. "so uh, maybe we should head back to get the heck out of this rain." Time nodded. They all headed back to Rusl and Uli's place, Time and Warriors both smiling. "Why you grinning old man? Warriors asked. "No reason. Why you smiling?" Time responded eyeing the Captain. "no reason." Just as they started filing back in, the rain let up and a beautiful sun set covered the sky. Time stopped to admire it, Warriors by his side. "Well, would you look at that." Warriors said quietly. "Light does concur darkness." Time said nothing to the comment. However he felt the Captain was right. The light sure does concur darkness. They then stepped inside, soon followed by Colin, who seemed to have hidden himself at sera's shop when all that happened. When it finally arrived to be dinner time, Twilight hadn't show up. He wouldn't expect to be. It was clear to the other's that he had some stuff that his friend and Him needed to talk about. Every seem chipper, Warriors being his typical self with Legend. Colin having a conversation with Wild, Sky and Four. Wind and Hyrule having their own little convo. Then Time with Rusl and Uli.

----

The sounds of cuccos crowing, woke Warriors. He grumbled. Being a city boy, this was not the way he was use to be woken. However with all his Training. he knew it was time to get up. He sat up and stretched. Wind had clearly chosen to sleep beside him again. He shook the young teen awake. He could hear the few other starting to stir. Though their leader was still sound asleep. Snoring. "I am amazed we don't get attacked more often with the racket he makes." Legend grumbled. "hm, I am sure Wild would be first to go, he is the one with all the food." Warriors laughed. "Not if wolfie is around." Wind chimed in, before yawning. Wild looked tired and unamused. "She someone try and wake the Old guy up?" asked Legend. "uh, let's just leave him be. I think Twilights warning of the 'look' is one none of us should have to be victim too." suggested sky. Before all the them could agree on it, they were suddenly accosted by Twilight walking in beating on a pan with a wooden spoon. "Wakey, Wakey. No time to be sleeping in today. Got lots to do." he hollared at them. "Oh Hylia, I hope this is not to be expected every time now." Groaned Legend. Time's Eye flew open and flashed Twilight the "Look." Twilight Smirked. "What you smiling at pup." came a cold stern voice of Time. The other hero's looked at Time and then back at Twilight. "I made breakfast." and with that he exited the room. "I don't know whether to laugh or want to kill him." Legend groaned. Time sighed and let out a chuckle. "A cheerful Twilight is terrifying. Wild, I hope you hide you sauces. he may just try to poison us all." added Warriors. "maybe just you cap. since the Two of you seem to have such a funny rivalry!" Explained Legend. "That we do." smiled Warriors. That we do.

---

When they all shuffled out to the eating area, the table was set and there was both Ilia and Twilight working in the kitchen. The other hero's took their seats. Quietly chattering away. Twilight and Ilia seem to be back to their goofy way, The way they acted the day they first at over. Teasing one another or Ilia scolding Twilight over something. Wild had taken a seat beside Time. Warriors next to Legend. With four beside Legend. Sky by Wind and Hyrule. Ilia turned, placing a platter a pumpkin pancakes on either end of the table. All while Twilight worked on a fruit bowl. Wild then saw a glimmer of something on the Young woman's finger. A ring with small emerald crystals, place under every silver leaves. Twilight came over and placed the fruit bowl down with a serving spoon. Wild eyed Twilight and then looked away. Ilia  and Twilight had sat together. Everyone seem to happily enjoy the food Twilight and Ilia made. As Ilia brought the mug of warm Tea to her lips, suddenly did everyone take notice. The beautiful and yet small ring on her finger. Legend nearly spitting up his tea.

Sky just smiled happily for the both of them. Time just chuckled and bit into a piece of apple slice, shaking his head. "You Crazy-" Warriors started to say smirking at Twilight. "what?" "smirked Twilight. "Nothing." Chuckled Warriors. "mhm, thought so." Replied Twilight. "So when's the wedding?" Wind excitedly asked. Twilight and Ilia just eyed each other and then both looked back at the group, taking a sip of their tea.

fin.

 Authors note:

Started writing this a while back. I wanted to write some angsty fluff between Warriors and Twilight. One days I was up till like 3am writing up the intense scene. also sat for 6hrs another day. ACK! So I caught on to how the two always either have choice of words towards each other or more so Warriors says stuff. However as I was writing this, it kind of expanded in to several things going on. I do apologize of some of got a bit uncomfortable. uh this probably the longest Fan fic I have written in several years. So I do hope you like it. so let me know what you thought. Also, I don't have anything against warriors, I have grown to like him and I was hoping to sort of show many side of him as well as Twilight. Thank you.

[mrneighbourlove]

Trip going Termina

Skull Kid was bored. Hyrule was boring. Everyone rebuilding Hyrule was boring. He was bored.

Looking around the rubble of a town, he was acquiring trinkets and valuables he could keep for his collection. "Hmmm? What's this?" Pulling a hand out of the rubble, he frowned. This was once a woman. Even with decay setting in, he could tell by the shape. On her finger was a nice ring though. Taking it, he studied its green texture. Reminded him of Rinku. Or Zizi. His green friends. He didn't know where Rinku was at the moment, but he knew where Zizi was. Taking the ring, he skipped and hopped, and teleported back to Hyrule. Was time to leave Hyrule for a bit.

Zizi had been given one of the largest tasks to handle for the kingdom. Her job was now to create a growing plantation of crops for the people. She and many other Zemlja were helping farmers start fresh with a new plot of land. Yet, the plantation would not only feed the people but later help provide money by sending exports to other countries. For once, Zizi was happy to have a job that did not deal with fighting. The war with Vul'kar was a horrid experience and one she would care not to recall.

Skull Kid hopped onto her shoulders from above, messing up her hair. "Piggy Back time!"

"Hey!!!" Zizi lost her balance and over the two of them toppled. "... where were you earlier when I needed help sorting the seeds?"

"I found a ring on a body. They didn't need it. You want to ditch work?"

"Now, now, Skull Kid, looting the dead is very much frowned upon." Zizi chided him. "You should put it back." Then she sat on the earth, concentrating. "I'll make you a deal. Help me finish work and then we'll hang out."

"Deal! But we have to go where I want to."

"And where is that?"

"Surprise. Now, let's get to work!"

~

Once the work was complete, Zizi managed to clean her hands in the stream before Skull Kid splashed her. "... do I need an overnight bag for this? You know I can't stay away long. Zarazu will need me."

“Zarazu has others. She has the flaming party pooper and her ‘lovey wovey Covvy pie’.” Skull Kid gagged at that pet name he heard. “I’d pack a bag and grab rupees. That’s the currency for where we are going.”

"Rupees?" Zizi never had much money to spend. Though, she did have a little cash stored away for a day like this. Perhaps it was time to use it for a much-deserved day off. "... all right. Let me inform my sister and we'll be off."

“Do you have to? You’re not a baby she has to look after.” Skull Kid shifted towards her, his limbs rattling like maracas.

"I don't want to just disappear." Zizi reminded him. "Remember how I spent a couple of days with you in the woods exploring when I first came to Hyrule? Zarazu sent out a search party."

“Zarazu’s a worry wuss. But fine. Tell her we’ll be gone for a few days at most.”

"Zarazu has a right to worry. Look at what all we've been through." Zizi tipped Skull Kid's hat down in a playful manner. "I'll meet you at your tree. Let me pack my things and tell my sister."

Skull Kid suppose he couldn’t move things along faster even if he wanted to. Leaning on his tree, he took out the ring he found and examined it some more. Finally, with all the strength he could muster, he threw it far. It landed in front of a village girl and he gave no more mind to it.

Once everything was done, Zizi met Skull Kid at his tree. She had packed a couple of pairs of clothes, what little money she had, and some snacks for the road. Maybe soon, her plantation would be bringing in money for the kingdom and she would have a steady paycheck. "So, where are we going?"

Skull Kid pointed to the small oak log that had an open crawl space. “Go down there after me!” Skull Kid was quick to led by example, disappearing into the log.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Zizi approached the log and had to wiggle through it. "Skully, I'm a little bigger than you, do you think you could find a bigger log next time?"

“Don’t grow up, how’s that?” On the other side, Zizi found herself right in the heart of the Lost Woods suddenly.

"... wait, what?" Zizi looked back through the log and then around her. Skull Kid was using his magic again for teleportation maybe. Either that, or the log had magical properties that could suddenly spit one out in another dimension. "How did... you know what? I don't want to know. I'm good with not knowing." She stood and took in the beautiful view of the greenery with a sigh. "This is so lovely. Look at all the trees and the plants... oh, and the flowers are gorgeous! They glow!" What the Zemlja did not realize was she had plucked a fairy from a bush, thinking it was a flower. "What species is this?"

The fairy glew incredibly bright, enough to hide its shape as it bit Zizi hard on the finger with the force of a wasp’s stinger.

Surprised, Zizi yelped as the fairy bit her and instantly dropped the creature, yanking her hand away. The fairy bit hard enough to draw blood and the Zemlja hissed at the stinging. Putting her finger in her mouth to staunch the bleeding, she then looked at an amused Skull Kid. "What was that?! I didn't do anything!"

Skull Kid watched as the fairy flew away into the deep foliage of a tree. “That was a Forest fairy you pluck by wings Zizi~ There are different kinds of fairies all around the world. Too bad you didn’t pluck a healing fairy. Hehehe.”

"You could have warned me." Zizi shook her hand to try to make the stinging disappear. "And I didn't mean to hurt it if I did."

“I wanted you to learn yourself. Stay close. The Lost Woods are a magnificent but dangerous place to explore. Many marvellous sights and magical gateways to around the world, but treacherous monsters and curses as well.”

At the relay of potentially dangerous magic and ill-tempered creatures, Zizi almost wanted to shake Skull Kid, yet, she feared his head might pop off. "And pray tell, what made you choose this path if it's not the safest route?"

“It’s the most fun Zizi.” Skull Kid walked around various fallen logs, laughing as he kept ahead of Zizi. “If you get lost in the woods, you’ll become a Stalfos.”

"I most certainly will not!" Zizi huffed at his taunting. "I will simply let the earth swallow me and escort me back to my sisters. If you call this fun, I would hate to see what you call relaxing."

“Well, do you know where to go?”

"The earth is connected, Skully." Zizi walked across a long, making sure to balance, holding her arms out. "That's why I walk barefoot all the time. I can feel it talking to me. I can use the roots in that tree to tell you a family of rabbits burrow underneath it. The leaves in the canopy tell me little birds are chirping in a nest. It talks, you know."

“Yeah?” Skull Kid knocked on an old oak. “You know which way is north?”

"Easy." Zizi then stopped and pointed, oddly enough, in the correct direction. "That way."

“Tricky woods. Tricky trees.”

"Not really." Zizi admitted to Skully. "They're talking to me. It's like... one giant voice almost. Telling me I'm..." She paused for a moment to repeat the words. "The voice says that I am lucky that I'm special or else, it would gladly turn me in all directions." She shrugged. "Whatever that means."

“Hmmm interesting.” Immediately, his attention was drawn to a giant pit inside a tree. “Jump down.”

Zizi glanced at the deep pit and arched an eyebrow at Skully. "Another pathway? ... fine." Zizi carefully manipulated a vine to ease herself into the bottom of the pit. "Come on, then."

“Not like that. Like this!” Skull Kid jumped feet first into the pit, grabbing Zizi with him. As they fell into the deep darkness, he let out a gleeful cheer.

Zizi, having no idea what was going on, shrieked at first, but then as the tunnel proved to be like a slide, found herself laughing.

They slid and slided, and as Skull Kid turned them certain directions. Finally, a blinding light hit them and they tumbled right out a waterfall! “WOOOOO!!!”

Zizi barely had time to react. She did not want to get her clothes wet in her backpack. It would take a long while to dry. That, and she had no idea what was in the water. Not that she thought it was dirty, but if there was anything that could take a bigger bite out of her than that fairy, the Zemlja had a right to be cautious. A few vines caught her before she hit the water, and Zizi watched Skully give a 'boo' in her general direction.

“Hehehe. Like the swamp?”

"I don't mind the swamp, I just don't want to get wet." Zizi pointed to her backpack and then her hair. "Not that I mind swimming, but we don't want to delay our trip by my clothes having to dry, do we? Or my hair for that matter, it takes forever." She looked around the swamp, taking in the trees and the water. There were several lilipads with frogs croaking and fishes swimming along the bottom, looking for food. "You still haven't told me where we are going."

“We’re here!” Skull Kid gestured to the swamp.

"...? This swamp is our final destination?" Zizi peered around. "Well, if you were taking me to a landmark, why did you tell me to bring rupees?"

Skull Kid looked to an abandoned tower, and started making his way to the top, all the while silently urging Zizi to join him.

Following Skully, Zizi could have sworn she heard... whisperings. Was it the swamp? Was she imagining things? She could usually hear the forest speaking to her through plants, but this was not numerous voices, it was one. Snapped out of her thoughts by Skully tugging on her hand, the Zemlja wondered what his object was this time.

In the far distance was the light of a town. “Look over there Zizi. That’s Clock Town. We’re in Termina!”

"Termina?" Zizi asked him. "Like where you and Link met all those years ago? I'm surprised it's still here!" She was eager to take in the sights. "I thought it only existed in stories."

“Oh. It’s very, very real. The city has risen, fallen, and come back more vibrant then ever!” Just as the excitement filled Zizi, Skull Kid turned her head to a green gas coming out of the mountains to her left. “But we aren’t here for that.”

"Then what are we here for?" Zizi had a slight pout. "Aren't you going to take me to see the city?" When he turned her attention to the gas, she then inquired, "... if you brought me all the way out here to show me how you make a stink bomb..."

“No! ...Though...” Skull Kid shook his head. “Come on! We got a swamp to traverse. Mind the bugs Zizi~”

Zizi could deal with bugs. Spiders, on the other hand, she had no love for, due to the incident with Ganondorf battling that giant one from the temple. When she saw a rather large arachnid, the Zemlja squealed and almost jumped on top of Skully. "I don't do spiders!"

“How about Dragonflies?” From above came a massive man-sized Dragonfly. With an electric tail, it stabbed the arachnid, eating it alive as it buried its legs and fangs into it.

"... let's just get away from the bugs and I think I'll feel a little better." Zizi said with a pale face at the size of the insect.

“Hmmm. You ever go Snapper riding before?”

"What's a Snapper?"

Snap-ap. Down near the shore line was a large looking snapping turtle, digging into some fish it had caught. “That is.”

"As long as I'm not on the menu, that looks fun!"

“Ok. Sneak up on it, jump on its shell, and hold on.”

"How about you go first and show me how it's done?"

“Awww. That’d spoil the surprise.” Skull Kid had an evil, mischievous hint in his voice he couldn’t hide. “Life’s about taking risks.”

"Oh? It is? All about risks and fun?" Zizi played dumb, thinking for a moment. "Nah, you first." And with that, she gave him a shove.

Skull Kid jumped with a backwards cartwheel onto the Snapper. It let out a yelp, pulled its head and limbs back into its shell, then started spinning like a top towards Zizi with a spiky shell. Skull Kid laughed as he had perfect balance going forward and able to keep the contents of his stomach inside. “Hehehehehe! Weeeee, this is fun!”

"Whoa!" Zizi climbed higher in the tree and watched the Snapper spin around like one of those rides at a traveling circus. It made her dizzy just to watch the spinning. It was then she noticed the Snapper was headed directly for a rock. "Skully! Look out!!!"

Skull Kid jumped off one Snapper and onto another to continue the thrill. The first poor turtle broke the rock and wouldn’t come out of its shell. “Come on! Try it!”

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this later." Zizi carefully jumped onto a Snapper and held on for dear life.

SNAP-AP! The Snapper spun around at alarming speeds, dragging her down the swamps river bed. It was rather furious it and its companions were being used for sport.

Feeling that the creature was growing agitated, Zizi apologized to the turtle before jumping onto a tree, climbing up into the branches.

It seemed that in the excitement, Zizi and Skull Kid had becoming heavily separated.

"This isn't good." Zizi looked around for her friend but he was nowhere to be seen. She decided the best thing to do was to head back in the direction of the abandoned tower. It was a key point he had shown her and would likely come back to the place. As she was walking, Zizi came across the oddest-looking creature she had ever seen. It was... a plant? An animal? "Um... excuse me!" She waved at the being called a Deku, trying her best to be polite. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I'm a bit lost. Could you help me?"

“Ah!!!” The Young Deku panicked, running over to a flower and hiding under ground. He sounded like a kid.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" Zizi fretted, feeling horribly guilty about frightening the poor thing. She had to figure out a way to appear non-threatening. Using her magic, she had a flower bloom from her palm. The Zemlja offered it to the Deku. "Here. You can have it if you like it."

The Deku peeked out from its flower peddle, very close to shooting a seed at Zizi until it saw the flower. Suddenly, he looked amazed. “You’re the one! You’re the one!”

"I'm the what?" Zizi looked puzzle, but dismissed the thought. "I apologize for scaring you. Are you all right?"

The Deku plopped out of the flower, his leafy mane jiggling about. “Oh! Can you come see the King with me?”

"The King?" Zizi recalled Skully telling her stories about the King of the Dekus trying to kill a certain monkey. She certainly hoped this Deku was not mistaking her for an unruly primate. Yet, she did not want to seem rude. This place was full of plants. She could fight if necessary. Maybe the King could point her in the direction of her mischievous friend or at least a place to find food. She was starting to get hungry. "Very well. You'll have to show me the way. This is my first time here."

“Follow me pretty lady!”

The Deku waddled through the jungle with Zizi until they reached a large wooden palace. It was a magnificent palace from top to bottom. Cleaning some windows were little Koroks flying on leaves. Approaching some Deku guards, they pointed spears at the two approaching. “Halt. Only the green may enter.”

“She’s green! Show them your special power!”

Skully's stories were elaborate but nothing could compare to the actual sight of the wooden palace. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. The water around it was as clear as the sky and the greenery was so healthy and vibrant. This was a paradise locked away from the world of humans. As the guards held up their spears, Zizi was a little surprised when the tiny Deku referred to her as 'green'. Maybe it meant earth magic? Bending down so the Deku guards could observe, Zizi once again, sprouted a lovely lily from her palm.

The Deku once again freaked out over this revelation. "It's her! It's her!"

"I told you it was her."

"Fool! Let her in to see the King at once!!!" The Deku guards retreated into their flower bed, giving room for Zizi to enter.

Zizi really had no clue what was going on at this point. She was wondering if these Deku were mistaking her for another guest that was supposed to arrive. Either way, as the small Deku led her into the throne room, she noted the fire. That was odd, in her opinion, to have fire around species of sentient plants. It seemed hazardous. Gently, she tapped the tiny Deku's shoulder. "Would you mind telling me why your friends reacted so back there?" Zizi whispered. "I'm a little confused."

The Deku took her hand, leading her to a massive Deku sitting on a throne made of a beautiful blooming flower. "Halt! Why is there a fleshy amidst our Green Covenant?"

"... hi." Zizi waved at the large Deku and politely introduced herself. "I am Zizi Slatki, a Lorleidian. I was a little lost in the woods out there and your friend here was kind enough to help me."

"Why were you past the guards, Lore-Lu-Di-An?"

The young deku once again urged Zizi to show off her magic.

"Because they saw me grow a flower and let me?" Zizi presented the king with a different bloom this time, growing a long strand of ivy vines from her hand. Once finished, she offered the plant to the king. "I can do more than just flowers, you know, but they seemed very excited for some reason."

Every Deku working around the room stopped what they were doing. A loud ring was heard as a pan was dropped to the floor.

Zizi noticed the deafening silence and glanced around the throne room. She then whispered to the smaller Deku, "Did I do something to offend?"

"You!!!!" The Deku King pointed his scepter at Zizi. "You are the one!!!"

Zizi jolted slightly at the scepter suddenly thrusted in her face. "I'm the what?!"

"You are the Sage of the Forest reborn! Guards! Seize her!" A dramatic pause was taken for effect. "-A fantastic feast!"

Zizi stood there, stunned beyond belief. A sage? Her?! She was only a teenager, how could she be a wise old sage?! Yet, the Zemlja was almost ready to summon her man-eating plant at the notion of her to be seized. But breathed easy when the king mentioned a feast.

The Deku scrambled about, quickly picking Zizi up in a chair and carrying her about the palace plaza.

"WHOA!" Zizi held tightly to the sides of the chair, having no clue what was happening. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?!"

Skull Kid had looked up and down for Zizi. As high as the old temple, to the tourist shop near the river trail. Finally exploring the castle, he looked down through a window to see Zizi getting flower crowns put on her head and carried about. When she was set down for a second, he whispered angrily to her through the bars. “Hey! What’s the big idea having all the fun to yourself?”

Zizi jumped when she heard Skull Kid's voice, but was relieved. "Oh, thank the spirits! You're here!" Zizi exclaimed. "I tried being nice to this one little Deku I scared by giving him a flower and then the whole castle went crazy and put me in this chair!!!"

“Oh yeah? Where’s my chair?” Skull Kid huffed.

"Do one of your magic tricks and maybe they'll get you a chair?" Zizi scowled at him. "I didn't ask for this, they just keep telling me I'm 'the one' and I don't know what that means!"

“Huh. Well, maybe I’ll just watch then.” The Deku grabbed Zizi, plopping psychedelic herbs into her mouth and marking her with tribal paint. “The one! The one! The one!”

Zizi immediately coughed and spat out the herbs. The last thing she wanted was a trip to the plane of her mind like she was in a sweat hut. The tribal paint, she did not mind, but she finally had lost her patience. "Everyone! Everyone please!" Zizi's shouting at least obtained their attention. "I'm... very grateful for all the attention, but will one of your please explain why I am this 'one' you keep speaking of? What exactly am I? I'm just a visitor from Lorleidi."

“You are a sage of the Forest. Like Saria, Monomoka, Mufflebufflesnufflepuffle, Gfreeda, and Elron before you! You posses magic of the sages, able to create life at will!” The King pointed his sceptre to a caldron of water they brought out. “We shall see if we cannot free you of your fleshy prison first.”

"...?!?!?! WHAT?!" Zizi was now rather... angry. The little Deku she had been nice to brought her here for this?! This would not stand! Stomping her foot, the ground moved, knocking over the caldron of water. "I am just fine the way I am! You aren't going to try to scald me with that, because if you do, you'll regret the day that you busted out of whatever seed you came from!" She pointed her finger at the King. "I am a human and if you don't like that, than too bad! If I am this... this Forest person, this sage, that you claim I am, then why the hell are you trying to hurt me?!"

“Because no Sage can be a fleshy in MY kingdom! This is a kingdom of the green! Any who don’t agree can have their heads lopped off! This will done to help you achieve enlightenment! I mean, you are the sage, aren’t you?”

Skull Kid snickered. This was turning out more fun then he assumed.

"... I am enlightened to the fact that maybe I should lop your head off if you try to hurt me or any of your innocent subjects." Zizi was not usually one that was quick to anger, but right now, she was furious. "Earth Sage or not, I'm not going to let you hurt me or anyone else."

“UGH! Earth?! That’s disgusting! On second look, you are rather a gross little thing.” He poked her in the ribs with his sceptre. “Your skin is too close to charcoal, you stink with a musk of a mammal, and you have a birds nest for hair! Speaking of hair, it’s the wrong colour for a sage. Won’t do. Won’t do at all.”

Skull Kid looked around for something to help Zizi out and cause a scene. Looking around, he saw a patch of fruits being grown. That could do the trick.

"Zemlja is the spirit of the earth and has graciously bestowed upon me these abilities to do good in his name." Zizi then caught the Deku King with her vines and roughly jostled him onto his throne, making it to where he could not move. From the ground emerged Ve'nusa with a mighty, shrill screech that would make any ears rings. "I don't care if you think I'm ugly, from where I'm standing, I'm not the one with something to lose. Now, you're going to apologize, you're going to let your people enjoy the feast, and I'm going to leave."

The Deku guards tilted their heads at the king.

“Well you fools?”

The Deku nodded to each other, then fired a torrent of saliva bombs at Zizi and Ve’Nusa. The saliva that bombed Zizi was thick and sticky, every ball pressing her into the ground with a suppressive cold webbing of snot. For Ve’nusa, it was acidic, burning the vines off the King and harming the poor creature with intense chemicals.

Ve'nusa shrieked loudly from the acidic contents, but that did not stop the sentient plant. The platforms were forfeit when the large vines thrashed back and forth, knocking out the supports. Zizi, on the other hand, was furious. She swallowed herself into the ground, the mud absorbing the sticky mixture. She then used her power to pull the Deku's into the ground.

The remaining kept spitting at Zizi and her plant. Even the king stared to dance. “Yes! Take her down my loyal soldiers! Show this sack flesh the power of- SPLAT!!!”

A very large pumpkin fell on the Kings head, smashing it apart in a gooey green mess. Skull Kid didn’t expect the pumpkin to just crush his skull like that. There was supposed to be a plop, not a splat. “Whoops.”

Zizi heard the commotion suddenly stop and unearthed herself. Skull Kid... had gotten them into a very fine mess if the King was dead. She did not want anyone to get hurt, but the Zemlja had to remind herself that the Deku started this skirmish. Yet, she would gladly be the one to finish it. Covered in mud from head to toe, the newly arisen Earth Sage glared at the Deku.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't turn you all into fertilizer." Zizi snapped at the crowd and then the to Deku who brought her here with a pointed finger. "I was trying to be nice to you and you all wanted me boiled to death! If I really am this sage you speak of, then you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Don't come crying to me if you ever find yourselves at the mercy of a wild fire!" She then looked at her companion. "Skully. We're leaving. Now."

“Oh come on Zizi! We just overthrew a monarchy. That’s pretty cool stuff.”

"I don't care if we conquered the world, I'm going." Zizi tromped out of the palace, furious.

“What? Zizi!” Skull Kid tore a piece of pumpkin and followed her as the Deku cowered before them. “What’s not to like?”

"That." Zizi gestured to the shaking Deku. "I don't like that. I don't want to be seen as a bad person. I'm going to leave before I do something I really regret."

“Come on! We beat a bad guy! Just like your sister did! Doesn’t that make you happy?”

"Was he really bad or just racist against 'fleshies'?" Zizi asked Skully, wiping some mud from her face. "And while I do aspire to be a good leader to others like my sister, I don't always agree with some of her ways."

“What’s the difference between some mad king and a monster like Vul’kar. Both baddies. Now you have a fun glory story to tell your sisters.” Skull Kid felt very confident and laid back about the situation.

"The difference is, if it's true what they're saying, then I don't want them to be afraid of the new Earth Sage." Zizi stopped at the edge of the wooden bridge and sighed heavily. "How do we get away from here?"

“We go when I want us to go. Come on, I set this whole thing up to make you a hero. Maybe at least a thank you before we go?”

"... you set this up?!" Zizi whirled around to face Skull Kid. "On purpose?!"

“Yeah. Did some sight seeing around the world to find some conflict you could solve. All my friends are big shot heroes, so I wanted to turn you into one.” Skull Kid innocently waved his hand at her. “Took me forever to find something that wouldn’t put you in any real danger. There was some big shot monsters, a Gerudo pirate crew, and even a huge rampaging Spider. So when I found a relatively mad king with a submissive society to liberate I knew that’d be perfect for you. Aren’t I great? How about we go to Clock City to get a celebratory drink?”

"I can't believe you!!!" Zizi nearly shouted. "I'm no hero! I don't want to be a hero!" She gestured back toward the palace. "The Deku are scared of me now! I never wanted that! I never wanted to fight some biased king who hates humans! I don't like to fight, Skully! I was terrified when I had to fight with my sisters against Vul'kar!"

“Well, didn’t that help with that fear?”

"NO!" Zizi yelled so loudly his ears rang. She had never been this mad at Skull Kid before. "You've never had to fight in a real battle before so don't assume that you know what might help me overcome any 'silly' fear you deem needs fixing!" Huffing under her breath, Zizi started to walk on the giant lily pads which lined up for her. "Go off on your own crusade."

“Never fought? Zizi. I have history to account for that.” He skipped along the lily pads with her. “Come on. You can’t be mad at me. Being mad is being like a frog who can’t hop. Why bother?”

"I am mad at you. You assumed something about me and made an ass of yourself." Zizi sank a lily pad on purpose, causing Skull Kid to narrowly miss the water. "Leave me alone."

“Zizi. I can’t leave you out here alone. You’ll get hurt.”

"A little too late for that, Skully. You hurt my feelings." Zizi was going to retrace her steps and go back home to Hyrule. "I don't want to talk to you right now. Go away."

Skull Kid pouted, jumping onto her lily pad so they’d both sink. “Well, now you’re stinky. Now what.”

Zizi said nothing and simply dunked Skull Kid in the water before having the giant lily pad rise underneath her feet to set her in a tree.

“Hey! That’s cheating!!!”

Zizi continued to maneuver through the branches, listening to the earth to tell her which way to go. All she had to do was find that log, go through it, take a bath in the river, and go home.

“Zizi! You’re a party pooper!” Skull Kid shouted as he ran through the swamp water. “I just wanted to give you fun adventure. I-!!!”

There was a plop in the water, and Skull Kid went missing.

Zizi was in no mood for games. A vine fished Skull Kid out of the swamp water and plopped him on the safety of a lily pad. She did not put him in the trees with her. Then she continued about her way.

When she got a good look at him, he was missing his head.

"... great." Zizi growled under her breath. What stupid game was he trying to play with her now. "Just great. You drag me into this sorry mess you created, and now, I got to play babysitter." The algae growing on the bottom of the swamp called to her. His head was rolling around in the current. With perfect timing, a vine snatched Skull Kid's head.

“Zizi!!! Look out!!!” From behind her, a giant masked titan just little taller than Ganondorf swung a machete the size of a small tree at her.

Zizi was barely able to react in time. She jumped out of the tree and into the water below.

The masked Jungle warrior was a step right behind her. With a sword and shield of equal size, the jungle warrior was screaming a war cry as it cut down a tree next to Zizi.

"What is that thing?!" Zizi used all the availible vines to wrap around the giant's legs to prevent it from coming closer. She caught the falling tree with some floating algae in the water. The vines on Skull Kid launched him into the trees and Zizi quickly put his head back between his shoulders. "Run!"

“Jungle... Warrior...” Skull Kid could barely run. With another slice, Odolwa cut Skull Kid in half by the waist. “God-“, was all Skull Kid could muster before he fell into the water again.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Zizi was nearly shrill. She was beginning to lose her temper. This time, she did not just try to trap the giant, she actually slapped it with a vine full of thorns. Over. And over. And over. "You stay down, you big bully! I may not like all that Skull Kid does, but he's my friend, and you're not," SMACK! "Going to," BAM, BAM! "Be mean to him!" WHACK!!!

It let out a cry to the jungle for a call of help. Awful arachnids ran out of the jungles under layers to snap at Zizi. Skull Kid’s head was bubbling the water.

"I SAID ENOUGH!!!" A powerful green blast emitted from Zizi, knocking away all the spiders, the giant off balance, and echoing throughout the swamp, causing birds to fly away and creatures to still in their steps. Thin, lime colored lines traced at the corners of her eyes and magic glowed in the palms of her hands.

A kind soft voice spoke to Zizi, comforting as a mother. “Zizi Slatki. You have potential for great kindness and using the Earth itself for hope and the protection of others... this is your trial. Save your friend young one.”

The Masked Warrior stood up, and opening its stomach up, a blast of flesh-eating moths flew out to swarm Zizi.

The young woman wasn’t going to humour this monster anymore. It was humanoid, made of flesh, and like the insects it controlled, would be squashed like one. With one fluid motion, Zizi's magical ability with the earth lopped the giant's head off and crushed the moths. The plates of earth made a gooey mess of the masked monster.

Odolwa body starting to burn apart, swinging wildly around Zizi. Skull Kid lifted a hand and shot a rock at Zizi’s chest to send her back. Had he not, she’d have been split down the middle.

Once again, Zizi was in the swamp water with a loud splash, knocking her out of her magic induced haze.

Skull Kid’s own magic slowly healed his torso back with his legs. He hated getting hurt. Was always a pain to put himself back together. “Zizi.... you ok?”

Coughing, Zizi crawled out of the swamp water with a dark scowl on her face. Flopping on her back on a giant lily pad, she was most displeased. And tired. That sudden blast of magic due to losing grip on her temper really drained her.

"I want... to go home." Zizi said in-between breaths. "This has been... a disaster."

“Yeah... me too. Sorry for dragging you out here.”

"I'm still mad at you." Zizi managed to shakily get to her feet, exhausted.

“I know. I got that effect on friends sometimes.... you want to get something to eat?”

"I just want a bath and some sleep. In my own bed." Zizi told Skully as she pulled a piece of algae from her hair.

Skull Kid looked around, kicking the water out of his foot. “Well, we can’t go back to Hyrule the way we came. I know another area that holds a location the lost woods. And...” He hoped she appreciate this. “I know a place for some food and a way to clean ourselves.”

"..." Zizi looked slightly skeptical. Skull Kid led her out here under false pretenses. She did not appreciate him tricking her. So, she gave him a fair warning. "If this is another trick... I'm ignoring you for a whole month."

“Well, I didn’t plan for a masked monster to cut me apart for you to play hero. So no more tricks.”

"Good." Zizi sighed heavily, "Lead the way so I can get this muck off of me."

It was a good trek out of the jungle swamp and into a forest trial. A few Wolfos were ready to attack some potentially easy prey until Skull Kid made himself feel like a void to be around, scaring the pack off. Opening up into a massive open area, he took Zizi and himself west down a bath until they reached a small water hole of clean water. Skull Kid jumped in, quickly cleaning himself off. “Where did that power of yours come from? Didn’t hear any stories about that from your family in the latest war.”

As Skull Kid sank into the water, Zizi almost was tempted to pray thanks to Zemlja for the warm water. She jumped in, clothes and all, and made sure to scrub her head. One by one, the clothes came off and she hung the fabric over a branch to dry. It was heaven, being in this spring. "It's hard to summon plants on a dead island." Zizi murmured as she sank to her bottom lip in the water. "I did what I could, moving earth and rocks to fight. Mostly, I was just terrified."

“Yeah, but what you did to that monster earlier was something else.”

"... do you think what the Deku said was true then?" Zizi knew Skull Kid had met sages before.

“Well, it is possible.” Skull Kid mused, a hand under his chin. “Known a number of them over the generations. Have you felt any sense of awakening?”

"What is a sense of awakening supposed to feel like?"

“Been told it’s a large burst of power. Or a holy connection made with the goddess. Only good willed people corresponding to a certain element with a plan in mind by the goddess are selected.”

Zizi thought back to the war against Vul'kar. She did not recall having a large burst of power then. It just naturally came to her, moving dirt and manipulating plants. The largest blast of power the Zemlja had in a while was just now, battling that awful giant. As far as a holy connection, Zizi could heard Zemlja himself. Maybe... that was it? "I'm not entirely sure, Skully. I don't suppose there's a way to make sure?"

“You try praying to any of Hyrule’s Goddess statues?”

"No, I don't pray to those goddesses." Zizi admitted to Skully. "I pray to Zemlja. He is the one who I hear whisper in my ear sometimes."

“Hmmm, well maybe the Goddess of Hyrule will pass on a message to Zemmy? Who knows how gods work?”

"I don't suppose there's a mark or a... I don't know, some kind of sign you're supposed to get?"

“Defiantly a sign. And a cool medallion!” Skull Kid jumped out of the water, tilting his head at Zizi. “Your body hasn’t changed in any way so no telling either.”

"I hope my body hasn't changed in any way, shape, or form, and quit staring." Zizi splashed some water at him. "I don't care about a cool medal or such."

“It’s not like I care about that sort of thing. It’s just a bunch of fat to me.”

"... you know calling a girl 'fat' is rude, right?"

“Just a bunch of balloons anyways. You done cleaning? I want some food before we leave.”

"I need to change and you're still looking."

Skull Kid shrugged and looked away.

As Zizi was ready to get out, the water shimmered, and she heard a voice from under the water.

“Zizi Slatki... do you accept the Earth as your source of power... if you do, go forward and claim your symbol.”

Just under the water in the sand, a circular object was glowing.

Zizi just about scuttled out of the water from fright, not expecting a glowing light from her bathing source. At first, she thought perhaps it was a glowing fish, but then there was the voice. Was she hearing things? What was the shining below the surface? Against her cautious judgement, Zizi reached into the water and plucked... a... circular rock?

The rock was round like a clock, with unique markings on it. It felt right to Zizi holding it. One last time, the motherly voice spoke to Zizi. “You are the first Zizi Slatki... a threat more dangerous than Vul’kar will arise to threaten the world... there will others that will join you in time... Earth Sage of Hyrule....”

"...!!!" Zizi actually looked... pale in the face. Skully was right. There was a medal, that strange voice, the sudden burst of power, all of his predictions were coming true. Was she really this sage?! The Zemlja almost seemed panicked.

"Hey. Do you like beef? I think there should be a small town still on the map here. Good forest gateway next to it." Turning, he finally noticed her panic. "Hey. You ok?"

"Skully..." Zizi held up the medallion to show him. "Please, please tell me you were joking about the shiny medals that sages get."

"Zizi. That's just a rock."

"Then why did I hear that voice from the water? Why was this thing shining?" Zizi shook her head and started denying it. "Nope. Nope, I'm not this Earth Sage. I can't be a sage. No, no, no, you can have this back." She put the medal at the base of the tree. "I'm not strong enough, not powerful enough, no, no, no..."

Skull Kid hopped down, not caring she wasn't changed. Placing two hands on her shoulders, he held firm. "Zizi, if you're being serious, and I think you are, there is nothing to be afraid about."

"What do you mean, there's nothing to be afraid about?!" Zizi sounded so unsure. "Look at what my elder sister has been through! She's a queen! She has many people who adore her and love her, and she's so strong, but look at what all happened to her!" The Zemlja sounded paranoid. "Targets on her back from that biased council, Vul'kar wanted her dead, and who knows what might happen next. What if someone tries to kill her because they want a Hylian woman on the throne? Power just creates more grief! I don't want power like that if all that will happen is more bad things!"

"Zizi. Being a sage isn't about power. It's about helping people and giving to the community. Some are public with their identities. Most aren't. Besides, the power you get is about being responsible with it. There's always going to be dangers." Skull Kid pointed in the direction of Clock City. "Link defeated Ganondorf, only for a month later to fight to stop me from... destroying the world..."

"...? You?" Zizi had not heard this story before. All she knew was Skully was an old time friend of Link's. She just assumed he had helped the hero in the past or in this lifetime with a burden.

"Yeah. See above the city? Long, long, long ago, I was a troubled soul, who came across a terrible power. That power was known as Majora's Mask." Skull Kid waddled away from Zizi, looking directly at the city now, as if in an unpleasant trance. "I wanted to destroy the world Zizi. By cursing the moon and having it go on a set path to crush the town and detonate the Earth. I hurt a lot of people Zizi. Some of it from control by the mask. Many because I wanted to hurt people. I thought it was fun."

"... why did you want to hurt people, Skully?" Zizi asked him very quietly. "Did they hurt you?"

"Yes. No. I thought it was fun. I didn't know better. I just felt angry all the time... sometimes I still don't know better I guess. I thought you'd have fun today. But all I did was hurt you." Skull Kid looked down, starting to shiver. Coming to Termina, looking at the center of his worst actions, and feeling terrible about himself. "You must think I'm not a good friend..."

Zizi felt horrible for Skully. What did he go through in the past to make him hate the world? There were plenty of reasons not to like people, but to want to destroy the earth by crashing the moon into it? That was... a huge stretch. The only reason she could think of warranting such an extreme measure was if he lost everything due to the actions of the world, but... was it really justifiable? She was not sure. But, Zizi did not want to be judge of his past atrocities.

Wrapping her arms around Skully's shoulders, she pulled him into a tight hug. "It's okay to be angry. It's not okay to want to take it out on innocents." Zizi stated softly. "We all get mad sometimes. You didn't mean for the giant to cause such trouble. But, I didn't like how you want me to be a hero too. That hurt my feelings." She admitted to him. "I don't have to be someone great like Rinku to hang out with you, do I? Are you content with me just being me?" Taking a breath, she stated. "I don't want to be this Earth Sage, really, but... if I could help people, I don't think it'd be so bad. I still want you to be my friend, and I want to be there for you. But, I'm only human, Skully." Zizi thought of the future. "I might get married one day, and have kids of my own. I'm going to get old. Sometimes, I might not have the energy to keep up with you anymore. You'll still be my friend when that day comes, right? Friends forgive each other. So, if you promise to stay my friend, I'll forget about this silly incident and we'll go have a little fun. True fun."

"Hmmmm ok." Skull Kid nodded, hugging Zizi back. "What kind of fun?"

"I could teach you how to play checkers if you like." Zizi offered, resting her chin on top of Skully's head. "Or we could play tag, but you'd totally lose. I'm faster than you. Hide and seek would be nice, but this area is way too big. I could always create a huge slide for you to ride into the water if you want to go swimming in a clean section of water. There's a lot we could do."

"Ok…. You going to put your clothes on first?"

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

I sometimes dread acts of kindness.

There an older couple that have been the only people to offer help and mean it. I only accepted when I needed a ride to the repair shop. They have serious health problems, so I never want to bother them with my problems.

Every few weeks the wife will text me, asking me how Mom’s doing and if things are going alright with me. She can get a wee bit uncomfortable to talk to when she insists on nosing for specifics, especially about Mom’s medical condition, but it’s just the way folks around here are. Other than the texts meant for “Dennis”, and automated ones from places like the phone company, these are the only texts I get.

Today she sent a text for the first time in a month, with the usual checking in. Then she added that she is going to start cooking more and she would be happy to bring me leftovers...

Oh dear.

It’s kind. It really is. But golly do I hate this offer.

First off, food from people you’ve never eaten a meal with is always a gamble.

Back at Christmas someone offered me leftover soup from the town board/employee Christmas party. I accepted, because of emotional weakness. It was Christmas and no one would be giving me any gifts, no one would even be thinking of me really. I figured I could take the soup, and since it was given to me I could pretend it was a Christmas present. I ended up with food poisoning. 

I should have known better. I grew up here, so I learned as a child that the local food was NOT for me.

 Food tends to the greasy and fatty. Collard greens (my least favorite greens), a regional specific shredded pork BBQ (I do not eat pig meat), and fried herring (I am allergic to fish and much fried food doesn’t agree with me) are the local specialties.  There would be canned green beans cooked for hours with slabs of fat until it was grey and greasy, coleslaw, and crumbly dry and flavorless cornbread. Veggies would always be cooked until there was nothing left green about them, hunks of fat or lard would be added to most things, and deep fat frying is a favorite way to cook....

Look, I know they love this stuff. That’s fine. I just don’t like the taste, smell, or look of it. 

Funnily enough, the local “cuisine” happens to be the only food that makes me ill to eat. I’ll eat anything generally. I’ve eaten bugs, delighted as a kid when we got some snails from France, gobbled up frog legs, love dandelion greens...I mean, if I haven’t tried it I want to. I like some things, don’t like others, but I don’t get queasy about it. When I traveled I was always eager to try, Except the food from home. 

So here is a kindly meant offer of food. Food I do NOT need by the way. I may be tired at night and hate “wasting” and hour to cook that one proper meal of the day, but I have full fridge. I need lots of things, and help with lots more, and I may wear clothes full of more holes than swiss cheese, but food is one thing Iet myself get guilt free. Admittedly the priority is the animals, so my food come second when I shop, but I’m staying nice and fat, thank you very much! LOL

But I guess beyond worrying the food might make me sick, I worry they think I can’t feed myself. Do I seem that pathetic? Do I look in need of charity? If I do food is the wrong charity. But I know I don’t need it and there are others that actually do.

Besides, how do they get it to me in this Covid-19 world? They don’t need to get infected. With my lungs I don’t need to get infected. It adds another little detail of risk.

So obviously I should just politely refuse....

And hurt her feelings. She means it well, and my refusing will sting. She will wonder why when around these parts exchanging food is normal. Will she think it’s snobbishness or pride or a slight against her cooking?

The emotions are always the tricky thing. Navigating the maze of potential offense and obligations. There is the  opportunity to feel warmth of giving for one person, the weight of debt for the other. I do notwant the food but I don’t want to upset the nice lady either.

***sigh***

I think I might have to accept against my own desires, amd then since I can’t stand waste I’ll have to eat it whatever I think of it.

Amazing how much stress can be stirred up by an offer leftovers!

[nyeac-nyeac]

You Are My Island

Pairing: Mermaid! Jaemin X Reader

Genre: Fluff

Words: 3371

Summary: Jaemin and the Dreamies are a group of playful youths who like splashing around the coast where the other merfolk usually avoid. Jaemin wanted to collect the most knick-knacks from the basin by the shore and he couldn’t possibly allow himself to lose against Jeno, could he? Of course, that doesn’t really matter if he’s trapped by the receding tide. What really matters is if you will help him get out.

A/N: @jaeminlore, remember that mermaid au I said I was gonna write? Probably not. Well, here it is. I took my sweet time with it... I was on my main when I sent mermaid!jaemin into your asks during jaemin soft hours, so... yeah, this is one is for my kpop stuff and fanfiction. Hope you like the story!

“A hundred, ninety-nine, ninety-eight,” Lucas was eagerly counting down from his spot on the sandbar overlooking seven scattered piles of what could only be trash.

The array of seven brilliantly coloured tails zipping speedily over an algae-covered wall in sporadic intervals was enough to make him dizzy. Every time one of the beating tails reached the sandbar, the translucent fins would beat up a storm to cut the momentum they’ve built up and make a sharp turn around. Clouds of fine sand would billow up from the ocean floor, accompanied by powerful sprays of gravel. He could imagine how much sand he was ingesting while he was floating above it. Ten always said Lucas can’t live in the sea without eating a pound of sand and a few questionable things everyday. He hadn’t been proved wrong yet.

“You’re not counting!” The flaming red blur chided in Donghyuck’s voice. He was brandishing his long fins and nearly smacked Lucas in the face with them, then darted for the wall again in a burst of bubbles. Lucas had to wriggle a little bit higher in the water to rise above the expanding and contracting cluster of dirt, coughing hard enough that he was almost throwing up sand he had inhaled earlier. His throat burns but he was grinning when he croaked out the numbers to continue the train of thought that was carrying the countdown. The Dreamies were competing in a game to see who can gather the most knick knacks from the basin. The winner got to skip out on cleaning out the caves.

“Move some of Renjun’s pile to mine, will you?” A low voice called to him, “I’ll bring you crayfish!” Lucas only caught sight of the flash of sunset pink scales belonging to Jaemin before his tail begun carving the currents and launched him through the oncoming sand clouds.

“You can’t do that!” An indignant voice whined out loud. He saw Mark pausing in the miniature sandstorm to stare after Jaemin. His dumbstruck expression twisted into something much uglier when he heard Jaemin shouting back to Lucas, “I’ll throw in some oysters for you!”

“No!” Mark countered instantaneously as he threw down the loose rocks and assorted litter he was cradling in his arms. He waited until he was right in Lucas’ face to wail out with a stern finger pointing down the latter’s nose, “Do not help Jaemin cheat!”

“Come on, man... He promised me oysters,” Lucas replied weakly in his already scratchy voice. A shameless but sheepish smile pulled at the edges of his lips, his tail flicked nervously.

An audible groan of frustration left Mark’s lips as he whipped around and swam away from the sandbar as fast as he could. “I’m telling Renjun!” He yelled. Whether to Jaemin or had he intended for Renjun to overhear, Lucas couldn’t know for sure. Although, he could hear Jaemin answering with a boisterous laugh which gave way to a lot of playful shouting.

Above the water, things were much more serene. The ebbing morning tides sucked in the ocean breeze, became crested with white sea foam as they crash back down on the sand beneath your feet. Pushing, and then, pulling. Fine sand shifted and slipped away, the whole earth beneath your feet seemed to shift along with them.

The morning sun peeked over the horizon. A warm golden drop of burning light rippled against the rust-coloured sea as the sun’s rays seared a myriad of orange and pinks into the retreating night.

You shoved the veil of violently windblown hair behind your ear, stepping over wet sand with a beach chair under one arm, a bag of chips and your flip flops in hand. You looked back and your footprints had become faded indents when the rolling waves washed onto the shore, taking any distinction they had as footprints out into the sea. Your feet were sinking into the gentle pull of seawater. Fine sand burrowed between you toes as you lift your foot from another print you leave in the ground, sending dollops of wet sand flying.

This summer was different. You usually liked watching the sun rise. You didn’t feel like it was worth watching today because your brother and father weren’t here to enjoy it with you. This was the usual routine for the three of you every summer which your mother was too lazy to join in on. You three would grab a few beach chairs, armfuls of junk food and sneak out of the house while your mother was still sound asleep. Swathed in towels, you walked lazily towards the beach behind your brother and father, one hand digging through the chips they had so unwisely entrusted to you. There was this basin isolated from the beach by steep rocks. Just past the rocks was a narrow stretch of sand that was a smidge whiter than the rest of the beach, a thick line of trees to provide some natural shade, a small pool of water that was slightly less murky than the tide that washes onto the beach. Like a slice of paradise cut from some idyllic beach somewhere in the Southeast. It’s from here where you watch the early sunlight kiss the water and talk about life with two of your closest family.

Your brother will be attending university soon in a different city and your father decided to spend this summer helping your brother find a place to stay. While you were overjoyed for him being accepted into the university he applied for, you dreaded returning home to your father and stepmother without your brother. Of course, there’s nothing wrong at home, per se, you love your stepmother. You just couldn’t stomach it when you noticed how differently your family acted around her and around your mother. At least, with your brother around, his endlessly energetic personality made everyone get along. You and your father, on the other hand, have as much rapport as rocks.

Sitting, now, in your beach chair with the sun in your eyes, the salt of the chip on your tongue tasted foul.

Jaemin’s heart was hammering wildly against his ribcage. He knew he wasn’t the sharpest of their school but he definitely didn’t think he was stupid enough to allow himself to be trapped this way. Innocently oblivious to the passage of time while he was rushing to beat Jeno in the little game they were playing, the receding tide trapped him on the wrong side of the wall. His slender form of pale pink scales swam back and forth at the base of the rock wall that cut the basin off from the rest of the ocean, tail brushing and beating against the grey wall in the hopes of knocking something loose from the wall.

He’d been trapped in the basin for nearly five days, feeding on the meagre few shellfish and small fish swimming around to keep himself from starving. In this dry summer, the seawater that washed into the surf hardly rose any higher than the basin wall. But with five lengthy days, he wondered why hadn’t his friends come for him yet. One way or another, they’d have a plan. They always do.

He stuck his head out above the water and was slapped in the face with the sudden chills of the ocean air. He blinked rapidly, his eyes quickly watering from the sting of the open air. Resorting to squinting out of his left eye, he could make out the serrated teeth that rimmed the top of the wall, the seawater lapping against its jagged edges.

That’s hardly enough room for him to even jump across. Crawling over the wall was obviously out of the question, unless he wanted to shred himself into ribbons and become easy pickings for the gulls.

Of course, failing to escape wasn’t the only thing rattling his bones right now. In the past few days, he’d observed a human female wandering down into the basin on some mornings. He spied her loitering around the rocks away from the beach on a couple of evenings too. If Jaemin ever got discovered, it’d be the end of him. He wouldn’t be a free merfolk anymore. Instead he would be made to become a test subject for experiments, a captive animal for research, a strange creature people pay to see or illegal goods sold for a pretty buck. All of that scared him to the ends of his fins.

He was about to start crying with the path his imagination was starting down until a muffled splash interrupted him. The breath stalled in his chest. Something disturbed the water. Something big, like a person. The already cold water seem to drop a few more degrees once the fact registered in his head. His entire body went stock still, then he curled slowly in on himself. He drew his tightly clenched fists to his chest and tried to seem as small as possible.

Jaemin’s frozen form hit the sand bed, startling him into action. In a flurry of clumsy movements, he quickly darted behind a small shelf of coral. Then, plastered himself to its surface, trying his hardest to hide his colourful pink tail in the otherwise plain looking surroundings. The shadows of regret were creeping up on him as he flicked the fins of his tail nervously. He was starting to think it would’ve been better if he hadn’t moved.

It saw him. It saw him. It definitely saw him.

Fear bubbled within him, sending violent shivers down his back and up to the roots of his hair. He did the best he could to dodge the human’s sight. He would peek around edges of the corals. Every time he believed the human turned away, he darted away to a new hiding place. The human, feeling his movements disturb the water, would follow them sluggishly.

They went round and round the basin until Jaemin made a mistake. He misjudged the window for him to move and the human turned around too quickly. The world felt like it was slowing down as they stared. The human’s dark hair fanned out around her head, falling gently around her shoulders. Her charcoal black doe eyes were wide as they travelled down his body and lingered on his tail. He watched on in apprehension, nearly too afraid to move. Even if he did, what could he do? He’s trapped. Now, he finally understood that human expression he heard from some migrating merfolk— shooting fish in a barrel. It was an expression that unsettled him very much.

The human girl opened her mouth. He almost bolted and it took every strand of his determination to force himself to stay still because he was curious about what she was trying to say. Instead, air bubbles escaped from her lips and her entire body seized up, making him jump. The girl flailed and kicked her way up to the surface. She swam to the shore and stopped returning to the water.

He stayed in the same spot for several minutes before he decided to risk it and raise his head above the water once more.

There she was sitting on the shore, with a colourful towel over her head. The girl flinched when he surfaced. Jaemin’s head bobbed along the surface as he glided closer towards her. The expression of awe melted from her face and she moved further away from the water, her eyes never leaving his own. Little by little, his body rose from the water. Her eyes trailed after the cascades of water that slid over his glistening skin. He could see them clouding up when they stopped at his hips where instead of being joined to a pair of human legs was an iridescent tail that looked as if it could be made of all the pinks of the sunset.

With all the courage he’d mustered, he blurted out, “Can I borrow your leg magic?”

The girl’s eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets when he spoke. He noticed that his voice was exponentially louder than it was underwater. Perhaps his newfound volume had startled her, or maybe she didn’t understand him at all. He hadn’t considered that they may not be speaking the same language.

But the girl replied almost immediately, “What the hell is leg magic?”

"You know," he mumbled, waving his hand at her legs, "the magic you use to walk around on land."

“I don’t use magic to walk,” she answered.

“Aw, come on. I just need it for a bit to get back into the sea,” Jaemin puckered his lips into a pout and pleaded.

“There’s no such thing,” she said with a shake of her head.

He closed his eyes for a moment and grasped his webbed hands together. In case she thought he wasn’t being serious, he lowered his voice, “I promise, I promise I would return them to you as soon as I enter the water.” He then imitated the most adorable expression he’d ever seen on a baby sea lion. He hoped his cuteness was as charming as he thought it was. Jaehyun said it was passable and Jaemin was sixty percent sure he just said that to be nice.

The girl was beginning to look a little miffed. She got up to her knees and leaned closer to the water, “And I’m telling you that I don’t have any magic. If you want to get back to the sea, I think my neighbour has a wheelbarrow I can use to carry you.”

Jaemin was puzzled by the foreign word she just uttered but nodded anyway, “Yeah, okay. You do that... with your wheel-ey thing.”

She nibbled on her lips and wiggled her finger at him, “Be right back. You stay right there!”

“Not like I’m gonna be going anywhere soon,” he whispered to himself after she shot up from the sand, darted into the trees and disappeared behind the large boulders where the strip of sand ends.

Jaemin drifted idly back and forth in the water for several minutes. The girl was nowhere in sight. The sun had almost completely risen and the sky was starting to turn blue. It made him wonder if she actually planned on coming back to help him. Maybe he should just wait some more for his friends to get the leg magic from the shaman to come on land and rescue him.

Behind him in the low hanging trees, there was a loud clang. He sank swiftly into the water and dove straight into the sand, burying himself like a stonefish. His heartbeat picked up again. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, praying that whatever made that noise went away quickly.

A few daunting seconds later, he felt a slight disturbance in the water. Then, a muffled voice reached his ears, “Oi! Fish boy, you there?”

Relief flooded his body. He lifted his head from the sand, snorting some sand from his nostrils as he leaped to the surface. He never thought he’d be so happy to hear the voice of a human. The girl let out a small scream when he broke the surface so suddenly and kicked a chunk of the beach into his face. He spluttered and shook off the wet sand, the bright smile never leaving his face. “You’re back!” he cheered.

The girl looked like she wanted to hit him.

She sighed, “Well, apparently, pushing a wheelbarrow isn’t as easy as it looks. I couldn’t get it past the rocks, so I’d have to carry you to it. How heavy are you?”

He blinked and shrugged. One thing to be proud of in merfolk culture is that nobody cares about how much you weigh because nobody knows how much they weigh anyway.

Again, she looked like she wanted to hit him. She mirrored his shrug and waddled apprehensively to him. She turned her back to him and hunkered down. “Come on, put your arms around my shoulders.”

The girl shivered when he did, exclaiming in mild shock, “Oh my god, you’re really cold.” Her hands fumbled a bit, trying to support his tail. She proceeded to sit in the water after she shifted his weight onto her back.

“...you’re the heaviest fish I ever held,” she grunted as she struggled to stand.

“Hey,” he scolded softly, “The correct term is merperson. I’m still only part fish, you know.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly.

In the end, it turned out that Jaemin was indeed quite heavy in human terms. Definitely way too heavy for the girl to stand with him on her back. They continued floundering about until the sun was hanging dead centre in the crystalline blue sky. After some deliberation, she had Jaemin latch on to her while she stood in a deeper part of the basin, so she’d be standing when she dragged him out of the water.

“Are you gonna be okay out of the water?” she inquired before she moved out of the water, “You won’t asphyxiate or anything, right?”

“Asfee- what?” he gave a amused smile. That was a funny sounding word.

“Asphyxiate. It means to choke to death,” she repeated.

“Oh,” his smile fell ever so slightly. That’s not funny. It’s not funny at all. He knew he won’t choke from not being able to breathe with his gills but to think that word had such a dark meaning.

“Haha... I’ll be fine, I think. Merfolk are part human, so we have to have some lungs, right?” Jaemin proceeded to suck the air into his lungs through his nostrils and breathed out in a loud sigh. The cold ocean air felt alien and it burned against his windpipes but the raw feeling of air rattling inside his chest in that small instant was so unexpectedly... delicious.

He sucked in another lungful of air and laughed, “Welp, I’m not asfeeshating! So, let’s go!”

It took a lot of groaning and complaining, but the two of them finally reached the beach beyond the rocks. The human girl rattled off an impressive vocabulary of expletives all the while she was dragging him through the thicket of trees. Jaemin was certain that he lost all of his scales on the underside of his tail from having it rub against every bump and surface they came across. But hey, he‘s probably one of the few merfolk who had ever had a sunburn.

There was a really tiny-looking boat on the sand before them with a weird round thing at the bottom. It’s the whatchamacallit... the wheel-y boat.

He would admire it but he didn’t have the chance because as soon as the girl saw it, she dropped him into it with a shout. They progressed very slowly towards the water’s edge, twisting this way and that while she was trying her best not to topple him over. When the seawater made it to the girl’s torso, the wheel boat lurched and he was dumped face first into the ocean floor.

He lifted his head and blinked at the open waters. With an ecstatic whoop, he shot up from the sand and swam tight circles around the girl’s legs. His newfound freedom compelled him to leap out of the water as he swam, drenching her with his splashes.

He came to a halt in front of her, relishing the stunned look on her face. He took a moment to marvel at how her irises catch the sunlight and turn into the warmest shade of brown. He’d never seen anyone’s eyes do that before. An idea struck him and he unhooked his favourite piercing from his ear, the one with the thin golden chain, and he fastened it to her ear. His heart did little somersaults in his chest as he watched her cheeks flushed red.

“I’ll come back with real leg magic next time!” Jaemin shouted his promise to the flustered human and dove into the foam of the waves.

The little merman was unclear if the noises in his heart was the exhilaration from finally gaining his freedom... or if it was the anticipation from the promise of seeing her again.

[harryandmolly]

Ten Years - Part One

summary: ten years after 2007 Warped Tour, Shawn and Val come face to face in London

warnings: Language, that good yearning

WC: 3.3k

A/N: this is a post-epilogue miniseries of I Could Write It Better Than You Ever Felt It. I recommend you read that first or this will make you go 🤔

------------

Shawn has never felt further from his 19-year-old self than right now, squished into what has to be the world’s tiniest lift with Val and Alice and Alice’s very large, fancy pram.

The rickety lift slowly drags them up to the third floor of the old building. In the mirrored doors, Shawn watches them, saved from Val’s returning gaze as she focuses on making faces at her sleepy baby. Her back is pressed up against his chest. He can smell the achingly familiar citrus scent of her hair. But he can barely recognize the boy that ran away from this girl.

The lift stops with an alarming little jolt but Val looks unbothered. She hands the pram off to Shawn to steer while she fishes keys out of her purse. Shawn walks slowly, gazing down at Alice’s round and curious face. Who are you to be taking up my mommy’s attention? She seems to say. Shawn’s lower lip twitches. Who, indeed.

Val lets them into the dark flat. It’s roomier than Shawn expected, having seen the modest building from the outside. As Val flips on lights, Shawn’s hungry eyes suck in as much as they can, committing it to memory for further study.

The walls are a rich shade of deep, deep red. The furniture is modern but comfortable. There are bookshelves in every corner, packed full of fantasy, art texts and music biographies. He stumbles over a stuffed colorful caterpillar toy. It makes Val chuckle.

He looks up at her and watches as she drops her jacket onto a hanger and kicks her boots into a corner next to a teeny tiny pair of cleats that make him smile.

“Already got her on a club team?” he rasps, finding his voice has failed him slightly. Val graciously ignores it and glances over at the cleats.

“Aren’t those hilarious? Raf sent those for her a few weeks ago. They were his daughter’s when she was Alice’s size.”

Shawn smiles and tucks his hands into his jacket pockets, rocking back and forth. He’s gazing around, memorizing as casually as possible, when he feels her warmth again. He looks down to see her smirking up at him. He ducks his head and chuckles. There never was any hiding from Val.

“Wanna stay for dinner? I was going to order takeaway.”

He grins at her British -ism and bites into his lower lip, nodding at her fridge. “I can cook if you want.”

Val’s eyebrows lift. Shawn’s laugh is low and gravelly. His voice is still not working quite right. He thinks it’s prolonged exposure to her coming out of nowhere. He doesn’t really mind. She could always understand exactly what he was saying even when he was babbling helplessly, even when he wasn’t speaking at all.

“You can… cook?”

Shawn rolls his eyes and shucks off his jacket, placing it on the back of a barstool at her modest kitchen island.

“I did grow up a little in the last ten years,” he sighs, wandering into her kitchen curiously.

“I noticed.”

Shawn freezes almost comically. His hand is halfway to the fridge handle. He blinks and turns his head slightly to look at her. She’s wearing the smile that’s haunted him for ten years, the one that’s so signature Val -- it’s a dare and a promise all in one. He swallows so hard his throat visibly bobs.

She’s fucking flirting with him. And she doesn’t look like she did it accidentally.

His motor function comes back enough to open the refrigerator and look around, and also hope the cool air will reduce the pink burning in his cheeks. Val busies herself with freeing fussy Alice from the pram, holding her against her hip after shedding all her tiny little layers down to a pair of leggings and a long sleeved tee with the Arsenal FC logo on it.

Shawn studies the contents of the fridge. It doesn’t take long. He looks up at her, frowning disapprovingly.

“You don’t cook,” he says plainly.

Val snorts, which makes Alice wriggle against her chest.

“I don’t cook. Never have, never will. It horrifies my mother, who sends five pounds of frozen homemade empanadas every month packed with dry ice.”

Shawn groans and lets his head loll back. “Fuck, I love your mom’s empanadas.”

A moment later, his head snaps up. His eyes widen. He claps a hand over his mouth.

“I’m so sorry!” The sound is garbled against the skin of his hand. He removes it to Val’s amusement.

“Don’t worry,” Val hums, pressing her nose and lips up against Alice’s patch of dark hair above her little ear, “I swear around her all the fucking time. Don’t I, nina?”

Shawn grins and turns back to the fridge. With a sigh, he unloads a carton of old Waitrose eggs, some wilted spinach and a bag of shiitake mushrooms. He snuggles the ingredients into his arms and nudges the door shut with his foot, glancing at her reproachfully.

“Don’t judge me on this, it won’t be my best work. But I have limited resources.”

Val takes a deep, calming breath, watching him start to sort out a cutting board and a pathetically dull knife at her kitchen counter. Because Shawn Mendes is cooking her dinner.

It’s been a weird six hours.

Val props herself up on a stool, planting Alice in front of her, holding her by the waist so her floppy, energetic baby doesn’t squirm onto the floor. Alice also serves as an excellent shield between herself and the man in her kitchen she can’t stop staring at.

She listens to him chop and crack eggs and melt butter like making dinner for her is some kind of Food Network challenge. She tries to tamp down a goofy smile at the thought. Alice smacks her tiny palm against Val’s lips for her attention. She holds her daughter’s hand and mimes nibbling at her fingers, making Alice squeal with laughter. Val peeks over Alice’s shoulder to see Shawn grinning at a frying pan, expertly flipping an omelette. Val’s stomach flips with it.

“So,” Val coughs, “How’ve you found London so far?”

Shawn slides the omelette sizzling onto a plate and cracks pepper over the top. He slides it over to her with a fork, slinging a dish towel over his shoulder while he gets to work on the second. Val mouths thank you, sealing it with a wink as she lifts the baby into a high chair and pops open a can of mashed carrot and swede from the countertop.

“I love it,” Shawn murmurs, nodding, “I’ve always really liked it here. My mum has family here. I’m over here a lot for work.”

He slides his tongue over his lower lip, making the black enameled ring quiver as he thinks about the comment he left out -- he’s long been considering getting a place here. Many of his favorite producers are based out of London. He and the guys love working out here. Forefront has remained more popular in the UK after the scene faded in the US. It makes sense.

“And… how long are you staying?”

Val hopes the eagerness doesn’t cut too deeply into her voice. If Shawn notices, he’s mercifully cool about it.

“I’m leaving Thursday to go home for the holidays.”

Val’s jaw tightens. She straightens up and stares at Alice, watching as she takes a fist of Val’s hair and shoves it into her mouth instead of the spoon of food Val is offering.

“I’ll be back after New Years to write the new album. Gonna spend a few months here.”

Val’s stomach swoops. She jams the spoon into Alice’s cheek by accident, reaching for her bib to wipe the food away before Alice can protest.

“That’s nice,” Val replies airily.

Shawn plops into the stool next to her with his plate and eyes her as she takes one bite of her food and feeds her daughter with her other hand.

“Ever accidentally mixed up the spoons and eaten baby food by mistake?”

Val barks a laugh. “Happens like, once a week.”

Shawn, Val and Alice eat in comfortable silence. Shawn chews a little slower than usual because he knows he’s probably getting kicked out after dinner and he’s not really ready to let go of this just yet.

This.

What is this?

Shawn shakes the thought before it can sprout in his brain. He’s not going to freak out over this. This is fine. It’s dinner with an old friend and her baby. Nothing weird can happen with a baby around, right?

Val stands and scoops a squirming Alice out of her high chair, walking toward the nursery with a glance over her shoulder.

“I’m gonna get her changed and put her down for the night. Want to open that bottle of wine there?” She nods at a bottle of cabernet and Shawn’s eyes get a little brighter.

“Yeah,” he responds enthusiastically, nodding, “Good night, Alice!”

Val beams and flaps Alice’s little hand at him. “Night night, Shawn!”

When Val emerges twenty minutes later with the baby monitor, Shawn has the dishes cleaned and the wine breathing with two glasses out on the counter while he flips absently through his phone.

“I’m gonna get changed, too,” Val says softly, gesturing down at her leather pants and chewing on the inside of her lip, trying not to read too much into all the different cozy-cute outfit ideas in her head.

Before she can overthink it, she swaps out her urban mom chic look for clingy charcoal leggings and a black camisole with her favorite cable knit cardigan over top. She gives her hair a flip in the mirror and pinches some color into her cheeks.

You know, just because.

When she walks back into the living room, Shawn has the wine poured. She tips her glass against his and murmurs “cheers,” willfully ignoring the way Shawn is trying not to check her out.

They sit at the bar. Shawn watches Val cross her long, slender legs, her bare, black-lacquered toes glinting up at him. He hums a chuckle and sips his wine.

“What?” she giggles.

He nods at her. “You. Your black nail polish. Some things never change, I guess.”

The words feel heavy as soon as they leave him. It swirls around them, all that has changed, all that hasn’t.

It would be easy to look over at Val now and see a stranger. It’s been a full decade. The amount of life experience packed into the ten years between 22 and 32 could have made her an entirely different person. But Shawn’s been watching her, listening to her all day. She’s still Val.

It’s a comfort and a curse, he thinks. It’s not like he hasn’t wondered about her, about how much the years have changed all the things that drew him in. It hurt to think she was changing and he didn’t even know it, couldn’t see it. And now he knows just how… Val she still is.

This night won’t last forever, even if they did just open a nice bottle of wine. He’ll go back to the hotel, he’ll leave London. He’ll be stuck with knowing the woman he loved is still every bit as incredible as he remembers her. Hell, she got better. He can’t believe it, but Val Moreno got better with time.

He shakes his head and pushes a hand through his hair. “Wow,” he mutters.

Val takes a gulp from her glass and nods. “I’m kind of feeling that, too.”

“It’s just…” Shawn hisses, finally cracking with the help of the fine cabernet, “It’s been… ten fucking years.”

Val looks over at him. She’s silent for a few long, slow seconds.

“So tell me about them.”

Shawn looks at her as she stands and reaches for the bottle and her glass, heading for the couch.

“Didn’t we do that all afternoon?” he laughs, standing and ambling after her.

Hey moron, he thinks to himself, Do you really want to give her a reason to make you leave sooner than you have to?

To his relief, Val persists, swinging her legs up to fold beside her and patting the cushions. He settles in and continues sipping from his glass for courage.

“Well,” she starts, looking a bit uncertain as she gazes into her glass, “If your ten years has been anything like mine, you have a list of things you’ve been wanting to tell me, saving up for if we’d ever see each other again.”

Shawn’s fucking fingers tingle. She’s been making a list. For him.

He nods. “Y-yeah. I mean… yeah.”

Val smiles. It’s soft and encouraging. “Ok. I’ll start.”

Shawn’s heart softens its battering ram motion in his chest. He bobs his head.

“I was… so scared when I got pregnant with Alice. God, it was the most frightened I’ve ever been of anything. More scared than when I told Raf I was leaving Streets, even more scared than when I was pregnant with Rafael. Because I felt so ready this time. If she was taken from me… god, I swear to god, I held my breath the entire nine months with her. Even after she was born, I just stared at her. Like if I blinked, that would be it. She’d be gone. I think it’s only in the last six months that I’ve started to fucking relax.”

Shawn’s body surges with affection and protective instincts he barely recognizes. He nods eagerly.

“I think it’s amazing you decided to do it on your own. I mean, I bet you hear that all the time. But…”

“But you know better than most how much of a risk I felt I was taking,” she says softly, leveling him with her gaze.

Shawn is quiet remembering the night she finally released it into him, a flood of words he was too young to hear, to feel, to accept. It was the night they said ‘I love you.’ It was the night he ran.

“Your turn,” Val whispers, refilling their glasses. Shawn drinks eagerly.

“Uhm… I… fuck. The closest I ever came to calling you was six years ago, after Making Midnight. I felt like shit. I think I knew all along it wasn’t right -- none of it. It wasn’t me, it wasn’t us. It was a bad album. I had no business being as pissed as I was that it sucked and everyone hated it. But I was so angry with myself. I just felt powerless. It took me so long to be ok with speaking up and saying when I thought something was wrong. It took me so long to find a way to be a leader. I think that’s the way I’ve changed the most in the last ten years.”

Val watches him thoughtfully. She takes a short sip and shakes her head.

“Maybe that’s one of the ways. I’m not sure it’s the biggest. I think 19-year-old you wouldn’t have lasted through a walk in the park with me and my kid. 29-year-old you held her for over an hour. I think you fell a little bit in love with her.”

She chuckles but she’s not joking. Shawn goes crimson.

“She’s… god, Val, she’s amazing. You’re so lucky. You… you both are.”

Val’s eyes drift shut. She drains her second glass. When she opens her eyes again, Shawn’s warm honeyed eyes are watching her. He doesn’t look scared. He doesn’t look anxious. He looks a little lonely.

Val fills their glasses again. She’s warm enough now to slip out of her cardigan and leave it beside her on the sofa. She watches Shawn watch her toss her hair over her shoulders. He chews on his lip until it’s red and swollen.

“Say it.”

He looks up from his already half empty third glass. He blinks quickly. “What?”

“Say it, whatever it is.”

Her voice is calm and smooth. He swallows.

“I was just… wondering if you’ve been in love in the last ten years.”

Val’s head tilts. “Honestly? I didn’t really try. I didn’t want to be. I just wanted Alice. Even before I was ready for her, though, I wasn’t all that interested in looking around. I guess I figured it would fall into my lap when it was right.”

“Why didn’t you look?” Shawn asks, a little too quickly.

Val notices. She takes a slow, deep breath. Shawn watches it inflate and deflate her chest as his tightens. With a resigned smile, Val reaches out and cups his cheek. Her whole body is warm, humming with alcohol in her veins. Her fingers have him choking down a gasp.

“Do you know what I think is really the most incredible part?” she breathes. He blinks at her again, dumbstruck.

“We were together less than three months. It was Warped Tour. We were… fuck, we were kids. I never expected that I’d be hung up on it after all this time. That years later, I’d be on dates and thinking of you. That I’d be sleeping with other people and still thinking of you. I thought this is something that would fade. When I saw you in the garden today, it felt exactly the same as waking up next to you in my bunk on that stupid tour bus, like it was 2007 all over again.”

Shawn’s eyes have fallen shut. He’s overwhelmed, breathing heavily. He turns his face to nudge his lips against her thumb, leaving a gentle kiss.

“God, I still write songs about you. Like, all the time. I thought I was crazy. Maybe I am. I don’t know. Maybe we both are.”

Val waits a beat, then drags his lips to hers. Her kiss is firm but sweet. Her face softens as soon as his mouth touches hers. His fingers curls into the ends of her hair as he edges closer, carefully, dropping himself headfirst into the kiss because who knows if he’ll get another.

They break apart, panting for air. Val plants her hands on his shoulders and wastes no time hauling herself into his lap.

Shawn whimpers, gasping into her mouth. She feels… perfect. Fuck, he’s on fire. It’s been so long. Her tongue slips against his, she groans into his mouth. Her arms are slung around his neck so all he can see and hear and feel is her. How did he go without this for so long? How did he let her go? How could he leave?

But he knows why he left. He left because he was a kid. It took every ounce of strength and maturity he had to walk away when he let himself realize it. He left for him.

Shawn inhales deeply and scoops his hands around her cheeks, easing her back gently. Val’s eyes are heavy. She’s panting.

“Wait… wait,” he grunts, shaking his head as he breathes heavily, in synch with her, “It can’t be like this this time.”

Val feels his words snapping into place in her head. She looks down at the baby monitor she dropped next to her sweater. She lets her head fall forward as she laughs breathlessly.

“Ok. Add that to the list of things you wouldn’t have done ten years ago.”

Shawn grins and tugs her forward until her head rests against his shoulder and his arms drape around her back.

“You deserve so much better than what I gave you last time,” he says softly. It’s not pained or self-deprecating, it’s simple and honest. “I want it to be real.”

She turns her lips against his neck and sighs. The same scurry of goosebumps she remembers she always left on him marches across his skin.

“Then let’s talk about it in the morning,” Val murmurs. Carefully, she unfolds her body from his, takes his hand, and leads the way to her bedroom.

-----------

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[rockofeye]

Manje Gede: Food for the Dead

Gede loves many things, and in the middle of all them is food; Gede LOVES to eat. There are a lot of jokes about Gede’s appetites, but the legion of the elevated dead have a truly insatiable hunger. They always thirst and always hunger to fill their bellies. I have never given Gede anything that he has turned away (and he has asked for odd things that made me question his state of pregnancy...pickles, chocolate cake, a sandwich), but he does have some favorite foods, and a nice treat for him is to prepare it for him. As all people taste death, either in the death of those we know or our inevitable demise, all people can speak with the legion of Gede.

Traditional manje Gede/literally ‘Gede’s food’ is a very spicy, very potent-smelling dish so if you’re thinking of preparing it for him, maybe open a window and shoo the small children and pets away.

To prepare this sizeable snack for the Dead Man, you’ll need:

Pwason sèl/dried, salted mackerel (makwo). You can usually find this in a good Asian grocery in the frozen or pre-packaged fish section, or in a Caribbean market. If you can’t find it, Goya sells canned mackerel in a salt brine and that works. You can find mackerel in brine on Amazon, too. 

Assorted root vegetables. I used pònmdetè/regular ol’ white potato, yanm/white and purple(!!) yams, patat/Caribbean sweet potato (often sold as batata in the US...has red skin and white flesh), and a chunk of malanga.

Bannan/plantain. You want green plantains, not yellow/ripe. If you can find cooking bananas (not the sweet ones we’re used to...but savory, starchy bananas), those are great.

Piman pike/hot peppers (literally ‘stinging peppers). Traditionally scotch bonnets are used, but those can be hard to find in some places...if you can’t find them, the hottest peppers you can get your hands on, and a lot of them. I used 15 to prepare Gede’s food this time around.

Lwil/oil. Any neutral cooking oil will be fine; I used olive oil because that’s what I had on hand.

You’ll start by peeling and cutting up your root vegetables to roast in the oven. Most cooking in Haiti is done over an open fire and the root vegetables are thrown into the coals and cooked that way, to be peeled hot by hands that are used to plucking things directly out of the coals. Throw them on a sheet pan, toss with a little oil, and cook until soft.

You’ll want to peel the bannan and roast them as well; they should be left whole. If you have never peeled a plantain before, YouTube has good directions. They tend to dry on the outside and soften on the inside, so they won’t necessarily feel fork tender but will cook in about the same time period as the root vegetables, maybe a little less.

While they are cooking, it’s a good time to prepare the fish. If you have dried salted mackerel, you’ll want to rehydrate them in a bit of water...enough for them to soak it up and plump up. If you are using canned, they’ll be ready out of the can. Either way, add all your fish and all the liquid it has into a pan over medium heat. You’ll want to break it down into small chunks with a wooden spoon (or whatever) and cook it until all the water cooks out. You don’t want to scorch it, but it should be dry-ish. Mackerel is a pretty oily fish so it will stay soft, but I often add in some oil to give it more time to be heated. I season with fresh thyme, a little clove, and maybe some black pepper. 

As the root vegetables and fish finish, I assemble them. Traditionally, a kwi (halved, dry empty calabash bowl) is used to feed Gede, but a deep dish or bowl will work just fine. The root veggies go down first and the fish can be scattered over them. Hold the plaintains for now.

In the same pan you did the fish in, add lots of chopped scotch bonnets. I used a mandolin, but sometimes I’ll just blitz them in a food processor (if you do this, BE CAREFUL opening it) until they are small pieces. Cover them with oil; enough to just cover, but they don’t need to swim in the deep end. Set that to low to medium to heat and let it cook for awhile. You are making a very spicy oil, not fried scotch bonnets. And...wash your hands. WASH. YOUR. HANDS. Even if your wear gloves (and you should), wash them. Scotch bonnets are rough on mucus membranes...you don’t want your partner/kid/dog/genitals finding out exactly how rough.

Once the oil is done to the best of your knowledge (I do not recommend tasting it), pour it over the fish and root veggies with all the peppers. Then, you can place the plantains with it, on the sides.

Then, the most important part: let it cool off. We don’t give piping hot food to the lwa, so it should sit and come down to lukewarm. A hand placed on the underside of the bowl or plate should be able to stay there comfortably.

With his meal, Gede likes to drink coffee. Brew up two cups; one with sugar and one bitter, and let them cool, too. He also enjoys kleren, which is a raw moonshine-like rum and for which white rum can substitute, piman (kleren with scotch bonnet peppers), and perhaps a bottle of cola champagne/fruit soda (Goya sells it in the US, looks like orange soda...the most popular Haitian brand is Couronne, which you can sometimes find in Caribbean markets).

When everything is cooled off, you can give it to Gede. A lit black bouji (Haitian-style candle) is usually stuck in it to mark it for him, but any bouji or candle will do  We often present things to the spirits by facing four different directions (styled on making the sign of the cross) making a little dip or curtsy when we do, but don’t worry about nailing that. Gede usually takes his food on the floor or at a special spot only for him...never on the main table/altar someone has for the lwa, if they have one. My Gede have a chair in my home, so I’ll put their food on the seat of the chair or under it. 

Sit and chat with Gede and tell him what’s on your heart, and tell him why you decided to cook for him. You can ask for his particular blessings in your life (though be prepared for him to follow through on that) and you can pray for all the dead that Gede moves among, or you can ask for favors in return for the tasty treat you prepared for him (which he will likely consider a down payment on your request..). Gede hears all prayers and is the last refuge of those who have no other hope, so nothing you say to him will shock him.

Food should be left out at least 24 hours, but the longer the better...Gede often enjoys his food being left until it goes bad. You can dispose of it (keep your plate/bowl) under a tree or, if that’s not possible, place it all in a plastic shopping bag and dispose of gently in your trash (avoid dumping it in your trash or throwing it around; it is Gede’s food still).

Should you decide to give the ravenous Dead Man a meal, may his blessings follow you going forward. Kwa la kwa!

[fins-n-swag]

(all I’ve learned while researching) Pac Man frog care masterpost

Seriously why has nobody done this.

Disclaimer: I am getting my first frog on January 4/5 2020. This will of course be updated with personal experience but for now just what I’ve found online.

Feel free to add/correct me on anything

The pac man frog: aka cornwells horned frog or Amazon horned frog

(albino variety)

First things first: prepare to spend a lot on pacmans. Like with any animal, they require the proper care and that can get expensive.

Pacmans are pretty hefty bois, with males reaching 4-5 inches and females reaching up to 8, keeping a circular shape. This means a bigger enclosure. Right now I have a ten gallon set up but I am prepared to upgrade if my frog outgrows. Aim for 10+ gallons.  Floor space is most important as pacmans are a borrowing species. They require a minimum of 2 inches of substrate to submerse themselves in. They are an ambush predator, meaning they will sit and wait up to their eyes in substrate for the perfect meal to come wandering along. They can sit like this for days, even weeks at a time, perhaps only moving from one side of the enclosure to the other. Coconut fiber works best as it doesn’t clump, and is easier for them to burrow into.  Just because they are a burrowing species doesn’t mean they don’t need water. All frogs need water. They require a large water dish full of dechlorinated water. Dechlorinaters remove all the harmful chemicals and metals in your tap water and makes it safe for squishy critters like fish, amphibians and reptiles. Pick one up at your local pet store.  Here’s a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-Prime-Fresh-Saltwater-Conditioner/dp/B0002A5WPQ/ref=asc_df_B0002A5WPQ/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167116240456&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16562266558803356605&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032457&hvtargid=pla-310002621828&psc=1

PLEASE wash out your frogs water dish everyday, because it will also be their bathroom.

Speaking of water, Pac mans require high humidity. To create humidity in your frog buddies enclosure, simply spray it down at least once a day with dechlorinated water. Evaporated water = humidity. They like it between 50-80 percent. Get yourself a hydrometer, like a thermometer for humidity! I got a digital combo hydrometer/thermometer.

Humidity: https://pacmanfrogcare101.com/pacman-frog-humidity/

Heat is not optional. Pacmans are a tropical species. They like temperature in the mid 70′s low 80′s. If the room you’re keeping them in stays consistently in this range, then you shouldn’t need one. But if your room is like mine and is usually cold, get a heat mat. Stick it on the side above the substrate, so the Pacman can burrow to cool off if needed. Don’t put the heat mat next to the water dish, that can create mold, algae, nasty stuff. Don’t put it underneath the tank, especially not without spacers. (Elevates the tank slightly to keep it from resting on the cord) that can dry out the substrate and burn your froggy! An 8 watt mat is good for 10-20 gallons. This was the most expensive single item I got, but it’s very worth it not to freeze my frog. Pacmans also so not like mid-high 80′s. A thermometer and thermostat (to regulate the heat mat) are recommended.

The heat mat I got: https://zoomed.com/reptitherm-under-tank-heater-u-t-h/

Once again put it on the side.

I don’t recommend heat lamps because I’ve read it can dry out the frog/enclose too quickly. Pacmans don’t require much light, so a lamp is not necessary.

Pacmans are not a social species. They will eat anything else in their enclosure, including other pacmans. Don’t risk it. Even if they are the same size, one will try to eat the other and end up choking to death. Other frogs/ lizards will end up as dinner, for the love of god don’t try to set up females together.

Pacman mouths are the width of their head, they will eat anything. Hence the name Pacman frog. Their bits can and will draw blood, so feeding tongs are recommended.

(Everything I got for mine I got at joshs frogs. Highly recommended.)

Pacmans eat live food. A good staple would be crickets (what I’m doing) or Dubuia roaches. I’ve read adults will also eat pinkie mice and feeder fish, but I haven’t looked into it. A staple is what you would feed most regularly. Supplemented can be anything from hornworms to red worms to waxworms. Pretty much any feeder insect. To prevent bone deficiency, dust your bugs with calcium and vitamin supplements. “But trickster”, you say, “that seems unnecessary”. ““Petco says they’re fine without”. NO! Exotic pets, may it be reptiles, amphibians, or aquatic animals don’t get the same vitamins and nutrients in captivity that they do in the wild. It’s up to us to give them the best healthiest life possible.  Also, don’t trust petco/smart. The corporate only care about the sales, not the animals. And the employees are clueless, which can mean serious damage to your pets. Do your own research. calcium: https://www.joshsfrogs.com/rep-cal-ultrafine-calcium-with-vitamin-d3.html

Vitamins:https://www.joshsfrogs.com/herptivite-multivitamin.html

Seriously, you put the feeders in a container with 1:1 with these dusts, shakey shakey and boom, dusted with all the good stuff. 2-3 times a week, more if you get a baby. It’s 12$ for the both of them shell out the cash and give your frog the best life possible.

How to dust: https://youtu.be/hlDzjmyVTWM

1/2 inch (or medium) crickets for babies. Feed them what they will eat, 3 one night, 2 the next? Great. Not hungry for a day? Fine. If your frog is refusing food for multiple days that’s a problem. But 4-5 crickets every other day (for babies) should be fine. Once again, not an expert and feeding will be the first thing I report on when I get my frog.

Full size crickets for adults, feed them 2-3 crickets every other day. I’ve read that should be good.

Hides and plants should be provided. Don’t just throw your new baby I. There with substrate and a water dish. It’s ugly, it’s boring, it’s not stimulating for the frog. Get some hides for the frog! There are so many different types, go wild. Just make sure it’s big enough for the frog or they won’t use it. Get some plastic plants while your at it. Make it a jungle! If you want get some live plants and make a Vivarium! Do more research on these however.  Joshs frogs has care sheets, care videos, and a huge selection of decor, frogs, reptiles and supplies. (I swear it’s not sponsored)

https://www.joshsfrogs.com

Now to the best part: choosing your frog!

(Send me pictures !) Pacmans come in all different morphs and colors, from bright green to brown to bright red. The one pictured is an albino. I’m planning on getting an albino or red type. I’m a sucker for red frogs. They all have identical care requirements. The only thing that’ll change is the price.

Tomato frogs are a very similar frog, that require virtually the same requirements. They, however, can be housed together and their mouths are much smaller.

More sources:

https://www.joshsfrogs.com/catalog/blog/2019/01/pac-man-frog-care-sheet-includes-fantasy-frogs-c-cranwelli-and-c-ornata/

https://pacmanfroginfo.weebly.com/facts.html