[lex]

Role Model


Nova is a popular figure and after her
unit of the Elite (referred to as "Squad
27") were scattered across Vestruna,
not to fight again. She often roams
the more rural parts of the Vestruna
countryside, helping where she can
and moving to further morale for her
fellow Vestrunians. She seeks to inspire
the future generations especially, and
she fancies herself in being a type of
role model for them. Even if she can
no longer fight on the battlefield, she
can fight somewhere else: in the hearts
of her beloved countrymen.

Be Careful What You Wish For


"Trust me! You don't want this! You
never will!"

Janna helps the world in her own little
niche way. Many might not even notice
the effects of her doings, but they have
had grand effects indeed. She does her
best to keep the undead and the immortal
at bay, to try and convince them that im-
mortality and undeath is truly not what
they want, as she speaks from her own
experience. She will not give up that
fight, no matter how long she lives.

Protector


Avariel, the angel of vengeance. The
name is infamous, especially among
those whom he fights against, but it
carries a meaning of aggression, of
avenging those who have done wrong.
For Avariel, that is not the case. The
angel of vengeance has once and will
always be a protector, too; a protector
of justice and of the innocent, even if
he suffers from it. He will carelessly
thrust himself in front of another to
take a blade; after all, it would be
better for him, an immortal angel, to
take a blade, than an innocent mortal.

The Defense


Elspeth leads a rather busy life, being
one of the strongest warlocks on Eterna's
planes. That does not, however, mean
that she can't meet her match, and it
also doesn't mean she doesn't help out
with small things as well. For example,
in the art she defends a burning village
from a pack of lesser demons, buying
time for the villagers to escape as she
wards them off with powerful magic.
The demons are powerful in their own
right, though they are lesser demons,
but they have certainly met their match
in Elspeth.

Rupert's Magics


Ru has dealt with a lot in life; his father
leaving, his mother's constant negativity,
finding a new family at a young age, and
being unable to properly walk. However,
that hasn't dampened his happiness to just
live life, and he finds himself as a rather
strong individual because of it. His childhood
dream was to be a street magician, and he
managed it; in the art, he performs at a
summer festival, raising money for children
that live in similar childhoods to his own.
He has sworn to make a change in the world,
and he will.

[cyberdragon725]

RES

[Prince Audric]

Note from Jasper:

To Kenway:

You were right Kenway, Knight, Assassin, Monk. Where all the same, without us to protect and guide people through the hard times of life we would never survive one day alone in the realms. My Father uses to tell me " A Warrior is only as strong as the people he stands with." I never understood those words until I left Rosewood and sought out more in the realms. You showed me the reason behind his words, That it doesn't matter the group you're with, if its to help people then you all have the power of each other to do what is needed to be done.

I remember when I first came to this realm and meet The Brotherhood. At first, I didn't understand how assassins could be good. I didn't understand that to help people that, that it sometimes meant taking a life. I couldn't understand why the biggest company in your realm was the bad people when everything on the other side seemed to be for the good of everyone, But when I was with you and the others... I began to understand, they didn't want to help people, they wanted to enslave them and control them like slaves. I began to understand why you and the brotherhood had to kill to save.

When you sent me to Conji I was confused and terrified of the thoughts of the magical realm, while the world itself had many heroes there, much like home and your realm, had its villains. I was terrified to learn the ways of magic and the way of the Monks. But in time I began to understand their ways of life as well. For them, it wasn't about violence and war to help others, but it was the peace and tranquility. Their magic was used in healing and minor spells, never to harm or kill but to subdue there opponent. I learned the ways of peacekeeping and the calm ways of talking to someone to keep them from harming themselves or others. With what I learned here my mind was stronger, as was much more than that.

Everything I had learned from you and the monks I was able to take home to my father, and with those teachings, we rebuilt the Goldenclaw knights. Stronger and better than before, where before they where the warriors bent to protect the kingdom at all costs, now we are peacekeepers who only resort to fighting as a last resort. So I'm sending you then Letter to say a few things

Thank you Kenway, and I'll see you soon. I wish to Join you.
Signed


Kenway chuckled as he set down the letter and ran his claws through his orange mane " Good job, Jasper, I look forward to seeing you again" He said picking up a cup of tea and sipped on it taking a deep breath taking in the sweet smell of the tea. " It's Good to Be Helping" He added to himself as he turned off the light and left his office.

[WolfWinter]

Raymond bent over the dirt to inspect the hole the workers had dug. They were clearing the area for two reasons. The first was to put up a new school. A bad flood from two years ago had made the previous building completely unusable due to contamination from a sewage treatment plant a few miles away that was flooded as well. The building was on a sturdy hill overlooking the river that had caused the devastation before. Raymond called over one of the inspectors, and they discussed how much further they could dig that day before calling in more inspectors to remain on-site.

The whole town was nervous about this project; if it didn't go well, the chances of any other projects getting funded would become practically null. It was a lot of stress, but Raymond had worked under conditions more stressful than these. Setting up hospitals while wearing a mask, always worried that the the next ache or pain was the onset of illness. Working in land recently cleared of landmines, all too aware that one may have been missed by the dogs. even here, back in his home country, there were risks. No, he was no stranger to risking himself to help others. Even if this time it was in a legal and communal sense. If he failed, then the fate of this entire town would end.

The excited screaming of children shook him from his thoughts. The workers rolled their eyes as three figures quickly, and carefully, picked their way across the site. The grin was plastered on his face before the first body tackled him in a hug. His son wrapped his arms and his tail around him in a hug, looking at him with those big green eyes of his. Then the two younger ones came bounding towards them on all fours. The legal adviser picked his way more slowly than the children did. Njord was dignified, and had softened over the years into taking on cases to help others. They discussed All too soon, it was time to go home.

[magpiemochi.]

Amilia is perhaps the most mysterious little viscling anyone had encountered. An old soul: far beyond her years in mind though seemingly not in stature. Quiet, inquisitive, and though she isn't rude, many find her personality to be an acquired taste. Well, those who had the opportunity to speak with her at all. There never seems to be much of a reason to speak with her even though she travels to the small village rested against the outskirts of the city everyday without fail. Her purchases from the vendors trying to make a few coin always consist of different packets of seeds, vials of different lake waters, and runes if they were available. Without a word, Amilia would pick out the items to purchase, lay them on the stand for the vendor, and offer only a sad smile while placing far too much money in front of the vendor wordlessly. The transactions were always without words, as if she and the vendor were stuck, momentarily, in some sort of trance.

"It has to be those sad, sad eyes." A viscet the same stature as Amilia spoke up one day from behind her stall. She was a tiny thing with beautiful, long, silky hair that she had to keep in a bow or else she would trip all over it.

"What do you mean by that, Mallory?" Another voice piped up, this time from one of the veterans of the trade, Casaway. He was a handsome viscet with pointed ears and a small, stubby tail.

"I don't know! There's just something about 'em, y'know? Something ... hard to explain. Like her eyes are from another world!" The exclamation was followed by a laugh; not at the topic itself, but because of how ridiculous the notion sounded. "But you should know better than to listen to me, Cas."

"Yeah," he agreed with a roll of his eyes, "you're always full of it!"

Although the two laughed about it, there was some truth to the words being spoken between them. While Mallory was quite the drama Queen who insisted everything (even the simplest of things) was caused by something otherworldly, she was basically one-hundred percent correct with her statement.

At one point in time, centuries upon centuries ago, Amilia stood tall and proud, her stature very much matching her near-ancient age, looking upon those she swore to protect. The small dilapidated village that sat on the outskirts of the glistening city was, once upon a time, just an extension. It too was large, glistening, and populated full of nobles and commoners alike. In the middle of the city's extension was a well. A deep well that held great knowledge and granted wishes to those it deemed worthy, and things were wonderful in the beginning. Those who built the city around the well respected its power and worshipped the gods or goddesses behind it, but once word got around, there were viscets who wanted in on the action. Selfish and greedy viscets who would visit the city in order to demand from the well instead of try to understand and respect it.

As more and more viscets found their way to this city, they started to learn how to work the well, and would follow the lead of those who respected it, at least until they got what they wanted. Sometimes, even with dedication, the well refused to yield results for some viscets, and as such, it caused tension throughout the city. Some viscets were held against their well to wish for something they didn't even want, and since the well found the wisher worthy of this, their captive got what they wanted; a flawed system once it was exploited. Crime rates rose substantially, overpopulation in the city began to threaten the economy; the once beautiful and respected city started to fall to shambles. A blockade was put up between the extension and the main city itself since the nobles moved from what was then known as the slums, and into the better part of the city; they wanted nothing to do with the crime that was occurring all because of a silly wishing well.

On the celestial plain, far far away from the city itself, is where the wishes came through to. Chronos, the deity in which the plain belonged to, answered most of these wishes, deeming some worthy and others not. He didn't seem to notice the influx in strange wishes, or more-so, he just didn't care. A vigilant and observant angel, one of his most loyal, noticed the influx and the subject matter of some of these wishes, and immediately felt a wave of uneasiness. Instead of confronting him about the situation, the angel decided she would take matters into her own hands, which of course, Chronos sensed the moment the idea popped into her brilliant little head.

"Amilia," his crisp voice slithered through the air and struck her cold, "you're a smart girl."

She turned to face him then, eyes averted and shoulders slumped as if she had been a child caught in the cookie jar.

"In order to preserve order, there must be balance at all times. And in order to have balance, good and evil must be present." His words were convincing, but Amilia still felt a bile rising from her belly. Thankfully, she was able to keep her composure, despite the fact that she still felt something incredibly wrong regarding the situation. Even though she was well aware that Chronos was onto her, Amilia wasn't about to let that stop her from the evil he had mentioned.

'Natural balance is one thing,' she had thought to herself as she exited his chambers, 'forced balance is something very different. There's already enough evil in the world,' she had wanted to say to him so very badly, 'why would you want to create even more?'

From then on, she vowed that no longer would she keep herself confined to the celestial plane, and instead live the life that a mortal might in order to steer them back on the right path. A very unfortunate surprise for her, however, was that it wasn't as easy as she had envisioned. Despite her beauty, charisma, charm, and all around soothing aura, the crooks and criminals weren't phased by it. The only thing that moved them was the promise of glory, wealth, and everything else they could have wanted. It started to become painfully obvious that Chronos wasn't creating balance anymore; he was creating chaos. And he had done it in such a way that it didn't raise suspicion. Slowly, like a leaky faucet. The only one who grew suspicious was the only one without any real power; all Amilia had was her voice and immortality.

What good was that for stopping a powerful deity?

The only thing she felt she could possibly do was something so outrageous, so very dangerous, that she must have lost her mind when she had the idea. As outrageous as it was, she couldn't bear seeing Chronos destroy and influence these viscets any longer. Amilia had to free them from the hold the well had on them, and in turn, free those who were run out from their homes. That was the true balance.

Destroying the well wasn't easy. In order to destroy an item from the gods themselves, Amilia needed to use some of her own essence to create what was called an "Everliving Ember," which was just basically a fire that could burn and destroy absolutely anything. In doing so, she created even more chaos. Viscets rioted, attacked, pillaged; they absolutely obliterated the city out of pure rage at the loss of their precious wishing well. Knowing she was behind it all, the residents of the city focused their efforts on Amilia instead, leaving her badly injured but no where near defeated. It seemed as though an entire lifetime had gone by when the chaos finally stopped. The world around her was silent, peaceful; everyone had left and she felt as though her work had been done until the memories snapped her back to reality.

The fires that had been started to reduce the homes and shops to ash, the violence and shouting, the feeling of fists against her tan pelt. It all came back to her in a flood and she wanted nothing more than to stay where she was on the cold cobblestone, eyes squeezed shut so she didn't have to look at the damage around her. The damage that she inadvertently caused while trying only to save lives instead of obliterate them. How naive she had been to think they would have praised her for breaking the hold that Chronos had over them. In their eyes, she had reduced the only thing they loved to nothing. In their eyes, she was a being of evil and not a being of pure good.

It hurt to admit, but she had failed, and the humoured voice above her only confirmed that thought.

"Sweet Amilia," the familiar voice of her deity broke the silence like a snapping rubber band, "how arrogant you are to think you could come between balance."

She didn't want to believe it, but it was true. It was an arrogant thought and an even more arrogant act. Chronos had created a twisted form of balance, and she felt herself mighty and good enough to put herself right in the middle of it. To bring the city back to where it had been before, but she had been terribly wrong, and Chronos was going to make her remember just how wrong she had been.

"My most loyal compeer; it hurts me to see you this way. Broken, battered. Both physically and mentally." As he spoke, large paws lifted her to shaky legs, his eyes boring straight into her shattered soul. "You're going to remember this day."

Last words spoken, last words she had ever heard from him. They spun around in her mind every single moment of every single day. He made sure that she would remember not only that chaotic day, even centuries afterward, but him as well. Amilia wanted to forget him more than anything, but with his voice in her head, that was an impossible feat. Fragile bones and weak muscles played a part in it as well. Not only was her spirit taken from her on that day, but he had reverted her to a stage in her life where she could accomplish very little. As a viscling, she had always been sickly and weak; he wanted to make her pay for betraying him. Her immortality was preserved, but her health made it physically impossible for her to do the things she was able to do in her adult body.

Being unable to forget the city anyway, Amilia decided it would be of no use to move away in an attempt to forget, so she works every morning, attempting to rebuild and bring beauty back to the fallen city. Though any attempts at successfully rebuilding always fail thanks to the curse her old god placed on the plot of land, she's still able to plant as many flowers as she can along with special runes to keep them as vibrant and beautiful as possible. Even if she can't bring the city to the glory it once was, she has still pledged her life to doing the best she can until she finds a way to break the curse.

It's no wonder her eyes are always downcast, words lost in her throat as she buys from the vendors. She wants to greet them with a smile and bid them a good day as she takes her leave, but she feels as though she isn't worthy of their words. She knows they'll tell her to have a wonderful day, or bid her good health, but little do they know, she's the very reason their once mighty city is in complete shambles and disarray.

Each time she overhears the vendors speaking well of her, explaining to other viscets passing through, that she's the one who keeps the village looking so beautiful with all of her flowers and interesting little spells, Amilia feels a tug at her gut. It makes her feel even worse that these viscets praise her for the work she does around the village to keep it looking the way it does; if she had it her way, they would never even breathe her name again. If there's one thing she's thankful for, it's that her name isn't anywhere on the small plaques settled in and around the city commemorating the battle that took place there all of those centuries ago. At first, she had tried to put up her own plaque so that they would know who to blame, but each time she tried, it seemed to disappear. It seemed as though the curse Chronos had placed over her made it impossible for her to leave her own mark in any way. As if she was nothing more than a ghost; an absolute nobody.

But he had failed. As much as she wished he would have succeeded in doing so, ultimately, he failed. Her flowers grew bright, big, and beautiful, and there were plenty of witnesses to her hard work. Even though she was responsible for the chaos of the village, she was beginning to accept and maybe even enjoy the appreciation from the vendors and strangers who commented on her flowers. Perhaps she was starting to understand that she had only been trying to do the right thing, not out of arrogance as Chronos had attempted to convince her, but because she cared. Her happiness with her own work, the work he tried so desperately to keep her from doing, would conquer him. Perhaps not literally, but at least it would conquer the demon in her own head; the one that spoke the same words over and over and over. Playing like a broken record not only in her mind, but in her ears, as if he had been standing right behind her.

Acceptance is the first step to growth, and by doing what she had been doing for the community, it seemed to be helping her not only accept herself, but to grow as well. Inch by inch, Amilia was starting to find herself again within the constant struggles within her heart.

Inch by inch, she began to come out of her shell more. She began to speak with the vendors as she bought her seeds, and they would thank her for her hard work with a smile. Although it pained her to take any credit, she forced herself to do just that. Each time she was thanked, she would smile at them, sad eyes sparkling with a happiness she hadn't felt in years, and reply only with,

"It's the least I could do."

Of course, this was something they didn't understand fully, but they never seemed to ask about it, and that was something she appreciated.

2500/2500

Amilia is owned by me
Mallory is owned by me
Casaway is owned by me
Chronos is owned by Alex (and used with permission)

[Unleashed Squiid]

It was a cool autumn evening many years in the past. Jae was no more than eleven, and was sitting on a swing watching the pretty face of Elly sway by in a tranquilizing blur. His heart blossomed into a large flurry of butterflies as he watched her pretty ginger hair against the pale blue sky. The playground was full of laughing faces and friendly teases and taunts but he paid no mind to anybody else. All the young boy wanted to gaze upon was her lovely moon-like face.

Suddenly she looked over to him. Jae's heart skyrocketed and he felt his body go cold. He forced himself not to look away, not this time, and instead conjured up the bravery to do something unthinkable. With a drumming in his ears, he dug his feet into the coarse wood chippings on the ground below him, and stopped his swing. The viscetling arched his shoulders back, puffed his chest, then deflated this proud structure at once. No, he would just saunter over relaxed, not tense. He was not a showy type. With definite nervousness which was hopefully not too obvious, he found his body striding over to her. His pounding heart, his shaky hands--did she notice? "Hey Elly," Did she hear the way his voice chipped after the e?

If Elly did notice, she didn't show it. "Sup, Jae?" Jae was winded that she knew his name, but he breathed deeply and calmed himself down.

“Nothing much, just wanted to say hi that's all. Oh, and I did want to know if you were fond of say, flowers?" No, no, no. Too forward. But again, Elly didn't notice.

"Oh, I love flowers." her face was bright and even prettier up close. He noticed little freckles on the bridge of her nose and how her eyes were ringed with the most warm shade of brown he had ever seen.

"Do you have a favorite type?"

"Well I do like lilies." she mused. "My father showed me them one time. He, well, brought them home from one of his journeys, but they grow on Earth, so they aren't very common obviously but oh, are they pretty. If you’re ever lucky enough, take the chance to see one. I've heard that Earth has the best flowers."

Jae blinked. "Lilies, huh? Well, I'm sure they are beautiful. Say, Elly..." He was cut off. The bell marking the end of recess blared through the air, ringing unpleasantly in his ears. She turned towards the school, and said something he could not hear over the buzz inside his head. With a smile, Elly turned and vanished into a crowd of students. Lilies.


---


The flower shop was bold and bright, containing all sorts of incredible plants from planets far away. After all of his searching, however, nothing was labeled as Earthern. There were bright bioluminecent plants from his own homeworld that were stunning, and even strange flowers which sprouted eyes that gave him the creeps, but they still were not lilies. Dejected, he decided to do the last thing he knew he could: talk to the store manager.

"Earth?" the manager's eyes twinkled with delight. "Well, we'll see about that, kid. That's quite a bold choice. Who are they for? Your mother, a lucky girl maybe?" He laughed to himself then winked at Jae, who didn't answer party from anxiety, partly from embarrassment. "We've just gotten a shipment from Earth but I'm not sure about lilies exactly...we can only buy so many types. I'll go see." He disappeared behind a door a few paces away. Jae nodded. He didn't exactly know what he was doing here looking at plants which would probably eat up all of his allowance money from the last month, but he did know that Elly would be thrilled once she saw what he managed to scrape together.

"Kid," said the voice. "Unfortunately we don't have any actual lilies for sale, but we do have bulbs for them. They'll be about a hundred parcebles each, and..." he paused. Jae looked up at him, and he knew that he must have looked quite pathetic. One hundred parcebles? That was further beyond any price that the viscetling could have imagined. The manager's lip twitched slightly. He sighed. "Take it, kid." His hand opened above Jae's own tiny paw, and out plopped a small, strange object which looked like a tiny onion. "It will grow into a lily, I'm pretty sure. Don't ever give me such a sad little face again, damn you. Now, out, out, and not another word about this."

Jae stared down. A lily...bulb. He couldn't believe it. "Thank you," he whispered at the man as he strolled out of the store. The man nodded ever so slightly then disappeared one final time.


---


Each day after returning from school, Jae would walk outside to the mound and inspect it for any signs of life. About the fourth day, he was rewarded by a small dot of green breaking the surface of the ground, poking out with such hope and wonder. After that first day where Jae felt his heart rising so happily, however, it sunk deeper than a ship carried down by the sea. For what was once green and pure had been tainted yellow. With the passing days the yellow darkened, and so did his spirits. The viscetling has nearly given up faith in the tiny plant, when he kindled the small flame inside of his heart, and decided to return to the shop.

“May I speak to the manager!” He blurted out as soon as he had hit the tile floor of the shop. Faces turned to view him, and he realized that his brain was already two steps ahead of his body.

“Well look who it is. What do you want this time?”

“I’m trying to grow the lily but I can’t and I think it’s dying and I don’t know what to do...” his voice cut off as he run out of breath but quickly continued with fast and frantic jumbles of though. “I don’t want it to die, it’s brown and sad. I...just need help, sir!”

The man blinked. His eyes narrowed from thought as he tried to piece together everything that Jae had just said. “Well...in simplistic terms, a plant needs three things: water, sunlight, and in winter, protection. I think it’s too cold and too dry if it’s been planted in this weather.” Jae nodded, his expression content. His feet began to turn until he was facing the door. “Is that all you wanted, or...?” The young viscet bolted out of the store, froze, ran back in, yelled thank you, then ran off home again.

He faced the plant before him curiously with a pale of water and one of his own blankets which he draped around it. “Water and protection, right? Please don’t die.”


---


The smells and taste of spring began to fill the air, and the tart grip of winter’s fingers slowly subsided. Jae had slowly lifted his magnetism towards the plant and let it grow by itself after a long period of daily visits. It had struggled at first, but with great care and concern, he had learned its needs and helped it to sprout, then bud. Excitement among the young viscetlings had electrified the warming air as all knew that the annual spring festival would soon come to town, and all viscets, old and young, would attend with high spirits. Jae too was highly excited, for it had been his plan all along to ask Elly to the dance with her favorite flowers, though originally when the idea came to mind, it was far more simple.

Soon enough, the eve of the festival swung by, and everyone gathered excitedly, asking out their loves and joining each other in groups of friends. Jae knew the time was right, and walked over to his little lily plant which had only just begun to bloom. And oh, was Elly right. The lilies were unlike anything he had seen, so pretty and perfect looking. His eyes traced their beautiful petals. They almost had an ethereal glow to them, bestowed in a holy aura of moonlight; the pride he took in such a delicate plant almost made him not want to tarnish their perfection. Yet he had to. This was after all, the plan.

With bravery growing in his chest, he picked one, and then another until he had himself a bundle of the sweet smelling flowers. Now all he had to do was ask. The most difficult part. Walking over to Elly's house, he tried not to think about what he was about to do. Instead he watched the city around him in its night life. He passed by a bridge, and...oh gosh. The viscetling stopped dead in his tracks, heart racing harder than before, but for a different reason. Something deep stuck itself in his stomach and though he didn't recognize such a feeling, he did acknowledge the urgency. Before he knew what he was doing, Jae was walking over to the girl. But what about Elly?

Jae swooped next to her, fear doing a bewitched dance in his throat. He had never been so high up before, and certainly didn't want to look down to where his feet were dangling off of the edge. He knew she was looking at him; he could feel her questioning gaze burning into his neck.

Finally, he broke the tension, "It's quite a lovely night, isn't it."

Silence. Then a voice. "I suppose it might be from an observer's standpoint, yes." Jae felt the words tremble down his spine. Her voice was so...broken.

"I mean...it's warm, the stars are out. Beautiful if you ask me." He had hidden his bouquet beside him, out of sight. When he finally dared to look up at her, he noticed that she was staring back at him. His mouth opened, then closed when no words which mattered could be processed in his brain. The viscet couldn't be much older than he was, maybe only twelve or thirteen, yet her pale cornflower eyes possessed something which said otherwise.

"Hm" she mused after some time. "I suppose it is kind of pretty. What's your name?"

"Jae." he responded, "You?"

"Persephone."

"Why are you on this side of the fence, if I can ask. You could fall."

Persephone snorted to herself. Jae had a feeling that even though the two had grown up in the same town in the same era, that they stood behind two completely different worlds. "Maybe I could. Maybe that was going to happen, maybe it still wil--"

"Wait, no!" Jae felt horrified at the thought. Never before in his eleven years of age had he heard of such a thing. Why was she doing this, it made no sense. The viscetling had been called sheltered before, but never truly took it seriously. Was this what they meant?

There was another span of silence as he tried to think of something to say. "Well, I could share my card collection with you, or.. oh! I could buy you an ice cream." This made Persephone half smile. She shook her head slightly.

"That's probably the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me, if they acknowledged me at all...thank you. Now, if you're done, may I ask why you decided to join me. You said yourself that there's a chance of falling, so..."

"Well I didn't want to run the risk of falling, I guess. But I also didn't want you to fall either." He felt her stiffen.

"Why?"

"I don't like seeing people hurt. It makes me sad," he said.

"You're gonna have a hard time then. Life will always hurt you. People will always hurt you."

"No they won't! Everything will be okay." He paused, thinking. He wasn't sure what if it was okay to say something like this to an older girl, but he felt it to be right. "I wouldn't hurt you." There was a longer stream of silence. Jae found himself comfortable in it though. He trusted that Persephone wouldn't be stupid.

Just then, a commotion occurred behind the two. Jae turned his head to see what was the matter, when his eyes caught sight of something terrible. A layer of ice seemed to form in his chest; fury lit up his mind. Persephone seemed to sense it, and looked back as well, glimpsing the scene which was tearing at his heart. There were two viscetlings walking down the street. Laughing. Holding Hands. One was some punk with dark hair. The other, a beautiful ginger with perfect freckles. Persephone softly asked, "who is that? Is she a friend, or...?" Jae didn't say anything. He wanted to scream, to punch something, but he didn't. Not with Persephone here. She seemed to calm him down. "Look, it's okay." Her hand touched his shoulder ever so gently, immediately soothing his anger.

Jae looked up sadly. "I dunno. I just...I gave her everything but she barely even knows my name."

"Girls are mean." was the response. Jae wanted to agree, but he knew that wasn't fully true. It wasn't true that Elly had kicked him like a sick puppy, and it wasn't true that she actually knew any better. The simple truth was that Elly saw Jae as a friend, even if she was his entire world.

"It's not her fault." His words were quiet. Persephone shrugged, then stared out over the waters. The view from their bridge was deathly high but strangely beautiful even through the danger. She grabbed his hand suddenly, and swooped her legs over the guard rails to the safe tarmac road on the other side. Jae followed. He almost forgot about the lilies which lay beside him, and quickly scooped them up.

"That wasn't safe, I'm sorry." She stated. "I'm very glad you were here, how very, very stupid."

Jae looked at her. He didn't respond, but held out his hand instead. He didn't need the flowers anymore, and Persephone deserved them more than anybody else he had ever met. "Please don't do that again." His soft voice contained no nervousness at all; there was strength growing instead. The thoughts of girls and dances seemed so far away now. That wasn't something to fear. This was, however. "You're worth too much."

Persephone gasped at the bouquet and took it, starstruck. "Wow these are gorgeous. Where are they from, surely not around here."

"They're all the way from Earth." Jae felt much lighter now. Happier.

"Amazing. You'll have to tell me about them then. C'mon Jae, let's walk."

Jae was frozen for a moment. He didn't move his feet, and instead, asked, "Hey Persephone, why don't you come to the festive with me. It doesn't have to be a romantic thing, or anything, but I'd like to see you again."

She looked at him, her face brightening as well. "Of course I would. After all, you saved my life."



2500/2500 (when it's in a word counter, be sure to remove the coding and ---s as they add words.)

[Placebo]

“Mind giving me a hand this morning, Jackie?”

Jocelyn’s nose screwed up in an effort not to sneeze as she followed Zach into the dry, surprisingly cold and arid storage room once he slid his set of master keys back into his apron pocket. The change in temperature raised goosebumps underneath her thin layer of feathers, and she fought back the urge to rub her arms. She peered into the dim shed curiously and startled a bit when unseen sensors flicked on cold LED lights. The older male usually had this place locked up, and she was surprised to find innocuous wooden boxes and plastic bins line the sides in neat rows.

“Yeah, sure. You need help setting up for the farmer’s market, right?”

Zach hummed an affirmative as he set his walking cane down on a stack of boxes by his leg and closed the shed door behind his young protege. He paused to rub at his scarred thigh, but Jocelyn only kept one eye on her friend as her fingers idly skimmed the grooves of the bins. “What are these for, anyway? I’m guessing seed storage?”

Zach flashed her a smile. “Got it in one. But, while I do need help with the farmer’s market, I also wouldn’t say no to an extra pair of hands helping me get these boxes down.”

Jocelyn gave the older male a playfully wry look at the innocent lilt to his tone. “Alright, Zach. Well, direct me. What boxes do I need to pull?”

Zach hopped up on one of the metal shelves to get a better vantage on some of the tiny labels on the containers as Jocelyn spoke. With his back turned, he pointed vaguely in a direction further into the shed. “Grab two bins labeled ‘EM.’ They should be on yellow or blue bins.”

Jocelyn stepped up onto the lowest metal railing to grab the containers. “What are these for, anyway? I’ve never seen you sell seeds at the farmer’s market. You're changing it up this year?”

Zach snorted behind her. “Nah. Not trying to be mean to the people who come on Sundays, but most of my seeds would be wasted on those buyers. I doubt most of them know their way around a garden.”

Jocelyn laughed outright at that. “I mean, you’re not wrong.” As she spoke, she tried to scoot the first bin onto the raised metal railing. Stars, it was heavier than she expected.

“They’re actually for the two local high schools’ bio and environmental programs and their feeder schools.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm. Ever since I retired as a science teacher from Woodsboro High, I’ve been giving botany supplies to keep interest in the agricultural programs.”

“Hah, I always wondered about the elementary and high school field trips to the market in the spring. Cute kids.”

Zach laughed under his breath and replied in a sing-songy tone. “Just a healthy side effect, I assure you.”

“And it can all be traced back to one male, huh?” Jocelyn hauled the bin into the crook of her arms and cautiously stepped back down onto the concrete floor to set down the box.

“No, no, you give me too much credit! It’s mainly the teachers.”

“And you were one of those teachers not long ago, Zach,” Jocelyn teased as she reached for the second one. Zach huffed, but though she couldn't view his face, she could practically see the bashful smile still on his lips.

{575 Words}

Viscets Used || Zadkiel, the botanist | Jocelyn, his charge

[Kydashing]

I just want to thank everyone who end up trying out, we appreciate it! (Im also marking so i can watch for judging later cus my subs act weird if i don't post lol~)

[✦ nemuri]

x
indent"where are you going, ryota? hold on, i'm coming with you." a voice called out, prompting the messy furred viscet to pause and turn around to look curiously towards the other viscet who had spoken. kaelin appeared to be out of breath, panting and wheezing slightly as he slowly made his way next to ryota's side, and when he grabbed hold onto his friend's arm, the cat eared viscet's legs buckled slightly. eyes widening in alarm, he slung kaelin's arm over his shoulders and hoisted him up.

indent"hello to you too, you ray of sunshine. i was going to go for my morning swim, and judging by the looks of your condition, you should probably take a dip as well." ryota furrowed his eyebrows into a small frown, raking his gaze across kaelin's hunched form. strangely enough, the blue furred viscet had seemed thinner than he actually was when he was slouching, and when ryota curiously searched for any noticeable bulges of muscle in kaelin's arm, he found next to none. "honestly, how is it even possible for you to be so out of shape and thin? i thought that you cared about things like that."

indentwhen kaelin raised his pale eyes to glance at ryota's face, the latter viscet blinked upon seeing hesitation within the other viscet's eyes. was there something that kaelin wasn't telling him, and if so, what? ryota couldn't imagine what the cat-like male was thinking at times, and it wasn't unbelievable for kaelin to keep secrets from him. however, much to the brown furred viscet's surprise, the other male let out a small sigh before opening his mouth to speak. "long story short, something happened as i was casting magic, and it consumed more of my mana than i had expected. i was knocked out for nearly a week, and in case you've been wondering where i've been, now you have your answer." kaelin shifted around uncomfortably for a moment before gently easing his arm off the other viscet's shoulders, and although he staggered slightly, he maintained his balance and remained upright, as a sign that he was alright. "i think i'll just watch you swim, though. i'm not a particularly good swimmer, especially in the state i'm currently in."

indent"no, you just don't like water at all, kaelin. i've known you for a while, and i've never seen you swim for all the time you've spent in heiwasame," ryota huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. his eyes gleamed skeptically, but after staring down at the blue furred viscet, he let out a loud sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "oh well, i guess there's nothing i can do if i can't convince you to swim with me. do whatever you want, but i won't be able to check up on you if i'm swimming. are you sure you don't even want to walk along the shoreline just to feel the cool water against your feet? it's really nice at this time of the day, even if it might be a little chilly."

indent"i mean, i'll go and think about it, but the likelihood of me actually joining you is very slim, no offense, ryota. like i said before, i'm not a good swimmer, and i'd like to avoid the water as much as possible. especially if i didn't like it all that much in the first place," kaelin commented, chuckling mirthfully at how much the brown furred viscet had appeared to want him to join in on the swimming. when ryota shook his head slightly in what appeared to be mild disappointment to the cat-eared male and began to walk away, kaelin followed behind. the tip of ryota's tail twitched at the sound of the other viscet behind him, but didn't comment on it.

indenteven though ryota couldn't deny the disappointment he had felt upon hearing kaelin's refusal, he knew how much the other viscet detested the water, and how kaelin was already stepping out of his comfort zone by accompanying him to the beach. the brown furred male knew that he couldn't have asked for more from his friend, and with a sheepish smile, he turned back slightly to glance towards kaelin. however, his smile faded away upon seeing the pained grimace that sat upon the other male's features. was kaelin going to be okay? using up all of one's mana is certainly nothing to sneeze at, and even in his condition, the cat-eared viscet was running around and forcing himself to spend time with ryota. while the brown furred viscet greatly appreciated the gesture, he couldn't help but feel a twinge a worry strike against his mind.

indent"hey kaelin, are you sure you're okay? you're not looking too great; maybe we should head back and let you get some rest for once. i'm surprised that your body isn't up to par with how it used to be; recovery takes time and you're far too impatient to let yourself rest for long periods of time," ryota commented offhandedly, stopping in his tracks as he twisted around to give the blue furred viscet a sideways glance. kaelin appeared to be mildly uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was going, and with an agitated lash of his tail, he pinned his ears back in annoyance at ryota's evident worry.

indent"gods above, ryota! yes, i'm fine, and you don't need to worry about me that much. you're only going to make me feel bad,"the blue furred viscet burst out, his voice eventually trailing off into a small whisper. ryota took a small step back in surprise at kaelin's sudden outburst, and with a small, defeated sigh, he turned back around and began walking. kaelin let out a small cough and started to hurry after the brown furred viscet again, and when he spoke up again, ryota could hear the guilt within the other male's voice without even having to see his expression. "i'm... i'm sorry for snapping at you, ryota, but i really am fine. if i'm tired, then i'll let you know, i promise."

indentraising a skeptical eyebrow once again at kaelin's words, ryota let out a slow exhale and cast an unimpressed look towards the other viscet's direction. he had half the mind to object and turn around, but a small voice at the back of the brown furred male's mind reminded him how upset kaelin would be if he just babied him. letting out an aggrieved sigh, ryota shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "ugh, fine, you win. i don't know if you're just this persistent or if i'm just a pushover, but the moment something goes wrong, we're going back to the conservatory, you hear me? it's dangerous for you to traipse around, especially if your mana levels are still lower than they usually would be."

indentthe smile that kaelin had sent towards ryota was bright enough to surpass the light of the sun, and as he felt a flush slowly begin to heat up his face, he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and turned away abruptly. however, the other viscet let out a small, delighted laugh at the brown furred male's words, and with amusement shining in his pale eyes, kaelin crossed his arms over his chest. "now that's how we do things around here, ryota! trying to convince to go back will simply get you no where, as you should've learned from several months back."

indentknitting his brows into a deep brown at kaelin's words, ryota merely pursed his lips together and resumed walking. it was reassuring to know that the blue furred viscet was at least in a mentally sound place, after using up all his mana like that, and ryota hoped that his judgement in letting the other male come with him was the right decision. it wasn't as though he couldn't trust the cat-eared male whenever he was injured, but rather that kaelin had a tendency to make rash decisions, even when physically impaired. nonetheless, the duo soon reached the beach, and while ryota glanced out towards the horizon of the ocean, kaelin doubled over, wheezing and gasping slightly for breath. the brown furred viscet had glanced at kaelin for a brief moment, but when the other viscet fixated a stern glare at him, ryota let out an audible sigh and turned away.

indent"... i know you don't want me to ask this question, but seriously kaelin, are you alright? you really should've rested if you were going to be so worn out. what's the point of coming with me to the beach if you can't even enjoy yourself?" he resisted the urge to glance at kaelin again, but when the other viscet started to cough again, he swiveled his entire body around in alarm. the cat-eared male was crouching on the ground, and his ears were flattened against his skull, with the fur along his neck bristling in alarm. "kaelin?! wh - what -"

indentkaelin let out a weak chuckle before breaking into another fit of coughs, his shoulders shaking from the spasms. he dropped down onto the ground and curled up in a fetal position, hissing at the pain. "oh look, i guess that happened. ahh, this really sucks... i guess i have to go back to the nurse's wing back at the conservatory, huh?" his lighthearted commentary was punctuated by sharp coughs and gasps, and as the blue furred viscet struggled to push himself into an upright position, ryota stepped forward, picked him up, and slung him over his shoulder. kaelin let out a small noise from the back of his throat that sounded like a wheeze, and as his balled up fists pounded softly into the brown furred viscet's back, he growled slightly. "oi, put me down, i can walk on my own! like i said, i just used up a little too much mana..."

indent"i thought i told you to tell me if you were feeling unwell! because you kept pushing your body past its limits, it has now brought you to this point, and i need to take you back. clearly, you won't be able to take a single step without my help, so you'll stay in your current position, whether you like it or not. things wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't been so stubborn, kaelin, gods. besides, your punches feel like the wind against me, and i'd rather you conserve your energy instead of wasting them on meaningless punches." shaking his head in exasperation, ryota shifted kaelin's body slightly so that he was stabler and wouldn't be jostled as much, and when the pale-eyed viscet's ears and tail drooped down in defeat, ryota allowed a satisfied smile to creep onto his face at the other viscet's compliance.

indent"honestly, why are you so annoyingly nice? you always take others into consideration before yourself. i just wanted you to enjoy yourself for once," kaelin murmured softly, burying his face into ryota's soft, brown fur. his punches had stopped, and while his tail still hung limply, the tip still twitched every now and then, as though it were signalling to the other viscet that he was still alive. "you do a lot for everyone in heiwasame, and i haven't seen you in a while. is it so wrong for me to spend time with a friend who i haven't had the chance to see because i've been bedridden?"

indentthe cat-eared viscet's honest words resounded deeply within ryota's mind, and because kaelin wouldn't be able to see his facial expressions from his current position, ryota allowed a faint pink tinge to settle onto his face. what the blue furred viscet had just said made the violet-eyed viscet so incredibly happy, and not for the first time, he wished that kaelin would understand that he needed to care about himself, too. "i'm sorry that i haven't been able to visit you. i've been busy, and truth be told, i wasn't quite sure what was going on within the nurse's wing. they probably wouldn't have let me visit, since depleting all of your mana is a really serious condition, and shouldn't be taken lightly. if you stay in the nurse's wing until you've completely healed up, i'll visit every day if i can. do you think you'd be able to do that and not give me a heart attack?"

indentat first, kaelin's radio silence prompted ryota to slow down his pace and pat at the other viscet's back to either wake him up or shake him out of whatever reverie he was currently in. when the cat-eared viscet let out a small cough and sighed again, ryota's ears perked up slightly, and he cast a small glance towards kaelin. the blue furred male's eyes were half-lidded and droopy, as though he was two seconds away from falling asleep. making his way to the beach must have really tired him out, ryota realized, and had been about to resume walking when kaelin opened his mouth and started to speak, despite his feeble voice that seemed like it would give out any moment. "yeah, that works for me. i'm sorry about today, by the way. you didn't have to look out for me like that, and on top of everything else, you didn't even get to do your morning swim."

indentupon hearing the other viscet's comment, ryota let out a loud, exasperated snort before continuing to walk. "you know what, kaelin? not a single word out of you. just stay quiet and don't fidget too much. i have to hand you back to the nurse in the nurse's wing, who i'm sure is currently freaking out over your absence. i really don't envy you; you'll have to deal with her wrath afterwards, and even once you're all healed up, i'm never letting you forget this incident." he paused momentarily to take a deep breath, and his eyebrows furrowed together to form a small frown. however, his expression of unease was only temporary, and when kaelin flicked the tip of his tail against ryota's face in protest, the brown furred viscet let out a small laugh. "i'm just kidding, i'm not that cruel. or am i?"

indent"... i hate you so much sometimes," kaelin muttered softly, his voice muffled as he pushed his snout further into ryota's shoulders. his cat ears twitched slightly at the sound of the other viscet's laughter, and as ryota continued to walk, he could feel the blue furred male's smile against his shoulder. by then, the summer sun was beginning to rise, and as the two viscets neared the conservatory, kaelin sighed again. "i don't know if you can tell or not, but i really don't want to go back."

indent"don't worry, i can totally tell. trust me, you'll feel a lot better after you've fully recovered, and afterwards, we can head over to the beach as much as you want, just to see me swim, right?"


indent[ 2500 / 2500 words ]
indent[ viscets used/mentioned ; ryota, kaelin ]

[SilverSamurai]

“Abuto, what have I told you about going out there?” a voice above called, the voice hushed but worried. “It wont be for long, I promise!” the white and brown Viscetling replied, but the response was a heavy sigh. The white viscetling turned to face his mentor, and the older viscet’s eyes were full of worry. “I’ll be ok, Shiki. I promise I’ll be back before sunset.” He pleaded, and the King’s shoulders loosened a bit. “I’ll hold you to that promise, just be careful.” Abuto gave the elder a wide smile before dashing out the tall castle gates and into the city.

Once he was far enough from the castle, he pushed himself up onto his hind legs, still practicing walking upright but the overfull bag in his paws put him off balance as he slowly wobbled down the neat road towards the lower district. Older Viscets cast knowing glances at him and waived as he past, but he also received some cold stares as well, but he kept quiet.

Picking up his pace, the guards on the bridge nodded to him as Abuto calmly walked across and into the middle kingdom. The cold stares became more frequent the further from the castle he got, but it was no surprise; nobility wasn’t exactly taken well in the middle and lower kingdom.

After what seemed like an eternity of walking, Abuto fell back to his comfortable walk on four legs as he padded into the lower kingdom, the road turning to worn dirt and cobble. It didn’t take long until he found his destination; a small clearing in the middle of the roughly built houses. He set down the large bag and laid out a ragged cloth before arranging various objects on top. It didn’t take long before a small crowd found its way around the young viscetling.

Abuto sat behind his blanket with a wide smile on his face as the townsfolk admired his rough art pieces. “Welcome back, young one.” A voice called from behind him and Abuto spun around with a knowing smile, “Hi, Alma! I brought something for you,” the viscetling reached into his bag and pulled out a smaller bag and handed it to the older Viscet, “Fresh corn and potatoes is the best!” The other viscet’s eyes lit up, “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-“ “Please take them, I snuck them from the table and Nanashi was just going to throw the extras away anyway,” Abuto insisted, and the older Viscet hesitantly took the sack with a sigh, “Thank you, Abuto. Your kindness never ceases to amaze me. If only the King had your thoughtfulness,” she paused and sent a scornful glare towards the castle that could only just be seen through the rest of the city, “Maybe things would be different then…”

Abuto tilted his head, “He really does care,” he replied softly, but was returned with a mocking chirp, “If he does it’s not much. To let his city get to this state… I get that this is the Lower district, but we shouldn’t be fighting for survival each day…” Abuto had nothing to say and only looked down to his paws, his thumbs fumbling. “Ah, I’m sorry hon, I was rambling again. Thanks for this, it means more than you know,” she leaned down to kiss the viscetling’s cheek before looking over the art pieces on the cloth in front of them, “Anything new?” She asked and Abuto’s ears perked up.

He lunged towards a small piece of ceramic, its rough shape resembling a lopsided bowl, “One of the guards taught me to make pottery! Looket! This one is a bowl,” he chirped before reaching towards other objects on the cloth, “And this one is a vase!” The older Viscet chuckled, “Well I’ll be, it is! I think I have to take that one home with me,” Before she could finish her sentence, Abuto had pushed it into her arms, “Here you go, for you~!” “Thank you, Abuto. I’ll put flowers in it when I get home. Don’t be afraid to stop over any time if you’d like.” They exchanged smiles and Abuto turned his attention to the other members of the small crowd.

Reaching into his bag, he pulled out some teas and scraps of food he had saved from his dinner. He placed them in one of the makeshift bowls and began offering some to the surrounding Viscets, who eagerly took them with many thanks. As the sky turned darker, he collected the money he earned from his art sale and packed up the remaining things and began to head back towards the castle.

As he passed through the middle district, a guard spotted him and quickly rushed to accompany him back to the castle. Keeping his promise, Abuto appeared within the King’s sight before sundown. “Welcome back, Abuto,” The Shiki greeted the viscetling and the guard saluted before making her leave. “I saw Alma again, Shiki!” Abuto chirped and ran in circles around the older Viscet, and the elder couldn’t help the small smile across his face. “Here, this is for the Lower district!” Abuto said as he pushed coins into the King’s hands, “Abuto-“ he started, but the viscetling cut him off, “They really need help, you know,”

Shiki sighed, “Yeah, I know,” He responded lowly, his ears drooping a bit. A long pause, before he spoke once more, “Go wash up and get ready for bed, it’s getting late.” “Alright, good night!” Abuto trotted off, his tail swaying back and forth freely. Shiki let out a heavy sigh as he watched the viscetling turn the corner, a guard stepping out from his place near the door a few feet away.

“He went to the lower district again, sir.” The guard spoke calmly, and Shiki remained silent. The guard tried again, “King Nanashi, aren’t you going to-“ “No, I’m not.” The King silenced him, “He’s… something special. The people there deserve someone like him… not someone like me.” Shiki hid a sad smile from the guard next to him and looked to the high ceiling above, “That’s where I found him after all, this life doesn’t suit him, being shut in in a big castle like this with the title of prince slapped onto him. No, he’s exactly what the lower district needs… a glimmer of hope and joy does no harm.”

The guard said no more, and Shiki straightened the crown atop his head and brushed out the cape hanging from his shoulders before heading down the same hall the viscetling ran down. Shiki spoke once more, almost as if to himself, “I just hope one day he realizes he doesn’t belong here… He’s so much more, after all,” (1122)

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“You promised!” a small screech came from above and I covered my ears in an attempt to block out the noise. “I said at dawn, Rune-“ I called out weakly, but the viscetling’s reply was immediate, “It’s nearly dawn, come on Abuto! I’m ready now!”

A body crashed into my that knocked the breath out of me and my eyes shot open, a blur of white and purple feathers covered my vision. “Ok, ok, let me get up…” I yawned, pulling the young Viscet away from me and getting to my feet. The viscetling darted into the clearing and frantically looked to and fro before charging into a random direction. “W-wait, Rune, not that way-“ I called, but it was too late. Just as I was about to take off after her, I was stopped by a voice calling out to me. I turned to face Kozmotis, Rune’s mother.

“Ah, good morning Kozmotis.” I offered, but her gaze was cold. “If anything happens to her, I’ll rip you to pieces and use your feathers in a potion.” She growled lowly, and somehow I didn’t doubt her threat in the least. “W-we’ll be fine,” I replied shakily and she flicked her tail, in dismissal or irritation I was unsure, but didn’t stick around to find out.

“Rune, wait up!” I called as I hurried after the young Viscet. I found her quickly, as the trail of upturned roots and trampled flowers gave away her careless path and before long the white and black Viscet came into view. “What smells funny?” Was her only response as I trotted to her side, slightly out of breath from the far too early morning run. “Marigold, but they’re not ready to be harvested ye-“ But it was too late. The orange flowers were ripped up before I could finish my sentence. I rubbed my temple and sighed. This was going to be a long day.


--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

“Abuto, why are you here?” Rune asked suddenly, and I glanced down at her in confusion, “Why? I’m here because you asked me to teach you-“ “No, I mean out here.” I stopped in my tracks, confused by the viscetling’s question, “Hunter asked me to join his pack as a healer, I’ve told you that before, haven’t I?”

Rune shook her head, “No, not that. Mom told me you came from Nanashi’s kingdom, raised right next to the King himself. But you’re out here instead.” I flinched at the King’s alias name, but didn’t correct her. No one else knew, after all. “I… just didn’t belong there. I realized my place was with people and helping them instead of sitting at the top of them,” I replied calmly.

“Mom doesn’t think you belong here,” I chuckled at her straightforwardness, but she continued, “She says you should go back to the pampered life instead of pretending to care about us.” “Ouch,” I laughed, “the pampered life isn’t for everyone, kid. People assume it’s nothing but the high life and being spoiled, but they don’t realize the rules and restrictions that life entitles.” I looked to the sky and took a deep breath before continuing, “I didn’t fit in there, I can’t help others in that position… Not in the way I’d like to. What I’m doing now is everything I’ve ever dreamed of,”

When I looked back down at Rune, her eyes sparkled in appreciation and she threw her arms around my waist in a tight hug. “I knew you were good, Abuto. I don’t care what my mom says.” “Thanks, kid,” I hugged her back, “But we really should get going, the flowers aren’t going to remain in bloom forever.” Rune’s ears perked forward as she raced forward once more, “Bet I can bring back more than you can!” came her shrill from down the path. “Wait!” I called, “you don’t know which flowers to collect! Wait, no, don’t eat those, Rune!” He hurried after her.

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

As the sun rose high above our heads, we finally padded back into camp, our white coats covered in dirt. Rune trotted with her head high, her mouth full of flower stems and herbs, and my own arms holding more than I could carry. “This should last me a few months…” I murmured as I glanced over all we had brought back. I set down the leaves and flowers carefully in front of my hollowed out den and begin sorting them into smaller piles, when Rune just drops hers atop mine.

I scoff, giving her a playful growl as she sits down next to me and watches me attempt to organize today’s gathered materials. “Thank you, Rune.” I offer her without glancing over, “You were surprisingly helpful today,” I laughed as she attempted to jab me in the side, “You always get to excited when you come back from gathering things, I though you went on big grand adventures or something without telling us so I just had to see where you went,” Rune said. “Well?” I asked, “What did you think?” “I think that you’re pretty boring.” Rune responded flatly.

I stuck my tongue out at her dramatically and she chirped. “Abuto?” Her tone was light but held something deeper, “Y-yes?” I was surprised by the sudden seriousness in her tone, and I stopped what I was doing to look down at the gifted viscetling. “Keep doing what you’re doing, ok?” I was taken aback, but tilted my head a bit until she continued, “Here… You really do belong here, ok? Stay here forever and don’t ever leave, promise?”

Despite being the ramblings of a child, my eyes glazed over as I fought back tears. Did she even realize the deepness of her words? Probably not, but it meant more than anything. I’m home at last… This is where I make a difference and take a stand for what I believe in. It’s here that I’m needed… I’m home at last.

“Yeah, I promise.” (1005)

2,127 combined total