❤️Art❤️

Foddir Rowane leaves his comfortable life and girlfriend Monica in his home country to join the army in Aesolaria. Moving into his quarters he realises that being a soldier is probably going to be much more lonely than he initially thought.

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While he’s over in Aesolaria he doesn’t have an actual home, he lives in the soldiers quarters provided by the castle. Its not that bad its a decent size with a pretty comfortable bed too. Its just lonely, well he expected to be alone often, he didn’t enlist to make friends after all.

He hadn’t brought much with him only the clothes on his back and the dagger Monica made for him. He gently unwraps it from the pink plaid fabric it was lovingly wrapped in. He never used it as an actual weapon, out of fear of damaging it. It was more so a keepsake to remind him of Monica. Its not as comforting as her actually being there with him would, but it’s good enough. He picked it up and ran his fingers across the intricate details of the blade. The most prominent detail was the heart shaped hole in the middle of the blade, it was quite silly but an endearing detail that only Monica would think of. The silver blade shone in the evening glow.

The evening sun reflecting in the blade obscured his reflection. Which may have been for the best, he was looking a bit rough around the edges. His braids were becoming loose and his hair in general was getting greasy. The looseness of his braids bothered him more than his general hygiene, however. He had no idea how to braid hair.. it was something his mother would do before she passed, he briefly considered cutting them with the dagger but winced at the thought of severing his only memory of his family. He didn’t realise how helpless something this small would make him feel.

He slumped down beside his bed hugging his middle attempting to replicate the comfort a hug from Monica would produce to no avail. He promised himself he wouldn’t cry on his first day but he betrayed himself, he couldn’t remember the last time he cried like this, this must be what a panic attack is. He gulped in lungfuls of air in attempts to subdue his crying. To no avail so he grabbed a pillow from the bed and buried his face in it. It was suffocating but at least it made the crying quieter. He was so caught up in his fear he barely noticed the knocking at his door.

“Foddir Rowane? Are you in there?” The voice was soft, though practically dripping with concern. Whoever they are they must have heard his crying. He cursed himself, face burning with embarrassment. The surprise of the unexpected visitor seemed to stop his crying, he’s honestly thankful for that. He looks at his teary face in the dagger and grimaced. He looks even worse than he did before.

“Mr Rowane? I know you’re in there young man!” Young man? Who does this person think they are!? He cleared his throat a couple times before he spoke back.

“Sorry! Im coming now” barely subduing a voice crack. He unlocked the door, now face to face with his unexpected visitor.

Lana Flores. The Generals right hand, and wife if you’re partial to rumours… She was, taller than he had anticipated. She only towered over him a little bit. Her grey eyes pierced through his amber ones, though he didn’t sense any ill will in her expression. She just looked worried. Like a… mother. His breathing hitched at the thought of his mother. She as politely as she could pushed past him to gain access to his quarters.

“I remember my quarters back in the day.” She started “i was around your age when I first joined the army you know.” Her warm smile put his nerves at ease. She continued to survey his room. Until she was finally drawn to the dagger.

“Oh, This is beautiful! Did you make this yourself? The heart is quite a nice touch I might add, hoping to gift it to a special someone hm?” Foddirs face burned at the older woman’s s teasing. He realised he hadn’t actually been engaging in the conversation starting to feel a bit embarrassed again.

“I didn’t make it myself, no. It was actually a gift to me… from my um, my girlfriend. She’s a blacksmith, very talented woman.” Lana’s smile grew, her eyes shone with what seemed to be nostalgia? Maybe those rumours were true. She placed it back on his bed wrapping it back up with care. He appreciated the gesture and mustered up the best smile he could in return.

“I heard you crying, Foddir.” She stated hesitantly, smile fading.

“That’s kind of you to check in on me ma’am but I assure you there’s no need to-“

“Lana. You can call me Lana, no “ma’am” you’ll make me feel old” she laughs to herself, her bluntness startled a laugh out of him too.

“Also there is need, it’s important to me that none of you new recruits are crying themselves to sleep every damn night. Again I know what thats like! I remember my first night in my quarters I was so lonely and scared I didn’t know what to do, so I decided I was gonna take a walk to clear my head.” She stopped for a second and stared at the boy. His ears twitched under her gaze.

“Would you like to take a walk with me? It will help you calm down I promise.” Her kind smile returned.

It was night now, the moonlight guided the pair on their walk. Foddir was slowly easing up around Lana, he was even speaking on his own accord, not just when she spoke to him. Lana told him some stories back when she was still a trainee like himself. She was right he definitely felt much calmer than he was in his room. The fresh air was much more calming then his musty room.

“Do you wanna know about the general? He’s not nearly as scary as he seems. He’s a big softie honestly” she laughs fondly.

“Um, yeah sure! He doesn’t seem that scary anyways” that was a bare faced lie. He was terrified of the man, Eret Berin he was a Hellborne which was public knowledge. He had quite a big news presence. He became leader of the royal guard when he was only 18. It was insane. Though it was really picking at him now the only thing he actually wanted to know about him…

“Are you and the general actually married? Cuz my girlfriend used to tell me you guys were but she had like no evidence. Only like that one time you two sat with each other at a banquet and he reached his hand under the table and social media thought that was like a whole other thing but I don’t think he would be the type of guy to do that in public-“

Lana just stared, she clearly knew about those rumours, though she didn’t particularly seem embarrassed. She was amused if anything she laughed at the boys flood of questions.

“Woah, didn’t take you for the gossiping type!” she purses her lips wanting to chose her next words carefully.

“No, me and Eret are not married. We are like… boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever though” a slight blush crept onto her face, after using the term “boyfriend and girlfriend”. She continued

“I will not confirm nor deny what happened at that banquet because you’re to young to be hearing about stuff like that!” True, he was only 16 he didn’t even know what Monica was implying when she told him about it.

“Sorry that’s was a silly question, I don’t even have a scroll so I didn’t even see what happened, promise!” Lana placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to tense up at the sudden contact.

“Don’t worry kid I believe you, any… less non family friendly things you’d like to know about Eret?”

Ok thank gods she wasn’t actually mad at him, that was also a pretty loaded question, what did he want to know about the general.

“Uhhhh does he have any um I don’t know weaknesses?” That was a ridiculous question as if Lana would actually tell him her own lovers fatal weaknesses..

“Oh? Planning to take him down and run the army yourself huh?” She muses, Foddir smiles bashfully at her it was a ridiculous question.

“Well then, whatever makes you feel more at ease… the general’s biggest weakness… issss”

“Is?”

“Isssss!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Out with it Ma’a- Lana!”

Lana giggles trying to keep her composure, greatly confusing the boy, does she think what could possibly end his life is funny? This woman was truly something else.

“He’s deathly ticklish.” Lana deadpans. Surely she’s joking. Foddir doesn’t even think Eret is capable of feeling pain never mind something as small as tickling.

“You’re joking…. Right?”

“No! Genuinely im being the most serious i ever have, it’s truly his greatest weakness such a shame” she feigns sadness over her lovers alleged “weakness”.

“A beautiful weakness it is though, believe me his laughter could light up a room. And sometimes he purrs! It’s honestly adorable, seriously he’s just a big softie!” Laughter? He doesn’t even think he’s seen the man smile!

“Are we seriously thinking of the same person here? Maybe you’re just dating his secret twin or something theres no shot he’s weak to something that childish!” He laughed.

Their playful argument continued on until a wave of weariness washed over Foddir, Lana walked him back to his quarters and wished him goodnight. It’s nice to already have a friend here, and if the general is as much of a softie as she describes him as maybe being here won’t be as bad as he initially thought.

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Basically a “scroll” is just like a phone in this world very similar to the owl house