Kinok0

The wind only blew past you for a single moment, -its refreshing caresses were now no longer comforting, before you felt the impact of your back meeting the earthen ground sooner than you had planned, forcing something of both a grunt and a cry combined to leave you, knowing you fell from a place higher than you should have been. Savoring the serenity of the forest ambiance you lay there, gaping like a fish out of the water as you tried to greedily gulp back the air that was knocked right out of your lungs, taking a couple of seconds too long to hype yourself into the idea of getting up. You could already hear the scolding reminder of the lecture telling you to stop being so reckless, last time you had accidentally fallen asleep and then been forced to go sort through the elixir and potion ingredients for two weeks, -it sounds a lot easier than it truly was. Suddenly you became progressively aware of each new scratch, cut, and forming bruise that coated your body with the same consistency as splattered paint upon a canvas, causing a sigh to leave you; you eventually opted to pull some of the objects out of your satchel and work on what parts of your project you could instead of thinking about your aunties’ reaction to your absence. Yes, you had let them know beforehand that you were leaving to go out on a walk, but even that was back when the sun was only climbing higher than the treetops, and to think you had assumed you would have had time to practice your whittling some more before you put everything together tonight. Slowly from the appeal of the hesitant compromise that you’d have time for more practice if and only if you got the ivy combined with the flowers now instead of later, the ache in your limbs forcibly ignored, you gained the momentum to stumble forwards towards the cottage, even taking some of the longer routes. You were so absorbed in fastening the right knots with the fake ivy you didn’t care how branches seemed to playfully grab your pants and your hair, or how sapling limbs prodded at your drying wounds, in fact, the only time you looked away was when you nearly tripped on a root you always faceplant over, the last piece of glass secured just in time for you to realize you were at the clearing of the cottage. Quickly, in case anyone was looking for you at the window in the off chance you had somehow gotten lost, you shoved the ropes into your satchel, listening to the oddly charming sound of glass clinking against the glass, before you made your way out of the trees, the sight of the cottage with its snow ridden garden putting a relieved smile on your face as your heart welcomed the sight of home. Despite anything seeing your aunts always brightened your days, it could have something to do with how they loved each other or the fact they somehow made sure to share enough for the lost child the forest spat out at them, and your tired smile was traded for a genuinely energetic one, and as you neared the doorstep you paused to look inside the cauldron hung outside for the off chance something may be inside. Your stomach reminded you of your missed lunch making the emergency bottle you had stashed inside your room seem all the more promising, but just so you wouldn’t have to crack open your reserves you’ve made it a habit to sneakily check, sadly today the oversized iron bowl was filled with nothing but disappointment; ah well, you shrugged deciding that reserves were on the menu today. Humming an absentminded tune you knocked on the door to ‘shave and a haircut’ before opening it and stepping inside, the comforting warmth with its cozy ambiance was able to be savored for just a moment until one of your aunts seemed to decide to spawn next to you, -despite your uncertainty of whether or not she actually could teleport you were oftentimes sure it was just her way of messing with you.

“Look who finally decided to come home, I was almost convinced you had gotten lost and we needed to go out and grab you. Did you at least bring back something inter- Goodness, hey Moon? Could you grab the first aid, it looks like Y/n took a swim in the briars again.”

Pushing away the embarrassing memory aside you laughed reassuringly and swatted at your bright aunt’s hands, a small playful fight breaking out as you challenged one another, her hands grabbing to look at all of your wounds in such a way it nearly tickled, and your hands were playing defense as you tried to reassure her that you were perfectly alright. You chose to swallow down the winces whenever her touch grazed a certain bruise to eventually escape the sunny witch, which you did, therefore winning the war and as familiar soft footfalls came from behind you you laughed at her dramatic huff of defeat; you were going to walk off in victory, but a different hand grabbed your arm, one you couldn’t swat away, causing the roles to be reversed. Your expression fell into mock betrayal as you were then dragged to a stool by the deceivingly younger of the two witches as your auntie Sun laughed behind her hand while she left the room, leaving you to groan quietly before you extend your arms out of silent routine, letting your aunt Moon examine your limbs and letting her adjust your clothing for full inspection. You bit your lip as guilt began blossoming in you, not even the sunlight illuminating the room through the curtained window could dissolve the shadows it brought with it, it wasn’t as if you had wanted to get this hurt, and you were trying to be careful, it wasn’t your fault you were accident prone. However, instead of feeling bad for yourself, you focused on reassuring her you were alright, but she spoke first, her calming voice held tones of exasperation, slight concern, and perhaps an undertone of scolding.

“It does look like you went swimming in them again, what, were you too impatient to wait for the creek to warm up? Tell me, what did you do, and don’t you tell me you ‘just went for a walk’ because then I’ll have to ask you where’d you walk, down the cliffs? By the stars love, if you’re going to teach Y/n to be as reckless as you, then could you at least make sure they have your luck as well? It’ll save me on medical supplies.”

You can at least say there was no undertone, her words were definitely filled with scolding, and as they became directed at the escapee, your other aunt returned with a cup of water in one hand, the other extended towards your head and ruffled your hair as if a mock apology to match your previous betrayal, her warm touch felt pleasant against your scalp. The ruffling of your hair paused as she pulled a twig from your strands, inquiring a quizzical and amused look from her that bounced from you and the twig, before her pretty blue optics met her wife’s darker hues, smiling with the gleam of a playful feline as she tossed the twig to the side and placed her free hand against her chest.

“Honeysuckle, they’re alive aren’t they? Of course our little Y/n has my luck.”

Her words only made the taller of the two roll her eyes, though the edges of her lips upturned at the absurdity of them, and the two of you laughed at auntie Sun’s successful dissolvement of her scoldings, but you knew she had only pointed you in the right direction, you were the one that had to clear the path. Quickly you spoke up, having already gotten over the sting of the disinfectant oil being rubbed into your already raw skin, it helped that her touch was comfortingly cool and her hold was gentle, soothing the sore burning.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, I am still as fit as a fiddle! After all, I have my aunts to teach me, and they’ve taught me well. I really am sorry I stayed out so late though, it wasn’t my intention, I just got a bit carried away testing my knowledge on traversing the woods. I was going to go to the village to gather things I need for something I’m working on, the one north at the ‘skirts, but on my way, I came across a traveling merchant that had something better than I originally planned, so I just got my things there.”

As you gave the women your very reasonable explanation, you noticed that they both had different expressions adorning their faces, Sun looked like it made sense and that was all she needed, but Moon looked confused, if not a bit apprehensive about something as if something didn’t add up. The burning of your limbs had noticeably begun extinguishing, the homemade oil doing its trick while her pale hands paused, one on your arm while the other held a roll of the gauze you’ve been chipping away at these days.

“Y/n… you don’t have any money, how did you pay the merchant for whatever you bought?”

Her words confused you for a moment, you knew you had no coins so why did she need to remind you? It seemed however the brief moment confusion had bled onto your expression was all it took to answer a few mental questions of her own, making dread slip onto her facial features, her wife’s muffled laughter not helping at all. Quickly you brightened up with a reassuring smile to stop whatever was going on through her mind, resting the hand currently unoccupied on top of the one holding your arm as you spoke again.

“I know I don’t have money, that’s why I just did what aunt Sun taught me to do whenever we summon demons for things, I traded something of equal value! I gave the lady the good ole Moon broth I had on hand and some of the gems I gathered the other day. I wasn’t going to steal anything, trust me I’ve learned my lesson, and I just didn’t want to bother any of you for some coins either. Usually, I’d pay with tasks, but that’s only for the village, they’re cool like that, it’s alright I promise.”

After you reassured her, ignoring the sneaking suspicion you had done something wrong because you know you had done nothing, -you’re only lightly unsure of that now, you caught your sudden laughter with a snicker as you watched aunt Moon send a disapproving look to Sun, who was completely unbothered by it and instead was laughing as she held a gleam of amused approval. Your attention returned to your purple-haired aunt though as she pushed your hand to the side to begin working on wrapping both your arms and palms with gauze, your stomach rumbling with demands as she began to speak what you could only hope were her final words for now, time was slipping away and you knew auntie Sun was leaving tomorrow morning for a new bounty, so it all had to be finished tonight.

“I am going to let you know I’m blatantly ignoring the fact that you just happened to have some of my broth tucked away in your inventory somehow, but I also want you to start assuming that you need to trade with coins, it’s not often you can pay with services nowadays, so it’ll keep you out of that sort of trouble. We shouldn’t have just assumed you knew that, so now you know. Anyways, what was it you bought with the price of some perfectly good broth and a couple of crystals?”

You hummed gratefully while flexing your bandaged hands, the ache now only a husk of its former self, while your aunt Moon began putting things in the woven straw box, Sun was finishing her water, but her oceanic orbs were set upon your satchel with the shared curiosity of your wife. Smiling dismissively you adjusted the strap as you spoke up, grateful that she was finished, -you were sure your stomach was going to eat itself if you didn’t find some food to hold you off until dinner, and looked out the window trying to spot your offender in the off chance she may suddenly stumble out of hiding from the flora. No, she has surely given up just as you had, the things you conned her out of just weren’t worth all the effort to retrieve; if anything you could just find her again and return the tools with some coins this time as compensation and explain why you did what you did; it was obvious you both were in the wrong.

“That does explain why the merchant chased me throughout the woods. If I come across her again I’ll make it up to her with that in mind next time, I had to climb the trees trying to outrun her. And don’t worry, what I grabbed wasn’t important, now I gotta go work on that project I mentioned, if I could be left alone while I work I’d greatly appreciate it. I’ll probably be done after dinner, so you can fetch me then, I just want to get this done without having to rely on either of you. See you both later tonight, okay?”

With your mind absorbed in the plans of the finer details you had to work on you didn’t pause to look at them for their reactions to see whether or not you truly were done, seeming to decide that at the very least that you were completely done with the conversation as you beelined it to the stairs, eager to enter your room with a hum hidden behind your lips, missing the confused looks shared behind. You needed as much time as you could get, no matter if you were almost done, there was always something to improve upon after all, and with you aiming to be completely done before dinner so you can immediately reveal what you had been working on right after the meal. You had already gotten the bodies finished, -or specifically, you had carved them into a shape you were satisfied enough with to continue, you just needed to carve in some extra details and embed the things you finished today into them, then you can probably find other things to do with them if you had the extra time. It was a lot of work, you had been working on this project for nearly two months, and you hope that earlier your aunt Moon hadn’t noticed the missing medicinal objects, you’ve had you force yourself to learn a bit more first aid than you already knew lest you blew your cover whenever you nicked yourself with the knife or the wood dug so deep into you it left an annoyingly buried splinter. If she noticed and mentioned it after tonight you would be able to easily come clean, but as of right now you had to do one of the things you weren’t exactly the best at with your aunts, being secretive, it’s probably best you just temporarily isolate yourself to focus solely on getting these last touches done. The stairs creaked with their growing age, pictures of memories hanging up on the wall while you walked down the hall to your room, quickly closing the door behind you before emptying everything out of your satchel to carefully lay out the materials and tools in reach, -be it ones you already had tucked away in your belongings or the newest additions you had on hand, starting to work with revitalized determination.

--

The energetic aura that kept the room so warm and bright felt as if it had left to trail after your retreating figure, your words gave the darker of the two women you left behind an uncomfortable weight in her tongue, like scratching in a spot only to miss the itch, and from the silence of her usual bubbly active wife she wasn’t the only one with the sour aftertaste. She turned to look at those bright sapphire eyes she fell in love with, pushing aside how their gleam was darkened slightly with a perturbed shadow, -it was her job to catch these negative emotions like moths from a closet for it never suited her comforting flame to be anything besides happy, and rested a comforting hand on her shoulder to lead her to the kitchen, opening her lips to comfort her.

“Hey, I’m sure after their little adventure today Y/n is just tired from it all, let’s just let them work on their project as they asked. Now, why don’t you help me with dinner tonight? I know I’m going to miss cooking with my sweet little wife.”

At the end of her words she had managed to pull up a palm that no matter how many callouses it gained from the work it did, it would forever be soft to her and pressed to her knuckles, then her palm before kissing her forehead and stepping back, a smile only truly able to uphold one corner of her mouth. It was enough to gain a smile in return, even rewarded with some precious blush, but as soon as it emerged onto her starlight’s face it fell again and she turned away to rummage through the cabinets and shelves, evidently tonight's dinner already decided in her mind. An absentminded hum followed along to the busy golden bee’s gatherings, not even the herbs on the hanging wrack were spared, -even if she had to pull the ones her wife wanted down for her, and progressively she pieced together what dish they would be making, the ingredient pattern strikingly similar.

"Moonie, do you think we did something that upset Y/n, and they don't want to let us know? I know I sometimes forget they're not as young as I think they are, but did we make them feel small by being too pushy? Oh Moon, what if they feel like a burden and force themselves to be independent of us?"

The taller witch could only listen to her woes as her hands helped her love with preparing the ingredients for the dish, -feeling it best to not mention the fact they were preparing Y/n's favorite dish for dinner, while holding her tongue as it instinctively filled with the desire to spout whatever it may have taken to reassure her, and to possibly calm her own stirring tides. It was tempting to give whatever honeyed words that could distract her from any troubles, but the raisin-haired woman knew that's all they would be, -honeyed words inflated with hopeful reassurance yet lacking any truth, for the questions leaving her lips were the very ones encouraging trouble within her mind. With a sigh she instead opted to grab a knife after reaching around her wife's body, deciding upon her next words carefully, testing her tongue hidden away before speaking with a soft tone as she grabbed some of the vegetables.

"Sunshine… I can't say for certain I have any answers to our questions, but I believe for now all we can do is show them how we support most of all they do and ask later. If we did, they'll tell. We can't just assume we're the ones that have wronged them, and that's for the chance anyone has done them wrong, well anyone besides that merchant. Could you go out to the backyard and bring in the pitcher of tea, please? I made your favorite for tonight. I’m going to go out front to start the fire and get the stew started, you’re up for the rest of the dicing, alright?”

By the time the last word left her lips, she had finished cutting the vegetables and scooped them into a bowl to be cradled easily in her arm, taking a moment to kiss the cheek of her retreating ray of pleasant sunlight, flashing a comforting smile before she turned to make quick work of the instructions she had given to herself. The sun continued to slide down the sky, the warmth its presence brought following along with it like a lost child, leaving the once gentle breeze to be more of a larger being, not exactly overbearing, but it was enough to make her consider running back inside to grab a jacket; she decided against it knowing the fire she’ll hover around is going to keep her more than warm enough, enough confidence to wave off the darkening air. It was enough to remind her spring hasn’t arrived quite yet, a fact that slips her mind with how nice it’s been lately, especially in the present moments as she gathered some timber to feed the small flames starting, with the serene atmosphere she’s grateful to share with her loved ones. Around her the birds gossiping amongst themselves about the day’s events, -she had no doubt Y/n’s scene was sprinkled somewhere in their calls, the songs of creatures hidden within the whistling trees with the tease of budding leaves, the ground taking advantage of the watered soil to send the early bit of sprouts and grass pushing through its surface, snowfall replaced with morning frost as spring snuck up slowly but surely into the woods. Fanning the flames she unhooked her ladle and began tossing the mix of crushed herbs and cut-up vegetables into the water, feeling the growing wind play with her hair, the witch was aptly reminded why she kept her cauldron outside instead of inside with the smoke it brought to her, forcing her nose to scrunch up. She didn’t hate the smell per se, but she wasn’t a fan of it, and if she had her cauldron inside their home the presence of burning embers would be constantly thick in the air, enough to truly make her head hurt and eyes water worse than it did now when a gust was thrown into her face. Stepping out of the wind’s path she threw some dirt on the flames to lower them as she hear a distant croaking nearly hidden in the creaking of old wood, waiting for any other to join in and truly tell them whether spring has arrived, they’ve yet to hear all three so far, as a result, they’ll simply continue taking in the winter weather safely with the hopes it’ll remain kind until spring bleeds through.

Another noticeable creak from a swaying wooden body somewhere among the others brought a stray thought into the light, Y/n had mentioned the first warm day after a cold night was the best time to start putting taps into maple trees to gather sap, and although she knew they’d missed the timeframe this year making some homemade maple syrup seemed like an activity she’d be happy to do the next time winter thawed away. It was a calm moment she took to wade through her thoughts, fishing for anything she needed to sort through in the meantime, -any about Y/n were promptly set inside a bucket to look back at after dinner when they got answers, while she made sure the stew didn’t boil or simmer more than it needed, the aroma it had begun to give off was enough to nearly convince her it was good as is. It seemed however that throughout all of the sounds she could pick up, the raisin-haired witch could pick up the sound of her wife’s footfalls through the grass, and when she turned her head to look at the shorter witch she was immediately reminded of a fact that made her smile brighten. No matter how long winter stretched itself out to be, no matter if it ever decided to spend its final moments with cruel wrath, she would be perfectly fine, for as long as Sun was in her embrace she would have a personal ray of sunshine to bring spring into their household with every moment spent together. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders she handed her wife the ladle before watching as she added in chunks of skinned potatoes and diced bits of the venison they had gathered from one of the hunters in the village over at the northern outskirts, the crackling of the flames reminding the two incessantly of their dangerous presence, they both wordlessly enjoyed the moment before she broke the silence, a smile in her voice.

“I heard one of them just before you came out here, what about you? Have you heard the tree frogs sing yet? I was thinking after one of us hears all three we can plan what to do for this year’s garden, I seem to recall the sweet alyssum candies I made last year had barely filled the jar for more than a month or two.”

The topics she chose were so far from what either had on their minds it was such an obvious distraction, but it was one they both welcomed, especially as the eldest smiled with guilty mischief, chuckling as she looked away to shrug in an unabashedly false ‘I have no idea’ motion, in return making her laugh alongside the other. This was a lot more appreciated than the slippery cycle of ‘what ifs’ that no doubtedly hovered between the two like an overfilled cloud eager to spill, and they both were well aware of what usually happened if they spilled without one another around to brighten the experience even if by a little bit. Together she held her wife close, watching the stew and taking care of controlling the flames, as the sun lowered so low its rays could only barely flow past the tree trunks, too short to grace the outreached limbs that forever searched the sky, the branches of the trees becoming shadow coated frames until illuminated by the light pouring from the cottage’s watchful eyes. It wasn’t until finally when the first star had blinked awake above their heads they decided the stew had finally been finished cooking, the skies a beautiful display as the once blue faded gold was now doused with purple tones melting out of red tints. The two women grabbed a larger bowl to pour it all into and carried it back inside, the smell of dinner seeming to be so strong neither had to call for Y/n to come down to eat with them as their ever-growing child emerged in a gay mood, a giddy bounce in every step; it didn’t matter that Y/n wasn’t biologically theirs, the human child that was spat out of the woods onto their doorstep, -specifically her cauldron, was theirs now and they were adamant on raising them as their own, refusing to give them back easily. The contrast between the lulled moods that muted their fretting minds compared to your eager cheerfulness was enough to give her and her wife whiplash, but it also was enough to put a comforted smile on their faces, -it reassured them as just much as it confused them with a sneaking thought, did they overthink that severely? Nevertheless, her love left her side to fetch the pitcher of tea while she moved to set the bowl of stew down, smiling as you set the table eagerly to get your serving, and for a brief moment, she wondered if you had ever eaten lunch, though the thought flickered away as quick as the flames within the lanterns illuminating to make up for the dissipating sunlight. You all sat in silence, eating your meals together, and the animated way you savored your food was noticeably different from the two eating alongside you, but that held no effect over any of you, the dinner overall being both comfortable and silently enjoyable.

--

After you had happily finished the third helping of your favorite stew you had finally felt full enough to be satisfied, making sure to voice your gratitude and compliment your favorite chefs, before deciding to truly show your gratitude as you opted to do the night’s dishes instead of either aunt, making aunt Moon smile and nod while aunt Sun dramatically swiped some invisible sweat off her forehead, making you giggle as you gathered their bowls and utensils.

“Thanks for sparing me little comet, though your auntie Moon and I need to talk to you about something, so meet up with us in the living room once you’ve finished, alright? It's nothing serious, I promise, or else I’d probably be getting sat down and talked to along with you.”

You balanced the three bowls on your hip while you listened to your aunt, even if you were confused as to why whatever they needed to discuss with you they never mentioned over dinner or right now, so even if she said it wasn’t that serious you were that it at the very least had enough weight to make them have to bring it to the living room. You didn’t want to let her see your hesitance so you instead nodded with a grin, using your other hand to give a saluting motion before grabbing the soap rag and leaving the comforting feel of the kitchen by slinking out the back door and walking to the front yard, the jacket equipped to your person held onto that warmth but it was like sand falling through its fingers, just as your thoughts were flying past like wisps of clouds slipping your own. The sun had since disappeared after your second bowl, the stars now awake enough to shine over you while encouraging the moon to join them further in the sky, watching you as you used the glowing eyes of the cottage windows to illuminate your way to the cauldron, fanning the dead embers in the off chance any were still actively dying, and smiling when some of them shined with their amber glow. Using your hand you fanned at the ash to force-feed the ashes until small flames grew to reignite the fire, then you set the dishes onto the forest floor before quickly making a quick stop at the well in order to return with a bucket of water, pouring it into the cauldron, and getting to work cleaning the few dishes, -the giant iron bowl included. As the distant wolf called for the moon among the nocturnal critters while they came out with their unique songs you dived into your thoughts, trying to figure out just what the mysterious talk would be about, were they suspicious of you and your admittedly not quite a fool-proof project?

Had auntie Moon taken notice of the difference in medical supplies, did that extra gauze come back to haunt you for the ointment you may or may not have spilled? How would you explain you had nicked yourself during your whittling session late at night when you should have been sleeping, and didn’t want to wake anyone up, let alone have to come up with why you were suddenly bleeding, -even you had to admit you weren’t the best of liars. If they were going to interrogate you about your recent activities, you’ll have no choice but to come clean, which would be devastating as you had come so far hiding the secret, so close to surprise them with your matching gifts, though you did suppose you were going to give it to them after dinner anyways. They had come out so lovely too, sure, you have no idea what your aunts will use them for since you weren’t magical and couldn’t exactly make a magical tool, but they could be used as pretty walking canes if they ever acted like old ladies! You knew you were going to use yours to help you with your chores, it’s perfect for extra arm length, or even reaching things so you won’t have to ask aunt Moon all the time to grab things for you, you’d just have to be careful knocking them into your hold. Besides, yes they had a good bit of fragile things making up different parts of them, but they were surprisingly durable, which absolutely wasn’t tested by you somehow accidentally throwing one out of your window, -sometimes what you do astounds you as much as any baffled onlooker, you were sure if anyone used any of them as a bat the only thing breaking would be whatever they were swinging at. You chuckled at the image of auntie Moon using her gift as a bat while playing ball with auntie Sun, letting your thoughts continue to humor you while you finished drying everything up and proceeded to snuff the fire out with a handful of the scarce leftover snow with enough dirt to be proper suffocation material, waiting for everything to be put out before you could head back inside. By now you were humming a familiar wordless tune you can never be sure where you’ve heard it from, your entertained mood evident in every step as you put the clean dishes back into the cupboards and hung the soap rag back up where it belonged, then you promptly knocked any dirt on your hands onto your pant legs as you entered the living room; it was evident a silent discussion had already started without you.

Instead of questioning what your favorite witches may have been talking about you stood behind the chair your auntie Moon sat and gently pulled her hair over the back of it, slowly running your fingers through to comb her enchanting dark hair, it always seemed to rival the beautiful evening skies, and you were always half expecting stars to eventually awaken and shine within her elegant locks, both of your aunt’s had lovely hair; they were lovely in general, it was nearly enough to make you feel plain in comparison, but you knew that wasn’t the case, for if it were why had they kept you even after your debt was paid? It was like running your hand against a prideful raven’s feathers, knowing the trust you had gained made sure you were special enough to be doing such an action, it was so wordlessly awarding, and it always made you feel so happy when your aunt let you do her hair like you truly were family. Any tension against the pleasant air had left with every stroking motion, it was as if you were forcefully brushing out the negativity from her mind, and you didn’t have to see her face to know of the relaxed smile on her lips. You were careful not to tug even if it never bothered her, occasionally letting your nails tenderly scratch against her scalp, though with the barely noticeable way she leaned into you whenever you did, it was as if you had scratched an itch she wasn’t aware she had, it was funnily enough reminiscent of a cat getting scratched under her chin. Running your fingers through you knew there weren’t going to be any tangles to catch them like a net, but continued to do it out of habit from doing your hair, though you paused for a moment as she cleared her throat, letting you know the ‘talk’ was being initiated, whatever the topic may be. Looking across the room while you pulled a small ribbon from your pocket, your eyes caught your other aunt watching you from her chair, the smile on her lips reassuring, yet the gleam in her eyes even seemed to let you know she expected to have her hair done next, making you stifle a giggle as you continue playing with your auntie Moon’s hair.

“Y/n, your aunt and I have noticed you acting a bit different lately, it normally wouldn’t bother us since you’re a growing child, but we’ve begun to worry if we’ve done something wrong. “

“You’re acting distant and we feel a bit left out comet.”

Your aunt Moon paused, shooting a look you couldn’t see to interrupting wife, before sighing, -a motion you could feel under your fingertips as you finished tying her night-encased silken strands into a relaxed fishtail plait, taking a moment to admire how your green ribbon contrasted against her hair before moving over behind your golden aunt, eager as her to repeat the process with her shorter hair. The admiration you held for the strands that made your already optimistic golden aunt seem to glow was shown through your tender touches, it was such a unique natural color no light was ever needed to see her fun adventurous shine. You didn’t like this talk, thinking about your past actions thoroughly through their point of view, feeling your chest swell with the familiar blooms of guilt as you realized yeah, it did seem like you were distancing yourself from them, but you waited for your auntie Moon to finish what she was saying before you rushed to correct your wrong.

“Yes, as your aunt Sun put it, we feel left out. You seem to be growing independent so quickly, and that’s alright, but you shouldn’t feel like you suddenly have to be as independent from us as possible, you’re always supported by us, and you can always ask us for help. We are your aunties after all.”

As your fingers combed through the hair rivaling the golden sunrise, you held on to her words almost impatiently, and as she finally finished speaking you opened your lips; the guilt from the easy misconception of your actions was nearly unbearable as you took note of her tone. Your aunt Moon's words were their usual calm pace, even with curious highlights as if they were searching for the reason why you acted so, but all you could hear was the undertone of hesitance. You could only easily focus on how it felt as if she was on cracked ice while being scared of startling you away like a frightened deer from their confrontation, this wasn't what you meant to do. You pulled out another ribbon from your pocket as you spoke, shaking your head with a fierce denial, your eyes trying to reassure her as you tied your aunt Sun's hair into a bun, your voice trickling like a rapid stream once you got started.

“Wha- No-! Er, no, I mean, truly, you guys have done nothing wrong, this is all my fault, I’m not distancing myself on purpose, I promise! By the stars, I did this so weirdly, and it’s probably the worst way to reveal this, but I was just acting so strange because I was hiding something. You know that project I mentioned? It was a gift for you, both of you. I guess now is a time as any to give them, even though it’s probably horrible timing in reality, but could you close your eyes and extend your hands palms up? I’ll be just a moment, hold on.”

Once you finished what you said you spared no time for their questions as you rushed up the stairs in possibly record timing only to slide down the railing, -you had no time to rush down the stars with the same purposeful adrenaline only to risk stumbling down, even though you nearly slid onto your back as you skidded onto the wooden floors. Each one was held in your arms like a collection of scrolls, -a task you’ve done while running to and fro with auntie Sun during a ritual preparation, before you set the specialized staffs into each set of hands they belonged to, huffing ever so slightly as your tired body caught up with itself. The reason that pushed you to show them being overshadowed as anxious excitement bubbled like a fresh brew, nearly bouncing in your spot as you lifted your hands, your staff that was in your hand slipping from your grasp and flying out of the room with a thud, making you gasp with a choked laugh. Wincing at the noise you turned to look at their curious expressions, though Moon was now obviously more curious about the sudden noise than the weighted item in her hand, so you laughed reassuringly while speaking before walking over to your poor decorated stick, noticing that their hands were exploring each detail. 

“Ack, um, open your eyes! Sorry, I accidentally threw mine. This took a few months in preparation, and I probably could have done better if the due date wasn’t today, but here we go! Happy Valentine’s day aunties!”

You jogged out of the room to grab your staff in a laughable game of fetch, this was the second time you’d done something like this, at least the first time reassured you nothing would have been broken this go round, and when you returned to your gasping aunts that self-disappointment was vaporized, a prideful joy blooming so brightly in your chest you felt it could have burst from your ribs. Each witch was admiring her staff, eyes soaking every detail with amazement so raw in their gazes, the tender way they examined the glass work and carvings with their fingers, it made you feel as if the silent praise was enough to make you melt in a puddle like the snow outside, -you doubt you’d care if the earth absorbed you in the same way as well. Moon held hers upright, turning it in a slow rotation as she tested how it felt for her hands to wrap around the indent points where you made sure to direct where the handler’s palms were supposed to grasp onto, her fingers inspecting if with a tender touch as if it’d be tainted or bruise if she pressed any harder. Each staff was carved from the same wood, dark mesquite that had fallen, -coming across the poor thing was what started off the entire staff project, but they were shaped differently, for Moon, the head curved into an enclosed circle like a hollow moon, for Sun, it curved outward like an outreached hand, and yours simply stood upright, the only interesting thing about the head was what was inside. With the uncommon chips or unwanted scars left from accidental cuts you smoothed out that you were a practicing beginner, but even then you were proud of how well the carvings came out, especially with the varnished shine that brought out the beauty of the wood, and how even though each was unique, they all were connected, just like their owners. Each staff had a patterned design, something unique matching their owner, carved paths to guide the faux vines rooted within them, a set of specific glass flowers adorned to the vines, and wooden fungi embedded into their bodies; despite how vague the theme for each staff was, it worked satisfyingly, neither one so crowded it was unpleasant all the while having enough static to keep the eyes and hands entertained.

For auntie Sun, her staff was adorned with a ribbon of witch butter flowing counterclockwise, while flowing clockwise was the lookalike ivy that was so firmly fastened so securely into the wood it wouldn’t be faulted if one thought they couldn’t cut it while at the same time, it looked to be loose enough it imitated naturally growing vines. Throughout the vine were decorative bundles of three types of glass flowers, specifically snowdrops, honeysuckles, and butterfly orchids, enough detail in each of them their identification was easy if you knew what each looked like already, and they were set together in a way that flattered the others, all in different stages of blooming. One of the more eye-attracting things was the head of the staff, especially what the carved hand seemed to be holding onto, the chunk of bumblebee jasper carved with much more noticeable skill as it took a bright shape of a golden sun with wavy rays held tenderly in the wooden hand’s palm. You watched as she held her staff on its side, tracing the sun curiously before discovering the small sigil tucked into the back of it, - a detail barely visible unless someone was truly looking for small things such as that, and her sapphire optics flashed to you, making you turn to look at your auntie Moon instead, bashful heat rising to your cheeks. Aunt Moon’s staff was similar to auntie Sun’s but entirely different all the same. Like Sun’s it had vines rooted into it, only these were faux black sweet potato vines curling counterclockwise, and the flowers were bundles of scattered nightshade, periwinkles, and forget-me-nots, balanced in their locations to compliment one another in different stages of bloom each distinct in their details. Instead of witch butter, her staff had caps of vibrant violet webcaps nestled into the wood itself, giving the illusion everything was growing naturally out of the wood itself, the groups were made of caps of different sizes, and although it wasn’t clear ribbon like your aunt Sun’s, they created a broken spiral flowing clockwise; even though there was more space unoccupied with faux flora, there were small words and pictures carved into her staff, a sigil of peace they taught you and a sigil for both a happy family and marriage. Also like Sun’s staff the head was the most eye-catching, for in the center of the hollow circle was a chunk of fluorapatite carved into a waning moon, hanging from a small piece of vine as if a suspended blossom, a small barely noticeable rune carved into the back of the crystal.

Suddenly you were aware of the two sets of eyes on the staff in your own hands, making you hold it out more subtly for them to examine, your smile never leaving your face as the silence was filled with so much sound, -keeping it pleasant instead of deafening, while you grew conscious about how your staff wasn’t as humbly extravagant as theirs, but you knew it was noticeable how there was still effort put into its creation so they’d match together. Your staff was more of a mix of both of theirs like it too had the vines, but they were a combination of both ivy and black sweet potato vines twirled together, and your ribbon of wooden fungi was the remainder of witch butter with sparingly placed bundles of the violet webcaps in the gaps. Your glass flowers were buttercups, magnolias, and lilacs, while your crystal centerpiece was a corked bottle made of fluorite embedded into the very wood itself, -a bulge similar to pushing your thumb in a ball of raw cookie dough surrounded the bottle’s base, and the rune in the others was set into the back of the star fastened as the cork, a rune to connect your little family through these walking sticks. Overcoming the mix of raw emotions flooding you all, you stepped to them to hug each of your aunts, though aunt Moon stood up to follow you so when you hugged her wife she squished you in between them, the three of you returning the loving embrace the other two gave for a good solid minute. The feeling of being so cared for, of being so loved in this family, it made you feel like butter and you couldn’t be any more grateful as you were the first to break free from the hug, looking between the staffs propped against the now empty chairs and the one in your hand, then to your aunts who still had one arm wrapped around each other, their smiles matching yours in their ways, and you knew they felt what you did.

“Thank you Y/n, this means a lot to us, more than you’re probably aware.”

“Yeah, thank you! These are so cool, you better believe this is coming along with me to my next travels, it’ll be my new good luck charm since this one over here keeps telling me I’m gonna run out of it soon.”

After they voiced their gratitude towards your hard work you all three began talking about them, leading to you answering questions about their designs, the process of making them, and some fun facts about what you included. You made sure to include how those from the northern village had a large hand in helping you with the tasks, there was the jeweler that carved the crystal pieces for you in exchange for you bringing him five basket fulls of certain crystal types you could find in the caves scattered around the forest or the bottle maker who made the glass flowers if and only if you brought her a very specific type of sand from this strange witch so they would be as strong as rocks with the charm of thin stained glass, and of course including a more detailed summary of the events earlier this morning. It was a difficult path to create these, but you wouldn’t change a thing for the reward you received made it all worthwhile, something you admitted to them before mentioning something else.

“You guys are my family, and I’ll always lean on you, especially right now I know I still have so much to learn, and who else would be better suited than my lesbian aunties? Trust me when I say no matter how independent I become as I grow up, I’ll come to my favorite witches for instruction. Just know I’ll always be your problem, you two are stuck with me like I’m stuck with both of you. Besides, while carving the other night I got my finger, and when I tried what you usually do aunt Moon it just barely learned, so first aid is most certainly one of the things I have to learn from you.”

At those final words, said aunt Moon looked at you and your hand with sudden scrutiny, making you laugh like a child and hide on the other side of your aunt Sun, trying to get out of reach of the staff that was now being pointed to you in a playfully threatening manner, causing your golden aunt to raise her hand in surrender.

“Alright, I admit it! I stole something, just be gentle, miss guard.”

Her sudden admission made you both freeze in confusion, and once she knew both of you were hooked she made a show of looking side to side, hands still suspended while she awaited the magical words that left her raisin-haired lover’s lips, playing along while wondering where this was going.

“What did you steal?”

“Your heart~”

She then jumped forward to hug Moon, the force making the two fall and even though you moved to help, you only got pulled down with them. Laughter filled the lively air, even as you sat up beside the two while your aunt Sun continued to simply lay on top of aunt Moon, who was far from complaining about the situation, and you poked her pale cheek with a snicker to steal her attention slightly.

“Do you think you could put the medical stuff on my tab?”

You three continued to play around, making jokes for the simple reason to hear the other two laugh and savoring the time you all were spending together, the sounds of pleasant enjoyment were as loud into the forest as the calls of the lone wolf were, but the forest didn’t seem to mind. They were sounds dearly missed and with their return, they were welcomed back with open arms, for the small family of witches and the human were accepted as a part of these woods as the very trees themselves. The moon eventually was high enough to be nestled in the longing arms of the calling stars, by the time it had arrived overhead the family decided to gather rest and said their goodnights, climbing into bed knowing that this page of your story will never be forgotten.

--

Despite the misleading friendly name the cliffs had, no sailor wanted to sail through the anxiously narrow gap between them unless desperate, for it was rumored few if any passed through the cliffs alive, often by a trip only to be finished by a crew member having to man the decks alone without captain. Anyone who has listened to the drunken sailors at inns knew of the creature that populated the sharp rocks, living in underwater caves by the pass, killing off most of those who did manage to make it through unless they gave an offering to appease it. The matter at hand simply came down to whether those listening would believe the tales or not, and the fact they were brave, -or stupid, enough to physically sail through despite the warnings. You personally had come across creatures of myths while living on these waters before and lived to tell the tale, so rumors of a rampaging monster within the waters of the cliffs carried in the distant wind, you couldn't refuse the opportunity to find fact from fiction. It was your first passing through when you met him, and it was a memory you'll always look back on with a laugh, even if you couldn’t share the situation with any drinking buddies.

You could feel the adrenaline flooding into your fingertips as you grew closer to the craggy cliffs, knuckles going white with how tightly you held the wooden wheel, it was time to test if rumors were really just mere rumors, and hopefully make it out alive to tell the tale. The dark clouds over head were overlooked by your anticipating eyes, and you seemed to disregard the fact that the scent of geosmin had become stronger than a mere handful of moments ago.

As if mirroring the memory, the captain pushed themselves into motion, watching the currents keen eye as you shifted to try and pull your boat away from the jagged rocks that upturned like claws trying to carve into the wooden walls, an attempt to reopen healed scars. They were black and the water made them look oily, even in the beautiful light of such a nice day often forcing the you to run from the locked rudder wheel, -done by wedging it with an angled stick, to the ropes of the masts. It looked like such a tiring workout, but by simply observing your movements one could see the practice etched into every step, be it from how steady you pulled the ropes into place to how swift each footfall was, holding swift purpose in every action. You kept running through your routing to steer yourself into the near needle like opening leading to the cave that only those willing to face the rumored sea monster, a place nearly having gone undiscovered if not for by mere chance.

You grit your teeth while trying to make sense of anything through the pouring rain, raindrops falling so harshly it might as well have been hail striking your body to create such a similar stinging impact, you've nearly lost your footing several times already. Nearly stumbling you heard wood creak and were reminded of the fact you were far from happy with how close your dear ship has gotten to being pierced with those gnarly claws. It wasn't supposed to be such a cutthroat tango with the mistress, but to stumble like this when you had such a reputation to uphold was fiercely irritating, with only you to blame. The signs of the changing weather had all been there, you were just too caught up in the possibilities, making the storm feel as if had been sudden. Nearly out of anguish you sputtered liters off your lips and shook your head like a wet dog trying to get rid of the never-ending mask of rain and seawater, but it was during the shaking did your eye catch something. Was…was that a tail? It was a striking color, shaped like no fishtail you've ever seen, and it looked to have headed port, -directly into the cliffs, which was only odder due to the fact proceeding starboard was the way to leave, wait, no that wasn't as perplexing as you originally thought. Taking a hand to wipe a new layer of water off of your face, drops sticking to your eyelashes like dewdrops on spider webs, you directed the focus you could spare after the creature and where it vanished, searching with a newfound urgency, only to be rewarded with the sight of a small opening leading into what looked to be a cave large enough to shelter you for the night. It was risky, and whatever you saw could ambush you and your ship, but it wasn't as if you had many options, every other possibility washed away with every falling raindrop slapping your skin, the wind biting into your matted clothing and hair; you were going to be lucky if you didn't end up getting sick after this. Steeling your disposition you quickly changed tack to steer into the suffocating tight space, feeling as if you were drowning as the rain continued its cascading torrent while being shoved with a bullying force by the stressed waves. Despite it all though, with the new objective in mind, it was you who intertwined their fingers with a confident grip, taking the lead of the dance with lady death, refusing to go down without a fight.

The sailor slowly steered the ship portside, that jovial tune leaving your lips again with the near careless smile keeping the corners of your mouth upturned, a wordless noise encouraging itself the more it progressed, the few avians using the crevices in the rocks as nests seemed to even join in. It felt as if you've cut through the tight gap a hundred times, feeling none of the first time stress as the rocking waves passively pushed the vessel into the mouth of the somewhat hidden cave, the gold wrung out of they sky by now with the happy cobalt blue having taken over. Soon the bright sunlight was muted into dimmer tones, -which by all means was still fairly bright, by the stone ceiling engulfing your ship like a greedy frogfish, and the captain could hear another join the tune, a voice much more gifted when it came to songs in your opinion. Your smile could only brighten as you carefully lowered the anchor and raised the sails to tie them off, listening as another body moved through the echoing water, every sound reverberating throughout the rocky walls. Once you were sure all was set so your home didn't try to get close and personal to the dark minerals surrounding you, you leaned over the railing to look at the just as if not more than happy ocean borne waiting for you to notice he was present. Said companion once realizing you were indeed focusing on him,- a realization you could visibly watch as the smile filled with nothing but friendly pointed teeth broadened, opened his arms with expectancy, wanting you to jump into his arms so he could carry you down as you've done several times beforehand. The admittedly very appealing option could only make you laugh softly in appreciation even as you shake your head in refusal, disappearing to gather a rope ladder with delight when your large friend is in such a good mood. The thought was tugging at the back of your mind that it was nearly hilarious how today of all days would be so much of quite literally smooth sailing as it has been, even taking the time to excitedly recall your plan while you disappeared into your quarters to gather a large basket set aside in preparation of the hours to come. Taking but a momentary pause to make sure something specific was tucked safely within it, an object with enough weight you had to use genuine effort to move it, -a stark difference to its typically smaller near weightless counterparts, and enough meaning that could have easily doubled the energy spent carrying it alone. You made sure to keep a quick pace, not wanting to let your long tailed companion be forced to wait more than necessary, and the pleased trill that greeted your descending figure was enough reassurance to tide over your clouded mind for the day in comforting waves, as if the threat of fog had been blown away all at once. Steadily you scaled down the ladder until your feet were firm against the flooring, keeping you waist deep in the cool ocean water, occasional fits of warmer temperatures flowing in until shoved away lazily, the basket now being held above your head and pointedly away from the other. The aquatic creature moved to happily follow the land borne, curiously trying to reach for the basket and see what was packed only to be swatted away playfully, followed by a tutting click of your tongue, laughter upon your lips.

"Ah ah ah! Patience, you'll see what's in there soon Eclipse, but first, I have to ask, have you ever heard of valentine's day?"

A thoughtful expression passed across his features as he thought about the question, but it was obvious his mind was filled with sluggish minnows this morning, until eventually a defeated huff escaped him before he went with plan b, mischief in his scales. You knew it was coming, but still you couldn't hold in your amused chuckles as large webbed hands wrapped themselves around your being, easily lifting you up out of the water to be set tenderly on the rocky shore, -an area out of reach of the sea that was more of a mini island than shore, soon a large frilled head pressing into your side with a pair of dilated pupils; you still don't know how he learned to do such powerful puppy dog eyes. You shook your head as you gave one of his hands a pat, silently asking to be let go as you lowered the basket down beside your lap before you gently pet the sides of his head, pretending to look stern even if you both knew you were a sucker for the basilisk's ways. His continued to poke and tug on you like a curious child, tilting his head in your hold every now and then as he humored you, trying to keep your attention on him so you would give in when he obviously had no answer, that or he just wanted you to tell him so he can see the inside of the basked sooner. You were usually a lot more stubborn with these situations, but you decided that the suspense was truly killing him, -especially as the dramatic guppy made it very clear that was in fact what was happening, and chose to show him mercy, although it was sooner than you figured he could have lasted, only early noon. You could hear his tail splashing the water in despite his mocking show of withering away, all it took was a couple pats calling for attention before he revived himself, eager to hear what you were about to say.

"Well, Valentine's day is a day where we celebrate our loved ones. Couples, friends, and oftentimes family members will trade each other gifts to show their love and spend time together, a day of letting each other know they care. Many even use it as the day to confess romantic feelings. I can't say I know how it all started, but I can say I know its a lovely day to have a celebration, and I couldn't think of any better way other than to spend it with my favorite mate."

You couldn't help but watch fondly as he visibly registered the words, watching you speak like a child happy to learn, hanging onto every syllable with the same merit of climbing a cliff, and it was endearing to know just how important you seemed to be to him in order to stir this reaction from him. The fondness turned into giddy amusement as you watched his bewitching eyes widen when he realized the telling of your plan, specifically the fact you were going to give him a gift; you figured you’d give it after you both ate the arrangement of dishes you cooked the night prior, that way you both would be full enough to laze about comfortably The cry of a passing bird cut through without much disregard, evicting a chorus of responses, the comforting smell of the sea floating aimlessly in the cave not being overwritten by the aromas of the food in the basket, even coercing some curious feather bodies to see if there was slivers they could steal. It was relaxing, and staying with your favorite buddy you couldn’t feel any more at peace, because as much as you wouldn’t admit how you oftentimes felt on the ship one your own, -you were alone not lonely, there was something so charming to have such an intelligent being want to spend time with you as much as you did, curious of each other’s worlds. The lull of the waves bumping into the rocks around the two of you held a specific pattern, a reassuring sound telling of the power they had, even as you could distinct the noise of the strong tail hitting them, splashing with a happy sashay that reminded you of a dog off on mainland, and you distinctly had the urge to pet him just as much. Instantly you did what you could to sear these waking moments into your memory, it all was so vibrant even in the shade of the rocky shelter holding it all in its cupped palms, you couldn’t imagine forgetting how every breath shared between the two of you was filled with such content, it may as well come out of a myth. But, in a sense, that’s what he was supposed to be, wasn’t it? Chuckling you nodded in excited reply to his metal observation before turning away to begin setting the day’s activities out around you, pulling out the several containers of dishes, -most of the contents was food to appease your basilisk friend’s appetite, until you got to a collection of books. Once the leather bound bundle of stories were stacked behind you you grabbed the final thing inside, only you may have made a slight show of quickly hiding it out of sight nestled in your lap once you realized how he was intently watching everything pulled out, and the confused ‘mrr’ that sounded out as his head nudged your legs with gentle hands attempting to discover what you had hid made it worth it. You both were obviously encouraging each other with playful prodding, -something that could only make you appreciate the friendship you have somehow more than you already do, before you finally gave him a shove laughing, hiding the object under your jacket as you somehow had ended up onto your back in the small battle.

“No, that's your valentine’s gift! Now listen here you overgrown noodle, I figured we can eat the food I slaved over in the kitchen to make, then I'll give it to you, alright? Now come on, the sooner we get started, the more daylight we have to finish off that one book and start a new one."

After you situated yourself back into an upright position you wasted no time in uncovering the plates of food, the warmth they gave off instantly getting sucked away into the breeze, curious birds very noticeably edging themselves over in a horrid attempt to be sneaky with the presence of such a dangerous predator. The smile on your face began to slip though as you realized Eclipse seemed to go still, you couldn't even hear the splashing of his tail, so you looked up with slight concern, wondering what was swimming around in his head. What you saw didn't exactly reassure you either, there was a shadowy glint in his eyes, one you knew almost too well, and you tilted your head to try and get his optics to focus back onto you. His eyes were one of the many characteristics you loved about him, the optics that had undoubtedly taken the lives of so many before you, but you could never bring yourself to fear those enchanting colors, the way the specks of violet bled into the near golden orange like spilled paint. They just drew you in like the light bouncing within carved gemstones, and you were alright with that. What you weren't alright with was how his thoughts looked to have bit into his tail like a parasite, the vice grip in their jaws must have been uncomfortable as he began slowly sinking into the water, an action that stirred you into getting up to approach him slowly, hands outreached for his own. Shadows of dark whispers had begun swirling in your own mind nipping at your thoughts and despite how the day had been going you couldn't help but wonder if his sudden change in demeanor was due to something you've done, did you offend him? Were you too forward in assuming he would want to spend the entire day with you? Did you use the wrong words to describe your intentions again?

"Hey big guy, penny for your-"

Your words were cut off as his gaze locked into your own, nearly knocking you breathless as it felt as if he only just then remembered you were there, and then suddenly swam away like you had hollered at him. It felt like one of those shadows gave up for nibbles and instead took a bite of you to swam off with him, your hands still left in the air as you were frozen, watching his figure disappear into the fingers of outreached minerals, only able to register, yes, he did in fact just leave you to your own devices, as the only remnants of his presence were the disturbances in the water he so swiftly glided through. You had half a mind to chase after him be it by swimming or by rowing in the yawl, but even at your best you were a beached flounder compared to the ribbon eel in his natural element, your hands lowering in defeat as it dawned you all you could do now was to hope he returned. You were sure he had his reason for leaving you, surely he would be back, but even if you came up with enough reasons to overflood the seven seas it didn't make it hurt any less, you could only angrily shoo the birds stealing scraps of the food to vent out your confused anger. Not at him, but to you. You went ahead and planned ahead that the two of you would stay together well after the moon hung over your heads so even the stars hear your tales and wordless songs that could hold more meaning words would have ever given them, you planned this without him. You should have asked, you shouldn't have just jumped ship assuming he would be fine with it, sure the day was perfect for you, but was it for him? You should have run it by him beforehand to make sure he could tell you in the off chance that he was uncomfortable with the fact, instead you just sprung this upon him blinded with the image of smiles unable to leave your faces. Your thoughts turned against you, murmurs of berating words leaving your lips as you audibly cursed your stupidity until you decided that pacing around putting the sailors at the bars at mainland to shame would do you no good, especially if Eclipse decided to return. Your efforts of sailing here and preparing for this day have already been spent with the intent to stay over night and by Poseidon's trident, you were going to enjoy your planned stay with or without your anticipated guest. The overwhelming swarm of shadows couldn't keep up with you long enough to begin infiltrating your school of thoughts, you wouldn't let them as you busied yourself with the distraction of tasks that had to be done, probably looking like a curious reef fish exploring new spouts of coral. A blanket was cast across the rock floor, -out of reach of any rising tides, with a small tent made out of other blankets and a few pillows to cover you and the food; you had begun to grow tired with shooing away those thieving birds, you hadn't rung them a dinner bell and so help their bloodline if you barely miss getting poo'd on again they were going to be tomorrow's dinner. When you had done all that you could find needing to be done you decided that it wouldn't hurt for you to revisit one of your favorite list of fables with the dishes you never got to eat, even if you never touched the ones set to the side for a certain basilisk as they were drizzled with doubt, would he return to eat his serving?

The sunlight once seeping into the cave in powerful beams had crawled more into the waters than against the walls, the sun itself having slipped lower into the horizon as your fingers combed through the cared for pages and traced the leather cover, hues focused on each words that painted a lovely story in your mind's eyes, -a story needn't be grand and outlandish to be considered good in your opinion, when a bit of light was reflected into your gaze. Pausing you set the book to the side, your attention now on the object partially covered by the jacket you had shed in the spur of your work as your hands moved closer to retrieve the object, the black glossy surface triggering your very instinctive 'oo, shiny' reaction to the light making it sparkle, -the realization elicited a small amused smile on your lips. The surface was cool to the touch, but it wasn't biting, and despite it being larger than others, it felt comfortable to hold in your palms with a good weight. You turned it around in your hold absentmindedly, a finger tracing the the flaws caused by age forced into the strange surface that shone like metal, before moving onto the runes etched into it, markings that you knew you couldn't even attempt to comprehend. It was a language that, like the artifact itself, was from an era lost to legend. Your placated mind began to stir with mixed emotions, your hope had begun dwindling as the shadows made from escaping sunlight grew larger, and you even wondered if he would like such a gift, let alone know why you thought it had such importance. A small spiteful part of you was tempted to simply toss it into the waves and let him find it on his own, -their slow pace had lost the calming appeal to now seem just downright antagonistic, but you instead tucked it back under your jacket in favor of the plate holding biscuits before returning to bury yourself back into familiar arms of the old superstitious myths you believe wholeheartedly. You let time flow past while you read, the sun feeling to move like a drifting jellyfish with reckless abandon, the tides had slowly begun to rise while reaching for the moon, - not quite high tide yet, as the waves gained more momentum in their lazy dance. You had since lit a lantern to brighten the pages of your second book, the first having been finished long enough for a chunk of this one to have been read, when the sounds of water stirring forcefully met your ears, causing you to immediately perk up. With scales vibrant enough that even in the darkening waters you could see every perfect imperfection, a crown of frills and horns making his head look like a sun, and a tail long enough it could wrap around the width of your ship twice, you watched as the creature you were far from certain would even return cut through the water effortlessly in order to approach the shore you were nestled on top of. As he rose from the water you sprung to your feet, ready to get answers and apologize in the chance you truly had done something wrong, giving him no chance to swim off again before at least hearing you out with every step you took.

"Eclipse! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry if I had upset you, why'd you swim off like that? I was scared you weren't coming back."

You didn't really expect much, so when he quite animatedly hid something behind his back with two of his arms sporting a bright grin of someone who had a secret to share, it probably was one of the least scenarios you could have seen coming once he returned. Seeing your confusion a low chuckle rumbled from his chest as his other set of hands began to make gestures, specific motions slow enough that you could pick up, and once you did the emotion you could recognize most among your internal near-overfilling pot was pride. Had he been practicing? After a few moments of processing you suddenly felt bashful for how quickly you had assumed the negative side of things, running a hand through your hair with a sigh before making eye contact with those gems you treasured more than any rock you could find in the sea.

'Needed gift for mate.'

"But you didn't, I wasn't expecting, actually, you know what? I can't wait. Here's an idea, knowing how excited we both are to see, why don't we exchange our gifts now and eat later, don't move alright?"

You chuckled at the reluctant yet happy nod you received, knowing he probably wanted to go first but the anticipation of his own was more than enough to sweeten the deal for him to go along with your small demand. You pointedly decided to ignore how despite the chill becoming noticeable in the breeze without the light of the sun to warm its touch you could feel how your cheeks grew warm or the fact that with just the simple action you couldn't keep the smile off your face. You kept the jacket draped over his gift to keep it hidden until the last moment, and while you turned to approach them again, you hesitated as the air left your lungs. He was watching your every move intently, the gleam in his eyes made his powerful gaze have a lovestruck appearance, it was such an unbashful raw emotion put on display for your eyes and your eyes only to see it made your heart flutter in an unmistakable way. Filling your lungs with air again you gave him a genuine smile and pushed yourself forward, unable to hide the fact that the mere presence of the ocean borne could dispel any worry clouding your being, a ray of sunlight that scared off the unwanted shadows and the glow of the moon that gave comfort to the lost sailors. As you got close enough he extended a hand after noticing how it took both of yours to hold whatever was under the jacket, and once in his palm you pulled the clothing off like a magician. hilariously enough his palm had dwarfed the object to look like the usual versions of it, but after a curious coo you weren't sure he realized escaped him you immediately began to give him some context, missing the vague flash of recognition in his eyes.

"Remember that one tale, the sailor and the moon? Well you know how the moon gave him that device to guide him to the love of his life, right? As I was sailing one day I was swept into uncharted waters that took me to a lagoon, and things started to feel familiar like I had seen them before, or at least heard of it. Well I fished around in this waterlogged head of mine and by the time I could see the pieces of sunken timber I realized I knew where I was not in the sense I had been there before, but instead because I had read about it. I did some swimming, -don't give me that look I made sure it was safe first, and came across the compass seemingly from myth."

While you spoke it was if the world silenced itself so nothing would interrupt you as you changed your focus from his face to the artifact in question, excitedly opening it and pointing out everything you've discovered about it after countless hours spent examining it since you pulled it from the wreckage, from the strange runes to the small things that was just as described in the tale. Of course you were fully aware of the possibility it was just random compass, after all it wasn't uncommon for replicas to be made from the old sea tale, -a tribute of admiration and oftentimes luck, but the sheer amount of coincidences in simply finding it alone was enough to make even the most pessimistic old sea dog to believe. As you talked, there was that heartwarming expression again, the one that made you feel like you were the brightest star in his night sky, the basilisk eagerly nodding along with your words in matching fascination, all as you were once again teaching him a new world with your mere fingertips. He looked on in what you dared to recognize as loving, your eventually realized your own expression must have been just as admiring as his own because when he realized you were finished talking after waiting for you to add something only to catch your gaze it looked like he was nearly overwhelmed with emotions. You could feel your breath catch in your throat as he leaned over with lidded eyes to press your foreheads together in what felt like a tender gesture of affection, and your heart tripped over itself as you could only press against him in similar fashion, only giving a slight nuzzle before taking a step back. In the excitement you nearly forgot this was a trade, -you weren't the only one, and it seemed that with a quick assessment between the two of you, it was only you that truly had the bashful awareness, his own adorable blush visible but he was so unwavering it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing, and you attempted to play it off by leaning over his shoulder in a half attempt of peeking at his clutched hands. Quickly he moved the other way and pulled it even further out of sight, the light of the lantern growing brighter than the natural source of light besides his ethereal hues, and even though you had spent most of the day in a fret on your own, it was moments like these that made up for it. You couldn't hold in your laughter as he mocked you earlier in the day, clicking his tongue in a 'tsking' manner before shifting the mysterious object into one palm and getting closer to you, the waves voicing their disturbance while forcefully folded into themselves as he leaned to grab a wrist with two hands, -guiding them into a bowl with his own moving to cup yours, and another covering your eyes. His hands were warm as they nearly engulfed your own, a strange softness to them as he gently held onto you even after something smooth and round was set into your awaiting palms just as the anticipation had begun poking too harshly into your patience reserves. You could hear his smooth breathing as your fingers grasped onto the object, every shift both felt and heard, and just as you were about to voice an impatient question he lifted the hand restricting your sight, killing the words on your tongue to replace them with a gasp of awe. In your palms was perhaps the biggest pearl you had ever seen, it was the size of a large orange with the weight to match, with colors you've never imagined to see on such a gem. The usual milky surface was instead composed of the abyss the deep dark parts of the twilight waters were made of, but while the last bits of the sunlight were sucked into the orb you could see the iridescent shine of violet and yellow tones, as is the sunset itself had dusted its colors into the flawless sphere. Your eyes began to sting with your very own saltwater at the beautiful gift as you moved, -the pearl clutched to your bosom with both palms cupped around it like it was but a delicate egg, looking at your observer with a smile so bright your cheeks hurt before kissing his cheek.

It was another day spent gathering food for the night, light still occupying the land as he slithered down his own paths through the rest of the forest, his movements stealthy and on edge as he expended his reserved energy. Often he would sleep most of the day to figuratively charge himself up and hunt for leftover litter some disrespectful traveler has tossed to the side, for unless he was desperate he never had the energy to hunt live prey, especially during winter when he's at his most sluggish. The chill often irritated him and made him much more grouchy, but his mood lately hasn't been as bad as it typically is during the season, - specifically with how annoying it's been this year; how can he be grouchy though when he managed to come across a bag of barely touched popato chisps? It’s been strange, every now and then he’ll come across some manufactured food left behind as if waiting just for him, and he was very skeptical at first, but nothing was wrong with it anything left behind at the bench it always seemed to be around. It wasn’t altered, there was no trap set up, the food was just simply left there without regard, and who was he to deny such careless abandon? Looking back, he should have probably asked more questions, like why had no other critters gone after the food, why was it barely touched, and why was it always tucked in a spot he could find it? He could feel excitement at the weight of the bag tucked under his arm, the dead grass parting easily as he sped through it the short distance to his home, declaring his hunt over. The sun had by then stooped low enough that the skies were painted in dark violet hues fighting with amber clouds like spilled ink, a battle so bright it put the earthen ground through a filter, a breathtaking view if one would actually stop to admire it. The forest was winding itself down, beings getting ready to spend the last hours of daylight exploring or hunting for food just as the coral had, some even tucking themselves into an early slumber, meanwhile the more nocturnal had begun to stir, awakening to begin their nightly routines. Most visitors have returned to the safety of their homes around these times, but a human woman and her bitty, a coral like him, had begun taking his path through the trees nowadays, making him change the routine he had gotten so used to. Instead of lounging in the last rays the sun would give him before nightfall and enjoying his meal he's forced to return to his home early lest he be seen and given annoying pity for being a wild bitty; it wasn’t like seeing the pair made him envious or anything, no, just the thought made him sick. The lamia huffed and pushed away any thoughts that felt laced with things he refused to touch as he maneuvered his body down one of the many entrances to his burrow, carefully pulled the bag of chisps under the roots, only to discover another already there. Immediately defensive, clasping his meal with clawed phalanges he released a warning hiss, moving away from the entrance to give the intruder a clear path of escape, before his eye lights registered what, or who, he was looking at. It was the bitty that made him change his routine, the one that came through with that woman, and his sudden presence must have taken the other by surprise, for it took the coral a full second to hiss back instinctively before quickly raising his hands as if he just remembered something.

“hey wait, calm down, i ain’t gonna touch nuthin’, didn’ realize this is yer place.”

He was skeptical, eyeing the offender, before slowly situating himself across the other, -putting his body in between the other and his stash just in case, the underground much cooler than the surface still being warmed by the last of the sunrays. The silence was thick, but the rustling of the aluminum bag eventually cut through it, causing most of the tension dissipate as he visibly loosened his grip after sizing the coral up, deciding the sudden company wasn't worth him putting off his sought after meal. It was probably after the two avoided looking at one another for several painstakingly long moments and a stomach slightly more full with eaten popato chisps that he decided to finally speak the other, voicing a question that was really bugging him.

“where’s the human? didja run away or somethin’?”

The look of disbelief he got in return was near chuckle worthy as the other shut that train of thought down fiercely, squishy the possibility like a berry.

“no. no, we were just doing some hide n seek rounds before we left, i jus seemed to end up choosin yer home as my spot for this round.”

The accent the other had made him think he was from deeper in town, it was much thicker than his own, and even though he wouldn't admit it anywhere besides his thoughts, it was actually kinda nice to listen to. He didn't exactly have much of an accent, for he himself had only picked up speech from the other bitties he had come across, a few had forgotten how to speak in their natural sound based tongue, so while they had been kept under his wing he had to learn. It wasn’t like he took care of them or anything, he just occasionally comes across some abandoned souls and puts it upon himself to male sure they don't die after their first night in these woods. It was usually done either by teaching them how to live in the woods eventually on their own or by taking them to the ends of the park where they can easily find the adoption center and get a different kind of help he can't offer. The wild coral eventually shrugged at the answer given and decided he could manage allowing the hiding bitty to stay here until he gets found, as long as he didn’t touch his things tucked behind him. He even set the bag down between them after several more moments had been sapped away like the warmth draining from the surrounding soil, -being replaced by a crispness an upcoming snowstorm could only bring. The chisps now subtly open in a way that broadly showed he didn’t care if the other took a few even as he continued to eat, both later on getting lost in hushed conversation as they got used to being in the burrow for one together.

His human found him shortly later that night, but it was far from the last time they came across one another, after that point meeting up at the closest bench to interact more often, until eventually it became a near every day event; it became so frequent it had become routine to sit in the grass and soak in the sun until discovered by the other. At first he only humored the idea as long as he got some food out of it, but eventually he got too absorbed in the times they spent together he forgot to even eat whatever was brought, -eventually being saved for a morning meal instead. They progressively became friends, and now the coral wanted them to be more, so much more. He’s grown to trust Carnel with things he wouldn’t trust himself with, feelings that he wasn’t fond of voicing, and in return for that trust he received no judgement, just support they shared between each other wordlessly. Many times during their interactions they found the setting sun to not be warm enough, or grown bored with their meeting spot and shared sights that made them understand the beauties of each others worlds, and they don’t talk about how nice it feels when the tips of their tails seemed to intertwine with minds of their own. The colors of the sunsets always seemed to be unique, a symbol of the small adventures they always went on with the occasional help of Carnel's human. Even now the time spent apart felt to stretch far too long, and today he wants to voice his feelings in a way he can trust himself to not mess it up, -words can just be too hard sometimes. A distracted hiss left his fangs as he scoured his collection, the sun rays moving with time tugging their leash and encouraging him to keep note of the time he spent searching through each object of meaning, needing one that was as perfect as the day. Suddenly, a glint of red caught his eye lights and he isolated it from everything else, finding the perfect thing, excitedly grabbing it with a plan thrusted into his mind while he left to wait at their spot; moments now filled with such soul-fluttering anticipation he couldn’t pause to let doubt inject its venom into his thoughts. The item alone was possibly mate worthy, but he knew he could make it perfect it by braiding some string and combine it with the spare material he had, objects luckily not left behind despite in his scatterbrained thoughts fueled with purpose. As the lamia nearly buried himself into the green blades of grass growing throughout the forest floor he quickly he occupied himself with the daunting task at hand, trying to calm his shaking hands to make a straight stitching, adrenaline contradicting his need to be precise.

The wild-borne bitty sighed, grabbing the hand of the coral following him when he kept lagging behind with his much too cautious movements, ignoring how nice their phalanges felt entangled together like puzzle pieces, or the fact that he didn’t try to pull away.

“it’s not that much further, but if you keep being so slow the sun will have left before we get a chance to see it. you’re lucky i don’t just carry you.”

It was an empty threat, and neither of them would have actually minded if he had decided to do so, but they also knew he was right, timing things with the sun was always a fickle thing if one got as distracted as they did. Just as he said, it didn’t take them much longer to get to their destination, a small pond hidden away far from any path, so hidden in fact only an inhabitant of these woods would know how to come across it. Despite his claims of missing it, they arrived just in time to watch the changing of vibrant oranges, yellows, and pinks as the colors melted together like they were watching entertained paint strokes on canvas be infiltrated by spilt water. The scene melting away was reflected and framed by the shadows of overhanging tree branches, leaves giving the darkening border more character as fireflies begun flickering about. The air seemed to taste sweeter in those moments, hints of dream-like appeal noticeable in the air as if glitter in the dust, and as the sun set and the glassy water was splattered with awakening stars. It was enough to steal one's breath away, as the stars above tried to shine brighter than the disappearing sun, while the stars around them danced to an inaudible song, it was a rare moment where it felt as if nothing could go wrong. Amidst the forest ambience composed of the songs and gossip of hidden creatures, an indecisive voice took the moment for courage, taking advantage of how it seemed the forest let them in upon a secret that they now shared only amongst themselves.

“do ya… do ya think livin’ with ma ‘n i would be so bad? we can visit here every day if ya want, but we could make the journey together, ya know?”

The ambience seemed to grow ever more quiet, as if the weight of the spoken words were not only felt between the two lamias, a stone thrown amongst the pond that created powerful ripples through their surroundings. It was such a large thought, one so looming with a shadow so thick, to leave all he’s known his entire life, it intimidated him so much that not even the unspoken squeeze of their still connected hands could ground him enough to choose his words any differently. His eye lights pulled away from the enchanting scene in front of them and instead took in the rivaling coral next to him, the crimson eye lights catching their favorite rubies with a decision behind them.

“how bout this? the day we become mates is the day i’ll go home with you to your burrow. seems to me you’re just gonna have to suck it up and keep visiting me.”

The hesitancy was set in his words, yes, but it was but a mere weed hidden in the middle of a rosebush, overshadowed by the promise lacing his decision as if ice preserving a flower, and they both could see the blossoming bud connecting them. Soon they explored the edges of the pond, spending their time together as much as they could before they inevitably had to go back so the coral and his human could return to their home, but in the midst of that exploration he had found something.

Footsteps were audible in the distance, coming down his path with quickened steps, as if the owner was were fueled with excited adrenaline, and he knew exactly who they belonged to -it was a hidden fact he could tell her footfalls amongst all the others after good year and a half of visits to his neck of the woods. Ironically, it was only until he could see those pretty red rubies he's grown to love could he feel doubt sink its fangs into him, and he began to fret, fiddling with his phalanges. What if it turned out it wasn’t as perfect as he thought, what if the meaning had been forgotten or not as important to him? It was now that he could notice the small flaws to his stitching with the beginner level skills, and the strings he had hand woven holding it all in place wasn’t exactly the best to use as thread, but it wasn’t like he had much to work with. He hid it the crafted object into his coils while the human smiled at him as a usual greeting, but today she seemed to have a knowing expression etched into her face, (what did she know?), especially as she let Carnel slip off her arm and to his side. His soul thrummed between his ribs as he held up a hand to stop whatever the coral was going to stay and looked to the sky, his crafting had helped time pass by him like a babbling stream, the sun now nearly setting. Moments of confused silence was held between the three before the colors began to bleed out, a sight the two have stayed together to watch nearly every day, but the warmth of the sun held a tenderness this upcoming night that could only be rivaled with the softness in his eye lights. With a 'now or never' aura coming off of him he gazed fondly at his visitor’s face, a paradoxically nervous yet confident smile on display as he reached into his coils to hand over the gift with a bated breath.

The coral laughed, nearly doubled over as he watched his host’s poor balancing attempt fail in nearly slow motion, the pieces of shiny rocks, soft blankets, and small trinkets scattering themselves away from the exasperated lamia’s arms. The other probably wouldn't have admitted it, but the noise of his laughter seemed to have ebbed the other’s displeasure and instead he couldn’t stop the grin crossing his skull, -a huff leaving his mouth as he looked away to try and hide it.

“ya know, ya try to carry all this at once, see if ya will be laughin’ then! lucky i’m even showin ya any of my stuff.”

The words held a slight playfulness he could pick up on, even as he scoffed while he began cleaning up the mess, the thought of how honored the wild lamia actually was instead hidden by teasing as he helped gather everything. Especially teasing as he proceeded to show off how easily he balanced things on his arms and tail, light hearted smugness on his expression as he then chuckled as he carefully began moving with the objects, it wasn't as if he was trying to impress him of anything.

“i dunno, i still seem to be laughin’ here, ya sure yer not just clumsy?”

The hand-made satchel seemed to fit perfectly around the other’s torso, with a deceivingly spacious capacity thanks to a little magick, and a beautiful red gem stitched in to be used as the latch, a piece of carnelian pulled from some lost jewelry. The warmth of spring was against his bones again, making him flush, pride swelling within his marrow as the gift was examined with such a pleased expression. It was enough to give him that extra bit of courage that while the other was fawning over the handmade item, he finally spoke up with a hopeful brightness to his eye lights, the tip of their tails curling around each other. It was suddenly as if they were the only two souls in the woods at that moment, the forest around them seemed to grow silent with the anticipation of the words about to leave his mouth with hushed excitement, time seeming to slow as the moment was being burned into their story. Not a creature dared to make a sound, the breeze held the leaves silent, and the sunset began to grow dimmer until it seemed like the remaining light danced within the gem given to the one so rightfully named after it.