#herrick

Thank you. Truthfully I felt so miserable and overstimulated yesterday, uninterested in anything to do with the Joe fandom and wanting to delete everything I've written for his characters, that I went back and read over my year old WIPs for the more niche fandoms I used to write for. I'm reading over them and thinking wow, my writing actually got worse when I switched gears to Joe. Like, I used to bust out 7-8k word chapters weekly like it was nothing. I kept detailed notes on my phone to troubleshoot plot progression and worldbuilding. This was the last thing I was working on and I think I've forgotten how to write this way

(I tried)

May DWC 2025 Day 3 Linger/Gaze

A simple look can tell you a lot about someone's emotions. It's a truth for people like Herrick. He's a man of few words, really few. He's almost as quiet as Oryn, if not quieter. Joy. Anger. Surprise. Everything comes through his glassy eyes.

And this is no exception, when night falls. Settling into their little camp, she appears before him with a bowl of fish stew in hand. Herrick had seen her cooking in her corner as she liked to do. He hadn't expected her to cook for him. It wasn't the first time she'd offered him something to eat, but he'd refused. He's a knight of death, a living dead. He doesn't need to eat. At least, he doesn't eat in the conventional way.

He was about to refuse again, but as he met her gaze. Mei looked at him as if to say that this time would be different. And rather than refuse again, he decides to trust her and take the bowl. Nevertheless, Herrick doesn't eat right away.

He takes a brief moment to look and feel. Before removing his mask and taking a bite. And then the explosion in his mouth. Not only does he feel the texture on his tongue, he can taste the fish, the vegetables and even a pinch of cinnamon. He feels the taste. Herrick can't remember the last time this happened to him. Without even realizing it, he finishes the bowl.

All this under Mei's watchful and benevolent gaze. She can't help but feel joy at his reaction. She wasn't a hundred percent sure that the recipe would work, but it was a victory. Finally, using recipes from the Shadowlands was a good idea. She made a mental note to herself to try others for variety.

Of course, she let him help himself to the ragout as he wished. While she ate her own meal. No words may be spoken between them for the rest of the meal, but the glances they exchange are more than enough.