#wonho centric

Hoseok wakes in a field of flowers. Flower stems and vines have grown over him, falling away when he sits up, but not leaving. He glances down, opens his mouth to mumble questions to himself. While waking to flowers isn’t new- being a flower spirit- the location is unusual. Yet, he feels like it’s familiar.

When he looks up, across from himself, he sees Hyungwon leaning against a tree.

“Why?”

Hoseok wakes up in his bed at home. There are carnations growing from his wrists, crushed under his face since he’d been lying on them. With a sigh, he turns over and glances across the room. Kihyun is gone, his bed empty and made. After a pause, Hoseok sits up and gets ready for his day.

“Hey Jooheon, you here?” Hoseok calls out, leaving his room. The living room is mostly empty, aside from the person in question. Jooheon is floating between the couch and a chair, staring at the ceiling.

“Physically incapable of leaving,”Jooheon answers, standing- floating? Floating up straight and facing Hoseok. Without any comeback to that- it was true after all, being a ghost bound to the apartment Jooheon was stuck- Hoseok shrugs.

“Fair enough. Is everyone else?” A pause. “Except Kihyun he’s obliviously gone.”

“Hyunwoo went shopping. Changkyun is trying to be asleep last a I checked- he’s not though.”

“Yes I am!” Changkyun calls from behind his door.

“Sorry, Changkyun is totally asleep.” Jooheon rolls is eyes. “Everyone else Is asleep. It’s only eight.”

“Okay,” Hoseok says, nodding, “thank you.”

I don’t miss it, Hoseok had said. When talking to Kihyun about his previous way of living, about being a more typical plant spirit, about the home he’d had. Hoseok had said he didn’t miss it. He was being honest, too. So having dreams about the home he’d had over a hundred years ago felt… strange.

Maybe it was because of Hyungwon. They’d been friends back then, living so close together. Hyungwon did miss it, being a proper flower spirit. Living amongst tree’s and flowers, away from humans and the risk of discovery was something he liked. Hoseok, on the other hand, was happy to play the part of a human then come home to an apartment of other non-humans that he could speak to. The forest was... lonely.

Maybe it was because of Minhyuk. Despite not missing most of the people- werewolves who saw him as lesser- Minhyuk misses his parents and waking up after full moons without being in a ton of pain. Maybe it was because Minhyuk’s parents had visited once and made Minhyuk remember how much he missed seeing them as a regular occurrence. Yet, Hoseok didn’t have anyone to miss.

Maybe it was because of Kihyun. Or Hyunwoo. But neither the demon or angel missed their previous homes. Kihyun tended to complain about demons and their spaces more than he showed any signs of missing them. Hyunwoo hardly talked about angels, but when he did it hardly seemed as he missed his previous life. There was really nothing there for Hoseok to blame.

Jooheon couldn’t leave, was permanent trapped in his pervious home. The one he’d lived in before his death as a human. Changkyun, then? No, he only ever complained when he returned from visits to his former home. Hoseok had heard more than enough about how terrible vampires and their spaces were.

So then, Hoseok wonders, what prompted him to think about his former home? Maybe nothing. It was entirely possible it just happened, without any real trigger. Maybe he just wants something to blame for how sad he feels now that he is thinking about it.

He’ll never be a proper plant spirit. Hoseok drops onto the couch, curls up, and sighs. Nothing about him fits in the image he has of a plant spirit, except the occasional sprouting of flowers and need for sunlight.

He’s alone in the living room- Jooheon having floated into another room to bother someone else- and even that he hates. Being alone. It just doesn’t sit right with him, he doesn’t like it. Before, when he was by himself in the forest, he hadn’t minded. Then Hyungwon had shown up, and he found out what being around someone else was like. When Hyungwon left, Hoseok had gone into the human world because he needed to interact, even in passing, with someone else.

That was probably why he jumped at the chance to live in an apartment with a ghost. Jooheon is by no means scary, really, but Hoseok would probably have let fear get the best of him had it not been such needed interaction.

“You okay there?” Hoseok jumps at the voice, broken from this thoughts. Hyungwon being up before anyone else is a rare sight. He yawns, dropping down next to Hoseok, and raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah?”

“You don’t look okay.”

“Thanks, man.” Hoseok sighs. “Bad dream.”

“Oh?”

“Well, no. More like bad thoughts brought on by a pretty uneventful dream.”

“That tells me so much.” Sarcasm laces Hyungwon’s tone, and he rolls his eyes.

“I dreamed about a hundred years ago, when we were living out in the forest. The tree was still there and everything.”

“Oh.” Hyungwon’s expressions are sometimes hard to read, but Hoseok can see hints of sadness in his face. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“What?”

“You don’t want to think about it, right?’

‘I don’t dislike thinking about it.” Hyungwon shrugs. “I just miss it a lot.”

“I know.”

“You don’t, huh?”

“How’d you know?”

“You seem unhappy.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Hoseok sighs, averting his gaze. “Is that bad?”

“I don’t know.” Hyungwon shrugs again. “Not everyone feels the same about things.”

“It seems like a plant spirit should perfer being alone.”

“I don’t.” Hyungwon looks amused when Hoseok looks over to him, surprised. “I miss being away from humans, not people in general. You guys aren’t about to attack me. Well, except Minhyuk sometimes. And Kihyun when I don’t go outside enough. Man you’re all jerks.”

“Hey I didn’t do anything!”

Hyungwon laughs, shrugging yet again- Hoseok considers keeping count- and stands up. He moves across the room, to the window, and sits in the windowsill. Hoseok shakes his head, smiling. It was pretty common of Hyungwon to do, so he could get sunlight without actually going outside, and usually meant he was done talking to anyone for a while.

“Why are we shouting?” Minhyuk yawns, stretching, as he comes out of his room.

“I was accused of being a jerk.”

“Accurate.”

“So were you.”

“How dare you-” Minhyuk pauses, looking around the room- “Hyungwon?”

“Yep, it was him.”

“Terrible.”

“I’m still here,” Hyungwon mutters, yet doesn’t bother to turn to look at them. Minhyuk shrugs and makes his way to the kitchen.

Hoseok returns to his thoughts. They’re a bit clearer, sleep finally wearing off, and he thinks he should have talked about his thoughts with someone else in the house. Though he appreciates Hyungwon’s conversation, and it helps a bit, there were more fitting people to talk to. Minhyuk and Changkyun, for starters.

Hoseok doesn’t have the element of other plant spirits saying something is wrong with him that Minhyuk and Changkyun have with werewolves or vampire respectively. However, there’s the common thread of not feeling quite right within the communities- or lack thereof- that they were meant to belong to.

Hoseok would feel a bit weird bringing the topic up with Minhyuk, since Hyungwon is right there and he’d just ended that conversation, so he stands and makes his way the short distance to Changkyuns and Hyungwons shared room. Changkyun is determainedly trying to be asleep, and failing, and Jooheon is flaoting above him, laughing.

“So this is were Jooheon went.”

“I’m haunting him.”

“Why am I not allowed sleep?” Changkyun sighs, rolling onto his back an glaring up at Jooheon.

“My job here is done.” Jooheon grins, floating backwards out of the room.

“You’re lucky you’re incorporeal!” Changkyun sits up, frowning, and raises an eyebrow at Hoseok. “’sup?”

“Now that I think about it, this might be a bad time to talk about this.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Hoseok sighs.

“Lay it on me, anyway.” Changkyun pats the spot next to him and sighs. He runs a hand through his hair, frowning, and Hoseok sits next to him. “I should have asked for a blood offering.”

“I can go get you a blood pack first, if that’s what you want?”

“No. It’s okay, I can wait on that.”

“If you say so.” Hoseok isn’t entirely convinced. Changkyun has a pretty good record of skipping out on blood when he needs it.

“I am.” Changkyun frowns. “Anyway what was the conversation this is a bad time to have?”

“Right so you’re pretty not-average for a vampire, right?” Hoseok imeditaely regrets his choices when Changkyun levels him with a frown. “What I mean is, do you ever... feel like you should be acting differently? More like them? Because I was thinking about plant spirits and how they normally wouldn’t live the way I do? Even if they do, they wouldn’t be happy about it or at least miss the usual way- see Hyungwon- yet I don’t mind it? I prefer this? And I was thinking, maybe there’s something wrong with me and I should try to go back to a normal plant spirit life and enjoy it just to prove I’m really a plant spirit.”

“Hoseok...”

“Yeah?”

“You’re rambling.” Changkyun puts a hand on Hoseok’s shoulder. “And look like you might cry?”

“I’m not going to cry.”

“Listen. I hate vampires.”

“Uh...”

“Except for like, 8 of them, they all suck.” A pause. “That wasn’t a pun.”

“If you say so.”

“But yes, I do sometimes think I should give up and try living like they expect me to. Bite humans, think I’m better than everyone because I’m a pureblood, act like a jerk. Except even if I did, I’ll never be exactly like them. Then I’d be unhappy and continue to feel different than them. So what’s the point?”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“You’re a pretty smart kid.”

“I’m over eighty years old.”

“And I’m over a hundred and twenty; you’re a kid.” Hoseok grins. Changkyun frowns- though it resembles a pout more than anything- and Hoseok laughs at that. “Anyway, I’m saying you make sense and I agree.”

“That’s good. I worry about making sense.”

“Anyway, shouldn’t you be drinking blood about now?” Hoseok asks, standing. “You shouldn’t ignore your need for blood.”

“You’re turning into Kihyun. I already have two moms.”

“Two?”

“Well I have a real mom, you know? And Kihyun. Two”

Hoseok laughs. “Don’t let him hear that.”

Minhyuk raises an eyebrow when Hoseok returns to the living room, and Changkyun follows him, but says nothing. Later he’ll be disappointed Hoseok didn’t talk to him also, but Hoseok doesn’t feel the need anymore. Something tells him Minhyuk’s answer would be similar, too.

In the evening, Kihyun returns from work with food, and Hyunwoo returns from wherever he was. Everyone gathers together in the living room and those who can- everyone but Jooheon- eat dinner together. Though there isn’t much to talk about- aside from Kihyun and Hyunwoo most everyone stayed home- they talk about their days anyway.

Hoseok is a plant spirit, has been his entire life- it's not exactly the kind of being you just become- but he doesn't live in a very typical way for his kind. Most plant spirits live in forests; Hoseok lives in an apartment with six equally strange people.

Another plant spirit: Hyungwon. A vampire: Changkyun. A Ghost: Jooheon. A werewolf: Minhyuk. An angel: Hyunwoo. A Demon: Kihyun.

Not the most typical group to be living amongst, but he likes it. For the most part.

"If one more person calls me a plant I'm moving out. Get new jokes." Hoseok can't blame them for having no new jokes. It's not like most of them ever spend time with anyone else. Still, he really wishes that joke wasn't the most used.

"Hey, Hoseok." Hyungwon is the one person Hoseok expects something else from. Since he's also a plant spirit. "You're a plant."

"Hyungwon you giant asshole."

"Is 'giant' because he's a really big asshole or because he's tall?" Jooheon wonders aloud.

"Both." Hoseok sighs. "Seriously get new joke. We have internet now, go online. Find- what are they? Find memes."

"Find memes!" Changkyun gasps, laughing as he clutches his stomach. "Oh my god you sound like an old man."

"I am old." A couple centuries old, to be exact. Though he looks pretty young, as plant spirits live a long time. "And as promised, I'm leaving. I need to see the sun- my love- anyway."

"I just thought of a new joke," Kihyun grins.

"Oh my god I'm leaving." Hoseok does just that, striding out of the apartment and making his way outside. Taking walks gives him time to think about things anyway. Sometimes it's about current events, but every once in a while he takes a good look at his life, thinks back on it, and thinks about how it's changed. Thinks about if he's happy with his life as it is now.

Two hundred years ago. Actually, two hundred and fifteen years ago. That's when he was left- by the spirits that were the closest thing he had to what humans call 'parents'- with a patch of land in the forest. Told that he could grow whatever he wanted, told that those plants would be his home. Hosoek grew himself a patch of flowers that he slept in more often than not. As long as he was alive, they wouldn't need anything else to live.

A couple decades later another plant spirit showed up. It was unusual for plant spirits to interact much, they usually lived fairly far apart, but this one showed up with a tree. He planted the tree a few yards away and ignored Hosoek's gawking. They became friends because of that and the fact they were stuck with each other.

It was much, much later that Lightning struck and a fire burnt down both the tree and Hoseoks flowers. Reasonably so, Hoseok was in shock. His instinct was to not think about it, to draw his focus elsewhere. Which he did by attempting to comfort Hyungwon about the loss of his tree. It might not have done much good, but it was all he could do. The plants were dead, but they could grow something new in their place.

Hyungwon didn't. Instead he left, off to find a new home, and Hoseok was left to his own devices again. Honestly, being alone after so long not being so was difficult. When humans showed up- building themselves a home too close for comfort- Hoseok used that as an excuse to leave. Wondered off in search of a new home, and maybe someone to talk to.

Reality was, Hoseok didn't know where he was going. Where he wanted to end up, or what he wanted to find, he had no idea. So he just kept moving around until he decided, much later still, that he wanted to see what humans were like. Watch them in crowds instead of interacting directly, so he could learn. Maybe even one day secretly live amongst them and interact.

Humans are weird.

Hoseok decides that humans are really weird. They don't bloom flowers from their bodies, for one. What was that, even? They bleed when hurt. They have so many clothes? Why do they need so many clothes? They're pretty and all but why? Hoseok doesn't really get it. But he picks the flowers off of himself, steals some neutral looking clothes, and walks among them. Sneaks into movies a few times to find out about them. Watches crowds of people. Learns to read and visits libraries.

It's a pretty simple decision that Hoseok makes. He wants to live in a human building so he can understand how they live better. Not having money is a problem; one he solves by finding a place no one lives in- or wants to- and sneaking in there.

"It's haunted, no one's ever going to rent that place." Is what Hoseok overhears about the apartment. Hoseok only knows about ghosts from human movies and books; somehow he doubts they’re accurate. Maybe ghosts aren't even real, he had thought. So he broke- snuck- into the place and found that it wasn't half-bad. It was no forest, but he could get used to it.

It was exciting. Hoseok's emotions can make flowers grow quicker, on himself or off, so it's no surprise that flowers start blooming from his collar bones. There's no reason to hide them, no one around, so he doesn't bother plucking them away.  With a deep breath he decides he likes the place, he'll stay until he can't any more.

"How does that even happen? What are you?" Hoseok jumps, stumbles over and gives a screech at the sudden voice. Okay, so maybe someone else was there. A muttered "Dude." passes through the room while Hoseok collects himself, clutching his chest.

"My old man heart." The words come out breathy and Hoseok takes another deep breath to steady himself. So the whole ghost thing? Yeah that was true.

"You're like... what twenty three? Four? Yeah, old." The ghost, a young human spirit- honestly that was sort of sad- floats around him. The word 'old' came out sarcastic and Hoseok wants to frown.

"Two hundred and fifteen, but you know, good guess dead guy."

"...How?" There's a second where Hoseok process the question, before realizing it's 'how are you so old' and responds.

"I am a plant..." That must have been the start of it, Hoseok realizes looking back. He did it to himself. "Spirit."

"...I'm a ghost?"

"No!" Hoseok pretends to gasp in shock. "I wouldn't have guessed."

"Give me a break. You're the first person to see me." The words come out half-laughed and Hoseok smiles.

"Perks of not being human, I guess. I'm Hoseok and I'd shake your hand but I'm pretty sure I can't."

"Incorporeal, and all. But nice to meet you, I'm Jooheon."

Jooheon apparently doesn't dislike Hoseok after that, because he doesn't have any arguments when Hoseok stays. Neither of them ask many question of each other; though Hoseok realizes Jooheon is stuck purely in the apartment and feels a little bad every time he leaves and Jooheon is stuck there. But he needs sunlight.

It's during a time when the sky lacks sun for days that Hoseok runs into Hyungwon again. The spirit hasn't really grown, they both stopped aging before the last time they'd seen each other, but the way he holds himself has changed. Hoseok wonders if talking will be as easy, if they've both changed a lot. Until they actually speak.

"You look suspicious." Hyungwon kicks him and watches Hoseok tumble over. They're in a pet store and Hoseok had been leaning close to lizard tanks to soak in their artificial lights' rays.  Hoseok frowns once he stands back up. "Get a job."

"Excuse you I have a job." Hoseok replies before he realize he does not, in fact, have a job.

"..."

"You're right I don't have a job." Hoseok shrugs off the comment. "But it's been cloudy- and not even raining- for weeks! Don't you feel sick?"

"...Tired, mostly."

"You're always tired."

"True."

Somehow it was easy to fall back into conversation. Hoseok tells Hyungwon about the apartment and about Jooheon and the other nods along until he's done. After which Hyungwon asks questions he has- how Hoseok hasn't been caught- and they don't really have to talk about it to agree that Hyungwon wants to see the place. Nor do they really have to talk about it to agree that Hyungwon will stay at the place too.

Somehow, and Hoseok never learns how, Hyungwon finds a vampire. Said vampire is Changkyun who follows Hyungwon to the apartment and immediately is accepted by both Hoseok and Jooheon into the apartment. Not that Hoseok actually has a say in anyone staying, Jooheon is really the only person who is stuck there and thus it matters to, but getting along with someone is always a good thing. It doesn't take long for Hoseok to learn about the other, and realize a slightly strange- though reasonable- obsession Changkyun has with flower petals.

"I used to freak out a lot because of my powers," Changkyun said. Said powers, Hoseok knows, take a toll on the other. "Don't know why but the texture of petals calmed me down."

"Noted." Hoseok does take note of it. Just like he takes note of which places in the apartment are most important to Jooheon. Just like he takes note of which flowers Hyungwon grows when he's upset. Hoseok takes note of Changkyun's need of flower petals and has flowers ready whenever things get to much for the vampire.

"What are these?"

"Carnations?"

"I mean, why are you giving me them?"

"You looked upset."

"Oh... oh, thank you."

"What are friends for?"

"Terrible vampire jokes, apparently."

"What?"

"Hyungwon needs better jokes is all I'm saying. Jooheon too. Actually all of you. You all suck."

"But you're the vampire."

"Oh my god you're just as bad." Looking back Hoseok understands the annoyance. Changkyun gets that joke a lot. It was funny at the time, though, he promises.

Plant spirits have pretty good sense of smell, which is why Hoseok's attention is immediately drawn when he smells a dog. Dogs are cute, okay? It's not a dog though, so all Hoseok manages to do is turn himself upside down in the tree had been climbing. Honestly Hoseok doesn't remember why he was climbing it in the first place. The person- he'll later know is Minhyuk- smells like dog and asks him if he's okay. Or, he actually questions if Hoseok is going to be fall, but it's basically the same thing. Hoseok could only shrug in response before actually climbing out of the tree.

As it turns out Minhyuk also has a good sense of smell. He notes Hoseok doesn't smell human, which brings them to the reveal that Minhyuk is a werewolf and Hoseok a plant spirit.

"Well, Minhyuk," Hoseok said once they'd introduced themselves. "Want to meet a ghost, vampire, and another plant spirit."

"Yes, of course." Minhyuk laughed and followed Hoseok back to the apartment. So maybe leading strangers around wasn't the safest thing, but nothing went wrong, so it was fine.

While Hyungwon grows Minhyuk medicinal plants and Changkyun and Jooheon distract Minhyuk from pain on full moons, Hoseok finds himself bandaging the others wounds- at least until later when someone better at it comes around. Though Hoseok isn't a huge fan of watching someone be in pain, there's not much else he can do. Except maybe try and help him do less damage in the first place.

"Hey, Minhyuk?"

"Yeah?"

"You have a pretty good sense of smell right? Probably makes the full moons harder because the smell of humans?"

"Yeah. Well, you guys help because none of you are human."

"So like, in theory, if your room was suddenly filled with flowers..."

"Is my room filled with flowers?"

"...No?"

"My room is filled with flowers."

"Yeah a little." Minhyuk doesn't allow Hoseok in his room again. He was just trying to help so he pretends to be offended.

"Hoseok."

"You don't love me or my flowers."

"Oh my god."

"Fine! My flowers don't like you anyway."

"Wait, do they have feelings?!"

"...Yes."

"You're lying."

"They do."

"Sure."

Apparently none of them ever learned the whole 'don't bring home strangers' thing because Hyungwon brings home yet another. To be fair, they only do it knowing that the people aren't human, but still. How do you know they're safe? Then again, Hyungwon does bring home an angel- Hyunwoo- so Hoseok can't really argue with the 'it was probably fine' logic in that case.

To add to the list of joke no one will ever let go, Hoseok finds himself inadvertently becoming a partial creator of one. It's not really his fault though. No one knows why- though Hoseok thinks it's because Hyunwoo is secretly a bird and not an angel- but Hyunwoo brings home a lot of bread. Like, an unreasonable amount of bread. Maybe it's because everyone keeps eating it, but that doesn't change the fact there's always a ton of bread.

"Hyunwoo I think you have a problem." Hoseok sighs, glancing over at the unlabeled bag's Hyunwoo is carrying that he's pretty sure have more bread.

"Is this about bread again? What do you people have against bread?"

"Nothing. But there's just... so much of it."

"I didn't even bring bread this time."

"Wait really?" Hoseok sits up, suddenly much more interested. "What is it then?"

"Sun lamps. It's winter you and Hyungwon will probably need them." Hoseok blinks once, twice, a whole three times. Hyunwoo really was an angel.

"I love you."

"...Okay."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now take them." Hoseok does just that, taking the sun lamps and rushing off to set them up somewhere. Hyungwon complains that he wasn't informed later, but who cares about that? Hosoek thanks Hyunwoo until the end of winter and makes a mental note to thank him again coming the next winter.

Kihyun was the last to join them. A demon who got cast out- of what Hoseok still doesn't quite get- for helping an angel. Said angel being Hyunwoo. Hoseok doesn't really know exactly what happened even much later. What he does know is that despite being a demon, Kihyun is pretty caring. He takes over the 'bandage Minhyuk' job from Hoseok. Along with become resident cook and making them residents of the apartment officially.

"Have you been outside recently?" Kihyun is speaking as he enters the room, and Hoseok only looks up because he know he's the only one around.

"No?'

"Shouldn't you?" As a plant spirit who needs sun and fresh air or else he could literally die? Yeah, he probably does. So Hoseok nods and Kihyun frowns. "Want to go somewhere with me?"

"Kihyun I don't-"

"If you make a joke about dates I'll burn your plants down."

"Somehow I was expecting you to say crops."

"...Are you a farmer?"

"I could be!" Hosoek gasps. "I have a new dream."

"I have a dream of someone helping me shop."

"So you only want me to carry stuff for you?"

"Yes."

"You only love me for my muscles."

"I don't love you at all."

"You hurt me."

"I'm kidding. Come on."

"Yes, mom."

"Stop."

"Hey if you make plant jokes, I make mom jokes."

Thus starts the common event of Hoseok going shopping with "resident group demon mom" Kihyun. Not that he minds; getting outside and getting a say in food choices? Hoseok is all for it. Besides, despite his words, Kihyun is the least likely- since Hyungwon is a traitor- to make plant jokes.

For a being who normally wouldn't interact with others at all, Hoseok realizes, he sure does have a lot of friends. Strange ones at that. Plant spirits usually don't interact with anyone at all, yet he's living with six other people. And honestly couldn't see himself anywhere else. Sure, the forest used to be his home and part of him misses that freedom and way of life, but he likes living in the apartment.

He likes living with them. Even if their jokes are terrible and overused.

Without realizing it Hoseok makes his way back home, and when he gets there he hears the ending of a conversation.

"I doubt he'd actually leave." That's Hyunwoo's voice.

"Oh he's back, you were right." And that's Jooheon.

"Sup losers, the plant returns." Hoseok holds his arms out, as if he's waiting for the others to run into them.

"So it's okay when you make it?" Changkyun looks over at him, past the back of the couch.

"But not me?" Hyungwon frowns. "I'm a plant spirit too so I think It should be okay for me to."

"No it's only okay when I do it." Hoseok laugh when Hyungwon throws something at him.

"Welcome home." Kihyun yawns. "They were worried you wouldn't actually come back."

"Aw guys."

"But Kihyun, you were the one who said 'I'm super tired but we have to make sure Hoseok comes home' weren't you?" Hyunwoo asks, smiling when Kihyun glares.

"Traitor."

"I knew you wouldn't leave over a terrible joke. Shitty jokes are the bread and butter of this household." Minhyuk nods to himself and Hosoek laughs.

"But the bread and butter of this household is actual bread." Jooheon manages to sound legitimately serious... for approximately five seconds.

"Nah," Hoseok ignores the last comment, "I love you guys and your unoriginal jokes too much."

He's joking, but it's true. Every time he thinks about it, he remembers just how much these people mean to him. How much of his life they seem to come up in when he thinks about it, despite how short his time with them is compared to his life in the forest.