Something that's been swept aside by the romance (not maliciously, the romance is the focus after all) is how for Adhera, Hob and Rue, this bloom is first time they've experienced friendship/platonic love with no strings attached. (Wuvvy, Gribulba and Advisor all kinda HAD to get along with PCs due to their position on some level, even if they cared beyond that.) How wonderful must it feel to know with certainty someone keeps your company out of genuine interest rather than obligation.
YES!!!! THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS SO DEEPLY IMPORTANT TO ME!!! god, the way it developed always made me want to cry, especially that episode where they both burned tokens to spread positive rumors about each other. the investment in each other, the way they go to bat for each other, the moment at the tea party where hob claps him on the shoulder and calls him 'buddy.' they entered this bloom two halves of an inevitable duel and left it brothers. what the fuck?
and they really are like. they're such different people in a lot of ways obviously, but i think about that shard all the time man. hob and his goblin repression, his relegation to the outsides of rumpuses, walking back and forth in a 4 foot line like a wind-up doll. it was self-imposed, to an extent, but its effect is so much like the stormcloud. you are wrong, and everyone can see it.
it's very late and im not as eloquent as i could be right now because of it, but i really do adore them. kindred spirits
The boys are back in down! I’ve finally written a third part for Aaron and Henry, I hope you enjoy :)
The library stood on the corner of a quiet road, not many passed it but yet there always seemed to be a constant stream of people going in and out. Aaron wasn’t sure when it become his go to place to write, it might have been when he’d moved into his crappy little flat with walls so thin he could hear his neighbours turning the light on. He liked the peacefulness of the library, everyone reading and working in their own private worlds. There was a section at the back that was always empty, somewhere between the X and Z in the encyclopedias that was his spot. Aaron was able to sit with his headphones on and just write, his foot tapping to the beat as he tried to put lyrics together and build something incredible.
It had been Hell at work, a nearly eight hour shift of people yelling orders and making demands. He’d been in the cafe alone for most of it and honestly it was commendable he hadn’t broken down and started a fight with some of the customers. If there was a day Aaron needed his music it was now. He went straight back to his place and changed out of his uniform, picked up his notes books, headphones and smooshed his favourite beanie over his unruly curls before heading to the library.
Aaron took a seat in his favourite spot, put on his music and for a moment just let it consume him. Let it take away all the stress and bent up feelings until he left nothing behind but inspiration. He was in the middle of writing a chorus line when something broke through from the outside. It was muffled but it sounded like a sneeze? He didn’t usually hear anything in his part of the library. He looked up but saw nothing but books, maybe someone had finally needed that book on Zebras. Aaron turned back to his notebook only for it happen again and again. He tried turning his music all the way up but still he could hear it, the sound of someone coughing and sneezing. With every one Aaron felt himself get a little more on edge. It was supposed to be his time with his music and he really needed it, he didn’t want to lose that because some stupid person didn’t know how to take a sick day. He swore under his breath and stood up, taking his headphones off without his music he could hear the person was close by and clearly suffering. If it hadn’t been such a long day he might have felt sorry for them.
Aaron only had to follow the sound of someone coughing up a lung to find a man with his back to him, hunched over a desk, thick textbooks around them along with a box of tissues. The man sneezed again, reaching for a tissue to blow his nose. Aaron stepped closer ready to say his piece but as he reached the man’s side his heart sunk.
“Henry?” He exclaimed.
The ill man looked up, his green eyes were glassy behind his glasses, nose red and raw, and so pale he could have given Casper a run for his money but unmistakably Henry.
“What are you doing here?” Henry croaked, pressing a tissue to his running nose.
Aaron opened his mouth to reply but no words came out. The anger he’d felt only moment before had been replaced with a shock and something else that might have been concern.
“I think a better question is, what are you?” Aaron asked.
“Working,” Henry mumbled, coughing into his wrist.
Aaron scoffed and leant back against one of the bookshelves.
“It looks more like you have the flu to me.”
Henry glared up at him though not exactly threatening with how ill he looked.
“Like you’ve never worked through illness,” Henry rasped.
Aaron sighed, he knew exactly it was like. He’d been working himself through everything since he was in Primary school, his parents had always believed in hard work above everything else. They’d drummed it into him so hard that even now he struggled to put himself first.
“Yeah and I know how much it sucks. You’re a Doctor Henry, you know better than this!” Aaron hissed.
“I won’t be a Doctor unless I pass these exams,” Henry snapped before turning away to sneeze harshly into a tissue, they sounded scratchy like they were probably hell on his throat.
“You won’t be a great Doctor if you die of pneumonia either.”
“When the fuck did you care so much?” Henry tried to yell but his voice cracking.
“Because I happen to like this library and I’d rather you didn’t infect it,” Aaron replied.
Henry groaned and rubbed his temples with his spare hand, no doubt there was a fierce headache pounding behind his eyes.
“Come on I’ll take you back to your flat,” Aaron said.
“I can get back myself thanks and in case you hadn’t noticed I’ve got work to do.”
Aaron huffed and pushed himself upright from leaning on the shelves, it was obvious normal reasoning wasn’t going to work with one Henry Castell and that other means would have to be used. Aaron started picking up Henry’s textbooks ignoring his raspy attempts at protest.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Henry growled as Aaron closed the book he was using.
“Doing us all a favour, we don’t all want your flu. And how much work can you even be doing? You look like you’re ready to keel over,” Aaron replied.
Henry looked like he was wanted to fight but was stopped by another brutal coughing fit that sounded like it coming from the very bottom of his lungs. Aaron frowned, he’d never done anything like this in all their years of questionable friendship. They’d only gotten sort of close after Aaron’s break up with his girlfriend and then he’d gone and ruined that. He’d never been good with his feelings, he’d get so buried in his music he’d push everyone away. It had been the reason Erica left but weeks had gone by since he’d last seen Henry and he’d realised something, he’d missed him.
“Come on, let’s go,” Aaron said, having packed Henry’s bag.
“I don’t need your help,” Henry grunted as he stood.
“Really? Because it looks like you can barely stand,” Aaron argued.
Henry was shaking, his arms leaning on the table in front of up just to keep him upright. It didn’t look like he’d make it a step on his own. Aaron couldn’t help but wonder how he’d let himself get so bad.
“Shut up,” Henry hissed but let Aaron place his arm around his shoulders. The heat that was radiating from him was unmissable and meant he had one hell of a fever. Aaron suddenly felt very out of his depth.
They walked out of the library together neither of saying anything and only stopping when Henry needed to cough, sneeze or just catch his breath. The weather was just starting to get warmer, Aaron having come out in only a light jacket but Henry was shaking by the time they reached his flat.
It was more of a mess than usual inside, books and papers were scattered about acompented by used tissues and bottles of medicine.
“Jeez, how long have you been sick?” Aaron asked.
Henry just glared at him as he shuffled himself over to the sofa, falling into the gap between piles of books.
“Do you need anything?” Aaron asked.
“No,” Henry replied, coughing heavily into a tissue.
Aaron wanted to say it sounded like he needed a new pair of lungs but he didn’t want to get snapped at again. He just stood there awkwardly trying to work out what he was supposed to do next.
“You can leave now, your precious library is safe,” Henry bit back through cracking words.
“What about you?” Aaron asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Henry mumbled, curling up under a blanket. “Close the door on your way out.”
The thing was Aaron didn’t want to leave not just because he felt that leaving Henry alone was probably borderline dangerous but because he cared. Okay so it might have taken him longer than he should to realise it and that his reaction to Henry confessing his feelings had been bad, probably the worst thing he’d ever done. He’d been surprised and confused so he’d lashed out, and no doubt he was going to spend the rest of his life apologizing for it so he might as well start now.
Henry had fallen asleep on the sofa, trembling under his blanket. Aaron didn’t think he’d ever see someone so sick and he had no clue what to do. Henry whimpered in his sleep either from pain or nightmare and Aaron’s stomach twisted. He’d never done this, not even with Erica in the two years they’d been together he’d never once known her to get more than a passing cold, nothing on this level. There was only one person he could call, he just hoped to god he wasn’t on shift and could actually answer his phone.
It took five tries but eventually the line clicked and the groggy voice of Owen Walsh answered.
“What the hell Aaron? I was sleeping!”
“It’s like six!” he hissed, trying not to wake Henry.
“I’ve been on nights, now what do you want? And if it’s about some song you’ve written no offence but I really don’t care,” Owen mumbled, still half asleep.
“It’s about Henry.”
Owen groaned. “What have you done now?”
“Nothing, it’s he’s sick like really sick and I don’t know what to do,” Aaron said. He must have sounded panicked as Owen was telling him to calm down, all grogginess gone from his voice.
“Tell me everything.”
Aaron did from Henry’s long list of symptoms to how hard he’d been working himself and how he was currently passed out on the sofa.
“Okay it sounds like he’s got a bad case of flu, no doubt made worse by his lack of rest. He needs fluids, medicine and sleep.”
“And what if he won’t listen to me?” Aaron asked.
Owen sighed, the line crackling a little. “Then convince him, we both know you’re good at that, and he will listen to you it just might take some time.”
They both knew there were more to Owen’s words than just health advice, a lifetime of friendship means some words don’t need to be said.
Owen went on to inform him to keep an eye on Henry’s fever and not to leave him until it was under 102, and to call him if it got any worse.
“Thank you Owen, you’re a lifesaver.”
“You’re welcome just don’t let him die.”
Aaron huffed a laugh and hung up. He was still feeling on edge but it he could breathe a bit easier with some idea what he was doing. Henry was still snoring, unaware of the conversation that had happened around him.
Aaron started by cleaning up a bit, throwing the old tissues into the bin and making some of the books and papers into piles on the table. A search for medicine turned up a few packets of cold and flu meds, some cough syrup and a jar of vicks. He left these on the coffee table along with a glass of water for when Henry woke up before going on a hunt for food. It might have only been a few weeks since he’d seen Henry but Aaron was sure he looked skinnier.
There wasn’t much in the cupboards but it seemed Henry had had the sense to stock up at some point as he found a few cans of Heinz tomato soup. He begun washing up one of the pans abandoned in the sink, humming to himself. Aaron tried not to think about what Henry would say when he woke up, the angry words he had every right to say that he had no excuses for.
In no time at all the soup was bubbling and hot, he poured into a bowl along with a couple of pieces of toast and took it over to Henry. The sick man was still asleep though he looked less than peaceful with a frown on his brow and still trembling. Aaron still felt bad having to wake him as he shook Henry’s shoulder until he groaned opening his eyes.
“I thought I told you to go,” he croaked before turning to cough into his arm.
Aaron tried to help him sit up but Henry batted his hand away.
“I don’t need your help.”
“Are you sure?” Aaron questioned as Henry struggled to get upright, coughing weakly.
Henry just glared at him though the look he received was one more of exhaustion and misery.
“Why are you still here?” Henry asked, running a hand over his face.
“Owen told me not leave you alone until your fever is under 102.”
“He really said that huh?” Henry questioned.
“He was worried about you, after you know refuse to rest despite obviously needing it,” Aaron replied.
Henry brought his arm to his face and sneezed harshly again and again with not a breath in between. Aaron didn’t miss his little whimper when they stopped and went to hand him some tissues.
“I had work to do and plus I didn’t want to think about... “ Henry didn’t need to finish his sentence for Aaron to know what he meant, he was talking about his being rejected.
Aaron sighed and sat down on the coffee table opposite Henry, he couldn’t deny the feeling of guilt in his stomach that he was cause for all of this. He wished he knew the words to make it all go away or even to say sorry but nothing seemed to fit.
“You made me soup?”
Before Aaron could think of what to say Henry had noticed the bowl cooling beside Aaron on the table. The blonde man nodded.
“Why did do that?” Henry asked.
Aaron shrugged. “It’s what you do for sick people isn’t it? Take them home, give ‘em medicine and soup.”
“But why?” Henry’s voice cracked and he coughed heavily to his sleeve, it sounded like whatever he had was really settling in his chest.
“Because it’s my fault, I was stupid and scared so I lashed out and I guess I’m just trying to say sorry,” Aaon sniffed, he could feel tears in his eyes but refused to let them show. He hated not being in control of his emotions.
“You’re sorry?” Henry croaked. He looked more surprised than anything, a little colour having returned.
“I’m... “ Aaron cleared his throat. “I’m not good with feelings, especially my own. I know it’s what drove Erica away that I can never say what I’m feeling but I want to do better, to be a better person, a better musician, to be better for… Well you.”
Henry scrunched up his face and for a moment Aaron was sure he was going to yell at him instead he sneezed. Henry groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closed, he looked the definition of miserable.
“God I feel awful,” his voice going, cracked and raw.
“I’m sorry,” Aaron said, resting his head in his hands.
“You really mean that?” Henry asked.
“I do, I know I can come off as a bit of a jerk... “
Henry scoffed and coughed again as a result. “I thought you hated me.”
“I never… Well okay maybe a bit but you can bit obnoxious you know,” Aaron replied, a hint of tease in his voice.
Henry smiled, genuinely smiled and so did Aaron, until Henry started coughing again.
“Do you need a new pair of lungs yet?”
“Ha ha,” Henry deadpanned. “Now are you going to give me that soup or what?”
Aaron gave Henry the lukewarm bowl and joined him on the sofa, he felt at a loss for what to say. So much had just passed between them and yet they’d sunk into silence, he wanted to say sorry a thousand times for what he’d done but he no longer felt like it was the right thing, after all actions speak louder than words.
After Henry had eaten enough of the soup he could stomach Aaron removed the bowl and came back with a glass of water and the thermometer. Henry took it without a word, he looked exhausted and Aaron wasn’t sure if he’d get another word out of him until he’d had some rest.
“Hey, 101 your fevers down.”
Henry raised a weak smile, his eyes half open.
“Are you going to go?” Henry asked, his voice sounded far away like he was already half way to sleep.
“Huh?”
Henry cleared his throat, coughing weakly. “Owen said you can leave when it’s under 102, are you going to go?”
There was a lump in Aaron’s throat, he wasn’t sure where it came from but he swallowed it down. He took Henry’s warm, clammy hand in his own and keeping his voice steady he said.
“Not if you don’t want me to.”
Henry didn’t say anything, he just lightly tugged on Aaron hand. The blonde smiled and slid into position next to the ill man, Henry’s head coming to rest on his shoulder.
“Henry I just want to say I really am…”
“Shut up Aaron, sleeping.”
Aaron kissed the top of Henry’s head, never in a million dreams did he expect to be where he was. He knew he didn’t deserve it but he was going to do to try to, he also knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Both of them had proved to be bad with people and relationships but maybe if they’re bad together they could somehow make it work.
I still think Adhera and Hob spar often, mostly to train Adhera. Hob is so proud when Adhera finally completely outclasses him (and is also suddenly aware that he's softer, less battle ready, from his time out of a court.)
Aster Ross is the owner of a humble oddities shop by day, but by nightfall she and her wife Hannya, an Oni, hunt down the demons, ghosts, and all other things that go bump in the night. Things get trickier when Bridgette, Aster's intern, gets herself involved with the business and Aster's past returns to haunt her.
Latest chapter for Aster & Hannya is LIVE over on Webtoon!
Pretty sure I forgot to post the last one so you ought to check that one out before you read this one!
Aster Ross is the owner of a humble oddities shop by day, but by nightfall she and her wife Hannya, an Oni, hunt down the demons, ghosts, and all other things that go bump in the night. Things get trickier when Bridgette, Aster's intern, gets herself involved with the business and Aster's past returns to haunt her.
Aster&Hannya chapter 19 is out NOW! We’re almost done with the year, hope to see you next month with the big Chapter 20!
If you like the series please let me know! And share it around with the folks YOU think would love it too!
Aster Ross is the owner of a humble oddities shop by day... but by nightfall, she and her Oni girlfriend Hannya, hunt down the demons, monsters, and ghosts that hide amongst mankind. Though... Aster isn't just an ordinary human...
Chapter 4 of Aster&Hannya is out NOW!
If this is the first your hearing of it, It’s my supernatural/romance/action webcomic centered around Aster (a human) and her wife Hannya (an oni) and their lives as monster hunters! Be wary, this comic features explicit language and violence!
