Day 1 of @aroaceingtheline! Today I went with the prompts of Pride and Doubt.
Set in Cel’s village and featuring both ace Cel and ace Zolf.
Warning for what could be construed as a bit of internalized acephobia but it’s not really meant that way
“Hand me that hammer, would ya?” Cel called over their shoulder. They were hard at work on the submersible meant to take the group to Shoin’s lair.
Zolf obliged, and passed the tool into their waiting hand. After a few more minutes of hammering and swearing in a variety of different languages, some of which Zolf didn’t even recognize, Cel stood up, brushed their hands together with satisfaction, and smiled.
“It’s looking good!” They exclaimed. “I need some tea. Would you like some tea, Mr. Smith?”
“Sure.” Given the drizzly weather that hung over their construction site, tea sounded wonderful.
Cel led the way into their hut and Zolf followed behind them. During this stage of assembling the submersible, he had essentially become Cel’s assistant, gathering up the materials and tools they needed – and keeping them on track when they got a little distracted by new ideas that didn’t quite fit the timescale they had in mind.
Inside their home, Cel shrugged off their drenched jacket and tossed it over a pile of stuff off to the side. As they started to brew some tea in a mismatched kettle, Zolf noticed the patches and decorations that adorned Cel’s vest, and his eyes caught sight of a familiar color scheme.
“Here you are,” Cel said, handing him a mug with a smile. “It’ll help keep the chill out. At least until we have to go back out there to keep working.”
“Yeah, thanks.” He took a sip of the piping hot beverage and let the warmth flood through him. Then, he added, “I, uh, like your ace test tube patch.”
Cel’s face lit up. “Oh! Well, it’s actually an Erlenmeyer, not a test tube, but thanks! I made it myself.” They spun around to show it to Zolf again. It was the shape of scientific glassware, filled with a purple, white, grey, and black liquid.
“I’m… I’m ace too,” Zolf remarked quietly, then took another drink. “I just don’t have any patches or decorations for it.”
“Nice!” They held out their hand for a high five that Zolf slowly reciprocated. “Do you want something? I have a bunch of pins and flags and stuff I make when I’m bored or have extra stuff lying around.”
“Oh, no, that’s okay. Thanks, though.”
“It’s no trouble, really.”
Zolf looked down at his tea. “It’s fine. I guess I’m not as open about it as you are. I mean, it’s not like I’m ashamed; I know who I am. But I just don’t mention it unless it comes up, you know?”
Meanwhile, Cel had already set down their tea to rummage in a chest, ignoring Zolf’s protestations. They stepped back over to Zolf a moment later and held out their hand to show off a simple, circular pin, barely an inch in diameter, that swirled with the colors of the asexual flag.
“You don’t have to be super open about it,” they said softly. “But you should still take some pride in it.”
Zolf looked at the pin for several long seconds, then nodded. “You’re right.” He took the pin from Cel and held it in his hand before attaching it to the lapel of his jacket. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” They smiled wide. Then, they downed the rest of their tea and slammed the delicate cup onto the table. “What do you say, time to get back to work?”
Zolf finished his tea and nodded. He’d had more than enough emotional processing for one day.
Cel threw their jacket back on, and the pair headed out into the rain yet again to continue their construction. As they worked, Zolf occasionally found himself staring at the pin Cel had given him. It felt strange, to wear those colors so openly when it had taken him so long to find the words that fit in the first place.
But Cel was right. Even when the world was corrupted and the rain refused to cease, Zolf could take comfort in this facet of himself, proud and secure in the knowledge of who he was.