Leaf steals the Human Anatomy 101 book from the end of time in order to help aid the public’s knowledge of the mysterious long-extinct humankind… but Jo isn’t letting her off the hook so easily.
She was magnificent in not only her beauty, but in size, an all encompassing presence. As wide around as ten of the oldest trees of Lindalde combined, standing twice as tall as any of them. Her branches were thick and sprawling, spanning out in every direction as she held court in her glade, a solitary sentinel of the forest.
“This is Nyéraldë. She’s the Heart of the Forest, the first of the forest...” Vitya says the name reverently as they enter the glade, his fingers still entwined with Yuuri’s, but their fingers slip apart. Their connection is lost as Vitya continues forward, but Yuuri remains frozen at the tree line. He’s never seen anything like her. Her majesty and grace as she stands, her presence.
Nyéraldë.
There’s a frisson that runs the length of Yuuri’s spine as he takes in the sight, it’s a reaction to the sudden whip of awareness that tickles at the base of his neck.
For years Yuuri has walked the forest, he has hunted the wildlife and harvested her fruits, he has waded her pools and slept in her warm embrace more times than he can count. Yuuri knows her, he knows this presence and this awareness. He knows the way the branches seem to shiver at his attention and the way his heart warms to be here, finally.
Yuuri had taken for granted how special Nyéraldë was - how beautiful the Lindalde forest was - because it had been a part of his life as long as he’d been aware of life. He’d taken for granted the love he felt in her lofty heights.
“Yuuri?” Vitya turns to him as the first tears start to spill, painting his cheeks. The elf dashes to him to moment he sees them, worry etched into his expression. “Yuuri?!”
“I’m sorry, I -” Yuuri makes to rub at his face but Vitya gets there first, thumbs catching his tears.
“You don’t have to be scared…”
“I’m - I’m not scared, I’m… happy. Overwhelmed?” The tears are still coming - spurred on by the way his chest feels like it’s filled with liquid sunshine.
Love.
It’s affection and love that’s making his breath ragged even as he smiles through it.
“Vitya?” Yuuri can’t put it into words, but the elf is still cradling his face and watching him with a soft look that bleeds understanding.
“She knows you, doesn’t she?” Vitya asks gently, Yuuri nods against Vitya’s hands. If Yuuri weren’t so overwrought he would notice the way the elf’s voice trembles and his fingers shake. The tears in Yuuri’s eyes blind him to the fact. “She knows you and she loves you. I can feel it.”
Yuuri nods again, blinking away the tears enough to make out the astonished look on Vitya’s face. “She…”
The boughs tremble once more, a soft sigh as they still and the warmth in Yuuri’s chest recedes. It pulls back, back into Nyéraldë and to the depths of Yuuri’s heart, still there as it always has been - unknown until the moment he had been made aware of it but a part of his love he’d pulled strength from all his life.
“Yuuri…” Vitya is so close, they’re inches apart and Yuuri is conscious of every one of them. He can see the way Vitya’s chest moves with each breath, can see every eyelash of his closed eyes. Yuuri wishes he could kiss every one of them, a silent gift to the elf who has given him so much in just leading him here… “There’s something I wanted to tell you. About me - about the forest.”
“Vitya, you don’t need to -” Yuuri lays his hand
“I know, but I want to.” Vitya smiles and its soft edges are tinged with a sadness so deep that Yuuri’s breath catches. Yuuri can feel Nyéraldë’s power, feel her attention on them as Vitya steels himself. It's like a kind hand to his shoulder, bracing him to be strong for Vitya. Yuuri pulls every ounce of strength offered, and focuses on Vitya’s pale face as the sun disappears behind the tree line.
You could make the argument that the dog ate the key because he was hungry since the mayor was coming to feed him. I believe that he ate the key on purpose to get back at Luffy for poking his face
Luffy makes fun of his hair (which he definitely deserves). Dog immediately bites him after he says he can tame it. Boy in cage laughs at him. The pride of Mohji the lion tamer suffered badly today
I know the characters in this series defy all laws of medical science but taking a nap while bleeding out on the street would almost certainly result in death
