Arvio and his trusty old feather duster were hard at work keeping the storefront of By the Stairs clean. Part of it was because Arvio always wanted a clean floor and inventory for his customers, but it was also a bit by necessity. Even the lightest of breezes could bring a whole coating of dust and sand to his humble little showfloor.
He looked up when he heard the tired groan of Rocky from nearby. Quickly beaming and putting himself into customer service mode, he greeted the large miner man. “Why hello, Mr. Rocky! Come for a gander By the Stairs? Let me know if you need anything! Truly, anything!”
“Ah, heya, Arvio…” Rocky mumbled with a grimace as he rubbed a spot on his back. “Lookin’ for a particular kinda ointment. ‘S called, uh… ‘Dr. Doohick’s Herbal All-Purpose Ointment?’ From Atara, I think.”
“Well, I’d be delighted to help you find exactly what you need! Just one moment…” Arvio hummed as he opened the cabinets with his latest stock from Atara. “Dr. Doohick… Hm… Ah, here it is!” A wide, squat jar, green and blue label, a cartoon picture of the supposed Dr. Doohick next to the name.
Arvio set it down on the counter and plugged the price into the cash register. “Will that be all for you today?”
“Yeah, that’s it,” said Rocky, rolling out his shoulder. “Pulled somethin’ in my back down in the mines today… Went to the doc, but he was out of supplies for his usual stuff, so he told me to get some o’ this stuff in the meantime.”
“Oh, dear me…” Arvio’s smile fell. “Well, I hope you’ll recover soon! Where exactly does it hurt? I know some stretches that are quite effective!”
A puzzled look passed over Rocky’s face. “Uh…right here,” he said, turning a bit and pointing out a bit just under his shoulder.”
Arvio beamed again. “Ah, no problem at all! There’s plenty of good shoulder stretches when you get pain there. Just be sure not to strain yourself! That simply won’t do.”
The frown on Rocky’s face deepened a little. Oh, no…was Arvio intruding too much? Was he actually giving bad advice?!
His salesman’s instincts took over; if the customer hesitates, just keep talking! “A-ah, well, er… A-another thing that could help would be a warm compress! Or-or if you don’t have one, you can put some dry sandrice into a sock and heat it up in a pot on the stove…!”
Rocky’s expression hadn’t lightened up.
“I-I also know a little bit of massage technique…! W-with the ointment it ought to work wonders! I’m…I’m sure with such grand stature, you won’t find it hard at all to work out the knots—!”
“Kid…” Rocky muttered, the frown in his brow drawing together into a far more concerned look. “Why…why do ya know all this stuff, kid?”
Arvio froze, jaw agape. “O-oh! Well…when I was in Barnarock, I worked in the local quarry for a bit to save up some money…”
Rocky’s concern turned to horror. “You…? Dat young and you…”
He trailed off, and the two were left to stare at each other, utterly bewildered. Arvio had seen so much happen in Sandrock in the last few years that his time in Barnarock felt so far away, even with it being his homeland. But looking up at the old and weathered Rocky, the memories of the aches in his arms and his back, the cuts and the bruises, the anxiety at every rumble and jolt, any possible sign of a cave-in…they suddenly came flooding back. He felt his stomach tie into a knot.
“It’s…it’s all in the past now, Mr. Rocky,” he said, trying to placate both of their worries. “I-I’m glad that I managed to leave that behind me! And now I’m here in Sandrock, and things couldn’t be better! I…I’m running my own wonderful business, and my sister and I both have lovely homes all to our own! Believe me…I’m alright.”
Rocky let out a slow sigh, still keeping his eyes fixed on Arvio. Arvio was wondering when to cut in to finish the transaction and change the subject, but Rocky opened his mouth before he could. “How’s this? You ‘n Amirah…ya come to my place today for dinner. I’ll tell Krystal. No doubt she’ll be delighted to have ya.”
Arvio blinked. “R-really? I-I don’t want to bother you…”
Rocky’s face broke into a warm smile. “Of course! Figured me an’ Krystal never got to know you two that well when ya came here! Why not start now?” He reached his arm out, trying to clap a hand down on Arvio’s shoulder, until he was abruptly reminded that that was his bad side. “Ack–! Okay, well…still! Whaddaya say?”
“If…if you’re offering, then, well…yes! Hopefully Amirah’s free today…I think this will be wonderful! Thank you!”
Rocky let out a hearty chuckle, and Arvio finally finished ringing him up. He watched as Rocky headed in the direction of his house with a smile. He wasn’t lying to Rocky. He was alright. But he still had a long way to go. Improving his shop, supporting his sister’s work, finally bringing his parents to the new home that he made found here…
But if the whole town had his back like Rocky did just now…then he knew he’d be able to climb that hill. Climb those stairs.
“Hi Miss Mi-an, good morningggg! Special delivery!”
Mi-an looked over her shoulder at Sandrock’s best delivery girl running up onto her porch, screeching to a halt just before the “safety line” that Mi-an had drawn out for her on the ground, indicating where was a safe distance from all of Mi-an’s power tools.
“Jas, hi!” Mi-an exclaimed, shutting off the grinder for a moment. “What do you have for me today?”
“Another mystery letter!” Jasmine reached into her little mail satchel and pulled out a familiar looking envelope. The…fourth? Fifth one now of its kind? Simple, off-white paper, elegant cursive drawing out the characters of Mi-an’s name and address across the center in the prettiest pink pen, and the lightest scent of floral perfume.
Mi-an had to fight back a giddy grin.
“You’re getting a bunch of these, Miss Mi-an,” Jasmine said, quizzically turning the letter in her hands a few times before handing it to the builder. “And they all look the same, too! It’s like whoever’s sending them just sent you the same thing 5 times…”
“Yeah! Your address is written so pretty! And it smells like flowers… It’s like you got a secret admirer or something!”
Mi-an almost choked. She tried to save it with a cough. Jasmine only gave her an innocent-looking tilt of the head.
“N-n-no!” Mi-an yelped, suddenly standing stark straight. “I-it’s nothing like that either!! It’s just…uh—”
Jasmine giggled. “It’s okay, Miss Mi-an! I won’t tell a soul, I promise! Postgirl’s honor!” She snapped up to stand at attention, crossing an arm firmly over her chest.
Mi-an pursed her lips. “You promise…? You sure?”
“I’m sure I’m sure!”
“You super duper promise?”
“I super duper mega ultra promise!”
“…Pinky promise?”
“Of course!” Jasmine held her pinky out with a beaming smile. “Pinky promise!”
Mi-an giggled as she knelt down to hook pinkies and seal the deal. “Thanks, Jas… I appreciate it.”
“Yeah! What kinda mailgirl would I be if I told everyone where everyone’s mail was coming from?!” Jasmine exclaimed, adjusting her mail bag on her shoulder. “But anyway, I gotta run! More mail to deliver!”
Mi-an stood up and waved. “Bye, Jas! Have fun, okay?”
“Yeah! And enjoy your secret letterrrrr!” Jasmine waved as she bolted in the opposite direction, turning to head to the Research Center next. The last thing that Mi-an heard was a “Mailgirl awaaaaaaay!” from around the corner.
She chuckled a little to herself before letting out a fond sigh. With the utmost delicateness, she tore the envelope open as she sat down on the stool at her workbench. The fresh scent of flowers seemed to bloom around her as she lifted the paper out.
And as she began to read the sweet, honeyed, yet still genuine words from her secret (not-so-secret) admirer, she felt her face grow as rosy as the ink on the page, and she couldn’t stop the bubbly giggles that escaped her throat as she was temporarily transported to an impossibly green land.
A little refuge of dreams in this vast and merciless desert.
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A/N: If you can tell who Mi-an's secret letter writer is…I plan to do a fic with those two sometime down the line :>
A/N: Hi I'm back :> Happy new year! Decided to take a break between the holidays so I could unwind a bit and work on some other projects at my own pace. But I'm back on this again for the rest of the month (hopefully)!
This one also ended up being a little long, but I really liked the idea so I couldn't help but extend it a bit 🥺
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The groan of the old wooden doors to the temple echoed through the hall, midday sunlight spilling into the room. Burgess looked up from his desk, almost about to make a note to oil the door’s hinges when he realized who had arrived.
“Mayor Trudy!” he said with a friendly smile. “Nice to see you!”
“Hello, Burgess,” Trudy replied, her smile not quite meeting her eyes. “Is the temple open right now? I…just need a moment of quiet, if that’s alright.”
“Of course! Take your time!”
The temple was almost never used outside of service days, with how small Sandrock’s congregation was. During the rest of the week, all the parishioners were far too busy with their work to stop by the temple. But it was always open to all, all day, every day, in case anyone needed solace with the Light.
Trudy simply nodded and headed further into the room, the floorboards creaking under feet. Burgess turned back to his desk. It’d be rude to butt in on people’s quiet moments. He just continued to take notes on his next few sermons. So much literature to pour through, so little time…
One finished sermon later, and Burgess looked up, back at Trudy sitting in the front row of the pews, silent and head bowed. He pursed his lips. She sure had been here for a while. Rarely had anyone lingered for so long when there wasn’t a service. Something big was definitely eating at her.
He got up from his seat and pushed in the chair as quietly as he could, and made his way over to where the mayor was.
“Mayor? Is everything alright? You’ve been here for a while now…”
Trudy’s eyes shot towards the approaching Burgess, breaking her out of her cloud of thoughts. “O-oh! Am…am I bothering you? So sorry if I am. I’ll be on my way soon.”
“No, no! It’s no problem! Stay as long as you need to! Just…” Burgess’s voice trailed off as he fished for the words. “…you look…troubled. Is there something I can help you with?”
Trudy’s brow wrinkled, straining her polite smile. “A-ah…you…you don’t need to trouble yourself with my troubles…”
“Rest assured, Ms. Mayor…” Burgess walked over to sit down on the pew beside her. “Part of my duty as minister is to help anyone with things on their mind! Well, you know. Troubling things. Everyone’s got something on their minds, heh heh!”
Trudy let out a quiet hum. “Well, as long as it’s not too much of a bother…” She fell silent, frowning at the floor a little to collect her thoughts. “It’s just…I’m so happy that things are finally looking up for Sandrock…! But at the same time…I still feel just as much pressure. Sometimes it feels like things haven’t gotten any easier…the problems have just changed a little.”
Burgess felt a familiar stir in his gut. He already knew what she was talking about.
Trudy sighed and continued, “I’m overjoyed with the new water pipeline being built, but also…now the entire Alliance is looking at us. After what happened with Duvos…everything being unearthed in the ruins around here…having to talk so much with the Council and the military…it’s just…”
“…Like all of a sudden, one day, everyone’s looking at you to say the right things, and you just totally blank…?”
Trudy’s eyes widened, her gaze snapping towards Burgess again. “Yes! That’s exactly it!”
Burgess nodded rapidly. “And…and…you’ve got a title that means you’re a big deal, b-but you don’t feel like it at all?”
“Absolutely!”
“A-a-and sometimes you just wish that you could just go home and sleep all day or just take a two-week vacation on the other side of the world?!”
“Yes! Yes!!” Trudy let out a weak laugh. “Oh…I never thought I could put it into words…”
“And it doesn’t help when you get that feeling that you can’t tell anyone else…?” Burgess tried, not sure how far the similarities would run.
The smile on Trudy’s face softened into something more wistful. “Mm-hmm. Everyone is looking up to me as the mayor. I’m supposed to be the one who solves the city’s problems! But then…who can solve mine?”
Burgess had the faintest memories of Trudy’s succession to the office of mayor. It was a while ago, back when he first arrived in Sandrock, ready to serve the Light with their temple. He was still learning everyone’s names, but he quickly learned two in particular: Theo and Trudy. Theo, the old mayor, who suddenly vanished one day in a sandstorm, last seen out by the Shonash Canyon surveying the ruins. And Trudy, the small woman who was making a speech to the anxious townsfolk of Sandrock during her inauguration, smiling through the tears that she had not yet finished shedding for her lost husband, proclaiming promises of hope that she was trying desperately to hold onto.
The hall was silent as the two of them stewed in the same haze of memories, until Burgess mumbled, “Was it…hard becoming the mayor?”
Trudy’s shoulders slumped, as if suddenly weighed down by all the invisible load that she had carried on her shoulders for so many years. “It was,” she murmured. “It was so soon after Theo disappeared. We all needed a new mayor…but no one knew how to be one. So I had to learn on the fly…”
Burgess nodded solemnly. “I…I kinda feel the same way. About becoming minister, I mean. D-don’t get me wrong! I’m honored!! But…” He looked away. “Almost everyone else in the Church is gone now…and this happened all so suddenly… I still feel like I haven’t finished my training yet!”
“I know…” Trudy shrunk into herself. “The request from the Church really came out of nowhere…I’m sorry for pushing you into it so quickly, Burgess.”
“It…it’s…well. It’ll be okay. I-I’m getting better at it, I think! Just. Slowly.”
“And you’re doing wonderfully.” Trudy laid a gentle arm on his shoulder. “No one is expecting you to do any more than what’s your best.”
“Oh…” Burgess’s expression softened, before the spark in his eyes returned. “W-well then, same goes for you, Mayor Trudy! You’ve done so much for us already! And as long as you’re giving it your best shot, then you’ve got nothing to worry about!”
Trudy finally brightened a little for the first time since she had stepped into the temple. “I…I hope so!” She held out a hand. “So…let’s get out there, and keep doing our best?”
Burgess clasped her hand with both of his own, pumping a firm shake. “You bet!”
“Hey, Mi-an, got a sec? Just gotta talk to ya ‘bout somethin’ real quick…” Justice rapped his knuckles on the wall of Mi-an’s house, the sound of which caused the builder to perk up her head from where she was assembling something on her workbench. She brightened at the sight of him.
“Oh! Hi, sheriff? How’re you doing?”
“Eh…doin’ fine. But uh, really, you got a moment?”
Mi-an set the doohickey in her hands down and got up from her chair. “Sure! What’s up?”
Justice leaned up against the wall, crossing his arms as a frown crossed his face. “Well…just the other day I saw some new benches in Martle Square…and it don’ like any permit got passed in for those…”
Mi-an’s eyes widened. “Oh? That’s news to me.”
The wrinkle in Justice’s brow only grew deeper. “…Granny Vivi was jus’ tellin’ me the other day what a lovely bench you an’ Wis put up so she could rest her feet on her daily constitutional.”
Instead of any ounce of guilt or shame, Mi-an’s expression lit up once again. “She’s using them? Oh, that’s great! Hopefully she won’t be so tired anymore… Tell her I said thank you the next time you see her!”
Oh, man. Justice had to resist the urge to groan. Out of all the unruly ruffians he’s had to wrangle in his entire career, these kinds—the technically harmless but still rule-violating ones—were the hardest to deal with.
“Listen…” Justice sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “After Paradise Lost, I oughta be writin’ fines up for you for real now…”
Now that got Mi-an’s face to fall finally. “Aw, come on, sheriff… I—”
“But!” Justice held up a finger. “If I do that, the next thing I’m gonna hear is Gran comin’ up to me goin’ ‘Maurice! Maurice! Why’d you make that Mi-an girl pay like she done somethin’ wrong?’”
“Yeah…I haven’t done anything wrong…! I just built a bench because I thought Vivi would need it…”
Justice was suddenly subjected to Mi-an’s pouty face. It was like Nemo had caught him giving some dried fish to Captain, running up to see if he could spare a poor, little doggy some jerky. He winced. What a tactic.
“So…I’ll jus’ write you out with another warning, okay? Now normally, I don’t do this. But you ain’t hurt anyone like this, so I ain’t one to punish you like you did.”
“Oh, thank you, sheriff. I just—”
“But on the other hand!” Justice butt in again. “What…what can I do to get you to jus’...fill out the forms, Mi-an?! It won’t take all day…”
“Maybe not, but you guys do…!” A spark was suddenly lit in Mi-an’s eye, and she stood up straighter. The cutesy act was entirely gone. “Last time I filled out a form to help repair the stairs around town, you guys almost took a week!”
“That’s cuz we were busy dealin’ with the Moisture Farm…”
The builder stood her ground. “All the Geeglers were gone by the end of that day! And Wis got the Hydrogel up faster than the Dance-Off could happen!”
“And we had to get the paperwork for that along first.”
“And then why’d it take 5 days to get the one for the stairs done?”
“Minister Matilda was busy—”
“Minister Matilda thanked me the other day for building those benches!”
Justice’s mouth snapped shut. He couldn’t badmouth the minister. Overly meticulous as she may be…
He sighed. “Well, if the minister ain’t gonna badmouth ya for it… Doesn’t feel like I can either. Jus’... I guess…” Light almighty, was he really gonna say this? “...Jus’ don’t do anythin’ that she won’t approve of.”
Mi-an blinked a few times blankly, but then the switch flipped, and happy Mi-an was back. “Of course! I don’t think the minister will fault me for spreading a little extra telesis around!”
“Eh-heh, yeah…” Justice chuckled sheepishly. “Jus’ make sure ya get your actual commissions done first, mmkay? Don’t think anyone wants all this extra stuff to eat up time for your regular job.”
“No problem!” Mi-an flashed him a salute. “I just make extra time for it! It’s no big deal!”
A part of him shifted. “…You sure? Don’ be runnin’ yourself ragged all day, every day…”
“Of course!” Mi-an exclaimed again. “I’m more than happy to do it!”
Justice stared at her for a moment, the lines and the slight discoloration under her eyes catching his attention. But he simply pursed his lips. “As long as make you happy, then… Be sure to take care of yourself, you hear? Can’t charge that as a crime, but that definitely ain’t good in my books either…with anyone!”
Mi-an’s head nodded up and down rapidly. “Mm-hmm! No worries!”
With one last blip of hesitation, Justice pushed himself off of Mi-an’s wall. “Alright, well…that’s all from me. You have a good day now, Mi-an.”
“You too, Justice!” Mi-an waved him goodbye as he turned around.
As he made his way down the street towards the tunnel, he let out an uneasy hum. He was already planning on making his way over to Wis’s workshop to ask about the benches, but now he had something more important to talk to her about…
The voice stopped Rocky right in his tracks as he was making his way home from work. He always had to respect that voice. He turned to his left to see Granny Vivi, the closing of her store put on pause as she looked back up at him with her hands on her hips.
“How many days gone by now where I see you wearin’ that same dirty rag on your chest, young man? Please tell me that’s goin’ to be washed today or tomorrow…”
“Aw, Viv…” Rocky said, rubbing a hand to the back of his head with a sheepish grin on his face. “Work clothes, ya know? They’re meant to get all dirty! And they gotta air out, too! Whaddya expect when me an’ the boys are toilin’ around a hundred feet underground every day?”
“Gettin’ dirty’s one thing… But wearin’ clothes that are too battered up with your kinda work? That’s a no-no, hun. Might get yourself hurt!”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Rocky said, waving a hand. “We always got proper gear when we all go down there. No big deal!”
Vivi tsked with a shake of her head. “I don’t even need my glasses to see that tank top of yours goin’ threadbare… You got a spare?”
“Eh? I mean, of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
But Vivi didn’t answer. She was descending from her porch, lips pursed, heading out into the street where Rocky was. “And your pants? Are those still alright?”
“Uh…yeah! Still tough as nails. No holes in the pockets, either…”
Vivi walked a circle about him, squinting closely at every inch of his clothes. She looked down at his feet. “Those boots fit okay? You never wanna skimp on a good pair o’ boots.”
“A little old, but yeah! Steel toe. Nice ‘n snug.”
“Mm-hmm…” Vivi’s brow furrowed a little bit, scrutinizing the slight wear on them.
With one last sigh, she straightened back up. “Alright, hun, alright. Jus’ the shirt? Not too worryin’. I’ll have somethin’ for ya by the weekend.”
“Huh? C-c’mon, Viv, no need!” Rocky balked.
Vivi simply shook her head with a warm smile. “Don’t you worry, Rocky dear. Grandma’s got you covered.”
Try as he might, there was no way for Rocky to overpower Vivi’s kindness. Rocks and scrap always fell before the might of his hands, his pickhammer, his excavator…but the power of Sandrock’s grandma was simply unmatchable.
Vivi’s decisive blow came merely two days later, when Krystal came back from running errands with a package in her hands. “From Vivi!” she said. “She wanted you ta have this, apparently. Ain’t she the sweetest?”
Rocky unwrapped the soft paper bundle, finding two new tank tops and a sturdy, yet light jumpsuit. He chuckled as he unfolded his new clothes. He could never beat Granny Vivi in a fight when she killed him with kindness…but she was an opponent that he’d always be happy to lose to.
“Ooooookay. So, uh… I guess the first meeting of Ernest’s E… Book Club can come to order…”
Ernest sighed, looking at the chairs that he had gathered an hour ago in the apartment building’s common room. All unoccupied, save one with a very sunny Burgess with a copy of the book of the month in his hands. “Alrighty! I’m excited!”
Ernest let out a non-committal “Uh-huh…” before running a hand through his hair. “…Sorry for the low turnout, Burgess… Glad you could make it, at least.”
“Of course! I’ve been getting dizzy with all the scripture I’ve been reading lately, and then I saw your flyers and figured it was the perfect opportunity to try something fresh!”
“Mm-hmm…” Ernest was fighting the urge for his face to scrunch up. “That…that’s cool! I, uh…didn’t exactly expect you to be into this kinda book…”
Burgess’s brow raised. “Oh, me neither! I didn’t read the blurb beforehand and I just dove in…and then a murder happened in chapter 2?!”
“Yeah…” Ernest looked down at the cover of his own copy. Dark Illumination… Did Burgess just pick it up because of the title??
“It gave me the heebie-jeebies…” Burgess continued, shuddering a little. “Wasn’t exactly expecting it to be so…graphic.”
“Ah-hah, yeah, the author’s kinda well-known for his super visceral descriptions and stuff like that… Maybe I should’ve put warnings on the flyer…or maybe picked something lighter for a first meeting…”
Burgess rapidly shook his head. “Oh, oh, but! I had to put down for a night…didn’t sleep so well…but then after that! The detective came in…and then I was hooked!”
He flipped open his book, revealing a whole host of little sticky notes in a wide array of colors, teeny tiny writing jotting down where he had found clues and breadcrumbs.
“All of a sudden, I felt like…I was the detective! Piecing together all the evidence, watching what all the witnesses said… It was thrilling!”
Ernest blinked, mouth agape a little. “R…right?! And—and…the author set up the twist so well! Like when the serial killer—”
“—wasn’t actually a serial killer at all and all the police force just wanted to see it like that?! YEAH! It-it-it made me wanna go back and just read everything again! Look, I even brought in a whole new color of sticky note when I found all the bits I missed!” Burgess flipped the open book towards Ernest, pointing at a few bright red sticky notes with bold and scribbly exclamation points on them.
“Huh, you caught more than me… You sure that was foreshadowing?”
“Ooooh, listen to this…!” Burgess giggled.
On and on they went, page after sticky-noted page, theorizing and tittering at all twists and turns in the mystery. The cookies in the box that Ernest had brought for refreshments slowly disappeared one by one as he and Burgess sat engrossed in the world of the story for far longer than he ever expected.
It was only after the evening started to fall that they had run out of things to say.
“Well!” Ernest said, clapping his book shut. “I guess we can call that a meeting!”
“This was fun!” said Burgess. “Thanks for having me! When’s the next one?”
“Well…I guess that depends… I dunno if anyone new’s gonna be interested if…this is all we get for meeting 1… Uh—that wasn’t meant to be a dig on you, sorry.”
Burgess brought a hand to his chin with a hum. “Do you think…I can recommend a book for next month? I can try to get a few more people to come, too!”
“That’d be cool if you could. Fair warning though, I dunno if people want to read scripture or Church stuff outside of services…”
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on it! I think I have some stuff on my shelves that I haven’t gotten to…I can get everyone copies!”
“Yeah, yeah! That…that’s great.” Ernest felt the smile creep up on his face and he knew that he meant it. Maybe there was some hope from Ernest’s Excellent Book Club after all.
A/N: Had brainfog yesterday and couldn't get it to write 💀 So here it is todayyyyy
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“Alright, everyone! We have a special guest today for science class…give it up for Doctor Fang!”
There came a light smattering of applause from Andy, Jasmine, and Pebbles. None of them knew the doctor too well. Not unless they got sick. And as long as they were quiet, their doctor’s visit wouldn’t be painful, and they’d get a nice little Seesaian sweet at the end.
“Today’s lesson’s on the human body, so I figured that we could get an expert in to talk to you guys about how to keep healthy!” Jane said, looking over at the deadpan, but evidently nervous Fang. She gave him a little encouraging smile and a thumbs-up. Just like we rehearsed, okay?
“Yes,” said Fang, trying his best to project his voice. “Please…be patient. With me. New to this.”
“We’re gonna learn ya real good!” X squawked from his perch on Fang’s shoulder. “Don’t be nervous, sweetie.”
“Birdie! Hi birdie!” Pebbles exclaimed, waving his little hands in the air.
X was all too happy to respond in kind. “Hi! Hi! Eat your veggies!”
Fang cleared his throat. “Right. Health is…very important. Today we will discuss…nutrition.”
“Right!” Jane leaped in. She’d agreed to take every fourth or fifth line or so in the lesson, just to give Fang a little bit of breather room in between. “So, first question…what do you guys eat every day? Meals, snacks, anything!”
“Ma’s not a bad cook,” said Jasmine. “She’s doing it a lot more now! Used to be that she never had the time…so we’d always get Saloon food.”
Fang nodded. “Good to eat…food at home more. Restaurants can be…indulgent.”
“Well, ain’t no one trustin’ what Logan’s puttin’ on the stove, ‘specially not me,” Andy said with a frown, scratching his nose. “Veg? Meat? Mystery meat? The second it hits the heat it comes up black.” He let out a sigh. “Still miss Haru’s cooking…”
“Oooh…a la flambé,” X mumbled as Fang pursed his lips.
“Don’t eat…burned food. Not good for you.”
“Ah, don’t worry, I always try to cut around all the black parts,” Andy chuckled. “We’ve been relying on the good ol’ cold sandwich a lot lately.”
“Ma ‘n Pa…make lotsa meat!” Pebbles blurted out. “Pa don’ like veggies…an’ me neither… But Ma say we gotta eat them like meat! Get vye-da…vi-mins! Vi-ta-mins!”
Fang let out an approving hum. “Right. Vegetables have many important vitamins. And fiber. Helps your stomach.”
“Eat your veggies! Eat your veggies!” X crowed again.
“Can Ma…make veggies less yucky?”
Fang’s brow furrowed a little bit. “Not sure… Not good with cooking.”
“Well…” Jane spoke up. “I know that there’s different ways of cooking veggies that are real tasty. Better than just boiling them! Maybe we can try that at our next home ec class, Pebbles!”
Pebbles beamed. “Okay! Yummy things…”
Fang decided to move on to the next topic. “Now…do you all know what you should be eating? What kinds of food…are good for you?”
Jasmine’s hand shot up right away. “Oh! I know this! We need a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber! And even though they’re important, we should be careful about how much fat, salt, and sugar we eat!”
“Logan’s more on the seafood diet… He sees food, he eats it! Says that it’s the philosophy ‘on the trail…’”
Fang paused, considering both their words. Jane looked over, but saw no indication from him that he wanted her to take over. So she simply kept silent.
“Both of you…are right, in some way.”
Andy raised an eyebrow. “Huh? Wasn’t me, that’s Logan.”
“Jasmine. You are right. We need…many different kinds of nutrients…for health. Ideally we can balance them…accordingly.” He closed his eyes, his flat expression becoming more solemn. “But sometimes…it is simply enough to be…fed. Healthy. Unhealthy. As long as you are nourished.”
Jane and the children stared at Fang, wondering where this sudden shift in the doctor came from. Or least, for X to clue them into what he was thinking. But the bird was silent, merely preening his wings.
“Regardless,” Fang continued. “Food is precious. If it fills you, it is good. If it tastes good…if it is healthy…all the better.”
He reached into his bag, pulling out a little cloth bag with something sticking out of it. “It is good…to have something indulgent. Occasionally. Maybe…a little unhealthy. But good for well-being.”
He removed one of the sticks from inside–something wrapped in wax paper, sticky with golden syrup. He removed the paper to reveal four glossy red fruits, coated in melted sugar. The children’s eyes went wide. “What’s that…? Izzat candy?” breathed Andy.
“Tanghulu,” said Fang as he handed one to the entranced Pebbles. “Traditional Seesaian treat. Made with…hawthorn fruit.”
All three children were suddenly abuzz with energy at the unexpected snack time, babbling amongst themselves. Fang crossed the room and handed a stick to Jane, a slight hint of a smile on his face.
“Oh! Thank you,” Jane said, taking it and turning it over, admiring the pretty sheen of the sugar coating. “And…thanks again for coming in. Doing good so far!”
“Indeed,” said Fang. “Easier than I expected. This was…a good idea.”
“Kids and their candy!” X piped up. “Not too much, sweetie, you’ll get a tummyache.”
Jane hummed as she and the doctor watched the children enjoying their treat. She was still learning about the Sandrockers, but she heard several people in town preferred a little more space, the local doctor chief among them. So she was absolutely not expecting the man himself to visit the school after class one day and explain his situation. He had lived so long barely speaking…but he was gradually learning to do it more. He thought that a class with Jane would make for perfect practice (even with X there to help).
And from what Jane had seen so far…she hardly imagined that he needed too much help. He was far more nervous during their practice sessions. Even so…if she could help one of her neighbors in need with something like this…she was happy.
When everyone had finished their treats, Jane quieted the class down again to get back into the lesson, and Fang started up again talking about what the kids should do when they felt sick.
A smile couldn’t help but tug at Jane’s lips as she watched the children have their back and forths with the doctor, never once questioning his laconic speech.
A/N: This one focuses more on Andy and Wis (and also goes a tiny bit over 1000 words), but honestly I love it too much to really care 😂
---
Wis groaned when she saw a letter from the Commerce Guild in her mailbox. The best thing that Yan could ever say was nothing at all. Skimming the letter with a sigh, she ignored all of the pointed, unwarranted insults towards Mi-an, just trying to find what he really needed Wis for.
“Smarmy son of a bi—”
“Howdy!”
Wis hadn’t yelled so loud ever since the incident with Matilda at the Little Woods planting. She whirled around to find Andy standing a few paces behind her, looking fairly pleased with himself.
“Andy, what the heck!” Wis yelped, trying to regain her composure. “Don’t scare me like that!”
Andy only let out a laugh. “Heard ya got someone in need of…stickin’ to?”
Shit. He didn’t hear her swear, did he? Not that he didn’t know what swears were, probably. He was raised by bandits for a year or something. She let out a snort. “Wh…what are you talking about? Just got a letter from Yan, and he sucks. Nothing more than that. Just a Tuesday, really.”
“Exactly! My expertise is sniffin’ out slimeballs! An’ my service is doin’ them a service! If ya know what I mean, heh.”
Wis pursed her lips, tapping the corner of the letter against her chin. “…Ohhh! You’re gonna…extort him or something?”
“Maybe…” A grin creeped up the sides of Andy’s face. “One option. Depends on how ya wanna make that slimeball feel. I got a…very particular set o’ skills at your disposal, if ya get my drift.”
Wis returned his amused look. “Uh-huh… What’s the rate of your services, O Master of Mischief?”
“Already thinkin’ about payment, are ya?” Andy rubbed his hands together. “Now that’s jus’ grand…”
———
The rosy dawn once again draped its light over the humble roofs of Sandrock. Dew on the golden rocks glistened as the wilds awoke, or settled down after their night of prowling.
Jensen stood dutifully at the station, perhaps the only person awake at this hour, waiting for the morning train as usual.
Another beautiful, tranquil, Sandrock morning. One to steep in and admire.
…Swiftly destroyed by some unholy screeching on Main Street.
Justice looked up from his morning patrol, his horse Truth even stopping in his tracks. He frowned. Who on earth would be screaming bloody murder this early in the morning if not for some…well, bloody murder?!
He nudged Truth along a little faster. It sounded like it was coming from the other side of the square…
The noises still continued, just as horrified-sounding, albeit quieter. Justice quickly realized that it was coming from Commissioner Yan’s house. He stopped Truth and hopped off, turning upwards to shout. “Yan? YAN?! Did I just hear you screamin’? Everythin’ alright?!”
He could still hear Yan yelling incoherently through the upstairs window. He didn’t seem to hear Justice at all. Justice ran up to the front door and banged a couple times. “Hello?! Civil Corps! What’s goin’ on in there?!
No answer.
“If–If I don’t get an answer in 10 seconds, I’m gonna have to bust in! Someone’s in trouble here!”
He could still hear Yan from upstairs, and lots of clattering and commotion. Cursing under his breath, he took a step back and aimed his foot at the door handle. With two powerful kicks, one after the other, he managed to finally open the door to find—
—eggs.
Dozens, no—hundreds of eggs, white, brown, and blue, scattered all over the floor. Coating the floor, even. Not a single inch of floorboard or carpet could be seen. The force of the door opening already broke quite a few of them, gooey insides spilling out.
“What the hell…?”
Justice took one tentative step inside just as Yan finally came into view, seething with rage yet still trying to delicately step around and push aside the eggs that had been placed on the stairs(?!). Every inch of him and his PJ pants from the knee downward were completely soaked with freshly-cracked egg.
“Don’t take another step!” Yan screeched. “Whaddaya think you’re doing?! Get outta here!! Go find the little stinker that did this! That’s your job!!”
“Well hey now, Yan,” Justice said, reaching out a placating hand. “Jus’ makin’ sure you were okay first… Sounded like you were gettin’ murdered!”
“My clothes are murdered! My sheets are murdered!! Fine silk, all of ‘em!!”
“Okay, okay… I’ll help you fill out a property damage report in a sec, jus’—”
“Will ya go out and throw that booger Andy in the slammer already?!”
“Okay, alright! I’m goin’, I’m goin’…” Justice turned around, but not before pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.
What a morning.
———
“So what happened after that?” Wis leaned in, eager for details of sweet, sweet retribution.
“Aw, I gave ‘em the ol’ ‘Ya think I had the time to do that?! Where’s yer evidence of my crime?!’ Didn’t really work, but honestly? Bein’ grounded ain’t that bad. Don’t think anyone was all that fussed ‘bout Yan. Heh heh.”
“And they never figured out where you even got the eggs?” Wis chuckled, glancing across the yard at the chicken coop with her 6 darling, hardworking little birds.
“Nope!” Andy beamed. “They scratched their heads over it a ton but they ain’t never considered you! Everyone got a real earful full o’ Cooper when they blamed him, though…”
Wis laughed, reaching down to pull out Andy’s prize. “Well for that, I think we can say…job well done?” She set a bag of candy down on the garden table between them, full to the brim with sweets from Sandrock and even Atara and Highwind.
Andy’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Yeah…job well done…”
Wis held up a finger. “And! Just because you went through all that…” She pulled out a small stack of gols from her pocket. “…Some spending cash. Think of it as a tip.”
Andy’s eyes ping-ponged between Wis, the candy, and the money. “R…really?”
Wis gave him a simple nod with a smile.
The brightest, toothiest grin lit up Andy’s face as he snatched up his hard-earned due and ran off with a whoop. Just as he burst out of Wis’s gate, he turned back to shout one last time over his shoulder.
“You’re the best, Aunt Wiiiiiiiiiiiiis!!”
Wis froze in place from where she was waving.
Aunt…Wis.
She chuckled a little to herself. She quite liked the sound of that…
