(I just thought of this idea for a plot point and I’m not sure if I’m gonna make it canon or not but imma try it out cause it's the only thing on my mind. (Also this kinda goes for all this but none of this is permanent or entirely canon its all apart of the development process))
(Anyways, I’ve never written this trope before but I really like the tired old hermit and happy little kid bringing them out into the world trope. Soooooo)
Prompts by @oc-growth-and-development
Also this plot point in general is lightly inspired by @givethispromptatry (I’ll link the specific prompt in the comments)
Knock Knock Knock.
Nope. Kaemon would not be answering the door, she had stopped doing that a long time ago. They would just assume she wasn’t home and would leave.
Knock Knock KNOCK.
She still wouldn’t budge; she sat on the couch reading a book that she had gotten at the night market a month ago.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. KNOCK.KNOCK.
Kaemon finally looked up from her book for a moment in utter disbelief. Who could possibly be this persistent?! She was a model citizen nowadays. Who the hell would need to get into her home this badly?
She finally succumbed to the dreadful noise and hoisted herself off of the couch, and paced to the door. When she opened it she saw the bright-eyed face of a little kid. Of course. Who else would be that curious about her house?
“What do ya’ want, kid?” She grumbled, leaning against the frame of the cottage door.
“Hey, are you immortal?” The peppy kid beamed, showing off their one less than normal toothy grin.
Loaded question, yes, that’s a kid alright.
“…no.” She lied after a quick pause.
The child huffed and crossed their arms, “Then why are you still alive?”
Kaemon raised her eyebrows. This kid just absolutely had no clue what boundaries were.
“Why don’t you get off my lawn.” She used her best grumpy old man voice.
“Why?!” The kid stamped their foot, “You didn’t even answer my question.”
Kaemon sighed and closed the door, careful not to squish the kid’s fingers.
“Hey! I’m still talkin’ to you!!” Came the muffled voice from the other side of the closed door.
Kaemon leaned against the back of the door, and slid down to the ground, defeated. She hated doing this, hated shutting everybody out, but she had already lost so much. It was easier to shut them out, than to let them in just to lose everything again.
“I can hear you’re still there!” Kaemon could tell that the kid had pressed their face to the door.
“I just got a couple questions!”
“Please, go away.” She mumbled in reply, her head in her hands.
“No!” They squealed stubbornly, “Not until you answer a few things, you can even stay inside if you want.”
“Fine.” She just needed the kid to stop.
“Good.” Their voice was triumphant, “Well, first off, my dads say that you’re related to us, so then I was all like, ‘Why doesn’t she come to family reunions then?’ And they were like, ‘Cause’ she’s not that closely related and she lives far away.’ Then my dadda said, ‘also she’s probably dead.’ Then, daddy hit dadda and said that, ‘that wasn’t nice.’ So, then I asked where you lived and they told me, but I was like, ‘that’s not far away!’. So now I’m here.”
“Uh huh.” Kaemon replied, only half following, “So… what’s your question?”
“I already asked!” They banged once on the door again for good measure, “Why don’t you come to family reunions? And why aren’t you dead?”
She sighed, “I don’t go to family reunions cause I don’t have a family anymore.”
“Yeah you do, my dads said so.” They pouted. “They don’t lie, they’re grown ups.”
“I’m serious, kid, I don’t have a family anymore. That should be a good enough answer for you.” There was a knot in her throat, it hurt so badly to talk about stuff like this.
“Pff liar.”
It was silent for a long moment.
“I’m not gonna leave until you answer my question.” They insisted, “You ARE Kaeloumon, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you ARE actually immortal?”
“Sure, kid.” She sighed, “Any other ridiculously heavy questions?”
“Woah!” They breathed, amazed, “Were you always immortal? Do you have like, special powers? How many times have you died and not even known it? Do you know what death feels like? Are you friends with the spirits or something? Do you even feel pain? That’s so cool!”
Kaemon felt like she had just been stabbed several times in the chest (one stab per question), which since she was immortal, she did actually know the feeling of.
“I would literally rather do anything than answer any of those questions.”
“Anything?” The kid perked up, “You would do ANYTHING?”
“My special powers include wish granting, kid. Yes, anything.” She replied with sarcasm dripping off of every word.
“Awesome!” They giggled, “Well then, my wish is for you to come to a family reunion.”
“Can’t I just bake you a cake or something instead?” She groaned.
“You said anything!” They protested.
“I’ll make you a deal.” Kaemon was desperate, “I’ll let you come inside just this once and I’ll even write a letter to your dads so that you can prove once and for all that I’m not actually dead. But! You have to promise not to come back or tell anyone else that I’m here.”
It was silent again. The kid was weighing their options.
“Never ever?” Their voice was quiet, “And I can’t tell no one?”
“Right.”
“Open the door.”
“First you have to promise that you’ll obey the deal.”
“Fine! Come out and we’ll shake on it.”
The door creaked open, Kaemon had lifted herself from the floor. She held out a hand, mirroring the one that the kid was already holding out. They shook. And apprehensively, Kaemon let the little kid into her house.
She had no knowledge of the crossed little fingers the child had behind their back. Nor of the plans they had already made to bake a bread and have their dads come with them to deliver it to her door. Nor of the walks in the garden the two would have. Nor of the love she would have to let back into her heart.
No, she was blissfully unaware, but she did admit that she smiled a little when she saw someone finally occupying one of the four chairs at the dining room table. One of the four chairs that were never occupied, but she refused to move. One of the four chairs that hadn’t been used for hundreds of years. Finally, someone, something more than a memory, was sitting there. It hurt, but the pain was sweet. Maybe even necessary.
Inktober Day 3: @animedumbass ‘s adorable Kaemon and my Ran. I had some issues with this, mostly because I’m not super great at drawing him, but tadaaaaa
For the lux series How about winter cabin, home, a date night, going to a friends wedding, learning to surf or do some sport activity, going to a bookstore, getting ice cream, umm yeah idk I just miss those edits lol
Dude............ these are all amazing I’m going to do ALL OF THEM I LOVE DAETY/KAEMON (have we decided on a ship name yet?)
