Reth gazes down at his two most favourite people in the world. You’re laying in between his legs, eyes closed, while your arms hold the most important thing in Reth's life.
A baby nestles into your chest, its purple skin a major contrast against your own. The baby's a spitting image of Reth, same flush purple skin, pointed ears, and a coppery mop of hair
The afternoon sun filters in through lace curtains and the smell of soup lingers in the air. Birds chirp in harmony as they swoop around each other like flow. For once in Reth's life, this is where he wants to be, living the life he couldn’t even fathom having. No more cartel drama, no more debt. Just the life he feels like he never deserved.
You curl your legs up onto Reth's thighs as you stir. The life in your arms letting out a sigh as it grabs Reth’s finger with a chubby hand, placing it in its mouth before closing its muddy eyes back to sleep. The birds chirp to say goodnight as the sun settles down behind the mountains and Reth’s arms wrap around you and the baby, allowing himself to finally rest.
A/N: I hope we enjoy! I haven't been in the mood to cook something up but I thought I'd try. When I'm feeling up to it I'll expand some more on this part of Reth <#
Jel’s hands are surprisingly gentle as he maneuvers you, tilting your head this way and that, lifting one arm then posing the other. He’s almost completely silent other than the occasional hums of satisfaction or tuts of dislike.
It was easy to slip into this comfortably quiet routine with the designer. After you first arrived you had clicked with him instantly, your friendship blossoming slowly but in such deep and profound ways. Often you'd find him gazing out at the lake late at night and you'd slip a pretty flower or a snack into his hand when you joined him.
Now, months later, you were in and out of his store more often than Tish or Reth as he used you as his personal and private model, your bond tighter than anything you could have imagined.
He shakes his head, soft strands of hair slipping down to cover his face and you reach out to brush them away without even thinking. Both of you pause, his eyes wide behind his pink-tinged glasses. You freeze, face warming as you realize how intimate your movement was, Jel’s ears slowly darkening as well.
The slip of silky fabric falls from his fingers and before you can even apologize, his hand is on the back of your neck and his lips are on yours, stealing the breath out of your chest with the tender kiss.
“I've been wanting to do that since the first stitch I sewed on you.” he breaths out, his face flushed “I'm not quite sure what came over me.” he jerks away, brushing his hand down the front of his vest “I apologize for that.” Jel looks away, shame clear on his face “Hey,” you reach out and grab his hand “Why are you apologizing? Do you regret it?” he presses his palm to his chest in astonishment “Regret it? Absolutely not! I simply shouldn't have pushed myself on you like that, it was inappropriate and ungentlemanly of me.” you let out a choked laugh, moving to cup his cheek “I'd be okay with you being more ungentlemanly again.” his cheeks darken, if it was even possible for him to blush any harder.
You lean up and press your lips to his again and he melts against you, hands pulling you closer, ghosting over your waist then settling on your back, warm and steady.
When you finally part you're both breathless “Does this mean you'll wear my pin?” his words are hesitant and unsure, you just smile and kiss him again “I'll wear it proudly.” you can feel the tension dissolve out of him and he lets out an audible sigh of relief “I don't know what I would do if my muse said no.” Jel drops his head down on your shoulder, his face warm against the bare skin of your neck.
you basically sprinted out the door of the furniture shop as tish yells out one last thank you; smiling to yourself as you rushed to the tavern.
it had been about a week since you and reth confessed, and decided to give a possible relationship a try. it was hard, with reth constantly working and you keeping yourself busy with your own quests, you barely had any time to see him. you both knew it’d be hard, but neither one of you could shake your feelings for each other enough to not try. still, you saw him as often as you could.
as you enter the dimly lit tavern, you find reth in his usual spot behind the counter, wiping it clean as his eyes meet yours and he smiles.
“hey you!”
you blush, “hey, i brought you something!”
he rests his arms on the counter and leans in close as you take a seat, reaching into your bag you pull out a new recipe you finally mastered.
his smile grows, “macarons? i thought you didn’t like baking?”
“yea but i’m pretty good at making macarons now, and im learning a new soup recipe too!”
he chuckles, he loves seeing you try new things and take interest in his interests, it really makes him feel like you care about him.
“hey soup is my thing, you stick to baking.” he says and takes the pink pastry.
wc: 2983
tags: fem!reader, she/her reader pronouns, reth from palia, canon events (i guess could be spoilery?), finding your shepp, self indulgent writing, not proofread or beta read :D
masterlist
“Find a shepp,” you muttered to yourself with a sigh. It was hard enough trying to navigate this newfound world, let alone trying to find a shepp per Eshe’s request. Since spawning into this place they called Kilima Village, you had been thrown into task after task. How would you ever find the time to build relationships with the villagers if you were always busy? You decided that today you would take a break from being the errand girl for everyone and instead would meet everyone you could find in hopes that you would find someone who would be willing to be your shepp. Up until now, you had only briefly spoken to most of the town, but no one knew you well enough to be your shepp just yet.
As you came into town, you assumed that Ashura would probably have wise words of advice on the fact of the matter. Hurrying along, you walked into the inn to find Ashura at his desk.
“Hey, Ashura!” you said cheerily as you approached him. The large, gentle giant softly smiled. “Welcome in, y/n! Good to see you today. How are things going for ya?” he asked.
“Honestly? Well, I need some advice. You know this place, and the people, better than anyone, so I was going to see if you have any tips for me on picking a shepp?”
“A shepp? So that’s what Eshe has you doing, I see. Well, many of the townsfolk would be more than happy to be a shepp- but,” he gave you a look, “asking them to be your own comes with a lot of responsibility on their part. You don’t want just anyone to be your shepp, and it should be someone you feel close to or have a connection with.”
“Responsibility? Eshe didn’t really explain much of all this to me. I thought they just told Eshe ‘Yep, she’s one of us!’ and that was it.”
Ashura chuckled. “In a way, yes, that is what they do. But their job as your shepp doesn’t stop there. They’re responsible for you, so anything you do- whether that’s good or bad- reflects upon them, too. Likewise, anything they do can also affect your own standing in Eshe’s eyes, if you get what I mean.”
“Oh… so we are kinda tied to each other’s social standing?” The wheels in your head began to turn. Who would you choose as your shepp then? It seemed the task wasn’t going to be as easy as you once thought it’d be.
“Yes, at least in the beginning it will be. But once you’re on your feet, most of us will forget who you picked as your shepp and there won’t be a little red string tying you guys together anymore. But don’t just rush into it, you’ve got all the time you need to pick someone who best fits you and your lifestyle. I know you aren’t Majiri like us, but maybe figuring out what path you like can help you narrow down your candidates.”
“Path. That’s right! A lot of you guys have your own path, so maybe I should find one I could call my own as well. Thanks, Ashura! I knew you’d be a big help for sure.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s what I’m here for, of course. Kilima Village has a pretty good variety of those in different paths, there is a path for everyone- from farming, furniture making, to cooking- you’ll figure it out.” Ashura placed a hand on your shoulder and gave a soft smile before walking past you to go about his day.
There is a path for everyone. Surely someone in this town had a path you could find yourself in, you just had to figure out who it was. As you stood there, racking your brain through the makeshift list of names in your head, you heard the rumbling coming from your stomach. You had been so immersed in your search for finding a shepp today that you forgot to make yourself something to eat. You looked around the inn, seeing the bar open for business.
“What’cha got on the menu today, Reth?” you asked as you put your hands on the counter. The elf playfully contemplated his response, acting as if he was thinking long and hard about it. “Well, I would say my famous lettuce soup, but I’d be willing to whip up something different if you wanted,” he said with a smirk.
“As much as I love your lettuce soup, I don’t think I can have that for breakfast. How about some bacon-stuffed mushrooms? What do I have to do to get some of those on your menu?” you laughed. Reth was someone who was fun to talk to, in your opinion. You knew that the rest of the town had their own opinions about him, but none of it mattered to you. You enjoyed how go with the flow he was and how he always seemed to take each day one at a time.
“You know what, for you, I can make those. Just don’t tell people I make stuff off the menu.” He winked and turned around to start prepping the food. As you watched him chop the ingredients and assemble your meal, you wondered what his thoughts were on paths and choosing a shepp. “Reth, what do you think I should do about finding a shepp? Ashura said I should find someone who’s on a path that I can find myself in, but I don’t even know where to start.”
Reth scoffed to himself. “You sure you want to ask me about paths and shepps? I don’t think I’m really the best one to give you any advice on that, y/n. But if you wanna know how I feel, I think that these paths people take just because their parents do is a little outdated of an idea. I think what Ashura means is finding a path that you like, that you enjoy doing. You lucked out being human, even if you changed your mind, no one is really gon’ say much about it.” His tone changed towards the end of his sentence.
“Yeah, so I’ve heard. The Majiri don’t seem too understanding if you change paths… but I’m sure you know it all too well, but I’m glad you’re doing something you like.”
“Me too, this stuff is way more fun than getting splinters all day and hammering away on furniture,” he said as he put the plate of bacon-stuffed mushrooms in front of you. The food looked immaculate, you could tell it was made by someone who truly loved what they were doing.
Hey, Reth,” you said quietly as you started to cut the food into pieces. Reth turned around and wiped his hands on his apron. “Yeah? What’s up? It’s not good? Don’t tell me that, just lie to me,” he snickered.
“No, no. It’s not the food, this is good, great even,” you said as you finished a bite. “Do you think, maybe, you would be my shepp?”
Reth looked astounded by the question. “What?! ME ?! Y/N, I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself as a shepp. Maybe if I knew you better, but even then, you sure you want me to be that person? I don’t really have the best reputation in the village.”
You pushed the food around on the plate, almost feeling stupid for even thinking he’d agree to something so serious. It wasn’t like Reth to be tied to anything, let alone a new person in the village who was asking a lot of him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. You’re probably right,” you said quietly.
Reth leaned on the counter and met your eye level. “Look, if it comes down to it and you still don’t have someone, then I’ll do it. But there’s gotta be someone way better out there for your decision than this guy. But I will do it if no one else will-”
“Really?!” you exclaimed, cutting him off. Reth put up his index finger. “Yeah, but on one condition,” he chuckled. “You just have to promise to keep coming into the inn and having breakfast, lunch, and dinner here for a while before I really agree to it. I gotta know the person I’m shepping for before saying yes for real, don’t I?”
You rolled your eyes playfully. “You know what, Reth. I think I can do that, but only if you promise me you won’t make me lettuce soup every time I come in.” Reth laughed heartily at your response and nodded his head in approval. “Fine, you got a deal.” He made his way to the other side of the counter to take someone else’s order and began prepping their food for them.
It was hard not to watch in awe as he prepared the orders he had coming in. He was meticulous with his cuts and attentive to all timers in the kitchen, basically ready to take stuff out before the timers could even go off. It was like watching an artist paint a masterpiece as he plated the food and garnished it before passing it across the counter. As you continued to watch, you admired how much fun it looked like he had cooking. Finally, you finished your food.
“Reth,” you called to him as you placed your coins on the counter. “For the food.” You got off the seat and waved goodbye. “See ya later, Y/N! I’ll be here all day,” he laughed as he waved back. You left the inn in a better state than you came in, at least you knew that if all else failed with the rest of the town, Reth had promised to be your shepp.
ɞ────⋆˚₊⋆ ๑
The coming weeks didn’t bring any result in picking a shepp. Everyone was either too busy to commit to it or didn’t feel right with your relationship being so new with them. You walked into the inn and sat at the bar, laying your head in your arms and letting out a long sigh.
“Hey, hey, hey. This is a ‘no-sad-human-zone’, you can’t do that here,” Reth said as he leaned on the counter in front of you, resting his head in his palm. “Ughhh,” you groaned dramatically. “Wow, that bad, huh? I bet I know what will fix it.” He snapped his finger and walked into the back of the bar where the pantry and other cooking supplies were at. A few moments later, you could feel him put down a plate of food on the counter beside you. “This one’s on the house,” he said as you raised your head up to look at what he brought out. It was a fresh bowl of ramen, complete with boiled eggs and green onions on top. Reth leaned over and whispered to you. “Just don’t tell anyone I let you have it for free, okay?” He winked and grabbed a cleaning rag to start wiping off the counter.
You appreciated the sentiment, especially coming from Reth since you two were starting to grow a little closer after all the visits you had promised to make to the inn. “Reth, what do you do outside of this place?” Reth paused for a moment, a little confused by the question. “You mean like once I leave work? Uh… I do…. stuff, I guess.” His tone implied he wasn’t really trying to answer the question, but you couldn’t pinpoint why.
“Well, are you going somewhere when you’re done today?” you asked, not really sure where you were going with the series of questions.
“I have a few things I have to do later tonight, but nothing right after we close up here. Why? You tryin' to ask me to hangout?” He chuckled and kept wiping the counter.
“Actually, yeah. Do you want to?” You were still unsure yourself what was even going on, but the conversation just seemed to flow naturally. You did want to know more about Reth after all this time, and he did say he needed to know you more before officially agreeing to be your shepp. Short conversations over a meal while he worked weren’t really the best way for you two to get to know each other.
“Oh, uh,” Reth said, scratching the back of his head and smiling. “I didn’t expect you to actually say that was the plan. But ya know what, I think we can do that. Why don’t you come back later at say, 6pm? I’ll be finishing up here and we can go somewhere then. How’s that sound?”
“Sure, that sounds good. Thanks, Reth.” You started to eat your food as you noticed Reth checking the clock on the wall. “I’ll be right back, I have to.. Get a few things from the storeroom.” Reth scurried off out of the bar and rushed down the stairs to the basement area. After a few minutes, you felt a large hand on your shoulder. You turned to see Ashura standing beside you, he looked like he needed something.
“Have you seen Reth? I got a few things I need to talk to that boy about, but he’s always in and out doing things,” he said.
“He just had to go to the storeroom for something, but when he gets back I can let him know that you need him?” You gave a shrug as you suggested.
“Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks, Y/N. I have to head out to the garden, but he should know where to find me.” He gave a sincere smile and left the inn. You looked up at the clock. Reth had been gone for at least 10 minutes. What on earth does he have to even get down there? And what about his job? Luckily, the bar wasn’t full of people waiting on him, but what if it was? He would be in high water with Ashura come the end of the day, and you definitely didn’t want to see if that sweet man was capable of bringing down the hammer.
You glanced around the bar; it didn’t look like anyone was coming to get food anytime soon so you decided to go downstairs to see if Reth needed help with whatever it was he was getting. You got up from the bar and made your way down the steps of the inn. It was your first time down there, but the store room was just across the room past the little boat docks under the inn. As you grabbed the door handle, you felt it turn and pull open as Reth left the storeroom. “Oh! Uh.. Y/N, what are you doing down here?” he asked nervously.
“Well, you were gone for so long, I thought maybe you needed some help or something. And plus, Ashura said he was looking for you.” Reth let out a groan. “Yeah, I forgot I have some errands I have to run tonight for him. He’s probably just reminding me.” He let out a soft sigh under his breath. “We may have to reschedule our little hangout tonight, if that’s alright.”
“Yeah, that’s fine…,” you said. The two of you sat awkwardly in silence for a moment before you broke it. “Maybe I can help you with some of the errands so you get done early?” Reth’s face lit up at the offer. “Hey! That just might work.” He snapped his fingers. “How about you do a few of the deliveries and pick up some things, and I’ll take care of the rest? I promise the deliveries aren’t that bad, just a handful of things to take and pick up.”
His bright smile made you smile as well. “Sure, you just tell me where to go.” Reth pulled out his order pad and wrote down the people to deliver to and who to pick up ingredients from. “There, that should be it. Eshe’s stuff’s all done, just upstairs in the back fridge. You’d be a real lifesaver doing this for me.”
You took the list and walked back upstairs with Reth. He led you into the back kitchen area and got the delivery package out of the fridge and handed it to you. “Careful with it, it’s a luxury to deliver this special dinner of mine to Eshe. Gotta deliver it safely or it’s both our hides that’ll be skinned,” he chuckled. “And just let the others know you’re picking up for me, they should have the stuff ready for you. Thanks again.” He bashfully smiled, something you hadn’t really seen before, but it was endearing. “No problem, I’ll be back before long,” you said before you left the inn.
Eshe’s delivery was your first priority, so you made your way across the bridge down from the stables and found her waiting, impatiently to no surprise. “Hey, Eshe! Have something for you,” you said as you pulled the package out and offered it to her. You watched Eshe look at the package and then back up at you before taking it. “So Reth has you doing his job for him? Hmph, seems fitting. This better be what I’ve been waiting for, not like that awful lettuce soup he pushes every time you order at the inn.”
“He doesn’t have me doing them, I offered to just help him out. I’m sure the food he made is well up to par; he really puts in a lot of work into his food, ya know,” you said assuredly. Eshe scoffed at your reply and tucked the package under her arm. “For his sake, I hope it is. If not, he will surely hear about it.” She walked off towards her house and left you standing there alone.
“These people really feel some type of way about him, don’t they?” you mumbled to yourself.
⁞ Reth comforts you when you come crying into the Ormuu's Horn
WC: 386, GN reader, fluff
"Miss me or the soup, because it was pretty tasty-" Reth begins to chuckle, then his tone dies down into one of slight concern from behind the bar counter at Ormuu's. A blue rag swipes over the bench, mopping up what looks like another failed soup experiment.
You never stayed up this late, saying it would "overwhelm your system" or something like that. You had a set routine, and everyone knew it, especially Reth. And when you broke that routine, everyone knew something was happening.
You groggily walked behind the counter, dodging the cardboard boxes that had been left on the floor for days, not even bothering to bite back at him with a joke to match his flirtatious energy. His eyes had dropped and followed you like the scent of soup that clung to him.
"Something tells me you're not in the mood for soup..?" His tone rhetorical. You're standing in front of him now, shaking your head, tears threating to spill from your eyes. You wrap your arms around his slutty waist, not bothering to check if there's anyone else in the pub watching you. Tears explode into his chest, and sobs erupt from your mouth. You feel his muscles tense slightly before he places his hands on the side of your head, peeling your face up at him.
"Why don't we go take a break downstairs? I promise it's cleaner than the last time." His lips connect with your forehead before grabbing the 'On break' sign and placing it over the register, fully aware he won't be coming back, and closed the pub an hour early. You get spun around and walked out from behind the bar, Reth's hands on your shoulders while dodging the boxes he swears he'll clean.
He leads you down the stairs and into his storeroom. You make a B-line towards the sofa with stuffing falling out, and lie down on your stomach. Reth lets out an exaggerated groan and places himself onto the floor in front of the sofa, sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce. his head rests next to yours then a hand runs up your pink pajama shirt, rubbing slow circles over your soft skin. He placed another kiss on your eyelids this time.
"Tell your amazing boyfriend what happened, what type of soup you want, and why you're not in bed."
A/N: Art credit: Image 1 @bscoolart, Image 2 @valesyn-art-archive, Image 3 @sidheilustra-old, Divider by @cafekitsune
Neighbour!Reth, moved into the apartment next to you 3 years ago, and every Friday since, he insists that he comes over and cooks you his 'soup of the week' to let you de-stress off work, when in reality he wants an excuse to see you more than just in the hallway.
Neighbour!Reth, who smiles and waves at your doorbell camera each morning just in case you forgot what his charming face looked like since he did it yesterday.
Neighbour!Reth, waters your pot plants as well as his in the mornings, but lets you believe that you've kept them thriving, telling you with a wink, "They look REALLY good this week, though not as good as the soup I'm making tonight in your kitchen."
Neighbour!Reth, who keeps the spare key you gave him under his 'Welcome' mat, in case you lock yourself out for the 3rd time this week.
Neighbour!Reth, who ends up with you curled next to him in your bed, hands running through your hair while you sob softly after another fight with your partner. Him wishing he was here out of love and not because the same thing happens between you and your partner every week.
Neighbour!Reth, who can hear every word of the argument between you and your partner through the walls, wishing you would understand his hints at how much better he could be for you. Then goes and drops some soup at the door because he'll never say it out loud.
Neighbour!Reth, who see's that same partner enter your apartment time after time, sweet talking his was back to you, just for him to fix you back up, saying, "That's what friends are for, right sweet-tooth?"
Neighbour!Reth, who tells you exactly how he feels when you've fallen asleep next to him, but can't get the words out when you're awake. Because you're just neighbours, right?
A/N: I think this weekends fic is gonna be about the last 3 :3, EDIT: FULL FIC OUT HERE
Moonlight cracked through the curtains of the nursery window, spilling on the floor like soup spilled at the inn. An owl hooted somewhere outside, signaling that dusk had arrived for the night.
Reth was lying on the floor with a flower shaped cushion under his head, and an arm snaked up in between the bars of the crib next to him with his hand lying on a baby's back. It was a different feeling to the chaos each day bought. It was almost surreal. The image looked exactly like the quote “Like Father, like child.” A line of drool seeping down the baby's dusty purple chubby cheeks, while the exact same thing was plastered on Reth’s mouth.
You walked into the nursery after noticing the house was too quiet when it had a baby and a grown man in it. The only noise coming from the room was the hum from the white noise machine Hodari gifted you. Your feet stopped you at the door as you looked at the pure love in front of you.
Reth had the blanket you quilted for the baby wrapped around his slutty waist, which was quite strange for him, considering he went around saying he didn’t get cold and wore t-shirts and shorts everywhere. The Sernuk print curling up with the fold of the quilt.
You never realised how identical both of them were. Whether it be the noses, pale purple complexion, or the copper mess of hair, it was clear who’s baby this was. And you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Contemplating whether you should join them or let them have this moment, you tiptoed towards the two, making sure not to step on the floorboards that creaked with stories from age. You started to settle down behind Reth, arms wrapping around his almost non-existent waist, and your legs crossing around his own. Your lips place a soft kiss over the tattoos that wind around his shoulder before tossing the quilt around the both of you, letting the white noise machine sitting on the hand carved shelf made by Tish slide you into one of the best slumbers you’ve had.
A/N: I think I really like dad Reth 🤭 Im also not 100% feeling up to writing, but I can push through :)
Art By: @crescent-dawn, @lx1920jmax, @explosivewhales
You find a puppy and bring it back home, unknown to Reth.
Request from here by sweet Anon :)
WC: 457, GN!Reader
“Aren’t you just the cutest ever- Yes you are-” You coo towards the ball of a Muujin pup lying on its back on top of the bed. You scratch its soft tummy with a giggle, lacing your fingers between its fur. The pup lets out a howl while its tongue laps at your hand.
You were heading back home by the beaten track from Elderwood, peeling an orange with a pocket knife you stole from Reth’s bag, when munching sounds filled your ears. Cautiously turning around, you spotted what seemed to be a Muujin pup eating the scraps of orange peel at your feet. It looked awfully skinny with tufts of hair missing from its coat. You thought back to when you first met Hassian, and what he told you about Muujins. Apparently Muujin pups were hidden in dens, protected by their mothers. So why would one be eating scraps of fruit at your feet?
Unfortunately for you, decision making was never your best skill, which ended up with you scooping up the boney thing and carrying it all the way back home. It had to be abandoned otherwise it wouldn't be out here is what you told yourself. The thing you didn’t think about was that 1, you had no idea how to look after a fish, let alone a meat eating beast. And 2, your partner Reth had no idea. Reth did always say he wanted a Plumehound though. This was close enough. He was used to your rash decision making, despite him trying to make you think through things by saying something like “It’s like soup sweet-tooth, you can’t just throw anything into a pot and expect it to taste like my cooking.” but you stayed the same. Now there's a puppy on your bed and a shiny collar around its neck.
The porch door clanks shut, and footsteps approach the room.
"What' s cookin’ good lookin’? Is that Muujin Bahari I smell?” He steps into the room, then his eyes pop out of their place. He covers his mouth with a slap, then walks towards you.
“Reth! Don’t say that he’ll think you’re gonna eat him.” You cover the pup's ears with your hands, pouting.
“I am so sorry, little buddy.” Reth makes his way over to the pup, trying to keep his look of confidence on, but the way he walks says he’s scared it’ll jump out and attack him. He slowly places a hand on the pup's head, then turns his head to look at you. His eyes are glimmering like a kid on Christmas, getting exactly what they asked for. You grin at the two of them before Reth gives you quick taps on the shoulder.
“Can we keep him?”
A/N: This was my first request so its super special. I deeply apologise if its not the best. Work was terrible but I really wanted to do this for you <3
