A kid bumps into narinder and spills water on him, he doesnt get angry or frustrated, instead he comforts the kid
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I guess i didnt expect you to be good with kids."
"And why is that?"
"Um... you have this... aura about you? That screams you hate everyone else so i wouldnt have thought kids were an exception"
"kids are stupid, naive and innocent. They dont have ulterior motives or they dont use fancy words to hide how much they just want to use you. I think all kids deserve kindness... besides its just water."
A group of kids throw rocks at narinder and yell "go away you unlucky black cat!" Narinder makes a really scary face, opening his third eye, and makes the kids run away screaming '3 eyed monster!'.
Lamb thinks "what happened to all kids deserve kindness?" While narinder makes a really smug face at the running kids
The village dwelled around the hole without thought to its origin. Fondly called ‘the Ditch’ as a joke by locals, the pit was wide and started as a gentle slope before an abrupt dropoff. The rare visitor travelling through town marvelled at the pale grey colouring and unknown depth, but the locals only shrugged in response. The pit was nothing new. A trash dumping ground for many and artistic inspiration for others. The saying, ‘Respect the pit; fear the pit.’ was favoured by the elders and happily mocked by the younger villagers.
“No one really takes them seriously,” I remarked as I skirted around one such elder chastising a child for tossing her socks into the Ditch. “It’s just a big hole. I don’t get why the elders idolize it.”
“Freddy, it’s the mystery of it! Haven’t you ever been curious?” Friends since we were both caught swiping pies from Shopkeeper Barcle’s stall, Archie trailed behind me with a cocky grin aimed at any girl he saw nearby. His sharp eyes promising trouble were enough to lure the dumber ones.
“Nah, I care a lot more about reality.”
We ducked around the last of the market stalls. “Could become a reality.” Archie said in a fake whisper.
I raised a brow and looked towards the Ditch. “Yeah? How so?”
Archie grinned. “Legend says the hole was used for trapping criminals and lowlifes. If enough pile-up, they’ll be back for vengeance. Ma said she’d toss me in with the rest of ‘em if I got caught stealing again.”
“My brother told me it was a listening tunnel, and I should tell it all my secrets.” I laughed. “Course, this was before I knew how well the sound echoed around there.”
“Like when Moray snogged Olive on the slope? I learned new sounds women make that night. They echoed everywhere.” Archie tugged at some grass brushing his leg, twirling it absentmindedly. “You could probably wake the whole village if you threw some noisemakers in there.”
I raised an eyebrow. Archie winked.
Two hours later, we were on the slope with bells in our hands and shit-eating grins plastered on our faces. We puzzled over the best ways to keep them all together. Archie wanted to use glue, but I reminded him that we were both impatient bastards with no patience. Rope was more efficient. The result was a smash of bells, tins, cups and anything else we could find.
The moon was bright and full, casting a pale glow over the land. Archie wiped a hand through his ruffled hair. “That took forever. But it’ll be worth it.”
“Legendary. Years from now, they’ll be telling their kids about the weird sounds they heard from the Ditch one night.”
“They’ll ask, ‘Ma, tell us that one story about the Ditch.’”
“And Ma will answer, ‘Well Moray and Olive loved each other very much-‘” I broke off snickering as Archie gave me a shove.
“You just wish it was you and Olive on the slope.”
“Whatever,” I turned and hoped the shadow would cover the blush in my cheeks. “Let’s toss it.”
“And then run.”
I wound up and flung the contraption against the other side of the pit. It ricocheted with a deafening clang before gravity tugged downward. I watched for as long as I could and enjoyed how the noisemaker bounced off jutting rocks, adding extra echoes to the chaos. Archie plastered his hands over his ears and gestured for us to go. We ran into the forest across the village, laughing as lights flickered on in the windows.
“Satisfied?” I yelled.
Archie gave a triumphant grin without removing his hands from his ears.
It was another thirty seconds before our ears stopped ringing. My nerves were buzzing, the adrenaline coursing through my veins giving me the high I longed for. “Look, Archie! See how they’re all awake and scared? Running in their nighties because of us?” I crowed into the night and jumped at a low-hanging branch. “Legendary bastards!”
Archie plunked down on a log and gave a laugh. “That was exhilarating. My hands can’t stop shaking.”
We’d done riskier things than that, and Archie was never bothered before. I spared a glance at his hands. They weren’t trembling.
“Arch, what’re you on? Your hands-” I trailed off as I looked at Archie.
The log he was sitting on, no, the whole ground was trembling. My glee faded when a scream across the Ditch split the night.
“Freddy...?” He faltered.
I dropped to the ground and ran for the edge of the treeline. Almost the entire village was gathered at the edge of the Ditch in their nightclothes, half-awake children clutching their mothers and swaying with the ground. The Ditch was shaking and the colour, familiar as the back of my hand, had changed from pale to dark grey. The air left me in a slow exhale.
Archie caught up to me. “Well shit. Should we go out?”
“You joking?” I hissed, drawing back into the trees as one of my neighbours glanced our way. “I don’t want to be legendary for this.” Whatever this was. “Let’s circle around and join them. They won’t know we had anything to do with this.”
Archie nodded his agreement. We stayed low and relied on the dim light covering our moving shapes through the thick trees. I kept an eye on the Ditch and the growing crowd.
One of the braver shopkeepers, Kendal, decided to slide carefully down the slope, waving back those telling her to stop. The slope levelled out before the dropoff and Kendal stopped there before sliding onto her belly. She inched forward and peered into the hole before jerking back. The Ditch began shaking in earnest. “Run!” I could barely make out her yell as the other villagers scrambled backwards.
Archie tugged at my arm. “Freddy, maybe we should-”
A hand reached out of the pit. I froze as my eyes locked onto a scaly arm as thick as the trunk at my back. The arm was attached to a similarly scaled torso, which was led by a reptilian head. It pulled itself up and looked towards the village- tall enough to see the tops of our homes. A tail swished from behind. “You woke me.”
My neighbours froze.
“I did not want to wake.” The thing had a gravelly voice.
Shopkeeper Barcle stepped forward and said something I couldn’t hear. Archie clutched me tighter. The creature began its ascent up the slope with a sharp twitch. “The sound impaired my hearing.” It reached the top and dropped something to the ground. I shuddered as I saw the mangled remains of our creation. “This is an act of violence and I will repay it as such.”
“We didn’t wake you! You woke us.” Kendal’s voice was broken by a tremor. “And we-“
The creature’s tail whipped out and flung Kendal to the side with a crack. Villagers scattered with a scream as the creature lumbered toward my home.
No. “Wait-“The words escaped me in a rush of breath. I ran out from the trees and skidded to a stop behind it. “Wait! Please don’t do this.”
The monstrosity turned to face us. Its eyes were the same colour as the hole had been.
“Freddy…” Archie whimpered from the trees.
“There are innocent people here. Children live here! You can’t just…” My voice faltered at the thought of the destruction this thing could cause, at my people hiding in their homes.
“Wrongs will be made right,” the creature turned its head and I flinched at the sight of blood trailing down the side- the visible consequence of my noisemaker’s song. “One of my senses is damaged. I will not argue this any longer.”
“I did it. Not them.” My knees shook as I sank into the damp grass. “Please don’t destroy my home.”
The creature stopped and turned around, eyes narrowed to slits. “Why.”
“It was a joke. A stupid prank. We-I didn’t know you were down there. I’m sorry.” Thoughts of my family, Olive, and Archie flooded my mind. “Kill me and not them.”
The creature studied my kneeling form. “My race honours justice, and justice says reparation is due.” It paused before gazing at the moon. “But what is nobler than sacrifice to protect those you love?”
I glanced up.
The creature gave a huff of its scaled shoulders before slowing sitting down on a null. “I will honour both by giving one hour to leave this place. Then I make the land uninhabitable for centuries to come. And you,” the thing pointed a scaly finger at me. “Will be my ears.”
My hands subconsciously rose to cover my own. “I don’t-“
“You will stay and listen until I slumber again.”
If the village was razed, everyone would leave. “How will I find my family after?”
The creature’s tongue flicked out from its mouth. “I would suggest you accept before I change my mind.”
I looked up to see Archie join the rest of the crowd watching us. I opened my mouth in a half-question, half plea to stay. My heart plummeted when Archie tightened his lips and turned towards the village, jogging to keep up with the rest of the crowd.
The creature followed my gaze with a knowing tilt of the head. “Sacrifice is its own kind of love, even when unjustly portioned.”
I pushed down the rising anger at Archie’s cowardice and watched his back until he vanished from view. My best friend didn’t spare me a second glance.
I don't why I noticed this but, Wolfram's hair shines in the sunlight. When the sun hits him at the right angle, it shines like gold. It's weird. To think this way about another guy, but I couldn't help but look his way when it happened...and I can't get it out of my mind.
It feels really odd thinking about it like this. I mean, Wolfram's a guy! But even I can admit his hair is fantastic. Any woman in this kingdom would die to have hair like his. I wonder if he uses Lady Celi's shampoo?!
But that's not really the point here, is it? I guess the real point is that...Wolfram's hair seems to have this look to it.
Like its been kissed by the sun. And hugged by the wind.
In the darkness is my neverending home, and the chill of it resides within my heart. I have always known this.
He smiles into the night, baring his teeth like a feral animal.
"Loki?" Thor mumbles sleepily, reaching out for the place where he had lain. He begins to wake up upon not finding him there. Loki sighs. "Go back to sleep, Thor." he commands softly, so as to not wake him farther. Soothed by the sound of his voice, Thor sighs and drifts back into sleep.
He rubs a hand across his weary eyes. How have I found myself in this mess?
Asgard, Odin, Thor. I, a Jotunn.
Again, his hand brushes his face, feeling the unfamiliar smooth skin. But even more strange to him is the warmth.
That is the problem, the reason for his sleepless nights, as he presses against the windows in vain, hoping for a a cool draft. Thor will be irked if he tries to open the windows again, and there are no other reliefs for him. Even in this form, he craves the chill of winter that is denied to him.
He presses his forehead against the cool glass, indulging in the all too frequent weakness of letting his mind liken it to the ice windows of the Jotunn.
And in that moment, he feels the ache within ease.
