Roam With You [Torin]

[Destyn]

Roam With You

21 Frost, 121

Destyn wrinkled his nose.

"It would be strange, I think, to be around other Fae. We are all so different and I am, I think, stranger than most. My clan were, you know, Old Order Fae. We are more of the Everwilds than most of my kind on Ransera. Strangers to your world. That is, I suspect, why people look at me funny when I do certain things. Because I do not know how to be in a city or to do things that most people find normal..." He considered, "Like having my own room." He offered what he believed to be a particularly pertinent example.

"But whatever the case, I am, for some reason, not eager to seek out other Fae. My clan were my people, not my race. Many are as strange to me as dragons or pangolins." He seemed lost in thought for a moment, but his eyes snapped back to Torin at the mention of his apprentice.

"Someone else who bounces?! Lead the way!" Destyn beamed, bouncing on the balls of his feet as his shirt tightened with the movement of his wings beneath. He followed Torin down and out, finding himself nervous to make another acquaintance, even if he knew it was child.

"Hi!" The Fae grasped his hand and shook it once, "I am Destynrael or just Destyn." He tilted his head and looked quizzically upon the young human as he withdrew his hand slowly, as if sudden motion might scare the child off like some frightened fawn.

"I have a room here now for some reason, but you can visit me in it whenever. I do not usually like to be alone, and if I do I have wings so I just fly away to somewhere where people... aren't."

Roam With You

[Torin Kilvin]

Torin imagined what it would be like to live in a city where there were no other humans. He thought that he would like to be around his own kind sometimes, but he supposed there were many different kinds of humans and if they didn't speak a language he knew or if their culture was very different, it might not be pleasant after all. He shrugged to let Destyn know that he wasn't going to push the suggestion.

Timon practically was bouncing when the two older men entered the little shop. He had been told to stay and let Destyn get settled before pestering him, but Torin had felt it only fair not to make him wait if Destyn was also eager.

The way that the young human was practically quivering with interest was brought, somewhat, under control as Timon attempted to act more like an adult, even though it seemed that Destyn did not stand on ceremony.

"Hello. I'm Timon. Torin'th apprentith." The boy's lisp came out more when he was excited, so, it was prominent. The statement seemed to momentarily confuse him but he plowed on, waving the hand that had been released, "Of courth you have a room! You live here now, why wouldn't you have a room? I bought thome appleth and other fruitth when I went to the market. I do motht of the th..." Remembering that he was trying to grow out of his speech impediment he settled himself and tried to speak more slowly,

"I do moSt of the Shopping. Torin doeSn't like doing it, and he truStS me." He was beaming by the end of this, both from the conquering of his sibilants and because he was a trusted member of the business. Realizing, belatedly, that he hadn't gotten to his point he began hurried to finish.

"I got the fruitS for you. BecauSe you don't eat anything elthe." The last word seemed to have been forgotten, but Torin was proud of his progress even as he winced at the exaggerated interpretation of his explanation of Destyn's dietary restrictions.

[Destyn]

Roam With You

21 Frost, 121

When Destyn was curious, his mannerisms reverted to something borne more of nature than civilisation. His head would tilt sharply, like that of a bird or a bug, and shift to view the point of interest (in this case Timon) from slightly different vantage points.

The lisp seemed to confuse him and, at first he knitted his brow accordingly. Although Destyn's Common was quite practised, he needed a moment to process different accents, dialects and other such peculiarities so he missed a few words before realising Timon's 'S' sound was forgone in favour of a 'θ' sound. Once he recognised that, his brain was able to edit the words back toward comprehensibility. As he went through all these mental gymnastics, though, he retained a friendly smile.

"It is nithe- er, nice to meet you, Timon!" He looked from the lad to the man and back a few times. "Are you related? Your names are similar, and I have noticed that sometimes humans like to do that sort of thing within their families, and I could see a resemblance... Torin! Is Timon your son?!" He stared wide-eyed and unblinking until his question was answered, then shifted his gaze back down to the diminutive Timon.

"I like fruit. May I have some now?" He tilted his head sharply again, "But this is false that I eat only fruit. I also eat..." His gaze danced away from Timon and quickly scanned their surroundings. Sure enough it was only a few seconds before he found an errant cricket that must have followed them in from outside. He leapt to the floor and snatched it between two fingers, holding it aloft as he rose, to show Timon.

"Also buggies. Do you want this one?" He held it out to Timon, hoping he said no, because crickets were delicious.

Roam With You

[Torin Kilvin]

For a moment Timon thought that the tall Fae was mocking him, just when he'd started to gain some control, his friendly expression darkened to a frown. Thankfully, Destyn's artless enthusiasm was enough to correct the youngest member of their household quickly enough not to spoil the introduction.

Torin kept back, on the threshold between the shop proper and the tiny storage area behind it, letting the two find their own rhythm. He had encountered members of other races who believed that humans were much more inter-related than they were. At first, he had struggled to correct them but then he had realized that, in some way, they probably were all related. Certainly, a part of his mind thought that all Fae’ethalan were to some degree related. Once things were settled he would ask Destyn about that, actually. He knew his friend had a mother and others related to him but how, exactly, the race reproduced was still a mystery.

The smith shook his head at the question, gently interjecting,

"Timon is only six years younger than I am. I would have been his father by the first time we met. Human's can't have children until they are physically mature." He gestured at himself as he stood then, knowing his friend remember how small he'd been on their first meeting.

Timon himself looked a little surprised to realize how small the age difference was, but the adolescent forgot when the conversation turned back to food.

Opening and closing his mouth to try and answer several times as Destyn overrode him Timon looked to be a little in shock. Normally he was the one who spoke the most in any given situation, his Aunt had often chastised him to hold his tongue, but neither Torin nor Aurin had done it so far. When the offering was made he wrinkled his nose,

"No... thankth. I don't eat bugth. Aurin threatened to make me eat wormth when we went camping. Do you eat wormth? Do you go camping? Aurin Said we could go again once it waSn't So cold. Do you know Aurin. He'th Torin'S..." He hesitated, glancing at his employer before lowering his voice to a stage whisper and saying behind one hand,

"SpeCial friend."

Torin's face began to fade redder immediately.

[Destyn]

Roam With You

21 Frost, 121

Destyn stared blankly at Torin for a long moment after the human denied fathering Timon. Slowly his gaze turned back to the boy, and his eyes narrowed as he sceptically surveyed the similarities between the two. He was still squinting slightly with suspicion when his eyes landed back on Torin and remained long enough for him to reply:

"I do not know how humans work!"

No sooner did Timon phonate the single syllable of the word 'No' than Destyn closed his teeth around the cricket, which let out a satisfying crunch as he chewed it to bits. His contented smile was dismissed by Timon's question,

"Worms?! Nooo!" He grimaced, "Worms are good and helpful. I try not to eat things that are helpful- Only things that hurt other things. Like Mosquitoes. They eat people, so I eat them. This is, I think, justice?" He glanced to Torin for confirmation, because there were some aspects of an organised society that still escaped him. He had come to understand that laws were somewhat different from rules. They were more structured and codified than the rules that led his day-to-day tribal life. When there were more people, more rigid structures needed to be implemented apparently.

"No, I do not know Aurin." Destyn tilted his head and furrowed his brow with concern, "But... but but, Torin?" His eyes turned glassy and his expression pitiable as he tipped his face downward and looked at the human from the top of his eyes.

"Am I not special? And and Timon? Are we not also special friends?" Torin was certainly special to Destyn. All (or rather both) of his friends were special, because they were so few. Perhaps Timon would make three, though. He already had a good feeling about him.

Roam With You

[Torin Kilvin]

The youngest of the three watched dubiously as Destyn consumed his prize with enthusiastic speed. It was not disgust that caused the expression, more doubt.

"But Cricketth, are good too. They Sing and mulch the garden." He crossed his slim arms over his chest, like a professor in a debate with another professor awaiting a rebuttal.

Torin was still trying to keep a straight face after being scrutinized as though he might lie as to the nature of Timon's parentage. He couldn't fault his friend, he equally did not know how Fae’ethalan 'worked' and was sorely tempted to ask if Destyn was a father; if he had been making babies since before they'd met. But he put the thought away for later and held his tongue to let Timon and Destyn get acquainted. At least, he did until Timon made reference to Aurin in a way that made the smith's eyes go wide and his face very red. When the reference was not understood he, momentarily, thought it was better, but then it was worse. So, much worse.

Swallowing and trying to imagine himself elsewhere he cleared his throat and said,

"You are very special to me, and Timon." Though he might not feel particularly kindly to his apprentice at just that moment.

"Aurin is... What Timon meant is that Aurin and I are..." Lowering his voice, not to a whisper but just quieter he finished, "Lovers."

He did not know if Destyn had had lovers, or even been married, before his tribe had been lost. The thought sobered him and helped wash away some of the embarrassment he was feeling. Looking back up from where his eyes had been studying the countertop he looked for signs that the new line of conversation might be triggering his friend.

[Destyn]

Roam With You

21 Frost, 121

Destyn shrugged at Timon's counter, and declined to defend his position beyond uttering the phrase:

"These are our ways."

Torin's flagrant embarrassment quickly caught Destyn's attention, and the young Fae watched him with befuddled interest. At first he though perhaps Torin was embarrassed that Timon had placed this Aurin person above him in the human's friendship hierarchy, but as he elaborated it seemed unlikely that this was the cause.

"Oh." Destyn grew uncharacteristically quiet, as he considered the implications of that designation: 'Lovers'. He knew that humans were prone to pair off into couples or clusters and that they placed a more ponderous emphasis on sex than his own tribe ever did. He didn't properly understand what lovers meant and now he felt embarrassed, too, about his own ignorance on the matter.

After an awkwardly lengthy pause, Destyn turned his attention back to Timon.

"Anyway. Do you have any good storybooks? I like myths and things like that the best. I learned Common from storybooks. I had a teacher, too, but he knew I liked the stories so that is how he taught me. I still feel that I have much, much to learn..." His eyes turned, again, to Torin and he looked a bit sad.

"I wish there was a school for people like me who are grown but from other cultures. I know my people are from another realm, but in Kalzasi I am feeling that more strongly than ever before. Like I am a stranger to this place and all your ways are new and baffling.

"But... Can I have some of the fruit now, though?"

Roam With You

[Torin Kilvin]

Timon might have been upset by the phrase that sounded like a brush-off, but instead, his eyes lit up, as if he was being given secret knowledge. Meanwhile, Torin watched, apprehensive as his friend grew quiet upon the revelation of the smith having a lover. Perhaps Destyn did not understand the common euphemism, or perhaps he did and it upset him for some reason.

The notion that Destyn might think Torin and Aurin could have children together was both amusing and embarrassing all over again.

Timon considered the question before pulling an unhappy little face that seemed to pull the Fae into it rather than leaving him outside.
"I only have bookth on Fiananthe, FinanCe, like math and stuff, right now. Torin bought some Shelves though, So we could get thome fun bookth. There iS a book Seller down the thtreet, if you wanna go look thometime. Do you have any money?"

The combination of corrected sounds and lisped sounds was odd even for Torin, but any mention of it would only discourage the boy, so he kept it to himself and hoped Destyn was able to understand him, at least. The last question made the older human wince inwardly. It wasn't something he had wanted to broach with his friend, having no intention of requiring living expenses from him. Timon seemed determined to skip ahead regardless of the answer,

"I could anSwer queStionS when you have 'em. I won't laugh at you. I have a lot of queStionS thometimeth."

He blinked at the last question and then,

"Oh. Thure, I left it all in the kitchen. Come on." Taking Destyn by the wrist he began to pull the much taller man along, beginning to list all the types of fruit he had bought, asking which kinds the Fae was partial to without seeming to need to stop to listen to the answers, or breathe.

[Destyn]

Roam With You

21 Frost, 121

Destyn frowned and parted his lips to inquire after clarification. He didn’t know what either finanthe or finance were. They certainly weren’t words that he frequently came across in his reading nor in his day to day life. But before he could pose his question, it was already answered albeit to appalling results.

“Maths?!” He stuck his tongue out in apparent disgust. “That is so boring, though! Why would anyone write about that?” It seemed the insect-eating Fae drew the line at math books.

“No, I have no moneys. I do not need any and I do not understand how it all works. I can find my own food without paying for it and people have let me borrow their books so I do not own any of my own.” The concept of rent or mortgage didn’t come into the discussion, because it didn’t occur to Destyn that people had to pay for such things. He figured humans just claimed their homesteads and built their houses with wood they chipped with their own hands. That made him sad, though, so he didn’t even dwell on his groundless assumptions over much.

He smiled obligingly and followed where Timon led to regard the array of offerings. He adopted a serious expression as he examined the platter, stroking his chin like an old sage.

“This is good, Timon. This is good work.” He plucked up an apple slice and bit into it. “All of these are good fruits.” He might have sounded like he’d caught a lisp of his own, as his mouth was full of apple when he spoke. After a moment he gulped it down and popped the remaining half into his mouth with a crunch.

“That is yum.” He said plucking another slice and offering it to Timon. “Did you try?”

Roam With You

[Torin Kilvin]

The younger human shrugged one shoulder as he led the way into the house.

"It can be boring but I like it, SometimeS." The last word was doubly emphasized, to pronounce correctly and to imply that he did not like it all the time.

"I'm good at math, I have private lethonth with Lady Kala and KauS." Timon was quite proud of this, assuming the Fae would know who he was referring to. "I can help Torin by minding the Shop and working out coStS, expentheS, that Sort of thing." The pride in his voice other this should be easier to understand, even for someone who had likely never worked in any sort of mercantile business.

"I could teach you about money." This was with complete confidence, as it was now Timon's trade to work with money. "It'th not that hard, onthe you get the hang of it."

In the kitchen was a great deal of fruit arranged on a platter that had probably been intended to hold a great roast for a family or feast.

"I know what appleS taSte like." He said, with a tone that said this should be infinitely obvious, but he also took a slice of the fruit and ate with similar rapidity to Destyn.

The two continued to chat, munching away, as Torin entered the house, carrying Huntress, who seemed to be feeling left out and had been whining at his feet as soon as he'd locked up the shop and tried followed his housemates. The little animal was nuzzling up under his chin, licking at him, and he suspected she, too was hungry.

Once they were all in the warmth of the kitchen together he went about preparing and feeding the puppy before slicing bread and cheese to add to the feast of fruits Timon had meticulously prepared for them, figuring there was nothing wrong with a simple meal shared between friends.