[ P ] A Sort of Fairy Tale with You

F

ather had been elderly since before Cian’s arrival, gray and brutish. He tried to imagine his father in his younger years, tried to imagine him as handsome and charming, but this proved more difficult even than considering Clover’s tales. Father and son shared similar eye colors, though not identical, but the similarities ended there.

Memories of his mother were more welcome, and he nodded his auburn head. ”Green eyes – mum has green eyes, the color of new leaves in the spring. And she looked like – like a Highlander. Like me. She never quite fit in with the Mainlanders,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

”Come 'n lay down!” He looked at the freshly prepared bed, made just for him, but the youth could not help but hesitate. His deep topaz eyes moved from the bedding to Clover, then back again to the special little spot. ”What about you? You have had a long day, as well.” Another yawn threatened to part his maw, but he held it back. ”You should take that.” It seemed preferable to give the most comfortable spot to his friend – no, his best friend.


@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

"A

h, yes...green eyes. I love the color green." She internally admitted her defeat in the guessing game, forgetting about it as she tried to imagine what his parents truly looked like. She put together a mental image, projecting it outward as though they were standing next to him, glancing between the imaginary figures until she was satisfied.

When she began to coax him into laying down, Cian attempted to turn the tables on her. She shook her head and pointed with her paw towards his broken tail. "Yer the one with the injury here, mister." Once more, Clover patted the bed with her paw and smoothed over the rough patches. "Now c'mon and get comfy! When you're settled, I'll curl up with ya. How's that sound? We got a deal?"


@Cian

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck

”W

e got a deal?" At the suggestion that he should have the comfortable bed – and that Clover would also have that same comfortable bed – seemed to surprise Cian, though after a day such as this one, could anything really be shocking anymore? Deep orange eyes had grown wide again as he looked between the sleeping spot and Clover. It seemed like something he should not do, but he could not say why. Then, maybe it was not bad, at all?

”Er, well–” That strange feeling coursed through the young male again. ”O-okay, if you, uh, if that’s alright by you.” Carefully, he settled his oversized body into the small spot, attempting to make enough room for the much smaller lass. His expression was one of nervousness – and bliss. Another wide yawn parted his jaws, smiling sleepily. "I -- I hope you sleep better than ever before. And, uh, the very best dreams for you, too."

That night, he would dream about a future that was now his to create and decipher, a world in which the army and its way of life was nothing more than a far distant memory……. But it was not just the two of them in this dreamscape, no, there were more, but he could not distinguish who they were meant to be.

To be free was a dream far greater than Cian had ever dared to conceive. To be free meant happiness. After this day, Cian understood it intimately. To be beside Clover was a fairytale come true. The former Mainlander youth would sleep well that night in that mystical place.

/end


@Clover

art and code by Yahtzee-Penguiduck