Chapter Text
The human woman left the Majiri tailor’s shop in a perfectly fitted and stylish outfit that...despite her reluctance to take advantage of such a good friend...Jel had insisted on gifting her for her celebration.
“From one Master to another,” he told her proudly. “Plus, it is always a pleasure to dress you, my Dearest Muse!”
Tish had been there, as well, of course – especially since she was the best of friends with both of them. Plus, as Reth’s sister, she had a stake in his happiness, too – even if that whole issue was something that she and the human had carefully not discussed...for many reasons. Consequently, she simply hoped that everyone would benefit from her assistance on this occasion...and that they might have more than one cause for celebration before the night was over.
In fact, Tish kept that goal in mind as she helped to pick out the perfect accessories for the woman’s outfit while she also managed...by some miracle...to arrange her friend’s usually neglected hair in long flowing waves over her shoulders to showcase its natural beauty.
“Big Brother’s not going to know what hit him!” she cried out joyfully when she saw the end result, however.
The other woman did not say anything, but she just flushed in embarrassment at the affirmation that Tish obviously already knew. After all, up until that point, she had purposely not talked about it with her best female friend – mainly because of her familial relationship to the man in question. She simply did not want for Tish to feel indebted to her, either - or for her to possibly try to talk Reth into doing something that he may not really want to do.
She knew that Tish would never do something like that on purpose. However, it was quite easy to believe that the woman, as a sister and a friend, would probably just think she was being encouraging and supportive in such a situation, instead.
Still, the idea that the man would only agree to be with her out of obligation had always been the human’s greatest fear when it came to pursuing a more-than-friends relationship with him. It would be even worse if his sister had unknowingly pushed him in that direction, as well.
Nevertheless, she was still grateful for the other woman’s obvious support of at least the idea of her and Reth. Plus, she really appreciated the fact that Tish had obviously restrained herself and remained discreet up this point. She was a true best friend.
So was Jel – especially since the tailor just stood back and watched them both with an even more smug look than usual upon his face.
Therefore, as the human thanked both of her friends with a warm hug, she tried her best not to worry about it and to focus on the immediate problem at hand, instead. After all, she was far more nervous than she thought she would be.
In all honesty, the way her friends fussed over her appearance felt a bit strange to the human – probably because she was used to dressing much more simply. In fact, she usually just wore a sturdy work outfit with her hair pulled up and out of the way. After all, she spent most of her time outdoors and always put her clothing through some serious abuse while foraging, mining, hunting, and fishing. The rest of the time, she simply worked on her homestead or helped Ashura and Reth out at the Inn.
Consequently, besides her Welcoming Ceremony...and just a couple of other stiff and uncomfortable celebrations arranged by Eshe...there was hardly any need to ever dress up, at all.
Not even a little bit.
Nevertheless, after the woman thanked her friends profusely for their hard work, and then crossed the path over to the Inn, she realized that she actually felt pretty for once. Thus, she could not help but to wonder what a certain chef would think about the new look...no matter how temporary it might be.
Will he like it? she wondered. Will he like me?
In fact, she could not help but to worry a little about his reaction, despite Tish’s reassurance.
After all, Reth was almost always on her mind – perhaps even more so now that she had spilled her complicated feelings for the man out to Ashura. That had happened just a few days ago, too...when she had returned from completing the difficult Forager’s Gamut. That success, in return, had provided the last little push needed to level up enough to attain her Mastery...which was what all the current fuss was about in the first place.
Even though she had tried to convince Ashura that she did not need a fancy celebration, he...and Reth...had insisted on not only throwing the party, but also making all the arrangements themselves. They would not let her do anything except verify the guest list. In fact, when Ashura realized that almost the entire village would be in attendance, he decided to move the celebration back a few more days in order to better prepare for it and to actually close the Inn that night for the private party, as well.
When the human, embarrassed by all the fuss over her, tried to insist that it was not necessary to cancel the dinner rush, and that their original - simple and small - afternoon plans had been just fine for her, she was immediately overruled. In fact, the older man...her Shepp...the one who had become such a strong father figure to both her and the cook...just laughed heartily.
“Everyone will already be here to celebrate you, Lass!” he explained. “So there won’t be anyone left to come in for dinner, anyways. Plus, doing it this way will help Reth and give the lad more time to prepare his menu. After all, he’s determined to do his best for you.”
At this shrewd play on Ashura’s part, the woman just narrowed her eyes at the man. After all, he knew very well that she would not complain about anything that could make Reth’s life a little bit easier...not after what that man had been through...or how she felt about him.
“That’s all settled, then? Good!” The big man clapped his hands together as he smiled at her knowingly, but with real affection, as well.
Consequently, she just sighed in reluctant acquiescence. She knew when she had been beat.
“Fine!” she murmured. “You win.”
Ashura beamed again...and she finally could not resist returning the pleased look with one of her own. After all, despite her protests, it did make her very happy that the two men cared enough about her to go through so much trouble on her behalf.
She knew that Ashura cared about her just as a father would for his daughter. She really appreciated having him in her life, too - especially since she had arrived in Kilima in such an unconventional way and, thus, had no family of her own. However, she just wished she knew in what way Reth cared about her, too. She only wanted to be sure...one way or the other...if he felt that same way that she did. Either way, it would make managing her feelings and knowing what to do about them so much easier.
As it was, the uncertainty of it all made finding complete happiness...or closure, if necessary...an impossible endeavor. In fact, she felt like she was in a constant state of limbo and could not move on in either direction.
Nevertheless, even though she only wanted to be with him, she held firm to her resolve. As she had previously explained to Ashura...and purposely not explained to Tish...she would not push the man into a corner by confessing first. She would not make him feel obligated to be with her – no matter what.
She simply cared too much about him for that to happen.
~~~~~
At the present moment, however, the woman immediately headed from Jel’s shop over to the Inn through the back entrance. She simply did not want to get in the way of the preparations in the main room. Apparently, Ashura had also asked Badruu to perform that night, so the two men were setting up a little stage area by the front desk. It sounded as if Delaila and Nai’o were in there helping, too.
The human considered Ashura and Reth to be her main family in this new world of hers, of course. However, the warm and welcoming Daiya farmers had really become a second family to her, as well.
I'll have to remember to give them all a nice Thank You gift later, she made a mental note to herself, and take some time to go help out on the farm next week, as well. They always seem to have more chores than they can comfortably handle, after all. Plus, they didn’t have to go through so much trouble tonight just for me.
Those grateful thoughts temporarily took backstage, however, when the woman reached the kitchen. In fact, she gasped immediately upon her entrance to Reth’s domain when she saw the sheer amount and variety of food that had been prepared there. Apparently, the man had even brought his portable Market stoves in to help with the load.
“What’s all of this?" she asked in disbelief. “Oh, Reth! You shouldn’t have. There’s no way I deserve for you to work this hard for me!”
“Too late now,” the man replied in his usual lighthearted manner as he stood with his back to her and stirred the last pot one final time before he moved to lift it off the stove. “Just think of it as my personal Chef’s Gamut...and you most definitely do deserve it. Well, actually you deserve more and better, so much better, but...”
His words dropped completely...as did almost all of his brain processes...when he turned and saw the lovely woman who stood there. In fact, in his distraction...as he stood with his mouth open and stared at her...the pot he held tilted dangerously towards the ground.
“It’s a bit much, isn’t it? she asked with understanding...and just a little bit of disappointment at his obvious shock over the way she looked...as she grabbed a dishtowel and helped steady the pot in his hands before it spilled and burned him. “I told Jel and Tish that, but...of course...they wouldn’t listen. They had to do it their way. You know how they are.”
“No!” the word came out in a bit of a forceful croak as the man hurriedly set the heated pot down with the others before he gestured at her and started to babble a bit – just like he always did when he was nervous or emotional. “It’s not too much...not at all! Fancy Pants, you just look so fancy! I mean, you always look great, but tonight you look greater...Wait!...I mean,” Reth paused to sigh. “I’m just going to stop talking now...before I make it worse...if that’s even possible. But, you do look...Wow!”
The woman could not help but to laugh a little then. After all, the man was always cute, but he was extra adorable whenever he was flustered.
“Thanks, Reth!” she just replied in relief that he actually liked what he saw. In fact, his reaction was exactly what she had secretly hoped for...and it made all the fuss worthwhile.
“So,” she said with cheeks that had flamed a bit during his expression of admiration, “how do you want to set all of this up?” she gestured to the food all around them as a distraction...a barrier to better disguise her feelings. “Let me help you do that much, at least.”
Out of curiosity, she lifted a few lids and looked closer. She could not help but to notice then that the dishes contained all of her favorites.
“Oh, Reth!” she murmured as she thanked him again for his thoughtfulness. “Everything looks delicious!”
The man’s first instinct was to joke. “Of course it does! I’m the one who cooked it!” Then, he rubbed the back of his neck a bit nervously as he added in a more serious tone. “I mean, what kind of celebration would it be for you if you didn’t like the food? Plus, this way you can take all the leftovers home with you and not have to cook for a week.”
“But then I won’t need to come here to the Inn and have you to cook for me,” she cheerfully pointed out the main problem with that plan.
“Oh...right!” Reth considered that unexpected factor before he nodded in agreement. “Okay...bad idea...scratch that. Change of plans; we’ll leave the leftovers here and then I won’t have to cook for a week.”
They both grinned at each other for a moment over the increasingly ridiculous conversation before the woman took charge again.
“About the set up?” she asked again and pointed to the food.
“Well, I was going to line everything up and serve from the bar area,” he explained.
“Absolutely not!” She shook her head and vehemently denied his statement after she realized what he meant. “What are you thinking? You’re not on the clock tonight and you’re not ever going to be my servant. You’ve worked so hard and I want you to enjoy the party, too. In fact,” here she paused and flushed a little as she tentatively put a small piece of her heart out on display for him. “I was actually hoping that you were planning to be my escort, tonight, instead.”
“What?” This time he was the shocked one and he automatically flushed, as well, even though it was not as obvious against his light purple skin as it was against her pale peach tones. “But...I mean...you’re the guest of honor...everyone will be looking at you. If I’m next to you, they’ll see me, too! You...you don’t mind if people see us together?”* he asked incredulously as if such a situation had never occurred to him.
In fact, his heart threatened to beat right out of his chest then. All he could think about was when Ashura had just reminded him a few days earlier that the woman obviously did not care about things like his undeserved reputation for deserting his original Path in order to take care of his sister.
If the Old Man had been right about that, Reth could not help but to wonder, does it mean that he was also right about the fact that she’s probably waiting for me to be the one to confess my feelings first?
“Of course not!” she replied emphatically to his last spoken question as she accidentally broke into his subsequential musing that she just could not hear.
“Don’t be stupid!” she added as she placed her hand on his arm and smiled at him to soften the misleading harshness of those words as she went on to really explain. “But it’s also true I never want to make you do something you don’t want to, either. I admit I hadn’t really thought about it putting you on the spot, as well, and making you feel uncomfortable. I was just thinking about myself and how much better I would feel if you were there with me. Therefore, please don’t worry about it. I don’t really need an escort anyway. After all, I’ve never had one for any of Eshe’s parties, either. As long as you’re there, I’ll be happy. Just save a little time and conversation for me, please...okay?” She patted his arm reassuringly before she started to turn away. “So, about those dishes...”
“No!” His hand automatically shot out to grab hers before she could move very far. “I...want to...be your date. I mean...your escort! I really do!”
Despite the fact that he could barely get the words out, he meant it, too. In fact, he knew he would be Palia’s biggest idiot if he turned such a chance down to be so close to her all night...and to show the entire village that she actually wanted him to be the one by her side.
“Are you sure?” she asked seriously despite the thrill she felt as he used the word “date.” She pushed past that, though, in order to continue. “You can be honest with me, you know. I promise it won’t hurt my feelings. After all, I don’t want to take advantage of you...or for you to ever think you owe me anything. In fact, that would actually hurt me so much worse in the long run.”
As she had told Ashura, that was what she was afraid of most when it came to a possible relationship with the man in front of her.
The Human and the Majiri stood there like that...hand in hand...for a long moment where time felt like it stood still just for them. Meanwhile, they just looked at each other as they both recognized how personal their conversation was starting to get...and how close they were to approaching the real issue that still separated them.
Is that what she’s afraid of? The realization suddenly hit Reth like a thunderbolt. Is that why she didn’t give me the lily the other day...and why she broke down with Ashura after? Does she think I would only agree to be with her because of what she’s done for me? Could it be true? Does she really like me...that way...despite everything? How in the Dragon’s name could she ever believe that I wouldn’t really want her, though. That’s crazy - especially since there’s absolutely nothing I want more! I’ve got to tell her...
Reth frantically opened his mouth to say something ...even he was not sure what it was going to be...when the woman finally dropped her eyes...and his hand...before she looked towards the food again and completely changed the subject.
“Okay. How about this?” she said, instead. “Let’s line it all up...as you suggested...but then just leave out a lot of serving spoons...one for each container. It can simply be buffet-style tonight. Everyone can serve themselves. Since we all know how much she hates being at the Inn with all of us commoners, Eshe probably won’t show up anyway, and there is nobody else who would be horrified by that kind of arrangement. After all, we never stand on ceremony here at the Ormuu’s Horn, anyway. Therefore, it will probably be easier and more enjoyable for everyone to get exactly what they want for themselves. In fact, let’s go ahead and set that up now. Then...if you really do want to be my escort...or even if you don’t...well...you still have to run over to Jel’s to get ready, anyway.”
“What?” the man asked, still thoroughly distracted by their earlier intimacy where...for one brief moment...as they held each other’s hand...he thought that he might actually be able to break through his own worry and insecurity and be able to tell her the truth.
“Sorry, I tried to protect you, I really did. However, Jel’s apparently already picked out an outfit for you, too. Otherwise, he was afraid that you would attend in your soup-stained tatters. Those are his words, by the way, not mine.” She smiled at him again cheerfully. “To be honest, even though I think you look great in everything...even your so-called tatters ...I just can’t wait to see what he has chosen for you to wear. He has such great taste, you know, so I’m sure that you’re going to look downright dashing!”
Reth knew then that that no argument he could present...even to himself...would ever succeed. After all, at that point - especially after what he just realized - if she wanted him to attend in a baby diaper, he probably would have. He guessed in a way, that sort of proved her point and her fears about him. However, he knew without a doubt that even though he really would do anything for her, it would be out of genuine feeling...not obligation. He would just have to find a way to convince her of that!
Therefore, he should be grateful that she was only turning him over to Jel’s tender mercies...and not using her obvious power over him for something much more evil...like forcing him to become Eshe’s personal chef.
Dragon help me!
The terrifying thought of working for that demanding woman actually caused a chill to creep up his spine. However, he did not feel a whole lot better when he thought about what the perfectionist tailor was probably going to put him through, either - especially since they were going to be in a hurry. After all, the party was supposed to start soon.
Nevertheless, if the wonderful woman in front of him actually wanted him to be visibly at her side...in front of everyone...instead of hidden away in the kitchen...then he had to look the part and not embarrass her. Therefore, whatever Jel had planned would be absolutely worth it.
Reth realized that he might have been a bit too hasty with that decision, though, when the woman continued.
“By the way, Tish is over there, also,” she added the warning entirely too cheerfully. “She said she had a couple of great ideas, as well. I think she said something about your hair.”
“Not my precious hair!” Reth groaned. “Is it too late to change my mind?” he asked half-heartedly.
The woman just laughed. “Yes! Since I had to suffer, you do, too,” she replied lightheartedly.
However, the feel of her touch as she placed her hand on his arm again gave him all the incentive he needed...as well as his determination that they would definitely continue that earlier conversation as soon as possible. After all, he had to know if he was right or not about the way she felt. In fact, he practically vibrated with excitement at just the thought of it.
Nevertheless...as he thought about the special treat that he had made just for her and had hidden away in the kitchen until later...he determined that he would wait until after the party to give her the gift and to talk about it. In fact, he wanted for her to thoroughly enjoy her moment and her recognition without having to worry about him and his feelings.
After all, she deserved it. She had worked so hard ever since her first day in Kilima, when she appeared out of thin air at the Phoenix Shrine with no memories of her previous life and nothing in her possession but the clothes on her back. That was the very definition of starting from scratch...and from that...she had worked her way up to at least one Mastery, and was well on her way to several more!
She is so impressive! Could someone like her really want someone like me, though? he wondered once again. However, as strange as it may seem, he actually felt much more hopeful about the situation than he ever had before.
Therefore, with her help, the man just finished arranging the food as quickly as he could. Then, he would head on over across the path and let the design-mad duo violate him in unspeakable ways in preparation for the evening’s celebration. At least that way he could be back by the woman’s side as soon as possible.
“Good luck!” the only person...besides maybe his sister...that he would be willing to do such a thing for, called out playfully to him as he was finally on his way out the door to meet his doom.
However, he could not help but hope that it would be actually be the kind of doom that might actually help him...them...on the way to a lifetime of happiness, instead!