Earrings [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczMHHvb7xpx_Yf2fCUqyB3YYI9h5HWzB3E2GdGdVK3QV1uRfhfviPuSOIreufAULQY5vIIPx83BvjyUMb2DA8J1eEncwEU2vWVcURkjirEgP5VNUivK2tvL91idsARve1mL--dv99USI85n7HnHdAj7E=w639-h958-s-no-gm?authuser=0]
As Dazien, Phoenix, and Patricia left the AOA building, a small black kitten with tiny wings landed on his face with a hungry yowl, fur covering his entire field of vision.
“Bliss! You cannot just blind me and beg for treats every time we run into each other in public!” Dazien scolded as he tried to extricate the newly ascended chimera from his braid and hoped he wouldn’t need Phoenix to fix it.
She let him pick her up under her front shoulders and peered at him with the largest green eyes possible as she pitifully begged, “Mew?”
He gave a heavy sigh, “I don’t have any treats right now. Uriel’s not here, and I’m not sure when I’ll be able to convince him to go outside with me again.”
“You know he didn’t actually break up with you, right? I explained that before we left,” Phoenix reminded him.
He nodded towards her as he pulled Bliss against his chest to hold her better as the little beastie seemed to be actively sniffing at his hands as though searching for hidden morsels, “Yes, but his conditions still remain. I need to apologize and give him a proper answer.” He glanced down at the deceptively light Emerald Caster and said, “Until then, no more treats.”
Bliss’s jaw dropped as she looked at him as though he had slapped her and insulted her entire family with the unfair threat of treat-withholding. Then she gave the most morose meow of a whine that sounded like she had just witnessed the death of a loved one, and he looked towards Phoenix, hoping she might have something to save him from the despairing wail.
Phoenix grinned and held out a palm where a freshly baked muffin appeared as his sister tried to pacify the shameless manipulator, “Here, Uriel made these this morning.”
Unsurprisingly, Bliss abandoned him as she launched herself at Phoenix and began eating right from her hands instead while balancing on her arm with a series of purring noms.
He glanced from the chimera to Phoenix then back at the muffin, “How come you didn’t share one with me earlier? You know I love Uriel’s baking…”
She smirked and said, “No more treats until you apologize, remember?”
Dazien sighed again, and glanced over at Patricia who was swiping and touching furiously at the glowing glass tablet in her hands that she seemed to never go anywhere without lately and asked, “Do you think it will be safe for us to go to the Market District in the inner city?”
“Absolutely not,” the noblewoman replied without even bothering to look at him.
“What if Bliss goes with us as our Emerald Caste bodyguard?” Phoenix asked and he was glad for the assistance.
He glanced back at the kitten who was already in the process of licking the crumbs from Phoenix’s palm, “If that’s alright with you and Chriss? I want to restock a few things and find a suitable apology gift for Uriel. I definitely owe him one this time.”
Phoenix scrunched her nose at him for some reason, but Bliss answered, “Yes, then more treats.”
Patricia then replied without looking up from her tablet, “That should be fine then, but I will be sure to hold Noble Stratford responsible if anyone assassinates them in the street.”
His sister gave a laugh that slowly turned into a nervous chuckle when nobody joined her. She turned to him and asked, “She is joking, right? I mean, sure, the whole cannibal cult thing just happened, but nobody’s going to attack us in public like that, right?”
Dazien mulled over the possibility and then hedged, “Maybe we should use our cloaks, and perhaps your Prism Brush can help, too.”
“Seriously?”
“Just a precaution,” he replied, chuckling at the incredulous look on her face. “I doubt anything will happen, though, since nobody will really be expecting us to be there. Most people never really expect to run into a celebrity just going about their shopping.”
She scrunched her nose at him again, “That almost sounds worse than being a Saint for some reason. We’re not really that famous, are we?”
“Did you already forget the incident at the Quicksteam?”
Phoenix matched his heavy sigh, “Right. I guess thinking of it that way actually helps with understanding what to expect whenever we go out. Celebrity disguises are serious business.”
“I think turning our hair black will be enough to blend in more, though there’s not much we can do for your glowing complexion. At least we won’t be as iconic with the hair change.”
The kitten tilted her head as if in serious contemplation, and he wondered if she was mentally talking to her party like they could or if she was trying to picture them with the suggested style update.
Phoenix grinned, “We’ll match Bliss better, too. Like a trio of siblings.”
Dazien laughed, “Are you just trying to collect family members now?”
“Nothing wrong with more family,” she replied with a small huff and gave Bliss skritches behind the ear.
“Just don’t let Chriss think you’re trying to steal Bliss from her… I remember seeing that door label in her little locket space, and I’m pretty sure she’d lock you up in her prison for even attempting it.”
Phoenix glanced down at the kitten, who helpfully meowed. She suddenly froze in place and tensed up as her eyes went wide.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, wondering what might have happened.
“Um, apparently I can speak chimera now? Or cat? ‘Cause I totally just heard her say that I’d be fine ‘cause Chriss only locks up monster people,” Phoenix replied before turning to look at him and asking, “Chriss doesn’t believe Uriel’s proclamation of being a monster, does she?”
The kitten chuffed in response and started grooming her wings.
Dazien shook his head and rubbed at his face, “No, she’s never attacked him before as far as I can recall, and I’m pretty sure he would have mentioned it to me.”
He glanced up as the sun peeked out overhead and reminded him that time was indeed still passing, “We should probably get going. Hopefully, I can convince Uriel to accept my apology by tonight if we hurry.”
“We’ll have to take the long way since I can’t portal an Emerald Caster yet,” Phoenix reminded him.
“Let’s stop by the estate really quick with Patricia then and—”
“Oh, I’m not going back there yet,” their aunt interjected, “I need to go to the Cultivator’s Citadel and see about raising the prices of supplies to the AOA as well as discontinuing our endorsement of Adventurer Acolytes.”
“What? Why?” Phoenix asked, and he grimaced at the reminder.
Patricia glanced at him with a raised eyebrow as he admitted, “While I told her we didn’t really need the AOA to do the things we wanted to do, I didn’t think to explain the potential political ramifications of the choice. Honestly, I’m not even sure of the extent of those myself since there’s not much detail about Saints in the Scholar’s library. We really need to get access to a better one once we leave. However, I believe the impact any Saint would have would likely be on par with an Arch Priest, if not an Archon, right?”
Phoenix looked at him in surprise, “Wait, why would—”
“I’ve told you before,” Patricia interrupted again, “Everything you do will be seen as a political action. You are the politics. A Saint is normally an Obsidian Caster and a proven manifester of a deity’s will by granting blessings. They are usually equated to Archons in the hierarchy of most temples. You are at least half of that and will likely be seen as some sort of prodigy because you’re not Obsidian yet but still a Saint. If the Saint of the Celestial Pantheon has renounced being an Adventurer with the AOA, many people will see that as a very strong sign that something is wrong with that organization.
“When the inevitable rumors spread throughout the city that a staff member of the AOA was serving the Maniac and sent the Saint’s party into a trap, not to mention the number of Adventurers that had been captured and killed previously, trust in the AOA will see a sharp decline. This branch will likely be investigated by the Central Leadership, too, and might risk their own charter as an ‘official’ AOA branch,” Pati finished explaining, and Phoenix looked horrified by the extent to which she had just condemned this entire building beside them.
“This is probably for the best, Phoenix,” Dazien said, “Honestly, there is obviously some corruption and a more official investigation from an outside party that the AOA Central Leadership sends in will be a benefit to those who might have suffered further otherwise. Perhaps if they rectify the danger we would be in, we can rejoin them someday when we return.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Phoenix rubbed at her forehead and said, “Can we just ignore all the politics for now and go get whatever it is you think will make a good apology gift and hide back at home? We don’t have another mission to worry about tonight, do we?”
Dazien felt a smile tug at his lips as his sister attempted to escape and decided to be merciful, “Not tonight, but I’ll get us all signed up for the wall rotation with the Ducal Guards tomorrow.”
He indulgently gave Bliss a pat on the head as the kitten gave a wide yawn and tried to snuggle into Phoenix further, “Let’s go before all this boring talk causes our bodyguard to nap and not pay attention anymore.”
She grinned back and happily nodded as she led the way for them all back towards the Wayland estate. It felt odd to be the one trailing behind her for a change as he watched the mess of red curls act as a beacon through the crowds.
He wasn’t as concerned about the people around them, with both Bliss and Patricia beside them as an Emerald deterrent, but he still felt on edge whenever someone’s gaze trailed after her and lingered a bit too long. It reminded him far too much of his own childhood and the eyes that would follow after him.
When she glanced back at him as though to make sure he was faithfully following and gave him a brilliant smile, he found himself idly thinking it might not be so terrible to always follow his Princess towards their next adventure.
----------------------------------------
“So, what exactly makes a good ‘please forgive me for almost destroying our relationship’ gift?” Phoenix asked as she glanced around the still-recovering marketplace and followed closely behind Dazien.
They had spent quite a few Sapphire Bits to turn his magically-infused hair to a jet black, but she thought it still stood out with how it shined like polished onyx. The cloak helped, though. She doubted it would be worth it to keep changing it every time they went out, but it was nice to have the option for when they wanted to stand out less.
Luckily, Dazien assured her that they likely wouldn’t need to worry about such things once they left the tundra since nobody would know who they were unless they told people so… and didn’t pull any flashy stunts. He had seemed to stress that last part for some reason.
“Well, it definitely needs to be something more personal,” Dazien replied as he stopped and turned into a shop she didn’t recognize.
“Jewelry?” she asked as she glanced around at the glittering pieces of metal and gems behind glass cases. There seemed to be quite a bit still available compared to some of the empty shelves she had noticed in other stores, and she wondered if it was simply due to them being less critical for surviving a blood moon.
“Sparklies are definitely a requirement for survival,” Tala retorted in her mind as she hid under Phoenix’s hood, much like the neck-warmer Bliss was currently acting as. The chimera scarf had become all but lost to her senses despite wearing her, as Bliss activated some ability that seemed to fade her out of existence after becoming more of a decorative snake necklace.
After stopping to don better disguises at the Wayland Estate, she had insisted Tala ride along after expending her [Starlight Qi] so her disguise wouldn’t be ruined by glowing.
“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration,” Phoenix replied but paused as she saw a lovely silver brooch with amethyst and sapphires inset in the shape of a star, “I did promise you some new shinies though, didn’t I?”
“Yes! All the yeses!” Tala happily replied, and she could feel the little bird practically vibrating atop her hair.
“Well, that’s beautiful,” Dazien said from beside her, and she jumped slightly, not realizing he had rejoined her.
“I was thinking I could turn it into a necklace for Tala,” she explained, “I owe her for a couple of my own mistakes.”
Her brother chuckled, “Sometimes gifts can convey more than words.”
She scrunched her nose at the idea. He surprised her by tapping her nose with a finger and said with a laugh, “Don’t make that face. I know you’re not fond of receiving expensive gifts, but I’m not talking about just throwing Bits at someone to buy affection or forgiveness.”
“Well, why don’t you do something more handmade then? That’s what they would have most of the children do for their parents,” she asked, trying to recall the few times she had given people gifts or been given some. Whenever she got gifts for others, she tended to get things that were crafted by her, like the bracelets they all wore or the housewarming gifts she had gotten them when they first moved in to live with her. The time invested in crafting always made them seem more… well, more valuable in a way.
Dazien shook his head, “Aside from the fact that I’m not a crafter in any sense unless you count childish attempts at making costumes, Bits can show that you value someone. Especially when they know you to be a frugal person, as Uriel knows is true of me. But like I said, the Bits isn’t the point; it’s the thought behind the item that’s most important.”
“So, why are we here then?” she asked, looking around, “This mostly looks like expensive trinkets that Uriel wouldn’t care about.”
“I was hoping to get him a new set of earrings since his are broken, and he still seems to want them,” he explained.
“Oh.” She glanced around again, then clarified, “Is all of this magical?”
“Not all, but most,” he replied, “We got his last set here, but our price range was quite a bit lower than what I can afford now. I’m hoping I can get him something much higher quality that won’t break as easily or shut his emotions down quite as hard. I’ve seen his reactions enough times that I know he dislikes that almost as much as getting overwhelmed.”
She stared at him in surprise for a moment before admitting, “I guess I can see what you mean now about the thought behind a gift. That seems like a very specific thing that Uriel would be really thankful to have… not just buying the most expensive thing in the store and hoping he’ll feel like he has to forgive you.”
Dazien gave her an odd look before saying softly, “You don’t have to answer this if it makes you uncomfortable, but have you had bad experiences with gifts in the past?”
Phoenix thought about that, trying to recall if she had, but shook her head in the negative, “Not really with gifts specifically, I think. Well, not bad experiences. My mom would get me little things from time to time, usually as an apology if she had to work a lot of overtime or something. Jin got me a turtle plushie that I loved, though. That was pretty special to me…”
She paused for a moment before quietly admitting, “I think I just don’t like the idea of people spending money on me because I always felt bad about how much it cost to take care of me. Medical bills were ridiculous where I used to live, and my mom was always struggling with supporting me on her own.”
“I see,” he replied, then gestured to the attendant behind the counter at the end of the single aisle the small shop consisted of as he simply called out, “We’ll take the silver star here.”
“Hey, you don’t have to—”
“Your happiness is not a burden, Princess. The same goes for Uriel,” he stated, “Gifts are not meant to be an obligation; they are appreciation. Even as an apology, it’s meant to show my appreciation for their presence in my life despite whatever argument was had. I show my love and appreciation by reflecting them in the time and thought I put into the gifts I give. It makes me feel equally appreciated and loved when that level of thought is returned.”
He reached into his hip satchel again to pull out the journal he had shown her before that had been a gift from Paul, “Not when I’m just given the nearest book off the shelf,” he pointed an amethyst fingernail at the matching flower on its cover, “But when it was carefully chosen with me in mind. It conveys the care that words often fail to. Even though he had a hard time expressing it himself, I know Paul cared for me, and I’m reminded of that fact every time I see this.”
“Will there be anything else?” the attendant asked after retrieving the item behind the glass case.
Phoenix caught Dazien’s questioning gaze and nodded before asking the clerk, “Do you have any earrings that help regulate emotions? Specifically anger? It would be nice if it didn’t hinder the other emotions.”
“Let me go check and I’ll be right back,” the attendant replied before moving to do so.
When Phoenix looked back to Dazien, she noticed him frozen in place as he stared at another display nearby. She followed his gaze to discover a case full of what looked like blue feathers, but they were all crafted from various materials. Some looked like delicate stained metals, while others were heavily laden with gemstones, but all of them were blue and reminiscent of a single feather.
“What are those? Are they special somehow?”
He glanced back at her and flushed as he quietly explained, “Blue Feathers are used as a proposal of marriage here and are worn around the neck for the first month after exchanging vows.”
“Blue feathers instead of rings?” she asked in surprise as she reevaluated the display.
“I’ve heard of some other places that exchange metal rings or bracelets. Others do a variety of ceremonies without items being exchanged. Other cultures don’t acknowledge the concept of marriage at all. The world is vast, and marriage comes in many forms, but here, and in many other places around the world, the Blue Feather is used.”
“I wonder how that happened,” she pondered.
He gave a shrug, “I’m not sure. I never thought about looking into it since it hadn’t really been on my mind until…”
When he trailed off uncertainly, she turned back to see him frowning at the rows of feathers. She raised a brow and prompted, “Until when?”
Dazien turned to look back at her with a crooked smile as he confided, “Until Patricia asked before I signed the adoption papers if I was going to marry Uriel.”
Her eyebrows vanished as she stared at him in shock at the idea. Before she could formulate a response, however, he chuckled and said, “That’s not going to happen any time soon, though, even if I wasn’t looking for a way to mend our relationship at the moment. That’s even if it happens at all. I’ve never gotten the impression that Uriel would want that… not with me, at least.”
He gave a sigh as he looked back at the display, “Maybe someday I’ll find someone who would want that with me and can accept Uriel’s presence by my side, but for now, I’ll focus on getting stronger and protecting the people I already have.”
“And I guess that next step is apologizing?” she prodded.
He smiled at her, “And figuring out how to explain why I took advantage of him and convince him that I won’t do it again.”
Phoenix looked around the room and the various magical jewelry on display, thinking about a way to solve that particular problem, and asked, “Is there some kind of magic that might help convince him about your sincerity?”
“I don’t think using my Royal Voice will be the best way to go after abusing it like that.”
“Royal Voice?”
He grinned, “That’s what I’m calling it, at least, when Rex transfigures my voice to empower my words. I’m still trying to figure out how to best control it since it seems to be rather subconscious at the moment for when I really want my words to be believed. ”
“Yeah, maybe don’t use that to try and convince Uriel that you won’t use it on him like that again,” she replied with a flat look.
Dazien chuckled, “Exactly.” He looked down toward the ground contemplatively before saying, “There may be a different kind of magic that could help, though.”
“I hope so. You two belong together.”
“Well, not everyone can be lucky enough to have a Kindred Spirit bond ensuring that. The rest of us have to wonder and hope.”
Phoenix paused as an idea struck her, but before she could voice it, the attendant returned. They held out a small open box that held a pair of large golden ear cuffs in the shape of wings and adorned with a large sapphire gemstone, “I think these are exactly what you’re looking for.”