fic: Candied Apples
Sep. 30th, 2023 06:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bonnefoisTitle: Candied Apples
Series: FEH/FE4/5
Character/pairing: Tailtiu, Tine, Azelle/Tailtiu, ReinIsh, maybe a bit of Arthur/Fee
Rating: PG-13
Word Counter: 2340
Summary: Tine joins her friends and family at the Harvest Festival.
Author's note:
feel better, MissFranKitty :c
*
"Mother...you're going as a ghost?" Tine said worriedly.
"Ehe, it's my way of sticking my tongue out at the future. I can't be bound to fate if it can be averted, eh~?"
"M-Maybe," Tine said.
Tine was a little winged pixie, with flowers in her hair. Arthur, longsufferingly, had joined in as a darker fairy to match hers, wearing a short tunic of purple.
"Are you ready~?"
"We can't wait for dad."
He nearly tripped, a ghost with her. In costume, in life. No matter what world they were in, they found their way to be together.
Tine looked away as Tine lifted up the sheet with holes in the eyes and kissed Azelle.
*
Hoofbeats on cobblestone, and they arrived.
"Stay close, now," Ishtar said.
She wore a filmy white dress of the finest silk and lace, a corpse bride's outfit. Flowers adorned her hair in a crown, and a veil was pushed across her face, never to be pushed back. Her mouth, arrayed with lines like stitches, and the glowing, Hel-like pattern of bones on her cheeks, and glowing through her chest then.
Behind her, Reinhardt was a clad in a dark suit. A lacy cravat at his throat, and white gloves to match a peerless black waistcoat.
They shepherded the younger members of Askr, many who had been orphaned in wars.
"Tine, I didn't see you. I'm glad you came," Ishtar said.
And she smiled. She smiled. Tine had almost forgotten what it was to see her cousin smiling.
She hadn't looked this happy in a long time. Ishtar's sorrows had compounded when coming to Askr, she was not able to reunite with Julius. For Julius no longer was among humans, and instead lived in caves and only thrived on violence. He wouldn't even speak with her, let alone take his place as her lover again.
At least she still had Reinhardt, who would find her in any world.
"Hello, Princess Ishtar, Reinhardt. Is Reinhardt a groom, to match your outfit?" Tine asked.
"He is going as some regal creature of lore, a vampire," Ishtar said.
A lacy cravat at his throat, a dark waistcoat, gilded with gold thread. Slight tufts of lace at his sleeve. Only when he smiled did she see the fangs.
Reinhardt smiled toothily.
"They're fake, don't worry."
"Tine! Look at all the sweets!" Tailtiu said.
"Am I too old for the harvest festival?" Tine said.
Ishtar smiled. "I saw some here that were many thousands of years old. I think you'll be fine."
Tailtiu wrapped her arm about Azelle's. "We should try that one, and that one, and that one..."
"You're going to have a tummy ache before this is all over," Azelle said.
"That's okay, I'll just have a healer heal me. Then I'll be fine. Staves don't break in Askr!"
"Still..."
"Ooh, ohh! Azelle! Look at this one! They have candied apples."
Tine left behind her cousin and followed after her family.
It was nice to see her family so happy, even Ishtar. Even past the stitches drawn on her mouth, like they'd been sewn shut, she was smiling. She was smiling.
*
Arms crossed. Feathers and flowers in her hair. Who even knew what her costume was? Lewyn, now he was a folk hero, a bard—in costume and not.
"This won't make up for all the years you weren't there, you know," Fee said.
"I know," Lewyn said.
Out of his cloak, he brought out not remnants of before, but a treat.
"Have a candied apple," he said.
Fee grimaced, but she took the gift anyways.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you, not in the least," Fee said.
"I know," Lewyn said. This time, with a sigh.
"Can't we set aside this, if only for a night? It's a festival," Ced said.
Ced had a massive cloak of feathers. He was Ced—the hero of yore, of old, his namesake.
"Mom would've loved this festival," Fee said.
"Your mother is in this world," Lewyn reminded her.
And in fact, Erinys came close. A candied apple in both hands. She had a monster mask of a harpy on the side of her face.
"There you are. We're all together again," Erinys said.
Fee was all too happy to take another treat. This time, from her mother. This Erinys was from an earlier time, before the sickness, before Lewyn disappeared.
"I'm still mad," Fee said, when Erinys' back was turned.
"You certainly got that from your mother. She always had a long memory too."
"And, I suppose you have that right. But, let's let bygones be bygones. If only for the night."
"Fine," Fee said.
And she took another bite of her apple.
*
Back to the candlelight and candied treats. One family crossed another's path.
"Nice costume," Fee said.
"It's to match my sister," Arthur said.
"I meant it, though," Fee said.
"I should've put more thought into it, but I was just so busy working in the stables, I just picked up some feathers and called it a day."
"I like it," Arthur said.
"We missed a lot of chances to spend festivals together back in Jugdral. But, here in Askr, it seems there's always a festival to look forward too."
"Why don't we all go together?" Fee said.
"You sure?" Arthur said.
"Of course."
From far off, Tailtiu called out. "The more the merrier!!"
She had one hand holding Azelle's and one hand holding Tine's.
"Azelle! I need to learn a magic way to get three hands so I can hold hands with all my family at the same time."
Fee covered her mouth and laughed.
"We'll work on it," Azelle said.
*
Tine lagged behind, and nearly tripped, but a hand caught her before she fell. She looked up to Ced as Ced, the hero of yore. Her cheeks flushed with heat. She held tighter to his hand, and didn't let go even when she was helped up.
"Are you all right?"
"I am now," she said.
*
"I can't believe we ended up having the same costume," Olwen said.
Arms crossed, just a little bit petulant. She'd planned her costume for ages, only to find her mirror staring back at her. She should've made him go home and change.
"I thought you had made up with your brother?" Fred said.
His visor went down. He'd gone as a knight, but of another time and land. With more armor to weigh him down.
"I'm working on it. But, the same exact costume, right down to the boots? What are the odds? We even packed the same weapons," Olwen said.
Fred chuckled. "In the end, the Schutaeze siblings think alike, even if they don't like it."
"I can't let this anger get to me. We're babysitting. I have to focus on making sure the rest of them are all right. Because they're children. Even if some of them are thousands upon thousands of years old and can turn into massive dragons which could rain destruction upon us."
"Come to think of it, I think Fae and Myrrh can handle themselves for a while," Fred said.
He reached out to run his fingers through her hair, and calm her down as he always did.
"You and your brother took very different paths. But, that doesn't change that you're family, does it?"
In Jugdral, maybe it would have. His choices would've been a wedge between them. But, in Askr she had worn down, like a stone smoothed by the rivers. Too many times of guard duty together, and too many times their paths crossed. Eventually, she'd had to—grudgingly--admit that she couldn't hold that hate forever. Not in another land, not when there were castles to protect and festivals to prepare for.
"You're my favorite. You wear it the best," Fred said. He patted her on the head.
Her cheeks heated in a blush. "That helps. A little."
"Now, let's go babysit harder than Reinhardt ever could. Beating him will make you feel better," Fred said.
"You're pretty wise, Fred," she said.
He was always so good at soothing the anger from her. Whether it was at Reinhardt, or anyone else. Maybe in another world, where Reinhardt had been lost she would've screamed at the sky. But, here? She could tell Reinhardt he was an idiot and get back to work.
He wasn't her perfect big brother anymore. He was something different. Something new. Something she was working on, like forgiveness which came in stages. A long burden to bear, but one which had come through, bit by bit.
For a night, at least, the past was forgotten.
*
Glowing pumpkin lanterns filled the cobblestone of the marketplace. Harvest festival decorations were hung, of little orange paper strands which had been cut to look exactly like pumpkins.
Ishtar shuddered in the sudden wind. It was growing colder as the night went on.
Her shoulders were bare, but he laid his coat over them. She looked back, to see Reinhardt smile. He'd dismounted just to come closer.
"Don't catch a chill."
Under his dark waistcoat, he had on a black vest over his long white shirt.
She smiled softly. "Thank you, Reinhardt."
"It must be about their bedtimes soon," Reinhardt said.
"They certainly are fighting it, even as they keep yawning," Ishtar said.
"One more stall!" said little Fae, with her monster mask and pumpkin basket full of treats.
"Yes, but soon you must get to bed."
They went on, and on. Night had long ago come, and many were sleepy. Reinhardt lifted one up to his horse to ride on.
"Are you sure you want to still be walking? There's room up here with me," Reinhardt said.
Cheeks hot, she looked away. To the pumpkin lanterns all about. That kind of closeness might be a little too much.
"I...think I'll stay here. To—better watch our charges, of course," she said.
"Of course he said."
A door had been opened and she couldn't stop looking and thinking about what it might contain. About where it would lead her.
*
"Ahh....my tummy hurts," Tailtiu said.
"I told you that would happen," Azelle said.
"But it was all so good, I just had to have more," Tailtiu said.
"Mother, are you okay?"
"I'll go see one of the priests and I'll be just fine. Though I might be so full that I just go to sleep."
"I'll carry you back, then."
She leaned against him. "I'm sleepy. But I also want to have another candied apple."
"You're going to get a worse tummy ache."
"Yes, but....yummy?"
"I can't argue with that," Azelle said.
"At this rate, I'm going to have to ask Edain to teach me how to use staves."
Tailtiu laughed. "You should! Especially with how much I accidentally trip into the table trying to strike a pose."
What was left out was it was a sexy pose. The kiddos didn't need to hear that more than once mom and dad had to stop kissing because mom needed a vulnerary for the bruises where she fell out of bed. And then they were laughing too hard to do anything more but a final kiss goodnight.
*
"I'll take over, and take them all to bed," Olwen said.
Olwen and Fred led the little dragon girls away, in all their costumes, fearsome and feathery.
Which left them alone in the crowd.
"Do you wish to return to the castle, Princess Ishtar?"
"No...it's a rather lovely night. I should like to see the sights for a little longer," Ishtar said.
"Then I shall escort you a little longer."
"Thank you, Reinhardt."
Reinhardt nodded to the many candy stalls about them.
"You always loved these," Reinhardt said.
"Yes, candied apples are quite good. I remember bobbing for them, with Ishtore and Julia and Julius.."
Her smile disappeared. Ishtore still wasn't here. Though, surely, one day he could be found by Kiran.
"Shall we keep moving?" Reinhardt said.
"Yes, that would be for the best," she said.
No matter how many times he flashed his fangs in a smile, Reinhardt got mistaken for her groom many a time. Eventually, he stopped bothering to correct it. At first, it was funny. Then, it was more something which left her thinking a big what if.
Maybe she'd promised herself that this would be the night. If Julius emerged from his cocoon and returned to her, then, then...
But, even under the moonlight and with all these dragons, he didn't come among humans anymore. Julius was gone, but her Reinhardt was still very much here.
"Thank you for helping me escort the children to the harvest festival tonight, Reinhardt."
"It was my pleasure," Reinhardt said.
"Are you tired? I'll lift you up, if you need?"
An offer, a second time. Under the moonlight, she considered.
It'd be warm, going through this door. Someone she could trust. Something she couldn't quite say about Julius.
She looked to him, a vampire purportedly, but he looked more a handsome bridegroom, with his gloved hand out, awaiting hers.
"I think my feet could use a rest. These heels are about to give me a blister."
This time, she took his hand, and allowed herself to be brought up on horseback with him. She rested her head against his broad back and closed her eyes. Whatever world they were in, being with Reinhardt always felt like coming home.
*
:"That sure was fun. I hope we have many years in Askr so we can spend them together," Tailtiu said.
"There were so many people! We didn't even run into the rest of the rest of the people from our world, though I think they were there."
"I'm sure they'll have lots to tell us about tomorrow."
Tailitu smiled. In Askr, there'd always be a tomorrow.
Series: FEH/FE4/5
Character/pairing: Tailtiu, Tine, Azelle/Tailtiu, ReinIsh, maybe a bit of Arthur/Fee
Rating: PG-13
Word Counter: 2340
Summary: Tine joins her friends and family at the Harvest Festival.
Author's note:
feel better, MissFranKitty :c
*
"Mother...you're going as a ghost?" Tine said worriedly.
"Ehe, it's my way of sticking my tongue out at the future. I can't be bound to fate if it can be averted, eh~?"
"M-Maybe," Tine said.
Tine was a little winged pixie, with flowers in her hair. Arthur, longsufferingly, had joined in as a darker fairy to match hers, wearing a short tunic of purple.
"Are you ready~?"
"We can't wait for dad."
He nearly tripped, a ghost with her. In costume, in life. No matter what world they were in, they found their way to be together.
Tine looked away as Tine lifted up the sheet with holes in the eyes and kissed Azelle.
*
Hoofbeats on cobblestone, and they arrived.
"Stay close, now," Ishtar said.
She wore a filmy white dress of the finest silk and lace, a corpse bride's outfit. Flowers adorned her hair in a crown, and a veil was pushed across her face, never to be pushed back. Her mouth, arrayed with lines like stitches, and the glowing, Hel-like pattern of bones on her cheeks, and glowing through her chest then.
Behind her, Reinhardt was a clad in a dark suit. A lacy cravat at his throat, and white gloves to match a peerless black waistcoat.
They shepherded the younger members of Askr, many who had been orphaned in wars.
"Tine, I didn't see you. I'm glad you came," Ishtar said.
And she smiled. She smiled. Tine had almost forgotten what it was to see her cousin smiling.
She hadn't looked this happy in a long time. Ishtar's sorrows had compounded when coming to Askr, she was not able to reunite with Julius. For Julius no longer was among humans, and instead lived in caves and only thrived on violence. He wouldn't even speak with her, let alone take his place as her lover again.
At least she still had Reinhardt, who would find her in any world.
"Hello, Princess Ishtar, Reinhardt. Is Reinhardt a groom, to match your outfit?" Tine asked.
"He is going as some regal creature of lore, a vampire," Ishtar said.
A lacy cravat at his throat, a dark waistcoat, gilded with gold thread. Slight tufts of lace at his sleeve. Only when he smiled did she see the fangs.
Reinhardt smiled toothily.
"They're fake, don't worry."
"Tine! Look at all the sweets!" Tailtiu said.
"Am I too old for the harvest festival?" Tine said.
Ishtar smiled. "I saw some here that were many thousands of years old. I think you'll be fine."
Tailtiu wrapped her arm about Azelle's. "We should try that one, and that one, and that one..."
"You're going to have a tummy ache before this is all over," Azelle said.
"That's okay, I'll just have a healer heal me. Then I'll be fine. Staves don't break in Askr!"
"Still..."
"Ooh, ohh! Azelle! Look at this one! They have candied apples."
Tine left behind her cousin and followed after her family.
It was nice to see her family so happy, even Ishtar. Even past the stitches drawn on her mouth, like they'd been sewn shut, she was smiling. She was smiling.
*
Arms crossed. Feathers and flowers in her hair. Who even knew what her costume was? Lewyn, now he was a folk hero, a bard—in costume and not.
"This won't make up for all the years you weren't there, you know," Fee said.
"I know," Lewyn said.
Out of his cloak, he brought out not remnants of before, but a treat.
"Have a candied apple," he said.
Fee grimaced, but she took the gift anyways.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you, not in the least," Fee said.
"I know," Lewyn said. This time, with a sigh.
"Can't we set aside this, if only for a night? It's a festival," Ced said.
Ced had a massive cloak of feathers. He was Ced—the hero of yore, of old, his namesake.
"Mom would've loved this festival," Fee said.
"Your mother is in this world," Lewyn reminded her.
And in fact, Erinys came close. A candied apple in both hands. She had a monster mask of a harpy on the side of her face.
"There you are. We're all together again," Erinys said.
Fee was all too happy to take another treat. This time, from her mother. This Erinys was from an earlier time, before the sickness, before Lewyn disappeared.
"I'm still mad," Fee said, when Erinys' back was turned.
"You certainly got that from your mother. She always had a long memory too."
"And, I suppose you have that right. But, let's let bygones be bygones. If only for the night."
"Fine," Fee said.
And she took another bite of her apple.
*
Back to the candlelight and candied treats. One family crossed another's path.
"Nice costume," Fee said.
"It's to match my sister," Arthur said.
"I meant it, though," Fee said.
"I should've put more thought into it, but I was just so busy working in the stables, I just picked up some feathers and called it a day."
"I like it," Arthur said.
"We missed a lot of chances to spend festivals together back in Jugdral. But, here in Askr, it seems there's always a festival to look forward too."
"Why don't we all go together?" Fee said.
"You sure?" Arthur said.
"Of course."
From far off, Tailtiu called out. "The more the merrier!!"
She had one hand holding Azelle's and one hand holding Tine's.
"Azelle! I need to learn a magic way to get three hands so I can hold hands with all my family at the same time."
Fee covered her mouth and laughed.
"We'll work on it," Azelle said.
*
Tine lagged behind, and nearly tripped, but a hand caught her before she fell. She looked up to Ced as Ced, the hero of yore. Her cheeks flushed with heat. She held tighter to his hand, and didn't let go even when she was helped up.
"Are you all right?"
"I am now," she said.
*
"I can't believe we ended up having the same costume," Olwen said.
Arms crossed, just a little bit petulant. She'd planned her costume for ages, only to find her mirror staring back at her. She should've made him go home and change.
"I thought you had made up with your brother?" Fred said.
His visor went down. He'd gone as a knight, but of another time and land. With more armor to weigh him down.
"I'm working on it. But, the same exact costume, right down to the boots? What are the odds? We even packed the same weapons," Olwen said.
Fred chuckled. "In the end, the Schutaeze siblings think alike, even if they don't like it."
"I can't let this anger get to me. We're babysitting. I have to focus on making sure the rest of them are all right. Because they're children. Even if some of them are thousands upon thousands of years old and can turn into massive dragons which could rain destruction upon us."
"Come to think of it, I think Fae and Myrrh can handle themselves for a while," Fred said.
He reached out to run his fingers through her hair, and calm her down as he always did.
"You and your brother took very different paths. But, that doesn't change that you're family, does it?"
In Jugdral, maybe it would have. His choices would've been a wedge between them. But, in Askr she had worn down, like a stone smoothed by the rivers. Too many times of guard duty together, and too many times their paths crossed. Eventually, she'd had to—grudgingly--admit that she couldn't hold that hate forever. Not in another land, not when there were castles to protect and festivals to prepare for.
"You're my favorite. You wear it the best," Fred said. He patted her on the head.
Her cheeks heated in a blush. "That helps. A little."
"Now, let's go babysit harder than Reinhardt ever could. Beating him will make you feel better," Fred said.
"You're pretty wise, Fred," she said.
He was always so good at soothing the anger from her. Whether it was at Reinhardt, or anyone else. Maybe in another world, where Reinhardt had been lost she would've screamed at the sky. But, here? She could tell Reinhardt he was an idiot and get back to work.
He wasn't her perfect big brother anymore. He was something different. Something new. Something she was working on, like forgiveness which came in stages. A long burden to bear, but one which had come through, bit by bit.
For a night, at least, the past was forgotten.
*
Glowing pumpkin lanterns filled the cobblestone of the marketplace. Harvest festival decorations were hung, of little orange paper strands which had been cut to look exactly like pumpkins.
Ishtar shuddered in the sudden wind. It was growing colder as the night went on.
Her shoulders were bare, but he laid his coat over them. She looked back, to see Reinhardt smile. He'd dismounted just to come closer.
"Don't catch a chill."
Under his dark waistcoat, he had on a black vest over his long white shirt.
She smiled softly. "Thank you, Reinhardt."
"It must be about their bedtimes soon," Reinhardt said.
"They certainly are fighting it, even as they keep yawning," Ishtar said.
"One more stall!" said little Fae, with her monster mask and pumpkin basket full of treats.
"Yes, but soon you must get to bed."
They went on, and on. Night had long ago come, and many were sleepy. Reinhardt lifted one up to his horse to ride on.
"Are you sure you want to still be walking? There's room up here with me," Reinhardt said.
Cheeks hot, she looked away. To the pumpkin lanterns all about. That kind of closeness might be a little too much.
"I...think I'll stay here. To—better watch our charges, of course," she said.
"Of course he said."
A door had been opened and she couldn't stop looking and thinking about what it might contain. About where it would lead her.
*
"Ahh....my tummy hurts," Tailtiu said.
"I told you that would happen," Azelle said.
"But it was all so good, I just had to have more," Tailtiu said.
"Mother, are you okay?"
"I'll go see one of the priests and I'll be just fine. Though I might be so full that I just go to sleep."
"I'll carry you back, then."
She leaned against him. "I'm sleepy. But I also want to have another candied apple."
"You're going to get a worse tummy ache."
"Yes, but....yummy?"
"I can't argue with that," Azelle said.
"At this rate, I'm going to have to ask Edain to teach me how to use staves."
Tailtiu laughed. "You should! Especially with how much I accidentally trip into the table trying to strike a pose."
What was left out was it was a sexy pose. The kiddos didn't need to hear that more than once mom and dad had to stop kissing because mom needed a vulnerary for the bruises where she fell out of bed. And then they were laughing too hard to do anything more but a final kiss goodnight.
*
"I'll take over, and take them all to bed," Olwen said.
Olwen and Fred led the little dragon girls away, in all their costumes, fearsome and feathery.
Which left them alone in the crowd.
"Do you wish to return to the castle, Princess Ishtar?"
"No...it's a rather lovely night. I should like to see the sights for a little longer," Ishtar said.
"Then I shall escort you a little longer."
"Thank you, Reinhardt."
Reinhardt nodded to the many candy stalls about them.
"You always loved these," Reinhardt said.
"Yes, candied apples are quite good. I remember bobbing for them, with Ishtore and Julia and Julius.."
Her smile disappeared. Ishtore still wasn't here. Though, surely, one day he could be found by Kiran.
"Shall we keep moving?" Reinhardt said.
"Yes, that would be for the best," she said.
No matter how many times he flashed his fangs in a smile, Reinhardt got mistaken for her groom many a time. Eventually, he stopped bothering to correct it. At first, it was funny. Then, it was more something which left her thinking a big what if.
Maybe she'd promised herself that this would be the night. If Julius emerged from his cocoon and returned to her, then, then...
But, even under the moonlight and with all these dragons, he didn't come among humans anymore. Julius was gone, but her Reinhardt was still very much here.
"Thank you for helping me escort the children to the harvest festival tonight, Reinhardt."
"It was my pleasure," Reinhardt said.
"Are you tired? I'll lift you up, if you need?"
An offer, a second time. Under the moonlight, she considered.
It'd be warm, going through this door. Someone she could trust. Something she couldn't quite say about Julius.
She looked to him, a vampire purportedly, but he looked more a handsome bridegroom, with his gloved hand out, awaiting hers.
"I think my feet could use a rest. These heels are about to give me a blister."
This time, she took his hand, and allowed herself to be brought up on horseback with him. She rested her head against his broad back and closed her eyes. Whatever world they were in, being with Reinhardt always felt like coming home.
*
:"That sure was fun. I hope we have many years in Askr so we can spend them together," Tailtiu said.
"There were so many people! We didn't even run into the rest of the rest of the people from our world, though I think they were there."
"I'm sure they'll have lots to tell us about tomorrow."
Tailitu smiled. In Askr, there'd always be a tomorrow.
