winter_wisp | Phouka - A Small Vacation

Winter had spent all morning filling out postcards, using up three whole glitter pens as he wrote them out for everyone they knew. Postcards were important when you went on vacation, and since he couldn't send them from the village, he'd decided to send them now, promising to bring back souvenirs. His hand was sore by the time he was done, but he looked pleased with himself as he placed the final stamp.

"This is exciting Phouka. Are you excited?" he asked, glancing over at the other creature, then looking to his luggage. He'd packed far more than phouka, wanting to show his friends all his cool mortal stuff (specially his light up trainers), but he knew it all needed shrinking down. He'd hoped Finlay or Will might do it for him, but neither had answered his texts. He knew his own magic could likely do the trick, but he was nervous, and he fidgeted a little as he looked at the pile. ...Maybe he should bring a little less.

Wandering over, he began to sort through and wittle everything down to one bag. One bag would be so much easier to shrink.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

winter_wisp

"How?" Winter asked quietly. "How do you keep from changing others? We change others by being in their lives, sometimes just for a moment, Phouka. It's not something you can control, I don't think. ...It's like a cold, you never see who is catching."

From:

phouka

"That, I do not know," the simple creature said. "But if you fear it so much, we could move on. A journey. We could have many mushroom homes. Meet many fae. We could travel the realm far and wide and seek a peace for your troubled head."

From:

winter_wisp

"I am scared, Phouka," Winter said quietly. "What if I no longer fit anywhere? I am not yet passing as mortal, but I am too dark to be here among my kin. Even if we travel, where would we go? Where would we wander?"

From:

phouka

"We can wander anywhere we like," the Phouka said simply. "We are free. We can go anyplace in the world. Here or in the mortal realm. If we travel far and wide perhaps you will find a place you feel you fit in."

From:

winter_wisp

"Or maybe I never will," Winter countered quietly. "Maybe I don't belong anywhere, Phouka."

He moved closer to the other creature then, wrapping his arms around him.

From:

phouka

The Phouka was quiet as he held him. Minutes passed like that before he said,

"You belong with me."

From:

winter_wisp

The words touched his soul, and Winter made a small sound as he buried his face against Phouka's neck.

"I do," he said quietly. "I do belong with you, Phouka. ...My Phouka, mine."

From:

phouka

"I am yours. And you are mine. And together we are in love," he said, smiling softly. The creature tipped his head and rested against Winter's hair lightly.

"Whatever you wish to do, we will do it. I will be happy anywhere you are by my side."

From:

winter_wisp

Winter relaxed slowly, eventually letting go of his fears a little and settling against the Phouka with a bit more calm in his bones.

"I love you Phouka. ...We should stay. I just don't know if I will be as joyful as I hoped I'd be. I feel a need to be cautious, Phouka. ...I don't want my pain or my fears to infect the others. That's all."

From:

phouka

"Perhaps that, too, is part of being grown," the Phouka said. "I have noticed many mortals say they are fine when they are clearly not. Except children. Children never hide their feelings that I have seen."

From:

winter_wisp

"I would give anything to be a child again," Winter confessed quietly. "Being grown is so hard, Phouka."

From:

phouka

"For that, I am sorry," he said softly. "I do not think it is something even the prince could give you were you to wish for it, though."

From:

winter_wisp

"I would never ask," Winter said honestly, drawing away so he could stretch out on the bed.

"Will you lay with me, Phouka?" the pixie asked quietly.

From:

phouka

"Of course I will. Do not be silly, Winter," the Phouka said, moving so he could stretch out in the bed next to Winter. He wriggled in close and laid his arm over the pixie. "I will always lay with you."

From:

winter_wisp

"Phouka so kind," Winter said softly, wrapping his arms around the other creature once again. "I love you, Phouka. You are the one thing that keeps me from being too grim and too sad," he confessed softly.

"You're the best love and friend a pixie could ever have."

From:

phouka

"I am happy you feel that is so," the creature smiled. He nuzzled in close and kissed Winter's cheek. "I have never felt such love. Love from you and love for you. We are so lucky to have found each other."

From:

winter_wisp

"Blessed," Winter whispered. "Blessed by the elements and the forests."

From:

phouka

The Phouka smiled and kissed him then. He did feel truly blessed. This was a life no other Phouka had known. Freedom. Love. These were things he'd never even dreamed of. He knew his station and was happy in his simple mission. But everything had changed when he'd been charged with protecting Fin and Winter. It seemed so long ago now that he had come to the mortal realm. He still struggled to fit in, but the mortals were, on the whole, dismissive of his eccentricities. He was free from his bond of service and he could travel. Could love Winter. Could enjoy his life as he saw fit.

There were many moments when the truth of that was overwhelming and he clung to Winter for the security he craved.

From:

winter_wisp

Winter was content to simply be- A rare thing from the still flighty being. He lay with Phouka in near silence, drifting off for a while and not waking again until well after sundown.

"Phouka," he whispered. "Get up. ...I want to show you something. Get up," he said, prodding the phouka in his side with one bony and pointy little finger.

From:

phouka

He grunted and snuffled, then opened his eyes. Only to groan and close them again for a moment.

"But I am sleeping so well," he protested.

From:

winter_wisp

"I promise it will be better than sleep, Phouka," Winter insisted, dousing the phouka in pixie dust. "We're going to fly up to the tall tree to see the stars. Come on," he grinned, getting up and trying (and failing) to pull Phouka along.

From:

phouka

"I cannot fly," he protested, but floated up thanks to the dust. Losing the feeling of the bed beneath him woke him fully and he looked around. "Or perhaps I can. Show me where we are going," the creature said then, working out how to get about without wings or feet.

From:

winter_wisp

Seeming lighter than before, Winter grinned and took off towards the door.

"Come on, I'll show you! It's beautiful, Phouka. The most wonderful sight ever."

From:

phouka

The Phouka followed him outside and soon they were up, up, up in the branches of the tallest of trees. They finally burst through the top and the stars shone above them.

"Oh, Winter," he gasped.