The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and everyone is rushing around the crowded cobblestone streets of Marta’s Park, a small village of the Hinora Empire, dresses swishing behind them, pointy ears twitching to hear the next big sale. My own ears, round and hidden beneath my pale peach working bonnet, are doing the same. My mate, Yale, a forest faerie, is beside me, auguring with a vendor who won’t lower the price on her beets.

“What do you mean ‘one of a kind’? They look like any other shitty beets I’ve seen! Stop spewing out bullshit like this and sell them to me for two _jenkis_!” Yale slams her hands on the stall, causing it to shake. The vendor doesn’t shrink back, but instead yells for the Forces to come get this “bitch”. I sigh, wasn’t it yesterday that I had to bail Yale from prison? The noise around us is getting louder, and I turn to see a crowd forming to watch Yale’s display.

“It’s happening again.” I hear someone murmur. I don’t go with Yale to the town an awful lot, so I’ve been wondering what’s been going on to make her public enemy number one.

I push Yale back, stepping in front of her. Instantly, a smile spreads unconsciously onto my face—my cherry sweet one. The vendor’s face starts to smoothen. _Good. _

“I’m sorry for my mate, she can be a trouble sometimes.” I open my bag and find ten _jenkis_. I place them in the woman’s hand, then start to put the beets into my basket. “I really am sorry for the inconvenience, ma’am, we’ll be going now.”

Yale is silent behind me, face probably in a frown, but understands the situation. The crowd is dispersing, whispering about how different I am from my mate.

If only they knew.

——

“You’ve wasted your money, Opal, because I’m not eating that shit-eating bitch’s beets!” Yale is, again, frowning. Arms crossed and mouth set on being sealed even as her eyes stare at the plate of food in front of her hungrily.

I click my tounge. “Language, sweetheart, language. Anyway,” I slice a beet with my fork, raising it to my mouth, “it’s your money anyway.”

Yale pauses at that. I swear I see her eyes bug out. She’s angry for a moment, then her face slacks out into sort of a forced calm. I almost laugh at her strange expression as she starts to eat her food stiffly.

“Oh yum, yummy shitty beets from an equally shitty witch. Paid for by my own money. Yay.”

I laugh, a full on tumble. “Yale—shut up and eat.” My laughter dies down as I realize that I have something to ask her, something that’s been nagging on my mind for months, years really. “I have something I want to ask you after dinner.”

Yale tilts her head to the side, short hair curling at the ends. “Oh? And why can’t you tell me now?”

“Because you’ll need a full stomach for it. Trust me.”

——

_(So I’ll finish this tomorrow. My wrists are tired from typing and playing rhythm games. Yes, I daydreamed this and the whole story plot actually—MALADAPTIVE DAYDREAMING YA’LL!_

_Thanks for reading and have a great day!)_