Time Together

Shade was determined to meet that strange Painted Satyr that visited town from time to time. He was not unwilling to admit that he was somewhat besotted with the other Painted Satyr. Unfortunately they seemed either shy or simply reserved and rarely returned any sort of greeting. Shade did briefly wonder if they were deaf until he saw others talking to the Painted Satyr in the Supply Shop. Shade’s first attempt to start up conversation was a major fumbling mess, the second was not much better, and the third was an awkward introduction followed by a flustered set of Painted Satyrs who quickly parted ways.

Shade attempted another time to get (who he now knew went by Vale) the strange Painted Satyr’s attention by offering them a basket of warm pastries. Vale looked both confused and mildly distressed when Shade refused payment for the pastries ending with them refusing the food stuff entirely. Shade groaned inwardly at the failure of an attempt at flattery as Vale wandered away towards the Supply Store down the road. Shade wilted a bit, shoulders dropping, as he turned to walk back towards his Inn. He would not see Vale again for several weeks and when he did Vale looked different. It was after the whole issue of the strange beasts that had been plaguing the town. If Shade had been besotted before he was enthralled now. Vale had gone from being lovely to being ethereal. Several other people in town noticed this change too and a few even attempted to flirt but Vale turned them all down. 

Shade was determined to try again to ask the Painted Satyr to join him for a meal. Shade spent the next few weeks watching for signs of the Painted Satyr. When Vale finally did come back into town again for supplies Shade all but sprinted out of the Inn. In fact he barely stopped to grab his Wing Cloak and fasten it closed using the Golden Emblem pin before darting out the door. Shade even had to scramble back and grab the gift basket of pastries he had been making daily as an intended gift. Several staff members giggled as the big Painted Satyr scrambled out the door in a great deal of haste; very nearly tripping over his own feet in the process.

When Shade finally caught up with Vale, the Painted Satyr was walking beside their Sol Roc, named Caelum, and Shade was breathing a bit raggedly from the excursion from the run. Vale took a step back in confusion before waiting to see what Shade would do or say. Vale was wrapped up in a RuneFrost Cloak and a small Everlit Candle was attached to the pommel of the Sol Roc’s harness. Vale took a step back and frowned a bit, their new fangs and tusks looking a bit more intimidating with such an expression. Shade hesitated, all the way up until a tiny Aprico poked it’s head out of the tangle of locks that was Vale’s hair. 

“Oh, hello little one,” Shade said softly in surprise while offering a hand forward in greeting. 

To both of their apparent surprise the little Aprico crawled out of Vale’s hair (and the hood of their RuneFrost Cloak Shade would later learn) and grabbed a hold of Shade’s thumb. 

“Her name is Brus,” Vale said softly.

“She’s so pretty,” Shade replied, barely above a whisper as the little Aprico sniffed at his thumb and then gave it an affectionate lick.

“She likes you,” Vale replied just as softly with a tone of complete surprise, “she usually hides from strangers.”

“Maybe she knows I have some treats?” Shade replied with a laugh before gently pulling away in order to lift up the basket of pastries.

Vale offered a shy smile in response and then froze for a moment in surprise. Vale reached forward and touched the Golden Emblem pin on Shade’s Wing Cloak with a strange sort of expression. It was one of familiarity and curiosity. 

“Where did you get this?” Vale asked softly.

Shade glanced down at the pin then back up at Vale, glancing back and forth a few times before replying. Even as he started to explain that he had gotten it as a child he could not help but be distracted by the soft look in Vale’s eyes. The standoffish Painted Satyr was leaning forward as they examined the Golden Emblem and Shade was blushing so badly at the close proximity that he was beginning to wonder if he would spontaneously combust.

“I…I well I got it as a kid,” Shade mumbled, “found it in a Tinker’s cart and my dad got it for me. I didn’t know why but I felt like it was something important. I have worn it most days ever since.”

“I think I knew someone once who wore one of these,” Vale replied before glancing up into Shade’s blushing face and adding softly, “oh…sorry.”

Vale leaned back and let out a shy laugh before pulling Brus back to place her into their hood once again. Shade shuffled his hooves and then held up the basket of pastries to Vale.

“I made these for you,” Shade said softly, “I was hoping I would see you in town today so I could…well…these are for you.”

Vale accepted the basket of pastries and pulled the cloth cover back to reveal several caramel apple tarts and a loaf of bread that looked like honey walnut. Vale perked up at this and reached into the basket to take out one of the tarts. Vale tried one and grinned after the first bite, finishing it off quickly, then covered up the basket again.

“Thank you, these are delicious and the bread looks wonderful as well,” Vale said softly, moving their hair out of their face shyly before adding, “Do I owe you anything for these?”

“Uh…no…but if you are willing…would you join me for dinner tomorrow night before you leave town again?”

“Dinner would be nice.”

“I will see you tomorrow night then? At the Inkwell Inn?”

“I look forward to it.”

With that, Vale smiled and then turned to lead their Sol Roc away towards the shop. As Vale retreated Shade was grinning ear to ear with pure delight at the fact that he had finally gotten a chance to talk to the lovely Painted Satyr he had been besotted with for months now. Then panic set in when he realized that he had a lot to do before tomorrow night.

“Oh…OH…oh no I need to clean…I need to clean so much at the Inn,” Shade turned heel and all but sprinted his way back to the Inkwell Inn.

Shade then spent the entire afternoon and well into the next morning preparing for Vale to come by for dinner. Shade found himself cleaning the Inkwell Inn in a four hour long frenzy in an attempt to make it look more presentable. Several of the other staff members kept clear and helped with the guests instead of their usual duties. Shade spent two hours alone on the floors in the entryway. He opted to simply dump the soapy water out onto the wood floors and scrub by hand with a bristle brush. As a result the floors were shiny and the colors in the wood pattern whorls were more vibrant. Shade eventually moved on to dusting and wiping down the surfaces around the entryway as well (he caused a few guests to sneeze from the aggressive dusting). 

“Is he okay?” one of the guests asked a member of staff from the library area.

“Uh…well…he is expecting a special guest tomorrow night. We think he might be a bit nervous actually,” the staff member replied with a wince then added, “we are letting him work off whatever excess anxiety fueled energy he has for the time being.”

“Special guest huh?” the guest chuckled then added, “is it that lovely Painted Satyr I saw in town the other day? The pale one with the fish tail? I saw the two of them talking.”

“Yes actually,” the staff member laughed softly, “Shade has been unsuccessfully flirting for months. We are all hoping that tomorrow evening goes well for him actually.”

“Cute” another guest chimed in, then added, “oh do not worry too much about us then, help him work off the anxiety of a first date.”

A few other guests also whispered their encouragement for the staff to help Shade prepare. Much to the humor of the staff and a few of the locals who stopped in for meals that day, Shade barely stopped cleaning and preparing everything in order to make the daily meals for the guests and locals. Afterwards he immediately returned to cleaning up the Inn’s entryway and sitting rooms on the main floor. When he was forced to admit that there was nothing else he could clean, Shade finally relented and allowed the Inn staff members to usher him off to rest. It was late morning by then and he was exhausted. Shade barely made it to his bed before passing out in it. When one of the staff members came to wake him up later that afternoon Shade was still sprawled out on top of the covers of his bed. He woke with a startled motion so violent he fell off of the bed and scrambled to get up while flailing a bit. 

“Oh goodness,” the staff member laughed, then added, “I wanted to give you time to get ready for dinner. The cook wants to know what you would like prepared for dinner tonight?”

“Oh I was going to cook everything myself actually,” Shade replied with a flustered glance towards the clock on the wall, “Oh I am not going to have much time.”

“We can all help, but you needed the rest so we let you sleep as long as we thought was best.”

“Meet me in the kitchen, I…I uh, start up the ovens and please start cleaning the potatoes, onions, and carrots. Did that meat from the butcher come in?”

“Yes it did, the cook put it into the cooling box like you asked.”

“Good, good.”

Shade was scrambling to his feet, shoving his curly hair out of his face and practically rambling out a list of frantic questions. The staff member followed along beside Shade as he all but sprinted down the stairs towards the kitchen. Another staff member peeked around the corner as the pair rushed past before scrambling after to join in as Shade waved them to follow. Once in the kitchen Shade started pointing out things that needed done as everyone scrambled to help. The cook quickly did as requested and concentrated on making the dinner for the guests with another staff member as Shade and one staff member began working on his meal for the dinner with Vale. 

Shade kneaded the bread dough a bit more aggressively than was probably best for the dough but it was helping with his anxiety over the upcoming dinner. But Shade managed to get it thoroughly mixed enough that he was finally satisfied enough to leave it alone to rise. Shade then moved onto the rabbit that had been delivered by the butcher earlier that day and began preparing it to go into the oven. Along with potatoes, carrots, onion halves, and cubed squash pieces in a pan with a sauce being mixed by the staff member assisting Shade. Eventually Shade also put these items into the oven and turned to see his friends and colleges looking curious.

“What were you thinking of doing for the desert?”

“Do we have enough cream and fruit to do an ice cream?”

“We should”

“Then let’s do that.”

“We can get that going here while you go freshen up for dinner”

“But?”

“Go!”

Shade reluctantly left to go get ready, thanking his staff members as he rushed off, and then up the stairs. He was able to quickly freshen up and made a few frantic attempts to decide on an outfit before settling on something that did not quite seem correct. He was so focused on frowning at his reflection in the mirror that he did not hear the soft knock at the door until it was repeated. When Shade glanced over to acknowledge the knock and then opened the door he was met with one of the staff members who winced. 

“You are not just wearing that are you?” one of the staff asked when they spotted Shade standing in front of his wardrobe wearing a rather battered but nice jacket.

Shade glanced over at his staff member and then down at his outfit. Shade touched the jacket in confusion before glancing back up at his staff member.

“Is it too much?”

“It’s…not you. Hang on.”

The staff member sighed then wandered over to Shade’s wardrobe, paused to get permission, and then opened it up. They took their time looking over the options before pulling out a light weight but lovely burnt yellow sweater, a pair of charcoal gray pants that had little yellow flowers embroidered in a border around the cuffs and up the outer seams, and finally they put a folded charcoal gray vest with soft yellow pin stripes on top of the pile.

“Wear all of this,” they said, “this is more you for sure.”

“Thank you.” Shade mumbled, smiled, and then accepted the folded pile of clothing. 

After the staff member left, pulling the door closed behind them, Shade changed into the new outfit and relaxed a bit immediately after seeing himself in the mirror. This most definitely felt more like his style of clothing and it was more comfortable to wear even though it was a bit more dressy than he would usually wear for a dinner. Shade fussed over his appearance a few more minutes before finally taking a deep breath and heading downstairs towards the main entrance of the Inn.

Shade ended up waiting by the door of the Inn with short bursts of nervous pacing until finally there was a soft knock and he opened the door to see Vale standing outside in a soft cream colored outfit of draped cloth and teal colored dyed leather accessories. 

“Hi”

“Hello”

Shade was more than a little flustered at the sight of Vale in the entryway of the Inn looking absolutely stunning. Shade flushed immediately and then offered a smile before awkwardly gesturing for Vale to enter the Inkwell Inn. Vale stepped inside, anxiously tugging at their RuneFrost Cloak for a moment before removing it as Shade offered to hang it in the entryway closet (where he had only just put his own Wing Cloak after setting things up in the garden earlier). Vale’s Aprico, Brus, crawled out of the hood and buried herself into Vale’s hair with a little yawn in the process. Shade could not help but smile at the little creature before gesturing for Vale to follow. Shade touched the Golden Emblem pin on his collar briefly before talking softly.

“I thought we could have dinner in the garden tonight, it’s not too cold this evening and the flowers are starting to bloom already,” Shade offered, then awkwardly added, “But before that if you are interested I can give you a small tour of the Inn?”

“The woodwork is beautiful,” Vale noted as they placed a hand gently onto the nearest built-in shelf unit, then added with a slight blush, “I would actually enjoy a tour if you really do not mind. The place is lovely from the outside when I pass by but I have not yet seen the inside of this little Inn.”

“I would be happy to show you around. Should we start with the library?”

“You have a library?”

Shade grinned at the delighted look in Vale’s face and nodded before gesturing for Vale to follow. Shade was practically bouncing with delight as he led the way into the little room that had become a dedicated library for Inkwell Inn. It was probably the biggest collection of books in the area and mostly that was due to how Shade was willing to negotiate with guests for a free night stay in exchange for some rarer copies of books or simply a good box full of books he did not yet have in the library. Some were more battered than others while still others were in near perfect condition with the spines barely cracked and the pages pristine. There were some large ferns in soft yellow pots in the corners and several deep green sitting chairs with foot rests in the shape of toadstool mushrooms (these had started as a joke but after someone had actually gifted them to Shade he had been so delighted he insisted on using them in the library). Vale made a little delighted sound as they entered the area and their tail fins flexed in a little bouncing motion. 

“I try to trade for new books every chance I can. I have some new shelves being made by the carpenter in town. He’s trying to find some pieces of the local Mirewood trees that would make a good match for the Inn itself. The deep purple bark is supposed to be gorgeous when polished…I would love to have something to match the dining table in the eating area actually.”

“I am sure it will be a lovely addition to the room,” Vale said after a moment of looking over each of the bookshelves.

Vale then turned to look at Shade while resting a hand on the nearest bookshelf. It was then that Shade noticed the ice glistening on Vale’s horns and tail. The way that the ice had formed a slight sheen over the leaves and flowers that made them look almost like crystal in the lighting of the room. Shade had to focus on breathing and fought the urge to start blushing again when he realized he had been staring at the other Painted Satyr.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no not at all…I just…I…uh…you look lovely,” Shade managed to reply in a rush; immediately failing his attempt not to blush as he stumbled over his words.

Vale smiled, laughed softly, and then thanked the larger Painted Satyr before glancing around the little library. Shade looked confused for a few minutes and then frantically gestured for Vale to follow him out into the hall. Shade then led Vale into the main sitting area, a room with a little fireplace, several large cushy chairs, a couple of small loveseat styled couches, and small tables scattered around with various board games. There was one lovely jade carved set of a game called Imperial (Chess for us humans) on a table near the fireplace along with what looked like some puzzles on other tables. There was even a table with puzzle boxes or cubes made from various materials. Vale was delighted by these and they even walked over to pick up one of the puzzle cubes to try and figure it out for a few moments as Shade talked about the room. Vale even waited patiently while Shade chatted with a couple of the guests from the Inn who seemed to be hiding their smiles as they chatted casually with Shade. A few even patted Shade affectionately on the arm causing Shade to blink in confusion before he returned to where Vale was standing with the puzzle cube. 

“I thought I would show you the main dining area before we went to the table I set up outside? The food should be just about ready by now,” Shade offered softly, then added, “you can bring the cube along if you would like though I do not mind.”

“If it really is okay? I think I have nearly got it solved actually,” Vale murmured with a faint flush as if admitting such a thing made them feel a bit shy.

“Of course!” Shade agreed with a warm smile then offered his hand towards Vale before leading the other Painted Satyr towards the hallway again.

The pair walked slowly, chatting idly, Vale pointing out the lovely stained glass panels that ran near the ceiling between the rooms in admiration. Vale even seemed delighted by the patterns of acorns, mushrooms, and various leaves in the wallpaper, pausing to trace the patterns with a look of pure affection.

“Everything here is so charming,” Vale commented as they followed Shade towards the dining hall.

“I wanted to make the place feel warm and inviting,” Shade said quietly, “cozy.”

“You did a good job with that,” Vale complimented while smiling at the larger Painted Satyr, “honestly, this place feels so welcoming.” 

“I am glad to hear that,” Shade replied with a grin, then glanced over to see the main dining hall entrance before gesturing for Vale to look inside.

“Oh the table is gorgeous.”

“Thank you”

The main table, a large piece of raw edge polished Mirewood slab with carved wooden table legs ending in a clawfoot style. It was a magnificent piece of woodwork and the rich purple of the local Mirewood tree seemed to gleam from the light in the room’s many lamps. Off to either side there were two other lovely carved tables, they seemed to be a mix of Mirewood, Oak, and a Walnut by the looks of the colors that had been cleverly joined together to create a compliment to the main table. Even the chairs, all oak by the look of the rich coloration save the actual seat portions being of Mirewood purple. The room felt warm and open with plenty of seating room for guests. Several locals were seated in scattered groups at the three big tables while staff were bringing out large bowls of stew or what looked like various veggie dishes with squash and mushrooms. Everything smelled amazing and Vale was smiling as they looked around the room.

“Oh this is gorgeous,” Vale gasped, clutching the puzzle cube in delight, as they looked around the cozy dining area before adding, “and everything smells amazing.”

“On that note, should we go have our meal then?”

“Happy to, I am curious what you have prepared,” Vale replied and then blinked in surprise as Shade awkwardly offered their arm.

Shade blushed immediately, it had been an odd reflex, but it had felt so natural that Shade had simply acted on it. Vale paused then with a slight hesitation took Shade’s offered arm. Both were tense for a moment before relaxing into each other as if they had done this for years. As if they had known each other in another lifetime. When Shade turned to guide Vale towards the outside eating area he had set up, Vale moved smoothly with their arms entwined. Vale’s little Aprico, Brus, poked her nose out of Vale’s hair to sniff at the scents coming from the kitchen before darting back in to hide from all of the noise of people chatting. 

“I do not know why exactly but..” Vale started.

“It feels like we have met before?” Shade offered after Vale trailed off.

“Yeah, though I do not know why,” Vale agreed softly with a thoughtful expression.

“Perhaps we knew each other in another life,” mused Shade.

“That is…a romantic thought,” Vale replied with a smile, resting their head briefly on Shade’s shoulder before pulling away slightly. 

Shade smiled, feeling warm and delighted that Vale had found his thought romantic, and even more delighted by the idea of being tied somehow to Vale in a past life. It felt right, somehow for that to be the answer. Vale walked alongside Shade, arm in arm, and looked around the Inn hallway as Shade led the pair of them towards the back garden. When the two Painted Satyrs reached the garden door and stepped outside Vale gave a little delighted gasp. The garden was still rather barren as it was only early spring but the leaves were budding on the various bushes. Lanterns were lit around a small oak table with a sunny yellow table cloth covering it. The leaf and flower buds in the nearby bushes and trees were a lovely green and golden-orange; some just beginning to unfurl. 

“Oh this is lovely,” Vale said softly as Shade led them to the nearest seat and pulled out the chair. 

Shade then motioned for Vale to wait before rushing, a bit obviously, back into the Inn towards the kitchens. Vale reached up and gently cupped the closest bunch of flower blossoms. Some were starting to bloom and Vale poured part of their Wood Aspect into the bush where the flower buds were sprouting causing all of the leaves and flowers to unfurl in a burst of color. By the time that Shade came back bearing the meals he had to stop in surprise at the sight of the blooming bushes. Shade smiled and then awkwardly lifted the covered dishes before putting them down at the table. One placed in front of Vale and the other where Shade intended to sit.

“Just another moment” Shade promised before darting inside once again.

Vale sniffed at the covered plate, smiling as they inhaled the scent of the food, and shivered in delight at how good the food smelled. Shade returned with a basket full of fresh rolls and a small plate of herb infused butter. Shade sat both items down and then pulled out two sets of dining wear with napkins from a pocket in his vest. Before handing a set awkwardly to Vale.

“I hope you do not mind those having been in my pocket,” Shade said with a flustered look before adding, “I did not want to make a third trip.”

“I do not mind at all,” Vale laughed softly then touched Shade’s hand briefly. 

“I hope you like it,” I made everything except the desert for later. The cook I have on staff for the Inn makes a wonderful strawberry and chocolate ice cream…I thought maybe you would like that.”

“I would, but for now, my mouth is watering at how good everything smells. Would it be okay for me to try what you made me for supper?”

“Absolutely,” Shade replied and then carefully reached over to pull away the tray cover before placing it and his own tray cover onto a small side cart that had been placed there for that apparent use. 

The squash had cooked up beautifully with the potatoes and onions looking delicious  next to some asparagus. Mixed into the vegetables were chopped up pieces of the rabbit from earlier all glazed and covered in a sweet but savory sauce. The rolls were a walnut, honey, and herb mix with the herb butter combining with a mouth watering combination. Shade laughed when both his and Vale’s stomaches rumbled to which Vale laughed as well. The two ate with minimal chat, simply enjoying the meal, while also enjoying each other’s company. Vale offered a small piece of squash to little Brus who poked her head out of the locks of Vale’s hair with a sniffling sound. Brus ate it eagerly before darting back into Vale’s hair to presumably go back to napping. 

By the time the meal was finished and the desert had been shared the pair of Painted Satyrs were simply chatting idly about hobbies and daily life. Shade found himself fascinated at the idea of Vale’s home being hidden inside underground caverns and was delighted to learn that Vale knew how to weave baskets from twigs, rushes, or grasses. Vale was greatly humored by several stories Shade shared of his attempts at weaving baskets to use for decoration in the Inn only to fail miserably. Vale offered to make a few in exchange for the lovely evening. The evening turned into proper night by the time the two stopped talking and realized the hour. When Vale left the Inkwell Inn that night, astride their Sol Roc they promised to visit again and soon as Shade pressed a shy but chaste kiss to Vale’s cheek in farewell.