Melancholy Of Old Souls

  The night forgave no one; its mercy could only be shone onto the ones whose steps on Earth were counted, unlimited, dried, restarted. To those whose threads still hold on tightly, nighttime was synonymous to rest.

 

   The stars in today’s sky had a brighter touch to them than yesterday’s. Honey Vasilyevich, sitting on the window while reorganizing the equipment needed for tomorrow, tried to observe them while doing their chores, even if it was proven quite difficult.

 

   In a busy city, the stars tend to not appear as much. The light pollution annoys any astronomer. Especially Honey, who could finally have everything prepared for, maybe, even the Callum constellation to show up. It was a once in a lifetime possibility (It was not. But, for Honey, it was).

 

   The chill cold ran through Honey's neck, hitting the part of the neck their cream-colored turtleneck and their long, curvy, two-toned hair did not cover. It was a small annoyance, but Honey has realized many things were annoying them lately.

 

   The stress of the games and the massive training — alongside the classes that for some reason they were obligated to still attend — was surely, slowly, taking a toll on their body.

 

   Nonetheless, they were sure the annoyance would dissipate once they were inside the arena. They just hoped their other friends were holding up okay — it would be Luka’s first general game, and while that would be their second time attending alongside Nemo, Liam and Kyle, it would be the first they would officially be invited for the… ‘ Survival Games ’.

 

   They left out a tired sigh, and looked around to see the digital clock sitting by the small table resting next to the wall and some plants. It marked exactly 04:12 AM.

 

   Oh, wow.

 

   It’s not like they didn’t need to sleep. They need it, badly. So badly they could feel their muscles slowly getting gradually more tired, and their left prosthetic arm heaving even more onto their shoulder, but they had things to do. They were supposed to have packed earlier, but Charlie was going through his small Daemon stuff, so it occupied most of their afternoon.

 

   Talking about Charlie, they hoped he was doing okay. Finding Shelters is not the easiest task for a Daemon, considering they always have to make sure their “target” is expressing said emotions. Honey would’ve told Charlie to just feed off of them, but they probably would have passed out by the mere touch of Charlie onto their emotions.

 

   Harbor was safe and sound, since, if he wasn’t, the first place he would be was in Honey’s small, honest apartment complex, bawling his childlike eyes out. He probably went back to the Transition Point to rest, or maybe make company with his other Shelters. That, Honey wasn’t very sure of.

 

    They closed their eyes for a brief second, rubbing them to get the tiredness out. Another sigh, another piece of clothing going into their bag.

 

   From the corner of their eye, Honey could see a small fend opening up — dark purple, and the aura of a familiar person engulfed their core as the fend got bigger, until a goat-like figure, covered in black, stepped out. It quickly transformed into a more humanistic form; a small, dark skinned chubby boy with ginger hair, stylized in bantu knots, and small, cream white wings on the place of his ears.

 

    Harbor is home, Honey smiles softly.

 

   Their smile slowly calmed down as Harbor made his way onto their lap, making them take off the clothes that were on it. With now the space for it, Harbor sat between their legs and whined. They giggled at the child’s antics, before putting their hand onto his forehead to make him come closer.

 

   “You’re home earlier. I thought you told me and Charlie you would be coming back by tomorrow afternoon” Honey tried to grab their clothes to continue folding, but Harbor’s whining and slight tossing did not make it easier.

 

   “ I’ll finish it later, then ” Honey’s blackberry eyes shifted towards Harbor’s figure, whose head was now against their chest. 

 

   The little boy puffed his cheeks, “I was! I-I was gonna go back to our sleeping station and-and then come back later because I knooow you are super, super, super tired and Charlie told me that you have an extremely important thing tomorrow— today? Well, in a few hours! So I was gonna wait until it was time so I wouldn’t accidentally feed from you and-and…..” Harbor’s attention shifted to look around the house, before his light brown eyes got back to Honey, “and where’s Charlie?”

 

   Honey calmly reciprocated Harbor’s stare, their neutral exterior washing away little by little, “working. He had the same trouble as you. Didn’t want to feed from me considering what we have tomorrow— today,” Harbor replied with a quick, surprised response and a quick nod.

 

   “Sooo he’s just coming back later? As in, like, tomorrow? Today?” Honey nodded as a response, Harbor pressed his head onto Honey’s chest and hummed. They stayed like that for a bit, before the elder finally looked at the clock once again.

 

   “I’ll be going to bed. Wanna come?” Harbor seemed to be in deep thought, before looking up and nodding. They both got up, and Honey made sure to leave their clothes at least organized for later. As they went to the bedroom, a small question seemed to pop up onto their mind.

 

   “Did something happen? For you to come home,” the older tentatively asked, opening the door for their small, minimalistic room. Honey did not have much, with their bed being the only thing that screamed “them”; their bed was plain, light-blue in color, with small neon stars decorating the ceiling, and a darker blue blanket with cartoony stars as well. They sat up on the bed, with Harbor following quickly behind and throwing himself onto the bed.

 

   “Noo, not really. I just… mhm, I missed you! So- so I decided to stop by!” Harbor smiled. Such a simple answer, Honey couldn’t even be mad. They took their flip-flops off, before joining Harbor in the bed as well, “you- you need to sleep, right? Mmmmhmmmm! I wish I was a- like.. sleep daemon or something! To- to help you and everything, you know? Charlie told me you- you have trouble sometimes and I want to help but it’s not like myyy powers are the best for thaaaaat…..”

 

   Honey listened in, not interrupting the boy. They supported themself with their hand on their chin, looking at the boy tossing in a playful manner, before chuckling at his behavior, “it’s okay. I’m okay, Harbor. I can just spend the night reading or playing Fall Guys”.

 

   Harbor seemed to be quite distressed, even if Honey was sure their emotions were neutral by now — even calming, considering Harbor was there, safe. Yet, Harbor’s hardening expression only worsened, as he came closer and bumped his head onto Honey’s chest.

 

   “Are you in pain?”

 

   “…………” Honey did not respond, looking into the wall. 

 

   “No, not necessarily,” was everything they could mutter. It was the truth, “my body’s just acting up a bit. Sometimes my shoulder hurts, in the place my arm used to be at. It’s called ‘phantom pain’,” Harbor hummed at the answer, slowly closing his eyes to listen to Honey’s heartbeat.

 

   “Why is it hurting?” 

 

   “…… Because something happened.”

 

   “What happened? Did.. did it fall off?”

 

   “Kind of, I think.”

 

  Harbor opened his eyes, looking up at Honey. They were still staring at the wall, but their eyes shifted back to Harbor as they felt his stare. The boy seemed to be confused, “why do you ‘think’? Are you not sure?”

 

   Honey blinked, before sighing, “… it happened when I was young, and it’s from the period I can’t remember much of. I just remember feeling an immeasurable urge to scream, because the pain was too much. But I was already ‘asleep’ by that time. Then, the next thing I know, I am on a bed, with a stranger looking at me”

 

   Harbor seemed to be deep in thought, “… ‘immenseribly’ …. that is such a big word… does it mean something big?” Honey thinks for a bit, before making a ‘so-so’ movement with their hand, “wow… mhm, it must have hurt… does- does it hurt when I grab it? When- when I am excited and- and start jumping around and then I grab your arm!”

 

   Honey shakes their head, pinching Harbor’s cheeks cutely, “no, not when you do it. I can handle it, really, don't focus on this. It doesn’t hurt as much as it might feel,” Harbor’s brows furrowed further, “that’s confusing! If you’re feeling, then it does hurt!”

 

   They decided to stop talking about that. Harbor’s quick thinking could make them even go to council for therapy if he tried hard enough. They patted Harbor’s back, putting the blanket over him, “okay, Mr. Knows-It-All,” Harbor puffed his cheeks, annoyed, “want to hear a story?”

 

   “I’m too big for those!” Honey looked at him with suspicion, “seriously? You asked for one yesterday, didn’t you?” Harbor thought for a bit, before hiding his face under the blanket. The two-toned haired could only let out a nasal giggle.

 

   They thought for a while. They didn’t know many children’s stories, but they could try. 

 

      They thought.

 

   “Today’s story can be kind of different, I think I remembered something. Wow,” Honey’s surprise didn’t come through the way they wanted it to; their voice was monotone, deep, and they had a hard time conveying their emotions, but they were sure Harbor captured the little fire that ignited for a few seconds in their heart.

 

   “Tell me, tell me! Did you remember something from when you were younger?!” Harbor’s eyes directly stared at Honey’s. He seemed happy at the thought, and their confirmation at his theory made a big smile open up,

 

   “Don’t know if I could call it a ‘memory’, it’s just.. I remembered… a story I might’ve heard somewhere. Maybe even afterwards, and I just… forgot,” Honey hummed, preparing themself to tell the story.

 

      “There once was a little Prince, living on a little planet.

 

    The little planet was so small, the little Prince could go around it in quick steps.

 

  The little Prince was not alone, as the Rose stood pridefully next to Him.

 

   The little Prince and the Rose were alone there, and He loved the Rose with all His heart, and She did the same.

 

   But the Rose’s love suffocated the little Prince. And, in no time, the little Prince got confused about His own love for the Rose.

 

   So, the little Prince flew away from the planet, wanting to find Himself, wanting to clear the confusion. 

 

   He traveled around space and met many, many people. But even then, the little Prince was still confused. Meeting so many made Him still question even more.

 

   And the Rose waited for Him, back on the little planet, waiting for Him to come back…”

 

   “Wait… does he come back? What if- what if He stops loving Her?” Harbor seemed to be invested, as he was quick to interrupt the story. Honey, who seemed to be struggling all this time to even recount in detail the blurry mess that the story was in their mind, hummed in thought.

 

   “I think… that’s okay. It’s okay if He stops loving Her. Sometimes, that happens. He doesn’t mean harm. And, even if He stops loving her, She will still be waiting for the day His happiness comes,” the answer did not seem to satisfy Harbor very much, who puffed his cheeks while tucking himself in further onto the bed.

 

   Honey thought again, observing the little boy, “… but I don’t think they understood love very well. That’s why He felt suffocated by it, and She suffocated with it. What do you think the little Prince would do?”

 

   Harbor thought, playing with the fabric of the blanket,  and looked up onto the stars above their heads, “I think… hmmm, I think he’s coming back! Because- because, even if not in the same way, He still loves Her! That’s why He’s confused!”

 

   Honey closed their eyes, laying next to Harbor.

 

   “Mhm… maybe you’re right.”

 

    “The little Prince, in death, in life,

 

   Will always love the Rose.”