You look like someone I know. (PAFP) (Male needed)

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    Selast saw the spirit and was in awe. She had never interacted with a spirit before and when Kend howled she was shocked. All around her she heard everyone’s howling in response and joined them with a smile. She held onto Ren’s hand as a way to ground herself as she joined the celebration of the beautiful wolf spirit in front of her.

    He gripped her tightly as the cacophony of noise surrounded him, then he released his own yowl from the pit of his stomach, raising his head indignantly. He let go of something deep inside him and let it dissipate into the night air— all the stress, fear, and anxiety of the last few days seemed to exhale from him. The spirit lowered its head among the pandemonium and raced off, its paws thundering across the cobblestone streets. The people raced after it, donning candles and flags, still howling wildly.

    Selast looked up at Ren with a huge smile on her face while laughing. She had never felt so free and wasn’t thinking about much of anything. Her blue eyes darkened as the night sky appeared. The candlelight flickered in her eyes making various parts of the iris light up while the rest was dark.


    She continued to hold onto his hand and was glad to be with him. She gave his hand a small, excited tug as she moved towards the crowd that was quickly disappearing.

    “Let’s go,” he nodded, racing after the rapidly disintegrating crowd. They made their way through the labyrinthine fields of wheat, following the pounding pawsteps of the wolf spirit. The harvest moon was rising high in the sky now, a vivid yellow that even the sun would be jealous of. With his hand in hers and the sky rapidly darkening, he felt the wheat whip his face and hands as he followed the rhythm of the footsteps. The wolf masks on the faces of the villagers seemed to gleam in the new moonlight. “Where are we going?” Ren shouted to no one in particular.

    Selast laughed as they ran though the wheat field and as much as she wanted to stop and marvel at it all she kept going. Her hood was down from all the running but nobody was paying attention to her, their focus being the spirit leading the way through the wheat. Her face was red from the effort and the wheat but her eyes showed no signs of tiring, only excitement and wonder.


    She wondered where they were being led to but didn’t have the energy nor ability to speak like Ren. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze to let him know that she had heard him.

    With Selast eagerly in tow, he made his way through the last of the labyrinthine fields. When they finally broke free from the tall golden stalks, a flat stretch of clearing appeared, and the imposing silhouette of a shrine could be seen. The breathtaking scene was not lost on Ren, but the fluidity of the crowd made him afraid he’d lose Selast. Gripping her hand tightly, he pushed his way to the front of the crowd.


    The shrine had been painted bright red— even more red than the wolfish eyes of the spirit. As Kend’s hulking frame approached the shrine, the people grew quiet, waiting with bated breath. Something was going to happen, but he wasn’t certain what. Then the spirit disappeared into the abyss of the shrine, and the clearing was utterly silent.


    With a thunderous howl, Kend re-emerged from the darkness. At his paws he dropped a tiny pouch. The villagers cheered and Ren, even if he didn’t know what he was cheering for, couldn’t help but join in.

    Selast stopped the second she saw the shrine. It was absolutely beautiful and stunning to behold. Selast felt blessed but before she could send up a prayer of thanks Ren pulled her to the front of the crowd. Standing there with the hood down at the front of the crowd she watched as the spirit went into the abyss.


    The silence was shocking and was worse than screaming. She heard the howl of Kend and watched as he emerged from the darkness. Selast cocked her head to the side as she watch the spirit drop the pouch. She looked from the pouch into the spirits red eyes curious and grateful.


    She doubted it would work but she dipped her head in respect as she directed her thoughts to the spirit. She gave him praise and thanks for letting her be a part of the rare event. A part of her felt blessed to have even seen the spirit while another felt like she owed the spirit something for allowing her to join the celebration.

    The villagers raised their hands in praise, then the spirit spoke at last. Its voice was the deep, rumbling sound of pebbles tumbling down a mountainside stream. He only said one word. “Twenty-seven.” The crowd went up into a roar and they began to rhythmically pound their feet. “Twenty-seven golden fields this harvest season!” shouted one man, practically dancing.


    So that’s what it is, thought Ren. The number of seeds in the wheat pouch would be the number of fields which would grow golden wheat. He blinked and the spirit had nearly vanished, racing off farther into the hills and leaving the group still hollering in the clearing.

    Selast smiled and leaned gently against Ren as the people around them celebrated the news of twenty-seven golden fields. She waved to the spirit as it raced away and returned to its home. She was inexplicably happy for the townsfolk since now they would prosper without fear this year. “This is amazing.”

    “Isn’t it?” He was equally in awe and echoed Selast’s statement. “Sometimes I wish I’d gotten to experience this. You know, as a kid. Or even now. It’s incredible we got to see it, I’m sure it doesn’t happen every day.” The villagers had begun to settle down now, but they still remained in a light mood. They cast off their wolf masks and raced back into town on the main road. Ren followed them hesitantly, taking his time in the cool night air. “Should we head back to the inn?”

    Selast has to honestly debated the question. She wanted to rest but at the same time she felt like staying out and enjoying the night sky. She looked up to try to find the moon. Finding it she took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, “I want to go back. But I-I don’t want this day to end. It has been amazing.”


    She looked from the moon to Ren and wondered why they couldn’t just be regular citizens instead of royalty. Their lives were dictated over that small fact and while Selast had suffered Ren had suffered far more then she ever could’ve imagined. He lost so much and had been silent for years.


    Selast reaches out and put her hand to the side of his face as tears threatened to fall, “I’m so sorry Ren.”

    “Me either. I feel a little better now. You know, about... us, and your family.” Something about their environment had put him at rest. It seemed impossible to be tense or nervous among the golden fields of wheat which had yet to be reaped. He wasn’t looking at her when she spoke her word she to him. “What are you sorry for?” Her gentle fingertips touched the side of his face, sending a shudder down his spine. “You haven’t done anyth—“ He was cut off by the sight of her watery eyes. “Hey, Selast...”

    The tears began to spill as she struggled to control her emotions. She pulled her hand back as guilt built up inside her. She knew she had no logical reason to feel the guilt she did but it was very overwhelming.


    “Ren. I truly am sorry. I-I wish things were different. But they aren’t.”


    She hung her head and was fought between the need for him to hold her and tell her everything was okay and the need for him to yell at her and tell her she was being irrational.

    “Selast.” He repeated her name again, then he looked her directly in the eyes, those crimson opals with too much depth which made him unable to turn his head. “It can be different. We can make it different.” His tone was simple and direct, but a beast full of grief was clawing its way up the back of his throat. He’d said it to comfort her, but would it actually work?


    Maybe all of this would be over as soon as they returned to the royal family. Maybe Ren would be killed or jailed, and Selast would be sent to some faraway land with a wealthy prince who only used her as eye candy and a bargaining chip. But all of those maybes couldn’t outweigh the moment. He would make sure it would work out. He didn’t know how, but they’d find a way.

    Selast asked through her tears, “How can we make things different? We were born into circumstances that honestly suck and have affected everything. While many dream of this I don’t understand how anyone would. Everyone else actually has freedom to choose. Not you. Not me.


    “We are forced into horrible situations and are told to just ‘grin and bare with it’. Like that makes things easier! It doesn’t it’s oppressive and it hurts so many innocents. If we hadn't been born royalty we could’ve been enjoying amazing celebrations like this all the time and your family would be here with you. And maybe we could’ve-we might’ve-“


    Her voice caught in her throat. She wanted to explain that she wanted a future with him but it felt inappropriate to say and a part of her worried that he didn’t feel that way, after all he had been living with the bandits for who knew how long.

    At the edges of his knuckles, he traced away the lines of her tears. “If royalty means that we have power, then we have the power to do all this, all the time,” he gestured to the fields and the people, their faces bright and glowing in celebration.


    “Selast.” He wasn’t sure why he’d repeated her name, but it didn’t matter. Ren laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and laid a tender kiss on her lips.

    (Admittedly that made me gush because it’s adorable.)


    Selast was surprised when she felt his lips against her own. Her blue eyes widened in shock only to close. While it was only a simple kiss she was happy to have the kiss. Timidly she pressed her lips against his.


    Her slight body began to tremble from the whirlwind of emotions that swirled inside her. Her tears slowed thankfully but she knew he had a point. They had the power to improve things for the future.

    “Don’t cry...” he murmured, suddenly feeling embarrassed as her slender frame trembled under his calloused palms. “We’ll figure this out, but we should try to sleep first,” he added reluctantly. The sweet feeling of the kids still lingered like electricity humming in the air, but he tried to shake the feeling away. It wasn’t a big deal, right? Things remained as they were, he reminded himself, keeping her hand in his.

    Selast stared into his eyes and used them to focus and calm herself. It seemed to take forever but she finally nodded. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it. She didn’t trust her voice and instead moved next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist while standing at his side. She left his dominant hand free so if he needed it he could use it. She pulled the arm she was underneath around her shoulders and buried her head into his side.


    She would let him lead her to their room whenever he was ready to go. She dimly realized that she would always let him take the reigns in situations where she was unable to do much of anything. She also referred to him a lot, and not just because he had more worldly experience than she did. She had always admired him and knew that if she lost him, again and for real, she would absolutely lose it and would never be the same, just a shell.

    The feeling in his blood did not subside when he pulled away from her, squinting at the sheer vastness of the night sky above. His arm still rested comfortably around her, and he felt her head dig into his side reassuringly. “Did you learn your constellations? In the astronomical classes at the palace?” he inquired. He pretended to study the state, scattered like salt across black satin. His embarrassment forced him to make conversation so he could regain his composure. He was glad that it was dark out and she could not see her flustered impression. Despite his status, he had had few dealings with women in his lifetime, and he did not truly understand their ways or wants.