Stars and Thoughts

When the sun finally sets—Finally!—they set up camp in a clearing by the road. Maria rolls his neck and shoulders, groaning at the stiffness. He's already dying inside at the thought of enduring two more days of this grueling journey.

Chewing on the rationed bread, he washes it down with water to help the dry crumbs go down easier. His gaze drifts upward to the night sky, where the stars blink down at him. He used to love the stars as a kid, but that changed when he realized money shone brighter. The rush of a win in a casino, the thrill of chance, was far more tangible than chasing distant stars forever out of reach. He squints, trying to pick out constellations he recognizes: the South God, Small Whale, Pesemos, Queen Salann, and Big Vase. Then his eyes catch a flower-shaped constellation, and the name hovers frustratingly just out of reach. Come on! He could name all of these in his sleep when he was a kid. Back then, he was the star expert of the village, the one everyone turned to. Now, he couldn't even remember a single name he used to rattle off without thinking. It gnawed at him, this forgotten knowledge that once made him feel special, slipping away from him leaving him with a strange sense of loss.

"What was the name of that flower again?" he mutters with his brows scrunched.

"The Yhoanna," comes a voice.

Maria blinks, hands freezing mid-air as he smacks them together. "Oh yeah! That's it..." He trails off, his brain catching up to the fact that Enanon is the one who answered. He stares, utterly shocked to hear anything from Enanon that isn't an insult.

The silence stretches between them for a moment before Enanon meets his gaze, unbothered. "What baffles you, human?"

Maria flounders for a second. "No, uh... I just didn't expect you to say something that wasn't, you know, an insult. I didn't think you'd be interested in constellations either."

Enanon's expression remains neutral. "Your behavior at present does not warrant my insults. And I will speak what I wish. We divine beings do not adhere to your assumptions, nor am I lacking in the knowledge you possess."

Then, as if the conversation never happened, Enanon returns his gaze to the sky, his face as stoic as ever.

Maria, still processing the brief moment of normalcy, drops his eyes to the ground. Beneath him, life buzzes in its own little ecosystem: insects scuttle through the grass, ants march in their busy little lines, all of them living out their quiet, ordinary lives.

Normal.

He frowns. Okay, seriously, why is he so hung up on that word? Shaking off the thought, he tears his gaze from the ground—and that's when he spots a yellow flower growing near the edge of the clearing.

A spark of recognition flares in his chest. *Wait... could it be?Excitement bubbles up inside him. The flower is the same as the ones that used to grow in whole fields near his childhood home. Those fields would be teeming with fireflies at night. If he looks, he might even find a whole patch of them nearby.

Without a second thought, he jumps to his feet and heads straight for the forest.

"Human," Enanon's voice calls out, cold and warning, "where do you think you're going? I advise you not to wander around lest you get yourself lost."

"I just want to find a patch of these flowers!" Maria shouts back, already halfway into the woods. The cool air hits his skin, invigorating him, his excitement only growing. The sound of crickets fills the air, the crunch of leaves beneath his feet, and the soft brush of branches and shrubs against his arms as he delves deeper into the forest.

Before long, Maria finds himself in a small clearing filled with yellow flowers. Crouching down, he brushes his hands over the petals, waiting.

At first, nothing happens. Then, a flicker of golden light appears. Slowly, one by one, new lights begin to shine, like twinkling stars. Soon, the whole clearing is illuminated by the glow of fireflies emerging from under the flowers.

Maria hums a childhood tune. He remembers his late grandmother's words: "If you wake up slumbering stars, it's rude not to sing them an apology. So let's hum them a little special song."

As he hums, Maria wonders what his grandmother would think of him now, after everything he's done. After she passed, he had grown rebellious. He didn't want to become a carpenter like his father. His first theft was an act of defiance—he had stolen from the mean kid's house down the street. One stunt led to another, and soon, he was addicted. And now, here he is.

He watches the dozens of fireflies twinkling about, his mind drifting back to memories from a time before he became a thief. A rustling sound comes from behind him, and he feels a familiar presence settle nearby.

An exasperated huff breaks the silence. "Impulsive human," comes Enanon's voice.

Maria ignores the jab and keeps humming, eyes closed, wanting to savor the moment. A small smile tugs at his lips as he opens his eyes again, gazing at the twinkling fireflies. Fond memories of his childhood soften his expression.

Unbeknownst to Maria, Enanon watches the him. He sees Maria's soft smile and the way his blue eyes reflect the flickering light. His brown lashes look more pronounced in the glow of the fireflies, and the tune he hums, gentle and soothing, echoes through the clearing. Enanon finds his mind wandering back to the past two weeks cooped up in the inn with Maria.

He is reluctant to admit it, but a small part of him regrets his harsh reply to the human's morning greeting that one day.

That morning, Enanon had awoken to the sight of the human still in slumber. The fool's mouth had hung slightly open, and his unkempt hair splayed across the pillow. It was a moment of fleeting quiet, a brief suspension of the usual cacophony Maria carried with him. For a flicker of time, Enanon had found himself caught in that stillness, contemplating the frailty of the being beside him, the vulnerability he had seen last night.

But then, as though breaking through a fog, he had remembered. The string of reckless actions, the carelessness, the repeated blunders that had led them to their current predicament. It was because of Maria's folly they had lost their funds; because of Maria that their journey was now littered with inconveniences. He had let that disgusting human sway him into thinking sympathy could bridge the unbridgeable gap between them. How foolish of him to even entertain such thoughts. As if mere vulnerability erased all the misdeeds that had brought them to this pitiful state. It was a show of weakness that had moved Enanon, and he had almost let his guard down. But for what? A human who had lied, stolen, and dragged them into this mess? He cannot afford softness.

And so, when Maria had awoken that morning with his typical obliviousness, offering a cheery greeting as though nothing had been amiss, it had been too much. Enanon's disdain, rekindled and sharp, had slipped from his lips before he could stop it, and his biting words had cut through the fragile morning peace.

Not that the human doesn't deserve the scoldings—Enanon's comments had only been fitting, given the human's graceless behavior. Morning grogginess had stripped the fool of his bearings, and the human had wound up wetting his pants, for heaven's sake! He snores loudly and eats like a barbarian. Their lack of proper transportation is entirely the human's fault, a consequence of their tight budget due to the thief's actions. Enanon could go on endlessly cataloging the fool's faults. If his manners are anything to go by, the human practically begs to be reprimanded. There is nothing in him that warrants compassion.

Yet, for that one morning, perhaps the human's harmless, friendly gesture deserved a response in kind. Enanon's cold reply had shut down any inclinations for future greetings. The human hasn't tried to say good morning since.

Enanon pushes the thoughts aside, watching as the fireflies begin to return to their homes, one by one.

Maria hums until all the little stars settle back beneath the flowers, returning to their slumber. Then, he stands, yawning.

"We should sleep now!" Maria announces.

They make their way back to camp and settle in for the night.

"I hope you guys enjoyed reading! Their romance will be slow. They have much to work on. "Good looking but shit personality" is the common opinion both of them share towards the other. See you!"