CRYSTAL FLOWER

Sponge, although not skilled in illustration, found herself sketching a random flower in her journal the following day, a departure from her usual journal entries. While she had dabbled in drawing as a child, she had gravitated more towards writing as she grew older. Watching JM effortlessly sketch with swift and delicate strokes had stirred something in Sponge.

However, as Sponge paused, observing the shaky lines she had created, she tapped her journal lightly, there is a reason why drawing was no longer a common practice for her.

The familiar squeak of JM's boots interrupted her thoughts, prompting Sponge to swiftly close her journal and gather the quills scattered on the table as JM entered the house, humming a cheerful tune. "Hi, Sponge! What are you up to?" JM inquired, approaching Sponge, who instinctively covered her journal with a hand.

Sponge offered a nervous smile. "Oh, nothing much, just jotting down some things to remember, nothing particularly interesting," she chuckled lightly, to which JM raised a skeptical eyebrow. "With you, even the mundane is intriguing," JM teased, eliciting a glare from Sponge. "And what's that supposed to mean?" Sponge questioned, narrowing her eyes as JM giggled in response.

After a moment, JM clapped her hands together, taking a deep breath. "I was thinking, would you like to accompany me to inquire about the Crystal Flower?" JM suggested with a grin. Sponge hummed in contemplation. "Yes, we did discuss that. We can do it after my training with Vvh," she responded.

Excitedly pumping her fist, JM cheered, only to be met with an amused glance from Sponge. "Try not to get too excited. What if we don't get the information we need about its appearance? We'd be shooting ourselves in the foot," Sponge cautioned, tucking her journal into her hoodie and stashing her quills in her pockets before rising from her seat.

JM's expression turned thoughtful, contemplating Sponge's words.

"That can't be, surely they would tell us, right?"

Sponge, still uncertain, shrugged as she pushed the chair back under the table. "Who can say for sure? It's always better to be prepared. We could always consider the water lilies as the flower. Given that it thrives in water, and considering we reside in a water-centric country with a water goddess," Sponge suggested, grinning and rubbing the back of her neck.

"That's quite clever, it's a solid idea. Water lilies are indeed stunning," JM acknowledged, nodding and rubbing her chin in contemplation. "Every flower holds its beauty and significance; it could truly represent a multitude of loves," Sponge added.

"So asking around is it?" JM tilts a head.

"Asking around it is," Sponge nods, affirming the other.

—

Vvh swiftly dodges a swing aimed at her head, her movements executed with precision, speed, and fluidity. In response, Vvh delivers a sharp kick to Sponge's stomach, sending her tumbling backward onto the ground. Sponge rolls in the dirt, feeling the weight of her armor pressing against her.

"Ow, damn it," Sponge mutters, reaching a hand to her armor, emitting a distressed noise upon noticing the dent—it wasn't glaringly obvious, but it was pressing uncomfortably against her ribs.

She sees Vvh walking up to her, "You broke my armor!" Sponge whined, unclasping it off her body and taking it off. Vvh kneels next to her, taking a look at the armor. "Do not worry, I can find someone to fix it," Vvh says. Sponge lets out a sigh of relief, watching as Vvh's hand drifts from the armor towards the golden clip on the pocket of her hoodie. Vvh stares at it as Sponge flushes.

They both lapse into silence as Sponge bites her lip. "I—uh was hoping for you to, um… accept this," Sponge mumbles the last part, unclipping it and placing it on Vvh's hand gently. A bead of sweat runs down the back of her neck, and her face feels hot with embarrassment.

Sponge never really took it off after Vvh had initially refused to accept it—it hurt for Vvh not to acknowledge it, but Sponge didn't want to discard real gold. At the same time, she didn't want to sell it either. It came from Northern Korea, which held a special place in Sponge's heart.

The golden hairpin represents Sponge's happiness at being recognized as Vvh's student, doesn't it?

"I have told you to keep this and use it for yourself, haven't I?" Vvh asks, rolling the pin in her fingers, the polished gold catching the light. "It's, um… I still want to give this to you… Gold suits you," Sponge says as Vvh freezes.

"Thank you," Vvh says, slowly pocketing it as Sponge internally cheers, almost wanting to jump to her feet and cheer loudly.

Vvh was a hard woman to read, but it felt like an accomplishment to be able to observe these sides of her that others couldn't. To see her chuckle, laugh, be amused, and sometimes tease Sponge made her seem more human—someone Sponge could trust with her life.

Not that Sponge didn't trust her; Vvh had already proven herself trustworthy, especially in how she could easily protect you.

In short, Vvh made Sponge feel safer than she was. And somehow, it felt comforting…

"That's great! I mean—I'm happy you finally accepted it! I thought it didn't suit you. Maybe I should find one that fits your style! But I was too embarrassed to ask what you like, so I kept this and planned to give it to you—" Sponge rambled, speaking quickly, until Vvh placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop.

"Sponge, I like it. Let's leave it at that," Vvh says as Sponge flushes, then nods in relief. "Now, stand up, leave your armor there, and we can continue our training," Vvh says. Sponge nods dumbly once more, standing up quickly with renewed energy and adrenaline.

Vvh kicks the axe on the ground, hooking the tip of her boot to force it upwards, catching it mid-air, and handing it to the raven-haired woman who accepts it without a word.

"You know, you still have to teach me that trick," Sponge spins the axe in her hand, examining it. Vvh gives her a side glance, offering no response.

They trained a bit more for a few additional hours before Vvh eventually left Sponge to her own devices. Later, JM came by with a bowl of chocolates, a small grin on her face as she watched Sponge wield a stick and swing it around.

"Are you trying to copy Master Vvh?" JM asked as Sponge quickly turned to her, surprised as she hadn't even heard the other's footsteps. "That—no..." Sponge blushed, dropping the stick on the floor in embarrassment. JM only giggled behind her fist, "Master Vvh is truly amazing; she performs those cool moves and has this cool aura around her," JM said, bouncing slightly on her toes as Sponge walked up to her, took a few chocolates, and popped them into her mouth.

"She is," Sponge said, chewing quietly as JM looked around, the breeze hitting them comfortably. "Do you want to head to town now? I heard some people have already seen the Crystal Flower," JM asked, excited.

Sponge hummed, still chewing, nodding slightly. "Why not? I'm done here anyways."

JM cheered as Sponge continued to stuff her mouth with chocolate. It took them a few minutes to return to town. "So where do we find someone willing to tell us how the crystal flower looks?" Sponge asked, breathing out softly as she placed a hand on her waist.

Beside her, JM surveyed the area before she spotted a woman dressed in strange clothing in front of the inn, a smoking pipe in her hands. "There!" JM pointed as she quickly ran towards the woman before Sponge could even stop her.

Sponge sighed, following after the other woman who was already conversing with the person who blew smoke in the air and turned to JM with a raised brow. "Hi! Uhm—I'm JM! And this is Sponge!" JM waved excitedly, her hands flapping around in excitement as Sponge stood beside her.

"Oh? Hello as well, I suppose. You can call me Sanria," Sanria said, taking a long drag from her pipe, nodding to both of them before softly blowing out smoke towards JM's face.

Sponge glared, waving a hand and dispelling it in one move. Sanria only smirked. JM remained clueless, saying, "We're here to ask you about something! I live in this town, and we never really get to see the Crystal Flower. Have you perhaps seen it?"

Sanria raised a brow, her eyes drifting lazily to the side before back at JM. "Yes, I did see it," she said, smiling as JM excitedly bounced on her feet, turning to Sponge. "We could finally win!" JM cheered, almost waving her hands in the air, until Sponge brought it down and chuckled, turning to Sanria who watched them with mild interest.

"How does the Crystal Flower look? What kind of flower is it?" Sponge asked as Sanria raised a brow. "A flower? No—No, not quite…" Sanria's brows furrowed, shrugging slightly as JM's face turned confused. "What do you mean by 'not quite'?" she asked, tilting her head.

Sanria shrugged a shoulder, "Eh… a disappointing view," she said.

Both Sponge and JM turned to each other, both of their brows raised, before glancing back at Sanria who let out a yawn—essentially yawning in their faces. Sponge gave her a scowl while JM only smiled. "But, are you able to try and explain to us how it looks?" she asked, clasping her hands together.

Sanria looked at her, wiping a tear. "Ah… no, not really. I'd rather not be reminded how I wasted gold to just see that," she then turned around—snobby as ever—and walked inside the hotel.

Sponge's eye twitched as JM pouted, her antennae drooping down.

"What an asshole," Sponge grumbled, rolling her eyes before pulling JM away. "Look—we can just ask someone else. How about that?" Sponge asked as JM nodded, though she still looked quite disappointed. "Is the flower not pretty in their eyes?" JM asked, glancing at Sponge who only sighed.

"Maybe she just didn't appreciate the love and care that was put into it," Sponge said, tilting her head as JM let out a small whine. "Still—why would she say that? It's said that the flower was beautiful, something never seen before."

Sponge only shrugged. "Mmm, maybe she just expected it to fly around or something," she said with a smirk.

"The books didn't say the flower could fly," JM argued, looking confused.

Sponge snapped her fingers. "See?" she said before winking.

Eventually, they found another person who had seen the flower, but all they said was:

"I thought it was more, but apparently it wasn't. They only hyped it up!"

"Load of nonsense if you ask me. I'm highly disappointed."

"It's true love!"

In the end, Sponge and JM sat at the edge of the bridge, their legs hanging down, the tips of their feet almost touching the waters below, with the sun already setting behind them.

"So…" Sponge began, wincing when she saw JM's downturned and disappointed look, her antennae drooping down, a permanent frown on her face. Sponge was at a loss for words on what to say to the other woman.

"Everyone seems to hate the Crystal Flower of Saphria! I don't get it," JM said, glancing at Sponge who was scratching the side of her head.

"I mean—personal opinion?" Sponge shrugged as JM gave her a weak, kicked puppy look before turning away, crossing her arms.

"It doesn't make sense! Saphria wouldn't make something ugly, she's a goddess, isn't she? She could do anything," JM said, rubbing her forehead, mindlessly touching one of her antennae and rolling it between her pointer and thumb.

Sponge sighed. "Just because you're a god doesn't mean you can do everything."

"How so?" JM asked, her voice low.

"If gods are so powerful, why can't they just stop wars? I believe... the only thing they can do is guide us..." Sponge mused, her head supported by her hand. "Does Saphria ever reveal herself here?"

JM shook her head. "No, but she provides us with what we need... and I believe that's sufficient for us. She's kind and always so considerate."

"I see," Sponge responded.

A twitch in JM's antenna prompted her to glance at Sponge. "Is something on your mind?"

Surprised, Sponge sat up straight. "Oh... not exactly. Just a passing thought. Some gods may be greedy, but others, like Saphria, love their people deeply, don't they?" JM nodded, "I must admit... I don't know much about other gods, and... I'm uncertain of their ways," she said, rubbing the back of her neck.

Sponge chuckled, "Trust me, I'm in the same boat."

With a teasing glint in her eye, JM remarked, "I thought you didn't like being on a boat," before Sponge playfully threw an arm around her shoulder, tousling her hair, leading to a fit of giggles and laughter. "You're picking up sass from me! That's dangerous!" Sponge laughed as she leaned back, observing JM fixing her hair, though she couldn't help but smile at JM's slightly pouting expression.

"In all seriousness, what's on your mind?" JM inquired after a moment of hair fixing. Sponge gazed at the water below, lightly touching it with the tip of her boot, watching the ripples form. "I was once saved by a god, and... I'm curious about their intentions. I mean... some gods have their own agendas, you know? They could have abandoned me, but instead, I was rescued," Sponge absentmindedly twirled her hair.

Beside her, JM fell into a thoughtful silence, contemplating deeply.

"Someone being kind to you doesn't always mean they want something in return," JM remarks. "So... goodness of heart, eh?" Sponge quips.

"Is that impossible?" JM asks.

Sponge shakes her head. "No, but it's rare."

"How about you, Sponge? If you were to find someone in need of help, would you help them?" JM tilts her head, fidgeting with her hands. Beside her, Sponge gazes at the water, engrossed in the rippling reflections.

"Maybe? It's hard to say," Sponge responds.

JM falls silent, contemplating Sponge's answer. "Humans are so interesting," she whispers, flinching as Sponge turns to her, eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Humans?" Sponge echoes, as JM flushes.

"You! You are... very interesting, Spongey—I mean! Sponge," JM stumbles nervously, lips twitching into a small smile.

Sponge stares at her, letting out a small laugh. "It's fine, you know. You can call me Spongey if you want," she says, as JM's eyes light up. "Really? Oh!" JM grins, clapping enthusiastically as Sponge rolls her eyes.

"It's getting late, we should head back," Sponge suggests, as JM nods in agreement, scanning the surroundings and noticing the diminishing sunlight and people beginning to walk by. "We should."