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pianocat939 · 1 year

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Boring Maiden Whom I Love

Hi have this shitty late Valentine's Special I spent almost an entire week mauling over. I love shrine maiden Leo so much-

Synopsis: While visiting a shrine on the outskirts of the city, you encounter a shrine maiden who seems to not enjoy your presence, to say the least. Despite his bitter self, you can't help but be enamoured by his beauty.

Word Count: 2.7K+

Based off this post and this post.

Tw: anxiety (Leo-), mentions of past isolation, angst but fluff ending

After a never-ending barrage of suggestions from your co-workers and friends, you've finally decided to visit the shrine at the edge of the city. When you arrived, already the place was intriguing, to say the least. You see a few small statues leading up the path of the entrance, all of the statues being adorable animals. Towards the end of the path, you notice a shrine maiden cleaning off dust and dirt with a broom, seemingly occupied with his thoughts.

Wow, he's pretty.

You silently slip past the shrine maiden, not wanting to disturb his job. But you stop by a disgruntled mumble from the shrine maiden himself, “Why is someone here this early in the morning? Please don’t tell me it’s another tourist…” He pauses his brooming to swiftly walk before you; seemingly getting ready for customers. You stare at his fading form, admiring the gentle flow of his cobalt-coloured skirt. He was sassy but gloriously ethereal. You wondered how someone so beautiful is doing such a job as a shrine maiden. Surely people should be crowding around him, wanting to engorge themselves on his appearance. But then again, you kind of liked having this secret, knowing that he’s not constantly focused on by the public. And maybe, if you’re lucky, you can catch his interest.

You drag along, finally ascending the stairs of the entryway. You freeze, stunned by the intricacy of all the statues, buildings, and gates of the shrine. Waves, divots, and several patterns are covered in the structures, enhancing their decoration. “Well did you come here to stare at things? Because if you are, I would love to get back to my reading.” You turn to the shrine maiden whose leaning on furniture filled with stacks of small drawers. The same frown graces his face, obviously expressing his annoyance. Quickly, you scramble a response, “Uh no, I um, I guess it’s my first time visiting any Shinto shrine so I don’t really know what you do…?” A silent moment hangs down on the conversation, quite awkward. The shrine maiden smirks before explaining, “Shrine maidens do all sorts of things: exorcisms, cleansing if you want to call it that, and fortune drawing…Oh and cleaning this place.”

“Fortune drawing? Shouldn’t it be fortune telling?” You question, skeptical of his choice of words. He shakes his head, “No, unlike fortune telling, we don’t tell you the fortune rather we help you draw it. Then you read it for yourself.” He opens the bottom drawer of the furniture, its size much larger than the ones above. He reveals a hexagonal wooden cylinder, a small slit apparent at the top. “Wanna try?” He jiggles the box a little, a sound of jingling items within resounding. “Sure.”

In an instant, you notice his demeanour change, now much more serious and intent. He shakes the box, shuffling it to ensure randomness. He tips the box down, holding his hand out over the slit, ready for the fortune to slip through. A thin stick pops out, and Leo flips the box over once more after he grabs the fortune. “25…” He mutters, heading over to the tiny drawers to take out a piece of paper. He hands you the parchment, now back to his laid-back personality.

You read the paper, frowning slightly when it says 'tremendously bad fortune'. "What does it say?" He inquires, acknowledging your change in expression. You look up at him, displaying the paper, "Bad fortune." He stills and blanks out for a second before sauntering over to a metal rack. "Unlike bitchy fortune tellers who say you're at doom's doorstep, you can tie your bad fortune to dispel it. Which then turns into good fortune.” You notice a number of small papers knotted onto the metal bars: some neat, others not so much.

You step over next to him and fold the fortune, trying to transform it into a line-like form. Curling one end under the bar, you encircle the material over the freezing metallic medium. You struggle to tie it into a knot, unused to such a method of tying. The shrine maiden notices your unskilled attempt at knotting and interjects, “Here, let me do it.”

He gracefully slips the paper from underneath your hands and effortlessly weaves it into a tie. He was so close to you, you could even see the stain of his teeth. There’s no denying, he was charming, and you were falling for it. Yet you’ve just barely met him…Which was odd, to say the least.

“There, you should have good fortune now.” He stands back to glance at you, a bit of amusement swirling in his eyes. “Too impressive for you?” He remarks, a cocky grin forming on his face. You looked so silly staring blankly at the rack before you; even a child would laugh.

“Huh? Oh yeah, sure.” You respond voice monotone. He chuckles a little, head cocking to the side slightly. “Well, I’ve been doing knotting since I was a kid.” He proudly swishes his skirt, the fabric fluttering like a bird’s wings. If only he knew, you weren’t impressed by the knotting; rather the one who knotted the paper.

He gives you a small tour of the shrine after that, a little less bitter as time goes on. Yet at certain moments, you notice he avoids answering questions. As if he’s embarrassed to reveal the truth. But soon enough the wandering comes to an end. The shrine maiden stands at the gate of the shrine, clutching the folds of his skirt gently.

“Now you’re more cultured with Shinto shrines.” He declares in a smug tone, trying to irk you. You smile and stare back at him, admiring the sunlight on his green skin. How you wish you could be closer to him: not a stranger, but rather a friend, and maybe even a lover.

“Bye.” You give a blunt greeting, waving to him. He only gives a nod and turns back to head to the shrine. You copy his action, only to stop in place. You never asked what his name was. You whip around and call out to him, “Hey! I never asked your name!” He looks over his shoulder in surprise, mouth slightly agape.

“Leonardo.”

——————————————————

As the season turns from spring to summer, you’ve become much more acquainted with him; spending at least two days a week at the shrine whenever he’s working his weekly shifts. The unfamiliarity and coldness of your relationship washed away; replaced with a kinder tone.

He smiles a bit more and doesn’t try to hit you with his broom every three seconds. His gaze wasn’t so dark and empty, it was now with a glimmer that was warm, serene. On some days you notice he seems almost excited to see you like he was patiently waiting for you to arrive. But maybe it’s your imagination, because why would he want to talk to some random person who almost creepily visits the days he’s on shift?

The summer morning was hot, your skin feeling like burning away. Yet you trudged up the stairs, finding more importance in meeting your crush. When you arrived at the shrine area you notice he’s nowhere to be seen; in fact, no one’s here as usual, and he’s the only one here often. You then hear faint laughter, muffled by the walls of the buildings. You approach the source of the noise, wondering who it might be.

“I guess the fish that end up on land are…washed up!” The laugh belonged to no other than Leonardo himself, and it was adorable in a peculiar way. You stand behind a wall, listening to him make jokes and puns. He’s never laughed in front of you before; sure, he’s chuckled a few times but nothing too expressive. You liked it. You liked the sound of his giggles; perhaps even love. A few minutes later, you reveal yourself and walk up to him. He instantly freezes and stares at you, his eyes wide in embarrassment. “You didn’t hear anything.” You smile and raise an eyebrow, finding his shyness amusing. “No of course I didn’t, I sincerely did not hear you laugh at your own jokes.” He rests his elbows on the table he sits at, covering his face. “Leave me alone…I just can’t share them with anybody.”

Can’t? What does he mean by can’t? They weren’t too bad when you heard them earlier. “What do you mean can’t?” You sit down across from him, glancing at his face occasionally. He pauses and looks away, propping his face into his hand. You can tell it’s something sensitive. You should tell him he doesn’t have to- “Well, I don’t have any friends.”

You blink, processing the information. Have no friends? He’s so pretty how could he not have friends? Nonetheless a significant other. Your thoughts race through your mind, creating question after question. “Can I ask…why?”

He looks back at you, his eyes now blackened with something grim, horrifyingly dark. “All my life, my dad never really let us leave the house or shrine that much. Me and my brothers always felt isolated, hidden away. So even now I rarely talk to anyone outside my family: I’m just not used to it.”

That’s why. That’s why he isn’t a famous model or dating a celebrity—he was alone. Is that why he seemed to be excitedly talking to you? Why his smile seemed to dampen when you left? It hurt your heart a little, knowing someone so majestic feels such a negative feeling like loneliness. “I can be your friend if you want.” You impulsively blurt, your brain betraying your dignity.

He pauses, surprised by your offer. He leans his cheek on his fingers and smiles. “Sure, if it means I get to annoy you with the jokes I’ve stored all these years.” You frown-smile and shake your head, a little scared about what’s going to come next. “I’m gonna hope they aren’t too bad.” His warm smile turns into a devious smirk. He’s definitely thinking of something bad…Really bad.

“Well I think my jokes are pretty shelly~” He chirps, eyes narrowing in amusement. You laugh a little, finding his pun cute. “Whatever you say, Leonardo.” He stills for a moment, staring deeply into your eyes.

“Call me Leo.” He turns his head away, a touch of scarlet burning on his crescent stripes. He seems to not know what else to say. You blink, realizing the meaning of this statement. He officially thinks you're friends.

"Of course, Leo."

——————————————————

Fuck, why did it have to be today that you have all these errands to do? Instead of planning for the feared Valentine's Day, you have to run around doing dull tasks. It frustrates you, knowing that your patience of a year is ripped apart.

You've waited so long to ask Leo out, pondering days upon days whether or not the time was right. Yet to your best luck, Valentine's Day came around: the perfect and most romantic time to invite him to an outing. And perhaps the highest chances of acceptance it'll ever be.

Oh, but the nature of society has damned you into activities you wanted to burn. You want to run away and hug Leo so tightly; aggression for adorableness activating. You want to see his flustered face and loss for words. He was cute when he didn't know how to respond.

If you're quick enough, you can catch him right before he goes home...

——————————————————

Where are you? Those thoughts rang in Leo's mind as he polishes the wood of the offering table. There hasn't been a single day where you haven't visited him. And if you did, you texted or told him the day before. So what happened now? Were you sick? Hurt? His anxiety claws at him, shredding his heart.

He wanted to cry, he wanted to scream, he wanted to stab his heart. Why was he feeling like this? He shouldn't think such thoughts for a friend! Especially one who obviously has no interest in him. They would never have an interest in such a boring shrine maiden like him.

He needs to swallow his feelings and let them rest in his icy heart. It should never come out ever again. His love and admiration shall be buried in a pit of darkness. He's fine with standing there, watching from afar, knowing he'll never be able to kiss them good morning or good night. He'll never be able to tell all those romance jokes he's thought of since he was a child.

As the sun slowly sets, his fears grow more vigorous, encompassing his entire being. He's already ready to go home, deciding he shouldn't wait for someone who won't show up. Hopefully, by the next time he works, they'll be there, waiting for him; with a bright smile and arms wide open. He takes his small bag and walks down the steps, heading for his house not too far away from the shrine.

He then hears a thunder of footsteps, approaching his direction. Someone was coming. And before he can react it's his beloved, holding a box of some sort. He freezes, eyes wide; he can't believe it, they appeared right as he was about to leave. Why were they so desperate to see him? Was something wrong? He moves to them, a worried stare tracing over their features.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be home by now?" Leo cocks his head to the side slightly, confused why they would be here so late. They smile, gripping the box that rests in their hands. "Do you know what day it is?" Leo crosses his arms and bluntly answers, "Tuesday." They proceed to ask another question, "What's the date?" The turtle frowns slightly and raises an eyebrow muscle, "February 14." Their smile grows into a grin, their teeth gleaming in the moonlight. "What happens on February 14?" He pauses to think, not knowing what could be special today; it's not a birthday, nor a political holiday either.

Then it hit him. It's Valentine's Day.

"No...You possibly couldn't be-" He's cut off by them, "I am. Leonardo Hamato, I am asking you out." There's an odd boldness radiating from them as they've prepared for ages for this. Leo can't help but blush, his eyes darting around, not knowing how to respond. "I- uh, well um, I don't think..." He pauses, turning his head away. "I don't think you should be asking a boring shrine maiden out; especially for Valentine's Day."

A moment of silence stabs the conversation, an awkward tension. Leo's face is taken into someone's hand and turned to face them once more. "Boring? You think you're boring? Weird, because I see you as one of the funniest people I've met, with stories sad enough to make a serial killer cry." Their smile instantly turns into a worried expression. Is there something wrong? Oh, wait...

He's crying.

The feeling feels unfamiliar but pleasing. Being adored is a feeling he never wishes to fade away. He wants to stay with them forever, so his loneliness from years of isolation can drip down into an abyss he shall never see.

"If you don't think I'm so boring, then I guess I'll accept your offer." The curve of his mouth peaks upwards, copying the action they committed earlier. Within seconds he's hugged, gentle but firm arms wrapped around his sides. "You know, you're really cute when you're flustered. Did you know that?" The sudden comment forces Leo to splutter completely off guard. "WHA- Excuse me?" They laugh, releasing their hold off of them.

"You heard me. Now meet me here at noon tomorrow." As soon as they finish their statement, lips brush across their cheek, soft and a slight chill to it. The peck was quick to come and quick to leave; not enough time for them to react.

They turn around to find Leo running down the steps, clearly too flustered with the situation to continue for the day: how adorable. He was so bitter at their meeting, but look at him now; too shy to do anything but run away with a multitude of shades of blush coating his face. Looks like he had a change of mind over the past year.

Their boring shrine maiden: who held a past so grim, yet maintained a brightness locked away to only those who were worthy. Those who visited him every day, those who were willing to put in the effort of getting to know him. They were ecstatic, knowing that Leo has similar thoughts: love and admiration one cannot possibly fathom with words.

Like the day of their first meeting, if you tie your bad fortune upon the rack, it will become an excellent fortune.

Wait a second, they never got to give the box of sweets.

——————————————————

I KINDA HALF ASSED THIS AT SOME POINT FROM EXHAUSTION DON'T MIND IT IF THERE'S MISTAKES EVERYWHERE.

Well anyway, I hope you like this fic-

#rottmnt x reader #tmnt x reader #rottmnt #tmnt #leo #rise leo #tmnt 2018 #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #Leo x reader #leonardo x reader #I love my shrine maiden so much bro-

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binch-i-might-be · 1 month

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updated hamilton shrine!!!

#i remembered the coffee table i bought for my room when i was a teenager and figured it would solve my space problems!#and it did!!!! everything fits far more nicely on this one #now i gotta figure out what to do with the former shrine. might make it my new bedside table whej i finally get rid of the current one #it's twenty years old. white. and from ikea. i don't like it!!!!#hamilton #rayrambles

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everyurlithinkofistoolong · 7 months

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Why do people forget that Jason was also canonically suicidal in BoO why do I have to do everything around here

#blame rick for not doing anything with his mental health themes not my man jason grace okay???????#remember when jason saw his mothers apparition and the sword would he got wouldnt heal until he made the promise to build shrines for #lesser gods??#percy's suicidality was built on guilt and the trauma of tartarus #jasons is built on his abandonment issues and feeling like he has no home #jasons response to percy mentioning it to him wasnt jason making light of it or making it about himself #jason is also a teenager (younger than percy mind you he just turned sixteen!!!) dealing with recognizing his own feelings of suicidality #also jason literally ends up sacrificing himself after losing a lot of things in his life that he clung onto as home. and he knew he was #going to die <3 #its like <3 they both needed help <3 richard riordan just prentended like he didnt write that <3

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pizzazz-party · 9 months

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au where, a year after the events of adachigahara, usagi’s ancestral ghosts start manifesting after him like something out a shinto legend. their rest has been disturbed; in their lifetimes, they successfully served the lord of the northern province and his line for generations upon generations—until usagi broke the chain, by failing to save mifune’s life.

relax, failure. we just want to talk.

#usagi yojimbo #miyamoto usagi #this is kind of inspired by a thing i was reading a month ago. where angry shinto ghosts may be placated #(and by placated it almost sounded like ‘trapped’ in its original context)#by being enshrined. like a kami #your ancestors won’t leave you alone and now you’re building a shrine in the hopes that it gets them off your back #dont you know i’m busy teenage angsting over my ruined life? begone with ye #pizzazz post

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foxsoulart · 2 months

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Tmnt February day 20! Prompt 'dream'

Uuuuh, angst anyone?

Nope nuh uh, totally not posting at midnight, noooooo

Have a blessed day/night!

#tmnt #tmnt february #the last ronin #tmnt tlr #traditional art #weapons #shrine #incense #teenage mutant ninja turtles

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vvenushalo · 4 months

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guys i miss revalink so fucking bad

#i’m going to shoot myself in the foot i can’t breathe i miss them i miss them i miss th #signed venus #why does one of them have to be fucking dead with not a single hint of a mention in totk #i’m so petty sorry i haven’t even played totk past the first shrine bc of how horribly i miss that dipshit bird #little teenager tulin is so fucking adorable tho like peak design i can’t believe they took that nasty ass baby Thing and made him cute #anyways i feel sick i miss them I MISS THEMMMMMM

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hopjam · 4 months

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concept: thai character whose god complex is hinted at through their fondness of strawberry fanta

#explanation of the joke: in thailand there is a tradition of offering red beverages to shrines to symbolize blood sacrifices #traditionally the offering would just be sweetened and colored by a blend of palm sugar and herbal essences #and then they introduced strawberry fanta to us. and we were like 'hey that's a lot easier' and now it's the standard shrine offering drink #anyway. this post is brought to you by the fact the 7-11 near me won't sell bottles or even cans of strawberry fanta #because there are a lot of teenagers in this area and most of them don't like to drink it because of the shrine offering association.#I JUST LIKE STRAWBERRY FANTA COME ON #val talks #(rare val thai moments wrow)

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daiyu-amaya · 7 months

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Can we get some sneak-peeks for the upcoming chapters of your fics?

I'm more than glad to share! But warning it's like looking down a mountainside and realizing just how far up you are 😂

WARNING: Spoilers ahead, and an avalanche of words 🤣

Never Be Your King (Danny Phantom) Chapter 5

“How did she meet a Dan then?” Clockwork let out a breath, tail curling around the leg of the chair he was sitting in.

“We were bound together, or rather she was bound to a small portion of myself…To become the Lady Cloaked in Time.” Vlad felt his brows jump upwards.

Last Knight Chapter 13

A cold wind cut through the dark streets of New York, an eerie howl through dirty streets. The kind of thing that people pulled their coats closer and walked just a little quicker, and Raphael had missed it like a thorn in the side. Not to say it wasn’t nice to be back home, but with so much that needed to be tied up, it was going to be a chore being back for the foreseeable future.

The Devils Trap Chapter 9

His face warmed as he thought about all the things Daisy had said to him about wooing his husband and he was not about to do that at all! Luigi was not in love with Boo, and he doubted that would ever happen with the way Boo had tricked him.

Unintended Chapter 20

It was a nightmare he’d never expected to deal with, he thought he was going to be the only one in the family and now…Now Jazz was like him which meant their parents were going to disown Jazz too. It made him feel like it was all his fault even though he knew it wasn’t his fault for what her roommates did, he still couldn’t believe someone other than his parents or Vlad had managed to make a proto-portal…

Brooklyn Bros Chapter 15

“I think we’ve been walking in a circle, are you lost?” Bowser grumbled and Mario rolled his eyes.

“Not lost, think we’re being followed though-somethings wrong right now and I can’t put my finger on what it is.” Bowser frowned as he looked down at Mario who only felt a chill of dread skim down his back. They paused at the intersection they had been at already to find that it had changed.

Angel Shrine Chapter Ten

Marinette squirmed in her seat, this was really the last thing she wanted to do but at the same time she was happy that Gabriel had wanted her here and that Nathalie hadn’t been mad or mean to her. The only one acting like a Jerk right now was Adrien and she couldn’t blame him for a second really…

Savage Chapter Six

Vlad wasn’t sure if he should be mortified or pleased with himself for having had such an amazing time with both Clockwork and Pariah and what the hell was even happening here, because having both of them basically say they were trying to court him was insanity at its finest because he was certainly no catch. Hell, Daniel was going to laugh his ass off the moment he found out…

Pac-Man Chapter 15

Saki paused at the mouth of the hallway, he’d almost walked out into the living room but noticed at the last second someone sitting at the bar, Donatello would have noticed anyone entering the room, but continued drinking like he had no worries about his back being to the hallway. Inhaling, he moved into the open and around the bar, making himself a drink and then putting his hands on either side of the glass, the bar top cool against his suddenly warm hands.

“I don’t understand why you didn’t kill me.” He muttered and Donatello chuckled, those burnt honey-colored eyes alit with mischievous delight.

Blind and Frozen Chapter 19

Ahsoka could feel the others in the force, it didn’t help the dread dwelling in her gut as she moved the chunks of the building that had fallen on her. She’d never experienced anything like that before and honestly, she doubted she’d see anything else like it again. Maul lay not far from her half covered and unconscious. Blood pooling from a cut on his forehead, rubble moved and Voss huffed before coughing his lungs out, she wondered where the others landed-hopefully Maul was the worst of the injuries.

A Phantom Caress Chapter 18

Watching the man heal wasn't something Clockwork had prepared himself for, knowing what he did. Was this truly the right path? He had so many branches from this point in time and having them go back to fix a mistake he'd made...

Yes, mistakes were made but this was going to be better in the long run. Now to make sure the world didn't end in a wreath of fire...

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wolves-in-the-world · 2 years

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quinn, holed up in the arse end of nowhere feeling morose and missing his sometimes-team, knowing it'll be a month at least before it's safe to visit them again, can at least receive phone calls when they're free to talk and exchange texts with them the rest of the time.

he finds a cool rock while clearing stone from the property and sends parker a photo; she sends him a photo of some diamond cufflinks she just swiped at a fancy party. hardison texts him that the rock's a geode and might have something even cooler inside.

he keeps texting him, suggesting ways to get it open until quinn gives up and goes and has a conversation with a rather confused clint - "my nephew's got an interest in science," quinn says, and that helps - and can send hardison a photo of what's inside.

(it's four different cool-rocks-that-are-maybe-geodes, by that point. one of them turns out to have been hiding some pretty cool purple crystals. quinn's just irritated that alec was right.)

he trips over a rock and stubs his toe while exploring his farm and, look, he's dealt with much worse than that and still kept the client's secrets, but he's very glad this time that no-one's around to hear him swear.

he stubs it again trying to get back to the farmhouse when it starts getting dark. he tells himself that absent active proof of a sniper setting up on his property, he isn't going exploring like that again.

the next day his toe's turned some very impressive colours. he texts eliot a photo.

when he's putting on his game face and greeting the townsfolk to get it over with, vincent tells him "momma told me not to talk to strangers" and quinn's thinking good, yes, I don't particularly want to talk to you anyway, kids are difficult, and then the kid follows it up with "but you seem nice" and quinn has to keep his smile fixed in place while dying inside.

harvey and then gus are very much cases of establishing a good relationship with the local doctor and bartender (a good protocol anywhere). they're distressingly normal, but quinn's starting to expect that around here.

evelyn calls him 'dear' on sight. quinn's gonna offer to carry her groceries the second he gets a chance to.

he's very relieved that SOMEONE in this town is showing an appropriate level of wariness, though. that the someone in question wears clothes made of sewn-together leaves... well, at this point, quinn can live with that.

with the rest of them... he's trying not to, he knows eliot makes faces when he talks like this, but basically in his head he's going "child, civilian, civilian, child, the most civilian civilian I've ever seen while ALSO being a child..."

it's not that he's a danger to them. there's no point in this being his hideaway if the townsfolk don't think he's normal and safe. he's just a little twitchy about it. they're soft and squishy and he's worried for them.

like leah. she's not his responsibility so it's a very quiet thing but he's anxious on her behalf that she lives alone in the woods. but it's not like he doesn't understand wanting privacy. he can't help but wonder if she's running from something, though. hell, do people even go and live in a place like that (like his own cabin) if they're not running from something? is she really just here because she likes the place?

he could work his way towards liking it, actually. the valley's beautiful. it's satisfying going to bed tired, in a simple kind of way that jobs often aren't. and he's seen a cat on his morning rounds occasionally - they have an agreement, they leave each other alone.

it's just, despite it all, he's looking forward to the day he can taste eliot's cooking again.

#sv quinn #me playing this is apparently half actual playing half pausing at random times to jot down quinn perspective notes about it #yes this could ideally be a fic no there is no guarantee my interest will extend or last long enough to manage it #so you're getting it like this instead?? I have no clue if it's interesting; apologies etc.#he has yet to see any junimos or meet marlon or be introduced to the cat properly #the note he found on the shrine is obviously from one of the teenagers wanting to spook the new guy #this quinn exists in a quantum state of having been taught foraging etc by a grouchy hermit #because it's fun to think of quinn regretfully knowing that green algae is edible and having someone to blame for it

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