Dice Our Shenanigans

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa skipped with Moss, cheeks still red after their teasing fest earlier.

He felt welcomed into Mrs. Kettlewhistle’s home and her daughter is a spunky one, riding around in her wheelchair with flAmes trailing behind her. Okay, he might have used illusions of flames trailing behind her to cheer her up, it works. When Mrs. Kettlewhistle showed them their new caravan blueprints, Isa felt excited and asked if she could add on a few things.

”I’ll bring the materials, so ya don’t have to worry.” Isa chimed charmingly. Thinking of using the spiders to help with his idea for the caravan.

So now, as they skipped together through the market place of Barad Eithel, Isa kept his arm around Moss’ arm. Smiling happily as they strolled around to look and window shop. “We should probably get food and then window shards—oh! And definitely the spell to enlarge rooms.” He listed off before muttering about how to have a big tub without having to worry of the water overflowing. He wasn’t even scared of the water since Moss was nearby.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"Food sounds good~" said Moss, jotting down the things Isa wanted in his foodie journal. They found a rooftop stall that served a typical Purrsian breakfast of pita bread, soup for dipping, spicy roasted fire salamander meat and some shishkabob desert scorpions. Here, Moss spread out the blue prints on the colorful rug they were sitting on as they munched.

"About the window shards, can we can have different designs for each window glass, Isa? And a special one for our door?"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Siting in his usual meditation lotus pose, Isa munched on a shishkabob scorpion, crunchy sounds oddly satisfying to his ears as he listened to Moss’s words. Then he leaned a bit to see the spread out blueprints. He nodded, swallowing his food.

”I like that. We should have one dedicated to food for the kitchen. “ Isa smiled. “What should we have for our door? The special one?”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"I don't know." said Moss, humming thoughtfully. He looked at Isa's legs, and then tried to do the lotus position too, but found that his legs were a tad stiff for it, so he pulled them with his hands.

He leaned an elbow on his knee, tapping his chin thoughtfully with the stick end of his writing charcoal. "I want something that resembles us . . . maybe something about the ocean for me . . ."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa pondered for a moment, methodically nibbling on his kabob when suddenly an idea popped up. He smiled warmly as he gazed at Moss.

“An ocean for ya.” Isa started. “Southern lights for me. At night time.”

It’ll be like the illusion they created together once. When the Southern lights were illuminating the ocean depths.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

Moss brightened, pointing his pita at Isa like eurika! "Like the beach in Cascata, except it'll be the anemone forest of Kephallonia!" he looked ahead at the shimmering river of petrified water dappled by gold and stained glass sunlight, already imagining it. "We have to get a really good glass artisan, Isa, this has to be perfect." he emphasized with a bedazzle of his hands.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa nodded, excited of the possibilities. “Especially for this window. We need to come up for the other windows too.” He wondered if each room should have a beautiful scenery or something that’s meaningful for them. Like the beach in the sunrise and the forest in the twilight.

”I still like having a food window for the kitchen.” Isa chuckled, munching on the last of his kabob.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"I like that too~ We can have your favorite food, and mine." he added, knowing Isa was going to want to include him too. He watched him eat the way he watched him bathed under the stained glass sunlight. Moss once more admired the black ring on his hand, and looked down to gaze at his blue-teal one, still feeling bubbly.

Then he noticed something, and nodded his head down below to the river floor where the boats were passing by. "Look, we're going to be like that one day."

There was a jewel-hearted elf lady with mohawk pink hair walking arm in arm with a graying Purrsian. The way they held hand-paws and looked into each other's eyes were too intimate, as they waited for the boatman to bring up the last of their belongings from a flooded sand-stone house.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa perked up at Moss’ agreement, cheeks stuffed before he gulped. Smiling as he was happy to be full and then he noticed how Moss was looking at him. His cheeks turned red as his smile turned coy.

He looked to where his merman pointed at a couple before he leaned in closer. Placing his head on Moss’ shoulder. “I thought we already are like that now.” Isa reached for Moss’ left hand with his own left hand and intertwined their fingers to squeeze. His eyes twinkled when he looked up at him.

”Though I know I will fall deeper and deeper in love the more time I spend with ya.“

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

Moss nuzzled Isa's head, smelling his hair. He chuckled. "And I'll be swooning a lot." he looked at the couple again and squeezed Isa's hand, thinking. "I meant that you'll grow old, while I'll remain."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa stayed quiet before he hummed. He squeezed Moss’ hand tighter as he sighed. “ . . . Think you’ll be okay? When I’m gone?” He asked, calm on the outside but worried on the inside. This. This is one of his worries. Would Moss be okay with him growing old and gone afterwards? He doesn’t want to leave the merman alone, not when he’s been alone for a while now . . .

If there was a way for Isa to stop aging or age at the same time as Moss, then he might feel better about not leaving Moss alone. If only there was a way . . . But he doesn’t know any that can help and that won’t affect others either.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"No, I won't be okay." said Moss very obviously. He wrapped his arms around Isa and hugged him very tight. Swaying in place, he rested his chin on his shoulder. "Remember how I said I wouldn't show my face in Atlantis? That I'll just be in the outskirts? I'm thinking of showing my face there now . . . to ask if I can have a human life, and not just legs like what I have now, but the lifespan of men too."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

He snorted at Moss’ response, smiling. Of course. He should’ve known better than getting ready to tell Moss to look for someone else after he dies. Or worry about Moss being lonely.

Isa leaned in the hug, hooking both hands on the arm, and swayed with him. He turned his head a bit to kiss his cheek as he listened to Moss’ words before jolting back. His eyes wide, shocked at his choice. “Mi Tesoro, are ya sure? That’s a big change.” He is willing to shrink his lifespan just to be with him? Be fully man? Fully human?

The redhead wanted to tear up. Sad that Moss is willing to lose a part of who he is and happy that Moss loves him that much. He bit his own lip, pondering.

”If there’s a chance—- any chance—- for me to age like ya, I’m willing to take that.” He answered back. “I want to stay with ya. Beyond human year capacity.“

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

Moss thought about it for some time, just resting on Isa's shoulder. He leaned back and looked at him and there was that same look he had when he had told him he had thought he had died. "I am sure." he said somberly. Then he smiled, and Isa saw that Moss wanted to give him all of him, and that included his years living too.

He then thought about what Isa wanted. "Maybe . . . we can ask the Heart of Atlantis together? Maybe . . . o thee mou, Isa. I don't know what to do to make it forgive me. I know just bringing my friends home isn't enough, isn't something that I'm doing for the Heart or my people. . . Maybe I can do a crime so that it'll banish me and maybe a really bad crime so that it'll take away a lot of my life?" he suggested half-jokingly. Just half. He hugged Isa tighter.

He'll never tell Isa, but he will do some kind of crime to . . . no . . . Isa will never look at him the same way again, and that was worse than living on. Maybe there was something in Zosimos' book --- no, no, that was the same thing. But if Moss was really honest, if Isa was okay with it, he'd do whatever ritual is in that book to be happy.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Upon hearing Moss’ half joke, Isa frowned. Brows furrowed in worry as sadness glimmered in his indigo eyes. He turned around in his spot, leaning in Moss’ hug, and tenderly cupped his cheek. “Please, don’t hurt yourself for my sake. That’ll make me sad. Please no. How would ya feel if I hurt myself for your sake in a similar manner?” Isa asked, his heart reaching out in hopes that Moss won’t do something drastic.

”Please. I don’t wanna lose ya.” Isa pleaded and Moss can see through his eyes how devastated he would be of Moss hurt himself. How heart-wrenched he will be should anything bad happen to him. That flicker of fear came back and ten-folded. The same one he showed when the dome collapsed underneath them. That desperation to keeping Moss safe and sound—- no, Isa wouldn’t let that happen!

He smiled. “If there is a way to help your people, then I’ll stay by your side. Fear of water, be damned. If it’s not possible, that’s okay too. I can always asks Loki if there’s a way that won’t harm either of us.” Isa is determined. He is determined to search inside Zosimos’s lab or the books in Vanar if there’s a way to age the same as Moss. He just wants to stay with him as long as he can.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

His musings immediately vanished. "Alright." he cupped his cheeks, reassuringly rubbing with his thumbs. "Alright, I won't do it, Isa." he promised. "I won't do it." he whispered softly, cooing comfortingly.

"Well, I guess this really means I have to face my sins then. " Moss wondered if it was bad he was facing them for his own reasons, and not really to atone for atonement's sake, but he couldn't kid himself. Those were his honest reasons.

"Let's . . . " Moss took a deep breath as though he was preparing to storm a fortress. "Let's try talking to my older sister then when we get to Atlantis. She was the one who banished me. She'd be queen by now. But she's also the one the Heart of Atlantis speaks to." He took a deep breath again and looked at Isa. "Do you want a Depth Strider materia, Isa? It's a popular materia for sea merchants, it allows you to breathe and talk underwater and if you pass out, you'll float up instead of sink. It can also come with this really nice, but really weird hmm . . . shirt, long sleeves that's made up of Hintiith skin that can keep you warm."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa searched in his eyes, wanting to believe him before sighing in relief. Melting in Moss’ hands as he leaned up and kissed him. Comforted by his cooing.

He hummed, listening to Moss’ words and nodded to the offer. “Yeah. I’m willing to wear that.“ Thank goodness it has sleeves. Isa does not like showing skin in front of strangers, so it’s nice to have coverage underwater. He hugged Moss’ tightly around his waist and squeezed.

”Ya won’t be alone in facing your sister. I’m staying with ya through thick and thin.” Isa said, wanting to comfort Moss’ fears and worries.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"I already feel braver." smiled Moss, and pressed a grateful kiss on his lips.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa smiled, playfully pecking him back.

After their lunch, the couple started to look for a stain glass maker. Arm in arm with the redhead leaning his head on the merman’s shoulder. Talking about how many windows they should get in their new travel home and which room should get a window. Isa wondered if they should get a full stain glass ceiling for the small garden area, only worried for potential thieves breaking it, but he remembered about his plan to make the caravan fly . . .

He is going to use the spider mechanisms to have it float somehow. If possible. The only problem is the source. Then he remembered about that yellow stone that encased Vidya’s arm and her love and wondered if that’s a good source to have for the flying capabilities.

”Maybe in the bathroom, the window can be the ocean or the beach?”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

They found a balding artisan with smooth chocolate skin and brown eyes by the name of Marlow, who wore ponchos of coffee and orange colors, and had a deep relaxing voice.

He was looking at the blue prints with them on the third floor of his shop that smelled of molten steel and baked goods --- because of the flood Marlow had moved his forge up to where his brother bakes bread and roasts coffee, and had served Isa and Moss a cup from a copper pot of unfiltered but finely ground roasted coffee beans, mixed with cardamom, saffron and brown sugar, and a plate of candied date fruits.

"I'd love that!" said Moss eagerly. "I choose the beach! Because our tub can be our ocean~"

"Well, we don't have any sea designs, but I can sketch a design for that for you as well." said Marlow who already had about fifteen pages of sketches of various windows for them as the couple had described it to him.

Marlow's designs were . . . full of movement. Where Barad Eithel designs were usually geometric, he had whorls and curves, spirals that captured the scenery of desert winds, the flaming sun, and the curves of quail feathers. Some of his works had perspective too, like looking up at a palm tree from Menagerie to a canopy of shadowy leaves overhead.

He was happy to have some business, having thought no one's going to be interested in glass windows with the flood and the sudden war and goliaths fighting and squid things appearing out of nowhere. He was one of the people who wanted to stay in Barad Eithel, but thought maybe he'd had to move to survive, but now with all these orders from the couple, he was glad he decided to stay.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa smiled from Moss’ joy for the beach theme, sipping his coffee, and sighed out at the delightful smell of saffron, cinnamon, and bread. He looked at the stain glass designer in his mischief glee. “That will be wonderful, sir. Do ya happen to have any night designs? With the moon and stars between blue leaves?” He asked, glad to have found this genius. His designs were so flowy and beautiful, Isa couldn’t believe their luck. Even through his sketches, the redhead can tell that he is excited to try the new designs of ocean and southern lights motifs. Truly, an artist excited for different themes.

He is excited to see their new home with these windows under this man’s hands.

“Oh, perhaps we should have a sun theme too? Perhaps sunlight beaming through red leaves?” Isa inquired curiously.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

"I don't got any between blue leaves, but I got the sun beaming through palm leaves. Come and see."

Marlow's glass panels were all over the place in his brother's kitchen, and he led the couple outside on the roof where his larger pieces sat. He had night pieces that captured the vastness of the desert and even more the vastness of the night sky, as though there was a bigger mysterious world out there and that the travelers traveling under the moon were just tiny pieces of a much bigger picture.

Marlow seemed to really like windy trees, because he had a lot of those perspective, looking up to the leaves view, but the leaves were all waving and whirling in a strong breeze. He had a set of different stages of the palm tree during a storm, from leafy and full to artistically cracked and barren with just a single leaf, and then with smaller leaves sprouting, and then full once more, like a cycle of destruction and recovery.

"I can change the kind of leaves if you like, and change day to night."

"Can you do a mechanism where the window changes if you move them around like a puzzle from day to night?" asked Moss.

Marlow scratched his shiny bald head. "That sounds complicated, but I can ask some clock and toy makers if they know how to do that."

Hoot

Out of the blue, a smol snowy white owl swooped down and perched on the window pane.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Isa perked up at the fact he has many options of this concept and stood up from his spot to follow the professional. He admired his work, starry eyed at each one of the crafted pieces. It was like he, himself, was entranced by the flow of the leaves.

He blinked owlishly as Moss’ words pierced through his thoughts before smiling excitedly. A window that changes one time to another based on the day’s time? Oh that would be lovely~

”I would love that.” Isa purred at the pair of men before freezing at the sight of a familiar bird flying in the shop-

“Sasha~” he greeted, walking over to the smol white owl. Asking her if he can pet her head before he scratched her head tenderly. Offering if she wanted to perch on his shoulder so he can continue admiring the window panes. “How’s James? Did he wake up yet?”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Moss Adamaris -​

Sasha, after leh petting, hopped on to Isa's shoulder. 'Hello, Isa, I'm awake. Are you free to talk right now?' said James' voice from her beak.

"Well that's new." commented Marlow, staring at the teeny tiny owl. "You foreigners have interesting pets."

"She's not ours." said Moss. "Though I can also say the same for you Dust folk with your fire elemental stoves."

"You don't have fire elemental stoves from where you're from?"

"No, our stoves can float on water and have fire runes so that you can cook while it floats." said Moss a matter of factly.

"What?"

"Yeah, ever heard of takoyaki?" grinned Moss. Marlow shook his head. "I need to make you takoyaki."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Isa Bianchi -​

Moss can tell that Isa was not ready to hear James’ voice coming from Sasha. The way his froze was quick but the redhead regained his posture as if he always knew Sasha could talk. Ahh, right. Sasha has that ability, Isa thought, now remembering of their past transgressions in Bird Village. With a grateful look at Moss, thinking that he’s probably gonna distract Marlow to not hear their conversation, the motorist stood up and quietly left the room. Going back to where there were sketches scattered about as if he was about to take another look at them; picking one up with a gentle gloved hand.

”I am now. We’re literally shopping for windows.“ Isa grinned amiably, his eyes following the detailed lines of a food sketch; one of Maki rolls and cinnamon rolls. He didn’t mind using their nicknames as a food theme. “I’m relieved to hear that you’re awake, my friend. Have ya received my letters?”

Zer0