Chapter 6 Of Adoptions and Names

Trivia #6: Eve can bake and cook, but prefers baking overall. The team members are getting spoiled with her sweets on a near daily basis. She tends to express gratitude to others with the sweets stock she has in her Lighthouse, all of them are handmade. (Fun fact: Gustang once thought she somehow had a fully equipped kitchen in her Lighthouse, and isn't surprised even if it turns out to be true)

A white haired boy ran blindly in the cold darkness from whom he once called his team. The chilling sensation of snow on his skin was ignored as he desperately rushed away, pretending as if he couldn't hear their violent calls and hollers to him. His feet didn't stop even after he finally escaped from them, uncaring if he's utterly lost so long as he's safe. He could tell that the various bruises and wounds on his body wouldn't disappear easily and he needed to find a shelter soon to take care of it. But he couldn't bring himself to care as the relief finally settled in and his adrenaline seeped away, letting him sag to the cold ground.

The world around him was as dark as it could be, and he let himself drift out of his own consciousness. He expected to wake up in cold abandonment, buried under the unrelenting chill of snow. Yet his senses were all at full caution as his hands grasped the silky sheets, alarmed that he was actually on a soft surface instead of the hard ground he was expecting. This was the worst possible outcome for him, to be taken away whether saved or perhaps to be taken advantage of again.

"Oh, you're finally awake."

Evolet stopped approaching him as the boy's ears and tails perked up in distress, ensuring she didn't make any rash movements since she wasn't seeking to startle him. Instead she waited patiently as the fox hybrid backed away with a whimper, trying his best to focus on the source of sound he just heard. A muted look of realization settled in her expression as she saw the whitette's dull golden orbs, the fox Anima child was without a doubt blind. The Defender simply stayed still, giving him a chance to calm down properly with time.

Eventually she let out a fond understanding smile as the younger boy settled down, trying to make himself seem as small as possible. Though at least he didn't look as flustered from before. "Have you calmed down now?"

His lips were pursed lightly as he nodded with the barest of flinch, white fox ears folded down and pure fluffy tail still raised in apprehension which Evolet didn't take to heart. She simply stood up slowly, the gentle smile never disappearing as she walked to the door and purposefully making some noise so he would know what she was doing. "I'll heat up some porridge for you first. You can gather your mind first for the time being, m'kay?"

Receiving a shaky nod in return, she wasted no time to exit the guest room and left the boy to his own thoughts momentarily. She didn't particularly comment as the team all gathered around the kitchen counter, shaking her head affectionately as she heard their loud whispers while heating up some porridge for the injured guest. While the team was certainly used to her shenanigans, it seems like Khun was exceedingly sour about the situation once his confusion dissipated.

Apparently this has happened several times too before, enough to the point that the team called it her adoptions shenanigans. Though Khun couldn't help but find it odd that none of them knows what happened to the people she picked up afterwards, and not a single one stuck with the team. Though when he asked Yihwa, she did say they were alive and well since they kept in contact with Evolet rather often. Which he supposed would make sense since the purplette was often seen taking calls.

He couldn't help but feel bitter nevertheless which didn't go unnoticed by Evolet, albeit the fact that she had a completely different idea than Khun. The Defender's lips curled tenderly as she placed a piece of neatly decorated blueberry pie in front of him. Upon closer observation, the remaining team members were also happily scarfing down their share of the pies so the Lightbearer sulkily picked up his fork and began to eat.

"You don't have to worry so much Khun-san. I'll make sure to keep an eye on him and take responsibility if he does anything." He knew she meant good but somehow her words only served to irk him even further and he found himself pettily stabbing the pie with his fork repeatedly. As intelligent as he was as the son of the Khun family and an excellent Lightbearer, he still couldn't figure out what was bugging his mind. He trusted her to be able to keep the white haired fox hybrid under control, yet he couldn't settle down his unknown frustration either.

Meanwhile Evolet merely kept smiling in fondness as she left him to his own devices, silently musing to herself how similar Khun and Bam could be. Whenever she picked up a stray, the brunette would pout his day away while glaring just as Khun was doing. As you would expect, there's not a single part of her that considered the possibility of them sulking because of petty jealousy. Not that the two male had any idea what they were feeling even though it was painstakingly obvious to the team.

Both Yihwa and Wangnan shook their heads as Evolet left cluelessly, still dense as usual as she brought back the heated bowl of porridge to the guest room. Goodness knows when either of them will get together honestly. But of course, Sweet and Sour were rooting for Bam and Evolet at the end of it all. Who knows, maybe they'll finally get together when they reach the top of the Tower. Surely they'd be together by then right…? Surely all the time the team spent withstanding their oblivious affection would pay off. Somehow they had doubts about that.

On the other hand, Evolet returned to the room to be met with the boy whose name she's yet to know. The golden eyed boy was curled up at the edge of the bed, bundling himself protectively with the blanket and ears cautiously scanning for any source of noise. "There's no need to be so afraid… I'm not going to hurt you."

"How would I know that? You could be lying for all I know." He had absolutely no reason to trust her, nor would he. After all, he could still vividly remember what occurred before he ran away. Even if this stranger rescued him, he had no way of knowing her intentions behind it.

"Well… I gain no merit out of harming you, so I have no reason to do so."

She practically ignored his apprehensive glare as she set up a folding table on the bed. Even with the comforting smell of food, the boy made no move to give in. "Why did you save me?"

"There's no need for a reason when saving someone. Besides… you have a lot of potential, it'd be a shame to just let you be there."

"...potential? Can you really say that after looking at me?" Even without any gestures, she understood that he was referencing his eyes. In the Tower where cruelty and survival of the fittest was the norm, one would undoubtedly think such a thing was a liability. However, she'd be a fool if she adapted to that type of mindset. Weaknesses are no excuse when they're in such insanity. Instead they are something to be transformed into strength if utilized correctly with creativity. To be aware of one's own weaknesses and to use it to their advantage instead, that to her is the only way to live until the end.

"It's not something to be ashamed of. You aren't hindered by the seen and instead you sense the world of the unseen. It's not something you should be limited by, your potential is there. You simply just haven't tapped into it."

In many ways, he hoped that someone would've said that to him long ago before any of this happened. His eyesight has always been accursed to him. Constantly hindering him and causing others to devalue him, nor did it help with his own self-esteem. He withstood all the jeers and insults in unrelenting silence, knowing he was powerless against it. He's fought through all of the discrimination he received, uncaring of how many wounds he's attained through the process. He had no one who cared about him anyway, so why would it matter even if he fell as another victim amongst the Tower's climbers.

His first memory was that of darkness, deserted on the wintry landscapes attained through the process. There was no one by his side as he crawled through the darkness, grappling around to find his way. Along his journey, he found a team who was "kind" enough to pick him up, treating him with what they claimed to be sincerity. Which had truly fooled his previous naivete. Their facade however, slipped before long with the most obvious signs. He had made his escape in the midst of a heavy snowfall, the raging nature aiding him to hide while they were forced to retreat.

He learned of the Tower's way, of legends woven into the Regulars' minds. He does not believe in the Top, nor the wish granting folklore he's heard. He cared not for those superficial fairy tales so long that he could survive. He'll live to shatter their hopes as they did to him, and he puts his hand together in a wordless countdown till the end dawns upon them. He cursed them with an undying flame, yet how unfair was it that he was once more tempted by the hope that flickers unsurely before him. He was but only a child, both in appearance and mentality. Far and wide was his life experience, but by no means did it extinguish his small childishness tucked away to the corner in his mind in order to survive.

The look in Evolet's gaze was more than understanding, almost motherly and kindly treating him as she would to her fellow teammates. "So… for starters, may I know your name?"

His lips parted, about to answer her question when his stomach suddenly grumbled loudly. He pursed his lips in embarrassment, cheeks heating up uncontrollably as he huffed in irritation. Evolet's chuckles rang across the room, light and festive even if he refused to admit that it was the most soothing sound he's heard so far. The presence of food was made known again as she pushed the table to his side. He froze up as their hands made contact, unsure as she handed the spoon and guided his other hand to the bowl before retreating.

"Don't worry, I guarantee it's tasty and not poisoned. You should eat first in order to replenish your strength, no?" That being said, he couldn't help but treat everything with suspicion after his whole life. Not that he could reject any longer with his stomach urging him to take a bite to ease the hunger. Evolet hummed teasingly as the fox Anima hybrid ate with gusto, the hunger hammering down hard at him. She took a page out of Yunuen's book, calling the boy by a nickname often given to her.

"So~ One more time, may I know your name, little one?" That question stopped him in his tracks, lapsing into a heavy silence for a split second before he sighed far too heavy for his age. In the world where he stood all alone from the beginning, carrying all the burdens of his experiences on his small shoulders. A name was the least of his concerns, nor would the people who scorned him call him by his name even if he had one. He saw no use for it, there was no one to call out to him anyway.

"...I don't have a name." Just for a split second, Evolet wondered if Bam would've turned out like this if he had been alone. The shimmer of golden orbs lost to the abyss and left rock hard on the surface. It was a look she never wanted to spot in Bam's liveliness, and nor was she going to let it happen as long as she was there. And she wasn't about to leave the whitette alone with these problems either. For starters, perhaps a name would serve well…

The golden eyed fox hybrid had resumed eating moments ago, still going strong with his appetite and uncaring of Evolet's gaze prickling him. She was deep in thoughts, racking her mind for a name that would suit him. Something simple but meaningful would be nice. Maybe… "Eirwen."

His ears perked up at the unfamiliar word, questioning what it was. Evolet smiled through his confusion, grinning widely despite how he couldn't view her. "Eirwen. It means blessed snow. How would you like that for your name?"

In response to the first name he's received, Eirwen replied to her grin. Unsure and shaky, but a hesitant smile nevertheless that he's never shown to anyone but her. "It's...okay, I guess."

"Nice to meet you, Eirwen."

A/N:

My mind: *screaming at why I decided to write two mini arcs straying away from the plot as I rage to write the angst ride of Hell Train*

Also me: *I can't skip the next mini arc cause that important person is gonna show up and damned character development*

The short hiatus announcement will be deleted one day... when I stop forgetting to delete it while I'm on the laptop :)