Happy Early Holidays, guys! :) Literally the only reason this is out right now is because I wanted to get it finished before Christmas as a little gift. Its not much, and there isn't much that happens but you'll see some growth!
It was little more difficult than I thought it'd be to find my way back to the fire, there were several actually. Seemed like there was one crackling away at each hut with a different family surrounding it, a communal event I was guessing. When I did finally find my way back, Vishnu gave me a small smile and a wave. The friendliest greeting I'd gotten from anyone else around here, so I had to assume that was him.
"How was he?" Vishnu regarded me with a curious look in his eyes as they darted between me and his food.
"He was fine." I shrugged, attempting to act lightly about this "son" of mine. It still gave me a few butterflies that Newton had even called him that, maybe I was slowly being accepted as a apprentice for his creatures.
"My sisters did not recall a child with you and your husband, earlier." His words hung heavier, loaded with confusion. I stopped breathing for a second at the thought of Newton ever being my husband. I liked him bu-I mean he was a nice guy but not like 'I'll marry him' nice, just nice. Its not that there was a particular issue with marrying him per say but I mean it had to be mutually decided.
"Oh...Well he-...See its no-...Newt isn't my husband...not really anyways and we don't have any actual children." I tried to explain this in a way that didn't make me out to be a harlot nor an old maid. I'd been called worse by insecure high society women but I wasn't sure how long we'd need to stay around this village, and I didn't want to upset anyone.
"You travel alone with a man...that is not your husband?" Vishnu seemed even more confused by this if not a little thrown by it. The older man near him had gone quiet and was watching me with a disappointed look...suddenly I felt like more people here spoke English than they'd originally let on. Creeping embarrassment showed itself on my cheeks in a mere 30 seconds.
"He's not just any man...hes very close. Rather he is my par-" I started to try and explain this weird relationship we had going on to an outsider.
"Oh, he is your brother?" Vishnu cut me off and for once, I was glad for it despite the misunderstanding. The silence surrounding us was broken only by the popping of the firewood as everyone waited on me to decide my moral fate in their eyes.
"Um...yes." I nodded slowly, it felt a little strange but I wasn't sure how to explain this to muggles in this part of the world. I mean I wasn't even sure how I'd have explained this to my own mother if she were still around to witness us in all of our awkward glory.
"...He merely enjoys saying nonsensical things to strangers." I finished lamely.
"Oh. Of course. Very odd men, these Irish." Vishnu laughed, as though all was well now that I was travelling with a family member. How was it even his position to judge what I did? Or who I did? Not that I'm doing Newt. I mean, its not that I'm explicitly against it, its just...Okay, Ara...just hush.
"Indeed." I gave him a tight smile and looked away quickly. This little misunderstanding couldn't possibly backfire, right?
"What do you plan to do tomorrow morning? Perhaps I could give a tour of our small village here?" Vishnu sounded hopeful but I had the perfect excuse as to why I had to reject his offer.
"Oh, Newt and I are going to explore the jungle. We are looking for something like a chimpanzee." I shook my head slowly, explaining my rejection carefully.
"Ah, of course. Would you appreciate a guide for such an endeavor?" He looked even more excitable now, as though he'd found the perfect method in which I would be hard pressed to reject him.
"I'm sure we would." I sighed with pressed lips. A thin smile graced my mouth with the corners just slightly upturned in a frustrated pinch. A muggle on a magical exploration made things more difficult, I'm just hoping that Newt understands.
I awoke bright and early, before the sun had even risen. This was due mainly to the thanks of Niffler running in circles on my bed, attempting to wake me up in the most comical but also startling circumstances. He reminded me of a small dog, overly excited about the walk or a bowl of food but he also had the look of a wee rat which was unsettling at first but it grows on you.
"Alright, alright! I'm awake." I sat up slowly from the floor and tried to stretch. My back ached a little from the stiff bed mat I'd fashioned out of coats and clothing items but I was up, which was something.
"Need to get some shoes." Sighing to myself, I stretched again. When I looked down, I watched as the Niffler scuttled to my bag near my makeshift pillow, sticking his face inside and pawing through things. I frowned for a moment, not really committed to telling him off so early in the day. He began backing up, pulling something out with him...a heel.
"Awe, sweetheart. I appreciate it but...thats the wrong shoe." I laughed to myself as I grabbed the bag and dug through for my boots. I'd organized my bag this way on purpose, there were little shelves of space before everything just sort of dropped into the floor of nothingness where everything mingled in chaos. My boots hung around the second shelf down.
It took me maybe 20 minutes before I'd gotten totally prepared from my boots being laced tight to my jacket feeling light enough that I wouldn't be dead of heat stroke and I also wouldn't die from mosquitoes. The Niffler sat in my left breast pocket with the flap shut in order to keep him safe and sound from any swinging hands or my own clumsiness.
Newt was standing right outside the hut, discussing something with Vishnu lightly. My companion and teacher seemed uncomfortable, like he was determined to stand his ground and continue the conversation but also would rather not be talking to this foreign man at all. I waved at them, breaking whatever flow there had been to the conversation.
"Ah, finally." Vishnu seemed relieved as well that I'd finally appeared.
"Good morning, gentleman." I nodded to both, sticking my hands deep into my pockets and leaning on one leg towards Newton.
"Lovely to see you, Miss." Vishnu gave me a toothy grin as he nodded, I simply nodded back and allowed my eyes to dart away from the friendly man.
"So...our route for today is about 3 kilometers away to the east. Families of primates have been discovered around there." Newt announced warily. I focused on him to find that his eyes were darting from mine to Vishnu and back again, like he wasn't entirely sure if he should be discussing this with the man around.
"Right. Any idea as to the best route for this?" I raised a brow as I turned to focus on Vishnu, who was acting as our guide. It seemed to give Newt the clear idea I'd had because he quieted down rather quickly and focused on the other man.
"I feel it'd be safer for the lady to walk between him and I, I shall lead us along to that area through there." Vishnu pointed a ways away towards a clearing of trees to our right. I shrugged as I started to walk towards the clearing with little interest in where I was going now that I wasn't being depended on for some sort of lead.
I'd gotten rather tired of this being led around thing, I kept bumping into Vishnu's back each time he stopped to check the bloody ground or something for a smell that meant we were headed in the right direction. It was hot here, hotter than I liked, and so humid in these trees. The foliage was choking me slowly, I was sure of it.
I felt a sweaty shoulder bounce off my forehead and forced myself to stop all together. My lips were forced into a straight line as I took in Vishnu's sweat soaked shirt that served only to outline each muscle in his back for me through the white fabric. Thats it. I'm having a break.
"Whoop, sorry dear." Vishnu sounded almost sorry, he probably would have sounded a lot more so if I didn't feel like this was on purpose.
"Ara?" Newt finally spoke up, sounding confused and amused as I spun around in a huff and sat my arse down on a rock rather roughly.
"I'm havin' a break." I barked as I wiped a hand across my sweaty brow for the fourth time in a row. Newt raised a brow but said nothing more as he collapsed onto the dirt next to me and popped open his case, sticking his hand in it to dig around.
I huffed with a bit of exhaustion and thirst but the scuttling in my pocket reminded me that the Niffler had to be even more unhappy than I am. He carried a furry coat on him at all times and this constant moisture couldn't be terrific feeling. I frowned to myself as I glanced at the muggle we'd traveled with and attempted to weight my odds of him catching onto the creature in my pocket.
I dug through my bag to find a canteen, attempting to avoid Vishnu's eyes as he continued to search for where too next. It took me maybe a few seconds before I'd found one near the top, where I'd left it this morning. I popped off the lid with some pride that I'd even found it.
"Here." I nearly held the canteen up to my pocket as I'd unbuttoned it when Newton held another canteen out to me.
"Oh, I've got it." I nodded, shaking the canteen towards my pocket and my traveling companion within it.
"I...I meant for you." Newt seemed to whisper the words, glancing between me and Vishnu whose back was still turned towards us. I paused to let that thought settle as the Niffler drank greedily from the bottle. It was sweet, but...thats all it was. It was sweet. I glanced at the Niffler, making sure he was finished before I capped the bottle again and set it back down.
"Thanks." I mumbled in a small smile as I accepted his drink. I bet he didn't offer anything to those two women yesterday.
The thought was oddly satisfying in a way I didn't think entirely possible as I sipped his canteen. Was I jealous? Had I been jealous? Am I still currently jealous? No. I can't be. Thats just not my style, I like fact and books and little bits of meaningless information like that I have 30 teeth compared to the typical 32 for an adult human because my bottom jaw had been too small.
"Are you feeling well, Miss?" I jumped a bit, startled by the sudden appearance of Vishnu. His concern was almost irritating, which I blamed on the heat exhaustion I'm currently dealing with. He was just being nice.
"She's simply tired." Newt answered lowly for me, as I wiped any remaining water from my mouth on the back of my hand. I nodded as I capped the bottle and hurriedly buttoned my breast pocket in some precautionary measure to keep the muggle away from our Niffler.
"Oh, of course. This is a difficult journey for a lady such as yourself to push towards, perhaps we should go back to allow you to rest before we con-" Vishnu started right as I held up a hand. Newt had gone eerily silent as I breathed in deeply and released that breath slowly. Did he really just try and tell me something about myself?
"I feel like as a lady, such as myself, would know when I would want to go back." I pursed my lips tightly together as I snapped this out and slowly turned my head towards the man. Newt had learned through experience to not doubt my determination but apparently I had to outright tell this man.
"Right." Vishnu nodded awkwardly, glancing at Newt as though he was expecting him to have something to say on this matter. I stood quickly, attempting to dust off my rear as I figured out whether or not I still trusted this man's sense of direction.
"Mikey. Hurry up!" I opened my mouth to say something right as a voice carried through the trees somehow. I felt my heartbeat jump in a pinch and my eyes darted immediately to Newt. That couldn't possibly be who I thought it was, right? No. They couldn't have traveled to the same exact tiny village for the same purpose. Thats too much of a coincidence.