The brothers soon found themselves at the back door of the bathhouse.
The smells of breakfast grew ever stronger as they had approached and the cooking within the farm home progressed.
Bacon was definitely on the menu.
As Aphid reached for the bathhouse door knob, Kor suddenly asked a question that elicited a knee-jerk chuckle from him.
"Do you think the pigs smell that bacon?" he asked.
It was with that curious child-like seriousness, but for some reason, it was just funny to the older teen.
He hadn't necessarily thought about it, no.
"I don't think," Aphid chuckled, "they know what they're smelling...Hope not, at least. But, I mean, would we know what people-meat smells like cooking?"
"I hope not like bacon," Kor commented, "because I might want to eat it."
Aphid laughed again.
"Lull your craving there a bit, Wood Elf," he said and Kor cocked his head.
He has not yet been educated on the cultural references of other races…
But another thought soon ran his mind.
"Wait," he said, and it halted Aphid yet again as the teen placed his hand around the bathhouse door knob.
"….You knew exactly," Kor continued, "the smell of what they were cooking yesterday."
"That's different," Aphid replied, "We already know those smells and what they belong to."
"Oh, right. So...," Kor continued his childish little ramble, "…so if we don't know the smell, it might be people meat?"
This elicited yet another laugh out of the older brother. That little boy was being so adorably amusing this morning. Aphid was very glad to see it, instead of the downtrodden little lad the rough span of days was molding.
He couldn't tell if Kor was serious or not though, with his bits of rambling, so he laughingly responded.
"…Yeah, it might be," Aphid joked, "So don't be bitin' nothin' you can't identify, you hear?"
Kor nodded, his expression almost ruminative.
He'd seriously keep that thought in mind, it seemed.
Aphid smiled, still amused, but he also realizing that that was a pretty sound bit of advice there.
He acknowledged Kor's serious nod with a nod of his own and was just about to turn the knob.
But then the older brother suddenly halted, again, and knocked instead.
Hric had told him if it was unlocked on the outside door then no one was in there, but Aphid nearly forgot about the manners of it all.
"Always knock," Aphid said to his little brother, doling out another lesson.
"Whether a door is unlocked or not," the teen added, "Especially at a bathing room, AND ESPECIALLY, …when ladies are present."
Kor looked a little off guard and slightly confused for this sudden lesson, but he nodded nonetheless.
"…yes, sir," he said, as Aphid's eyes and tone demanded a seriousness.
Kor looked around, however, and replied observantly.
"...there's no ladies."
"I meant in the…," Aphid explained and had to catch his laugh again, "…in the…"
He steadied his voice and said more sternly, "Kersi lives here, Kor, you wouldn't want to walk in on her, right?"
"…Oh," Kor replied, "Right. No, sir."
"Mmhm," the big brother hummed affirmatively, "And didn't I say we knock either way?"
"..yes, sir—Wait," the little brother cocked a brow and his head, "But..yeah, but, you said ESPECIALLY knock if there are ladies. How are you suppose to especially knock anyway?"
Aphid narrowed his eyes.
If he were anyone else, especially some old mean crone running an orphanage she had no business running, he'd probably take that as back talk.
Back talk that's gotten his own mouth popped on many an occasion.
But fortunately for Kor, Aphid wasn't anyone else.
He was his big brother and a far gentler and more open minded soul in this world—even if the teen did still have a few hiccups and a bit of hypocrisy every now and then.
Aphid had a lot on his plate and no big brother of his own, after all.
But a bit of back talk wasn't going to break him.
Besides, Kor rarely gave lip, and even more rarely intended it.
Even if it felt otherwise as of late…
But even if Kor did intend it, his mouth was certainly safe from the whip of stern fingers, and most definitely from an open palm careening into a solid half of his face.
The only rebuttal coming for him today was Aphid's subtle sass back with a loud and clear—and especial--knocks on that door.
No response was heard on the other side, and no more chatter piped up from the child, so Aphid finally opened that long waiting door.
Just how much coin does an apple farmer make?...
Even their bathing room was fancier than any bucket, basin, trough, or tub the boy's have seen.
And Kor's Papa had a big tub…
The room wasn't especially large, but still certainly roomy.
The floor was cobble and the interior walls were too, but colored rocks were placed throughout the walls in decorative patterns to bring a warm cheerfulness to the stoney work.
From the rafters above the center of the room dangled two large decorative bulb-shaped lanterns. They casted a warm, relaxing glow while still providing adequate light.
At one wall, a large stone tub sat in one corner, and in the other corner, a large flat spout jutted from the wall near the top and two spigots were well below it.
The tub had its own spout resting above its side on the wall, with one spigot on each side of the spout.
There was a long but narrow window at the top of the wall, between the tub and the other corner, and rose moss dangled out of the recess of this window, like an earthy flowered water fall beginning to pour.
The opposite wall was almost one huge mirror, with cupboards and cubbies and hampers on its corners. A low trough ran the length of the floor between these cupboards and cubbies, and looked to be used for cleaning laundry.
Aphid caught sight of a note stuck to the mirror with a bit of melted wax.
He walked near and saw it was indeed for them, with an opening addressment of: "Good morning, big brother and little man!"
And so, Aphid unstuck it and read the contents.
It was Freluff's instructions on where they could find anything they needed--soaps, shampoos, washrags, sponges, toothbrushes, licorice paste, hair trimming scissors, anything…
And instructions on how to operate those spouts.
Aphid wondered where and how the water pumped, but Freluff's explanation was…an auto pump? And the spigots controlled the temperature??
Kor patiently stared at Aphid as the older boy read and reread the baths instructions, but after Aphid seemed to be rereading it for a fourth time, the little brother finally spoke up.
"…What is it?" he asked, "...is something wrong?"
Aphid lowered the paper and looked towards the bathtub with a quizzical twist of his lips.
"Hmm," he hummed and then sat the paper down and walked towards the tub.
"No," he said, "I just wanted to be sure I understood this fanciful stuff...I mean, it sounds too simple to be this fancy…"
He twisted a spigot, and after just a moment, water spurted out the spout.
Although he had heard what had sounded like a pump activate beneath the floor, the water spouting out startled him.
He just wasn't quite prepared to not handle a physical pump.
And then he tested this temperature control thing, using both spigots as the note said to adjust.
Once he was satisfied that he had it where he wanted, he stood up and stood back.
Kor had joined next to him and was looking at the note Aphid had sat down before looking up at the tub.
Both the brothers stared at it for a moment, before looking at each other.
"…Are apples worth a lot?" Kor asked.
"...I...guess so?" Aphid replied.
After a few moments of fascination, the boys got settled into the bath.
Well, Kor did. Aphid opted to try the wide wall spout after he made sure Kor had everything he needed for his tub.
After Kor was settled, Aphid grabbed what he needed and tossed their laundry into the trough—Freluff had provided what he could for fresh clothes, but thankfully, the boys had a fresh change left in their pack – and Aphid finally approached his corner of the room.
He sat his cleansing supplies upon the jutted rocks that seemed to be just for that and then turned to and turned on the spigots, cleverly standing out from under the spout.
The sudden gush of water still seemed to startle him, though.
He fiddled with the spigots until he was satisfied with the temperature, a steamy hot pour, and then he stepped beneath it.
…oooh.
He liked this.
His own personal waterfall.
With hot water.
He's stood beneath plenty of stream run offs and small falls, enjoying their gentle pelting, but maybe not quite their rather brisk temps—but this was like a warm massage.
He was going to have to try and not stay within it for…
an eternity.
Freluff's note made a point for them not to worry about how long they lingered or how much water was used, saying something about a recycling system, but Aphid wasn't going to set up home in here.
However..
He was going to enjoy this, for a good moment at least.
So he stood under the pouring fall for as long as he could hold his breath, and then he only tilted his head forward to breath and let the hot water continue pouring down his neck and body.
He looked over to his little brother and saw Kor sank neck deep into his own warm bath, although one arm was above water because he was currently brushing his teeth.
Aphid decided to do the same and reached for that well crafted toothbrush with soft bristles – instead of the harshness he was used to – and began scrubbing his teeth. He had already had it lathered with the paste Freluff had left for them in a small ramekin.
At least the paste seemed familiar amongst all these fanciful delights.
Aphid always made their paste out of licorice root too.
This had what tasted like mint mixed in, which also didn't surprise Aphid. He figured there would be SOME sort of flare.
But it wasn't too fancy.
Aphid would mix crushed mint leaves into their own pastes, too, whenever he had mint on hand.
But he scrubbed his teeth for a good few minutes, quite thoroughly, like he had not done so in a week.
Which was partially true.
They had accidentally left behind their proper scrubbers, and paste, so they had been making do with chewing on the licorice roots Aphid kept stashed in their pack.
At least until those were all chewed up and they had to settle with rubbing scraps of cloth across their chompers.
So Aphid was very happy to properly cleanse his munchers, as he was sure Kor was too.
People of other races may assume Nords don't much care for their teeth, as they always seem to be happily knocking them out of each other, but these two Nords certainly valued their dental hygiene.
And once Aphid was satisfied with his dental hygiene, he moved on to soaping his body.
"How does it feel?" he heard his little brother spit and speak up.
"Hm?" Aphid replied.
"The waterfall," Kor clarified, "Does it feel like a waterfall?"
"Mhm," Aphid nodded as he worked the lather from his face and then downwards, "But it's hot. It feels pretty good though, to me at least."
"Can I try it a little, when you're done?" the boy asked.
"Sure, if you want to," the big brother replied, "Just don't play with the spigots. This gets any hotter and you'll burn. Now look elsewhere, baby."
"Why?"
"…'cause I gotta scrub my butt, knucklehead. Look away."
Kor giggled, too young still to quite understand the shyness people had with such things, but he respected Aphid's request regardless—it also wasn't too far off, in Kor's head, from Aphid's reclusiveness about the scars upon his back, and Kor understood that quite sympathetically. The boy turned around in his tub, tossed his toothbrush, and focused on lathering himself up too.
After the boys finished the cleaning of themselves, and Aphid taking just a few minutes to appreciate the relaxing pour again—and then let his kid brother play with the fall, they dried off and dressed and headed towards breakfast. Though Kor kept with him a towel to continue pat drying that long hair of his.
"Aphid?" Kor questioned his brother as they wandered outside and around towards the front door, "How come we didn't just use the house door in the bathing room?"
"Because that'd be rude, polka dots," Aphid answered, "We're guests here. Can't just waltz in from a back room. Might get a frying pan thrown at us in fright, or at least a good scoldin'."
"Oh," Kor shuddered, "Yeah, no, I don't want Mr. Freluff to scold us. I bet he's scary when he's mad. He's so big."
"Heh," Aphid chuckled, "Yeah, but I bet the little lady is probably scarier."
"How so?" the boy asked, but before either of them could proceed further in conversation or gabbing, a figure lunged at them from around the front corner of the house.
Of course, it was Hric…
"BOO!" the curly blond teen childishly shouted as he hopped directly in front of the other boys.
It did achieve a startled yip from Kor, but only a defensive stance from Aphid, who immediately moved to shield his little brother.
"Ah ha!" Hric laughed and ignored the dagger eyes of the protective brother, "Ha ha! Look at that! I'm ~scary~!"
Urgh. He heard them.
Aphid refrained from rolling his eyes.
It wasn't exactly the childish behavior irking him; Aphid loved children…even with all their aggravations…
And it didn't matter to him that Hric was a teen, and in fact, probably Aphid's age.
The way Hric acted, Aphid maybe was seeing a bit too much of the young Bark in him…
But.
The fact that this Hric boy attacked him with deadly intent yesterday, and most pressingly, attacked his poor injured little brother, was still itching the big brother's hand to retaliate.
However, he refrained from that eye roll and any retaliation.
Hric, though, was still able to detect the eye roll that didn't happen or at least read the unamused expression.
"Ah, c'mon," Hric playfully remarked with a shrug, "I'm just playing with y'all, mist—ERGH!"
The sudden grunt wasn't from Aphid's patience giving in and finally retaliating…
No, surprisingly, it was Kor.
Although, playfully.
The boy had thrown his towel at the curly haired teen, and it thwapped Hric right in the face, nearly encompassing his entire head upon impact.
Hric stumbled backwards a bit and then yanked the towel from his face to see the older brother turning towards the little one in confusion, the action that had happened not yet fully registering, and Kor drawing in his lips in a failed attempt to conceal his growing smile and chuckle.
Hric chuckled back.
"Ah," he said, "At least the one of ya knows how to play along. Funny, eh, little tough guy?"
Kor chuckled again and shrugged.
"Yeah," he replied, "I guess so."
Aphid smiled a little at this, making no comment towards Hric or towards Kor's swapping Hric in the face, but he did motion Kor along with a little tug.
"Come on, baby bub," Aphid beckoned, "Let's go get you some of that bacon."
Kor happily stepped along to that, but the moment the two passed Hric a bit, who they did not notice winding up that towel…
CRACK!*
"OW!" Kor yelped, as his rump had been sharply popped with the whip of that cloth.
An immediate reaction was then had out of the big brother, who spun around furiously and glared down that other teen.
"HEY!" Aphid snapped as he poked a stern finger against the chest of the teen who had actually hopped a few steps back at this whip around, but still found that finger to his chest and those fierce blue eyes searing into his startled browns.
"Do not!" that older brother both stated and warned with those two words alone.
"Whoa-hey-wait!" Hric knocked Aphid's hand aside, but then held his own hands up in something like surrender, "Mister, I'm just trying to—Ow!"
Suddenly, fingers had seized Hric by an ear, but it wasn't Aphid.
"Ow, ow, ow! Kersi!" Hric yelped out as the girl seemed to have materialized from no where and twisted the curly haired teen down to a knee, "Kersi, let go! What the f—"
"Hric!" Kersi scolded him, "I know you aren't out here hurting that little boy AGAIN! Papa's gonna ring you out like a wash rag! Or should I just rip this ear right off? Not like you're using it much, it seems? Never listening."
"OOW! Gods! Let up! Let go!" Hric continued to crumble to his knees, "I was just playing! It was just a little towel whip! Let go! I'm sorry, okay! Urgh, I'd be pinching you back if I wasn't technically in the wrong, but I am sorry, alright!"
Kersi looked to Aphid and then to Kor.
"Is it alright?" she asked of Kor, who nodded after a moment of stunned silence of this scene.
"Alright," the girl said as she relented and released the prisoner, "Y'all come on in for breakfast now. Scones are just about to come out the oven and it'll all be ready to serve."
"Yeah, yeah, fine!" Hric dismissively waved the air between he and the girl as she casually strolled away.
"Uh….yes, ma'am," Aphid added in respectfully, although a little shell shocked.
He looked back towards his little brother who looked up at him and whispered, "I think you were right about her…"
"Heh," Aphid grinned and looked back upon the teen still on his knees and rubbing the pain out of his ear…
Hric was concentrating on grumbling and maneuvering his ear as if it had fallen out of place and he was trying to move it back, but Aphid's hand extending down in front of him caught his attention.
Aphid was offering him a hand up on his feet, but Hric just persed his lips and hopped up on his own.
"I'll live, thanks," he grumbled and headed off inside the house.
Aphid shrugged himself and turned back to his brother again.
"Come on. Let's go on in," he said, but Kor seemed to have something else to say.
"…What? What is it, kiddo?" Aphid asked.
"He didn't really hurt me," Kor explained, "I mean, it hurt, stung, but it more so startled me more. I don't think he meant to do either…Hurt or scare me, that is."
Aphid exhaled a little sigh through his nose as he grinned. Such a sweet kiddo.
"I know…," the big brother replied, "I got a little riled up there. I'm sorry, baby brother. I guess his thwack on ya yesterday has me a bit on my toes still."
"Are you going to apologize to him?" Kor asked.
"Uh…," Aphid hesitated, "Well, we could say my restraint was good and call it even."
"What—"
"Bacon, baby brother," the older brother began ushering him along towards the front door, "C'moooon!"
For the second time, the brothers found themselves at that pristine, but cozy, dining table. Everyone sat in the same places they had last night, with the addition of Milk Drinker curled up in a chair at the opposite end of Freluff. The cat had apparently had its fill of milk and bacon as the feast was being cooked.
And that copious bounty laid before them upon the table now.
Scrambled eggs, fried shredded potatoes, tomato slices, grits, fried ham slices, and buttery scones with spread options of preserved strawberry jam or honey and even brunost .
And of course, there was bacon.
There was again a variety of drink as well.
Water, warm black tea with honey, cow's milk, and a carafe of hot, steamy coffee. A sugar bowl sat near to sweeten either the coffee or tea at one's discretion—or anything they so choose, but perhaps none were jumping at sugar coating the bacon…
After a prayer of thanks was offered to the households favored Gods, they dug in.
Kor had a helping of everything on his plate, and was happily obliged extra bacon, and accepted a nice tall glass of milk to drink.
Aphid did not accept every offer this time, despite his manners wanting to, but his stomach was a little upset with him this morning—either from the eating on a starved stomach, eating more than he normally would, or eating more variety than usual as well, or perhaps all the above.
This time, he only served himself a little bit of egg, a scone, but a decent portion of fried potatoes.
He did also grant himself some of that bacon too, and he crumbled it into those potatoes.
Kor had offered him a scone of his, with brunost that had nicely melted on the warm bread, but Aphid declined. He liked brown cheese, yes. He'd have it every once and while on toast and has even been known to sneak a bit on sweet potatoes, but he didn't want to irritate his stomach further with all these, what his stomach considered, delicacies.
He'd just feed it a healthy dose of its usual potato, with a little egg and bacon flair.
He did risk it a little further though with pouring himself a nice mug of coffee. He loved coffee, but with their upheaving around so much, and finding some of the most bumpkin of towns, coffee was not a daily option for him.
Freluff made a joking comment, when seeing Aphid's choice, that he'd trade his own blood for that dark and delicious and caffienated beverage.
So, perhaps if Aphid had thought over that job offer…
…This fine liquid might could see his menu every morning…
But the job discussion, and whether Aphid had thought about it or was going to think about it, wasn't on the table at the moment, as Hric turned everyone's attention to one other topic after he tried to ask for the grits.
"Hey, uh, ….um," the curly head teen spoke up and was motioning to Aphid, but seemed forgetful of something, "…Uh, mister guy, pass me those grits, would ya?"
"Did you forget his name?" Kersi asked and Hric gave her yet another dismissive wave.
"Eh, it's something to do with a bug or something," he grumbled, "So yeah, mister bug guy—"
"Aphid," Aphid said as he casually passed the grits, "And you don't have to call me 'mister', you know. We're probably the same age."
Freluff chimed in before Hric could even finish his huff of disbelief.
"Actually, you're younger," he said to Aphid. Hric snorted as if it a joke.
"Seriously, he is," Freluff affirmed, "He's fifteen. He's a year younger than you."
Hric again looked to it as a joke, but he noticed the nods from both Aphid and Kor.
"Wait—no," the curly haired teen actually sat the bowl of grits and his utensil down at this, "No. No way. You're fifteen?! No. You're as tall as Freluff! And got all that jaw scruff!"
Freluff snorted this time.
"Oh, lad, you're just mad your scruff hasn't come in."
Hric promptly pointed to the tiniest bit of fine hairs upon his chin.
"It has so!" he retorted with a crack in his voice, which then prompted him to turn his attention back to Aphid.
"And your voice is so deep!" he commented in continued disbelief.
"And it'll probably get deeper," Aphid shrugged, "My dad had the deepest voice I have ever heard."
"You can't be fifteen!" Hric stated.
"I am," Aphid casually replied.
"You look way older!" Hric stated with what was possibly insulting intent.
Freluff chimed in again.
"Oh, no he doesn't," he laughed and looked to Aphid, "Don't take him to heart. Hric is TERRIBLE at guessing someone's age. He thought I was seventy! Seventy! Look, I know I probably look a decade over my actual age, but I'm only forty two! Forty two, Hric."
"That might as well be seventy," Hric remarked.
"We'll see if you say that when you get to be--," Freluff began to retort but then paused, straightened his back and rubbed at his neck as if sore, and then half shrugged, "Eh, maybe some days."
Hric nodded, finally winning some argument this morning, and looked to Kor.
"Yeah, forty two is old, isn't it?" he said to the boy, "Like, draugr old."
Aphid cut in now and looked to that boy too.
"Hold on," Aphid said, "My little guy just can not lie, so baby brother, I can ask you this…"
Kor looked to him expectantly for the question; albeit, slightly uneasy.
"Do I look old?" Aphid asked. He seemed to be putting a playful emphasis on 'old', instead of merely asking if he looked older than his actual age, but Kor's obvious bit of hesitancy quickly stumped that playful tone.
"Kor?..." the big brother prodded for a direct answer and regrettably got a slow nod from the boy in return.
"Oh…," Aphid said a little dejectedly.
"Like…," Kor explained, "…twenty."
"…Oh!" Aphid grinned when he realized the little youngster had a very youthful perspective of it. That's not so bad, then.
Although…
Freluff looked a little further aged now…
He mumbled to himself.
"I'll get back in my tomb after breakfast…"
"That makes Kersi the oldest of us youngsters," Hric pointed out.
"Seventeen," she affirmed.
"So guess you better keep calling her ma'am then," Hric jabbed at Aphid and looked again upon Kor, "And just how young is the youngest? Eight?"
"Eleven," Kor corrected.
"Puh," Hric waved off, "The way big brother treats you, I would have said five instead."
"Are you jealous no one kisses your boo-boos, Hric?" Freluff teased and pinched at Hric's cheekbone, "This old gramps will keep that in mind next time you need mendin'."
"Away with your senility, grandpa," Hric swatted away that cheek pinch.
Freluff snickered and retorted without missing a beat.
"This old man still has his senses, boy," he said, "I remember perfectly, you've got six weeks docked from pay."
"Wha—The damn I do!" Hric exclaimed.
"Oh, wait, no," Freluff feigned a struggle in recollection, "I guess you're right. Mind's slippin' just a bit. It was seven, right?"
"Freluff!"
"Hric. I'm just joking," Freluff settled the riled lad, "Calm down now, before you spit grits."
"Haven't even gotten a bite of it yet," Hric grumbled but suddenly found a spoon of it shakily nearing his mouth.
"Open wide, little sonny boy," Freluff imitated a weary old man's voice as he inched that trembling sloppy spoon nearer and nearer.
Hric slapped that quickly away, nearly careening the now flying spoon into Kor, but it missed and the boy only giggled about it.
"Go turn to dust somewhere," Hric snarled at Freluff.
Freluff kept up his shaky old man act, but said to the teen as he gripped the boy's shoulder with a weary hand, "Go clean that up, before I dust the floor with them curls, sonny boy."
Hric immediately looked as if he had another snappy retort to fire off, but just as immediately swallowed it down. Maybe he shouldn't try to invoke any real threat behind that joke.
Instead, he decided it best to retrieve that spoon, even if he did so with forceful chair scooting and clopping feet.
Someone might would have guessed his age was five…
Breakfast was continued calmly from there, after Hric plopped his seat back in his seat, and remarkably listened without any childish behavior to Freluff's list of jobs for him today.
Hric did repeat each line of task with a mundane tone though. He wasn't being purposely petulant, but it was obvious he was very versed in this script of to-dos.
Kersi listened to hers with a content smile and a respectful, "Yes, Papa."
Freluff told the two brothers they were free to rest or tour the farm, but Aphid told him he'd like to help with dishes…as soon as he had a talk with his little brother.
Freluff knew what about and grinned, but little Kor looked unsure. Aphid assured him it wasn't bad and that he wasn't in any trouble, but when the kid still looked a bit perplexed, Aphid regained the boy's smile with one more extra slice of bacon.
When breakfast was done, and the other three—and demon cat--had vacated, Aphid turned in his chair towards his little brother, who had turned towards his big brother as well.
"Kor?" Aphid asked, "How do you feel about Mr. Freluff? Do you think he's a good man?"
Kor tilted his head.
"Do you?" he asked.
"I asked you first," Aphid grinned, "…Tell me what you think, baby brother."
"I think…," Kor thought a second, "I think he's really nice. He kinda reminds me of you."
"Of me?"
"Yeah," Kor explained, "You two talk alike."
Aphid laughed.
"Oh, you mean our…bumpkin accents, huh?" he retorted.
"I guess," Kor chuckled back, "But you're both nice. And caring."
Aphid's grin turned into a warmer smile hearing his brother say that.
"He seems that way at least," Kor continued, "He also, kinda, … reminds me of … my Papa."
Young Kor by now had gotten a better handle of his grief, to tackle most reminisces of his Papa with a happy remembrance, but there were still times he would grieve like the day he lost him. The occurrences were becoming rarer and rarer, but they still crept in every great now and then.
Aphid put a gentle hand upon Kor's knee as a soft interjection in case the grief latched its cold claws upon him, but Kor seemed to be in a happy remembrance, as he had a fond smile etching across his lips.
"I think he's a good person," the boy said, "Like Papa…and like you."
Aphid, again, warmly smiled. He adored his little brother's praise of him, but deep down, he struggled believing that…
But he'd gotten the answer he wanted regardless.
"How would you feel," Aphid asked next, "about staying here for a bit? On the farm."
"Staying here?" Kor repeated, "Like live here?"
"Mhm."
"W-with you?"
Aphid made a shocked noise at that.
"Wha—Kor!" he gapped, "Kor Bjergsen! Of course with me! You know I ain't ever gonna leave you some place without me. Goodness, what's gotten into you lately? I thought it was just the hunger, huh? Honeyface, we're gonna talk about that later too, but back to the subject at hand…Freluff offered me a job here. As a farmhand. You too, if you really, really want to officially earn your own coin—"
"Oh, I do!" Kor excited interrupted. He looked excited the moment Aphid had said for himself, but as soon as he mentioned him, the boy couldn't help the outburst.
It wasn't that he wanted coin for himself. No, not at all.
He just wanted to help his big brother.
Aphid always took the jobs and insisted Kor go play and be a kid, close by, while he put in his hours. Only home chores and gardening would Aphid let him assist.
Kor very much was going to hop on this.
Aphid chuckled and patted the boy's knee.
"So it's settled that easily then?" he asked.
Kor bounced happily on his seat.
"Yeah!" he smiled and very quickly found he couldn't contain his urge to leap up and hug Aphid.
Aphid immediately embraced that hug.
He held him even closer when he felt a warm mist envelope his eyes.
They were happy tears, but he knew his sweet little brother would cry too, no matter the context, if he saw it.
But Aphid was very happy for this boon. Something felt very right about it.
Though, he wasn't entirely thrilled about the prospect of working with that Hric boy, something was raising his hairs there, it was undeniably better than any alternative they had right now.
Aphid dried his eyes and stood his brother back.
"You ready to see what our work list is, baby brother?"
"Yeah!"