Wow, a long chapter where Syaoran actually gets to have fun? What?
Before Syaoran knew it, the three of them had fallen into a loosely rotating schedule.
Wrennen worked a continuous cycle of two days on and one day off. On his free days Syaoran would accompany him in whatever chores needed to be done, whether it be tidying the house, shopping for baby supplies, or helping the elderly neighbors on the first floor. Syaoran did whatever was asked of him without complaint. These people were housing and feeding him with no idea of when that might stop.
On the sixth day of Syaoran's stay, Wrennen had him help scrub down and repaint the balcony.
Easier with two people. The man conveyed with the rough sign language they had been using. Too many vines. Need you hold them and paint under. No good to get paint on plants. Hurry before rain.
It had taken hours, the two of them sweaty and paint smeared when they were done. Wrennen pushed Syaoran towards the bathroom to clean up, and after a quick lunch he drove them down into the town. Syaoran had not been all the way back into the center near the park since he arrived, and it was amazing to see the area in the daylight. All the new sights had been dazzling, but nothing was as breathtaking as where Wrennen took him for the afternoon.
It was a museum. Syaoran was pretty sure there were stars in his eyes the whole time, despite the fact that he couldn't read a single display plaque. The building was only two stories tall, but it sprawled out over a serious amount of land. It wound around like a maze, wide hallways opening up into high ceilings periodically, with the balconies on the second floor visible. Wrennen let an ecstatic Syaoran drag him around until dinnertime, doing his best to explain the simpler things to the boy when he could.
Syaoran was so bursting with everything he had seen that when Briina came home from work he told her all about it. He didn't even bother with gesturing, he just word vomited every detail he could remember. Briina and Wrennen didn't understand anything he said but were happily taken aback at how vocal he was being. They had a hard time communicating as it was, and he admitted he'd been a bit withdrawn since his breakdown.
He hadn't had any other nightmares though, and he wondered if it had to do with the slightly more potent magic wafting around the apartment. Or maybe it was because by helping with the ward itself, he was more connected to its powers of protection? It drove him slightly nuts at now complicated it would be to ask about it.
Briina's work schedule was four days on and two days off. On days where she and Wrennen both worked, Syaoran was allowed to tag along with her.
There was a little café a few minutes outside of downtown that they'd head to right before lunchtime. By the time they arrived the place would be wafting with smells that made Syaoran's stomach grumble, but Briina would lead him into the kitchen and hand him over to the cook. Then she'd shoot him a wink and head out front.
The cook was a stooped, older woman with wild grey hair whose name sounded something like Shishi. The woman had no problem whatsoever in letting Syaoran know what to do without talking. It helped that the entire kitchen was equipped with open shelves instead of cabinets. Shishi would just point with a spoon, or ladle, or whatever she was holding, at a shelf. She'd either point to herself, or out to the front, and Syaoran would take the item to that place. He washed dishes, he swept the floors, and when the dishes were dried and put away on the shelves Shishi could not reach, she would shoo him out to Briina again.
It baffled the boy that after all the worlds they had seen, there were always new concepts that surprised him.
Briina worked in a children's café.
The tables were all different heights, so that even the smallest of children could sit comfortably. They streamed in all around the same time each day, loud, high pitched chattering clusters of them. The café workers hurried to get everyone's orders and food served quickly.
There was no money exchanged.
Instead, Syaoran watched with great interest as each child pulled out a little card. Briina came around with a stamp and marked them all, the kids enthusiastically calling their thanks as they ran back out the door. There was a rush to get everything cleaned again, Briina and Syaoran washing down all the little tables before a second, smaller wave arrived later in the afternoon.
Syaoran's curiosity couldn't be ignored.
Children no have money here. Briina shook her head. No one can take from them. No can lose. Safe. Go to school. Come here for lunch. Family pay card before. We get money. We feed kids.
Apparently, there were many children's café's clustered around the local schools, and the children got to pick which ones they at ate each day during their free time. Syaoran loved the idea and wished that before he left this world, he'd get to see some of the other cafes.
It was especially wet on the ninth day of Syaoran's stay. He and Wrennen stayed cooped up in the house all morning, reading. Laying around aimlessly for long periods still made Syaoran antsy, but he tried to take deep breaths and enjoy the down time.
Wrennen was sprawled beside him on the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table and reading glasses starting to slide down his nose.
The "rain frogs", as Syaoran had dubbed them in his head, were loving the particularly long rainfall. They peeped and chirped and squawked through the thunder of the raindrops.
The muffled sounds of footsteps upstairs were accompanied by equally muffled voices.
Wrennen shifted a little, turning the page of his novel.
Syaoran curled further into the cushions, unable to stay focused on the images in the book he'd picked out.
A frog peeped from the kitchen. They had a habit of lounging in the sink when Briina wasn't home.
Syaoran peeked at his host. He really didn't want to interrupt, but the question was nagging in the back of his mind again. If he let it fester, he would only get more restless. The answer was the same every day, and he was sure they would tell him as soon as there was news, however…
"Wrennen?" He asked softly.
The older man hummed lightly, marking his spot in his book with his thumb before looking up.
"Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona?" The boy questioned.
Wrennen's face creased in sympathy.
Syaoran's heart sunk, even though he hadn't gotten his hopes up.
Sitting up straighter, Wrennen reached out and patted his knee. His hand was large and warm, comforting. Neither of his hosts were anywhere as tall as Fai or Kurogane, but there was something about these two that made him more aware than ever how much smaller he was.
"Na huema, Syaoran. Jahoa," Wrennen smiled sadly at the boy. Syaoran knew it was an apology.
Loud, quick footsteps up the stairs stopped him from thinking about his missing family too long. Wrennen craned his neck around, giving the front window a funny look.
A moment later, Briina flew past out on the balcony. The door beeped, unlocking, and the woman burst into the apartment with more energy than could ever have been necessary. Her arms were laden with bags and she hunched over them, trying to block the pounding rain with her large poncho.
"Wrennen! Syaoran! Lommya brea shohwna! Hilah ma!" She slid the bags across the kitchen tile, shucking her dripping coat and boots and hastily tossing them on the rack.
A couple small frogs snuck their way back out the window over the sink.
"Ah? Hilah fanle?" Wrennen broke into a bright grin full of enthusiasm, getting off the couch and joining his wife in the kitchen.
Syaoran watched them over the low wall dividing the kitchen and living room. His chest hurt slightly at the fact that another day had passed without a call from the town hall about his companions. On the other hand, he couldn't help but be curious about whatever had made his hosts so excited. Wrennen was digging through the bags eagerly, pulling out odd, shiny fabric and string. Another bag held a bundle of perfectly straight, thin wooden sticks.
"Syaoran," Briina beckoned him over with a small wave.
Unsure of what was going on, he joined Briina in the kitchen. She draped her arm around his shoulders and giggled lightly at the mess her husband was making.
Syaoran wished there was a more elegant way of asking what all this was.
He pointed to the bags and looked questioningly up at Briina.
She opened her mouth and then paused, her face screwing up in thought.
"Ah…haja!" The woman clapped.
Briina rifled through her pockets and pulled out a slip of paper and a pencil. She drew a circle on it, then at four points on the circle, added a snowflake, a flower, a sun, and a tree empty of leaves.
The seasons in this world.
Syaoran nodded, showing he understood so far.
Briina pointed outside and then tapped the flower.
Spring.
She held up two fingers and waved her hand ahead like they had been doing to show 'tomorrow'. Then Briina wiggled around in a tiny show of dance. She stilled and pressed her hands together, bowing her head as if in prayer. Then she smiled and spread her hands wide over her head, making a happy sound.
Spring. Two days from now. A dance? A celebration or prayer festival?
That sounded interesting. Syaoran felt the stirrings of excitement in his stomach.
Wrennen drew his attention and tugged the boy down beside him when Syaoran walked over. He knelt on the cool floor and watched Wrennen sort out the materials. It looked like they could use this stuff to make…
Wrennen spread a hand over the piles, and then slowly weaved it around high over his head, whistling out a low whooshing sound.
Syaoran nodded his head fervently.
"Kites!"
Briina joined them on the floor with a light thump, combing her fingers through her damp hair.
"Ghightes?" She mimicked.
Syaoran bobbled his head a little, it was close enough. He pointed to himself and repeated the word, then pointed to the couple and made an inquiring sound.
"Hilahes," Briina supplied, looking embarrassed and relieved that he didn't ask them to try again. She always got flustered when she couldn't pronounce his words. Syaoran had a much easier time learning their language, though sometimes their words were so short and soft that he missed them entirely.
The three of them worked away at making their own kites. Briina and Wrennen had a challenging time teaching him how to sew the thread along the edges of the kite so that it held the edge wood in place, but they were patient. He learned how to secure the crossbars, how to seal the edges after sewing with a sticky clear paste, and how to quickly add embellishments like ribbons and sequins.
Syaoran slowly chugged along, reveling the clear-headedness that came with a mundane task such as sewing. He had to focus on his hands but enjoyed listening to Briina and Wrennen chatter back and forth and laugh at their own jokes. The two had a tendency to try to include him in whatever they were talking about. He appreciated it, but it was nice go see them just acting like they would if he were not there.
"Ahhh… flammwe! Hajalo mea ne," Wrennen yawned.
Briina hummed in agreement, stretching her back and getting to her feet.
Syaoran looked up, he hadn't even noticed how dark it was outside. They must have been at it for hours. It had to be a good while past dinnertime. His back and bottom were sore from being hunched over on the tile for so long, and his hands hurt, but he didn't mind. It was fun to have a project to work on like this. He was not even close to as far along as his hosts were, but he was content with his progress. The boy had never had the time to make a craft before, after all.
He was about to tell them that he was going to keep working when his stomach let out a horrifyingly loud growl.
Syaoran flushed a scandalized red, Briina's face puckering in an attempt to not laugh at him. Wrennen patted Syaoran on the back and simply opened the fridge in response. He rooted around and pulled out some of the wrapped-up leftovers from last night's dinner.
"Sorry, sorry, that was so rude-" Syaoran was cut off by Briina tugging on his arm to stand up. She giggled at him as she guided him to the couch. They always found his embarrassment funnier than whatever had caused it.
"Oshun wa, Syaoran. Oshun wa."
He knew that one by now.
You're okay.
Wrennen flopped down beside him, handing Syaoran a bowl of cold meat. Briina snatched some fruit and they picked at their food while watching a television program on an oddly patterned bird species.
Syaoran was nodding off before he knew it.
Syaoran spent the next day at the house. Both Briina and Wrennen had to work, and Briina was a little surprised when he politely declined joining her. He felt the small weight of guilt at not helping her with her job, but he… really wanted to finish his kite. Syaoran got the feeling that she took him to the café just to stop him from sitting around all day, and not because they actually needed the assistance.
If she did need him, surely Briina would say something.
She didn't. She just put on her poncho and boots, the steady downpour from the day before continuing on. Before she left, she cupped the back of his head in her hand and pressed her cheek to his hair. Something in between a hug and a kiss. Syaoran had seen other adults doing it to children frequently here.
He blushed and sent Briina a shy smile as she went out into the deluge.
Syaoran padded over to where his supplies were piled, waving away yet another frog that had decided to venture inside.
Physical contact was so casual in this world, he wondered as he cut some longer strips of cloth. People were always patting each other on the back and hugging and holding hands even in public.
It was… nice?
Syaoran thought about touch a lot. After all, he had to be conscious of potentially touching Sakura while she was undergoing her purifying ritual. And then afterwards he had wanted to never let her go. His heart ached every time he had to let go of her hand. A reminder of his failure. Touya had hated how much he hugged her, but Sakura had never complained. Neither had the King or Queen.
The boy hummed at his project. His sewing was mediocre at best, but he wasn't pricking his fingers as much today, so that was progress.
Then seven years in that cursed place. Waiting. Nothing had touched him for seven years, and even when he did break out, most physical contact from then on had been violent. Fighting, fighting, fighting. Getting hurt and hurting others.
And then.
Kurogane ruffled his hair. Fai held his face in his hands. Draped an arm around his shoulders. He hugged Sakura again. Syaoran had been so busy that he didn't realize how much he missed it. How much he treasured the soft feeling of skin on skin. That was allowed here.
This world was being especially kind to him in that regard.
The boy held up his kite, eyeing it critically. He needed sequins to really be satisfied but attaching them individually looked frustrating. He set his jaw and started on them anyway. Thank goodness he wasn't covering too large of an area.
By the time he was finished with them, the rain had started to taper off and he could tell that the sun was heading towards the tree line. All he needed to do now was secure the string and wrap a decent amount around the spool. Briina had demonstrated to do it on her own kite this morning when she finished it. It was a stunning striped fish, long ribbons attached to its tail to catch the wind. Syaoran did not recognize the animal Wrennen had made, though if he had to guess, he would say it was some kind of bird. It wasn't that it was done poorly, it was just that Syaoran had never seen a creature with wings so large and a body so small.
Wrennen came home as he was wrapping the last of his string a little while later. Both happy at the quality of his work, and happy to be done (his fingers were cramping), Syaoran hopped up from his spot on the floor and held up his kite for the man to see.
Wrennen let out an exclamation that was their language's version of "wow" and came forward to look more closely.
Syaoran glowed with pride.
"Lele, Syaoran! Lele, ne wa Mogona!"
The morning of the festival came in a burst of sunlight and dry air. Syaoran sat with his hosts and a bowl of hot, spiced fruits out on the balcony. The whole neighborhood was bustling around them, but their little bubble of tranquility would not be disturbed.
The sun streamed through the trees and raised plumes of fog from every surface. Birds of all kinds came out from nooks and crannies to shake off the dew and fluff their feathers. Syaoran watched Wrennen out of the corner of his eye. The man was not so subtly spooning a slice of fruit onto the railing near a group of little lizards sunning themselves. One crept closer, then lurched in to grab the slice in his mouth and ran off, the others chasing behind.
Briina heaved a sigh, looking down and patting her stomach. She mumbled under her breath and Syaoran had to stifle a giggle by shoving more food in his mouth. Briina was talking to the baby behind Wrennen's back and the look on her husband's face was priceless.
The car climbed higher and Syaoran was barely containing his excitement. They were heading further and further from the center of the crater, and the boy had never been out this way before. The view was incredible. It had been just a little less than two weeks since he'd arrived and now the trees were thickening with green and yellow leaves, the occasional flower popping up in unexpected places.
"Syaoran, plarea manwa," Briina brought his attention back to the front with a wave.
The hill appeared to end not too far ahead of them, and the cars in front of them looked almost like they were blipping out of existence when they reached the top.
Their car strained at the angle, but Syaoran laughed when they popped over the top as well. Of course, the cars weren't disappearing, the hill plateaued out and now that they were above the crater wall, one could see for miles. All around them were rolling hills and forests, mountains dotting the horizon to the north.
The festival grounds were not far, the bright tents and crowds visible up on one of the nearby hilltops devoid of trees. They were directed to a roped off parking area and Syaoran sat in the back seat patiently, all of them waiting for the cars around them to pull in before opening the doors. The boy handed Briina and Wrennen their kites before getting out himself. The back seat had been a bit cramped with the three kites taking up so much of the space.
Syaoran clutched his own kite tightly in one hand as Briina held his other and guided his through the throngs of people milling about. Wrennen followed with a blanket and basket of food, Briina was holding the other two kites under her arm.
With Briina pulling him along, Syaoran was able to look around freely without any chance of knocking into other festival goers.
There were tents scattered at the bottom of the hill full of vendors. They were selling everything from food, to clothing, to kite supplies, and even simple premade kites for children too small to make their own. The food smells wafted through the air, baked goods, sizzling meat, and the thick scent of fried dough. Syaoran was almost sad that they had brought food of their own, though he knew that what they had cooked this morning was delicious.
The sounds of children running about and playing rang out over the music projected from small speakers on the corner poles of most of the tents. Syaoran could not know for sure, as instruments varied greatly among the worlds they had seen, but it wove a rich melody of what sounded like violins and flutes. Sweet and flowing, but with an undercurrent of strength and joy. Sakura would have loved it. She would have made him dance.
Syaoran was so distracted by the thought that he walked right into Briina when she stopped. He hastily stepped back and opened his mouth to apologize, but the look Briina gave him was enough to make him change his mind. He sheepishly smiled at her instead and she dropped his hand, ruffling his hair and grinning hugely back.
The three of them set up their blanket on a flatter spot of ground that hadn't yet been claimed by the hundreds of other people. Syaoran set down his kite beside it, then frowned.
There wasn't enough wind.
There was a light breeze, but the children around them had to run laps to keep their kites airborne. As soon as they stopped their creations glided to the grass, some of the bigger ones nosediving and sending kids fleeing and shrieking.
"Briina? Wrennen?" He asked, his hosts looking up from where they were plating up some snacks.
He pointed to the kites, then the sky and shook his head. Waved his hand through the air and whistled a wind noise, dropping it and looking concerned.
They didn't appear worried, but had the faces of people who were thinking hard. Wrennen shook his head, pointing to the sun and making the sad whistle noise. Then he moved his hand from where he was pointing at the sun down to a spot closer to the horizon, he nodded and made a strong whooshing sound.
No wind now. Yes wind later.
"Wa," Syaoran replied in their language.
Okay.
They spent the afternoon touring around the festival and enjoying the sunshine after so many days of rain. Syaoran paid special attention to what other people's kites looked like, wondering if there was some rule or pattern. For the most part it seemed the majority were animals and the few here and there that were more simple shapes, layered diamonds, or spirals.
He was interested in the fact that a large percentage of the animal kites looked like different versions of Wrennen's. Maybe the giant winged bird was something meaningful? It could just be a local favorite, but Syaoran could not recall seeing such a bird since he arrived.
The first gust of wind took the boy completely by surprise. It rushed through the crowds, people laughing and grabbing for their kites before they blew away. Syaoran managed to throw himself on top of his own as it was swept off the grass, slapping a hand over the other two as well.
"Braho la, Syaoran!" Wrennen slapped him on the back, laughing.
Briina gave him two thumbs up and thanked him. She swiped a hand out a second later as a second strong gust sent a kite shooting past her head. The owner graciously took it back, all smiles despite almost losing his kite. There were stray kites fluttering down the hill, their makers laughing and chasing after them.
Maybe this was part of the festival? Maybe some people expected the first winds to yank their kites away?
The third and fourth gusts were stronger, and Syaoran held his kite to his chest to avoid it from being ripped from him. He was a little bewildered, and the wind pushed so powerfully for a moment that it nearly unseated him. Wrennen steadied the boy and wrapped his free arm around him.
The gale evened out a moment later, slowing to a more comfortable pace.
Up went the kites. Hundreds of them, bright and colorful against the pale blue sky. Wrennen helped Syaoran get his airborne, the stark white of his kite standing out among the rainbow around it.
Mokona looked awfully happy flying around like this.
Happiness swirled in Syaoran's chest. His reason for making a Mokona kite was twofold. One, Mokona's shape was easy and the design was simple enough for a beginner. Two, nearly everyone in the city was here, and if by chance any of his companions had come, they could see Mokona and find him as well.
Mokona's forehead jewel and earring sequins glittered a bold red and Syaoran was glad he put in the extra effort. It was worth it. Briina's fish and Wrennen's bird swooped on either side of Mokona and Syaoran blew out a long breath. The pure joy and celebration in the air was infectious, and though he wished his little family were here to experience it too, the thought didn't drag him down.
The kites flew until the first orange streaks of sunset slipped across the sky.
Then the whispers began, everyone hushing in a wave across the hill. The music played on, suddenly sounding loud in the wake of quiet voices. Syaoran's eyes widened, looking around in confusion. Briina only smiled and him and pulled him back to his feet, the kites tied off to their basket. Wrennen put a finger to his lips, eyes alight with anticipation.
What…?
Briina bent down slightly to be at his level and pointed silently out towards where the dark was creeping up from the mountains, the sun setting behind their backs.
The first of the stars appeared, and for a brief second Syaoran thought that whole clusters of them suddenly lit all at the same time. But then no, they weren't stars. It was a cloud of white dots, flying towards the crowd at an unbelievable speed. The longer he watched the more he came to understand that it was actually a massive flock of birds. The largest one he'd ever seen.
The kite birds.
Thousands of them.
They flew like waves upon the wind, changing directions almost as one. Syaoran had never seen anything like it. It was beautiful. They flew towards their hill and then-
Over and around the kite festival. The air was suddenly so thick with gliding birds that Syaoran couldn't see the end of them. His heart pounded in his chest and Briina squeezed his hand, wordlessly happy. Their wings buffeted the air around his face, but not a feather touched him. They gracefully dodged through the sea of kites and strings, and then swooped high over the hill. With one flawless twist, the murmuration dove into the crater.
Syaoran froze. As the birds made their way down towards the city they vanished. Except not entirely. He could still barely see their faded outlines, and a tingle of energy swept through him.
Spirits.
Had he just witnessed a spirit migration? Was that a thing here? He felt a quiet sort of shock as the festival goers cheered and toasted around him, drinks coming out of seemingly nowhere.
"Syaoran? Oshun wa?" Briina peered down at him in concern. He did feel a little overwhelmed.
He nodded slowly, not taking his wide eyes off where the birds had shed their physical forms. It felt like if he broke his own silence something would be ruined.
Everyone eventually sat down across the hill, celebrating in the last of the day's light.
Syaoran stood alone, his heart very full and feeling very lucky.
My computer does not know the word "murmuration" and neither does FF. That's weird. Its what you call those giant starling flocks. Look them up, they're stunning.