Gravity - or, rather, the coming pressure of it, as Briar squinted long up the side of the mountain - held surprisingly little weight atop the young boy's passion. Even a flower might bloom through stone, after all, no matter the critique of its environment. If a beach rose could find even a crack to grow within: Briar would be no different. A single cloying root, grasping at the side of stone. A breath of anticipation ... and a nervous little titter besides.

That would be the ideal, of course, but golly gee did the trial before him seem particularly ... tribulating. "Oh, geez." He murmured beneath his breath, each word a sing-song tone with the chime of a bell. A particularly nervous bell, sure, but one to ring nonetheless. That counts for something?

Biting on the side of his lip in thought he roamed small, pale hands across his unmessied suit, pulling and prodding and straightening until all straps and otherwise accessories proved in their correct - secured - place. He didn't want to lose the faux topaz gems strewn in a necklace about his neck; the knock-off peridot at his wrists or the cubic zirconian anklets; nor would his little pack of playing cards or the pressed, dried gardenias that hung from his hip be better served trailing from the mountain.

He hefted a pan, sloping arms that seemed to shudder from the weight until he could tut through his teeth and levy a bashful glare of determined hazel. Um. Well, truly, all's well and good, but ...

"I don't really know how to cook ... e-ehhh ... heh ...?"

[285]

She had to admit it had been an interesting concept when it came to the contest the people of Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus had invented. To climb onto a mountain was clearly a test of strength, endurance and willpower, a traditional method for training that had existed as long as time itself. Yet at the same time there was also the addition of another challenge in the form of several cooking stations that were scattered along the mountain.

Simply said, the people participating had to traverse the mountain, using the time spent from station to station to work on the ingredients, and at the end of the climb had to present a finished meal. Overall a very curious performance, and one that the fairy had been quite eager to participate in.

She was fairly confident that she would be capable enough to reach the top of the mountain now she had been gifted with the blessing of a healthy body and surprisingly enough she could actually cook quite well for one of her age. Perhaps it was because she had been taking care of herself for as long as she could remember, or the fact she enjoyed the creativity behind the creation process of producing meals that Fei Yu was more than eager to give the challenge a try.

However, to her surprise as she was hiking along the mountain, a small hikers backpack strapped to her back and several bottles of herbs, spices and similar utilities strapped to her belt the fairy had been sorting through some of the spices when she heard a boyish voice bashfully whisper something.

"Oh~ You can't cook?"

The fairy stopped her ascend along the mountain, a hop and a skip leading her to land before the teenager and she granted them an innocent smile as a gift to their first meeting.

"That won't do~ You'll need to prepare a meal by the time you reach the top of the mountain~"

A hand raised to her cheek she continued to ponder, certainly climbing the mountain and cooking a meal was already a challenge of its own, but to also succeed at teaching someone how to cook? Now that would be a feat worthy of praise! Maybe her mentor Alisa would even praise her for such diligent work!

"If you want I can teach you the basics~ Cooking is a lot like magic~ You spend time creatively thinking on a recipe, and then it's a matter of experimenting with the concept thinking of different ways to approach it all until you get it right!"

She was fairly confident her explanation would make sense, so she decided to proceed to the next part instead. "My name is Yu~ Fei Yu, I'm a fairy who chose to align herself with the Blue Pegasus guild. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

An energetic greeting accompanied by a playful smile as she gestured toward the nearby path ascending further upwards. "The first cooking station is up ahead~ How about you tell me what you'd like to try to make while we climb up there together?"

[524]

A startle. The boy in sleek shades - scratch that, shriek shades - hops off the ground with a hiccup. It comes with an instinctive, panicked waving of his arms, landing on the back of his heel to trot back two steps when trying to regain his balance and then tumbling over when the weight of the pan he was carrying catches up to him. He falls on his bum, one eye closed and the other dizzied with picturesque stars that swim to collect into his even shade of hazel once again. His hair briefly unsettles across soft features, brushing down high cheek bones lifted by the dazzled part of his lips. 

He blinks once, twice, hiccuping once more before his sigh turns to laughter and then hushes into playful giggles. "I-I'm real sorry, miss. I was a little in my own head, I was." His hand moves to the back of his head after brushing his hair back into its place again, rubbing his head with a half-dorky smile left as a rainbow from the rain of his fall. The light, winter-esque color of his locks lends itself well to the image of a rabbit poking its head from first snow; the way he peeked with a glittering gaze onto the small woman afore him, an easy comfort felt between them in the gentle tone of her voice. He lifted up, only a slight wobble remaining in his legs, and trailed the pan up behind him until it could heft in his arms once again. "I don't mean to be rude. U-uhm, it's a pleasure!"

He beamed as naturally as he spoke, each word that sung from his lips pealing with all the weight of a feather - spoke clearly, yet almost lost in the winds of the mountain. Still, he seemed excited to see her, as if the thought alone of company brought wonder to the way he looked back at her. Now that he was standing ... ah. She was still just a slight taller than him. That's how it goes, that's how it goes. Another bashful titter, clasping his hands together respectfully. "Would you really? I'd appreciate that. A lot. I'm still findin' my footing at the guild, and it seems important to try and --"

A lightbulb, requisite in an exclamation point that practically sprung to life above his head. "Blue Pegasus, Ms. Fei Yu? Why, that's my guild! I'd show you, but, uhm --" His tongue poked from his lips with the slight cringe of his features, a show of easygoing shyness. "I got the tattoo on my tummy 'cause I thought it'd hurt the least, and I realized a little late that'd make it hard to show off, and it was magically stamped anyway ... hahaha." He knocked on the side of his head. Just a little ditzy, really, in the sweet way. Childlike, but his nerves and the environment played a part in talking a bit more than he might otherwise. "It's really nice to meet you, ma'am. I've never had the chance to acquaint a fairy before, but I've heard a lot about the fine fae folk from my mum." Did he take this chance to bow? Was that too embarrassing? E ... ehh. F-focus up, Bri!

He settled to follow after her, instead, warmed by her energy. "I'm Briar. Briar Càidh, miss. Do you prefer Fei Yu or Yu? You can call me Bri, if you'd liken." A pause. "I haven't gotten much time around the guild yet, so I'm real happy to meet someone else from it. To be honest, I took on this challenge to try and feel more of ... u-uhm ... a part of everything, and I have no idea where to start. I brought some eggs with me, this pan, some flint." 

He hefts it, shaking his head with a hint of playfulness himself. Still, he shown ecstatic. He learned early never to turn down the kindness of a stranger who offers, and to always offer yourself to a stranger in need. He felt kindred with Fei Yu. "If there's anything you need, please let me know, too! But if it's just company, you've got me anyway." A smile, falling in tune and step both.

[ 775 | 1060 ]

Yu couldn't help but let out a soft giggle at the timid panic of the startled teenager. "Deep breaths~ Deep breaths~" Luckily it seemed the boy was quick to calm down and grow comfortable around her presence. "Likewise~ It's a pleasure to meet you~"

As she listened to Briar's explanation of how they wanted to take advantage of the event to get their footing into the guild and become more comfortable around the others, Yu had to admit she was delighted at their mentality. The willingness to take initiative and improve oneself was a trait she always admired. "No need to show it Bri~ I read about your recent enrollment in the guild while I was helping Ali-sensei tend to the paperwork."

She paused for a moment as she playfully took a skip beside them, landing on the heels of her feet as she spun around toward the direction that led uphill. "Besides it's impossible to lie to a fairy like me~ However, you are quite correct, the tattoo is not a traditional one but either stamped or painted with a magical brush, doesn't hurt at all, right?"

She smiled softly as she recalled how she had hers. "Mine is on my shoulder, but like you it is a bit difficult to show when I'm wearing my usual clothes~"

As Yu took a few steps forward she hummed softly. "Yu is fine~ In a way my full name is closer to a title, in the words of mankind it would be akin to 'Yu of the Fae', it denotes me as a member of the fairy race. You see~ When I ascended as a fairy I lost any recollection of my past before becoming a Fae, but that is story for another time~"

A few more steps followed as she spun around again, her small wings shimmering in and out of view between her back and the backpack she was carrying. "Eggs, a pan and flint~ Perhaps we can make an omelet then! I'll lend you some of my herbs and spices to help enrich your recipe."

As she stated these words she gestured at the cooking station up ahead. "See that station there? It's the first one on our road to the top of the mountain~ How much do you know about making omelets? You got some eggs already, so you're already on the right track Bri-chan~"

Yu smiled sheepishly as she extended a hand toward him. "Companionship is what I seek~ for meeting new people is already plenty of a gift for me~"

Beaming another innocent smile at the lad she took a few steps closer to the station and placed down the backpack, pulling out what seemed to be some type of meat wrapped in fiolage to keep it from spoiling too quickly.

Humming softly as she pulled a knife from her pouch the lass started to cut the harder parts of the meat that had remained and soon started to chop other sections of the meat, as if she was turning the entire thing into nice large cubes!

"Go on now Bri-chan~ If you have any questions on how to proceed, don't hesitate to ask, but like I mentioned, a lot of it comes down to inventing new approaches and experimenting~ No great dish was invented from the very first try."

[560]

A knock of his fist down into his hand, balancing the pan precariously between his elbow and side, and he nods his head along. "Oh, of course! You're also a friend of the Guildmaster's, then, Yu? Golly gracious, a Fairy at our side ... Proper forgive me for not knowing a whole lot yet, but it's so cool to see such prestigious mages around us silly folk. I've got somethin' to aspire to." He beams at her, his cheeks hollowing to dimples with the turn up of his eyes, and then settles another step. Scampers, almost, to keep up with her own playful trailing, playing up the excitement and surprise in innocent joy whenever she skipped or spun.

He glances down to where his button suit curves in at the stomach, then smiles, warm and quiet. "Mm. It didn't hurt at all. 's nice. I'm really glad to be in Blue Pegasus." Ah, remembers himself. A sheepish blink up and tease back of his hair, for it had a habit of falling again over one eye. They both sparkled in the mountain light. "That's true? You can't lie to a Fairy? That's so cool! Well -- well! Cross my heart and hope to die, you'll never hear a tale from me, miss. Ehe."

He didn't have the same knowledge of how the world worked, but for Fae to ascend to Fairies and take a place in the courts like that ... and then, even then, want a place around people like them, make friends like them, do little goofy adventures like this with them ... well, that was just swell. He giggled, refraining from all but clapping as she shared bits of her story with him. His fingers fluttered, eager to meet in short excited taps, but he busied his feet instead prancing along. He nods toward the station, practically bouncing between rabbit's feet. "I'm real grateful, Yu. I figured I didn't have everything I needed, but I thought -- uhm, I thought -- maybe if I took too long, it'd seem scarier than it is? I just wanted to resolve myself to go.

Thank goodness to run across you. I think I could manage an omelet - I just have to fry and squish the eggs together, right? It'll taste a lot better with whatever you might throw in, though! And then we could share, you know~?" A greater display of elation at the idea of sharing the meal, and - at least in some way - being able to pay her kindness forward. He'd have to find someone else hungry at the peak if she wasn't interested. The heart you share with others keeps us going 'round.

He takes her hand when it's offered, bending a knee with a hand splayed across his chest and a brimming grin to set the center of the piece. "Then we're the same, Yu." His head tilts, sending his fluffball to stream down his features, and he laughs through it. Releases her hand with this declaration of new friendship and rights himself, taking her opportunity given to peek with bright eyes at the preparation of meat. Well, he'd have to keep up, wouldn't he?

So he tamps over his part of the station, stealing glances over at her for some kind of -- well, it wasn't nerves, so confirmation of her safety? She was far more capable, skilled and serene than he, but they were still in quite the weather. He couldn't help the little pinwheeling his heart did. Aaah, he was definitely way more concerned about this challenge than the learned mages in his guild ... and that gave him brighter sunlight to reach his leaves toward.

It didn't take long for him to get his comical pan situated in any case, flaring up a fire with the kicks of his flint into a divot, and he leans himself good over it. Precariously and gently tends to every egg he pulls out and cracks over, only slightly hopping back at the crackling from the heat every odd spatter. He didn't make a mess and each egg began to fry cleanly, but his happy home life was obvious in his lacking survival skills. A spatula would have to be employed, he decided, and he whipped it out like a sword. "Okay ... okay. Phew. This won't be so bad, eh? ... Ehe."

[ 772 | 1831 ]

Yu nodded her head with a sheepish smile lingering on her lips. "Indeed~ We bonded through the guild master's previous apprentice. She is the one who led me to Blue Pegasus, and since then I decided to align myself with them. Alisa-sensei is very nice and smart, also, she is a really patient and good teacher, even taught me how to swim."

She had just finished chopping the meat into small cubes and then brought forth a frying pan of her own. However, unlike Bri she had chosen to ignore the use of a flint and instead went for a magic tool, a small rod-shaped device that as she tapped on a switch caused a small yellowish orange beam of energy to hit the bottom of the pan, and after several moments as she allowed the butter to spread over the surface of the pan the sound of the butter sizzling under the heat became audible.

"mhmm~ seems I can let the meat cook while we travel to the next station~"

"Well~ I might be a guild mage, but it is more or less like a part-time job~ I actually work for an organization in Caelum. Our main purpose is the investigation and handling of otherworldly phenomena. After all, to be able to protect people from the unknown you have to understand it, and be able to know how to handle it as well~"

A light shift of her grip on the pan allowed the cubes to shift onto a different side as she continued. "ehehe~ Well it is a trait all of us Fairies have~ You see, our eyes allow us to perceive the aura of people, and when someone lies you can see this subtle wavering in someone's aura, as if they are trying to conceal something."

Yu smiled weakly as she continued. "But always knowing the truth isn't as great as it sounds~ Some things you'd prefer not to know, and yet again you could say that as the Director of the Clock Tower it is my duty to pursue the truth in matters if I have to take the role of an Arbiter in otherworldly affairs."


Heaving a sigh she decided to instead turn her attention toward Bri's cooking adventure. "mhmm~ doing good so far. Make sure to keep frying each egg in the same fashion, you don't want to heat one part of your pan too much because then a specific area will be more affected than the other. You want to spread the heat, and sometimes shifting the eggs in the pan as they are frying will help you reach spots that might remain unaffected otherwise. Balance is important when frying omelets~"

She chuckled softly as she watched Bri continue, and once they were ready for the next step she clapped her hands together as the cooking station's magic started working, allowing their dishes to enter a state of stasis.

"Now we need to climb to the next station, make sure not to take too long because the enchantment on your dish will only last for a certain period of time, I heard this 'Stasis' enhancement that freezes the progress of a dish was invented by the Fairy Tail guildmaster who is a famous cook~"

She hummed softly as she pulled her pan from the fire, showing how it looked like time itself had frozen for the pan and the meat that was frying inside it.

"Quite an interesting way for them to approach this challenge, right?"

Grinning at Bri she soon started to step further uphill. "Come along now Bri-chan~ Eggs might be able to roll, but I won't have you rolling off the mountain till we reach the summit~"

Teasingly poking out her tongue at the jest she waited for the young lad to follow along.

"O-otherworldly phenomena?" The poor boy's little head was spinning along with the spirals in his eyes; steam might leave his mouth with his mutters, settling instead for fogging in the cold mountain air. "Gosh, miss Yu, that sounds real important. I'm still learnin' about the worldly ones, ehe." He knocked the side of his head before remembering the searing heat he was directed to keep up with. You can't lose focus while cooking! Aa! "Uhm, that is to say, that's really neat. Thanks for your work on our parts, miss Yu. Is Blue Pegasus able to help you much with all of that? That's nice. Especially with you bein' the Guildmaster's friend and all."

He grinned over at her, managing the spatula into his eggs with both hands to dutifully follow instructions along while they spoke. He was good at that, particularly. Give him a job and it'd get done no matter the sweat that gleans on his tiny shoulders. Push, scramble! Uwa! "Master Alisa seems wonderful. I haven't gotten to meet her yet, m'self, but, uhm -- she was a big inspiration for me joining. I grew up in Hargeon, so Blue Pegasus is all I've ever known. I got to see you guys help the world my whole life. ... That's all'I wanna do, too."

Still the tone dipped, just enough for Briar to get a glance at the burden Fei Yu carried. He mulled that over, in a way only a younger spirit could, and chewed the inside of his cheek until his smile came back to meet her softer one. "That seems like a lot, too, miss Yu. Director is a real important role, and Arbiter seems even more out'ta my wheel house, but, uhm --," he turned the pan, then stepped back, staring down at his hands, before pulling one back and offering a ... thumbs up? "I think you're good like this, too. You're nice. I won't give you any big problems to solve right now, so maybe I could just give you a night to relax in? I'd appreciate the small kindness to you."


His smile grew cheekier, lightning to the points in his eyes, and he returned to relatively impassioned cooking. It wasn't going spectacularly, with scorching on certain sides of the eggs, but he made due with his inexperience and the lessons Yu imparted. He was listening close, adjusting on every new bit of information, and adapted well to the new task. He would just do even better, next time!

"Stasis, really? Now that's useful! Golly, these Guildmasters are otherworldly too, huh?" He meant that with the purest praise - pride, even, for the names the Good guilds held - and couldn't resist this time from clapping his hands. "I could use some of that for my garden, ehe. But ... uhm ... even flowers are meant to wilt. Maybe it's better this way." He rubs the back of his head, packing up to travel along with her to the mountain face. "That just means we have a time limit, too! Let's get up there before we dry up, Miss Yu! Ehe." The environment intoxicated every giggle, warming with very little effort to the Fairy. Something about children and the fae, was it? 

"I'll do my best to keep up! Uhm ... uhm ... oh, golly." He sputtered, his expression reflecting his nervous joy and the playful way he cringed as he scampered up after her. His tongue slipped between his own teeth, caught in the middle in a way that far more called himself out than her. "Here! We! Go!" It was one effort to keep his pan up and secured, even in statis, but it was another to trail along on these thin, wobbly legs. Ah - and yet - he perserveres. Pants from his nose and from around that blepped tongue, using anything he's ever known about mountainous plants to support himself in cracks and ledges that looked either the most malleable or sturdy.

"D-don't worry, miss Yu!" He said, worried. "If somethin' happens, I'll catch us both! ... Ehhhe."

Yu couldn't help but let out a sheepish giggle at the sheer awe and disbelief Bri expressed at the concept of otherworldly phenomena. "Mhmm~ They are far more common than people think. Not to mention not all of them are as grandiose as you might imagine~"

She turned around to look at the boy as she explained further. "Certainly, you could imagine something grandiose like a god descending upon Earthland, but past scholarly pursuits suggest that the beings we worship as deities are merely otherworldly beings that are on a different power scale than us denizen of Earthland."

A light twirl of her fingertip followed as she channeled bits of mana through it, creating an ethereal illusion of what might appear a small pocket-sized portal, although it was just that: an illusion.

"Not all otherworldly phenomena are as grandiose or impactful as these. Even the smallest ones, like for example a power-hungry warlock summoning a demon to do their bidding and getting a little imp to pop out of the abyss as the end of their bargain? That by itself is considered an otherworldly phenomena. But allow too many of these to unfold and at some point the protective layers surrounding our world will unravel at the seams and then... kaboom~"

As she exclaimed the part playfully the illusionary portal imploded into a tiny collection of fireworks. "It is because the danger of such a thing that my organization works tirelessly to investigate and handle such phenomena."

Yu paused for a moment as Bri inquired about whether Blue Pegasus was able to provide much aid in that matter. "Well to be honest, our organization is still fairly young, and some might consider it unwise for us to officially align with a guild, so as an organization we are unaffiliated with anyone and maintain healthy neutral relationships with others.

Yet hearing Bri remark about how Blue Pegasus has aspired him to become capable of helping others brought a smile to her lips. "That is an excellent dream to pursue Bri-chan~ Never forget these feelings and the origin that inspired you to take action, it is something that will surely give you the strength to carry on when things get difficult."

Watching Bri give her a thumbs up and promise her to not cause any big problems to solve made her laugh heartily, a step closer being made as she raised a hand to try to ruffle the boy's hair lightly in a gentle gesture. "hehe I hold you to that~ It's been a while since I have been able to enjoy some sound sleep."

Still, hearing Bri declare that he would catch both of them if something happened made Yu smile mischievously as she took a hop and a skip closer toward him, yet oddly enough she seemed to be levitating? Indeed, a closer glimpse would have revealed that she had in fact a pair of angelic wings grow from her back, swaying the stasis-enchanted frying pain in the air in front of her.

"I appreciate the gesture Bri-chan~ but I doubt you'll need to do anything dangerous like that~ These wings are but one of the many tricks at my disposal~"

As she declared these words she playfully darted backwards up the mountain. "Ah~ there it seems the final cooking station is located~ A perfect opportunity to finish your dish~ I am quite curious about the flavor of a Bri-chan styled Blue Pegasus Omelet~"

There absolutely was steam from the gears in his head as he struggled to keep up with the explanation proffered to him by the timeless Fairy and her very important, terribly scary, literally world-salvaging work. He tittered nervously, a verbal tic he couldn't contain under the pressure of her demonstration. It was very ... educational! "My goodness," was all he managed from his first breath (he had been holding it throughout). He continued on, determined not to balk under the weight of her words. "I --", he failed, of course, but Briar was keen to get up from any stumble. Lord knows he had more than enough of those.

Or, well, Lord hopefully doesn't know. Please don't come to Earthland. "I -- think that all sounds like a lot, honestly, miss Yu." His brief attempt at bravado melted into laughter, lightening on his heart with each subsequent giggle. His eyebrows raised and the slight color of disbelief on his face shared a conspiratorial glance with Yu. He moved a hand into his hair as they continued their conversation on the move, using it as an excuse to distract him from the task at hand.

"I think that might be above my pay-grade, Missus, but I think it should be above anyone's if'en you're askin' me. I get how awful that all sounds. It just seems like ... well, like a lot for anyone to take on themselves. I hope your Clock Tower is treating you well, Madam Director." His tone was sympathetic, his eyes still widened from the dangerous air, but he promised not to worry her tonight -- he'd have to meet her in her playful space.

"I-if the world gets otherworldly here, then, uhm -- leave that'un to me too, okay! I could ... I could take an imp. I could prolly even take a few, I could." Now he was grinning in true, building his case for camaraderie. It was her little hop that threw him from his play at courage, squeaking until his voice came in a wheeze that looked as if his ghost might leave his body. "Yu!" He yelped, moving to grab her -- before he noticed that she was floating. Oh. Oh, right. "A.......... ah. You're a Fairy. Y-yeah. O-okay. Golly. Golly gracious, miss Yu, you did that on purpose!"

Even his chastising came with the sound of a bell, his eyes furrowing with his tongue making another show."Ooooh, I'll get you back for that one. Not t'night, 'cause it's your night." He joked off, sighing until that, too, melted to laughter. "You're fun, miss Yu. 'm glad you'll be okay. I'll just ... urk ... I'll persevere, too." He was very much not in his element, but he was better for her company. It made the climb less horrifying, if only because his memory would carry on. And these eggs! Well, they were an objectification of his tenacity, now. He couldn't lose them! Uweeeh.

"I-I'm coming! I'm coming! Oooh, miss Yu. You think you're soooo silly," he teased, gritting his little hands into the side of the mountain on his climb as if he could drop to all fours and scamper up after her. He just about did, pawing faster to scootch his way the rest up. "Well, you are." He panted, taking another minute or two to reach her point and flopping over the side with his head and arms resting - throbbing - on the edge, using his little feets to nudge himself the rest of the way up. His pan lays out, a weak grasp holding its handle still. "This omelet is going to be - is going to be - is going to be!! So! Crazy good, aaaa."

He'd have to get up to prove it, but he could do that. Soon.

Yu couldn't help but smile sympathetically at the overwhelming amount of information that Briar had to deal with. Honestly, there were times others wondered just how she herself was holding up when she had such an immense responsibility upon her tiny shoulders. Perhaps it was because of the fact she no longer remembered her past before becoming one of the Fae, that Yu's mentality was quite different than that of others. Well in consideration, a fairy already perceived the world in an entirely different manner than the other races of Earthland, but according to some of the Fae Yu was somewhat of an exception even among them.

Indeed, perhaps it was due to the influence of the saintly Raphael that possessed her body, but Yu had a certain maturity and mental fortitude that was unlike that of most children.

"Of course~ Most people tend to just worry about the problems they see before them. After all, why worry about something that doesn't affect you yet, when there are more than enough things at your doorstep that demand your attention." Yu smiled softly as she stated these words. "But in a way I don't mind the responsibility: Even if I have a grudge to settle with the Void, it doesn't change the fact that if my actions help innocent people like you to grow up in a slightly more peaceful environment? Then I think my work was worth the effort I put in it.

Yu couldn't help but snicker softly at Briar's startled reaction when she hopped at him, his attempt to catch her not going unnoticed as she playfully poked out her tongue in a teasing expression. "Hehe~ If having a cute girl like me hop onto you makes you yelp so cutely, then I'd dread to think of the sounds you'd make if it was an imp."

Her wings gently beating as she fluttered back and forth through the air, a sparkle of mischief lingered in her eyes. "Trying to trick a Fairy is an interesting goal to pursue~ I'll look forward to it."

Yet when they were finally at the top of the mountain and Briar was climbing in her trail the girl placed her pan on the cooking station, letting the enchantment fade from it as she hummed softly.

"You can do it Bri-chan~ I can already hear the omelets singing your praises... or are they the chicks that are about to hatch? If so you better finish cooking quickly!"

As she finished chiming her playful remark Yu proceeded to flavor the stick with meat cubes with several spices and herbs, having finished her 'Meat-ka-bob' dish.

"Tada~ Mission complete! Now all that is left is for you to finish as well Bri-chan."

Gently extending the meatkabob stick to the lad she chimed softly. "Want a bite? It might invigorate you to regain enough energy to finish your task~"

"Awh, you're teasin' me, miss Yu," he warbled, his face between a blush and a pout. It didn't last long -- it just wasn't often anyone made him feel this way, and it both lightened his heart and flushed his skin. He felt picked on by a sibling. It brought a smile once the cloud of his embarassment cleared, his tongue cherry red from his lips in a wag. "You know ..."

He had stalled at the top of the cliff, musing over her words and briefly forgetting his exhaustion. He just took the chance to look at her, really listen to what she had to say, and then look up toward the sky. He watched it, a quiet moment, as if the words he said had to be worth disrupting this serenity. "You know, miss Yu, I won't say your work isn't important or 'nythin'. I just think ... uhm, if it's not rude to say ... I think, if you wanna make a more peaceful world," it's what he wanted, too. A softer world. As soft as this moment, forever. So he spoke with his heart when those pretty violet eyes brought themselves over to her again, bashfully squinted with his smile. "It should be one for you, too. You think?"

"'n if you can't go and do that for yourself, I'm happy to help. Maybe imps are a little over me right now ...," his tongue, again, in a nyeh. Ooh, he really would get her someday. "But I'll do what I can to keep the hatches battened down, too. For me, for my friends, for my guild ... and for you, miss Yu. So don't do too much alone. Okay?" His smile grew wider, cheesier, and this was when he made the final hump and splayed him across the dirt with soft wheezes. She was waiting for him; what kind of promise would it be that he just made if he couldn't keep up with this much?

He brought himself to his feet and scampered on after, wobbled but holding his hands in divinely urgent security, and slid it onto the cooking station while his hands wrestled out whatever else he could throw in with the eggs and whichever herbs she offered. It was her next offer, of her meal, that found his attention drawn -- and he accepted it with his lips closing around the end of the kabob, taking it with a quiet pop and a pleased expression. "Tho gooood, mith Yuuu," he mumbled through his closed mouth (manners, of course). He swallowed it down and found that skip to his step, shuffling between like an excitable puppy, and got back into his task.

The eggs were all but done, so the additional spicing and a handful of chopped vegetables from his garden he had been a bit embarrassed to showcase before joined them. She had calmed his nerves considerably and given him another reason to be impassioned for even this slight work. He had to stand a little taller -- almost as tall as her. He tossed everything together, sprinkling some onionseed in with garlic, and had unevenly crispy but inoffensive omelets done within the following minute.

He returned the favor with a fork wrapped in his pack, spearing a slice of the average food - the first he's ever made, at least - and offering it back to her. "'s only fair, you helped as much as I did. Thanks, miss Yu." His heart on his sleeve and his hope in a dish.