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There has been many, many attempts to court The Sage of Truth by determined cookies who want the right to brag. They were always turned down. Sage didn't understand why one would be so desperate to court someone. And he thought that if someone doesn't respond to your courting attempts then you just give up and stop trying. Well now he understood as he watch his Truthless Recluse shut the door in his face. The scholar blinked as he stood there still holding out the hand picked flowers.
He only got the best ones, he didn't trust anyone else to handle them either. They were a mix of blue flowers, yellow flowers, and white flowers. They were his colors! Everyone saw such colors and most definitely thought of him. He thought Truthless Recluse would be delighted to see them but instead he got a grumble and the door slammed. Perhaps his friend was just tired. The Sage knelt down laying the flowers outside of the door, a small spell was put on them to keep them fresh and protected from the weather.
His friend might just be acting “hard to get”. A term he's heard used many times. He must admit the blind cookie was good at acting then. His attempts of courting have been stretching on for at least a couple months by now. Small gifts either bought or made, the most expensive teas, foods picked perfectly for the hermit's diet, personally made clothes, and anything else that the scholar has been told to try! He lifted a clawed hand and smoothed down messed up stands of hair. His monocle fixed as well. “I'll see you at my lecture!” He called out for the other to hear before he floated away following the path made by the cookies he has sent here.
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Truthless Recluse was confused and at this point annoyed. He stood in his small kitchen looking at his cabinets and fridge. Despite his blurry vision, there was a major difference that was noticeable. He had food. Lots of it as well. His hand over his stomach at the reminder of his eating issue. Instead of his usual vanilla tea, this time it was blueberry tea.
It started when he opened his door to find a neatly decorated basket at his door. It had blue bows and white lace around the top. Inside he has found fruit and honey. A small letter attached written in the neat hand writing..
(My dearest Recluse,
I do hope you are doing well. In this basket you will find quite a bit of fruit that I thought you would like. I do wish for a letter back detailing your favorite ones for future reference. I believe you will love the blueberries, I got you the sour ones.
Yours truly,
The Sage of Truth.)
The other proceeded to state the times of his lectures and yap about his day. Truthless Recluse read every single word. He did also like the sour blueberries but he wouldn't admit that. Nor did he send a letter back. Him and the Sage weren't buddies, he just happened to tolerate the other.. a lot. The hermit didn't expect to have flowers directly in his face when he got up to water his lilies. Truthless Recluse sighed as he turned away from his cabinets. His usually empty living room now had in his opinion too much blue. A rug now under his table that he suddenly woke up to a week ago.
Again there was an annoying letter where the Sage apologized for “intruding” in his house. Breaking in seemed like a better description. The healer didn't have enough energy to get rid of it. A painting of a cotton sheep under a tree now above the fireplace. Little trinkets now littered his shelves and the worse one? Well it had to be the small hand crafted plush of the annoying snake himself. It was placed on his table with that sickeningly sweet smile towards him.
It was like the Sage of Truth moved in with him at this point with the almost daily visits. There was a clock above his door, a blue bird came out of it at the exact time that The Sage of Truth would visit. It was a beautiful clock but at this point, he could sense when the other was coming. The old cookie couldn't find any logical reason for all these sudden actions of kindness. He couldn't believe that he was even allowing this.
Two weeks ago he had let the teacher eat breakfast with him! It had been somewhat nice. The healer had cooked their breakfast while the other had made their tea. A few times the Sage had made unnecessary contact, a hug from the back to see the hermit cook better. It had scared him terribly and he ended up hitting the snake and making him leaving immediately after eating. Though the other's touch always left a burning heat in him despite The Sage of Truth being cold to the touch.
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The Sage of Truth was hunched over his desk frustrated as he held his head in his hands. Nothing, absolutely nothing was working! He's embarrassingly started to ask for advice from some of the older women. He couldn't admit to them who he was pursuing. He could only rub the scales on his neck and beg for their help. “Jewelry! A woman loves a good pair of earrings to go with her dress.” The one with fairy wings said as she waved her the spoon in her hand around.
“No, no don't listen to Rose Bud Cookie! Take the lovely lady to a wonderful meal! Trust me, it shows that she's appreciated.” Another one, Cranberry Juice Cookie argued pausing her knitting. The Sage decided to leave after the two old ladies started yelling at each other. Now he was upset, he couldn't figure out what his Recluse would want. It led to his next idea, why not the biggest sign of love?
He would give the other a few of his fallen scales. They were gleaming blue almost like gems. But he needed to show he was serious in courting the hermit. Perhaps jewelry? The Sage of Truth glanced at the book on his desk, a book about rams. He couldn't help but always admire his other half's horns. By the witches, how he wanted to grab those horns and see what Truthless Recluse would do. He shook his head quickly trying to ignore those thoughts.
Maybe a ring? Or perhaps a bracelet. No.. how about a horn decoration! So all cookies could see that Truthless Recluse was being courted. He smiled as he picked up a scale. This would definitely show that he was worthy of the hermit's love.
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Truthless Recluse was tending to the new flowers he got. They were blue, white, and yellow flowers. He had put them in a glass that he had found all the way back in the closet. They were set on his bed side. He didn't expect a spell to be on them when he reluctantly went outside to see if the Sage was still there. The flowers were in beautiful shape, a small smile gracing his face. Until he heard something break downstairs. Did a truth seeker get in?
The hermit grabbed his staff wary as he carefully went down the stairs. He found one of his favorite tea cups broken on the floor. The culprit didn't run instead it waited for the blonde. It was a snake, a white snake with bits of blue. He would humor his usual loud intruder. At least the other can't rant in this form. “Hello little intruder.” Truthless Recluse greeted as he bent down reaching a hand out to the small beast.
The white snake didn't wait for a second as it slithered up his arm wrapping around his forearm. “Aren't you eager.” The healer added holding the snake to his chest. Truthless Recluse couldn't believe that the other was this lonely. He sighed heavily as he walked to his living room sitting in his one cookie chair. The snake slithered up his arm to wrap loosely around his neck like a necklace. Truthless Recluse wouldn't comment of it as he opened a book, it was about herbs. “Read with me.” The snake didn't protest as he started to read.
Somehow thanks to the witches he got through almost the whole book until he was attacked. A bite on his neck from his so called reading partner. “You!” The hermit grabbed the snake holding it's head so it wouldn't bite him again. Truthless Recluse wiped the bite part with a hand finding just a bit of jam. “Come on you scheming devil.” He used his free hand to open his door.
He ignored the small lick underneath his chin from the slithering annoyance. “Come on.” He grumbled as he carefully stepped over lilies into his garden. Truthless Recluse knelt down in the middle of his garden. He gently encouraged the snake to lay down in his lap instead. Which was fortunately easy enough to do. “You bit me.” He pointed out to another path. A hidden path that he used to go down the the town.
He was sure that he would regret showing this to the snake. But he wanted the other to leave. When the little beast didn't move, he used his hand to try and remove the other. It didn't work cause now the bastard wrapped around his wrist smugly. “Out.” Truthless Recluse brought the white snake up to his face to scold it. He was well aware who the snake was but he would pretend for a bit. Before he could demand the thing to leave, it licked the tip of his nose.
“Cute but leave.” The snake pressed his snout to the healer’s lips. This bastard wanted a kiss. Truthless Recluse mumbled a prayer, how far has he fallen to the point where he had to kiss a “snake”. The blind cookie gently planted a kiss to the snout only lasting a second. After that he put the snake down watching it slither into the bushes happily. Truthless Recluse huffed using his staff to stand up walking back into the spire to pick up his broken cup.
The cup was gone, the entire mess was gone besides something else. A small blue box wrapped with a bow laid in it's place. After picking it up he went upstairs to his room. The stairs creaked from old age as a few pictures were on the wall. It was pretty empty in his room. A bed in the middle with the minimum blankets. An old dark vanity in the corner plus a closet near the bedside. The dark paint slowing peeling from the walls.
A painting of stars on the ceiling. But mostly the gifts that from the Sage added color. Truthless Recluse sat on his bed taking off the lid of the odd box. It was beautiful despite who it was from. He picked them up carefully to put them on. They slid onto his ram horns perfectly, he stood in front of his vanity with his staff to his chest.
It seemed like they were blue jewels though it was hard to tell. They were hanging off of silver rings that had flowers engraved into the metal. They rested one each of his horns. What game was The Sage of Truth playing with him?
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Admittedly The Sage of Truth was over the moon. Perhaps biting the other was a bit too much but he couldn't help it when so close to the other. The small kiss from is Recluse was adorable even if the hermit did it just so he would leave. It was the best feeling in the world. He giggled as he looked up from where he had his face buried in his pillow. He stopped kicking feet after a few seconds. He fell asleep feeling wonderful.
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The Sage of Truth almost stopped his entire lecture the next day as he looked at his favorite cookie in the crowd. Cookies stayed out of his other half’s way. A ring of space around the other was unconsciously made, a tiny bit of anger was felt but he ignored it. The sight of his gleaming scales hanging from his Recluse's horns was delightful.
His eyes soft towards the other almost forgetting the other cookies there. It seemed his courting was accepted! He wondered if he could kiss the other in this form. Next time he would be able to hold the other. Does this mean he could start calling the Truthless Recluse his beloved! Oh this was wonderful. He spread his arms out theatrical as he started his lecture up again ignoring how giddy he felt.