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Chapter 4 below cut. Word count: 3,559

Mhok leaned toward the wall-length fish tank, staring at one of a dozen goldfish swimming about. It was shiny and healthy and seemed to know it was being watched. When Mhok held up his hand near the glass, it swam eagerly toward him. He smiled and wiggled his fingers in a wave. The goldfish turned and swam quickly away with a flash of its brilliant tail.

“I’ve been thinking,” Day said from his seat at his computer. He was meant to be doing homework. “If sprites like you are meant to be messing with strings or whatever, isn’t it a problem if you’re not doing it?”

Mhok sighed and sauntered over to Day’s bookcase, about five feet from the computer. They’d known each other for a few weeks. It was bound to happen that Day would ask such a question.

“When two souls connect, it gives energy back to the gods and the earth. But there are, like, several thousand sprites in Thailand alone. One sprite not doing the job isn’t going to get noticed.”

The bookshelf was full to the brim with books, some of which looked very old and very used. Day must have read them before he went blind. Absently, Mhok ran his fingers over the spines as he read a few titles on a different shelf.

He was lying, of course. He knew he was, and yet he’d spent forty years convincing himself that this was the truth – that the Trimurti wouldn’t take notice if he stopped. Or maybe he wanted them to notice. He wanted them to see his act of defiance. Porjai was right. He was acting like a child, wasn’t he?

“You’re lying,” Day said. When Mhok looked back at him, Day was wrinkling his nose in distaste. “Do all sprites change scents like this?”

Mhok lifted his arm to try and smell his own shoulder, then his forearm. He didn’t notice any scent. “No?” He put his arm back down. “You’re the only person to ever tell me I smelled. Why? Do I smell like burnt incense again?”

Day shook his head and pursed his lips a bit. “More like… I’m not sure. It’s kind of… sour. It’s subtle. And it’s ruining the jasmine smell in the room.”

Mhok stepped over and flicked Day in the forehead, causing the other to shout and flinch away. Mhok crossed his arms. “Hey. Are you just letting me hang around to use me as an air freshener or what?”

Rubbing his forehead, Day pouted and grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. But then he sniffed and smirked. “See? That’s better. Now my room smells much more crisp.”

“Oi.” Mhok made a warning clicking noise with his mouth following his complaint, but he found that he wasn’t as annoyed as he probably should be. How could he be truly annoyed when Day looked so damn pleased with himself for the tease?

So instead of continuing the banter, Mhok found himself reaching forward. He caught himself just before he could actually begin touching Day’s hair. For a strong moment, he’d planned to push the other’s hair back from his face, to fix the stray strands. But even if he was nine hundred years old, Mhok knew he had no right to invade someone’s boundaries like that. He may be the senior in the relationship, but he wouldn’t be so rude. Playful flicks were nothing compared to brushing someone’s hair with your hand.

He pulled back and slipped his offending hand in his pocket. In the chair, Day tilted his head slightly, though there was no way he’d noticed Mhok’s movement.

“So about your lie,” Day said, returning to the topic. “Could you get in a lot of trouble?”

Sprites who failed in their duties could absolutely get in trouble. Mhok recalled a sprite some six hundred years ago who had not so much stopped pulling on strings as much as she… pulled on too many. Sprites were meant to feel the hum of the universe and sense where the strings were leading. They followed the path laid out by destiny. This sprite, however, started tying random strings together – just whomever she thought looked best together. It was a different sort of laziness, since it didn’t require her to feel out the true end of the strings.

A lot of messy relationships happened because of her. A lot of negative energy muddled the air in her wake. The Trimurti eventually turned her into a fish and dropped her into a river to live amongst a huge school of others like her. Once in awhile, Mhok caught sight of a shiny tail in a river here or there and he wondered if it was still her, doomed to swim forever with creatures who died even sooner than humans and would never remember her.

Another sprite, about three hundred years ago, stopped pulling strings altogether. Mhok didn’t know the reason, just that he convinced four others to stop as well. People still made connections, but not at the rate they should have. Mhok, Rung, Porjai, and Pae were some of the sprites who pulled double duty, hopping into the energy starved area to search for neglected strings. By the end of that disaster, the four sprites involved had all been turned into lion statues and still guarded a temple to this day.

But it had taken decades, a century really, for those sprites to be stopped. Mhok had only been on strike for forty years. He had time before he faced real danger. That’s what he told himself, at least.

“I’ll be fine,” Mhok said and realized he’d paused for too long, lost in thought. “What are you doing?”

Day frowned, but he saw the diversion for what it was and allowed Mhok to change the subject. “Classwork. I’m writing a paper about the different forms of love in a few pieces of classic literature. Familial love, which we see in many old folk tales and children’s stories with moral lessons, but also in some of the more adult literature. Platonic love between friends that allows groups to go on adventures and defeat great evils together. And of course, romantic love, which is most commonly used as a driving force behind the main character’s actions in classic literature.”

Mhok hummed with interest, though he didn’t like the topic. It reminded him too much of work. “Anything interesting that you’re trying to argue?”

Smiling, Day said, “Actually, it’s been really interesting connecting the dots and showing that there’s a blur between romantic love and what has historically been discussed only as platonic love. A lot of the great heroes can be viewed through a queer lens with very little effort. For example, in the Greek story of Achilles, there are tons of passages where it’s clear that he and his friend Patroclus are more than simple friends. And we have stories like that in Thai classics as well, though sometimes less overt.”

He continued to explain his thesis and its examples, drawing stories in from across the globe, though he always wandered back to Thai stories eventually. It sounded like a graduate level paper, for sure, which was impressive considering Day’s age. But perhaps he had more time for classes than the average student, since he was rich and also blind. If his mother didn’t let him go out to do much, it would certainly lend itself to completing more classes faster.

The energy in the room was palpable, and Mhok took a deep breath of it. It felt like it warmed his very core, infecting him with good vibes.

“Do you like to read?” Day asked eventually.

“Yeah. It’s a great way to pass the time,” Mhok said. He glanced over at Day’s bookshelf again, though he stayed close to Day. “Some of those authors were pretty cool too.”

“You say that like you knew them.” Day rolled his eyes.

With a shrug, Mhok said, “Well I’ve never really known humans before. We weren’t friends or anything, but I did keep an eye on some of them. Some of them had strings that just–” he paused to let out a pleased sigh. “--sang. You couldn’t ignore them. You wanted to stick around and see how that energy played out.” He closed his eyes, remembering one of the biggest bursts of energy he’d ever had a hand in creating. “You wanna talk about great love stories – I’ve seen a couple that would redefine the word for you.”

He opened his eyes, stared at the names on the spines, and debated trying to find their descendants. He wondered how they were doing and if any of that love had trickled down into the kids. It must have. It had to. Right?

After a moment, he realized Day had not responded. Not even with a grunt or a hum. Mhok turned back to the young man and found himself being watched with surprise written all over Day’s face.

“What?” Mhok asked, leaning away.

“Hm? Nothing.” Day shook his head. “I just didn’t expect that kind of speech out of you. You normally talk like love and those strings of fate don’t matter, and then you come out with something like that. I’m just trying to figure out where all that warmth came from.”

Mhok hunched his shoulders and frowned. “Hey, I’m really good at my job, alright? Or… I used to be. When I was doing it.” When he could do it.

“Well if you were so good at it, then maybe you should do it again.” Day turned back to his computer, a sign that he was ending the conversation. “Or at the very least, you could put all that old love knowledge to good use.”

“Oh yeah? How?” Mhok asked, although he was pretty sure he had an idea where Day was going with this.

Day motioned lazily at his screen. “You could help me write this essay. You gotta know more references I could use, or you could help me reword things to make it, you know, sing .”

Snorting, Mhok waved a hand in the air and conjured himself a temporary chair. He scooted up close to Day and was not embarrassed to be invading the young man’s personal space. Day jolted at the proximity before relaxing, but then his brow knit tight. He put his hand out and felt Mhok’s arm, then dropped to find his leg, then he leaned over to feel even lower and felt the chair.

“Mhok, where did you get a chair?”

“Don’t worry. It’ll disappear when I leave,” Mhok assured.

“That wasn’t what I was worried about,” the other said, but sat up straight and did not continue the line of questioning.

Then he returned to the top of his essay and asked Mhok to read over it. As Mhok scanned the lines, he paused here and there to offer a correction or suggestion. Sometimes Day accepted with a little nod, and sometimes he asked follow up questions before allowing Mhok to type in the change. It was faster for Mhok to change it than for Day to use his speech-to-text feature and figure out which parts to erase. They discussed the examples Day had already used in his paper, sometimes getting wildly off topic as they talked about their favorite parts of the stories.

Three hours went in a blur, and the sun’s rays turned burnt orange against the wall, then shadowed into dusk. Mhok had no problem seeing in the dark – he wasn’t human, after all – but he almost offered to turn the lights on for Day. Then he remembered Day didn’t need the light and instead spent his time admiring the way the computer glow made Day’s face stand out in sharp contrast.

“You wanna go somewhere with me tomorrow?” Mhok asked before realizing he’d interrupted Day on a rant about a Japanese author he’d had to read for class.

The human hesitated, then tilted his head toward Mhok. “Come on. I’m sure someone like you has better things to do than lead a blind guy around.” His smile was self-deprecating, and Mhok wanted to rub it off Day’s face.

He shook his head. “No way. I think you’ll find that I have amazing patience.” It came with being eternal and nearly sleepless. Lots of free time.

Day bit his bottom lip, then slowly let it go. Though his eyes were unfocused and he stared blankly off into the room, it was like watching the gears turn in his mind. True to his word, Mhok did not interrupt. He perched on his chair and waited.

Finally, Day nodded slowly.

“Yeah?” Mhok asked, grinning.

Day smiled too, in reaction to Mhok’s smiling voice, and nodded quicker. “Mm. I’m curious where someone like you wants to take me.”

Mhok opened his mouth to teasingly respond, but another voice interrupted and snatched both of their attentions. Day had already been mostly facing the doorway of the room, but Mhok had been turned to face Day and now swiveled around to check who was entering.

“Oh, you’re on the computer,” Night said, sounding strangely relieved.

“Y-yeah,” Day said, then reached forward to find the edge of the screen and click the off button. The room was plunged into darkness. Mhok stood and waved his hand. His chair vanished just as Night flicked on the lights. Then Mhok moved to stand just behind Day, within arms reach but not close enough to bump.

“I heard you talking and thought someone else was in the house,” Night explained. He had a tray of food with him, which he brought over and set on the desk beside Day’s computer. “Working on your essay? Need any help revising or typing?”

Day shook his head, then tilted it back slightly. Mhok watched him take a quick breath through his nose and frown. “No, I’m okay. I had a friend look it over already.”

“Oh cool.” Night placed his hands on his hips and nodded. “It’s good that your classmates are willing to help. Or did you mean Gee? Either way, I’m sure it’s gonna be a great essay.”

“Mm.” Day had managed to stop frowning, but he didn’t look particularly happy either. In fact, he seemed confused, judging by the pull of his brow. “Thanks.”

“Of course. Hey, I’m gonna be downstairs watching a movie. Let me know if you need anything, or come down if you wanna hang out, alright?” Night lightly smacked his brother’s shoulder, waited long enough for Day to grunt in agreement, and then headed back out of the room.

As he got to the door, though, Day called out to stop him and he turned back.

“Ey, Night? Are you sure no one else is in the house?” he asked.

Night smiled. “Come on. I didn’t mean to spook you. It’s just the two of us here. No one’s getting past the gate. Besides, you know Mom would kill me if anyone got in without me noticing.”

“Yeah. Fine, fine. Go watch your movie,” Day said and waved his brother off.

Night shrugged and sauntered out of the room, looking way too well-groomed for a guy who’d been home all day. Honestly, who put that much effort into hanging around the house with their blind brother as the only company? Oh well. Mhok stepped around the chair and turned his attention back to Day and frowned when he saw the look on the other’s face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked. “Why do you look upset? Did you want to go watch the movie?”

Day shook his head and pursed his lips. With his brow drawn down like that, he looked like someone contemplating grim topics, which didn’t line up at all with the previous conversation.

“You were here the whole time my brother was in the room, right?” he asked.

“Yeah. Right behind you. Why?” Mhok knelt down beside Day and put a hand on his knee, wondering how he could erase that look from Day’s face.

“He didn’t notice you at all,” Day said, and his voice sounded a little pinched. “I know you said humans don’t normally pay attention to you, but he was two feet away from you.”

Ah. Mhok shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah. He could have bumped into me, and he probably still wouldn’t have really noticed. But it’s fine. People like me aren’t meant to be noticed by others. Being noticed can do more harm than good.”

“What do you mean?” Day placed his hand over Mhok’s on his knee, effectively keeping him in place. “Are you going to get hurt because I noticed you?”

Shaking his head, Mhok put his other hand over Day’s. “No, no. It’s just that most humans don’t like it when they find out someone near them isn’t human. Sprites die all the time from human interaction. Uh, not because they can’t interact but because the humans kill them, I mean.”

“I won’t,” Day said seriously. He gripped Mhok’s hand tight, and Mhok realized Day was shaking. “I wouldn’t.”

“Hey. Calm down. I know that,” Mhok assured. Although they’d only known each other for a short time, he could sense Day’s sincerity. In a way he couldn’t remember sensing with anyone else. No one but his sister, at least. He released Day’s hand and placed one of his own on Day’s cheek, trying to calm him down. “Why is this upsetting you so much?”

“It’s stupid.” Day bit his lip again. “When I first lost my sight, I felt like I’d lost everything. I didn’t want anyone to see me and pity me, so I hid away in my room. I felt… completely cut off. Completely alone. I know what it’s like to feel invisible because society avoids you when you have a disability like mine. I’ve come to terms with my disability. But you–.” Day gently, gently put his hand over Mhok’s. At least he didn’t seem to be trembling anymore, though his voice still did. “How– How old are you? How long have you been alone that it doesn’t bother you anymore?”

Mhok’s thumb caressed Day’s cheek while he frowned. “I’m–” He glanced down and took a steadying breath. Then he schooled his features and forced himself to smile. “I have someone who notices me, Day. I’ll be okay.”

Although it looked like Day didn’t believe him, the other eventually nodded. They sat like that, with Mhok’s hand on his cheek and Day holding onto him for several long minutes before either felt steady enough to pull away.

“Phi… I’ll notice you. So keep visiting me, okay?” Day asked.

“Sure.” Mhok smiled and pulled his hands back. “I’ll always be around.”

When Mhok stood up, he felt a strange energy in the air. He knew this feeling. It felt… He frowned and held his hand out, palm up. A red string appeared in his hand, tugging and twisting like a skittish rabbit. It was different from Day’s string that attached to his brother. This one was blood red and unblemished, though he could not see the end of it. This was the string that would attach to Day’s soul mate. It tugged and tugged itself in his hands, reaching for someone in the distance.

Mhok turned to look in the direction it reached and found himself looking out the window. If he concentrated just a little bit, he could see where the string led, where the other string was in the world that was reaching back for this one. He closed his eyes reflexively, to start feeling it out. His heart ached in his chest and he dropped the string from his hand.

A cold, terrible feeling spread out from his chest. He shook his head, took a few deep breaths, but the feeling did not leave him. He needed to get out of here. He needed space.

“Ah. I gotta go for the night, though,” Mhok said out loud, hiding his emotions. “I’ll come see you tomorrow afternoon. Okay?”

“Oh. Okay.” Day nodded. “Don’t be late.”

“Mm.”

Then Mhok didn’t bother running from the room or jumping out the window. He simply took a step forward and teleported to an empty beach. There, the cold feeling in his chest felt like it could stretch out, and he sank to his butt in the sand. Hand on his chest, he took deep breath after deep breath.

This was terrible. It was the worst possible outcome.

How was he so upset over the idea of Day having a soulmate? That was the job of a sprite – to connect people. The realization that Day had someone out there should be a blessing. He should be jumping at the chance to help Day find his true love. It should be a celebration for Mhok, the reintroduction of him into doing his goddamn job.

Instead, there was a bitter taste on his tongue and his chest was cold. This was… disappointment. This was jealousy. This was an ache he couldn’t rationalize.

“Shit,” he cursed and pushed his hand into his hair. “How could this happen?”

After everything he went through, after countless years of evidence that it was a bad idea, after losing his only family member – He must have been cursed by the Trimurti. How could he have let himself develop feelings for a human?

Love's Clumsy Guide

Title: Love's Clumsy Guide Fandom: Last Twilight Tags: Supernatural, Mhok is a Cupid, Alternate Universe, Red String of Fate, True Love, Soulmates, Happy Ending, Elements of Buddhism and Hinduism, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Canonical Character Death

Summary: Mhok is a sprite, maneuvering through the populace of Thailand. His duty as a sprite is to help souls find their matches. A sort of true love, soul mate deal. Mhok had no problem with this duty until the day his sister died. Now, coarse and adverse to the idea of true love, Mhok has slackened in his duties. Until a blind young man takes notice of him and reminds him that love is something worth fighting for. But while Mhok’s belief in love might still be salvaged, is it too late to save him from a god’s wrath? AO3 Chapter Link: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tumblr Chapter Link: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter 1 below the cut. Word count: 5,071

The sun was high, but the breeze was cool, brushing through the folds of clothes as it danced among the crowds. Mhok sat on a fence post and watched people passing, smiling at what he saw. Lines twisted from person to person, linking them together like ghostly ribbons, and Mhok could see where each thread led - even if it led miles away. As a woman walked within a breath of his seat, he reached out and touched the threads of fate that trailed off her soul.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the fluttering feeling of every connection and then easily finding the one he was looking for.

“Well, it’s your lucky day,” he mused, twisting his finger and curling a thread around it. It did not impede the woman’s movement, but Mhok hopped up to follow her anyway.

He knew from touching the strand exactly who this strand led to. Her soul’s best match – her soulmate, as some might say – was on the other end. Luckily for her, it was Mhok’s job to bring these two souls closer together. Without sprites like Mhok, these two people may never meet, and the energy of their love would be lost on the world. Bringing soulmates together, whether romantic or platonic, gave a burst of soul energy back to the world, allowing more positive energy to bring peace and goodness to people.

Mhok loved his job because he was a sucker for love himself. Though, being an invisible sprite, he had never known love for himself, he just relished watching the dance people did as they tiptoed closer to true love and happiness. Maybe it was corny, but he was a real romantic.

It was his sister’s fault. She was his twin spirit, the closest to a soulmate someone like him would ever get. She understood him and he understood her, and she taught him how to bring souls together faster and with more sweetness than he had figured out for himself. She had a knack for pulling together souls that seemed like they would never match, but once they did they gave a burst of energy so large that all the spirits felt an energy high for months.

Once Mhok finished getting this woman matched, he would go find his sister to brag. Undoubtedly, she would have gotten two or three pairs together in the time it took him to do one, but that was fine. He liked giving her a chance to show off. She always looked so proud and happy.

The woman was walking up to a temple now, and Mhok trailed behind her, eyes scanning the people around. He could feel her pair was nearby, like a tingling on his skin. After a few moments, the woman knelt to pray, and Mhok felt the thread around his finger go taught.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, quiet so no one would hear him.

He might be hard to detect, but humans weren’t completely dumb. If he was too loud or too obvious, people could still notice him, and that was not recommended. Humanity historically didn’t respond well to supernatural creatures in their midst. If he stayed quiet, he’d remain a flicker on the edge of their peripheral vision, a glimmer of light they quickly dismissed.

Sprites could make themselves visible, of course. Sometimes humans needed a more hands-on approach to get them headed in the right direction. But the sprites and gods Mhok knew always preferred to keep that as a final option, not a first one.

Well, some sprites let themselves be seen for other reasons. Rung, for example, claimed to be in love with a human, and she often let herself be visible to talk to him. He seemed nice enough, and he would die relatively soon – all humans did – so Mhok wasn’t too worried. His sister was smart and wouldn’t reveal her true nature to a human.

The string on Mhok’s hand pulled tight again, drawing Mhok’s eye away from the woman.

A man was entering the temple from another staircase. If Mhok did nothing, his woman would leave the way she’d come and they’d never meet on this day. But Mhok wasn’t going to sit idly by, not when their string of fate was so strong. So when the woman stood up, Mhok let out a slow breath and tugged on the string wrapped around his finger.

The woman gasped as she tripped and stumbled away from her own staircase. At the same time, the man stumbled in her direction. When they had both regained their footing, they glanced up and noticed each other. The woman smiled shyly, and though the man appeared confident, he was embarrassed too.

“Oh, pardon me,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “I’m not usually that clumsy.”

“Me neither,” the man said. “Ah, have you finished your visit?”

And just like that, they struck up a conversation. The string in Mhok’s fingers hummed with delight, and he gently pulled his hand free. Quietly, he slipped away and down the steps.

When strings were so obviously connected, it wasn’t hard to begin an attraction. These two had easily felt drawn together, and the man would end up walking her home. They would soon be together, and that alone would give energy back to the gods and the world. And since they were a romantic pair, when they exchanged a vow of promise to each other, that energy would grow exponentially.

It was the strings Rung toyed with that were impressive. She loved finding those hard to see strings, the ones that even they could barely see but which trembled when you noticed them and grew into the strongest bonds of all when nurtured.

Mhok had chosen an easy couple for the day, so undoubtedly Rung would have a better story.

Outside of the temple, Mhok walked down the river and to a bridge where he always met his sister. They would watch the sunset together and then head home, as they always did. But normally, Rung was already waiting on the bridge. Instead, Mhok was the only sprite visible when he reached the middle. Strange.

He raised his hand, prepared to call on his sister, when a young man crossed in front of him and Mhok had to abruptly stop moving so as not to run into him. Mhok watched the young man walk away, and it even seemed that the young man glanced back at Mhok for a moment. In that brief moment, Mhok’s heart rate sped up with anticipation. The urge to be seen, to be noticed, welled up inside him. Especially by a cutie like that guy. But then the man turned away, a confused expression on his face, and he continued on, unaware of the sprite he’d just nearly run into.

Frowning, Mhok rubbed at his chest. He needed to learn not to get his hopes up like that. He wasn’t human, and most humans didn’t give him a second glance. And if they did, he knew he was supposed to run away. There weren’t many good tales of humans and sprites mingling. Worst case scenario, that cute young man would try to kill him. Best case, he’d ask Mhok for some kind of supernatural favor. There was no friendship to be had with humans.

Laughing softly at his own foolishness, Mhok turned from the sight of the young man, ready to go find his sister, but something else stopped him again. Another person was standing right in front of him, but unlike the young man, they were looking right at him. It was another sprite – Porjai. Mhok had known her for a millenia, and normally he loved to see her. Except they rarely sought each other out while working.

“Porjai?” Mhok asked, confused. He glanced around. The walking path was clear of humans, since most of them had already headed for home. It would be dark soon. Humans didn’t like the dark. “What are you doing here?”

“P’Mhok,” she greeted, voice tight and squeaky.

She never called him P’Mhok. They had long since stopped using polite titles with each other. The title could only mean one thing – that whatever she had come to tell him was serious or hard to say.

Mhok pressed his lips together, glanced around again, and then faced his friend. “Porjai, why are you here? Is Rung with you?”

She was gorgeous in her pale sabai and sinh, her hair pulled back except for the swoop of bangs she let fall loose. Normally she stood tall and graceful and strong, but now she stood in front of him, shoulders hunched, face fighting against tears. She shook her head, opened her mouth to speak, couldn’t find the words, and covered her mouth with a pained sob.

“Porjai!” Mhok snatched up her wrist, not keeping his voice down. “Where is my sister?”

“I’m sorry,” Porjai said, weeping now. “She was– She’s gone.”

Gone? Gone like what? Like how humans are ‘gone’? Gone like dead? But that didn’t make any sense!

“What do you mean? How can she be gone? She’s a sprite. We don’t just– What do you mean? Where is she?” Mhok closed his eyes against the news, tapped into the spirit world and tried to sense his sister’s spirit.

He could always find her when he needed to. He could be at her side in an instant if he could just find her energy. They were connected like humans were, their soul bond clear and strong. So– So why couldn’t he sense her anywhere? His stomach dropped and it felt like someone was crushing his heart.

“Porjai–” His voice broke. His heart broke.

A sprite dying was not unheard of. If they weren’t careful, they could be killed by humans, and if they failed in their duties, they could face punishment from their god. Mhok had noticed several sprites disappear over the countless years of his life, but not his friends. Not his sister.

“No.” He dropped to his knees, his whole soul aching. “How?”

“… Theerapanyakul,” Porjai admitted reluctantly.

Ice filled in Mhok’s veins and he clenched his fists. Theerapanyakul. The human his sister claimed to be in love with. Rung must have done something stupid after all. She must have told her human that she was a sprite. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! How had she misjudged so thoroughly? How could someone be loved by Rung and be so ungrateful? How could love end so terribly in an unnatural death?

Mhok wanted to find the human and kick his ass, to do the same to him that the man did to Rung. Except sprites of the god of love weren’t meant to use violence. Except killing a human was against the rules. Except killing Theerapanyakul wouldn’t bring Rung back.

“Mhok?” Porjai’s sad, thick voice called to him. “Mhok, snap out of it.”

His sister was dead. She wasn’t coming back. He felt a hole opening in his chest, and he couldn’t stop it from growing. He pressed a hand hard against his sternum, trying to fend off the pain and the helplessness. Porjai was kneeling in front of him, grabbing him and shaking him by the shoulders.

He held his hand out and a thread appeared in the air, connected from Mhok’s chest and ending in the empty air. It was the one that used to be connected to his sister. In the air above his hand, he watched it blacken and turn to dust. And it hurt.

“Porjai,” he whispered, feeling broken. She pulled him into her chest and held him tight as he buried his face against her. “What am I gonna do?”

— — —

Forty years to a human is a lifetime. Forty years is enough time for a war to begin and end, for a species to die off, for technology to advance faster and farther than ever before. Forty years was enough time to heal most wounds.

To a god’s sprite, forty years was nothing.

Mhok sat on the wall that outlined a college campus and watched all the young adults coming and going, all on their phones in one way or another, and all of them trailing a few visible strings of fate. He could easily reach out and find one in the air without even leaving his perch. Yet he kept his hands securely in his pockets.

That young man could meet his soulmate in the campus library if Mhok simply tugged on the string to give him the idea of going there.

That professor could meet her new best friend if Mhok expended enough energy to make her spill her morning coffee and caused her to need to stop by the cafe across the street.

He could sense the strings of fate, sense the outcomes of his meddling. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he turned away from the crowds and ignored the call of the strings. He always felt a little colder after ignoring such easy targets, but he’d felt cold for forty years. He hardly noticed anymore.

Behind him, he heard a gasp and then an irritated groan. Glancing back, he saw the professor sighing at the sight of her morning coffee dropped on the concrete in front of her. She checked her watch, glanced up at the school, back down at her watch, then turned and hurried away toward the cafe to grab a quick cup of coffee before work. She would meet the cafe manager, and over time they would become the closest of friends.

The young man also stopped walking, looked curious, and then decided to turn and head for the library to study instead of heading into the food court to hang out with his friends. He’d make eye contact with a young woman through the stacks, and the rest would be beautiful history.

A loud sigh from beside him drew Mhok’s attention away, and he found Porjai sitting on the wall beside him.

“I told you not to follow me,” Mhok grumbled.

“Yeah, but if I did that, all these souls you’re meant to be connecting would go on being disconnected, and then where would the world be?” Porjai swung her legs carelessly. “You’re lucky you’ve even got me to come around once in a while to tidy up your mess.”

“You know I don’t like leading people to love anymore,” Mhok reminded her. After all, what was the point of love if that love could stab you in the back? If that love could leave you feeling hollow and broken?

“And you know that if you don’t lead enough people, Trimurti will not be pleased with you. You don’t get endless chances from a god, not even if you’re that god’s servant.” Porjai shoved gently at his shoulder. “Come on. I’ve lost enough friends in the last few decades. Don’t make me add you to the list just because you want to be stubborn.”

“I’m not stubborn.” Mhok turned to sit cross legged on the wall, only possible because he wasn’t human. “Listen to what you just said. We’ve lost four more of our numbers in the last four decades. And why? Because humans are greedy and selfish, and when they notice they’re being toyed with – even when it's for their own happiness – they lash out and kill love.”

Porjai sighed again and stood up on the wall. “You keep saying that, but I know you don’t believe it. Not deep down. Before Rung – … I never knew a love sprite who loved love more than you.”

“Well that was before,” he grumbled.

“No. One day, that ice in your soul will finally melt, and you’ll remember how warm you used to be.” Porjai crossed her arms. “I just need that to happen before the Trimurti turn you into a fish or a statue or something.”

Rolling his eyes, Mhok turned away from her. “Luckily, I’ve got you connecting souls for me so I go unnoticed. We’re golden.”

His friend hopped off the wall, landing effortlessly on the ground below him. Then she turned and glared up at him. “Don’t be an idiot, Mhok. You’re too old to act this naive. I miss her too, but we can’t give up on the world like that. Rung wouldn’t want us to, and you know it. Now pull your head out of your ass and get to work.” She frowned and then tried to look less annoyed as she softly added, “Tomorrow’s an anniversary. Maybe it can mark your new beginning too.”

Then she turned and walked away, fizzling into the air before he could argue the idea.

Forty years since the death of his sister. Mhok slipped off the wall and landed nearly soundless on the concrete sidewalk below. A nearby student glanced over at the soft sound, but didn’t even hesitate in their gait as they walked on by. Mhok didn’t see any reason why the forty year anniversary had to be any different than the years before. He was still invisible. His sister was still dead. He was still cold. He couldn’t just flip a switch and change these things.

“Trimurti, bless me,” he said, but it sounded more like a swear. “Guess I’ll head back to Bangkok tomorrow. For all the good that’ll do.” Then he started walking, not caring where he ended up.

— — —

Bangkok could change names, but it couldn’t change its soul. It was still a busy city, where people came to visit and experience Thailand. It was a hub. And with all the technological advances and the ever growing population, it was sometimes so crowded and so photogenic that it made staying out of people’s way and unnoticed very difficult.

Mhok had to concentrate to be intangible – it wasn’t his natural state of being – and if he was just walking around, he didn’t want to expend that kind of energy. So he stayed mostly on top of things – buses, fences, the occasional overhang – to stay out of people’s way. When it was less busy, though, he loved to just walk around and feel the ground beneath his feet. Or shoes. Depending on the day.

It was in Bangkok that his sister met her demise. Stabbed by the man she loved and who she thought loved her too. He’d caught her off guard, so she didn’t have time to run. He’d taken advantage of her love.

Mhok came to a stop on his journey just outside of a small temple’s columbarium. Rung was not interred there, of course. Upon death, her spirit faded and became part of the Earth. But this temple was where Mhok and Porjai had used some of their power to make a plaque for her. There was no urn behind her nameplate, but it gave them somewhere to mourn her, to visit her. And the temple was close enough to where she’d met her tragic end. So far, no monk or anyone else had noticed the nameplate that none of them had installed, and Mhok hoped they never would.

Most people who visited their loved ones brought offerings and said prayers or at least spoke to their family. Mhok did none of those things. He knelt before his sister’s plaque and just stared at her name - Rung Pankhamdi. Porjai had chosen the last name. It was a play on a name meaning “petals” or “delicate flower”. She said it fit Rung. She said it fit Mhok too.

He took a seat in front of the empty grave for a while, feeling empty and cold. After an hour, he leaned forward to clean away the grime the last year had brought to the letters. An hour after that felt like no time at all, but he was ready to leave the temple, and the memory of his sister, behind him for another year.

As he stood, someone bumped harshly into him from behind, and he complained on reflex before remembering he was supposed to be quiet around people.

“Excuse me,” the other person said, giving him a wai, and then stumbled on. It was a young man with distant eyes, and he reached out for the wall to steady himself as he moved through the temple. Was he drunk? He didn’t smell of alcohol.

Mhok put his hand on his upper arm, feeling where the other had run into him. It had been a long long time since any human had given a wai in his direction or spoken to him. Mhok blamed that for why he was a little curious about the situation. On light feet, he followed after the other man.

“Oi! Day!” someone shouted behind them. Mhok glanced back, but the young man merely stiffened and picked up his pace. Mhok closed his eyes and let his hand hover in the air. Effortlessly, he found the string that led from the young man to whomever was calling for him.

Ah. A brother. And what a tangled string they had. Mhok could spend the rest of the day untangling it, learning its secrets and possibly mending the bond a little, but he wasn’t quite that invested yet. He was just… a little curious.

The young man – was his name Day? – turned a corner and found himself in a small garden. He didn’t pause at the sight. He didn’t hesitate at all until he found himself accidentally boxed in by a small pagoda of trees and bushes. There were benches hidden inside this alcove of nature, meant to be a relaxing spot to rest during a visit to the temple. Day bumped his shin on one of the benches, then hopped to the side to sit down. From outside of the rest area, he was virtually invisible.

Mhok stepped into the entrance of the sitting area and watched the young man rub and nurse his newly bruised shin. It was vaguely cut and starting to slowly bleed. Nothing too bad, but he might want a bandage.

“It’s creepy to stand and stare at someone,” Day complained. “Sit down or go away.”

Mhok turned around, expecting to see another person nearby, but there was no one. Just Day and himself. Except Mhok should be almost impossible to notice. Day shouldn’t be able to look at him unless Mhok allowed himself to be seen. Only, Mhok realized that Day wasn’t looking at him at all. He was staring off in front of himself, not looking at Mhok, not looking at the leg he was carefully touching to discern the damage.

He was blind.

“Okay, if you keep being a creep, I’ll scream,” Day threatened. His fingers finally brushed his injury and he winced.

Mhok smirked. “No you won’t. You’re trying to stay hidden, aren’t you?”

Day frowned. “How do you know that?”

Shrugging, Mhok stepped into the alcove and stood in front of Day. “You bumped into me while running away. Remember?”

“Oh.” Day took a deep breath and hesitated. His eyes were unfocused, but his brow knit temporarily together in confusion. He took another slow breath, then shook his head minutely. “Okay. Whatever. I said I was sorry, didn’t I? Why did you follow me?”

“I thought you were drunk,” Mhok answered, partially telling the truth.

“Well, I’m not. You can go now.” Day waved him off, irritated but also nervous.

Talking. With another person. A person who wasn’t trying to convince him to forget his sister and move on and grow bonds of love. Mhok felt a tingle in his hands and couldn’t stop the small smile lifting his lips.

“Looks like you hurt yourself. Want a bandage?” he asked. With a flip of his hand, he easily produced one from thin air. Day didn’t even twitch, which was further proof he couldn’t see Mhok at all.

The younger man wrinkled his nose. “You’re a weirdo, you know that? And you smell like– like–”

Mhok crossed his arms, ready to be amused. “Like what?”

“Like old, burnt incense.” Day rubbed at his nose, as if that would rid him of the scent.

Mhok was no longer amused. He should have a pleasant aroma, if anything. He was a sprite of the god of love. Burnt incense? He frowned. Perhaps Porjai was right. He wasn’t doing his duty and it was affecting him. No. Mhok shook himself. This human was just bitter and defensive. There was no way Mhok smelled that strongly of something as unpleasant as something burning.

“Rude.” Sucking his teeth, Mhok leaned forward and set the bandage on Day’s uninjured thigh. “There. A bandage. Patch yourself up and get back to your family before you run into anything else.”

“What? You’re gonna leave a blind guy to put on his own bandage?” Day griped.

His attitude did not move Mhok to help. In fact, it made Mhok take a step back. That and the idea that maybe Day really could smell him, and that maybe Mhok really did smell like something burning. But no. No, he only backed away because he didn’t like Day’s attitude.

“You’re a big boy. You can figure it out yourself.” He was far enough back that he could see straight out the entryway and down the path they’d come. Another attractive young man was at the corner of the wall, looking around for someone. “Better hurry. I think your brother is about to find you.”

On the bench, Day ducked his head but then quickly grabbed the bandage to tear it open. It took him a moment, but he found the spot to peel it, and then he exposed one side of the adhesive. Haltingly, he felt his leg for the wound again, and winced again when he found it. Then he brought the bandage slowly toward the wound, clearly unsure if he was going to miss entirely despite his efforts.

His brother was getting closer, though he was mostly scanning the exposed areas of the garden and temple.

Day bumped the bandage against his leg, realized it was nowhere near its target, groaned and pulled it off. He was determined and trying, but he once again got the bandage stuck before it ever got close to the wound. He growled softly, frustrated, and Mhok couldn’t watch him struggle anymore.

Carefully, Mhok knelt in front of Day and stopped his hand with the bandage. At first, Day startled, but then he easily released his hold on the bandage as Mhok tugged it free. Mhok placed his hand on Day’s shin to let Day know what he was doing, and then he easily affixed the bandage over the scrape. When he was done, he looked up into Day’s face and thought he saw the other barely breathing. For a human, he was kind of cute. Kind of handsome, actually.

“Thanks,” Day said, voice quiet.

“You’re welcome.” Mhok replied, just as quiet. He stood up, watched Day swallow, and then took a step back into the far corner of the covering.

At that exact moment, the brother stepped into the entrance. “There you are!” he exclaimed. “Mom is losing her mind. Come on. You shouldn’t run off like that.”

“I’m not five,” Day said, his sour attitude returning in full force. “I don’t need a babysitter, and I should be allowed to visit a temple without someone holding my hand and watching my every move.”

The brother let out a long suffering sigh. “We just didn’t want you tripping down the stairs. Day, please. You know you need help, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

The tension between the brothers was thick. Mhok opened his palm and summoned their string to his palm. The knots were frayed, like old shoelaces that had been tied and untied and picked at for years. If Mhok loosened even one of them, the situation might resolve peacefully… even if it didn’t fix their relationship. He looked between the two brothers, who were glaring and holding their bodies so rigid and tight.

Almost without thinking, Mhok ran two fingers over one of the knots. The fraying mended and the knot loosened. Color pulsed over the dull string, like blood returning to a vein. It was not a perfect fix, but then Mhok wasn’t looking for perfection. He just wanted to diffuse this one situation.

Both Day and the brother relaxed their shoulders, though Mhok doubted either of them really noticed. The brother sighed again, but this time it was tired sounding.

“Please just come back with me so we can try to end today on a happy note. Okay?” he asked, voice much gentler than before..

On the bench, Day ran his fingers over the edges of the bandage on his shin. After a long moment, he finally nodded and stood from the bench. His brother was over in an instant, trying to help guide Day from the area. As they stepped out into the light, Day paused and looked vaguely over his shoulder.

“Thank you, khun,” he said, and Mhok startled a little.

“Who are you talking to?” his brother asked, also glancing back into the sitting area. Unlike Day, he took no notice of Mhok in the corner.

“There was a man,” Day said, though now his brow knit in confusion again. He frowned. “Isn’t he still in there?”

His brother shook his head. “No. There’s no one else here.”

The brother let Day ponder for only a second more before ushering him away and back to their mother. In the shade of the trees, Mhok sat down on a bench and watched them leave. For the first time in forever, someone had talked to him. Sure the conversation had been mostly rude or sassy, but somehow it still felt monumental. More than that, Day had turned back to thank him again. He hadn’t forgotten Mhok existed as soon as their conversation was over.

Was it because he was blind and he had noticed Mhok by smell and not by sight? Most people’s minds were easily distracted by light and sound, and they quickly forgot if they saw something supernatural. They explained away whatever they saw or heard. But Day had not. Not yet, anyway. It had to be because of his eyes. He had noticed Mhok even when Mhok was trying to go unnoticed.

The sprite smiled. Well, then. That chance encounter had turned out to be the most interesting human interaction Mhok had experienced in over forty years. How was he meant to ignore that?

#mhokday #morkday #last twilight #last twilight the series #mhokday fanfic #morkday fanfic #last twilight fanfic

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dlanadhz · 1 month

Text

Chapter 3 below cut. Word count: 4,124

Time was a force that moved forward with no input from anyone. Time was also a man made construction - the idea that you were missing out on things because of wasted time or wasting your life in jobs you didn’t like. Normally, time was just one of the factors involved in pulling strings for a sprite – often easily forgettable. Time did not affect sprites the way it affected humans, so it wasn’t uncommon for Mhok to go twenty years without truly taking note of the time.

Somehow, the week he spent purposely avoiding Day’s house felt like it took a full year of his time.

Groaning, Mhok laid back on the sand and stared up at the blue sky. As he’d said to Porjai, the beach was nothing too special to someone who had seen it a million times, but he did understand that beaches were still beautiful, and it was true that the sky felt endless as it stretched to the horizon line.

He wondered if Day had ever seen the beach or a sky this blue.. before his accident.

A face bent over him on the sand and he squinted up at it. It was Pae, another sprite Mhok saw regularly. Or, at least as regularly as a sprite could tell. They saw each other roughly every ten or twenty years. But since his sister’s death, Mhok had seen Pae about six times – seven including this one. He wanted to be annoyed that everyone was keeping such close tabs on him, but he also understood the worry. Plus he secretly liked it.

“Oi,” Mhok grunted and waved a hand between them to brush his friend aside. “You’re blocking the sun.”

“What? You want a tan all of a sudden?” Pae asked, raising an eyebrow even as he pulled back.

With a sigh, Mhok sat up and started brushing the sand from his arms. “What are you doing here, Pae?”

“Nothin, man. Just wanted to check up on you. Haven’t seen you in a bit, and wasn’t last week the anniversary?” Pae first crossed his ankles, then stepped a little wide, trying to find a position that looked and felt casual. He wasn’t fooling Mhok.

“Yeah. And I’m good. Thanks.” Mhok crossed his legs and leaned forward on them. The waves were gentle and the water was dark. Thankfully, there weren’t many humans on this part of the beach. “It’s been forty years. Still hurts like a bitch. But yeah. I’m okay.”

Pae hummed like maybe he believed Mhok, or maybe he understood him. But it was impossible for Pae to understand. Very few sprites had siblings, so there were very few who could really understand how it felt to have a spiritual string like that ripped away. It had felt like emptiness, and it had only gotten worse with time. The pain had come a full day after her death – like maybe her essence had still been in the air somewhere, and his soul had taken time to realize she was truly gone.

“Man, Porjai told me you’re still wandering without doing much. You think that’s a good idea?” Pae stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked out at the water like Mhok. “You’re supposed to be helping out in Bangkok, right? Have you tried pulling a few friends together? Those are easier than lovers.”

“Did she put you up to this?” Mhok asked, turning to face his friend. “I just pulled a string the other day.”

“Was it a good one?” Pae asked, and his face opened up with a curious grin, like he was excited more for the story than for the fact that Mhok had done his job. He crouched down by Mhok. “Friends? Lovers?”

“Brothers,” Mhok admitted.

“Oh, I love the sibling ones.” Pae crossed his arms over his knees to keep himself up. “Got any good story to go with that string?��

Sighing but smiling, Mhok shifted to completely face Pae. “Alright. So these brothers fell out when an accident involving both of them left the younger brother blinded.” Pae gasped appropriately. “The younger swore he’d never forgive his brother, but I could see the older brother really felt guilty and cared about his brother. So I coaxed their frayed soul string into loosening up so the channels of communication and healing could be free and clear.”

“Phi, you have a gift,” Pae said with an admiring sigh. “You and Rung? Savants. Truly.”

Mhok rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

But Pae shook his head and pursed his lips. “I’m serious, man. The two of you were cut from a different fabric than the rest of us. You coaxed a knotted up string into relaxing? Man, that would take me weeks to untangle. And I’d probably have to get personally involved.”

Briefly covering his mouth, Mhok tried not to show how pleased the comment made him. Being compared to Rung was such a compliment, because she’d truly been one of the best. Mhok was nowhere near her level. Oh, but that made him doubt. He pressed his lips together and then licked them nervously.

“You think I should check in on them? You know, to make sure it worked?” Mhok asked.

Pae scoffed and waved him off. “Nah. I’m sure you nailed it perfectly. But if you’re worried, you could always do a fly by. I bet they’re best of friends again thanks to you.”

“Thanks,” Mhok said, accepting the praise with only half of his attention.

Yeah, he should check if his meddling had really paid off or if Day’s stubborn personality had tangled the string again. It was Mhok’s duty to follow up, right? Well, he hadn’t done this in forty years, he could blame that if he got teased. He’d just pretend to be a dumb perfectionist if Porjai caught him.

— — —

The house was the same as his last few visits. Quiet and boring. Sterile colors, minimalist decorations. Mhok hopped up onto the wall. One visible car. Not the mother’s. He dropped down into the yard and glanced around for a gardener or Night, anyone who might be around to take notice of him if he knocked something over or, you know, broke in. Not that he planned to literally break anything.

He got closer to the windows, searching for either brother inside. Movement on the ground floor caught his eye. It was Night. Inside looked like a kitchen, and Night maneuvered around it, searching the cabinets. Glancing at the sky, Mhok realized it was nearing evening. Night was likely about to start dinner.

If Night was home, then Day was likely home too, since his mother didn’t like him going out alone. Mhok looked to the upstairs, to where he’d most often seen Day during his stalking– ahem– observations. The balcony near Day’s room was empty, and Mhok jumped smoothly from the ground to the second floor. He grabbed the balcony railing and swung himself up onto the deck.

He was about to walk around the large balcony, searching the inside for Day, but at that moment the wide balcony doors opened. Immediately, Mhok jumped to the roof where the eave jutted out over the doors.

Day shuffled outside below him and over to the railing, his expression bored, perhaps disappointed. He was so comfortable walking out there that it was clear he had mapped the way out in his mind from years of practice. At the railing, he leaned forward and took a slow, deep breath in through his nose. Mhok could only see his profile, but Day let out his breath and definitely smiled.

Something about the outdoors seemed to have cleared up whatever was souring Day’s mood. Mhok wanted to ask what it was, but that would give away that he was there.

“Ah,” Day said quietly. “I knew it.” Then he shifted around and leaned his back on the railing. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, letting the sun shine on his face as he took another deep breath.

His whole long neck was on display, and for some reason it made Mhok’s mouth dry. Okay, so Mhok wasn’t stupid and he clearly wasn’t born yesterday, so he knew the reason. Except sprites rarely got personal with humans, so being attracted to them was usually a passing fancy. Mhok felt more interested in Day than any passing fancy he’d had in the past. He had found people attractive before, but nothing that made him this distracted. Nothing that made him disregard his many years of experience and act foolishly before.

Mhok was down off the roof almost without consciously choosing to move. He slowly moved closer to Day, closer to the smooth skin stretched out for him to see. He couldn’t touch it, not without Day feeling it, but he wanted to be up close with Day’s face at least.

When Mhok was within a few feet, Day took another deep breath through his nose and lifted his head back up. Mhok froze. Day’s eyes were open, and he was looking directly at Mhok. Except he was blind, so he couldn’t be. Neither of them moved, just staring into each other’s eyes and breathing and waiting.

Waiting. Waiting for one of them to make the first move.

Day opened his mouth as if to speak, but a voice from behind Mhok startled them both. Day stood up straight from the balcony and Mhok jolted back a step. Two steps. Four, five steps away. His heart pounded heavily in his chest.

“Day,” Night called again from inside before finally stepping into the doorway. “Ah, of course. I should have known you’d be out here.”

Unlike previous times Mhok had seen them, Day’s face did not fall into a blank lockdown in the presence of his brother. He did seem disappointed though, with a slight frown and a sinking of his shoulders.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just that you’ve been out here a lot lately.” Night came closer and stopped right about where Mhok had been, a smile tugging on his lips. “Didn’t know my brother was so infatuated with the sunset.”

“Shut up. Who’s infatuated?” Day grumbled, looking away. “Why were you looking for me, asshole?”

Despite the rudeness of the question, Night looked ridiculously pleased. He was grinning wider than Mhok had ever seen. “Dinner’s about ready. You should wash up and come downstairs before it has time to cool.”

“Alright, alright. I’m coming. Just give me a minute,” Day said, waving his brother away.

“Nah, if I leave you here, you’ll forget to come down. I’m not leaving without you. Come on.” Night gently grabbed Day by the wrist and tugged.

Day stumbled a step, resisted, stumbled a step, then finally moved with his brother. “Ah,” he gasped and glanced around with something like nervousness. “I’ll– I’ll come back out tomorrow. Earlier,” he said.

Night rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You could come back out later if you really like it that much.”

“But I can’t see in the dark,” Day argued as they got close to the door.

“You can’t see in the light either,” Night pointed out.

“But–”

And then they were inside, and their argument was lost. Mhok was left on the edge of the balcony alone, watching their departure through the glass wall of windows. He let out a heavy breath.

The string of fate had not become tangled again. The brothers were friendly and teasing with each other. It was a good thing. Mhok had done his job and done it well, as expected of someone his age. He could move on to someone else. He should.

Mhok frowned and stepped up on the balcony’s railing. He would be sad to never see this house and its gardens again. They were… pretty. And kind. He rubbed at his mouth to remove the hard frown on it. He was being silly. There were plenty of pretty… gardens.

Letting out a deep sigh, Mhok stepped off the railing. A second later, his foot connected with earth, and he was not in Day’s home garden. He was at the temple where his sister’s name plate rested. In the evening light, there weren’t many people around. It was just the monks doing their cleaning and final duties.

Mhok knelt before Rung’s name and sighed again.

“Somehow I feel like you’d really understand what’s happening with me,” he murmured. “And that’s pretty fucking scary.”

Interest in a human had gotten his sister killed. She’d gotten too close, had revealed herself, and been betrayed. Her love had ended her life. Love could not be trusted. Mhok knew that, and yet he ached at the thought of never checking in on Day again. He wished his sister was alive even if it meant she’d tease him relentlessly for his feelings. He’d done the same to her when she’d revealed her own feelings. It was only fair.

“It’s too fast, right?” Mhok asked, hand coming up to cover his mouth. He thought back to how he and Day had looked right at each other, even though he knew Day couldn’t see. It had felt electric. “Maybe I’m too old. How fast is too fast? Maybe this is slow.”

He took a deep breath and dropped to sit on his butt. The sky was darkening, the clouds painted in deep purples and oranges. Damn. A good sunset never failed to take his breath away.

Mhok’s brow knit together. Hadn’t he said something similar recently? Last week, he’d told Day that the sunset was his favorite time to go wandering, hadn’t he? He thought back to Day on the balcony, to Night saying Day kept going out at sunset. Day, too, had said he would be back on the balcony the next night at sunset – well, a little earlier.

The air left Mhok’s lungs all at once. Was Day going onto the balcony to see if Mhok was wandering around? But that made no sense, because someone wandering around wouldn’t notice Day on the balcony. Unless… unless Day thought the person wandering had access to the balcony.

Somehow, did he… Did he know? Did he suspect?

Excitement mixed with anxiety in his chest. His sister had died when her human love had discovered what she was. Would Day be the same? If Mhok went back tomorrow to check on him, would Day be there to hurt him or–? Or was he just waiting to see Mhok? Was he feeling drawn to Mhok the way Mhok was drawn to him?

“This is a bad idea,” Mhok said aloud. He turned his head to look at his sister’s name. “You should probably talk me out of this. You’re not doing a very good job as the older sibling, you know.”

She didn’t answer, of course, but he still felt like she was somehow smirking at him.

— — —

The next afternoon, Mhok sat atop the balcony, waiting. Like an idiot. He had been there all afternoon. In meandering boredom, he’d taken to hand pruning some of the plants on the balcony. A pot of sunflowers had been in need of help as some weeds had started growing around the base. Now the plant stood tall and unhindered.

As the time dragged on, Mhok took up his spot on the eave, laying back and enjoying the sun. Since he couldn’t get a sunburn, he had no concern about laying there all day. He was, however, starting to wonder if he could be doing something more useful.

Like what, though? It wasn’t as if Mhok was going around pulling on strings like he used to. He’d be doing this same thing on a different roof if he left. Might as well hang out at Day’s house.

Around five in the afternoon, the doors below Mhok opened and Day stepped out onto the balcony. As he had the day before, he walked to the railing and looked out over the yard. He took a deep breath through his nose at the same time Mhok dropped down to the balcony several feet behind him.

Day’s lips tugged up and he looked, dare Mhok say it, excited.

“Phi,” Day said. He turned slowly, until he was facing back toward the house.

Mhok, this time, was off to the side so Day’s stare was not on him. He couldn’t see Mhok at all. Last time had just been a fluke. He hadn’t meant to look so intensely at Mhok, and he likely didn’t expect to see Mhok today either. It had been a coincidence.

Mhok wrinkled his nose and looked away from Day, trying to remind himself that it was pointless to feel let down.

“P’Mhok?” Day said a little louder.

Mhok’s gaze snapped back to Day, his eyes wide. His heart beat rapidly, and he found himself speechless. It had not been a coincidence after all.

“You’re here, right?” Day asked. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Mhok didn’t dare to breathe at all. Without opening his eyes, Day said, “I can smell you, you know? You can’t hide from me.”

Mhok couldn’t help it. He made a discontented sound in the back of his throat, insulted by the suggestion that he smelled so strongly and so distinctly that Day could fucking smell him from a good dozen feet away. The sound was enough confirmation for Day, who grinned and opened his eyes.

“I knew it,” he said, a little awe in his voice.

The lack of disgust or hatred or fear gave Mhok a small amount of courage, and he stepped closer.

“What do you mean you knew it?” Mhok asked. How had he been discovered so quickly? He’d never been found out in nine hundred years.

The sound of Mhok’s voice seemed to make Day smile even wider and he let out a breathy laugh. “Damn. I mean–” He took a deep breath and gripped the railing of the balcony tighter. His face never calmed. He looked a little manic. “You’re like– What are you exactly? A Himmapan creature? Are you a– a Thep Puksee? An Upsorn Sriha? Except my brother saw you and he definitely would have mentioned animal parts, right? Or can you make those disappear?”

With a snort, Mhok shook his head. “Calm down, Nong. I’m not a Himmapan creature.”

Day’s wild grin faltered and his brow knit slightly, but he was not otherwise disuaded. “Okay, then what? A ghost? A Kuman Thong free to wander the city? A lost spirit who couldn’t cross over? Ah, except you had a bandage the day we met. Ghosts wouldn’t have bandages, right? And people can see you. Sometimes. If Night came out right now, would he be able to see you?”

Mhok moved forward and put a hand on Day’s shoulder to stop his rambling, and it shocked the smile right off Day’s face. He briefly glanced down at the hand and then up to about where he expected Mhok’s face would be.

“Breathe, Day. I’m no ghost either.” He smiled, Day’s excitement infecting him.

“Then what are you? I’ve been doing research ever since our last meeting and I have no idea.” Day raised a hand, like he might put it on Mhok’s arm, but then he hesitated and replaced it on the railing.

Now was the moment of truth. Not in nine hundred years had Mhok ever had this conversation. He could still back out, turn around and disappear. He could rethink this. Except he’d been debating with himself for hours and he was still there on the balcony with Day. He’d made his decision.

“I’m a sprite of the Trimurti.”

Day frowned as he considered this, but didn’t look upset. Instead, he looked like a student who had stumbled upon a thesis they had not examined before. “So… what does that mean? What do you do?”

“Have you heard of the Roman god Cupid? Or the Greek god Eros?” Mhok asked. Day nodded and hummed. “I’m something like that. I help lead people to others through the strings of fate that bind them.”

The first look of distaste crossed Day’s face, and Mhok grew worried. He pulled his hand back, and Day’s frown grew worse.

“Hang on. Does that mean you’ve been around me because you’re trying to make me fall in love with someone?” he asked, and the idea seemed to really put him off.

“No, no. I don’t do that anymore,” Mhok assured, a self-deprecating smile adorning his face and a slightly sour scoff escaping him. “I haven’t pulled on any romantic strings in a long time.”

The confusion on Day’s face only grew worse. “But you said–”

“You and I bumped into each other by chance, N’Day,” Mhok said, cutting him off so he didn’t have a chance to ask Mhok why he no longer did his damn job. “No one was supposed to know I was at the temple. Or anywhere, really. That’s kinda our thing as sprites. Humans don’t tend to notice us.”

Day reached out and found Mhok’s arm. He gripped it firmly and pulled so that Mhok had to raise his arm. Then Day’s other hand came up and held Mhok’s hand between them. The blind man’s face was turned down, his kind eyes distant and sad. “Then I’m glad I bumped into you that day. Literally,” he said. “That sounds incredibly lonely.”

It was. But it was his life. It was how it had always been and how it would always be for sprites. However, there wasn’t enough time in Day’s short life to truly make him understand all the ins and outs of what Mhok was, so Mhok just hummed slightly in agreement and let it rest. Day’s hand felt nice wrapped around his, and that took up enough of his thoughts anyway.

He slowly shifted his hand, checking Day’s face for a reaction as he moved to align their hands. Day’s long fingers were almost a match for Mhok’s, which were slightly longer than a human’s had any right to be. Mhok’s skin was also noticeably paler, since he couldn’t tan and was literally ethereal. But Day’s palm was soft against his – soft and warm – and it made Mhok feel a little unsteady. In a good way. And that barely made sense to him.

“So…,” Mhok began and then cleared his throat. He pulled his hand away. “How did you figure it out?”

Day smirked. “Easy. I can smell your burnt stench from a mile away.”

“Liar,” Mhok said and gently shoved on Day’s shoulder, causing the other to laugh.

“Okay, you caught me. But it really is the smell,” Day admitted. “Sometimes you smell like burnt incense, like a temple but slightly unpleasant and rough. Angry. When I left home to meet Master Aon the other day, I could smell it when I stepped onto the street. But I thought I was imagining it.”

“Damn. I thought I was being sneaky too,” Mhok said, amused.

Day’s proud grin was so stinkin’ cute. “You can’t escape my nose, Phi.” Then he scrunched his nose up and it was so much cuter.

“You look pretty pleased for a guy who managed to sniff out the smell of burnt incense. A lot of people recognize bad smells,” Mhok said, playfully trying to knock Day down a peg.

“Well I should at least get points for noticing you when you smell like jasmine,” Day argued.

The smile fell from Mhok’s face. “Jasmine?” he asked, a little spooked.

“Mm. Why? Did you not know about that one either?” Day asked.

Mhok looked down at his hands as if he could see the flowers there, like a scented tattoo or literal petals growing from his skin. His hands were bare and he clenched them tight. Closing his eyes, he took a steady breath. It was a beautiful and bittersweet coincidence that he would give off such a scent.

“Is something wrong?” Day asked after Mhok failed to return his banter.

“No. No… It’s just that… Jasmine was my sister’s favorite flower,” Mhok said, voice barely above a murmur.

Smile going soft, Day crossed his arms gently and said, “Oh really? Mine too.”

In the beginning glow of the sunset, Day looked more like an ethereal being than Mhok. He was warm and bright and welcoming. There was no suggestion of distrust or ill intent. He had noticed someone following him, figured out they weren’t human, and he had invited them to come back with no sign of fear. The knot in Mhok’s chest that had existed for forty years felt like it loosened just a bit in the face of such open acceptance.

Maybe this wasn’t such a terrible idea after all.

Love's Clumsy Guide

Tumblr Chapter Link: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter 1 below the cut. Word count: 5,071

He closed his eyes, enjoying the fluttering feeling of every connection and then easily finding the one he was looking for.

“Well, it’s your lucky day,” he mused, twisting his finger and curling a thread around it. It did not impede the woman’s movement, but Mhok hopped up to follow her anyway.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, quiet so no one would hear him.

The string on Mhok’s hand pulled tight again, drawing Mhok’s eye away from the woman.

“Oh, pardon me,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “I’m not usually that clumsy.”

“Me neither,” the man said. “Ah, have you finished your visit?”

And just like that, they struck up a conversation. The string in Mhok’s fingers hummed with delight, and he gently pulled his hand free. Quietly, he slipped away and down the steps.

Mhok had chosen an easy couple for the day, so undoubtedly Rung would have a better story.

“P’Mhok,” she greeted, voice tight and squeaky.

Mhok pressed his lips together, glanced around again, and then faced his friend. “Porjai, why are you here? Is Rung with you?”

“Porjai!” Mhok snatched up her wrist, not keeping his voice down. “Where is my sister?”

“I’m sorry,” Porjai said, weeping now. “She was– She’s gone.”

Gone? Gone like what? Like how humans are ‘gone’? Gone like dead? But that didn’t make any sense!

“Porjai–” His voice broke. His heart broke.

“No.” He dropped to his knees, his whole soul aching. “How?”

“… Theerapanyakul,” Porjai admitted reluctantly.

“Mhok?” Porjai’s sad, thick voice called to him. “Mhok, snap out of it.”

“Porjai,” he whispered, feeling broken. She pulled him into her chest and held him tight as he buried his face against her. “What am I gonna do?”

— — —

To a god’s sprite, forty years was nothing.

That young man could meet his soulmate in the campus library if Mhok simply tugged on the string to give him the idea of going there.

That professor could meet her new best friend if Mhok expended enough energy to make her spill her morning coffee and caused her to need to stop by the cafe across the street.

A loud sigh from beside him drew Mhok’s attention away, and he found Porjai sitting on the wall beside him.

“I told you not to follow me,” Mhok grumbled.

“Well that was before,” he grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Mhok turned away from her. “Luckily, I’ve got you connecting souls for me so I go unnoticed. We’re golden.”

Then she turned and walked away, fizzling into the air before he could argue the idea.

— — —

As he stood, someone bumped harshly into him from behind, and he complained on reflex before remembering he was supposed to be quiet around people.

“It’s creepy to stand and stare at someone,” Day complained. “Sit down or go away.”

He was blind.

“Okay, if you keep being a creep, I’ll scream,” Day threatened. His fingers finally brushed his injury and he winced.

Mhok smirked. “No you won’t. You’re trying to stay hidden, aren’t you?”

Day frowned. “How do you know that?”

Shrugging, Mhok stepped into the alcove and stood in front of Day. “You bumped into me while running away. Remember?”

“I thought you were drunk,” Mhok answered, partially telling the truth.

“Well, I’m not. You can go now.” Day waved him off, irritated but also nervous.

The younger man wrinkled his nose. “You’re a weirdo, you know that? And you smell like– like–”

Mhok crossed his arms, ready to be amused. “Like what?”

“Like old, burnt incense.” Day rubbed at his nose, as if that would rid him of the scent.

“What? You’re gonna leave a blind guy to put on his own bandage?” Day griped.

His brother was getting closer, though he was mostly scanning the exposed areas of the garden and temple.

“Thanks,” Day said, voice quiet.

“You’re welcome.” Mhok replied, just as quiet. He stood up, watched Day swallow, and then took a step back into the far corner of the covering.

At that exact moment, the brother stepped into the entrance. “There you are!” he exclaimed. “Mom is losing her mind. Come on. You shouldn’t run off like that.”

The brother let out a long suffering sigh. “We just didn’t want you tripping down the stairs. Day, please. You know you need help, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

Both Day and the brother relaxed their shoulders, though Mhok doubted either of them really noticed. The brother sighed again, but this time it was tired sounding.

“Please just come back with me so we can try to end today on a happy note. Okay?” he asked, voice much gentler than before..

“Thank you, khun,” he said, and Mhok startled a little.

“Who are you talking to?” his brother asked, also glancing back into the sitting area. Unlike Day, he took no notice of Mhok in the corner.

“There was a man,” Day said, though now his brow knit in confusion again. He frowned. “Isn’t he still in there?”

His brother shook his head. “No. There’s no one else here.”

The sprite smiled. Well, then. That chance encounter had turned out to be the most interesting human interaction Mhok had experienced in over forty years. How was he meant to ignore that?

#mhokday #Consider liking; sharing; or leaving a comment here or on AO3 #morkday #last twilight

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dlanadhz · 1 month

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Chapter 2 below cut. Word count: 7,144

Porjai found him on the roof of a two story house, one leg thrown over the edge, his body leaning back to enjoy the sunlight. What she didn’t know, and never needed to know, was that he’d been on that roof for three hours. Because if she knew, she’d ask a lot of stupid questions that he really didn’t want to answer.

“Oi. I didn’t expect to find you still in Bangkok,” she said in lieu of a greeting. “What are you doing?”

“Vacation,” Mhok lied. “Haven’t you heard of one?”

“Yeah. By the ocean or in a mountain villa. Not the middle of the rich residential area of Bangkok on some random person’s roof.”

Rolling his eyes, Mhok looked away from her, trying to appear innocent. “I’m at least nine hundred years old, Porjai. The ocean? A mountain? We’ve seen those. Don’t judge where I relax.”

She hummed, acquiescing, but Mhok didn’t let up on his lie. He knew her too well to think she’d just drop it. He kept his gaze averted, watching some birds hop along the nearby wall before they took off into the trees. About the time they vanished into the foliage, Porjai let out a pleased and knowing sound, which was never in his favor.

“What?” he asked, turning back to her.

She was looking at the house across the street, her lips curled up in a smug and devious smirk. “Oh. This family has a lot of attractive men in it,” she commented and gave him a knowing glance.

Mhok turned to look too and spotted Day on his balcony, his brother hovering behind him. The sound of their light bickering was starting to get loud enough to notice all the way across the street. Even upset, both young men were attractive. They had the same dark, satiny hair, the same long nose, the same pouty lips. The same sad eyes. There was no doubting they were siblings. The older brother had a look about him, something more mature, perhaps nurturing. The younger brother shone with the glamor of rich, young adulthood, with his athletic physique and healthy, glowing skin, and none of the wisdom that came with age.

Sometimes Mhok thought it was a wonder that all the sprites didn’t look like wrinkled elderly citizens, since they often lived for a thousand years before returning to their god to rest, and they saw and learned so much. Not that Mhok was complaining. He knew he was hot by human standards, and he didn’t really want to give that up. He was just… philosophizing.

Anyway, Day and his brother argued a little before the older brother sighed visibly and sauntered back into the house. Day turned back to the balcony and leaned on it, staring out at the world he couldn’t even see. Mhok wondered why he still looked, why he scanned his eyes back and forth before settling, as if it made any difference.

If Mhok jumped up on that balcony beside him, would he even notice? Did the racing in Mhok’s chest mean he wanted Day to notice?

“Oh, I see,” Porjai said with a hum. “A vacation. I get it.”

“Shut up,” Mhok grunted, his face heating up now that she’d caught him staring. “It’s not like that.”

“You’re right,” she agreed, crossing her arms. “It’s way crazier than some human crush. It’s been over forty years since you showed interest in any human at all, and you think I’m not gonna notice you hovering?”

“Oi, I’m not interested,” Mhok argued and resisted the urge to cross his arms. “I just ran into these two at the temple, and the younger brother is blind, and he noticed me even when I didn’t say anything and I’m–”

“Interested,” Porjai finished for him when he hesitated. “What you’re describing is interest. Which is a good thing, by the way.” She waited until his eyes were solely focused on her before she continued. “Mhok, you’ve been shirking your duties for forty years. Even with my help, the Trimurti are going to start noticing. So if you want my advice, I say you go over to that young man and start tugging on some strings. Got it?”

Stubbornness made him want to argue, to deny, to refuse. But then he remembered Porjai’s warning from the other day, that the Trimurti may one day decide to turn him into a creature or a statue in punishment for his lack of work. She was right that Rung would be so disappointed in him. So even though he was in no way “warm” again, and even though he really would rather do anything else, he nodded.

“Fine.” He conceded. “If I promise to go check out his strings and maybe tug on fate a bit, will you get off my back?”

“That’s literally all I’ve been asking you to do for the last two decades. So yeah.” Porjai put her hands on her hips, and she looked good in those jeans, even while mad.

He assured her twice more that he’d make an attempt to inspire Day toward strengthening one of his soul bonds, and it still took her another ten minutes to leave. By the time she finally excused herself and disappeared into the sunbeams streaming through the trees, Day was no longer visible on the balcony.

Cursing softly, Mhok hopped down from his perch and wandered closer to the house. It was impossible to see most of the house from street level, so he quickly jumped up onto the wall for a better view. The older brother was visible through the lower floor windows, getting a snack from the fridge. And Day…

With a soft click, a side door to the house swung open. Day slipped out into the yard and slowly, carefully shut the door behind himself. Mhok didn’t hear the latch click shut, but the door was securely shut when Day released it again. Oh ho, was he sneaking out?

The blind brother stepped down into the house’s garden with only a slight hesitation. He put a hand out in front of him as he walked through the yard, along the smooth walking stone path, and finally to the front gate. Mhok tracked his movement all the way until Day was nearly beneath him at the gate.

The gate swung open soundlessly and then latched softly behind Day. On the front step, Day finally pulled out a walking stick and tapped it on the ground to set his grip on it. Mhok leaned over the edge of the wall, perched like a thief, and watched the way he moved. For a moment, Day hesitated, his brow knitting slightly. He took a deep breath through his nose, glanced around slightly, then let out all the air in him in a large sigh.

When he started to walk, Mhok let out his own breath that he hadn’t noticed himself holding. Day had taken note of him at the temple even though most humans wouldn’t have been able to. If Mhok was going to be allowed to observe Day on his trip, he needed to stay unnoticed. Staying properly invisible would also help if Mhok decided any of Day’s strings were worth meddling with.

Quietly, Mhok dropped to the street and followed Day around. A street over from his house, Day pulled out his phone and expertly dialed up a friend. This “Master Aon” was supposedly waiting to meet at a nearby cafe.

Wanting to understand more, Mhok kept quiet and carefully stepped over trip hazards and other things that might cause him to make more noise. Normally he didn’t care if he kicked a few pebbles or scared a stray cat, but it could make a whole world of difference when trying to follow someone. Especially someone who paid more attention to their hearing than most people.

They came upon a cafe with several outdoor seats. As Mhok scanned the tables, he wondered which person was Master Aon. Most tables were taken up by couples or groups. As Day approached, a woman at a corner table smiled and waved before she got up and walked over.

“Day, we’re over here,” she said and brought his hand to her arm so she could lead him over.

There was another man at the table, and though he perked up at their approach, he did not look at Day. Ah. Another blind man. Day was led to the table and sat down across from Master Aon. The older blind man excitedly reached out and gave some kind of secret handshake to Day, and they both laughed in the aftermath. But as they both settled back into their seats, Master Aon’s face fell slightly into a frown.

He turned his face slightly and took a sniff, then said, “Ay. Do either of you smell smoke?”

The woman frowned and sniffed too, but across from them Day did not frown or try to find the scent. In fact, he kind of smirked, like somehow he’d won a kind of joke. Remembering what Day had said in the garden, Mhok grabbed his shirt and lifted it to his nose. He took a quick inhale and pouted when he found that even he could detect a faint smokey smell.

Damn. Why did he smell like smoke? Sprites normally had very pleasant scents. It helped ease people’s moods. Mhok would need to talk to Porjai about it later. For now, he just took an extra step back.

The woman shrugged and pat Aon on the shoulder. “It’s probably nothing. I can barely tell.”

Aon accepted this and started talking to Day about what was new in his life. From context clues, Mhok learned that the woman was Aon’s new wife, and her name was Pla. They were very affectionate, with Pla placing a hand on Aon often – but this must be common for them since Aon couldn’t see the fond way she smiled at him. Every time she touched him, he smiled a little brighter. Their love was clear, and for a sprite like Mhok it was nearly palpable. In fact…

Mhok closed his eyes and lifted his hand toward the couple. Their string was there, hovering just out of the physical world. He could sense it, how strong and vibrant it was. For a moment, his fingers itched to take hold of that string, to caress it and make it even stronger.

With a sharp intake of breath, Mhok pulled his hand back, his fingers twitching. He opened his eyes and pressed his hand to his chest, feeling the sudden and intense ache within. The idea of touching the string was so tantalizing and yet it hurt too. The strings reminded him of Rung, of the pain her loss caused him.

“Day?” Pla asked.

In front of her, Day’s expression was unfocused, his head tilted slightly in Mhok’s direction. Shit. Had he heard? How loud had Mhok been to be noticed from several feet away? But then Day shook his head and smiled.

“It’s nothing. I thought I heard a dog,” he said.

The couple nodded in acceptance of his answer. Then Aon said, “Speaking of dogs – have you found yourself a guide dog or a caretaker? I know you want to feel independent, but a caretaker can be really awesome. You get the right one, and it’s like a best friend. Or in my case, they become your spouse.” He laughed at his own words and reached over to shake Pla’s shoulder playfully.

She pushed him back, but not as hard. “Oh you. I was never your caretaker. You managed very well on your own.”

“See, Phi? I don’t need one. I can manage too,” Day said. “I even came all the way to meet you without any help.”

Master Aon hummed and then pursed his lips in thought. A moment later he gave a small smile. “So are you still sneaking out to see me, then?”

With a slight groan, Day leaned back in his chair. “You know my mother hates letting me leave the house alone. And before you say it, no I will not bring Night,” Day said sourly.

Aon hummed. “Your brother always seems very concerned about you. I wonder if that’s fueled by love or guilt.”

“Probably guilt. But I won’t forgive him.” Day pouted. What a little kid. Humans were so stubborn and fickle sometimes.

Aon and Pla seemed to agree, based on their disappointed expressions, but neither said anything to argue the point. Then Pla turned the discussion over to her own family. Her mother was coming to visit, and would Day like to meet her sometime? The group quickly returned to topics that made them smile and laugh, and Mhok found himself smiling too.

Such a simple, pointless human discussion. Such simple, pointless drama. Mhok leaned on a lamp post and envied them. In the blink of an eye, their lives would end, and none of these conversations would ultimately matter. Sometimes Mhok longed to be so finite. So simple.

Humans lived less than a hundred years, on average, and their bonds could sustain the life of the gods, of the Earth. Friendships, romantic ties, familial love - all of these gave off energy. For a sprite like Mhok, he could strengthen these bonds, but his own bonds with the other sprites did not generate energy. And when he finally returned to the gods at the end of his days, he would return only the energy it had taken to create him. Humans were so simple, yet so blessed and so lucky.

Eventually, Day and the couple decided to go their separate ways. As Aon and Day clasped hands to say goodbye, Mhok noticed the pale string of fate that wrapped around their arms and hands, binding them together in friendship. The string faded away as Aon leaned back and found his wife’s arm for guidance, but it was still there, generating beautiful energy.

Though his eyes lingered on the retreating couple, Mhok turned to follow Day back the way they’d come. Despite his blindness, Day maneuvered quite well down the sidewalks. He did hesitate a lot, but he only tripped once, and mostly he came across as very capable with his walking cane.

About two blocks from his house, Day came to a stop just after he finished crossing an intersection. From down the street, a voice had clearly called out his name, and Day’s entire face and body went limp with disappointment.

Brother, Mhok guessed and looked toward the sound of the voice. Sure enough, Night was hurrying in their direction.

“Day, where have you been?” he asked, panting. “Mom was looking for you, and I had to tell her you were waiting by the gate for me to take you out to lunch so she wouldn’t freak out.”

Day snorted. “Lunch? With you?” he asked. “And I don’t care if Mom gets mad. I can handle it myself. I don’t need you lying for me.”

For the first time Mhok had witnessed, Night’s face grew red and his shoulders tensed. He frowned hard, brow knit, and Mhok’s own eyebrows went up in anticipation of the coming blow up. Finally Night threw his arms out in frustration.

“Why are you like this?!” he shouted. “I’m just trying to help you! Do you think this is easy for me?!”

“You’re trying to help yourself!” Day shouted back, swinging out one hand. If Night had been closer, the swing would have shoved him away. Then his voice dropped low. “You love that I’m blind because it makes you the perfect golden child, and you hate that you have to look out for me all the time. Admit it.”

“You’re being ridiculous. Now come home with me before we both get in trouble.” Night reached out and stepped forward, grabbing for Day’s hand.

The moment he made contact, Day jolted back from him. “I don’t need your help,” he spat. Then he quickly walked away from his brother, and away from his house.

He didn’t seem to be thinking about where he was going. The cane in his hand never touched the ground, never swung back and forth. It was like Day forgot he was holding it and just wanted to walk as quickly as he could away. His brother shouted after him, but a passing car slowed his attempt to follow. Mhok was under no such limitations and quickly trailed Day.

Cars honked as they tried to pass Day, and the blind man jumped back before clumsily changing directions, only for it to happen again. Within seconds it was clear that Day had lost his way and had no idea where to walk to escape from the street. In fact, he was moving more and more into the path of traffic.

“Day!” Night shouted in alarm, but couldn’t catch up as more cars blocked his way.

A truck skimmed past Day, barely missing him and laying on its horn. In alarm, Day’s hands flew up to cover his ears and he dropped his cane.

A motorcycle beeped as it sped down the street. Day’s eyes were wide and unseeing.

Just before the motorcycle could make contact, Mhok snatched Day by the shoulders and ripped him out of the way. He tugged so hard that they stumbled three feet over and onto the sidewalk. Mhok watched the bike as it continued into the distance, never slowing down, and he glared at the inhumanity of the interaction.

“Phi?” Day asked, voice weak.

Which was how Mhok realized he was standing in the middle of the sidewalk by a busy intersection, holding a cowering Day in his arms. Shit. People were looking. No amount of supernatural perception magic could keep Mhok from being noticed in such an open space after such a loud and obvious incident.

“Phi?” Day asked again, now unsure and starting to pull away.

“It’s me,” Mhok said and immediately wondered if Day would remember the random man he met in the garden a few days prior. It wasn’t uncommon for humans to forget a sprite even after just a day.

Brow knitting as he pulled to an arm’s length away, Day took a moment to think. Mhok kept his hands on Day’s shoulders. Then Day frowned. “Khun,” he said. “You still smell like smoke.”

Being recognized brought a smile to Mhok’s face so easily, and he let out a soft chuckle. “Sorry, Nong.” He let Day steady himself and then dropped his hands from Day’s shoulders. “Where are you running away to today?”

It looked like Day wanted to give a sassy response, but just as he opened his mouth, Night’s voice broke into the conversation. The older brother ran up to their side, panting. “Oh shit. Are you alright, Day?”

“Fine,” Day said shortly, all signs of teasing leaving his face.

Night put a hand on Mhok’s arm, and the physical contact still surprised the sprite. “Thank you, Khun. You saved my brother. How can I thank you?”

“You don’t have to,” Mhok assured. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

Night started to stumble into insisting on thanking him, but Day spoke over him. “I know how to thank you,” he said. Both Mhok and Night looked at him curiously, and Day reached out to grab onto Mhok’s elbow. “I’ll treat you to food. Just the two of us.”

Now it was more than just Mhok being surprised. Night’s eyes went wide and he waved his hand to cut off the idea. “No way. I can’t let you just walk off with a stranger,” he said.

Day stepped closer to Mhok and leaned in slightly. “Hey, Khun. What’s your name?”

Being nine hundred years old meant that Mhok had a pretty damn good idea where this conversation was heading. He smirked in amusement without hearing the ending. The smart thing to do would be to decline the request and leave so he could fade into the background again. The smart thing to do was to remove the warm hand from his elbow and politely excuse himself and try to never interact with them again.

“Mhok,” he said. “And you’re Day, right?” At the suspicious look from Night, Mhok added, “You were screaming it all over the street.” And Night looked properly satisfied and a little embarrassed.

“P’Mhok,” Day repeated. Then he turned toward his brother… vaguely. “See?” he said, some of his sass seeping in. “We’re not strangers now. So you can go. You told mom I was getting lunch, and now I am. I’ll find my way home soon.”

Night still looked uncomfortable, like he really wanted to say something. As amusing as petty human disagreements could be, Mhok wasn’t really interested in hearing one while he was stuck in the middle of it. So he held up his hand to catch Night’s attention and tried to look trustworthy.

“I can make sure he gets home after,” he promised.

The fact that he hadn’t cared to look trustworthy in forty years was not in his favor. He was dressed for comfort, not style, so he wore ripped jeans, a loose graphic tee, an overshirt with the buttons undone, sneakers, and of course several accessories. He could easily change into something more professional in the blink of an eye, but that would obviously give himself away.

On the other hand, Mhok didn’t even know why he wanted to look trustworthy. He didn’t know why he’d promised to bring Day home either. More than that, why had he jumped to pull Day out of traffic? The vehicles could pass easily through Mhok if he wanted them to, and humans got hit by cars every day. One more person ending up in the hospital or dying from an accident shouldn’t have mattered. But somehow, being in the midst of the moment, Mhok had felt full of adrenaline and then– then Day was in his arms.

Looking at Day now, Mhok still felt some adrenaline. There was something about this human who could tell when Mhok was around even when Mhok didn’t speak.

“Fine,” Night reluctantly agreed. “But I’m not going home either. I’m going to grab food too. Text me when you’re heading home so we can show up at the same time or Mom’s gonna know we lied.”

“Fine,” Day said, mimicking his brother.

Then he tugged on Mhok’s arm and started walking down the sidewalk. They were thirty or forty feet away when Mhok glanced over his shoulder and saw that Night was tailing them. That was smart, since they didn’t know Mhok apart from any other random stranger. Probably best not to mention the tail to Day, though.

“So where are we heading, Nong?” Mhok asked.

“I dunno. I can’t see anything, and I don’t know where I ended up. If you see a place you like, we’ll eat there. I don’t care.” Day held firm to Mhok’s elbow as he walked, and Mhok got the feeling he wasn’t super used to following someone in a busy area. Suddenly, Day stopped walking and gasped. “My cane!”

Smirking, Mhok reached into his overshirt as if it had some inside pocket. With a wiggle of his fingers, he pulled not on a string of fate but on a string of placement – similar to how he teleported himself around. When he pulled his hand back out, he held Day’s cane, all folded up. Gentle but proud, he took up Day’s free hand and pressed the cane into it.

“You should keep better tabs on your stuff,” he teased. “Bad eyesight is one thing, but butterfingers too?”

“Shut up,” Day said, but he was grinning as he unfolded the cane and ran his fingers along it, testing if it was truly his and checking for damage. When he was satisfied with his inspection, he said, “Thanks, P’Mhok.”

“Mm.”

Then, using his cane as much as Mhok’s arm, Day continued their walk. In truth, Mhok didn’t need to eat and therefore was not hungry. Sprites never ate on a normal basis. The only time Mhok had eaten in the past was if he was trying a more hands on approach for getting people together and he needed to eat to not seem abnormal. But Day had asked to treat him to lunch and used him to escape Night, so it seemed Mhok would have to eat again.

Not caring what he ate, Mhok pointed out a chicken restaurant they were passing and led Day inside. It was quaint and homey, with large doors that let in the natural light, rows of wooden tables, and several people inside that all seemed to know the owner or workers personally.

Within a minute of them taking a seat, a teenager zipped by to give them menus. Mhok glanced over it and saw multiple ways to eat chicken and rice. Not a bad choice for a restaurant, actually. He hummed appreciatively.

“You sound satisfied already,” Day said, leaning back in his chair. “Is the menu enough for you to feel full?”

Yes, but he didn’t say as much.

Mhok shook his head as he let out an amused huff of air. “That mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble,” he warned.

“This mouth wishes it got into more trouble,” Day retorted confidently.

Innuendo? Accident? Mhok wasn’t sure, but it was funny all the same. He smiled and covered his mouth, trying not to let Day know he was being laughed at. Across the table, Day’s face fell from triumph to horror and he waved his hands frantically.

“No. No, I didn’t mean it like that,” he said. “I’m a virgin. No! I mean, yes, but I didn’t mean to say that either. What I meant was that I wish people would fight me sometimes.”

Raising one eyebrow and still amused, Mhok leaned his elbows on the table. “Come again?”

Day’s cheeks became a little pink and he frowned, falling back in his chair until he was sufficiently slumped. “I went blind four years ago,” he said. “And ever since then, everyone walks on damn eggshells around me. Even when I’m petulant or rude, they just let me get away with it. I just wish I got a different reaction. My life is so freaking boring now.”

“No worries there. I won’t feel bad about being rude right back at you, Nong,” Mhok said.

Day’s lips pursed and then he frowned. “Hey, what’s with the Nong? How do you know? Maybe I’m older.”

At that, Mhok couldn’t help but snort. “No way. I’m definitely older.” By several hundred years.

“Like how much older? You don’t sound any older than my brother at the most.” Day folded his hands on the table, smiling.

“A little older,” Mhok replied. “But age is just a number, right?”

Day snorted. “That’s what old people say.” His grin was teasing, a smirk. “I bet you’re the oldest sibling, right? And your brothers and sisters make you feel old.”

“Actually, I’m the younger sibling. My sister was older than me,” Mhok said. Only by a few seconds, but he still held it over her.

“Was?” Day asked, one eyebrow going up curiously.

“Mm.” Mhok leaned back. “She died a couple of years ago.”

Both of Day’s eyebrows went up, shocked, and his lips parted. “I’m sorry, Phi. I didn’t know.”

Doing his best to seem unaffected, Mhok shook his head and cleared his throat. “It’s fine. It’s been a long time. But it does mean that I kind of know what it’s like to be frustrated with a sibling.”

Now Day rolled his eyes. “Come on. Don’t harp on that. You’re the younger sibling. You’re supposed to be on my side.” and he gently kicked out with his foot until he hit Mhok.

Mhok laughed. “Ai, Nong. I am on your side,” he said and gently kicked back.

They sat smiling at each other, at their silliness, for a long moment.

“Hey, Phi. It was a pretty big coincidence running into you today. Are you stalking me?” Day asked, but it was clear from his tone that he was teasing.

“What? Of course not,” the sprite lied. “I just happened to be passing by. I like wandering around.”

“Don’t you have a job?” Day asked. “My mom works all day and even Night is normally gone at work.”

“My job allows for a lot of time to wander.” Mhok shrugged.

Day nodded like this made total sense. Which of course it didn’t. What kind of job let someone wander the city all the time? But Day accepted it anyway. Then he tilted his head to the side and asked, “When do you like to wander the most?”

Oh. Good question. Mhok leaned forward on the table and considered it. His whole life was wandering, but when was his favorite time? The crisp early morning hours? The busy day and afternoon? The peaceful night?

“Evening,” he said. “The sunset is kind of pretty. Never really gets old. Gets me every time.”

“Oooh.” Day smiled. “Someone sounds like a romantic.”

Mhok smiled and shook his head. “Don’t think anyone’s called me that in a while.”

He used to be called that all the time – by Porjai, by Rung, by anyone he knew – but since he lost Rung? … Yet he still remembered that he loved the beauty of a sunset, of the peace and calm that came with the darkening sky and all the burning colors. It was easy to get people to fall in love with a good sunset as a background.

For a second, Day opened his mouth to speak, but then he hesitated. He took a deep breath and tilted his head slightly to the right as he sat back up in his chair. “Phi, are there flowers nearby?”

Mhok glanced around the restaurant, at the uncle cooking chicken, at the teen trying to sneakily remove his apron and escape work, to the empty tables and the decorations. Then he glanced outside at the street and the pedestrians and the trees a dozen yards away.

“No.” He turned back to Day. “Not real ones anyway.”

“Oh.” The younger man seemed surprised and disappointed at the same time, slumping again. “I thought I smelled jasmine.”

Interesting. It wasn’t like jasmine grew everywhere. Of all the flowers to imagine smelling– Mhok shrugged. “You like jasmine?”

Crossing his arms, Day said, “Yeah it’s nice, I guess.”

Mhok could tell it was a defensive response meant to seem less invested. He couldn’t stop smiling at the cute petulance of it. Really, Day was pretty cute in general. His hair was soft and fluffy. The way he pouted was adorable. His eyes were kind, even when he was being sassy or mad. And when he smiled–

Mhok almost magiced a jasmine flower to his hand to hold up for Day to smell, except he’d just told Day that no jasmine was around. That would be hard to explain.

“Are you staring at me?” Day asked after a long pause.

Leaning forward a little, Mhok said, “Should I be looking at someone else?”

Day shifted nervously and then motioned toward the table. He cleared his throat. “Have you figured out what you want to eat?”

“Oh, I’m not hungry.” Mhok answered honestly. “I just came so I could talk to you.”

Day slowly bit his lip and took a deep breath through his nose. When he released his lip and breath, he turned his face away, but it didn’t hide how flustered he was. Damn. Was Mhok really flirting this hard with a human? Worse, was he actually enjoying it this much?

“I’m–,” Day began and then paused. He ducked his head and scratched his head. “I’m not that interesting.”

“Oh, I think you’re the most interesting person I’ve met in a very long time,” Mhok argued and adored the blush it brought up in Day’s cheeks.

Over nine hundred years. So very close to a millennium. Mhok had met plenty of interesting humans in his time, so many prominent and obscure people of Thailand - far back before it was Thailand, when it was still Siam, even further, when it was still the Kingdom of Ayutthaya. But in all that time, with all of those people, he had been an observer. Even when he chose to interact with people, it had been brief and simply to encourage the connection from one human to another. A shoulder bump to slow someone down and make them face a different direction. A convenient stranger stopping the train from leaving. A friendly question that got the human thinking about the person Mhok wanted them to find.

Never before had Mhok sat down to have a full conversation with no ulterior motive. Yet here he was, talking to Day and flirting with Day, and he hadn’t even lifted one of Day’s strings.

What was he doing?

“I have to go.” Mhok pushed himself back from the table and stood abruptly.

Day looked up, startled. “What? Why? I mean, so suddenly?”

“I forgot I have somewhere to be,” Mhok lied, stepping to the side and pushing in his chair.

People were looking at him. The teenager trying to sneak out had been caught and was being scolded, but even that had paused as both the owner and the teen stopped to see what the sudden movement was. Some of the patrons had also slowed their eating to glance up at Mhok when he scraped his chair back. They were all looking at him, and their stares prickled his skin.

“I have to go,” he said again and took a step away, toward the exit.

“Wait!” Day rose too, though he didn’t move after, unsure where to go. It didn’t matter. His call had the desired effect. Mhok stopped walking. “You can’t go.”

“Why not?” If Mhok wanted to leave, he could easily keep walking. He could walk out the door, turn the corner, and disappear, and no one would remember to be curious about it. Yet he stayed.

Day stood by the table, his kind eyes staring blindly forward and his expression anxious. “You told Night you’d take me home,” he reminded.

Ah. So he had. Mhok frowned. He wasn’t human. He wasn’t bound by his word in the same way. He’d only been trying to help Day get away so that he too could escape the fight between brothers. And because he’d wanted to keep talking to Day, to be talked to by Day and have his attention.

But now all the attention made him nervous. Mhok clenched his hands, torn between two options. The easiest would be to leave Day here and never talk to him again. So why did that seem like such a hard choice to make?

“Fine. Let’s go,” he said and walked back to the table to offer his arm.

Day smiled with relief and it was annoyingly beautiful. He slid his hand onto Mhok’s arm and they walked out of the restaurant, away from all the curious stares. Back on the street, there were more people, but none of them were paying attention to Mhok so it felt easier to breathe. They walked in silence for a few blocks while Mhok’s nerves calmed down. Eventually he could focus once again on the feeling of the sun on his skin, of the sounds of the city around him, and on the sensation of Day’s fingers wrapped around his arm.

Mhok glanced around as they came to the crosswalk where Night had found Day before. The brother was now… Mhok closed his eyes as they waited for the traffic to let up. Ah. Night was only twenty feet away. A good, protective older brother.

Mhok lifted his hand in reflex and instinctively plucked the string between the brothers out of the air. He’d promised Porjai that he’d check out Day’s strings, and this one was the easiest to find – all knotted and tight. There was so much warmth trapped by the knots, so much unexpressed feeling. Mhok wiggled his fingers, like a pianist composing in the air. Several of the knots relaxed, though the fix was still far from perfect. Mhok had diffused an argument in the garden, but this would allow them to communicate at the very least.

That was his job. Tug on the strings. Make suggestions. Point them in the right direction. Leave them to figure things out on their own.

Beside him, Day sighed. “Do you think I was too harsh on my brother before?”

Already, his meddling had an effect. Mhok shrugged noncommittally. “I don’t know the history between you two. But as a third party observer, I can tell you that he looked terrified earlier when you were dodging cars. I think he just wants to protect you.”

Instead of arguing, Day pursed his lips and took a long moment to consider Mhok’s words. At the same time, Mhok led Day off the sidewalk and into the street. They crossed and continued down the way toward Day’s house, until the foot traffic grew scarce. Mhok snuck glances back at Night every so often, and the brother kept up a consistent distance. It was kind of impressive. How often did he shadow Day like that to be so good at it?

Once, they made eye contact, and Mhok nodded to him. Night hesitated but then nodded back, and it felt like they had a strange understanding – this human who was so protective of his brother and a sprite who knew what it was to love a sibling beyond words.

At the edge of the wall that surrounded Day’s house, Mhok brought them to a stop.

“We’re here, Nong,” he announced. He tried to step away from Day, but the other did not release him.

Day’s brow knit and his fingers curled and loosened on Mhok’s arm. Curiosity still bested Mhok, and he wondered what exactly was causing such a confused look on the younger man’s face. He wanted to rub the crease out of Day’s forehead and tell him to relax, but logic kept him still. After a tense minute, Mhok glanced back at Night and then up at the house, and a sudden realization crept into his mind.

Day had not told him how to get here. Nerves built in his stomach, waiting to be called out on his blunder. He had been too comfortable and gotten clumsy. He deserved the distrust and the anger that was sure to come.

Finally, Day said, “About my brother,” which wasn’t what Mhok expected at all, so it took him a moment to follow the new conversation. “I feel like you might be right. The accident… it was– It was both of our faults.”

“You mean–?” Mhok prompted, adding hope to his tone. He had expected such an outcome, though he hadn’t expected to be told about it. Most humans just thought quietly to themselves and then followed the path Mhok set out for them.

Day nodded. “Mm. I’ll try to forgive him for his part. He’s my brother, and I do kind of miss the way we fought before. You know, the way brothers do.”

Mhok hummed in understanding, though he’d never had a brother. He still remembered the way Rung would tease and mock him, with love in her heart and her voice, even as she hit him where it hurt. Yeah. Siblings were like that. Even supernatural ones. Maybe even more so if they were supernatural.

“Good luck,” Mhok said. He put his hand over Day’s on his arm and gently pulled the other man off. “This is where I leave.”

Like at the restaurant, Day’s expression sprang open, like a child being left behind. His fingers twitched in the air, but he did not reach out. “Will I see you again?” he asked.

Unable to help himself, Mhok smirked and said, “Well I doubt you’ll ever see me .”

Rolling his eyes, Day shoved against Mhok’s chest. “Tsk. Asshole. You knew what I meant.”

A little chuckle came out of Mhok, but then he sobered and let out a little sigh. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Probably not.” It wasn’t good for a sprite to be seen too often by the same person.

Day’s expression fell a bit – a little sad, a little lost – and Mhok couldn’t help but admit there was a similar feeling in his own chest. There was something special about Day. But no. There wasn’t. Day was just like any other human, and Mhok had to get out of his life as soon as possible.

“Well,” Day managed to say. “If you’re ever around again… you know where to find me.”

“Sure.” But they shouldn’t meet again. “Goodbye, N’Day.”

“Goodbye, P’Mhok.”

Day said it like he knew, like he really understood that Mhok would not come find him again. For some reason, that goodbye pulled on Mhok more than any goodbye Mhok had experienced in the last hundred years – excluding his sister, who he hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to in person.

Backing up a step, Mhok took a deep breath. He glanced over to where Night was approaching, and then he turned and strode quickly in the opposite direction. As soon as he was able, he turned a corner and concentrated to make himself disappear from human perception. He took another deep breath and, with an easy hop, leapt to the top of the house he was beside. It was child’s play to make his way back to the brothers and perch himself much as he had that morning, watching from across the street.

By that point, Night had caught up to Day and they were walking slowly toward the front entrance.

“Hey, where’d that guy go?” Night asked.

“He left.” Day frowned and tapped his cane on the ground.

“He was weird, right?” Night asked, opening the gate and standing back.

Day hummed. He spoke quietly as he stepped through the gate. “He smelled like jasmine.”

“What?” Night asked, completely confused, but then the gate swung shut behind him and the sound was blocked.

Up on the roof, Mhok pursed his lip curiously. Had he heard right? Jasmine? Day had described him as burning incense earlier. He couldn’t smell like smoke in the morning and flowers an hour later. One of them had to be a lie.

Mhok shook his head. No. It didn’t matter. He’d done his job. He’d opened the way for the brothers to repair their bond. Porjai could leave him alone, and he could get back to minding his own business. So with a slightly heavy heart, Mhok turned from the house and jumped down to the street. He walked away, ignoring the way he felt pulled back the other direction.

Link to Chapter 3

Love's Clumsy Guide

Tumblr Chapter Link: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter 1 below the cut. Word count: 5,071

He closed his eyes, enjoying the fluttering feeling of every connection and then easily finding the one he was looking for.

“Well, it’s your lucky day,” he mused, twisting his finger and curling a thread around it. It did not impede the woman’s movement, but Mhok hopped up to follow her anyway.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, quiet so no one would hear him.

The string on Mhok’s hand pulled tight again, drawing Mhok’s eye away from the woman.

“Oh, pardon me,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “I’m not usually that clumsy.”

“Me neither,” the man said. “Ah, have you finished your visit?”

And just like that, they struck up a conversation. The string in Mhok’s fingers hummed with delight, and he gently pulled his hand free. Quietly, he slipped away and down the steps.

Mhok had chosen an easy couple for the day, so undoubtedly Rung would have a better story.

“P’Mhok,” she greeted, voice tight and squeaky.

Mhok pressed his lips together, glanced around again, and then faced his friend. “Porjai, why are you here? Is Rung with you?”

“Porjai!” Mhok snatched up her wrist, not keeping his voice down. “Where is my sister?”

“I’m sorry,” Porjai said, weeping now. “She was– She’s gone.”

Gone? Gone like what? Like how humans are ‘gone’? Gone like dead? But that didn’t make any sense!

“Porjai–” His voice broke. His heart broke.

“No.” He dropped to his knees, his whole soul aching. “How?”

“… Theerapanyakul,” Porjai admitted reluctantly.

“Mhok?” Porjai’s sad, thick voice called to him. “Mhok, snap out of it.”

“Porjai,” he whispered, feeling broken. She pulled him into her chest and held him tight as he buried his face against her. “What am I gonna do?”

— — —

To a god’s sprite, forty years was nothing.

That young man could meet his soulmate in the campus library if Mhok simply tugged on the string to give him the idea of going there.

That professor could meet her new best friend if Mhok expended enough energy to make her spill her morning coffee and caused her to need to stop by the cafe across the street.

A loud sigh from beside him drew Mhok’s attention away, and he found Porjai sitting on the wall beside him.

“I told you not to follow me,” Mhok grumbled.

“Well that was before,” he grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Mhok turned away from her. “Luckily, I’ve got you connecting souls for me so I go unnoticed. We’re golden.”

Then she turned and walked away, fizzling into the air before he could argue the idea.

— — —

As he stood, someone bumped harshly into him from behind, and he complained on reflex before remembering he was supposed to be quiet around people.

“It’s creepy to stand and stare at someone,” Day complained. “Sit down or go away.”

He was blind.

“Okay, if you keep being a creep, I’ll scream,” Day threatened. His fingers finally brushed his injury and he winced.

Mhok smirked. “No you won’t. You’re trying to stay hidden, aren’t you?”

Day frowned. “How do you know that?”

Shrugging, Mhok stepped into the alcove and stood in front of Day. “You bumped into me while running away. Remember?”

“I thought you were drunk,” Mhok answered, partially telling the truth.

“Well, I’m not. You can go now.” Day waved him off, irritated but also nervous.

The younger man wrinkled his nose. “You’re a weirdo, you know that? And you smell like– like–”

Mhok crossed his arms, ready to be amused. “Like what?”

“Like old, burnt incense.” Day rubbed at his nose, as if that would rid him of the scent.

“What? You’re gonna leave a blind guy to put on his own bandage?” Day griped.

His brother was getting closer, though he was mostly scanning the exposed areas of the garden and temple.

“Thanks,” Day said, voice quiet.

“You’re welcome.” Mhok replied, just as quiet. He stood up, watched Day swallow, and then took a step back into the far corner of the covering.

At that exact moment, the brother stepped into the entrance. “There you are!” he exclaimed. “Mom is losing her mind. Come on. You shouldn’t run off like that.”

The brother let out a long suffering sigh. “We just didn’t want you tripping down the stairs. Day, please. You know you need help, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

Both Day and the brother relaxed their shoulders, though Mhok doubted either of them really noticed. The brother sighed again, but this time it was tired sounding.

“Please just come back with me so we can try to end today on a happy note. Okay?” he asked, voice much gentler than before..

“Thank you, khun,” he said, and Mhok startled a little.

“Who are you talking to?” his brother asked, also glancing back into the sitting area. Unlike Day, he took no notice of Mhok in the corner.

“There was a man,” Day said, though now his brow knit in confusion again. He frowned. “Isn’t he still in there?”

His brother shook his head. “No. There’s no one else here.”

The sprite smiled. Well, then. That chance encounter had turned out to be the most interesting human interaction Mhok had experienced in over forty years. How was he meant to ignore that?

#mhokday #morkday #last twilight #last twilight the series #Consider liking; sharing; or leaving a comment here or on AO3

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dlanadhz · 1 month

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Love's Clumsy Guide

Tumblr Chapter Link: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Chapter 1 below the cut. Word count: 5,071

He closed his eyes, enjoying the fluttering feeling of every connection and then easily finding the one he was looking for.

“Well, it’s your lucky day,” he mused, twisting his finger and curling a thread around it. It did not impede the woman’s movement, but Mhok hopped up to follow her anyway.

“Gotcha,” he whispered, quiet so no one would hear him.

The string on Mhok’s hand pulled tight again, drawing Mhok’s eye away from the woman.

“Oh, pardon me,” the woman said, bowing her head slightly. “I’m not usually that clumsy.”

“Me neither,” the man said. “Ah, have you finished your visit?”

And just like that, they struck up a conversation. The string in Mhok’s fingers hummed with delight, and he gently pulled his hand free. Quietly, he slipped away and down the steps.

Mhok had chosen an easy couple for the day, so undoubtedly Rung would have a better story.

“P’Mhok,” she greeted, voice tight and squeaky.

Mhok pressed his lips together, glanced around again, and then faced his friend. “Porjai, why are you here? Is Rung with you?”

“Porjai!” Mhok snatched up her wrist, not keeping his voice down. “Where is my sister?”

“I’m sorry,” Porjai said, weeping now. “She was– She’s gone.”

Gone? Gone like what? Like how humans are ‘gone’? Gone like dead? But that didn’t make any sense!

“Porjai–” His voice broke. His heart broke.

“No.” He dropped to his knees, his whole soul aching. “How?”

“… Theerapanyakul,” Porjai admitted reluctantly.

“Mhok?” Porjai’s sad, thick voice called to him. “Mhok, snap out of it.”

“Porjai,” he whispered, feeling broken. She pulled him into her chest and held him tight as he buried his face against her. “What am I gonna do?”

— — —

To a god’s sprite, forty years was nothing.

That young man could meet his soulmate in the campus library if Mhok simply tugged on the string to give him the idea of going there.

That professor could meet her new best friend if Mhok expended enough energy to make her spill her morning coffee and caused her to need to stop by the cafe across the street.

A loud sigh from beside him drew Mhok’s attention away, and he found Porjai sitting on the wall beside him.

“I told you not to follow me,” Mhok grumbled.

“Well that was before,” he grumbled.

Rolling his eyes, Mhok turned away from her. “Luckily, I’ve got you connecting souls for me so I go unnoticed. We’re golden.”

Then she turned and walked away, fizzling into the air before he could argue the idea.

— — —

As he stood, someone bumped harshly into him from behind, and he complained on reflex before remembering he was supposed to be quiet around people.

“It’s creepy to stand and stare at someone,” Day complained. “Sit down or go away.”

He was blind.

“Okay, if you keep being a creep, I’ll scream,” Day threatened. His fingers finally brushed his injury and he winced.

Mhok smirked. “No you won’t. You’re trying to stay hidden, aren’t you?”

Day frowned. “How do you know that?”

Shrugging, Mhok stepped into the alcove and stood in front of Day. “You bumped into me while running away. Remember?”

“I thought you were drunk,” Mhok answered, partially telling the truth.

“Well, I’m not. You can go now.” Day waved him off, irritated but also nervous.

The younger man wrinkled his nose. “You’re a weirdo, you know that? And you smell like– like–”

Mhok crossed his arms, ready to be amused. “Like what?”

“Like old, burnt incense.” Day rubbed at his nose, as if that would rid him of the scent.

“What? You’re gonna leave a blind guy to put on his own bandage?” Day griped.

His brother was getting closer, though he was mostly scanning the exposed areas of the garden and temple.

“Thanks,” Day said, voice quiet.

“You’re welcome.” Mhok replied, just as quiet. He stood up, watched Day swallow, and then took a step back into the far corner of the covering.

At that exact moment, the brother stepped into the entrance. “There you are!” he exclaimed. “Mom is losing her mind. Come on. You shouldn’t run off like that.”

The brother let out a long suffering sigh. “We just didn’t want you tripping down the stairs. Day, please. You know you need help, and that’s all we’re trying to do.”

Both Day and the brother relaxed their shoulders, though Mhok doubted either of them really noticed. The brother sighed again, but this time it was tired sounding.

“Please just come back with me so we can try to end today on a happy note. Okay?” he asked, voice much gentler than before..

“Thank you, khun,” he said, and Mhok startled a little.

“Who are you talking to?” his brother asked, also glancing back into the sitting area. Unlike Day, he took no notice of Mhok in the corner.

“There was a man,” Day said, though now his brow knit in confusion again. He frowned. “Isn’t he still in there?”

His brother shook his head. “No. There’s no one else here.”

The sprite smiled. Well, then. That chance encounter had turned out to be the most interesting human interaction Mhok had experienced in over forty years. How was he meant to ignore that?

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