When he’d finished cleaning up both the shower wall and himself, he got dressed in a pastel yellow crop top and pale blue jeans that made him feel like an Instagram model, and headed back outside. The willow tree was a perfect place to draw, especially on a blazing day like it was. The branches protected him from the scorching sun, and in one spot the trunk met the ground just so... He could sit comfortably there for hours, his sketchbook in his lap and music playing softly from his phone. He added in precise details to the illustration he’d been working on, humming softly to himself. He wondered if the rabbit who lived in the area would visit, today.

He assumed the branch that snapped was it and didn’t dare to move. Not until a deep voice mumbled, “Um—” But didn’t finish the sentence, because WW jumped, screamed, and threw a pencil at him. It missed by a long shot, flying far off to the left before landing silently in the grass. The two men stared at each other with wide eyes. The stranger had flinched back and pulled his arms to his chest. WW was leaning away. It didn’t take him even a minute to recognise the green hair, and wide eye, and the vine tail that had wrapped itself around the man’s leg.

“You’re back?” WW panted, carefully setting his sketchbook aside.

“I-I’m sorry if I startled you!” The man frowned, kneeling down so he wouldn’t tower over WW. “I just—I wanted to apologise, for earlier.”

“I… It’s okay.” WW assured him. “Did you fall off the trellis? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I was wondering if you could do me a favour…” The man stared at his hands. He’d come back all this way, he couldn’t just… Not ask. Not even if the young man’s unfaltering gaze unsettled him.

“Depends on the favour.”

“Would I be able to… Stay here? It seems I can’t… Uh. Go home.” The man looked up and flinched back at the cold expression on WW’s face. “Y-Yet!” he added hastily, “I promise, s-someone will come find me, and let me in, I just… Can’t get in on my own.” He blushed green. It was weird.

“If you stay here, I’m going to have to tell my parents.” WW said.

“Really? Tha-That’s fine!” The man beamed, leaning forward. He hadn’t expected the human to accept so easily.

“You’re also going to have to answer my questions.”

The stranger looked far less enthused about that condition. He leaned back, sitting on the ground. “Um… Y-Yeah, I guess… S-sure. I don’t really have any other choice, huh?” He frowned, looking away.

“If I ask about some great big secret you aren’t allowed to talk about, or if a question makes you uncomfortable, just tell me, and I won’t press…” WW tilted his head at the man. Dappled sunlight shone in past the branches of the willow tree, falling across his cheeks and shoulders in a way that made him look like he was from a fairy-tale. Or maybe it was because he wasn’t human… Or both. Probably both.

“My existence is a great big secret I’m not allowed to talk about.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Oh. Well… I promise I won’t tell anyone.” WW shrugged. “Do you mind if I draw you while we talk?”

“Wh—Um… Y-Yeah, I g-guess you can…” The man mumbled, shifting to sit more comfortably.

“First question… What’s your name?” WW asked as he pulled his sketchbook into his lap and reached for the pencils he hadn’t chucked.

“Oh, sorry. I’m Pachlaoile. And you?” The man smiled awkwardly. WW’s brows pressed in together ever so slightly, his frown deepening.

He was silent for a while, before he mumbled, “Packoil?”

“Pachlaoile.” The man repeated.

“Pachlool?” WW raised a dark eyebrow at him.

“Pachlaoile.” The man spoke slowly, carefully enunciating his name.

“I—I just—” WW stammered, “P-Padlock? I’m trying…” He huffed out a little breath. Packliel just put a hand to his face, rubbing his forehead. “Can I just call you Pansy? Since I found you hugging the pansies?”

Pachyol removed the hand and stared at WW with an ‘Are you kidding me?’ expression. “I… I’ll accept Pan.” He stuck his bottom lip out, looking away.

“Deal.” WW nodded and wrote ‘Pan’ in pretty, loopy handwriting in the corner of the page.

“What’s your name?” Pan asked quietly.

“Walter Westley. You can call me WW.” WW replied. The two fell into silence for a while as WW roughed out the structure of the face. “So, Pan, what are you?” WW glanced up over his sketchbook at him. His steadfast gaze seemed to peel away at Pan’s skin, stripping him down to the bones.

“U-Um—” He mumbled, looking away. “I-I’m a tahval…” He said quietly. “We’re basically… Plant people. We take care of the forests in our home…”

WW nodded slowly as he began sketching. “Where are you from?”

“We call it Amarai. It’s a realm where magical beings can live in peace, separate from humans.” Pan tried looking at him, but he couldn’t keep eye contact for even a second. The only times he managed to sneak glances were when WW’s eyes turned to his page, as opposed to Pan’s face. Does he even know how to smile? Pan wondered. He wasn’t even sure if WW had shown any emotions since he’d been with him. He was so… Stoic. Those bright blue eyes turned to Pan again, and he looked away. Intense. He seemed very intense.

“Why don’t you all just live here with us?”

“Have you… Met humans?” Pan raised an eyebrow.

WW paused for a moment. “… Fair.”

Pan listened to the scratching of the pencil and looked at WW again. His hair was so… Dark. He wasn’t used to seeing any colour hair but green. If it wasn’t for the complete lack of emotion in his expression, WW would probably seem innocent and kind. The boy had freckles scattered across his nose and bare shoulders. His features were soft, from his jawline to his small curved nose, to his narrow shoulders… He looked back up to Pan, frowning, and the plant man shrank back.

“Why can’t you get back?” The human asked.

“I… Can’t pass through the mantle.” Pan blushed as he stared at his hands.

“Then how’d you get here?”

“I… It’s complicated? When we turn nineteen, we’re able to pass through the mantle to get out of our world. But unless we’ve been initiated, we can’t get back in. It’s what keeps humans out, and keeps young, reckless people in.”

“So, you left even though you hadn’t been initiated? Sounds pretty reckless to me.” WW mumbled as he drew.

“Hey, I never said that I wasn’t one of them…” Pan chuckled awkwardly. “I mean, I don’t remember leaving… I remember my friends taking me out to celebrate my birthday. I remember drinking, and wanting to go see the mantle… But even I’m not dumb enough to go through without being initiated… I-I was supposed to do that today.” A frown curled his lips down. He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms and tail around them.

“How old are you?”

“I’m…” Pan looked over to see him already staring, “I-I’m nineteen? Which is why I wanted to go see the mantle. I couldn’t, before… It’s how I passed through.”

WW’s pencil dropped to the ground, and his eyes widened. “You’re only nineteen?” He gasped.

“I—Yes?”

“I thought you’d be like… Twenty five or something.”

Pan scowled at that. “Well how old are you? Fourteen? You must not be very good at judging ages, yet.”

WW slammed his sketchbook to the ground. Maybe he hadn’t emoted much until that point, but anyone could have seen he was furious. “I’m twenty two!” He growled.

Pan slapped a hand over his mouth to hide the smile, but he couldn’t hold back the laugh. “Shit, really?”

WW’s nostrils flared. “You know what, you can stay here, but you’re staying in the garden and I don’t want to talk to you.” He suddenly stood, taking his sketchbook up with him, and stormed away into the house, slamming the screen door behind him.