He's been on ton of dates… so why does this feel different? Guess this wouldn't be called a date… they're more … friends?

Taru and Jemm walked side by side, it was the first time they were both wearing casual clothes since they met that night. Jemm occasionally looked over at Taru who was still pulling at his belt and adjusting and readjusting where it was.
"Is it too tight or something?" Jemm tilted his head.
"No I think this was your belt…" He reached behind himself and pulled it through another loop. "That was my fault… I should've checked the colour before I put it on…"
"Nah, I should've brought it back in my room." He waved his hand. "Oh I might have one that'll fit you when we get to my sisters-" He stopped talking and squinted. Aww that was a surprise…
"Your sisters?" He looked up at him. "So we're going to her restaurant then?"
"Y… Yeah… you remembered?" He looked back to him and Taru made a face. "I don't have that bad of a memory… and you mentioned it a few times…"
"Oh right I did… Well yeah. It's a bit of a walk though so we can try to take the bus if you-" Jemm began but Taru shook his head. "It's alright. I don't mind walking."

And so they walked, it really was across town, as in completely out of the district he watches and in another. Jemm pushed the door open and threw his arms up. "MUXXI I MISSED YOU-" He was greeted with a tray to the face.
Taru had stepped out of the way to avoid being hit by the spread attack of it. Behind the counter was an elf around the height of Taru though slightly shorter. She had tiny pink horns and long green and black hair.
She looked furious. "You asshole! You walk out saying 'I'm just going to the bar for a little' and then you don't text me until nearly a week later to tell me you've moved in with some random dude!" She got ready to throw something else but Jemm put his hands up. "Wait wait Muxxi I can explain he's not just a random dude he's a high elf I forgot cause we were doing weird job stuff-" He quickly spoke. "I also… brought him…" He motioned over to Taru who was standing there awkwardly.
Muxxi slammed the tray down. "A high elf? You mean those assholes who only do shit when there's a monster and then they leave us to have to deal with the mess they leave over? Oh how great…" She turned to go to the back.
Jemm squinted slightly and walked up to the counter. "Waaait don't be like that- Muxxi!" He quickly went through the gate to go back after her. So Taru just stayed where he was. Well this is still going better than most his other… not a date. This is not a date.

He could hear Muxxi and Jemm going back and fourth in the back, mostly a lot of clanking and a lot of Jemm yelling at her to put down various tools. When he and his sister fought it usually required someone watching since getting physical meant something breaking… something being a wall or furniture. Not like he was really on her level…
The door opened behind him and he turned around, though he immediately regretted it.
"Is anyone here? I'd like to place an… Order…" The other had trailed off, staring down at him.
Jemm and Muxxi both came out from the back, Jemm thankfully unscathed though they both paused. "Hey your friend multiplied and got taller." Muxxi whispered.
"Dude…" He whispered back.

"… Taru…" She crossed her arms.
Taru looked down and away.
The one standing next to him did look exactly like him. Just much taller, longer hair, no red ends. She wore different earrings and her face piercings were on her upper nose instead of under her eye. The two just stood there in silence before she cleared her throat. "Can I just get some soup to go."
Muxxi shoved Jemm away and stood straight, handing a menu over. "Sure, tell me a number and I'll have it done in twenty."
She stepped forward and took the menu, staring over it for a moment before handing it back. "On… Second thought… I've changed my mind. I apologize for wasting your time." She placed a small bit of silver on the counter and walked out. Leaving the three standing there in silence.
Muxxi finally picked up the money. "So was that that idol chick you always listened to? I forgot her name."
"MiMi…" Jemm stepped from behind the counter and Muxxi snapped her fingers. "Yeaaah, her. Wow what a small world. So what that your sister or something?" She looked over Taru.
Taru lifted a hand and started scratching his head, though it turned into him just messing his hair up. Jemm placed his hands on Taru's shoulders and began pushing him towards the hall. "Hey sis we'll come back down and order in a moment alright? I was actually going to show my good friend my room come on buddy-" He pushed him up stairs.
Once they got upstairs and into the room upstairs he pulled him into another room. It was quite small and a bit messy but organized for the most part. Jemm did mini jazz hands as he stepped back. "Tadaa, this is mah room- or was- was my room. It was actually her storage closet or something she just felt bad for me but I should probably grab this stuff so she can put her stuff back in here…" Jemm began picking stuff up.
Taru was still quiet for a moment, watching him before he sighed. "Do you want help? I can use magic to move this stuff faster…" He spoke.
"Nah it's chill I got it- wait like teleportation?" Jemm walked up to him. Taru's eyes drifted away. "I… cannot assure my accuracy… however I can assure it'll at least end up inside of the house."
"Can you teleport yourself?"
"Yes… Though it makes me a bit na-"
"Can you teach me??"
"Probably… not…" Taru squinted.
Jemm held up what he was holding and Taru put his hand on it. Even without blinking the stuff just… vanished.
"Dude you're seriously incredible! Can you do other magic?" He began picking stuff up and placing them in a box. Taru stood next to him and watched. "I've unlocked the paths to just about every magic… I just have to get a better handle on them."
"Man… that's real cool. I only have wind besides my main one- Oh hey since your strix is wind maybe you could help me with my path." He handed him a box and it vanished.
"Why the sudden interest in training? I told you you don't need to fight I can handle it." Taru tilted his head.
"Ah well yeah you said that but I still wanna be able to help you man. I mean what if we get surrounded you can't be two places at once. That or what if the thing is big like reaaaal big then I can help you from the ground. I don't need to learn how to ride currents or anything- why are you making that face…"
Taru's eyes widened slightly. He had started smiling a bit though he was also squinting still so it looked a bit odd. "Apologies. Thank you for your concern but I truly don't need you to put yourself in danger on my behalf. I've been trained enough to handle myself in combat no matter if it's several enemies or a large one." He shook his head.
"Okay but you aren't invincible if something goes wrong I wanna be able to at least do something…" He sighed.
Taru was about to speak but the door creaked open slightly. "If you two could, you can help me downstairs and I'll give you free food. How about starting there for help since you're making so much noise up here." Muxxi spoke.

Jemm tied on the apron quickly and grabbed the dishes she had already made before quickly taking them to their tables. It was clear he was already used to this. Taru however looked over everything with a little bit of confusion.
"What's wrong high elf? Not used to doing hard work?" Muxxi dropped an apron in his hands. Taru held it up before putting it on. "I am, just truthfully not this type of work." He went to pick up one of the bowls and she put her hand up. "Wait wait those ones aren't imbued. Do the ones on the tray." She pointed.
"Imbued… are you using a strix on these? I could probably help." He picked the bowl up.
Muxxi walked back over, looking over him again with a frown. Though she reluctantly picked up two plates. "Love… hold the two dishes at the same time and imbue them. And then place them on the tray. They must be done at the same time so they're linked."
Taru nodded and picked up a second bowl. His eyes began to glow and pink energy slowly seeped into the bowls. He placed them carefully on the tray and picked it up, quickly walking out.
They were there a while… As in all the way til she closed. Taru and Jemm both laid on the table trying to both catch their breaths and rest from carrying and running back and forth. Muxxi placed two plates down in front of them along with some cups of tea. "There like I promised. Just clean up after yourselves, I'm going to take a shower." She turned and walked away. "And no I didn't imbue those so don't worry." She called from the stairs.
Jemm sat up and stretched, before he began eating.
Taru slowly sat up and stared at the food.
It was something he hadn't had in so long…
He began to slowly eat as well. "Sorry this ended up being a ton of chores… I promise I wanted to bring you out to relax…" Jemm sighed. "Maybe we can try again next week…"
"I had fun. It was nice doing this." Taru spoke quietly. "I got to practice my magic, it was fun walking over here too and it was fun running back and forth like that even if she was yelling at us."
[He's smiling, that was good… So he shouldn't ask about earlier. With his sister.]

"Well what do you think about the food? I told you she's amazing at cooking!" Jemm smiled back at him. Taru nodded. "Maybe I could make you something, this is reminding me now of things I used to have all the time."
"Oh that would be cool- wait you can cook??" He looked back up from his food.
Taru made an unamused look and his gaze trailed away. "I did live on my own before you came in… I didn't live off of instant meals or anything…"
"Yeah yeah no I didn't think so… it's just there was like barely anything in your kitchen other than tea, wrapped sweets, and cans that im not even sure what they are." He placed his utensil down.
Taru didn't have a comeback for that. 

When they were younger, they always hung out. No matter what one was doing the other always wanted to join.
Training, eating, walking, reading. No matter what. If anyone saw one pair of crimson horns walking around sure enough a second pair was following.
"Ei, are only scholars stargraphers?" Taru looked up at his sister who was not much taller than him. She smiled and sat next to him. "No, I read somewhere that the fishers of Sunrise are stargraphers too. You know they make maps and do navigation as well, not just do field research." She pat him on the head.
They are only two years apart, though knowing her impending role she was always training. Taru would come along with her.
"If you're going to be a high elf then I'll be a stargrapher! That way I can bring back plenty of interesting things for you to file!"
Is what he would always say. She was fine with it, she was fine with having her future picked out. She didn't know what being a high elf was. Why it was so important, why they just kept telling her to train, and train, get stronger, be able to be fast, be able to kill.
Why does a child need to know this?
If it's for the future why can't I just be a kid for now?
It wasn't until she got older she understood the fate she allowed them to give her. One of constant battle, one of constant tiring, and one where it ends in being expunged from history and everyone's minds should you die… when you die.

Why would anyone agree to that? Why does no one question these ideals their gods put upon them? They take up fists and mana to protect but are required to give mana and blood as sacrifice only to be forgotten even if they do what they can why does no one see the cruelty in that?
But she could not voice it, from such a high standing family she'd get all of them tagged as heretics. From such a high standing family she'd get all of them exiled. From such a high family… she'd bring immense disappointment to their name. She does not care about the rest of them. Though her brother… She doesn't want to do that to him.
Saying anything to their mother was out of the question… even though she was physically there talking to her it seemed as if her mind was elsewhere, like she wasn't truly there… What was she supposed to do? When she left what was she supposed to do when they said it was time for her to test?
Of course she ran away scared. She did not want to do it. She didn't want to take a seat that would lead to her death.
And so she ran away scared, leaving him to the fate she didn't want for anyone.

"So I ditched the test. That does not stop me from being mad at him however… for what he did."

"Oh? And what did he do?" The other swirled their drink, looking her over.

MiMi made a slight face, before she picked up her own drink. "He left. He moved out without telling me. Without even asking me. After our mother disappeared we agreed we would stay together since our family was only going to use us. Though he broke that promise. So the first chance I got I blew all of them off and left." She set the cup aside.
"Sounds like you're being a bit dramatic darling… I mean so what just go talk to him." They laughed.
Ei stood. "Sure. Then I guess it's not dramatic of me to say this dates over. You're boring and I had to do all of the talking. Goodbye." She stood.

"Mm… though maybe today we can just stay inside. That would be great." Taru hummed.
"That would be boring." Yoshi mumbled.

The door opened and the usual icy chill that follows came with. It was Imani. She smiled as she looked between them. "We just got a special request… They apparently need all of us on site in the forest nearby."
"All four of us?" Taru frowned.
"Just a little north of Sunshore they're holding some major concert. They're concerned the noise and lights could rile up the fractals there and they don't want any chances. I offered to just have Vywr go and scout with the patrolers but they insisted to have all four of us come by and keep watch just encase."
"No thank you it doesn't take four of us to-" Taru started but Imani held up a cup. "Plum jelly and they're giving us a special room so you can bring your books and read while we aren't watching."
Taru stood. "Okay let's go."