It was very important to Ricken that he be taken seriously, which was why he always snuck out of sight of the encampment each evening before feeding the local wildlife.
The problem wasn't that he felt that feeding animals was inherently problematic, he assured himself. Maybe his future counterpart -- being a tall, powerful sorcerer, probably greatly respected in his time -- had mastered the art of doing so with dignity. But at the moment, he very much feared that someone who caught him crouching down a woodland glade with little birds and squirrels and big-eyed deer swarming around him adoringly might find the image less respectable.
So he was surprised when a voice said brightly from behind him, "Wow, they really trust you!" Ricken yelped, scattering the animals as he scrambled to his feet and tripping over himself, landing on his butt on the ground. Unperturbed, his guest continued, "Usually animals are worried that any nearby human is going to pop their heads off or something."
That was all the introduction that he needed. Ricken swept his hat back and blinked up at Henry for a beat before his brain caught up. "Who would pop their heads off?!" he exclaimed.
"Well, most people don't want a head attached to their fur coat," Henry said, reasonable. "Why, did you want one with the head still on? Maybe like a hood? That would look awesome on you!"
The idea was nauseating enough that the intended compliment did not even fluster him. "I don't want to make a coat out of them," he said. "I'm just giving them something to eat?"
"To fatten them up?" Henry asked, tilting his head to the side as if he didn't understand what he was hearing.
"No! Because I don't want them to be hungry, that's all."
He found himself looking straight into Henry's eyes, unnervingly. "You just want to help them?" the older boy asked, sober.
"Yes. That's all." Ricken steeled himself for one of Henry's grating laughs or maybe some more well-meaning comments on the awesomeness of the hypothetical fur coat he could have.
Instead, there was a beat before Henry smiled again, the unshakable airy smile he always wore. "That sounds like fun," he said. "Mind if I join you?"
Ricken was caught by surprise, and then smiled back at him, tentative. "Oh-- Well, of course. I didn't know you liked animals!"
"You didn't?" Henry lifted his eyebrows. "I like animals better than people. I go out to feed the crows all the time. Have I ever told you about my wolf friend?"
The deer came creeping back as they chatted, and Henry gave her a more sincere smile than Ricken had ever seen him give a human.
Fire Emblem, "I Bet You Thought I'd Forgotten"-- I mean, "Squirrelly", why not
The problem wasn't that he felt that feeding animals was inherently problematic, he assured himself. Maybe his future counterpart -- being a tall, powerful sorcerer, probably greatly respected in his time -- had mastered the art of doing so with dignity. But at the moment, he very much feared that someone who caught him crouching down a woodland glade with little birds and squirrels and big-eyed deer swarming around him adoringly might find the image less respectable.
So he was surprised when a voice said brightly from behind him, "Wow, they really trust you!" Ricken yelped, scattering the animals as he scrambled to his feet and tripping over himself, landing on his butt on the ground. Unperturbed, his guest continued, "Usually animals are worried that any nearby human is going to pop their heads off or something."
That was all the introduction that he needed. Ricken swept his hat back and blinked up at Henry for a beat before his brain caught up. "Who would pop their heads off?!" he exclaimed.
"Well, most people don't want a head attached to their fur coat," Henry said, reasonable. "Why, did you want one with the head still on? Maybe like a hood? That would look awesome on you!"
The idea was nauseating enough that the intended compliment did not even fluster him. "I don't want to make a coat out of them," he said. "I'm just giving them something to eat?"
"To fatten them up?" Henry asked, tilting his head to the side as if he didn't understand what he was hearing.
"No! Because I don't want them to be hungry, that's all."
He found himself looking straight into Henry's eyes, unnervingly. "You just want to help them?" the older boy asked, sober.
"Yes. That's all." Ricken steeled himself for one of Henry's grating laughs or maybe some more well-meaning comments on the awesomeness of the hypothetical fur coat he could have.
Instead, there was a beat before Henry smiled again, the unshakable airy smile he always wore. "That sounds like fun," he said. "Mind if I join you?"
Ricken was caught by surprise, and then smiled back at him, tentative. "Oh-- Well, of course. I didn't know you liked animals!"
"You didn't?" Henry lifted his eyebrows. "I like animals better than people. I go out to feed the crows all the time. Have I ever told you about my wolf friend?"
The deer came creeping back as they chatted, and Henry gave her a more sincere smile than Ricken had ever seen him give a human.