Page 100 of The Toymaker
“I’ll show you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Winter Solstice in Eveningwood was always celebrated after dark, and the celebration for Raven’s Landing was almost like a small fair. Kit and Riju decided they’d eat in the city. It grew dark early, so they left around four-thirty.
Extra lanterns on strings and posts had been added, and nearly everyone had a candle or a lantern in their window. Riju had placed one in their shop window before leaving. The longest night of the year wasn’t scary, but it was a way of chasing away the dark and telling spring to hurry since the nights would gradually grow shorter.
They held hands as they walked down the street. People had cleared the streets in front of their homes and shops, so uneven piles lay around between buildings or shoved against them. The roofs looked as though they’d been frosted with sugar icing, and more was drifting down, although it was quite light, and Riju was sure they wouldn’t get much more.
While the city and The Edge had no classes for those who wanted to learn how to write or act in plays, several students had a set near the Castle. It was free, and a bucket had been placed out in case anyone wanted to toss in a coin.
Riju and Kit sat on a bench near the front while trying to figure out why the set had been draped in so much black cloth. The actors must have been taking lessons in rope bondage and suspension because there wasn’t any nudity, but the play started with a fairy who was lifted into the air. Even with the ropes dyed black to hide it against his black clothing and the set, Riju could still see it.
The play was about a great darkness that arose from the place between realms with the intent to destroy all life, and valiantKnights had to fight it off. Riju had the feeling it was supposed to be serious, but the actors were so dramatic with terrible lines, it was more funny than dramatic. Someone fell off the stage halfway through a loud speech about fighting for the good of those who couldn’t, and the audience burst out laughing. At least the rope harness keeping the “darkness” aloft did its job.
“That was so bad, it was kind of good,” Kit said once the play was over, and people were applauding. “I’ll put a din in the bucket for effort.”
“Put one in for me too.”
While Kit went to drop in their coins, Riju stayed on the bench and glanced around at those leaving. Some were giggling, likely about the quality of the play.
If he’d gone with Trig, it probably wouldn’t have been as fun. Trig had never cared for the Solstice celebration. According to him, they were pretty much always the same.
Riju probably would have had to go alone again, and Trig would have complained about him going out at night too. He always had.
He and Kit would be able to have a lot of fun together if they stayed in a relationship. The grief wasn’t gone, but he could see things being better in the future. Already, he was starting to get used to their new life. If he wanted to have his doll sit on the table by his plate at dinner, he could.
Trig had never liked that, but Kit didn’t mind at all. In fact, he had his sit on the table once in a while too. Kit also liked repeating words with him.
It was like he could be himself entirely.
***
After the New Year, they had an argument one night while making dinner since it turned out Riju’s way of eating sweet potatoes was never going to work for Kit who thought onlybutter was gross to him. Riju thought dousing it in brown sugar and maple syrup before baking it was disgusting. He despised the taste and the feel of so much slick syrup in his mouth.
Kit said he’d never eat the dish with only butter because he'd hate the taste. Riju would eat the sweet disaster when pigs flew and pixies learned to read. He was starting to feel pretty defensive when Kit suggested they split the sweet potato into two pans, add what they liked, and bake it.
“It’s an extra dish to wash, but who cares?”
“Oh.” Riju hadn’t thought about splitting it.
Riju had only gotten to eat sweet potato the way he liked once with Trig because the asshole also thought it was only good after being made sickeningly sweet, and he refused to have it cooked any other way. He’d acted like not loading it with sugar was a crime against humanity.
It worked perfectly with both eating their sweet potato the way they preferred.
In January, he started working more on his toys to build a collection. Business was a bit slow which wasn’t unusual. They didn’t get any more snow, but it was often cold and dreary. Sometimes, they sat behind the counter during the day and sewed between customers. Kit also worked on samplers so his stitches could be neater.
At night, he gave Kit a few lessons in how to cut cloth for dresses or how to safely whittle and shape wood. With Riju’s help, Kit made a tiny bed for his doll with wool in a wooden frame.
Trig hadn’t needed help working with wood. He’d been the one to teach Riju. He hadn’t cared to make a doll, and Kit doing an activity with him while truly enjoying it made Riju happy in a way he couldn’t quite describe.
Closer to the end of January, he suddenly remembered a particular thing he’d always wanted. He could purchase itbecause Trig couldn’t say shit to him anymore, and Kit certainly wouldn’t bitch about an item of clothing.
He left Kit to watch the shop one dreary afternoon when they hadn’t had a single customer. Fortunately, the shop in Raven’s Landing had one already made in his color so he wouldn’t have to wait for one to be made. He returned with his package.
“What did you get?” Kit asked from behind the counter.
“You’ll see in a minute. I want to put it on first. Did anyone come in?”
