CRYPTOMNESIA // Eret x Reader

Four

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The next morning was nothing special. You just woke up, stretched, got dressed, and went downstairs to feed Charcoal. Honestly, for a short while, you had completely forgotten about your new friend in your house.

"Good morning, Y/N.." Eret yawned, coming up behind you from upstairs. "How did you sleep?"

Startled, you turn around and face him as she stretches. "Oh, it's just you, Eret." You whisper, shaking your head. "I slept well, thank you! How was your sleep?"

"I also slept well, thank you for asking..." They yawn again, rubbing at tired eyes. "Uh, as well as I could have slept, that is."

You laugh quietly and nod in understanding. "The longer a person sleeps in that sort of bed, the more they get used to it."

"I guess you're right," he mumbled sleepily, shaking her head with a small smile. Their eyes stay clenched shut for some reason. "Hey, do you know where my sunglasses are? I... kind of need those."

"You need those? Why?" You asked, glancing back in confusion. He was stiff, and turned away from you almost awkwardly.

"Uh, I'd rather not talk about that... Where are they?" She asked again, more polite than before. Sighing, you grabbed them from the table nearby and strode over to where Eret was, thrusting the sunglasses into their grasp and walking away again. "Oh, ah, thank you!"

"Yep," you replied, yawning again and yanking on your jacket. "Now, Charcoal and I must go and do some things. Feel free to stay, I suppose. If not, you can tag-along." Eret was almost startled by how cold you were acting, but you acted as though you did not care, just gesturing for Charcoal to follow.

The small puppy bolted up and wagged his tail, following you happily to the door. He turned right there in the door frame and barked at Eret a few times, turned in a circle, and then ran outside. You looked back up at the brown-haired person and shrugged. "He kinda wants you to come, I think."

He laughed and followed you to the door, glasses on, and grabbed her cloak. They shrugged it on and stepped after you into the cold morning, shivering at the air's contact with their bare arms. There were no words exchanged, they just nodded at you and you nodded back; you all set out to the town after that.

There was a teenage-looking boy running through the road when you arrived. He was being chased by the sweet vendor you had met the day prior. As she pursued him, shouting swears at him, she did not seem as lady-like or as polite as she had. You, however, did not care. You just smiled and clapped as she ran past, triggering Charcoal into a barking fit.

"This place is... lively," commented Eret, staring out at the running people. You nodded in agreement, smiling at them. "Much more so than Falconier, I must admit. I, too, lived in the main city."

"Huh," you replied, nodding. "I expected the Falcon's home to be much more joyous and life-filled than a vendor chasing a man down the street for no apparent reason. How sad is it there?"

"Quite," he laughed again. It was a weirdly pretty sound, her laugh. You felt as though you would like to just sit down at some point and string off dumb jokes just to make them laugh. Just so you could hear his happiness and feel her Falconier warmth.

"So, where are we going today?" Eret asks once you've quieted Charcoal. You only shrugged and smiled. "You don't know? Then what are those 'some things' you and Charcoal have to complete today?"

"Get out of the house?" You suggested, shaking their shoulder. "Yeah, I know, crappy, ain't it? Well, that's all I've got today. If it were tomorrow, I'm certain I'd have a better response!"

He laughed again, and you almost swooned. "I see."

The person you'd run into while leaving the market the day before rushed into the square again, more panicked than they'd been previously. Their hands were free, and they were getting clenched every few seconds. They glanced in you and Eret's direction and let out a relieved sigh, stomping towards you.

"Do you know that person?" You whispered to Eret. She rubbed the back of their neck and shrugged, before the other person reached you.

"ERET, I SWEAR TO YOU-" They finally seemed to see you and stopped shouting, smiling in your direction. "Hi, Y/N!"

"Hello?" You replied, confused by their mood swing. Eret snickered and covered his mouth, glancing away.

"Eret. Do you know how worried Fundy was?" They demanded, shoving their finger in the much taller person's face. "He was worried you'd died!"

"I would have if Y/N weren't with me," she admitted smiling at you. You blushed slightly under their almost weighted gaze and nodded slowly.

"Oh? Well, Y/N, you saved all of our hides! We would'a gotten killed by Eret here's mom and pop had they died!" The smaller person giggled and made slight jazz hands in your direction.

"I wish I could say you were overreacting, Zalkhain," he sighed and shook his head. You paused and blinked at the dyed black hair of the person in front of you. This was your apparent soon-to-be-second ruler of Ensidione, huh? The one Fundy, for some reason, calls his parent. The one Wilbur Soot is considering marrying.

Honestly? Nice.

"Well, you know how ya' mom and pop are! A bit overbearing with their precious baby," Zalkhain mocked, booping Eret jokingly.

Eret flinched back, obviously playing it up for the black-and-blonde haired monarch. "My mother will have your head!" She cried, obviously kidding with Zalkhain. Zalkhain gasped and clutched their chest.

"Emiliana would do no such thing!" They replied, voice laced with a false snobbish attitude. "She quite adores me, thank you, Eret!"

Eret laughed again, rich and beautiful. It distracted you at first, but your mind eventually drifted back to what Zalkhain had said.

"Emiliana?" You asked quietly, looking between them in confusion. "Eret, your mother is Emiliana? You are an heir to the Falconier throne?"

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