The Christian

Writing ship-able couples

Here are some tips for writing relationships your readers can get behind:

1. Give them reasons to click

The two characters must have things in common - a hobby, a philosophy, a background. There has to be some element that connects them.

Your readers will root for relationships in which the characters fit together better than they would with others.

Also, make their traits compatible. Have them share some characteristics or have their strengths and weaknesses be complementary. Is the one hotheaded? Maybe the other keeps their cool well in situations of conflict.

There are endless possibilities. Just make sure there’s a reason these two people like/love each other.

2. Have them be vulnerable in front of each other

Personally, this is the best way to get me to love a couple.

Have them share secrets, open up about their feelings and tell each other things they haven’t told anyone. Have them cry in front of each other and comfort each other.

This can be taken to a whole new level by having them understand the other’s emotions even without speaking and already offer comfort. Keep in mind that this will probably only be possible with long-established couples.

And having them open up is also a great way for them to discover all the things they have in common/love about each other.

3. Build up the tension

I cannot emphasise this enough: DO NOT MAKE YOUR COUPLES GET TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY.

One of the best elements of a romantic subplot (or even main plot) is the tension. Your readers want to see the pining! They want the build-up.

And no, I’m not saying that you should introduce endless, petty obstacles. That can become tedious and appear forced.

Just give your characters time to sort through their feelings. Make them fall in love slowly. Have them be unsure. Insert SOME obstacles/conflicts.

Have them almost kiss a few times. Not all the time. Too many almost-kisses can become frustrating. But you should throw a few in there.

And, if you feel comfortable with it, add some sexual tension. Have them notice each other’s bodies and imagine what they’d like to do to each other (that sounds more explicit than I intended :) )

4. Write a healthy relationship

This could just be me and my rejection of unhealthy romances, but I will not root for abusive relationships.

Have your characters be kind to each other, support each other and truly care for each other.

If your characters are constantly putting each other down, physically/emotionally abusing each other or going against the other’s wishes, they’re not in a healthy relationship.

A great way to write a healthy relationship whilst still maintaining the tension, is to have the conflict in the relationship be external. Instead of having the conflict be due to internal struggles between the two characters, have obstacles enter from outside.

Your readers should want them to be together and for that, they should be good for each other.

5. Have their friends/family see their chemistry

I find it beyond adorable when two characters are still figuring out their feelings for each other, but the fact that they’re perfect for each other is crystal clear to everyone around them.

Have their friends tease them about the relationship. Have family members ask after the them. Have their loved ones conspire to get them to admit their feelings.

If your other characters are rooting for them, your readers will probably do so as well.

Plus, this means that the chemistry between the two characters is so strong that it’s obvious, which is always good for an exciting romance.

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any further questions about writing OTPs or any other aspect of writing, feel free to message me or pop me an ask.

Reblog if you found any of this useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.

Breton Wager - 3

After Rose returned with the pens, Breton got to work on the posters. He sat on the stage across from Rose, who, despite his previous claim, was not being of much help at all. Nashaadh bustled around backstage, moving boxes and hanging the posters that Breton completed.

“Breton, are you going to the Masquerade Ball on Friday night?” Nashaadh asked after a little while.

“I’m going!” Rose interjected before Breton could even conceive an answer. “I’m going with Nashaadh,” he added.

“You really should come with us, Breton,” Nashaadh invited.

“Aw, Nashaadh, do you have to go and invite your cousin?” Rose pouted.

“Rose, he’s your friend too!” Nashaadh scolded. “It’s a school hosted event, he should go anyway!”

“I know, I was just kidding,” Rose said calmly. “You should definitely come, Breton.”

“How?” Breton asked, not pausing his decoration of Nashaadh’s posters.

“Well, I’m going as a phoenix,” Nashaadh reminisced, setting down a box and plopping down beside Breton and Rose. “All red and yellow and fire . . .”

“And I’m going as a parrot,” Rose shared, scooting closer to Nashaadh. “All color and sleek good looks.”

Rose tossed his wavy, dark red head of hair. Nashaadh laughed.

“You really should go, Breton,” Nashaadh repeated.

“What would I go as?” Breton argued politely. “You guys already took phoenix and parrot.”

“You could be a woodnymph bird,” Nashaadh offered.

“Oo! Yes! You’d look good in purple, Breton!” Rose agreed, clearly enthused.

“You really would, Breton!” Nashaadh exhibited excitement. “There must be a beautiful indigo pattern jacket somewhere we can buy for you!”

“Yes! And I have these wonderful pants that will match gorgeously!” Rose continued.

“Ohmygosh, Breton, we are totally building your costume for you!” Nashaadh squealed. “You are coming on Friday!”

Breton remained silent as Nashaadh and Rose used the previously discarded markers to plan his costume. Silently, he was pleased. Nashaadh and Rose were his two closest friends. And although a Masquerade Ball sounded scary, if he went to one, he would want to go with Nashaadh and Rose.

Besides, with the Christian hanging around, it might be a good idea to live in the moment.

Weasel Water Lou of the Peace in Carlos - 3

The next day right after school, Esse went to see Luc at The Museum of Time and Space. She was certain her mother would notice her absence,but she was trying to help a bear save their home.

“The Johnson & Johnson window is on the East side.” she told Luc. So they set off. They peeked in every window until they found the one. High up on the wall. “This is it.” Esse told Luc. “You get on my shoulders and climb in. Then, pull me up.” Luc told her.

There was a bush right under the window to the Johnson & Johnson reconstruction. Esse landed right in the middle of it with an oof. Luc climbed up the wall. “You can’t open it from the outside.” he reported. “But I can try to break it.”

“Quietly. Break it quietly.” Esse instructed. “I’ll try.” Luc said. “Do you have some cloth?” Esse handed him her sweatshirt. Luc tucked it into the edges of the window. Then he raised his paw and smashed it. The whole window popped out of the frame and landed on the floor, muffled by Esse’s sweatshirt. After Luc checked to make sure nobody heard the window fall, he crawled through the window.

There was a small thud as he landed on top of Esse’s sweatshirt and the window. Seconds later he reappeared to pull up Esse. Once they were both inside, Esse took him to the little room with the tapestry. All was the same as before. Except this time, Luc was with her, and for some reason Esse felt safer.

“There.” Esse said pointing at the tapestry.

“Wow, they really do hate that thing.” Luc commented, looking at the area around the tapestry just as Esse had. “You said it sounded hollow behind it?”

“Yes.” Esse said. “Try it out.” Luc walked over and knocked on the wall. The hollow sound echoed through the room again. “There must be a way to open the tapestry. Maybe if we look closer we’ll see something.”

Esse walked over to the painting. She looked closely. “There’s that swirly thing in the corner with a bunch of colors. Does that mean anything?” she asked.

“Well, yes,” Luc responded. “That’s obviously a giant-sized vortex. So…”

“A what?” Esse asked.

“A giant-sized vortex. You can tell from the mix of blue, brown, maroon, and teal. Small vortexes are violet, black and neon-yellow.” Luc answered. “Haven’t you ever seen one?”

“No.” Esse said. “My dad used to work for the Things that Don’t Exist Patrol, and vortexes are definitely one of the non-existent things.”

“Well, they are real, I learned of them in Wise Learning.” Luc said. “So obviously, the little dog thingies are going into the vortex.”

“But why do they have waterfalls pouring onto their backs?” Esse asked.

“I don’t know.” Luc answered. “Who is Weasel Water Lou?”

“I was hoping you knew.” Esse said. “It’s an unusual name, let’s work off that.” Luc decided.

“Well, the water in the name Weasel Water Lou could explain the stains of probably water on the canvas. It looks like they placed their finger on it. See how it’s in the shape of a paw print? And some fingerprints.”

“Maybe it’s an artist thing they did.” Esse mused.

“Maybe.” Luc agreed. “But look, I just noticed something. See these words in the corner?” He pointed at some strange symbols Esse had never seen before. “Those are ancient symbols of the nymphs.” Luc continued. “Bears had to learn that language during The Many Wars.”

“Can you read them?” Esse asked, excitement bubbling inside her.

“Yes! I learned it in Wise Learning!” Luc was excited now too. “Then read it!” Esse instructed him.

“Let’s see, the first word is… Starshine, with a capital S, next is Snowflake, also a capital S, then it’s Sugarplum, with another capital S, last it’s Frida, with a capital F.” Luc read aloud.

“Well, Frida is obviously a name, right?” Esse said.

“Correct.” Luc said. “Queen Frida had three dogs Starshine, Snowflake and Sugarplum. They ran around The Meadows of Bella. One day, Bella started a war with Lily, queen of the sun, and Queen Frida was brought into the conflict and was hurt. Starshine, Snowflake, and Sugarplum saved her by creating a vortex to safety and pushing her through it along with them. But they had to be bathed in the Waterfall of Sara first. Sara gave them their own personal waterfalls. She’s one of the really nice queens.” Luc paused.

“I know that because it’s a nymph story.” he added sheepishly.

“That makes sense,” Esse nodded, moving on to more important matters. “The tapestry shows Queen Frida’s dogs going into the vortex to safety, with the personal waterfalls that Queen Sara gave them!”

“Yeah!” Luc agreed. “And maybe we can get to safety too, if we wet our fingers or paws and touch the vortex!”

“Weasel Water Lou must be a mechanical genius if this is going to work.” Esse commented.

“Well, it’s worth a try.” Luc said. They licked their fingers and touched the vortex. The vortex grew and grew until it could fit both a thirteen-year-old girl and a bear child. Esse felt herself being sucked in by her finger. Colors were all around her. She became dizzy. And then they were there.

The first thing Esse heard as she picked herself up off the floor was the muffled noise of running feet. “What’s going on?” Esse asked.

Looking around, she realized she was in a house. And no one was in sight. “Luc?” she called out. There was the sound of running, and Luc came into the room. “The vortex must have separated us.” he explained. “They do that sometimes.”

Suddenly, a loud noise sounded from outside the strange house. Esse jumped. “Oh, that’s just the gunfire.” Luc explained nonchalantly. “They do it a lot in Carlos.”

“Don’t people get hurt?” Esse asked, shocked.

“That’s the point.” Luc said. “The Carlosians are the most violent race on the planet. They are constantly trying to murder each other.”

“How do they stay alive?” Esse asked. Luc shrugged. More gunfire sounded outside, followed by shouting.

Esse jumped up. “Are we safe?” she asked, looking around worriedly. “Not if we go outside.” Luc said. “But I actually think that this house is invisible.”

“How can you tell?” Esse asked. “Well, if you stick your head out the window, and turn around so you face the house, you will see right through it.” Luc answered.

“Did the Carlosians see you?” Esse cried, realizing this is what he had done. “Well, they ran around pointing at me.” Luc said, shrugging. Esse looked him sternly in the eye. “Never do that again, okay? That’s really dangerous.” she scolded.

“Okay.” Luc agreed. And he meant it. But a new problem arose in Esse’s head.

“How do we get back to The Peace in Carlos?” she asked.

“Look.” Luc said, pointing to the wall. “There’s the same tapestry we just went through, by Weasel Water Lou.”

“Is Weasel Water Lou in nymph stories?” Esse asked. Luc tilted his head, thinking. “Not that I know of.” He finally answered. “Though there are many stories I’ve only heard of, like the story of Emelea’s Children. For all we know, Emelea could be Weasel Water Lou’s mother.”

"It’s such an odd name, Weasel Water Lou.” Esse mused. “C’mon, Esse.” Luc beckoned from the doorway. “Let’s explore!”

After Luc and Esse had explored most of the house, they came upon a locked door. Esse and Luc both tried to open it, and then they tried together. But the door wouldn’t budge.

“Maybe there’s a code, just like with the tapestry.” Esse suggested. They looked all around the door until Luc found symbols on the wall next to it. “This is more nymph writing!” he exclaimed. “And I bet that this house is made with nymph magic!”

“What does it say?” Esse asked. “Is it another story?”

“It’s more names.” Luc said. “Jennifer and Clara. I don’t know that story.”

“Try to think.” Esse said. Luc thought for a while, but he couldn’t think of anything. “I’ll ask my parents tonight.” Luc decided. So Esse and Luc did the same thing exiting the house they did entering the house, and promised to return again tomorrow. They popped the window frame back into the window socket while exiting the museum. Then they went home.

The next day, Luc and Esse met at the window to Johnson & Johnson. They did the same as last time, and entered the house in Carlos, which they began to call The Invisible House. After they were safely in The Invisible House, Luc told Esse what he heard from his father.

“So the story is called Jennifer and Clara.” Luc began. “Jennifer’s father, Tim, promised to his sister, Olivia, Jennifer’s aunt, to give her his first born son. So when Jennifer is born, and she isn’t a boy, Olivia becomes angry, and kidnaps Jennifer’s mother, Linnea, and runs away. So Tim takes Jennifer to hide her in case Olivia goes after her, and Jennifer meets a girl named Clara who has two sisters, Cicci and Molly.

“A little while later, Olivia has a daughter named Emma, and since Tim (stupidly) hid Jennifer in the same town as Olivia lived, Emma becomes friends with Cicci. Then Olivia knows where Jennifer is, so Olivia kidnaps Tim, and also Clara’s family except Clara, who escapes. So Jennifer and Clara go to live with Clara’s Uncle Erik, and he helps them find Olivia so she can be arrested. They first have to get through this door by speaking the full names of their parents. Then they all live together with Uncle Erik, who is rich. The End.”

“Wow.” Esse said. “That’s really complicated.”

“I know.” Luc agreed. “But what I think is that if we say the full names of our parents, the door just might open.”

“Okay.” Esse said. “Let’s try.”

They walked up to the door. “We have to put our hands on the door.” Luc instructed. Esse put her hand on the door. “You first.” she whispered to Luc. “Dunya McDaniel and Wert Mies.” Luc said clearly. Esse copied his clear tone, saying, “Lucjusz Yu Iflandoonia and Quer Ty Iflandoonia.” Suddenly, the door gave way, and Esse and Luc fell face first into darkness.

Nashaadh Sonjan

Illustration courtesy of Teepi Guest

Why intercept?

Why?

Weasel Water Lou of the Peace in Carlos - 10

December 2nd was a day of mourning for Luc. They had his funeral and made a grave. They filled a coffin with lots of things to represent him and then buried it deep into the ground. Esse told about their adventure. Kennen told of Luc’s death. Everyone understood that after Luc was dead,Kennen of course could not help him. Luc’s parents and siblings were given gifts. It was safe to say that Luc would never be forgotten. He helped Esse find out how to open the painting. He saved Esse when Ursula Kinns kidnapped her. Luc did lots of other wonderful deeds before Esse even knew him. Luc was truly a wonderful bear. Esse cried through most of it. But Kennen comforted her by gently landing on her shoulder. “Thanks, Kennen.” she whispered in his ear. “Throughout my whole adventure, I’ve had friends. I’m glad you’re here now that Luc is gone.” And that is how Esse survived the funeral of her best friend. With a friend, who will always be there for her. And she will return the favor, and always be there for him.

THE END

Weasel Water Lou of the Peace in Carlos - 8

Esse awoke on a soft bed of moss. She sat up. Everything in the little room was soft and mossy. Even the walls were covered in moss. A kind looking lady came in. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “You’re awake!” She hurried to get something off the stove. “My name is Nurse Moss.” said the lady, pouring the liquid into a cup. “My name is Esse.” Esse said as Nurse Moss handed her the cup. Esse drank the liquid. It tasted wonderful. “Once you feel up to it, I will take you to meet Master Cameron. He greets all the newcomers.” Nurse Moss was saying. “Is Kennen doing okay?” Esse asked. “Your bird friend broke his wing, but Doctor Lexie is caring for him. He’ll be better in no time.” Nurse Moss answered. For the rest of the day, Esse rested and talked with Nurse Moss. It was very relaxing. At one point, Esse was telling Nurse Moss about the tapestry by Weasel Water Lou. “My friend Luc helped me.” she said. “That was before I met Kennen.” “Where is Luc now?” Nurse Moss asked. “Um, he, he, um, was, um, carried away by evil villians. He’s probably dead now.” Esse started to cry again. “Oh dear, you poor thing.” Nurse Moss said. “You really must talk to Master Cameron tomorrow. How are you feeling?” “Okay, I guess.” Esse sniffled. “Well good.” nurse Moss said. “You will meet him tomorrow.”

The next day, Nurse Moss woke Esse early. “Master Cameron is a very busy person. You have to see him when he’s not busy with Mistress Amelia. Or the children. I used to be their nurse.” she said. “The children?” Esse asked groggily. “Yes.” Nurse Moss said. “They have seven; the twins, Ella and Ei, Gemma, Lie, Beth, Ai, and Izzy. Gemma is just about your age, now that I think about it. Now, get dressed and we’ll be off.” Nurse Moss hurried Esse into some clothes that were completely blue and glowed faintly. Stepping out of her room for the first time, Esse saw what looked like a jungle. Ring-tailed lemurs were everywhere. They they climbed on vines that strung from the trees. They scampered up trees covered in vines. They huddled in the leafy bushes. Nurse Moss hurried Esse to a high wall surrounding a magnificent palace. The palace itself was made of wood and covered in vines. Flowers sprouted from the walls. Esse was amazed. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Esse told Nurse Moss. “Well now is your chance to enter the palace.” she answered. They first room of the palace was coated in trees and vines and flowers just like the outside. Nurse Moss knocked on a big lump that stuck out of the wall. The wall collapsed and led into a room. The room was more like a beach than a jungle. The walls and floor were made of sand. A strange sun-like light floated above Esse’s head. The gentle sound of ocean waves was heard from the lapping of water in a corner of the room. A tall man stood in the center of the room. He was wearing a green waterproof jumpsuit sort of thing and sunglasses. “Hello, Esse.” he said. “And welcome to The Meadow of Nimm. I am Master Cameron. And this is Mistress Amelia.” Master Cameron gestured to a brown-haired lady by his side. She was also wearing sunglasses and the waterproof jumpsuit. Her’s was red. Mistress Amelia smiled and waved at Esse. “Many people come here. They come from Eerht, they come from Ring. They come from this planet and from many planets. I, personally, am from a place you probably never heard of called Earth. Amelia comes from here. This is her native village.That is how diverse we are.” Master Cameron explained. “You are welcome to stay forever. But you may also leave whenever you want. You never have to come back.” Esse nodded. “I might want to go home.” Esse said. “And maybe see what my friend thinks.” Master Cameron nodded. “I understand.” he said. Then he turned to Nurse Moss. “May Esse consult her decision with Kennen?” he asked. “I’ll ask Doctor Lexie.” Nurse Moss said. “Oh, um, Master Cameron?” Esse asked. “Yes?” Master Cameron answered. “Do you know anyone named Weasel Water Lou?” Esse asked him. Master Cameron and Mistress Amelia exchanged glances. “Yes. She is my secretary. Would you like to meet her?” Master Cameron asked. “I want Kennen to come too.” Esse said. Master Cameron thought a bit. “You may meet her on Wednesday. Is that okay, Miss Moss?” he asked. “Oh, yes. Doctor Lexie will be done by then.” Nurse Moss answered. So Esse and Nurse Moss said goodbye, and they went back to the hospital. “You will see Kennen tomorrow.” Nurse Moss reassured Esse as she put her to bed. “Thank you, Nurse Moss.” Esse said.

The next day, Monday, Esse woke early before Nurse Moss was awake. She got dressed and waited for Nurse Moss to wake up. Nurse Moss awoke, and, seeing Esse already up, hurried to get breakfast ready. Soon, they were on their way to Kennen’s lobby, where they were meeting Kennen. Kennen was waiting in the lobby with Doctor Lexie, who greeted them kindly. Kennen was back to normal bluebird size with his left wing in a cast. Kennen flew over to Esse. “Kennen!” she said happily as he landed on her shoulder. “I haven’t seen you for a while! I missed you.” “I missed you too.” Kennen said, nuzzling into her neck. Nurse Moss and Doctor Lexie sat down in chairs to talk. Esse and Kennen sat on the floor. “Guess what?” Esse asked Kennen. “What?” he asked.

“We get to meet Weasel Water Lou!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

“Wow.” Kennen said. “I’ve never met her before. Where does she live?” “She’s Master Cameron’s secretary.” Esse answered.

“No way, really?”

“Really.”

“Awesome.” Kennen said, nodding. “When?” “Wednesday.” Esse said. “I can’t wait.” After they talked about a few more things, it was time to go back to their rooms. It was the same thing Tuesday. and then Wednesday finally came.

Breton Wager

Breton didn’t usually walk this way after Math class ended. No, he decidedly didn’t walk this way, and he decidedly wasn’t supposed to.

“Darn,” he breathed. This was not going well at all.

Turning around, Breton tried walking the other way. No, that didn’t feel right either. If he turned to the left and went that way, he’d be back in Math class. That would end the whole thing right then and there. Going to the right would guarantee his progress into one of the Science classrooms.

Breton took a step towards the Science classroom. There was a buzz and a zip as everything resituated to his current standing point in time. Breton took a breath, closed his eyes, and began to walk forward.

After what felt like a good amount of steps to take towards a Science classroom, Breton stopped and opened his eyes. Ah, yes, this was indeed the Science classroom he knew and loved. There was Ms. Jennings. She was holding a paper out to the class, and the way her face was positioned seemed to indicate that this was a very important paper she had grasped before her. Oh, and look, there was Christian. Apparently he had Science first period. Go figure.

Breton took a step towards Christian. “Owgh!” he exclaimed as something painful happened to his head. Lifting his hand to the back of his skull, Breton felt a bruise forming. Shoot, what had he been doing a few seconds ago? Had it been dangerous? It certainly hurt, whatever it was.

Taking a look at Christian, Breton decided he should just return to Math class. Christian looked like he was about to say something to the person next to him, and Breton didn’t really want Christian to talk. The look on Christian’s face was not one of pleasure, and his usually neat blonde hair was sticking about. Both his hands we balled into fists, and one was poised above the table as if to pound it in the moments to come.

Breton turned and began to walk the other way, back towards the Math classroom. Eyes closed, of course. He began to pick up the pace, until he heard a small voice coming from over his shoulder.

“Breton! Hey, Breton!” it hissed. Breton stopped, opened his eyes, and turned. Coming down the hallway was Christian.

No, this wasn’t Christian, Breton decided. Not at all. What this looked like was the product that came from someone trying very hard to make a plush doll of Christian. They hadn’t failed, not necessarily. It was flying. That had been accomplished. Its long floppy arms caught the wind behind it as it moved.

“Breton!” spoke the Christian. It had floated very close now, and was only half a foot from Breton’s face.

“Hello . . . Christian,” Breton finally decided on words. “Are you . . . going to class?”

“No! I’m not going to class!” the Christian huffed, exasperated.

“Oh, you’re not. Yes,” Breton usually found himself at a loss for words, and talking to the Christian was no exception.

“I am getting rather fed up with you,” the Christian grumped, turning with a puff. “Which is ironic, isn’t it?”

“Isn’t it?” Breton asked, not entirely sure.

The Christian was suddenly very close, touching noses with Breton, the Christian’s long arms flopping onto his chest.

“I am you,” the Christian declared dramatically, and left.

Breton Bauerbecken

Illustration courtesy of Teepi Guest

Poor Margret

At first, Kennen didn’t know where he was. Then he remembered; sleepover with Esse at Nurse Moss’ house. Esse stood up and stretched. There were no need for beds in Nurse Moss’ house because the floor was so soft. Kennen pretended to be asleep. Esse changed and sat back on the floor. Checking the clock, Kennen had seen it was only 8:10. Nurse Moss woke at 9:30 on weekends. Suddenly Kennen realized: today was the day. This was Esse’s 13th birthday, or, her coronation of Assistant Secretary to Master Cameron and Mistress Amelia. Weasel Water Lou would be teaching her “the ways”. Even though work didn’t start until Wednesday, (and it was only saturday) Esse had been promised a private tour of the palace with Kennen. Kennen would be Esse’s assistant, making him the Assistant to the Assistant Secretary to Master Cameron and Mistress Amelia. Esse bounced over to Kennen to see if he was awake (you could bounce on Nurse Moss’ floor). “Kennen,” Esse whispered, poking Kennen’s wing. “Today is the day!”

“Hmm? What?” Kennen mumbled, opening his eyes and pretending to be tired. He honestly did want sleep. “I said today’s the day,” Esse repeated. “Now hop on my shoulder and we’ll go find Nurse Moss.”

“I can fly.” Kennen grumbled. Esse bounced out of the room, Kennen close behind her.

Flying into the kitchen, Kennen saw Nurse Moss preparing waffles. “Yummmmmmmmm.” Esse sighed. “Thanks, Nurse Moss.” Nurse Moss smiled. “Today’s the day!” she replied. “Hey, it’s my day too!” Kennen reminded her. “I know.” Nurse Moss said. “So I made you some seeds and berries. Raspberries, your favorite.” Kennen was awake now. With Kennen at the tabletop bird feeder, and Esse in her favorite cushiony chair, they munched their special breakfast. “Eat up!” Nurse Moss said to Kennen. “You’re too skinny!” Nurse Moss was always complaining about how skinny he was and NOT HOW PLUMP, MISS EVELYN FACE! His pale blue color made him look sort of sick. “You’ll want to hurry.” Nurse Moss said. “The tour starts in- goodness me! The clock stopped!”

“What!?” Esse cried, her fork clattering to the table.

“You have 20 minutes, so no walking.” Nurse Moss told them. “If we ask Doctor Lexie now, maybe we can borrow her MotorHuman360.” Doctor Lexie’s MotorHuman360 was not a human with a motor attached to it, nor a motor car that looked like a human. Doctor Lexie’s MotorHuman360 was simply a really fast guy named Niree who liked to say “vroom vroom.”.

“All right, let’s do it!” Esse said.

“Are you sure?” Kennen asked her. “You hate riding Niree.” Esse grimaced. “You told me that when you ride Niree, you feel too sorry for him, having to carry people around.” Kennen said.

“Well,” Esse considered. “We really should go now.” “Well then,” Nurse Moss said, standing up. “We better hurry before someone else asks.”

Soon, Kennen was flying behind Esse, who was on the back of a very pleased Niree, who loved talking to his riders. “How goes it, Miss If?” Niree said, using Esse’s nickname he gave her.

“Um, okay.” Esse gulped. Despite what Esse had told him, Kennen knew she was terrified. Because of Niree’s fast speed, Esse’s legs were flung out behind her, and she was clinging to Niree’s shoulders for dear life. Niree didn’t seem to notice anything that happened to his passengers. He couldn’t even really hear them. “Ah, yes, my grandmother lives there.” Niree responded. “We call her Grandma Lolch. Funny, isn’t it?”

“I, uh, yeah, um, okay.” Esse agreed. “Oh, yes, you’re right Miss If. That’s a great place to go camping. Grandma Lolch used to take me and R.A. there every winter.” Kennen sighed. Niree was nice, but kind of deaf.