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Stelle was having a very strange, very not normal day.
Which was really saying something considering she and Dan Heng had not had a normal day since they had first crash landed on Amphoreus.
It hadn’t started out any differently– just like usual, the two of them had woken to the continuous daylight that shone over Okhema, gotten dressed, and headed out to take a stroll around Marmoreal Market in search of some breakfast. She remembered Dan Heng prattling on about making healthy choices as she’d nearly drooled over the memory of the delicious bougatsa she’d eaten the previous morning, and the firm pressure of his hand when he’d taken her elbow and redirected her towards the fruit and vegetable vendor when her feet began to guide her towards the bakery.
She’d sulked beside a basket of green olives as her companion perused the elderly woman’s produce, sticking her tongue out at him when he held up a bushel of cheery looking tomatoes and suggested they make a salad instead.
“These apples arrived just this morning, it’s not often you get quality like this during these trying times,” The older woman spruiked, holding up one of the ruby red fruits to Dan Heng for his inspection.
He’d taken a hold of it, gave it a once over, and turned to her.
“Stelle.”
She’d barely had a moment to react before he threw the apple towards her, its spherical shape following a joyful, loping arc through the air before landing straight into her flailing palms.
“Maybe an apple will satisfy your appetite for sweets.”
Stelle blew a raspberry at him before taking an obnoxiously large bite of the apple, unwilling to openly admit that the crunchy sweetness of it was actually really delicious. But like always, he somehow managed to read through her facade and, deciding that he was both satisfied with her approval and the health rating of the apples, proceeded to select a handful more for purchase.
It was somewhere in the middle of this silent exchange between them that Stelle realised that the shopkeep had been staring at them both with a look of complete shock, the wrinkles lining her face even more pronounced as her brow rose and her mouth hung loose.
Stelle looked down at herself, confused.
“Is there something on me?”
The old woman shook herself out of it, her weathered mouth quickly turning into a beaming smile.
“No no, my dear! Oh, I’m just a little surprised to have witnessed such a momentous event.”
Stelle glanced over at Dan Heng.
He glanced back and shrugged.
“How much for the apples?” He asked instead.
She shooed at him, forcing him to step back to escape her fervour. “Oh, I couldn’t, I simply couldn’t. Please, take them as a gift, enjoy them together when you get the chance.”
“But surely w–”
“But nothing! It’s my pleasure, truly.”
Dan Heng attempted to haggle for a little while longer, but to no avail– the woman simply would not budge in her resolve. Stelle stood by and gnawed at her apple core all the while, still quietly wishing for another serving of that drool-worthy bougatsa.
Huh, now that she was thinking back on it, maybe everything went all weird because her stomach was void of the delicious sweet treats it craved, leading to the very core of the universe to be sent off its perfect axis.
Stupid Dan Heng and his stupid apples.
There had no point fighting it at the time, however, and after a few more failed attempts to shove money into the fruit vendor’s hands, Dan Heng finally gave up and they’d returned to their room at Marmoreal Palace with their (begrudgingly) free apples, and it wasn’t long after that the strange messages had started flooding in.
.
I heard tell along the golden threads this morning, may Mnestia’s blessing touch your hearts and bind your souls.
.
I hear a certain Gray Mystery has been hiding a big, juicy secret~
.
Grayie!!! Dannie!!!!! Why didn’t you tell me!?? T_T
.
Congratulations partner, Aglaea told me the good news! We must celebrate tonight with a feast and the finest ambrosia!
.
“Another one…?” Dan Heng frowned, staring down at his phone. “Mydei just messaged something about following the traditions of Kremnos.”
“Traditions? For what?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” He said, his brows knitting together as his phone pinged again.
Stelle plopped herself down on her day bed, tucking one leg underneath her as she fished out another apple from the bag. “Did you notice all the weird looks we were getting on the way back too? They weren’t like the ‘who are these strange people’ looks we got when we first arrived or the ‘there goes the saviors of Ohkema’ ones either.”
“They almost looked… giddy, didn’t they?” He agreed, rubbing his chin in thought, “We’ve definitely missed some kind of cultural cue, though at least this time it doesn’t seem to be one that could land us in hot water.”
Stelle’s phone screen lit up, and she peered down at it with a frown.
“Castorice just asked me to send my body measurements to help her prepare.”
“She wants to make you clothes?” He asked, the bewilderment in his tone echoing her own thoughts.
But before Stelle had the chance to reply, the door to their private bathhouse burst open, and three little red heads ploughed straight on through without a care.
“When were you gonna tell us you guys were getting married!?”
The statement left Stelle’s ears wringing, and the world corkscrewed for a moment as she threw herself off of the bed to messily protest. Dan Heng, too, was saying something, his hands waving in front of him as he denied anything and everything.
“What do you mean we’re–”
“Who said that we–”
“How did you think–”
“This is all a mistake–”
“But we saw it, it’s all over the world wound web!” Tribbie said as she pulled out her teleslate, “Look! ‘Okhema’s outlander heroes profess their love at entry hour’, there’s even pictures!”
Stelle scrabbled forward to take the teleslate, and Dan Heng watched from over her shoulder to scan the news himself. The article waxed poetic about a grand proposal wherein Dan Heng had exposed his vulnerable, yearning heart to her, and she had graciously accepted it with open arms– yet the photo they displayed looked to be one that had been taken just this morning.
In it, Dan Heng conversed with the fruit vendor while Stelle stood by the side, a smug little smile on her face as she crunched down on a bite of apple.
“I don’t get it.” Stelle admitted, feeling absolutely and completely, utterly lost.
“He threw you an apple, Little Gray," Trinnon spoke up, and Stelle turned to the quietest of the trio.
“Okay, and…?”
“And you caught it.”
Stelle blinked. And then she blinked again.
And again.
“He threw me an apple, and I caught it. So now… we’re…engaged?”
Three little heads all nodded in unison.
Stelle’s head rolled across her shoulders, catching her companion’s dumbfounded expression behind her as he stared down at the triplets. “Dan Heng, make it make sense.”
“I don’t think I can.” He admitted, looking helpless.
“Come on! Everyone knows that when someone throws an apple to their intended, and they catch it, that means the couple got engaged!” Trianne stated with a huff.
“Trianne, Little Gray and Dannie aren’t from Amphoreus,” Tribbie said.
“So?”
“So they might not know all of our traditions just yet.”
“Ooooooooh…. Oh.” Trianna deflated like a sad little balloon before Stelle’s very eyes. “So… Does that mean Dannie and Little Gray aren’t getting married?”
The triplets looked up at them with sad eyes.
“Uh. No. We’re not.” Dan Heng said, cringing slightly at the look of devastation that overtook them all.
“Oh. We’re sorry…”
“Hey, it’s not your fault! We just goofed up, that’s all!” Stelle said in an attempt to cheer them up.
“We know…” Trinnon sighed. “We were just so excited for you.”
“Trianne was excited to help for the big party…”
“But we’re not even–”
“It’s fine. Misunderstandings happen,” Dan Heng cut Stelle off. “But if the preparations for a celebration have already started, there’s no need for it to go to waste, right?”
“Does that mean—!”
“Ah, no. Just that, we can have a party without having a reason, right?” He laughed awkwardly.
“I guess.” Trianne agreed, if a little sulkily. “A party does sound nice.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“We can go help them prepare,” Tribbie turned to her other halves, taking the mature stance to encourage them.
Trianne and Trinnon both nodded, small smiles breaking through their sad little faces.
“Let’s go then,” She said, ushering them towards the door, “We’re really sorry, we didn’t realise you wouldn’t have known what it meant.”
“It’s okay! The party will make up for it,” Stelle said as she waved them off.
When the door closed behind the trio, Stelle and Dan Heng were left standing there, surrounded by a deafening silence.
“What just happened?” Stelle asked quietly.
“I threw you an apple, and then we got engaged.” Dan Heng said, equally dumbfounded.
“Guess we should have read Amphoreus 101 before we partook in any scandalous activities.”
Dan Heng picked up said scandalous fruit. “An apple.”
“Careful, someone might think you’re proposing again.”
His eyes closed, quiet laughter bubbling up from his chest. “Then we’d have to get married twice.”
“Sounds expensive.” A snort escaped her, followed by a giggle.
“At least the apple was cheaper than a ring.”
“True– hey, wait, are you saying all I’m worth is an apple? An apple you got for free?”
Dan Heng grinned at her, and between the laughter at the ridiculousness of the situation, Stelle secretly savoured the rare sight and the warmth that bloomed in her chest.
When they finally settled, hearts racing and tears of joy gathering in the corners of their eyes, they decided it was best to put an end to this farce sooner rather than later.
“I’m going to find Aglaea and tell her to put something out on the web about it all being a big ol’ misunderstanding,” Stelle said, unable to fight the smile still tugging at her lips.
“And I’ll message the others, just so we can stop any weddings they might already be planning for us.”
Next steps decided, Stelle bumped her fist to his and headed for the door.
“Oh, and Dan Heng?”
The sound of his teeth breaking through the skin of an apple met her ears. “Hm?”
She smiled to herself.
“When you do decide you want to propose, maybe make it a little more obvious?”
She left to the sound of Dan Heng choking on a mouthful of fruit.