Illaria Point of View

Tsk tsk tsk; what weird and funny rituals!

Zorion only had to touch the feather and take it to Tiny, she was already squirming and laughing like bunch of bells ringing together.

That was when I realized, 'Ah, my new sister-in-law is very sensitive to tickles'.

It was the easiest task for Zorion to get laughter out of Tiny but that cannot be said in the case of Tiny because Zorion, my brother, has some serious density of thick skin.

It was first just a few tickles on the face, in the nose, in the ears but when he was as cool as cucumber in summer, Tiny reached level two.

While I really wanted to help her because Zorion can be thick brained sometimes. I mean, can't he just pretend to be a little ticklish for the sake of his future wife and her family?

No. Instead he took pleasure in making her work like a bridal cow.

I looked around cautiously, to see if anyone from Almond family is displeasured but to my surprise and not-so-surprisingly, they were having as much fun as Zorion. There were actually encouraging Tiny to dare anything to tickle him while supporting Zorion at the same time to not give in.

Watching every Almond being so thoughtful and united, I felt a pinch in my heart. Such a family, such relatives, such values and such feelings, you can only get when you saved the world in every previous life of yours.

When my eyes laid on Devon, who was being cold on the outside and having fun in the inside, even he was having a loud entertainment as he joined the crowd.

One moment, I felt myself turn pink which I didn't know I could before today while the other moment, I turned a little red, not from blushing but from anger.

I wonder how one can feel two completely opposite emotions at the same time but looking at a particular Almond, I couldn't help but experience plethora of sentiments.

To be very honest with myself, I know for sure that I like that man; maybe love as well. And this is the very reason I'm feeling very complicated now.

Shaking my head to push away those thoughts to the back of my mind, I saw Tiny force Zorion out of his shirt and then tickle his underarms. In front of many people, there stood my brother half naked, still proud and arrogant as he felt nothing from the feather.

"Can't you just laugh a little and let that poor girl go?" I whispered to which my brother gave me a satanic smile.

"Don't you know how she was after me for months? I hardly had any relief all those months that she was torturing me with her madness." He whispered back with a devilish grin.

"So, you are getting back at her?"

"I need to pay her back in small negligible installments though! Do you think I can be as mad as her to torture in such full extension?" I sighed and shook my head at this blockheaded and childish brother of mine.

"Now, never mind me. I'm going to be married soon so you have to put all your mind on yourself and a special some Almond." I looked up to see Zorion signaling towards Devon with his eyebrows ever so slightly that only I noticed it. "Let me tell you, of all the Almonds, he the second most reliable and likable Almond. Don't let him slip your hand."

"Who is the first one then?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"The youngest male Almond of the cousins." Huh?

Youngest male Almond of the cousins? I looked around and when my eyes landed on a young boy in teens who is having fun, no doubt, but all have a kind of disgust painted on his face.

Isn't he –

"Exactly, his Almond condition of disliking and being allergic to women is my favorite one so far. The most sensible, reliable and the only one who accepted the universal truth without a glitch." Without thinking twice, I hit his leg with mine.

And still, after knowing what kind of a man my brother is, I'm still sorry towards him because what he is against is not a gang leader, not a politician, not a God nor a Satan but an Almond who is going to share life with him.

Let him fly a little more for now!

Finally, after making Tiny restless for half an hour, he finally gave in and chuckled a couple of times, putting an end to the first ritual.

"Excellent, now the bride and groom will face each other again." Grandma ordered as she clapped her hands in excitement.

Now we were handed another tray full of various things used for the ritual.

"You both see those two easels with paints? Now both of you stand before one each. Imagine if your spouse is not a human but another living or non-living thing, what could they be. You have to make an emoticon of your spouse. This fun ritual signifies that may it be looking at people, animals, things, ground or sky, water or fire, you can only think of your spouse and no one else." Grandma explained.

Wow! Although this is some funny ritual, the meaning behind actually makes sense.

So Amazing!

I stood with Zorion and the moment he was before the easel, he picked up the pencil to draw an outline of the picture without any hesitation.

While looking at his sketch and trying to guess what he is drawing, I subconsciously looked at Devon and thought what would I imagine him to be if he is not a human.

What will Devon be?

An animal like leopard?

A bird like Weka?

Devon may look quite handsome but when I think of him as an object, it does look like a cheese grater has eyes, mouth, nose and ears.

Hmm, now that I think of it, he does look like a cheese grater.

The painting quickly came to an end in twenty minutes and the couple are ready with their pictures.

I looked at what Zorion has painted and couldn't help take a double look.

What is the meaning of this?

"Alright, unveil the painting and let everyone see how you perceive your spouse and tell everyone why so." At the instruction of grandma, both the easels are unveiled and the paintings are out in the open.

A round of applause were from around. First it was Zorion's turn to explain his painting.

What he drew is a bunch of large almonds with a face.

"The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of her is almond. Nutritious and healthy but personally I also had first experience of how and almond can be traumatic and torturous. A blend of many things and emotions so Tiny is an almond nut."

Somehow, although he spoke in such a good sense, I could feel a hint of heavy sarcasm in his words.

Am I wrong?

It was now Tiny's turn. Her easel was turned and we saw a picture of a huge stone with a face that looks harder than a stone itself.

Uh, does this mean my brother is a rock? Stone?

And why is there a constipated look on it?

"He looks like a human sculpture. Since I cannot draw his face, I just drew what a sculpture is made of. I think, he looks handsome and cool as a stone than a man." Tiny said with a huge pleasing grin with sincerity leaking from every word she spoke.

She is not being sarcastic for sure. She really meant what she said.

And after a very close look at her painting, I think she was reasonable too. Although I cannot accept it openly, I know it for myself that what she said makes sense.

When I share a look with my sister, Anete, I could tell she thinks the same too.

"Grandma, what did you perceive grandpa as? Tell us. Tell us." Almond cousins asked to which grandma blush like a young sixteen-year-old girl.

"I – I drew an Alamy bird."

"Huh? Why? Isn't grandpa handsome?"

"You kinds, do you think you all got your good looks from that old man? It was I who gave you all your divine looks. If you were to look at you grandpa at that time, he had such sharp eyes, long nose and that hair on his head, my god! Dry hay is still better look than his hair." Grandma trolled late grandpa mercilessly but every word of her were oozing out love and nothing but love.

And so everyone asked the married people of Almond family what they drew as their spouses and then it came to unmarried.

The first one to be asked was Anete and Cacao who were almost in a relationship. And then it was my turn and somehow everyone though I would have a person in my heart and assumed that I have an object to perceive him as.

Which, they were right about partly!

I stealthily looked at Devon and noticed him being a little stiff for a moment. I acted as if I was just thinking about it and then with a fleeting glance at Devon I responded.

"A chameleon from TUFF puppy." I revealed without giving any explanation.

Wiser can understand and silly doesn't have to.

A Chameleon who can change color at its will. Isn't that him?

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hello sweeties,

Next chapter is here. Enjoy!

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Why does she think Devon changes colors often?

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Lady Prim