𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐀 - TMR, Gally ¹

𝟢𝟢𝟩，𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐫

Of course it has to be a stupid name. Track-Hoes? Bricknicks? Tool-Makers for real sound exciting!

But alright, she's grateful.

"And you'll be the Keeper," he adds.

Oh. Damn.

She probably said those words out loud because Camil and Minho snort at the same time.

"But." There's more? "The hammer needs some work. We decided, well, Newt and I decided that someone needs to teach you how to carve properly, because this can be better. As the Keeper, you have to be good at the job yourself, which involves the ability to carve wood out."

She can smell it coming. Or perhaps Gally's anger decided to have a smell, too. His face says enough.

"Gally will train you with carving until you can do it."

Yup. There it is.

But alright. If working with Gally for a few weeks means getting crowned into the Keeper of a whole new job in the Glade, she'd do it.

Her smile turns into a grin. "That sounds awesome to me, Alby," she tells them.

"Great. Then I declare this Gathering to an end," he announces. "Everyone, have a good night. Don't cause any trouble."

Minho, still beaming, wheels Camil, who's also still beaming, toward Joan so fast that they both nearly fall on the ground from it. "Ha! First girl and immediately a Keeper!" Camil claps in his hands. "Congrats."

"Thank you, thank you." Laughing, Joan nods at the boys. "Also for getting me there."

"You're welcome." Minho puts his hands on his hips. "Honestly, you should make me a tool to run faster."

"Like that's possible."

He smirks. "If you ever manage to do it, I'll gladly test it."

Camil looks up at the two. "And what if it blows up?"

"My work won't blow up," she assures. "Ever."

❀

"What's that smell?"

"My work blew up."

Gally squints an eye at her. It's the next morning, her fifth day in the Glade, and he just finished building, so now has to spend the rest of the day teaching her how to carve. Before that, Joan tried to light herbs up so they would burn into a liquid, but that didn't really work.

He sighs. "This is exactly why I voted for you to be a cook. The soup was the least decent thing I've seen you make."

"Boy, you know how many things I'll have to light up in the kitchen?" Her eyebrows shoot up. "Exactly, I'll blow even more up. Besides, this is just a little experiment. Lemme finish it..."

He watches her put the uncut flowers and oil together in a mason jar, close it, and then turn to him.

"Alright, Captain Gally," she mimics. "Tell me how to carve wood properly."

He rolls his eyes. Without any words, he takes two knives, wood, and sits down next to her. Or well, with like four feet between them. "First, let's not interrupt me as I explain, alright, yapper?"

"I don't yap," she snaps. "You—"

"Good." He nods. Then he starts explaining how to carve. Take off small slices every time. Work on details with the point of the knife.

"Looks like shit, but the technique is fine," he says after a while. It's the best compliment he's given her... ever. Wow!

She wants to snap something back, then decides not to and just continues. Eventually, she takes her jacket off due the heat, and looks up Gally for a second—he averts his eyes—then finishes her figure.

Because of course he decided to start with the hardest things.

He inspects the thing, twisting it between his fingers and narrowing his eyes. "Nah. It's sloppy and uneven."

"Have you looked at your own work?" She spits out. "Also, how's my hut? It still looks like a broken down sauna."

"I'm working on it," he hisses. "Trynna make it stable for you, but we've got to wait until The Box delivers more nails and sandpaper, which you made us ran out of."

"At least it made me a Keeper." But her gaze softens a bit. At least he's trying to make something good out of her hut, and doesn't give her an unstable thing only because they dislike each other.

"You're lucky. No one turns into a Keeper that fast," he comments. "And I hate to admit it, but it's impressive."

"Thanks," she says awkwardly.

"I do still despise you."

"Well, I despise you, too."

"Good thing to agree on, then."

"Yes." She takes more wood and starts another figure, carefully sliding the knife over it.

They're silent for a few minutes. She's too busy cutting to really think about his presence, but it's still uncomfortable.

"So..." He breaks the silence with a cough. "Any opinions on the Glade?"

She hums. "Woah, he's asking something nicely."

"To satisfy Alby."

She hums again. "I think it's weird and it stinks, but after all, it's alright. Most boys are okay, some are weird."

"Like Doug?"

"Especially Doug. And Hank acts strange."

Gally makes a sound. It's some kind of chuckle mixed with a snort, and it makes her look up.

"What?"

"You're one dumb shank."

She scrunches her nose. "Why thank you, Gally."

"I mean, it's obvious Hank likes you."

Joan nearly drops her stuff. "What?"

Gally looks at her as if he just said the most casual thing in the world. "See? There's no need to be surprised. He blushes, gets shy..."

"I thought he was just shy and— ohh, that's why they said 'mission failed'." The realization makes her cheeks red for some reason. "Man, I don't want people hitting on me."

He holds up his hands. "Woman, I didn't expect someone to hit on you. Ever."

She kicks his leg. "That wasn't necessary at all, you fucking—"

"Stop the cursing. We have other words for that, remember? Minho first, now you."

"Let me tell you something, Gally."

He crosses his arms, waiting.

"Fuck off, you fucking piece of f—"

"Blah blah." He waves her off. "I don't care. Here, shuck off, you shucking piece of klunk."

"That's the most ridiculous thing ever. You sound like a three-year-old."

"You look like one."

"You—" she stops. It's happening again. The sun, shooting flares at the ground.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He follows her eyes. Is silent for a while.

Then the piece of anger that doesn't belong to her rises so fast that she's overwhelmed by it. Gally's look shoots daggers at her. "Don't tell me you can see that."

"You can see it?"

He tenses up. His jaw clenches, eyes get darker, and his breaths heave. "See? Now this is why I can't trust you." Gally gets up abruptly. It almost looks like he's freaking out. But then, he has vanished.

Joan is left confused, her mouth a little open. When she stares back at the sun, it's gone back to normal.

He can see it, too.

And he certainly doesn't like that she can.

Why not? Is the fact she sees it too that big of a problem? Just when they loosened up a little bit and accepted they didn't like each other... now it seems fully back to hate again.