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Oh yes SO MANY. I trained every day for a week for a pasta-eating competition. I think I've eaten almost every kind of pasta at least once!
I'll see what I can find for us. 0:)

[ He hasn't. But he's not lying about the rest. ]

Benissimo, I think that's a fair trade!
3         „„„
ò ó        ò ó 。
U --OEƎO-- U  ¡

^(Me and you shaking hands! HA!)

[ oh no... It's getting more elaborate... ]

[This particular mailpiece grows significantly once it's delivered. It's a squishy square wrapped in plain mailing paper (or burlap or whatever the Somnius equivalent is), measuring about a square foot, an inch or two deep. Inside the wrap is a carefully folded [knit blue shawl], ombré hues matching both the earring she gifted to Livio as well as the dress she'd worn at the ball. It is much more refined than the enclosed letter.]

Meryl,
I don't know that I could come close to matching what you gave me. But I hope you like this anyway.
Christ, now that I'm looking at it, I really hope you don't think I'm calling you a granny or something. It's just that it feels like it's getting colder here than either of us is used to, and you're so small, I figured you would lose body heat fast and oh I sure am not helping my case here.
Merry Christmas, please forget I ever wrote this,
Livio

[The look Night Sky offers makes Meryl's heart ache. She hates seeing those doubts on the poor woman's face. Some stupid, romantic part of her wants to kiss them all away, and - well.

That's exactly what she does.]

She I hope you keep thinking that. About me, I mean.

( Night Sky kept her eyes closed, accepted and returned that kiss and then shifted both arms around Meryl, face buried against her neck. )

I will. ( she stayed like that as long as Meryl would allow, sighing softly after a long moment. ) I should probably let you go.

[Meryl keeps her cradled there, fingers once again burrowing into that thick hair. A sigh escapes her, ghosting over the back of poor Sky's ear. Meryl isn't trying to work her up I prommy but -]

Next time will be for longer. I promise.

[Sliding off of Night Sky's lap is the hardest part but... eventually she does.]

( What a shame she was already worked up. But that was a problem for future Night Sky to deal with once Meryl was gone.

She loosened her grip and let her go, making sure to brush her fingers over her hand one last time. )

I'd offer to walk you back, but I don't think I'd make it home. ( a laugh. ) Be safe, Meryl. I'll see you soon.

Thank you, Night Sky. [Okay, she'll steal one last kiss. She can't help it! But then yes, she'll slip away.]

I'll see you soon. Sooner than you think, even.

[Is she almost sprinting away? Maybe. But only because if she doesn't, she'll never leave.]

[ Taped rather haphazardly to Meryl's door, in what is probably the most garrish yellow gorilla tape imaginable is a little white box holding a necklace, and a note behind that. ]

Edited 2023-12-26 04:29 (UTC)

( he watches her out of the corner of his eye as she takes her first sip — not creepily, please don't think it's creepy, he just wants to see if you like it or not, and yes his gaze can be a little intense sometimes but he's working on that — and there may be a few things he still misses when it comes to the nuances of human expression, but there … isn't much of anything about this that could insinuate that the tea wasn't good. or at least passable.

maybe he's better at this so far than he'd originally thought. of course, that doesn't mean he isn't going to keep practicing until everything he puts together is perfect in his own mind, but that's neither here nor there.

he finally takes a drink from his own mug, letting the heat of the tea sink down to his core — you know, the sort of thing you can feel all the way down when it's that hot — and sighs quietly in the back of his throat. dare we say happily. ) I'm glad you enjoy it. It was my pleasure to put it together.

( there's another moment of silence as he takes another long sip, breathing in and out slowly through his nose. he's also glad he doesn't get more than that narrow-eyed look, but he might be even more so at the thought that she really does like what he's done for her. )

The idea of doing things with my hands is … cathartic, I suppose I could say? Something. Constructive, instead of destructive.

( AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, FOLKS. )

[Ultimately, Meryl has had some really bad tea in her days. That comes with the territory when you're trekking back and forth across the deserts. Supplies go bad. Some settlements don't have the freshest ingredients. Sometimes the water quality could be better. She learned long ago, thanks to a drunken old man, not to complain about what she was given. People made the best with what they had. The same was true for Knives.

Not that it was bad by any stretch. Meryl takes another sip, holding it in her mouth despite the way it burns her tongue. She lets herself take in every flavor while she can, before finally tilting her head back and swallowing once more.]

I'm glad you have that chance. I'm sure it never came easy to you before.

[She doesn't know everything about the Twins origins, but she picked up on a few things here and there in the midst of their fighting. Sure, most of what she heard was her own heartbeat in her ears, but she still picked up pieces her and there.]

I don't want to intrude but... if you ever need help anywhere. [She gives a delicate shrug. She won't assume she's cultivated that much goodwill, but she wants to offer it all the same.] We're all trying to survive together, right?

Night Sky would have preferred she make the hike up the forest path with Meryl so they could oooh and aahh at the bioluminescent flora together, but she figured that, one way or another, they'd at least be able to on the way down.

She had made it up to Starlight Cliff just as night settled over the small town below, sitting on a flat bit near the edge of the cliff with one leg tucked to her chest and the other extended outward. Meryl had said she would bring everything, but Night Sky brought a blanket anyway - just in case. It was colder now, and if they wanted to snuggle up, better to have extra to do so with, right? To further emphasize the chill, apparently, the dryad was actually wearing clothes, sweater and pants and all, her boots discarded the second she stopped walking, eyes flashing in the dark when she glanced around for any sign of her date.

In hindsight, Meryl probably should have thought twice before jumping at not just the idea of bringing all the food, but also being the one to carry it all. She winds up with three picnic baskets, each weighed down with their own goods. The first is a collection of fruits, meats, and cheeses meant to serve as an appetizer. Easily picked at while they carried on a lighter conversation. The second is weighed down by two separate containers, each containing a chicken breast, some sauteed greens and an equal portion of rice each, all of which is carefully drizzled with a cream sauce. There's also a bottle of wine in here, too. Because of course there is.

Finally, the third basket contains a collection of macarons, handmade by someone with far more talent than Meryl. The wine glasses and all of their cutlery are tucked away in here. It's the lightest of the bunch, but it has to be treated the most carefully.

By some miracle, she makes it up the cliff, finally catching sight of gleaming eyes and wild hair in the distance.

"Night Sky! I'm here! I'm sorry, I'm a little late - "

Night Sky, totally zoning out while she waited for Meryl, jumped when she shouted, head turning quickly in her direction, her eyes wide.

"Meryl!" Shouted back excitedly. Then, her brows furrowed and she pushed herself to a stand. "Gods, what is all of that--" better question, spoken as she hurried toward her, reaching for the closest basket she could grab - "Why didn't you tell me you needed help carrying it all?"

"O-oh? This? It's nothing, c'mon!"

Meryl flexes her arm now freed arm, as if to show off some muscle. None of it is even visible beneath the jacket she wears. This is to say nothing of the relieved sigh that spills out the second it seems that Night Sky isn't paying attention.

"I wasn't sure what you'd love the most, so I went a little overboard. At least there's a lot of options?" She toddles over to the spot that Night Sky has chosen, then sets her load down. "It's not too much, right?"

Night Sky followed alongside her. At this point, if Meryl was going to drop the baskets she would have already, but habit had her hovering just in case - that, and she wanted to be close the second she was free, a hand coming up to press her palm to Meryl's cheek and lean in to give her a quick peck on the lips.

"No. It's perfect." She replied, urging her to sit on the blanket she had already laid out. "Thank you. I'm glad you came - not that I doubted you would, of course. It's just nice to see you. Nice to have you to myself." And it was quiet, too, up on the cliff, save for the sounds of nearby waterfalls. "Did you see the flowers on the way up?"

Meryl makes sure all three baskets are set up around them, easily reached from any spot on the blanket. It just so happens that Night Sky manages to catch her on the way up. It's a wonder she doesn't startle and fall over, let alone the fact that she manages to return the kiss.

She isn't going to survive the night, she already knows it.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else - " Meryl's voice sounds sheepish. "The flowers were - really pretty. Yeah."

She didn't get the closest look at them, considering her distractions, but she'd grabbed a few peeks!

"It's beautiful up here. Really."

( the sad thing is that he may not even know bad tea if it was shoved into his face, just because he'd never tried it before; never needed to, never wanted to, never understood the appeal of it before now. which means it would have been even easier for him to make something awful, so he's even more pleased that it's something palatable.

he's quiet, for a moment, gaze now trained on his mug before him; there has been a lot of time and space between where he and his brother had started and where they are now, and he's certain there's still a very, very long way to go before they've completely mended the rift between them. the rift that he had caused, and realizes for as much, and is trying to make amends for. )

No. ( he finally says, more to himself than her, but still loud enough that she'll be able to pick up on it. ) It could have, had I wanted it to, but I never thought about it. ( pause. ) Because it got in the way of so much I had planned. It wasn't right.

( he sets his mug down for a moment, fingers resting against the edge of the counter; for a handful of very long seconds he doesn't look back down at her, almost as though he's either having an existential crisis or a come-to-jesus talk with himself in his head, we'll never know.

but then she says that and he finally turns to look at her again, eyes wide and brow furrowed. like such a thing had never been offered to him before. ) You … would help me? If I asked?

"Me either." Night Sky forcefully shoved down the voice in the back of her head that told her that there probably were superior alternatives to being here with her, even in Somnius. Not now. Not tonight. It was going to be a good night dammit.

As per usual, the dryad sat close enough to bump her shoulder against Meryl's, voice low like she didn't want to disturb the silence too much. "It's one of my favorite spots." She said, "I'm glad you like it."

She motioned to the baskets. "Show me what you made. I'm excited to try it all."

[It's hard to miss the tension building within their own heads. They're drifting into difficult territory, into something that she know she can't speak for certain on. Regardless of how she feels about what happened between the brothers, she'll never have the capacity to know their perspective. His perspective.

But it was just as she said. They were trying to survive together. Even if she couldn't fully process what had come to pass between not just the brothers, but all of humanity, she could empathize. She could lend him strength, and maybe — if she dared to be so bold — she could grant him faith in at least one human.

With this resolve in mind, no one would blame her if she reached out to him. Allowing her fingers thread in between his would only be the next natural step. Contact was a normal, human thing to offer in time of need, after all. Where words failed, her strength would come in the form of a gentle touch. Even for someone as awkward and fumbling as her, this much was second nature.

— So second nature that she doesn't realize she's actually done it until she feels the cool press of Knives' own skin against her own. There's a moment where she freezes, wondering if this is a mistake, wondering if he'll pull away. But rather than pull back and make a fool of herself, she commits.]

I'm here for you. That's what friends are for.

"Well, before you get too excited, it's not all handmade." Does she sound a little disappointed about this? Maybe. "I don't think I could make a macaron if I tried. And there's no way I'd be able to cut meat this thin. But - "

She says this as she pulls each item out of the basket, laying the feast out for Night Sky to take in.

"The main course is all me. I... hope poultry is okay? I figured a nice vegetable would go well with a starch. And something to bring it all together, too."

Her speech out of the way, and with every item now displayed, Meryl finally feels the faintest inklings of embarrassment.

"If it's too much. Or if it's not good, just tell me, okay?"

"I couldn't make most of it if I tried, so you're doing better than me." She laughed, eyes wide in awe at the array of food before her. It smelled heavenly, and given how she had made sure not to eat for a while before they met, Night Sky may very well have been drooling.

She also may have been tearing up. "It's great." She murmured, leaning over to kiss Meryl's cheek. "And I'm sure it will taste great, too." She plucked a strawberry from the first basket and took a bite. "You know," and swallowed, "not to bring the mood down, but back home... I was sick for a long time and couldn't taste much. Everything I ate tasted like ash and smelled like nothing. Even if it tasted awful - and I'm sure it won't - it'll be amazing because you made some of it, and I'm glad I can appreciate it properly."

Meryl's chin tips upward, a grin starting to form on her lips. Shy as she could be, she certainly did love her praise. And Night Sky was being very forthcoming with it.

That smile does fade when the dryad's background, her struggles come up. Meryl glances down at the food, then back up. "That's horrible. I... can't imagine."

After chewing on her lip for just a moment, she reaches down to fold a bit of meat around a piece of cheese, then holds it up for Night Sky to take a bite of.

"We'll have to make sure you get at least a bite of everything, then!"

Night Sky looked from the offered food, to Meryl, and smiled. "You're going to be carrying me down the trail at this rate." She teased, opening her mouth to take that bite - making sure her lips grazed Meryl's fingers before she pulled back. "Now when you say everything, does that mean I get a bite of you, too?" She winked.

( in her defense, his perspective is probably the most difficult one, if only because his thought processes have been so skewed for so long that he's beginning to wonder if he's ever understood himself on the most basic level; he almost can't remember the last time he'd had a thought that wasn't about bringing down the whole of humanity, of watching them all burn for what they'd done to his sister, the plants in general — except, perhaps, in more recent months.

curiously, he hasn't had a single ill thought of humanity in general since the human next to him had shown up. and tried to effectively beat him up, but. he's learning that the small ones are always the most feisty, even if he could have guessed it from the very start. before they'd both come here.

her second nature is so foreign to him that he's the one that almost pulls back from it; it startles him, to say the very least of it, a bit of a tremor working its way through him from their point of contact, where she's laced their fingers together and he's almost certain he stops breathing for a handful of seconds. long enough for him to register the touch of skin against skin, cool against warm, how soft her fingers are.

he's so unused to touch that doesn't come from his brother that it takes him a moment to pull himself together, and before he realizes it, he's squeezing her fingers in return. subtly, but it's very much there. )

Friends. ( he says quietly, voice barely above a whisper. it feels tentative, what he wants to say next, but she's taken her chance with him more than anything else, and it's his turn to take a leap of faith. ) I believe you're the first I've made here, little one. ( despite vash wishing he would get out and meet people more, he's never going to put himself out there as much as his brother does.

and he isn't being condescending, either. not in the slightest. welcome to your new nickname, but we aren't going to be upset if she gets all huffy about it at first. or stays huffy about it. it's going to stick, so she might as well get used to it. ) I'm here for you as well, should you ever have need of me.

Well, after all that food I carried, I'm sure I can manage it.

[She will save them both the embarrassment of flexing again. Mostly because she is too embarrassed by Night Sky-]

I - uh. Well. I didn't have it on the menu, b-but...

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