"But...?" She replied, still leaning in close, chest lightly pressed into Meryl's shoulder. At least she was clothed this time? "Think you can add to it, or is it too late?" She pouted. What a shame that would be.
( Night Sky laughed and kissed Meryl's cheek before easing back, seemingly not upset by the insistence that they eat first. It would be a shame, truly, to have all her efforts go to waste.)
Of course. ( She picked up another piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth, idly picking at the other meats and cheeses on offer while they spoke. ) So other than making us a feast, what else have you been up to?
"Oh, well." Meryl picks up grape and chews on it idly. "I'm working on putting a business together. A publishing agency, in fact. It's what I used to do back home, and I think it might really help out here, too."
"A publishing agency? Like - for books?" Sorry, she was a wood-dwelling fantasy creature who only recently kind of learned how to read in general. They have whole businesses for publishing? It's not just some guy breaking his wrist scribing things?
She shrugged. "Same old. Spend a lot of time in the castle garden getting high on moonglow." Like an absolute bum. "I've been visiting Livio to see how his garden is growing."
"Maybe, eventually!" She hums to herself as she pulls up another few grapes. God, she loves having readily available fruit. "But mostly it'll be a newsletter for now. A good way to keep up with updates from around Somnius, right?"
Meryl's brow pinches, and she makes a note to ask about this 'moonglow.' For now, she's more distracted by the much more pleasant topic of Livio. Oops.
"I don't see why not. You'll probably have to come over and read them to me though, since I can just barely scrape by these days." Literacy was for the birds. She supported Meryl though!
She chuckled, swallowed the cheese and bread she had in her mouth before speaking. "I didn't realize you two knew each other." She said. "I probably shouldn't be talking about other people on our date, but let me say - he sounded pretty fond of you."
"Do you not know how to read?" Mery lsidles up all the closer. "If you want to learn, I can teach you. I mean, I probably wouldn't be that good at it but..."
She threads a hand into her own hair, pushing it back idly as she thinks. "It'd be a reason to spend more time together, right?"
Naturally, her cheeks flush at Night Sky's words. She shouldn't be surprised but -
"Of course he is." A huff. "I'll be honest he was... one of the people I was thinking of. When I hesitated with all of this."
"Red Son has been teaching me." She said. "But he's busy with the forge a lot, and I hate bugging him while he's working so - if you wanted, I wouldn't mind." Like she needed an excuse to spend time with her - be it far from her not to take it though.
She smiled, genuinely pleased by the admission. "Yeah? You should go for it. I asked him on a date and he said yes. He's kind of in the same position I am - boyfriend, free to see others. You know." So clearly it wasn't a terrible option. "Assuming it's, uh... not a one and done for me and you, though, if you did..." She still wasn't sure where Meryl stood on all that. Maybe she didn't feel like juggling multiple relationships - which would be totally fine.
"It's a plan, then." She will be the best teacher. Definitely. They won't get distracted or anything.
See, what Night Sky says is all well and good, but Meryl puffs up all the same. She has a perfectly valid reason for it, she thinks.
"He didn't tell me he had a boyfriend." Her cheeks puff out in aggravation. She was going to have to scold him for that one. Rude. "But um. Yeah. Maybe I will. Because..."
She inhales, fidgeting just a little.
"I think I'm okay with seeing multiple people. As long as that's still oaky with you."
"Oh." Oops!? Sorry Livio! "Maybe they just started dating? He only mentioned it when I asked him on a date, so..." go easy on the poor guy, Meryl.
Anyway! Night Sky leaned into her again, more shoulder than chest (you're welcome) to gently kiss her cheek. "Of course, sweetness. I want you to find as much love and joy as you can, with me or anyone else you want." Especially with her, obviously, but that was a given seeing as they were on a date. "Sorry if I'm being kind of - uh. Blunt, I guess. I just like to know where I stand. Last time I didn't make it clear I was interested in being someone's girlfriend I- well. Let's just say it wasn't pretty."
"Hmph!" Clearly someone is agitated about this. But that's a problem for a different day.
For right now, she has a very cute, well. Girlfriend, as it were, to deal with. Mostly in leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Nice and sweet.
"I'm sorry that happened... But I'm glad you're being blunt with me. Otherwise I'd probably be fumbling around all over the place. I'm kind of a mess, too. If you hadn't noticed."
Night Sky closed her eyes and hummed softly, her smile never fading from her lips. Odd how easily that had worked out - just being honest and upfront instead of assuming and guessing. She would have saved herself so many tears and miserable lonely nights if she had done that sooner.
"It's okay. It worked out in the end. Taught me a lesson, too, to just be honest about my feelings." And if Meryl had gone in the opposite direction, she probably wouldn't have minded as much because of it. Thankfully, she didn't. Her eyes fluttered open again. She reached for a small piece of fruit and offered it to Meryl's lips. "We can be messes together."
There's only a brief moment of hesitation before Meryl leans forward. This time, it's her chance to be a little bold, lips briefly closing around Night Sky's fingers before pulling back to take the fruit. She hums softly as she chews it, then swallows it down.
"I like the sound of that." It makes her heart thud heavy within her chest. "And we already know that I like you, so -"
At least Night Sky doesn't make her feel as humiliated as she could be. Everything she says is so gentle and thoughtful.
Night Sky's hand hung in the air even after the fruit vanished, her eyes honing in on Meryl's lips, her mind wandering far and wide just from that little taste of boldness she offered. She barely heard the first comment - only registered the question a second later than she should have and quickly snapped to attention.
"After that? Like I don't know if I'm going to make it through the entire meal without trying to skip right to the last course." She laughed "So. Good. I'm - really good, Meryl."
Meryl, ever the oblivious, just tilts her head. She's sure there's something going on, based strictly on that reaction to her stunt but... nope, two and two are not being put together!
"I mean... there's nothing wrong with eating the macarons now?"
"Aww, Meryl, don't be like that. Hey-" she shifted - careful of the myriad of food around them - so she was in front of her, fingers trying to gently pry Meryl's free from her face. "Come on, I'm just teasing you. I mean- I do absolutely want to sleep with you, but only if you want to." And after they ate, obviously. "Do you want me to stop?"
"No, no!" Her hands lower, revealing a blush that runs straight to the tips of her ears. She lays one hand in her lap, clutching at the fabric of her pants. The other, at least, lays delicately over Night Sky's own.
"You saying it isn't the problem. It's me not getting it through my thick head!" She inhales sharply, trying to soothe her nerves with a few deep breaths.
She took her hand, threaded their fingers together, and squeezed reassuringly. Her other hand rose to brush her knuckles across the flushed red of Meryl's cheeks as she leaned forward to press their foreheads together.
"Hey." More serious and pointed this time. "You're okay, sweetheart." She said nothing more for a few moments, letting Meryl inhale those steadying breaths. "I'll ease up a little. I don't want you to stress while we're supposed to be having fun."
"And..." Another deep breath. "What if I don't want you to ease up?"
Dancing around Meryl's more delicate sensitivities wasn't going to get them anywhere. Not when she actually wanted Night Sky. Her head tilts, just enough to brush their noses together.
She tilted her head, both in a curious gesture, and to return that soft affection. "Then I won't, if that's what you really want." She pressed a soft, fleeting kiss to her lips.
"I have to ask - have you been with anyone before?" The blushing, the way she flustered, how long it took her to actually figure out what Night Sky was talking about- it was kind of important information to know before she pushed further. "You don't have to go into detail, obviously."
Fleeting is unfortunate, as it turns out. Meryl leans into the kiss, only to huff with some amount of agitation when Night Sky pulls back. Just when she's getting into it!
"I - haven't. I didn't really have time for it in school, I was too busy studying. And then once I was in the field, well..."
She motions vaguely. She doesn't need to get into how hard it is to hook up with anyone in the desert. Or the fact that she might have been carrying a torch for someone at the time.
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[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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She forces herself to swallow. To push the sapphic thoughts away for the time being.]
Why don't we - uh. [A deep breath.] See how we're feeling after we finish up?
[It's not a no. More of a "please let's enjoy the food I lugged up here before letting it go to waste.]
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Of course. ( She picked up another piece of fruit and popped it in her mouth, idly picking at the other meats and cheeses on offer while they spoke. ) So other than making us a feast, what else have you been up to?
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She tilts her head, just a little.
"What about you?"
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She shrugged. "Same old. Spend a lot of time in the castle garden getting high on moonglow." Like an absolute bum. "I've been visiting Livio to see how his garden is growing."
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Meryl's brow pinches, and she makes a note to ask about this 'moonglow.' For now, she's more distracted by the much more pleasant topic of Livio. Oops.
"I didn't realize you two knew each other."
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She chuckled, swallowed the cheese and bread she had in her mouth before speaking. "I didn't realize you two knew each other." She said. "I probably shouldn't be talking about other people on our date, but let me say - he sounded pretty fond of you."
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She threads a hand into her own hair, pushing it back idly as she thinks. "It'd be a reason to spend more time together, right?"
Naturally, her cheeks flush at Night Sky's words. She shouldn't be surprised but -
"Of course he is." A huff. "I'll be honest he was... one of the people I was thinking of. When I hesitated with all of this."
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She smiled, genuinely pleased by the admission. "Yeah? You should go for it. I asked him on a date and he said yes. He's kind of in the same position I am - boyfriend, free to see others. You know." So clearly it wasn't a terrible option. "Assuming it's, uh... not a one and done for me and you, though, if you did..." She still wasn't sure where Meryl stood on all that. Maybe she didn't feel like juggling multiple relationships - which would be totally fine.
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See, what Night Sky says is all well and good, but Meryl puffs up all the same. She has a perfectly valid reason for it, she thinks.
"He didn't tell me he had a boyfriend." Her cheeks puff out in aggravation. She was going to have to scold him for that one. Rude. "But um. Yeah. Maybe I will. Because..."
She inhales, fidgeting just a little.
"I think I'm okay with seeing multiple people. As long as that's still oaky with you."
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Anyway! Night Sky leaned into her again, more shoulder than chest (you're welcome) to gently kiss her cheek. "Of course, sweetness. I want you to find as much love and joy as you can, with me or anyone else you want." Especially with her, obviously, but that was a given seeing as they were on a date. "Sorry if I'm being kind of - uh. Blunt, I guess. I just like to know where I stand. Last time I didn't make it clear I was interested in being someone's girlfriend I- well. Let's just say it wasn't pretty."
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For right now, she has a very cute, well. Girlfriend, as it were, to deal with. Mostly in leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. Nice and sweet.
"I'm sorry that happened... But I'm glad you're being blunt with me. Otherwise I'd probably be fumbling around all over the place. I'm kind of a mess, too. If you hadn't noticed."
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"It's okay. It worked out in the end. Taught me a lesson, too, to just be honest about my feelings." And if Meryl had gone in the opposite direction, she probably wouldn't have minded as much because of it. Thankfully, she didn't. Her eyes fluttered open again. She reached for a small piece of fruit and offered it to Meryl's lips. "We can be messes together."
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"I like the sound of that." It makes her heart thud heavy within her chest. "And we already know that I like you, so -"
At least Night Sky doesn't make her feel as humiliated as she could be. Everything she says is so gentle and thoughtful.
"So, um. How are you feeling right now?
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Night Sky's hand hung in the air even after the fruit vanished, her eyes honing in on Meryl's lips, her mind wandering far and wide just from that little taste of boldness she offered. She barely heard the first comment - only registered the question a second later than she should have and quickly snapped to attention.
"After that? Like I don't know if I'm going to make it through the entire meal without trying to skip right to the last course." She laughed "So. Good. I'm - really good, Meryl."
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"I mean... there's nothing wrong with eating the macarons now?"
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The dryad booped Meryl's nose playfully, then leaned in close, voice low. "I meant you, sweet thing."
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And then logic slams into her like a raging worm. Her eyes go wide, and she promptly puts her head in her hands.
"Never mind! Forget it!"
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"You saying it isn't the problem. It's me not getting it through my thick head!" She inhales sharply, trying to soothe her nerves with a few deep breaths.
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"Hey." More serious and pointed this time. "You're okay, sweetheart." She said nothing more for a few moments, letting Meryl inhale those steadying breaths. "I'll ease up a little. I don't want you to stress while we're supposed to be having fun."
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Dancing around Meryl's more delicate sensitivities wasn't going to get them anywhere. Not when she actually wanted Night Sky. Her head tilts, just enough to brush their noses together.
"Someone's gotta get it through my head, right?"
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"I have to ask - have you been with anyone before?" The blushing, the way she flustered, how long it took her to actually figure out what Night Sky was talking about- it was kind of important information to know before she pushed further. "You don't have to go into detail, obviously."
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"I - haven't. I didn't really have time for it in school, I was too busy studying. And then once I was in the field, well..."
She motions vaguely. She doesn't need to get into how hard it is to hook up with anyone in the desert. Or the fact that she might have been carrying a torch for someone at the time.
"That's not a dealbreaker, is it?"
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