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[notsonewbie]

derringers

derringers#1225

---

ABOUT ME

Meryl Stryfe, at your service!

NOTE

(Unless it's about something Vash did)

Message @username

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dont look at me

[bountyfull]

[ Vash is currently standing outside of Meryls room with a tray in his hands. There's a plate with a sandwich on it, nothing fancy. Meat, lettuce, tomato. But he's the one that made it, and there's a glass of water too. He frowns at it for a moment, fingers tightening around the handles of the tray before he exhales a dramatic sigh and leans his head back so he's staring up at the ceiling.

A moment later he's knocking on the door with the toe of his boot. Let him in. ]

[notsonewbie]

[Meryl is, at the moment, sat on the floor of her room. She has a notebook out, filled to the brim with, well, notes. Meticulously, she copies down her words onto makeshift notecards, which are all assembled in various positions. Right now she's dressed down in just a tanktop and some shorts. She isn't expecting company or anything.

Which is why she jumps a little when she hears the knock at the door. She glances up at it, squinting for just a second, before hopping to her feet.]

Just a second.

[She has to tiptoe around her work to get to the door, but eventually she opens it wide. She glances from the tray up to Vash's face, then back down.]

Uh - Vash?

[bountyfull]

[ He's almost completely distracted by the mess behind Meryl that he barely registers her saying his name. He startles a little a moment later and thrusts the tray forward towards her. ]

Uh. Here. I thought you might be hungry.

[ There's a pause as his curiosity floats back to whatever controlled chaos Meryl is working on. ]

What's all that?

[notsonewbie]

Oh, uh - [She takes the tray quickly, wary of the glass of water. Now that she's thinking about it, she can't quite remember the last time she ate. Her stomach immediately emphasizes that fact by choosing to growl in that moment.

Kill her now.]

Thanks, I guess?

[She takes the tray into the room, finding a spare spot on the ground to set it on. She hasn't moved much furniture in beyond the basics yet, and she's not about to start eating on her bed.]

It's research! Messages from other people. Dates. Events. Just little things. I figure if someone can put a halfway decent guide together, new people might be in better shape!

[She pauses for a second, rocking on her heels.]

I said thank you, right? [She didn't. She still hasn't.] Because. Thanks. A lot.

delivery ( don't have a stroke, short stuff ).

[scads]

( anyone that lives in the castle ( or comes and goes, who honestly knows how many people flit in and out of their shared space with how many friends vash has, and how many strays he ends up bringing home ) may or may not have noticed this one trying his hand at things like cooking; he's still very much in the beginner stage, but he's been learning quite a bit about herbs and spices and tea, and when it comes to the thought of giving gifts to certain people in the near future …

close to the middle of the month, meryl will find a bundle of sachets tied together to look as presentable as possible in whatever place she happens to frequent the most that isn't her room, because he isn't about to intrude on her personal space. they look pretty basic, but they smell of spices and close to something that may resemble chamomile, or anything that might help her relax when she seems to need it most. there's even a handwritten note attached:

Thank you for looking after Vash.

there's no name attached to it, but is there really anyone else that would thank her personally for looking after their resident typhoon?

please enjoy your ( patent pending ) millions knives tea blend, small one. merry christmas. )

in which meryl has a stroke

[notsonewbie]

[Well, well, well. Just what is she supposed to do with this? It's her first gift since arriving here, unless one counts Naiche's so-called treat. It's also the first of the season, which makes it all the more incredible when she thinks about just who sent it to her.

Yes, tea is for drinking, but for a long moment, all she does with it is stare. She rolls the sachet back and forth within her palm, considering them even as she takes in the scent.

This won't do. She can't have Millions Knives sending her gifts and not return the gesture. And she certainly can't return it in some lame way. She'll need to do far better.

... but first, maybe she'll make some tea. She should probably calm down before she gets too worked up over the gesture, right? Yeah. That sounds good.]

i said DON'T do that!!!

[scads]

( don't read too much into it, all right? he's been experimenting and he knows he likes tea — since he has to eat and drink and all that nonsense now — and he's come to realize that there really are very few things nicer ( to him ) than being able to sit down with a nice cup when he's feeling tense. or when he has something to read.

yeah, he's taken to reading a lot during his time here, too. that really isn't outside of his wheelhouse, but it furthers the notion that he's pretty much become a domesticated housecat.

so what if he wants to share something he enjoys with a human that isn't as bad as the rest of them? so what!?

he just happens to be in the kitchen making a cup of his own tea when she decides she should make some for herself, and to say that he lets a surprised noise slip would be putting it mildly — he was not expecting to run into her so quickly after dropping his gift off where she'd find it — but he recovers quickly enough that she might miss it entirely.

knowing her, she won't. ) —Oh. ( he says, as conversationally as possible, unconsciously reaching to tag down another mug and set it down where she can reach it. just being, uh. friendly, or something. ) Did you find your gift? ( just. nonchalant as anything. nbd. )

TOO LATE. INSTRUCTIONS UNCLEAR.

[notsonewbie]

[Likewise, Meryl was also not expecting to run into Knives so quickly. She jumps with enough force that she very nearly drops the parcel cupped delicately in her hands. She snatches it back up toward her chest, then turns to look at Knives with something close to a glare. He's likely one of the only people that only gets Meryl at 75% of her worst. Granted, that's because she's still a little terrified of him.

But only a little.]

Oh, uh. Yeah, I did! [She holds it out, still cradled in her palms like some fragile thing. Clearly she liked it, even if she's now humiliated at just how much she'd treasured it. She can already hear him laughing at her.

... At least he has the decency to reach the higher shelves for her.]

Were you already warming some water up?

I LITERALLY SAID DON'T HAVE A STROKE IT'S R I G H T T H E R E

[scads]

( 75% of her worst is actually. a lot like a feral kitten doing all the hissing and spitting it does when it feels threatened without actually following through; he doesn't mean it in a condescending way, not in the slightest — even if it might end up coming off that way at times — but it really is endearing more than anything else.

( but she has every right to still be afraid of him, even if it's just a little. )

he isn't going to laugh, mostly because he's gotten a bit more used to how easily she startles and how … animatedly she reacts to certain things ( because vash does it too, and he can only imagine they happen to feed off of each other more often than they don't ), and what had he said about the whole of it ( her ) being endearing?

you're welcome for the mug, tiny one. ) Good. ( he says at first, his tone a little flat, if only because he has zero ( 0!! ) idea of how to go about something like this. ) Please don't feel obligated to keep it if it isn't any good … there's, ah. A bit more of a learning curve to tea-making than I was prepared for. ( read: his first attempt was really just throwing a bunch of things that smelled nice in together and the result had been disastrous.

he sniffs, looks up from where a kettle of water is currently warming and nods. ) It should be ready soon.

[bountyfull]

Research... [ He basically hums the word to himself as he steps over, careful to avoid stepping on anything or disturbing her organization. He's quiet as he looks over everything, his expression shifting now and again, but eventually there's a very serene little smile on his face.

Trust Meryl to come up with something this thoughtful. With how diligent and relentless she can be, he's sure that it'll be a very thorough guide. He glances back up from the scattered research to grin at her from behind the fringe of his bangs. ]

If you're the one working on it I know it'll be great. [ He blinks then, shrugging one shoulder. ]

You don't have to thank me. I thought you might be hungry. You've been in your room for a long time.

Hmmmm /doubt

[notsonewbie]

[After depositing the tea bag into the mug, Meryl settles for folding her fingers around it. Rocking on her heels just a little, she casually steals a glance at the man from the corner of her eye. It's not that she's scared of meeting his eyes, she just still isn't used to his general presence. Mentally, she's mostly managed to clear the hurdles that have come with sharing a living space with Millions Knives. Conceptually, it's a done deal. The problem is reconciling that with his very broad, very large physical presence.

He makes her feel small in a multitude of ways. It's all unintentional, but she can't help but feel, if not nervous, then at a loss around him. Trying to make small talk felt inappropriate. She can't quite fathom asking him about the weather.

For a mercy, though, Knives is the one that picks a topic to settle on. Meryl resists the urge to sigh in relief, forcing herself to listen intently to every word.]

Well, we'll see about the taste but... [Finally she wills herself to turn her head, offering a smile.] It smells good. If it fails at being tea, we can just call it fancy potpourri.

[notsonewbie]

[As Vash moves closer, Meryl's head whips up. She's about to snap and tell him to be careful but — his feet delicately avoid the careful arrangement of notes. She flashes a grateful, if a hint shy, smile, before ducking her head back down.]

We'll see about that. It's nowhere near done yet. And even once it is, I'll have to figure out how to print and distribute it. But... one step at a time, right?

[She moves another notecard to the left. This column appears to be entirely dedicated to Vaeros, and happens to be the thinnest of them all. There are a few notes about his castle, and what others seem to think of him, but beyond that there isn't much to go off of. The other sections — Somnius, Locations, and Transplants — seem to be much more filled in with details.]

Has it really been that long? [She lifts a hand and scratches at her head, then stretches out. Judging by the knot developing between her shoulders? It sure has been...] Guess a break can't hurt.

[labyrinmods]

[ One morning, as your character steps out of their home, they are greeted by an owl messenger, bearing a letter. The letter tells them that they have been selected to participate in a gift exchange, and they are to deliver a gift to Samatoki Aohitsugi by the end of the month. The letter says nothing more, and once the letter is read, the owl will fly away. ]

don't you doubt me in my own house

[scads]

( at least in this new space they all have plenty to call their own so they aren't stumbling over one another every time they turn around, and knives generally … keeps to himself more often than he doesn't. solitude is something he's long since come to find comfort in, generally not feeling the need to seek out companionship so it isn't like she would see him much —

but of course there are going to be times in which they find themselves in the kitchen at the same time. like this one. neither of them knowing what they're supposed to do and both of them feeling just this side of awkward about it. maybe it won't be that way forever, but no one knows in the here-and-now of it.

he's never going to be the sort to default to small-talk in any situation, not only because he's terrible at it but because it's pointless, so the fact that he's the one to be counted on for carrying the conversation forward is … hilarious, if narration is perfectly honest. learn how to talk to people, knife.

her comment makes him chuckle a bit, which probably sounds even more strange than talking about something as mundane as tea in the first place. ) I suppose that is a positive, isn't it? ( he turns just a bit, blinks at her smile and somehow manages to return it with one of his own.

we swear it doesn't just look like he's baring his teeth. ) I would like to hone my skills a bit better, if I"m honest. It's become something of a hobby.

Hm!!!

[notsonewbie]

[While it's true that Knives does keep to himself, it doesn't take into account one variable. Unused to his presence as she is, Meryl has found that lately, she wants to be used to him. Now that she's gotten over the worst of her suspicion, she's found that there's so much more she wants to know about him. Seeking him out might have been an option, but she hadn't yet cleared the hurdle of making a demand of his presence.

So for now she settles for the casual brush of elbows in communal areas. It's polite, an amicable relationship between two people who likely never would have thought of it some handful of months ago. And if this is all she'll get, then she'll accept as much graciously.

But still, she's allowed to want a little more. Especially now, when they're talking like friends and he's actually smiling..]

If it's that important to you, then I'm sure it's fine. You don't strike me as the type of guy to leave something half-done. [It's not a slight at him, she promises. She's just gotten a feel for his determination, and knows that he wouldn't have gone into any project, let alone one that would leave him subject to scrutiny, without extensive testing.]

[scads]

( ... well. that's certainly some progress, isn't it? given that their initial meeting here had gone about as well as one might have predicted — better, actually — he hasn't wanted to infringe on her personal space just for the sake of wanting to get to know her, in turn. after all, she's important to vash, someone he wants to keep close, keep safe.

would it be so hard to believe that, given all these new leaves knives is turning over ( no, that is not a plant joke, just very convenient timing ) … he would want to keep her close and safe as well?

translation: she could demand his presence if she wanted. it may just be a bit difficult to deny such a strong presence anything she wanted. ( but he is not about to tell her that. not in the least. )

the water has finally finished heating, and he moves to pour some into both of their mugs, not speaking up again until he's set the kettle back down and is contemplating his own steeping tea in front of him. ) It gives me something to do. ( he says after a moment of stretched silence. it's about as close to admitting that he feels sort of useless in this place as he's going to get.

he hasn't even insinuated as much to vash. and that's saying something. ) I've also been toying with the idea of learning how to cook. Seeing as so many of you need to eat and all. ( yes, you heard that correctly.

he wants to feed you. )

voice; @warden

[wildwarden]

Hey, Meryl. It's Night Sky. I hope you haven't forgotten me. Do you have a few minutes?

[notsonewbie]

[She isn't annoyed that Knives reaches the water before she can, per se. She just scowls up at him, brief as can be. It doesn't even reach her eyes. Quickly. she's losing the ability to gather her temper around him. Not when he takes everything so well and has been genuinely kind. It's strange that her so-called (and very one-sided) worst enemy had become one of the few people she could trust to respect her boundaries.

So, with all her venom tempered, all she can really do is try to read his movements. Some part of her mind does supply: he's not used to having nothing to do, but she pushes it from her mind. She can't imagine that Knives would be prone to listlessness. Even if he had turned over those new, proverbial leaves, she can't imagine him sitting still.

Surely he would have found something to do.]

I don't think you should have to go out of your way to cook for us. Even if you mean well. [It just feels wrong to have him help out while she's done almost nothing.] There's gotta be something more you can do for yourself. That way you're not feeling beholden to anyone.

text; un: signor vespa

[prontissimo]

OK so!
Saw your post, you can help me with my investigazion:

my letter said I should get a gift for Signor Di Feisheng

Do you know him?

text // un: livio

[livlaughlove]

hey... about that uh... "investigative journaling."

hold on
that sounded so condescending
i'm so sorry
shit

uh. anyway. what are your rates?

[notsonewbie]

Oh - [Meryl stops what she's doing immediately, thank you very much.] Night Sky! It's - um. Been awhile! Are you doing okay?

[wildwarden]

( Night Sky has absolutely no concept of time. Has it been a while? Shit. )

I'm fantastic. How are you? Keeping busy?

[notsonewbie]

Hello to you too, Alberto.
I'm not familiar with Di Feisheng. But that's not to say I can't be familiar with him. You want me to try and pry some information out of him?

[notsonewbie]

Nice save, big guy.
No rates. Consider it pro bono work so I can prove myself with the bigger stuff later on!

Who are you supposed to be giving a gift to?

[notsonewbie]

[Even if it had been a day, Meryl still would have said it anyway. She's cringe like that.]

I'm... I'm good! Definitely keeping busy! Trying to get acclimated here. That sort of thing.
Um, what about you?