[ she will NOT stop thinking about it but omo will because i need to shitpost so bad i have too many serious pcs. (and then cyoa returns happen, fukken help.) have another animal crossing react which is inappropriately cute in response to someone's hometown being wiped out!! ]
...I see.
[ STOPS THINKING I GUESS, HEAD EMPTY HOURS. she moves over to the invasive tree boughs, mindful of any broken glass on the floor. ]
Need anything else while we're here?
[ she can gather other fuit, too, while she searches. they may not taste as good but they won't get them high, either. ]
[ they're actually here. they're honestly impossible to miss—bright yellow stars, just absolute units. they're probably a little paler than usual because they're in hell. ]
These are called paopu fruit, and they only grow on a certain island in my world.
[ "if two people share one... they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what." she plucks one and sets it aside. it's not for us, tho... 😭😭😭
she then starts foraging the ground... for fallen chestnuts...!! ]
[ MY MUGEN LORE!!!! aqua will gendgame but i, omo, will personally propose to nehan W7 with a perpetuity ring. ]
A legend, but not without a bit of magic, too.
[ she pulls out her wayfinder charm! she loves doing this unsolicited. she will never stop giving free friendship speeches, even if the people (nehan) will reject her message. ]
In my world, star-shaped charms are meant to bring travelers good luck and keep them connected to their loved ones. [ based off of the paopu fruit, of course. ] Mine usually has a spell that leads me to my friends.
he does look over the charm with a distant curiosity. ]
...I see.
[ a babysitting gps. anyway, as much as he does not believe in having friends of his own, he does not begrudge the entire concept of camaraderie. it is important. ]
Does it work the other way around? Can they find you? [ why were you alone in the darkness for so long... ]
[ her friends are what keeps her heart going strong.
she puts the charm away and manages to carefully scoop up a few chestnuts off the ground with the shallow basket she's got, and passes said basket over to nehan. why are these shells so evil-looking. anyway, yours now. ]
[ chestnut hulls are literally thorns and very Pointy.... i have been hit by several of these in my youth
but the actual chestnuts themselves are very smooth. he doesn't take them right away, squinting a little at them and then her. he did not ask for this. ]
I don't have any. I just move along at fate's tempo.
[ i picked so many chestnuts as a Youth.. they are violent and hateful......
his thoughts are a weird little scramble then, like a string untangling itself. what was he thinking? why? ]
What an awfully trivial thing for fate to care about.
[ but after a moment, he plucks one out of the basket, carefully, dropping it to the ground. ]
...You'll get hurt trying to open these with your hands. You step on them with your shoes and crack open the burs that way.
[ he cannot do this well because one of his legs is kind of useless, but he'll demonstrate with his good one, stepping on the spiky hull until it gives and some chestnuts fall out. ]
[ she watches as he demonstrates and then tries it herself, smiling when she successfully manages to procure some chestnuts from a second hull. ]
...That's much easier than it looks. Thanks for showing me.
[ she can crack the last couple ones open too, and refill the basket with shiny smooth chestnuts rather than spiky abominations. yaaaaaay he can't even taste these yaaaaaay ]
[ i will miss you so much cute animal crossing emoji
fate and its whimsy. he takes the basket this time with some hesitation, though these chestnuts are much nicer than the horrible burs. she can have a very brief glimpse of an unusually happy memory then: a small campfire, an erune girl with dark gray hair, slicing chestnut shells open with a little knife. it is murky, but full of fondness and warmth.
but it fades quickly enough, and he doesn't remark on it. ]
...It's fine. You should take some, since you did all the work.
[ the memory itself is unexpected, a beam of sunlight diffusing through their overcast surroundings. it isn't entirely a surprise, though, that someone like nehan would harbor such a cherished memory underneath a prickly exterior. and it's saddening to know the reasons why he does.
it's gone in only a blink, but the warmth and ache of it basks in her heart for two counts longer. she's thoughtful for a moment, and then collects a small handful of chestnuts with a smile. three's a good number. ]
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no subject
...I see.
[ STOPS THINKING I GUESS, HEAD EMPTY HOURS. she moves over to the invasive tree boughs, mindful of any broken glass on the floor. ]
Need anything else while we're here?
[ she can gather other fuit, too, while she searches. they may not taste as good but they won't get them high, either. ]
no subject
No.
[ though thought week will gently betray that he is thinking about chestnuts? maybe not even consciously? but good luck getting those, they hurt. ]
Just get enough for yourself.
no subject
Hmm... [ she is looking... ] —Oh!
[ they're actually here. they're honestly impossible to miss—bright yellow stars, just absolute units. they're probably a little paler than usual because they're in hell. ]
These are called paopu fruit, and they only grow on a certain island in my world.
[ "if two people share one... they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what." she plucks one and sets it aside. it's not for us, tho... 😭😭😭
she then starts foraging the ground... for fallen chestnuts...!! ]
no subject
...What a romantic notion.
[ What a commitment. ]
Thinking of proposing to someone?
no subject
No, it's for Cloud and Aerith.
[ like bringing a gift to her franchise cousins' wedding. ]
...And it doesn't have to be for lovers, it can be for friends and family, too. Anyone important to you.
[ e.g. nehan could share one with mugen, whom she doesn't know about yet. ]
no subject
Right. Those two do seem attached.
[ though she could propose to whoever she wants. i think this, not nehan, who is useless. ]
Is it magic, or superstition...?
no subject
A legend, but not without a bit of magic, too.
[ she pulls out her wayfinder charm! she loves doing this unsolicited. she will never stop giving free friendship speeches, even if the people (nehan) will reject her message. ]
In my world, star-shaped charms are meant to bring travelers good luck and keep them connected to their loved ones. [ based off of the paopu fruit, of course. ] Mine usually has a spell that leads me to my friends.
[ a personal gps device, waoooo ]
no subject
he does look over the charm with a distant curiosity. ]
...I see.
[ a babysitting gps. anyway, as much as he does not believe in having friends of his own, he does not begrudge the entire concept of camaraderie. it is important. ]
Does it work the other way around? Can they find you? [ why were you alone in the darkness for so long... ]
no subject
...Not exactly. [ she's quiet for a moment. ]
Neither of them are in any state to find me.
[ ven is still asleep. and terra... he's gone, too.
she shakes her head and smiles. ]
For now, I just want to make sure everyone here gets back safely. I'll find a way to return to my friends after that.
no subject
...That's true. We'll have to get you home first before you can worry about your friends.
[ he takes a last glance at the wayfinder, then back up to the tree boughs. ]
At least they can serve as motivation to make it through this. [ that's important, too. ]
no subject
Yes. Always.
[ her friends are what keeps her heart going strong.
she puts the charm away and manages to carefully scoop up a few chestnuts off the ground with the shallow basket she's got, and passes said basket over to nehan. why are these shells so evil-looking. anyway, yours now. ]
What about you? What's your motivation?
[ for whatever. going home. joining a cult... ]
no subject
but the actual chestnuts themselves are very smooth. he doesn't take them right away, squinting a little at them and then her. he did not ask for this. ]
I don't have any. I just move along at fate's tempo.
[ FRIENDSHIP IS BETTER i hate writing edgelords ]
no subject
...Not a fan?
[ she swore she'd heard him thinking about chestnuts...
also my god he really is just so much. at least she has the context now for why he's such a sourpuss. she hums softly. ]
Is that so. Maybe you're fated to have some chestnuts.
[ she's still holding the basket out to him. will isn't here yet but when he gets here he can help remove the husks. ]
no subject
his thoughts are a weird little scramble then, like a string untangling itself. what was he thinking? why? ]
What an awfully trivial thing for fate to care about.
[ but after a moment, he plucks one out of the basket, carefully, dropping it to the ground. ]
...You'll get hurt trying to open these with your hands. You step on them with your shoes and crack open the burs that way.
[ he cannot do this well because one of his legs is kind of useless, but he'll demonstrate with his good one, stepping on the spiky hull until it gives and some chestnuts fall out. ]
no subject
Fate can be whimsical too, don't you think?
[ she watches as he demonstrates and then tries it herself, smiling when she successfully manages to procure some chestnuts from a second hull.
...That's much easier than it looks. Thanks for showing me.
[ she can crack the last couple ones open too, and refill the basket with shiny smooth chestnuts rather than spiky abominations. yaaaaaay he can't even taste these yaaaaaay ]
no subject
fate and its whimsy. he takes the basket this time with some hesitation, though these chestnuts are much nicer than the horrible burs. she can have a very brief glimpse of an unusually happy memory then: a small campfire, an erune girl with dark gray hair, slicing chestnut shells open with a little knife. it is murky, but full of fondness and warmth.
but it fades quickly enough, and he doesn't remark on it. ]
...It's fine. You should take some, since you did all the work.
no subject
it's gone in only a blink, but the warmth and ache of it basks in her heart for two counts longer. she's thoughtful for a moment, and then collects a small handful of chestnuts with a smile. three's a good number. ]
...Thank you. [ for sharing with me. ]
...The rest I'll count as a tuition fee.