featheradrift | Inbox (The City)

[ He's not actually sure what to do with Altria in such close proximity. It's not a lie to say that it's been centuries since anyone has gotten this close to him, barring those who had ill intentions. He forces himself to relax his body somewhat, but there's still a slight undercurrent of tension in his shoulders, and he doesn't lean back against her. He just... lets her be, because he doesn't dislike her presence either.

The flush on his cheeks and ears remains prominent while she leans against him. ]

You're too... [ Kind. Trusting. Generous. Lovely. There are so many words he could pick here. But it's not actually what he wants to say.

... ]

Thanks.

[ It's almost too quiet to hear, a small little whisper into the crisp winter air. ]

[Honestly, just letting her be is perfect. It's all she could've ever asked for. It's cold out here, but it's not so bad when she's leaning against him like this, and that word, soft and gentle and almost fragile as it is... fills her heart with an emotion she struggles to put words to.

Ah... so this is what this holiday is about, she thinks.

She doesn't say anything in response, knowing that pointing it out or acknowledging it is likely to embarrass him, and instead lets the quiet of the evening drag on.

Until finally, she changes the subject to say:]

I didn't know where to drop off your gift, by the way! I'm glad that I gave it to you face-to-face, but where should I leave things for you?

[You know. In the future. Where will he even find them?]

[ The warm, comfortable silence is something to be treasured. This is a moment he will remember for a very long time, he thinks.

Eventually, it's broken, but he doesn't mind too much. Altria's presence alone is enough for things to be comfortable. ]

You can leave it at that restaurant.

[ The one in the fourth district he always takes her to when he cooks something for her. ]

Got it!

[She knows exactly which one he's referring to, which makes it easy. Good. Now she knows where to leave things for him, like a feral kitten leaving dead mice on the doorstep--]

Heheh... tell me if the dessert is bad too when you eat it, okay? You have to be honest!

[ He has a feeling he's going to be finding a lot of random packages for him in the future...

He picks up the other package he set aside. Dessert, hm? He's already disappointed her once with his reaction to the tools. Now wouldn't be the best time to tell her that he hates sweets too. ]

At least it hasn't run off on us yet.

[ Just a gentle tease. He's certain it's better than the cookie attempt. ]

[Her cheeks go a little pink at the reminder, but she mostly looks determined.]

Definitely not! I didn't use any magic at all! Just the things you taught me before! I didn't even try to add extra ingredients!

[ So she finally listened to him. After the biscuit golem fiasco, she must have learned not to ignore the recipe instructions. ]

Then I have high expectations.

[ If she felt it was good enough to gift, then it shouldn't be terrible. He has at least that much faith in her. ]

[She looks anxious, but in a happy sort of way. After all, she gave it her best shot--

And it's pretty good, honestly! The caramel is a little too bitter because it's a liiiiittle burned, but everything comes together okay. It's a perfectly acceptable dessert.]

Ahahaha...ha... maybe keep your expectations at a reasonable level...

I don't think I will.

[ He grins teasingly, a promise that he'll poke fun at her if it truly is awful. He wouldn't though, he'd offer more tips or watch over her as she makes it again.

And... he gently nudges her playfully. It's a subtle nudge, but it's there. ]

[He nudges against her and she can't help the way that she laughs a little, nudging back.]

Well... I guess you wouldn't be you if you didn't.

I'm glad I can always trust you to tell me what you really think.

[Even if sometimes he teases her extra--she can still tell the difference, and it's important to her.]

[ He's had enough of being a two-faced schemer. And even if he's mostly incapable of being honest about his positive feelings, he can at least be honest when he's criticizing people. That counts for something, right? ]

How else are you going to improve if I don't tell you what needs fixing?

[ Because if she's serious about learning how to cook, then he's more than happy to direct her efforts. ]

[It counts for a lot, as far as she's concerned. It's something she treasures. He's honest about his criticisms, but he's not cruel.

It's an honesty she can trust in and rely on, no matter what.]

Right! And since you've been doing so much to help teach me, I want to keep improving! Besides... you and Tsuruno are both always doing so much to feed me. I want to be able to give back too.

You don't need to give me back anything. [ She knows he doesn't need to eat, he's going to say, but he stops. She doesn't need to eat either. And she's probably going to insist either way. ]

...I wouldn't mind taste testing to give you feedback.

Really?

[Gaspppp!!]

That's great! Okay! Then I'll make lots of things for you to try!

[A beat, and she pauses, brow furrowing.]

Wait... what sorts of things do you like? [She knows he doesn't have to eat for sustenance, so it's important that it's something he enjoys!]

...I prefer bitter flavours.

[ It's not a typical preference, he knows, so most recipes didn't cater to that. That's why he has a tweaked version of the recipes he knows, for when he decides to make food for himself. ]

Really?

[It definitely is not a typical preference, but she just seems fascinated by it.]

How bitter?

The more bitter, the better. But it's like any flavour. You have to learn which dishes benefit from bitterness and how to blend it in masterfully.

[ He prefers bitterness because it often leaves interesting aftertastes, but rarely does he find a dish where it actually works well. More often than not, he gets his bitterness fix from tea. ]

Huuuuh...

[It's kind of funny that his tastes are so opposite of hers, but isn't that the case for them in so many ways?

In a way, that leads to some sort of balance.]

I don't know very much about bitter flavors, but... I'm excited to try to learn!

It's pretty complicated. You don't have to fully cater to my tastes. Any regular dish would be fine.

[ Except for sweets... but he won't mention that just yet. ]

[Uuu... complicated...

... ....!!]

That's okay! It's okay that it'll be complicated. You're the sort of person who's worth working hard for, so that's what I'll do!

[ Worth working hard for... It comes out of her mouth so easily. And, as is customary for him now, he hides the expression on his face with the tilt of his hat. ]

...do what you want.

[She smiles brightly at that, humming a little. That sort of thing--even if it's him trying to hide what he's feeling about it, it's still nice for her to hear. When was she ever truly able to do whatever she wanted?

Not until this place.]

Okay! I will. And you can count on that. [It'll always be what she wants to do.]

[ They continue to chatter for a bit after that, but eventually the night gets too late for Altria to stay out and she makes her way back home. The Wanderer takes the gift back to his office storage space and sits there for a few hours, both reminiscing and contemplating whether or not he would take up the hammer again.

He should bring the five arts back to Inazuma, he eventually determines. He's the only one left in Teyvat with enough knowledge to try. So he would begin with the Isshin Art, the one he's most familiar with.

Now, he had to find a forge... ]

Inbox (The City)

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