For arys, to fill the prompt of 'mzen making chocolates'. Though through the flow it ended up being mostly Ena making chocolate, and discussion of perfectionism. As it ever is with creatives? XD
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Ena chews her bottom lip. She knows she shouldn't; she knows that she'll regret it later, so she holds firm to the thought and purses her lips as she looks down over her arrangement of sieves, scales, and containers, the moulds and powders that had been provided to her very generously by Emu.
She has everything she needs, and feels utterly insufficient.
Like, it just isn't realistic, to expect whatever she'll make today to look as good as what the stores offer—they spend hours upon hours on their craft, after all, it's why she likes to buy them—but her mind still hangs on the fact and refuses to pull away, tearing into uneven uncertainty.
But when she thinks about going out to get some store-bought ones—
"-oiii, Ena! Earth to Ena?"
She jolts, and spins to find Mizuki walking up to her with a curious cant to her head, peering about Ena. "Why are you so out-oh! Are you going to be doing stuff with coloured chocolates? That's fun!"
"Hey, no peeking!" Poking Mizuki back, they leave the kitchen and end up with Mizuki backed up into the small loveseat they have in the 'living room'. No real walls separate the spaces, but Ena feels a bit better with Mizuki unable to peer into the still-clean bowls. "It was supposed to be a surprise, you know."
"Well! You haven't actually made any yet right? So it's fine."
Ena's scowl deepens. "I wanted a clear image in my head before I got started. Something of this level I'd usually just buy…" Her words fading to a grumble, Ena pulls her hair from her face with a sigh.
Mizuki watches this, considers her expression with a thoughtful hum, and offers a hand out. A silent check-in, and after a beat, Ena reaches to rest her hand in hers. Mizuki's thumb brushes over the back of her hand before she asks, "Well, do you want to go out and buy some? The shops should still have some of the good stuff now, right?"
Tension bleeding out through their joined hands, Ena lets a little more with a huff and admits, "They probably would, but Emu went out of her way to share all these really nice colours, when I mentioned I was thinking about making something special this year. And I know we could maybe bake something later with them, but it'd feel a waste still, when Emu got them for this, you know?"
"And knowing you, you want to really make it look nice, right? As an artist."
"Well. Yes." That was a given, wasn't it? Sure, taste had the final say, but a gift should look nice to the eyes, too.
"Mm, mhm. Well… if you did go with store-bought, it'd only be me and Emu who knew you had these colours, right? So, you know, less friend pressure."
"I know that. Still, it's…"
"If you're still feeling the pressure knowing that, then… it's just who you are, Enanan." Mizuki draws up Ena's hand between both of her own, giving a fond, fond look. "You want to make it yours. And there's nothing wrong with feeling worried about if it'll be a good gift. But y'know, even if you make chocolates that don't turn out quite how they look in your head, well. We won't know that either!"
"But I would." Ena gives a wry look, though it's more at herself than Mizuki. This talk about perfection and creation has been going on years… and would likely be going on many more. Mizuki's not saying anything Ena's unfamiliar with.
But it needs saying, and they both know it.
So Mizuki nods and acknowledges, "You would. And you never like to do anything halfhearted, especially for other people. And we know that, and that's why we would love anything you make us, even if they don't come out as planned. Because it's yours!" She pats her hand in a 'so there' gesture.
"You're biased." Ena's frown has relaxed some, but her mouth has to deal with the last few thorns that stick still.
"I mean, sure, if valuing how much thought you put into living and following what you want to do makes me that, then yea, I'm happily the most Ena-biased person in the world. Put it on my business card." Punctuating her declaration with firm, cheek-alternating kisses, it's Ena who has to lean back now.
The last of her irritation swept away, Ena can't help but laugh, allowing a few more before pushing Mizuki back with a lightened heart. "Alright, you made your point." Eyes crinkling, she gives a return kiss, lingering near her even when she pulls away. "Thanks as always, Mizuki."
Mizuki winks, and adds a tip of a non-existent hat. "I'll look forward to my chocolate, Enanan-sama."
It's ridiculous, it's overtheatric, it's too damn cute, and Ena has to kiss her more to get her to stop.
“Myself, because I know I’m wrong but I can’t stop.”
Gorgeous artwork of my Sidestep Mary Gillis, about to put on her Heartbreak mask and possibly regret her life choices. Drawn by @arystocrat, thank you so much!
niigo and the intimate ritual of peeling and eating oranges while sitting around the kotatsu. for the warm comfy vibes 🍊
"Sorry we're late." Mafuyu sets down her armful of boxes. "Kanade's grandma sent us some food, as did my dad."
Ena doubletakes. "So much??"
Mafuyu gives a little shrug, settling under the kotatsu. "My dad insisted on providing something, for New Year's. Especially after he heard we'd be having a party with friends."
Gingerly, Mizuki pokes open one box with a finger, as if she's afraid it'll explode outward. "Ahaha... I guess Miku and the others will also be having oranges for a few days."
"More like a few weeks," Ena mutters, before sighing, the corner of her mouth crooking upward. "Well, shouldn't complain. We've got so much because good things happened."
"Mm." Kanade settles in-between her and Mafuyu, leaving space for the Singers who've yet to show up still, and takes a proffered mandarin with a murmur of thanks. "A lot's happened this year... but like Ena said, a lot of it's been good. And I'm looking forward, to another year with you all." She gives them all a smile.
"Hear hear!" Mizuki cheers, while Ena smiles too, and Mafuyu gives a little nod. They're soon eyeing the boxes, though. "Now, Enanan, if you would be so kind as to peel the first oranges for us—"
"Hey! Why me?"
"Why? Well, obviously I wanna eat the oranges peeled by Enanan!" To emphasise her point Mizuki rests her chin on the kotatsu, opening her mouth and batting her lashes. "It's less fun just peeling it for ourselves, you know. Where's your communal spirit? Your joie de vivre?"
"I don't know what that means," Ena deadpans, but she still reaches to pick up an orange, nail cutting it neatly open. "Here, brat. And here's some for you two, too."
They all accept of course. And soon Miku's with them, and Rin, and Len. Kaito and Meiko predictably hang back, and Luka teases them for it, but. They are together.
They are together, and it's all they want right then.
New NPC Art for my D&D campaign, by the talented @arystocrat!
Zhugrall Brokemount, Paramount Chief of the White Face tribe of orcs, has got a pretty good thing going. His tribe owns the equivalent of the Silk Road, they’re making a lot of money and doing a lot of deals. There’s a few territorial squabbles, but most of his people live in peace.
...wait, what kind of trouble did one of his tribe’s druids get into? And that means what for his people? Oh boy.
(Thanks to Arys for bringing yet another NPC to life! Highly recommend them for your D&D character needs! They did several pieces for me that are EXCELLENT but are massive spoilers so I’m not going to put them up until my players have run into those parts.)
