the blanket is soft under her legs. the air is cool with nighttime settling on the city, and the sky is as clear as it would be on a winter evening, no clouds in sight. it was a perfect opportunity to follow up on her promise and take ed somewhere, and after some brainstorming, they decided to meet up here.
   the eternal tree in the cotes ward offers a feeling of safety, and the grass is still warm after an entire day of sunlight shining down on it. they picked a spot with the river close enough for them to be able to hear the rushing water, a repetitive sound that calms the mind. and there's the closeness, of course, of being curled up next to ed as they settle in for a few hours, with nothing to do but chat and gaze.
   and perhaps a few other things, if she's lucky.
   for somebody who spent the last few months sleeping under the stars, she's oddly excited about this. there's an intention to it that she hasn't had in a long time. when was the last time she truly thought about the stars? perhaps when she was on dovesong, looking at the sky and wondering what's out there for her.
   ' stargazing was a lovely idea. ' still sitting up, she starts fidgeting with her boots, slowly unlacing each of the knots, which will admittedly take a while. she steals a quick glance towards ed as she goes, smiling warmly. ' leave it up to the starship captain to come up with it. are you hungry? there's some snacks in my basket. '