002.
slow hands moved to place two mugs onto her dining room table; the steam that rose from within them decorating the air with the scent of lavender earl grey—the surface of the liquid decorated with dried lilacs, and the sparkle of golden honey. sure, the delicate flora wasn’t at all meant to be consumed, but it added a flair of aesthetics that the designer found absolutely necessary. in an almost childish way, she thought that beverages ( and food ) would taste better if they were beautiful to behold, and she hoped so much that her old friend, lee yani, would think similarly. when they were small, they dreamed of hosting their own grandiose tea parties, and even though this isn’t exactly what they had in mind, she hoped it sufficed. though, taking one look at the other now, she was almost positive that it would be fine. times were different, anyway. to put it simply, both of them had seen a lot of shit, and had experienced a lot of shit. she knew that her comrade was dealt similar cards by taking one look into her beautiful eyes.
back then, chaesol saw the same wonder in yani’s eyes that she had. it was that of a child who still believed in magic. it was that of a child that hadn’t yet come to terms with the sorrow of her reality.
now, though, those once innocent irises were painted over with hardened hues of anguish; with the bittersweet color palette of adulthood. the younger of the two was still able to hold onto the very last shreds of wonder due to her creative work, but it seemed as though yani wasn’t able to do that to same degree. these were all assumptions, though, and for all she knew, she could be incredibly wrong. that’s just the vibe she received. either way, chaesol wanted to welcome her in with open arms; wanted to show her love in hopes that it’d help fill whatever voids existed within both of them
that said, she offers the older a smile.
“i hope lavender earl grey is okay with you. usually i’m stocked with lots of options, but my tea supply is a little low. believe it or not, i’ve been a little too busy to go to the grocery store.” she laughed, shaking her head. “speaking of which, are you hungry? i’d be happy to order some take-out if so.” in that moment, she took the seat parallel to yani; a set of dilated pupils studying the chiseled curves of her contour.
she was beautiful. magnetic, and so, so beautiful.
“also—don’t hate me, but i got you—well, i made you—a little something.” reaching below her, she pulled a gift box out from under the table; presenting it. it was a risk to gift her old friend custom-made attire, but the weather had been colder than usual, and she figured that a one-of-a-kind sweater would aid in warming her bones. “if you hate it, that’s okay. i hope i remembered your favorite color correctly, but if i didn’t, i apologize. both returns, and exchanges, are accepted.” she teased, sending her a wink through long lashes.
