[ For all his grump and constant exasperation, Cassian has taken to the Feywilds too. Then again, that's always been his way regardless of planet or environment: Adapt. Survive. It's a familiar pattern, something easy and reliable to fall back on. He just hadn't expected to add something else in his two step plan: Live.
Taking up residence with River in the Feywilds had been something temporary, or at least he had told himself as much. She would always have a safe place to rest no matter where she spun or danced off into the universe and that has remained true now. But then they had grown into normalcy and dare he say, it came with a sense of domesticity too. It crept up in small ways: with the patching of her dresses that grow worn at the edges, the mending of the soles of her boots to keep her steady and safe on her adventures, making passable meals that are slowly becoming more than just a bachelor's way of cooking.
Bent over a patch in the garden is she finds him. Though he looks up with a wary expression there is a fondness there that he doesn't bother to hide as the days have stretched on. Back in Mandarin he asks - ]
[ she rolls her eyes in fond exasperation as she kneels down in the dirt beside him, adding yet another stain to her dress without a care in the world. ]
So dramatic. A man gets the runs once and it's like he never stops running.
[ is that a poop joke? surely we have more class than that, but river's eyebrows stay playfully quirked over a quiet smile as she sets her bounty of fruit out in front of cassian.
she's been learning how to identify things from elizabeth and she's studied under yennefer long enough to brew some of her own potions by now. cassian has been hard at work trying to make this place more habitable too, pushing back against the wildlife that has started to take over this land without the fey to keep it all at bay. they've been at this for weeks now, so the chance of them getting concerningly ill is relatively low, but it's still best to remain cautious in this unpredictable world of magic.
so naturally, the responsible thing to do is to turn it into a game! river smiles at him again once their options are all laid out. ]
[ He huffs as he moves over, making room for her though there's plenty out in the garden that they've claimed as their own. Subconsciously, even having her close in a balm that helps with the loneliness that had rooted in him ever since leaving Kenari. It's a fact that he can't deny outright. Not anymore. Not after everything they had been through together. ]
If I remember correctly, I did it because you didn't want to eat it first.
[ In other words, who saved who from the runs, River?
But there's no malice or real grudge in his words, however. There never has been even when they had been volitile god siblings born of stars and made of cosmic dust. That being said, he does offer her a look that is absolutely laced with skepticism that is then transferred to the fruits laid out before him.
After a moment's contemplation he reaches for the one that looks suspiciously shaped like cheese before falling back rather unceremoniously onto his butt. ]
Youngers next. This time we're taking a bite at the same time.
[ river only grins in response to his not-so-subtle accusation, and there it is again: that lightness about her, something bright that had gotten lost in the turmoil of the last year. it's hard to imagine that they've really been here that long, and cassian has been there with her every single step of the way. from the castle to nott to solvunn and now here, lost in the wilds with no one around to pull their strings -
it's like being free, even if only in this moment. beyond a war that is not theirs to fight or the collapse of a sphere that they do not belong to, right now, she's just a girl, playing in the dirt with someone she loves like her own brother.
if a moment is all they have before they wake up from the dream, then this is good enough. it has to be.
so she turns her attention back to the task before her, her hand hovering just over each fruit as she considers them carefully. she's been picking anything she can find that isn't actively oozing or otherwise overly suspect. this is a quiz for herself as much as it is for him. ]
Gotta look beneath the skin. The truth is tricky. If it's too shiny to be true...
[ she mutters absently until she finally picks up one with orange and pink stripes. she holds it up to observe it more closely from each angle before turning back to cassian and speaking in kenari again. ]
Ready or not, here we come.
[ she'll bite into it at the same time he does, eyeing him with a playful smile as she watches. ]
[ Ever since their time as gods, it has occurred to him that this could also very well be a dream. After all, there had been nothing indicating that it had been a dream then. Why couldn't all of this be some illusion stirred up by the gods or the Singularity or whatever powers that be?
Turning off the part of his mind that is ever alert and ever questioning is hard - particularly when he is loathe to do so when they have found what is essentially a quiet peaceful sort of life that neither of them have had in a long while. Survival instincts still prickle at the back of his mind now as he stares at the brightly coloured, oddly shaped fruit River has brought back. Save the "running" incident, River's foraging hadn't ended in disaster. And apart from doing this to appease her, it also feels somewhat like he's back on Kenari. They'd had to forage then too though that had been arguably far more difficult then than it is now.
He hears her mutter to herself and his eyes dart quickly to his own fruit. Kriff. Was it too shiny? It's hard to say with the way the light filters above them dappling them in sunlight and by the time he's about to swap it for something else River has made her choice. Ah well. Glancing back towards her timing his bite. Juice bursts in his mouth and the texture is akin to a horned melon he's had before but the taste starts sweet before turning oddly...sour? He winces, swapping back into Kenari. ]
...Why make it look like cheese if it isn't going to taste like it? [ And then in Mandarin - ] What does yours taste like?
[ it's as she said: the truth is tricky. the moment her teeth break the skin of the fruit, river lets out a muted cry of surprise when the whole damn thing bursts. it's like biting into a water balloon as the skin deflates and a flood of reddish-purple juice spills all over. she quickly raises her other hand to try to catch some of the mess and exclaims through a mouth half-full: ]
Structural integrity has been compromised.
[ it's getting absolutely everywhere, including all over her dress, and it spreads even further when she carelessly flaps her hands to shuck the remains of the fruit onto the ground ( and consequentially all over cassian too ). she keeps her now faintly stained hands raised, turning them over and back to observe just as curiously as she had the fruit before biting into it. ]
Doesn't make sense. It had a quantifiable mass and density comparable to a standard earth-based fruit, nothing to suggest a fluid state of matter.
[ she seems somewhere between disgruntled by the mess and fascinated by the unexpected turn of events. she looks around at the mess in her lap, on the ground around them, and eventually turns her gaze to the new stains on cassian's clothes before finally looking up to his face again.
her eyes are still bright, earnest, undeterred. ]
Non-toxic, though. We can make juice.
[ despite the mishap, she's not conceding defeat in this round! ]
[ Watching River bite into the fruit and then subsequently become shocked at the splattering of juice that runs down the front of her dress is more than enough to give him pause, causing him to bite down with a little more force than intended into his and then having it burst all over him in turn. By the time he realizes that he's covered in the juice of not one but two fruits, River has already come to a conclusion all on her own.
There's another beat. And then laughter. ]
Non-toxic juice? That was your first thought?
[ The question is not the least bit incredulous but rather overflows with affection and warmth - two things that are becoming easier and easier to pull from him with little resistance nowadays. He can't even bring himself to teasingly chide her about all the work he's going to have to do later to get the stains out even though they both know that she has the magic and ability to do so herself with ease.
Holding out his remaining fruit towards her he motions for the staining her hands. ]
I don't think we want to add too much of this one. It's too sour. It might spoil the juice.
[ his laughter rings out like wind-chimes dancing in a light breeze, and river can't help but think of the day they first met. when his smile creaked like old leather, stale air in his lungs that choked out humor and happiness before it could fully form.
things are different now. they're different, and nowhere can it be seen more clearly than the way distant stars glitter across her skin to see this lightness in him. she smiles in return, her eyes bright with deep, unadulterated fondness, and then she holds up both hands toward him. ]
Acids can cut through fatty meats and bitter flavors. Good for cooking, or mixing a stiff drink.
[ the latter isn't as relevant in their current situation but the point still stands. their forays into cooking out here have been fun, every bit as much as this little game and the rest of their lives out here in the feywilds. it's hard not to imagine what it might be like to stay here forever, far away from the rest of society like peter pan's lost boys on an endless adventure. ]
[ Sometimes he catches himself laughing like this. Notices how light full of joy it sounds, and how it is completely free of any burden or weight that still hides in the shadowy corners of his home waiting for him to recall that it exists. And when he catches himself he finds himself faltering because how can he do that even if those he loves would want him to do so in their stead? Thankfully, he doesn't notice now, too concerned with juice staining the sleeves of their clothing and how he could possibly incorporate this into a meal later.
He's not so caught up in his domesticated thoughts to not notice the glow that shimmers softly from beneath her skin. And like a snowball effect, his own skin begins to softly glow too in response as like calls to like. Pulling over the watering can he waits for her to lower her hands before pouring it the water over her palms. ]
How did you know we were having steak for dinner?
[ Because obviously she wouldn't be having a stiff drink tonight - even if she is of age. Besides, those were saved for special occasions. His brow furrows in jest. ]
Unless this is your way of saying you don't like my dinner plans.
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no subject
Taking up residence with River in the Feywilds had been something temporary, or at least he had told himself as much. She would always have a safe place to rest no matter where she spun or danced off into the universe and that has remained true now. But then they had grown into normalcy and dare he say, it came with a sense of domesticity too. It crept up in small ways: with the patching of her dresses that grow worn at the edges, the mending of the soles of her boots to keep her steady and safe on her adventures, making passable meals that are slowly becoming more than just a bachelor's way of cooking.
Bent over a patch in the garden is she finds him. Though he looks up with a wary expression there is a fondness there that he doesn't bother to hide as the days have stretched on. Back in Mandarin he asks - ]
Do I have to get my antidotes ready?
no subject
So dramatic. A man gets the runs once and it's like he never stops running.
[ is that a poop joke? surely we have more class than that, but river's eyebrows stay playfully quirked over a quiet smile as she sets her bounty of fruit out in front of cassian.
she's been learning how to identify things from elizabeth and she's studied under yennefer long enough to brew some of her own potions by now. cassian has been hard at work trying to make this place more habitable too, pushing back against the wildlife that has started to take over this land without the fey to keep it all at bay. they've been at this for weeks now, so the chance of them getting concerningly ill is relatively low, but it's still best to remain cautious in this unpredictable world of magic.
so naturally, the responsible thing to do is to turn it into a game! river smiles at him again once their options are all laid out. ]
Elders go first.
no subject
If I remember correctly, I did it because you didn't want to eat it first.
[ In other words, who saved who from the runs, River?
But there's no malice or real grudge in his words, however. There never has been even when they had been volitile god siblings born of stars and made of cosmic dust. That being said, he does offer her a look that is absolutely laced with skepticism that is then transferred to the fruits laid out before him.
After a moment's contemplation he reaches for the one that looks suspiciously shaped like cheese before falling back rather unceremoniously onto his butt. ]
Youngers next. This time we're taking a bite at the same time.
no subject
it's like being free, even if only in this moment. beyond a war that is not theirs to fight or the collapse of a sphere that they do not belong to, right now, she's just a girl, playing in the dirt with someone she loves like her own brother.
if a moment is all they have before they wake up from the dream, then this is good enough. it has to be.
so she turns her attention back to the task before her, her hand hovering just over each fruit as she considers them carefully. she's been picking anything she can find that isn't actively oozing or otherwise overly suspect. this is a quiz for herself as much as it is for him. ]
Gotta look beneath the skin. The truth is tricky. If it's too shiny to be true...
[ she mutters absently until she finally picks up one with orange and pink stripes. she holds it up to observe it more closely from each angle before turning back to cassian and speaking in kenari again. ]
Ready or not, here we come.
[ she'll bite into it at the same time he does, eyeing him with a playful smile as she watches. ]
no subject
Turning off the part of his mind that is ever alert and ever questioning is hard - particularly when he is loathe to do so when they have found what is essentially a quiet peaceful sort of life that neither of them have had in a long while. Survival instincts still prickle at the back of his mind now as he stares at the brightly coloured, oddly shaped fruit River has brought back. Save the "running" incident, River's foraging hadn't ended in disaster. And apart from doing this to appease her, it also feels somewhat like he's back on Kenari. They'd had to forage then too though that had been arguably far more difficult then than it is now.
He hears her mutter to herself and his eyes dart quickly to his own fruit. Kriff. Was it too shiny? It's hard to say with the way the light filters above them dappling them in sunlight and by the time he's about to swap it for something else River has made her choice. Ah well. Glancing back towards her timing his bite. Juice bursts in his mouth and the texture is akin to a horned melon he's had before but the taste starts sweet before turning oddly...sour? He winces, swapping back into Kenari. ]
...Why make it look like cheese if it isn't going to taste like it? [ And then in Mandarin - ] What does yours taste like?
no subject
Structural integrity has been compromised.
[ it's getting absolutely everywhere, including all over her dress, and it spreads even further when she carelessly flaps her hands to shuck the remains of the fruit onto the ground ( and consequentially all over cassian too ). she keeps her now faintly stained hands raised, turning them over and back to observe just as curiously as she had the fruit before biting into it. ]
Doesn't make sense. It had a quantifiable mass and density comparable to a standard earth-based fruit, nothing to suggest a fluid state of matter.
[ she seems somewhere between disgruntled by the mess and fascinated by the unexpected turn of events. she looks around at the mess in her lap, on the ground around them, and eventually turns her gaze to the new stains on cassian's clothes before finally looking up to his face again.
her eyes are still bright, earnest, undeterred. ]
Non-toxic, though. We can make juice.
[ despite the mishap, she's not conceding defeat in this round! ]
no subject
There's another beat. And then laughter. ]
Non-toxic juice? That was your first thought?
[ The question is not the least bit incredulous but rather overflows with affection and warmth - two things that are becoming easier and easier to pull from him with little resistance nowadays. He can't even bring himself to teasingly chide her about all the work he's going to have to do later to get the stains out even though they both know that she has the magic and ability to do so herself with ease.
Holding out his remaining fruit towards her he motions for the staining her hands. ]
I don't think we want to add too much of this one. It's too sour. It might spoil the juice.
no subject
things are different now. they're different, and nowhere can it be seen more clearly than the way distant stars glitter across her skin to see this lightness in him. she smiles in return, her eyes bright with deep, unadulterated fondness, and then she holds up both hands toward him. ]
Acids can cut through fatty meats and bitter flavors. Good for cooking, or mixing a stiff drink.
[ the latter isn't as relevant in their current situation but the point still stands. their forays into cooking out here have been fun, every bit as much as this little game and the rest of their lives out here in the feywilds. it's hard not to imagine what it might be like to stay here forever, far away from the rest of society like peter pan's lost boys on an endless adventure. ]
no subject
He's not so caught up in his domesticated thoughts to not notice the glow that shimmers softly from beneath her skin. And like a snowball effect, his own skin begins to softly glow too in response as like calls to like. Pulling over the watering can he waits for her to lower her hands before pouring it the water over her palms. ]
How did you know we were having steak for dinner?
[ Because obviously she wouldn't be having a stiff drink tonight - even if she is of age. Besides, those were saved for special occasions. His brow furrows in jest. ]
Unless this is your way of saying you don't like my dinner plans.