[ prp ] For the birds (America & Eve)

[lizbot]

There was something about cooking for someone else that America had missed while traveling, that had her eagerly heading into town for a visit to the grocery store. Something that made it a treat more than any sort of chore.

Sure, okay, it was for a bird.

But Mr. Bitterberry wasn't just a bird, he was Mr. Bitterberry Jones. Now family. Kinda. He'd sorta looked at her with grim condemnation when she'd told him as much, but they'd surely figure something between them. He'd stuck around, after all. In fact, he was perched on top of someone's car outside, harassing the dog trapped within even as she shopped for the nuts and berries to make treats for him.

It was as she did this that America noticed a kind of familiar face. Kinda of. There was less...hair....and teeth. But she was pretty sure..." Realizing she was staring at the other woman, America offered a friendly smile and then fixed her gaze back on the seeds. It's not polite to stare, after all.

Didn't stop her from glancing over again real quick, of course.

Nope, no tail now, either. But probably the same lady....?

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Luckily, America wouldn't need to say much, as Eve noticed her a moment after Clover had trotted back to her upon obtaining something with an employee's help. She glanced up, saw a couple of the furtive looks, and realized she recognized the girl too, deciding to roll her way up and give a proper hello instead of letting the awkward moment sum up their entire interaction.

"You were at the library, too. How have you been feeling?"

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

The relief the girl felt at confirmation was clear. Normally America wasn't all that shy but the combination of moonstuff and older woman and wheelchair had left her feeling uncharacteristically awkward. A state she was more than glad to shuck off in favor of a cheerful, "Yeah! I'm just fine, coulda got the same fallin' out a tree." A tree that beat the ******** out of you along the way.

"Did that happen on the other side?" She asked, a bit of worry entering in as she gestured toward the wheelchair.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"That's an invasive question for someone you barely know, don't you think?" There were clear shades of sternness and annoyance in the chilled tone of Eve's answer. America had just hit a boundary. The woman was still smiling, but just barely enough to tell it was staying up mostly for the girl's sake. "If you're trying to learn how dangerous the 'other side' is, there's better ways to ask."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Rather than apologetic, America just looked confused at first. "But you were walking before...and some were worried it wouldn't be safe to go..."

Then again, ending up in a wheelchair was probably a pretty terrible shock, and it barely even been a week, right? And it's not like events of the night weren't bad enough on this side, whatever else had happened in the other world must've been awful.

With a grimace, because she hated being sorry, the girl apologized, "Sorry, it's so soon after and all, yeah. Glad you made it out, though. I'll leave you to your shopping, ma'am."

cibaxrium

 

[cibarium]

"You'll have to excuse me. No one's been able to get that kind of first impression from me for nearly a decade," Eve clarified. "And that was my first time standing in just as long. But now I'm back to normal, for the time being." The emphasis there was clear. Clover licked her lips briefly, but said nothing, as she was a very good dog.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Oh...." Pausing in her motion to leave, America's response was soft before her expression cleared and she repeated, "Oh!" Nodding, "That's...I see. Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, ma'am." It was like turning the page to see the answers to a hidden Indian puzzle. The things she hadn't noticed 'cause she hadn't been looking, like the presence of a service dog, the lack of awkwardness and adjustment as the older woman shopped, the fact that the chair wasn't new. Wouldn't Uncle Malby bop her head for missing the important details for the sake of her own sudden assumptions?

"I've been a bit caught up in what happened, makes it easy to think everything revolves around a thing when it seems so...big."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Eve relaxed, and nodded in favor of the apology, and by the time America was reflecting on the paradigm shift she'd experienced the older woman was acting as if the slight had never happened at all. "Oh, I understand," she mirthfully assured. "You should have seen me the first time I read Foucault. I must have been insufferable." Her hand twirled in gesture above her armrest, in a nonverbal acknowledgement of everyone's capacity to stumble through changes in perspective.

"And honestly, I think I'm right there with you... it's already led to some mistakes of my own. I'm Eve, by the way. Might as well suffer through some introductions and small talk if we're going to be enduring that fate together, wouldn't you say?"

lizzbot

 

[lizbot]

She smiled brightly at Eve, not one to linger on awkwardness or second guess after amends have been made. "I'm America," the girl held out her hand. "I'm more of an embrace sorta gal then endure. But," she added quickly, "I'm not saying it's not scary or that I'm not taking stuff seriously or anything like that."

There was the air of a child, repeating recent lectures to possibly forgo future ones. I'm being good, it said.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Eve blinked in pleasant surprise at America's words, turning her chair towards the girl more fully while her demeanor warmed just a bit more. "That... is a good attitude. First impressions aside, it sounds like we have a few things in common. Care to have a traveling partner for the rest of your shopping trip here? It'll save me a lot of time to have help with things in the higher shelves."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America was pleasantly surprised herself, enough to find herself relaxing when the lecture and doomsaying didn't come. Beaming, America nodded, "Yes ma'am, I'd like that! Haven't visited this market yet, so I need a bit of a help finding stuff myself. I heard the nut and seed collection was extra nice here, thought it'd be a good place to load up for makin' bird foods."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Oh, I think you want the bulk section over on the other side of frozen foods." Eve started in that direction, waving the girl along. "And now I have an excuse to buy myself some ice cream." She grinned devilishly at that. Leila would make a big show out of disapproving later, but inevitably she'd be on the couch next to her with a spoon, and maybe even invite Thorne over too so they could 'feel terrible together.'

Unfortunately, all the truly decadent varieties she favored, with the fudgey caramel swirls and nuts and bits of candy, had been rearranged to be on the higher shelves, with the only ones left at the moment hanging out mockingly at the very top. Eve glanced over a bit awkwardly, wondering if America would be able to reach.

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America considered the ice cream for herself for a moment, before deciding the walk back home was just a bit too melt-inducing to bother with it this time. Glancing back at Eve, she noticed the woman's gaze, and asked even as she reached up toward the fancy cartons, "Which ones you thinking 'bout?"

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Whichever one looks like it has the most extra junk in it," Eve decided after a second of consideration.

lizbot

u waited so long for this one-liner qq

 

[lizbot]

It turned out to be called The Bird's Nest, and it was fancy as ******** and a cute sort of idea that left America smiling as she handed it to Eve. The solid chocolates were shaped like fat little birds, and in the chocolate and caramel swirl of syrups were little twigs of pretzel and tiny eggs of marshmallow and chocolate candies.

After a moment, she gave a soft huff of laughter and grabbed on for herself. "Guess I'll treat myself after treating Mr. Bitterberry."

cibarium

one liners are exactly as long as they need to be