[Navia's spent most of her day at her place cooking since she knew the boys would be cooking at Aether's. Her macarons were, of course, among the menu items, but with it being Neuvillette's birthday, she couldn't help but want to go a little overboard. What sat on the table next to the macarons was a familiar cake that might have been seen at Hotel Debord. While it wasn't as fancy as the one there, Navia might have tried her hand at it. This was also her second iteration of the cake, because the first one didn't turn out quite as she liked and ended up eating it while she cried.
Her gift box was a little larger, wrapped in a gold bow. Inside, a blue glass chess set, which honestly reminded her of the waters back home. She thought of him the moment she saw it. ]
Me next! Now, with it being so cold, I know we're spending time indoors. This is so you'll have something to keep you occupied.
[ meanwhile, the only thing wriothesley has on hand to offer are the apéritifs and soup he’s still tending to as he holds down the kitchen, leaving the other two cooks to hurry out and greet neuvillette with their gifts in tow. not wanting to take away from either of their moments, wriothesley simply smiles and lifts a hand in greeting as neuvillette is more or less guided to sit in the living room. he does, however, take a quiet moment to lean against the counter and watch it all unfold—content to soak in the easy joy of an evening shared among remarkable friends and warm company. ]
( neuvillette, being a stickler for punctuality amidst other things, arrives a few minutes early, bearing some glass bottles of water that he has purified on his own. the letters and gifts he had received from wriothesley, aether, and navia had cheered him up considerably, drawing him from melancholy to warmth.
he accepts the warm scarf and the beautiful glass chess set (blue as the waters of fontaine) with surprise, delight, and no small amount of gratitude — truly, he had not expected such thoughtful gifts on top of this dinner they have clearly worked hard at preparing for him. how wonderful, to be amidst such friends and enjoy their company, and oh, that cake is indeed familiar!
eyes bright and smile warm, neuvillette actually looks very, very happy, taking in everything and clearly being unable to help but step closer to them both, nodding at wriothesley to acknowledge him as well. )
Thank you, truly. Aether, Navia, Wriothesley... you have gone to great trouble on such a day, and I am truly grateful for your thoughtfulness. These gifts are special to me, as is all the work you have put in. Have you all spent the whole day working on this?
[Navia should've known that Aether would happily help her! And face all the mistakes with her! There's never a need to face hardships on your own (even if it's nothing serious) when they have each other.
Seeing Neuvillette's expression warm up makes Aether grin wide. They managed to cheer the Iudex up and that in turn makes the traveler beam. He moves even closer to Neuvillette, giving him something of a friendly half-hug before stepping away to pull a chair for him to take a seat.]
You have nothing to thank us for. We are simply happy to celebrate this day together with you! And I wouldn't call this work either. We've had a lot of fun cooking.
[He says that he casts a look to Wriothesley, seeking his confirmation.]
[ shhh leave Navia alone right now, this isn't her place to sob about her cake misadventures. she'll tell everyone later!
she's happy. Despite the weather being so cold, despite their circumstances and minus a few friends, they've managed to pull off a nice gathering for a cherished friend. Her roses look brighter, not unlike some of the withered ones previously. With friends, with her emotions being bright, she feels good. ]
It's no trouble at all, so please, don't think that. We wanted you to have a special day - we'd gladly spend all day for you.
[ there’s an exaggerated lift of his brow as the room looks to him for the final word, followed by a sweeping gesture back toward the crowd with one hand. ]
Both chef and pâtissier have spoken, and I’ve been nothing more than their humble helper today.
[ he flashes a tight little smile, then smooths it out with a short huff of laughter. ]
And I have to agree with everything they’ve said. The three of us came together to serve up a little slice of home while we’re all here, and I’d like to think we managed that for you.
[ he exhales softly, as if releasing the weight of the final words now that their little stand-up has come to a close, and his smile shifts—warmer, more at ease. ]
So, with that said—happy birthday, Monsieur Neuvillette.
( yes, indeed. there is never a need to face hardships on your own when there are people around who will be more than happy to help! for the first time in awhile, neuvillette's heart feels incredibly warm, and he can't hide the happiness that bubbles up in his chest. truly, in this cozy moment, he can't help but realize that these three are the closest to his heart.
he returns the half-hug after a split second, awkward only because he hasn't actually hugged anyone before, and he can't help but feel the pleasantness of a budding imprint, warm like honey. and navia, beautiful navia with her roses and the brightness of her smile. he steps toward the cake and macarons, admiring the delicate beauty of the confections. )
This took a lot of work, didn't it? They are truly a feast for the eyes. ( his smile widens when he catches wriothesley's smile, and that little greeting, before he nods his appreciation and gratitude, unable to keep a smile off his usually-dispassionate face. he picks up one macaron, holding it between his fingers delicately. a even more delicate bite follows, and neuvillette blinks. )
... it seems our Patissiere Supreme has competition.
[The joy in the air is easy to sense and Aether's expression shines when Neuvillette praises Navia's creation. The traveler quickly casts a look to his friend as if silent telling her "see? He loves it!" while also being very proud of her.
They all have done an amazing job, he thinks. Neuvillette enjoying his time with them is the greatest prize they could ask for.]
Since the menu is now approved by our estimated guest... it's time to celebrate!
[Aether makes his way to Wriothesley, gently placing a hand on his back to lead him towards the table.]
I'll handle the rest in the kitchen. You should take a break.
[ navia's hands clasp together in front of her, smile bright at the praise. ]
That makes it all the better! I wouldn't say I'm competition with her since the cake was definitely a second time around completion. The first one was more brownie than cake and I... I might have sobbed for an hour earlier today while I ate it.
[She laughs at it, because looking back on it now, it's funny. There was no reason to cry over a bad cake, but she had a moment where she wanted everything perfect and it just wasn't working.]
I'm glad you enjoy them... it fills my heart with joy.
[ leave it to aether to corral him into participating, especially when his part of the dinner course had been finished some time ago. still, wriothesley follows aether's lead and busies himself at the table, caught between watching neuvillette sample navia's macarons and ensuring everything remains in order.
he does, however, laugh alongside navia when she recounts her first attempt at the cake—it reminds him of an old adage. ]
Well, as they say in Snezhnaya: the first pancake is always lumpy. And I'd say it fits in this case in more ways than one.
( ah, aether is incredibly endearing; it's not difficult to see how much he adores present company. perhaps it's why fontaine is always abuzz when the traveler comes around to fontaine. and oh, wriothesley too. the man is doing his best to stay out of it, but his gaze on him warms when aether clearly ropes him back in again.
even so, navia's quiet confession is alarming. )
Miss Navia... you were crying because of the cake?
( neuvillette is concerned, a hand gently brushing her elbow in quiet comfort. the last thing he wants is anyone to be in distress over his birthday, especially her, so lively and vivacious, like the sun on a winter's day. )
I would have loved it even if it were more brownie than cake. You were the one who personally made it, after all.
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Her gift box was a little larger, wrapped in a gold bow. Inside, a blue glass chess set, which honestly reminded her of the waters back home. She thought of him the moment she saw it. ]
Me next! Now, with it being so cold, I know we're spending time indoors. This is so you'll have something to keep you occupied.
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he accepts the warm scarf and the beautiful glass chess set (blue as the waters of fontaine) with surprise, delight, and no small amount of gratitude — truly, he had not expected such thoughtful gifts on top of this dinner they have clearly worked hard at preparing for him. how wonderful, to be amidst such friends and enjoy their company, and oh, that cake is indeed familiar!
eyes bright and smile warm, neuvillette actually looks very, very happy, taking in everything and clearly being unable to help but step closer to them both, nodding at wriothesley to acknowledge him as well. )
Thank you, truly. Aether, Navia, Wriothesley... you have gone to great trouble on such a day, and I am truly grateful for your thoughtfulness. These gifts are special to me, as is all the work you have put in. Have you all spent the whole day working on this?
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Seeing Neuvillette's expression warm up makes Aether grin wide. They managed to cheer the Iudex up and that in turn makes the traveler beam. He moves even closer to Neuvillette, giving him something of a friendly half-hug before stepping away to pull a chair for him to take a seat.]
You have nothing to thank us for. We are simply happy to celebrate this day together with you! And I wouldn't call this work either. We've had a lot of fun cooking.
[He says that he casts a look to Wriothesley, seeking his confirmation.]
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she's happy. Despite the weather being so cold, despite their circumstances and minus a few friends, they've managed to pull off a nice gathering for a cherished friend. Her roses look brighter, not unlike some of the withered ones previously. With friends, with her emotions being bright, she feels good. ]
It's no trouble at all, so please, don't think that. We wanted you to have a special day - we'd gladly spend all day for you.
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Both chef and pâtissier have spoken, and I’ve been nothing more than their humble helper today.
[ he flashes a tight little smile, then smooths it out with a short huff of laughter. ]
And I have to agree with everything they’ve said. The three of us came together to serve up a little slice of home while we’re all here, and I’d like to think we managed that for you.
[ he exhales softly, as if releasing the weight of the final words now that their little stand-up has come to a close, and his smile shifts—warmer, more at ease. ]
So, with that said—happy birthday, Monsieur Neuvillette.
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he returns the half-hug after a split second, awkward only because he hasn't actually hugged anyone before, and he can't help but feel the pleasantness of a budding imprint, warm like honey. and navia, beautiful navia with her roses and the brightness of her smile. he steps toward the cake and macarons, admiring the delicate beauty of the confections. )
This took a lot of work, didn't it? They are truly a feast for the eyes. ( his smile widens when he catches wriothesley's smile, and that little greeting, before he nods his appreciation and gratitude, unable to keep a smile off his usually-dispassionate face. he picks up one macaron, holding it between his fingers delicately. a even more delicate bite follows, and neuvillette blinks. )
... it seems our Patissiere Supreme has competition.
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They all have done an amazing job, he thinks. Neuvillette enjoying his time with them is the greatest prize they could ask for.]
Since the menu is now approved by our estimated guest... it's time to celebrate!
[Aether makes his way to Wriothesley, gently placing a hand on his back to lead him towards the table.]
I'll handle the rest in the kitchen. You should take a break.
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That makes it all the better! I wouldn't say I'm competition with her since the cake was definitely a second time around completion. The first one was more brownie than cake and I... I might have sobbed for an hour earlier today while I ate it.
[She laughs at it, because looking back on it now, it's funny. There was no reason to cry over a bad cake, but she had a moment where she wanted everything perfect and it just wasn't working.]
I'm glad you enjoy them... it fills my heart with joy.
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he does, however, laugh alongside navia when she recounts her first attempt at the cake—it reminds him of an old adage. ]
Well, as they say in Snezhnaya: the first pancake is always lumpy. And I'd say it fits in this case in more ways than one.
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even so, navia's quiet confession is alarming. )
Miss Navia... you were crying because of the cake?
( neuvillette is concerned, a hand gently brushing her elbow in quiet comfort. the last thing he wants is anyone to be in distress over his birthday, especially her, so lively and vivacious, like the sun on a winter's day. )
I would have loved it even if it were more brownie than cake. You were the one who personally made it, after all.