mistsplitter | 🌸 seasons inbox

[ By the time Cloud is listing down his orders, Ayaka is back to leaning on him, both arms around his one, with one of her hands slipping her fingers to lace with his. Her eyes close as she listens to the conversation; Cloud's voice is just so calming, and she likes it when he talks about them, despite how it wasn't really much. It puts a smile on her face regardless.

Something just for them. ]

Hehe. Do you think it would be exactly the same as what we had in Nippon?

[ She doesn't think so... But she thinks it would still be nice, regardless. In this instance, it'd be a drink that the two made by themselves, for themselves! That's more special. ]

[ Her weight against his side is a comfort that's difficult to put in words. But that wasn't going to stop him from squeezing her enlaced hand right back, thumb strumming along slender, smooth skin. ]

Maybe close.

... but, if it's not- [ They technically can't read minds, but as the stories would go... ] -this might need an updated name.

Any suggestions?

[ They can start listing one name down after the other before their orders get served. ]

Well...

[ With his free hand, he brings it to his chin in thought. ]

The original was called, "One Thing I Love", right? Then...

[ His brow furrows with thought. ]

"What I Love About..." hmm...

It might be long if it's the full line.

[ Maybe that's why the person who made their drink changed it! ]

One Year of Love?

[ Though that means it's a different drink next year. ]

Two Years of Love. Three Years of Love...

[ Cloud's shoulder give a light shake as he suppresses the urge to laugh. ]

If it were red, I'd have went with something about a camellia...

Perhaps it can have something to do with what we did tonight?

[ The first time they tried it, it was a fruit of their labour from participating in the movie. But now... hm!! ]

Wishing Upon the Night Sky?

Oh yeah...since this'll be something new-ish for us.

[ And they aren't in Nippon anymore. The legacy remains, but what they make of their lives now? That's for the real Cloud Strife and Kamisato Ayaka to decide. ]

Good one... [ But it's long, isn't it? ] Night Sky Wish?

Night Sky Wish it is.

[ She sounds absolutely delighted now that they've come up with a name. Ayaka even pulls away a little so she can flash him a smile.

She's just so happy now. It feels like White Day all over again, with how her heart is racing and how light she feels. This feeling of being loved and being able to love someone in this way... she prays it never goes away. It's the best feeling in the world. ]

I like that a lot, Cloud. Our very own Night Sky Wish.

[ It doesn't matter how many times he sees it. The way she flashes a smile at him... It's like he's falling for the first time all over again. His cheeks redden, and his expression softens all the same. ]

Wonder if they'll let us have the recipe...so we can try it at home.

We could ask. Though I do not mind coming here once a year.

[ She thinks that would be fun. Or just coming over whenever they want a drink, now that they've found a nice and cosy place to eat and drink.

A few moments later, their drinks are served! Ayaka's pleased, despite it not being the exact same drink as the one they had in Nippon, but they did get the colours right!

"I'll be back with the food." ]

It's here! Our anniversary drink!

I'm game.

[ For either of those options really! ... though he might go ahead and ask anyway. Take it home with them so that there might be a chance he surprises her with it. Who knows if they'll have a chance to come back here next year or not? He wants to be sure he can remember and take their memories with them wherever they go... He blinks when the server returns with their special drink. And it does conjure up some old memories. It's not as blue as the original one if he's remembering right! But it does spark a familiar feeling. And right now, especially with how excited she sounds, that's all that Cloud could ever ask for. ]

Looks pretty close.

[ He nods with a small "thanks" to the server as they go to retrieve their orders. Taking his glass and inspecting it, there's a softer fondness in his eyes as he seems to be getting a little lost in the dual-toned beverage. ]

...

[ "Everyday, I will tell you and I will show you." ]

[ His smile grows then, as he looks to Ayaka by his side, still holding his glass up. A toast, then. ]

[ "I do not wish to lose a moment and not tell you that I love you." ]

To us and our wishes.

[ It may look different, but Ayaka certainly doesn't mind. And she could make it more meaningful by saying something like... their first drink was made based on their characters, but this is based on the real them! But she doesn't. There's no need to.

She holds up her drink as well, and clinks it with Cloud's glass. ]

To us and our night sky wishes.

[ It's likely because of Cloud's additional comment, but the drink? Strong. Really strong. Ayaka's eyes open once she's taking a sip, because, wow! The orange flavour is definitely still there, with a hint of passionfruit and vanilla, but the taste of alcohol is more prominent. Perhaps it's meant to be mixed? ]

Oh my. I think this is more to your tastes than mine.

[ This is even more personal. And frankly, he wouldn't change the colors of the drink for anything either. With a clink of his glass with hers, he hums in contentment as Ayaka claims their night sky wishes. It's got a orange flavour to it, but it's accompanied by a really wicked kick after. Nothing so terrible that it burned or anything, but even he has to throw up an eyebrow. It's not enough to make him stop straightaway! But even he has to let out a little 'phew'. ]

Maybe the orange and blue should be stirred...

[ Which is exactly what Cloud does, taking the end of his spoon on the table to dip it into his glass. The blue and orange mix start to swirl beautifully, creating a striping pattern. Normally this would cause the concoction to turn brown, but since he doesn't thoroughly stir it and the alcohol is dense enough...it holds some of its dual-toned color! Now no longer just sitting on top of one another. ]

Maybe this time...

[ So Cloud attempts it again, letting the drink sit in his mouth for a fleeting moment before swallowing. This time? Now it tastes like the passionfruit, vanilla and orange! But with a more subtle aftertaste by contrast as the citrus cuts into the strength of the harder liquor. ]

There's the ticket.

[ Should be stirred, huh? She'll do that with her straw, then, mixing the colours together until the drink's turned into a goldish hue, with hints of blue. Ayaka takes a sip when most of the colours have been mixed. Yes, okay. Cloud's right! That definitely tastes a lot better. ]

You did it.

[ Cloud saved their drink! Ayaka is definitely very pleased, leaning back on Cloud's arm once she's gotten a good sip of it. She'd like to save the rest for when their snacks come. ]

We had a long day. Are you tired?

[ Their food comes in shortly after. You can still see the steam coming up from the fritters! Ayaka says a quick thank you to the server, bowing her head slightly. ]

We did.

[ They made this together. And as silly as may be to get this sentimental over a drink... The history that leads behind it all makes it that much more crucial. He knows he's going to take that recipe before they leave here today. That or come very damn close to replicating it himself. Even if he's not the bar expert. ]

Not really. [ If he's being honest? Spending the night with her and going up to the observatory only rekindled his energy. Even after they spent a good portion of it traveling to Coldreach by foot. ] Might change after we hit the mattress though.

[ Though if he were being honest, Cloud wasn't really keen on going to bed right away, even when they got back. The treehouse had a lovely balcony, and listening to her for the rest of the night sounds just as nice. The fritters and his sausage come, and he bows his head in turn, a little mannerism he picked up on habit from the Shirasagi Himegimi and his tenure in Nippon.

Some old habits die hard. ]

How you feelin'?

A little tired, if I were to be honest.

[ And she's always honest when she's with him! That's why she can tell him that she's tired. All that crying actually drained a lot of her energy, and she hasn't recovered yet. The alcohol from their drink may not help with that either. ]

But... I don't want today to end just yet. It ends if I go to sleep.

[ She doesn't want to sleep yet. Tomorrow will start a new year for them, but she wants to stay with him like this just a little longer. It isn't so bad if they extend the day, right? ]

If it ends...

[ He'll mind his own food for the time being so that Ayaka can focus on hers too. He might need both hands for this bun and sausage anyway, least he lose his balance of it while leaning against Ayaka in kind. Before he can take a bite and try the local special wiener, he regards her with confidence once more. ]

That just means it leads into a better day.

[ She gets it! She'll sit properly so Cloud can eat, and yes, she has her snacks, too! ]

I suppose. That's one way of looking at things.

[ The fritters are served with some barbeque sauce, so she dips an end of it in some and takes a bite. It is oily! But it's not bad at all. It also comes with a special other kind of dip, a mix of mayonnaise and some other thing. Ayaka's not sure! ]

Would you like some of mine? It is not a flower, but... perhaps we can trade a piece or two.

[ Thankfully for these two, they'll feel much better after they make their trip back home! It pays to be relatively active so they can enjoy some of the more indulgent things. He takes a bite of his sausage, surprised by the explosion of juicy flavors in his mouth. He didn't think it'd be dry, it's just... He's had hot dogs before. ]

Mm?

[ Chew. Chew. Swallow! He can't help the little smile when she offers to trade. It may not be a flower... ]

Sure. Have at 'er.

[ The sausage and bun would be much harder to just hang over to Ayaka and feed her. So he slides his plate towards her so that she can enjoy a bite! She can take it from either side if she wants- the one he bit into first, or the untouched side! ]

Looks like barbeque, but...what's that other one?

[ yes she's gonna have some of his sausage ]

Um... I haven't tried it yet. It looks like some kind of mayonnaise?

[ '-' But she transfers half of her beef fritters over to Cloud's plate. She doesn't need to eat that much!!! And then she grabs a fork and a knife to slice one bite off Cloud's food. She's not going to use her hands for this, thank you..............

Ayaya-sized bite!! Om 'u' Very juicy... This does taste like something Cloud would enjoy. ]

[ H U E H U E H U E ]

I'll figure it out.

[ He really shouldn't have been so surprised that she'd cut the sausage and bun off at the end. One day...he'll get her to hold a hot dog for real. But tonight was not that night. It's an indulgent treat! Cloud likes to eat relatively clean, but he's also a fan of BBQ and sushi... Ayaka got him hooked on quality salmon sashimi. Waiting for Ayaka to transfer her beef fritters to him, he doesn't even object that she's surrendering half of her snack to him. He knows that it's getting late and this was a snacky night.

... he also eats more by comparison. So, this is a win for both of them! ]

And?

[ What'd she think of it! While he waits for an answer, Cloud cuts off a piece of a beef fritter with his fork before taking a stab at it. Into the mayonnaise mixture it goes! And once he takes a moderately bigger Cloud-sized bite? Om. ... Oh! It's not your ordinary mayonnaise. And he couldn't really smell it at first until he took a proper bite but now he can't get it out of his head. It's good. ]

That's sesame.

[ Sesame Mayonnaise! At least, it's subtle. ]

It's very juicy, isn't it?

[ The sausage!! It's very flavourful! The bun adds a nice touch so you don't end up feeling like it's too flavourful. ]

Sesame? [ Huh!

Ayaka's quick to grab one of the fritters with her fork to try. The barbecue sauce was good and all, but this one? Ayaya approves. 👍 ]

I like this one better.

[ And because of that! She doesn't dip her fritters into the barbecue sauce anymore! Everything goes into the sesame mayonnaise, only taking breaks every now and then from the oiliness by taking sips of her drink. ]

So, tomorrow... do we have an itinerary? I'd still like to look around and buy some souvenirs.

Yeah, nice as barbeque is...it's pretty common.

[ ... he kind of wants this dip for home now. As Ayaka asks of their plans for tomorrow, he smirks with a "hmph" behind sealed lips. ]

Mind reader... [ Just like their characters. ] Was thinking we'd play it by ear and have a look around. If it's not too late and we feel done, we can make our way home.

[ He shrugs before going to take a sip of his own citrusy concoction. ]

Thought ahead and booked our place for another night just in case.

[ Which means they may stay another day if they fancy it too! ]

[ Ayaka doesn't even need to think twice! Her beau is just so amazing... ]

Then... I'd like to stay here for another day.

[ Just the two of them ☺️ It's been a year and the honeymoon phase is still going strong. It isn't as if the two of them are going to go their separate ways once they leave! But... if Cloud allowed him to be the only one in her world a little longer... she really would be so happy. ]

No more crying, this time.

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