mistsplitter | 🌸 seasons inbox

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.

[ Should there come a time wherein their honeymoon phase wears off? ... Nothing significant was going to change, really. Though maybe the fact it's lasted this long has to do with the admitted uncertainty of their futures together. If he truly finished his mission, and settled down into a new life in Inazuma as he decided he would... Yes; yes he wouldn't let anything change. Whether she was away on official business, or he was attending to official Yashiro Commission affairs, she was still somebody he would return home to. With the same admiration he found for her from the moment they met.

Times may change, but the way he feels for her? Would only grow stronger. That he swears by. ]

And if you do, [ mindful to wipe his hands so that they're not greasy in any way, he makes sure Ayaka's between bites to rest his hand atop one of hers. ] I'll just catch them.

[ Any tears that dare to fall. ]

You always do. Thank you for being so patient with me.

[ Ayaka does cry a lot... she promises not to do so anymore for the remainder of their trip, but if he does something that makes her so happy, then she might just break her promise.

A wistful sigh, and she offers him a bit more of her food. No one's looking, she can feed him!!

And as they finish the rest of their anniversary snack, they might notice more people coming in. Looks like this pub's only getting livelier by the minute! A few people start manning the pool table, filling up the ambiance with the sound of balls hitting one another, cheers, and laughs. It's actually fun to see! Ayaka doesn't know anything, but it's nice to see people gather together and enjoy themselves. ]

Always.

[ And just like that, another sign of his support of her, she sneaks him a bit of her food and he doesn't make a scene of it. A moment of sharing, not even thinking of the romantic notions of it all as he accepts another bite of her beefy little treat. After enjoying and finishing off the rest of his own sausage, along with a good portion of his own drink, he notices that more and more people were coming in too. ]

Good thing we got here when we did...

[ Even still, it wasn't getting so busy that it was overcrowded either. Coldreach wasn't some bustling hotspot like some places in Nightwake seemed to be. He finds himself enjoying just watching the people mingle, especially when some were starting to play pool. It's a game he never played before...

However, as a small yet jovial group celebrate in one corner of the pub, they're loud enough to garner the blond's attention as he squints through the brief cluster of people walking between tables to see a dart board. And somebody just missed it completely while the others were having a laugh about it! ]

Huh, didn't see the dartboard when we walked in.

[ Probably because your attention was on a certain little ~~white rabbit~~ princess. ]

[ Well, Ayaka isn't any better. She was too focused on her beau to notice anything else...

But that's fine! They're more relaxed now, and they're both taking in the atmosphere. Ayaka doesn't know anything about darts, beyond what Cloud's told her, but... ]

Would you like to play? [ Now she can watch him in action! Hopefully those other people are friendly and would play with Cloud. Ayaka won't, because there are other people around, but she'll cheer Cloud on! ]

Hm. [ He eyes what's left of his drink. ... Then back to the darts. And then to Ayaka, ] Sure.

[ But on one condition! ]

Wanna finish our drinks, pay and check it out?

[ They can start making their way home afterwards! He gets to show off to Ayaka... ~~No hustling drunks out of money this time though.~~ ]

Mm, alright.

[ That sounds like a good plan to her! And he gets to show off to Ayaka!! :D She's so excited. And in true Kamisato-Strife action. . . ]

May I pay for our bill this time?

'Kay. You got this one.

[ He's almost tempted to try and convince her to go halfsies with him if she must...but knowing him? He'll find a way to spoil her right back. Beyond what he's already paid for their trip out here, that is. ]

[ The two take their sweet time finishing their drinks, and once Cloud bites his tongue on telling their server to split the bill, it's all combined for Ayaka to handle and purchase! There's no need to clean up either, their plates taken care of and their emptied glasses of Night Sky Wish ~~of which he shall ask for the recipe of before leaving~~. Now all that's left is a prince and his white heron princess, hand in hand more comfortably in public thanks in part to the strength of their drink. Just as the duo arrive with the group of friends playing darts, they appear to be just finishing up a round after the last shot is just short of the bullseye.

Were they playing for points? Or who can get the most bullseye marks? He supposes he shouldn't get too competitive about it... ]

Hey, [ he calls out with Ayaka at his side. One of the older gentlemen lifts their head up from the pile of darts in their hand to spot the younger couple. ] Mind if I join in for a round or two?

[ "Heeey, we got a newcomer! Can't say I've seen either of you 'round these parts before! What's your name?" ]

[ Well they seem like friendly enough tipsy folk! ... possibly drunk. He can't quite tell. Regardless, he's got his answer! He can play! ]

I'm Cloud. [ Even though she wasn't planning on playing, he had no intention of leaving her out either. Giving her hand a squeeze before letting go, ] And this is...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject