judgementor | [Aefenglom IC Inbox]

[He stills as Bailey tucks his hair back. A small and unexpected gesture that warms him just a little.]

Mm, good.

[And he follows, unfastened the buttons of his jacket as they walk. He may not feel the cold as much now, but he still dresses for it out of habit. People look at you strangely if you don't, after all.]

Is this a surprise?

If it wasn't, I would've told you what it was.

[They push open the door to their bedroom, stepping inside - their room is near the back of the house, and has a window looking out over the garden Bailey's been tending to in their spare time. Faun stuff, you know?

The room is as large and opulent as the house, but the room is tidy. There's a piano set in one of the corners, but besides that there's not much in the way of personal touches.

They step over to where a small box wrapped in brown paper is sitting on their bed, ribbon tied around it in a bow.]

But it's nothing big, so don't worry about it.

Hmn.

[Red Wine doesn't get given gifts very often, and gets surprises even less. The piano gets a lingering look as he crosses the room to pick up the small box, and he delicately turns it over in his hands before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

The last time somebody gave him a small and unexpected gift here, it hadn't been something he really wanted... though it had turned out to be very useful in the end.]

Thank you, anyway... [And he slips the bow off the parcel, then unwraps the paper without ripping it.] I don't get many presents.

[They take a seat next to him, a nervous look on their face that they try to smooth over. It's fine, it's fine, it's not the end of the world!

But they did put a lot of time into this, so. Y'know. A bit of nerves are understandable, they think.

Inside the box is a piece of fabric, neatly folded up. It appears to be a handkerchief, and unfolding it will reveal the carefully embroidered pattern on it.]

Well, I'm not going to say it's the best present, but I hope you don't hate it.

[He shoots the faun a quick smile before he opens the parcel and gently tips the handkerchief out into the palm of his hand. It's admittedly not his usual style, but Red Wine is never impolite about a gift.]

Did you make this?

[It gets unfolded and held up for examination. Then he folds it up again and tucks it into the inside pocket of his jacket.]

I certainly don't hate it. I'll keep it close to my heart.

I did.

[A pause.]

Well, I did the embroidery part. I didn't- I didn't, you know, go out and weave it myself.

[Their cheeks go a bit pink, and they smile at him shyly.]

Well, I'm glad for that much.

Thank you.

[He tucks the handkerchief securely into his pocket and then smiles, the expression taking the weary edge off his face for a moment. Red Wine leans up to press a kiss to the corner of the faun's mouth, then looks around the room with a soft sigh.]

Is that piano in tune?

[Whether it is or not, he gives Bailey's hand a squeeze and stands up to go and take a look at the instrument.] I haven't touched one in a while, but I think I remember how.

You’re welcome.

[They brighten, squeezing his hand before he turns his attention to the piano.]

It is. Or should be, at least. Just played it yesterday.

You don't mind, do you?

[He assumes that they don't as he takes a seat in front of it, sweeping his coat out behind him as he does. He trails his pale fingers lightly over the keys then plays a gentle minor chord, followed by another.]

Ah, lovely... [Red Wine murmurs, and he plays a few bars of a slow and melancholy tune.]

I'll bring my violin next time I visit.

Of course not.

[They lean back on their hands, watching him with a small smile on their face despite how... Sad their song is.]

You should. We can play together! It’ll be great.

It would.

[And he keeps playing, the notes coming out slow and soft and somber. He doesn't watch his hands as they move across the keys, and he visibly leans into it as the pace of the notes picks up.]

I have some books that I picked up, I'm sure we can find something.

Oh, definitely.

[They hum, picking at their sheets. They’re content to listen for a moment, before curiosity gets to them.]

When did you learn how to play?

I--

[He falters, just for a moment, but manages not to stumble over the keys. Then, he does look down at his hands. He frowns.]

A long time ago. I learned to play for someone I cared about very much. So that I could be more than just a weapon for her to use.

[It doesn’t take long for Bailey to figure out who, exactly, Red Wine means. He hasn’t mentioned his Master Attendant much asides from the conceptual - she existed, he worked for her. That was about it.]

Was she a fan of the arts, then?

You could say that. She was a noble lady. She knew how to embroider, and play the piano and the harp, and how to dance.

[He isn't sure that she really enjoyed learning those things, but it was expected of her.]

I used to sit and listen to her play. She found it amusing.

Very respectable.

[They stand up, walking over to sit next to Red Wine and watch his hands.]

Is she the one who taught you?

Mm.

[The composition grows more complicated and he dents his lower lip lightly with his teeth for a moment. Then, he smiles.]

I insisted. And now it's... something that reminds me of her.

[They keep their eyes on the keys, settling their hands in their lap. Their ears swivel for a moment, perking up, before drooping again.]

Anything else she taught you? She sounds like a very fancy lady - did you have to take etiquette classes?

[They want to keep things on the lighter side, not... Dwell on the fact that she’s gone.]

No, no, I came to her more or less as I am.

[Poise and refinement completely intact.]

When a Food Soul is summoned, we often reflect the wants of the summoner... either consciously or not. She wanted a Food Soul who would be the antithesis to the one summoned by her beloved.

What, did she hate the Food Soul they summoned or something?

[But... Huh. They press their lips together, brow furrowing.]

But does that mean... If you were to, like... Die and get resummoned you could be a completely different person?

I wouldn't say she hated him, exactly. She didn't appreciate his personality. Nor did I.

[He shrugs slightly as his fingers continue to move over the piano keys.]

It's very difficult to kill a Food Soul. I'm not even certain we can die in the way that humans understand death.

[Huff.]

Saying someone doesn't appreciate someone else sounds like a very polite way to say she thought this other Food Soul was a total tool. Did he at least get on with his own master?

[A Food Soul that's the complete opposite of Red Wine...

They wonder, but they're not going to ask.]

Mm... Probably. I mean, your entire experience in general isn't probably something a human could understand - being summoned as a fully conscious and developed person is a lot different from being born and growing up, so it's an entirely different experience from the get go. [A beat.] I definitely can't say I understand what it must've been like.

Yes, of course he did. And she was right.

[Steak is, of course, a total tool. Madam thought so, Red Wine had immediately thought so, and he had seen little over their time together to really show otherwise. The few redeeming qualities that he has don't really make up for it.

He smiles and lets out a little chuff of laughter.]

I have memories from long before I was summoned. We don't simply appear, we're only given a physical form.

[Well, that just about confirms it. They let out a soft, amused huff, shaking their head.]

I imagine the two of you often agreed on things like that?

[They blink, head cocking.]

Oh. Huh. Can you... Do anything without a physical form? Like talk to people or anything?

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