petcromancer | IC Inbox

hello. i remember you. i'm glad you and Snuggles are doing well.

sure. anything to help the worms feel more comfortable is appreciated.

i've been cultivating mosses to keep my worm fed. i'll bring you some of it if you want.

[She relaxes so fast when he not only remembers her but doesn't even hesitate over her naming choices. It makes her smile as she types back another response.]

really? oh that would be amazing!

thank you so much!

maybe we could get tea or something and exchange things

that sounds reasonable. do you know Diplomatea? we could meet up there.

I know where that is!

is there a time that works best for you?

[She's never really had to arrange a meeting like this. But she's pretty sure you have to ask for time of it!]

are you free at noon tomorrow? we can get lunch there and trade supplies.

yes. I am! I can meet you there if that's okay.

[Hector sends a confirmation message, and the next day, he arrives at the tea shop at noon. He leaves his worm at home, but comes bearing a long, shallow clay pot with a layer of moss potted in it.

He finds a table and sets down his pot before looking around for his fellow worm-enthusiast.]

[The little Fae arrives at the tea shop a little bit after, looking around for the gentle man. When she spots him, relief floods her to know he really came before she flies over the rest of the way. Landing near her seat, she offers a shy smile.]

I'm sorry. I'm late, aren't I. I tried not to be.

Who said you were late?

[Hector doesn't understand the obsession with exact times that people in possession of watches seem to have. He comes from a world and time period where time of day was calculated by the position of the sun or by candlemarks, and the couple of minutes it takes Bernadetta to arrive just doesn't register in the realm of 'late' for him.]

How is Snuggles today? I find my worms --did I tell you I ended up buying a second one?-- are more active at night than in the daylight hours. Have you noticed the same?

[He's going straight into shop talk, but he'll pause when the wait staff come to take their order for tea.]

Oh. I guess...no one.

[She sits down and the fact that he gets straight to shop talk honestly helps keep her at ease. It's so easy to talk about their shared passion this way.]

Snuggles seems to like my room. I made a nice spot near my plants so they help shelter away any extra light during the day. But there's definitely more movement at night. Sometimes little noises too. It's really nice to hear!

[She makes sure to put in her order for her tea then looks back at him.]

Do they do well together? Are they in the same home?

[Hector nods. He gets the sense that Bernadetta could use encouragement to speak more, which he understands. He's not inclined to be overly social himself.]

Yes, Phobos and Deimos get along well. [Though Hector expects that if one were wounded or dead, the other would not hesitate to eat the first.]

They usually stay in cellar together during the days, unless it is overcast, but I've let them out in the garden at night, and they seem to enjoy that. I have to keep a close watch so they don't wander off, though.

Those are really nice names. [She definitely means that too. They sound so regal! Certainly more than hers but she also really loves the name for hers so it's fine.]

I should try the garden sometime. I think Snuggles would really enjoy that. I know I do. Gardens have always been one of my favorite places.

I'm sure it would like any novel place, so long as it's safe. But if you like the garden, that's as good a place to start as any.

Plants have always been a safe place for me. They don't get mad at you or yell at you or get disappointed in you...

[She shakes her head. No more of that! She gets out a little box filled with some things she's actually made. Things to climb on and hide under or around... The craftsmanship is actually really good! Even if she's not sure if it is.]

Here! Snuggles likes playing with these so I hope Phobos and Deimos will like them too.

[Hector nods. He understands those feelings intimately. He'd lived as a hermit for a few years. It had been the safest option for him.]

Animals are the same. They have predictable, logical responses and they don't judge you, except by whether or not you have food for them.

[He takes a look in the box and examines one of the toys.]

Ah, these should keep the two of them occupied for a while. I bet you could adapt them for other pets and sell them.

Mm! I like that about animals too!

[Her wings flutter behind her. She's never been one to hide her emotions but ever since she got her antennae and her wings? She's been unable to hide anything.]

...Sell them? Really?

Why not? They're good quality, and I know of many Mirrorbound who keep pets and familiars.

[Technically, their basic needs are met by the Coven, but having independence and money to spend is never a bad thing.]

If you're interested, that is.

[She looks at the box she gave him. All those little toys she'd made. Would other people like those?]

I've never thought about it. Honestly I've never really thought I was good at much of anything so I was just worried you might not like them.

[Yes, Hector's definitely getting the sense Bernadetta doesn't value her own skills very highly. He frowns.]

You're too harsh a critic of yourself. These are well-made, and they'll keep the worms entertained. My not liking them is as unlikely as you 'not liking' the mosses I brought you.

[Which is an absurd thought, because there's nothing wrong with Hector's plants, and they'll keep Bernadetta's Snuggles fed.]

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