𝕒𝕔𝕒𝕕𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕒 𝕒𝕦 📚

[recluserose]

➢ "But one of us misread." ⏮⏭

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[recluserose]

[She stares at her phone lying flat on the counter and ponders his message over a glass of iced sparkling water with a fresh lemon slice. Then she replies with one hand, fingers deft across the screen.]

Maybe sometime before or after the holidays.

[Who's being vague now?]

This isn't supposed to be the way this works is it? Texting me, I mean.

[After all that is her underlying meaning.]

[netherese]

[Vague indeed, but he'll take a 'maybe.' It's more than he would have received had he not chanced messaging her at all.]

I am breaking the unspoken rules, aren't I?

[A distraction, and nothing more, but...]

I thought I might regret it if I didn't. There's always the chance that one of us finds ourselves in need of further distraction.

[He feels his face heat up. Had he really just written that? Too late to do anything about it now.]

[recluserose]

[There's a long, long, pause. But against all odds, she replies.]

I don't know if that's how that works for all this either.

Maybe if we get fries again.

[netherese]

[That gets a laugh from him, and he smiles to himself as he responds, amused.]

I can't claim to be overly familiar with the etiquette. It's not something I make a habit of.

I could go for fries instead of coffee. I'll note that a 'maybe' isn't a no.

[recluserose]

It's not a habit of mine either.

[It was literally just The One Time and that was it. They both were lucky, perhaps, that they got along well enough to make it work at all.

She wrestles with herself for a long time on how she could deal with this moving forward. Amelia would be lying to herself if she said she was indifferent to him and it was more of a case that she had little to no expectations about where this could possibly lead.

Neutral questions it is then.]

What kind of coffee do you like anyway?

[netherese]

[Another thing they have in common, it would seem— their lack of experience in navigating this sort of situation, though he supposes he knows the expected course of action was none at all. This wasn't his first one-night-stand, but it's been several years since the last, and even then, they had been few and far between.]

Limiting myself to just one would be a shame when there are so many different kinds to be sampled, but it's hard to say no to a good americano. We have some rather remarkable local roasters around here. What about you?

[recluserose]

Americanos are good every once and a while, but I usually prefer variations of the latte, iced, even in cold weather.

[netherese]

Also an excellent choice. Any particular flavors?

[recluserose]

Maple. Cardamom or cinnamon to accent it.

[She's been told the way she texts is rather similar to how she talks in-person. Reading over her last few messages, she wonders if she should try for a slightly friendlier tone while maintaining neutrality. Is such a thing possible? It's a tall order for someone like her.]

I didn't like coffee until my mid-20s, believe it or not. I'd have other sources of caffeine to fuel my studies.

[netherese]

[He is reminded of what it was like to converse with her in person, but her brevity doesn't seem to deter him much.]

They do say it's an acquired taste for good reason. I started young, but it was a regular feature of most family meals and gatherings. I also happen to be quite fond of cinnamon and cardamom. Ginger, as well.

If you're so inclined before or after the holidays, as you said, the shop I'm thinking of does have an excellent maple pecan roast.

[He's far too amused by being able to quote her own stated timeframe back at her.]

[recluserose]

[She squints at her screen; she knows her literary devices, this man is using one to tease her for his own amusement.]

You're very set on seeing me again, aren't you?

[netherese]

I'd like to, yes- but I have no delusions about what our previous meeting was meant to be. I simply enjoyed your company. If you're not interested, I'll respectfully leave it at that.

[He's not about to force his company on anyone— but he feels like he wasn't the only one who'd felt their connection that night. Even then, there are no expectations, and he's no less a mess than he was a few days earlier, but...

He wouldn't hate an opportunity to be so pleasantly distracted again, if she was amenable to it.]

[recluserose]

[His hunch would be right. Her mind wasn't as occupied as his, but having to confront him even in screen form made her think about that night and how for those few hours, she had a glimpse into a different possibility.

And maybe it wasn't as far off and impossible as it seemed now that he sought her out.]

It's going to be a very busy season for me so I'm afraid I'm not in the frame of mind for a coffee meeting.

I don't mind conversations over text moving forward, however.

[netherese]

[He can't bring himself to be disappointed about her declining to meet when she offers him another opening, instead— she could have easily told him to lose her number, but he smiles to himself as he composes his response a few minutes later.]

I would like that. An excellent opportunity to offer recommendations going forward as you settle into life in Waterdeep, as well.

[If nothing else, they could both probably use a friend— though it is admittedly hard to think of her as such after the heated night they'd spent together.]

[recluserose]

I've been here for almost a year, but the recommendations are always welcome, especially from someone very local as yourself.

Do you know any good flower shops?

[netherese]

[Things he might have known had he asked the right sort of questions— but given the nature of that night, they had both made a very noticeable effort not to do so. They spoke about themselves, but not their daily lives. There was a discernable difference, but that she offered even that much now was interesting.]

That depends entirely on what you're looking for. If you're interested in the more exotic, I recommend Dailantha's in the North Ward, but you'll find an excellent variety at Pelauvir's in the Castle Ward, especially if you're looking to start that garden of yours.

[recluserose]

I'm thinking of getting an orchid though they aren't in season yet. They're lovely and elegant flowers that make a great home decoration.

[Ugh. It sounds so dull. She squints at her last message and then follows up with another:]

I'm afraid I'm not much of a sparkling conversationalist over text; just warning you now.

1/2

[netherese]

[Fortunately for her— or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how keen she is to be rid of him— he doesn't find her dull in the least.]

You hardly need to entertain me. I'm just happy to keep in touch.

If it's an orchid you're after, Pelauvir's will serve you well. They're also not toxic to cats, if you do decide on getting one sooner rather than later, though I'm sure you already knew that, being as fond of plants as you seem to be.

2/2

[netherese]

[He does think he's sounding a little dull, so he'll add on:]

I'm starting to think I'm not so good over text, myself. I do hope you'll bear with me. Maybe hold on to some faint memory of our visit to the bar so you don't forget.

[recluserose]

[She's putting her plate and utensils into the dishwasher and when she reads his message, she can't help but curl her lips into a smile that thankfully, no one else is around to see.

They keep being so strangely similar.]

Thank you for your suggestion regarding the orchids. I appreciate it.

I think I can bear with you after everything that's happened.

I'm not a people-person, believe it or not.

[Maybe he can, since she wanted to partially escape the crowd that was brought to the bar to begin with, amongst other reasons.]

[netherese]

[He himself gives a chuckle at her response when he sees it, having moved to his kitchen to fix another cup of tea.]

I'm shocked!

Though I do believe you in the sense that you don't care for big and lively crowds, you still made very pleasant company, so I wouldn't say that's entirely true.

[recluserose]

You're not just saying that because of what happened after the fries I hope?

[A serious question? Teasing?? Flirting??? WHO KNOWS...]

[netherese]

[He can't help but hope for flirting, though he thinks anyone who knew the situation would be unable to blame him.]

This feels suspiciously like a trick question. At the risk of failing, while what followed was certainly pleasantly memorable in its own right, I am being quite genuine when I speak of your company, especially as that wasn't what I had set out to find that night. Our conversation was an engaging distraction when I found myself in need of one, and I found myself wishing we'd had the opportunity to talk when I was a better version of myself than I was that evening.

[recluserose]

[Amelia is really, really, really grateful that Berna is out of the house right now. It would have been easy to look over Amelia's shoulder and see her reddened face as she reads the words on her screen.

What is with this man? It would be easier to see him as a nuisance trying to obstinately gain her attentions, but instead, she finds she's... Flattered? That doesn't happen with her. Her usual instinct is to push others away, her timer and patience for people short. Being liked by those who barely knew her (because if the more they did, the more they'd find lacking) is uncomfortable.

She should just stop texting. Create the distance now. The door's been open too far for her liking.]

I'm glad the conversation was engaging to an extent. I know it wasn't much, but I didn't dislike it.

[Well, that didn't work.

And really, she wonders if they should have just kept talking instead of throwing caution to the wind. It worked out, all things considered, except for the part where they've circled back to talking to each other when it was supposed to bea cleaner cut.]

[netherese]

[He's playing a dangerous game, he knows— neither of them had been looking for anything more than what had already come to pass. He hadn't been looking for anything at all, and knows himself to be far too much of a mess to even consider more than coffee, maybe another stolen night or two, but...]

It's not often one steps out for a drink or three and meets someone so well-read, for one, even in a city this size.

[If nothing else, they could be friends, couldn't they? That would be fine. They can stop texting at any time, he tells himself. Everything is still under control.]