Chapter Text
the storm had kicked up again, as it had every day for the past month. The weather seemed as temperamental as it had been on the sea that morning. The wind howled, whipping the snow into the walls in a way that made it sound like a beast tapping on the walls and roof. She’d have hated to be outside in this climate, away from the hotel walls and the warmth of the room. But alas, she had to get up and prepare for the day. The lilac haired woman walked out of her room and into the lounge of her home, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail with little thought. The house’s room was illuminated with a soft glow from a small lamp in the corner. The yellow-orange light casting long shadows across the walls and floor these shadows and lights shone just right on her little blonde house guest. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she caught her in the corner of her eye.
“I keep forgetting you’re here,” she laughed, approaching the marine with a look of confusion. “You’re still trying to get ahold of them? I told you, wait until the winter’s up, and you’ll be able to get through then.”
She couldn’t help but reassure her, that frustrated expression reflected her own feelings on the storm. She took everything from her and put it on the coffee table in the middle of the room and skipping into the kitchen. Her tail coiled around the Transponder Snail into the kitchen with her to prevent her from attempting the same course of action she had every day for nearly a month now.
“Would you mind getting me some tea Lilac? Thanks a ton” Hototogisu called after her. Crossing her legs and leaning back on the couch with that look of defeat that you only get after failing a million times over. She put her bucket hat over her eyes to attempt to block the light as the Lilac girl lit a second lamp in the room.
“have you drank anything at all this morning?” The lilac woman turned to look at her, her eyes narrowing into a squint.
“Yeah, coffee” the marine replied shortly.
“Water?” The woman replied in annoyance.
“We’re not playing this game again, I don’t need that right now. I had coffee, but I’d like tea and that’s what you’re making.”
“Hototogisu. You know, you need water. I’m not making you tea.”
The Marine Vice Admiral sighed, her appearance looking as ragged and disheveled as she felt in her mind. She knew the woman was right but she didn’t want to admit it. She wanted to barge in there and make herself some tea now. But before she could even get up to do so, an apple was dropped into her lap.
“You need to eat. You can’t skip meals just cuz you’re out of action at the moment.” The lilac haired woman spoke, her voice calm yet stern. She set a plate with a few pieces of vegetables and a roll with a glass of water on the table in front of her before sitting across from her. Her eyes seemed to be full of a sadness beyond comprehension, but Hototogisu couldn’t tell if she was just seeing things. They both looked like wrecks, neither had left the hotel grounds in at least a week now. The snow hadn’t helped their spirits in that moment, that windswept desolate woodland hardly felt like a wonderland to either of them.
“We really need to clean our acts up don’t we?” The lilac woman laughed. “I mean, you’ve been here for a month already and you still can’t even remember my name. We are both… well, you’re better off than me, but we both are messed up.” The duo laughed. They had this conversation before, with a slight twist each time they did. This kind of talk was just how they talked in recent times.
“Do you want to go get some food? Just better food than… what we have.” The lilac woman drank the last sip of her tea and stood up. Putting her coat and scarf on and looking at her house guest. She watched her stand and grab the spare coat that had been set out for her days prior.
“No, you need a different hat. Here” she took a knitted hat from the rack and swapped Hototogisu’s bucket hat for the grey one and placed a scarf around her neck. “You need to blend in after all”
“Right, because your tail makes you blend in so well for a normal lady…”
“Cassidy. That’s my name. You still forgot didn’t you.” She laughed. Cassidy seemed to take it in stride. She wrapped her arm around the shoulders of the marine guest. They walked out into the cold, covering their faces slightly with their scarves. These two made their way to town, trudging through the snow and ice to make it to the market. Surprisingly, the indoor market was in fact open. The stalls were filled with mainly fish, as what vegetables do YOU know that grow in the winter. Lanterns hung from the cover of the market along ropes, casting a warm glow through the large room. The two looked at each other, a nod between the two confirming what the plan was.
The two walked between each stall, bartering for and purchasing each of the fish that the two wanted. They talked about things that had been stressing them, about the weather and the fact that the marines had not gotten back to them about the ship. They then got to the last stall.
“Hey uh, Cas. What are we doing with all of this?”
“Oh, I wanted to make something for everyone since the crew is probably also wants a break from making their own food.”
“That makes sense,” she said as she walked, unconsciously getting closer to Cassidy as they moved for the exit. They had plenty of cooking to do when they got back, and they both knew that they’d spend a long time in the kitchen for this plan.