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“You don’t seem like you’re a fan of winter weather.” Mahiru spoke up, an awkward smile crossing over her face as she observed her girlfriend. Hiyoko was staring out of her window as though looks could kill- or in this case, as if looks could melt a good few inches of snow away to nothing.
“How is it even snowing here? Isn’t this supposed to be a tropical island?” Hiyoko answered her with an annoyed question, scowling. It was… a question Mahiru couldn’t exactly answer herself. It had come without warning- the temperatures of the island had dropped slightly as they always did on Jabberwock come the turn of the seasons, but this was the first time they had gone to bed, only to be greeted by an overnight snowstorm.
“I’m… not sure. Do we even have any winter clothes?” Mahiru frowned as the thought occurred to her, tilting her head to look to the side as she tried to remember. It certainly wasn’t something that she remembered the shipments from Future Foundation bringing them- and either way, she had spent the day at Hiyoko’s hut, and going over to get them seemed risky. Hiyoko shook her head, starting to tie up her blonde locks into the usual ponytail she sported these days. “If they have, Hinata hasn’t had the decency to bring them by.”
And almost as though they were involved in some wider comedy skit, lo and behold, someone knocked on their door. Mahiru was the one to open it, revealing Sonia standing there, though her face was almost buried between the oversized beanie, large red scarf, and puffy black winter jacket she was wearing.
It turned out that they had assumed no winter clothes were available- and they’d all have to wait this out or risk getting sick- but Komaeda had managed to find winter clothes in one of the shipments that hadn’t been fully unpacked yet. (She would never quite understand how his luck worked.)
Sonia gave them both a change of clothes that was…roughly, more or less in their size, before heading on her way. The autumnal orange sweater was a bit baggy on Mahiru, but she supposed it was all the better for that as she slipped on the earmuffs and wrapped the scarf around her neck. She glanced over at Hiyoko- whose clothes fit, and were a fitting shade of pastel pink. Instinctively her hands reached for the camera she always kept with her, observing the way Hiyoko pursed her lips as she struggled with the small buttons on her cardigan, and snapping a photo.
“Mahiru!” Hiyoko noticed the sound of the camera shutter, face flushing.
“Don’t worry, I’m not showing this one to anyone else.” Mahiru assured her, fond smile and soft eyes showing her sincerity. “Who knows the next time it’ll actually snow here, though? This might be my only chance for a memory like this.”
Those words had the traditional dancer’s protective ruffled feathers calm slightly. “Fine. As long as this won’t be like that picture of Hinata you showed to everyone.”
Mahiru stifled a small laugh at that. “I promise, no showing silly pictures of you to anybody else.”
Hiyoko gave her a small grin, looking satisfied. “Let’s head out, then! I wanna pelt Souda with snowballs until he cries!”
The snow was powdery, but packed closely together, crunching under the winter boots they wore as they headed outside. It seemed like the Imposter had prepared hot chocolate for everyone at the restaurant, which they were using to currently tend to Mitarai, still somehow cold and shaking under several layers. Mahiru was admittedly more than a bit concerned for him, but once Tsumiki came by, she assured herself that the other was in good hands.
“I trust whatever that guy makes a lot more than what Hanamura might, you know.” Hiyoko spoke up, blowing on her drink as a hazy steam arose from it.
Mahiru took a small sip once hers had cooled down enough, savoring the richly sweet flavor. “I’m just glad we can have it again at all. I never thought it’d be the type of weather for it here.”
She spun the marshmallows in her drink around with her spoon, thinking to herself. She watched Hiyoko slowly gain the same introspective look, frown curling on her lips. They were probably thinking the same thing- if the ecosystem was thrown out of tune enough for winter in a place like this, despairs’ effects still hadn’t stopped fully spreading. More than just damaging people and society, it damaged the world itself to the core of the soil and the air around them.
This…wasn’t something they should be dwelling on. Mahiru told herself that, but she knew that the thoughts may linger despite it. The weight of their pasts and the world outside of this island were never going to fully leave them. Their actions, the tragedies they had relished in, their loved ones that they had hurt-
“My dad really hated snowy days.” Hiyoko spoke up, an expression of fond remembrance ghosting over her face. Mahiru blinked, returning to reality with those words. Hiyoko met her eyes as she spoke- embarrassingly enough, she had definitely noticed the photographer beginning to get too absorbed in her mind, the beginnings of a spiral not uncommon to any of them. “It was always that really mushy, wet snow if it ever came down where we lived, and it brought a lot of ice with it. He said it made doing work outside the house way too hard, and he really didn’t like being cooped up inside. He’d definitely hate it here today.”
Mahiru listened with a wistful expression, finishing her drink. “And do you think he’d approve or disapprove of that War-on-Souda plan?”
“Probably disapprove. Until he actually met Souda.” Hiyoko snickered, wide grin spreading. “Anyone who meets Souda agrees he deserves it.”
Mahiru did not tell her that she wasn’t sure about that, instead chuckling with a small exhale. She felt a bit more free now, picking up her cup as Hiyoko finished her own drink to bring both over to the kitchen sink, the dancer soon following after as their hands found each other, intertwining while heading down the steps to the exit.
“...I don’t think I hate today, though.” Hiyoko decided, her voice soft, but her face a warm red. “Even if it’s weird as hell.”
Studying her expression, Mahiru resisted her temptation to take another photo- at least for the time being.
“While we’re out here, and not finding Souda- probably hiding from getting destroyed, pussy - we should do winter stuff! I’ve never gotten to make a snowman before, c’mon, c’mon!” Suddenly full of excitable energy, Hiyoko cheerfully pulled her to a more out-of-the-way area, kneeling down and trying to pack the snow together. Mahiru started to help, though her gloves may have been a bit thinner material, as it started being unbearably cold for her, assumedly much faster than for Hiyoko, who was stacking the snowman together.
She slipped off the gloves for a moment, raising her camera and snapping a picture again of her shining smile.