Chapter Text
Delphi was always a strange place for Miriam. Especially after the events of a few weeks ago, and the recovering days since.
It was a familiar home and a foreign surround at once. Sure, she and Saphy had created their own cozy little world of magic and tradition and warmth… but it was just a small island in a sea of unfamiliarity and people Miriam told more than once to piss off.
She had her safe space, her quiet separated from chaos, her hole. She hated leaving it. Nothing outside ever felt normal. Shouldn’t it? She grew up there for Eya’s sake— normal people didn’t take twenty something years to feel normal, right? Did everyone else just spawn in knowing how to talk and act and connect??
If so, then that was really stupid design on Eya’s part.
Miriam had never really liked to think about it too much, not beyond the general self-hatred and existential frustration at why she felt so permanently stagnant in a pool of discomfort. At least it was somewhat avoidable if she steered clear of everyone. And for whatever reason, being alone made it so much easier to be herself. That was always a solution enough for her.
But now, with Kiwi upsetting her previously routinely isolated lifestyle, she was forced out into the open more each day than she wanted to be outside in her whole life.
Not just outside outside, where there at least were trees and mushrooms and empty skies promising good flight, but… inhabited outside. Inhabited by humans outside. Inhabited by humans Miriam was not fond of outside. Ugh. And she could never prepare!! Kiwi was renowned for— and very soon notorious for— popping up outside (or even INSIDE— it happened once before, and Miriam lived in fear of it happening again) her house at unpredictable hours of the day or night.
And no, it wasn’t like she hated them for it or anything. They meant well. They weren’t used to having a friend with such strict hours of availability. Sure, their visit hours were hit or miss, but more than once they’d shown up with unconditional positivity at low points in Miriam’s week where she’d gone too long without seeing the sun or talking to someone besides Saphy. Sometimes it was actually relieving to talk to them. She liked it. Having them around made it a little easier to scrub out the doubt that stained her life here.
But today, unfortunately, Miriam was not in the mood for self-improvement. She was not having it with Kiwi dragging her out into town to buy candy at Jeb’s store and the blazing sun and too many people around that always flocked around Kiwi, gushing to them about their talent.
Speak of the devil, Kiwi’s little entourage of musicians crowded around them, and Miriam was quickly sidelined— a completely self-chosen position, mind you.
Miriam always felt... awkward around them. She never really wanted to talk with them despite Kiwi's insistence. It was confusing. There WAS stuff Miriam wanted to say... but about the music. She didn't know how to. How was she supposed to explain how their songs were the first songs she ever heard and thought weren't actually terrible, actually made her believe in all the stupid "music is magic and connects us all" talk from Kiwi, and actually made her dance for the first time? AND... how would she explain just how significant that was for her?
She wouldn't. She couldn't. It felt strange, telling these self-centered bozos who only listened to the applause after the event how she actually listened to their music, and appreciated it at that.
There was no connection between Miriam and these people, and she was going to steer clear of pretending that there was. The only connection was between Miriam and their music.
She hadn’t realized the group left until Kiwi approached her eagerly, bounding with renewed enthusiasm. Miriam never understood how they did that, how they let their energy flow like an infinity loop through everyone they spoke to, not something quantifiable but almost… symbolic, if that was possibly. It wasn’t a finite thing, limited and waiting to be inevitably depleted. It was pure energy, prominent in their smile and the lightness in their steps as they neared her.
Maybe Miriam did understand it. She just couldn’t relate.
During her analysis of her friend, she took note of a certain detail. “Your capelet is on backwards.”
In almost comical confusion, Kiwi’s head swiveled from side to side as they spun around, trying to get a good look at it.
“Huh! I guess it is!”
Miriam crossed her arms and frowned in an attempt to hide her smile. “How did you even manage that? You have to clasp it in front.”
Kiwi let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m nothing if not impressive.”
Her crossed arms loosened slightly and a laugh escaped. Well, it was more of a cackle, embarrassingly enough, but once the sound was out in the air, it was too late to take it back.
For a second, Kiwi’s smile looked almost smug. “Maaaaan, I can’t believe I’ve been walking around all day looking like an idiot!” They attempted to reach the back— er, the front— of their capelet and pull it around.
Miriam smirked. “You look like one anyway. And besides, I don’t think anyone here cares.”
“Hmmm, probably not,” Kiwi murmured. Once their clothing was successfully oriented correctly, they performed an exaggerated bow. “Thank youuuuuu, Miriam! I would be utterly lost without your guidance,” they chirped in their sing-song voice.
Miriam rolled her eyes and ignored how perfectly their voice rang out into the air. “Yeah, yeah. Maybe learn to fend for yourself for once.” She shook her head at them incredulously. “Seriously. How does one wear that wrong…”
Kiwi’s grin waned slightly. “Yeaaaah…” it dissolved into an awkward laugh, somehow still as melodic as their singing. They reached up a hand to tussle their hair underneath their feathered cap. Brown curls poked from underneath and almost reached their eyes of the same warm brown hue. At that moment a bird— one of those musically responsive white ones, whatever they were actually called— flew overhead, and Kiwi raised their hand; of course, the bird perched on their glove, eagerly chirping out a sequence of notes that Kiwi repeated perfectly. The bird soared in circles around them before flying off.
Just watching them exist in their own space, interacting with the world in their quietly content way… it was endearing. They really did belong out here— out in the world, surrounded by people and nature and music and life. Seeing them like this was enough to make Miriam feel all existential about the universe and Eya’s song, and how Kiwi united everyone together through their own beautiful music.
“You’re such a dork,” Miriam blurted out, somewhere between the true affection she was feeling and the urge to cover it all up with snark. It seemed to land well with Kiwi, though— at the sound of her voice, they turned to look at her with a grin.
“A very positively pleasant dork?” Kiwi asked hopefully.
“Exactly,” Miriam teased. “That’s what makes you so great to tag along with.” She sounded sarcastic, but the real sentiment beneath was more than clear. “Now, how about that candy shop you were on about earlier?”