[Diluc has gotten a basket filled with several pear goodies such as pear jam, pear simple syrup, pear chips, pear juice, and lastly a pear tart. There's a card with the following message:
Dear Master Diluc,
I hope you have a great birthday. Thank you for being my friend wherever we are on both our journeys.
[What pearfect gifts! The card even manages to garner an amused smirk from Diluc. The following day, Aether will receive a return card in his mailbox with a message written inside.]
Aether,
Thank you for the gift basket. I'll be putting your presents to good use.
My birthday is an occasion I seldom celebrate, but your well wishes make an otherwise ordinary day feel special. I look forward to returning the favor when your birthday comes.
( Diluc might not be expecting a knock on his door today. It may be his birthday, but Amber isn't certain whether he has anything planned for the occasion. However, she does have a surprise for him - one that she's been slaving over for days, as evident by the bandages on her fingers. But it was all worth it. It's been a huge surprise to get to know the young master like this, and her compassion for him and his past has grown tremendously. She can empathise with him in many ways, after all. By this point, she most definitely considers him a friend, and she would do anything to make him smile.
At the monthly social, Amber may have been a teeeensy bit drunk that night, but she managed to remember everything he told her about his interests. After all, how else could she possibly make something for his birthday otherwise? Carrying the completed result gift-wrapped in a basket on her arm, she knocks at the door to his cottage. When he answers, he'll see Amber greeting him with a smile, wearing a casual dress for the occasion. )
Happy birthday, Master Diluc! This is for you!
( The woman hands him the gift basket. Once he unfurls the wrapping in his own time, he will discover a handmade eagle plushie as the centrepiece. There are special properties to this plush that she'll explain to him in detail. There is also a little turtle friend! Made with red fabric! And some grape jam from the market, along with some fresh scones. And there's even a card, too! Which she also made herself. )
[His birthday is an occasion Diluc happily celebrated in the years before his father died, but with his passing and Kaeya's absence, Diluc has few reasons to celebrate. He would forget his birthday were it not for Adelinde and the others insisting on throwing some small celebration in his honor and cooking him his favorite meal, but in Fable, he's free to forget about it all over again.
As such, it surprises him to see Amber waiting on the other side of the door. His eyes widen just a hair — right, it's his birthday — but they widen all the more when she hands him a basket full of gifts. That's when he spots the bandages on her fingers and furrows his brows.]
Amber... You really didn't have to go through such pains for me.
[He may sound as if he's scolding her, but seeing all the care and effort she put into her gift, he lets his reservations go with a sigh. Stepping aside, he ushers her into the cabin.]
Please, come in.
[After the efforts she's gone to, he wants to take the time to appraise everything she's made for him. Unsurprisingly, the eagle plushie is the first thing he takes from the basket after setting it on the table, turning it this way and that and admiring the intricate stitching holding it all together. Help, he's in love.]
( Getting scolded by men for the decisions she makes is just normal for her, it's all good! She smiles in a way that speaks 'I literally have no regrets at all, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.' Soon after, she follows him inside - visibly beaming when he removes the Big Eagle Lad from the basket. )
There's something special about him. He'll interact with your Pyro Vision and heat up. ( A giggle. ) N-Not explode! Just ... stay warm! I swear it. I know exploding dolls are what I'm known for, but ... I experimented with ones that keep a person warm, too.
I live alone in Mond, it wasn't always this way. And I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I crafted one in the night when I felt lonely while missing my Grandpa. Just wanting warmth, company ... and a warming doll was the result. ( She laughs a little, this time with embarrassment. ) Pretty silly, right? But I'm excited to gift this to you just in case it gets cold, since they can only be used by Pyro Vision holders.
( Is she oversharing a little? Maybe. But, with Diluc, it's a lot easier for her to be emotionally honest. Especially about her Grandfather. She larps like she's totally okay but she's actually really lonely beneath her glowing, warm personality. )
[Amber... You go girl, cut his heart right in half. Diluc stares at the eagle a moment longer, cognizant now of the way it accepts his warmth and holds onto it before setting it down. How such a warm, heartfelt gift could leave him this painfully aware of his own loneliness is... well, incredible in its own way, isn't it?
But he hadn't known that same loneliness was one Amber felt just as keenly. Diluc is aware that her grandfather passed a few years back, but he didn't know she lived alone, didn't know how much loneliness affected her. Someone so bright, cheerful and kind? How could he ever suspect she struggled from a pain just as potent as his own?]
Amber... I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.
[Had he known, he would have surely invited her to the winery and offered her some company. His work keeps him busy, but loneliness is a staple of Diluc's life— one he would wish upon no one.]
It seems I've misunderstood you. I couldn't have imagined someone like you being lonely. Someone who brings so much light and warmth into other people's lives. For what little it's worth... I understand your pain well.
( This isn't the reaction she was expecting. And yet, her heart brightens over his statement that she brings light and warmth to others. That's absolutely what she strives for, and to have Master Diluc recognise this, means more than she can express. But ... his status and importance to Mond aside, it's because it came from him. Amber knows that she wouldn't care if he was a penniless bard wandering the streets of Mondstadt. She can relate to him like none other, as they've learned. And with him around, she really hasn't felt as lonely. What is this brightness in her chest...? )
It's okay. I'm ... used to it. ( Which doesn't really make it better, but-! )
I'm sorry you know how it feels. Looks like we've both walked a similar path, haven't we?
( Losing an influential guardian figure with a connection to the Knights. She knows all about that day he quit, and he knows that she's not as favourable towards them as she may seem. That Amber lives her life trying to start positive change from within, almost out of spite.
Slowly, she approaches him. )
I've felt a lot happier getting to know you here, though. I think that's why I really wanted to spoil you on your birthday. ( Her lips curl into a small smile. ) Getting to know you has been great. There's so much more to you than I imagined. To think we had all this in common ... ( Heh. ) Thanks for giving me the chance to know you closely and be your friend.
[Looks like we've both walked a similar path, haven't we?
Had he not been so blinded by his quest for revenge, only brought to heel by a land so far divorced from the problems of his own, Diluc would have realized this commonality between them sooner. He's foolish, he supposes, but even that comes as little surprise to Diluc. If being here has taught him anything, it's that he's even more of a fool than he'd realized.
Is it too late for a man like him to turn his life around? Is it too late for him to seek comfort in the commiseration of a friend? More than that, he ought to thank Amber for the company she's blessed him with and the gifts she thoughtfully prepared.
As she approaches him, he seizes the opportunity to take her hand and bring it up to his lips, dusting her knuckles with a kiss.]
The feeling is mutual, Amber. Thank you for making me see the value in my own birthday for the first time in years. Were it not for you, I'd be even more desperate to find my way back home.
[But with company as amicable as Amber's, he can settle here a while longer, he thinks.]
( When he kisses her hand, she makes a noise akin to a soft 'oh', taken by genuine surprise from the gesture. Shortly after, Amber's cheeks burn into the most delightful shade of scarlet. Does this woman have her hand kissed often by gentlemanly types? The answer would be no. Absolutely not. Of course Master Diluc is a well-mannered, well-respected, wealthy gentleman - this is probably normal. It must be normal. Right?
Then ... why is she so dizzy and lost for words? )
O-Of course! ( She chirps, a little bit more awkwardly than she intended. ) I'm happy to ... you deserve it. You mean a lot to me. ( She feels ready to combust. )
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
MAILBOX.
delivery!!
Dear Master Diluc,
I hope you have a great birthday. Thank you for being my friend wherever we are on both our journeys.
- Aether]
no subject
Aether,
Thank you for the gift basket. I'll be putting your presents to good use.
My birthday is an occasion I seldom celebrate, but your well wishes make an otherwise ordinary day feel special. I look forward to returning the favor when your birthday comes.
—Diluc Ragnvindr
🎁 happy birthday.
At the monthly social, Amber may have been a teeeensy bit drunk that night, but she managed to remember everything he told her about his interests. After all, how else could she possibly make something for his birthday otherwise? Carrying the completed result gift-wrapped in a basket on her arm, she knocks at the door to his cottage. When he answers, he'll see Amber greeting him with a smile, wearing a casual dress for the occasion. )
Happy birthday, Master Diluc! This is for you!
( The woman hands him the gift basket. Once he unfurls the wrapping in his own time, he will discover a handmade eagle plushie as the centrepiece. There are special properties to this plush that she'll explain to him in detail. There is also a little turtle friend! Made with red fabric! And some grape jam from the market, along with some fresh scones. And there's even a card, too! Which she also made herself. )
no subject
As such, it surprises him to see Amber waiting on the other side of the door. His eyes widen just a hair — right, it's his birthday — but they widen all the more when she hands him a basket full of gifts. That's when he spots the bandages on her fingers and furrows his brows.]
Amber... You really didn't have to go through such pains for me.
[He may sound as if he's scolding her, but seeing all the care and effort she put into her gift, he lets his reservations go with a sigh. Stepping aside, he ushers her into the cabin.]
Please, come in.
[After the efforts she's gone to, he wants to take the time to appraise everything she's made for him. Unsurprisingly, the eagle plushie is the first thing he takes from the basket after setting it on the table, turning it this way and that and admiring the intricate stitching holding it all together. Help, he's in love.]
no subject
There's something special about him. He'll interact with your Pyro Vision and heat up. ( A giggle. ) N-Not explode! Just ... stay warm! I swear it. I know exploding dolls are what I'm known for, but ... I experimented with ones that keep a person warm, too.
I live alone in Mond, it wasn't always this way. And I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I crafted one in the night when I felt lonely while missing my Grandpa. Just wanting warmth, company ... and a warming doll was the result. ( She laughs a little, this time with embarrassment. ) Pretty silly, right? But I'm excited to gift this to you just in case it gets cold, since they can only be used by Pyro Vision holders.
( Is she oversharing a little? Maybe. But, with Diluc, it's a lot easier for her to be emotionally honest. Especially about her Grandfather. She larps like she's totally okay but she's actually really lonely beneath her glowing, warm personality. )
no subject
But he hadn't known that same loneliness was one Amber felt just as keenly. Diluc is aware that her grandfather passed a few years back, but he didn't know she lived alone, didn't know how much loneliness affected her. Someone so bright, cheerful and kind? How could he ever suspect she struggled from a pain just as potent as his own?]
Amber... I'm sorry. I had no idea you felt that way.
[Had he known, he would have surely invited her to the winery and offered her some company. His work keeps him busy, but loneliness is a staple of Diluc's life— one he would wish upon no one.]
It seems I've misunderstood you. I couldn't have imagined someone like you being lonely. Someone who brings so much light and warmth into other people's lives. For what little it's worth... I understand your pain well.
no subject
It's okay. I'm ... used to it. ( Which doesn't really make it better, but-! )
I'm sorry you know how it feels. Looks like we've both walked a similar path, haven't we?
( Losing an influential guardian figure with a connection to the Knights. She knows all about that day he quit, and he knows that she's not as favourable towards them as she may seem. That Amber lives her life trying to start positive change from within, almost out of spite.
Slowly, she approaches him. )
I've felt a lot happier getting to know you here, though. I think that's why I really wanted to spoil you on your birthday. ( Her lips curl into a small smile. ) Getting to know you has been great. There's so much more to you than I imagined. To think we had all this in common ... ( Heh. ) Thanks for giving me the chance to know you closely and be your friend.
no subject
Had he not been so blinded by his quest for revenge, only brought to heel by a land so far divorced from the problems of his own, Diluc would have realized this commonality between them sooner. He's foolish, he supposes, but even that comes as little surprise to Diluc. If being here has taught him anything, it's that he's even more of a fool than he'd realized.
Is it too late for a man like him to turn his life around? Is it too late for him to seek comfort in the commiseration of a friend? More than that, he ought to thank Amber for the company she's blessed him with and the gifts she thoughtfully prepared.
As she approaches him, he seizes the opportunity to take her hand and bring it up to his lips, dusting her knuckles with a kiss.]
The feeling is mutual, Amber. Thank you for making me see the value in my own birthday for the first time in years. Were it not for you, I'd be even more desperate to find my way back home.
[But with company as amicable as Amber's, he can settle here a while longer, he thinks.]
no subject
( When he kisses her hand, she makes a noise akin to a soft 'oh', taken by genuine surprise from the gesture. Shortly after, Amber's cheeks burn into the most delightful shade of scarlet. Does this woman have her hand kissed often by gentlemanly types? The answer would be no. Absolutely not. Of course Master Diluc is a well-mannered, well-respected, wealthy gentleman - this is probably normal. It must be normal. Right?
Then ... why is she so dizzy and lost for words? )
O-Of course! ( She chirps, a little bit more awkwardly than she intended. ) I'm happy to ... you deserve it. You mean a lot to me. ( She feels ready to combust. )