When Cian first called for her assistance, Penelope held half a mind to say no and spend the day curled up in bed instead. Memories of her expeditions to The Border were still stuck on a persistent loop, and with the pressures of her position coming to a head, it made even casual conversation feel impossible.
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But there was saying no to CIAN MAHER.
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"Of course."
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Fortunately for them, back at home Penelope kept herself a mini garden on her balcony, and before her move, one within her backyard. It made for a quaint hobby.
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"It helps cleanse a space. I'm guessing they're looking to burn some to clear out the room."

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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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"clear out the room of like spirits and stuff? ghosts?"[break][break]

he's not superstitious either so he has no clue what clear out the room means. he assumes it's like cracking open a window when cooking to let the smell waft out.[break][break]

"do we need anything for our place?"[break][break]

what he really wants to ask is if there's anything he can do to help with how she's feeling. but as they've had similar conversations before, he knows there's not much besides just being there for her.[break][break]

still, he wants to help.

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

She had forgotten, with Cian, she had to extra specific. Name all the little parts, or else he'd be left lost in the process.
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"Or help keep infectious diseases at bay."
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Piece by piece, Penelope continued to pluck from the small garden, gathering everything in a tight bundle in her weaved basket.
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Glancing up, she tried to smile again, failed, then returned to picking, burying her failure with a shrug.
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"Some sage would be nice," she murmured, "so we can purify our place, too."
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Maybe then these feelings would go away.
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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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"huh. i never knew."[break][break]

not like he'd ever done any research into the topic. his knowledge on first aid is basic at best, but still functional enough when it really matters.[break][break]

"okay babe, you got it."[break][break]

he pulls out his phone and holds it up.[break][break]

"ok google what does sage look like?"[break][break]

and with google's guidance, he looks around for the specific subshrub, intent on finding it so he can maybe make penny feel better.[break][break]

but it's his scorbunny that calls out to him. he walks over, examining.[break][break]

"is this it?"

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

"No, but this is."
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Reaching down, she plucked a bundle of greens from beside the scorbunny. Together, with what she'd already collected on her own, they held more than enough for the child's family and their apartment.
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"Thanks, buddy." She gave the small fire rabbit a pat on the head before lifting herself back up to face Cian. "What's next on the list?"
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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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leave it to his scorbunny to identify the wrong thing. typical. he shakes his head and clicks his tongue but does not berate it any further.[break][break]

"nice! great find, babe."[break][break]

he does his best to keep his energy up. he reads the next thing on the list.[break][break]

"looks like we need cilantro but pretty sure we can get that at the grocery store."[break][break]

the shrug of his shoulder is accompanied by a chuckle. meeting her gaze, he decides to ask.[break][break]

"how are you feeling today, by the way?"

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

"Mhm."
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There were a few bundles they could've forged from, but overall, a trip to an airconditioned grocery store sounded nice after a long day of picking. Made for an easy excuse to pick up some dinner, too.
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Pulling a piece of hair behind her ear, she moved to pluck another piece of sage from the ground when Cian spoke again, this time his voice carrying words heavier than she'd expected.
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Surprised, Penelope nearly found herself toppling into a nearby bush. It was only a split-second decision to ground herself with her spare hand that kept her face clean and her mouth emptied of loose leaves.
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"Okay. I haven't cried today, so there's been some improvement."
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Her attempt at humor fell short when her chuckle came out dry and chopped up.

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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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the chuckle he returns is equally chopped up, more awkward than anything. what else could he do? he feels powerless in a way he's never quite felt before.[break][break]

"that's good. we'll take that."[break][break]

his own attempt at humor is shaky at best.[break][break]

"is there anything i can do to make it better? i could cook for us. i have like six new recipes to try out."

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

Cian's urge to soothe her was charming. Like the warmth of the sun after a long arduous winter, it was hard not to bask in his radiance, even now. Sighing, she entrusted her weaved basket to the small Scorbunny, then walked over to where he stood. Wrapping her arms around him, she nestled her chin on top of his shoulder.
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"Let's take a break. Just for a second," she murmured, her breath tickling the tips of his ears. If he tried to move, or make any effort for them to sit, she'd lock her arms in place, securing them where they stood. With her arms wrapped around him, and her head pressed ever-so-close to his cheek.
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She closed her eyes.
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"The 6 recipes then. Tell me about them."



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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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"oh, yeah! sure, a break sounds nice."[break][break]

his arms wrap around her as well, folding into place as though they're a perfect fit. his cheek angles down to rest against the top of her head, appreciating her warmth even on the hottest of days.[break][break]

"alright i kinda put myself on the spot here but three of them are those instant ramen hacks. one you cook with milk, one you cook it dry and without the soup, and the last one you use cream? might skip that last one."[break][break]

he does his best to remember them, continuing after a breath.[break][break]

"the other three are those clickbait one-pot recipes. teriyaki chicken, beef bulgogi, and pesto chicken pasta. i know you hate pasta, though, so we can skip that last one as well."

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

The first three recipes sounded nice, but the last three sounded far far far superior. Especially the beef bulgogi.
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A pang of hunger struck her stomach as she tried to envision what they'd look like.
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"Correction, I don't hate pasta. It's okay. I just...like the idea of beef bulgogi so so so so much more."
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A harsh breeze overtook where they stood, creating a rustle of leaves around their ankles. Wanting to evade its grasp, Penelope further buried herself into him, until separating became impossible.
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"We should make one of those dishes tonight," she whispered, voice still heavy from the burden weighing down on her shoulders, "that way we can finally finish watching breaking bad."

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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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correction to her correction: she definitely hates pasta. no one is just okay with pasta. there's no middle ground, pasta hater. he remembers how she called it the bowtie one. what even is that?[break][break]

her suggestion is met with an easy nod.[break][break]

"yes please i've been dying to know how it ends."[break][break]

somehow, he's managed to avoid any spoilers for the show even though it ended years ago.[break][break]

"let's have beef bulgogi, then. we can cook together! or you can chill and i'll cook, that's fine too."

[attr="class","bottom"]PENELOPE LIVY[break]
mission![break]

"I want to help. Let me help."
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Despite these words, memories of their last night drift through her thoughts and she recalls the enormous mess her 'helping' had created. Who knew how much of a mess one could make by just chopping up some veggies?
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A soft hum ends the thought as realization settles to remind her of the very reason why they were out here in the first place. To forage! And gather ingredients for an ill child's remedy.
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While painful to the utmost degree, Penelope slowly lifts her head back up from Cian's shoulders, craning it back into place so that her eyes were able to finally stare back up at his. There, with their arms still wrapped around each other, she smiles and lays one quick peck on his lips.
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"okay, break's over."

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[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER[break]


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