[prp] missed appointment (eve + melany)

[cibarium]

Surprising Leila with a lunch date during the height of the full moon had probably been a risky idea, but Eve had taken it anyway. She was restless and needed the tiny bit of excitement. It had taken what felt like an hour or two of fussing with her hair until it could hide her ears, and finding sunglasses that didn't make her feel ridiculous, but it had ended up being worth it -- Leila joyfully welcomed the company. She'd even been forgiving when Eve ordered fish.

Now Leila was back preparing for her next lecture, and Eve decided to spend a little more time on campus before returning home. She hadn't yet tried to spot the differences here.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany was immediately recognizable, even tiny as she was. She carried herself like a princess as she loped across the commons, a backpack hanging off both shoulders. It was covered in patches for different ballet competitions with years ranging from 2003 to 2013. She spotted Eve, and waved, and changed direction. "Hi, Eve," she said. "I like your sunglasses. Are they new?"

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"I don't think so," Eve answered, "though I can't remember the last time I wore them..." She smiled at Melany with more ease than she was expecting. "You look like you're in a hurry."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Huh," said Melany. "I'm not, really. I just wanted to know if you got my email? I've got some open time on the weekends if you need the coverage."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Your e-mail?" Eve asked, visibly puzzled.

She was usually on top of her e-mails.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Yeah," said Melany. "Um, the one for the shop? It was about work, so it didn't feel right just texting you... It's just that you haven't been scheduling me lately? I kinda miss work. Is it because Ezra broke up with me? Did I do something?"

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"Oh, ******** was rare that Eve swore. But it was a worthy occasion. Because she had completely forgotten how Melany's name had been right there on one of her employee schedules.

For weeks.

"Next time that happens... please call me," she said. "Or texting would have been fine. I don't know what came over me."

Keep it vague, Eve.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany nodded. "I will next time," she said. "It was just... everything's so weird now! And I didn't want to put you in a weird place after Ezra's accident, and then it'd just been so long it felt awkward, and he'd broken up with me anyway, and like, is it weird to keep working at your ex-boyfriend's mom's store? Like? I don't know."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Eve kept a neutrally friendly expression while taking in the information and context she was inadvertently being given. At the same time, the maternal part of her mind was going dear gods this girl is adorable.

That established, how in the hell was she going to navigate this one?

"It's a weird situation," she replied, in her most assuring Motherly Voice. "But none of it's your fault. I must have gotten it in my head that coming to the store would be too difficult for you, and never actually followed up. That wasn't fair of me at all."

Then Eve realized that all her talking was going to make the fangs incredibly ******** obvious, and wondered if she should just take the shades off.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Is it that time of the month again," asked Melany in a low voice, very stealth-like, very reasonably. Kind of the tone she would use asking about other times of the month. "It's okay. I told you, I'm not weirded out by that stuff. Ezra's magic too."

She deflated a little. "Is he okay? I miss him."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

The shades came off. There, that felt much less silly. It also gave Eve a much clearer look at Melany's dejected change of expression, which combined with what she was saying told her something she dreaded realizing: that this girl must know Ezra better, far better than she did. Not the previously-faceless Noble version either. Melany knew more about Ezra than his own mother did, and it was devastating.

And too late to put the shades back on to protect Melany from witnessing her sadness.

"He's keeping busy," Eve sighed. Which was honestly all she could think to say to describe him besides the obvious other bits (such as 'he likes music') Melany didn't need to hear.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Melany didn't seem to realize what exactly the sadness was related to. "He'll get better," she said. "I know he will. He's a strong guy, you know? You and Leila raised to to, you know--" she paused, looked up hopefully into the sky, and clenched a fist, kind of channeling the guy picking Japanese clams in that one video "--Never Give Up!"

Memes. God bless them.

"I do miss you guys, though," she said. "Everything's so weird lately."

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"You've mentioned that," Eve shakily answered, and she was trying to keep up the reassuring smile but couldn't. Her fingers were all tangled tightly together on her lap and Clover, sensing Eve's change in mood, turned to look at her with a concerned whine. "We've all been going through a lot..."

She would have given almost anything to know and be able to relate to the past Melany was referring to.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Sorry," said Melany. "I'm a mathematician, not a public speaker." She did seem bummed about it. "If there's anything I can do, just let me know, okay?"

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

"I think the first thing you need to do is come back to work," said Eve. "We'll have to strategize some because Ezra is there often." She managed a small smile before looking around the part of campus they were in, thinking. "If there's a place we can chat, and you have time... there's some things I should let you know about too, I think. It's magic related."

shibrogane