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[selfishsins]

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[selfishsins]

I've had some time to decorate and settle in.

[There's plenty of knickknacks on tables, a spooky looking plush toy of a ghost on the couch from the carnival... Sonia might notice the reindeer headband is resting on a cork board on the wall, the same board that has part of that ripped box of cookies Sonia bought Farah on her first day in Verens.

She's a sap and likes collecting memories like this shh.]

There's orange juice, sure. Give me a sec!

[Farah will be gone only a moment or two before she returns with some drinks, juice for Sonia and tea for herself. She sets them down and takes a seat on the couch before turning her attention back to the cookies.]

How did you get on making your deerlets, everything okay?

[Yeah they're poor mutated looking reindeer, but hopefully Sonia had fun with it all the same.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[At this point, she knows Farah is lame and is not surprised to see her have that gift in plain sight. Though Sonia can't give her scrap like last time. It would be hypocritical of her to since she's now wearing a pink bow as a reminder. Looking at the reindeer headband has her cringing a bit-- Not at the gift, but she's recalling their conversation at the party. Boy, did that happen... He acted way too sappy than he'd like.

She shakes her head before she goes and sits on the couch, as Farah gets their drinks.]

I tried to make them without help this time, done a bit of research of my own. It took me many tries before I got them to my liking though. Some were not as sweet as I wanted, lumpy... burnt.

[Plus there was the time constraint she put herself, which ended up being a day late. But she's done it without a coach, which is saying something.]

The first time I tried, after I'm done with the preparation process, I thought I could half the time work by doubling the heat.

[Needless to say, it didn't turn out quite as well as she thought. Overcooked outside and undercooked inside.]

[selfishsins]

[YEAH. Yeah. That conversation did happen, and it was pretty embarrassing for the two of them. Maybe a little more so for Sonia than Farah even with the kiss and everything. Even if the headband if a reminder of how awkward things go though, they're still memories Farah wants to hold on to and remember!

By displaying the headband for all to see in her apartment. Yup.]

If only it were that easy. I'm guessing you ended up with some very squishy, very raw deerlets in the middle.

[RIP first batch of cookies. Still, it's good experience even if the first lot didn't turn out as planned.]

Practice enough times and you'll reach that point where everything just sort of... Comes together! You'll find your own ways to cut time and still get them tasting how you like them.

[And speaking of taste, time to actually try one of the cookies! Farah takes one of the malformed looking reindeer so she can have a bite.

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Gosh Farah. At least, even if Sonia's the type to hoard and hold onto physical memories, she wouldn't leave the embarrassing memories in plain view for visitors to see. That could potentially bring up a conversation for those who aren't in the know, and no way would she be able to tell the full story without getting humiliated herself.]

You're really calling my cookies 'deerlets', aren't you. [Well they are mutated deerlets, but... she wouldn't call them 'deerlets' in any time of the day.] Anyway- Yes, that exactly how it ended up being. It looked overdone on the outside, but when I took a bite for a test...

[Spat out immediately and into the trash bin they go. She had learned a valuable lesson that day on her own- no more shortcuts for the time being. When she sees Farah takes a bite of the reindeer, Sonia curiously tilts her head at her and waits to hear her verdict.]

How is it?

[Everyone else she had visited prior to Farah enjoyed her homemade cookies. They're definitely not the be all end all of cookie, but the taste is deliciously serviceable to the mouth.]

[selfishsins]

[But part of the fun of having to explain the memories behind such-and-such a thing is the joy of reliving those memories as you talk! The embarrassment. The shame. The annoyance and frustration because those tags said kiss on them and like she knew any better okay-- POINT IS it's fun reliving the good memories with friends, even if they were embarrassing too.]

Yup. The word works for them, doesn't it? Sorry I stole it from you. [Sure they're reindeer but deerlets just sounds so en-deer-ing.] And I'm sorry for your test bite as well...

[That couldn't have been enjoyable. Still, now isn't the time to think about eating squishy raw dough when she's about to give these cookies a go.

Farah bites and chews, tilting her head thoughtfully before nodding. Despite their mutant looks they don't taste bad at all!]

Mm! Part of me wonders if you might like to go sweeter with them sometime... [Though she's thankful she didn't get just a mouthful of sugar with some cookie in there too.] But they're just great as they are now. I might have to steal the recipe from you too.

[peacewithouttyranny]

[You're talking to someone who has trouble just saying the word "fun" at times and has to be forced to partake on fun activities, Farah. It'll be a long way before she finds embarrassing moments as good memories to relive with friends. That said, she will think about the good bits. Despite everything, she likes Farah's company during the party. And the kiss, although Farah was 'forced' to abide by the rule, was... sweet.]

I suppose it does. And don't worry about it.

[It's not like she copyrighted the word. And it was just a dumb nickname for Farah at the time. Sonia feels a small smile curves her lip at seeing Farah's reception, pleased that she's enjoying them. Sonia reaches for a cookie and crams it into her mouth. Then, after savouring them, she gives her own thoughts about them.]

I do like them sweeter. But I thought I should accommodate others to their taste if I plan to give them away. Not many would like them to be too sweet, I believe. [She has enough sense in her to not just dump a bag full of sugar into the cookie dough. Stealing her recipe? Well, she grabbed them from the local library, but-] Ah, so you could make them better than mine? I see how it is.

[She's joking of course, despite her deadpan tone.]

[selfishsins]

[A long way, so, maybe a few months until Farah brings it up again and they all laugh about it? Gotcha. Likewise Farah also enjoys spending time with Sonia, and of all of her friends she's glad it was Sonia she ended up messing up the mistletoe with. It could have gone a lot worse if it were someone else.]

I'm sure there's going to be someone around here who would like them as sweet as you do. [Ah yes, the sweet taste of cavities. But wait, making it better than her?] Oh I didn't mean it like that and you know it!

[Of course she is joking, but Farah huffs a little and turns her head for a moment... Before looking back with a smile.]

You've not had anything with more peppermint in before coming over, right?

[Joking right back! It's fun to think back a few months to when they first met to now. Here she's got Sonia joking around with her and sharing treats. It reminds her of home and her friends there, and how people can change and warm.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

Hm, perhaps... [The great thing about his avatar is that cavities are never something he would have to worry about. He could eat as many sweets as he wants to without consequences! For a split second, when Farah has her head turned away, Sonia smirks at her reaction before she turns back to a hard line-face.]

I might've had one.

[Just normal peppermint, no added emotional aftereffect or anything. Otherwise, this would've been a different visit.

But Sonia's definitely changed from how she used to be before. Well, she's still the sort of expressionless and serious being that she normally is, but her experience and the people she met contributed to making her lighten up here. It's a bit easier to warm up to people now. Watch as this progress regress a bit later. Farah helped too, by virtue of being around her too much. Even when their personalities are polar opposites of each other, Farah is somehow easy to get along with.

She looks back down to her cookies, tilting her head in thoughts.]

Do you think I should add emotions to my baking next time? I believe... it might strengthen the taste, somewhat. [...Actually--] Have you tried to do that with your cooking here?

[selfishsins]

[Oh the line-face gets a laugh from her. She was stuck wondering if Sonia would joke back or line at her and it looks like the more usual Sonia won out this time.

It's good seeing her more lighthearted. Sure there's still that lack of expression there and the serious personality that comes with it, but that's just Sonia right there. It would be too much if she suddenly became some bouncy, over the top soul. Surely Sonia will be this level of lighthearted for ever and nothing world destroying will change this.]

I haven't, not yet. I know plenty of places that do use emotions in their cooking but I've never done it myself. [Though when she thinks on it some more...] It might be fun to try sometime, intentionally. I've cooked a few times and felt more motivated after eating, like I'm full of energy, so maybe sometimes my emotions make it through without thinking. But...

[She smiles, though it's subdued. Definitely not the usual kind of bright and happy smiles Farah goes for.]

When I cook I want people to feel happy because of the work and effort I put in to make a meal, not the emotions they end up getting out of it. Hopefully that doesn't sound too silly.

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Better treasure this lighthearted moment before she goes back to her usual cold-self that needs to be melted again.

As Sonia listens to Farah, she considers the possibilities her own emotions could do to change up the aftertaste her own cooking. ... Most of them would probably come out cold. But when she notices that the smile on Farah's face doesn't carry the usual cheers and brightness, she frowns a little, expression turning slightly serious. She looks away for a moment to think over what Farah just said.]

I don't think it sounds silly. In fact, I think it's... admirable that you want to done it through hard work and effort rather than forcing them to feel a certain way.

[...]

I'm sure... your cooking could easily put a smile on people's faces, Farah. Without needing to infuse them with positive emotions.

[selfishsins]

[She'll try and enjoy the moment and not kill the mood, you can be dead certain of that.

That's reassuring to hear, all of it. That it's admirable and that her cooking could make others smile. While part of her does still think it might be a little silly, after all in a world of emotions like this using them in anything is fairly common. But putting in effort to make people smile with her own abilities is so much more rewarding.]

Thank you. I've always been able to make my friends smile back home with what I make, so being here shouldn't change that. Unless I try something new and way over season something, or use some strange ingredient for the first time anyway.

[There, that sounds a little more lighthearted at the end a bit more like Farah's usual self.]

Some days I miss that feeling of cooking for everyone like that. Or even just eating whatever was made by who was cooking that day. We were all together. [Whoops, she's getting a bit sappy. And she knows it.] Sorry, now I'm getting off topic.

[peacewithouttyranny]

[It's definitely rewarding to make people smile with one's own abilities and efforts. A feeling Sonia herself had come to know, after seeing the positive reaction she'd gotten from her friends after trying out her malformed cookies. After seeing Farah's back to her usual self, she follows along with her own lightheartedness.]

If you like someone to try out your new dishes, I could act as a tester. I'm sure whatever you do would end up tasting good even if you used some questionable ingredient.

[When Farah's getting all sentimental, Sonia tilts her head a little. Then, after a short pause:]

If... you like to talk about your friends back home, I'm here.

[It's an invitation.]

[selfishsins]

Really? Well I wouldn't mind having my own personal taste tester to run dishes by. You wouldn't have to try anything too crazy... Nothing that will make you sick anyway.

[Sometimes it's fun to get adventurous in the kitchen okay. Throwing spices around and trying new things is exciting in its own way. So really, despite the half kidding response, she might well take Sonia up on that offer sometime... As well as that invitation to talk about her friends.

Farah looks thoughtful for a moment, taking another sip of tea before going on.]

Have I ever told you about Reid before? Or Meredy, Keele? They were the friends I was traveling with back home before coming here.

[It's not often she gets to talk about her friends like this, even though she finds herself thinking about them plenty.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

I'll hold you to that.

[He doubts he would get sick from trying out new food anyway. Sonia is still his solid hologram- the only sense in effect is the taste. But hey, it's still nice to know she won't try out something new that could potentially make people ill, even though she already trust her not to.

Reid, Meredy, or Keele... Sonia closes her eyes, expression in a thoughtful frown, as she tries to recall any moment where Farah brought up her friends.]

I don't believe you did. [Or at least her friends might've been mentioned in passing before but never in detail.] Tell me more about them.

[selfishsins]

[Excellent, Farah can go full on crazy with her cooking and she won't have to worry. Bless you Soundwave. There won't be anything too "adventurous" honest.]

Well, Reid and Keele have both been my friends ever since we were kids. We grew up together, went on adventures... We lost contact when we got older, Keele went off to university, but we all got to see each other again when Meredy arrived.

[She's missing a lot out intentionally, particularly as she jumps from being kids to suddenly whoops someone moved away. But there's... Nothing positive to say there, so why bring up what happened in that gap.]

She's from the world above us, Celestia! She crashed down in her flying craft and Reid and I couldn't understand a word she was saying. So of course we had to figure out some way we could talk to her. [Who would just leave some foreigner that crashed down from the sky, really.]

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Hard not to notice the sudden gap. That earns a bit of a raised eyebrow. Perhaps it's irrelevant enough information that Farah sees no reason to share it. Or perhaps it's something else entirely. She can't tell what it's about. Well, she can, but mind reading is rude. Either way, she doesn't prod Farah about the in-between.]

That's nice... That you're able to reconnect with a friend again.

[It makes her wish that she's able to reconnect with her own friends back home, but this isn't about her right now. She grabs herself a cookie.]

How did you figure out to talk to this Meredy person?

[selfishsins]

[That raised eyebrow goes unnoticed... Or more like Farah notices the change in her friend's expression and chooses to move on, staring down at her drink instead as if that's more interesting.]

We took her to see Keele where he was studying in a few towns over. He's always been the smart one when it comes to figuring things out so he seemed like a good bet. He knew what language she was speaking and from there we were able to figure out what she had come to Inferia for.

[It wasn't good news that's for sure, yet weirdly Farah doesn't seem at all down or concerned about what she has to say. If anything she seems happy staring down at her cup.]

She told us Inferia. Celestia. BOOM... And you can't just hear something like that and not want to do something, right?

[peacewithouttyranny]

[Wow, Farah. Is your drink more interesting to stare at than your friend's cute face? Rude...

Well okay, Sonia's not at all offended by that. Merely curious to listen more to her story and therefore learn more about her background. It takes her almost half a minute to decipher exactly what Farah just said there. "Inferia. Celestia. BOOM"?]

... Ah

[Sonia's frown deepens at the realization. It's... really odd, however, to see Farah's just smiling though. Perhaps everything worked out in the end.]

I suppose not. I assume you and your friends did something about that then?