#//me on call like oh i wonder what this is in my inBAAAAAAUGH

[nabataprophet]

"..."

A pair of glassy eyes stare into another. No words are exchanged, not while they are still being ruminated.

In her hands is something special--wrapped in tan cloth and kept free from the sun's harsh rays. She had been told, by the one who gave it to her, that its first sparkle is always the greatest. And so it would be wise to save it for its great unveiling.

"I have something," stated as a fact, not proclaimed as some revelation the other would be surprised to hear, "I want you to have it."

With preamble flat as a field, Idunn reveals her gift. Without flair--without style--its small tarp is pulled off a crystalline surface. And it refracts light in hues of golden-blue and azure-yellow. Each ray stretches onto the ground and over the other's skin, spreading their grasp to any surface they can cling to. Evidently, it is a piece of fine craftsmanship.

But for all its beauty, it serves no real purpose.

"Humans are always doing strange things... Making strange things. I saw one making dragonstones, but he says they're fake." And indeed, this one is too. It contains not a drop of power, divine, fire, or otherwise. Idunn can sense as much. Likely just a rare crystal, polished and shined until bearing resemblance to the unforgettable marks of history that their kind must carry. "It's pointless, yet I want to do pointless things," she explains.

"I want to participate in the festival."

Doing her part, Idunn takes Sophia's hand--much warmer than hers--and imparts it not with the simple gift, but with the knowledge that she is cared of. For every small second they two spent in Arcadia, along with Fae, the growing heart is grateful.

"Happy Day of Devotion," said flat, but meant with excitement, "And thank you... For all you've done."

It's so much like something Fae would do that Sophia startles a bit. There's no telling how many times the young dragon has handed her a particularly pretty pebble on one of her exceedingly rare excursions outside of her room, calling it a gift. Part of it is the pure, selfless desire of a child to share interesting things with one's friend, but another, she suspects, is the desire to make up for something she lacks. It is the one thing that sets her apart, makes her different from them.

She accepts the fake stone, regardless, holding it as preciously as she would a real one. Even if it is no more than a beautiful, but ordinary stone, it is the intention behind the action that means so much more. To have received a gift at all from the demon dragon would have been unthinkable only a short while ago.

Just like every odd pebble, she will cherish this gem as if it were a real dragonstone.

"Thank you... I'm really happy... to have this. I will treasure it."

In truth, she does not feel like she has done much of anything to deserve thanks. She does not have Fae's cheerful personality, nor Lord Roy's decisiveness. To be frank, she's quite the awkward person. She's not the greatest with strangers and she doesn't communicate all that well. She has been isolated for so long that it's difficult to relate to humans, but she also lacks fundamental knowledge of dragons. How exactly has she been helpful enough to warrant such gratitude?

But Idunn's cold hands around her own tamp down the protests that threaten to rise in Sophia's heart. She accepts the gratitude like she accepts the gift, a bit awkwardly, but nevertheless touched.

"It is strange... isn't it? Humans live for such a short time... and yet they do... pointless things. They give each other flowers... just for them to wilt. But they're... still happy. There are... so many wonderful things... in this world... that only humans can show us."

Sophia takes a shuddering breath, clearly a little winded from speaking so much all at once.

"Happy...Day of Devotion, Idunn. I hope... this festival helps you understand... what an amazing world this is... even if it's just a little. I hope... one day... the sadness in your heart becomes bearable."