#sorry if this feels rushed or bad im not entirely satisfied with it but sjdhfkdjhgkhjljha

[fel-mi-er]

He knew the stars are finnicky, but to have them give a present to the person he was arguing at the maple taffy stand? Sure, they somewhat made up with more taffy, but considering how that one scratched line was too painfully accurate to how he was feeling, he assumes this was some working of fate. And well, though he doesn't consider himself a fatalist, this was too much of a coincidence to ignore. He gives a sigh. Checking the small pot, he pours and seals the contents into a tupper bowl, and then returns to his room to get a present. At least this is easy to fix up quickly.

With his free hand, he knocks on the door to Epel's place. When he opens, Luciano gives a small head nod. "Merry Christmas to you, Felmier," he says. "I'm your pen pal for this letter exchange."

"Here is your present." He then hands him a present box with a small ribbon on the side. Inside of it an all-purpose crochet kit with some crochet needles and yarn, plus a book for several designs ranging from plushies to clothing; from beginner difficulty to expert. "I did not know what your proficiency level in crocheting was, but you had mentioned that you enjoyed using yarn, so I thought that it would be best to bring something to cater to your interest." He then shifted his legs a bit, somehow making the man look somewhat shorter. "As for where I live, I..." A chuckle escapes him, as if he didn't believe it himself. "I'm from the small town on the other side of Harveston." He then extends the tupperware. "And well, after reading your letter, I thought you might also like something a little reminiscient of home."

Inside the tupper, there's some freshly brewed soup. Though the soup structure gives it the appearance of minestrone, the soup's ingredients look more like the stews served in Harveston. "It also gets cold for us around this time, so I thought it would be appropriate." A pause. "And for the last question in the letter, all of the above."

He then takes out a spoon for the soup. "Well, here's a spoon. All I ask is that I get the tupperware by the end of the day." He then gives a small grin. "And once again, Merry Christmas."

Epel was a bit surprised to find the taffy guy (Luciano, right?) at his door, but it quickly made sense when he explained that he was there on account of the pen pal exchange. So it was him…

He didn't have time to respond before the guy was handing over a present. Oh! How nice! He could always use more yarn, and he was excited to learn more about crochet (he was more versed in knitting, but he had tried crochet a few times, and was always eager to learn new things). He was looking down at it in excitement, looking forward to opening it, and raised his head to look at him and say thank you. But it appeared that Luciano had more to say, so he let him continue instead.

"As for where I live, I…" he chuckled, "I'm from the small town on the other side of Harveston."

Epel's lips parted in shock, eyes widening.

No way. There was just no way. Really? Really really? Something bubbled up inside Epel, something hopeful and buzzing. Something like camaraderie, something like relief. This guy--

A tupperware bowl was extended towards him.

"And well, after reading your letter, I thought you might also like something a little reminiscent of home. It also gets cold for us around this time, so I thought it would be appropriate." Epel balanced it on top of his present without really thinking, moving on autopilot without taking his eyes off Luciano. Inside the tupperware was everything warm. Familiar colours, a familiar smell. He was honestly about to cry. He really didn't wanna cry in front of this guy, but he was really touched and really… he had just been so homesick lately. This hit him pretty hard. He felt all watery now, but he didn't cry. He wouldn't until he was alone. He was blinking pretty fast, though.

He was given a spoon for the soup, and asked to return the tupperware by the end of the day, to which he nodded. He cleared his throat before speaking,

"Thank you. I… I don't really know what to say. Thank you so much." He smiled up at Luciano.

He kind of wanted to be alone right now honestly, but he also didn't want to let this chance pass him by. Something was calling out to him, something was begging to talk to him more. He wanted to talk about home, he wanted to ask him so many questions, he wanted to show him his apples.

"Would… would you like to come in?" Epel bit the inside of his cheek, jittery with some kind of energy. Jade was doing whatever Jade did when he left, and Deuce had gone out for a run. They had time to talk, if Luciano wished it. If he said no Epel would have been a bit disappointed, but Epel was putting him on the spot right now-- maybe he already had plans.

He just wanted to talk to someone who would understand. Someone who knew where he was coming from. Someone he didn't have to hide in front of. If there was even a chance Luciano was that someone… Epel had to at least try.