[Post 044] Action for Vermillion City (Private to Envy & Backdated to Valentine's Day)
[When Envy wakes up on the 14th of February, he'll find France off to work early for once. In place of him, there's a paper with the time for that evening's sunset and an acrostic poem pinned to the pillowcase beneath Envy's head, reading:]
[Close to sunset, Envy should receive a picture text on his Pokégear of the view from one of the two sand inlets at the Harbor. The picture clearly shows part of the docked S.S. Anne and the tail of France's Milotic in the surf.]
More than most,
Everyone, maybe,
Envies what you give
To me, daily.
Morning, noon, and night,
Ever do I desire and wait
On your considerate and
Nuanced gaze
To fall upon me,
Here, now, and
Evermore.
Because it is you that
Eases my heart but
Accelerates it, too;
Captivating my heart and eyes,
Hungry as I am for you.
Always,
Til these hours wane and
Sun and moon and stars become our province,
Until and beyond,
Never will I love you less,
So deep and true these feelings run.
Every day they bloom and grow:
Tonight, tomorrow, and evermore.
[Close to sunset, Envy should receive a picture text on his Pokégear of the view from one of the two sand inlets at the Harbor. The picture clearly shows part of the docked S.S. Anne and the tail of France's Milotic in the surf.]
[action]
[Envy doesn't have any trouble recognizing the location in the picture, and he heads out as soon as he gets the text. He's got a bouquetof flowers for France; there was some theft involved in paying for them, but he's learned that flowers are a Thing for Valentine's. And after getting that poem, he wants to do something romantic in return. He gets to the inlet in good time, and looks around for France.]
[action]
[France spots Envy while he's coming down the harbor to the inlet, and he raises a hand to wave Envy down.]
Envy! Over here!
[Once Envy spots France, he'll probably notice that there's the portable camping stove that France bought ages back for when they were still regularly traveling by foot, a red blanket spread out over the sand next to it, and a couple of medium-sized paper bags accompanied by, as per France, a wine bottle.]
[action]
[Envy spots France pretty quickly, and waves back as he picks up the pace to get there faster. He does notice the setup, and looks openly curious and anticipatory about it. It looks like some kind of picnic to him, and France makes the best food.]
[But first, he holds out the flowers.] Got these for you.
[He's grinning, but he also looks vaguely nervous and hopeful; he hopes that France likes them.]
[action]
[France accepts the flowers, beaming at them now that he can see the bouquet up close. He traces the pads of his fore and middle fingers over the petals of a rose and then a tulip.]
Oh, these are absolutely lovely.
[He places the hand that had caressed the flowers on Envy's shoulder and leans in to offer a kiss.]
[action]
[When he does pull back he grins lopsidedly, his expression softer than usual.] Least I could do when you set all this up and wrote me a poem.
So what's all this stuff for?
[action]
I want to make you feel special.
[He gestures expansively to the sea and sand, the blanket and the spread. Cecelia has come to rest half on the shore and half in the water, her red eyes at half-mast, reflecting a contented glow.]
It's part of my love letter to you.
[action]
[He grins and looks out at the ocean and the beach, before he leans to kiss France's neck lightly and shifts to be a little closer. His next words are only a murmur, but they're audible.]
Don't know how I ever got so lucky.
[action]
Love, for all its follies, can be so very kind.
[He twines his fingers into Envy's hand and draws him to sit on the blanket. France sets the bouquet against part of the blanket that's been folded slightly up and then gets to opening the bag containing ingredients, Envy might recognize, for fondue.]
[action]
[Envy follows France down to sit beside him, watching curiously as France starts taking the ingredients out. He does recognize them, after a minute, and then looks excited.]
Hey, I haven't had fondue in a long time.
[action]
It's never too late to fondue with the one you love.
[He snorts a little, though, because, clearly, that's the corniest thing he's said in a while. Picking up cubed cheese (the closest approximations he could find to Gruyère and Emmental) with minced garlic mixed in, he sets the bowl on his knee while the wine is brought to a melting temperature.]
Fondue is really something that you need to have the right company with to enjoy.