[OPEN] Library Shenanigans + May Catch-All

[petitejournalism]

CHARACTERS: Meryl and YOU!!!
DATE: Mid to Late-May
WARNINGS: Sleep issues & Tristamp spoilers! Will update more if needed.
SUMMARY: Some studying, some rough times, and a bakery run! Feel free to PM if you'd like to thread with her outside of these and I can set something up as well! AU plotting post over here!

Comments

[feyfound]

[ With wide eyes, Juniper regards Meryl for a moment. She'd never thought of herself as being lucky to be named after juniper trees, or to be named after a plant at all. It's just sort of how things are, and she'd never read into it too deeply. But... It's sweet, that Meryl says that. Maybe she should feel lucky that the name she received when her guardians took her in is such a nice one. ]

Thanks, Miss Meryl!

As for why, well... My mom would sometimes say that juniper trees can grow most anywhere, even in the harshest of places. Maybe she was thinking of that when they all took me in.

[petitejournalism]

[ meryl's expression softens at that. ]

You really are lucky then, Juni. [ to have the name of a plant, but also have it for such a good reason — which clicks in her head after a moment. a tree that can grow most anywhere, even in the harshest of places... ]

... Hey, you don't think they can grow in a desert, do you?

[ her eyes begin skimming the page about them in the book more thoroughly after asking that question, to see if the answer is there, if juniper can't answer it herself. ]

[feyfound]

[ Juniper can't help but chuckle at the repeated compliment... The truth is, her relationship with the woman who'd given her said name is a big strained at the moment, but... Of course, that doesn't change how thankful she feels for her adoptive family.

But as for Meryl's question... ]

Oh! Maybe!? I haven't really adventured somewhere desert-y much before...

[ At most she has like. Visited a city in a desert, but...

Juniper leans in to peer down at the book alongside Meryl, and indeed it says that certain types of juniper trees thrive in desert landscapes. ]

[petitejournalism]

[ the 'maybe' at least sounds a little promising — meryl recognizes by now that not much can grow in a desert, even the miraculous plants in this world, and she understands why luida's been growing them in a contained environment aboard ship 3. they're a lot more fickle and in need of specific things than she could've imagined at first, but it makes complete sense to her, as well.

seeing that junipers can thrive in desert landscapes, written clearly in the book, though... that makes her expression light up. ]

So, they could! Your namesake's incredible, if it could survive even back where I'm from. [ this is a bit idealistic of her, but. ] Maybe I could plant one there, somehow.

[feyfound]

Oh! Thanks!? I'll pass the message along to my mother if I see her again!

[ if!? ]

When I see her again! So you're trying to make your desert planet a bit greener, Miss Meryl? What a noble cause! I'm sure there are plenty of other plants that can grow there too, like cacti!

[petitejournalism]

[ she blushes somewhat at that, taken aback. ]

O-Oh, no, it's nothing! Just trying to help!

[ she doesn't see what she does in those sorts of lights, just as something she's trying to do to help. ]

A-Anyway, yeah, I've read a bit about cacti, too! I'm hoping to keep getting an even better idea about what I can do. So — I'll accept whatever help you can give.

[ since she seems pretty knowledgeable about them, at least enough to recognize plants at a glance. her name itself sparks inspiration, too. ]

Oh, uh, that reminds me... [ when thinking about how juniper could help her, she's realized she should probably apologize for before, finally. ]

I wanted to apologize, for what happened when we first met. Hah...

[feyfound]

Hmm?

[ Miss Meryl is... apologizing to her...?

...

Is she forgetting something again...? No, she's almost sure that she hasn't. She genuinely doesn't know what Meryl could be apologizing for! ]

What do you mean, Miss Meryl? Um, I can be forgetful, so if I'm forgetting something then I'm really sorry... But I definitely remember having a lot of fun when we met!

[petitejournalism]

Y-You do, huh...?

[ well, it's no surprise that juniper remembers having fun. they were certainly going all out on the 'fun' thing, though meryl's been horribly embarrassed by the way she acted ever since. it was so not appropriate!! ]

Sure, it might've been fun but... the way I acted was totally out of line. I shouldn't have been all over you like that. [ she places a hand over her face, embarrassed, as she sinks down in her seat a little. god. ]

[feyfound]

Ohh...

[ It's not until Meryl mentions having "been all over" her that it seems to click, in Juni's mind, what it is exactly was so egregious. Still, Juniper can only look back on their first meeting and recall how much fun she had, and how despite her confusion about regimens and such, Meryl had been so pleasant and sweet!

But she can also understand that her new friend feels a bit embarrassed, so...

She reaches over with the intent to pat Meryl consolingly on the shoulder, but she sinks into her seat, so instead Juniper pats... her head. ]

Ahaha, it's alright, I don't hold it against you at all...! If it helps... I'm really okay with silly things like that all the time, so! Any time you want to talk about "regimens" and want a piggy-back ride, just let me know!

[petitejournalism]

[ she lets her pat her head with a pout, slightly removing the hand she was using to block her face so that she can peer over at her, brows furrowed.

at least until she's bringing up everything and telling her she can piggy-back on her whenever, which only causes meryl to let out a small embarrassed (and pathetic) yelp, sinking lower into her seat and cover her face again, with both hands this time. ]

D-Don't talk about iiiit!! I promise I don't actually need anything like that! L-Let's just move past it and see how things go from here, okay?!

[ she still likes and wants to be friends with juni. but with less awkward drunken piggy-back rides. gooooood. ]

[feyfound]

[ Oh... Woops! She made Meryl shrink even further into herself, but... Wah, it's so endearing! Juniper is going to pat her head some more before drawing her hand away!! ]

Heh... Okay, Miss Meryl! I'd love it if we could become friends properly!

[ ... ]

That reminds me! I met someone who works at a pet shop here, so we should visit him so you can meet real bunnies!

[petitejournalism]

[ that catches meryl's attention again, as she moves her hands away from her face to peer out at juni, groaning softly at first to exhale the rest of her pent up embarrassment. ]

Wait, really? [ her eyes flicker up to juni's ears, and then back down in a flash of embarrassment as she sits up again. ] Well, I would like to meet some...

[ they sound... cute... ]