----------------------------------------------
OUTSKIRTS OF RESPITE - AFTERNOON
----------------------------------------------
Jennica sighs happily as she sits down on the picnic blanket and starts going through the basket at a sedate pace. No hurry, no stresses, just her and... she glances at the white cow with a big summer hat and smiles warmly. No hurry indeed.
Emmeline smiles back and sits next to her best friend, making sure her dress falls neatly under her plush rump as she sits down. "So what's this surprise picnic meal you were so giddy about, hmm?"
Jennica lets out a bit of giggle as she continues digging: "Oh, nothing much. Just wanted to make you..." She lifts up a small basket of hand-wrapped baked dumplings filled with every kind of goodie she can imagine: "...some of this all." She grins proudly, and it's obvious she's spent a lot of time making these. Setting them down, she picks up a bottle of white wine and starts opening it.
Emmeline blushes a touch and giggles. "Oh Jen.. you didn't have to. I know these take forever... but I do love them so..." She reaches down and takes one, unable to wait when it comes to such savory treats.
Jennica giggles and looks at Emmeline enjoy her treats. She blushes just slightly when she realizes she's staring. "O-oh, yeah. Didn't have to. Made them anyway, for you. Cause... well... you know."
Emmeline giggles and blushes more. "Oh you." She leans over and hugs her friend happily against her before taking one of the glasses of wine that Jen has poured. "You know, I'm so glad we came here. It's so lovely and peaceful and everyone is just... nice."
Jennica looks around the sunny farms spreading around them; not a soul in sight. "It's so calm. I like calm, it's easier to think when it's calm..." She leans back enough to look at Emmeline: "Even if you say I overthink sometimes."
Emmeline giggles. "As if I don't overthink everything all the time? But yeah, just... us here, together. It's good." She sips her wine and leans against Jennica so that their horns touch.
Jennica giggles and blushes at their horns touching: "We're finally old enough for them to touch, heh. Remember us trying to make them touch as kids?" She laughs softly at the memory.
Emmeline laughs. "Yeah... just ended up headbutting each other. " She squeezes Jennica close. "Not that I minded that..."
Jennica blushes: "Yeah... silly kids. All the adventures we did together... or you dragged me into, anyway." She gives Emmeline a sly look, then sticks her tongue out.
Emmeline sticks the tip of her tongue out in return for a moment before she bursts out laughing.
Jennica starts laughing as well, a soft sound not often heard: "You always got the best and worst ideas, Em. Fun, dangerous and everything in between."
Emmeline helps herself to more dumplings while Jennica calms down a bit. "Mmm. I seem to recall that exploring the sewers during a thunderstorm was your idea."
Jennica slightly shoulders her friend: "No it wasn't! Definitely wasn't. And besides, we didn't even get caught!"
Emmeline smirks. "Right.. because you didn't drop the mana crystal you saved up for two months to buy..."
Jennica frowns slightly: "Oh ow yeah... that was a doozy." She takes a sip of the wine and leans on Emmeline again: "I'm such a klutz, dunno why you keep me around."
Emmeline giggles and bumps horns again. "Because you're cute... and smart... and cute..."
Jennica blushes at the bump: "No I'm not... right? Definitely not cute..."
Emmeline nods. "Mmhm. You are cute. The cutest cow in Respite Falls. And besides, if you weren't here, then who will rescue me? Who will bring me back from the darkness?" As she speaks, she runs a hand over Jennica's shoulder. As the last word ends, so does the touch. When Jennica looks back toward her friend, Emmeline is gone, nowhere to be seen.
Jennica starts at Emmeline disappearing: "E-em? Where did you go?" Suddenly everything is around them - her - is a lot less... nice. She shudders as she looks around, and she feels something creeping up behind her-
Jennica wakes up with a scream, back in her and Emmeline's apartment. It's dark, it's quiet and it's... very, very lonely, all of sudden. She swallows and gets up, no way she can sleep more tonight after that. She lets out a shuddering sigh: "...might as well make those d-dumplings, I guess. D-do something to distract..." She makes her way to the kitchen despite the nothing hour and starts creating food.