Wonderful! I wish I could describe it any better than "it's the one that has a lot of flowers," but tell you what... do you know where the wishing well is? If you go there, I can send Ai to guide you the rest of the way to my house.
[ And true to her word, whenever Sana arrives at the wishing well, Ai will be perched atop the edge of the well, her tail swishing back and forth expectantly. She will most certainly require a hefty toll of several pets before being allowed to proceed to Ori's home! ]
[ Thank goodness indeed. Ai purrs softly in kind, and once she's had her fill (which is most certainly more of a function of Sana getting that sweet sweet serotonin from petting a cat), she leaps onto the ground and begins trekking through the residential area, taking great care to make sure that Sana doesn't lose her way.
Eventually, they'll arrive to the tree where Ori's home is situated. As one might expect, it almost seems to be bursting with plant life, with vines and flowers covering much of its outside surface. Ai leaps into an open window, through which the scent of freshly-baked cookies wafts in the air. Very shortly after does Ori's voice ring out from inside: ]
Oh, you're here! Let me get the door for you!
[ which is followed by the sounds of someone walking around, promptly bumping into something, a little oops!, followed by sounds of things being picked up off the floor, and then finally by the door opening as a flour-covered Ori greets Sana. ]
[ She's already wide-eyed at the sight of so many plants and flowers, just how beautiful and homey this place looks... but now she just looks concerned. ]
[ Ori is quick to wave a flour-covered hand dismissively. ]
I'm fine! I bumped into a table and my jar of flour was open, so it went 'poof!' everywhere.
[ Don't you just hate when that happens! In any case, she steps aside to permit Sana into her home, which is exactly that: beautiful and homey, and almost as covered in plants and flowers on the inside as it is outside. On the aforementioned is a tray of the promised cat cookies, as well as various baking ingredients. ]
Come in, come in! The cookies are on the table, but I was baking bread too!
Aren't they? My Thoma is so good at things like this...!
[ She is very proud of him, even as she's taken up a towel in her hands and is currently wiping flour off of her face. After that, she takes one of the cat cookies and holds it out for Sana to take. ]
Hm? Oh, I do bake a lot..! But see, bread gets easier the more you practice it. [ She gestures at another bowl on the table, which currently has a towel draped onto it. ] The key is patience! Bread needs time to proof and rise before you bake it... But after a while I'll take the dough and form it into little rolls. Say, do you want to help me do that later?
[ The little flowers in Ori's hair - and the ones in pots and bouquets all around them, for that matter - seem to happily bounce just a little bit as Sana looks at the cookie in her palm. For as much as she's proud of Thoma's proficiency in pretty much everything, she's even happier to be able to share these cookies with Sana. ]
Wonderful! I'll do my best to teach you well so that you do just fine!
[ She clasps her hands together out of excitement before she turns on her heel to make her way over to the cupboards and cabinets of her cozy little kitchen. ]
Now, would you like something to drink with the cookies? Some tea, or milk?
[ She looks over her shoulder back at Sana, and sees her just standing there with the cookie in her hands. The sight draws a chuckle out of Ori as she shakes her head as she turns her attention back to grabbing things out of her cupboard. ]
Well, you can start by eating your cookie! There's plenty more for you to take home, too, so please don't be shy. Or... did Thoma make them look so cute that they're hard to eat?
... I do kind of feel bad when they're this cute...
[ Ori hit the nail on the head.
But she also has a point that she should probably just eat the cookie already, so Sana bravely(??) squeezes her eyes shut and then pops the cookie in her mouth to chew.
[ Ori would argue that Sana would feel worse if she could picture the disappointed look on Thoma's face upon learning that the cookies they baked went uneaten— but regardless, she has moved over to the stove to put the kettle on when she hears Sana give a little noise. Ori glances back over readily. ]
[ Ah... At that response, Ori turns to fully face Sana from where she stands by the stove. She understands, really, because she's just the type to have the same qualms at acts of kindness. ]
Hmmm, but you're helping me with the bread rolls later, aren't you? That's plenty! And Thoma will get to eat them later, too, so you're helping the both of us.
[ She's not blindly seeking validation here, she just is honestly not sure helping make bread rolls is enough when both of them have tried so hard to help her adjust here. ]
I think it's enough, and at the end of the day it's how I feel that matters... right?
[ Certainly, there's no defined quota for this sort of thing. Plus, then maybe she can call Sana her little kitchen helper and invite her over more often! ]
I understand that you want to make sure you give back, but I promise you that everything is okay. We just want to be your friends, and I've learned that sometimes friends do things for friends just because. Maybe we can get used to it together, hm?
[ With a soft chuckle, Ori goes back about preparing their tea so that they can enjoy the cookies before getting to work on the bread rolls after the dough is ready! Ori will make sure to walk Sana back to her house after all is said and done... and makes sure that she takes a few more cookies and freshly baked rolls with her, too. ]
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Would you like to come to my house to get the cookies? Or meet up somewhere?
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[ And true to her word, whenever Sana arrives at the wishing well, Ai will be perched atop the edge of the well, her tail swishing back and forth expectantly. She will most certainly require a hefty toll of several pets before being allowed to proceed to Ori's home! ]
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Eventually, they'll arrive to the tree where Ori's home is situated. As one might expect, it almost seems to be bursting with plant life, with vines and flowers covering much of its outside surface. Ai leaps into an open window, through which the scent of freshly-baked cookies wafts in the air. Very shortly after does Ori's voice ring out from inside: ]
Oh, you're here! Let me get the door for you!
[ which is followed by the sounds of someone walking around, promptly bumping into something, a little oops!, followed by sounds of things being picked up off the floor, and then finally by the door opening as a flour-covered Ori greets Sana. ]
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O-Ori-san? Are you okay??
[ She's already wide-eyed at the sight of so many plants and flowers, just how beautiful and homey this place looks... but now she just looks concerned. ]
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I'm fine! I bumped into a table and my jar of flour was open, so it went 'poof!' everywhere.
[ Don't you just hate when that happens! In any case, she steps aside to permit Sana into her home, which is exactly that: beautiful and homey, and almost as covered in plants and flowers on the inside as it is outside. On the aforementioned is a tray of the promised cat cookies, as well as various baking ingredients. ]
Come in, come in! The cookies are on the table, but I was baking bread too!
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[ She's immediately in awe over the cookies, also letting the warmth and the comforting scents wash over her. ]
Do you bake a lot, Ori-san? Isn't bread kind of hard to make?
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[ She is very proud of him, even as she's taken up a towel in her hands and is currently wiping flour off of her face. After that, she takes one of the cat cookies and holds it out for Sana to take. ]
Hm? Oh, I do bake a lot..! But see, bread gets easier the more you practice it. [ She gestures at another bowl on the table, which currently has a towel draped onto it. ] The key is patience! Bread needs time to proof and rise before you bake it... But after a while I'll take the dough and form it into little rolls. Say, do you want to help me do that later?
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I've never done anything with bread before, but if you think I'll be helpful... I'd be happy to try.
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Wonderful! I'll do my best to teach you well so that you do just fine!
[ She clasps her hands together out of excitement before she turns on her heel to make her way over to the cupboards and cabinets of her cozy little kitchen. ]
Now, would you like something to drink with the cookies? Some tea, or milk?
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[ Help she's just standing there holding this cookie. But she knows how to handle tea? Ori, you don't need to spoil her???? ]
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Well, you can start by eating your cookie! There's plenty more for you to take home, too, so please don't be shy. Or... did Thoma make them look so cute that they're hard to eat?
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[ Ori hit the nail on the head.
But she also has a point that she should probably just eat the cookie already, so Sana bravely(??) squeezes her eyes shut and then pops the cookie in her mouth to chew.
Followed by a faintly surprised noise. ]
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Sana? Everything okay?
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It's-- really good.
[ Cute and delicious? And warm and comforting, just like this space of Ori's. ]
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...Oh! I'm so glad you like it. For a moment I thought that maybe you wouldn't like the flavor or maybe it was too sweet or not chewy enough—
[ See, there are two of them. ]
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[ ORI NO. ]
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[ And as if on cue, the flowers in her hair bounce a little. ]
You know, I'm sure he could make you a scarf or a hat or something that looks like these cookies. You'd look so cute wearing it!
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[ that's just not kosher!! ]
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Hmmm, but you're helping me with the bread rolls later, aren't you? That's plenty! And Thoma will get to eat them later, too, so you're helping the both of us.
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[ She's not blindly seeking validation here, she just is honestly not sure helping make bread rolls is enough when both of them have tried so hard to help her adjust here. ]
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[ Certainly, there's no defined quota for this sort of thing. Plus, then maybe she can call Sana her little kitchen helper and invite her over more often! ]
I understand that you want to make sure you give back, but I promise you that everything is okay. We just want to be your friends, and I've learned that sometimes friends do things for friends just because. Maybe we can get used to it together, hm?
[ With a soft chuckle, Ori goes back about preparing their tea so that they can enjoy the cookies before getting to work on the bread rolls after the dough is ready! Ori will make sure to walk Sana back to her house after all is said and done... and makes sure that she takes a few more cookies and freshly baked rolls with her, too. ]