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Peppermint’s about as comfortable as she can get. Lying on the couch with her softest hoodie, her favorite pajama shorts, and a fuzzy sock on. The tie blanket CNMN made for her is draped over her. And the pillow Macaron made her is under her head. 808’s curled up on her stomach, purring. She’s watching Hardcore Henry. The remote is next to 808. A water bottle is tucked between her side and the couch cushions.
The only things ruining it are pain, the binder she’s had to wear constantly since the surgery, and how gross she feels.
She should take some more ibuprofen. But that would require getting up. And there’s nothing to be done about the binder. Or really how gross she feels...because that also means getting up. Not to mention that it’s difficult. She’ll probably have to ask Chai for help…
Knocking at the door interrupts her train of thought.
Peppermint sighs. 808 perks up.
“Who is it?” she calls.
After a moment, it unlocks and opens. She looks over, but she can’t see over the back of the couch. A smile spreads across her face despite that.
“Just us,” Macaron says.
“We brought you some soup,” CNMN adds.
“Oh! Uh, thanks! You can just...put it in the kitchen.”
Hopping off of her, 808 heads their way. Peppermint watches her go. She listens to the sounds of them moving around, smiling as they greet 808.
Then, another door opens.
“What’s goin’ on out h—oh, hey, guys,” Chai says.
“Hello, Mr. Chai!”
“Hey, little guy.”
As the three of them chat, her gaze drifts back to the movie. She’s not fully focusing on it, though. Her attention is split between it and their conversation.
Just talking about their days as Henry clambers out of a dumpster. Discussing the soup they made (chicken noodle and butternut squash...mmm...) as he finally catches Slick.
Chai asks, “Hey, Pep! How ya holdin’ up?” as Henry gets called by Jimmy.
“I’m alright,” she replies.
The sound of their footsteps approaching makes her look away from the TV.
Chai leans over the top of the couch. 808 climbs off his shoulder, and down to her stomach, where she circles a few times before curling up again. Peppermint pats her on the head as Macaron and CNMN step into view.
The former smiles. It’s a bit pinched, and his brow is furrowed. The latter has his hands behind his back. He doesn’t have an expression drawn on.
“Can we get you anything?” Macaron asks.
“...Some ibuprofen.”
“I’ll get it!” Chai exclaims as he races off.
Macaron and CNMN turn to watch him. Peppermint rolls her eyes—but she can’t help but smile. Warmth spreads through her.
Looking back at her, Macaron asks, “Is there anything else?”
She frowns a little, looking away.
Hm. There’s not much else they can do for—
“Shit!”
A loud clatter echoes out.
They all look in the direction of the sound. Of course, Peppermint still can’t see anything over there. She doesn’t really need to, though.
“You okay?”
“...Yeah!”
“I’ll go assist him,” CNMN says, before walking away to do just that.
“Good idea.”
Turning her attention back to Macaron, she offers him a reassuring smile.
“I don’t need anything else right now. Thanks, though.”
He smiles back, seeming a little less worried. “Of course.”
Looking over at the TV, he quirks a brow.
“What’s this?”
“Hardcore Henry.”
Henry’s making his way through the brothel, fighting Akan’s men. Well, really, he’s mostly dodging all their and Jimmy’s shots.
“Seems...interesting.”
She smiles. “It’s one of my favorite movies.”
They watch it until Chai and CNMN finally come back over, ibuprofen in hand. By that point, Henry and Jimmy are out on the road.
“Your painkillers have arrived!” Chai announces as he hands them to her.
“Had to bring the whole med cabinet down just for three little pills?”
“No! It was only, like...a fourth.”
“Actually, Mr. Chai, it was about three and a half fourths.”
Pursing his lips, he huffs. Peppermint chuckles.
Just before she takes them, alongside a swig from her water bottle, she says, “Thanks.”
He smiles, features softening. “No problem.”
As she takes another drink, 808’s ears twitch and she lifts her head up. A moment later, there’s another knocking at the door.
“Come on in, it’s unlocked!” Chai calls.
He heads over, likely to open it, despite that. Though whoever’s there opens it before he can get very far.
“Hey,” Korsica says, “I...thought I’d stop by. Check in. I, um, made some soup.” There’s a pause before she continues. “Seems you guys had the same idea.”
“Indeed!” CNMN states.
“What kind did you make?” Macaron asks.
“Tattie drottle. Er—potato and leek.”
“That sounds pretty good!”
Mmm...it does…
Peppermint hadn’t thought she was hungry, but now that they’re talking about soup again, her mouth’s starting to water.
“It is. I...also made some scotch broth.”
“Oh, so that’s what’s in the second container,” Chai comments.
Two?! Macaron and CNMN bringing two makes sense. But Korsica...
“...You didn’t have to do that, Korsica,” Peppermint says.
Her voice is soft as she replies; “I know.”
Face heating up a little, Peppermint looks at the TV. She watches as Henry breaks into Akan’s van. Absentmindedly, she pets 808.
Then, she shakes her head.
“Hey, Macaron?”
“Yeah?”
“I, uh...changed my mind.” She smiles a bit sheepishly. “Could you get me a bowl of soup?”
“Of course! What kind?”
Hmm...the tattie drottle soup sounds tasty. Can’t go wrong with chicken noodle, though. However, butternut squash is delicious! But scotch broth is pretty good, too…
“Uh..surprise me,” she eventually says.
His eyes widen a little. Then, he smiles. “Alright.”
As he goes off to do that, Peppermint slowly sits up. 808 hops off of her as she does, moving down by her foot.
After asking if he can, CNMN helps her get situated. Once she’s comfortable, she looks over the back of the couch to see what the others are up to.
Holy shit, that’s a lot of soup.
There are two massive containers of it on the kitchen counter. Considering their green and yellow color s , they’re probably Macaron and CNMN’s. Which...means that the other two containers are Korsica’s. They ’re a fair bit smaller in comparison, but they’re still pretty big.
“You guys didn’t need to make that much soup!"
“We wanted to make plenty to last you for a while, Ms. Peppermint. Especially considering Mr. Chai will most definitely eat some, as well. We also made sure we took into consideration both your large appetites.”
...Can’t really argue with that. So, instead of trying to, she simply says, “Thanks.”
CNMN draws a smile onto his face. “Of course!”
Whilst Macaron gets her a bowl of soup (and Chai gets his own), Korsica makes her way over to her.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for the soup.”
“It’s no problem,” she replies with a smile.
Gaze flicking away, Peppermint tilts her head down a little. There she goes, feeling all warm again.
She’s saved from having to think of something else to say by 808 hopping up to greet Korsica. With a smile, she happily pets 808. She coos at her, saying hello.
Peppermint rests her cheek against the top of the couch. She grins as she watches them.
When Macaron starts making his way over, soup in hand and a TV tray table tucked under one arm, she turns back to the TV.
She smiles as Henry tries to ride a horse that conveniently showed up. He quickly gets bucked off. She huffs a laugh.
After setting the table up, Macaron places her soup on it. It’s butternut squash. Mmm...
“Bon appétit!”
“Thanks, Macaron.”
He beams. “No problem!”
As she (carefully) digs in, he sits down next to her. Once he’s sitting, 808 turns away from Korsica, who walks around to the front of the couch. 808 hops onto his shoulder. She butts her head against his cheek. With a chuckle, he pats her on the head.
Chai, Korsica, and CNMN sit down on the floor in front of them. Slurping up his soup, Chai leans back against one of Macaron’s legs. CNMN’s sitting cross-legged next to the TV tray. Korsica’s between the two of them. Her legs are pulled up close to her chest, with her arms resting on her knees.
They all watch as Henry and Jimmy dance around the latter’s lab.
“...What’re we watching?” Korsica asks.
“Uh...I was watching Hardcore Henry. But I can put something else on if—“
“No way! I wanna see this!” Chai says through a mouthful of noodles and chicken.
“Me too. I’d like to know what exactly happened that lead to...this.” Korsica gestures at the two characters on screen, who are now fighting.
“I’m quite curious as well,” CNMN chimes in.
Macaron nods. “It’s pretty intriguing.”
Peppermint’s eyes widen. Then, a grin spreads across her face. Warmth blossoms in her chest.
“Lemme start it from the beginning, then.”