florescences | adolphe catchall

[ He huffs a little. ]

One by one.

[ He looks at the ingredients. ]

Though you'll have to tell me how to make these. I've never done it.

[ she puts on a cute apron and rolls back her sleeves. ]

I'm not an expert either. One of my friends taught me a long time ago.

[ but she'll show him how to make the dough and the filling and then show him how to stuff and fold and pleat. ]

[ Elysia makes it easy to understand, so Adolphe follows her directions well. He fries the ones they make and... they turn out decent! The shape seems to stay too. ]

Alright, it looks good. We can keep making them like this then, but first.

[ Is her mouth open? If it is, Adolphe will pop a dumpling in it when it's cooled down a little. If not, he holds one out to her. ]

Tell me how it tastes.

[ she lets him pop it into her mouth with a little noise of surprise before it turns into a sound of satisfaction. ]

It's good! You're doing great for your first time. We'll have more to send than I thought with your help.

Good.

[ Waste not, want not. Etc. He wants as much as to be sendable. ]

You'll handle most of the chocolate? I don't know what you'll need me for about that.

Uh-huh. If you can handle the dumplings, I'll do all the chocolate.

[ she goes about melting chocolate and attempting to temper it. ]

Do you like sweets at all, Adolphe?

I can eat them, but I got sick of candy in the first hour when that Halloween thing came up.

[ too many sweets... ]

I can taste test some, but not too many if that's what you wanted.

No, I was only curious. I don't want you to feel sick, but does that mean you get sick of me?

[ she's joking. ]

No.

[ He's surprisingly direct about that, but he answers so seriously... ]

Despite everything, no. If anything, I'm surprised it's not the other way around.

I'll tell you as many times as it takes. I won't get sick or tired of you. I won't ever want you to go away.

You won't ever be unworthy or undeserving of my affection or my attention.

[ Adolphe quietly makes the dumplings and frying them at the same time. He can multitask, it's fine. What did he do to deserve so much love, he asks himself every day. ]

[ it is not a direct answer to his silent question but it may answer some of his questions about elysia, and there are many reflective surfaces in a kitchen that he could ignore.

he should ignore these conversations without context.

because where he has no faith in humanity, she has so much of it, in him who is as human as anyone else (even if he's his own level of insane). ]

[ He could ignore the conversations without context, but he can't ignore what they say. It's difficult. It answers some questions, but it also raises many. He thinks back on Elysia wanting to be remembered—it's a common answer, but the context here really solidifies the weight of it. ]

Is it really different if Herrschers also look and act like humans? There's not many differences regarding that, is there?

[ He has no idea what a Herrscher is, but he's getting an idea that it sure is an Important thing and that Elysia was one of them. He continues to cook and doesn't look over at her. ]

[ she doesn't know if it's better or worse that he's not looking at her. She's putting her chocolate molds away to cool and starts cleaning some of the counter. ]

In terms of looks... no. All known Herrschers back then were all humans first before they weren't. They didn't all act like humans, after.

It was a surprise when they did.

The problem is once they lost their humanity, they wiped out most of the human population.

What's "humanity"?

[ Adolphe fully believes that humans can just wipe themselves out and still struggles to see the difference. ]

Compassion and all those nice things? Humans already have enough ego to attribute everything nice to themselves, but they still do horrible things against each other.

[ human ego...

if it weren't such a serious conversation, she might laugh a little. instead, she shakes her head with a smile. ]

It's all of it. The contradiction of how good and kind people can be along with all the horrible malice. It's when you have both, instead of all of one or the other.

They sure like to skew it one way for sure.

[ All "human" things were good sounding, at least from what Adolphe remembers. ]

And... you like that, right? That they can be both.

[ is it like? is it love? it is love. she does love humanity, but is it because they can be both? ]

I know you think humans don't change, but I think it's because they do have both that they can.

Not all that is beautiful is good.

Humans are beautiful to you? Elysia.

[ He can't fathom thinking such a thing, ever.

He still keeps making the food like he isn't having this conversation though. ]

[ that's fine. he doesn't have to pay attention to her to have this conversation. she's in a waiting period for her chocolates, so she's fine with watching him cook. ]

Of course they are. Of course you are.

[ That actually gets him to stop for a moment to look at her. ]

Is this why you had the interest from the beginning?

[ Oh, he really doesn't like that. ]

Hm? I'm curious for individual reasons. It's not like I lump everyone into the same group.

Yeah, but--

[ No, wait. He stops to think about this. ]

... I was around Yves a lot, so I'm a little familiar of the concept of someone "loving everyone", but also having favoritism. There was a reason behind Yves's. I just don't know yours.

[ she smiles. ]

Do you remember... all those weeks ago... once, I told you it would mean a lot to me if you would try to understand me?

I know I'm doing a terrible job of that.

[ He still doesn't know.......................... ]

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