After Daphne had found him and spent the night with him in the garden, although it hadn't really helped him much in terms of sleeping he did greatly appreciate her for that night. He had succumbed to his need for sleep finally and despite his horrid nightmares that often made their presence known to the awake, Daphne had done her best to comfort him. For this, he couldn't offer her much besides a meal. He spent most of his morning hunting and preparing a picnic for the two of them. After the other night and their talk, he wanted to thank her again for all that she did for him. Even if it didn't feel like much, it meant the world to him.

He laid out a blanket that he borrowed from the Hallows in the middle of the grove nestled among the flowers. Not that he was trying to win the affections of the sister, but he imagined a girl might like a pretty setting with her meal. Once he had the picnic ready, he called for his sister in hopes she was nearby enough to hear.

"Speech."

Daphne felt like she had seen a side of Grim that her other siblings were reluctant to share with her, and she wanted to show her appreciation in a practical way. Pandora stitched her up two small pillows and she made up the bulk of the stuffing for each with dried sweetgrass, then she went out into the castle garden and gathered a mixture of herbs, chamomile, lavender, some dried juniper berries and leaves, bay laurel and thyme. Each herb was crushed and distributed carefully, until the pillow gave off a pleasant aroma. The combination was supposed to help ease nightmares, though she hadn’t tested it herself, she hoped Grimshaw would at least be open to the idea, and wouldn’t think her too forward for making a spare, just in case his special someone might like one too.

When he called, she hadn’t been expecting it, but Pandora was making the final sealing seams on the second pillow. Daphne gave her companion a smile as she picked up one and the raccoon climbed onto her back to finish stitching the other. If she wasn’t welcome, Pandora would take herself off to forage regardless, but she wouldn’t waddle all that way when Daphne could carry her.

She placed the completed pillow next to her bother and Pandora threw the newly completed one on top of it. "Wow Grim, what’s all this?!" she exclaimed, making herself comfortable on the blanket with a grin. For once, she was actually feeling kinda at peace with the way things were going.

"speech".

I could use some friends for a change

He didn't know why, but he was nervous. What if she didn't show up? Would it be as simple as being out of range of his call or something worse, like she changed her mind? What if she had second thoughts about everything he had told her? Despite their mothers living a similar lifestyle, he couldn't expect their children to have the same outlook. His paw anxiously tapped on the blanket as he waited, a heavy sigh of relief leaving his lungs once her familiar dark form would break through the trees and soon close the distance between them. His silver gaze followed to the pillows that had been dropped at his side, one from his sister and the other from her familiar opossum friend. The scent from them wafted up towards his nostrils, a pleasant smell that he wanted to investigate further but she broke his thoughts with words.

He really could have asked the same of her, the pillows certainly being a surprise. While he was getting her a picnic ready, had she been working on these pillows as a gift to him? What had he done to deserve such a fine gift? "A picnic, for you. You were so kind to me the other night." He smiled at her, looking away from the pillow finally and searching for her mismatched gaze. "These pillows smell so nice, what did you use to make them?" He asked as he reached for the top one, burying his nose in it and absorbing the scent.

"Speech."

Daphne was a little taken aback, she warmed beneath her fur and made a brushing gesture with her paw, "Aww it was nothin, what’re sisters for eh?" To be honest, she couldn’t quite remember much more than attempting to pounce on her brothers unawares. She was probably getting really rusty in the fighting department between her lost memories and wandering.

When he asked about the pillows, her face lit up. "Oh, its mostly sweetgrass, but I added some herbs that are meant to help with nightmares, chamomile, lavender, that sort of stuff, and two so, y’know, matching pair." She smiled softly. "Gift’s’re a thing when you go travelling, aren’t they?" But he’d put so much effort into their picnic. "But what have you got for us?" Her stomach grumbled in anticipation and she laughed. She had come a long way.

"speech".

I could use some friends for a change

Grim smiled at Daphne as she spoke, listening as she answered with what she had filled the pillows with. It was so kind of her to make not only him something, but also a second pillow for Malachai. He wasn't sure how he would take the gift, especially since he didn't even know how Grim felt about him. Would he be bothered that Grim told not only one, but three others how they spend their nights? And what others and even Grim now thought? His stomach grumbled as if in response to Daphne's, pulling him from his thoughts and back towards her question geared towards what he had done for her.

"I've hunted and prepared a meal, even brought some wine from the Hallows." He started pulling items and the bottle of wine from the basket he borrowed and laid them out between them before speaking again. "I really can't thank you enough for being there the other night and supporting me, and for the gift. It means so much to me." He then reached towards his sister to pull her into a close hug.

"Speech."

Daphne squeezed Grim back with a smile. "Y’didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did!" She settled herself down to go over what he had bought with him. "I really should ask if I can see how they make the wine, maybe I could incorporate it into my healing studies, since I’ve been so slack and all." She turned the bottle to get a better look at the label. She could already tell it was probably going to be too strong for her but what was one glass? And wasn’t it worth celebrating? It was almost their birthday after all, and they had all found their way home, in the end.

"To us square pegs," she toasted with a wry smile. Maybe the Hallows wouldn’t end up being where they belonged, but it was where they came from, and that had to count for something.

"speech".

I could use some friends for a change