Redrum wandered the edge of the celebration, his muscles twitching less frequently now that he had delivered his gift. His anxiety still bubbled beneath the surface, but the sensation of being watched had lessened. He found a quiet spot against a stone wall, the rough texture grounding him as he sank down, his back pressed firmly against the cool surface. From here, he had a good view of the crowd, allowing him to watch with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

His golden eyes flicked over the scene, catching glimpses of wolves moving about with ease and familiarity that he envied. He watched as a few wolves passed around a glass bottle, and others sipped from horns, their laughter and chatter blending into the background noise. The scent of whatever they were drinking wafted through the air, mingling with the earthy aromas of spring and the myriad of flowers decorating the Steppes. Bitter-smelling drink, that was.

Redrum's curiosity piqued as he observed their behavior. Some wolves seemed more animated after drinking, their movements more fluid and their laughter louder. He wondered what it was they were drinking and what effect it had on them. His predatory gaze tracked a particularly lively group, noting the way their eyes sparkled and their tails wagged with uninhibited joy.

Despite his wariness, a part of him longed to understand and maybe even join in, but his social ineptitude held him back. He watched the bottle pass from paw to paw, contemplating whether he should muster the courage to approach and try it for himself. His claws tapped against the ground, his body tense with indecision.

""

There was so much to see and do, so much mingling to partake in. Maki was vibrant and happy, her cute little flower crown of carnations and hydrangeas circled around her forehead, slipping in place as she found herself bounding over to the stones. She was thrilled with all the gifts she'd received, felt like a real princess, and she was practically glowing in all the attention. Not because she was particularly stuck up or a diva, but it just felt good to be seen, to know that people liked her and were enjoying the fruits of her effort. After all, what good was a party if everyone was standing around looking all glum, right?

Drinks were being passed around, hired help made a pointed effort to make sure everyone was well-fed and the drinks kept flowing. Maki took a bottle of wine without much thought, it was just handed to her and she didn't stop to realise she'd never actually drank anything before, not even a sip. Her characters of course had gotten too tipsy and did the tango, but she herself was painfully vanilla and inexperienced with a whole lot of things. She turned, only to bump her shoulder into Red- her expression creasing with momentary embarrassment, only to light up once she recognised him.

"'Ed!" She cheered, holding the bottle of wine via its neck, like she was trying to strangle a goose.

When Maki bumped into him, Redrum’s immediate reaction was to stiffen, his body going rigid as he braced himself against the stone wall. He blinked rapidly, nostrils flaring as he tried to sort through the myriad of scents that crowded the air. His lips curled back, exposing his teeth in the beginnings of a snarl. Only when he turned and saw his assailant did his stance begin to relax. His golden eyes widened in surprise before softening with recognition. His ears, which had flattened against his skull, now perked up, standing tall once more. But who was Ed?

The corners of his mouth lifted in a rare, crooked smile, responding to her cheerful demeanor. “H-hello. Maki.” The crimson young brute stammered, his speech uneven as he searched for the right words. “Uh. Having- fun?” His idea of fun was a lot different. It involved building traps and collecting bones or scars. But he could learn.

Despite his usual wariness, the vibrant joy radiating from Maki was infectious. Redrum felt a strange desire to share in her happiness, even if just a little. His tail began to thump against the ground, and he took a deep breath to ease his mind. Still though. His claws tapped nervously against the ground, a slight tremor running through the muscle on the limb betraying his unease. His gaze shifted to the bottle in her hand, one brow arching in curiosity as he recognized it as the strange drink some of the others had been enjoying.

“What is- that? Bitter-water?” He questioned, his voice a curious rumble. For someone who spent most of his time in the woods, the world beyond was full of mysteries. It was easier to inquire about what he saw rather than the countless unknowns that still eluded him.


""

Remembering her manners, Maki put the bottle down so she could speak properly. Ed, Red, close enough, her joyous sentiment was clear. She was indeed having fun, could barely contain the giddy energy that rippled through her- this was everything she'd dreamed of, one of the fair few times reality exceeded her imagination. She was quick to smush herself beside him, never really had gotten to grips with the concept of personal space and glanced down to follow his line of sight.

"Kinda! Think it's called wine, wanna try some with me?" Mostly because she was admittedly a little bit too chicken to go it alone and sharing was always caring, or at least she was pretty sure that was how the saying went. Struggling a moment to pull off the cork, she managed to yank it out and only spilled the wine a little. Pouring it out into a cup, she lapped at the wine, her nose wrinkling briefly. It did not taste as it smelled, but it wasn't awful either, just different. And maybe the more she drank the more she'd like it?

"I don't really feel any older." She admitted, stream of consciousness as she nudged the cup over to Red, should he want to try it. "Like am I meant to feel wiser, more adulty? I reckon you'd be an awesome adult Red."

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Redrum’s eyes darted from Maki’s eager expression to the bottle in her grip, then back to her face as she settled beside him. The proximity made him stiffen, his tail curling awkwardly behind him as he wrestled with the sudden invasion of space. But he didn’t pull away, instead forcing himself to stay grounded in the moment. Usually he would have not noticed at all, taking it as a comfort or something or the like, but today he was especially conscious of his surroundings. The idea of sharing something, his space, even something strange like the bitterwater, felt new. Unfamiliar.

He watched her struggle with the cork, his ears twitching at the popping sound. When she nudged the cup his way, his gaze lingered on the dark liquid within, uncertain. She called it wine. He took a tentative lean closer, his nose hovering just above the rim. The scent was sharp and foreign, tinged with something sour that made his nostrils flare. Not bitterwater. Firewater. Despite his wariness, curiosity tugged at him, a need to understand what others enjoyed, what she seemed curious to enjoy.

Slowly, he extended his tongue to lap at it, tasting the bitter liquid. His reaction was immediate—a shudder rippled down his spine as the taste hit him, far from pleasant but not entirely unbearable. The warmth that followed was unexpected, like a gentle burn sliding down his throat. He made a low sound, something between a grunt and a hum, trying to make sense of it. Continuing to drink it, like it would make more sense the more he drank?

Her next words drew his attention back to her, catching him off guard with their sudden shift in topic. "Adulty?" he echoed, tilting his head. “Older does not— mean better. Or… wiser.” The notion of adulthood made him twitch, a complex mix of emotions bubbling beneath his skin. Maybe he would be different in time… A flicker of embarrassment crossed his face at her words, his lips twitching as he fought the urge to backtrack her statement. “Redrum? Awesome?” He huffed softly, a faint chuckle escaping despite himself. “N-no. Just a brute. Understand?” His eyes dropped to the cup again, as if looking for an answer there.

“But… Maki.” He paused, searching for the right words, feeling his jaw clench as the muscles tensed. “Maki is bright. Alive– like a... like-- a spring meadow. Colorful. Bees. Birds. Makes– sense?” It was the best descriptor he could give, it made sense to him, so out his mouth it came. But it was like the more he spoke the less sense he made. His brows furrowed, his teeth gritting as he looked away.

"Murder"

Maki couldn't help but laugh a little at his response, not in mockery but...she'd reacted that way too. All jittery, like a little static shock, enough to jolt the senses but not hurt nor harm. She liked that she felt a little bolder, though that might have very well been due to the fact that she'd always been comfortable around Red. Had Never been put off by his Red'isms, things that just made him markedly him. Because she knew well enough she wasn't entirely normal, not bent out of shape or twisted but just off, quirky and her head lost in the clouds. Wanted to soar with the birds and watch everyone from up so high; real life and real people were just...difficult and there was comfort in being separated, as she was.

But in their conversations she found a different sort of comfort, ears tilted forward as she listened, enthralled by his different way of viewing things. She wrinkled her mismatched nose at how easily he painted himself with such an unkind brush, because he'd always been kind and awesome to her, she'd never seen the darkness he spoke of, for all she knew it was just...well a story he told himself.


"Nuh uh." She denied, taking another few licks of their shared drink.

But he spoke of the traits he saw in her and she felt seen- and it did make sense. She just wished he could see himself from her mismatched perspective. Red not just like blood; but courage and strength, a cosy warmth to return to at the end of the day. Like home. But of course she couldn't articulate that well, wasn't like she was a published author or nothing.


"You've always made sense to me, yanno? I insist that yer awesome, but if you don't believe me now I guess I just gotta keep sayin' it till you do. Awesome Red." She nudged his shoulder with his own, a little pesky.

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Redrum’s muscles tensed the moment Maki laughed. His ears flicked back, trying to make sense of it. She wasn’t mocking him—he knew that—but the laugh still threw him off, made him pause. Comfortable. That’s what she seemed. Comfortable. Why? Maybe the bitter drink was making her bolder, but no… Maki had always been like this around him. Never put off by his awkwardness, his twitches, or the way his words stumbled out in fits and starts. She never seemed to mind when he stared too long, either. But why? Why didn’t she flinch from the things that made everyone else uncomfortable? It made him feel exposed in a way that he wasn’t used to, but… at the same time, it made him feel less alone. He never thought she was strange, so why did she tolerate all the things that made him, him? She was a good friend.

The burning warmth from the drink in his throat made him feel better. He took a few more laps from the cup, trying to drown the strange knot forming in his chest. Maki, though, kept pulling his attention. He glanced at her, the way her mismatched eyes seemed to drift apart slightly, as if they were always focused on something far away. She was always like that—head in the clouds, wanting to be somewhere else. He liked that about her. Maybe that’s why she didn’t mind him. Maybe they both found comfort in the space between them and everything else. But…

He furrowed his brow, lapping at the liquid a few more times before stopping to think. Why did that thought feel so weird?

"Murder"