WHO: Ana Abedini & Marcello Palla WHAT: An itty-bitty scene of a food delivery~ WHEN Sunday, August 14, afternoon. WHERE: Marcello’s place WARNINGS: Literally nothing
”Open up, big guy,” Ana called out, rapping on the door with her knuckles. “This seafood delivery service deal is one time only, and I’m giving you ten seconds before it expires!”
The Tupperware container in her bag contained various seafood leftovers, which she’d kept ordering over her weekend’s restaurant adventures in petty fits of what she considered revenge. It was almost like this was a nice thing to do, but Ana didn’t think of it that way. She considered it more an investment into a valued client.
“Ten!”
Marcello was not expecting company, but with everything going on with the animals this week, he wasn’t expecting much at all except for more howling, shrieking or otherwise worrying noises from the sanctuary just below the hill his home sat on. Finally, the creatures seemed calm for the day and he had just sat down to relax when a knock came to his door. Marcello had banished most of his volunteers for the week, so who was bothering him?
Then her voice came, and he suddenly felt justified in his irritation. Marcello tasted the seafood long before he got to the door; the faint trickles of fish and salt permeating through the hair touched his tongue and curled to the roof of his mouth as he unlocked and opened the door.
Marcello didn’t say hi, or greet her, or even open the door fully. Only surveyed her with a suspicious gaze. “Why the gift?”
“—four—hello there,” Ana blinked as the door opened suddenly, but collected herself quickly enough, then pulled the container out of her hand and held it out. “I’m buttering you up? I’m making an investment? I’m doing a genuinely nice thing? Or I’m just really sick of seafood? You choose.”
He did not choose, but reached out and took the container anyway. It was strange that she focused so distinctly on eating the one type of food she could now hear the thoughts of. It was strange that she could converse with dead creatures. But whatever the case, he was currently benefitting from that and he was fine with this.
“Thank you,” he said, at least, before shutting the door.
There was a moment of stunned silence on Ana’s part as the door closed in her face. She had hardly expected to be invited in and offered a cup of tea, but that had been… quick. Then she just snorted and shook her head, not offended, but only because she knew him.
Before she turned to go back to her car, though, she couldn’t help but cup her hands around her mouth and lean into the crack between the door and the wall. “Enjoy your meal!”