After she finished her dumplings, she decided to go and take a bath. She made her bath water with lots of bubbles, undressed and eased into the tub. It didn't take long at all for her appearance to change and her tail sprouted from the water. She relaxed for a few minutes before washing up, then she drained the tub and dried off. She made sure her legs were back, then got dressed in some night clothes and plopped down on her bed, falling asleep thinking about the human boy.

Morning came and the sky was perfectly clear. Talia slept in a bit longer.

Kael woke up with a headache. The brightness of the new day ruthlessly shining onto his face did not help ease the pain as he rolled over to the other side of the pillow and frowned when he could still see the light through his eyelids. He soon regretted not getting thicker curtains for the windows as he blindly felt around his side table for his glasses and slowly moved to sit upright on his bed. His head ached even more when he stood up and cursed his need for dumplings the day before that made him go out in the storm. But with the thought of meeting Talia because of the dumplings, his hatred for the steamed goodness lessened.

He moved through the apartment like a zombie on a quest for cereal. He knew he should make soup because he was sure he had gotten sick, but the temptation of chocolate flakes and cold milk defeated his need for warm soup. He soon regretted that as well. And when he found himself unable to focus on the book he was reading and finding the TV too noisy, he begrudgingly retreated to his bed. He felt guilty that he couldn't take Talia out to the bakery today, but he would rather stay guilty and alone for now than to infect her with whatever he had right now and feel even more guilty after.

Kael fell back into the warm confines of his bed when a thought poked at his brain. 'What if Talia comes over with high hopes for the trip and I wouldn't even be awake to open the door for her?' He frowned and wiped his watery eyes before finding a pen and a sticky note.
He stuck the note onto his front door before writing a second one.
He stuck it near the first one as he frowned at how small the sticky notes were and he started writing on another one.
With a mission success, he entered his apartment, forgetting to lock the front door. And just like before, he became a zombie on a quest for his bed.

By the time Talia awoke, it was nearly noon. She got out of bed and wandered around the apartment. She wondered if Kael had stopped by so she peeked out of the window. She didn't see him, so she left it be and found something to eat. She didn't want to be a bother.

It wasn't until later that she started to think he had stood her up. A few hours had passed and she still hadn't seen him.. Talia went and got dressed then left the building and headed over to his. She tilted her head and lightly lifted the notes on his door. Now she felt bad.. She went home and started to make some soup.

Kael groaned as he felt a throbbing on his head and his back and the unfortunate knee that bumped on the bed frame. He had fallen from his bed during the fitful dream he could remember nothing about and the need to not move an inch kept him from getting up from the cold wooden floor.

He frowned just a few moments later when the discomfort of having his hair pasted on his forehead and the clothes sticking to his skin got to him. Reluctantly, he stood up and prepared a fresh set of clothes before soaking in a bath until the water started to grow cold. And once again, he moved like a zombie towards the dining table.

"I hope Talia read the note." He mumbled to himself before falling into one of the chairs. He looked outside towards the apartment she moved into and lay a chin on his palm. "I wonder what it would have been like today if I hadn't gotten sick."

Talia went about preparing some chicken soup for her neighbor, kind of daydreaming while doing so. It took a few hours to boil the chicken, which she wasn't to thrilled about. Once the chicken was done though, she made a small pot of egg noodles, let them boil and added the pieces of cut-up chicken thighs to the pot. She found some carrots, cut them up, and some celery.

Once it was all done, she found a soup bowl with a lid and wrapped a hand towel around it as to not burn herself. She carefully left her apartment and walked over to his once more, and knocked on the door. She was both excited, and quite nervous.. What if he didn't like it?

(( I'm pleasantly surprised that she can cook ))

The knocks on the door pulled Kael out of his trance and out of his chair. He swiftly rummaged through a drawer for a face mask and wore it over his nose and lips as he made his way to the door. "Talia ..." He spoke through the cloth with a hint of surprise, not really expecting the girl to visit him even after reading the note.

"I'm sorry about the sudden change of plans." He coughed. "I'll tell you first thing when I get better." That was when he noticed the bowl in her hands. His flushed face burned as he cleared his throat. "Uh, come in. Come in." He opened the door wider and moved to the side to make way for her.

Closing the door, he moved to open the windows for ventilation and dashed with a newfound strength for the bedroom door that was left wide open. The messiness of the room was unacceptable, especially when every other part of the apartment was in perfect order. "Have a seat." He gestured for one of the chairs at the table.

(I really didn't even think about that ^^'
I guess she's a natural? xD)

Talia frowned slightly when the boy opened the door, clearly he didn't feel well. Why was he wearing a mask though? She wondered silently. She shook her head a little when he apologized for earlier, then he coughed. Did the weather make him sick? Then she remembered the notes on the door. Guilt was riding on her shoulders, since it was her fathers storm. "It's alright.. I'm sorry for bothering you." Talia spoke after being invited inside. She stepped inside and watched him curiously as he darted off, and heard a door close, causing her to giggle quietly.

She slowly approached the table, showing she was nervous, and carefully set the bowl down. Talia shook her head lightly once again. "I won't keep you when you need rest." She spoke, shyly fiddling with her fingers. "I um.. made you some soup.."

(( A talented cook! That would be awesome o.o ))

Kael blinked as she fiddled with her fingers then the tips of his ears turned red when he noticed that the awkward silence was mostly his fault. He fell into the chair opposite her and took a spoonful of soup into his mouth. His eyes widened as he looked at the soup sitting in front of him then at Talia, his mouth agape in awe.

"This is really good!" He complemented before taking another spoonful while wondering how even better it would taste like if he wasn't sick as he was eating it. He finished with a satisfied smile and foggy glasses. "Thanks. I needed that." he told her before chuckling, remembering the 'meal' he prepared earlier. "If you hadn't come then I would have just settled for more cereal."

(( i'm goin' with it then! :3 ))

When he didn't rush her out, she lowered herself into the offered chair and sat at the table, watching him curiously. Then he sat down across from her. The silence between them was a tad stiff, but not so awkward. She felt bad for intruding.. However, when the boy complimented her soup, she felt her cheeks heat. She shyly tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Thank you.." Talia murmured softly, smiling a little.

"It's actually the first time I've cooked for anyone.." Talia admitted, which wasn't a lie. She hadn't cooked a day in her underwater life! She rose from the chair and carefully picked up the emptied bowel. "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it." She said. "Um.. I'll come check on you again, tomorrow? Or I could bring you some more soup later.." She voiced, her cheeks coloring.

"That was the first time you've ever cooked for anyone?" Kael looked disbelievingly at her. Her cooking was great! Why hadn't she cooked for anyone before him? Surely her parents could have tried her cooking before ... "So that means I'm the first person you've cooked for?" He grinned sheepishly at her as he eyed the bowl.

"I'll probably get better before tomorrow comes." Kael smiled reassuringly as he moved the face mask back over his nose and lips and fixed the pair of glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. "But you're free to come over whenever." His flushed ears burned even more but he continued to smile at her.