»Of Godhuman Nature« [Five Nights At Freddy's]

Chapter VI - Where Memories Dwell...

________

The old grandfather clock next to the fireplace struck 8 when Lily put down her fork, placing it neatly at the center of her empty plate. The taste of parsley & cilantro lay heavy on her tongue, almost causing her to feel a little sleepy. Taking a deep breath she picked up the napkin to carefully clean her fingers & mouth, making sure not to smudge her lipstick, although most of it had presumably vanished in the process of eating anyway. It had been oddly quiet inside the large dining room ever since the main dish had been served, with the monotone ticking of the antique clock & the comforting crackling of the fire as the two only noises to reign this otherwise deafening silence. Lily lifted her head just enough to gaze across the long wooden table; through the many branches of a wide silver candelabra & the orange stains of light their flickering flames created, dancing around the table like fireflies & partially illuminating William Afton's mature yet handsome face as he sat opposite from her, their eyes meeting.

She straightened her posture & softly cleared her throat. " It was a wonderful meal, Mr. Afton. Thank you ~ "

His thin lips curved into a gentle smile. " I'm most pleased to hear that, Miss Aalefjær. I was rather indecisive picking the right dish to serve tonight, knowing little to nothing about your preferences & personal tastes, which is why I let my cook prepare several meals in advance. After all, taking any chances wasn't an option. I should've expected you to go with salmon though, given your country of origin. Norway is a world leader in terms of farming quality salmon & trout ~ "

" You prepared multiple meals for me? You didn't have to do that, Sir... I'm not a very picky eater, especially not when being the guest. "

" I know I didn't have to. I chose to ~ "
He raised his wine glass when a howling chased through the dining room, the harsh patter of rain against the massive windows making it sound as though the rain drops had turned into needles; over the course of their shared dinner the weather had significantly worsened as a severe storm introduced itself to the city, bringing with it shower-like rain & violent gusts of wind that vandalized through the night. Another howl rang out, like a ghost wailing in agony, & although all the windows were sealed, the candles flickered wildly.

Lily shuddered in response to the noises it created. " I have yet to get used to storms like that... "

William Afton set his glass back on the table, a low hum of approval vibrating in his throat. " You still haven't, after nearly two years in Hurricane? "

She shook her head, somewhat embarrassed.
" Afraid not.... It's tricky, being so easily intimated by the forces of nature. "

" Hmm," Afton eyed her over the arms of the candelabra, " you appear to have a fairly strong survival instinct. Which is good. Very good... "

" It is not so much about a survival instinct as it is about respect & humbleness in the face of our planet, as well as the forces that rule it. The more aware we are of what surrounds us, the easier it will become to live in harmony with it... The good as well as the bad. "

Her eyes wandered around her 'side' of the table as she spoke, all of a sudden highly intrigued by the big wooden box with three large drawers that Afton's butler had placed there right before dinner, filled to the brim with a colorful & aromatic collection of tea; his personal little "treasure chest" as he liked to call it. Despite her growing curiosity she hadn't even opened a single drawer yet, had merely admired the beautifully hand-carved exterior of the box & allowed the invisible cloud of comforting spices to gradually intoxicate her. At this point she wondered if she was simply being rude; obviously he had placed it there for a reason, & she hardly even acknowledged its existence...