Iskall ran down the grassy hill, Stress chasing them. Laughter filled the air as the two friends simply enjoyed the presence of each other. No one else could peek into this friendly moment between the two. It was just them.

"Come on!" Stress giggled, her laughter filling the air. "I've got to show you something!"

She led the other hermit down to a hidden alcove, tucked between a small cluster of trees. Once through the lightly forested patch, Stress walked up to a red and white patterned blanket, with a small picnic basket that overlooked the river.

She sat down and patted the ground next to her, gesturing for Iskall to sit at her side. Once the two were comfortable on the blanket, Stress opened the basket and pulled out some sandwiches that were packed neatly in bags. She handed one to Iskall, which he took, smiling nervously.

"It's really gorgeous out today, isn't it?" Stress commented as she bit into an apple, looking out at the river. A fish swam underneath the surface.

"Yeah." Iskall agreed, searching through the basket. It was odd to see him so quiet, he usually was quite talkative. They were both nervous and awkward, but Iskall notably more so.

They shifted closer together, now holding hands. Enjoying the moment of silence. Neither knew what to say. All that they knew was that they were happy at this moment. Together. The rest of Hermitcraft forgotten. Iskall wanted to say more, but the meanings of words felt lost on his tongue as he looked at Stress.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, not really knowing what to say. There was a lot more on his mind, but eventually, he settled on one thought that stuck out just a little bit more than the others.

"Stress, thank you." he said seriously.

She giggled softly. "For what, silly?"

"I dunno... everything. You've always been there, through all the seasons, no matter what... I always consider myself the luckiest person on the server, having someone like you by my side."

"Oh, it's nothing really. I just do what any good person should do."

Iskall slightly chuckled at her comment, remembering how others had treated him in the past. They were nothing like her, he considered himself lucky for finding someone so optimistic.

She took a bite out of the sandwich, dropping a some on her clothes. She looked at Iskall nervously as he handed her a napkin. "Thank you..." Stress replied.

Both of them knew, they couldn't be more lucky. Stress was a blessing to Iskall's life, and he wished he could be at least as half as great to her as she was to him.

--

Score: 10