Seri stood on the porch with a tupperware clutched in both hands so tightly the edges left faint indents on her fingers. Chocolate chip cookies while-warm. Third batch today. The first two had been unacceptable, and she’d hidden them under a tea towel in shame even though no one else would ever see them.
She stared at the door. Took one step forward. Froze. Took it back again. Huffed out a miserable breath and whispered to herself:
"Just knock… it isn’t life-or-death… M-most things aren’t. Casual neighbor behavior... right? Mmhm. Polite. Normal. Don’t bite them."
She winced immediately. "D-don’t say that out loud, idiot…"
She rocked forward and finally her knuckles tapped the door in a pathetic series of uneven tuk-tuk taps, barely audible. Ugh. She should go home. She should flee and cry into old embroidery hoops and forget she ever tried to engage with a neighbor again and then the door opened and oh no no no too late too late they're here oh Goddess they're very here and looking down at her and-
"UUM!! H-Hello!!"
Her voice cracked halfway up into a squeak. She shoved the tupperware forward with the frantic clumsiness of a student handing in a late assignment. "Cookies!! I’m your…! Um!! I moved in next door yesterday? I’m Seri. Serenelle. I-i-if you wanted one! Or not!"
<!- First meeting. No allergens (she hopes), triple-checked the labels! أنت doesn't know Seri's a vampire yet. It's cloudy today (no sun) ->
