[That's one worry down, at least. Better than having her be angry, or having her show up and say she doesn't really need them because she doesn't need him anymore. He shrugs one shoulder, letting a relaxed smile spread over his face.]
I take my revenge promises seriously. Happy birthday.
[The smile turns into something more of a strained grimace.]
...Never would have thought things would get this crazy, though.
[Ah, she probably forgot when she was over in that other world. That's fine.]
Eh... Consider it making up for the last couple of years, then.
[When there was so little to celebrate and even less time to do it. But he waves it off with a half-hearted gesture of his hand before he settles on crossing his arms.]
Anyway... at least it's a happy surprise for you. [Probably happier than the surprise of ending up here, right?] Nice guys. Feels like I've known them my whole life.
[ I mean, that's not exactly wrong in some ways, but she resists pointing that out. This is an entirely new and unprecedented situation for her, and there is still -- deep down, less quiet than she'd like -- that little voice that continues to urge her to abandon the scene before it becomes too complicated.
After a pause, she scoots a little closer to him. Just a little, so that her arm brushes his. Even this little bit of contact is nice for her; she hopes it's not too awful for him. ]
It's... it is nice. I'm -- I mean.
[ After a few seconds of false attempts, she manages to smile, looking up at him. It's not nervous, it's not hopeful, but it's still anticipatory in a way. Her eyes are stinging. ]
It -- it's not bad for you either, right? I mean. Now you really won't have to worry about me. You can be free.
[...Why is she coming so close now? The other him's here, and Maera's the one she really wants to be affectionate with, right? He doesn't get it. And her comment just furthers his upset confusion.]
[ She's a little confused by his confusion now, cocking her head as she looks up at him. Luna wanted him to keep an eye on her, right? And it didn't take an idiot to not read what was going on between the lines there. Keep an eye on her. Deal with it and report to me if anything happens.
But that burden isn't his anymore. He has the chance to pursue what he really wants, with Luna, without having to shoulder this extra unasked for responsibility.
(Not that she thinks he resents it on a conscious level; it was a request from Luna, so of course he wouldn't.) ]
You won't have to worry about anything -- weird, with me. We can just be friends! No baggage like that.
[ It might be a little too late to that, since she'd mentioned it to him in the first place, but all she wants -- all she's ever wanted, for him, and Maera, the man that they both are, is for him to be happy.
Don't run away, Maera said, and she's nervous enough to keep going. ]
We can just, you know, you and Luna can... be like how things should be. You can be happy.
[He looks away quickly, slumping even more against the tree than before.]
I thought we went over this. More than once. [Dancing back and forth all around the subject, at least. That's going over it as far as he's concerned.] I've been trying to be happy with you because we are friends, but if you're happier with the other me- [What, is it the ears? Is that it?!] -then whatever, fine. I get it.
Trying to be happy isn't the same thing as being happy...
[ She frowns for a moment, then reaches out to try and take his hand. It's slow, a little hesitant, and even if she can reach it, her grip is loose enough that it'd only take a brief tug for him to free himself from that, too. ]
I told you, you're not going to lose me. I'll still be here, if you want me around.
[He allows her full access to his hand, but he's hesitant to reciprocate anything. Does his other self being here mean the boundaries are different than they were when she first came back with her furry new enhancements? Ugh, everything's too confusing.]
I'm not trying to keep you prisoner. [Despite the... rocky start to life in Koriko...]
And if you do, then what's the big deal? It's not like this changes anything, right?
[ Be brave, Peony!! Don't run away! You can do this!
Which is to say, even though he doesn't hold her hand back, she keeps a careful grip on his hand. It doesn't feel that different from holding Maera's hand, because even he doesn't always immediately reciprocate. ]
If it does, then I want to know. If it doesn't... I'd be happy, having you around.
[ There are several things she's mentioned, but there's one thing in particular that stands out for her, especially in the light of Icarus and Maera appearing. ]
I think, before you worry about anything like that, you should at least tell him you understood his confession...
[ Becaues the last time she advised him to Just Talk About It went... well actually, she'd still say it went pretty well. He hadn't been talking to her, and he'd gotten the return of Luna's feelings. Score one for actually talking to people! Who knew? ]
I, ah, I didn't know you'd been thinking about -- the rest of it that much.
[She knows! ...Well, it's not like it'd be hard to figure out that with everything that's gone on today that it didn't leave a whole lot of time for a touching reunion scene.]
I don't know, there was a lot to think about that day! Between that and your ears and finding out there was some other version of me...
[And all this hand holding business. Which is really very nice, but it's not like he can just say that...]
[ She had a pretty touching reunion or two, okay. They involved a lot of hugging.
But that's a little advanced for the two of them right now, so she settles for squeezing Mallory's hand gently. Just to test a little, for now. At his comment, though, she smiles again -- a bit wobbly, but more genuine than before. ]
[He grunts and tilts his head a little, begrudgingly.]
Not bad. Just freaking weird.
[But it could be a lot worse, it's true. He'll adjust to this someway or another. At least these new roommates are people he can feel safe around and that's the important thing. That and Peony being happy with them.
Anyway, "this is weird" pretty much sums up Mal's thoughts on the entire affair. For his part, he's content to just fall back into a contemplative silence, keeping Peony's hand in his while he watches the river. After a brief consideration, he shifts his weight to bump his side lightly against hers, just to signal that he's totally cool with not having to be alone right now.]
[ She's both surprised and not surprised at the contact; when he does that, she looks up at him again, smiling, then leans a little closer against him. While she's not yet bold enough to just put her head on his shoulder, she's maybe only a step and a half away from that. ]
Weird can be nice, too. I can live with weird.
[ After a second, she reaches up to touch the peony flowers in her hair, just adjusting them to make sure they're still securely in place. ]
Yeah? ...I thought you'd just put them in a vase or something, but they look better like that.
[They'll wilt a lot sooner, but maybe he should pick some up more often. Or find some kind of hair pin with a fake on it? Jeez, look at him, ready to spoil her just as much as he'd spoil Luna. Not that that's particularly new.]
I did that with the rest of them! But I wanted to keep a couple with me through the day.
[ Admittedly, she'd decided that before she'd realized what sort of birthday madness he'd unleashed on her, but... she'd still kept the flowers even after that. In fact-- ]
Honestly, I was kinda annoyed about all the glitter, but I would have forgiven you for the flowers alone.
[ The secret is that he just has to be himself. She might have the ears and tail that has as a match to Maera, but Mallory's the same man deep down! And she knows very well she wouldn't be able to stay angry at him for very long. ]
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I take my revenge promises seriously. Happy birthday.
[The smile turns into something more of a strained grimace.]
...Never would have thought things would get this crazy, though.
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[ Since he had smiled, she takes a few steps closer to him, though she doesn't reach out to him yet. She does hover close enough for that potential. ]
Mmmmmm, but... to be honest, I never thought they'd wind up here. [ I thought maybe I'd never see them again. ] I'm just as surprised as you are.
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Eh... Consider it making up for the last couple of years, then.
[When there was so little to celebrate and even less time to do it. But he waves it off with a half-hearted gesture of his hand before he settles on crossing his arms.]
Anyway... at least it's a happy surprise for you. [Probably happier than the surprise of ending up here, right?] Nice guys. Feels like I've known them my whole life.
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After a pause, she scoots a little closer to him. Just a little, so that her arm brushes his. Even this little bit of contact is nice for her; she hopes it's not too awful for him. ]
It's... it is nice. I'm -- I mean.
[ After a few seconds of false attempts, she manages to smile, looking up at him. It's not nervous, it's not hopeful, but it's still anticipatory in a way. Her eyes are stinging. ]
It -- it's not bad for you either, right? I mean. Now you really won't have to worry about me. You can be free.
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Free from what?
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[ She's a little confused by his confusion now, cocking her head as she looks up at him. Luna wanted him to keep an eye on her, right? And it didn't take an idiot to not read what was going on between the lines there. Keep an eye on her. Deal with it and report to me if anything happens.
But that burden isn't his anymore. He has the chance to pursue what he really wants, with Luna, without having to shoulder this extra unasked for responsibility.
(Not that she thinks he resents it on a conscious level; it was a request from Luna, so of course he wouldn't.) ]
You won't have to worry about anything -- weird, with me. We can just be friends! No baggage like that.
[ It might be a little too late to that, since she'd mentioned it to him in the first place, but all she wants -- all she's ever wanted, for him, and Maera, the man that they both are, is for him to be happy.
Don't run away, Maera said, and she's nervous enough to keep going. ]
We can just, you know, you and Luna can... be like how things should be. You can be happy.
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[He looks away quickly, slumping even more against the tree than before.]
I thought we went over this. More than once. [Dancing back and forth all around the subject, at least. That's going over it as far as he's concerned.] I've been trying to be happy with you because we are friends, but if you're happier with the other me- [What, is it the ears? Is that it?!] -then whatever, fine. I get it.
[HE DOES NOT. HE DOESN'T GET IT AT ALL.]
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[ She frowns for a moment, then reaches out to try and take his hand. It's slow, a little hesitant, and even if she can reach it, her grip is loose enough that it'd only take a brief tug for him to free himself from that, too. ]
I told you, you're not going to lose me. I'll still be here, if you want me around.
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[He allows her full access to his hand, but he's hesitant to reciprocate anything. Does his other self being here mean the boundaries are different than they were when she first came back with her furry new enhancements? Ugh, everything's too confusing.]
I'm not trying to keep you prisoner. [Despite the... rocky start to life in Koriko...]
And if you do, then what's the big deal? It's not like this changes anything, right?
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[ Be brave, Peony!! Don't run away! You can do this!
Which is to say, even though he doesn't hold her hand back, she keeps a careful grip on his hand. It doesn't feel that different from holding Maera's hand, because even he doesn't always immediately reciprocate. ]
If it does, then I want to know. If it doesn't... I'd be happy, having you around.
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[Doubles, Luna, all of it. He finally, slowly, encloses his larger fingers around hers, just to test.]
Just when I was trying to figure out how to bring up that thing you mentioned. With Luna.
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[ There are several things she's mentioned, but there's one thing in particular that stands out for her, especially in the light of Icarus and Maera appearing. ]
You mean, um. The... the sharing?
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[He presses his other forearm against his face for lack of a free hand.]
I was thinking- a decision like that is still his to make, obviously, but... no sense dropping a bomb like that with all the rest of this going on.
[He hasn't even had the chance to have his big romantic moment of clearing up the misunderstanding about his confession. BOO.]
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[ Becaues the last time she advised him to Just Talk About It went... well actually, she'd still say it went pretty well. He hadn't been talking to her, and he'd gotten the return of Luna's feelings. Score one for actually talking to people! Who knew? ]
I, ah, I didn't know you'd been thinking about -- the rest of it that much.
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[She knows! ...Well, it's not like it'd be hard to figure out that with everything that's gone on today that it didn't leave a whole lot of time for a touching reunion scene.]
I don't know, there was a lot to think about that day! Between that and your ears and finding out there was some other version of me...
[And all this hand holding business. Which is really very nice, but it's not like he can just say that...]
Just another day in this crazy place.
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But that's a little advanced for the two of them right now, so she settles for squeezing Mallory's hand gently. Just to test a little, for now. At his comment, though, she smiles again -- a bit wobbly, but more genuine than before. ]
Seems like it, huh... it's not all bad, though.
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Not bad. Just freaking weird.
[But it could be a lot worse, it's true. He'll adjust to this someway or another. At least these new roommates are people he can feel safe around and that's the important thing. That and Peony being happy with them.
Anyway, "this is weird" pretty much sums up Mal's thoughts on the entire affair. For his part, he's content to just fall back into a contemplative silence, keeping Peony's hand in his while he watches the river. After a brief consideration, he shifts his weight to bump his side lightly against hers, just to signal that he's totally cool with not having to be alone right now.]
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Weird can be nice, too. I can live with weird.
[ After a second, she reaches up to touch the peony flowers in her hair, just adjusting them to make sure they're still securely in place. ]
...The flowers were sweet. Thank you for that.
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[They'll wilt a lot sooner, but maybe he should pick some up more often. Or find some kind of hair pin with a fake on it? Jeez, look at him, ready to spoil her just as much as he'd spoil Luna. Not that that's particularly new.]
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[ Admittedly, she'd decided that before she'd realized what sort of birthday madness he'd unleashed on her, but... she'd still kept the flowers even after that. In fact-- ]
Honestly, I was kinda annoyed about all the glitter, but I would have forgiven you for the flowers alone.
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Yeah, I- I didn't think he'd bring glitter into it. I just said flowers and cute animals. I underestimated the kid's enthusiasm.
[But he's a good kid! And Mal doesn't think that often.]
Nice to know if I ever piss you off in the future I can just bring some by. [Is that cliche for real?!]
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[ The secret is that he just has to be himself. She might have the ears and tail that has as a match to Maera, but Mallory's the same man deep down! And she knows very well she wouldn't be able to stay angry at him for very long. ]
You're secretly such a big softy.
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Pffft. Who'd you hear that from? I'll kick their ass.
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[ When he does that, she retaliates by actually leaning against him now. She's tiny, he could toss her off easily. ]
I know you don't like admitting it, but you can't hide that from me.
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[She's too observant and he's hung back and wrapped himself up in his own angst for far too long. It's hardly fair.]
Well, now that the big secret's out, I guess I have no choice but to be a total softie from now on.
[And that means... soft-bodied. Oh no, his legs are jello, and now he's melting right onto poor Peony, what a world...]
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