[AAAH. This goes beyond embarrassing and into more uncomfortable territory for him. That money could be used for so many better things! Buying her cute clothes or whatever she likes, or doting on Icarus or Luna, or investing in their future or something...!]
It's not like I don't appreciate the thought, but... there isn't even anything I really want. Not that money can buy, anyway.
[He's got a great all set for when it finally cools down, so that's one thing off an incredibly short list. The only other thing that comes to mind is one of those really nice (expensive) magic prosthetics in the weapons shop to replace his old one, but he's adjusting to life without it. Honestly, he lost interest in most material goods after the whole apocalypse made them even less practical.]
[ She likes being able to dote on her loved ones!! Even if it's small things. Don't underestimate her determination for kindness terrorism. It might not make up for years of the actual thing, but she'll take what small victories she can get.
But they're at the gardens now, so for the moment, instead of pushing with that, she leads him to a nice shady area under a grouping of trees. ]
[How cryptic. How threatening. Is she planning to get revenge for the Raipocalypse he unleashed on her birthday? Now he's going to be kept in suspense. Even the tranquility of the garden cannot soothe his nerves!
But, it's still nice enough to enjoy a lunch in. So he'll do that. Now that they've come to a stop, their walk in the heat is catching up to him, so he loosens his shirt considerably before he takes a seat. He's also panting a little without even realizing it, tail lazily thumping against the ground as he waits patiently for lunch to be unveiled. Dog Time is in full swing.]
[ She watches that as she arranges things -- she didn't bring a blanket, but it's probably okay. The wrapped tower ends up being a rather fancy tiered bento set, decorated with little flowers. (It is possible that, as much as she wants her real name back, Peony has decided to run with a certain theme here.)
But instead of opening the bento right away she cocks her head, looking from his tail back to his face, noting the panting. Huh. ]
Ah, you know, I never asked... how did you get those features?
[Because of course it's spirits. It's always spirits. Of course, Peony probably already assumed as much.]
These stupid little flying cats. Owls with cat faces? Something like that... Looks like they've been making targets out of a number of people. You're lucky you've already got something.
[Who knows, they might go so far as to just turn her into a flower or something. She's practically doing it herself, the way she's embracing the motif. That's kind of a horrific thought... There's nothing out there that could do that to her, right?
EUGH. Not gonna think about it.]
...Or maybe they saw you guys and wanted to spread the trend around.
[ She doesn't know anything about his concern about her becoming a flower (though she'd be a very pretty peony blossom, thank you!), but she hums thoughtfully at his comment. A beat later, she reaches out to run a hand down his waggy tail. It's mostly an impulse, but it's not one that she tries very hard to suppress. ]
It's cute, though. What do you think I would've been, if not for this?
[ Because "red panda" is not something that had occurred to her at all as a possibility until she arrived at Arden Grove. ]
[The tail stops, then begins wagging even harder. The rest of him shudders lightly; it's not like it's unpleasant, but it sure is weird as hell having any feedback at all from a part he isn't even supposed to have!]
Nnh... You're asking me?
[To use his imagination? He's not the SHSL Breeder here... Anything that isn't a flower.]
I dunno, maybe a rabbit? They're cute and pretty energetic, and that sounds like you.
[ Yes success!! Peony breaks into a wide sunny smile at that in spite of herself. Tail-wagging is so cute...! She'd thought that before with Maera, and now Mallory doing the same is just a confirmation of what she'd already thought.
(Though in all honesty, she is a little sympathetic about it being weird to have his tail pet; she'd had the same reaction the first few times that someone had touched hers -- pretty nice, but also kind of weird. She has her guesses about how Icarus and Maera feel about their features, but field evidence implies it's the same for them.) ]
A rabbit, huh... would you protect me from being eaten, or should I be worried about you?
[ It's a joke, and she tugs a little at his tail, gently, hoping he'll take it as such. ]
[Ah! The tug's a little more alarming, even though he's still willing to sit and take it. It's just a little harder to focus when his brain is screaming at him that it's wrong, this is wrong, you shouldn't feel this.
(Ha ha, isn't that a familiar mantra.)]
I got dog, not wolf. But I'd keep protecting you anyway, same as ever. It'd be like those cutesy videos with snakes making friends with the mice they were supposed to eat.
[Speaking of food... He's just going to lean forward here and reach for that fancy bento tower. As nice as it is to look at, it'll be a lot nicer to taste, he's sure.]
[ It might not look exactly like this, but it's similar enough. There's still some rice, of course, but maybe less than would be normally packed into a bento; it's mostly meat and vegetables and fruit, all arranged as nicely as any Actual Artist might. The desserts are on the bottom tier, and even those seem to be mostly fruit and whipped cream than anything too heavy.
She's been doing research, okay!!
She is also still petting his tail, though she's not pulling on it again (yet). He can have a reprieve for now. ]
We'd be super cute. ♥ Bu~ut, depending on the eating, it might not be very family-friendly.
[ Her voice is completely chipper at that, like she's not implying anything at all. ]
[Well, well! Isn't this nostalgic! In fact, it looks even tastier than the specialized lunches she'd make for him in high school... She's honed her skills over the years. Or now there's more love put into it. Or maybe he's the one looking at it with more love (instead of the embarrassed grumbling from back then). So she caught on to his dieting after all...
Wait, did he really make it that obvious? Damn it!
Well, anyway, he's going to dig right in. He scoops a nice big bite of vegetables into his mouth just in time to hear Peony's comment. Depending on the eating? Oh. Oh. He chokes juuust enough for it to be comedic instead of worrying.]
Wh- what, I-! [COUGH. Ahem.] Y-yeah, sure, that's... uh, are you asking me to do that? [Or just making fun of him?!]
[ Baby you don't need to be obvious when it comes to Peony paying attention to what he's eating. What sort of girlfriend would she be if she didn't? Though at his response she coughs a little, smiling automatically. It's (mostly) not fake, but she is a little concerned about the coughing. ]
Um. I mean. I'm not -- I like that a lot, but I like everything we've done, so... I, um, if you ever wanted...?
[One day. One of these days he will learn to be prepared at all times to hear lewd comments come so casually from such an innocent face. Even with how well he knows her true succubus nature by now! He can't remember too clearly, but he's pretty sure that even as a horny teenager he wasn't half that bad. He was worse]
...I'll keep it in mind.
[Not that he's been feeling particularly frisky lately, but at least something like that doesn't really depend on his libido. He's sure not going to do it right here, right now though. He clears his throat and shoves more food into it, nervously avoiding eye contact. At least Peony's probably figured out all the little differences between actual serious discomfort and just being flustered like he is now.]
Only when you're ready! It doesn't have to be ever, if you don't want!
[ It'd be a little disappointing if he never wanted to, but then, she'd never expected it of Maera either, and frankly, Icarus seems to like it plenty. Peony knows herself well enough to realize it's one of her favorite things, but if he's never comfortable with it, that's not actually a problem.
And besides!! The more important thing is cheering him up!! Even if she's not as good at it as she used to be, at least she can be a friendly and familiar presence to help keep his loneliness at bay. It might not be enough to completely do away with it, but as long as it can distract him and help even a little... ]
I didn't invite you out for that, anyway. Let's eat, okay?
[It's too late for him. She's already put the idea in his head, and whenever that happens, there's no escaping it. WHAT BLACK MAGIC...]
-Ah, yeah. This is good! ...Tell me you're going to eat too so I don't have to feel weird about being watched. [It's not like he's unused to her expectant staring, but who does like being watched while eating?]
[ Listen, she kind of knows that he's good at talking himself into things once they occur to him, but she also keeps expecting him to Not Be Interested in escalating, since their relationship is already out of the bounds of what she might have expected from him. It's good to have reasonable expectations!
When he asks that, though, she reaches for a tier herself. She did pack two pairs of chopsticks! Okay! ]
I'm eating, I'm eating! I wanted a lunch date, and it's no good if I don't have any, right?
You should've told me you wanted to go on a date sooner. I would have brought-
[He pauses and grasps at the first straw he can.]
-flowers or something. [Maybe a little old-fashioned and western, but it's not like anything about their romantic lives lately has been traditional anyway.]
Oh yeah? Going by that logic, any time we spend together could be a date.
[He's teasing, but-
WAIT...
IS IT ONE LONG CONSTANT DATE? He never put that into consideration. He never really had the chance to do any of the "going out on proper dates like a proper couple" thing, you know, between boxing and trying to keep his interests under wraps and then the apocalypse... Even with Luna, they kind of skipped that part of things. Hah.
...Unless him tagging along with him and Peony in high school counted as being part of their dates, then...???
Take a good look into his eyes, Peony. He is quite clearly going on a journey. The kind of journey they make math memes out of.]
[ She stares right back at him, mildly (but only mildly) bemused. While she can't quite tell what epiphany he's having, she can definitely tell he's having one, and that it's related to their relationship somehow. Probably for all three (five?!) of them, in fact, in which case she can sympathize. She's had a few herself, especially during the early days of her being at Arden Grove, struggling to figure out how it all came together.
She eats a piece of broccoli and just blinks at him, waiting to see if he'll actually share or if he'll work himself into some sort of meltdown. ]
[Oh no. Oh no, she isn't confirming or denying any of that. What's he supposed to think now? Maybe she doesn't care either way- ha ha, yeah right. No, it's fine, if it did matter she definitely would have said something!
God. He's too hungry for this.
The meltdown is imminent. Here he goes, attacking the dessert before even properly finishing lunch.]
[ Okay, the dessert before finishing lunch -- especially in front of her -- is definitely a warning sign. Peony watches that for a few seconds, then carefully sets her own chopsticks down. ]
This wasn't a concern until about two seconds ago, and he really wishes the thought didn't worm itself into his head. He knows it's stupid, but now it is going to haunt him. He takes a deep breath, licking whipped cream from the corner of his mouth.]
[ SHE KNOWS HIM VERY WELL, and she is starting to master understanding just how much he'll understate his own state of being when he's upset and unhappy. "Fine as ever" could mean a lot of things, but most of them feel a bit like a cause for concern. Peony huffs, puffing her cheeks out at him a little. ]
[He's... trying to be more open about that now! At least when it's something major. But there's nothing here that has anything to do with her and everything to do with him being a paranoid wreck. He sets the dessert box down and glances down at his lap.]
Sorry. I forgot I get a little moody [ALL DAY EVERY DAY] at the beginning of a diet. I probably shouldn't have started with Luna gone, and while it's hot like this. It's not you, I'm just a moron who doesn't plan ahead.
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[AAAH. This goes beyond embarrassing and into more uncomfortable territory for him. That money could be used for so many better things! Buying her cute clothes or whatever she likes, or doting on Icarus or Luna, or investing in their future or something...!]
It's not like I don't appreciate the thought, but... there isn't even anything I really want. Not that money can buy, anyway.
[He's got a great all set for when it finally cools down, so that's one thing off an incredibly short list. The only other thing that comes to mind is one of those really nice (expensive) magic prosthetics in the weapons shop to replace his old one, but he's adjusting to life without it. Honestly, he lost interest in most material goods after the whole apocalypse made them even less practical.]
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[ She likes being able to dote on her loved ones!! Even if it's small things. Don't underestimate her determination for kindness terrorism. It might not make up for years of the actual thing, but she'll take what small victories she can get.
But they're at the gardens now, so for the moment, instead of pushing with that, she leads him to a nice shady area under a grouping of trees. ]
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But, it's still nice enough to enjoy a lunch in. So he'll do that. Now that they've come to a stop, their walk in the heat is catching up to him, so he loosens his shirt considerably before he takes a seat. He's also panting a little without even realizing it, tail lazily thumping against the ground as he waits patiently for lunch to be unveiled. Dog Time is in full swing.]
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But instead of opening the bento right away she cocks her head, looking from his tail back to his face, noting the panting. Huh. ]
Ah, you know, I never asked... how did you get those features?
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[Because of course it's spirits. It's always spirits. Of course, Peony probably already assumed as much.]
These stupid little flying cats. Owls with cat faces? Something like that... Looks like they've been making targets out of a number of people. You're lucky you've already got something.
[Who knows, they might go so far as to just turn her into a flower or something. She's practically doing it herself, the way she's embracing the motif. That's kind of a horrific thought... There's nothing out there that could do that to her, right?
EUGH. Not gonna think about it.]
...Or maybe they saw you guys and wanted to spread the trend around.
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[ She doesn't know anything about his concern about her becoming a flower (though she'd be a very pretty peony blossom, thank you!), but she hums thoughtfully at his comment. A beat later, she reaches out to run a hand down his waggy tail. It's mostly an impulse, but it's not one that she tries very hard to suppress. ]
It's cute, though. What do you think I would've been, if not for this?
[ Because "red panda" is not something that had occurred to her at all as a possibility until she arrived at Arden Grove. ]
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Nnh... You're asking me?
[To use his imagination? He's not the SHSL Breeder here... Anything that isn't a flower.]
I dunno, maybe a rabbit? They're cute and pretty energetic, and that sounds like you.
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(Though in all honesty, she is a little sympathetic about it being weird to have his tail pet; she'd had the same reaction the first few times that someone had touched hers -- pretty nice, but also kind of weird. She has her guesses about how Icarus and Maera feel about their features, but field evidence implies it's the same for them.) ]
A rabbit, huh... would you protect me from being eaten, or should I be worried about you?
[ It's a joke, and she tugs a little at his tail, gently, hoping he'll take it as such. ]
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[Ah! The tug's a little more alarming, even though he's still willing to sit and take it. It's just a little harder to focus when his brain is screaming at him that it's wrong, this is wrong, you shouldn't feel this.
(Ha ha, isn't that a familiar mantra.)]
I got dog, not wolf. But I'd keep protecting you anyway, same as ever. It'd be like those cutesy videos with snakes making friends with the mice they were supposed to eat.
[Speaking of food... He's just going to lean forward here and reach for that fancy bento tower. As nice as it is to look at, it'll be a lot nicer to taste, he's sure.]
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She's been doing research, okay!!
She is also still petting his tail, though she's not pulling on it again (yet). He can have a reprieve for now. ]
We'd be super cute. ♥ Bu~ut, depending on the eating, it might not be very family-friendly.
[ Her voice is completely chipper at that, like she's not implying anything at all. ]
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Wait, did he really make it that obvious? Damn it!
Well, anyway, he's going to dig right in. He scoops a nice big bite of vegetables into his mouth just in time to hear Peony's comment. Depending on the eating? Oh. Oh. He chokes juuust enough for it to be comedic instead of worrying.]
Wh- what, I-! [COUGH. Ahem.] Y-yeah, sure, that's... uh, are you asking me to do that? [Or just making fun of him?!]
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Um. I mean. I'm not -- I like that a lot, but I like everything we've done, so... I, um, if you ever wanted...?
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He was worse]...I'll keep it in mind.
[Not that he's been feeling particularly frisky lately, but at least something like that doesn't really depend on his libido. He's sure not going to do it right here, right now though. He clears his throat and shoves more food into it, nervously avoiding eye contact. At least Peony's probably figured out all the little differences between actual serious discomfort and just being flustered like he is now.]
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[ It'd be a little disappointing if he never wanted to, but then, she'd never expected it of Maera either, and frankly, Icarus seems to like it plenty. Peony knows herself well enough to realize it's one of her favorite things, but if he's never comfortable with it, that's not actually a problem.
And besides!! The more important thing is cheering him up!! Even if she's not as good at it as she used to be, at least she can be a friendly and familiar presence to help keep his loneliness at bay. It might not be enough to completely do away with it, but as long as it can distract him and help even a little... ]
I didn't invite you out for that, anyway. Let's eat, okay?
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-Ah, yeah. This is good! ...Tell me you're going to eat too so I don't have to feel weird about being watched. [It's not like he's unused to her expectant staring, but who does like being watched while eating?]
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When he asks that, though, she reaches for a tier herself. She did pack two pairs of chopsticks! Okay! ]
I'm eating, I'm eating! I wanted a lunch date, and it's no good if I don't have any, right?
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[He pauses and grasps at the first straw he can.]
-flowers or something. [Maybe a little old-fashioned and western, but it's not like anything about their romantic lives lately has been traditional anyway.]
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[ He's so cute sometimes it feels almost unfair. She can't really help the smile that crosses her face at the comment, though she shakes her head. ]
Mm, I also can't say I wouldn't like it. I would! But if I have the company, I don't really need the rest for it to feel special.
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[He's teasing, but-
WAIT...
IS IT ONE LONG CONSTANT DATE? He never put that into consideration. He never really had the chance to do any of the "going out on proper dates like a proper couple" thing, you know, between boxing and trying to keep his interests under wraps and then the apocalypse... Even with Luna, they kind of skipped that part of things. Hah.
...Unless him tagging along with him and Peony in high school counted as being part of their dates, then...???
Take a good look into his eyes, Peony. He is quite clearly going on a journey. The kind of journey they make math memes out of.]
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She eats a piece of broccoli and just blinks at him, waiting to see if he'll actually share or if he'll work himself into some sort of meltdown. ]
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God. He's too hungry for this.
The meltdown is imminent. Here he goes, attacking the dessert before even properly finishing lunch.]
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Mallory...? Are you okay?
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This wasn't a concern until about two seconds ago, and he really wishes the thought didn't worm itself into his head. He knows it's stupid, but now it is going to haunt him. He takes a deep breath, licking whipped cream from the corner of his mouth.]
Huh? I'm as fine as ever.
[...well it's not like he's lying]
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[ SHE KNOWS HIM VERY WELL, and she is starting to master understanding just how much he'll understate his own state of being when he's upset and unhappy. "Fine as ever" could mean a lot of things, but most of them feel a bit like a cause for concern. Peony huffs, puffing her cheeks out at him a little. ]
Was it something I said?
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[He's... trying to be more open about that now! At least when it's something major. But there's nothing here that has anything to do with her and everything to do with him being a paranoid wreck. He sets the dessert box down and glances down at his lap.]
Sorry. I forgot I get a little moody [ALL DAY EVERY DAY] at the beginning of a diet. I probably shouldn't have started with Luna gone, and while it's hot like this. It's not you, I'm just a moron who doesn't plan ahead.
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