crescentview | ⛄️ winter catchall

[ She can't just say something like that and not expand on it? Now he's arrested with the mental image of their alpaca carrying a bundle of flowers in its mouth. ]

You don't have a problem with them eating the goods?

[ Well. The really important part is the one after that. M-21 huffs softly and uses his hold on her hand to tug her a little more against his side. The path isn't slippery enough for that to be a problem, hopefully. ]

...Yeah. Feels like a long wait for you to get home. [ It is literally a few hours. But apparently refusing to be embarrassed by this, he continues smugly: ] You're not gonna be able to get rid of me soon enough.

[ Ori is about to tell M-21 about how her shop was swarmed with cats for a couple of days recently and that she put them all to work to varying degrees of success but, but then he pulls her closer towards him and she's more than happy to oblige, squeezing his hand in turn. What he says after that is more important to her, too, for how endearing it is.

It is literally a few hours. But of course she won't discourage him from his smugness, when she loves seeing him like that. ]

Aww... You could have come to see me at my shop even without offering to help out any time, you know. And besides, I wouldn't want to get rid of you at all. I'm marrying you so I can keep you around!

[ She meets his smugness with earnestness, naturally, while she lifts their joined hands together to press a kiss to his knuckles. ]

[ Wait, no, he still needs that cat story. What is it with her and cats?

Mikan-Avolyn could probably be (smugly) trained to carry his own weight in the shop, if it came to that. ]

Yeah? Maybe it wouldn't be bad to drop by more. If we end up staying a while after the wedding stuff, I mean. I'm gonna be helping for now anyway.

[ Granting that his last time dropping by her shop, the impression he was left with was Otegine making her cry. But that's more the opposite of a deterrent the more he thinks of it. Maybe he should do guard rounds more often, especially if someone isn't getting married and leaving...

He makes a little noise of surprise for the kiss and rubs his thumb over her hand, squeezing a little. ]

...You sure you're not the knight here?

[ That's a pretty gallant gesture. He's being outdone by his wife-to-be, isn't he? ]

[ He is absolutely being outdone by his wife-to-be, and they both know it. Still, she looks proud of herself, especially when she offers her cheeky little response. ]

I'm sure! I'm a very delicate flower.

[ In many respects, that is true of Ori. But in just as many respects, that is very much not true of Ori. ]

Once we're married, it'll be your flower shop, too, won't it? I think that means you can definitely drop by whenever you'd like. And... If Kaspar leaves, I won't have anyone else to help...

[ Except maybe for some cats. What is it with her and cats, truly? Or her and most any animal, for that matter? ]

And you know, I wasn't here for springtime... it's my favorite season. [ who could have predicted this? ] It would be nice to see it...

[ Would it be rude to give his fiancee a skeptical look? The "delicate flower" who smacked pirates over the head and teleported them? Who fought dragons?

M-21 fights a smile, badly. ]

I can take over for him. Plenty of time to start showing me the ropes now. Lucia won't need a dishwasher once things are quieter around here.

[ Maybe Lucia wants a little peace and quiet with her spouse too. This could work out for everyone... ]

...Should've guessed that, with all the flowers. [ And his expression brightens a little at the stray thought. What he remembers about spring is-- ] There was a dance last time. If we're still here and they do that again, I want to show you.

[ A skeptical look wouldn't have been rude - it would have been deserved, anticipated, even, although Ori can't complain about the barely-repressed smile that she finds on M-21, instead.

Each smile she draws out of him feels like such a precious little thing. And now, she's imagining him smiling while working at her flower shop, with the same kind of felt flower decorated apron she'd given Kaspar, and his hair tied back and similarly adorned. And then imagining him doing so in the springtime... Wait, a dance? ]

Is that so...? Who did you dance with last spring, hmm?

[ She's curious! ]

I was over at the food stalls with He Xuan for most of it. Not much for dancing...

[ Which probably won't surprise her, after she's seen him wallflowering at enough of the gatherings here. But he pauses a little and cocks her head as he thinks back. ]

Ellis made me dance, actually. It'll be quiet without him.

[ Ellis is quiet by definition, but she knows what he means. ]

[ She can't help but chuckle to herself at his first response; she can picture He Xuan and M-21 standing together, both so aloof, while silently munching on snacks together... None of what he says surprises her, including that Ellis had "made him" dance. She sort of doubts that it was quite that forceful? Unless... ]

...Mhm. It's going to be really different without everyone. But we'll still have each other, right?

[ And that, of course, is the most important thing to her. ]

It'll be alright, as long as we've got each other... And we're not the only ones staying, too.

Yeah. And who knows. That goddess might bring in more people before too long.

[ For himself, he doesn't really care. He's got Ori, and entirely too many animals, and — maybe he'll miss some of the people leaving, but he knows they're going off to good lives.

But Ori seems to like being around people, for whatever reason. ...It's cute. M-21 sneaks a little sidelong look at her as they make their way up the trail. ]

Ooh, that would be fun, wouldn't it? We could help the newcomers get settled in!

[ Imagine them being the Welcome Wagon... RIP to those newcomers. She squeezes his hand as they come up to a portion of the trail that requires a bit of careful maneuvering, and catches his gaze as she's glancing in turn at him before they proceed. ]

Hm? What is it?

We could?

[ M-21's eyes widen a little in something like understated alarm. That sounds like a lot of socializing he thought he'd fought past the need for now that he's settled...

Or good practice for meeting her friends, depending. He relaxes a little at the consideration. And if he doesn't help her with it, she'd just end up doing a lot of extra work herself. Yeah. He can be welcoming. ]

...Yeah. I can show them farming... stuff.

[ He'll think about that one. He gives her hand a little squeeze and glances away again, but not before a brief smile tugs at the scarred side of his mouth. ]

Just thinking. I'm not much for big groups. But I like the way you light up with people.

[ So he'll tolerate neighbors, for her. ]

[ Or worse... Otegine swoops in and helps her.

In any case, her own lips curl into a little smile when she sees his, before they part for a sweet little chuckle. She's definitely the more social of the two of them, but at the same time... Being that way sure does take a lot more out of her than she's either willing to admit or that she lets on. But she just needs everyone, all day long, to like her so much. ]

And I like when you smile a little bit like that.

[ Uno reverse card!! ]

I like being around people, but you know, it's even better to get to come home after all of that to someone who can be there for me...

[ Or worse...! The possibility has definitely been filed away in the werewolf peabrain. He's feeling more gracious about Otegine since he won the war, but. He's a guy who warrants watching.

Her uno reverse is super effective! He glances away to hide a tiny flush of embarrassment, but defeats the purpose by glancing back almost instantly.

Worth it to see that happy look on her face, though. ]

Yeah, well. That's how people get around you.

[ Even him. Especially him. He makes a quiet noise of satisfaction and leans closer until he bumps just a little against her side. ]

...And to have someone who can carry you home?

[ good boy..

Somewhere in her tiefling brain, there's a thought that she should feel at least a little guilty for flustering him on purpose - especially lately - but it's worth it to see the look on his face, too, and the way he leans into it and closer to her. She presses in closer in turn, winding her arm around his more fully as she chuckles. ]

Yes, and to have someone who can carry me home. Who always holds me close...

[ She does mean in more than just the princess-carrying sense, but she leaves it open-ended for now. There will be plenty of time and opportunities, she hopes, for being more direct when they get to the inn and hot springs for the weekend. ]

⛄️ winter catchall

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