crescentview | ⛄️ winter catchall

[ 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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