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 Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2014 11:47 pm
Whatever.... he was doing? The point sailed completely over his dense head, leaving him trying to figure out what she meant. Um. What did he do? Ah, never mind, there were drinks to be had and much less vague thing to figure out. A blank nod was pretty much all Miyabi would get from that conversation.
What was caffeine-heavy, sugar-saturated and creamy all the way to the top? A better question, how did Amarante know just what to get him from a simple order of 'surprise'? Happily he started at the drink, and oh, yes! Sugar galore! But as usual, even if he was feeling super-contented his expression didn't show it. Pity.
"Well, this is quite a nice 'surprise' order. Maybe I should keep asking for it every time I come in?"
Plus a side order of books! Now, what more could he want?
"Not a lot, but outdated all the same. And the collection won't be growing any time soon, so..."
He shrugged, trying to hide that twinge of guilt that popped up. Eh, fires eating at your books were nothing to laugh at. Fires eating at a library of texts because you got in trouble, however? Another story, another time.
"... Unless it's a Black Text or something. Which I don't think you'll prank me with anyway, Ama. You're too nice to me."
Yeah, sappy line and he didn't realize it at all. Now if only something could be done about his face then it might just be that little romantic moment but! Well. Got to be happy with some things, then.
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Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2014 6:55 pm
Even for someone as perpetually placid as Miyabi, the lack of expressions was a little unnerving. She supposed that a lack of comment was acceptable enough. Of course, she didn't understand that what he 'did' was basically existing and through no special effort really, so there seemed to be a mutual lack of understanding between the two of them that would probably continue along amusingly enough as long as they continued to care about the same person.
Someone else, of course, wasn't bothered by that expressionless face in the least. Amarante's acceptance did in part stem from her affection but a lack of human expectations for emotional responses didn't hurt either. He seemed to say just enough for her through words and actions, so it wasn't hard for her to understand that she'd done well. "I'm so glad~ And if that is what you would like, of course!" She'd have to add it to the private menu that was kept behind the counter. She couldn't help but feel a little acknowledged, though she knew better than to put too much thought into it. Even if it was just some clever thinking to put together the two things they'd gone out for in the past, sentimentality factored in as well. In a way coffee and ice cream had become analogous to the two of them. She didn't invest much thought in such an overly sweet idea, however, and certainly wouldn't admit to having it in the first place.
"Oh~ Or black books, shishi~" The devious smile that followed may or may not have been related to giving such books to a certain elf and laughing while she was whisked away to another plane of existence for a while. That thought path came to a stop soon enough however, and she was eager to confirm his belief. "Of course I would never do that to you." He hadn't said it as a concrete statement but apparently it was enough to lend itself to her cheerfulness. There were enough things that menaced them both, after all. Sometimes at the same time, even. She wanted to soothe, not agitate. Though with that any bit acknowledged she couldn't help but be a little vulnerable. "It's nothing, really. There are nicer things still I could do for you..." Well. She'd heard it when she said it. Definitely could be taken the wrong way. And the delicate tone with which it was said probably didn't help. Even if there was some truth in that 'wrong' way of thinking. She scrambled to clarify before that other guy came out or her mind was lost to the gutter. "I mean. I try not to insist, but you are always free to ask me for assistance. The reason matters not." Her at times antiquated way of speaking made the statement sound somewhat formal, but the heartfelt way in which it was stated made it quite different than the usual grandiose declarations that she seemed to have grown out of repeating at him.
Miyabi, on the other hand, had been keeping to herself for a while. The romantically-minded teenager seemed content to observe the two of them with a quiet curiosity. She didn't feel excluded or uncomfortable. Still, there was that nagging feeling that she should leave them be. The feeling was more comparable to guilt, perhaps; in a way feeling like she was taking advantage of someone's generosity when she shouldn't be. She'd consumed her beverage more quickly than anticipated, likely through her distracted observation tactics, so nothing was keeping her, either. She gathered up the empty cup and saucer, unintentionally rattling them together.
The slight clatter of dishes was enough to startle and draw the attention of a wide-eyed Amarante. Ever the helpful one she questioned the girl with a smile. "Latte to your satisfaction~?"
"Mm, yes." The winsome concern presented distracted Miyabi some, but she was still determined to be on her way. "Actually, umm, if there's nothing further I should probably be going. Have to finish the paperwork and file it, after all." Things were just as she said, even if there was that bit of an ulterior motive present. "That is, if it's all right with you two."
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 8:19 pm
If there was a point to be made about innuendos, it sailed completely over his head. Hmm. Someone was laughing at his complete ignorance, somewhere, and it took a few moments for him to get it and resulting blush to appear.
"... "
But hey, at least he wasn't completely blanking out. At least the moment wasn't long-lasting, and he felt a little grateful to Miyabi for that. Or maybe slightly exasperated if her departure was going to leave him with even more awkward moments.
"True, we probably shouldn't keep you from your work. Don't want the papers to start piling up now?"
And besides, he had to be getting back as well. Certainly he was not going to let the poor child at home get poisoned by someone who knows nothing about cooking! He cleaned off his drink and stood up, picking up Miyabi's empty cup and saucer along with his own and giving Amarante's drink a glance. Was she done with hers? He would gladly return them all to the counter,
And partly because he thought he needed a bit of fresh air. Or maybe they did. Suppose Amarante or Miyabi had anything to say, he should let them a few moments in private, as both of them had already done so far.
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:20 am
Any grace Amarante had in handling the situation seemed to be lost upon the sight of his reaction. What resolve she had was entirely too weak to stop the chain reaction of blushing. She turned her face away in an attempt to avoid eye contact, too aware of her own simulated heartbeat. Miyabi almost felt sorry to have a conscience, as watching the two of them was definitely more entertaining than the dramas she liked to watch at times. An attempt to stifle a laugh was met with Amarante's wide eye and flushed face. But despite her embarrassment she couldn't help but smile a little in return, rubbing at the bridge of her nose in a moment of shyness.
While still mostly stunned as a result of her own actions, she seemed to have retained enough awareness to notice that he was leaving. "But, books!" It seemed that her mind had returned, mostly, from any number of sordid imaginings involving Erhard that had made her totally forget the subject of books in the first place. "Well..." It was unlikely that she'd rein in her selfish nature any time soon, but at the very least she seemed willing to reconsider once said selfishness was uttered. The heaviness of her previous request was still weighing upon her pretty considerably, after all. She managed to offer an understanding smile anyway. "Another time. Perhaps, even more than one book~" Exactly what she could accomplish attempting to seduce him with ancient tomes was uncertain, but she was definitely enjoying herself. And not learning her lesson, as it seemed like she had totally forgotten or at least chosen to disregard what had happened when she'd unintentionally flirted all of a moment previously.
Whether it had to do with the fact that Amarante was obviously having fun or just the unconventional subject matter involved, Miyabi remained unaffected by the kittenish hijinks at hand. "That said." She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Between a few days before and a few days after all in all it should take a week. We can meet up here again if that works." She couldn't help but pat Amarante on the head, who in turn showed her appreciation for the gesture with a smile. "With her in tow, if you like. Though she'll have to be upstairs. Shouldn't take more than a few days to be healed enough to be out and about but I'd still rather be cautious than not." Her detached perspective regarding her own creator was probably a bit odd, but it wasn't as if he knew the extent of the relationship between the two of them anyway. And even if he didn't seem as bad as she'd initially thought, what opinion he'd form upon being informed of said relation still didn't really matter to her. She noted that he seemed polite enough, anyway, as she took Amarante's empty glass and handed it to him. "Until then."
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Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:30 am
"Instead of lending them, what about... Um, sitting down t-together and going through them instead?" he stuttered with a nod. Ah, how hard was it to ask for a rendezvous? The blush still hadn't gone away, it was just making it harder to ask now. He wanted to kick himself so badly. Save that for later, though, he had dishes to return!
"That's settled, then. Back here in a week, and why not? If it appeases the both of you, you can also see what I would put the information to use in as well." And maybe they'll laugh at his textbooks with all the skimpy knowledge in them. It seemed to nearly always be the case when researching entities from texts written with so much bias, or for the sole purpose of educating for the sake of destroying.
He goes back to the counter and leaves the emptied cups and glasses there, still laughing at himself. A guilty laugh, funnily enough. Perhaps it would be louder, if his colleagues were actually here to see what he was doing. Who would end him almost immediately. If he had not ended them first, that is. Oh, he was not boarding that thought train again. And no, no more arguing about who is saner than the other. Or making Amarante and Miyabi worried because - now, why had he spent a full five minutes at the counter staring at the spoons? He'd better get back.
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 8:06 pm
He'd said something interesting, which Amarante was quick to latch on to with quite the wide-eyed expression. "Oh~ Want to come over to my place?" Thankfully the question was asked with more excitement than anything else, even if she did have plenty of different motives to ask such a question. She only questioned the possibility of such an idea after it had been asked. "Can you come over?" The confusion caused her to sprawl out in her chair. As much as she could do such a thing, anyway. "Ah, I want it~" She couldn't help but be a little exasperated about any would-be limits and restrictions. But they were all merely minor inconveniences, if how quickly her mood shifted was any indication. "No matter. Any hoops I have to jump through to spend time with you, I shall gladly clear." Probably even actual hoops. It was a silly statement, but of course she couldn't help but smile.
Her dashing smile was interupted by a pale finger poking her nose. "After you've healed." That wouldn't take long, but the point had been made. With a nod Amarante begrudgingly agreed to the terms presented. Satisfied with the answer that had been returned to her, Miyabi looked between the two of them and silently bade them farewell with a bit of a bow. She'd no reason to linger, after all. She made her way to the back door and quietly made her exit.
After she'd been left alone for a while, rather than turning around to investigate the ever cat-like Amarante merely leaned back and hung her head over the back of the chair to take an upside down look at the situation. He seemed a little out of it, so she couldn't help but casually question it upon his return. "Everything all right?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 11:01 pm
"...? Oh, yeah. There's nothing wrong."
He said that with as much cheeriness as he could muster to not let her worry too much, and passed Miyabi a goodbye nod as she left. Not a lot of cheer, but eh, it was never his forte. Strange, the prospect of popping by Amarante's house could summon a bit more courage than what a social meeting should normally do, maybe sneak out of the house a bit or leave someone else to do the dishes while he was away? Of course, he would have to get back in time before anyone noticed anything wrong, and... Hey, why was he thinking about sneaking out already? That was quick. Go sit back down with her, she might strain her neck too much looking at him like that. Super-efficient anatomy or otherwise, it was going to be a sore sprain if she lingered too long that way.
"It wouldn't be fair if you were the only one who jumped through hoops, right? I suppose I can always wring a little time out of a couple of rabbits, and we'd be undisturbed for a good while."
Certainly not having any more disruptions, hmm.
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 5:06 am
"Hnn~" It was a curious sound more than anything else, as Amarante studied his face from an upside down perspective. It didn't seem like a situation where further inquiry or deeper feelings were necessary after all. But it wasn't long before she figured out that wearing glasses on an upside down head was far from comfortable. Glasses mashed into her brow, she flailed a bit as she returned to an upright position. She sighed as said glasses were adjusted back into their proper position. It was a minor thing and quite self inflicted but she still didn't enjoy unintentionally looking foolish in front of him. She did her best to ignore that sinking feeling and offered him a bright-eyed smile instead. "Well~ If there ever is anything wrong, you can tell me anything you want, you know? But if there's any reason you can't, I understand." Had she clarified previously? She couldn't remember. But it had been an unspoken sort of understanding that was rooted in trust rather than tolerance. It wasn't something she unhappily tolerated but instead honestly accepted.
She hadn't expected her usual ridiculousness to be acknowledged, more or less met. And even if wasn't the most enthusiastic statement saying so, the fact that it suggested that he wanted to see her at all was enough. She couldn't help but feel a little happy, at least. "Heh~ The situation is a little different, I think. I have plenty of time to spare and I'm easy to find, after all." She didn't want it to seem like she was discouraging his efforts, however. "But... any effort you'd make in order for us to spend more time together would be very appreciated, so..." Oh, she was making herself dizzy again. Not a subject to linger upon it seemed.
"You're looking well~ Are you? I hope that Miyabi wasn't too much of a bother, at least." A brief respite from awkwardness!
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 8:44 pm
"Not at all. I do apologise for the the trouble I'm putting on her, however."
Purposely jumping the usual 'how are you', because he could never have an honest answer for that. Putting that aside... Oh, right, he had that question to ask. After all, he was not going to make empty threats, was he? Plus, it would help anyway, putting his mind off work and the house. And that nagging feeling had gone on for long enough, better to appease it quickly before he got too irritated.
"Um..."
Now, why was it so hard to ask? Out with it!
"... Ama. Um.... Oh yes. What kind of cookies would you like?"
Wrong question. Oh well, maybe another time. Always another time. Exasperation doesn't make him hurry on that decision, it seems. Neither does frustration. Someone might be laughing at how 'romance-sitcom' the entire thing seemed.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 1:20 am
"Not at all! The person that's inconveniencing her is me!" A statement of which one should not sound proud or cheerful, which she only really realized afterwards. With a bemused look and a finger at her cheekbone, she shrugged it off. "Besides. She wouldn't help unless she actually wanted to, you know? And well..." Ultimately there was a bit of lingering guilt involved, but what had started as something selfish seemed to have far-reaching effects beyond what she could have predicted. At least, that was what she assured herself with. "Perhaps she does indulge me, but not without being within her own parameters. As... as I'm sure she made quite plain, heh." Miyabi was a little scary, in that way.
With a clueless tilt of her head, she had no idea just what she was missing out on. A hilarious shame. She welcomed the question she was given with her usual cheerfulness, happy to have a shared interest in sweets. "You really want to do that, don't you? Well~" Her voice was brimming with delight as she continued. "Have you ever had Florentines? They're chocolate, and cherries, and caramel, and..." Ah, she was starting to feel discouraged even if he was the one that asked in the first place. "Kind of a lot to ask for, and..." Her anxiety had led her to idly playing with one of her hair tails. "I can... I can try to think of something more simple... maybe..." It was ridiculous to be flustered over something that wasn't one of her usual demands, but not unexpected of her to be certain.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:51 am
"Chocolate, cherries, caramel, and...?"
Adding those to the grocery list was easy enough with the amount of sweet things he usually bought, the only potential obstacle would be hiding them away in case someone decided to dig for snacks. Now did Florentines require fresh cherries? Hmm...
Oh dear. He had not an idea what they were supposed to taste like, having not tried any before. Sheepishly, he shakes his head.
"Nope, but I suppose there's always a first time for everything. I'm sure at least one of the cookbooks at home should have the recipe."
Leaving a rather important detail of the amount of cookies, is he? Well, he was assuming she'd share with whoever was in the general vicinity anyway. Or take home a jarful or two. or three. Hmm. Had the roommate fixed that duplicating anomaly in the oven yet? Ah, he could ask when he got home.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:30 pm
She was silenced by what she interpreted as his quiet diligence. It was one of the things she liked about him, after all. Just following through was enough assurance that she wasn't being unreasonable. The smile that followed came off as shy... hopefully he wouldn't notice too much. Clutching the oversized sleeves of her sweater around the area of her face would probably do the trick. All the better to help her keep her hands to herself as well, keeping the impulsive side of her that wanted to hold him close and protect him from everything in check with the respectful side that possessed a reverence that was rare for a creature such as herself. She'd probably never be mistaken as good-natured or well-mannered. But already his words carried enough weight with her to cause her to reconsider more than one of her bad habits.
Her eye brightened with an idea upon considering his reply. "Oh~ I should bring you back more things when I travel. It's almost always for business anyway." Her exasperation was obvious as she continued. "Always meeting with old men about this or that. At least they scold me less now that I look like this more often." Playfully she poked her index fingers into the chin of her disguised face as she bore an impish smile. "Would give me something to look forward to... something for you to look forward to, as well." She probably wasn't the best influence when it came to the consumption of various substances. More of an enabler, really. But she didn't see the harm in such a light-hearted offer.
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Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:43 pm
Well, he'd put that incomplete ingredient list aside for now.
"What, they can't stand to see someone out of disguise?" Funny question to ask, when he himself would probably do the same thing. Maybe because they had the same reasons as he did, he assumed.
"But only do that if you have enough room in your bag. Or on the plane. And you can carry it all home without getting flattened under all that weight!"
Attempting a joke again? Ah, he was warming up considerably. In both senses too, probably. But it still was going to need improvement, whether he liked it or not. And if Amarante could take it. Cold jokes were nothing to sneeze at.
Maybe he should just stop thinking about cold jokes entirely. That last one was just horrible.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 4:18 am
There was a sly look of amusement in that falsely grey eye. "Ha, one could say that." Her expression became disdainful as she explained further. "Nevermind that those types are likely to have a contract or two up their sleeves anyhow. With something harmless like incubi or succubi, surely." It was unclear which party of the two mentioned had earned her distaste more. "But they cannot be seen actually consorting with demons, no no~" A dismissive gesture indicated just what she thought of that nonsense. "But it's profitable to make business deals with me, so they do anyway!" She couldn't be everyone's exception. She had accepted that. But the idea of someone filled with hatred based on simply what she was ending up with their arms twisted behind their back simply due to their own greed, well. She couldn't help but grin. Served them right.
Though the subject was one that left her a little unsettled. "I look like this for my own safety anyway, but... I find it difficult to accept that just the way I happen to look is considered inappropriate." It was a statement of sadness more than anything else. She'd dealt with it for too long to really feel angry about it. "Sometimes it's nice to almost be able to forget about it... working for so many years within the seedy underbelly of a city makes it easy to do just that." Her time spent in legit non-shady business had been a short time in comparison, after all. "Heh. But all it takes is the usual blinding and scalding from holy water to remind me that is not the way the world really works." She almost seemed to feel a little sorry for herself, the sad amusement in her voice deepening. "I'm not... I'm not sure which is more disturbing. The ones that are repulsed by the way I actually look, or the ones that are obsessed by idea of possessing something unique to the point of objectifying me." It probably wasn't right or common for a creature of a type usually associated with malice and corruption to look that soul-rendingly crestfallen. She seemed determined not to stay in such a state, however, if only for his sake. "Sorry." The apology came out more like a sigh, but her voice had regained most of its usual strength as she attempted to assure him. "Not every question you ask will have a loaded answer, I promise! It's just that I trust you, so..." Her face ended up more hidden behind her sleeves than it was previously. She always seemed to say more than she'd intended. She'd likely tell him anything he asked. But nothing she could say was sensitive to the point of being life threatening, thankfully. Perhaps some disturbing concepts and embarrassing anecdotes, however.
Oh, he didn't say no! And on top of that he was being incredibly charming again. In her eyes, anyway. She was still hiding her face quite a bit. But the elation in that eye of hers was difficult to hide, even with human camoflage in place. "Heh~ I think you deserve all that and more. You do! No arguing." It was a playful sort of insistence, and gently stated. "But~ Perhaps I should endeavor not to spoil you too much, surely." Though there was definitely a coy tone to what she had said, having any bit of restraint did seem to be quite the challenge for her. Especially when it came to anything that could be any bit silly.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 5:12 am
"Tell me about that. I suppose if things didn't go the way they did so far, I'd probably be one of the parties still hell-bent on exterminating you as well, regardless of the 'not all' clause. That... That was not a good start, huh."
Embarrassed that he had even thought of bringing that up, he quickly shifted his eyes off and tried a tangential topic.
"But don't be. It's not easy to change people, that is understandable. Objectifying, however...."
That alone was enough to note that any meeting between Amarante and the roommate was going to need a moderator. Bad habits abound, with that self-tampered objective view of his.
"... Never mind. But! I agree, humans do take a lot of things for granted. Health, relationships, others, even. Suppose no human is not prone to that mistake? But that is their nature, until something happens to an individual that forces them to rethink."
Seeing her looking so upset, though, he didn't feel right about poking at it in the first place. Um. How does comforting work? Patting her shoulder lightly? Maybe that might, so he tries it. Lightly, in case her sweater didn't help a lot with cold hands. It felt strange, doing that with gloves on, and to someone that wasn't his sister, no less. Had to learn, however!
"Then it's probably a good thing to not rely on medications for illnesses, if you're going to bring back that much sweets," he retorted with a little petulance. "And don't forget to spoil yourself too, it's no fun when only one side gets the nice things."
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