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Red eyes crinkled at the corners because of the sheer size of Clerise's grin. She clapped Otto heartily on the back, and went in the direction of the kitchens. She'd squirreled away some mix, just in case. Hopefully no one had found her hiding place.

"They're soothing. Stupid creatures who don't mind physical affection, and don't talk about the secrets I tell them. And most of them love you unconditionally. Plus, they don't mind if I cuddle them relentlessly."

She shrugged, pushing open the door at the end of the hall. "What's not to love?"

"Kittens are the small, baby, domesticated version of tigers," Clerise offered with a shrug. "They're too stupid to be evil. ...Well, most of them." She thought of a doll or two, and their tiny, tiny little knives.

"I can't fault things that are too stupid to know up from down because of what they're made of and where they're from."

"Of course you haven't," Clerise mused. "You're the puppy. Pets can't have pets, that'd be silly."

She absent-mindedly pat Otto's head, whistling innocently.

Clerise cackled wildly, flouncing to the cabinets, reaching up to the very top, where an ugly christmas mug was. Inside it was two packets of cocoa.

She tossed one at Otto, smirking.

"Let me grab a kettle..." She dug around in the lower cabinets until she found one, filling it and putting it on the stove. After that, Clerise hopped up onto the counter, swinging her legs.

"Eva's the best~" She just smirked, remembering what Tenya had revealed about Otto and his ~feels~ on the other girl.

"That's not what Tenya said~" Clerise called in a sing song voice, clearly the mature one here.

Clearly.

"I think you'd be cute together, for what it's worth~"

"So?" Clerise was not the right person to use that excuse on. "Dakota's younger than me, didn't stop us."

"And once you're eighteen, you're on the table for everyone, save for like. Gale. But he's a fetus, so it doesn't matter." She waved a hand dismissively.

"Do you know that? Have you tried wooing her?~"

Clerise went to fetch two cups, pouring the steaming milk in.

"September indeed~ Birthday soon?"

She laughed as Otto did, a bounce in her step. She poured her cocoa into her cup, and held out Otto's mug so he could do the same. There were marshmallows around here SOMEWHERE, she had seen them just yesterday--

"You're precious, Otto," Clerise replied. She tapped her chin. "You're attractive, I hope you know. In a pint-sized, grumpy, lithe sort of way. Plus, there's plenty of relationships that fold out from friendships--" She thought of Clarice. "But unless you make your intents known, it probably won't go anywhere. I'm not saying you need to immediately ask her out on a date-- there are other ways to gauge a lady's interest, yeah?"

Clerise mentally filed it away.

Help me remember that, will you?

{[ They make skellyphone apps for that, sheila. ...But sure. ]}

The redhead dug out the bag of marshmallows-- the tiny ones-- and dumped half of it into her mug. She offered Otto the bag, shaking it at him.

"Does she touch you? Like, a hand on your arm, or shoulder, or whatever? Does she stand close to you, or sit near you? Does she keep eye contact with you for a while, when you talk?"

Clerise shrugged. "Not all girls act the same when they're interested, but they'll definitely ramp up the attention and the physical contact. But, if she doesn't do any of that...Well. It's not too late, either. If you're in the friendzone, it's cos you let yourself be seen as a friend. That energy-- it's not sexual, it's not carnal."

She slid over to Otto, sliding an arm to put her hand on the small of his back, invading his space. Her body language was different-- facing him instead of being just next to him, thigh brushing his.

"See? It's different when you're trying to be a friend versus when you're trying to be more."

Clerise pulled away. "Be something she wants. And, most of all, remember that if she isn't interested, you can be friends if you don't let it get weird."