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Lydia didn't exactly look like Lydia normally would.

When she wandered outside on that humid Deus day, she was dressed in fewer layers of clothing then she normally would have been seen in, as she made an attempt at taking Cee's advice. However, she did not have much that fit her form quite like the other, much more curvaceous woman's wardrobe, so while she had put in an effort, her top still appeared slightly casual, messy, and still loose on her scrawny frame. A pair of torn off shorts and thigh high socks with simple toeless boots completed her style, and her hair, tamer than usual as if it had actually been brushed and given an attempt at style, had been freshly dyed with added streaks of lighter blue and white.

She stepped out of the dorms feeling nervous that day, a hand constantly raised to brush hair out of her eyes, her knees practically knocking together when she stood still. She was not comfortable like this, feeling almost naked and above all else, foolish. She had no plan, no idea where she thought to go or what to do. Biting down on her bottom lip, she tripped along the pathway leading away from the dorms and then stopped, amber eyes wide and looking hopelessly lost.

Arorangi thought he heard something, decided it had just been the wind, and continued on with his puzzle, absently circling a new word he'd found - "cretin."

Having thought it was an honest question, Dawson's gaze had started to dart around nervously for who she could have been mistaken with, because he was a Good Boy and wanted to be very clear that he liked helping Pretty Girls but that she happened to be the one he was focusing on, no offense to any other Pretty Girls in sight--then he snapped back to her.

Treasure.

He looked a little too openly pleased about that, and yeah it was probably pathetic, but he just didn't take compliments for granted. And then she started smiling and it was also very Pretty, and she was nice, and oh boy maybe socializing people wasn't so bad after all! Or at least it was a helluva lot easier to do with people who didn't already know him and the stupid s**t he did back home people laughed at. So at the simple request, Dawson happily took his hat off and even tried to turn it into a gentlemanly bow, though he didn't dip too deep.

He had done that once before. The floor had been his dance partner that Prom night.

When he stood back up, his hair was back in his face. He shook like a dog to try and get it out, then combed it back with his fingers; only the cowlick stood up unrestrained. "Sorry if Ah smell," he apologized sheepishly. "Been out on the fields n' all. Watcha lookin' for?" She looked so intent, he couldn't possibly think of failing her with Whatever It Was now!

As his gaze darted around, she thought for a moment that perhaps that she had startled him. Quickly she made a mental note to approach with caution and a gentle nature so as not to frighten this magnificent creature away. It seemed that her kind words had, at least, triggered interest from him, his pleased smile a welcome sight that helped to ease her own worries that she had perhaps come on a bit too strong.

"That's it." She crooned to him, her smile softening and her words laced with the encouragement that one might have used on a toddler just learning to take their first precious few steps. The bow earned him a quiet giggle, one that she hoped to stifle behind her hand, which may have been the only thing that saved him from her reaching up to rifle fingers through that luxurious mane right on the spot.

Letting her hand lower slightly, she continued to smile sweetly up at him. "So lovely." She breathed, biting down on her lip. "Oh! Just one moment!" She bounced on her heels excitedly, reaching behind to the back pocket of her shorts and pulling out what appeared to be a small, blue notebook. Pulling a pen out of the coiled spine, she flicked through the pages, flipping the front part around when she came to a blank page.

"There. Okay than. Oh! Don't you worry about that! You smell simply divine." She gave another long inhale, her smile widening, as if to prove a point.

And what was she looking for?

"Well, I believe that perhaps, unknowingly, I was searching for you!" Another flash of pearly whites. "Okay, you big handsome thing. How about we start with a name?"

Her pen was poised and ready, and there may have been an almost manic glint in her eye.

Arorangi had circled several more words on his word search; but Lydia and whomever she was talking to were close enough that he was able to hear little snippets of what they were saying, though not all of it. Words like "darling" and "looking" and "smell" and "grace" made no sense on their own, but added together made for a very curious sort of conversation.

He was getting distracted from his puzzle. Arorangi cast another glance at the pair of them, frowning slightly at Lydia's wide eyes and the other man's broad back and wondering what they were conversing about. Surely the guy wasn't bothering her, was he..?

Arorangi decided he would give them another minute or so, and then, if he saw that he wasn't interrupting, he'd go and say hello.

Maybe.

Dawson beamed, even though he knew he was anything but graceful. Being worthy of study, though? New high score with the ladies!

He thought to pick up the notepad, but Commands came first. Dutifully he held his arms out, the cap extending out of one. "Oh, uh, I got some more hair on m'chest," he said before he could really out thought to his words. "And my arms if you, uh, didn't...notice already...I-If yer lookin' for comparisons n' stuff. I also got a tattoo on my chest if y'wanna see!"

Body hair and tattoos: Chicks dug that stuff, right?

Excellent.

Lydia positively beamed with delight around her pen when Dawson so eagerly did exactly what was asked of him, and quickly she bent down to retrieve her notebook before straightening back up and flipping back to the page she had been on, feverishly jotting down several more notes as he continued to speak.

"Oh, really? That would be love--" She began, when a booming voice caught her attention and for a moment, her teeth clicked shut, and her face somehow managed to flush, instantly.

She had been caught!

"Kia ora!" She managed to squeak out before whirling towards Arorangi and giving him a large smile that stretched across bright red cheeks. "I am doing quite well, Arorangi, thank you! Especially since I've just met a new friend." She gestured towards Dawson.

"A new friend who I believe was just about to take his shirt off, to show me a tattoo." Lydia was, even while flustered, apparently shameless.

Hint. Hint hint, Dawson.