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[icyspicy]

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TENTACLE

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CHARACTER NAME

Winter

CIVILIAN NAME

Kai Blue

TEAM

Everlight

HOUSING NUMBER

017

↪ overflow

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Comments

[bowtography]

He's my friend. [ promptly. ]

He's kind of rough around the edges, but he's pretty sweet, too. I like hanging out with him.

[icyspicy]

Would you like hanging out with him in a romantic capacity, too?

[bowtography]

... I have no idea. [ honestly. ] It took so long just to get him to accept friendship...

[ And yes, he's definitely made the first non-friendship move, but still?? ]

[icyspicy]

It seems to me he accepted more than you thought, if he's up and kissing you.

[ He takes some pocky for himself, biting off a piece. ]

Some people just have difficulty showing it.

[bowtography]

I really had no idea until this...

[ A little bleakly, through the rest of the pocky stick. ]

[icyspicy]

Do you really find it so surprising that someone would develop feelings for you?

[bowtography]

Of course not, I'm adorable!!

[ She almost made it through a whole conversation. She really almost made it. ]

I didn't think he would, that's all!

[icyspicy]

I guess I should really ask: who is "he," anyway?

[ He'd been hoping she'd drop a name but she hasn't so!! ]

[bowtography]

[ Yeah, use your words-- ]

Oh. Izou.

[icyspicy]

Oh.

[ A beat. ]

Oh. March, he's had it bad for you for a while now.

[bowtography]

[ She's just staring at him. ]

...

[ And then she just stares some more, just to make sure he's not actively messing with her.

And then, slowly, dropping her face into her palms, muffled-- ]

Am I blind??

[ WHAT DO YOU MEAN "FOR A WHILE"?????? ]

[icyspicy]

[ Gently pats her back. There, there. ]

In some fairness to you, I got the sense from our brief interaction that he's not the best at expressing that sort of thing.

[bowtography]

But you figured it out after a "brief interaction"??

[ Can she slump sideways against him, she's gonna. ]

This is so embarrassing...

[icyspicy]

I... ah. He was sort of polling all of us at the onsen on what would be a good gift to give you.

[ What a way to find out... (Also yes she can slump and I can definitely read.) ]

He was also, perhaps, a wee bit drunk.

[bowtography]

[ Wow Ramey maybe you should sleep soon ]

... I was gonna say, that doesn't sound like him. But I guess he does let his guard down a lot when he's drunk.

[ She sure found that out fairly early on! ]

I didn't know he was that worried about it... I told him he didn't have to repay me.

[icyspicy]

[ NO. ]

That's the thing about caring for someone. You'll want to do something nice for them regardless. Clearly he thought you were worth it.

[bowtography]

[ Izou's really been thinking of her far more than she thought, and she's still not sure how to feel about that. ]

I... wish I could say it was easier to start viewing him an entirely different way after spending all this time as his friend, but it really isn't. It sort of feels scary to try all over again, even though it isn't exactly "all over again".

[icyspicy]

I’m going to put a pin in that first part. For now, why does it scare you?

[ Offers more pocky! It feels like she’s going to need it while they work through this. ]

[bowtography]

[ He's so right. She's going to chew on it intermittently. ]

I know how to be a friend. That's easy. [ Mostly. ] But... I don't remember really having any romantic experience. Maybe a crush or two, but it wasn't really anything serious. I've read and watched more of it than I've experienced it.

So it feels like there's a lot more I could mess up.

[icyspicy]

To circle back to that pin: I don't think romance and friendship are really that different. Your partner is, in many ways, your best friend.

[ He motions at her with his stick of pocky. ]

There are risks inherent in any type of relationship. People are complicated and nuanced, after all. If fear is part of what's holding you back, don't let it.

[bowtography]

This from a guy who probably went into a relationship with full confidence... [ it's a half-hearted grumble. ]

I bet you dipped him and everything.

[icyspicy]

Actually, I slipped on some ice and landed on top of him.

[ True story. ]

[bowtography]

... You slipped??

[icyspicy]

Being gorgeous and confident and charming doesn't make me immune to ice, March.

[bowtography]

Yeah, I guess you didn't include "graceful" in any part of that. You're right.