paradisa | (no subject)

That took you long enough! What the hell have you been up to?

Guess who I spent the last three days with. [also not a question.] Twenty minutes.

Who? There are a lot of people you hate. [But she's getting ready. It's Valentine's, after all, and twenty minutes isn't that long.]

[...yeah, he figured. that's why it was twenty and not five.]

Starts with an L.

[A pause.]

You don't mean...

Maybe the yellow dress. That one's nice.

Were you stuck with LEGATO?!

It was a touching reunion. I'll tell you all about it.

[waitwaitwait]

Are you--is he--?

Is he what?

Alive?

Yes, though the alternative was considered. Often.

Mm. [Should have done it, Zelman. :'( ]

I'll be ready soon.

We can go get dinner.

[yep, he'll just be waiting in the usual spot downstairs for her. dressed up like two levels nicer than his usual atrocious style and everything.]

[She's hopping down the stairs soon after, in that yellow dress--though she pauses when she realizes she's hurrying, and walks at more of a normal pace.]

You look better than usual.

[he looks over, stepping off the wall and holding out a hand.]

You wore the dress.

It's Valentine's Day. ["So I guess I'll be nice." She suspects he's in ~*~*~a mood~*~*~ (and not a good one), but she takes his hand anyway and smiles.]

A stupid holiday, but a reason to dress up.

[oh, he is in a teeeerrible mood, but he will still smile and kiss her hand in that old-timey way of his.]

I figured you'd say that. I'm preemptively avoiding complaints.

[and he'll lead her out the door more the way that they usually go. C:]

[She has a light jacket on, but it's still cold. Zelman's arm is now entirely hers.]

I'm sure you have a lot.

[After Legato, especially.]

And you must not have many--I haven't heard a single thing about your three days yet.

[he does not mind his arm being kidnapped. he's not trying to avoid talking about it, he just. kind of wants to compartmentalize all of it.]

It was boring. I was stuck with everyone else who didn't get stuck with a partner.

Was that a lot of people?

It was enough. The stupid castle kept trying to get us to do group activities. Please.

Annoying. [which gives his cloud a silver lining, he supposes.] At least my situation was fairly free of castle meddling.

[after a moment of crunching through some leftover snow...]

Let's take the shortcut.

[by which he means he scoops her up off her feet and is probably about to jump a ridiculous distance.]

[She takes the opportunity to press a quick kiss to his cheek ;x It's all okay, boyfriendo, Legato can't touch you now.]

[a-aw. he knew she was good for something.

aside from delicious virgin blood and his mental stability, anyway.

he will just zip them right off to the usual place in town, landing in the usual side-street where there won't be anyone to freak out about a guy and a chick falling out of the sky. and he sets her down nicely, too. C:]

[She starts tugging him along.]

Well?

[is tugged. trying to decide what to say.]

He's different, now.

Him? How so?

I'm not sure. [it's a very difficult thing to quantify.]

What do you mean? How can you not be sure?

I'm not sure how to describe it in a way that makes sense... It's like...

[he kind of presses his lips together as he tries to think about it...]

He was missing something before, but I think he's found it.

That doesn't sound like a good thing.

No, it's probably not.

[Look at her purposely slow so Zelman can open the door.]

Well? What happened?

[oh, yes. he supposes he can be the gentleman here and hold the door open for her.]

A lot of talking, actually. He was very contained.

[She steps in.]

What did you talk about?