[The solution sits on her tongue, waiting to be spoken. We could moonlace. Even something as simple as handholding could slow the rate that he burns chroma, right? And yet, suggesting it is harder for Lucy than jumping off an airship.
She eyes the couch. What's the worst that can happen? It isn't as if a fear of Ranpo factors into this indecision. Only a fear for her pride.]
... C-C'mon. We can sit together. I... need to buy a new dress anyway. [She's not moonlacing for him! It's for her own sake!]
It's not gonna be much, but something is better than nothing. Right? I didn't realize Cordis was so annoying.
[Oh, the worst is absolutely going to happen. Because Ranpo knows just how hard it is for her to offer that--]
[And he's so touched he starts tearing up a little. Emotions run high when the moons are full, and while cordis usually put him in a great mood, when he was inconsolable like this, it just made his moods more extreme. Not a great combo for a guy going through a break-up.]
[Of course, the fact that he's a white-haired pretty boy foxboy right now, wearing an oversized shirt and looking teary-eyed and vulnerable is probably not going to make this easy for Lucy. At least he's not giving off pheromones yet?]
I... think I'd feel a lot better, if we did. Do you mind if I lean on you?
[He says lean, but he's 100% going to cuddle against her.]
[He got her with that teary expression. Lucy has never seen Ranpo look so vulnerable: He's always smiling and making every outing feel like a grand party. If all he wants is someone to lean on then, well...
She sets herself down on the couch, shoulders stiff in preparation.Ranpo is Atsushi's friend-- her friend, if she dares to think it. They write songs about friends leaning on each other! This is fine. It's normal. She can do this.]
I'm not here to ignore you, so... [Oops, maybe that was the wrong thing to say.
Lucy shuffles closer as an apology.] C'mon. Can't have you getting chroma starved.
[Once she's sitting down, he scoots over. But rather than just lean his shoulder against hers, he leans closer so his cheek is resting on his shoulder, and his arms wrapped around one of hers.]
[She wasn't ready for this. It's Ranpo, so she doesn't react negatively; Only with a surprised gasp and bright red cheeks. This is for Ranpo, she reminds herself. And with the warmth of moonlacing, it doesn't feel bad.
Lucy closes her eyes, carefully taking a deep breath and trying to calm her nerves. She's never been this close to anyone. Even when they hugged in the cuddlepile, Lucy at least had her dragon instinct to get her through it.]
Y-Yeah... It's better. Is this enough chroma for you? [she's gonna get to buy a real nice dress from this.]
[Lucy exhales to calm herself. Slow and careful, she leans in his direction. She wants to help! But more than that, honestly... She wants to get used to this.
Since Ranpo just broke up with someone, Inaba will keep names out of her mouth. She doesn't want to make this about her, but keep it about Ranpo. And that means not admitting that she's never even imagined cuddling with her own mysterious, super secret crush.]
... I don't even daydream about this, is all. It's... nice. I-I like the money!!!
[Just disregards her money comment, gurl, he knows.]
You know, I wasn't really the touchy-feely type back home. But I'm glad this place encourages it. I don't think it would have been as easy, being here, without someone to hold me once in a while.
[Is that too sappy? Maybe a little. But things like that have been on his mind. After all-- he was usually the one holding Inaba, rather than the other way around.]
[She doesn’t need to say anything for him to know. That’s one of the nice things about Ranpo. In a way, it’s like hanging out with Anne.
how does it feel to be compared to a creepy doll, huh...
But Lucy never has to explain herself to Anne. Her friend just knows. Ranpo is like her imaginary friend: He gets her and she doesn’t have to explain her painful truths. Like how it’s hard to suddenly get used to the cuddle life. Not bad, not miserable: Just hard.]
Mm... It’s less lonely.
[So for Ranpo, her friend who she doesn’t have to explain herself to, Lucy will cuddle back. She leans toward him and offers an arm around him, too. Because it’s Cordis!!! And he’s a kitsune and he needs chroma!!! And because it’s not bad, either... and some loser might be practicing so that she can hug a cat without punching him someday.]
There. It’s not much, but I won’t let you... chroma starve or whatever. Until Atsushi gets back. [...] Unless this is inappropriate.
[Well, he is the cuddle-senpai here. And with how warm and comforting moonlacing is, Lucy can’t argue against hugging her friend.
Her friend.
Is that even okay to think? Lucy closes her eyes, banishing the tsun concern. Right now, at the very least, Atsushi’s friend needs to be comforted. This is his fault. When she frames it that way, turning this into a job, it somehow becomes easier. There are less of her feelings on the line this way.
She does giggle at the purring.]
I’m going to have to start calling you Tabby Cat if you keep this up, you know.
Hmm, I dunno if I'm much of a Tabby. I don't really have the stripes.
[Is he getting away with the nuzzling? Good, because he's gonna keep it up. But nothing more than that -- mercifully, he doesn't have the usual Kitsune Horny Energy he usually gets in this form.]
[But also, because this thread isn't cute enough -- from the other side of the room, a tiny white blur nyooms over and leaps onto the couch beside Lucy, immediately snuggling up to her side. "Maudie!"]
[Now that there's more chroma in the room, he can be more active -- he needs it to maintain his form, after all. And Ranpo didn't exactly have much to spare.]
[He is getting away with it. Because under the excuse of Cordis and "being helpful," Lucy is able to cuddle someone. And she doesn't hate it. Actually, this is pretty nice. It's certainly unlike trying to get hugs from a cold doll like Anne.]
There you are, Watty! [And what a relief it is to see him! That must mean that Ranpo isn't low on chroma. The last thing that this horrible break-up needs is someone turning into a crystal. ahahaha......
She welcomes Watty into the cuddle pile, put even more at ease by Ranpo's cute son.]
Good. Now we're all together. [A happy hum slipping out as she considers,] Maybe not a Tabby Cat then. But close enough.
[Not Atsushi, but honestly? Lucy is beginning to trust Ranpo just as much.]
[Though she is sincerely more relieved to hear his appetite has returned, Lucy won't turn down free food. She giggles at Watty, who still thinks he should like caterpillars. He really is such a kid.]
I wouldn't mind, I guess. But I haven't gotten takeout here yet. Dunno what's good.
That's fine! Just tell me what you like, and I'll order something from the best restaurant I know that has it. I've tried pretty much all of them by now.
[Just opens up his phone and brings up PrismaEats, while Watty busies himself with crawling all over them.]
[What does she like? Lucy is usually picking from a menu based on price and convenience; Making leftover sandwiches or omelettes when she cooks for herself, or other simple and cheap meals.
Having free reign is exciting.]
I still haven't eaten much Japanese food. What's a favorite? [Have a food adventure! It's fun.]
[Is that a spark in his eye? Let it be known that one of Ranpo's favorite things is showing people new things. Especially foods--]
Then why don't we get one of everything from my favorite place? It's usually easier to just order a bunch of food at the start of cordis and live off the leftovers until it ends anyway. This way you can try a lot, and I don't have to cook!
[Truly a win-win scenario only a rich fuckboy could suggest.]
[She would protest, but he makes a valid point. He is going to need a lot to eat during cordis. Actually, a lot of her friends are cordis... Maybe if she pays attention to which dishes he likes, she can learn to recreate them?
Lucy grins; One of her wide grins, where she's too happy to hide her braces.]
Let's do it! I'm excited to see what you order! [being friends with rich fuckboys is the best.]
[Lucky for Lucy, Ranpo doesn't like mochi, so no dishes will be too chewy for her braces.]
This one place I like has a really wide variety! It's owned by this really nice koi prismal couple-- they didn't even get mad when I asked why they serve fish when they're... well, you know.
[They literally just look like koi fish with human legs. Some prismals are more wild than others.]
[She gives an uneasy chuckle, wondering if she's met them. Lucy has met a few prismals who looked so unusual that she may have screamed at first. More used to it now, but embarrassed to meet those individuals again.]
We really are on another planet, huh? Sometimes I manage to forget.
I guess our world is already pretty weird in it's own ways. I wonder if that's why I got used to it so fast-- ah, relatively speaking, at least.
[He did not get used to it fast, he was a disaster for the first few months.]
[But with the food ordered, he's just gonna go right back to cuddling, because why not? His three tails are even wagging behind him... didn't he only have two earlier? Hm.]
[For once, Lucy isn't saying this to drag the mood down. She's not about to start a pity party, even if her old self may have lept at the chance. Instead, she sounds curious. Maybe there's more to miss back home than she originally realized.
As Ranpo returns to the cuddling, Lucy becomes a sap.]
Never had a home. But now I have people, so I don't need one anyway. [That's you, Ranpo. The tsundere is talking about how ADA is as close as she's had to a home. But even Lucy knows that would be disgustingly sweet to say, so peppers it down with some tsun.]
Maybe that's why this place doesn't always feel alien to me.
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She eyes the couch. What's the worst that can happen? It isn't as if a fear of Ranpo factors into this indecision. Only a fear for her pride.]
... C-C'mon. We can sit together. I... need to buy a new dress anyway. [She's not moonlacing for him! It's for her own sake!]
It's not gonna be much, but something is better than nothing. Right? I didn't realize Cordis was so annoying.
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[And he's so touched he starts tearing up a little. Emotions run high when the moons are full, and while cordis usually put him in a great mood, when he was inconsolable like this, it just made his moods more extreme. Not a great combo for a guy going through a break-up.]
[Of course, the fact that he's a white-haired pretty boy foxboy right now, wearing an oversized shirt and looking teary-eyed and vulnerable is probably not going to make this easy for Lucy. At least he's not giving off pheromones
yet?]I... think I'd feel a lot better, if we did. Do you mind if I lean on you?
[He says lean, but he's 100% going to cuddle against her.]
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She sets herself down on the couch, shoulders stiff in preparation.Ranpo is Atsushi's friend-- her friend, if she dares to think it. They write songs about friends leaning on each other! This is fine. It's normal. She can do this.]
I'm not here to ignore you, so... [Oops, maybe that was the wrong thing to say.
Lucy shuffles closer as an apology.] C'mon. Can't have you getting chroma starved.
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[This isn't a lean, it's a full-on cling.]
...thank you. This already feels better.
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Lucy closes her eyes, carefully taking a deep breath and trying to calm her nerves. She's never been this close to anyone. Even when they hugged in the cuddlepile, Lucy at least had her dragon instinct to get her through it.]
Y-Yeah... It's better. Is this enough chroma for you? [she's gonna get to buy a real nice dress from this.]
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[They're only barely started cuddling! Look at the sad fox ears. And sad fox tails, that droop off the couch behind him.]
[But he can tell she's uncomfortable. He doesn't have to be Ranpo to see that.]
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[She blurts immediately, embarrassed as she is apologetic. It's obvious, isn't it? Lucy almost feels ashamed of how nervous she is.]
... I'm not used to it. I didn't think I'd like it!
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Since Ranpo just broke up with someone, Inaba will keep names out of her mouth. She doesn't want to make this about her, but keep it about Ranpo. And that means not admitting that she's never even imagined cuddling with her own mysterious, super secret crush.]
... I don't even daydream about this, is all. It's... nice. I-I like the money!!!
[She's so transparent.]
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[Just disregards her money comment, gurl, he knows.]
You know, I wasn't really the touchy-feely type back home. But I'm glad this place encourages it. I don't think it would have been as easy, being here, without someone to hold me once in a while.
[Is that too sappy? Maybe a little. But things like that have been on his mind. After all-- he was usually the one holding Inaba, rather than the other way around.]
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how does it feel to be compared to a creepy doll, huh...
But Lucy never has to explain herself to Anne. Her friend just knows. Ranpo is like her imaginary friend: He gets her and she doesn’t have to explain her painful truths. Like how it’s hard to suddenly get used to the cuddle life. Not bad, not miserable: Just hard.]
Mm... It’s less lonely.
[So for Ranpo, her friend who she doesn’t have to explain herself to, Lucy will cuddle back. She leans toward him and offers an arm around him, too. Because it’s Cordis!!! And he’s a kitsune and he needs chroma!!! And because it’s not bad, either... and some loser might be practicing so that she can hug a cat without punching him someday.]
There. It’s not much, but I won’t let you... chroma starve or whatever. Until Atsushi gets back. [...] Unless this is inappropriate.
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[Clinging to her arm and nuzzling his cheek against her shoulder while starting to purr, tho? That might be a little more borderline. #yolo]
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Her friend.
Is that even okay to think? Lucy closes her eyes, banishing the tsun concern. Right now, at the very least, Atsushi’s friend needs to be comforted. This is his fault. When she frames it that way, turning this into a job, it somehow becomes easier. There are less of her feelings on the line this way.
She does giggle at the purring.]
I’m going to have to start calling you Tabby Cat if you keep this up, you know.
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[Is he getting away with the nuzzling? Good, because he's gonna keep it up. But nothing more than that -- mercifully, he doesn't have the usual Kitsune Horny Energy he usually gets in this form.]
[But also, because this thread isn't cute enough -- from the other side of the room, a tiny white blur nyooms over and leaps onto the couch beside Lucy, immediately snuggling up to her side. "Maudie!"]
[Now that there's more chroma in the room, he can be more active -- he needs it to maintain his form, after all. And Ranpo didn't exactly have much to spare.]
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There you are, Watty! [And what a relief it is to see him! That must mean that Ranpo isn't low on chroma. The last thing that this horrible break-up needs is someone turning into a crystal. ahahaha......
She welcomes Watty into the cuddle pile, put even more at ease by Ranpo's cute son.]
Good. Now we're all together. [A happy hum slipping out as she considers,] Maybe not a Tabby Cat then. But close enough.
[Not Atsushi, but honestly? Lucy is beginning to trust Ranpo just as much.]
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[Just don't call him a Munchkin Cat because he's short--]
But say, are you hungry at all? I think I'm starting to get my appetite back... I could have something delivered, so we don't have to cook.
["Papa, Watty wants caterpillars."]
I don't think we can get those delivered.
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[Though she is sincerely more relieved to hear his appetite has returned, Lucy won't turn down free food. She giggles at Watty, who still thinks he should like caterpillars. He really is such a kid.]
I wouldn't mind, I guess. But I haven't gotten takeout here yet. Dunno what's good.
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That's fine! Just tell me what you like, and I'll order something from the best restaurant I know that has it. I've tried pretty much all of them by now.
[Just opens up his phone and brings up PrismaEats, while Watty busies himself with crawling all over them.]
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Having free reign is exciting.]
I still haven't eaten much Japanese food. What's a favorite? [Have a food adventure! It's fun.]
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[Is that a spark in his eye? Let it be known that one of Ranpo's favorite things is showing people new things. Especially foods--]
Then why don't we get one of everything from my favorite place? It's usually easier to just order a bunch of food at the start of cordis and live off the leftovers until it ends anyway. This way you can try a lot, and I don't have to cook!
[Truly a win-win scenario only a rich fuckboy could suggest.]
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Lucy grins; One of her wide grins, where she's too happy to hide her braces.]
Let's do it! I'm excited to see what you order! [being friends with rich fuckboys is the best.]
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This one place I like has a really wide variety! It's owned by this really nice koi prismal couple-- they didn't even get mad when I asked why they serve fish when they're... well, you know.
[They literally just look like koi fish with human legs. Some prismals are more wild than others.]
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We really are on another planet, huh? Sometimes I manage to forget.
[Because her favorite people are already here.]
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[He did not get used to it fast, he was a disaster for the first few months.]
[But with the food ordered, he's just gonna go right back to cuddling, because why not? His three tails are even wagging behind him... didn't he only have two earlier? Hm.]
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[For once, Lucy isn't saying this to drag the mood down. She's not about to start a pity party, even if her old self may have lept at the chance. Instead, she sounds curious. Maybe there's more to miss back home than she originally realized.
As Ranpo returns to the cuddling, Lucy becomes a sap.]
Never had a home. But now I have people, so I don't need one anyway. [That's you, Ranpo. The tsundere is talking about how ADA is as close as she's had to a home. But even Lucy knows that would be disgustingly sweet to say, so peppers it down with some tsun.]
Maybe that's why this place doesn't always feel alien to me.
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