Speak your love language

[hydrates]

ways to show affection When it comes to the way affection is shown, everyone has a different way they go about it. That means that there's a pretty good chance, with regards to couples, you could end up with two people who have two varying approaches towards how they prove they care...sometimes radically varying, which can lead to more than a little confusion or hurt feelings if there's not proper communication. But when both people are on the same page, they can tell each other how they feel with few words. ☄ Comment with your character, info, prefs, and how your character will likely show affection. ☄ Reply to others. ☄ Thread, my dears! ☆ WORDS: Sweet affirmations, pet names, even ☆ CUDDLES: Hugs, nuzzles, the works. ☆ KISSING: On the check or on the lips. ☆ KINDNESS: Always there for them. ☆ PROVIDING: Providing care, providing protection, providing financially. ☆ GENTLE...ER: Your only weak spot. ☆ MEANNESS: Straight up tsundere. ☆ GIFTS: All the pretty things. ☆ ACTIONS: Visits, taking care of their problems, taking them out, and more. ☆ SUBTLE: A distant sort of affection, but they know. ☆ [ WILDCARD ]

Comments

[reclaimedtime]

[ If Mari hears Shushing Guy's words, she sure doesn't show it. The whole of her attention is focused on Kanan. Bated breath, sparkling eyes, hands bundled into fists-- ] Go, go, Kanan!!

[ WOW LOOK AT THAT PUCK GO. Mari gives an excited round of applause, before running over and attaching herself right back to Kanan's arm. ] You're so strong! Amazing! The coolest!! ♥♥

[ Other things Mari appears completely oblivious to include: the crowd of people around them, and PDA as a concept. As far as she's concerned, there's no distinction, wherever they are -- there's just Mari being Mari, and that means a whole lot of nuzzling and squeezing. So proud of her strong girlfriend!! ]

sorry for the delay!

[rebreathe]

[The real demonstration of strength is in staying her ground. One wrong move, and they'd both slip and lose their balance. She reaches around, attempting to have Mari hold still. It doesn't work.]

Ahaha...thanks. I got lucky. [Aren't these usually rigged?] Now, we've held things up here long enough, I think.

[Meeting an appreciative fan would be the highlight of any other day, but her attention and efforts are all for one person only this time, so she isn't even all too guilty about pretending she was unaware Shushing Guy knows who they are.]

no prob! o7 also, congrats on your actual knife mastery

[reclaimedtime]

'kaaaay. [ Mari got what she wanted -- she's content enough to leave. She does, however, mention: ] Though, I bet you could get it all the way up if you tried again!

[ --But okay, okay, Kanan's feeling guilty, so they can just come back later if they want. Off they go! ] Ciao, boys!

[ Sorry, no autograph for you, Shushing Guy. Maybe next time! She does blow him a kiss, though, which from the look on his face should probably sustain him for the next decade.

Mari stays attached to Kanan's arm as they walk, a bounce to her step, humming cheerfully. It's only once they're a few feet away that she comments: ] You know, that guy said you were cute.

quite liked that one, lol

[rebreathe]

Nah. [With another laugh, she boops Mari on the nose, grazing the knuckle of her finger across lightly.] He meant you. Must have been charmed by your sick moves.

[Quips aside, it makes sense when she applies her mind to what happened; they are in uniform, Mari's voice and appearance easily distinguish her from most -- and they had called each other by name, which was the clearest confirmation he would need.]

Did you hear what he was telling his friend?

can't believe kanan trained ruby to commit a murder

[reclaimedtime]

[ Mari's nose crinkles, and she sticks out her tongue with a sound between a laugh and a nyeh. ]

Just a little bit! You stole all my attention, after all.

is it still murder when the "victim" wasn't directly "killed" by her

[rebreathe]

As if.

[Oh, but she is in no position for this, is she, when the remarkable opacity of Mari's tendency to say and mean different things continues to perplex her so often.

She tucks her hand into a jacket pocket, pulling the grasp on her arm nearer.]

I was overly self-conscious. [The people watching was a factor, though she hadn't set out to make a show back there. What they do backstage, offstage, is nobody else's business.] You handled it better than I did.

HE WAS STILL FLAPPING, he didn't deserve this!!!

[reclaimedtime]

It's not 'as if'! It's because I'm always looking at Kanan. [ The sing-song to her voice doesn't exactly help make it sound serious, does it... Not a drop of translucence gained. ]

What was there to get self-conscious about, though? [ The raise of Mari's brow here seems sincere, at least, before her features rearrange into an impish grin. ] You're such a worrywort. Even if some of them recognized us, I don't think anyone'd be that concerned with our arm strength!

pfff...I meant Dia. RIP Dia.

[rebreathe]

I know.

all>[Sounds simple, when put like that. Foolish, even.

Mari's always drawn attention to herself, whether intentionally or not. She's already used to having eyes on her for any sort of reasons and purposes. Which is fine. Kanan is long past caring about such a thing.

What they are -- who they are -- to each other is more important.

Maybe the actual issue lies in how she enjoys seeing a side to Mari no one else does.]

Shows that we've achieved what we were going for, right? Now people are taking notice of Aqours and our school.

[μ's were being trailed everywhere, when public awareness of them was at a high. Won't happen out in the boondocks, probably, though occasionally she wonders how they dealt with it.]

lmaooo :')

[reclaimedtime]

[ Mari can't even imagine having these sorts of concerns. Not just because she's so used to the attention -- this time, she wants it. The thought of people seeing her and Kanan like this makes her downright giddy with excitement. The only thing that could make her happier is hanging a custom-made neon sign above Kanan's head that reads ☆!!This Is My Girlfriend and I Love Her!!☆, but Kanan probably wouldn't appreciate that as much. Ah, well! ]

Mmhmm! Our hard work's paying off. [ Her fingers dance along the length of Kanan's arm, reaching into the jacket pocket to give her hand a squeeze. ] Aren't you glad, Kanan?

[rebreathe]

Of course I am. [She returns the squeeze without thinking, fingers closing round Mari's.] After all, they saw something in us worth the validation.

[The combined efforts of every member brought Aqours, as the group is now, so much further compared to two years before. She can be glad for that, as well.] Wouldn't do to let them down.

But when it comes to you... [At the core, she's just fumbling her way through, never having considered the very idea of dating someone.] That's not the same.

[reclaimedtime]

No? [ She bows her head slightly, to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. ] Then, how am I different?

[rebreathe]

I'm not with you only because you confessed first. [They've gone over this, but it's a comparison she won't allow. The reciprocation was nowhere alike to begin with.] My reasons are different.

[While they are, supposedly, recognizable to a certain extent outside school, Mari is always the same person she has known all these years. A multi-faceted person fans, or those who see her for her family's name, glimpse mere fractions of, at most.]

[reclaimedtime]

Different, indeed! [ They've gone over this, but that doesn't mean Mari wouldn't like hearing it a second time. Spoiled? Maybe, but Kanan could stand to indulge her a little bit, too. ] You're so stingy, you know that?

[ She's fine leaving it at that, though. Hardly an exclamation of undying love, but it's difficult to mind, with Kanan's hand in hers. ]

Oh-- [ She catches sight of the food stalls from the corner of her eye, reminding her: ] Are you hungry, Kanan? You wanna get anything? [ They did come here straight from school, after all. ] My treat, so don't hold back!

[rebreathe]

Hah? [Stingy? Why??

She still looks painfully confused as they check out the displays. Food is food, though, and takes priority.]

How about oden? We can share and eat when walking.

[And why a Christmas fair has oden is a mystery that perhaps only the merchants' association has the answer for. To cater to the tastes of their market? Because it's cold? Maybe the vendor is 7-11?]

if kanan can make christmas sashimi this guy can have his cart, smh

[reclaimedtime]

[ Well! If it bothers Kanan so much, she can figure it out for herself. ]

Ooh, Yes! I wanna share with Kanan! ♪

[ Is that really something to get so excited about... well, whatever! Since she knows Kanan's likes-dislikes, Mari takes the liberty of going ahead and ordering for them. Of course their bowl ends up containing a mountain of toppings, because Mari Ohara and moderation do not belong in the same sentence ever. ]

[ With her best old-guy-who-runs-an-oden-cart impression, she holds out a spoon and a pair of chopsticks for her. ] Here you are, young lady!

truth

[rebreathe]

[To be fair, the impression is quite entertaining, and far more welcome a sight than the actual cart owner.]

Thank you. [Predictably, Kanan aims for wakame first, lifting strips from the broth into the spoon. Bliss.]

Ah, so warm...just the thing for a chilly day like this. [The sort of words to come out old folks' mouths, even if she doesn't realize it, offering the chopsticks back to Mari.] Your turn.

[reclaimedtime]

[ Snort. Kanan doesn't even have to try to sound like an old man, but that's just one of her many charm points! ]

Okay! [ Rather than accept the chopsticks, though, Mari points at her own mouth. ] Feed meeeee!

[rebreathe]

Sheesh... [While they've shared food countless times, taking bites of each other's things and so on, that was not with such a degree of intimacy. Even she knows it's not the same anymore. The deadpan tone in her voice suggests she'd rather feed Tiffany instead.]

Which piece do you want? Fishcake?

[She ducks her head further, ostensibly to have a better look through the dark broth, though the flush in the small sliver of her exposed neck can't be explained away by proximity to the steaming bowl alone.]

[reclaimedtime]

Yes! [ You know her so well!! An enthusiastic clap of her hands-- ] Fishcake, fishcake~♪

[ No mercy for her self-conscious date, it'd seem. ]

[rebreathe]

Here. [Familiarity is the sole reason her hand stays steady.

Watching Mari take the bite conjures up the mental image from before -- a cat, amiable to humans who extend food; and it's also reminiscent of the friendlier animals at the aquariums' petting pools accepting treats.

Mari would probably hit her if she said so out loud.]

Good?

[reclaimedtime]

[ Is this any kind of internal monologue to be having about one's girlfriend. Unbelievable!! But Mari, oblivious to this, happily chews away. ]

Mmhmm! [ Oh, right, should probably swallow first. There we go. ] Delicious!

[ Now she does take the chopsticks -- to fish out another piece of wakame and hold it out to Kanan. ] Here, I'll do you. Say aaah!

[rebreathe]

[What manner of punishment is this...definitely not the sharing she had in mind when proposing it.]

...aaah. [A hesitant chomp.

She's fine. This is fine. Any passersby wouldn't give them a second glance. Girls eating from the same serving is normal.

Besides, she's so preoccupied to care about the surroundings. They might as well be standing in their little no-outsiders-allowed zone.]

[reclaimedtime]

[ The look on Mari's face is nothing short of delighted. You'd think she made the thing herself. ] Wow, look at that! Surprisingly obedient!

[ ... She's always been considerably less likely to filter out the things that'd get her thwacked. ]

Okay, have one more! Aaah~

[ Pushing her luck, much? ]

[rebreathe]

[disgruntled.jpg]

You think this is funny, don't you. [Kanan sure does not. The last thing she needs at the moment is extra commentary making it worse.

Grudgingly, and a little harder than necessary, she takes a second bite.]

I should leave you to finish the whole bowl by yourself.

[What then, eh. WHAT THEN.]

[reclaimedtime]

[ Snrk. ] Isn't that self-punishment? You'd go hungry!

[ If you think a bowl of oden could stand before Mari Ohara and win, you're severely underestimating her. Mountain of toppings or not. ]

Come on, I'm not making fun. [ She holds another piece out in a peace offering. ] I just think you're really cute!