[Yeeeahhh, he can't help but chuckle just a little bit.]
Of course I'm aware of my looks. Do you believe I dress this way to blend into crowds? Others may find it embarrassing, but that's the fun of it. ... That, and it has a wonderful effect of scaring those who are comfortable, yet comforting those who are scared - Those who walk a different path than the norm flock to punks and goths like moths to a flame. They know they're safe around people like me.
[Translation out of Louis-ian: gay kids know they're safe around the goths and punks. As for the little bone heart... he holds it aloft, looking at it with his smile curving up a little more.]
... Whether the effects are negative isn't something you need to worry yourself about, I promise you. I'm an actor. Hiding things is one of my only useful skills. I'll finalize it, then.
[And what does he mean by that, exactly? Well - he brings his other hand up, then, to hover in front of it... and after a second, pink-orange fire burns a design into the bone itself, leaving behind a glittering afterimage that glows gently in the shadow of his hand. And that's being handed to her, easy as anything.]
Here you are. My seal and everything. To activate it, all you need to do is grasp it in your palm and call out my true name.
[A pause, his gaze dropping to the table for a moment... as if he's deciding something heavy.]
... It's Lazarus. My real name. Be cautious with it. Like demons, my name is able to control me wholly and utterly against my will; hence why I have an alias.
Ahh, I wish I could teach him even a fraction of that self-awareness…
[The words are mumbled under her breath, a weary little sidebar as the conversation carries on.
Amari doesn’t look entirely satisfied with his answer, tbh. He was her friend now! His wellbeing mattered to her! She cares if things affect him negatively!! She doesn’t get a chance to object before he seals (haha) the deal, though, and she finds herself simply reaching out and taking the pendant when offered, holding it delicately and turning it over in her hand.]
… It’s cute.
[The seal, that is. She looks up from it and meets his eyes. Lazarus…]
Um. T-Thank you. For trusting me with something like this. I promise I won’t misuse it.
[Honestly the warning, coupled with the way he kind of dodged answering earlier, made her a little scared of the idea of using it at all. But it was … nice to have? And nice to have someone put that level of faith in you. That was a confidence booster in and of itself. ‘Believe in me who believes in you’ and all that. She smiles, a little tentatively at first but blooming as the next words come to her.]
So, actor or not, please don’t think you always have to hide things… okay?
[Something about her response seems to take him offguard, eyebrows lifting up toward his hairline as he sits up a bit straighter. And for a moment he's quiet, looking at her like he's expecting her to take that sentiment back, or to reveal that she's joking, or... He's not sure, really. Something.
Because he can't help but wonder... Can she tell he's been hiding things? This whole time? Since they first spoke?
...
If she can... yet she's asking him to not hide things...]
[... After a moment, a glowing, orange-colored blush starts to color his face, and he looks down at his nails - unable to look at her without feeling embarrassed.]
I will... try my best to remain honest with you. And, ah... after - After we are finished here, at the cafe...
... Would you like to walk through the gardens with me? They're... close by.
[Amari might not have necessarily been able to totally piece together that he was hiding things from the very start, but she knows deflection and negative self talk when she hears them (as they’re common tools in her own arsenal) so some flags have definitely been raised.
She wants Louis to feel comfortable being himself around her. She wants that of all her friends. Being true to oneself, warts and all, is something she’s still trying to wrestle with herself so she knows it can be A Process but she wants him to know it’s okay to share that process with her. That’s the sort of kindness that the others at PriPara showed her and it’s the least she can do for him after he’s already done so much for her.
… She hadn’t expected such a demure response from him, though - it draws a little color to her cheeks in turn as she sputters out a response:]
Heh? Uh, s-sure! That sounds nice!
[Still not a date!! she reminds herself, heart beating a little faster in spite of this knowledge. She awkwardly stares down at the table at the untouched treats before plucking one of the pastries and inspecting it (as much to give herself something to focus on as anything.)]
[For accepting his offer, he means. It's said nigh immediately, too, like he'd been holding his breath and waiting for rejection... But he's going to do something similar, now, picking up his cup of tea to nurse it just so he has something to look at that isn't Amari.]
... By luck, yes. As I said, it's near the Botanical Gardens - I spend quite a bit of time there, tracking the butterflies and various other pollinators that call the gardens home -
... Which... I will not get into. As I know many women don't enjoy discussing insects very much, and... I would rather not "gross you out", so to speak...
Oh, I don’t really mind bugs that much, unless they’re mosquitos, or the nasty little bugs that swarmed around PriPara. I think I do a pretty good cicada impression actually!
[—Ah. Why did she admit to that? That’s so embarrassing hgnfpggkffjfkfd She stuffs the pastry in her mouth to avoid sticking her foot in there any further, washing it down with the lemonade like her life depended on it.]
Pwaah. [Okay quickly moving on, then:] So you’re fond of insects, then? What’s your favorite?
[Well, it's too bad she's cut herself off and changed the subject, because the idea that she can imitate a cicada was actually the thing that got him to look up and away from his tea!! And he looked interested, too.
But she's onto asking about his favorites, so he'll be dropping that idea, instead... alas.]
- The calyptrate muscoids. Specifically Muscidae - houseflies. Unfortunately, they are nasty little bugs to most... But they are a subfamily I enjoy raising in my spare time.
[And then, almost awkwardly, as if he's not used to anyone asking him about his interests like this -]
Mm, I don’t dislike them. As far as bugs go, they’re definitely iconic!
[Honestly Amari kinda has a bit of cicada energy. Isolating themselves underground and vibrating and screaming when they come out into the public eye? Yeah man. Yeah.]
Houseflies, though! That’s an … interesting choice!
[Not one she would’ve expected. Kinda weird, but he seems earnest about it so now she’s kinda curious about the appeal.]
Iconic... a wonderful way to think of them. They're a close runner up for a spot among my favorites, truth be told - There's something romantic and poetic about a creature who lives about its days in darkness, waiting for a time to crawl out from beneath the dirt to sing its song before it perishes.
[Definitely not said like he relates. Definitely not.]
As for houseflies... To put it simply, I find them cute. I suspect I find them cute in much the same way others may find cats cute, really - they have large eyes that glitter in the right lighting, always preening and cleaning themselves and washing their little faces. Not only that, but they were largely the only other thing that lived in the catacombs with me...
[- His eyes widen, like he just realized he said something embarrassing. Which he apparently did, considering his blush is picking back up again, too.]
Er - not that I... did that. I merely wandered them out of curiosity, that's all.
[... He's not even sure why he feels embarrassed about it. He's never been embarrassed about the catacombs before - If anything, it was fun telling people about them and seeing their reactions.
So why is it embarrassing now, here, with Amari...?]
[Amari smiles softly at his description of the cicada. It was a kind of beautiful, if tragic, existence. At the further description of the housefly, her eyebrows scrunch together and she stares at the ceiling and tries to visualize one. Cute… huh. Hmmm. She guesses she could see that. Kind of? …Maybe?
At the last bit, though, she simply lowers her gaze back to meet Louis. And blinks.]
[There are all sorts of thoughts that flicker through Amari’s head. She doesn’t feel they’re familiar enough yet for her to tease him, especially when he’s clearly already embarrassed about the matter. She can’t in good conscience put him on blast - it’d be hypocritical of her after he’d turned a blind eye to her many embarrassing failures! Or something!!
So instead, she breathes a small chuckle.]
You’re kind of like a cicada yourself, then, huh?
[Hey we were just talking about that! She doesn’t get the circumstances, but she’s sure he had his reasons. Her smile is curious but accepting.]
[He clears his throat, looking down at his tea again as a small smile spreads across his face. It doesn't dull his blush any... but a smile's a smile.]
... I suppose I am. I even plan to sing for everyone - Though, I do hope my voice is quite a bit more pleasant than that of a cicada.
...
How do they sound again? With your impression and all. I can't say I remember...
[With the tone he's pulling, it's clear he's teasing. ... But it's surprisingly soft, too.]
Â[—Oh gosh darn it she just walked right into that!!! Dang it, Amari, you had an out and you blew it!!
Just like at Shining Karaoke, she seems to be speedrunning the stages of grief while sitting at the table. She shakes her head, grits her teeth, buries her face in her hands, the works. But then she looks up with a quiet resolution. Might as well get this over with.]
[She takes a deep breath, color rising to her face, and you can tell she's aiming to be quiet by the way she leans in close, but in her nervous state she ends up blurting out much louder than intended:]
M-Miiiinnnn min min min m~in!
[...Honestly as far as cicada impressions go, it probably isn't the best around, but it was enough to fool three of her friends, so she may have an inflated sense of its impressiveness. At the least, it's got heart! Whatever that means.]
1/2? 3?; oh she is a little freak and i love her IMMENSELY
[Oh, yup, sorry for this Amari, but that is immediately getting Louis to crack the hell up - But, well. At least it's the kind of laughter that's just as embarrassing about her cicada impression? Loud, from the belly, even with his hand coming up to his forehead as he leans back in his chair --]
[- Far enough that it actually tips backwards, getting him to flail a little, uselessly, before the chair takes him down with it against the hard linoleum floor. And for a moment, he just. Stays there like that. Blinking up at the ceiling.]
[... Only to end up laughing even harder, having to roll onto his knees to pick himself up and cough into his arm just thanks to how much he's laughing. Though, once he's on his feet, he does his best to try and quiet himself down - brushing himself off with grace like that wasn't, perhaps, the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to him. Frankly, he's acting like he doesn't care in the least that people might be looking at him after that...
And then he clears his throat, like nothing happened at all.]
You're quite good at that, I must say...! And it was cute, too - fitting, for a cicada. Thank you for sharing that with me; I'll remember it fondly when I need to laugh like that again.
[All said as he rights his chair, straightening out his sweater as he moves to sit back down again.]
[Amari is at maximum redness, breaking out into a sweat. Oohhhhh god she really did just do that really loud and in public and now he’s laughing at her! I mean, of course he’s laughing at her! She sounded ridiculous! She just wants to make like a cicada and go underground for the next decade!!!
When he falls back, she actually jerks to her feet, staring across and down at him in helpless bafflement, and when he starts up laughing again, she almost involuntarily starts laughing awkwardly along with him. This was all too surreal and crazy.]
[Little does Amari know, he honestly let himself topple like that to try and steal some of that embarrassment - he could have easily caught himself if he'd just grabbed the table, and he knows it. But... it's actually working, for the most part? If anyone's staring, they're largely only staring at him. And he doesn't seem to care at all. Like a weird little lightning rod for strange looks and humiliation, somehow.
And, of course, he's giving her a big, sweet smile when he sees how red she's turning.]
... I mean what I've said, you know. The other cicada impressions I've heard in my life have all been piss-poor - Done from a place of hatred for the sound they make, just mimicking to make fun of their cry. Yours actually sounds correct. Even if there were things you could work on, should you wish to, you have the intonation perfect. And that is something that makes me very, very happy, I assure you.
[Now that he's sitting again, he's gonna go ahead and rest his chin in his palm... and reach out to snag that bottle of wasamayo still sitting on the table, mostly just to look at it as he talks.]
I wanted to ask, by the by... have you an outfit planned for the performance? Do you need help with it? I tailor in my free time; I'd be happy to alter or even create pieces, should you need it... and I would like to see what you have planned, so that I may try my best to match with you.
Keep my own aesthetic, yet still match - like a proper idol unit.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
grips your hand in solidarity...!!
Of course I'm aware of my looks. Do you believe I dress this way to blend into crowds?
Others may find it embarrassing, but that's the fun of it. ... That, and it has a wonderful effect of scaring those who are comfortable, yet comforting those who are scared -
Those who walk a different path than the norm flock to punks and goths like moths to a flame. They know they're safe around people like me.
[Translation out of Louis-ian: gay kids know they're safe around the goths and punks.
As for the little bone heart... he holds it aloft, looking at it with his smile curving up a little more.]
... Whether the effects are negative isn't something you need to worry yourself about, I promise you. I'm an actor. Hiding things is one of my only useful skills.
I'll finalize it, then.
[And what does he mean by that, exactly? Well - he brings his other hand up, then, to hover in front of it... and after a second, pink-orange fire burns a design into the bone itself, leaving behind a glittering afterimage that glows gently in the shadow of his hand.
And that's being handed to her, easy as anything.]
Here you are. My seal and everything. To activate it, all you need to do is grasp it in your palm and call out my true name.
[A pause, his gaze dropping to the table for a moment... as if he's deciding something heavy.]
... It's Lazarus. My real name.
Be cautious with it. Like demons, my name is able to control me wholly and utterly against my will; hence why I have an alias.
But I...
... I trust you, Amari.
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[The words are mumbled under her breath, a weary little sidebar as the conversation carries on.
Amari doesn’t look entirely satisfied with his answer, tbh. He was her friend now! His wellbeing mattered to her! She cares if things affect him negatively!! She doesn’t get a chance to object before he seals (haha) the deal, though, and she finds herself simply reaching out and taking the pendant when offered, holding it delicately and turning it over in her hand.]
… It’s cute.
[The seal, that is. She looks up from it and meets his eyes. Lazarus…]
Um. T-Thank you. For trusting me with something like this. I promise I won’t misuse it.
[Honestly the warning, coupled with the way he kind of dodged answering earlier, made her a little scared of the idea of using it at all. But it was … nice to have? And nice to have someone put that level of faith in you. That was a confidence booster in and of itself. ‘Believe in me who believes in you’ and all that. She smiles, a little tentatively at first but blooming as the next words come to her.]
So, actor or not, please don’t think you always have to hide things… okay?
1/2;
[Something about her response seems to take him offguard, eyebrows lifting up toward his hairline as he sits up a bit straighter.
And for a moment he's quiet, looking at her like he's expecting her to take that sentiment back, or to reveal that she's joking, or...
He's not sure, really. Something.
Because he can't help but wonder...
Can she tell he's been hiding things? This whole time? Since they first spoke?
...
If she can... yet she's asking him to not hide things...]
2/2;
I will... try my best to remain honest with you. And, ah... after -
After we are finished here, at the cafe...
... Would you like to walk through the gardens with me? They're... close by.
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She wants Louis to feel comfortable being himself around her. She wants that of all her friends. Being true to oneself, warts and all, is something she’s still trying to wrestle with herself so she knows it can be A Process but she wants him to know it’s okay to share that process with her. That’s the sort of kindness that the others at PriPara showed her and it’s the least she can do for him after he’s already done so much for her.
… She hadn’t expected such a demure response from him, though - it draws a little color to her cheeks in turn as she sputters out a response:]
Heh? Uh, s-sure! That sounds nice!
[Still not a date!! she reminds herself, heart beating a little faster in spite of this knowledge. She awkwardly stares down at the table at the untouched treats before plucking one of the pastries and inspecting it (as much to give herself something to focus on as anything.)]
S-so, how did you find this cafe? Just by luck?
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[For accepting his offer, he means. It's said nigh immediately, too, like he'd been holding his breath and waiting for rejection...
But he's going to do something similar, now, picking up his cup of tea to nurse it just so he has something to look at that isn't Amari.]
... By luck, yes. As I said, it's near the Botanical Gardens -
I spend quite a bit of time there, tracking the butterflies and various other pollinators that call the gardens home -
... Which... I will not get into. As I know many women don't enjoy discussing insects very much, and...
I would rather not "gross you out", so to speak...
[The Demureness Continues.]
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[—Ah. Why did she admit to that? That’s so embarrassing hgnfpggkffjfkfd She stuffs the pastry in her mouth to avoid sticking her foot in there any further, washing it down with the lemonade like her life depended on it.]
Pwaah. [Okay quickly moving on, then:] So you’re fond of insects, then? What’s your favorite?
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[Well, it's too bad she's cut herself off and changed the subject, because the idea that she can imitate a cicada was actually the thing that got him to look up and away from his tea!! And he looked interested, too.
But she's onto asking about his favorites, so he'll be dropping that idea, instead... alas.]
- The calyptrate muscoids. Specifically Muscidae - houseflies. Unfortunately, they are nasty little bugs to most...
But they are a subfamily I enjoy raising in my spare time.
[And then, almost awkwardly, as if he's not used to anyone asking him about his interests like this -]
Do you... like cicadas?
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[Honestly Amari kinda has a bit of cicada energy. Isolating themselves underground and vibrating and screaming when they come out into the public eye? Yeah man. Yeah.]
Houseflies, though! That’s an … interesting choice!
[Not one she would’ve expected. Kinda weird, but he seems earnest about it so now she’s kinda curious about the appeal.]
What do you like most about them?
1/2;
There's something romantic and poetic about a creature who lives about its days in darkness, waiting for a time to crawl out from beneath the dirt to sing its song before it perishes.
[Definitely not said like he relates. Definitely not.]
As for houseflies...
To put it simply, I find them cute. I suspect I find them cute in much the same way others may find cats cute, really - they have large eyes that glitter in the right lighting, always preening and cleaning themselves and washing their little faces.
Not only that, but they were largely the only other thing that lived in the catacombs with me...
2/2;
Er - not that I... did that.
I merely wandered them out of curiosity, that's all.
[... He's not even sure why he feels embarrassed about it. He's never been embarrassed about the catacombs before -
If anything, it was fun telling people about them and seeing their reactions.
So why is it embarrassing now, here, with Amari...?]
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At the last bit, though, she simply lowers her gaze back to meet Louis. And blinks.]
… Catacombs?
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[Don't look at him like that?? It's making this even harder?!??!]
C...
Catacombs, yes.
I, ah... back in my own world, I... lived... within the catacombs...
It -
It was one of the only places where I could be left alone... while I was coming to terms with my magic...
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So instead, she breathes a small chuckle.]
You’re kind of like a cicada yourself, then, huh?
[
Hey we were just talking about that!She doesn’t get the circumstances, but she’s sure he had his reasons. Her smile is curious but accepting.]no subject
[He clears his throat, looking down at his tea again as a small smile spreads across his face.
It doesn't dull his blush any... but a smile's a smile.]
... I suppose I am. I even plan to sing for everyone -
Though, I do hope my voice is quite a bit more pleasant than that of a cicada.
...
How do they sound again? With your impression and all.
I can't say I remember...
[With the tone he's pulling, it's clear he's teasing. ... But it's surprisingly soft, too.]
1/2
Just like at Shining Karaoke, she seems to be speedrunning the stages of grief while sitting at the table. She shakes her head, grits her teeth, buries her face in her hands, the works. But then she looks up with a quiet resolution. Might as well get this over with.]
2/2
M-Miiiinnnn min min min m~in!
[...Honestly as far as cicada impressions go, it probably isn't the best around, but it was enough to fool three of her friends, so she may have an inflated sense of its impressiveness. At the least, it's got heart! Whatever that means.]
1/2? 3?; oh she is a little freak and i love her IMMENSELY
But, well. At least it's the kind of laughter that's just as embarrassing about her cicada impression? Loud, from the belly, even with his hand coming up to his forehead as he leans back in his chair --]
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And for a moment, he just. Stays there like that. Blinking up at the ceiling.]
yeah 3/3;
Though, once he's on his feet, he does his best to try and quiet himself down - brushing himself off with grace like that wasn't, perhaps, the most embarrassing thing that could have happened to him.
Frankly, he's acting like he doesn't care in the least that people might be looking at him after that...
And then he clears his throat, like nothing happened at all.]
You're quite good at that, I must say...! And it was cute, too - fitting, for a cicada.
Thank you for sharing that with me; I'll remember it fondly when I need to laugh like that again.
[All said as he rights his chair, straightening out his sweater as he moves to sit back down again.]
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When he falls back, she actually jerks to her feet, staring across and down at him in helpless bafflement, and when he starts up laughing again, she almost involuntarily starts laughing awkwardly along with him. This was all too surreal and crazy.]
I’m… I’m glad you enjoyed it, ahaha…
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But... it's actually working, for the most part? If anyone's staring, they're largely only staring at him. And he doesn't seem to care at all.
Like a weird little lightning rod for strange looks and humiliation, somehow.
And, of course, he's giving her a big, sweet smile when he sees how red she's turning.]
... I mean what I've said, you know. The other cicada impressions I've heard in my life have all been piss-poor -
Done from a place of hatred for the sound they make, just mimicking to make fun of their cry. Yours actually sounds correct. Even if there were things you could work on, should you wish to, you have the intonation perfect.
And that is something that makes me very, very happy, I assure you.
[Now that he's sitting again, he's gonna go ahead and rest his chin in his palm... and reach out to snag that bottle of wasamayo still sitting on the table, mostly just to look at it as he talks.]
I wanted to ask, by the by... have you an outfit planned for the performance? Do you need help with it?
I tailor in my free time; I'd be happy to alter or even create pieces, should you need it... and I would like to see what you have planned, so that I may try my best to match with you.
Keep my own aesthetic, yet still match - like a proper idol unit.