[The more Shinichi fussed at her, the more she felt a prickling warmth in her ears and on her cheekbones. And the Light Thing was getting more fluttery and distracting by the moment, its movements intensifying whenever Shinichi touched her or otherwise reminded her that they were very much holding hands. And that...he didn't seem bothered. He wasn't finding reasons to let go. They weren't out in the cold long enough for Shinichi's hand to linger in a frozen crab claw shape, he could let go whenever he wished--the same as her. And neither did.
Migi's interjection did make the Light Thing bounce around less, but his presence wasn't otherwise much of an annoyance. Kaede sighed, finally relenting on her stubborn insistence.]
...fine. We can go inside.
[A vector grabbed the rope fastened to the sled, tugging it along. No point leaving it out here to get lost in the snow.
...and. Using her vectors made it so she didn't have to let go of Shinichi's hand. It was quite warm. More than just the contact would explain.]
( Once again, Shinichi's stricken by the fact he'd really prefer Migi not... talk to Kaede while she's holding his hand. It's not quite embarrassment that his flash of upset takes the form of โ something else, something a little harder to pinpoint. Something that makes him flush for a different reason again, one that's much less pleasant.
But, once again, Kaede doesn't seem to flinch back from the horrible little alien that possesses his right hand, and maybe that means it's all okay, but he finds himself wishing he could change hands โ swap his right for his left, only if he pulls away it might seem like he doesn't want to be holding her hand at all, and he doesn't want her to think that...!
It's a dilemma, to be sure. All he can do is hope Migi stays quiet now that they're heading inside. Because it sure would be nice to just be able to concentrate on the way the girl's hand feels in his, warm and secure. As they walk, it does get easier to focus on that โ and his heart goes fluttery for the more pleasant reasons again. Now they're just walking, and it's a little different from when they'd been clasping hands on the sled, in the heat of the moment.
But he's terrified to move his fingers at all, to risk stirring Migi or worse, for her to think it's Migi moving around โ and sometimes it's hard to tell where his movements ends and Migi's begins, at all. So he tries as hard as he can to keep his hand still, unmoving. And... it's still a little bit of a walk back to the cabin, and the silence is growing, and his heart feels like it's in his throat. He should say something but suddenly, being right beside Kaede makes him feel like he can't speak at all. )
...I think I saw hot chocolate mix, inside. ( He blurts. ) Do you like it? Hot chocolate, I mean.
[For Kaede, the quiet was a welcome break in the excitement and fussing and...and feeling. Besides the crunching underfoot, the snow seemed to muffle and soften all other noise. Like this was a soft edged world just for them.
But inevitably she was reminded of where her hand was; whenever she took a bigger step than usual to keep up, or stop her arm from swinging and dislodging Shinichi. Just to make sure, she held on a bit tighter each time she thought about it, which...was a lot. The Warm Thing had grown to an Excitable Thing that made her chest prickle and the cold seem far away; she didn't dare say anything yet, what if her voice trembled? Shinichi wouldn't mind, but--
Kaede was aware Shinichi said something, but it took her a moment to really listen, his words spending a moment in her mind before the gears in her head turned.]
--huh? Oh--yeah. I...do.
[She'd found some occasionally in a...newly vacated house, when she was younger. Kaede doesn't mention that part, though.]
Maybe I could make some for you โ if-if you like.
( The words come out a lot more nervously than he'd wanted them to, and there's an awkward lapse there between his own anxious flare-up and her response, both of them half in some other world thinking thoughts โ although ironically, those thoughts having to do with each other.
Almost subconsciously, he's giving her hand another soft squeeze, trying to keep himself steadied... He's a nervous wreck all of a sudden โ not that such things are exactly atypical for him, but... )
It'd be nice to drink some while we're warming up by the fireplace, ( he adds as he keeps guiding them back towards the large resort cabin, and he manages to find a smile again, even if it's a shy one, and even if he's rambling a little bit on. )
[The Excitable Warm Thing kept buzzing, and buzzing, and buzzed faster when Shinichi talked to her, and squeezed her hand. There was definitely more color to her face than the cold could explain, but it didn't feel like something she heeded to hide now. And...that smile of his was a little infectious. A soft one made it to Kaede's face too, though even smaller and brief. But it was a smile all the same.]
I think--I'd like that.
[Once they'd gotten up onto the porch encircling the main building she stomped the snow off her boots, and left the sled under the shelter of the roof. No point tripping over it when it snowed again. The door wasn't locked--doors tended not to stay that way whenever Kaede was around anyway.]
( The girl's response makes that warmth in his own chest blossom, leaving him feeling light-headed and dumb and happy. Shinichi can't help smiling again, ducking his head as though to conceal the gesture a little, not quite embarrassed, justโ shy.
Once they're at the porch, Shinichi stomps his own boots a little, clearing some of the initial snow, and then opens the door for them, stepping into the lodge. Luckily, nothing's changed, seemingly โ in this strange, nebulous place, their environment is wont to do that every once in awhile. But for the moment, the luxurious lodge stays just that way: sprawling and comfortable, albeit definitely too big for just two people. It gives a lingering eerie feeling if he thinks about it too much. He prefers sticking close to Kaede.
But it's nice and warm inside, with the massive fireplace going in the living room area, and thick, plush rugs padding the wooden floorboards in various place. Shinichi toes out of his boots to leave them by the front door, and peels off his outer jacket to hang up on a hook by the door, so it can dry. )
We can go get changed, and then meet back here? Unless you want to take a hot bath first. I know some people do that when they come back in from the snow... Which is to say โ take your time!
[Kaede did the same, albeit a little less mannerly; her shoes were a bit crooked, and her sodden jacket hanging unevenly on its hook. She listened to Shinichi talk without interruption; while silence was comforting sometimes, just hearing a friendly voice in the air was something she'd become fond of; like sitting beside a bubbling stream.
But, eventually, she...got a silly little impulse, one that didn't have much thought behind it.
As Shinichi kept rambling, Kaede put a finger over his mouth, gently. There was no scolding to it, and the gesture was brief. But her little smile remained, along with the softness around her eyes.]
I'll be back soon, Shinichi.
[Her hand drifted to his shoulder, brushed an imaginary bit of snow from his shirt collar, then pulled away--followed by the rest of her. Kaede went back to the set of rooms they'd claimed earlier--she no longer got flustered and fidgety at the idea of sharing a room with him. But there was a whole lodge to explore, even though she didn't want to be too far away from Shinichi.
Changing in the same room as him was...still a bit much, though. And there were plenty of spare clothes in the other rooms, most of it either a bit too big, oversized, or laughably small--as if there had been people here some time ago. But there were no wrinkles on the blankets, no footprints in dust, no personal belongings. The only shoes by the door were theirs.
For now, Kaede didn't put much thought in it. It wasn't the first time she'd...borrowed, belongings from those who wouldn't be needing them. These clothes were clean and dry, and she found a decent comb to use for her hair. When she returned to the living room, a quilt was bundled around her shoulders too; she still felt a bit cold, though the blush of pink on her nose and cheekbones remained.]
( The gesture immediately shuts him up, in the softest way, and Shinichi flushes all over again. His heart, once more, seems insistent on skipping a beat (or several) and the boy finds that even when Kaede removes her finger again, he's incapable of forming words.
The brush of her hand to his collar only makes him even more stunned into silence, and then she's gone, leaving him standing there frozen for a long moment before he's finally able to remember how to breathe. He clasps one hand to his chest, eyelashes fluttering โ it surprised him, but not in a bad way, not at all, no, if anything it was really nice. ...Really, really nice. Little gestures like that from Kaede are rare and meaningful and it's the first time she's ever touched his mouth like that.
Migi pipes up about how he needs to try and slow his heart rate again, but Shinichi ignores the alien's voice coming from his palm, letting himself drift through waves of pleasant dizziness before he finally moves too, heading to one of the many rooms he knows has clothing in them. His own aren't too bad off, so he just finds a fresh pair of socks to put on that aren't cold and wet from the outdoors, and a fresh sweater, thick and warm. He's finished changing pretty quickly, so he's soon enough going ahead and poking through the expansive kitchen to locate the things he'll need to fix some hot chocolate for them.
The vastly open floor plan means that he can see Kaede returning, and he does a sort of stupid double-take as she does. .....It's certainly not the first time the boy's thought about how cute she looks, but seeing her bundled up all cosy in warm clothes and a quilt makes his heart do those stupid flip-floppy things all over again. (He's also still definitely reeling from one (1) simple finger to his lips.) )
I've uh, just started getting everything out for some hot chocolate. ( He says, stating the obvious as he's holding up a little carton of milk he'd found in the fridge. Weirdly, the exact ingredients he needs are all here, right down to a little bag of plushy white confectioneries that he holds up to show her with a shy smile. )
[The horned girl inclined her head when Shinichi glanced at her twice--was something stuck to her quilt? It was rather soft and fuzzy, she supposed that was just in its nature. But he didn't mention anything of the sort, and so she didn't double check for herself. She shuffled into the kitchen quietly, but stopped when Shinichi started pulling things out of the fridge.]
Yeah. That'd be nice.
[There were many times in her existence when Kaede wondered what life on the other side of the door was like, in that world of bright things where people could laugh and smile so easily.
She didn't need to wonder, here. Not so much. It was a little thing, what Shinichi was doing. But it was a little thing for her, and it already felt like the warmth in her chest was excitedly bouncing around in there.]
( As Kaede moves into the kitchen with him, his heart starts acting all stupid again, bouncing around and making his throat feel tight. But none of it's unpleasant, and he keeps thinking about how it'd felt when she'd taken his hand, squeezed it firmly, no matter what dwelled beneath his glove.
Maybe... she really doesn't think he's that weird, or scary? Of course, he has no reason to believe she does, she's seen Migi plenty of times, interacted with him, she doesn't seem scared of the parasite at all. No, it's not that so much as.... Well.... Would that change for her if Shinichi wanted to hold her hand in a way that went beyond desperation, or in the heat of the moment? Would she think it's weird for someone like him to like her? Is... is that even what he feels? He thinks so, thinks he recognises the hitch of warm nerves in his chest; he's had crushes before, but this is new and different and very much its own thing. He and Kaede have grown into one another like tree roots, become tangled up in each other out of necessity in Deerington and then here, too. They're all each other has; of course they have to rely on each other.
But that's not the only reason why. He'd choose her to be trapped with over anyone else. She'sโ his partner, his friend, his family in a way. And something else, too, something that makes him so dumb and nervous when she gets close, bundled up in her quilt and looking at him. He gets back to preparing the hot chocolate, the saucepan of milk starting to heat up, but it's with another nervous swallow, hands not so steady. )
N-no, I think I have everything I need here.
( That's what she means by asking, right? If he has all the ingredients he needs? Why is there a little voice in his head suddenly thinking of another reply? โ "I need to hold your hand again" โ shut up, shut up. )
Oh, actuallyโ if you don't mind looking to see if there's any cinnamon? We can put it on top, make it really fancy.
( The kitchen has a vast array of cabinets; surely there's at least one dedicated to spices... )
[Shinichi sounded a bit shaky for a moment; Kaede stepped a bit closer, brows furrowing a bit in worry. But the more she lingered at his side, the less she wanted to draw away--not just out of some protective worry, but...because she wanted to. Letting a person into her space after so long of driving them out was exhilarating, addicting even. The longer Kaede lingered, the more giddy and soft she felt.]
Oh? Are you spoiling me?
[She doesn't laugh, at him or the request. But that light thing in her chest was in her voice, too, and an almost-smile curved her mouth before she turned to look where Shinichi asked, without question.
And, because she was still rather short and this seemed quite reasonable, Kaede clambered up onto the empty countertop to get to the top shelves. She was wearing socks! It wasn't near where Shinichi was working or in the way. It was fine.
There also was cinnamon up here.]
Found some.
[The horned girl grabbed the little bottle; a vector carried it down while she rummaged a bit with her physical hands. Some other spices, fancy glasses--but actual glass ones with no handles, most likely not for chocolate. Shinichi would probably appreciate not having to hold hot glass.]
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[The more Shinichi fussed at her, the more she felt a prickling warmth in her ears and on her cheekbones. And the Light Thing was getting more fluttery and distracting by the moment, its movements intensifying whenever Shinichi touched her or otherwise reminded her that they were very much holding hands. And that...he didn't seem bothered. He wasn't finding reasons to let go. They weren't out in the cold long enough for Shinichi's hand to linger in a frozen crab claw shape, he could let go whenever he wished--the same as her. And neither did.
Migi's interjection did make the Light Thing bounce around less, but his presence wasn't otherwise much of an annoyance. Kaede sighed, finally relenting on her stubborn insistence.]
...fine. We can go inside.
[A vector grabbed the rope fastened to the sled, tugging it along. No point leaving it out here to get lost in the snow.
...and. Using her vectors made it so she didn't have to let go of Shinichi's hand. It was quite warm. More than just the contact would explain.]
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( Once again, Shinichi's stricken by the fact he'd really prefer Migi not... talk to Kaede while she's holding his hand. It's not quite embarrassment that his flash of upset takes the form of โ something else, something a little harder to pinpoint. Something that makes him flush for a different reason again, one that's much less pleasant.
But, once again, Kaede doesn't seem to flinch back from the horrible little alien that possesses his right hand, and maybe that means it's all okay, but he finds himself wishing he could change hands โ swap his right for his left, only if he pulls away it might seem like he doesn't want to be holding her hand at all, and he doesn't want her to think that...!
It's a dilemma, to be sure. All he can do is hope Migi stays quiet now that they're heading inside. Because it sure would be nice to just be able to concentrate on the way the girl's hand feels in his, warm and secure. As they walk, it does get easier to focus on that โ and his heart goes fluttery for the more pleasant reasons again. Now they're just walking, and it's a little different from when they'd been clasping hands on the sled, in the heat of the moment.
But he's terrified to move his fingers at all, to risk stirring Migi or worse, for her to think it's Migi moving around โ and sometimes it's hard to tell where his movements ends and Migi's begins, at all. So he tries as hard as he can to keep his hand still, unmoving. And... it's still a little bit of a walk back to the cabin, and the silence is growing, and his heart feels like it's in his throat. He should say something but suddenly, being right beside Kaede makes him feel like he can't speak at all. )
...I think I saw hot chocolate mix, inside. ( He blurts. ) Do you like it? Hot chocolate, I mean.
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[For Kaede, the quiet was a welcome break in the excitement and fussing and...and feeling. Besides the crunching underfoot, the snow seemed to muffle and soften all other noise. Like this was a soft edged world just for them.
But inevitably she was reminded of where her hand was; whenever she took a bigger step than usual to keep up, or stop her arm from swinging and dislodging Shinichi. Just to make sure, she held on a bit tighter each time she thought about it, which...was a lot. The Warm Thing had grown to an Excitable Thing that made her chest prickle and the cold seem far away; she didn't dare say anything yet, what if her voice trembled? Shinichi wouldn't mind, but--
Kaede was aware Shinichi said something, but it took her a moment to really listen, his words spending a moment in her mind before the gears in her head turned.]
--huh? Oh--yeah. I...do.
[She'd found some occasionally in a...newly vacated house, when she was younger. Kaede doesn't mention that part, though.]
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( The words come out a lot more nervously than he'd wanted them to, and there's an awkward lapse there between his own anxious flare-up and her response, both of them half in some other world thinking thoughts โ although ironically, those thoughts having to do with each other.
Almost subconsciously, he's giving her hand another soft squeeze, trying to keep himself steadied... He's a nervous wreck all of a sudden โ not that such things are exactly atypical for him, but... )
It'd be nice to drink some while we're warming up by the fireplace, ( he adds as he keeps guiding them back towards the large resort cabin, and he manages to find a smile again, even if it's a shy one, and even if he's rambling a little bit on. )
After we change clothes and everything, that is.
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I think--I'd like that.
[Once they'd gotten up onto the porch encircling the main building she stomped the snow off her boots, and left the sled under the shelter of the roof. No point tripping over it when it snowed again. The door wasn't locked--doors tended not to stay that way whenever Kaede was around anyway.]
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Once they're at the porch, Shinichi stomps his own boots a little, clearing some of the initial snow, and then opens the door for them, stepping into the lodge. Luckily, nothing's changed, seemingly โ in this strange, nebulous place, their environment is wont to do that every once in awhile. But for the moment, the luxurious lodge stays just that way: sprawling and comfortable, albeit definitely too big for just two people. It gives a lingering eerie feeling if he thinks about it too much. He prefers sticking close to Kaede.
But it's nice and warm inside, with the massive fireplace going in the living room area, and thick, plush rugs padding the wooden floorboards in various place. Shinichi toes out of his boots to leave them by the front door, and peels off his outer jacket to hang up on a hook by the door, so it can dry. )
We can go get changed, and then meet back here? Unless you want to take a hot bath first. I know some people do that when they come back in from the snow... Which is to say โ take your time!
( He's rambling a little again... )
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But, eventually, she...got a silly little impulse, one that didn't have much thought behind it.
As Shinichi kept rambling, Kaede put a finger over his mouth, gently. There was no scolding to it, and the gesture was brief. But her little smile remained, along with the softness around her eyes.]
I'll be back soon, Shinichi.
[Her hand drifted to his shoulder, brushed an imaginary bit of snow from his shirt collar, then pulled away--followed by the rest of her. Kaede went back to the set of rooms they'd claimed earlier--she no longer got flustered and fidgety at the idea of sharing a room with him. But there was a whole lodge to explore, even though she didn't want to be too far away from Shinichi.
Changing in the same room as him was...still a bit much, though. And there were plenty of spare clothes in the other rooms, most of it either a bit too big, oversized, or laughably small--as if there had been people here some time ago. But there were no wrinkles on the blankets, no footprints in dust, no personal belongings. The only shoes by the door were theirs.
For now, Kaede didn't put much thought in it. It wasn't the first time she'd...borrowed, belongings from those who wouldn't be needing them. These clothes were clean and dry, and she found a decent comb to use for her hair. When she returned to the living room, a quilt was bundled around her shoulders too; she still felt a bit cold, though the blush of pink on her nose and cheekbones remained.]
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The brush of her hand to his collar only makes him even more stunned into silence, and then she's gone, leaving him standing there frozen for a long moment before he's finally able to remember how to breathe. He clasps one hand to his chest, eyelashes fluttering โ it surprised him, but not in a bad way, not at all, no, if anything it was really nice. ...Really, really nice. Little gestures like that from Kaede are rare and meaningful and it's the first time she's ever touched his mouth like that.
Migi pipes up about how he needs to try and slow his heart rate again, but Shinichi ignores the alien's voice coming from his palm, letting himself drift through waves of pleasant dizziness before he finally moves too, heading to one of the many rooms he knows has clothing in them. His own aren't too bad off, so he just finds a fresh pair of socks to put on that aren't cold and wet from the outdoors, and a fresh sweater, thick and warm. He's finished changing pretty quickly, so he's soon enough going ahead and poking through the expansive kitchen to locate the things he'll need to fix some hot chocolate for them.
The vastly open floor plan means that he can see Kaede returning, and he does a sort of stupid double-take as she does. .....It's certainly not the first time the boy's thought about how cute she looks, but seeing her bundled up all cosy in warm clothes and a quilt makes his heart do those stupid flip-floppy things all over again. (He's also still definitely reeling from one (1) simple finger to his lips.) )
I've uh, just started getting everything out for some hot chocolate. ( He says, stating the obvious as he's holding up a little carton of milk he'd found in the fridge. Weirdly, the exact ingredients he needs are all here, right down to a little bag of plushy white confectioneries that he holds up to show her with a shy smile. )
Do you want marshmallows with yours?
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Yeah. That'd be nice.
[There were many times in her existence when Kaede wondered what life on the other side of the door was like, in that world of bright things where people could laugh and smile so easily.
She didn't need to wonder, here. Not so much. It was a little thing, what Shinichi was doing. But it was a little thing for her, and it already felt like the warmth in her chest was excitedly bouncing around in there.]
Did you need anything?
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Maybe... she really doesn't think he's that weird, or scary? Of course, he has no reason to believe she does, she's seen Migi plenty of times, interacted with him, she doesn't seem scared of the parasite at all. No, it's not that so much as.... Well.... Would that change for her if Shinichi wanted to hold her hand in a way that went beyond desperation, or in the heat of the moment? Would she think it's weird for someone like him to like her? Is... is that even what he feels? He thinks so, thinks he recognises the hitch of warm nerves in his chest; he's had crushes before, but this is new and different and very much its own thing. He and Kaede have grown into one another like tree roots, become tangled up in each other out of necessity in Deerington and then here, too. They're all each other has; of course they have to rely on each other.
But that's not the only reason why. He'd choose her to be trapped with over anyone else. She'sโ his partner, his friend, his family in a way. And something else, too, something that makes him so dumb and nervous when she gets close, bundled up in her quilt and looking at him. He gets back to preparing the hot chocolate, the saucepan of milk starting to heat up, but it's with another nervous swallow, hands not so steady. )
N-no, I think I have everything I need here.
( That's what she means by asking, right? If he has all the ingredients he needs? Why is there a little voice in his head suddenly thinking of another reply? โ "I need to hold your hand again" โ shut up, shut up. )
Oh, actuallyโ if you don't mind looking to see if there's any cinnamon? We can put it on top, make it really fancy.
( The kitchen has a vast array of cabinets; surely there's at least one dedicated to spices... )
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Oh? Are you spoiling me?
[She doesn't laugh, at him or the request. But that light thing in her chest was in her voice, too, and an almost-smile curved her mouth before she turned to look where Shinichi asked, without question.
And, because she was still rather short and this seemed quite reasonable, Kaede clambered up onto the empty countertop to get to the top shelves. She was wearing socks! It wasn't near where Shinichi was working or in the way. It was fine.
There also was cinnamon up here.]
Found some.
[The horned girl grabbed the little bottle; a vector carried it down while she rummaged a bit with her physical hands. Some other spices, fancy glasses--but actual glass ones with no handles, most likely not for chocolate. Shinichi would probably appreciate not having to hold hot glass.]