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From:

lonelysmiles

((OOC: Continued from here.))

[Singing flowers! How delightful!]

[Of course, they're not quite in-tune, but that's fine. The point is to enjoy it.]

[On a whim, he leaps to his feet and holds out his hands to Namine, intending to lead her in a dance as he sings. Because this isn't a formal concert, and who could possibly keep their feet still when jazz is being played?!]

From:

lethechained

[ Alastor's reaction has the secondary effect of teaching Naminé how to react to such things, and girl's head lifts to regard him as he's rising only for a broad smile to appear on his face once she realizes his aim, any sour notes forgotten.

His offered hands are all the prompting she needs to reach for them without the slightest hesitation, smaller fingers outstretched as she grasps for them. She's not nearly as able to hop up so quickly but makes the effort to follow after, weight shifting to facilitate her standing. ]

From:

lonelysmiles

[And going to pull her into a dance as he keeps singing and playing music, the flowers doing their best to try and harmonize. He's playing a few slower jazz tunes since she doesn't seem to care much of the high energy of swing.]

From:

lethechained

[ This time around, she's more prepared than ever. There have been a few chances to dance here and there in Reverein - prone to festivities as the place seems to be - but no one's been more instructive than Alastor himself. Naminé's not nearly learned enough to get too creative with her dancing, but she's gradually growing more able to keep up with him. She's a quick study, and with a memory as powerful as hers it's only a matter of time before she's able to analyze what he does well enough to mimic it nicely, if in her own shyer way.

The slower rhythm certainly helps, and soon enough Naminé's having the time of her life all over again, bright with laughter.

Of course, there's one thing that has almost slipped her mind - but not quite, which is why midway through their dance, Naminé comes to an abrupt halt, turning an ankle with a startled, ]

Oh--!

[ as she hesitates suddenly, almost having stepped on the flower crown she left sitting on the ground near where they'd been originally. Perhaps she'd have missed it without her hesitation anyway - but she's a conscientious one, and the mere recollection of such a risk was enough to make her stumble. ]

Edited Date: 2022-05-22 05:19 am (UTC)

From:

lonelysmiles

[He catches her easily before that stumble becomes a tumble.]

Hmm? What's wrong, my dear?

[He looks over her shoulder, trying to see what distracted her.]

Ah! My apologies! I've gotten us a bit too close to your hard work it seems!

From:

lethechained

[ Naminé benefits from the assistance; she's easy to catch and easy to peer past as she regains her balance, looking only a little startled. It's quite possible he discovers the answer to his question before she's even had the chance to get her bearings, but she confirms it with a nod. ]

It wasn't your fault, [ she defends, looking bashful. ] I should never have left it there in the first place.

[ She's usually pretty careful about things, but Alastor does have a way of capturing her attention. Bending a little, the lass extends one arm to reach down and lift the flower crown from the ground. ]

Especially since it's a gift...!

From:

lonelysmiles

Ah, I see! It's quite lovely! Whoever you made it for will be quite pleased to have it!

[A flower crown. It's quite quaint, all things considered. A bit silly, too, but no reason to ruin their fun with such a comment.]

From:

lethechained

[ Naminé opens her mouth instantly, only to pause and close it into a hesitant purse. Hearing it that way-- she's a little belated in recognizing the compliment, perfunctory though it might potentially be, so she pipes a slightly uncertain, ]

Oh, thank you.

[ ... which is followed shortly by an, 'um.' Then, even more cautiously, ]

Does... 'whoever'... include you?

From:

lonelysmiles

[Alastor's ears perk up in surprise, him tilting his head to one side curiously.]

You made it for me?

[He's not upset by it, just wasn't expecting it.]

From:

lethechained

[ The girl takes a moment to consider him, bashfully hesitant. It's so much harder to tell what he's really thinking when he smiles all the time - and though she doesn't take it as a bad reaction, part of her still feels awfully shy all of a sudden. ]

Yes, [ she admits after a beat, then carefully holds the flower crown up to indicate her point when she adds, ] I left gaps for your ears, see?

[ Sure enough, there are some nice little spaces that are actually quite well-fitted for his ears, considering she did it by eye. ]

Not that-- you have to wear it. [ That's a disclaimer she's quick to add, hands sinking a bit lower. ] But... I did pick flowers that reminded me of you.

[ Which seems all well and good for all the loud, red, joyful ones in there, but is that a tiny bit of baby's breath in between them...? ]

From:

lonelysmiles

[The baby's breath is an odd choice. How would those remind her of him?]

[Now Alastor is a proud demon. He has quite the fearsome reputation to uphold after all. But that's back in Hell. There's nobody here to see how silly he'd look with a wreath of flowers around his head and ears. Besides, he already looks ridiculous with this silly floral outfit.]

[Humming softly to himself, he lowers his head so she can easily place it on his head.]

From:

lethechained

[ It's a curious choice, to be sure - but perhaps there's something she sees in him that she hasn't voiced aloud.

Maybe it's the same reason that causes her to brighten as he leans down, her expression becoming one of relieved delight. Her smile widens, though she's never one to beam; knowing better than to question the opportunity, Naminé reaches up to place the crown of flowers on Alastor's head with delicate care. She even takes her time about it, conscientiously nudging the blooms into place with an artist's eye and gently sorting the chain into place around his ears so as to try to minimize the risk of discomfort (or an unfortunate structural integrity mishap.)

There might be some irony in how totally unafraid of him she is. ]

From:

lonelysmiles

[Alastor waits patiently for her to finish adjusting the flower crown to her heart's content...though his ears do uncontrollably twitch whenever her hands or the flowers brush against them. He can't really help it. They're sensitive like that.]

[Honestly, anyone who knew Alastor's full reputation probably would've been worried he was luring the girl in to tear her to shreds. The fact she isn't afraid of him showed off just how little she knew...or perhaps she saw something worth trusting in the Radio Demon.]

[Not letting himself dwell on that, he waits until she's finished before asking...]

Well, how do I look?

From:

lethechained

[ There might be a quiet apology on the first flick of his ear, try though she does not to disturb them in the first place. There's no helping that either, really - both the occasional light contact and her natural reflex to be contrite over any perceived harm or discomfort.

But she truly is fearless as she finally finishes settling the flower crown into place and draws her hands away from it, carefully inspecting her work a moment in anticipation of the very question he asks. Finally letting her arms fall to her sides, Naminé's still smiling brightly as she gives a thoughtful hum. Then, laughingly, ]

Very dashing, as always...!

[ Which isn't untrue, even if she says it with warm humor. ]

I was afraid the color wouldn't be quite right, but I think it suits you.

[ It's a solid match, in fact; she's very familiar with his coloration, after all, regardless of his current attire, and her memory is nothing to sneeze at. Straightening, ]

Oh - but do you want to see? Maybe we can find a mirror or some water somewhere...

From:

lonelysmiles

Absolutely! I want to see the results of your hard work before something tries to ruin it!

[He straightens up and offers her his arm like a gentleman.]

I don't have anything on me to properly thank you, so my company will have to suffice!

From:

lethechained

Oh...! That's probably a good idea, knowing this place.

[ Or never knowing what might happen, that is. (Next it'll be raining starfish, or something equally absurd--)

The lass seems perfectly content to thread her own slim arm through his much longer one, fingers settling gently into the crook of it. With the breath of another laugh, Naminé points out, ]

What else could I want? [ Her tone is playful, yet it's tinged with honesty. ] Even if you are a great cook, I'd still prefer your company over anything you might have brought with you this time.

[ Somehow, that's the only alternative she thinks of, as if it were the most natural comparison in the world. With their goal in mind, the lass glances ahead in the direction she means to go. ]

Now-- the river's not too far...!

[ Whether it'll serve well enough as a reflective surface remains to be seen. ]

From:

lonelysmiles

[Raining starfish! What a wacky idea!]

[He chuckles at her response.]

What a sweet little belle you are.

[Perhaps he should bring her a batch of beignets in the future. She might like those!]

The river it is then!

[And going to start walking, being careful to modulate his pace so she doesn't have to run to keep up with his long legs.]

From:

lethechained

[ Her lips round slightly at the title, her quiet giggle thereafter full of warm delight. The days when she balked at a compliment aren't totally behind her, but she finds herself less self-conscious when she's around Alastor. Musingly, ]

I've heard that word before - 'belle'. There's a young woman in my worlds who has it as her name.

[ Strolling alongside him, Naminé cranes her neck to look up curiously, expression settled into a small smile. She tries to take bigger steps to meet him partway, but the pace ends up an easy one regardless as they drift toward the river. ]

But I don't think I've heard people call each other that very often. Do they say it a lot where you come from?

From:

lonelysmiles

Quite a bit. The city I originally come from has a mixed English- and French-speaking population. "Belle" being French. It means "a particularly beautiful girl or woman, usually the most beautiful".

[He chuckles.]

Shamefully I speak primarily English and very little French, but living in old Nawlins means you always pick up at least a few words of one or the other.

From:

lethechained

[ There's a faint echo of, 'English and French...?' as Naminé attempts to process all of this, expression curious. So many pieces of Alastor's background are totally unfamiliar to her, relying on a context she has no context for. But that doesn't mean she's inclined to discard the segments of the puzzle, even if she can't really make them into a picture yet - rather, she'll save them for later. ]

If that's the case, then that makes a lot of sense. Belle is a very beautiful girl, and with a kind heart, too. [ Which is much easier for Naminé to wrap around than being called by the same name. As she circles back around to that, her lips part, hesitate, but curl up as she bows her head a little. ] However I compare, I'm grateful.

[ Of greater interest to her, though, is, ]

But what do you mean... 'shamefully'? Is it bad to speak English?

[ How can one language be better than another?? ]

From:

lonelysmiles

Oh it's not bad to speak English, but it's shameful that I only know a smattering of about half of what my neighbors spoke! Not to mention about half of my heritage to boot!

Edited Date: 2022-07-14 04:08 pm (UTC)

From:

lethechained

[ 'Oh,' she says musingly, with a note of relief. There are some calculations going on in her head thereafter, it seems, because she hesitates briefly before inquiring, ]

Then - did your parents speak two different languages?

[ If half of his heritage is from people who spoke another language, it stands to reason from a mathematical perspective, but that just sounds weird in practice. How would they talk to each other...? ]

Edited Date: 2022-07-18 05:58 am (UTC)

From:

lonelysmiles

They spoke both, honestly. I just never really got the hang of the French. One of them spoke Creole which is a language that spawned from the two others, but my grasp of that language in particular is broken at best.

From:

lethechained

Really? [ Ah-- quietly, ] That makes a lot more sense.

[ Naminé might be a Disney princess by heritage, but even she's skeptical of a relationship in which the two parties can't communicate directly. Brow flattening out, she seems to have a secondary realization after that one finally gets sorted in her head. ]

Wait, you... never got the hang of it? But you're so good at talking...!

[ Clearly it stands to reason that he'd be able to learn to do it in multiple languages, doesn't it--? ]

Edited Date: 2022-07-24 04:53 am (UTC)

From:

lonelysmiles

[Alastor laughs gaily.]

Why, Miss Namine, that is perhaps the nicest way anyone's referred to me as a motormouth!

[He ain't even mad. It's true.]