spina di rosula

"Yeah, I kinda live more than once, and come back a lot and...well, maybe it won't totally kill me if I try this! And if it does I'll just come back!"

He hesitantly puts the candy in his mouth, the temperature of it immediately melting it until the inside of his mouth is all sticky, making it difficult for him to open his mouth...and is that a sizzle coming from in there?! His optics screen bluescreens, displaying an error.

not that he planned on the owners thinking he was cheating. nor that they would ask them to cease playing immediately at the claw machine after winning navia just a 'few,' little prizes after her own attempts when they couldn't prove him of any wrongdoing. besides, how was one to prove anything foul when it was merely a streak of luck?

he takes little time in plopping himself comfortably onto the couch, now surrounded by plushies whilst arms sprawled across its back as he leans into the cushions.

❝ Satisfied with whatever you got from our little outing? ❞ he knows the answer, but he was never one to avoid asking, not without good reason. ❝ I know I sure did. Not to mention the day was fabulous for the occasion. ❞ whether for gathering the necessary information and tips or simply time with one another, he would stand by that statement well enough. still, he smiles up at the blonde, almost as if silently inviting her to take a seat beside him whenever she so pleased.

For these reasons, Navia can't help but find her stewing curiosity only growing further as this loose version of what could be considered a courtship went on.

"I am," she answers, only to huff a moment later as she decides just what she's going to do with all of her prizes. "But I wonder how I'm going to fit these into my room…" Admittedly, it wasn't hard to guess that some of them would have to stay here, but she hasn't conceded in attempting to take them all home just yet.

Navia rests on the arm of the couch, her favorite brown teddy bear of the haul held snug in her arms. "I know what you're going to suggest, and my answer is still no." That she could leave them here, that she could start to leave more belongings here, too, if she so wanted. "…Though I won't say it isn't tempting to say yes," For various other reasons, stuffed animals aside.

"Of course, I do! But I look forward to spending them more with you, too." As usual, she's never one to shy away from letting him know how she feels. Navia watches as he tries the chocolate, only smiling after he gives it praise.

"Is this like...food food? Like real human food? I think it'll really mess up my circuits if I eat this..."

"I tried to clean it, but the egg was... stubborn." Octavo makes a face, pursing his lips as if it physically hurt him to ask this.

and yet she has given him no reason to feel as if she were taking advantage of this all. nothing at all, even with all he has done to prove himself a useful asset. no matter how many times he's exhibited himself as such, she had not taken the offer. it makes his heart conflicted, truth be told.

would it be easier for him if she had, he wonders... ?

even as she leans up to give him another peck, his lips follow after hers thereafter, as if seeking more without his meaning, like it were only natural when he were with her. the hand behind his back presses against the balcony's ledge, his own heart beating in tandem with her own. ❝ After all this? I think you'd have some stern words with me if I tried playing dumb, ❞ he speaks, his hand swapping their places as they remain laced, one thumb trailing along her knuckles as he speaks.

And truthfully, that still bothered her. Maybe this, too, was something he felt was necessary to prove himself to her. "Could you blame me? Hearts are very fragile things." Indeed, even more in this sort of situation. Navia knew the moment they kissed, there was no going back to being casual friends. She wouldn't let it happen, selfish as that sounds.

Plus, there was no denying that whatever it was, it felt right.

It felt genuine. It felt pure, no ill intentions.

And yet, as she carefully searches his expression, there's still hesitation. But there's also a willingness to see where they end up. Navia softens, muffled laughter following his remark. Her own heart finally falls into that subtle anxiousness of its own. There's a thought that sits in the back of her mind: What if he decided that she wasn't what he wanted?

For once in her life, she finds herself troubled at the thought. That she wouldn't be dear to him, that she wouldn't be able to convince him that this, whatever it is, is worth exploring further. "I hope we're here for a very long time," Enough for her to slowly inch herself further into his heart. It's…more of an idle thought, one that leaves her feeling sheepish as she smiles up at him.

Night has fallen, the chill of winter seeping through the meager protection his coat provided. Hunger gnaws at Octavo's stomach. As much as he knew he must return to his own world, he was not going to make it far if he froze to death.

...well. Maybe death would set him back to the beginning of his journey, as it usually did, but he didn't want to risk it when things were all askew like this.

He checks the strange device he'd found in his pocket. Initially, he'd ignored its instructions in favor of trying to find a way out, but that was clearly not happening tonight. One of the little pictograms wiggles at him. He'd seen people using their fingers to operate these things, and so he does the same, and after a few attempts manages to open the map. It points him to a building in the area.

Room 305...?

How foolish of him. Perhaps whatever awaited him in this room would give him the next step of this mad quest. He follows the map, making his way to one of the many enormous buildings in the area. Upon climbing the stairs, he finds himself in a long hallway full of many doors, each labeled with a number. It's all so orderly and quiet, the noise of the street outside muffled into silence.

"What--found me?" Who even was he? Not anyone she knew of, that's for sure. "Last I checked, no one was looking for me specifically," she keeps calm, but begins to raise the tip of her parasol in his direction. With such a shady entrance, she couldn't be certain about his intentions, after all, and so responds accordingly. "I think I should be the one asking the questions here!"

sleepovers, as they called it here, though she didn't see how it could be considering the other woman was her roommate and not a friend being invited over a night but she saw no point in stating that. instead, hysilens was content to let navia show her the wonders of nail polish, as she so excitedly put it.

"I never saw much need for it back home. The sea would erode such things away over time."

She wastes no time rummaging through her many, many drawers of different colors, holding each one up in front of the woman as she tries to match what would be best. "Really? That's a shame!" she frowned. A life without little luxuries like this was one she couldn't even begin to imagine!