⁽ᵃᵖ⁾ NECROLIGHT.

     – [ ♠ ] ; For a moment, the blonde can’t help but stand there silent and still, eyes wide as the other very quickly makes his way over to her. Quietly, she wonders if there’s anger in that step of his… And truthfully, she wouldn’t blame him too much about it. After all, she had completely disappeared without a word and while not exactly her choice, it’s still a rather upsetting thing to have happen.

     Or maybe he’s angry about what she told him before…?

     However, it’s clear to the psychic that it’s just the opposite of what Sal truly feels the moment he embraces her tightly within his arms. Eyes widening as cheeks turn bright red, Kayenne finds herself unsure of what exactly to do… But soon finds herself succumbing to a longing in the back of her mind, her arms soon gently wrapping around his own frame as well.

     ❝ … I missed you, too. ❞

       TO HOLD HER IN HIS ARMS LIKE THIS; it felt... warm--- it felt real. a wave of comfort washed over him, as if he had been praying for the rain all this time. it soothed his nerves, allayed his fears, and told him it was all going to be okay. he was... relieved, for the first time in a long time. he’d forgotten what it felt like, to be at ease, even if it were only for a moment. he knows he’s left hell back home, but for now, he just wanted this... he needed it.

             ❝  ... i---  ❞ the words were like lead to his tongue. sal doesn’t know how to speak worth a damn in that moment--- for fear of stumbling over his words, saying the wrong thing... but he had to let her know somehow, how much this meant to him.

             ❝  ... i didn’t think i’d get to see you again.  ❞ maybe that sounds a little too pessimistic, but things of late hadn’t exactly given him an excuse otherwise.

     ☾ Motionless, the doll slowly casts her gaze to the side where the stranger now stands, her pale blue hues now locked onto his own eyes. For a moment, she wonders if he is a part of some guild akin to the Healing Church or some other faction… Though once more, she has to remind herself that this place is so unlike her home in more ways than one.

     ❝ … Is a store not for a human or mortal patron? ❞ she can’t help but ask in monotone, still unmoving in her posture.

     ❝ There is no need for those to serve a doll who is supposed to do just that. ❞

             “  NOT NECESSARILY--- a store can be for anyone, if it suits their needs or even just wants.  ” this is assuming she’s neither as she seems to imply, but nevertheless, sal doesn’t bat an eye and resumes his point.

     – [ ♠ ] ; ❝ … How is this coming up after talking about cats and salami… ❞ the blonde now mumbles to herself, covering her face with her hands now. If she wasn’t currently preoccupied by her embarrassment, she’s certain she would have thrown up by now out of anxiousness.

     ❝ Alright, look; I’m just gonna be honest with you… ❞

     ❝ I’m being weird because I, uhh… Like you. As in, ‘I want to go out with you’ before my statement gets misconstrued. Uhh… Yeah, that’s it. I feel like if I try to say more I’m gonna panic, ❞ and while she laughs weakly, the psychic’s hands slowly drag down her face. Oh, she hates this.

       THE WORDS FLED HIM, and in their wake he was left to tend to an uncomfortable silence. the air felt heavy between them, and even he couldn’t place why, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly for lack of anything else to do or say. usually he did quite well in situations like this to spite his nerves, but today was different for some reason.

                                             get it together, sal...!

       as she continued, he faltered, raising his chin slightly in acknowledgement. when it at last became clear why the tone of their conversation had vastly changed from the usual, it was... not what sal was expecting at all. then again, he made it a point of holding back on any assumptions.

            “  -----oh.  ” was all he could manage at first, his stomach clenching so tightly, he thought it might burst. this felt completely out of left field for him, not because of anything she’s said or done, but... something he’d resigned himself to since a long time ago, “  you---? me---?  ”

                                           ---you... like me....?

       he... didn’t think something like this could ever happen to someone like him. 

            “  ---i, uhh---  ” he attempted to swallow away the hard lump in his throat, fisting his hand in his hair at the nape of his neck while dropping his gaze to the ground once more. beyond the ashen visage, stained with indifference unbecoming, a smile spilled onto his weathered features, tears without a name springing to his eyes, as he then moved his palm to his forehead. all it took were those few pretty words, something he thought he’d never hear, and he was coming away at the seams.

       ... you have no idea how much that means to me.                           ---he wanted so badly to say, but only an echo within his heart did it remain.

   She eagerly shook his hand, previous awkwardness melting away as she did. Thank the gods he seemed to take her comment so well, she was worried there for a second. With that she nodded, her hands moving to lace behind her back as she balanced on the balls of her heels. “Mhm! I’m still not super sure what this place is, but there’s a lot of neat things to see! And a lot of neat people!” It was safe to say she didn’t seem at all worried about any of it. If anything, she seemed very excited about being stuck in a mysterious unknown city.

   “And now one of those neat people is my friend! So I think it’s a win over all!” …They were friends now right? That’s how friendship worked…right? She’ll just assume so until told otherwise, in any case.

       SHE HAD ONE HELL OF A HANDSHAKE, but he didn’t mind it so much--- her enthusiasm despite the circumstances was kind of endearing actually, heartening even, and although he didn’t respond in kind, he felt... lighter somehow. dropping his hand to his side, sal tilted his head as she excitedly proclaimed him her friend, chuckling. well hey, who was he to argue with that?

            “  heh. well, when you put it that way.  ” how could he say no?

     – [ ♠ ] ; Either he’s playing ignorant or he simply is unaware. Whatever the case may be, Kayenne finds herself crumbling internally upon finding herself in this situation. Why… Why did she have to have anything at all…?

     ❝ No, it’s… It’s not you, Sal. ❞

     ❝ It’s just… Me, I think. I’m hesitant on saying anything about it so I just… Come across as vague. ❞

       HIS ANXIETY APPEARS TO SUBSIDE SOMEWHAT, if only for favour of heeding her own. knotting his brow, sal regarded her unsurely, and albeit the tension ebbing from his posture, he found his chest still aching at the sight of her. after a moment, in which he had lowered his eyes, as if searching the ground at his feet for the words, sal met with her gaze once more.

     – [ ♠ ] ; While she blinks in surprise to his inquiry, her gaze remains glued to the cement below. Had she really been that obvious…? Whether or not that had been the case, Kayenne has been caught and this time, she’s unsure of how exactly to worm her way out of this one…

     ❝ Y-Yeah…! I’m… Fine, ❞ and after saying that, the psychic swiftly realizes how apparent her lie really is.

     ❝ Or, well… I don’t know. You… You’ve been confusing me lately, ❞

       HE TIPPED HIS HEAD ASIDE SLIGHTLY, almost as if in answer to her sputtering. he didn’t buy it--- but kayenne knew that already. when she finally did relent, a crack marred his composure, and sal felt his chest tighten at the very thought that maybe... this was his fault. thus, he fumbled for the words, attempting gracelessly to mend what he may have broken.

     – [ ♠ ] ; Though his true expression remains unknown to her, the shift in his tone isn’t. Wondering if she’s coming across as strange or awkward (which she normally doesn’t care much about), Kayenne finds herself tucking some stray, blonde strands of hair behind her ear for the time being… Along with her cinnamon gaze looking elsewhere.

     ❝ … It makes sense, in a way. I mean, cats are carnivores so it would… Make sense in that regard… I think… ❞

       HE OBSERVED HER MANNERISMS IN SILENCE from beyond a mask of apathy. the words trickled unsurely from her lips, tentative, like she were shying away from whatever’s truly on her mind. he’d never known her to skirt around the point like that, so he decided to press forward despite his reservations, and oh boy, was his heart pounding like crazy---

     – [ ♠ ] ; Great; this is one person she didn’t want to see right now. Not because she dislikes him (quite the opposite), but because of how… Murky their relationship currently is.

     ❝ … I mean, it’s more or less a fact… Though, I guess memes can still be based on facts… ❞

       ... NO DEADPAN RETORT THIS TIME? damn, he thought he’d set her up real good for that one. but the shift in her demeanor stoked his concern, so he henceforth tread carefully. it seems to him something’s up but... maybe he was just overthinking it? he liked to think he was good at knowing the difference by now, but it could still be pretty tough sometimes.