[That answer comes surprisingly easily... but he likes tea, especially with cream and sugar, so yeah, tea's to his liking. Even as they wander their way that way.]
It is familiar enough to me from my world as well.
[Even if it reminds him of Marian too, he's been slowly able to shake the connection a little bit, day by day, though it's definitely a slow process.]
So at least some things are consistent through the worlds.
[There's... really no denying her relief at that though. It's nice. After all the different things that she's encountered, it's better for some things to be familiar, isn't it?
But she'll hold the door open for him after she enters the tea shop - giving a nod of acknowledgement when the owners welcome them and tell them that they can sit where they please.
Despite the fact that it's dark outside, she still picks a spot near a window.]
[Strange that it would be things like tea, but hey, he won't be picky about it. He takes the seat that she leads them to, sitting across from her, and for a moment he just glances out. It's dark, but... it's never truly dark in Cerealia; even tucked away in a corner like this, the lights outside are bright enough to glare.
Leon doesn't linger long in looking out, instead turning his attention to the shop.
I agree. Perhaps we can come back again in the day.
[is this a date
Still though, while Leon looks outside, Lili's focus is on the inside. It is quaint - it's quiet and simple and it doesn't have the same eerie glow of everything outside. The menus are handed to them and Lili looks over them easily, handing one to Leon as she zeroes in on which tea she wants to order.
And because she's starting to feel a little tired already-]
Would you be opposed to ordering a few items with sugar?
[this is absolutely not a date, go otome with the swords.
But Leon just... pauses at that. Thank...god.... thank god, he doesn't have to finagle an excuse or just go without sugar if she's already going to order it for herself!!!
... Life is not completely terrible.]
I... am not particularly fond of overly sweet things, but it is fine. Order what you want.
[She... she sure did order too much for people to consume. On top of that most of this doesn't even look...particularly edible to him. Why do they have faces??? Aren't they supposed to be sweets....
Why.....
He stares at them for a long moment, eyes narrowed, before it registers that she's talking.
Oh.
Right.
Uh.]
... I suppose that is the case. [Well, he's a noble bratling too, they'll never see anything as overindulgence, let's be real here.
... Still, he's not sure where to start because they're staring at him.]
[Lili's not even going to wait - because she's indulgent as fuck and food is food to her as far as she's concerned. So don't mind her if she's just going to put some on her plate and cut part of the sponge cake for herself.
I told you already that I am not particularly fond of sweets.
[HMPH!!
No that was just to cover up his staring. Either way, he'll take a few of the smaller items to put on his plate and will try a bite of one of the CUTE ICE CREAM FACES.
Except she knows that's not Leon's usual prickliness and irritated response so he must actually like it! It doesn't register that it's... it's exactly what she says when she actually really likes something so she's brightening up considerably?!
Memories of the nightmare are fading away already.]
How fortunate!
[AND NOW SHE'LL EAT HER OWN WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY
[Why is she so exuberant about this... he doesn't get it... Leon's just going to look away at that (she's smiling way too brightly for his tastes, considering it's only about his eating habits, and he didn't even say something that complimentary) and focus on his food instead. It's all sweet, which makes all of it delicious; he likes it all, and everything he tries is a new sort of delicious sweet.
Even if it's still weird that some of them are staring at them.
Still, eventually he runs into the next problem of his life, which is the pot of green tea. Green tea is... naturally bitter, and he already knows he's not a huge fan from when Kashuu had made him some. He thinks it would probably be tolerable if he put a lot of sugar into it, but that would require...putting a lot of sugar into the tea in front of Lili.
[Meanwhile Lili, ever unable to read a situation, is completely oblivious to Leon's plight.
As far as she's concerned, this has been a good time because he hasn't been complaining or obviously hating any of the sweets that was presented in front of him? Interesting, considering the fact that he said he didn't like them... The seeds of doubt are being sewn in her mind but she also doesn't think to completely regard it as a lie.
Yet.
Though when he's eyeing the green tea, she's blinking and tilting her head in curiosity.]
You don't want any? It's good to balance out the sweets.
[It's a difficult plight........ he stares at the tea for a moment longer, but she makes a good point in that if he really didn't like sweets, he'd like the tea... so he reaches out to take his cup, and stares at it with a barely concealed wrinkle of his nose.
Ugh, it even smells bitter...
....................
And he takes a sip.
Ugh, god, it's as bitter as he remembers it being, no, he regrets this... somehow he manages to keep his face mostly blank and bites back the grimace, setting the cup down with the flattest expression he can manage.
.......... He needs to put sugar in that if he's going to drink it.]
[ . . . . . .So really, she's not going out of her way to watch him.
Except she's curious. It's not like he'll actually say anything out loud unless he really hates something probably? So she's trying to figure out what he likes and doesn't like and it... seems... odd that his reaction to the tea is worse than that of the sweets. Um. Leon? That's... that's not how tastebuds work.
Do you even know what you like?
So she's continuing to eat her own set of sweets as she tries to mull over the possibilities here.
Maybe taste means different things in his world so even if tea is the same, this tea is much more bitter than anything and maybe the sweets in his world were super sweet. That could be it. Completely different standards of taste or something.
Or maybe he was just lying about not liking sweets. But that's silly, what kind of person would lie about not liking sweets? That would have to hit a new level of socially awkward and must take a real idiot that was trained under years of bravado and strictness that resulted in a personality that constantly overcompensates. Ha! What kind of nincompoop--]
C-Could I get a set of perhaps some sugars and some creamer brought to the table? My drink is awfully hot, I burned my tongue! [she didn't have anything to drink yet-] It could use some... cooling.....
Leon has no idea what Lili's sudden AH moment was, and she covers it up none-too-smoothly, but at least he doesn't put together the pieces that she's figured out his dirty little secret.
Ignore him, he's just eating more sweets to wash the bitterness from his tongue.
And when he swallows:]
What is wrong with you? [Why are you suddenly so...fidgety???]
But the waitress is bringing them the sugar and creamer and... honestly Lili doesn't want that much but for the sake of Leon's dignity she'll... t...ry.... augh, her poor green tea.
A small clearing of her throat.]
But I didn't realize that they were going to give me so much of these - can I ask that you assist me in finishing them?
... If you insist, I suppose wasting them would be more harmful than not. [Thank god give him the sugar.
He'll just...try to be subtle about the fact that he's significantly happier about drinking his tea now that he can dump some sugar in it and make it sweeter.
really nothing subtle about that and Lili is just going to take a sip of her own (too sweet for her taste) tea to obscure whatever shape her mouth is making. it might've been turning into a smile. that's dangerous.
but... this is peaceful enough that she
really can't bring herself to mind it.]
... I haven't had tea just like this in a while.
[for some reason her teas are far more dramatic???? like with fighting or pinky promises]
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Is this truly what the future is like? Do aliens not need sleep?
Yet she glances over when he finds the tea shop and makes a small, affirming noise.]
Ah. Nicely done.
[And over to the peaceful place they go!!]
Tea is to your liking, isn't it?
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[That answer comes surprisingly easily... but he likes tea, especially with cream and sugar, so yeah, tea's to his liking. Even as they wander their way that way.]
It is familiar enough to me from my world as well.
[Even if it reminds him of Marian too, he's been slowly able to shake the connection a little bit, day by day, though it's definitely a slow process.]
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[There's... really no denying her relief at that though. It's nice. After all the different things that she's encountered, it's better for some things to be familiar, isn't it?
But she'll hold the door open for him after she enters the tea shop - giving a nod of acknowledgement when the owners welcome them and tell them that they can sit where they please.
Despite the fact that it's dark outside, she still picks a spot near a window.]
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[Strange that it would be things like tea, but hey, he won't be picky about it. He takes the seat that she leads them to, sitting across from her, and for a moment he just glances out. It's dark, but... it's never truly dark in Cerealia; even tucked away in a corner like this, the lights outside are bright enough to glare.
Leon doesn't linger long in looking out, instead turning his attention to the shop.
It's a cute little place--quaint, really.]
This seems... [nice] ...tolerable.
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[is this a date
Still though, while Leon looks outside, Lili's focus is on the inside. It is quaint - it's quiet and simple and it doesn't have the same eerie glow of everything outside. The menus are handed to them and Lili looks over them easily, handing one to Leon as she zeroes in on which tea she wants to order.
And because she's starting to feel a little tired already-]
Would you be opposed to ordering a few items with sugar?
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But Leon just... pauses at that. Thank...god.... thank god, he doesn't have to finagle an excuse or just go without sugar if she's already going to order it for herself!!!
... Life is not completely terrible.]
I... am not particularly fond of overly sweet things, but it is fine. Order what you want.
[Leon is full of lies.]
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but Lili is just going to nod at that, not even blinking and totally taking it at face value....... for now. Hm.]
Perhaps the balance of tea and mild sweets will be more to your liking.
[??? she doesn't want to trouble him when he just agreed to meet her like this..... so she doesn't want him to have anything that he won't like!!]
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For now his totally transparent secret is safe.
Leon just... pauses. And then nods simply, because he can't exactly backpedal now.]
As I said, just order what you want. I am not particularly hungry anyway, so it does not matter to me.
[Please order a lot of sugar.]
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Because she wants to see if she can find something that he'll like.
Not realizing that he'll probably enjoy all of it because Leon is a Big Fat Liar.
So when the waitress comes, she orders something called honey toast, along with a small tray of macarons, a series of small cakes, green tea sponge cake, and some ice creams.
And y'know, a pot of green tea.
Yeah.]
I suppose it's customary here to take leftovers so it's fine if not everything is finished.
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Why.....
He stares at them for a long moment, eyes narrowed, before it registers that she's talking.
Oh.
Right.
Uh.]
... I suppose that is the case. [Well, he's a noble bratling too, they'll never see anything as overindulgence, let's be real here.
... Still, he's not sure where to start because they're staring at him.]
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As she watches him and frowns vaguely.]
You don't want any?
[Leon plz!! MAKE YOUR MOVE]
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I told you already that I am not particularly fond of sweets.
[HMPH!!
No that was just to cover up his staring. Either way, he'll take a few of the smaller items to put on his plate and will try a bite of one of the CUTE ICE CREAM FACES.
It's.........good....]
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staaaaaaaaaaaaaaare
really subtle over here
But-]
That's why I'm looking for one you may like even if it's not completely unsweet.
. . . . Well?
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But.
He can't say that.
Quietly, he clears his throat.]
It... is tolerable enough.
[nailed it.
He's just going to eat more of it now.]
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Except she knows that's not Leon's usual prickliness and irritated response so he must actually like it! It doesn't register that it's... it's exactly what she says when she actually really likes something so she's brightening up considerably?!
Memories of the nightmare are fading away already.]
How fortunate!
[AND NOW SHE'LL EAT HER OWN WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY
She found a thing that Leon likes.... ha!]
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Even if it's still weird that some of them are staring at them.
Still, eventually he runs into the next problem of his life, which is the pot of green tea. Green tea is... naturally bitter, and he already knows he's not a huge fan from when Kashuu had made him some. He thinks it would probably be tolerable if he put a lot of sugar into it, but that would require...putting a lot of sugar into the tea in front of Lili.
Agh.
Conundrum.]
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As far as she's concerned, this has been a good time because he hasn't been complaining or obviously hating any of the sweets that was presented in front of him? Interesting, considering the fact that he said he didn't like them... The seeds of doubt are being sewn in her mind but she also doesn't think to completely regard it as a lie.
Yet.
Though when he's eyeing the green tea, she's blinking and tilting her head in curiosity.]
You don't want any? It's good to balance out the sweets.
[ ? ? ? that he said he didn't? like?]
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Ugh, it even smells bitter...
....................
And he takes a sip.
Ugh, god, it's as bitter as he remembers it being, no, he regrets this... somehow he manages to keep his face mostly blank and bites back the grimace, setting the cup down with the flattest expression he can manage.
.......... He needs to put sugar in that if he's going to drink it.]
[1/2]
Except she's curious. It's not like he'll actually say anything out loud unless he really hates something probably? So she's trying to figure out what he likes and doesn't like and it... seems... odd that his reaction to the tea is worse than that of the sweets. Um. Leon? That's... that's not how tastebuds work.
Do you even know what you like?
So she's continuing to eat her own set of sweets as she tries to mull over the possibilities here.
Maybe taste means different things in his world so even if tea is the same, this tea is much more bitter than anything and maybe the sweets in his world were super sweet. That could be it. Completely different standards of taste or something.
Or maybe he was just lying about not liking sweets. But that's silly, what kind of person would lie about not liking sweets? That would have to hit a new level of socially awkward and must take a real idiot that was trained under years of bravado and strictness that resulted in a personality that constantly overcompensates. Ha! What kind of nincompoop--]
i lied
Ah!
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[PLAY IT OFF.]
C-Could I get a set of perhaps some sugars and some creamer brought to the table? My drink is awfully hot, I burned my tongue! [she didn't have anything to drink yet-] It could use some... cooling.....
[smooth]
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Leon has no idea what Lili's sudden AH moment was, and she covers it up none-too-smoothly, but at least he doesn't put together the pieces that she's figured out his dirty little secret.
Ignore him, he's just eating more sweets to wash the bitterness from his tongue.
And when he swallows:]
What is wrong with you? [Why are you suddenly so...fidgety???]
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[UM, OBVIOUSLY.
But the waitress is bringing them the sugar and creamer and... honestly Lili doesn't want that much but for the sake of Leon's dignity she'll... t...ry.... augh, her poor green tea.
A small clearing of her throat.]
But I didn't realize that they were going to give me so much of these - can I ask that you assist me in finishing them?
[WILL THAT
WORK]
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Right.
Sure.
Ok.]
... If you insist, I suppose wasting them would be more harmful than not. [Thank god give him the sugar.
He'll just...try to be subtle about the fact that he's significantly happier about drinking his tea now that he can dump some sugar in it and make it sweeter.
But.
It's still pretty obvious.]
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really nothing subtle about that and Lili is just going to take a sip of her own (too sweet for her taste) tea to obscure whatever shape her mouth is making. it might've been turning into a smile. that's dangerous.
but... this is peaceful enough that she
really can't bring herself to mind it.]
... I haven't had tea just like this in a while.
[for some reason her teas are far more dramatic???? like with fighting or pinky promises]
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