//SCENARIOS.EXE
PHASE I [ 16 00 ] At 4:00 PM, the lightly falling snow will stop and no sounds will be heard.
What will be heard is faint sound of ‘hohoho’ and ‘sleigh bells’ faintly in the distance distinctly in one direction but when you turn that way it seems to disappear and you can’t pick up a trace of sound. It will keep occurring intermittently no matter where you are and each interval of 15 minutes, it will sound as if it’s gotten closer but the same things will occur.
by 6:00 pm, when it sounds really close (like right behind the character or next to them), when they turn they’ll hear the sound of laughter that comes from someone they greatly admire or care about to one side of them. However, unlike how everything else has disappeared, that person remains and even seems to recognize they are there. At first, it seems well enough as they will ask innocent questions such as “What are you looking around for?” and if told the truth, their important person will kindly brush them off as joking and tell them they are imagining it. If told ‘nothing’, the important person will prod them with curiosity (you can have it be annoying, whiny, friendly--however that character would most likely nag them to let them in, including things said such as “you can tell me”).
Regardless of choice from there, the person will eventually decide to assist in locating this sound, as your character will hear it once more and from the sudden surprise on the other person’s face it seems they may have heard it, too.
At 6:30pm, the person will give up, suggesting you guys go back (go home, go shop, go eat, whatever the character would suggest as something fun and interesting. if they are the type of character who would just simply part ways with the other and say they will meet them back somewhere else, that’s fine, too!) In the end, they will start to walk past the PC if they are in front of them, but as soon as they are behind him the PC will get a hand on the shoulder and pulled to be whispered to by that person in the ear (or any variant of it at the player’s discretion to sound more like said individual): “You always did have a habit of looking for the things you can never find. A trait of only the most worthless.” followed by a strong wind that drowns out laughter of the person when they came, but this time much crueler. The wind is gale force so the character will not in any way be able to turn around fast enough to see whether the person walks off or disappears.
Looking to the ground, there are footprints, though, that suggest that person was there. Unfortunately, the snow is light and not wet, so unless the character looks quickly they may miss the evidence. And with the wind starts the heavy wet snow, increasing until blizzard conditions are reached.
OOC NOTES:
- If doing this prompt, people who tag into other people’s top levels can choose if they also have an important person that’s come to them in the same way or they can simply be alone.
- Both characters can see each other’s important persons (assuming the individual tagging the top level has one), and they will treat the other PC polite enough but would do what they normally do with strangers while around their PC. Players might want to take the opportunity to do some simple ‘npcing’ of their character’s important person in relation to the tags their top levels receive or the tagged into, but it is by no means required. Just one more potential thing you can add to your threads if it helps or will be more fun/interesting ).
- If any player-characters would happen to have the same important person, the player-character entering the thread will have their version start to slow down in their movements until they are behind them and no longer keeping up. When they turn around to look for them, they won’t be there any longer, but they will be fully acknowledged by the spectre and act as if the newly arrived isn’t remembering correctly (they ran ahead to find the player they are with now or etc.)
- The spectre should at least be believable to be able to cause doubt on whether it is real or in their heads or some other type of trick. If directly asked, the NPC will never quite say one way or another, but sort of be sympathetic to their uncertainty or laugh it off or dismiss it… again, however that character’s NPC would react to being doubted.
- It doesn’t have to be their “MOST IMPORTANT” person. Just someone that they are close enough to that their opinions matter/the player character really misses/they would be bothered by them not finding them worth anything/etc.
PHASE II [ 1700 ] Now that blizzard conditions have suddenly come into play, including white outs, all that lighting doesn’t seem to be much help (and that’s before any lighting finally ends up blowing out due to the conditions). You might want to look for that person that was with you, because you swore you saw footprints in the dry snow before it was all erased with the force of the wind.
Traveling outside may be more dangerous than you intend, however, not because of the cold, but because you can’t see who’s (or what) coming at you nor who’s (or what) coming behind you… or from any other direction, either.
Pretty convenient for an accidental murder in the form of a hit and run by a moving vehicle.
...Or a sleigh speeding forward by the work of nine reindeer and equipped with saw-blades used for ice cutting in place of the normal runners. You will want to get out of the streets as fast as you can because, while you will not be consistently chased, increased attempts at various times will be made on your life the longer you stay out.
While your character is welcome to run into the nearest place they can or continue to stay outside despite being an intended murder victim, the combination of the disorienting whiteout along with the sleigh attacks will strategically attempt to push characters towards the large mall that has been now shut down for the evening. They will find the doors unlocked and most likely others there that have be also driven here by the same situation. Somethings not right, though. Because the mall suddenly doesn’t look the way it once did, especially if you were just there earlier in the day. You are about to find out that the lot of you aren’t much safer, inside, either. Be prepared to run or fight your way out.
PHASE III [ xxxx ]
Depending which side of the mall you enter from depends on the layout of the mall and what you’ll be finding. Please note Cerealia’s mall is incredibly large so it would be quite the effort to go from one end to the other. However, it is possible, and if you reach the middle of the mall, the two variations of the mall will collide with one another. Once you step over into the other version, whatever dangers you faced from the other side will cease. However, now you have the other sides dangers to face, as well.
3A: WARM
The mall looks as if it’s been abandoned suddenly—there are no guards or any sign of movement initially. Despite the power being out, you will actually be able to search if your characters want to and get the power to turn back on. Be aware that turning the power back on in the mall will result in a change noted below for both prompt 3A and 3B.**
Regardless of whether you turn the lights on first or stay in the dark, you will find the multi-levels of the mall scattered with various gifts, left for all of you as gratitude for complying with coming to the mall. These may or may not be your definition of a gift, however. Every package is addressed to someone who has shown up at the mall, yourself included. While wandering by a gift that doesn’t have your name on it will do nothing, doing the same for one that does… Merry Christmas to you! Santa’s elves will be busting out of the packages and will solely be focused on you and you alone. They’ll be sporting just about anything and everything you could think of they could use to harm you, but it’ll be in the form of a creepy toy or candy (to try and choke/suffocate you with if they manage to get close enough to you to do it)—basically anything that could be harmless but is now not, but they will avoid any direct death methods. Their intention is incapacitate you to the point they can eat you. Note they are not easy to kill, but they are killable. However, there will always be at least one elf out chasing you. You might want to team up to take these guys out. (think of them as the hardest normal enemy on a map for your level).
Whether you turned the lights on yourself or not, at some point the lights will come on and make your lives more festive: different elves will be appearing on the upper floors with just about and every possible projectile weapon. There is probably even a canon or two, as well, so watch out! But probably nothing bigger than a canon… and no rocket launchers because there would be no fun in that if everyone died too quickly during playtime. These types of elves are more numerous but they are easier to dispatch and do not have a specific target. They also don’t care if they kill you, but they are more likely to try and slow you down so they can watch you become dinner for one of the bigger ones.
3B: COLD
The other side of the mall looks like quite a bit different and in heavy disrepair.
It is also possible (although more difficult) from this side of the mall to turn on lights (even if the lights will be a lot less numerous than on the other side of the mall.) There are no christmas decorations here, just the snow littering the wrecked structure. Even though it is clear there is a hole in the roof, for some reason the blizzard outside is not through it. Instead it’s just a quiet and light snowfall.
But this is side of the mall where there are LESS, but quite a bit more dangerous enemies. The elves that appear are identical to the ones in packages on the other side of the mall, however, they do not sport weapons other than their sharp teeth and claws (despite pictures, these features aren’t super noticeable on the ones on the other side of the mall like this side until they get at your throat). They are also faster and while they also want to eat you, they don’t care if they rip you apart in the process before getting to eat. All-in-all this would be a lot more of a visually gruesome death to experience as well as watch as the victim will end up in pieces. Since these are a little stronger than their counterparts hiding in the presents, there also aren’t as many (probably 1 for every two characters at all times). They would be the strength of a small mini-boss.
But, it won’t be long because you hear some inhuman snorts and growls that don’t sound very animallike, either. looking up you’ll find that it looks like Santa’s let his 9 reindeer out for the hunt and they’re coming in after you.
There’s only 9 of them (you know dasher, dancer…etc. etc..), but they are each the strength of a harder mini-boss. They withstand a lot of damage and the more injury they take, the more aggressive/frenzied they become. They will eat you/tear you apart/trample you/impale you with their antlers, whatever. While you’ll see them come in from the roof, they act like predators and use the shadows and disrepair of the mall to their advantage to try and corner you and otherwise surprise you. Your best chance with them is to stick together as one of you alone won’t be able to kill one of them), but they will make every effort they possibly can to separate all of you to take you each out one by one (and, why yes, the reindeer will gang up on you once they separate you like a little lamb from its heard…).
This side of the mall is definitely a team-effort survival trip. Each reindeer is slightly different in its methods, but who can really tell the difference when things are at this stage? Rudolph IS THE BOSS OF THE PACK… taking him out first will help your characters greatly, although he’s also the most difficult (and your characters would have to icly figure out killing him will actually help them out, too).
***CONCERNING TURNING ON THE LIGHTS (PROMPTS 3A + 3B): If characters on either side end up turning the lights on manually, they will also end up releasing a creature that is unkillable and will stalk your characters until you are too far away from it and it gives chase to another (so you have to run away when it finds you). The trick to encountering it the least amount of times is to constantly keep moving, although this will make any strategic things difficult against other problems being faced. It is possible to stun it/slow it down temporarily to aid in characters escaping when it shows up if the character has the ability to do it (summons, magic weapons, superhuman strength characters, etc).
This monster is also the only one that will not cease its attacks and ignore you should you cross between the center of the mall. So, yes, if it’s chasing you and you run straight through… it’s gonna CHASE YOU STRAIGHT THROUGH into the other version/side of the mall, so don’t stop D: !!
PHASE IV [ xxxx ]
And if you didn’t run to the mall, or didn’t get chased by santa’s killer sleigh, or heck, maybe you stayed inside your apartment all day? Don’t feel too safe for too long. If you aren’t celebrating christmas properly, aka in an area (a building, an office, a bathroom stall, your apartment, your bed etc etc) that is lacking either a Christmas Tree or the proper milk and cookies for Santa to assist him while he is so busy this night, he’s not going to be happy. Which means, he’s going to come punish you for your lack of respect for the hardworking. It doesn’t pay to be impolite to your elders, you know. This is why we can’t have nice things.
The room/area has to have both the Christmas Tree and the milk & cookies in order to be safe. This is literally the only way to keep Santa from coming at you with a machete like a jolly serial-killer. He starts with a machete, but he can pull just about anything out of his toy sac (semi-automatic machine gun, you got it…). Because Santa is magical, he is unkillable and you can’t injure him, either. The best you can do is break his weapons to stall him and hide, but he’ll stalk around looking for you, telling you what a naughty boy/girl you’ve been and now you’re hiding from the consequences! You can hide from him under beds, in lockers, closets, etc, and while he won’t open any of those things unless you make noise to alert him, he will leave. Don’t stay in the hiding spot for too long, though, because he will come back and that time he will find you.
The trick to getting off of Santa’s murder list? While he disappears once he’s lost sight of you (maybe 15-20 minutes is the grace period that he’ll leave you alone), get a christmas tree and get those milk and cookies out. OR run to a place that has both of these things.
While Santa is chasing/stalking you, he will talk to you and give hints on what the characters need to do to be spared (things along the lines of “good little girls and boys always leave Santa milk and cookies for his long journey” and “where is your christmas spirit? not even a christmas tree for old santa to put his gifts under.” etc etc.).
Once you complete this, he will return and be planning to be murderous once more, but once he sees the tree and cookies he will immediately stop and be extremely jolly and forget you in favor of the cookies in milk as well as putting a couple presents under the tree like he didn’t just terrorize the living snot out of you with sharp objects. And then he’ll be heard with his trademark commentary for those familiar with the Santa Claus lore: “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL GOOD NIGHT…” and disappear without (anymore, or at least, yours) bloodshed.
BONUS [ whyo'clock ]
{ there isn't a bonus this event, apologies! but we will do our best to remedy this for you guys on the upcoming test drive by connecting it to something appropriately traumatizing for mental processing. Please stay with us :D! }
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with trigger-y or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ]
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Should I meet you...?
[But it sounds like there's someone with him already, so after a brief pause, she adds,] Are you with Hinata?
[Because she hears him call someone "dumbass" and she's immediately assuming it's someone he's close to. Incredible.]
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[To be fair, he calls lots of people dumbasses. It's really about how he says it, and that one was irritated, but not exactly hateful so her assumption is actually 100% correct. It's somebody he's close to, but...]
I'm not with Hinata, no. I'll-- hey, quit it! [There's a faint, girlish giggle from the other end as well as a lot of jostling noises and a "Let me finish my goddamn conversation!" aimed at whoever it is he's with.] Peko, I gotta go, I'll see you in a bit. Bye.
[What the fresh hell was all that about.]
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[?? Mabel, maybe? Or Trucy... they seem likely. It could be anyone, really, but she'd rather think it's either of those two than just some random giggling girl.
Well, nothing for it for now except to get back to what she was doing, which is to say, packaging up the cookies she'd made so they don't get stale, and then going back to the couch to return to her book about western sword styles. She'd meant what she'd said about wanting to learn more about them, just as long as whomever is speaking with her doesn't look down on her.]
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[Half an hour passes and Kuzuryuu still isn't back, however. Not only that, but the weather seems to have gotten even worse. The wind is howling and it's nigh impossible to see anything out the window, if Peko were to actually bother looking. It's probably going to blizzard soon...]
[About fifteen more minutes pass before there's a loud series of knocks on Peko's door. Upon opening it, she'll find exactly who she's expecting. He's alone and appears to have stopped at his own apartment first because his clothes are surprisingly dry for a guy who's spent nearly an hour out in a snow storm. Also he...definitely wasn't wearing that sweater when he left for work. Peko will likely easily recognize it as Mabel's handiwork, though it's slightly too big in the collar and sleeves. Though that probably just makes him cuter.]
[Or well...it would, if his expression wasn't so dark. Because ohhhhhh boy is he pissed about something. His face is set like stone and his gaze doesn't actually seem to be falling on anything in particular. He's also alone. You would think with the weather this bad, he would have invited whoever was giggling to come home with him, but...]
Sorry I'm late.
[Even his words have that quietly furious undertone to them. The one that sneaks into his words when you REALLY need to be concerned about his anger levels, as opposed to when he's yelling. At least it doesn't seem to be aimed at Peko. Exactly what put him in such a foul mood is anybody's guess though.]
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So maybe at the sound of someone knocking, she strides to the door and yanks it open a little more forcefully than necessary, concern mixed with relief plainly visible on her face. The sweater is cute, yes, but more than that, he made it back to her.]
Welcome back.
[But even with as bad as she can be at reading him, even she can't mistake that kind of anger. And there's a moment where she wars with herself, trying to decide if it's appropriate to ask him directly, or if she should just wait until he decides to speak. But a breath, and she decides on the former, venturing a quiet,]
What happened?
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[He moves inside once he's able, slipping his shoes off at the door. Those, at least, are still soaking wet and kinda squeaky sounding if she happens to have a hard floor near the door.]
Glitches happened. And this time they crossed a goddamn line. You still have Katsura's bomb? I have half a mind to go put that damn thing to use right now.
[He won't. Because he knows better than to do something so rash, but the desire is still there. Jeez, it's like they killed his sister or something.]
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[She casts a glance toward the window with a frown, though. While she thoroughly approves of bombing CERES headquarters in response to a glitch, this might not be the best weather for it. Though she only points out in a half-diplomatic attempt,] Though I am not certain if his bomb would be able to detonate with how wet it is outside.
[She won't verbally ask him to elaborate, at least not yet, but her expression clearly shows that she wants to. What kind of line might CERES have crossed that would anger him this much...? And who was the other person giggling on the other end. Was the glitch one of their classmates appearing, or perhaps--
Oh No. She thinks she might have come to a realization, her head jerking sharply toward him to meet his eyes again.]
Are you alright?
[But she can't be sure, and she doesn't want to guess. If it was Koizumi, or his sister, or anyone else involved in that event... she doesn't want to assume and guess wrong.]
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Yeah, I'm fine.
[Physically, anyway. Mentally, emotionally...well, he's been better. He no longer believes that that was really his sister out there. Because if there's one thing she would never tell him, it's that he's worthless, but...that doesn't mean the encounter didn't hurt. It just for reasons other than what it was supposed to.]
[He didn't think he'd ever get to see her again. And he hadn't really dared get his hopes up that she'd show up here. Because...what would being backed up mean for someone who's dead? Really, 100%, fully and truly dead as a door nail, not this braindead stuff.]
[But then it seemed like she had and, in spite of those concerns, he'd been happy. For a glorious half an hour, he'd really and truly been happy. Only to have to that disappear into the snow with a laugh and a hair flip.]
Hungry though. So...if we start on dinner now, you won't hear me bitching.
[Apparently he doesn't really want to talk about it right this second. Sorry, Peko...maybe once he gets some food in him?]
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[She'd almost been looking forward to launching an attack on their oh-so-responsible saviors in the immediate future, but this is fine too. She's more than aware that even with Katsura's help, they're not ready for the kind of full-scale violence that they might normally be used to. She just gives him a bit of a longer look, still clearly concerned, but she won't push it. Instead, she just nods and turns to head into the kitchen, whether he follows her or not.
First things first, tea. Even if he'd changed into dry clothes, with the weather the way it is (and with him being so very small), the extra warmth would surely be welcome.]
I was thinking we could grill fish...? I have the ingredients for miso as well.
[Tentatively asking, because maybe he doesn't want to talk about mundane things. If not, that's fine, she doesn't mind cooking in silence.]
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[Not that...he ever says no to tea, but semantics...]
Those both sound good.
[Definitely following her into the kitchen though. He wants to help! Even if he probably shouldn't be trusted with knives right now. Maybe he can work on the miso, yes... And rice? Definitely gotta have rice.]
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...
[Peko being Peko, though, she's not quite sure how to carry a conversation. Or comfort him, really. Hopefully the kettle won't take too long to whistle so she can pour it in with the oolong tea bags.]
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[Don't beat yourself up too much there, Peko. It's not like he told you what the problem was. How are you supposed to comfort someone if you don't know what they're upset about in the first place?]
[Besides it's...not like he's offering much to carry on a conversation either. But comfortable silence is probably something they're both used to by now. It's not exactly a bad thing, even if Kuzuryuu's foul mood does make it a little tense this time...]
[But alright, he can take a hint. He'll turn the rice cooker on and start working on getting that going before turning his attention to the miso.]
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A murmured,] Here, [as she pours some of the tea and sets it near him and the miso, then she's back to start warming the pan to and slicing the fish and vegetables. Don't burn yourself, bocchan, it hot. But she's in no hurry with either of the foods she's preparing, considering that it'll take time for the rice to cook.]
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[Kuzuryuu's not even bothering to look at the window, but instead focusing all his attention on the kitchen counter and what he's doing there. Perhaps it's a distraction from whatever it was that happened out there, or maybe he's scared of what he might see if he looks into that mess. Who really knows.]
[Either way, it'll be a minute or two before he finally takes a sip of tea. Not as hot by then! Surely he won't burn himself, it's fine. He's fine. Everything's fine.
No.]no subject
Would... you like to watch a movie with me, after dinner?
[Something like that would be comforting, right? And if she phrases it like that, maybe he'll say yes since she's not making it obvious it's for his sake, rather than hers.]
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[Unfortunately, that most definitely means that it's something he's not likely to stop being mad about for a while. At least when he has his wild, angry outbursts, he's usually pretty quick to get over it. Quiet anger is a different matter entirely.]
Yeah, I'd like that. I can go get one of those ones you gave me the other day if you want.
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[At least he's focusing his anger, and she can trust him not to slice up his fingers or anything like that. Whatever it is, she's certain he'll tell her about it when he's ready. Sometime tonight, anyway, because she's not letting him leave until he tells her what it is.
But she just hums a little and goes back to her preparations, setting aside the fish and placing the vegetables into the steamer. She's fine to finish off the rest of the dinner preparations in silence, because really, she doesn't have any other ideas to move the conversation along. They've already decided on dinner and what to do after, so the next move is up to him.]
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[Apparently he doesn't have anything else to say either though, on the topic of what happened out in the snow or otherwise. Because the only response he gives is an affirmative grunt before it's back to working on the miso and checking on the rice.]
[Cooking in silence it is, then. What fun! Hopefully they'll finish all the various dishes at about the same time, so they aren't stuck awkwardly waiting on one thing to finish. Kuzuryuu's doing his best on his end to try and ensure this outcome, at least.]
[At least until he hears something that sounds like faint sleigh bells outside and jumps, dropping the spoon he was using to stir the miso (into the pot, fortunately) and glancing apprehensively at the nearest window.]
Peko, did you hear...
[It's probably nothing. Just like it was when he was out in the snow with his sister. Just like then, nothing seems to be happening.]
[Maybe he really is losing it... Or maybe people outside are nearly getting run over by a murder sleigh.]
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But there it is again, very faint, perhaps fainter than before. As if whatever made that sound is moving away from them (for now).]
The bells...?
[What kind of trauma is this...? Flashbacks to the carnival, perhaps? Peko doesn't seem too bothered by it as she glances to Kuzuryuu for some kind of answer.]
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[That actually seems to relax him a little bit. Good, so he's not just hearing things...]
I heard 'em a few times while I was on my way back, too. Never figured out what was causing it but... I don't like it.
[He's nervous again. He thought the bells had stopped when his sister disappeared, but apparently that wasn't the case. Maybe Gundam was right. Maybe they do herald the end of the world.]
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[She's not sure she understands his alarm, but she does look at him with more than a little concern. If it's something that's bothering him, then it's enough to bother her too. It could be another one of CERE's little "glitches," after all. Or it could be nothing.]
Please do not worry. If something happens...
[There's a bit of a pause there as she almost says, she'll take care of it. But he wouldn't like that, right? He'd consider her treating him like a kid, and that would have the opposite effect.]
We'll be ready.
[There's a couple bladed weapons in her apartment now, after all.]
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[He turns his attention back to the soup pot.]
Speaking of... [Just going to turn the stove waaaaay down here...] Miso's ready. Rice should be almost done too.
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Perhaps the glitch is almost over...?
[Whatever it was that had angered him so severely earlier had to be a part of it. She moves past him to check the rice herself with a nod and takes two plates to move the fish onto them before it has the chance to burn.]
In any case, the miso smells good.
[U did good, bocchan. Come help her move everything to the table.]
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[Somehow, he doubts it. But he'd like to believe that she's right.]
Good, I'm glad I didn't mess it up.
[Okay, okay, he's helping he's helping. He has to stand on his tiptoes to reach the bowls, probably, but he'll get that ladled out and take it over to the table. And then move whatever she doesn't until eventually they have all the food on the table and chopsticks and everything and basically: fuck yeah, dinner time.]
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In that same vein, she's got nothing to say while they're eating unless he brings something else up first. She didn't have work earlier, so it's not even like there's any amusing anecdotes from her day, either. Not to mention she's still concerned about whatever it was that had made him so angry before, but she's not going to be the one to bring that up, either.]
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