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[attr="class","mthread"]moments like these are a privilege, one marcel has refused for a while now. perhaps it's for this reason that he eyes the stalls with such a fervent enthusiasm. though the inspiration is clearly taken from an older era, he can see the spirit of his hometown here; it's a memory he doesn't expect to cross his mind, with the number of years that had passed.
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"i'm glad you said it first," he laughs. marcel was still aware of his manners--he didn't want to just drag thea round the park for his sake, "i'll let you pick. i'll eat anything, really." as he talks, his eyes drift to a cake stall nearby.
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Thea finds herself watching him discreetly, glancing away if ever his gaze settled on her. She's smiling, though, generally at ease and thrilled that he's so visibly excited to be here. [break][break]

It had been some time since she had been to a fair for herself, and not for her students. She was typically attending as a supervisor
for school trips, in charge of a small group of students. Their activities for the day were predetermined for the children's enjoyment, not for her own.[break][break]

So it was refreshing and downright exciting to stop at the food stalls first, likely bypass all of the tedious minigames, and enjoy the night as an adult. The lights were awfully pretty, and there was sure to be fireworks.[break][break]

"Anything, huh? Hmm.."[break][break]

She pauses to look around, but is acutely aware of how focused his attention is. Thea follows his gaze to a nearby cake stall. The smell of sugar and fresh-baked sweets is subtle but tempting. It smells like chocolate and strawberries and... what was that last smell?[break][break]

"I promised you something sweet... so why not try the cakes first? We're adults, we can make educated decisions like cake for dinner."[break][break]

The woman chuckles, taking a step away from his side to approach the cake stand. Upon arriving, she peruses the choices but ultimately doesn't know what to pick, given the overwhelmed crease in her brow.[break][break]

"Hmmm..."

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[attr="class","mthread"]he follows thea to the stall; by the time they've reached it, he has a pretty clear idea of what he wants. a number of the treats are reminiscent of kalosian classics, with a more rustic touch to them. "these are nice," he points to a plate of apple pie slices before taking one for himself, "they're pretty popular in galar too, right?" her accent had told him enough.
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Katherine Fairburne and their last conversation spring to mind as marcel waits to pay. the stall owner holds out a hand and, for a moment, he falters.
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ah, fuck it. he was allowed to treat himself. marcel's about to drop some coins into the open palm before he stops to look at thea. "oh, i'll pay for hers too," he says, taking a look at what she's picked so he can calculate the cost.
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Thea's eyes are surprisingly round and excited as she looks over the dessert options. She would ultimately settle on the apple pie - but doesn't make that apparent until after Kosuke mentions it.[break][break]

"Yes! They're a popular treat in Galar. It's nice to see the culture is spreading to other regions. Though.."[break][break]

She leans in to more closely study the 'face' of the pie. It's not quite right, and she giggles.[break][break]

"Appletun don't quite look exactly like that. They're far cuter."[break][break]

It's because of her close observation that she misses Kosuke paying for both himself and her. She gasps, reaching out to stop him - but it's too late. She retracts her hand and sighs, a small smile pressed to her lips.[break][break]

"You didn't have to do that, Kosuke. I promised to treat you, didn't I?"[break][break]

But she hurriedly points to a second slice of the apple pie so as to not keep the line waiting.

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[attr="class","mthread"]marcel laughs. "that's probably for the best," he jokes, "i wouldn't want to eat them if they were any cuter." when she motions to the pie he mimics her gesture, though the stall worker's already on it. marcel takes a slice in each hand, holding one out to thea.
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"i don't mind." he brushes off her protests before leading them away from the stall, deeper into the fair. taking the first bite of his pie, marcel breaks out into a grin at the taste. he looks over to thea for her reaction. "how's it?"
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Thea hums thoughtfully, amused. [break][break]

"You're right, any cuter and I wouldn't have the heart."[break][break]

He extends the second pie to her and she takes it, sliding it carefully from his hand to hers. She can already smell the apples and cinnamon, and it brings an immediate smile to her face.[break][break]

Together, they melt back into the heart of the fair, with the bright lights and cheery music. It's incredibly relaxing, honestly.[break][break]

"It could use more tartness, I think. My mother used to make Appletun-pies, they were my favourite as a child. I wonder if I could replicate her recipe..."[break][break]

She trails off, thoughtful, as she spoons another bite into her mouth. [break][break]

"Do you like it?"

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[attr="class","mthread"]he takes another bite, this time considering thea's words as he chews. "yeah," marcel says after swallowing, "you're probably right." he was no expert baker by any means--the small factor would've gone unnoticed had thea not pointed it out--besides, apple pies weren't his usual choice of snack. "it's still good, though."
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"i think you should give it a go," he says in response to her reminiscing, "seems like you miss them." or perhaps he'd misread the nostalgia in her tone.
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His suggestion invokes warm cheeks and a brief window of sadness. It had been a long time since she'd even picked up her mother's recipe book. But she had been reminiscing for a while now, feeling guilty that she wasn't putting her mother's knowledge to use.[break][break]

"I do."[break][break]

Thea pushes crumbs around on her plate, lost in thought. Ultimately, she opts to lighten the mood by changing the subject.[break][break]

"Do you have a favourite cake? I never took you for a pie sort, not that I'm disappointed. Pie is a delicious option."

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[attr="class","mthread"]marcel doesn't comment on her reaction, though he notices it. the information's filed away, an unconcious. instead he pays more mind to the question tossed at him.
[break][break]he isn't great with things like these, so he picks the first thing the comes to his head. "dacquoise?" he stops to consider his answer before continuing, "yeah, that or opera cake. anything with coffee, really."
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Thea purses her lips at his answer, perhaps trying to picture it. Off the top of her head it didn't sound overly familiar.[break][break]

"Anything with coffee? Hmm... I'll keep that in mind."[break][break]

She says this with a subtle smile, averting her gaze and instead focusing on the bright lights and cheery noise ahead of them.[break][break]

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to do? It's been a long time since I last visited a fair."

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[attr="class","mthread"]there's a quiet laugh at her expression. "they're kalosian," he explains. catching sight of a bin nearby, he'll offer to take thea's plate before moving over to throw their rubbish in.
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when thea's question comes, marcel's gaze sweeps the fair. the ferris wheel stands out above the crowd and clusters of stalls; while he's not entirely comfortable with the nostalgia it inspires, he finds himself unable to draw away from it. he pretends to think over it, knowing if he spoke too soon, his tone would probably betray him.
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"you been on one of those before?"
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