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Flirting wasn't a concept completely lost to Rory.

With the ample romance novels cozied up on her shelf, she had plenty of compelling examples to look upon as references, and even more movie adaptions to go with it. It might've skewed what she perceived as 'real' flirting, but at least she knew the concept more than Mari.

annalise henderson' teasing nipped at her cheeks til they turned bright red with embarrassment.

"I really don't think he is..." She murmured through puffed cheeks. If he was interested, wouldn't he express it more clearly by now? "Anyways, he's been calling me that since we met."

annalise henderson @marilee

"For drinks or food?"

The question came with a small smile and head tilt.

"For food, I always go with red curry, but drink-wise..." Standing up, she leaned over the table just far enough to look over at the menu he was holding. Her hair lightly grazed his hand as she loomed overhead. Concentration wrinkled her features as she gave the menu a quick lookover.

"mmm... I don't really know." Her lips twitched into a sheepish grin. "I usually just drink water."

@vallen

Literature was something Rory desperately wished she held an ounce of more talent in. If only she could write out heart-driven poetry, or dive deep into the do's and don'ts of novel writing, or at the very least, create SOMETHING of artistic merit. BUT NO! Arceus had cursed her with a horrid hand at the arts, both musically and creatively, leaving her with no other option than the maths she kept to.

Alas, there was still reading.

Tucked in the corner of a cozy bookstore, the young woman sat, curled up in what looked to be a tortilla blanket. Only the top side of her head peeked out from its covers, granting her just enough visibility to read the trashy romance novel she was desperately clutching onto. Each word she read brought her closer to the pages, reeling her in further and further until the tip of her nose nearly touched it.

If someone were to, say, interrupt this sacred moment. Well, that would just create CHAOS!

Greyson Connors

She shook her head, confident.

"Nope! It's pretty..."

What's the word?

"hidden...? It's really good, though! Promise."

The buzzing of her situation was nearly enough to blind the woman from both his disappointment and intoxicating smile. A small win, all things considered. The cab, nearing their destination, shuffled to a stop. They had arrived.

Turning, she stared back up at a Vallen, her lips twitching into a sheepish grin, both nervous and excited all at once. "We're here...!"

One push is all it took to pop open the car door. Sliding off of the sticky leather seating, the young woman took one quick glance at the cute thai shop before gesturing for him to come to follow her inside. Soft hums vibrated from her lips as they entered. Immediately, they were greeted with a humble setup of a few tables and chairs and one single woman sitting behind a register.

The mention of bridgerton drew a spark from her eyes. Ever since setting her eyes on that drama, Rory had been absolutely smitten with the idea of falling deep in love with another, and having such a perilous journey in order to finally be together. Though, when she thought about it, @vallen was neither of the men she had spent 10 episodes drooling over. While his wit was sharper than Anthony, he lacked the bantering pattern that made a couple like him and Kate so memorable. And Simon. As foreboding as he could initially across to people, he didn't exactly hold the same qualities that cold duke of the north held.

Vallen was different. He was her favorite type of man; smart, hot, and misunderstood.

A wad of words balled up in the back of her throat as she carefully reviewed Anna's words.
"I, I don't think so?" She spoke out loud, brows furrowing into one plush line. She knew for fact that she hadn't flirted with him-- the idea was far too nerve-wracking to go through with -- but did he? "All he really does is call me 'brown eyes'," She mused, "but that's really it!"

To anyone with eyes, it was clear Rory would've been oblivious to any and all signs Vallen could've given. A hopeless romantic who couldn't even discern flirting from niceties. A cruel fate, no doubt.

@marilee annalise henderson

Rory despised the cold more than anyone else, but if it were up to her, she'd still be pressed up to the opposite car door. Goosebumps pricked the top of her arms and her eyes were kept down low, staring down at her knees.

Only when he mentioned food did she look up.

"We're almost there..." The words slipped out from her chapped lips. A soft whisper compared to the confidence he displayed around her. Tight and ridged, the woman kept her back as straight as a board, careful not to let their skin touch, or let his warmth sway her into leaning closer. "Sorry I picked somewhere so far."

@vallen

The sound of stingers clanking against the skarmory's metal coating only further added to the embarrassment and shame she felt. Head lowering, she continued to babble on, a clear explanation becoming more and more impossible for Fenris to retrieve. "I, I just tried to sing to them. I read that combees like it when they're sang to-- that it tends to make their honey sweeter too!"

A series of intense sniffs followed this initial explanation. She rubbed the back of her arms across her eyes, pushing away the tears that threatened to continue spilling out. If only Rory knew how awful of a singer she actually was, and how horrid of a time these poor bugs went through for more than an hour worth of time. "I don't know why're they're so angry..."

Bruno Mars, the sandshrew, could sense his owner's stress from way inside his ball. Because of this, an arc of red shot out from her side, and in seconds, a new pokemon had entered the field. The small pokemon let out a worried cry before kicking Fenris's shin, the burden of an unsavory assumption falling on his shoulders. "What should we do...?"

@fenris

Cynge's workshop was everything Rory had imagined for herself when she initially signed her life away to Team Rocket's revolutionistic whims. A wad of envy rolled back up and down the sides of her stomach as her eyes thoroughly surveyed the building's insides, only stopping when the woman fell from the sky, landing a mere foot or two away from herself.

"Don't worry about it," She smiled sweetly, head tilting every so softly to the right. "What happened to it? The AC, I mean." Rory casually followed the older woman into the office, her question only lingering a step behind. Her curiosity was a curse of its own-- whenever she found something broken, she was desperate to know what caused it, if it's fixable, and how to fix it. Part B and C might be outside today's range of conversation, but she didn't mind settling for just part A instead.

When they moved inside the office, Rory would take the first opportunity to grab a seat.

ana fell

Another squeak came out, this time from her lips instead of the worn-out leather seating.

"Ah!"

The sprinkle of pink deepened into a dark crimson as it infected the rest of her face. Her eyes squeezed close at his touch, and her head automatically found itself crashing into the side of his chest. Curling her hands into fists, she pulled herself back up, straightening her back so she was at least pressed up against the seat. She could still feel the heat of his body, the thrum of her heart, and the twist of her stomach, but at least, it was better than before.

"Isn't this, uh, too close? .....I wouldn't want you to be uncomfortable."

@vallen

The air was stuffy with awkward tension. Every time she'd want to suggest a new topic of conversation, or ask an innocent question, she'd scrap away the idea, thinking it to be stupid, or embarrassing. When he eventually piped up, she'd immediately look over, a zap of excitement nipping at her toes.

"Huh?"

Her eyes widened at the suggestion.

Come...closer?

She gave the suggestion a moment to process, as a trickle of steam leaked out from her ears. Only after a minute of thinking did she make any movements, and even then, they were as slow and uncertain as humanly possible. The cushions squeaked with pressure as she inched across the leather seating, sliding down beside him.

"Like this," She murmured, questioningly, a soft blush pricking her cheeks. There was still a good chunk of space between them. Traveling even further would require something more concrete than a suggestion.

@vallen

Before she could continue into her sea of self-doubt and depression, a new face entered the scene: the girls' newest roommate, marilee beaufort . Rory hadn't found the time to truly gauge the vibe of the other girl, but from what she knew and didn't know, she thought, at the very least, she would help provide another perspective on her dire situation.

"Maaaaariii," She whined, shortly after annalise henderson RUDELY revealed the topic of conversation: Pineapple AKA @vallen AKA the hottest man on earth. Each time Annalise would name off another trait of hers to be "admire", Rory would only sigh and further pluck at the carpet, eyes hellbent on exhibiting both the highs and lows of young, blossoming love.

"BUT BUT BUT! He's also super smart, and passionate, and hot..." She breathed out from her nose, "like really hot." Turning, she looked up at Mari just as the other did, heart pinned up by the thread hope. Maybe she'd have a solution. Or, like, something better than what she currently has now. "I just think that, I don't know, if he wanted to, he already would've? Why wait?"

"cause I DONT KNOW??" 

Unsure of how to respond, Rory curled further into a ball, her legs fidgeting beneath the pressure of excitement that zapped through her. When she finally looked back up, its with a redden face and starry eyed expression.

"I mean I like him. A lot. But, I don't know, I doubt he'd feel the same."

Doubt seeped into her bones, weighing her down til her back hit the floor. 

annalise henderson