You lost your parents, yeah? How would you feel if one of 'em just came back after you already moved on?
[ She probably wouldn't know how, but he would be impressed if she did. As for Gladio, his answer is "I don't know". He's happy and worried at the same time, and this time it's genuinely for Iris. Whatever happens, he can handle it, but he's only hurting when Iris is...
--and then there's Clarus himself. ]
My dad, in a way, has come to terms with the end of his life. He knew what would happen on that day. I hope this isn't too hard on him, y'know? Adjusting to a new place.
[The quiet hum is the only sound she makes at first. He has a point. She wouldn't know what to think or do if one of her parents showed up unannounced in a place like this, and it's been years... centuries since she's seen them that she can barely remember the warmth of her mother's smile or her father's laugh. It isn't herself that she'd be concerned about though, because like Gladio, Lightning has a sister she worries about instead.
Her eyes narrow, fingers loosening on his shoulder as she leans away. The deflecting of her question with one of his own hits her right where it hurts, and she can't help but doubt herself and whether she's overstepping any boundaries by asking.
As for Clarus...]
He seemed fine. Happy... even after I covered him in coffee before he could get through his first week. [She tries to laugh, but it's far from relaxed.] Talk about a warm welcome...
[Ha ha... get it... because coffee is warm... She tried. :/
Is that any consolation? She hopes so, but Lightning keeps thinking back to the first time Serah vanished. It's a reminder that she continues to live every day knowing that people could disappear from here at any given second, and she needs to live each and every one of these moments like it's their last. Would it be for her and Serah? Definitely not, but she has a feeling the Amicitias don't get the same chance she does...]
[ Maybe his deflection was a little too personal, he realizes in hindsight, but Lightning isn't overstepping anything with her line of questioning. They've shared more intimate things than this, there's no reason for him to be cagey about this topic now.
If anything, he appreciates her reaching out, even if he's bad at sorting it out in his own mind. He's not angry or sad about the situation, but something is keeping him from embracing it completely, too. Maybe it's the threat of losing their parent all over again if this place changes it's mind about Clarus belonging here. But that's true for everyone, isn't it? ]
If he seemed happy, even after all of that, then why're you so scared of him?
[ He leans forward, the tone in his question matches his expression - he's being playful again. ]
Think he won't approve of who I'm seeing?
[ As if that would even come in the way of anything. Gladio is his own man! ]
[She's a bit taken-aback by the sudden shift, leaning away further when he comes forward, but Lightning falls into the playful mood just as easily as he does. The tension she'd felt within herself seconds earlier was taut, so there's a wave of relief that comes over her when she spots that smile of his. There's a split second where she considers flinging another blueberry at him, but rather than waste another fruit like that, she presses her hand against the side of his face and tries to gently shove it back. Go awaaaay!]
I've never had to meet someone's parents.
[Whether his approval would come in the way or not, she still wants him to like her!]
Or been in a... [a beat of hesitation] ... serious relationship before.
[Her doubt is clear across her expression. What they have – is she allowed to call it that? Although it's been over a year for her, it's only been months for him, and this is another line she's wary of overstepping while she learns to navigate what things mean. It's no lie, of course. This is the first time she's ever felt whatever this is.]
[ Her calling it a serious relationship doesn't come as a surprise, because Gladio can safely categorize this as that as well. He knew from the get-go, ever since Ignis first told him about it, that if he were to start something with her... that he would have to mean it.
He hasn't regretted it since day one.
As for how she feels, that has been known to him, too. Those festival flowers don't lie! ]
Well, never too late to start, is it? You're just a 500 years late bloomer, that's all.
[ He's still being a little shit, even as his face is being shoved away. ]
[It's a surprise to her. That's the first time she's ever said it out loud, and her heart is racing like she's taken a double shot of adrenaline. Her free hand reaches for her bottle and she pauses the conversation to wash the feeling down with a large mouthful of her drink, ignoring the burn as it goes down.
And when she sets it back on the counter, her fingers reach into the bowl of fruits again and she finds another blueberry.]
There's a first for everything, I guess.
[Lightning leans in, not saying another word, and her fingers run down the line of his jaw until they curl around the back of his neck to keep him right where he is. Her lips brush against his, the kiss she lays on him feather-light, and as she whispers a sweet nothing under her breath...
... she shoves that blueberry up his nose. You little shit.]
[ The kiss was good, even if he's under the influence of the bottle a little, he can always appreciate more of the former... aaand then something invades his nose all of sudden. It's no mystery what that is and he quickly gets up to walk around bar counter, where he can blow the blueberry out of his nose and straight into a trash can. ]
Eugh, real classy, Claire! Can't wait to tell my dad about this one.
[ He won't, but, he's not letting her think she got away with this! ]
[Like two kids teasing each other in a playground, Lightning bursts into a fit of giggles when he gets up from his seat and shoots it into the garbage. What a guy. ❤︎ Although her initial thought was that she didn't want to waste it, seeing the look on his face made losing one more blueberry worth it.
She may also be under the influence, and the drink may be going to her head as fast as she's drinking it, and as she swivels her seat around so she can watch him, Lightning tips sideways and almost falls right off of it, but an elbow casually propped up on the counter stops her from tumbling. Whoooops!]
What can I say... five hundred years teaches a woman a lot of class.
[That's what he gets for making all the old lady jokes!!!]
I'm sure your dad'll appreciate me teaching you a lesson or two.
[ After wiping his nose with a bar napkin and discarding it in the same trash can, he leans forward across the bar counter, all the way up to her so all they can see is each other. ]
Hmm, I wouldn't worry. You're a great teacher.
[ His hand reaches for a fistful of blueberries, all of which he crushes in his large hand. ]
And I'm a fast learner.
[ Annnnd then he smears his hand all over her face! And he didn't even kiss her like she kissed him?! Such disrespect! ]
[She's under the impression that he's coming in for a smooch and so she sits there and waits for it, her smile only widening further as he leans over the counter. She even shifts forward a little to close part of the breach between them so it's a little easier, because she's nice like that, but when his hands go for the bowl and there's the gross sound of something wet and squishy followed by a sweet smell, Lightning snaps herself out of her desire for that sweet, tantalizing contact. Alas, it's not fast enough to dodge and instead of a kiss, she ends up with a face full of blueberries.
SUCH DISRESPECT INDEED!
Give her a few seconds to compose herself. Lightning shakes her head and sprays the juice all over the counter and him, and wipes her lashes clean with her sleeve to reveal a glint of mischief in her eyes.]
Yeah? You're a fast learner...
[She'll give him that! She straightens so that she's standing and leans over to give him a blueberry-flavoured kiss.
Meanwhile, her fingers are in the bowl and quickly gathering a handful of plump strawberries. She squishes them between her hands and as soon as she breaks free for air, slaps her palms on either side of his face and rubs them up and down and sideways. She makes extra sure to smear them over his beard too, so that pieces stick to his stubble.]
[ She got him good! Although he was half expecting some form of retaliation, it's not as if he can turn down a kiss, no matter how many they share. In some ways, getting fruit in his face is worth it, but he catches her hands before she can pull away from him. ]
Interesting idea of a "serious relationship" there.
[ Now, while he still has her in his grip, he pulls her closer to him across the counter. It's not mystery that he's amused by their mischief, although the liquor may be playing a factor in here, too. ]
But, you're right. I oughta treat my elders the way you do.
[ Gently, he lets go of her and takes a step back... and performs a weird salute/bow combo. ] ...Sir!
[Boy, is he lucky that there's the obstacle of the counter between them because if it weren't for that, she would have given him a nice, hard shove at that. Instead, she settles for flinging a few more blueberries at him, some hitting and others flying right over or past his head. (STOP WASTING THEM!!!!) When he comes back up from whatever that was, Lightning is watching him with a scrutinizing brow.]
You call that a salute? You wouldn't last a day in the Guardian Corps.
[Tut, tut, tut. Disappointed, she shakes her head and waves her bottle at him before finishing what's left of her drink... she hoped he would have known better.]
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[ She probably wouldn't know how, but he would be impressed if she did. As for Gladio, his answer is "I don't know". He's happy and worried at the same time, and this time it's genuinely for Iris. Whatever happens, he can handle it, but he's only hurting when Iris is...
--and then there's Clarus himself. ]
My dad, in a way, has come to terms with the end of his life. He knew what would happen on that day. I hope this isn't too hard on him, y'know? Adjusting to a new place.
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[The quiet hum is the only sound she makes at first. He has a point. She wouldn't know what to think or do if one of her parents showed up unannounced in a place like this, and it's been years... centuries since she's seen them that she can barely remember the warmth of her mother's smile or her father's laugh. It isn't herself that she'd be concerned about though, because like Gladio, Lightning has a sister she worries about instead.
Her eyes narrow, fingers loosening on his shoulder as she leans away. The deflecting of her question with one of his own hits her right where it hurts, and she can't help but doubt herself and whether she's overstepping any boundaries by asking.
As for Clarus...]
He seemed fine. Happy... even after I covered him in coffee before he could get through his first week. [She tries to laugh, but it's far from relaxed.] Talk about a warm welcome...
[
Ha ha... get it... because coffee is warm... She tried. :/Is that any consolation? She hopes so, but Lightning keeps thinking back to the first time Serah vanished. It's a reminder that she continues to live every day knowing that people could disappear from here at any given second, and she needs to live each and every one of these moments like it's their last. Would it be for her and Serah? Definitely not, but she has a feeling the Amicitias don't get the same chance she does...]
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If anything, he appreciates her reaching out, even if he's bad at sorting it out in his own mind. He's not angry or sad about the situation, but something is keeping him from embracing it completely, too. Maybe it's the threat of losing their parent all over again if this place changes it's mind about Clarus belonging here. But that's true for everyone, isn't it? ]
If he seemed happy, even after all of that, then why're you so scared of him?
[ He leans forward, the tone in his question matches his expression - he's being playful again. ]
Think he won't approve of who I'm seeing?
[ As if that would even come in the way of anything. Gladio is his own man! ]
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I've never had to meet someone's parents.
[Whether his approval would come in the way or not, she still wants him to like her!]
Or been in a... [a beat of hesitation] ... serious relationship before.
[Her doubt is clear across her expression. What they have – is she allowed to call it that? Although it's been over a year for her, it's only been months for him, and this is another line she's wary of overstepping while she learns to navigate what things mean. It's no lie, of course. This is the first time she's ever felt whatever this is.]
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He hasn't regretted it since day one.
As for how she feels, that has been known to him, too. Those festival flowers don't lie! ]
Well, never too late to start, is it? You're just a 500 years late bloomer, that's all.
[ He's still being a little shit, even as his face is being shoved away. ]
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And when she sets it back on the counter, her fingers reach into the bowl of fruits again and she finds another blueberry.]
There's a first for everything, I guess.
[Lightning leans in, not saying another word, and her fingers run down the line of his jaw until they curl around the back of his neck to keep him right where he is. Her lips brush against his, the kiss she lays on him feather-light, and as she whispers a sweet nothing under her breath...
... she shoves that blueberry up his nose. You little shit.]
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Eugh, real classy, Claire! Can't wait to tell my dad about this one.
[ He won't, but, he's not letting her think she got away with this! ]
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She may also be under the influence, and the drink may be going to her head as fast as she's drinking it, and as she swivels her seat around so she can watch him, Lightning tips sideways and almost falls right off of it, but an elbow casually propped up on the counter stops her from tumbling. Whoooops!]
What can I say... five hundred years teaches a woman a lot of class.
[That's what he gets for making all the old lady jokes!!!]
I'm sure your dad'll appreciate me teaching you a lesson or two.
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Hmm, I wouldn't worry. You're a great teacher.
[ His hand reaches for a fistful of blueberries, all of which he crushes in his large hand. ]
And I'm a fast learner.
[ Annnnd then he smears his hand all over her face! And he didn't even kiss her like she kissed him?! Such disrespect! ]
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SUCH DISRESPECT INDEED!
Give her a few seconds to compose herself. Lightning shakes her head and sprays the juice all over the counter and him, and wipes her lashes clean with her sleeve to reveal a glint of mischief in her eyes.]
Yeah? You're a fast learner...
[She'll give him that! She straightens so that she's standing and leans over to give him a blueberry-flavoured kiss.
Meanwhile, her fingers are in the bowl and quickly gathering a handful of plump strawberries. She squishes them between her hands and as soon as she breaks free for air, slaps her palms on either side of his face and rubs them up and down and sideways. She makes extra sure to smear them over his beard too, so that pieces stick to his stubble.]
... But I'm faster.
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Interesting idea of a "serious relationship" there.
[ Now, while he still has her in his grip, he pulls her closer to him across the counter. It's not mystery that he's amused by their mischief, although the liquor may be playing a factor in here, too. ]
But, you're right. I oughta treat my elders the way you do.
[ Gently, he lets go of her and takes a step back... and performs a weird salute/bow combo. ] ...Sir!
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You call that a salute? You wouldn't last a day in the Guardian Corps.
[Tut, tut, tut. Disappointed, she shakes her head and waves her bottle at him before finishing what's left of her drink... she hoped he would have known better.]
Gotta make sure your back's straight.