tunasub | OPEN POST 2019

[ tragically for Cairngorm, it soon becomes very clear that they are, in fact, going outside; he slides his fingers through theirs with ease, tugging them along with him back out the door with a grin and a nod. Lupin, naturally, doesn't care at all about anyone seeing them holding hands, and doesn't seem like he's going to stop doing so anytime soon. They might be comforted by the fact that he at least isn't going down the main road. ]

Are you complaining? I'm pretty sure all you were doing was sleeping.

[ he has no idea what they said, obviously, but he can make a reasonable guess based on their tone and his own Cairngorm Knowledge... ]

[ And just as he knows enough about them to be able to tell they're complaining, they know from just his tone that he is quipping back, likely trying to refute whatever he thought they said. This is the roadmap many of their conversations follow, after all. ]

You better not be saying anything annoying.

[ They mutter, letting him tug them along away from the busier roads of town, eyes scanning the few other townsfolk out this morning who seem to be going through the same realizations and difficulty communicating that they are. It's a comfort to them, in a way, that things are still the same between them, really - Lupin leading, them following, the dynamic between them uninterrupted.

Rather than say anything further to indicate their curiosity over their destination, they merely meet his eyes with a raised brow and a tilt of their head, the rest of their expression remaining flat. ]

[ as their unintelligible-yet-understandable banter continues as usual, he can't help feeling a little bit of wonder at the strange sound of their voice, speaking these words he's never heard before. It feels like he's getting to see a part of them he never has before - something secret and genuine, not a product of the bizarre circumstances they've found themself in. He likes that. Who would Lupin be if he wasn't coveting things rare and unusual? He has no idea what they said just now, but it doesn't matter too much. ]

You're adorable, Cairngorm, you little grouch. I can't get enough of you.

[ he laughs, a little impish, knowing perfectly well they don't know what he's saying - if anything, it sort of incites him to say more things. Not that he ever holds back, anyway...

they wander off the road, at this point, and Cairngorm may or may not know where they're going, depending on how sharp their memory of that day was - Lupin's leading them back through those sparse woodlands, towards the greenhouse. The two of them have been back there once or twice since his confession. ]

You're definitely saying something annoying.

[ They know his cheeky tone, even through the language barrier!! That's all they need to suss out that he's saying something that would embarrass or otherwise exasperate them. Only their ignorance of the French language keeps him safe from a light hand crunching... and the fact that they're busy recognizing which way they're going. The location or the pathway there could never be lost on Cairngorm; their memory of the times they've been there is as clear as can be, given the importance of the events that took place there. Gems hold on tighter to memories that matter - or, at least, they try to.

Maybe that much is obvious to him in how their shoulders relax a little once they notice where they're going, their expression neutralizing naturally. If they're honest with themself, they like coming here. There aren't many spots in their home world or in the town itself that they can say are nice - nice in the way that they have good memories in them, and are worth revisiting. They never say as much outright that they're fond of the washed out and rustic greenhouse, but someone high-strung like Cairngorm only relaxes under specific circumstances, and a little rendezvous to a secluded place that they like certainly takes some tension out of them, even visibly. ]

Yes, yes, I love you, too.

[ someone is cruising for a hand crunch ANYWAY!!

Lupin seems to know the path well, too, although he seems intimately familiar with every twist and turn Chroma has, by this point. While his eyes are mostly trained forward to find his way around tangled brush, he doesn't need to look at Cairngorm to know how they're feeling - he's well aware that they like being here, or, at least, like being here more than being in the public eye with him.

It's still winter, so the greenhouse is still lacking in green. However, that only makes the spot he leads them to stand out more. Just inside, near where he'd poured his heart out to them, there's a patch of color next to the spindly branches of overwintering plants: a handful of tall green stems, with white and yellow flowers budding at their heads. Only one of them has actually bloomed so far - a bright yellow blossom - but the other daffodils look like they'll be following suit soon. Cairngorm probably remembers this, too - as the weird, ugly bulbs Lupin had given them a few months prior, then prodded them into planting with him. He's got a grin on his face, eyes bright. ]

Look at that. Our hard work's paying off!

[ They keep the hand crunch at bay... but only barely. Even Cairngorm can show restraint when they don't have a concrete reason to dole out punishment. His unintelligible comment earns a look of suspicion from them, a wrinkling of their nose, before the two of them enter the greenhouse. They can guess that they're coming to check on the little botany project the two of them have going on before they plants actually come into view - and when they do see them, their head tilts the slightest bit at the sight, following him closer to the growths.

The process of the life cycle of plants is really something they've never paid close attention to, even in their long life. Flowers and grass come and go with the seasons; that's about the extent of what they've bothered to notice about them. It's sort of a new experience watching something come to life closely, to see every stage of life like this. Thought provoking. And, a little sad, too, they guess, watching something beautiful come to life when they know it'll die faster than a blink of an eye for them. ]

It's blooming. [ They murmur, leaning down a bit to see closer. The petals of the daffodil contrast brightly against the paleness of their skin when they reach out to touch it, curious about flowers which they have not seen before. ] Are these ones...?

[ Okay? Are they going to bloom, too? They guess it doesn't matter if they voice their concern aloud, but they do spare the other buds a comparative glance to the blossom that's opened up. Normally, they wouldn't really care if some dumb plants couldn't survive or get by, but they feel responsible in a way for them, given that themself and Lupin have had to nurse them to life. It's different! ]

[ It's not something sad to Lupin - nor does he intend for it to make them sad, either, although he knows it probably does. There aren't many things the two of them can do together in a place like Chroma. He just wants to share something with them: something simple and beautiful, not a battle or an internal struggle. Judging by their reaction, the odd present has come to mean something to them, too. ]

Pretty, aren't they? Do you like them?

[ he's not sure what Cairngorm is saying as they wander over - he sees them glancing over the flowers, but he can't confidently guess what they're wondering about, even if he can hear the question in their voice. About whether the other blossoms are all right, or if this is normal, maybe. Lupin couldn't answer if he wanted to, anyway. He hovers a little bit behind them, looking between the plants and the gem.

We make it through this winter, and we'll have made it through a year of living here - I think we deserve to celebrate by helping create something beautiful. You and me, together.

That's what he'd said back then - here's the proof. The town is cold and colorless and barren, always trying to hold them back (even now, as a matter of fact), but something persevered and bloomed between the two of them nonetheless, thinks Lupin, ever the romantic. With a sort of whimsical pride, he gestures to them, then to himself. We did it. ]

[ Luckily, a simple gesture like that conveys what he wants to tell them just fine. These little flowers wouldn't be here without the two of them... that's what he'd wanted - to nurture something with them. They almost feel guilty for showing their displeasure towards the idea at first, because, like most things they've come across since being in contact with humans, they just don't understand life like humans do until made to see the significance in something like this. Their expression remains the same, muted neutral, but their eyes soften towards the plant, drawing their hand back. ]

Thank you, for showing me this. [ a beat. ] We were able to make something beautiful after all...

[ It's easier to say it with the knowledge he won't hear it. They're sure Lupin will use his master thief skills to suss out that they said something genuine, and bother them about it later, too, but they don't mind. Just to say what's in their heart out loud is a relief, for once, without having to be heard. That's the way they like it, when it comes to putting things into words. With a soundless sigh through their nose, they're straightening back up to their full height and adjusting their hand in his to hold on slightly tighter, eyes staying pinned on the delicate petals shifting ever so lightly in the gentle wind. ]

[ he doesn't need to be a master thief to understand the tone of their voice. He does wish he knew what they were actually saying. Is it sad, or is it happy? It's impossible to read their expression, and he can only tell they felt something - all he can do is hope that his feelings got through and not their anxieties about mortality. The gentle squeeze on his hand makes him lean towards the former. ]

You're spared me embarrassing you with words this time. I had some good, romantic lines in mind, too, [ he ribs, even knowing they don't understand him. They're looking at the flowers, but he's looking at them. He can never keep his eyes off them for long - he never wants to miss those subtle changes in their face when he shows them something new and wonderful. ] We can plant more flowers in the spring when it's warmer. Can't think of a good charade for that one, though. I wonder if you have a favorite color?

[ he tilts his head at them with an inquisitive smile, playful, but with that sort of genuine affection that suggests whatever he's asking is heartfelt, too. ]

I have no idea what you're saying.

[ They respond, bluntly. It's really all gibberish... they guess they should have expected that he would be talkative as ever even during this predicament, but from the small bits and pieces they've heard of his language, they didn't expect for it to sound quite like this. Fluid and more... nasally? Something different? There's an attribute to the way he talks that they can't quite pin down that just sounds so alien, like the words aren't really words at all.

Cairngorm can only assume they sound just as strange to him, if not moreso. ]

Are you asking about the flowers? Or about me? [ Mirroring him, they tilt their head too, asking a useless question all the same. When they meet his eyes again, the moment feels secret and bizarre, trying to communicate with an alien that they love non-verbally, that is. How did things ever get like this? Their life is going places they never dreamed it would in millions of years. They give a quick exhale through their nose, like a snort at the incredulity of it all, only knowing two words he'll recognize. ] Arsène Lupin, you don't know how to stop talking.

[ lupin's whole life has been pretty weird, but he'd have to admit that this is outside of what he'd expected for it, too........

Predictably, his attention is drawn right away at the sound of his name, even if it's oddly unfamiliar in their mother tongue. He always likes when they say his name - it's a little personal touch from someone who usually tries to keep all their interactions as impersonal as possible. His full name is even rarer. Hearing it makes him feel half like he's being scolded (usually only the cops call him that) and half like he's being spoiled.

They could be saying anything, of course. All he can hear, though, is Cairngorm calling his name, and that seems to please him well enough, judging by the faint but contented blush on his face. Lupin leans down just slightly, raising a finger on his free hand for a second before cupping his ear in their direction. ]

One more time, if you please.

[ They snort. Of course they don't laugh, but their shoulders do relax, finding his charading amusing, if not a little immature. They're in the mood to play along, though. ]

Ar-sène Lu-pin. Is that what you wanted?

[ His name gets repeated slowly and with more emphasis, their brow quirking like they're goading him on. They can see the barely-there flush on his cheeks, and they're feeling selfish enough to what's being asked of them if it means they can make him happy. Maybe they feel like being nice to him right now, especially since it feels better-than-usual to get these reactions from him when they can barely even communicate. It feels nice to be liked so simply. As it stands, they have an excuse to indulge him, anyway - they can't say anything else to him that will make any sense. ]

[ judging by the way his smile widens, that is, indeed, what he wanted. Lupin nods a few times, hand still by his ear as if he's intercepting some kind of important message; then, without missing a beat, he turns his head and leans all the way in, planting a quick and impish kiss on their cheek. Trap doubly successful!! But he's gone as quickly as he arrived, straightening back up and looking rather pleased with himself.

He had been planning on going back to get more flower seeds with them - as spring inches closer, more and more of them approach proper planting time - but explaining all of that now seems like more trouble than it's worth without words. What kind of date can he take Cairngorm on where they don't need to talk to each other...? (Well, they'd probably be happy going home and going back to sleep...) ]

OPEN POST 2019

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