Sleep more, eat more than one meal a day, maybe sit outside more if you're gonna read.
[ That's easy! She takes another absentminded sip of her drink, leaning away again so she can look him over more critically. ]
You've actually got really nice features? You could definitely rock the whole "delicate young master" look if you wanted, but right now, you kind of look like you need a sandwich or ten first.
You know, that sort of--kind of thin features, on the pale side, has better lashes than most women? Play some more dating games, you'll see what I mean.
[Why is he surprised . . . it's such a normal girl thing to do, and she's such a normal girl! But still he didn't expect it. And he's still embarrassed, leaning away and blushing.]
Yeah? I wasn't a connoisseur or anything, but I played some. They were fun.
[ They were the closest she got to actual dates while in school, mostly because she was exactly that sort of easygoing unfocused teen, even when it came to connecting with others back then. ]
Most of them were kind of trashy, but some of them were actually good.
You know those characters are totally idealized, obviously. Physically, and in every other way. A drawing can look hot even if he's pale and scrawny, but once you get into reality, all that doesn't mean shit.
[Did she go for the pale scrawny ones in games . . . who did she go for . . . not that it has anything to do with reality, at all! It doesn't! That's the point of those games.]
[ She went for harem ends whenever possible, because of course she did. ]
I know that. They do that in romance stories all the time? The heroine always talks about how she's plain and stuff, but then all these cool dashing guys think she's super hot. Isn't that the point, pretending you could be someone like that?
[ Her legs swing again, idle. The drink is almost gone by now. ]
My point, though, is that you could be like that for real if you took care of the whole scrawny thing.
I'm not even talking about if you're looking for someone! You should do it for your own health! And you might feel better about yourself if you did?!
[ She's not a romance protagonist, okay, she's no Emiya Shirou with multiple dating routes. There is ONE person who thinks she's hot and has said so to her face without dancing around the issue or leaving it to innuendo and implication, and so there is ONE person that Ritsuka (mostly) accepts that from.
But she does poof up a little, the drink forgotten again. At least it's mostly gone by now. ]
I just want you to take care of yourself, so you can feel better about yourself?!
. . . Look, I get it, but I'd rather it be something I care about. Dammit, it's not like you're not right about the principle, though.
[He looks at her, in the dim twilight, drinking that drink . . . he feels good about that, yeah. But Douxie was right about him withholding something of this from himself and Ritsuka both by being this way about it, all evasive and dodgy. He could tell her now, but he can't bring himself to. What if it doesn't work? What if he says it and then tomorrow it's obvious it was a failure? He can't.]
[ She softens a little with the admission. There's something oddly comforting about talking to someone who is self-aware in a lot of the same ways she is: usually aware of a problem, willing to admit it, but also... stubborn sometimes to one's own detriment. In light of that, she can't even be annoyed anymore. ]
And sometimes, even if you don't care about it that much, it's still nice. Like the looks thing--I don't really care, either, but I still like feeling like I look good for once.
—Okay, but you know you're doing that exact same "romance heroine" thing you were talking about, right? You seriously have to know. You've got the genre awareness! Now apply it to yourself already.
[SHE'S DOING IT! SHE THINKS SHE'S NOT HOT! God! How can she be so dumb about some things!]
[ That just gets a slow blink, because she clearly does not get it. ]
I'm not a romance heroine, though? I'm more like an action protagonist or something. I hate the fact that I have to acknowledge being a protagonist at all?
"She always talks about how plain she is" . . . come on. It's almost worse because I know you're not actually trying to get me to admit you're hot. If you were, I could ignore it as a really pathetic effort on your part. But it's not even that! You legitimately don't think you're a conventionally attractive woman. Guys like me look at girls like you and know we'll never have you. Some guys are total assholes about it, so I guess I'm glad you've obviously never run into that before, at least.
It's definitely obvious the moment she actually processes it; her face goes red, and she makes a little sputtering sound, clearly confused. ]
I, wh, that's--I-I'm not saying I can't be cute! I can, when I try! But that's the point--sometimes I do try, because I want to feel like that! And it's nice!
[It's easier to latch onto that than respond to anything else about this—the fact that he's embarrassed that he went and said that much and she apparently didn't even need to hear it or care or mean that, while at the same time, she seems to not understand somehow that she doesn't need to try to be cute?! But he can't say that! That's going too far! He can't just shower her with embarrassing praise, the amount he already gave was bad enough!]
[ He has to know, right? He can't actually not understand, when he'd been talking like he had just a moment ago, right?! Ahhhhhhh!! Even if she can't see her own face, she can take a guess, with how hot it feels right now. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 02:56 am (UTC)[ Fineeeeeee, she takes another sip, making deliberate eye contact as she does. Are you happy now, Kadoc? ]
Anyway, it wouldn't be a forever thing. And you don't have to believe it for me to be right.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 04:02 am (UTC)At this point, I don't even know what you're suggesting I do.
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Date: 2021-05-02 04:15 am (UTC)[ That's easy! She takes another absentminded sip of her drink, leaning away again so she can look him over more critically. ]
You've actually got really nice features? You could definitely rock the whole "delicate young master" look if you wanted, but right now, you kind of look like you need a sandwich or ten first.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 04:49 am (UTC)[HE'S . . SO EMBARRASSED NOW . . . even in the dimness of the evening, his ears are visibly red. She keeps saying it?! Why!]
What the hell is a delicate young master look anyway?
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Date: 2021-05-02 05:11 am (UTC)You know, that sort of--kind of thin features, on the pale side, has better lashes than most women? Play some more dating games, you'll see what I mean.
[ is this really helpful, ]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 05:45 am (UTC)[Why is he surprised . . . it's such a normal girl thing to do, and she's such a normal girl! But still he didn't expect it. And he's still embarrassed, leaning away and blushing.]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 05:55 am (UTC)[ They were the closest she got to actual dates while in school, mostly because she was exactly that sort of easygoing unfocused teen, even when it came to connecting with others back then. ]
Most of them were kind of trashy, but some of them were actually good.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 06:01 am (UTC)[Did she go for the pale scrawny ones in games . . . who did she go for . . . not that it has anything to do with reality, at all! It doesn't! That's the point of those games.]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-02 06:10 am (UTC)I know that. They do that in romance stories all the time? The heroine always talks about how she's plain and stuff, but then all these cool dashing guys think she's super hot. Isn't that the point, pretending you could be someone like that?
[ Her legs swing again, idle. The drink is almost gone by now. ]
My point, though, is that you could be like that for real if you took care of the whole scrawny thing.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 02:33 am (UTC)[SHE'S DESCRIBING HERSELF . . . SHE'S A ROMANCE HEROINE . . . WHO TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE'S PLAIN BUT COOL DASHING GUYS AND GIRLS THINK SHE'S SUPER HOT . . . RITSUKA . . . PLEASE . . . ]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 02:44 am (UTC)[ She's not a romance protagonist, okay, she's no Emiya Shirou with multiple dating routes. There is ONE person who thinks she's hot and has said so to her face without dancing around the issue or leaving it to innuendo and implication, and so there is ONE person that Ritsuka (mostly) accepts that from.
But she does poof up a little, the drink forgotten again. At least it's mostly gone by now. ]
I just want you to take care of yourself, so you can feel better about yourself?!
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 03:33 am (UTC)[But he deflates some. That's at least a logic that makes sense, even if he doesn't agree with it!]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 03:47 am (UTC)[ She's worried about you sometimes, Kadoc. ]
Forget the stuff about dating anyone or whatever. You deserve feeling good about something about yourself.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 03:51 am (UTC)[He looks at her, in the dim twilight, drinking that drink . . . he feels good about that, yeah. But Douxie was right about him withholding something of this from himself and Ritsuka both by being this way about it, all evasive and dodgy. He could tell her now, but he can't bring himself to. What if it doesn't work? What if he says it and then tomorrow it's obvious it was a failure? He can't.]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:03 am (UTC)[ She softens a little with the admission. There's something oddly comforting about talking to someone who is self-aware in a lot of the same ways she is: usually aware of a problem, willing to admit it, but also... stubborn sometimes to one's own detriment. In light of that, she can't even be annoyed anymore. ]
And sometimes, even if you don't care about it that much, it's still nice. Like the looks thing--I don't really care, either, but I still like feeling like I look good for once.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:08 am (UTC)[SHE'S DOING IT! SHE THINKS SHE'S NOT HOT! God! How can she be so dumb about some things!]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:14 am (UTC)I'm not a romance heroine, though? I'm more like an action protagonist or something. I hate the fact that I have to acknowledge being a protagonist at all?
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:20 am (UTC)1/2
Date: 2021-05-03 04:23 am (UTC)[ There's a long pause as she blinks at him, slow and bemused, like he's suddenly stopped speaking in a language she understands. What. What? ]
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Date: 2021-05-03 04:25 am (UTC)It's definitely obvious the moment she actually processes it; her face goes red, and she makes a little sputtering sound, clearly confused. ]
I, wh, that's--I-I'm not saying I can't be cute! I can, when I try! But that's the point--sometimes I do try, because I want to feel like that! And it's nice!
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:29 am (UTC)[It's easier to latch onto that than respond to anything else about this—the fact that he's embarrassed that he went and said that much and she apparently didn't even need to hear it or care or mean that, while at the same time, she seems to not understand somehow that she doesn't need to try to be cute?! But he can't say that! That's going too far! He can't just shower her with embarrassing praise, the amount he already gave was bad enough!]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:43 am (UTC)[ He has to know, right? He can't actually not understand, when he'd been talking like he had just a moment ago, right?! Ahhhhhhh!! Even if she can't see her own face, she can take a guess, with how hot it feels right now. ]
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 04:59 am (UTC)[ HE CAN'T ESCAPE THAT. SHE NOTICED, AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM, ]
You're the one who told me to apply romance heroine logic to myself, but that doesn't even make sense?!
no subject
Date: 2021-05-03 05:03 am (UTC)[Actually he called her hot, and he considers correcting that, but like hell he's doing that.]
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