[002. Action/Video] // How romantic would it be if...

[raisedroyal]

[Hello, Prospero. Have a cheerful blonde princess who looks to be in the highest of spirits. She's wearing a frilly pink dress that only barely brushes her knees and her hair's held back with a matching ribbon. She also has a wicker basket in her lap.]

Luke~! It's been such a long time since the two of us have been able to sit down and share a moment alone, especially considering all that has happened lately, and so I was thinking that perhaps we could visit the park and have a picnic lunch together. [Nevermind that this is still winter. What are minor details when you're in love?]

You needn't worry about bringing anything. I'm confident that my cooking skills have improved greatly. Won't you come, please?

[She finally seems to sober from her happy daze and remembers that she wanted to address the others and not just Luke.]

Oh, and everyone? I wanted to thank you all for your hospitality and for assisting me when I first arrived here. I do appreciate it. And because it seems I've gotten a bit too industrious with my baking, will you not help yourself to some sweets? You may have as many as you like. Feel free to share them with your friends and loved ones as well.

[She turns the cellphone towards several plates of cookies and other sweets. Some of them are a bit rough-looking, but others appear to have been made with the utmost care. They look good, right? Or at least edible. Just be careful if you stop by. Some of them have an ominous scent wafting from them, some are rock hard, and all of them are bad! Some are overly floury or chewy, while others taste like a burned mixture of opposing flavors. And some... yes, some will make you ill.]

Comments

[Action]

[ridertothemoon]

[Astolfo's dressed in his usual vaguely feminine clothing choices, not quite going so far as his original outfit's skirt and garters. He stops by her setup after seeing the array of food.]

I see you've fared well since we last spoke.

[Action]

[raisedroyal]

[Though Astolfo is a very lovely person, and Natalia might not be entirely sure of his gender (he is very pretty for a boy, isn't he?), what matters is that he has been of great help to her.]

Yes, but only because of the efforts of others. I'm not certain what would have happened if I had been left to discover everything on my own... about the Persona and the city.

[She brightens and makes a sweeping gesture towards the plates. Nevermind the sorry state of the kitchen behind her.]

Please, help yourself.

[Action]

[ridertothemoon]

I'll only take a few.

[Politely, Astolfo takes a few cookies that should theoretically be chocolate chip.]

[Action]

[raisedroyal]

It is your decision, of course, but take as many as you like.

[She clasps her hands together and looks on with anticipation. Well, aren't you going to try one? She improved those theoretically chocolate chip cookies with love by adding extra sugar and chicken bullion - the latter because her cousin likes to eat chicken. Effectively this makes them chocolate chip chicken cookies.]

[Action]

[ridertothemoon]

[He takes a bite.

Chews.

...swallows.]

This is interesting.

[Video]

[perfectisofon]

[... Oh no. He has completely forgotten that Natalia was from a very different time. Much to his disadvantage. He couldn't run, either. ... Ah well. Time to face the music.]

Where should we meet? [Tear is gonna kill him. Tear is going to kill him and it's going to be painful.]

[Video]

[raisedroyal]

[Tear may be the least of Luke's worries if Natalia discovers things beyond her own timeline. She smiles, clearly pleased that Luke is being gracious and not simply saying that the idea is stupid or that he doesn't have time.]

Shall we meet in the lobby of the hotel? That way we can walk together.

[Video]

[perfectisofon]

[Luke will have to keep his mouth shut throughout this entire... outting. Well. Not really keep his mouth shut, but to steer away from anything that has to do with the things he clearly shouldn't talk to her about yet. Keeping this in mind, he vaguely smiled at the princess. Happy that she looked... er, well seemed happy.]

Yeah. That works for me. [This. Is going to be so. So. So.

Awkward.] I'll see you in a bit, Natalia.

[Video > Action]

[raisedroyal]

All right. I'll be there in a moment.

[Unfortunately, Natalia doesn't seem to notice Luke's discomfort at all. She's too delighted, too focused on the result of all her hard work to worry about anything else. Making sure nothing is currently burning, and pausing momentarily to be sure that no hair is out of place, Natalia hurries down the staircase. It's only after she catches her heel on one of the steps and nearly loses both her balance and the basket that she finally slows down enough to not look like she's hurrying off to put out a fire.]

[Gracefully, Natalia, gracefully...]

[breatheinthefog]

What are those.

[raisedroyal]

As I said, they're sweets.

[She'll indicate each type.] Cookies, of course. The small pastries with icing are eclairs, and the colored ones are macarons.

[breatheinthefog]

For everyone?

[raisedroyal]

Yes. Would you care for some?

[assaultedramen]

Oh, you like to bake. You didn't seem like that kind of person at first.

[raisedroyal]

I greatly enjoy trying new and different things, cooking included. The problem is that I usually have no time for activites of this nature.

Won't you have one?

[assaultedramen]

So this is your fist time baking? That's good, it means it's not to late to save you from its evil frosted clutches.

[raisedroyal]

Well, it isn't the very first time, but I've cetainly never attempted anything of this scale before. [She looks pleased with herself, but that falters at the girl's next words.]

My! But how can cooking be evil? There are chefs whose livelihoods depend on their ability to create wonderful dishes.

[ video ]

[youngestlust]

You know Luke?!

[ gasp! ]

[ video ]

[raisedroyal]

Yes. Luke and I have a long history together. [Naturally!]

[ video ]

[youngestlust]

Oh, could this mean that you are his girlfriend~?

[ video ]

[raisedroyal]

As a matter of fact, I'm his fiancée.

[Just in case, you know, this young lady was thinking that maybe Luke wasn't completely serious about her. Because they've been engaged since they were children, whether or not he remembers it. But he will remember it, she'll see to that. And he'll say those words to her again, and they'll rule together, happily, for the rest of their lives.]

[...Is what she's thinking.]

[Video]

[not_the_dreck]

[Oh... god... those are... just... ugh...]

Natalia... what are you doing?

[Video]

[raisedroyal]

Isn't it obvious? I'm cooking, of course. [She can't call it baking now, so... cooking it is.]

...Would you care for one, Asch? [He doesn't really seem like the dessert type, but who knows. She's feeling generous.]

[Video]

[not_the_dreck]

[No, no he would not care for one. Some of them look okay, but the others... eugh... Like hell he was going to be that blunt with her though.]

I wouldn't want to take away from what you mean to give to your fiance.

[No sympathy, Luke. No. Sympathy.]

[Video]

[raisedroyal]

[There's the slightest twitch of an eyebrow. She's not sure why, but for some reason the statement doesn't feel like it was said out of generosity.]

These aren't Luke's; these are the extras that I mean to share with everyone else - for helping me.