crosswise | voice test.

[ i have no idea how this'll work but two bamf princesses sounds good to me ]

( what up. )

[ not a five star meal, that's for sure.

by which i mean natalia's taken it upon herself to prepare a treat for milla. of course, the princess didn't exactly know much about her particular tastes--just that miss maxwell had a penchant for food (any kind, she supposes), and so it only seemed right to try her hand at a meal for the spirit. you know. milla seemed like the type who deserved those kinds of gifts.

... then again, maybe no one deserved the thing that the gift ended up becoming. it's supposed to be fish, but it's both charred and not charred at the same time. it doesn't look like fish--more like someone found some kind of dying animal on the side of the road and decided to place it on milla's plate. or maybe it's the charcoal that was supposed to go in the fire? maybe it's the remains of the monster they fought a week ago? jude's science project???

either way, natalia really doesn't know what she was thinking. of course it would turn out badly. she sucks at cooking. if milla walks into the kitchen now to check on the progress of her promised meal, she'll find the princess lamenting over the wasted fish, eyebrows furrowed and mumbling quietly to herself.

also cover your nose. it smells bad. worse than alvin. ]

I don't understand. It just refuses to be prepared correctly. [ poking it with a fork. man, fuck this fish. ] Perhaps... I should try this again? Well, of course. I certainly couldn't feed this to her...

[ ah, there are many things that milla loves about humans. their ingenuity, their warm hearts and even better, their warm stoves. if there's one thing she's learned in her time among humans as one of them, it's that her appetite is nearly insatiable, and she'll happily indulge herself in the finest cuisine that humanity has to offer.

compound that with the fact that natalia is royalty and therefore must have the best cooks the kingdom has to offer to teach her how to build the most exquisite of tastes, and you have one very excited lord of spirits.

correct: you had one very excited lord of spirits, because in the time that natalia has spent in the kitchen, milla found herself growing concerned as to how her newfound friend is doing. it's been too long since milla has heard anything from natalia, and given that the kitchen can be a dangerous place in the wrong hands? milla feels it's best to check on her. ]

Natalia, have you—

[ oh dear spirits, what in elympios's name is that smell? ]

[ milla immediately regrets opening the door to the kitchen, and though she doesn't mean to wound natalia's pride, she can't very well run the risk of destroying her own sense of smell. a hand raises to cup her features, and she has to take a few seconds before she can speak again. ]

... Are things... all right?

[ ... well shitto. natalia pretty much freezes at milla catching her straight in the act of Fucking Up Dinner™, and with someone like milla this must be some kind of cardinal sin. what to do? what does she say? yes, of course! bon appetit? sorry the kitchen smells like crap? just practising hahaha this isn't actually your dinner--

--instead she just presses her lips together. ]

All right? Well... Yes-- [ a pause. cupping her nose, huh... ] Yes, I suppose things are fine. If you don't count the pan. And... the smell.

[ ... ]

And the fish.

[ is that a fish? at least she seems to acknowledge that she done goofed, considering her slightly embarrassed tone. ]

[ spirits above and around her, what does she say. milla is the guest and therefore it is not her place to insult the kindness of friends, but...

what the crap, natalia. shouldn't these servants have taught you better than this? ]

...

[ another tense moment passes between the princess and lord, and milla bravely takes a deep breath before letting her hands fall at her side again. and into

the

kitchen

she

goes. ]

If you require assistance, I would be happy to offer it.

[ but even so, she seems. ... ...unsure about it. was that supposed to be fish? it certainly smells like fish, but it doesn't look like it any longer. ]

I cannot claim to be much of a cook, but I can at least oversee the activity.

[ servants... many have tried, milla. you may have saved the world, but there's a possibility there might not be saving this dinner. or any dinners natalia's responsible for.

natalia seems to tense up as milla gets closer. after all, it meant she could get a better look at the dead thing on the plate. the charcoal. the... health hazard. certainly it was illegal to feed this to someone in some country. ]

To ask you to help with the preparations for something I meant to do for you, as a guest... [ incredibly rude?? her pride almost can't handle it. yet, at the same time, it's not like she can boast having amazing results on her own. exhibit a's right in front of them, in all it's... potentially poisonous glory.

#failure. ] ... Does it really seem so bad?

[ what is tact, how does milla navigate rudeness? she sees no reason to coddle anyone, as they must all eventually learn to stand on their own two feet. but maybe being a little tender with her words right now might help? ]

Yes.

[ MILLA... ]

However, this should not be counted as a bad thing, Natalia. It is through failure that we learn important lessons.

[ ... well okay, it could have been worse. and at least she doesn't seem mad that the dinner was ruined. ]

I apologize if my offer seemed forward, but perhaps together we can accomplish more than we could alone.

Edited 2014-01-30 07:41 (UTC)

[ i lack imagination. hit me. ]

[ ok. i'll hit you.

so you know when you're out in the woods for some reason and you're a little nervous, a little unsure, so of course you're kind of jumpy? add that in with a battle princess archer and you've got a recipe for firing a reactive arrow at the first sign of movement.

so yeah, watch out mister lieu cheng-long. he and natalia came into the forest together for some reason, but the arrow that flies right over his head and into the tree behind him might've made natalia the only person to come out.

oh shit that was close. ]

[ i knew you'd do that.

if he had expectations, he'd be offended. cheng-long, having turned his head in the opposite direction of natalia at the subtle rustle not far off, glances at the arrow before looking over his shoulder.

he is offended, but aside from the wrinkling around his eyes, he's phlegmatic as ever. ]

What's the matter? Have you lost the ability to aim?

[ no you didn't. ]

If I'd had some kind of signal that it was you, perhaps I wouldn't have had to aim at all--!

[ her first instinct is, indeed, to respond defensively. her aim was just fine, thank you very much. if anything, he should be glad she'd missed somehow.

yes, she does register the situation had she not missed a short time later. ]

... And how can you be so calm? I very nearly hurt you.

[ so predictable, yo. ]

"Nearly" didn't happen.

[ he'll forever remember this slip up, unless she can redeem herself soon. anyone can be compelled to act in self-defense. rudimentary basics. an excuse. ]

Moreover, a signal would just hinder our response.

[he's a loyal bodyguard - perhaps to a fault, but he's always been there, silent and stoic and occasionally salty. he doesn't talk much at all, and rarely makes the best conversation partner when he's assigned to her. he'll talk, but honestly, it seems like he sees it more as a duty than something he'd like to do.

this is another one of those times, where they're traveling to who knows where and it's a thing that's not supposed to be a Thing and as a result he's her only company.

does he say anything?

naw.]

[ now, natalia's not an awkward individual, and silence isn't something that particularly bothers her. after all, she knows asch. still... there's also that component of uncertainty with asch--like there is with archer. she can never be sure what they're thinking, even when he does speak. it's not like it's unsettling, but, you know. it does make her wonder.

especially with someone like archer. she trusts him, of course she does, but she'd also like to get to know him. that's a normal thought, right?

but as always, it's quiet as fuq. ]

I... [ WHAT TO SAY. ] Thank you once again for coming with me, Archer. This isn't an official trip, so I wasn't sure who to ask.

Mmh. [wow, that was a very helpful response. he's not much for conversation, and just sort of... looks out the window of the carriage (it's now a carriage.)

it's not until a few seconds later that he does say something, which is about as rare as natalia accidentally cooking something competently.]

This isn't an official trip, is it.

[the way he phrases it is not a question.]

[ hi. ]

[PRINCESSES MAN and not just princesses but TALES PRINCESSES]

[ tales princesses... with a love for STORIES. natalia, in particular, loves a tale of mystery, ghosts, and suspense. it tickles her adventurous soul.

so, when she hears that estelle's from 1) a whole other world, and 2) one with a rather impressive repertoire of tales under her belt... well, of course fellow princess's going to try and get some of those firsthand.

especially the ghost-y ones. ]

Estelle? May I trouble you for a moment?

Hm? Of course, what is it Natalia? [Admiring her fellow princess, Estelle's always happy to talk to her. Little does she know what this particular conversation is going to be about...]

Well... I must be honest. It's a rather trivial request.

[ natalia begins this calmly. she does, however, get a little more excited as she begins to explain just what this request is. can't hold in the passion. ]

I've only heard that you've quite the collection of stories. Ever since then, I haven't been able to control my curiosity...

Oh, it's not trivial at all! [She practically lights up when Natalia explains her request. STORIES MAN Estelle loves telling them, so naturally she's actually happy to hear that Natalia wants to hear them from her.]

Is there anything in particular you wanted to hear? I didn't realize that the fact that I know so many was so widely-known.

[ idk he's probably creeping around somewhere spying on you or something, all the while acting like he's Too Cool to actually care. just picture him standing behind a corner sneaking peeks at her or something, in true goofy anime fashion.

you know how it is. ]

[ wow, the feeling of being stalked. the feeling of maybe having to get the auldrant equivalent of a restraining order.

just kidding, this is natalia and the stalker's asch, so it's not like she's going to say anything. or... well... if she even noticed she was being spied on. but after the 8th time of looking at the corner while shopping, missing him everytime... she kind of has a feeling that someone is there. (finally).

little does she know it's a big loser. ]

Honestly, if someone's there, why don't you simply come out?

[ sassy hands on hips princess pose. ]

[ wow, he's not a loser.

he just never wins at anything (except, i guess, for that one annoying battle where you're forced to lose against him).

for a second he hesitates, not really sure how to respond. he could just sort of stay there, hoping she eventually gives up on and moves on. but this is natalia, so "giving up" seems unlikely. alternatively, he could probably run... but no, running away would be cowardly (as if stalking isn't).

so in the end, he sighs and steps out from behind the corner. after an awkward delay. ]

Don't misunderstand. [ it's not like he was hiding or anything. ] It isn't like I was purposely following you or anything. [ what alternative explanation is there for this situation??? ]

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