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He's a good dog.

[A smile down at Valo.

Already, as the fresh air fills her lungs, she feels better. Not quite one hundred percent again, the tension is still there in her shoulders as she carries herself out the door and to the street, but it's significantly less than when she saw him standing just down the road from here not long ago. Even Valo seems happier.

She almost doesn't want to bring up the things they're supposed to talk about lest she ruin the mood, but she's going to have to...

Lifting a hand to her lips, Ilsa clears her throat.]

So, about those ground rules...

[...Ah. A nod as they walk down the street, which is mostly quiet with only a few people working on their gardens.]

What do you have in mind?

[Probably for the best. She isn't sure why she's feeling so nervous about being seen out with Eustace like this. They are simply walking his dog, and while she's not ashamed, it's that she doesn't want people getting the wrong impression about them.

Clearing her throat again to dispel that awkward thought...]

First thing: I think we can both agree that we should refrain from alcohol in each other's presence for the time being. Or period, if we can help it. I don't think I trust the drinks here enough to do that again.

[Ha. Ha. Ha.]

Agreed. I'm considering looking into making my own drinks and filtering water from now on...

[He's got a garden, surely he can make his own juices??? WELL OR TAP WATER IS FINE.]

Then as a sub clause, we should consider what to do if something does occur.

["Sub clause"... Are they listening to themselves right now?

Ilsa gives him a dry look.]

Do you think that's something we will have to worry about going forward?

[Just follow rule number one!!!]

[Just a look in return.]

For all we know, there could be something else that has a special enchantment or we're tricked into drinking or even eating it without realizing it. It never hurts to cover all possibilities.

[Ilsa you are talking to the man who plans for every contingency especially worst case scenarios, keep up woman.]

[Her sigh is more of a growl under her breath when she realizes that he's right. Are they really going to have to live like this? Afraid that the fae is out to poison their bodies and minds again? It's exhausting...]

The question is will we be in our right minds to remember these things if it were to happen again? The cocktails were proof that any rules or inhibitions were gone after we drank those.

Then considerations for what happens after. If possible the one unaffected should the to remove the other. But if we're both affected, we should not blame each other and just try to work things out like we are now.

[God, this pisses her off so much. She just wanted to relax and plant some flowers and grow bananas, and maybe find love, but this is so far out from what she imagined life could be like here when she finally accepted it.......

She sighs again.]

You're right. [They've handled all of this pretty well, all things considered. Who's to say they can't do it again?] Can't exactly blame anyone for the effects the food here has. It seems that it's that way with everyone besides what we make ourselves.

[EVEN THEN, she's now very careful about it.]

I also think that we should remain in each other's presence until the effects wear off.

Do you think it's a good idea? If we considered last time...

[...An awkward cough.]

[Yes, she knows how this sounds, but—]

I'd rather not find myself in that situation, or any where I'm not in my right mind, with someone else.

[To put it simply: Eustace is the only person who has and who will ever see her under the strange effects of this world's magic if she can help it. He is the only person that she trusts here, so it seems the only logical path to her.]

...

[Fortunately he understands her meaning and nods, if a little reluctantly.]

Very well. I think that covers that subject.

[They can move onto less awkward things maybe.]

[Her eyes narrow as she casts him a sideways glance. Is he agreeing to those terms, or is he really okay with other people seeing him as she had at the masquerade? ... For some reason, that latter thought bothers her. A lot.

...

But she will try not to linger on it for too long, since he's already moved on.

Hm.]

Do you have any rules that I should know about before I continue?

[His turn. And hopefully it is less awkward.]

[...Hmmm.

This is a good question as he thinks for a bit.]

Not really.

[Well. A bit useless here—]

We've covered the biggest complication and the instigator of all this, and I can't think of anything more currently in regards to it. So as to our relationship—

[A small glance towards her.]

I'll be honest, I don't really know what to think about or expect.

[Ah, yes. Definitely not an awkward topic at all.

But this is something that's been stewing in Ilsa's head as well as she's tried to come up with an answer to it since they decided that they would continue to see where this would take them, but she hasn't found it yet. Though, now she wishes she had.]

Neither do I.

[For once, the two of them are flying by the seat of their pants, completely unprepared and inexperienced. It's a new feeling...]

Should we start by deciding... what exactly our relationship is now?

[If it's anything.......]

[...Hm.

He frowns, thinking it over, but really the only conclusion he can come to is...]

...Not yet dating?

[It's a question, but he's also serious about his answer.]

[Not yet...

An interesting choice of words—certainly not what she was expecting, but...]

That's acceptable.

[Why are they still talking like this is a contract, or a mission debriefing? Even Valo looks around at them, confused at the stiffness that still plagues their conversation.

Which is a good segue into her next point, and she's just going to get even more tense.]

And for exclusivity? [Her cheeks are starting to turn red again when she briefly thinks back to the masquerade... and how it felt when she'd seen him just as disheveled as she was, and how... strangely protective she became of that.] I think it might be a better test if we both agree to not pursue other people.

[...Oh?

...]

I don't mind.

[The chances of him being interested in anyone else is pretty low. Especially since... His feelings are similar. That night he had been protective of her mostly for her sake, knowing she would be embarrassed to be seen by strangers. But there had also been a seed of possessiveness, a strange feeling of wanting to monopolize her... Which was, in retrospect, both a little horrifying and disrespectful given their current state of relationship.

Yet even so...]

However. [A small pause.] I don't want you to feel any kind of obligation because of what happened that night. If you feel that I am lacking in your preferences or interests, do not hesitate to say so.

[Yes, it's still early enough to "break" cleanly without much negative feeling or effect to their pre-established relationship. This is especially so since this is in part to try and get a clearer perspective without that influence from before. Of course he may also being hesitant as his own personal feelings on romantic relationships are vague and he doesn't know where to put himself or even what to think of their current situation.

Regardless, it's clear that because of that, he's prioritizing Ilsa's needs over his own.]

[Lacking...

Ilsa does cast him a stare at that, but she says nothing of what thoughts come to mind. That she had told him that he was the only person at the masquerade that held her interest for longer than a single conversation. That he was the only man who she had wanted to dance with and spend more time with... Regardless of what they want to call this or their feelings about one another, there's no denying that there's no lack of anything. At least from her end. He had done more than enough to prove that, both emotionally and... physically.

For all the complicated things in her head right now, she's a fairly simple woman at the end of the day.]

And the same applies to you. If you find yourself wanting to pursue someone else, or that this isn't working, then we can end this with no hard feelings.

[Because this is all just a tentative thing. A test... is what they are going to tell themselves.]

[Another nod... Though he doubts it. He knows Ilsa can be stubborn and a bit of a spitfire, but unlike in the past it does bother him—especially when he knows her other sides as well. Really, objectively, although she's not without faults, she is quite compatible...]

That sounds fair. What else?

[Once again, Ilsa feels Valo's withering stare on the both of them, but she ignores the feeling that it twists into her stomach.

There's a brief silence while she thinks over what else they need to discuss... but all that's really left is something that she's been actively avoiding bringing up. It would have to be talked about eventually, but the thought of actually having to say it out loud is...

Tch.]

I guess the last thing is the physical aspect of our relationship.

[Not yet relationship.]

Physical?

[Certainly not something he considered as he assumed there wouldn't be any, but...]

Do you mean in case something happens...?

Not quite. I think we mostly covered that.

[In Section 1, Subsection 1.1, Paragraph 2.]

I meant more along the lines of our boundaries. I'm going to assume no holding hands or kissing. Hugging, however, is fine.

[???

Is she hearing herself right now?]

[...

Ehm.]

When would we hug?

[Is she hearing herself??]

Huh!?

[The question gets a rise of colour in her cheeks again, and Ilsa snaps her gaze around to Eustace with a flicker of panic.]

If we're going over everything, I want to have our bases covered. Hugging falls under intimate physical contact.

[What did he think she meant!?!?]

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