fable inbox 🍌🌼

[neunkugeln]

@nybeth

❝ Leave a message. ❞

VOICE ✦ VIDEO ✦ TEXT ✦ ACTION

Comments

[flamekthunder]

Ah...

[When she places her hand on his forehead, he instantly blushes, eyes averting.]

N-No...?

[neunkugeln]

[Her hand snaps back as if he'd felt hot to the touch, but no... she sees the way his cheeks immediately flush with colour. Has that ever happened before!? Watching this all unfold is like looking directly at a world wonder.]

Are you blushing?

[Yes, she's calling him out on it, but it's more a question she asks for herself... and she finds that her own cheeks are turning a shade of red in response to it.

From behind Ilsa, Valo whines.]

Eustace, what has gotten into you? You're acting...

[...

How does she put this so that she doesn't hurt his feelings again? Or should she even care about being delicate with them?]

Not yourself.

[flamekthunder]

[And he just BLUSHES MORE when she points it out and he tries to hide his face. Oh his heart is doing flip flops. She touched him...! If she knew how she's making his heart flutter...!!!!!]

What do you mean?

[Shy, bashful glances at her.]

[neunkugeln]

You're blushing.

[She repeats it, as if it will help make her point, but she has to quickly backtrack when she realizes that's only going to make it WORSE...

And when he shoots those bashful glances at her—]

Why are you looking at me like that?

[flamekthunder]

No, just...

[...

....

..............................................

Super quiet voice:]

You look pretty today.

[AND THEN QUICKLY LOOKING AWAY, FLUSHING.]

[neunkugeln]

[She almost chokes on the air in her lungs at his compliment, and now her face is red enough to match his. Something is going on—is this a prank? Did someone pay him to put him up to this? Are they all going to laugh in her face when this is over!?

She wants to believe that he's being genuine because of the way he's looking at her, but....!?

Ilsa is trying so hard to find a logical explanation for any of this, but SHE CAN'T.]

Ah... I... Thank you...

[WELL NOW SHE'S FLUSTERED, her own voice growing quiet.]

... have you forgotten what we've talked about?

[flamekthunder]

[And he's just going to quietly shake his head because he's still ~shy~ to say anything or meet her gaze.]

[neunkugeln]

[When he shakes his head, she's going to reach out and take those ridiculous sunglasses off his head and wave them at him.]

Eustace.

[Look at her!!!]

[flamekthunder]

[NO HE CAN'T SHE'S TOO PRETTY AND HE FEELS TOO SHY!!!!]

[neunkugeln]

[When he refuses, Ilsa exchanges a look with Valo, who's still hiding behind her legs, and the dog barks up at him. Dad, stop being weird!!!

Well, if he isn't going to look at her...!]

Could you at least take off that awful sweater and backpack so we can talk? I can't take you seriously like this.

[flamekthunder]

Wh-what?

Take...take it off? Here? Right now?

[He nervously looks around before he does.]

If... If that's what you want...

[And thud goes the backpack before he starts to lift of the hem of the sweater, and it'll be halfway up his chest before it's certain he has nothing underneath.]

[neunkugeln]

[Wait, what is he—

Wait, why is he—

It's hard not to look when the skin peeks out from beneath the sweater as he starts to lift it, and Ilsa immediately feels a giant lump grow in her throat when she sees the carvings of his muscles, and then more, and then more, and then—]

Stop!

[She reaches out to stop before he goes any further when she realizes that he's not wearing anything underneath!? WHY!? She knows that Erunes typically don't, but WHY THIS...

Her face is the same shade as her eyes now as she tries to fix and straighten his sweater for him.]

N-nevermind. Leave it on.

[This is... fine. It will have to do. Better than trying to talk to him without a shirt at all. dkjsfsjf

She steps back and now she's having a hard time looking at him.]

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

[flamekthunder]

[Ah... He was ready to take it off?? It would have been a little weird, but... He's gone shirtless before, it would have been all right. Then again indoors... And with Ilsa... Would it have been rude??

And she's so red...

Ah, it just makes him flustered again.]

Breakfast?

[He almost stammers but he tries to think.]

Just some fruit and cereal... Eggs... And some bacon I harvested from the meat trees not too long ago. Same breakfast I've had for the past couple of days?

[neunkugeln]

[So it wasn't something he ate, but she can't rule out the possibility just yet, especially when he continues to look at her like some blushing bride. How freaky—]

And you didn't go drinking last night?

[flamekthunder]

No.

[neunkugeln]

So what is it that has you all...

[Valo whines, and Ilsa joins in the chorus with an uncomfortable sound.]

Happy-go-lucky?

[So unnatural.]

[flamekthunder]

I don't know what you're talking about... I just felt pretty good this morning.

[And although a little shy (ooh Ilsa ooh~!) he smiles brightly]

[neunkugeln]

[It's all good and fine that Eustace is feeling good—she wants nothing more than for him to be happy, even while they're in this ridiculous place—but she knows she isn't the only one who thinks this is a little terrifying. If Beatrix or Zeta or Vaseraga were here, they would be feeling the exact same way. Confused, scared, and incredibly worried for his well-being.

And his pride.

Even Valo knows that something is off when Eustace smiles like that.]

Uh huh...

[She doesn't sound like she buys it at all.]

This must be the work of the fae. If not the food or drinks, then magic is the only justification for this. But how did they...?

[flamekthunder]

Hm...

[He seems as if he's seriously thinking about this.]

Maybe... If you really think something is wrong with me...

[And it looks as if there could be a glimmer of his usual self with how seriously he's thinking.



But then it completely shatters.]

Oh well. Guess there's not much to do but make the most of it.

[BACK TO LOOKING HAPPY AND CAREFREE.]

[neunkugeln]

Yes. We both do.

[Ah... Has she gotten through to him!? Even Valo's tail is thumping gently on the floor, his eyes going big and wide with hope that maybe he's back to normal??? He looks as pensive as he always does...

...

But it's gone in as quickly as it had come, and both Ilsa and Valo deflate.]

And what's that supposed to mean!? You're not seriously thinking of going out looking like that?

[flamekthunder]

Why not?

[GENUINE QUESTION.]

[neunkugeln]

[UGH, STOP IT.]

Do you really want people to see you in... that?

[She just stares at the cardigan with disgust.]

It's enough that you were okay with me seeing you wearing it, let alone other people you hardly know.

[Never mind that he's ACTING REAL WEIRD.]

[flamekthunder]

I don't see a problem with it...

[It looks fine to him?? Nice and colorful...]

I don't normally wear something like this, but I like it. I should try it more often.

[Don't let him, Ilsa. Even Valo is whining and vigorously shaking his head. NOT HIS COOL DAD.]

Ah—maybe you want to try it on, Ilsa? I'm sure you'd be able to pull it off well. Or maybe I should get an outfit for Valo!

[MORE ADAMANT HEAD SHAKES.]

[neunkugeln]

Veto.

[She puts herself more firmly between Eustace and Valo. If she has to protect the dog with her own body from any terrible ideas that Eustace might have, then SO BE IT. She will do it.]

You can hardly pull it off yourself! And, tch—

[She's just going to reach out and pull it down again because it's started to ride up, and just to really drive home that he should not take it off.

Still, she's trying her damn hardest to figure out what is going on with him, but without his cooperation, there's nothing that she can do. If anything, she's making it worse by asking all these questions... with his pouty faces and flushed cheeks, and his sensitive feelings.

The only last option is to pull out Nybeth and threaten this imposter...]

I am going to have several words for the Fae today about this, and then we can burn this horrible ensemble and find you something new.

[flamekthunder]

[...Oh.. She's really mad...

Ears are drooping.]

...If you really want me to change I can go home and do it...