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[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.

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.]

[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?

[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?

[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?

No.

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.]

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]

[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...?

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.]

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?

Why not?

[GENUINE QUESTION.]

[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.]

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.]

Edited 2023-05-07 03:14 (UTC)

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.

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

Ears are drooping.]

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

[...

Ughhh stop making her feel bad with those droopy ears! Her own go down and back in response, and she looks more like a scared, guilty cat than anything else.]

No. You will not...

[She's not going to let him hurt his pride any further! She pauses and mulls things over for a moment.]

Wait right here, hm? And don't do anything to Valo.

[...Eh? His ears slightly perk up but more in confusion.]

Where are you going?

[Yeah Valo is looking at her like WHERE YOU GOING MOM????]

Edited 2023-05-07 03:49 (UTC)

[SORRY VALO...]

Er... Just wait here.

[She doesn't want Eustace to follow, lest this spell or sickness or whatever it is puts any ideas into his head.

She'll walk away, muttering things under her breath, and she keeps her ears swiveled in his direction to make sure that he isn't behind her as she heads to her room and promptly shuts the door.

For a while, it's silent, and it almost seems like Ilsa's locked herself in there and refuses to come out... like she's hiding away from him until the whole thing blows over, but soon enough, they'll hear the sound of drawers opening and closing and the rustling sounds of clothes being moved about...

Before she returns with a simple baggy white T-shirt in her hands that she throws at Eustace.]

Here. It might be a little small, but you should put that on underneath the sweater.

[It's a little awkward...standing here...waiting... Should he move somewhere to sit?? The living room maybe?? Would that be okay??? And Valo is whining...]

Valo... Are you really afraid...? Is it the sweater?

[Valo will just whine. IT'S A LOT OF THINGS. This makes Eustace's ears lower and he sighs as he moves over to a chair, wondering what to do. He also takes the time to look around the area, noting how neat and very Ilsa the house is. It's changed a bit since he last saw it, with more things to fill the space. He should bring over some more blueberries... Or flowers from his garden! Seeing them at the front window, he can't help but smile and kick his legs a little in joy (actions that Valo watches with great concern). She liked the last ones she gave him, didn't she? He should definitely give her more...

And just as he's contemplating if he had a large enough pot—no, should he just bring the whole wheelbarrow so she can plant some of her own!?—she returns and he barely manages to catch the shirt before it hits his face.]

Huh? This?

[He looks at it for a moment...

...

And then... Blushes a little. Ah... It has Ilsa's scent... It's rather soft and sweet... Are they at the point where they can wear each other's clothes now!? Shouldn't he be offering his own!? He'll have to remember next time because that's totally what couples do right????

Anyway, he's supposed to put this on?

QUICKLY TAKING OFF HIS SWEATER RIGHT THERE BEFORE SHE CAN STOP HIM—]

[She watches, mortified, as he blushes down at the shirt, wondering what sorts of things could be going through that broken head of his. In her effort to help both of them, has she only made it worse? Did she just plant more ideas in there that shouldn't be? Even Valo is whining, his ears fully drooped now as he stares at Ilsa in a silent cry for help.

She's trying, little guy. She really, really is...

Her eyes are too busy watching Valo that she doesn't even notice Eustace tearing off his sweater until she sees a flash of colour in her peripherals, and by the time she notices and tries to move to stop him—]

AH—! I didn't mean right here!

[It's too late.

Valo had gotten up as soon as she tried to dart over to Eustace, and her legs get caught. She trips slightly, and the only way that she can save herself is to plant both hands on the arms of the chair he's in...

....

......

Only now, she's looming over a topless, blushing Eustace..........]

[His eyes are wide and slightly trembling in shock as he stares up at Ilsa, his body leaning back against the chair, both shirt and sweater fallen to the floor. There's a tense moment of silent before that heat just rushes up his face and he swallows.]

I...Ilsa...

[WHY IS HE LIKE A BLUSHING MAIDEN— A blushing maiden that isn't afraid of being pounced on—]

[Valo whines with guilt behind her, but Ilsa is far too distracted by the way the colour creeps into Eustace's face, mirroring her own as her cheeks feel like they're on fire. And then the way he says her name...!?

Why does that make her heart thump, and at the same time, her stomach sink with dread!? Even when they were in that room after the drinks, he had never acted like this, and yet... why is it making her blush in turn, and breaking her brain in the seconds that follow!?]

Eus...tace...?

[It's about to get worse as his pulse quickens along with his breath, his chest rising and falling as he remains captured by her gaze. His heart pounds in his head as a sudden, new desire fills him upon seeing how flushed Ilsa is. Is she also caught the same way he is?

Could she...want the same things he wants?

Not hat he has a clue of what he really wants right now, but his enchanted addled mind is making him do and act in ways he never would normally.

That flushed, shy gaze seems to shift subtly. It still seems hesitant, but his eyes deepen, one filled with an unknown want that remains fixed on her. And then he's leaning up slightly, his voice a little lower as he slowly speaks, an "innocent" smile on his lips.]

Can...

[He takes one of her hands and places it on his chest, before slowly dragging it down the line of his abdomen, letting her fingers splay out to run over the well defined ridges...]

...you help me?

[...until it stops right at the edge of his pants, which had lowered to a little below the pelvic line.

What kind of help why that's anyone's guess at this point.]

[She sees that change... that flicker in his eyes. She recognizes it well—it had been one that she'd stared deep, deep into at the masquerade, even through the masks, and especially without them. For a moment, she's completely lost within it, her mind spinning as the memories come flooding back, and it's only made worse when he takes her hand and presses it firmly to his chest.

She swallows past that giant lump in her throat, and he'll feel her fingers shaking as he moves them along the plane of muscles over his stomach. She can feel each one carved so intricately, and she remembers how it felt when she had let her hands press to them, touch them, take in the feel of them...

It isn't until he stops right at the waist of his pants that she finally realizes what's going on and what she's doing... or not doing...

What is she doing!? WHAT'S HE DOING?

They said they were going to let things happen naturally, and there is nothing natural about this.

Sputtering, Ilsa snaps her hand away from him and steps back, almost tripping on Valo again as she goes, but he moves away just in time that she doesn't fall completely, and as she rights herself, she screams at him, her face and neck now red as tomatoes.]

WITH WHAT?

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