『🥐』 “Oh!” He had heard of larger people helping out small businesses, but for other small businesses to help out each other? Maybe he ought to reach out to the owners of this Kofti shop himself - perhaps they could work together in a more official capacity, if they could find some kind of agreement between their businesses. Even if all that meant was providing the shop with a few of his own spare pastries.
“Well, in that case, miss Nefeloma...” All he can do is offer a wide smile as the dogs seemed to gather around him instinctually (once they’re satisfied with the attention they got from Neff) - and, off in the distance, near the back room, another figure was seen peeking out. The gaze from his one visible eye shifted between the pitbull that trotted off towards him, and towards the cake laying on the table. “If that’s the case, miss... then in turn, lemme extend thanks from Komuginu, and from Mr. Souji Watanabe!”
“And Theo Flynn.” The other figure speaks up.
“And Theo Flynn.” The larger man concurs, a finger pointing, bouncing in the direction of his apprentice. “Thanks fer that.”
“i said STAY AWAY from me! or i will hurt you!” he growled, his eyes glowing bright green, fangs and claws showing. he was chained up, and he tugged at the chains forcefully, feeling how his animal instincts were taking over.
was theo worried? okay, that was unusual, but it was also kind of nice. marek couldn’t hold back a slight smile. “he’s a good guy. i like him, yeah.” just thinking about him made the werelion smile, and his heart flutter.
“i’ve been hurt before, theo. it’s okay.” admittedly, the thought of it not working out made him feel awful. he wanted this so bad. if for some reason parrish ended up not liking him, it would break his heart. “everything’s gonna be okay.” he didn’t want theo to worry.
“theo...” a sigh left the werelion’s lips as he knelt down and then sat on the dirty concrete floor next to his brother. “what are you talking about?” theo was usually distant and wouldn’t open up. not even to his twin brother, but he could tell this time it was different. marek reached out to gently squeeze the other’s shoulder, signalizing him that he was by his side. he looked around, taking in the few of the old dread doctors’ lair. he couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling right now. he felt both uneasy and at home. it was... weird.
Sophie: I made tea.
Theo: I don’t want tea.
Sophie: I didn't make tea for you. This is my tea.
Theo: Then why the hell’re you tellin’ me?
Sophie: It is a conversation starter.
Theo: Pretty crappy conversation starter.
Sophie: Oh, is it? We are conversing. Checkmate.
Sophie: [watching some kids run by and play with Souji’s dogs]
Sophie: Ahhh, to be young...
Garis: Felt that.
Garis: ... wait, you’re only twenty, what the fuck are you- we’re only twenty-five--
Theo: [gives Sophie a baked treat on the house]
Sophie: Goodness, thank you! You know, despite what Alex says about you, I think you're really rather nice.
Alex: A- are you trying to start shit?!
Sophie, frustrated: Okay, who the fuck-
Souji: Hey! Language!
Sophie: Ahem. Whom the fuck-
Yeong-Hui: Listen. If you wanna be an effective sapphic, you gotta learn how to flirt with the women who run through your mind all day.
Yeong-Hui: You gotta practice your pickup lines, girl. Hit me with the best ya got.
Sophie: Ah, erm... you are pretty.
Yeong-Hui: Yeah, I know. Now, c’mon, pickup lines.
Theo wasn’t even sure what he was doing at the palace anymore. It had been years since he died and then subsequently came back to life, and yet he found it hard to let go of the place where it had all happened. Sure, he had gone back and forth a few times from home and to the palace, but he never felt right at home when he wasn’t with Annabelle.
He had met her after breaking up with Marie, which had been one of the best decisions he had made in recent memory. Not that he hadn’t liked Marie, but things between them had fizzled so fast, he knew it would be better for the both of them if he broke it off before either got hurt. Marie had seemed to take the break up well, from what he could see, so it seemed like his intentions had worked.
But then he met Annabelle, and she understood him. Maria had shattered his heart beyond recognition, Rey had been distant, and Marie never seemed to understand him and the way he felt. But with Anna, everything was different.
She understood all of his quirks, and sympathized with his feelings towards life and the people who had broken his heart in one way or another. They connected instantly, and something like that hadn’t happened since he had met Maria and promised to protect her always. But now she was off and married to another man, and here was this woman he couldn’t get out of his head.
From the moment they met, Anna consumed his thoughts. He was certain that he was coming off as aloof to her, which was something he had wanted to work on, but she was like an open book. He never had to guess with her, even though it seemed like she had been trying to hide her feelings.
When he had received that text message beckoning him to her bath, and attached was a picture of her in said bath, he knew for certain that he was hooked. With both Rey and Marie, and even to an extent Maria, he had never wanted to be intimate with them in the way he wanted to be intimate now with Anna. He had readily accepted her offer to join her in the bath and it had been the most fun he’d had in months, perhaps even years. And even after he had spent the night and went back to his room, he couldn’t stop thinking about the way her skin had felt against his, how nice it had been to be so close to someone he cared for.
And then when they went to the carnival together, and they kissed in the tunnel of love, everything was cemented for him. She was beautiful, but even more than that she was intelligent and reciprocated the same feelings he had for her. She cared about him, and she wanted to be near him despite her knowing everything that had happened in his past. He hadn’t thought something like that was possible.
But now, he knew he had choices to make. He wasn’t interested in getting into a relationship just to have it ruin itself like the prior three relationships had. And he knew that if Adeline found out, or god forbid his parents found out, that he would need to make sure he wanted her truly. He needed to know that this wasn’t going to end in a couple of months and they would never speak again. But from the conversations they’d had, and all of the secrets they had shared, he was certain he knew things wouldn’t end randomly.
The truth was, he could see himself marrying her. The only thing standing in his way was the time period difference between them. He wasn’t sure it would be fair to her to take her away from the present day and whisk her off to the 16th century. She wanted to be a doctor, after all, and he couldn’t just take her dreams away. That was, if she even would say yes to marrying him. He couldn’t even be sure she would say yes. She hadn’t met his family or gone back to Belgium with him. And the only way he was going to let that happen was if he knew that she was the one.
