[ good monday! on this fine monday morning, marina can find rondo out being a jock. by which i mean, he's hard at work swinging his sword! if she doesn't see him right away, well... she'll definitely hear him. ]
Haaah! Hraaaah!
[ he may in fact be the loudest man on the planet. hello ]
[ THIS MEME. also what the hell that's a dope sword rondo, what the fuck. she really was reading her little gothic romance novel when she starts hearing the grunts of a man in labor and goes to see what all the hub-bub is about. she keeps a safe distance away but meanders into view and waves! ]
Staying in shape for the inevitable horrors ahead of us?
marina is just out here by the pyre with her book against her chest and just kind of loosely hugging a knee with one arm. she has a sigil drawn in the ground by her that she keeps another hand on, like she's willing something, anything to come back, but she smears it quickly when she hears footsteps.
she should have figured, the fire is both comforting and eerie to her, just warm enough to keep her remaining here. ]
the pyre is where rondo wants to be, too. he's run around since the reveal was made clear, but he constantly finds himself back here, his gaze constantly drawn back to the bright blue flames. it's not... it isn't the sacred flame, but staring at it makes him feel better. it feels like he could reach out and hold it in his hands, like a reminder of strength in adversity, in pain. so.
when he spots someone else here, rondo looks at her - and then speeds up to walk a little closer, dropping into his usual bowed greeting. he's not nearly as energetic as usual, but that's probably to be expected. ]
Miss Marina. [ in greeting, quietly, and then, genuine and concerned: ] Are you alright...?
[ it's island time! when marina finds rondo, she will really mostly just find him by...the back of his cloak, because he's like halfway up a tree. it is a fruit tree! and he's climbing carefully, trying to avoid bees nests (fear) but also trying to get up into the branches to grab a fruit... a peach!
it's kind of a funny sight because you can really just see his lower half at the moment but also. hi ]
[ god he's so!!! WARUGH EVERYTHING IS BAD. marina can find rondo off by the pyre at some point - not close enough for erin to see, but standing, sword resting in the ground at the point, staring down at the blue flame. frustrating.
however, the second - the second he sees marina, he looks up, and immediately, his brows knit together as he makes his way over to her. ]
[ there he goes, he's walking to her. she's just here kind of dissociating as she walks, this is very normal for her. the most normal. she gazes at the fire for a few moments before finally managing more, leaning more toneless than not. ]
... Just wanted to thank you for all the help today. It was a hell of an ending, wasn't it?
[ hello we are in the void! by which i mean. wherever they're hanging out, marina might notice a temperature change. it feels hot - sweltering, oppressively, miserably hot, and then...
[ welcome to the void it's terrible here. and sweltering and awful, it's heavy and presses in on all sides, inescapable. each moment rondo burns, she feels it herself, and there's a frightful sort of twitch that possesses her as she wraps her arms around herself and endures. because rondo has endured this, and it can't nearly be as painful here and now as it had been the moment it had happened. she blinks back the wetness in her eyes, because why cry? (for him? maybe.)
he endures.
she knows a bit about enduring, as the void shifts from memory to memory, like a terrible little exchange, and suddenly it is cold and it is dark, and your limbs are once again not your own.
has the moonlight ever been this painful before? ]
[ WHERE IS HE! WHERE! IS HE! WHERE! SHE'S RUNNING AND SHE'S BROUGHT SOME GAS STATION FOOD AND DRINK TOO. mostly bottled water for the BLOOD LOSS. ]
You.
[ hisssssssssssssssses in anger inside, but also panic. even if it's subsided a little bit from the initial arrival. she's looking at him to see if he's gotten any healing yet (even tho oocly i know this takes a while w/e w/e she's fussy.) in any case, she drops down wherever he is, snack and water and all. ]
[ rondo has gotten healing since!!! he's laying down in the cabin, probably, and appears to be back in his knightly clothes instead of the rags he was in earlier. it's hard to tell the state of his injuries - however, marina can see the skin on his throat that peeks out from his collar is blackened and cracked in a few places, and a slightly blue, eerie glow emanates from it here and there. wow. ]
Miss Marina... thank you. [ he sounds better tho so there's that. have a little smile? ]
[ haha man it's a bad day for us wahoo. marina will be coming to find him, however, she doesn't really care how long she has to look. her black dress is now torn in the front revealing the blue top underneath it. she's pretty pale and frazzled looking with her hair thrown up into a hasty ponytail. but yeah she's searching high and low to find him. ]
[ everything is bad forever!!!! marina may have to look for a while, but eventually, she can find rondo the place he always is - at a safe distance, but sitting somewhere where he can just watch the blue, blue fire in the middle of the village.
he's sitting curled up in a ball, with his chin on his knees, just kind of staring at the flame. ]
[ you asking me to backdate a pc makes me fucking terrified you're dead i'm just putting this out there. you're putting the fear of god in me
ANYWAY going back to tuesday! it's tuesday. miss marina is more of an introvert than rondo is, and though he has been very happy to be surrounded in the moment by friends, a group that becomes more and more close knit with each wracking set of losses that comes, by the end of the evening, he's tipsy and ready to seek out a little quiet.
so, in the party, he comes over and leans over marina with a smile on his face. ]
Mis - [ wait. ] Marina. Do you want to go get some fresh air with me?
[ stop being afraid I'M JUST SAD WE DIDN'T GET CURFEW TOGETHER SHEESH. and i've been slow this week.
anyways hi it's tuesday. marina is indeed the sort of battery-driven extrovert, she needs her personal time in order to recharge and talk with a great wealth of people! so she more than welcomes rondo when he comes over. she's just sprawled in a chair, mid-page turn as he leans she looks up with a little smile. ]
[ hi we're both dead and it's post-trial watch. she's just going to carefully gather him and probably take him to the apartments where they're staying. marina has been pretty quiet ever since daan just kind of cascaded downwards to the very end. she won't be unseeing that particular vision, of him melting, any time soon. ]
Mmm. There's a room for everyone in here. [ her voice is fairly steady, the tail end of it the only thing that maybe pitches weirdly ] Should get you to yours... yeah...?
as you might expect, rondo disappeared for a little while on sunday - between letting marina talk to daan, getting to talk to daan himself, and of course... getting to karlach, he's been kind of scarce. but! as the evening starts to wind down, he can be found in the apartments, standing in front of one of the doors with his hands on his hips as he like.
[ it's been a busy sunday! marina has gotten to make her own rounds between daan and karlach, and has spent the remaining time just sitting in her room reading and doing a little processing (sometimes, you utilize a lot of your emotional battery and need to give it a break).
but as she's finally come out to take a brief walkabout (and likely to find rondo anyways, since she's certain he has a lot to chat with other about). finding him in the hall is opportune, and as she nears - ]
Hoooooi, Rondo!
[ sliding up beside him and leaning to bonk their heads side by side, to see what he's seeing. ]
[ good deda morning, it's monday. there are lots of new places to explore - especially for rondo, who has yet to even get his bearings here in the first place. but... they are at the amusement park!
for rondo, there's a moment where walking through, emotionally, he gives off this sort of - tension, an uneasy anxiety, a deeply profound sense of sadness, but it's only as they pass through the food area, and it only lasts for a second, even with emotionshare. it fades easily as they make their way through the boardwalk itself, and instead, his emotions are softer, warmer. happy, a little excited, and... there's a doki there, too, thrumming easily under the surface of each interaction. he's not holding her hand or anything at the moment, though she might get the sense that he'd like to, like a big baby. ]
There's a lot of really interesting things here! I haven't ridden any of the rides - I mostly played games and... ate all the food I could eat, last week. So! What do you want to explore, first?
[ good deda monday morning. she is a little uncertain about them going to the carnival, but she does her best to speed them through the food area at a quick pace. her own emotions are soothing, an attempt to coil around his unease and shoo it all away. while it's not possible to completely boot the terrible feeling out, she will try.
it's fine because she feels that way about the academy at this point. it's a bit of a shame.
still, once they're further towards the rides and games, she will most definitely just take his hand and proceed to swing it excitedly. ]
No kidding you ate all the food you could - and now you can actually get to savor it. [ instead of wondering where your next meal is! ] Hmmmm, what're your favorite games? Show me one? And then maybe we can go on some of the rides... I want to go on the wheel with you...
[ i'm giving up on breakin stuff this just happens at some point in between. yaaay
anyway, rondo's just like a fussy dog this entire time? he's close by, seated against one of the walls in the healing spring, a towel in his lap, trying to keep a leash on his emotions so they don't leak all over poor marina and just kind of fiddling with his fingers until she's ready to surface out again. he's not sure how it works, here, compared to the swamp, so he's practically vibrating trying not to rush it or rush her or. do anything.
she just hangs out there for quite a while, the guillotine injury and a gunshot wound on her shoulder the worst of it. her head hurts and she just kind of seems to have very dull and muted emotions for the moment as she just kind of dunks herself under one more time and lets her now-short hair cling to her face for just moments before it dries. turning her head, she glances at the clothes she'd bene brought in - the red dress and makes a face, but it'll have to do.
she was worried about a towel but she realizes that whatever she lifts out of the water ends up dry again. ]
I think 'm done. Thank you... for staying with me.
[ her voice does not sound like she's trying to make syllables under water anymore, though she does sport a nice scar from whatever it was that did that to her across her throat. there's maybe a little uncertainty, some shy vibes rolling off her a bit more now. ]
... Do you... could you turn around a minute? I just need to get into my dress.
[ henlo we are here after the harrowing execution with miss robin and lavi, and after kate's and robin's arrival to us. she will just be meandering toooo throws dart, marina's room this time. it's rather dark-looking, minus the strange painted pictures - pretend they are of flowers perhaps! she'll just take rondo by the hand and steer him there herself, quite unceremoniously kicking the door open and bringing him inside.
it's a little claustrophobic, what with all the books around, stacked on every surface, some bits and pieces of brittle chalk here and there. the little desk nook is clearly well-used judging by the pens scattere here and there. her bed is definitely not made, but she does go to tug the bedding flat at a corner and flop down to sit.
she then just opens up her arms wide. come here. come get hug. ]
this room is... so marina. it feels nice to stand in here, honestly - rondo's head cranes curiously around at all the books and the everything as he's tugged along, for once in his life not overthinking being in a girl's room. his emotions wash with warm fondness as he processes everything in here, because everything from the mess to the books to the desk nook just feels like her, and his attention is only distracted when she starts to tug him over.
he goes easily, coming not to sit right away but standing in front of her when she holds her arms out, enough that he can reach down and very gently run his fingers through her new, short hair, with a soft huff of a laugh. ]
Mm. And I think you've had one of the longest weeks of all... [ girl your cyoa. girl your breakin. GIRL YOUR EVERYTHING. there's soft worry to his emotions, but it's much calmer than it's been the past few days as he looks her over. ] How are you feeling...?
[ on tuesday, rondo will get a little text from marina on his phone :o
Come meet me for a date in an hour. The tea garden over in Elysium through the tree, okay? Don't be late.
for the sake of our lives, we are currently Daddyless, not a sign through the hallowed halls of our fair rapture elysium. marina will be waiting for him there, her hair tamed into a very lovely curly bob now that she's had a bit to adjust to it. there are already place settings for two there at a lovely table near the grotto, where a vase of blue and pink flowers wait as well as two cups and a steaming hot pot of tea.
she is also holding something behind her back :o :o :o ]
[ A DATE?! rest assured when rondo gets this text message he goes running to aerith at top speeds. what does he do. what clothes does he wear for a date. does he wear his uniform? that feels wrong.
so he doesn't! he comes dressed like this! with his usual knights ardante cloak over his arm. his hair is combed to... the best that it can be combed - it is still sticking up everywhere and it looks like its threatening to come free of the pink hair ribbon marina gave him forever ago, but an attempt was made!!! which is what matters. he also has his sword because he will fight off a big daddy if necessary.
rondo looks around the garden - and when he spots marina, a smile blooms onto his face, warm and genuine. he trots right over to her and puts a hand to his chest, bowing in greeting as ever, and then says, brightly: ]
Marina, good afternoon. [ he looks around, but his gaze falls onto her, and it makes his heart skip a beat. she's so pretty. ] You went to the effort of all of this...? You look so pretty.
[ early? how dare you (no). she's already up though and just swanning to the door, though when he tells her not to open it she kind of just. stares at it. a little puzzled. ]
You can have as many minutes as you'd like - [ she hesitates, but doesn't finish, just puts her hands on her hips as she contemplates The Door. ] What's up?
once there's a quiet moment, maybe heading back to the apartments for the night (with sheepzantos in tow against his will, or at least penned up in rondo's room somewhere, rondo reaches for marina, takes her face in his hands, then kisses her forehead and lingers there. ]
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flameguard) wrote2024-06-10 03:29 pm
week 0, monday
Haaah! Hraaaah!
[ he may in fact be the loudest man on the planet. hello ]
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Staying in shape for the inevitable horrors ahead of us?
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W0 FRIDAY
marina is just out here by the pyre with her book against her chest and just kind of loosely hugging a knee with one arm. she has a sigil drawn in the ground by her that she keeps another hand on, like she's willing something, anything to come back, but she smears it quickly when she hears footsteps.
she should have figured, the fire is both comforting and eerie to her, just warm enough to keep her remaining here. ]
Rondo...
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the pyre is where rondo wants to be, too. he's run around since the reveal was made clear, but he constantly finds himself back here, his gaze constantly drawn back to the bright blue flames. it's not... it isn't the sacred flame, but staring at it makes him feel better. it feels like he could reach out and hold it in his hands, like a reminder of strength in adversity, in pain. so.
when he spots someone else here, rondo looks at her - and then speeds up to walk a little closer, dropping into his usual bowed greeting. he's not nearly as energetic as usual, but that's probably to be expected. ]
Miss Marina. [ in greeting, quietly, and then, genuine and concerned: ] Are you alright...?
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week 1, monday
it's kind of a funny sight because you can really just see his lower half at the moment but also. hi ]
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Hoooooi, Rondo!
[ looking upwards. she gathers her skirt so it makes kind of a little net. it's linen and new - a dark gray. ]
Throw what you want down. I'll catch it!
[ so he can focus on using his arms to climb and grab. ]
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week 1, sat
however, the second - the second he sees marina, he looks up, and immediately, his brows knit together as he makes his way over to her. ]
Miss Marina...
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[ there he goes, he's walking to her. she's just here kind of dissociating as she walks, this is very normal for her. the most normal. she gazes at the fire for a few moments before finally managing more, leaning more toneless than not. ]
... Just wanted to thank you for all the help today. It was a hell of an ending, wasn't it?
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week 2, monday
the void shifts into a memory. ]
ig cw: extremely intense body horror/self-mutilation/loss of autonomy
he endures.
she knows a bit about enduring, as the void shifts from memory to memory, like a terrible little exchange, and suddenly it is cold and it is dark, and your limbs are once again not your own.
has the moonlight ever been this painful before? ]
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week 2, weds
Miss Marina, Miss Marina...!
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[ she'll happily come meet him in the middle. ]
What've you got there, hm?
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our purer times.
i will kill you
W2, THURS (pre-curfew)
You.
[ hisssssssssssssssses in anger inside, but also panic. even if it's subsided a little bit from the initial arrival. she's looking at him to see if he's gotten any healing yet (even tho oocly i know this takes a while w/e w/e she's fussy.) in any case, she drops down wherever he is, snack and water and all. ]
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Miss Marina... thank you. [ he sounds better tho so there's that. have a little smile? ]
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comes back to this finally you have no choice
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w2 saturday
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he's sitting curled up in a ball, with his chin on his knees, just kind of staring at the flame. ]
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week 3, monday
Waugh!
[ and then a loud thud. wonder what that was about. ]
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marina is buried in books, but pokes her head up the moment she hears the familiar yelp - prairie dog-esque. ]
Huh? [ clicky clicky clicky as she runs towards the sound. ] Hey, are you okay?
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1/???
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ok done
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w3, tuesday
ANYWAY going back to tuesday! it's tuesday. miss marina is more of an introvert than rondo is, and though he has been very happy to be surrounded in the moment by friends, a group that becomes more and more close knit with each wracking set of losses that comes, by the end of the evening, he's tipsy and ready to seek out a little quiet.
so, in the party, he comes over and leans over marina with a smile on his face. ]
Mis - [ wait. ] Marina. Do you want to go get some fresh air with me?
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anyways hi it's tuesday. marina is indeed the sort of battery-driven extrovert, she needs her personal time in order to recharge and talk with a great wealth of people! so she more than welcomes rondo when he comes over. she's just sprawled in a chair, mid-page turn as he leans she looks up with a little smile. ]
Yeah, it's getting a little stuffy in here.
[ sticks out her hand to take his. ]
Anywhere in particular or just a walkabout?
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W4 SATURDAY
Mmm. There's a room for everyone in here. [ her voice is fairly steady, the tail end of it the only thing that maybe pitches weirdly ] Should get you to yours... yeah...?
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and then, when her voice pitches, his does too, and he just - stops, he pulls on her hand, and stops. ]
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w4 sunday
as you might expect, rondo disappeared for a little while on sunday - between letting marina talk to daan, getting to talk to daan himself, and of course... getting to karlach, he's been kind of scarce. but! as the evening starts to wind down, he can be found in the apartments, standing in front of one of the doors with his hands on his hips as he like.
shuts the door.
opens it again. shuts it. opens it again. ]
...Wow.
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but as she's finally come out to take a brief walkabout (and likely to find rondo anyways, since she's certain he has a lot to chat with other about). finding him in the hall is opportune, and as she nears - ]
Hoooooi, Rondo!
[ sliding up beside him and leaning to bonk their heads side by side, to see what he's seeing. ]
This your room...?
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w5, monday
for rondo, there's a moment where walking through, emotionally, he gives off this sort of - tension, an uneasy anxiety, a deeply profound sense of sadness, but it's only as they pass through the food area, and it only lasts for a second, even with emotionshare. it fades easily as they make their way through the boardwalk itself, and instead, his emotions are softer, warmer. happy, a little excited, and... there's a doki there, too, thrumming easily under the surface of each interaction. he's not holding her hand or anything at the moment, though she might get the sense that he'd like to, like a big baby. ]
There's a lot of really interesting things here! I haven't ridden any of the rides - I mostly played games and... ate all the food I could eat, last week. So! What do you want to explore, first?
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it's fine because she feels that way about the academy at this point. it's a bit of a shame.
still, once they're further towards the rides and games, she will most definitely just take his hand and proceed to swing it excitedly. ]
No kidding you ate all the food you could - and now you can actually get to savor it. [ instead of wondering where your next meal is! ] Hmmmm, what're your favorite games? Show me one? And then maybe we can go on some of the rides... I want to go on the wheel with you...
[ points! ]
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w5, thursday
anyway, rondo's just like a fussy dog this entire time? he's close by, seated against one of the walls in the healing spring, a towel in his lap, trying to keep a leash on his emotions so they don't leak all over poor marina and just kind of fiddling with his fingers until she's ready to surface out again. he's not sure how it works, here, compared to the swamp, so he's practically vibrating trying not to rush it or rush her or. do anything.
weh. ]
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she just hangs out there for quite a while, the guillotine injury and a gunshot wound on her shoulder the worst of it. her head hurts and she just kind of seems to have very dull and muted emotions for the moment as she just kind of dunks herself under one more time and lets her now-short hair cling to her face for just moments before it dries. turning her head, she glances at the clothes she'd bene brought in - the red dress and makes a face, but it'll have to do.
she was worried about a towel but she realizes that whatever she lifts out of the water ends up dry again. ]
I think 'm done. Thank you... for staying with me.
[ her voice does not sound like she's trying to make syllables under water anymore, though she does sport a nice scar from whatever it was that did that to her across her throat. there's maybe a little uncertainty, some shy vibes rolling off her a bit more now. ]
... Do you... could you turn around a minute? I just need to get into my dress.
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w5, sunday
it's a little claustrophobic, what with all the books around, stacked on every surface, some bits and pieces of brittle chalk here and there. the little desk nook is clearly well-used judging by the pens scattere here and there. her bed is definitely not made, but she does go to tug the bedding flat at a corner and flop down to sit.
she then just opens up her arms wide. come here. come get hug. ]
Every week feels like a dog's age...
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this room is... so marina. it feels nice to stand in here, honestly - rondo's head cranes curiously around at all the books and the everything as he's tugged along, for once in his life not overthinking being in a girl's room. his emotions wash with warm fondness as he processes everything in here, because everything from the mess to the books to the desk nook just feels like her, and his attention is only distracted when she starts to tug him over.
he goes easily, coming not to sit right away but standing in front of her when she holds her arms out, enough that he can reach down and very gently run his fingers through her new, short hair, with a soft huff of a laugh. ]
Mm. And I think you've had one of the longest weeks of all... [ girl your cyoa. girl your breakin. GIRL YOUR EVERYTHING. there's soft worry to his emotions, but it's much calmer than it's been the past few days as he looks her over. ] How are you feeling...?
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W6 TUESDAY
Come meet me for a date in an hour. The tea garden over in Elysium through the tree, okay? Don't be late.
for the sake of our lives, we are currently Daddyless, not a sign through the hallowed halls of our fair
raptureelysium. marina will be waiting for him there, her hair tamed into a very lovely curly bob now that she's had a bit to adjust to it. there are already place settings for two there at a lovely table near the grotto, where a vase of blue and pink flowers wait as well as two cups and a steaming hot pot of tea.she is also holding something behind her back :o :o :o ]
Welcome.
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so he doesn't! he comes dressed like this! with his usual knights ardante cloak over his arm. his hair is combed to... the best that it can be combed - it is still sticking up everywhere and it looks like its threatening to come free of the pink hair ribbon marina gave him forever ago, but an attempt was made!!! which is what matters. he also has his sword because he will fight off a big daddy if necessary.
rondo looks around the garden - and when he spots marina, a smile blooms onto his face, warm and genuine. he trots right over to her and puts a hand to his chest, bowing in greeting as ever, and then says, brightly: ]
Marina, good afternoon. [ he looks around, but his gaze falls onto her, and it makes his heart skip a beat. she's so pretty. ] You went to the effort of all of this...? You look so pretty.
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week 7, monday!
... Marina, can I have a minute of your time...? Don't - don't open the door yet.
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You can have as many minutes as you'd like - [ she hesitates, but doesn't finish, just puts her hands on her hips as she contemplates The Door. ] What's up?
... Did someone make you bald?
gives you a 1/2
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NOT THE 1/2 WAILS
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w7, sat
once there's a quiet moment, maybe heading back to the apartments for the night (with sheepzantos in tow against his will, or at least penned up in rondo's room somewhere, rondo reaches for marina, takes her face in his hands, then kisses her forehead and lingers there. ]