Thank you. [There's enough heartfelt weight in those words to mean both the gift and the offer.
He knows how much she loves pastries, and the one she tries is no different; there's a soft noise of appreciation after the first bite. No doubt about it, Aladdin knows what he's doing. But does she...?
Oh right, his gift!
She stands up suddenly and sets down the pastry.] I'll be right back! [And out the door she goes.]
[Thankfully, since they're neighbours, she doesn't take very long. So about ten minutes later, she lets herself in, and Aladdin will notice two things very quickly.
Firstly, she's put on the bracelet he just gifted her, and her earrings have been swapped out with his Christmas present.
Secondly, she's placed a small wrapped box next to the plate of pastries as if it were the most casual gesture in the world. By the time she speaks, she's already back in her original spot.]
Take your time. I can wait. [She emphasizes this by sampling more food.]
[Something about the way she says that is very distracting, and for a moment he nearly forgets that he's cooking. Fortunately, he catches himself before he messes anything up.
Ahem.]
I'll let you be the judge of that.
[There. Cocky as ever, as he takes the pan off the heat and lets the meat rest as he puts finishing touches on the side, aaaand-
A couple of minutes later, he emerges with two plates. Herb-crusted lamb chops with a simple fattoush salad. He sets one down in front of Jasmine, sets the other in front of his empty chair. The plating is simple, but he almost certainly put way too much thought into it anyway.]
[Her smirk widens into a grin, because she's genuinely impressed by the arrangement. Not only does the dish remind her of Agrabah, but she'll never complain that he puts "too much" thought into the plating.
Of course, even with the grin, her eyelids are only half-lifted, conveying that flirtatiousness she loves to give when she wants to tease him mercilessly.]
[She just gives him a coy smile before touching her plate. She tries the salad first, impressed by the variety of flavours she recognises. Next the lamb, which is just the right amount of tenderness with delightful seasonings. All of these observations are made known to the host with varying noises of pleasure with each bite.
Of course, that doesn't stop her from stealing glances his way - partly to keep an eye on whenever he decides to open his present, but also just to catch how he's handling her reactions.]
[He's clearly very preoccupied with watching her like a hawk to make sure she's enjoying it- at one point, he's apparently been 'cutting' the same piece of his lamb for about thirty seconds straight.
Fortunately, the feedback is all positive, so eventually he seems satisfied to start eating properly. He's not touching the gift just yet- it seems rude- but he's given it a few anxious glances during the meal.
Once he's done, he gives her a grin as he cleans up the plates, and he finally addresses the elephant in the room.]
[She can't smile well between bites, but she does give him playful eyes every time they meet his. You're not subtle, Aladdin, but she doesn't mind at all.
Once she neatly finishes off her plate, she finally says, softly and sincerely:] This is wonderful, Aladdin. It's just like home.
[At his question, she just smirks.] See for yourself.
[If he does venture a peek, he will find in the box a simple, leather-cord necklace. It would not seem like much if not for the centrepiece amulet: A small, carefully-polished dragon's fang. It's one of Little Guy's baby teeth that she kept during one of his growth spurts.]
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He knows how much she loves pastries, and the one she tries is no different; there's a soft noise of appreciation after the first bite. No doubt about it, Aladdin knows what he's doing. But does she...?
Oh right, his gift!
She stands up suddenly and sets down the pastry.] I'll be right back! [And out the door she goes.]
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[Oh, man, that was weird. Was she upset? Did he upset her? What did he even do?
He forces himself not to overthink it and instead just focuses on his cooking. It's not easy, though, and he's a lot more quiet as he cooks.]
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Firstly, she's put on the bracelet he just gifted her, and her earrings have been swapped out with his Christmas present.
Secondly, she's placed a small wrapped box next to the plate of pastries as if it were the most casual gesture in the world. By the time she speaks, she's already back in her original spot.]
Take your time. I can wait. [She emphasizes this by sampling more food.]
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Just a couple more minutes!
[...he really needed to stop overthinking it, this was meant to be a romantic evening.]
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The appetizer is so good, the entrée must be a masterpiece.
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Ahem.]
I'll let you be the judge of that.
[There. Cocky as ever, as he takes the pan off the heat and lets the meat rest as he puts finishing touches on the side, aaaand-
A couple of minutes later, he emerges with two plates. Herb-crusted lamb chops with a simple fattoush salad. He sets one down in front of Jasmine, sets the other in front of his empty chair. The plating is simple, but he almost certainly put way too much thought into it anyway.]
What do you think?
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Of course, even with the grin, her eyelids are only half-lifted, conveying that flirtatiousness she loves to give when she wants to tease him mercilessly.]
Looks like the finest chef's special.
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[He averts his gaze awkwardly, rubbing at the back of his neck, and his eyes land on-
A box. One he didn't put there. Uhhhh....
Okay well that's for later.]
A-anyway, eat! It's not just to look at, heh heh.
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Of course, that doesn't stop her from stealing glances his way - partly to keep an eye on whenever he decides to open his present, but also just to catch how he's handling her reactions.]
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Fortunately, the feedback is all positive, so eventually he seems satisfied to start eating properly. He's not touching the gift just yet- it seems rude- but he's given it a few anxious glances during the meal.
Once he's done, he gives her a grin as he cleans up the plates, and he finally addresses the elephant in the room.]
Is that for me?
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Once she neatly finishes off her plate, she finally says, softly and sincerely:] This is wonderful, Aladdin. It's just like home.
[At his question, she just smirks.] See for yourself.
[If he does venture a peek, he will find in the box a simple, leather-cord necklace. It would not seem like much if not for the centrepiece amulet: A small, carefully-polished dragon's fang. It's one of Little Guy's baby teeth that she kept during one of his growth spurts.]
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Is that...?
[He doesn't seem to really need confirmation as he gently runs a finger over the tiny pointed tooth, a soft smile coming to his face.]
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I kept what he left, so we can always have a part of him with us.
[Saying that makes it sounds like he's dead, but Aladdin should know exactly what sentiment she means.]
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[Still smiling, but now with a hint of sadness in his eyes, he slips the necklace over his head.
Aaaand he's gotten a little distracted. He clears his throat.]
Ahem. Uh, I- I didn't think we'd need a dessert other than the pastries, so I guess that's... dinner...
[...and that sounded stupid. Man, he can't mess this up now.]
W-which means I'm open to suggestions for the rest of the evening.
[Nailed it.]
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When she senses the awkwardness, her teasing nature returns with another smirk.] Dessert, before dinner? How bold.
[For dramatics, she puts a finger on her cheek as if pondering her options.]
How long do we have before your roommates return?
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I- I think we have at least a couple more hours, why?
[...okay, so much for cool.]
1/not 7
2/no really not 7
3/I promise
4/still not 7
5/not quite
6/surprise it's more than 7
7/I cannot be stopped
8/okay fine it's 9
9/9 I regret nothing
F-for... a carpet ride over the lake. O-of course.
[
What do you mean she was considering something else, why on earth would you insinuate such a thing.](no subject)
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Holy crap, is it finally time to wrap?! (That rhymed)
/WRAP!