( overflow. )

[glub]

Comments

ｋａｂｒｕ 🫧

[glub]

[ taken from tfln. ]

i wouldnt say that

artistic endeavors require their own steps and the first one is being able to go where inspiration takes you... i cant pick a paintbrush until i embrace this feeling yknow

so you coming?

[peoplewatch]

[ what does all of that mean

but rafayel seems to want to spend time with him, which is endearing in its own way. there was actually no need for him to pay, even if kabru will also accept the money.

he has no idea what they're actually going to be doing but he'll come. ]

You don't make it easy to understand you.
I'll be there in about 15 minutes.

[glub]

[ i'm crying at kabru being like ok ]

since you dun have my key yet input the password

try not to be late for the first day on the job

[peoplewatch]

[ he is a lover of people ]

.... I still don't know what I'll be doing.

[ because he asked if you're drawing him and you gave a vague ass answer so he's like ????

oh well.

in 10-15 minutes, he arrives at rafayel's residence and puts the passcode into the door. ]

𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗯 🫧

[glub]

[ taken from tfln. ]



maaaybe about this much bigger

even your arms wont be able to carry it easily

[withhold]

wow :O that is very big.

alright you win I'll come over even at the risk of being ambushed by cilantro.

is this action now

[glub]

[ in spite of himself, he seems a bit pleased by the text response back. he puts his phone back down, likely getting flecks of paint on it in the process as he may have just been painting for days prior before this exchange of messages. still, what artist wouldn't when inspiration finally hits?

it's why, it's easy for him to rinse his hands and then lay down on the couch, waiting for caleb to arrive. when caleb does come, he'll find that rafayel has his shirt unbuttoned and he is reclined with a book on his face. the book seems to be about planes and skyhaven.

on the bright side, there's no hint of cilantro out, but there might be the clear scent of it in the air mixed with acrylic paint. ]

[withhold]

[ man of his word, caleb arrives to the studio with grocery bags in toll. he is immediately hit by the pungent smell of cilantro in the air and, luckily unseen by rafayel, his nose wrinkles up in protest. he better get a deserving reward for dealing with this?????

spotting rafayel pretty quickly, he walks over to him, leaning down to pluck the book off of his face. he holds it up, examining the cover and reading the title out loud, an amused smile curving his lips. ] Is someone taking an interest in my career? [ he glances down at the little merman. ]

How cute.

( aquarium date. )

[glub]

[ as long as you promise not to waste the aquarium tickets
oh and that our next date wont be at a cat cafe or a seafood market
also if we can avoid riding the tandem bike until i get more practice

the text likely started something like that. it was a slight reminder amongst all their plans. some of which inevitably got washed away by the proverbial currents of life, the ebb of flow of ideas and date plans being left in some invisible state of limbo. still, rafayel doesn't focus on that as much as he does the present in which he's quite obviously enthused about. enough where he even seems to count each of his steps until he makes it to where zhongli is waiting.

he's already holding a pamphlet and has a few ideas circled, before waves it with a smile on his lips. his voice is airy and easygoing. ]

So you didn't forget to match today. Good thing I casted the secret spell before I left the house. [ there definitely was no spell. he definitely asked zhongli what he was going to be wearing, but he sticks with this narrative anyway. ]

[geodic]

[ It is beyond time they built some quality memories together and while the aquarium is not Zhongli's first port of interest, it matters a lot to Rafael who is bubbly with an infectious enthusism about the visit, so the same good cheer is borrowed. Wearing neutrals in creams and browns, a simple turtleneck under a blazer and smart pants intended not to clash with whatever his date intended to don, Zhongli smiles reflexively as he spots the cute young man trotting over with all the prettiness of an amethyst glittering in direct sunlight. ]

Fortunate indeed, given my terrible memory as an old man.

[ Funny. With a chuckle, Zhongli steps in to curl a hand around Rafael's as he drops a chaste kiss on his cheek by way of a fond hello. His gaze is a warm gold as he leans back, mildly curious as to whether he has surprised him with the small albeit forward touch. ]

Shall we head inside?

[glub]

[ it's not difficult for his eyes to find zhongli. considering that lemurians can see up to 300 million shades of colors, it's easy to pick out zhongli's from the crowd. all the more, he finds himself smiling at his choice in what to wear. it seems they've both chose rather neutral shades, albeit rafayel has done his part in accessorizing with a bit of gold, perhaps as a reminder to the man who stands before him.

still, rafayel doesn't find the need to clarify. instead, he tilts his head, his mouth about to open with a quip regarding how old zhongli is making himself sound, but it's cut short when he feels that kiss on his cheek.

instantly his mouth closes, and his cheeks color momentarily before he clears his throat. he shakes it off. easily his own attempt at regaining some control over the situation. ] You... [ a pause, before he shakes it off. ]

Well, since you're so old, it looks like I have to be the one to lead you.

[ he gives zhongli's hand a squeeze as he already begins moving towards the aquarium. ]

[geodic]

[ Ah, cute. He likes how full of life Rafael is, vivacious in spirit and bursting with enthusiasm and opinions that Zhongli finds he is always happy to listen to, but it is the small fact he can be made to blush that endears him even more. There is also a kind of murky solemnity to him that it is a relief to know can be eased, if only sometimes. ]

My hero.

[ The old god follows after the younger, hands clasped as they enter the (garish) aquarium lobby. ]

What are you most looking forward to seeing? You have done your research with leaflets, I see.

𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗮 ☕

[glub]

[ grabbed from here.

damn... ]

oh so you think you can tame me huh?
guess well see about that when you get here

[ maybe she wasn't completely wrong in calling him out for how competitive he was. regardless, he does end up pocketing his phone when he's outside. when he sees her, walks over to her briskly. without saying much he grabs the bag of food from her, lifting it out from her grasp with ease. per his promise, he really is wearing matching hello kitty pajamas pants. ] Yeaaah, if I had to wait any longer, I think my legs would have turned to jelly.

[ but, the smile on his lips seemed to suggest otherwise. still, with his free hand, he holds it up to her, palms up. ]

In the meantime, since your hand looks lonely, how about you take this?

[bitterambrosia]

[Saved by Rafayel! The weight is off her arms, which means she seizes the chance to curl one of her hands around his, casting a brief gaze at the matching Hello Kitty pants he's wearing. She laughs, obvious glimmer of amusement present in her eyes.]

Nice! Now you can't use loneliness as an excuse anymore.

[Ambrosia can't say that she's lonely either; it's never a dull moment with Rafayel around, after all.]

I'm going to make sure you're nicely fed, vegetables and everything.

[Her salmon dish contains copious amounts of spinach, fennel, and other vegetables. He needs all the energy he can get for art creating purposes, she thinks to herself.]

[glub]

[ he appreciates just how naturally her fingers curl around his. the lingering warmth from their palms pressed together gives him a small smile, before he turns his gaze back to her. ]

Then what should my next excuse be? Maaaybe something like… a hand holding epidemic that only afflicts good, honest boys? [ or was she preferring him to play hard to get today? his cocks his head to the side a bit, as if silently baring his every intention to be a … well, a brat.

that is, before he seems to move on. ]

If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like someone is trying to fatten me up.

[bitterambrosia]

[Rafayel may have a choice between being a good boy and playing hard to get, but Ambrosia, well... "hard to get" is her usual go-to attitude around him. It doesn't stop her from interlocking her fingers with his, though, gently swinging their hands around as they walk together. She appears at ease, a smile staying put on her lips.]

A hand holding epidemic? [A fake gasp] Is it fatal?

[To be fair, Rafayel really is a good, honest man. Not like she'll admit out loud, of course. Instead, she opts for an amused snort.]

If I wanted to fatten you up, I'd make burgers and fries. Besides, isn't your metabolism in working condition?

[Her free hand pokes at his side. Tap, tap, tap.]

ｌａｐｉｓ 👻

[glub]

[ continued from here.

despite the small quirk that remains on his lips, rafayel doesn't miss out on the small bit of deliberation before she actually takes a drink. at times, he wonders who's more cautious— her or him? ... but, the answer to that was probably obvious. he releases a light, airy sort of laugh. ]

Yeah, obviously I don't usually do seafood markets, but you could say getting these clams were the exception. [ the ocean was an unforgiving place as any, but he'd like to think he handles them aptly. (except, is it apt when this is an exorbitant amount of seafood for the two of them?) ]

Don't you think the color is pretty? It reminds me of a certain someone.

[crisantemo]

[ She is still very much like a flighty bird; still trying to gauge whether approaching closer is safe or not. But she does seem to be slowly easing up...

Especially since she seems so willing to get huffy at him, giving a little shake of her head when she takes a look at one of the clams. He is right though, the color is pretty and it's enough to get her pout to deflate. Just a little. ]

But did you have to buy so much... [ She'll gently lift the one she's been looking at, tilting it left and right as the sunlight reflects off it; quietly admiring how the color shifts. ]

And who would that certain someone be?

[glub]

I'll need them to get the right color. Last time it took me about 10,000 clams?

[ he tilts his chin slightly as he seems to be mulling over his own words, as if verifying the veracity of his ballpark number. that said, he does notice the way she's admiring the color, and takes that as a sign of her easing up a little. ]

Are you asking because you really don't know? [ he comes close to her, just enough for him press a finger on her forehead. ] But, just telling you is boooring.

can't believe you don't have a link to your open post on your nav

[sociably]

hey rafayel!!
are you busy?

i have returned to my roots

[glub]

nah i was just thinking about taking a break
what you need me for miss toughie

buries you in the dirt

[sociably]

did you want to try the new dessert shop down the street that just opened up?
i won a coupon for 50% off!

date time.

[sociably]

[ what kind of date? great question. magic 8 ball (aka me throwing a dart) says amusement park. maybe it's hello (kitty) land so you can vent your aggression against that ho kitty-chan.

did she want to be here with rafayel? debatable, but sometimes all your friends have other obligations/call in sick and you're left with the guy who always knows which of your buttons to press. either way, beatrix is at the front entrance, dressed in a cute fit (but in her signature blue). she does at least wave when she sees him. ]

Rafayel! Over here!

[glub]

[ hello kitty land where they have whack-a-mole, but it's all kitty-chan. we do this for ly, our fallen soldier.

ASLO WHY WOULDN'T SHE WANT TO BE HERE WITH RAF??? still, because her color is blue, rafayel also shows up in something matching. except, with the colors inverted. when she waves, he does give her a lazy wave back as he briskly walks over. he's already holding his hand out to her. ]

No time for greetings. You want to make the most of our time, right?

[ first things first, the souvenir shop so he can put cinnamaroll ears on her. ]

[sociably]

[ oh......matchies.... (flushed)

but the real (flushed) is when rafayel holds out his hand. is she supposed to hold it? is this supposed to be a real date date instead of just a friend date? what if he's expecting something from her?? her cheeks turn pink and she stammers slightly. ]

W-well, yeah. Tickets to this place are really expensive, you know! It was a lot of work getting them. [ she waited in line for them forever. ] So...thanks for coming.

[ she will shyly take that hand and start pulling them inside. ]