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[This gets another good, long pause on Ibuki's end, but not out of anything bad - it's mostly because she was braced to get shit even after saying not to give'er any, staring at her screen with some touch of embarrassment, when he says he loves it.

... He loves it?
Even though it's cheesy? And goofy? And stupid?]

really? really really??
are you sure you're not just saying that cause ibuki's the one who came up with it??

[Ibuki when the fuck has he likes something "in spite" of it being goofy.

...He does a lot of things with spite! But. "Liking" isn't one of them! With regards to goofy things.]

Do we ever lie to each other???
It's fucking cute.

[...This iiiis, chances are, the first time she's ever seen/heard him use that word outside of a playful context - e.x. "we're just a couple a' cute little doggies!" - or her asking him if she's cute. 'Mean, like, yeah, she is, but "pretty" and "hot" are the schools of compliments his mind most naturally go to.

For the record, though, this is still him calling her cute. "Look at you - tryin'a get all sweet and romantic now and doing something so goofy!"

Iiiit's without a lick of mean spirit or sneakiness. It's all genuine endearment, plus, well... an airy bloom and rise of warming, swelling, glowing pride off the "tryin'a get all sweet and romantic" component.]

[Well - she doesn't know! Maybe some things are too goofy for him!
... But she can tell this isn't.

It's something about him calling it, specifically, "fucking cute". Rather than just... "cute".
That's some deliberate emphasis right there.

She can't help staring at it for a moment or two, before firing back -]

sooo...
that means you want me to use it, right? especially since you're right, you're totally right! we DON'T lie to each other, not even once!
so that means you DO want ibuki to use it, right???

Edited 2018-09-25 05:33 (UTC)

[Pfffha, it's true...! If he was just. Bein' casual about it, he would have just said something like "THAT'S cute!"

The emphasis was... not lacking in significance, whether he knew it or not. (He definitely did not.)

He... lets his smile sag on his end of the line, for a split-second - just off that thought of "Ibuki hates cutesy romantic stuff, she's gonna be pissed at me, ain't she -- "

-- But. He sinks at the monitor a moment as if he's... being scolded over something he thought was a good idea and still thinks could have been one if you had just given it a chance...! when her first-first response comes in.

...Only lasting in the moments before "you're right". He -- turns his head up again, grins deep once more with the batter of the biggest moth in his chest...!]

Yeah.
Fuck, no one's called me anything but Lucas since I was a little boy
Would be nice and cute and just us.

[This time, he is playing the "cute" card deliberately. As a "selling point" to Ibuki, who loves cute shit.

"Just us", though, is... "so I really would really, really love it, and know you would like that, too".]

[He's definitely lucky he doesn't have to worry about that; there's no reason for her to be mad, or to scold, or anything!
She started this, after all. Hell, if she was mad at anyone, it's herself.

... And it's not even "mad", either. More just playful cringe at actually coming up with such a shmoopy nickname, but... she really does wanna use it.]

... just us?
you really think so... and that it's US...

well, ibuki wants to use it! but i'm not sure i'm ready to use it in front of EVERYONE, so if i start off only using it when it's just you and me, then that would be okay, i think
but ibuki really wants to warm up to using it in front of people, too!

... lukie (・ω-)～♥

[N'awwww, ain't nothin' wrong with it being... "you guys", is it, E-Books?

That said, he's still just... lightly laughing into settling as she types...! This fuckin' girl...!]

I'm game for that, sugartits. ;)

[...His face sort of -- blanks with a blink, mouth opens, the tiniest tense of his brow, is he... he's missing something, looks down at the keyboard like he's expecting it'll just click when he sees the right key before -- ]

<3

[THERE, SHE SENT A HEART, AND NOW HE'S SENT A HEART, DIDN'T COME NATURALLY SO NO WONDER THAT DIDN'T OCCUR TO HIM THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS MISSING -- lookin' at the screen again like "...was I... supposed to do that...?"

-- Before, pff, picking up another... slanted smile.]

Lukie and Ibuki

[For a moment there, Ibuki's just about to answer - something along the lines of, "If you're game, then I'm double game!"
But then, right when she's partway through typing a message -
A heart appears.

...

And then, right when she's partway through typing another message after she's already backspaced it all once, the rest appears, and she can't help the real-life laughter she's let out with it.]

kyaaaaaa...! has lukie secretly been an embarrassing romantic all this time!? has he been waiting for his ibuki to give him the cutest nickname in the world just for this!?
lukie and ibuki!
ilukiebuki!!!!! (ᗒᗜᗕ)՛̵̖

i lukie-lucky-love it!!! (●♡∀♡))ヾ☆*。

tell ya what!
you've been really good at being nice to people lately and telling ibuki about all your escapades, so from here on out, the more you do that, the more ibuki will try to use "lukie" in front of more than just you, too!

Edited 2018-09-25 20:44 (UTC)

[PFFFNNGGGRRR, HE THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE TICKLED BY THAT...! SHE'S GETTIN' HIM CACKLIN' OVER ON HIS END OF THE LINE; THE ENTHUSIASM BECOMES YOU, MA'AM...!

...Then again, when does it ever not.

Rests into another... tug of a smile. Practically dark-eyed, but with a... not-unpleasant little turning tug in his chest.]

I really been doing that good a job, huh

[Iiiit's. Still not that he has much personal investment in "being nice", alas - makes it hard to so much as read that without a flicker of "ffff, like fun, I've been doing real good at being nice" when you know for a fact you ain't a nice dude - but, well...

She's been helping with nice an' sneaky recalculation, there; maybe he'll notice it eventually.

And hey, there's always something of a rise to savor when someone whose opinion you do actually care about tells you you're doing a really good job at something you want to impress.

...Also, he didn't really answer, soooo - ]

Deal. :)

you have, you have!! ibuki's seen it, and you've been doing so good!!
so that's why i'm happy you've chosen to accept my offer, and the deal staaaaarts

badum badum baduuuuum

... today!!!
i'll start calling you lukie with just you and me as of right NOOOOW
and then, next time you tell me about a good job you've done with someone, i'll move onto using it in front of someone we can trust!
dunno who yet!
but someone!

[Aaaaawwwwww, shuuuuuuuuucks, Ibuki, keep...!

-- Keep stroking that vampire ego...! Which was stacked on top of an ego that was already way too large, way too heated, and more than self-stroked regularly enough.

But yeah! That feelin' he had is... swelling...! 'Long with his smile...!]

Ok but can the person I'm nice to be just anyone??
Does it have to be someone new or can I just hang out with 2D again???

[She's good with strokin' that ego of his!
After all, she actually finds it kinda cute.
He's getting all puffy over just being called "Lukie", really...]

yep, it can be aaaanyone you want!
but you gotta TRY to make it be someone new, okay? at least once in a while!
and ibuki doesn't count either, of course!

[Heyyyy, there are layers to this puffiness!

...They just stem and branch from "I wanna call you 'Lukie'"!]

Well I'm not dumb, Ibuki!!! :(
If I tried you or Bert or Wrench or Aunamee or Lup you'd know I was cheating!

[HA HA... AUNAMEE.

LUP. 8,)]

Do I get anything extra special IF I make it someone new, though???

[Heeeee's foolin'...!

...But also genuinely curious both re: the answer and if he can finagle.]

i know you're not dumb, i didn't say you were!!! you're the smartest guy around, after all!
but that's the thing, ibuki was a little worried that if she didn't say it, you'd think it was a loophole and try to be all smart and sneaky about it...
so she made sure to say it!

but if you DO make it someone new...

... hooow about ibuki keeps a punchcard and puts stickers on it everytime you're nice to someone new!
and once you fill out one side of it, you get a prize!

[YYYYEAH, ON THE EGO-NOTE, KEEP CALLING HIM "SMART", TOO.

...NO, SERIOUSLY DO. 'Cause he's a-tittering to himself about that, as well...! Thoughts between "I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT, I MIGHT HAVE, FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES" and lighthearted, aerated "heyyyyy, gal! Whaddyou think I am, a lawyer...?!"

BUUUUT...]

Holy shit what kinda prize???
Extra kisses or a love song or what????????

[She'll keep calling him smart!

... Because she thinks he is the smartest guy around.
That said, no, she thinks she's the opposite of a lawyer!
But also snaky.
He's snaky.]

both good ideas, but the official ruling will beeeee

(badum badum badadadadadaaaaa -

TISH!)

whatever lukie wants! anything and everything! if you can think of it (and it won't get ibuki killed) it's now a prize!!!!
how's THAT??

[D'awwww, ain't you the best, Ibuki.

Pffffnnnngrh, and he's... honestly snickering a bit over the written-out drumroll...!

Buuuut... his grin spreads like a net over the heat-blast up in his chest in his chest on those terms...!]

Oh my god
For real?????

[SSSSSPEAKING OF HER BEING THE BEST, APPARENTLY.]

Why the fuck are you so good to me, YOU GOT YOURSELF ANOTHER DEAL!!!!!!!!!

[YOU SURRRRE KNOW HOW TO INCENTIVIZE A MAN, IBUKI.

...Aaaaa moment, also, as he... thinks he's being sly...! Just for shits 'n giggles - he ain't expecting this to be taken as a serious question...]

What if I say that I want you to call me Lukie to everyone????

[Speaking, as well, of him being snaky. Good ol' narrow shit-eating grin, as he tips side-to-side, adjustin' his lean in and out away from the screen...!]

Edited 2018-09-26 19:14 (UTC)

[That first response of his gets some big laughter over on her end, claws coming up to cover her mouth as she barks it out -
He's so excited! That's good, that's good! That means her incentive will work, right??

...

But then him trying to be sly pops up on her screen, and she can't help letting out an amused huff.]

awww, no, that's too far! you just made ibuki have to make another rule!
you know she doesn't like rules!!!

but i CAN say that if you want, for one of your prizes on one of these punchcards, you can ask who i start using lukie around next (｡•`ᴗ-)✧

[Look, Ibuki, what you're essentially doing here is you're making it into a game and offering to give him any treat he wants for "winning" - it'd be hard for this man to ask for better motivation.

Aaaand he pulls on back toothily "CB<"-grinnin' with his hands on his seat on either side of him...! A little rock and wobble that way before he goes slouchin' and spiderin' over the keys again like some sorta god-dang cartoon rat.]

But you said anything!!!!! :(
Fine though fine
I'm just gonna have to make a pick that counts! >:)

[GASP. DON'T THREATEN A LADY.]

[Well, hey! That's how she'd wanna do this, were the roles reversed!
She'd love it to be a game where the prize is whatever damn treat she wants.

(Granted, though, that's kind of how she plays a lot of her games.)]

that's the spirit!! ibuki wants you to pick the most impactful thing you can think of!!!!
try and make it something REALLY wacky and out there, too! after all, it'd be your first prize in a long line of many!!
it's gotta have IMPACT!!!

Haha I'm GOOD at coming up with shit that has an impact, so ;)

[...Yyyyyou mean the kinds of things you came up for your murdery exploits and that she knows you came up with towards those of course you're not gonna answer that.]

Gonna have to think of the best way to surprise you really good!

[...There's... on this note... however...

...the thought of...]

What if I say I want you to tell people I'm your boyfriend, instead

that wouldn't really be a good prize... because like
y'know, it's

well i'm

already trying to do that.
it's not really a prize when ibuki's already trying to do that!

[...Another one of "those feelings someone just gets" sometimes!

You know that one where it's like -- someone's just stuck a nozzle in the top of a deflated bottle into your lung? And then re-squeezed the outside of the bottle to shape it again?

He doesn't need to breathe, but.

That's happening.]

Who did you tell??

[It's a feeling she understands! That huge, happy breath you take when you realize something that swells you up... she gets that.
Not that she knows that's happening on his end.
But she gets it.]

zoe-chan so far... back when all the ghosts were around. and i wanna try using it with sonia but i can't find a good place that doesn't sound suuuuuuuper forced
i can't really say "you know, lucas, my boyfriend" mid convo to someone who already KNOWS that, it would sound like i think she's stupid or something!!

[... But at least she's using the word around him, apparently.]

[MMMMMYUP, SEEIN' HER TYPE THE WORD IS A PERKER-UPPER OF A CHANGE OF PACE EVEN AS IT IS...!

Here he is slightly rrrrrrockin' in his seat again! Just to get out all the bouncy energy!]

Well there's always stuff like...
"Can't a girl talk about her boyfriend??" and "I can't really do that when I have my boyfriend over!!" and "it sure is nice to know I got such an awesome boyfriend!!!"
;)

[";)" -> "B,)a...???"]

How's stuff like that?????

cute, cute! but you're not slick there either, big cat (*・∀-)☆

you're right, though, maybe ibuki just has to look at it a different way!
like instead of pointing out that you are my boyfriend, i just replace your name entirely with "my boyfriend"...

you don't think that won't look tooooo stuffy-in-people's-faces-y?

(no subject)

1019 - 2018-09-28 08:41 (UTC) - Expand