[ just going to roll up his sleeves before getting to work on these dishes - ] Oh, it's an A for sure. You've achieved a near-perfect combo, in fact.
[ near-perfect, because there's definitely something missing there that itaru can't quite put a finger on to. or rather, he doesn't want to give it a name; they're just coworkers, after all, and itaru shouldn't assume iris's goodwill as anything more than a show of friendship.
he suddenly wonders if iris had gotten more admirers at work, and shakes his head as if to jostle that thought out of his stupid mind. he's going to put that energy into tackling his current workload, which he finishes in time - which is already a rare feat, considering how lazy he gets once he arrives home.
and speaking of being lazy at home, he's going to disappear into his room to change out of his attire and into his trademark loungewear, grab his switch from the living room, and peer behind iris's shoulder to check out the chocolate. ]
Need any more help? [ that line is a super rare prompt from him alone. choose wisely. ]
[ - ah, he'll hopefully excuse her for wondering that out loud. but Iris is something of a perfectionist. meticulous, ambitious, stubbornly always striving to do better than the best - even when the best is herself. still, she'll allow him to do what he needs as she works on melting down the chocolate, stirring it idly.
though as he peers over her shoulder, she can't help but laugh a little bit - it's a friendly, respectable distance - before she shiftings, bringing her stirring spoon up and up before it hovers in front of his mouth, offering a taste. her free hand hovers beneath the spoon just in case to catch any drip, but.]
I think I have it handled - but I wouldn't mind some taste test assistance.
[ ooh, score. he maintains a respectable distance between them, but -- has he really bridged that gap between them? if anything, iris has made more progress than he has in this song and dance of theirs. is there no other way to contribute?
...well, he can afford to chill out for now and not think about Feelings. he is feeling peckish however, and so he wraps his hand around iris's that's holding the spoon and leans in for a taste, licking his lips once he pulls away. ]
Mm, it's real good. I'll bring the fruits to the living and then... we can relax.
[ please let him pamper you too? by doing just that, before flopping down and grabbing his switch to check out the dlc she'd gotten him. ooh, nice, she'd gotten him a couple of smash charas, that new fire emblem route, and some new visual novels too.
no seriously what did he ever do to deserve someone like her ]
but you know, one that you're allowed to date! which is not the case here, because their company says they shouldn't. their company says they really shouldn't and iris is thinking of that, reminding herself even as she thinks about itaru holding onto her hand, licking his lips.... nope, not allowed!
regardless she'll move the fondue to a safer bowl once it's ready, going to join him and placing the bowl near the fruits. she's abandoned the apron, but it does leave her in her work clothes given that she came over as soon as she clocked out. still, she'll make herself as comfortable as she can, tucking her legs beneath her and brushing her hair over her shoulder]
Like what you see? [you know, the dlc!] How'd I do? Care to revise your 'near-perfect' yet?
[ their company is really strict about relationships between coworkers, and ideally itaru wouldn't want the both of them to get into trouble with their higher-ups and costing both their reputations and their jobs in the process, so pursuing her route with those roadblocks in mind would be a bad idea -- ]
Oh, I'm liking it, all right. You're almost there, though.
[ he didn't mean to make it sound a little suggestive - and he can just chalk that up to merely joking about all these sexy new content in his switch. but what if he wanted to see iris out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable, huh? that would've been Perfect with a capital P! S-Rank, even!!
...okay he's got to stop thinking too much about iris right now and just. focus on his games. because that's what it's all about. leaning his head on iris's shoulder, he presses a joycon into her hands and scrolls towards a fighting game. ]
[there's that word again! 'almost'! it seems to put her off for just a little bit longer as she wonders what's keeping her from nailing that 100%. she wants to full combo this evening please?
though when he moves to lean his head on her shoulder, she hopes he can't tell that the proximity makes her heart beat just a bit faster. she'll take the joycon from him willingly, holding onto it - and managing a brief laugh, something sheepish in her voice.]
For me? What an honor.
Allow me to provide you with a trade -
[though something a bit sweeter. she'll reach out to pluck one of the strawberries out of their gathered fruits, dipping it in the chocolate fondue before offering it over to him. you know. like how friends would do.]
[ is she for real? no, is tonight even real, or is itaru dreaming this all up only to wake up in the middle of the night with one of his videogames still running in the background? because it's as if he keeps jumping from one mini-event to another with little to no breaks in between, and somehow he keeps hitting the right answers without consulting an guide.
well, maybe he's just that lucky. ]
Ahh. 𝅘𝅥𝅮
[ he eats it off her fingers, licking his lips again (and resisting the mighty urge to lick off the chocolate off her fingers too because - gross, and he doesn't want iris to get the wrong idea). ] Mm, it really does taste better with chocolate. You should give it a try --
[ he pulls away, his gaze landing at the brown stain on her blouse. uh oh. ]
Shit, your blouse... Hang on. [ just gonna get up and disappear into his room, and coming out from it with a baggy pink shirt and shorts that should prooobably fit her just fine? ] Here you go. LMK if you wanna wear something else?
[ - there's an immediate frown at the stain on her shirt, though she appreciates him getting up to assist. she's already grabbed her purse and is reaching for one of those emergency bleach pens, because iris isn't prone to messes but that's no reason to not be prepared.
when he comes back out with the clothes, she bows her head briefly in gratitude before offering a smile]
No, I'm sure this will be fine - thank you. I'll get the stain out and my blouse ought to be dry by the time I leave, hopefully... Then if you'll excuse me a moment.
[she'll wander off to the bathroom then to do just that, a combination of water and bleach pen preventing a stain before it gets a chance to start, and then moving to change out of her work attire. if she's honest, it's nice to change into something more comfortable. if she's too honest, it's a little endearing how the clothes are a bit big on her, and how they smell faintly of itaru.
it takes a second just to get her heart to settle before she wanders back out, changed and trying to adjust the bagginess of the shirt so the hemline doesn't fall past the shorts too much.
she looks.... sheepish, a bit more bashful than her normal air of confidence, but - ]
I can't say this has ever been in the company dress code - so you'll have to keep it a secret that you've seen me like this, alright?
[ he's been finagling with the settings of one of his new games the entire time, distracting himself from these endless combos they keep giving each other. it's actually a relief that iris agreed to wear his clothes for the meantime, but he hasn't considered the repercussions of his dialogue choice until iris comes back, and he looks up from his switch--
ohhhh my god.
this is! so much!! it's like soloing a limited ssr without expecting anything! although he's not going to lie, he may or may not have fantasies of iris wearing his clothes when they're this close as friends, but that's totally natural, right? there's nothing malicious behind his actions at all, truly!
... give him a moment to find his voice, though. itaru.exe just froze for a moment there. ]
I-- Yeah, of course. I wouldn't dare tell anyone.
[ he'd like to be the only one who'd see her in this, if he can help it.
but anyway, he clears his throat as he forces himself to budge, patting the space on the couch for her. the genial smile is back, as though he isn't mentally rebooting right now. ] Now come on, let's get our game on. Any recs on what we should play first?
[ . . . it takes genuine effort to keep herself from giggling a bit at his reaction. it's not as though she's slow, after all. neither of them really are. and the expression on his face is so sweet - she thinks there's nothing particularly bad about getting to enjoy it, is there?
it doesn't have to be anything more than this.
(even if maybe she wants it to be a little bit more than this, but—)]
I heard that the DLC for Flame Emblem: Three Estates is rather excellent - the new character designs are really elegant! I hope that their supports are good. [she wants to play the otome-adjacent, of course she does.
but she'll move to sit next to him, humming thoughtfully.]
Though that's mostly a single player game... We could try out the new indie side scroller that's been really popular on Twitter?
[though even as she suggests it, she'll move to retrieve the fondue again before it gets cold. she'll gently dip a strawberry slice in more fondue before bringing it closer to her, letting her other hand hover underneath it to catch any drips before offering it to itaru again.]
Here.
[maybe there's something a little fun in teasing him.]
[ every gesture she makes is an OHKO to the heart, and itaru isn't sure if he has enough HP left in him. he's not that slow; he'd probably give every generic otoge protagonist a run for their money because of how nicely he presents himself.
but iris truly is a force of nature that he didn't think exist in this lifetime, and it's already a miracle that she's wearing HIS clothes without any consequence. no, maybe the consequence is having to hold back on her relentless teasing without making himself look like a total loser here.
seriously, this girl might be the end of him. ]
Well, I guess we could try that DLC? Some of the characters in the trailer caught my eye, so lemme see if one of them's my type.
[ he scrolls through the list of games and loads it up without batting an eye, and - well, if iris continues to be like that, then he'll counterattack as such. he takes an entire bite of the strawberry, letting his lips linger on her fingers a few more seconds more than what's necessary within their boundaries, before pulling away with a childlike grin.
hah! take that!! now stop playing with his heart like a goddang videogame already!!! ]
she looks a little startled for a moment even though - well, perhaps she shouldn't. when you're feeding a chocolate covered strawberry to your attractive friend even when you're wearing his clothes....
she clears her throat for a moment, even if she's not quite sure why, and tucks some hair behind her own ear before reaching for the controller. yup! player two now. just games. just friendly games.]
.... mm! Let's do that.
[though it seems like she won't actually be hitting any buttons on the controller - it might just be nice to have something to do with her hands even as the game begins.]
Your type is.... which, again? Kuuderes? Ojou-sans? Do you secretly like tsunderes....
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no subject
[ near-perfect, because there's definitely something missing there that itaru can't quite put a finger on to. or rather, he doesn't want to give it a name; they're just coworkers, after all, and itaru shouldn't assume iris's goodwill as anything more than a show of friendship.
he suddenly wonders if iris had gotten more admirers at work, and shakes his head as if to jostle that thought out of his stupid mind. he's going to put that energy into tackling his current workload, which he finishes in time - which is already a rare feat, considering how lazy he gets once he arrives home.
and speaking of being lazy at home, he's going to disappear into his room to change out of his attire and into his trademark loungewear, grab his switch from the living room, and peer behind iris's shoulder to check out the chocolate. ]
Need any more help? [ that line is a super rare prompt from him alone. choose wisely. ]
no subject
[ - ah, he'll hopefully excuse her for wondering that out loud. but Iris is something of a perfectionist. meticulous, ambitious, stubbornly always striving to do better than the best - even when the best is herself. still, she'll allow him to do what he needs as she works on melting down the chocolate, stirring it idly.
though as he peers over her shoulder, she can't help but laugh a little bit - it's a friendly, respectable distance - before she shiftings, bringing her stirring spoon up and up before it hovers in front of his mouth, offering a taste. her free hand hovers beneath the spoon just in case to catch any drip, but.]
I think I have it handled - but I wouldn't mind some taste test assistance.
[Itaru has unlocked the "Say Ahh!" trophy.]
no subject
...well, he can afford to chill out for now and not think about Feelings. he is feeling peckish however, and so he wraps his hand around iris's that's holding the spoon and leans in for a taste, licking his lips once he pulls away. ]
Mm, it's real good. I'll bring the fruits to the living and then... we can relax.
[ please let him pamper you too? by doing just that, before flopping down and grabbing his switch to check out the dlc she'd gotten him. ooh, nice, she'd gotten him a couple of smash charas, that new fire emblem route, and some new visual novels too.
no seriously what did he ever do to deserve someone like her ]
no subject
but you know, one that you're allowed to date! which is not the case here, because their company says they shouldn't. their company says they really shouldn't and iris is thinking of that, reminding herself even as she thinks about itaru holding onto her hand, licking his lips.... nope, not allowed!
regardless she'll move the fondue to a safer bowl once it's ready, going to join him and placing the bowl near the fruits. she's abandoned the apron, but it does leave her in her work clothes given that she came over as soon as she clocked out. still, she'll make herself as comfortable as she can, tucking her legs beneath her and brushing her hair over her shoulder]
Like what you see? [you know, the dlc!] How'd I do? Care to revise your 'near-perfect' yet?
no subject
Oh, I'm liking it, all right. You're almost there, though.
[ he didn't mean to make it sound a little suggestive - and he can just chalk that up to merely joking about all these sexy new content in his switch. but what if he wanted to see iris out of her work clothes and into something more comfortable, huh? that would've been Perfect with a capital P! S-Rank, even!!
...okay he's got to stop thinking too much about iris right now and just. focus on his games. because that's what it's all about. leaning his head on iris's shoulder, he presses a joycon into her hands and scrolls towards a fighting game. ]
Here, be my Player Two.
no subject
though when he moves to lean his head on her shoulder, she hopes he can't tell that the proximity makes her heart beat just a bit faster. she'll take the joycon from him willingly, holding onto it - and managing a brief laugh, something sheepish in her voice.]
For me? What an honor.
Allow me to provide you with a trade -
[though something a bit sweeter. she'll reach out to pluck one of the strawberries out of their gathered fruits, dipping it in the chocolate fondue before offering it over to him. you know. like how friends would do.]
no subject
well, maybe he's just that lucky. ]
Ahh. 𝅘𝅥𝅮
[ he eats it off her fingers, licking his lips again (and resisting the mighty urge to lick off the chocolate off her fingers too because - gross, and he doesn't want iris to get the wrong idea). ] Mm, it really does taste better with chocolate. You should give it a try --
[ he pulls away, his gaze landing at the brown stain on her blouse. uh oh. ]
Shit, your blouse... Hang on. [ just gonna get up and disappear into his room, and coming out from it with a baggy pink shirt and shorts that should prooobably fit her just fine? ] Here you go. LMK if you wanna wear something else?
no subject
[ - there's an immediate frown at the stain on her shirt, though she appreciates him getting up to assist. she's already grabbed her purse and is reaching for one of those emergency bleach pens, because iris isn't prone to messes but that's no reason to not be prepared.
when he comes back out with the clothes, she bows her head briefly in gratitude before offering a smile]
No, I'm sure this will be fine - thank you. I'll get the stain out and my blouse ought to be dry by the time I leave, hopefully... Then if you'll excuse me a moment.
[she'll wander off to the bathroom then to do just that, a combination of water and bleach pen preventing a stain before it gets a chance to start, and then moving to change out of her work attire. if she's honest, it's nice to change into something more comfortable. if she's too honest, it's a little endearing how the clothes are a bit big on her, and how they smell faintly of itaru.
it takes a second just to get her heart to settle before she wanders back out, changed and trying to adjust the bagginess of the shirt so the hemline doesn't fall past the shorts too much.
she looks.... sheepish, a bit more bashful than her normal air of confidence, but - ]
I can't say this has ever been in the company dress code - so you'll have to keep it a secret that you've seen me like this, alright?
no subject
ohhhh my god.
this is! so much!! it's like soloing a limited ssr without expecting anything! although he's not going to lie, he may or may not have fantasies of iris wearing his clothes when they're this close as friends, but that's totally natural, right? there's nothing malicious behind his actions at all, truly!
... give him a moment to find his voice, though. itaru.exe just froze for a moment there. ]
I-- Yeah, of course. I wouldn't dare tell anyone.
[ he'd like to be the only one who'd see her in this, if he can help it.
but anyway, he clears his throat as he forces himself to budge, patting the space on the couch for her. the genial smile is back, as though he isn't mentally rebooting right now. ] Now come on, let's get our game on. Any recs on what we should play first?
no subject
it doesn't have to be anything more than this.
(even if maybe she wants it to be a little bit more than this, but—)]
I heard that the DLC for Flame Emblem: Three Estates is rather excellent - the new character designs are really elegant! I hope that their supports are good. [she wants to play the otome-adjacent, of course she does.
but she'll move to sit next to him, humming thoughtfully.]
Though that's mostly a single player game... We could try out the new indie side scroller that's been really popular on Twitter?
[though even as she suggests it, she'll move to retrieve the fondue again before it gets cold. she'll gently dip a strawberry slice in more fondue before bringing it closer to her, letting her other hand hover underneath it to catch any drips before offering it to itaru again.]
Here.
[maybe there's something a little fun in teasing him.]
no subject
but iris truly is a force of nature that he didn't think exist in this lifetime, and it's already a miracle that she's wearing HIS clothes without any consequence. no, maybe the consequence is having to hold back on her relentless teasing without making himself look like a total loser here.
seriously, this girl might be the end of him. ]
Well, I guess we could try that DLC? Some of the characters in the trailer caught my eye, so lemme see if one of them's my type.
[ he scrolls through the list of games and loads it up without batting an eye, and - well, if iris continues to be like that, then he'll counterattack as such. he takes an entire bite of the strawberry, letting his lips linger on her fingers a few more seconds more than what's necessary within their boundaries, before pulling away with a childlike grin.
hah! take that!! now stop playing with his heart like a goddang videogame already!!! ]
no subject
she looks a little startled for a moment even though - well, perhaps she shouldn't. when you're feeding a chocolate covered strawberry to your attractive friend even when you're wearing his clothes....
she clears her throat for a moment, even if she's not quite sure why, and tucks some hair behind her own ear before reaching for the controller. yup! player two now. just games. just friendly games.]
.... mm! Let's do that.
[though it seems like she won't actually be hitting any buttons on the controller - it might just be nice to have something to do with her hands even as the game begins.]
Your type is.... which, again? Kuuderes? Ojou-sans? Do you secretly like tsunderes....