(Untitled)

[besomeothername]

[At around nightfall in one large kitchen/dining room in the West wing, there is a party going on. A birthday party to be exact, judging by the giant Happy Birthday, Allen sign hanging across the door. Food of all kind is piled up high on every available countertop in case lots of Allens do show up

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[fallforthesky]

[Don't mind her, she's just hovering inside the doorway in as an unassuming manner as possible and inspecting the large banner with a mildly bemused purse of her lips. Aren't Allens' birthdays normally in December?]

[selfdeluded]

Yeah... but I didn't know that before. [It still sounded odd, really. But he tilts his head a little at the sudden shift. And... the exclusion from being his friend. He couldn't necessarily say he thought of Lenalee as a friend, but she was... nice. And he liked her.]

I think most of the people here wandered in on accident, though. [Either that or Lavi was sneaking around and inviting people while he'd been sleeping...]

[fallforthesky]

[It's still hard, sometimes, to acknowledge the fact that there are Allens who aren't... the Allen she knows. People that don't know her enough to call her a friend. Vice versa. She likes him, too, but that doesn't make them close; just one more reason to hate being trapped here-not that Hobo would share those sentiments.] But they're all people important to you, right? Even if they all found themselves here accidentally. I can tell they do want to be here.

[Helps that she's seen a few people carrying small gift boxes.]

[selfdeluded]

So you don't want to be here? [A pause, and he smiles in a way that might almost be teasing.] Don't let Lavi overhear that... you'll hurt his feelings. [But the smile widens, and he glances around the room, before making a gesture towards stainedlotus.] I don't know that Kanda at all... [Another look around, and he makes yet another gesture towards panolethros.] I don't think I know him, either... and some of the people here are more Lavi's friends than mine.

...What I mean to say is that just because you weren't invited doesn't mean you aren't welcome here, or that you aren't wanted. So why not stay and try to enjoy yourself a little?

[fallforthesky]

[Opening her mouth immediately to deny that; it takes a second for her to realize he's not being entirely serious. If she wanted to argue semantics, Hobo just opened an entire realm of possibility with not wanting to be 'here', but she luckily isn't in that sort of mood. Instead, she ducks her head down and scratches fiddles with the hem of her skirt, rather humbled by the handful of Kandas he points out that she really ought to have realized he wouldn't have been friends with.]

I... suppose I... [Well. She's not sure what she thought, exactly. A bit of an awkward laugh.] -All right.

[selfdeluded]

[His own expression softens a little at that, and Allen shifts to stuff his hands into his pockets, almost looking a little embarrassed. Despite the awkward laugh, that was a very pretty smile.]

I know you don't really like it here... [And this time, he does mean the dressing room as a whole. He'd gotten that impression before, he was fairly certain. Or maybe she'd said it outright. Ah well.] But I'm sure I'm not the only one that likes having you here, even if it's just for now.

[She wasn't a friend; but she was nice, and reminded him of... something. He wasn't sure what, or if he even really wanted to know, but it was something. And he did sort of like that she was there.]

What kind of cake do you like? There are cupcakes, too... A few different people brought extra cake, [And he laughs a bit awkwardly himself,] but I can't actually eat any of it...

1/2

[fallforthesky]

[The embarrassment goes double for her, bubbling up into a red flush along her cheeks- so she clearly hadn't done as well as she thought in hiding how much she hates it here. Great. Fiddling even more studiously with her skirt.]

I don't really... ['have many people left that I haven't estranged at this point'] ...ah...

[But he says he likes having her here, and maybe she's fragile enough right now for that to be good enough for her.]

...thank you.

2/2

[fallforthesky]

[And she latches onto the topic change like a lifeline, keeping her gaze on him somewhere around shoulder-height.] I think it's the thought that's intended with bringing you cakes. Maybe they... forgot that you can't digest it. [She pauses, then adds softly:] -I like chocolate.

[selfdeluded]

You don't have to thank me for anything... Really. [His smile widens slightly - and it's back to that slightly sheepish, embarrassed sort of look, though it's slightly colored by nervousness this time.]

I'm not sure many of them know, actually... I tell most people that ask-- but most people don't ask.

[He pauses as well - hesitating - before holding a hand out to her.] Come help me pick something? I can only tell how good they are by smell... and I'm better at telling good bread than cake.

[fallforthesky]

[Trying to keep her expression from falling too far. She'd asked, hadn't she? Now with slightly forced optimism:] Maybe it's because there are so many kinds of people here that they don't feel like they really need to. It's... more of a given that you'll find someone completely different from how you remember them sooner somebody familiar...

[And, surprising even herself, Lenalee lightly takes his hand. She kind of wants to drop it the moment she does, which might be obvious in how her fingers twitch a bit, but... in the end, she hangs on.] I can pass slices out for you, if you'd like.

[Because she will stay firm in her belief that everything here should go to the people Allen genuinely cares for.]

[selfdeluded]

[Yes, she had. But Lenalee is pretty, and nice as far as he can tell, and she was scared when she'd asked, even if she had every reason to be. The idea of that fear being directed at him... it made him unhappy. And Allen wasn't honestly sure why.] Yeah, probably... I don't mind, though. It's usually better if fewer people know...

[It's okay; he won't hold onto it for long. Just long enough to tug her over to the oddly large selection of cakes, which he does now.] You don't have to do that... I think everyone is just taking whatever they like whenever they want it.

[fallforthesky]

[She gives a weak smile and nod. Better if fewer people knew? It really doesn't seem like the case to her, to be quite honest. But she won't tell him that; it's not her place to.

Once they get to the mountain table of cakes, she lightly (oh so very lightly) squeezes his hand and lets go.] I'd like to be helpful, that's all.

[selfdeluded]

[He wouldn't mind much if she did, though... who knows where a conversation like that might lead to. He's fine leaving things as they are.

The little squeeze was a bit unexpected, but he lets go of her hand when she does his and looks over at her, offering a reassuring smile. ...He sort of wonders if this was the same Lenalee that Mean had-- basically failed to kill while an Akuma, but he can't be sure of that.

...still. It would explain why she seemed so much quieter than she had before.] I don't really know much about parties... so I'm not sure of what you could really do. But if you want to hand out cake, I won't mind... [Though as he says this, he's searching the cake mountain table for a slice of something that looks fairly chocolatey. And when he finds something that seems suitable (it even has a little frosting flower!!) he picks it up and holds it out to her.] Is this alright?

[fallforthesky]

[Ding, ding, ding! Your intuition is a good one, Hobo. Not that she'll be giving him any outward signs to further confirm that wandering thought; she isn't even aware that anyone besides Mean himself knows that they fought one another.

But she does realize that he's going to offer her cake regardless of how many times she politely declines, so when he holds out that slice, she takes it, smile softening further when she notices the decorative flower.] Ah...

[For some reason, it makes her feel ridiculously happy, in a wistful sort of way.] Yes. Thank you.

[fallforthesky]

[Urp. Lenalee hitches on a smile.] Allen. Ah... I-- I might. I don't want to intrude.