thecapitol | Capitol Date [open]

Entry tags:

✘ cuthbert allgood

Capitol Date [open]

Who| Cuthbert, Nepeta and anyone stalking them
What| A date promised before the last Arena
Where| Out and about in the Capitol
When| Post Arena
Warnings/Notes| None

They had made the arrangements before the latest Arena and now that they're back again Cuthbert could really use something nice to help forget about it. He assumes Nepeta does too, which means that it's the perfect opportunity to go see the upside of being in the Capitol. The day is cloudy, which is perfect for normally nocturnal trolls.

"Along with seeing the sites I was hoping we might get some food. Though I'm still not entirely certain what you would like."

He leads Nepeta into the city, arm in arm like a true gentleman would. He doesn't even notice the shadowy figures following them.

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Something to help forget about the events of the Arena was definitely a good idea. Even if not for the fact of her own death, there was still the fact that she'd had to watch everyone she'd cared for die all over again and she hadn't been able to do a single thing about it. Still, she knows there probably isn't much point in dwelling on the fact.

The idea that he'd wanted to go arm-in-arm had been a little weird, of course, but it wasn't like she knew much about the sort of human customs that went with this sort of thing.

"Well," she answered after a moment of consideration, "what sort of things do you like?"

Walking arm and arm was normal to him, but unless she tells him not to he's going to keep it up. It did give everyone the idea that they were together.

"I have found some good places that serve beef. Real beef, too, which is a treat for me. I know there's no troll restaurants here."

Which was something of a shame, he wanted to make sure she was happy. What else could a gentleman do? He led her deeper through the city, trying not to go by any shops that would be scandalous.

"Of course not," Nepeta answered, as if this was the most logical thing in the world. "We haven't been here long enough for anyone to try it, and besides, I don't think they have meowst of the things they'd need for it."

Grubloaf isn't called grubloaf for its shape after all, and even if that's but one delicacy to be found on Alternia, it's hard to deny that this is another world entirely, and one that's going to have an entirely set of fauna and flora. They might have similar things, but whether or not that's the same is another question. Plus people are going to have get over the rumors that they eat people first.

"Besides, I'll be fine with meowst anything you like."

"You should give them some advice, it might be the next great thing here. Then you could buy your freedom. Mayhap mine too, if you're so inclined."

He leads her toward a restaurant that he's walked by a few times, there isn't much foot traffic around so they shouldn't be too much in the limelight.

"Then I hope you are fine with yourself, because I certainly like thee."

"I was nefur terribly interested in the cullinary arts," Nepeta answers with a shrug. "But I suppose I could try if someone was willing to listen. But I don't know how many people here would even be willing to try that."

But it's probably better her than a lot of the other trolls. She can at least manage to be nice, and while Signless can manage that as well based on what she's seen she doesn't really know much else about him and most everyone else is probably not the best choice for any of a number of reasons.

Fortunately, Cuthbert's next comment distracts her from actually thinking about the details of why not, and she offers a smile in return. "I do, actually."

"Good to hear, I prefer a girl who knows just how wonderful she is. Although I hope you won't mind me reminding you of it from time to time."

This isn't the best time to try and sneak a kiss, but really, there are so many worse times to try it. So he leans in and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. Before things can turn against him Cuthbert pulls them into the restaurant he chose.

They get seated and Bert gives the menu a confused look before setting it down. He hasn't made much progress learning to read and now is not the time to show that off.

Regardless of it not really being the best time for it, the kiss catches her off guard and she can't help but blush a little at it - she blushes green, although that's probably not any surprise given the color of her blood. It's probably just as well that he pulls them into the restaurant in short order though. It gives her less time to dwell on the fact, although odds are pretty good that she's going to spend some time thinking on it later.

She's at least moderately familiar with human lettering, and that's something, but it takes her a moment to remember that the menus won't be an Alternian. But after that it isn't too hard to set about looking things over, even if she doesn't necessarily know what all the things on the menu are. No one had ever really stopped play the game long enough to really compare food terms and the like.

Bert has given up on the menu and is watching his dinner partner instead. It really didn't matter what they ate, so long as it was edible. He tilts his head to the side watching her. There was no question that Nepeta was adorable and sweet, but he was still trying to figure out how deep that ran, and whether she was hiding something more from him. He wouldn't mind if she was that adorable through and through.

"Mayhap they can recommend something good, these words are still a mystery to me."

He manages to order drinks, those are good in this world and his. And now that he's learned that soda is more alcoholic for trolls than alcohol he will happily order her something sweet and bubbly.

The adorableness runs very deep, in her. Not quite deep enough to hide that she is, in fact, a troll but enough to make it so that most people only remember the adorable and not the fact that she's more than willing to fight anything and everything she needs to. But that is something for another time. Right now, she's simply content to enjoy the even.

"I'm sure they'll be glad to tell you something," she agrees with a nod. What that will actually end up being is another question entirely, but it'll work just fine.

She's content to let him order drinks too - she doesn't know the effects of soda on trolls, and so she mostly figures that nothing particularly ill will come of what he's ordered. (She may regret it later, but later isn't now.)

"I couldn't speak for you or any of your kind, but I've found the food here to be rich and plentiful beyond imagining. This whole place still seems like some elaborate dream. There is more glass in the building we live in than I've ever seen in my entire life, and I've actually seen people throw away paper like it was worthless to them."

Clearly these are shocking and impressive things to him. He takes a sip of his drink while they wait for their food and shakes his head a little.

"Even the alcohol is purer here. Is your drink more sweet?"

He assumes that Nepeta has had soda before, or he wouldn't have ordered it for her in the first place.

Odd though they might be to him, it's all relatively normal to her. Or at least, normal in theory. She still spent most of her life quite literally living in a cave, but that doesn't mean she was at all unaware of what other people's hives looked like. They'd almost all brought them with them into Sburb after all, so if nothing else she would have had that.

She nods at the comment though. Just because it's common to her doesn't mean she can't do that much, and she's more than a little curious about his world besides. She doesn't even know what it's called and that seems like an awful shame, all things considered. Still, she knows better than to entirely derail the conversation for the sake of her curiosity and so she considers for a moment before answers.

"Maybe a little."

To be fair, Cuthbert doesn't know what his planet is called either, he really only knows the areas around where he lives, anything beyond that is out of his domain.

"Cry your pardon, here I've said much about myself and not learned so much about thee. I know a bit of trolls from Sai Signless and Karkat, but I would hear about your world through your eyes."

Their food should arrive soon, and if he doesn't stop himself he could talk until then and straight through it. He wasn't forcing his enthusiasm, he really did want to hear more about her.

She probably wouldn't have minded if he had spoken until the food arrived and then beyond. Still, she's just as willing to talk about her own world if that's what Cuthbert wants. So she considers for a moment and then offers a slight shrug as if to say 'yeah sure we can do that'.

"There's a lot of things to talk about. Was there anything you wanted to know in purrticular? Or should I just start somewhere?"

There are, of course, things that she isn't going to speak much about but that's probably something that could be said of nearly any world. For now, however, she'll start with whatever happens to be of most interest to Cuthbert.

He doesn't know a whole lot about the world the trolls are from in general other than there are pieces Karkat absolutely will not talk about.

"Tell me of your home, and your lusus, I would hear more of the life you had to leave behind coming here."

He's a little proud that he thinks he used that word correctly. He's been around enough trolls to know, but it's not like he has enough experience to feel like he's on firm ground talking about it. Mostly he just knows when he should shut up about sensitive troll topics.

He leans forward on the table, interested to hear her answer and so she knows he really is listening. It can be hard to tell with Cuthbert sometimes, he could be distracted easily.

For all that Nepeta hadn't known what to expect Cuthbert to ask about, what he does ask about is at least something that's easy enough to answer. She might still miss her dear departed lusus, but that's not something that will be changing anytime soon.

"My lusus was Pounce de Leon," she answers. "She was best and meowst adorable kitty. Our hive wasn't very fancy though. It was purretty just a cave, although we had efurrything we needed. I took care of hunting for us too."

Which explains at least a little bit of what her day to day life was like, although it's also fairly likely that she doesn't usually spend all day hunting either.

It does explain a lot about Nepeta that she was raised by a cat. He's a little curious about what she meant about taking care of the hunting, and about living in a cave but he's not sure if he can ask about that without being rude.

"Sounds like an interesting way to grow up. And it explains at least a little of the woman you turned out to be. Is this a typical life for a troll? All I've heard from Karkat so far is that his father was crabby and he took care of his own home."

Cuthbert is fascinated either way. That's what happens when you're infatuated.

"I think Karkitty had a crab fur a lusus," Nepeta answers without even missing a beat. She's not entirely certain, of course, but from what little she remembers of his sprite it sounds about right, and anyway, Cuthbert can always ask Karkat himself, should he want any more details on the matter.

"And I supawse it could be? It was normal enough fur us, though."

"Did your lusus teach you to speak in puns? I'm certain my father would have a whole litter of kittens if I decided to take up as you do. Not that I'm complaining, I happen to like it very much."

He winks at her across the table, sitting back a little as their food finally arrives. He eyes his choice somewhat suspiciously, as he's not used to seeing so much meat in one dish, but he's adventurous enough to try it anyway.

"You must tell me how yours turned out. I'm not yet certain about my meal."

This time, there is a moment of silence before Nepeta answers. She knows her lusus better than anyone, but when it comes to questions of if hers had taught her to speak in puns it's not so easy to answer. Especially because she can't really remember when she first started making them. So it is that eventually she offers a shrug.

"I don't think so. I've just done them fur as long as I can remember."

Fortunately, any further discussion on that topic is quite expertly derailed by the arrival of the food, and she nods at the request. It looks good though, so she doesn't have any reason to expect that it won't be wonderful.

After a few bites of his own meat he very obviously sneaks his fork over to her food and steals a bite. It's a flirtatious gesture and his winks at her when he eats it.

"I may have done better by you than I did by myself. But I think I can live with that, so long as you can."

He orders another drink for himself, finally feeling more relaxed and less stressed about what he is definitely going to refer to as a 'date' when he describes this later.

It is, at that, and she can't help but grin at it, before she decides that she may as well steal a bite of his in return. It seems only fair, after all.

"I think so," she answers after a moment of consideration.

Better this than dwelling on something that couldn't have been for the rest of her natural-born days, and she does like him. Any remaining problems that might not have come up shouldn't be to terribly inconvenient, she figures. Not when humans and trolls are so very different even on a simple social level.

He is totally smitten.

"A gentleman should always treat his lady better than he treats himself. Or else what sort of gentleman would he be?"

And then he looks down at his suddenly very interesting meal. Partially, it's for the effect of looking innocent and partially it's because he's not sure he can keep himself from blushing through the next part.

"That is, if I can call you my lady."

That last takes Nepeta almost completely by surprise, and while he might have hidden his face to hide any blushes, she had no such forethought. Fortunately, the fact that he is hiding his face means that the green tinge that blooms across her own checks is, if not hidden, than not actually something the one person who matters can actually see

Still, it doesn't take too horribly long before she answers - only moments after she's correctly identified the comment for what it is.

"Of course you can."

...She'll have to remember to update her shipping wall, but right now she isn't thinking about that so much.

His heart skips a beat, but more from joy than anxiety now. He's still blushing when he looks up, but it doesn't matter if Nepeta sees it now. She can even make fun of it now, it won't bring him down.

"I swear if there weren't a table between us I would give thee a kiss. The Capitol can do with that what they wish."

Bert is too pleased with himself to be subtle right now. He has all but forgotten about his meal and is just going to drink and be happy for now.

She doesn't make fun of it. If she's already blushing then she doesn't really have a ambulation nub to stand on. Besides, if anything she finds it almost cute.

"Purrhaps afterwards?" she offers with a smile. "There won't be a table between us then."

"I will gladly take thee up on that m'lady." And for once he isn't using that word condescendingly. He eventually finishes up his food and leans back in his chair, satisfied with the meal, even if he hardly tasted his entree.

"Forgive me for the question, but this would be a Red Romance, would it not? I wouldn't want to have to ask Karkat and be lectured again."

It isn't until she's finished her own food that Nepeta answers, and if she can't quite keep the smile off her face, well... who could blame her under the circumstances? It's not every day one manages to fill a quadrant.

"Of course it is. I already have a meowrail, and I don't think you hate me enough fur a black romance."

Cuthbert feels the same way, especially since it's official, which isn't something he gets to say very often. He will be telling everyone about this at his first opportunity.

"And no more trying to three way a relationship. Although..." And now he's going to think about the possibility of a three way. If Nepeta needs him, he'll be over here fantasizing.

She doesn't need him just at the moment. Or rather, she is quite content to leave him to his fantasies. The idea of a three way doesn't mean quite the same thing in troll society as it does in human society, but she figures that whatever he's thinking about is unlikely to hurt anything in the long run.

And in any case, there isn't any reason they need to leave right away, now that they're more or less finished with their food.

The waiter comes by at some point to offer desert and Cuthbert asks for whatever he recommends, although he's still half in day dream.

"I fear you've stolen away what little there is of my mind. I suppose I never let it wander quite so far before. But I trust you not to let me go too far astray until it returns."

He winks at her across the table and nudges her foot with his under the table.

"So tell me about some of the others in your district, I will certainly be meeting them when I stop by to see you."

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Capitol Date [open]

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corny lines incoming

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so sorry I lost this thread!

no worries /o/

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