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is it too late for this...? x_x

[luckyvalentine]

[there is someone else out and compulsively wandering the city, looking perfectly at home. She's even dressed for the part. She just can't get herself to stay cooped up inside while there is this place always temptingly dancing outside the window.

For once, she's not bogged down with shopping bags. All shopped out for now, she's just... walking. Wandering and listening and enjoying being somewhere that isn't the castle]

NEVER.

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[ And he looks pleased when he sees her. It certainly has been awhile, so he can't resist darting across the street, sneaking up beside her, and oh-so-casually slipping an arm around her waist. HELLO THAR. ]

Valentine! What an unexpected surprise. You're not out accosting gentlemen, are you? Be careful, you don't know where these men have been.

LMFAO i choked on my coffee. JOSHUA YOU CREEP

[luckyvalentine]

[she's surprised when an arm slips around her waist, caught in her usual place somewhere between casual and guarded, but that changes pretty abruptly when she glances over to see who it is.

She's expecting a familiar face... just not that familiar face.

Heart leaping into her throat, she really can't catch herself before she's suddenly turning and shoving herself away from him. It's an automatic reaction]

--Joshua!

FAYEFAYE DUN LOOK AT ME LIKE DAT

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[ He almost looks like that reaction might have hurt his feelings, before he smiles again and reaches out to tap her on the nose. ]

That's the greeting I get, after being in prison all this time, and then freezing out in the snow? Maybe I shouldn't give you your Christmas present after all, I'm not sure you deserve it.

[luckyvalentine]

[facing him head-on instead of side-by-side with an arm around her waist helps quite a bit. She's able to take a breath, relax out some of the stressed line of her shoulders.

She also swats at his hand when he taps her on the nose.]

Don't sneak up on me like that!

[she's still working on formulating the rest of her thoughts and opinions on running into him out here. For now, she'll stick to the superficial shock]

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You're too jumpy. You need to relax. You're in Paris. Does that even exist in your time?

[luckyvalentine]

Not in one piece, it doesn't.

[she unnecessarily smooths out invisible wrinkles in her outfit-- almost a nervous gesture.]

What are you doing out here?

[...which, is a really dumb question now that she's thinking about it. Her brain is obviously not entirely caught up to the situation yet]

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That's not what you're really curious about, is it? You want to know why I haven't changed this time.

[luckyvalentine]

[--yep, that would be the thing that's sort of screaming for her attention in the back of her head. she hears it clearly, now.]

...That too.

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It's amazing, isn't it? But things have been different ever since I was captured. Not everything is good, but...this is wonderful. No matter what happens, I don't think my horns can ever be taken again.

I'll never change back. I'm so pleased.

[luckyvalentine]

[she absently rubs at her arm as he goes on to explain]

Yeah, I bet you are.

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You're not? Surely you got tired of how pathetic I was before.

[luckyvalentine]

[is she really going to say-- ...yes.]

I kind of liked that kid. I'm gonna miss him.

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[ Aaaand...it doesn't anger him. He just smirks. ]

Because you thought you could push me around then.

[luckyvalentine]

I... what?

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Because I was weak. All I did was apologize, and you could take advantage of that if you wanted.