1124/Valentine's 'Confession'

Valentine's 'Confession'
Date of Scene:	14 February 2024
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Rashmi enacts her Master Plan to Stop Chrono's Locker From Overflowing With Love Notes! ...Giving him chocolate, a stuffy, a 'love confession,' and smoochies at the beginning of Valentine's Day, in front of most of the school! Chrono counters with Midchildan Smoothness, and the gossip mill spins into high gear!
Cast of Characters:	Rashmi Terios, Chrono Harlaown

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Rashmi Terios has posed:
Today's the day!

While Chrono's best efforts have *curtailed* the amount of love notes in his locker, they haven't halted them completely... Which surprised Rashmi not one bit. Rumors of their dating have been part of the school's circulation since, well, the school gossips saw them around town... But rumors can be false, and sometimes, hope burns brightest in defiance of reality.

Which was why Rashmi had a plan.

The school day's about to start, and already chocolate is being offered to boys -- and the occasional girl -- all over the locker area. Some givers are confident, some are not... and some are flubbing the entire exercise like *whoa.*

But, it's Valentine's Day, and there's no more public a moment for a teenager's expression of adoration than here, before classes begin.

For herself, Rashmi bops through the entrance hall of the Academy with a bright smile, and a suspiciously rectangular box under one arm.

Ready to crush the hopes and dreams of middle-schoolers beyond number.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown had, well... quite a few surprises. This was a world of super models. The kind of world that there were fantasy books made of (trust me, he knew. Some of them had likely gotten to Setsuna and Rashmi from his recent deliveries and sharing of information with them).

And yet, for some reason, others were crushing on *him*. Why *him?!*

He'd fended off a few this morning... with the kind of gentle, soft touch one would expect of a TSAB officer. As a matter of fact.

"I understand, however I am unable to return your feelings. Please, understand, that your heart is a precious thing that should go to one who can appreciate it fully. Sadly, I am not that person."

And he'd, gingerly, nudge the chocolate away. Whew. He sat down with a sigh. This was... new. To him. He was used to being the 'adorable, cute cadet' when he was last in school. Being the 'romanticable' boy? That was new. Deeeefinitely new. And he gazed out the window...

With the same look he often had. A look of one who had seen stars explode, watched world's fade, history rewrite itself...

And yet, longed for one thing. The family he knew was out there... Somewhere... waiting for him to save them.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
If one were to look at it from the outside, it only makes sense that Chrono's such a heartbreaker. Part of it is even his stature, since most of the girls *trying* to give him chocolates, are girls two and three years younger than him. To them, he's not only kind and mature, cool and mysterious, but more accessible because *he's their size,* and thus it's easy to believe these kids wouldn't look like *babies* next to him.

"Chrono?" comes Rashmi's voice to cut through the Enforcer's musings.

Her hands are behind her back, and she stands about a step to the side of 'directly in front of him,' that gentle smile on her face. The one she wears when she knows the direction his thoughts are going, but doesn't want to jar him away. Because he knows, better than most now, when to surface on his own.

And she will always be there when he does.

"Got a minute before class starts?"

Ah, yes. Rashmi had a plan.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown glanced up after a heartbeat or two. That smile was on his lips. And she'd know it. His smiles were... subtle. He always smile. He kept a smile at all times, no matter how he felt. So she'd know that work smile.

And she'd see the moment it shifted slightly into a genuine, true smile. The one he got whenever he saw her. He slid out of his chain, moving to look up at her and... "Of course, Rashmi, I always have time for you." His number one assistant Enforcer.

And he did look up at her. And she... truly was dazzling. How she couldn't see it he'd never understand. Perhaps it was this world. But even the way her glasses framed her face made his heart warm, just a hint. Peaceful. Calm. Radiating the warmth of her family's shop in her smile alone.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
That statement alone was enough to get at least a couple of the middle-school girls whispering to each other. Were the rumors true after all?!

Upon seeing Chrono's *true* smile emerge from the shade, Rashmi grins, rocking back and forth on her heels and just *radiating* warm cheer. "So-o-o... I'm pretty sure you've gotten this a lot today, but..."

Her hands come out from behind her back, presenting *her* gift of Valentine chocolate. Box out, then lid opened for a better view.

Clearly store-bought, but not the familiar boxes of bonbons that some have tried to present him; these have been formed into miniature jam-filled tarts, with no two of the half-dozen being the same. Hearts of alternating dark and white chocolate rest atop the tarts, and the whispering builds a bit in the background.

"I just... wanted to say thank you, Chrono," she says, blithely ignoring the murmurs... even if her cheeks color a bit, at the pressure of being Seen like this. "Ever since we got together, you've been the best thing that ever happened to me. And I want you to know how much I appreciate that. Appreciate *you.*"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown would have been a bit.... nervous, himself. Would have. If there was any possibility that there existed something, anything, in the world aside from her to him in that moment. If there had been any possibility that the angel in front of him didn't hold both his heart and his attention fully in her palms.

He slowly, gingerly, took the chocolates in both hands. She truly was magnificent.

"I truly feel fortunate for the day I... fell into your life," Chrono said with a slightly playful smile. "There is noone else on this planet I would rather have as my partner."

Oh, that certainly got quite a FEW whispers. And gasps. "When we're together, I feel there's nothing we couldn't face."

<< Am... I supposed to open and eat one now? Or do we share these later? >> Of course he was going to share them with her! She was his girlfriend!

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Probably not a good idea to have one now and have chocolate all over your fingers, >> Rashmi answers, even her mental voice tinged with laughter. << But you don't *have* to share if you don't want to, those're for you first. >>

As much as she tries to hide it, there's no denying that the use of the word 'partner' has her head swimming, just a bit. Curse you, words that have multiple meanings!

Rallying, she dips a hand into her bookbag, coming out with a miniature hedgehog stuffy -- *very8 different from all the ones in the shop from yesterday, she must have put that donated energy to use in a mad scramble hrough the shops -- about the size of the young animal that fell asleep so adorably in Chrono's hand at the cafe, and leans down to carefully close the lid on the chocolates, setting the stuffy on top of the box. "Nothing at all," she says in agreement...

Then dares a quick *chu* of a kiss on the boy's nose.

And if *that* doesn't set the gathering crowd into motion, nothing will.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
<< Why wouldn't I want to share them with you? You're my partner, >> Chrono would say without hesitency. And she was. In so many ways.

However, coming out with the stuffy... made him chuckle. "Oh! Like the one from our double-date!" he said.

And then the kiss. Ohhhh. His cheeks went red too and she saw that smile waver slightly. As he... got embarrassed. Not in a bad way, just in that kind of goofy smile way he sometimes got. Flushing a little bit as people just... erupted behind him, the gossip, the whispers, the voyeurs of school drama unleashing the floodgates and soon everyone in SCHOOL would likely know.

Of course, because nothing is sacred... << You'll share some with me too, right? >> Fenyx's voice could be heard in their head. And a very particular bird could be seen flying by the window then...

<< Of course, Fenyx, >> Chrono offered, a hand nervously, slightly shyly, reaching up to scritch his chin. "See you after class?" he asked.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Definitely," Rashmi says with a wide, wide grin. After all, it never fails to give her the fuzzies, seeing his composure waver in the face of just herself being herself. It makes her happy, to see *him* this happy.

<< I made sure there was a cherry one just for you, Fenyx, >> Rashmi thinks, capturing that rising hand in both of hers for a moment, chuckling. "And if you want, we can have dinner somewhere?"

Chocolate, kisses, *and* Valentine's date planning? So much grist for the gossip mill...

But, that seems to be enough of her publically embarrassing Chrono, even if just a little, as she rises back to her full height, and simply beams at her publically-announced boyfriend.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a happy, genuine chuckle, turning to put the gifts on the desk. He then reached forward to take both of her hands. "Nothing would make me happier than taking you out to dinner this evening." And then he lifted the hands up, pushing a soft, delicate kiss on the back of both of them at once.

<< And that's how we do it on Midchilda. >>

She should be thankful he wasn't belkan, he'd have had to punch her.

Then he'd let her hands go to retrun to his seat. This... this was a good day.