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+---- Thread: picnicking you (/showthread.php?tid=12620)
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
At his wagging finger and teasing threat, Soh laughed, tossing her head back. The sun glinted in her golden hair, catching the light. [say]”I look forward to it,”[/say] she said honestly, gazing affectionately towards Zavien.
Her favorite sandwich was, admittedly, a little random and a bit of an unknown for most people. [say]”A monte cristo,”[/say] she repeated, a wry grin on her lips. [say]”I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of it - I’ve only ever been able to get it at a few places. It’s not super common.”[/say] After explaining what it was, she grimaced. [say]”It sounds like a lot, but I promise it’s very good.”[/say] It was a shame she’d never tried to make it, or she’d offer to let him try it. As it was, she was going to have to find a good deli in Torchline or King’s End to bring him to instead.
As for his favorite, Soh considered his hint, tapping a finger on her lips in thought. [say]”Fries…”[/say] she mused, then lit up. [say]”Is it a burger?”[/say] she asked, grey eyes gleaming in the sunlight. Maybe that was too easy - but it had been the first thing to come to mind, and it felt like it might be the right answer.
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
What she described sounded less and less like a sandwich the more she talked, but Zavien assumed it must be pretty good based on how her face lit up. He laughed, face bright as he watched her without judgement or even a bit of surprise. [say]"I'll have to try it sometime."[/say] Wherever they could find one.
If Soh hadn't guessed correctly, Zavien might have been concerned, but luckily, she nailed it and he was able to offer a beaming smile of praise. [say]"It is!"[/say] He raised a serious finger to clarify what sounded like an extremely simply choice. [say]"Specifically a cheeseburger and bacon - you can't forget the cheese or bacon."[/say] Just beef on a bun wasn't enough.
He rotated to find where he'd left his coffee, stretching to grab it and take a deep drink before setting it closer within reach. Then his eyes looked to Soh again, determined to do better this round. [say]"Do I get another hint for dinner?"[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
[say]”When you come to Torchline, we can get you one,”[/say] Soh said warmly. [say]”I’d offer to make you one, but I’m afraid it’s a little beyond my skill level as a cook.”[/say] They made quite the pair, where cooking was concerned. Maybe Soh should take some lessons. She wondered if Zavien would want to do something like that together.
Then it was her turn to guess, and she lit up when she got it right. At his clarification, she nodded sagely. [say]”Seriously, who eats burgers without cheese or bacon?”[/say] just plain beef on a bun? No, thank you.
As for dinner, Soh had to stop and think for a moment. What was her favorite dinner item? Turning her face into the sun, she tilted her head back as she thought. Then, brightening, she said, [say]”Okay, I’ve got it. Your hint is: the cut matters.”[/say] Eyes sparkling, she took a bite of her scone and waited.
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
Smiling, Zavien nodded his head, unconcerned about the lack of cooking skills between the two of them and more interested in the prospective Torchline trip. [say]"Sounds like another date opportunity to me."[/say] It felt strange to say, to assume that there would be plenty more dates to come. It was something he wanted - something he'd agreed to - but a concept he was still wrapping his head around.
The rhetorical question was one he was happy to answer, grinning as he claimed, [say]"They're called 'psychopaths.'"[/say] Ones who hated life and all the goodness it had to offer. It was a relief to find that Soh wasn't one of them.
What little sunlight filtered through the clouds splashed across her hair when she tilted her head up, cheeks aglow with more than the light brushing them. He watched, momentarily distracted before she gave her hint. It seemed simple enough, his own features turning bright at the implication. [say]"OH. A steak?"[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
If it was strange to say, it was strange to hear, and Soh blushed pink with pleasure at the prospect of more dates. It was odd, really, to have done things in a way that felt so backwards, but Soh found she didn’t mind. Whatever had happened the day before, she was glad that it had happened the way it did - even if she wished that Zavien wasn’t so torn about how his impulsiveness would impact others.
Zavien got her favorite dinner without much prompting, and Soh grinned. [say]”Right! Care to guess my favorite cut?”[/say]
This was a fun game; Soh had almost forgotten about their picnic in her eagerness to share more about herself and learn more about Zavien in return. Reaching for her iced coffee, she was mildly disappointed to find that it was mostly watered down now; instead she grabbed the apple juice and poured some into a glass as she waited for her own hint.
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
When she confirmed that it was, in fact, steak, Zavien laughed bright and full. Soh wouldn't understand yet, but he was starting to get suspicious about all their similarities and shared favorites. Scones had been one thing, but to have both their favorite dinners be steak. The coincidence felt like some sort of sign that he'd been too dumb to read until now.
Keeping the secret to himself for now, he squinted in her direction to puzzle through what cut Soh might like. [say]"Filet?"[/say] he guessed. It was the softest and juiciest of the portions, something he figured she might appreciate.
Whether he got it right or not, Zavien grinned, raising a teasing brow as he leaned towards her like he had a secret to share. [say]"Want to guess mine?"[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
Soh wasn’t entirely sure what was so funny about her liking steak, but a smile broke out across her face regardless. She liked to hear Zavien laugh. Most of their time together thus far had been spent worrying about Stormbreak, and it had taken her until now to realize that she wasn’t entirely sure she’d heard him laugh in this bright, full, carefree way up until yesterday. Her face softened as she watched him, determined to bring this side of him out more often.
He got her favorite cut right, to which she nodded, still very much in her feelings about his laughter. [say]”So good,”[/say] she said, as though that was that, in a tone that brokered no argument.
Zavien leaned towards her, eyes glinting with some joke that she wasn’t sure she was in on. Pursing her lips, Soh studied his face, a though it might give her a hint. Then, it dawned on her. A slow smile spread across her face, lighting her eyes. [say]”Steak?”[/say] she guessed. [say]”But specifically, I’m going to guess… ribeye.”[/say] With its rich, buttery flavor, it seemed like a good guess.
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
The realization that spread across her face was better than any sunrise. The dawn broke with such beautiful, blinding clarity that he couldn't help the full-face smile that formed. Honestly, he could kiss her right now.
Instead, he nodded his head. [say]"Steak,"[/say] he confirmed. The best, heartiest, tastiest meal a person could eat. It was no surprise that they'd both picked it, and when she correctly guessed his favorite cut, Zavien leaned back and lifted his coffee, a smirk on his lips. [say]"I think you're on a roll. Want to see if you can make it three in a row?"[/say]
The coffee was cold - and the caffeine seemed pointless when he was already completely awake and in the moment - but he let the flavor mix with the taste of sweet lemon blueberry on his tongue. Then he nodded, indicating for Soh to give her next hint as he smiled. [say]"Dessert."[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
That she had gotten it right - and correctly guessed his favorite cut - had her cheering, throwing her hands up and laughing with delight. She shifted where she sat, shuffling so that she could watch him even more closely, if such a thing were possible. [say]”Bring it on!”[/say] she crowed, good-spirited determination clear on her face.
But it wasn’t her turn to guess yet, so instead, she sipped at her apple juice as she thought. [say]”Hmm…”[/say]. There were so many good options for dessert - ice cream, pastries, cakes, pies… [say]”Ooo, okay. Let’s see… it goes well with vanilla ice cream.”[/say] She lifted her drink once more to her lips, peering at Zavien over the top. Would he be able to guess this one, too?
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
Her excitement was infectious. She was already acting like she'd won the whole thing - although they'd somehow become very invested in a game with no prizes beyond the satisfaction of knowing one another. He obviously didn't mind based on the grin her wore, his eyes alight with pure enjoyment when she pinned him with her determined gaze.
But it was his turn first, and Zavien pursed his lips at the hint he'd received. [say]"Oooh. So many things go good with ice cream."[/say] It didn't really seem fair when pretty much everything was better with ice cream, but he wasn't about to complain. He angled his head and narrowed his eyes as he ventured a guess, [say]"Is it a warm brownie?"[/say]
He had to take a bite of his scone when talk of sweets had his hunger rising. While a few crumbs tumbled down onto his shirt, Zavien offered forth his own hint: [say]"Mine is a type of cookie."[/say] He smiled, hoping he'd given her a narrow enough window for the win.
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
It was less about the destination and more about the journey for Soh, despite how she was acting; she'd never gotten to know someone in quite this manner before, and she was enjoying herself thoroughly. How could she not be, given the company?
[say]"Oh my gods, I didn't even think about brownies!"[/say] Soh laughed. [say]"Is it too late to change my answer?"[/say] Because warm brownies were delicious, and made even more so with vanilla ice cream. Suddenly her hint, which had seemed reasonable at the time, didn't seem to narrow things down for Zavien at all. [say]"Okay, that was a bad hint, so here's another: nutmeg is a key ingredient."[/say]
As for his dessert choice, Soh groaned good-naturedly. [say]"Zav, there are only about a million different kinds of cookie,"[/say] she complained playfully. Pursing her lips in thought, she shrugged. [say]"But I'm getting chocolate chip cookie vibes. Just don't ask me why."[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
Grinning to see her so thoroughly entertained by his guess, Zavien shook his head, quietly wondering again how he'd been so lucky to wind up here. [say]"If it means I'm right, you can definitely change your answer."[/say]
Her second hint only made things worse, and Zavien threw back his head to bark his laughter at the sky, already claiming his loss. [say]"'Nutmeg'? You think I know what has nutmeg in it?"[/say] He didn't even know what nutmeg was, let alone what foods would contain it. Shrugging his shoulders, he huffed another playfully defeated laugh. [say]"I don't know. A pie of some kind?"[/say] It was a random guess and he knew it, but he hadn't the faintest idea what else went with ice cream and might have 'nutmeg' in it.
Grinning at her answer and their shared misery, he added, [say]"Looks like we're both striking out this round."[/say] His eyebrow raised, certain that if he gave another hint it would give away the answer. There was a teasing glint in his eyes as he leaned forward to ask, [say]"Want to guess again? Or should I just tell you?"[/say]
RE: picnicking you - Sohalia - 03-14-2026
Her second hint was, in retrospect, perhaps not the brightest given their shared failure where cooking was concerned, and Soh smiled ruefully as Zavien barked laughter. [say]"Okay, fair enough, but it's one of the few things I can bake reasonably well,"[/say] she explained. [say]"And yes, it's a pie. An apple pie, to be precise."[/say] She paused. [say]"But, to be fair, I would absolutely take a warm brownie with ice cream any day, so..."[/say] She was happy to concede the point, if he was willing to take it.
As for her own failure, she wrinkled her nose playfully in his direction. [say]"Noooo, and I was doing so well!"[/say] she cried, laughing. Leaning forward, as though she might see the answer written in Zavien's eyes, she sighed dramatically. [say]"Okay, okay... hmm. Sugar cookies? Snickerdoodles?"[/say] Sugar cookies were her favorite cookies, but it seemed unlikely they were going to match up quite that well; and snickerdoodles were a bit of a risky guess, but she hoped she might get lucky.
RE: picnicking you - Zavien - 03-14-2026
In a game of made-up points and made-up prizes, Zavien didn't mind the extra loss, enjoying the conversation far more. But he hummed and nodded his approval of the dessert. It would have been his second choice. He might have even guessed it if he hadn't been so thrown off; so he gave her a very clear and very flirty smile when he said, [say]"To make up for the bad hints, I'll have to try this apple pie of yours. Nutmeg and all."[/say]
His eyes darted over her face as she searched him like the answer might be written there, wondering if she'd check his pockets next. And when she ultimately answered wrong again, Zavien gave her a smug smile, popping the P as he said, [say]"Nope."[/say] Dropping his voice, he gave another teasing tilt of his head. Victory gleamed in his eyes, having decided that he'd won regardless of how things worked out. [say]"Give up?'[/say] She could otherwise keep guessing until she found the right cookie.