Yes, I find him attractive! [That's also a non-issue. The Mighty Nein are shaggable, and he doesn't care if they're aware. Unless someone is gonna do something about it, he doesn't see it as important.] But I find lots of people attractive! It doesn't mean I think it's a good idea to date them. And I have literally never had a problem with his... dirt and whatever. That's not a problem. The problem is that it's been hard enough getting him to trust and tolerate me, and I feel casual flirting might set us back a bit.
[Because look at him, Nott. He has no charisma mod, but he's loud and ostentatious and off-putting. He is not the ringer when you need someone to charm a person unless he's literally using Charm Person.]
It was part of that bloody wine-sharing tradition that you clearly skipped out on. I was the lesser of two evils.
[Molly drags his hands down his face.] Have you talked to him about this? Not specifically about that, just... in general. I feel like this is something he should weigh in on.
[Nott's face... definitely changes at the mention of the wine sharing. It looks more contemplative than anything. She doesn't make any move to address her part in his retelling of events; yes, she was avoiding the hell out of that, but they don't need to get into that right now.]
The... wine-sharing. I should've watched him more closely.
[She picks at the bandages on her fingers.]
Not about the... blind dates. Or him dating at all. I asked him if he found anyone he liked, and he just sort of... dodged the question. But this isn't even really about dating, it's more about meeting people!
Caleb's a bit dodgy, to be fair. [Well, at least she's off the dating topic, at least.] And you've finally said something I can actually get behind. A healthy social life'll be good for the boy. He needs to get out of his shell a bit. I do my best, but I'm only one person.
[Nott mistakenly takes this as an indication that he approves of her plan. Someone stop her.]
And if it's already proven he's willing to engage with these things if it's someone he's familiar with, then you should be the first blind date! Obviously.
If the idea is just to get him to meet new people, then maybe you shouldn't call it a "date." That's just gonna make him anxious. And if the idea is to get him to meet new people, having me be the first is a little counterproductive.
[He sucks in a breath. Okay. Compromise.] How about this. To make him more comfortable with the idea of socializing, I will bring him out with another person on a friendly jaunt. That way if he doesn't get along with them or if he gets all... Caleb about it, I'll be there as a buffer. Is that workable?
[Nott contemplates the new plan for a moment, but then visibly brightens. She actually likes this plan.]
Okay. Okay, that could work!
[And this way she won't even have to watch from the shadows! She could get the whole play-by-play from Molly.]
Uh... So, the thing is, I had this great idea, of course, but I... kind of didn't have any ideas for who to set him up with. Probably someone really friendly, right? For the first one?
[So Juno's out for now. The lady's a lot of things but one thing he's not is friendly.]
[And Ren is practically Molly's shadow. He doesn't mind inflicting that much chaos on Juno, but he's a little more protective of Caleb... If only because he feels he's the only one who has earned the right to pick at him in that specific way.
...But he's not the only one who does pick at him and gets away with it.] I have an idea. Do we know anyone who is even a little bit like Jester? We know he enjoys her company despite her being his exact opposite.
[Nott pauses to think through all the people she's met. Many of them have gone back to sleep, but the only one that comes to mind as someone similar to Jester is...]
...Yohane? I think she told me she hasn't met him yet. She's sort of... Jester-ish.
And I have told her she ought to talk to him. They could discuss... magic things. And the girl could use someone to... gently correct some of those assumptions she has about things.
[Caleb is Zemnian. Nothing about Zemnians is gentle. But Caleb's also too fucking awkward to be actively mean to a cheerful kid. And does it occur to Molly that it might be weird for two adults to hang out with a teenage girl?
Yes! She's trying to learn magic, anyway. This would be good for both of them!
[Nott probably has the most sense about it being weird between the two of them, but... she was a few steps off of forcing Caleb on a blind date with a stranger, she can't afford to be choosy.]
He is. I didn't know sulking was a talent, but he's really mastered it. [He gives her a pat on the back.] Don't worry. If anyone asks, it was my idea. I've already done this to Juno. Might as well make it a thing.
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[Because look at him, Nott. He has no charisma mod, but he's loud and ostentatious and off-putting. He is not the ringer when you need someone to charm a person unless he's literally using Charm Person.]
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[Grumble grumble. Speaking of, guess who's still holding a grudge over that exact charm spell.]
Anyway, that's not important because it doesn't make sense. You said he kissed you! How could it set you back if both of you like each other already??
[Spoken like someone who simultaneously understands Caleb the most and also has no fucking clue what her boy needs.]
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[Molly drags his hands down his face.] Have you talked to him about this? Not specifically about that, just... in general. I feel like this is something he should weigh in on.
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The... wine-sharing. I should've watched him more closely.
[She picks at the bandages on her fingers.]
Not about the... blind dates. Or him dating at all. I asked him if he found anyone he liked, and he just sort of... dodged the question. But this isn't even really about dating, it's more about meeting people!
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[Nott mistakenly takes this as an indication that he approves of her plan. Someone stop her.]
And if it's already proven he's willing to engage with these things if it's someone he's familiar with, then you should be the first blind date! Obviously.
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If the idea is just to get him to meet new people, then maybe you shouldn't call it a "date." That's just gonna make him anxious. And if the idea is to get him to meet new people, having me be the first is a little counterproductive.
[He sucks in a breath. Okay. Compromise.] How about this. To make him more comfortable with the idea of socializing, I will bring him out with another person on a friendly jaunt. That way if he doesn't get along with them or if he gets all... Caleb about it, I'll be there as a buffer. Is that workable?
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Okay. Okay, that could work!
[And this way she won't even have to watch from the shadows! She could get the whole play-by-play from Molly.]
Uh... So, the thing is, I had this great idea, of course, but I... kind of didn't have any ideas for who to set him up with. Probably someone really friendly, right? For the first one?
[So Juno's out for now. The lady's a lot of things but one thing he's not is friendly.]
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...But he's not the only one who does pick at him and gets away with it.] I have an idea. Do we know anyone who is even a little bit like Jester? We know he enjoys her company despite her being his exact opposite.
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...Yohane? I think she told me she hasn't met him yet. She's sort of... Jester-ish.
[At least in terms of her high energy, yeah.]
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[Caleb is Zemnian. Nothing about Zemnians is gentle. But Caleb's also too fucking awkward to be actively mean to a cheerful kid. And does it occur to Molly that it might be weird for two adults to hang out with a teenage girl?
Nah.]
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[Nott probably has the most sense about it being weird between the two of them, but... she was a few steps off of forcing Caleb on a blind date with a stranger, she can't afford to be choosy.]
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But you'll have to tell me how it goes, then... And you should tell Yohane, so she doesn't know that it's my idea.
[Yohane has about as much subtlety as Nott does.]
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Good. ...Thank you, Mollymauk.
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[He doesn't think for a second it'll work quite like that, not with how things are here, but gods can't he pretend?]