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For once, it seemed like his training routine had made some major breakthroughs. Ever since he pulled out the heavily weighted clothing from the SDF Reserves he felt his power rocketing in comparison, and now it felt like his power was eerily close to what it was before he asked for them even with the wights slowing him down. That alone showed how much he had progressed, it was incredible and was part of the first step towards becoming the next leader of the SDF. With power, of course, brought position within the SDF as well. He didn't get any fancy promotion or anything of the like... but he was recognized for his outstanding growth and was given the choice of making his own missions now. That didn't mean he would stop his regularly scheduled patrolling, but now he could actually set out to do what he told Demalia in the first place, it wouldn't be a struggle to go out and see her planet like it would have been before.
But none of that was the focus of his day, he told the girl that he would take her out to his favorite food place, and he had yet to make good on his word. It was such a nice idea, and he just had to go through with it. Of course, that meant spending more time with the only person who had gotten through to him in so long, which wasn't a bad thing, but rather made the boy curious if such an interaction would truly just be them eating and sitting there together. Regardless of what happened, the Peacekeeper was certainly looking forward to it and was even wearing a more casual outfit. Albeit they were more war fatigues than they were casual clothes but it wasn't the usual armor that he wore around all over the place.
Nonetheless, the Saiyan would make his way to a little family-owned shop in a smaller village on Planet Sadal, out in some wooded area with homes that looked more like small huts rather than homes lining streets in a city. It was a much more relaxing change of scenery, perhaps something weird given their original run-ins within cities and gravity chambers. But despite any of that, this is where he took the two of them, and honestly, maybe that was a good thing. He would walk into the little food shop, the place itself being pretty spacious without looking professional or anything. The boy would turn and look to his company should they be following him inside. "Sorry if this kind of place isn't your cup of tea, I'm just more of a fan of Mom-And-Pop places like this. There's just a unique flavor to everything." he would smile as he spoke, before breaking contact to move to a little table elsewhere in the little food place. It was all so quiet and very few people were there, but the Saiyan didn't seem to mind the relaxing and atmospheric tone of a forest restaurant like this.
He would sit down on one side of the table, looking up at the girl and waiting for her to sit as well. She could sit down next to him in the room that was left, as the table was meant for four, but there was also space for two across from him as well which would give them each a side to themselves. He would be lying if he didn't say that he wouldn't like her to sit next to him but at the same time he wouldn't complain if she sat across either. Regardless of her choice, he would call over one of the few workers who wandered around in this place tidying up. "I'd just like something soft, please. Perhaps some soup with lots of meat in it to start off! And just a start it'll be, Saiyan stomachs, right?" he'd wink at the waiter who would just nod before looking at Demalia. "You can ask for whatever you like here, these aren't professional chefs but the Owner is a pretty aged man who likes to cook anythin, and he usually has the supplies for whatever ya fancy as well. So don't be afraid to ask for whatever is on your mind." he would smile at the girl and wait for her response to either him or the waiter. He wanted this to be a nice, relaxing time... they could get their food and then relax to talk about things a little. [Rutaba: 26,273 PL] [HW: 6,568 PL]
"I really like your outfit Rutaba. It looks much more comfortable then your armor too."
Demalia wished she had something just a bit nicer to wear on her. She didn’t want anything too fancy mind you, but she still felt underdressed in Rutaba's presence. Even his casual clothing was a little bit formal looking.
Still, that wouldn't stop her from enjoying their time together. Rutaba had invited her to come to a restaurant with him, and she had accepted. Did that technically make it a date? No, they were just friends, right?
And yet, some of her interactions with him in the gravity chamber were a bit unusual. Comforting one another was only natural, but there seemed to have been something else just beneath the surface. He had all but admitted that he enjoyed hugging her. And there were other interactions that was a bit unusual. Was this trip to the restaurant more than Rutaba was letting on?
What she found really strange though was that she realized that she wouldn't mind it if this was a pretense to get closer to her. Despite knowing him for only a short time, Demalia had become very fond of the Saiyan. He was kind, polite, and was helping her with her training despite the hard work he had to put in as a member of the defense force.
He also understood the pain of her loss. He had gone through a similar tragedy to her. They really had come to an understanding of each other in just that one training session. He also didn't care that she was part demon. Demalia didn't know where things would go. But what she did know was that she wanted to get to know the Saiyan more.
Which probably explained the spring in her step as she accompanied Rutaba to the restaurant. It turned out to be a very small establishment. Although Demalia seemed to be impressed with what she saw.
“I love these kind of places if the food is good. Smaller restaurants are always a gamble. You either come across something mediocre or bad, or you find a gemstone hidden among the more popular establishments. I trust that you have good taste, so I’m not worried about it one bit. Besides, I love the atmosphere. It really feels like we're alone in the forest together.”
That thought brought a small tinge of pink to Demalia’s cheeks. With how little people were in the restaurant, it almost felt like it was just the two of them together. That was a very nice thought, being in their own little world.
The table they picked was meant for four. So Demalia had plenty of choices as to where to sit. If she had come with anyone else she would have sat across from them. She preferred keeping most people at arm's length. But with Rutaba… Demalia sat down in the chair right next to his.
The Tuffle hybrid listened to what Rensu had to say before quickly calling over the waiter. She had made up her mind fairly quickly.
“I’d like a chile verde soup please. I don't want any meat in it.”
After she ordered, she turned her head to look over at the Saiyan. Surprisingly they both ended up getting a soup of some type. Although he seemed to prefer meat in his, while Demalia was a vegetarian.
She didn’t like the idea of eating something that was once a living creature. Although she didn't look down on others if they did. Most species were omnivorous, so it was only natural for some of them to like eating animals.
“I've heard that Saiyans can devour an entire feast with their ravenous appetite. You aren’t planning on indulging yourself by eating everything in the restaurant and sticking me with the bill, are you? I hope you didn't bring me here just because I’m rich.”
Demalia gave the Saiyan a warm smile. She knew very well that he wasn't that kind of person. This was her own off brand of humor. Demalia was usually not one for cracking jokes. When she did, it was fairly subtle. She also knew that Rutaba would react to something that would question his motives.
She had noticed that he got a tad bit flustered every time someone teased him about why he was doing something. Rutaba had gotten rather embarrassed when Rose brought up the amount of girls he interacted with, and again when Demalia brought that up.
She liked seeing him like that. She found it cute that he was self conscious of those kind of things. Besides, she didn't want to seem him in a bad mood. It was hard to be depressed when you were flustered by something.
[WC=790]
Last Edit: Mar 15, 2018 12:57:03 GMT -5 by Demalia
The Saiyan would perk up a bit and smile softly as the Tuffle pointed out his clothes, making him look down at them as he realized this was the first time she would have seen something like this from him. She was right, they were a lot more comfortable, but they certainly held a lot less weight than what else he wore. "Yes, these are much more comfortable. Honestly, what I normally wear is extremely outdated. My commander was a stickler for the old stuff though, I don't need to keep wearing it but it honors what he enjoyed." he would speak a little bit happily about the subject, he knew that the girl was in the know of what happened now, he told her directly. That meant that he didn't really have to be afraid of her either, it was like telling a good friend about someone of the past. There was nothing sad in his tone, or anything in the slightest for that matter as he knew very well this wasn't a sad time or subject, honoring the fallen was just a nice thing in his head.
Everything would continue on like normal, until Demalia would respond to the peacekeeper about the whole idea of the place they were in. It'd both make his face burn a soft red in contrast with his more peach skin, as well as make him beam with a smile once more. "I really hope you like it here, I ate here all the time growing up and I couldn't help but keep coming back even when I grew up." he would slowly look away as he would move on to the next part, however, a smile on his face and doing his best to make sure to convey that he wasn't upset. "And it really does feel that way... I like the thought of it. I'm glad you like the atmosphere. It makes me really happy that I brought you here." he'd tilt his head to the side as he looked back to the girl at the very end, smiling as he was really content with how things were playing out so far.
Once they sat down at the table, the Saiyan's face would light up a bit more as Demalia sat down next to him, shaking his head a little bit as he would nod to the waiter once they were both finished with their orders for the time being, before looking back towards the girl as she would look towards him. Though her next words would make his eyes go wide, his jaw dropping slightly. "M-My plan... found out so quickly... you could have at least waited till I made a clever 'bathroom break' to slip out and run away before calling me out." his head would droop down as he would move his hands up and hold onto the back of his head like he was lamenting this turn of events. Though, he would soon begin to chuckle as he would sit up and smile at the girl once more with a slight blush as he would wave his hands dismissively to such a notion just in case. "B-but of course I wouldn't do such a thing to you. I-I'm the one who brought you on this date... w-well I don't know if that's the right word I-I promised to bring you here s-so m-maybe I should just say I-I brought you here so it's right for me to be a courteous host. W-Wait that doesn't sound entirely right either... uhm... I-I'll stop now." he would get a little lost on track trying to clear everything up in the case that she was being serious. She gave a warm smile to him, but... what if this was that smile a girl gave when you were in big trouble and they were about to destroy you?! His life was on the line... he couldn't joke around entirely.
His blush would begin to fade as he would try to soothe himself, calming down as he would just smirk at the girl and try his best to act natural after all of that. "You uh... definitely heard right about Saiyans though. We use up so much energy constantly that we have to make up for it with a LOT of intake. But with it being so common here, it isn't really that expensive to get such a meal, that's just a regular thing on this planet compared to other places... uh... you'll see." he'd do a fake cough into his fist as he would see the waiter bringing over their two soup dishes now, both of them being quite large compared to something that a normal race would try to get in one bowl of soup. Rutaba would get a bit of an awkward look to his face as he realized he didn't warn the girl about the large portions this little Saiyan village gave out normally. For cities that were more built for everyone... this wouldn't be a problem, but this being a small village that wasn't the case. "You don't have to eat all of that if you don't want... I can definitely take anything you don't finish... s-sorry about the lack of warning." he would say this a bit lowly to the girl to let her personally know he wouldn't judge her if she didn't finish every bit, but for a Saiyan... leaving food behind was a disgrace, he couldn't let such dishonor fall on his shoulders. Or maybe that was just a personal code of his.
The waiter would just smile and wave as he left them to their meals, Rutaba just picking up his spoon as he would stare down into his bowl. "I really hope you like it though, Demalia." he would shoot a glance over to the small Tuffle as he would smile softly, calming down from the previous little bits of conversation now, as he was in his element, food! Despite that, this wasn't exactly something he wanted to speed through, he wasn't starving and wasn't planning on training right away. With that, he would slowly begin to make his way through his soup, taking it a bit slowly as he decided it'd be nice to just relax through this meal next to the one person he felt connected to after the incident. To say the bare minimum... it was nice.
Demalia’s smile faded slightly as Rutaba brought up why he usually worm his other attire more. Yet the Saiyan seemed to be more comfortable with bringing up his past now. Still she felt a bit sad whenever these kind of things were brought up. Hopefully they would move on from that subject matter without her having to drastically shift the conversation in some fashion.
“So you wear that old uniform out of respect for for your fallen commander? He must have been a very important person to you. Did he teach you how to fight?”
For some reason he seemed to blush when she talked about the place they were at. Why would he be embarrassed by admitting that he came her often growing up? Demalia decided to let that go and just enjoy the moment.
“Well it certainly gets an A in atmosphere. I’ll have to see how the food tastes before I can judge this place completely. I’m sure it’s a very good place to eat at though. You ate here growing up and brought me here to eat. You must want to share your fond experiences of this place with me.”
Demalia gave the Saiyan a warm smile. She did not miss how he brightened up once she sat next to him. Was he worried she would sit across from him? Demalia closed her eyes, covering her mouth and giggling as Rutaba dramatized her “accusation”.
“I can’t let you do that Rutaba. I want you as company throughout the entire meal. There's no escape for you this time.”
Demalia’s eyes snapped open, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as he mentioned a word that brought up certain implications that started with their time in the gravity chamber. Demalia looked away, reaching up and twirling one of her pigtails with her fingers.
“I know you aren't the sort of person to do that kind of thing. You aren’t after me for my money or anything like that. I really appreciate being taken out to this place and having my meal paid for. It means a lot to me.”
Fortunately things seemed to calm down a little bit once they managed to get their bearings together. Demalia looked over at Rutaba, taking in everything he was saying about his race. She was learning quite a bit from this trip.
“Considering how hard you train and your profession, I imagine you would burn off a substantial amount of calories. So eating as much as possible is almost a necessity for you. It’s resulted in things becoming cheaper in terms of food. You’ve got a very nice system in place.”
Demalia was at first confused when Rutaba told her that he would see this for herself. Her eyes widened as the waiter set two large plates of soup in front of her. This was very shocking for the Tuffle hybrid, consider how different it was on her homeworld.
“Oh my… just one of the bowls could serve an entire Tuffle family for a setting. Most other Tuffles are very short, so they don't have to eat as much to function. I’ll have to save one for sure. Getting through just one will be challenging. Well, you sure get your money's worth here.”
Demalia blew on it a couple of times to help cool it down. After a few minutes she dipped her spoon into one of the dishes and took a sip. Her whole face brightened up, and she looked down at her soup excitedly.
“This is amazing! It’s the best soup I’ve ever had! Thank you for taking me here Rutaba!”
Demalia was practically beaming at the Saiyan with appreciation. For the moment she let her soup settle a little bit as it was still fairly hot. The Tuffle had a moment of contentment for the first time in awhile. It was all thanks to the Saiyan sitting next to her.
The Saiyan would smile and nod very firmly when the Tuffle asked if his commander taught him how to fight, insted moving on to other things than giving a verbal response as he was sure it wasn't the best subject matter to have applied to their little outing. He'd chuckle a bit to himself and smile more softly as she brought up sharing his experiences, and honestly, that was a good bit of the reason why they came there. He wanted to get back to this place and spend more time here, and sharing it with her was the best way he could think of doing so. It just seemed... right? He wasn't sure exactly what about it made him feel that way, but it made his heart beat a bit more quickly and made him feel even more warmly about it all.
He would chuckle a bit more as she told him that there was no escape for him, he almost wanted to dramatize it all a bit more but the thing he said instead seemed to put both of them in a bit more of an awkward situation. The Saiyan wasn't used to these kinds of situation, being so flustered about someone like this, he had limited knowledge on such things. He knew that he could fairly enjoy them, however, he just hoped that he didn't bother the girl with them. He'd just wait for it all to smooth over and for their next bit of conversation to kick in. Bringing a slight smile back to his face, not that he was down before.
"Yeah that is pretty much it, we Saiyan's also just love food in general. I'd say eating is our most natural state outside of natural battle instinct. Though with the right mindset, a plate of food is just another fight you need to win." he would make a very eloquant gesture as if his words were philosophical or something and meant a lot, perhaps he was a battle genius when it came to mouth versus food combat. But of course, it was meant more for comedy's sake as he knew it sounded a little silly at face value and was even more silly to even himself. But regardless of that, he'd close his eyes and smile at the girl as if he was proud of being able to say such a thing casually to her. He felt... comfortable, like this. He didn't want to think anything to exagerrating or complex, he was comfortable... he felt like he was at home with her.
The Saiyan would let out a more of a laugh once the girl commented on the portion size she was given. It was extremely funny, to be honest. A smaller race who was more bound to science labs getting portions fit for a larger, more battle hardened race who needed to eat due to their massive energy output. Though he didn't laugh at this in ill taste, and rather he thought of it in a more light hearted manner of watching someone who knows what it was like on the inside seeing someone else trying to get used to it. "Like I said, you don't have to get allll the way through one if you don't want. Just tell me if you can't handle the rest and we can make sure it gets settled, maybe we can go for a walk or something to work it off, I love the scenery around here." he would just pause from continuing to consume his soup to watch her take her own in, his eyes widening a bit to see her excited reaction, blushing softly as he would wave his hands in a bit of disbelief but also joy.
"N-No no, thank you for accompanying me. I'm really glad to have brought you here. I-I'm really glad you like it so much though." he would smile even more happily as he realized how much more happy she looked than other times. He hoped he'd be able to see this side of her even more often, he wanted to see it all of the time in fact, but for other reasons than just food. The Saiyan would slowly move his gaze down to his own soup, a smile spread across his face as he just took in the relaxing tone of it all. It was just so... cheerful. No training, no stress, no work, no armor burden. He couldn't ask for a more casual and cheerful mood for this to all be in.
"This is bliss..." he'd speak softly, more speaking his own thoughts without too much to think about as his body would relax as much as it could into this all. Perhaps it would look a little absurd for him to be so perfectly happy over so little, but with how much life found ways to make it originally seem like he'd spend life the same way alone forever, even just knowing he could confide in another like this in this way, made his heart feel so warm. Part of him hoped that he would be able to provide the same joy for Demalia, be it now or in the future, he just wanted to give her that much in return.
Without much thought, the Saiyan would let out a very soft, peaceful sigh as he would go back to sipping from his own soup. Not going fast still as he just wanted to take it slowly, enjoying every moment he could sitting next to the Tuffle for the time being as he knew they wouldn't be able to spend every moment together like this. But every moment he could he would cherish.
He would allow a bit of time to pass, letting her get through a bit more of her own soup after letting it cool off so that he didn't just entirely interupt her eating experience there. He was still really surprised by how highly she regarded the soup in all honesty, as he wasn't used to people reacting in such a way when they went out to eat with him. Were Saiyan dishes really that good? He wondered if he'd be able to make something for her to make her smile like that. He'd chuckle a little bit to himself, not commenting on it out loud further before just smiling over at Demalia. "I really should thank you for coming out with me today. I know it hasn't been too long yet, but it really has been a treat. It's really made my day." he would look away after pausing for a second to just stare at her with a content smile, resting his head on his palm as he would think a bit more. "I don't know what it is, but being able to spend this sort of time with you is really special to me, I would have came here either way but I don't think it would have been this enjoyable if you weren't sitting right here with me." he'd pause for a bit after speaking, letting his words sink in for a moment before looking back at the tuffle, smirking softly as he would just contemplate more about what all of this really meant to him, and how it made him feel. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to confront such things with himself yet, but he knew they were happy feelings that he'd allow to come out on their own, nothing more, nothing less. If his Saiyan mind had to put it into a combat sense, this battle would be won with attrition, not raw strength.
Demalia returned the Saiyans smile. Right now she was feeling comfortable around him. She was have an awkward time like she did in part while they were in the gravity chamber. Granted some parts of the awkwardness felt… nice, for lack of a better term. Still, it was nice being here, learning about the Saiyan culture from her friend.
“I would imagine a battle against food would be a one-sided affair. The food wouldn't stand a chance against your ravenous appetite. I thought Saiyans preferred it when things are challenging.”
Demalia giggled at the over exaggerated gesture he made, cupping her hand over her mouth so that she wouldn’t disturb the other patrons. Rutaba was not what she had expected when it came to Saiyans. He was an eccentric individual who was very forward and outgoing with his behavior.
Demalia was fairly certain he wasn't like the typical Saiyan: like her, he seemed to possess some quirks that separated him from the social norms when it came to his race. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why talking to him felt so natural. Whenever they weren't getting flustered, she felt at ease interacting with the Saiyan. It was like she had known him for years.
Rutaba’s friendly laugh kept a smile on Demalia’s face. Demalia was happy to see him like this. It seemed as though she was having a positive effect on him. He was a very nice guy, so he deserved a bit of happiness. Especially after what he had been through.
“I only had a light breakfast today, so I should be able to make it through one bowl. A walk sounds like a lovely idea. I don't usually go outside for long periods of time, but taking a stroll with you will be nice.”
A twinge of pink began to show in Demalia’s cheeks as Rutaba became noticeably flustered by her complement towards the food. Once again she couldn’t help but feel some kind of strange connection. The way he was acting was not normal, even Demalia knew that. She decided not to being it up at the moment.
“Um… I’m just being honest about how I feel about the food. You don’t have to thank me for doing something that I wanted to do. Eating Saiyan food and learning more about this world with you is how I wanted to spend my afternoon.”
Demalia almost missed it, since it came out so softly, but she heard him comment that this was bliss. What made it so blissful to him? Was it the fact that he was visiting a restaurant that he had grown up with? Was it because he was with her? She decided to pretend that she hadn’t heard that. She was probably looking too deep into things again, as usual.
Things became quiet as their both focused on their food for a time. Demalia was making good progress on her soup despite the large portion that she had received. Rutaba broke the silence by once again thanking her, expressing how much this meant to him. She felt her face heating up again when he smiled at her. He looked really cute when he smiled like that. Demalia was glad that he was doing it often now.
His smile didn't fade, even as he rested his head on his hand. Demalia pressed her fingers together, making an effort to keep eye contact with him. The way he was acting and was constantly thanking her seemed strange. Now there was something that she wanted to confirm. Although she figured it was best if she gradually set things up so she could tackle it properly.
“Um… Rutaba? Is this moment special to you solely because I’m the one here with you? If someone else, like Rose was here instead of me, would things be as blissful for you as they are right now?”
Even one of the questions mean to slowly build things up was bolder than Demalia usually was in a conversation. Still, this was something that she had to know. She felt that they were both beating around the bush about things. She wanted confirm some things on way or the other.
The Saiyan would chuckle a bit softly as he saw the girls reaction to his attempt at comedy, her words making him let out a bit more of a laugh afterward. He was glad that him doing all of this wasn't putting her off or anything, it meant that he could just try to make her happy with words like these. He'd give her a very gentle smile before responding once more. "Well... I guess you could say its training. Someday I'll have a dish so big that finishing it is a challenge on its own. But leaving it there... my pride would be destroyed." he'd finish off that conversation there, feeling that the talk of fighting food wasn't going to have much of a lifespan beyond just these few jokes.
His smile would just grow a bit wider, giving her a firm nod as she said yes to the stroll. He was originally enlisted to help with two of the problems she was facing, but in the end, they were practically getting along as great friends. It was far more than just some job the peacekeeper was on... if it was just that they wouldn't have come out here, and they wouldn't have let out so much to one another in the gravity chamber. Perhaps as a Peacekeeper he shouldn't have let this much into his mission, maybe it was even mortally wrong of him to do so, but he wouldn't regret it one bit. If he was wrong, he was happy to be wrong when it came to his job for once in his life. It helped him to feel more connected to everything, and if he had to say anything about it, it helped bring him closer to his goal as well, as well as form some new ones.
Everything would continue on as normal, the girl was being extremely humble about her honesty. Though maybe that was something they both had in common, as even he tried to turn down her thanks in favor of thanking her. Perhaps he should just accept her kind words and take them to heart rather than trying to say only one of them deserved such thanks. He'd pause for a few moments just contemplating more about it, nodding along and trying to show that he understood what she was telling him. "I'll still thank you, but I think I understand that we're both to thank for this, then." he'd grin a bit more, shaking his head realizing he must have looked a little silly smirking and grinning so often, maybe it'd make them seem less genuine despite how truly happy he was.
Time would pass, and they'd get through quite a bit of their food, all of the events spiraling out of control in a cute way as his face would very slowly spread with a soft pink tint. His smile dropping to a more neutral but still happy look as he just looked up in contemplation. This was all a farce, however, as he knew exactly what the answer was. But he didn't want to be so quick like he had planned to answer such a question! It'd sound weird... wouldn't it? To just blurt it out without any thought? Or would it maybe be rude to have to think about it? His mind would start overthinking things a little as he'd shut his eyes and shake his head, looking at her with a very joyed face.
"I... well. I think if anyone else was here with me it wouldn't be so special. Not just someone else like that, but I don't think there could be a single person aside that could make me smile so much and be so happy to hear from about.. well, anything." he'd very softly stir his soup, letting the contents mix together as the juices would soak with whatever was left over. His smile would look a little bit worried, the Saiyan letting out a nervous chuckle. "I was a little scared to admit that... I thought maybe it'd be weird. I was so happy regardless so I guess I just wanted to tell you up front that it was special, without going further into what made it special. I suppose that let on too much, huh?" the Peacekeeper would let out another little laugh as he would slowly rub the back of his head.
"If I'm being honest, I think you've changed something in me... for the better, anyway. Even though we've known each other for such little time I still think you're my favorite person, and the only one I could be this happy to sit down with. So to be blunt... yeah, it's special because you're the one here with me. If Rose was here like in your example I'd probably be trying to speed through the meal so I could try and fight her like when I first met her. If it was anyone else I'd probably just be trying to finish so we could get back to doing stuff. But with you, I just want to... take my time, enjoy every moment I can. Maybe that's a little odd but, I want to be honest with you about it." he'd give her another soft smile, the look on his face being sort of worried like maybe he had gone too far and ruined it. Perhaps she'd be upset at his thoughts and just try and get it over with while feeling awkward to finish up their time together. Least, that was what was going through his head as a worry. He was definitely overthinking it to a fault, and after a few more seconds he'd just look down towards his bowl, trying his best to relax as he'd let out a bit of a relieved sigh.
It was far too late to take back what he blurted out, so it was down to how she felt towards his words. If she felt negatively in response, she could walk away from him and he'd understand that he had crossed a line. If she felt positive, then she could stay right there. Any option between those or beyond those two was also valid, he just wanted so desperately for the worst not to happen. After a few seconds of staying like that, he'd look back towards the girl with a cheerful face, a smile crossing his lips again as he decided he wouldn't try and hide from it. Saiyans took on the greatest challenges, they didn't hide them. Regardless of what her reaction to all of this was, he had to be strong for it, and develop from it. But even if a Saiyan wouldn't back from a fight like this one, it didn't mean he didn't feel fear.
Demalia tapped her finger under her chin a couple of times before focusing on Rutaba’s smiling face. He really looked nice whenever he was happy. Not that he looked bad to Demalia when he was unhappy, mind you. She spoke to him surprisingly neutrally given the tone of their conversation up to this point.
“So you aim to be able to eat the biggest of dishes someday? Even if you train hard it will be no easy task. For some foods have the mightiest of spices that have slayed the tongues of many who have tried to devour them. In order to triumph, you must push yourself beyond your limits.”
Demalia said with a straight face. She stared at the Saiyan for a few seconds. Her lips wavered for a moment before she leaned forward, a burst of hysterical laughter came from her. Several other patrons sent annoyed looks in her direction. It took her a minute to regain her composure. She didn’t expect for a conversation about fighting food to go in this direction.
Rutaba was smiling and grinning more than anyone else she had ever known in her life. Was she the reason he was this happy? Or was he naturally like this whenever he wasn’t depressed? Either way, she was glad to see him behaving in this manner.
“Well then… I accept your thanks. Although technically speaking since we're both to thank for this it should cancel our thanks out.”
Demalia rubbed the back of her ear, looking down at her lap. She didn’t know how to handle compliments or encouragement from Rutaba very well. Granted Demalia’s nerdy behavior showed itself prominently whenever she was embarrassed. It was rare that she got so flustered that she started making little sense. It was harder for her to communicate whenever she got this way.
Soup, that would help her calm down. She reached down with her spoon, scooping some of the broth up and sipping at it. She continued to each at her soup in silence. She was just getting ahold of herself when Rutaba told her exactly how much her presence meant to him.
She looked up from her soup in surprise, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. His eyes were closed, He looked very peaceful in that moment. He seemed to be completely at ease and relaxed around her in a way that she hadn't seen yet. Like he had been longing for this for his entire life. She folded her hands, her fingertips tapping against the surface of the table.
"Well...I'm glad you feel that way... I think... You do seem to be more happy than I've ever seen anyone else be before, especially after everything you've been through. If I really have that much of an effect on you, then I'll spend as much time as possible with you while I stay on this planet. Maybe you'll forget how to be sad altogether... heh…”
Things definitely got weirder, despite Rutaba not wishing for that to be the case. Well Demalia found the situation to be weird anyway. Going into how special it was without telling her why it was special? It was getting hard for the Tuffle hybrid to deny that there was more going on here then he was letting on.
Demalia blushed profusely the more he talked about how special she was making this for him. Only she had this effect on him. He would only spend this kind of time with her. Not Rose, not some other person, her
Demalia closed her eyes, taking a long, deep breath. What she was about to ask would take all of her courage. She exhaled, pressing both of her palms against the surface. She looked over at the smiling Saiyan, and finally got to the heart of the matter.
“I feel like we’ve been dancing around each other since that day in the gravity chamber. The way you talk about me, how much you enjoy your time with me, how you wish to savor our moments together in a way you wouldn't for anyone else. Rutaba… are you interested in me?”
There was a long pause, which allowed enough time for those words to truly sink in. Demalia couldn’t believe that she went and asked that out loud. Thus was something she had to know though. Gathering her courage, she found the will to speak again.
"I’m not overly familiar in these types of manners, so I could be looking at something that isn't there. But… the way you talk about our time together makes me feel like you view me in a unique way. Is that what it is, Rutaba? I’m sorry for putting you on the spot like this, but I need to know.”
Demalia’s face was red with embarrassment. But she kept her eyes locked with Rutaba’s. Her indigo eyes stared into his own, her gaze never wavering despite the nervousness she felt. She knew that this was a bold thing to ask, but she had to confirm it one way or the other. It would make things less awkward between them if she knew her standing with him. Hopefully this wouldn't backfire on her.
Rutaba would just stare down at the small Tuffle girl, her words just causing him to blink at first as he thought about it at all. However, the moment she brought up the spicy foods that slew peoples tongues and pushing beyond the Saiyan's limits, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit, trying to cover his mouth. His eyes would start to water even more seeing the girl keep such a straight face through it all, it was all too perfect. This had to be one of the best comedy routines he had ever seen. But that was when she broke! She burst out into laughter, and there was no way that he could hold back himself. Laughter was contagious after all. He'd hold onto his stomach a bit, his sides feeling like they were going to split in two as he tried to calm himself down, wiping tears from his eyes as he did his best to ignore the irritated eyes of those around the room. He could apologize later... this was their day.
"Okay... you got me there for sure. I'll make sure to never give up on training, it is what I have to look forward to!" the Saiyan would shake his head a bit more, letting out a final sigh of relief as he felt that he was finally able to breathe again after the massive burst of laughter that had overcome him. However, once the girl had gotten around to accepting his thanks, her second thing to say afterward made him look up towards the ceiling, tapping his fingers against the soft wooden table as he seemed to be in deep thought. "Mmm... I suppose. Though canceling it out makes it seem more like we're firing blasts off at each other and neither of us pushed through to the other." he'd smirk at the girl as he looked at her off to the side. While it was true that in a technical way they could cancel out... something about it just made him want them to thank one another, so they could both be happy with the other's role in this happening. Time would pass...
Slowly, Rutaba would look over towards the girl as she started to respond to him about what he had confessed to her, the look on her face warming his heart further as he tried his best to let his worries fade away. He shouldn't actually be afraid of this, right? He was a member of the mightiest warrior race in all of the universe... he was bred for battles. But alas... he wasn't bred for anything like this. The man would smile back at her as she spoke, some of her words making his face recoil a bit before he'd just shake his head and give her another smile. "I uh... that isn't what this is about. Even if I couldn't forget how to be sad, I think that part of me is a bit of who I am now. Not in a pained way but... I don't think I'd be me anymore if I forgot about it. So don't worry about providing that for me. I enjoy every moment I can get with you, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your free time for my sake." despite the possible sad words, he was giving another genuine smile back at her.
He wasn't sad, or pained by this in any way. If anything, the man just didn't want to think about it as him using her for his own joys and pleasure, to not be sad any longer. Even if he couldn't stop being sad, some part of him told him that he'd still feel a lot warmer and feel a bit more at home if he just got to sit there next to her. It wasn't about his gain, it was about her.
Suddenly, the girl would let out a deep breath, the boy flinching a bit as he saw how deeply she was blushing making him a bit worried about what she was about to say. Was she about to call him an idiot? A creep? A freak? He could only imagine the absolutely aggressive things that deserved to be thrown his way, but he was entirely ready for it, he would defend against this attack with all of his might as he'd stare at her very curiously, his smile washing away to give her his full attention. He obviously wasn't upset from the look on his face... more, focused. However, that'd soon change as a deep tinge of red would paint itself across his face. Rutaba's mouth would open a bit after she spoke, and then he would slowly close it.
"..." his gaze would remain locked on her for a while, staring her in the eyes as she seemed so determined to look into his own. He could tell the absolute embarassment on her face, her blushing, and her flustered look. The Saiyan must have been destroying the girl with mixed signals with how he danced around her questions like he said. His face would fall, casting a shadow of his eyes as he'd open his mouth again as if he wanted to speak. He wasn't sure how to deal with this... he was probably being so horrible to her in this instance but he was at a loss. "I..." he'd let out a bit, trying his best to get over this gap in judgment that he was being put through.
"You..." he'd slowly look up into her eyes again, his face obviously filled with a worried expression once more. He wasn't going to run from this anymore, he had to be strong enough for at least this much, right? He wanted to save such a thing for another time, to let them know each other a bit longer, but it was hard to let it free even when she asked. He'd listen to her next set of words, letting her get to the end of her last sentence as he'd give her a few very urgent nods. "You're entirely right... I just... I was scared. I felt like what we have is really nice, I didn't want to ruin it because of a few simple words. But... yes. I am interested in you, you're very special to me and... I think I want to be there for you. I'm sorry I danced around it so much." he'd look down again, his traditional black saiyan hair falling naturally around his head as he did so to overshadow his vision a bit. Once more he couldn't help but feel a sense of looming dread like he'd be lynched for his views. He didn't want things to get even more awkward if she knew how he felt. But either way... he supposed he would have to make do.
Finally, he would raise his head to meet her's again, giving her another soft smile trying to show that he was at least okay with this outcome, if not as worried as could be. "Demalia... I have to ask now. Why do you want to know all of this? I understand if it was just to clear the air about all of this but... I can't help but feel the need to ask you as well. What are your thoughts? On all of this... and, would someone like me be... okay? I know we're pretty different in some ways but... I think we're very similar in others." his smile would remain, still looking sort of longing and scared of admitting all of this. But if it was already going down this path, he may as well commit to it.
Rutaba joined Demalia in her fit of laughter, probably to the annoyance of everyone around them. They couldn't help it though: him losing it made it all the more hilarious. Demalia’s palm slammed against the table a couple of times, causing the silverware to rattle. Demalia took of her glasses for a moment, rubbing tears out of her eyes as she tried regaining her composure.
"That’s right, you can't give up, no matter what happens. You’re going to rise up in the defense force, and you can't do that without hard work and determination. Doing things halfway won't get you anywhere. So you better take eating seriously as well.”
Demalia let out a couple of low giggles, slipping on her glasses again, lowering her left hand down to her laugh again. She took another sip of her soup as Rutaba pondered what she had meant about their thanks canceling out. Or perhaps he was just dragging things out with a joke. It was hard to tell sometimes.
“It seems to be that way. Which isn’t how I would want to view it. I want our actions to mean something, not cancel each other out and not go anywhere. So, thanks. I can't thank you enough for this outing.”
Demalia blushed lightly, turning her head back around and once again sipping on her soup. This was simultaneously the most relaxed, happy, and nervous all at the same time. It was a very strange combination. All she could do was press forward and enjoy her outing with Rutaba as much as possible. He seemed to be loving every moment of it, and she was going to do her best to make sure it stayed that way.
Sometime Later
Rutaba was a very gentle person, despite loving to fight. He did take up a bit too much of the burden of things on himself though. She understood how he felt though. She reached out with one hand, placing it on top of his own.
“I guess we can never go back to the way we were once. We can move past what happened to is, but we can't ever forget it. I don't know if I can ever return to normal, but I know that I can help you with that. You’re a nice guy, and I don’t like seeing you hurt yourself by being miserable. I’m here because I want to be here with you, Rutaba.”
Demalia squeezed his hand reassuringly, giving the Saiyan a small smile. She withdrew her hand, her cheeks getting a tinge of pink as she registered what she had just done. Once again she had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and comforted him without really thinking about it. Demalia reached up and twirled part of her braided her with her fingers.
When she got to the heart of things, Demalia was surprised to learn that Rutaba was just as nervous as she was. His body had tensed up noticeably, his face turned completely red, and he had trouble finding the right thing to say. It made Demalia feel a little better that she wasn't the only one having trouble conveying things.
There it was. Demalia felt her heart pounding in her chest. He actually liked her that way. She had a suspicion, but she didn't think his feelings for her ran that deep. Her entire face was hot, and was beet red. She tapped the tips of her fingers together, her eyes looking down and to the left.
“I understand what you mean. I like what we have as well, so I would be scared of it falling apart as well. Um… you really like me like that… I wasn't expecting that… er….”
Demalia folded both hands together, interlocking her fingers together. It was all she could do to keep herself from becoming a nervous wreck. Demalia was a smart, meticulous person, but nothing could have prepared her for this.
“Um… well… I… I’ve never given the opposite gender much of a thought. I was always too focused on my projects and endeavors to even think about having a boyfriend. Plus, most of the guys on my planet are 3 feet shorter than me, even when fully grown. It would have been awkward to be much taller than the other person.”
Demalia squeezed her hands together tighter, forcing herself to look Rutaba in the eye. Despite how hard this was for her, he deserved to know the truth. She owed him that much.
“I’m not very good with social interactions. I wouldn't have been able to handle a long period of time dancing around things. Thinking about what things I should or shouldn't say, what every word and action you do means. I just want to cut to the chase on this.”
Demalia took a deep breath, trying calm her pounding heart and jittery nerves. This was it, the moment of truth. She was going to do all she could to make sure she didn't mess this up.
“Um… there's a lot I don’t know when it comes to relationships. I know that I like you in a way I haven't liked anyone else before. We’ve only just begun to know each other, but I feel like I have known you all my life. We do have important things in common, despite our differences. You have a strong sense of justice, like I do.”
Demalia swallowed, pulling out every last bit of courage that she had. She wasn’t going to be defeated by herself. No, she was going to press on and tell the Saiyan exactly how she felt.
“Rutaba… I… I would be happy to be your girlfriend. Someone like you is perfect. Just don't pressure me into doing anything I don't want to do. Not that I think you're that type of guy or anything! You’re really nice and I didn't mean to imply that you would make unwanted advances towards me! I… er... “
Demalia waved her hands frantically, trying clear up the misunderstanding that was probably coming. Still, at least she managed to convey her feelings. Now the ball was in Rutaba’s court.
[WC=1,030] [TWC=4,040]
Last Edit: May 14, 2018 15:17:26 GMT -5 by Demalia
The Saiyan would give an even softer, albeit still very worried, smile to the Tuffle as she started to speak back to him about his final confession. Every word that went by made him feel like he was farther and farther away from her, the sound of her voice is almost drowned out to be unable to hear it. But even then, he would focus on her as much as possible, making sure to hang on the end of every word she said to process it. It seemed he had dumped something on her that she wasn't exactly ready to respond to, her physical actions made him want to reach out and soothe her, but for the first time in ages, his body was frozen in shock. Not even the lust of battle when meeting someone stronger had made him lock up this much. This was... alien to him.
He would look her back in the eyes as she spoke, his face lighting up a bit, chuckling softly as she brought up the idea of those on her own planet. "I... guess I sort of solve that?" he'd smirk a bit, noting to himself that he was much taller than the Tuffle, if she had any worry about people being shorter than her, he wouldn't be the one to trigger it, and for sure he didn't mind being with someone short, he found it kind of cute actually. He'd watch as she squeezed her hands together so tightly, it was obvious that she was struggling with this a lot. It was kind of hard to watch and he just wanted to reach out and console her still but he waited for her to speak a bit more. His heart was still racing and pumping with adrenaline. Was this all really real?
And that was when it all came together, as she spoke about wanting to cut to the chase. What did she mean...? It could have been so many responses, so many ways that she could cut to the chase. A brutal rejection without any form of padding? An 'I just want to be friends' out the gate? The latter would have been the most preferable of those two. But of course, there was the pounding desire that she would feel the same way in some sort of fashion. Though, he also did feel a bit bad about how much they danced around such a subject, as she said it must have been hard on her to go this long with the awkward tension in the air. But still, he wouldn't comment on it, trying to give her the space to speak.
Demalia would then begin to speak about how she felt... it made the Saiyan's heart feel so warm as he would smile and look at her, his worry fading away a bit as he just stared into her eyes. "I don't know much either... so much of my life has been focused on so many other things, I've only longed for it once before, but I've never truly grasped it. I feel the same way Demalia... it just feels so special between us." he would beam at her with a very happy look, before just looking down in thought for a second as she continued on to tell him how she felt. His face would tint red once more, but he would shake it off a bit, realizing he needed to face this head on now that he knew he didn't have to be so afraid. But then she would keep talking... his face turning redder and redder once more as he stared at her, before just reaching out and taking hold of her frantically moving hands, trying to hold them in his own as he smiled once more.
The red tint of his face had yet to pass, but he would still be showing her the most genuine smile that he could. "We'll take things slow. Like we said... we've known each other only so long. If we go through with this... we don't have to let anything change between us just yet. What made it special was always you, now we just don't have to beat around the subject, okay? We can do all the same things, just with the knowledge we now have, does that sound good? We'll be ready when we're ready for anything further. Even just... this, is fine." he would smile and stare down at their hands as he kept holding onto hers for a second, just smiling to himself as he just decided to memorize her touch for a second, before shaking his head to snap himself back into reality, smiling back up at her.
"Just knowing we can be more open to each other like this, makes me more than happy enough. So yes, I would be happy to be with you as well. " at last, he would move his hands off of hers to give her room to move freely. He seemed genuinely happy now, but he would just look up into the air for a second. "Ah... we've spent a lot of time here, how about we get all finished up and... then we can go for that walk? We can talk as much as we want while walking anyway, no?" he'd say this with a bit of a pep in his words now, showing that he was a lot more free-spirited now... he didn't have to hold himself back as much. Rutaba would take his time finishing up what he wanted to finish at the food place, giving the Tuffle enough time to finish what she wanted as well, before paying the owner of the place for the food, making sure that everything was in order for them to leave. Finally, he would walk back to Demalia, ready to go with her as they had said before. "Are you ready? I honestly look forward to something calm like this with you... it'll be a lot of fun." he'd cock his head and smile, before leading the two of them outside of the food shop, picking a direction and just starting to walk through the forested area, taking in the scenery as he would try his best not to make things too awkward. He wanted to enjoy this time with her more than anything else.
"I really can't say enough, how happy I am that we came and did all of this today. It was a wonderful change of pace..." he would let out a very contented sigh, looking back at the girl with a very peaceful look. The air already felt so much calmer now, to the Saiyan at least. Now he just had to hope their next talks could be just as pleasing.
Demalia wished she had the confidence that Rutaba had. Even in a situation where they well both admitting how they felt about each other, he still was able to crack jokes with a smirk on his race. Demalia’s head tilted her head downwards, looking at the Saiyan bashfully, a nervous smile slowly forming.
“I guess you do… I picked a rather roundabout way to fix that problem, didn't I? Going off world seems rather extreme just to meet a taller guy… heh…”
<Where did that come from? I almost didn't recognize myself there. I guess he isn't the only one who can cake jokes at a time like this.>
Cause of course Demalia didn't travel to other planets just to look for a guy who wasn’t 2 feet tall. That would have been a ridiculous reason to explore the galaxy. In fact, finding a tall boyfriend was the last thing on her mind. One could find interesting things that they weren’t even looking for. Sometimes it was something important that they didn't know they needed.
The hybrid’s heart banged against her ribcage like a drum as he expressed himself fully. He admitted that his feelings were as strong as the other time he had fallen in love. She was surprised that she hadn't fainted yet. She had no idea that his feelings of her were this strong already. She welcomed it with all her being: she needed someone who cared for her this much.
Demalia didn't even know a person's face could turn that red. And she was shocked that it was Rutaba of all people. She didn’t even think he was capable of getting embarrassed like that. He looked how she imagined she appeared to be throughout their outing together. It was really surreal for the hybrid.
Demalia looked down to see Rutaba’s hands clasp around hers. The things he was saying, the gentle smile on his lips, the warmth of his hands around hers was making her swoon. Her lips formed a dazzling smile on her reddened face.
“I would like things to remain mostly the same for right now. I agree that taking this slowly is how we should approach things. The way we are right now, is more then fine. Hopefully our conversations won't be as awkward as before.”
Oh god. He officially said yes. She knew his feelings were genuine, but it was different then him saying it out loud. She had a boyfriend now. Demalia rubbed her hands together. She felt as giddy as a schoolgirl right now. Well technically she was still in school, albeit college. So the comparison was fairly apt.
“Yes, we don't have to keep anything from each other anymore. Having you to confide in puts me at ease. I’m sure it’s a relief for you as well.”
Demalia had rarely seen someone as happy as Rutaba was right now. If she had met him while he was like this, she would have never even suspected that he had lived anything other than a normal, peaceful life. Demalia nodded her head at Rutaba’s suggestion.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea Rutaba. I won’t be too much longer here. I don't think I’ll be able to finish both bowels. I’ll have to take one with us.”
It would be a shame if she had to waste soup this good. She set off to finish off her first portion, looking forward to walking with Rutaba. Soon they would able to walk along a scenic view and talk without having to worry about annoying people around them. It was normal activity made special by doing it with Rutaba.
Demalia finished up the first bowl, and put the other in a take out box. Tucking it under her arm, she nodded when Rutaba asked if she was ready. She followed him out of restaurant, letting him lead the way.
“Yes, I’m so glad I came with you here today. Spending time with you in any form is something I can't have too much of.”
Demalia took in the scene around her, marveling at the trees around her. Tuffles did have an equilibrium with their environment, but she had never seen this many trees gathered together like this. There were many places on Planet Plant she hadn’t been to yet, and there were likely places like this there too.
Demalia looked over at her boyfriend. That was going to take some getting used to. She felt warm knowing that she was responsible for how peaceful he looked right now. She supposed this was a good time to learn even more about each other.
“Rutaba, how were raised? Did you have any siblings, or were you an only child?”
The Saiyan would be relatively pleased with the way things turned out, the smile on his face retaining through all of the things she said back to him. The way they were moving things along just made him feel... peaceful. He was even happier to hear that Demalia agreed with him and that they didn't have to move things along fast. They could keep this same, wholesome pace all the way through it seemed, and he was happy with that. He couldn't help but nod firmly back to her when she talked about it being a relief for him as well, as he had to say that being around her before was sort of hard at times, not out of issues but out of the awkward feeling that filled the air.
However, he had said everything he wanted to actually say in regards to that, so everything would move on as previously planned.. till they were outside together. The boy would notice the box that she had grabbed, holding his hands out to take it for her. "I can carry that for you if you'd like." of course, he was doing this to be kind but he wouldn't force her to do so. It was her choice inevitably to give him the box or not, as either way he'd go right back to walking with her, focusing on the tuffle's words for the time being. He was so happy that he could make her feel the same way about spending time together, he'd just look over towards her with a very contented face as she took in the scenery. The scene was almost something out of a romance story, or another form of media like that.
He would be pulled back into reality after a few moments as she looked back towards him, speaking to him as he'd just look up for a moment. "I guess... if I am being formal, I was an only child. I was mostly raised by the community of the place I lived in, so those people became my family, and their children are like siblings to me." he'd slowly scratch his head, trying to think over the details from all the years he has been around. How old even was he when that happened...? "My parents were peacekeepers, much like me right now. You could say I idolized the people they were... but I didn't really know them. They passed away on a mission they went on when I was very young, too young to remember sort of. The reason I liked that place we just ate at was because that was my lifestyle for many years." he would give her a soft smile to show he wasn't saying this for sad reasons, he was just being upfront with her about his past.
"Even then, I still idolized them. Them being peacekeepers is sort of what pushed me towards becoming one myself. And the people I grew up with? Well.. they entirely supported me, raised me with kindness and love. It felt like a massive family all brought together. So... yeah, I guess that is why I chose this path for myself. Might be why I turned out a bit differently from some as well." he'd give her a soft smile as he said this, knowing full well that his upbringing was at least partially to thank for why he turned out the way he did. But it was also the reason he turned out so strange... he wasn't like too many saiyans, while many had a strong sense of justice like him, due to the Defense Force, quite a few were still more battle attuned than an emotional upstart like him.
For a moment, he would scan the forest again, both to take in the sights and just to make sure they weren't being followed by man or beast. Slowly, he would turn to look back at Demalia. She already told him about what happened with her family... he didn't need to tread back across that ground again. He needed something else to ask. "Hmmm, what sort of interests do you have? You've told me a lot about your ambitions.. and what you are trying to do. But outside of that, what makes you happy? I guess you could say I want to know what you want to do, as a whole." he would look up to the sky for a moment in thought. There were so many things a Tuffle could do with their time... they were all so high tech. What could she be applying herself towards?
Gods, he was such a gentleman. Rutaba had surprised her with how good mannered he was. Not at all what she expected for someone on the Sadal Defense Force. Not that she expected him to be a savage or anything. If she didn't know him, then she never would have guessed that he loved fighting and was a part of a organization where that was required. She handed over her soup, a look of appreciation on her face.
“If it isn't too much trouble, then I would like that very much.”
Demalia walked beside Rutaba along the scenic route, taking in the beauty of the forest around them. It was as if they were in their own private realm, with just the two of them. Demalia listened as Rutaba talked about his upbringing. She felt a little bit envious: he had a lot of support growing up.
“The entire community raised you? It’s amazing that everyone came together and became practically family to you. I was raised by my parents. They were very kind to me. I grew up an only child though. My mom and dad didn't want to put another kid through the same kind of pressures I went through.”
Growing up as a hybrid was hard for her growing up. By the time she was 10, she was already taller than all of the Tuffle adults. In high school she really stood out, and was bullied and treated differently by some people because of it. It had been hard growing up like that. She didn’t make too many friends in her life. Which was part of the reason she was absorbed in her research most of the time.
Demalia looked up at the Saiyan, looking at him sympathetically. So he had lost his parents at a young age. He had been through more sadness than she had to endure. He didn't let it get to him though. He was still trying to live his life as happily as hr could. She needed to do the same thing.
“It sounds like they were wonderful people. You grew up under great parents inside of an amazing community. I’m glad they were able to help you get to where you are today.”
Demalia’s eyes followed Rutaba’s, surveying the forest around them briefly before looking back at the path forward. Was he worried that they were being followed by someone? Demalia put that to the back of her mind and focused on her time with Rutaba.
“Well, I love building things and taking them apart. It's exhilarating when I try and find out how something works. I love reading, and I’m rather fond of games like chess, which doesn't leave that much up to chance. I won a chess tournament back in high school. That was such a long time ago now…”
A sad smile spread across Demalia's lips. Bringing that trophy home was one of the happiest moments of her life. Her parents had been so proud of her that day. The hybrid kept up pace alongside Rutaba, telling him more about herself. She wouldn't let her past drag her back into self-pity.
“I usually prefer sweet foods, although I’m fairly careful about how much sugar I intake. I do not like anything remotely bitter or something that is too strong. It's why I pour milk, cream, and sugar into my coffee. I also like playing some video games in my spare time. Or did. It's been awhile since I’ve picked up a controller.”
Preparing for the expedition with her parents had taken up most of her time. After what happened to her, she hadn’t really been in the right mood to play some games. Perhaps one day soon she would pick up a controller again, now that things were looking up for her.
“I want to go into engineering. I want to one day share what I create with everyone, not just Tuffles. I’m actually in the final stages of a project I’ve been working on for a long time. If I succeed, it will completely revolutionize the world of robotics as we know it. There is an inherent risk involved in the procedure though.”
Demalia walked alongside her boyfriend, her purple eyes looking up at him. She was moving forward on autopilot at the moment. Right now she just wanted to look at Rutaba. She hoped that she would never get tired of how nice it to do thar simple action.
The Saiyan would keep a relatively happy look towards Demalia whenever she responded to something he said, though he would look a little bit worried when she said that her parents didn't want to put another kid through the same kind of pressures. While Rutaba had no idea what it was like for her growing up, he could only imagine the kind of things that had happened. Besides, part of her was something that seemed horribly and irrationally frowned upon. While there could be some merit to the worry for some, she obviously wasn't the same kind of person, she had her own ideas, her own upbringing, nobody else was like her for her to be judged for anyone's actions but her own.
Once he was done looking around to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary when it came to their path, he would look back towards the Tuffle with a soft smile on his face as she started to bring up her own side of this conversation. Though that smile would slowly turn into a soft look of understanding as he would reach over and softly rub her back trying to let her get her mind off of it without interfering too much. Though he would still comment on what he felt he should. "You're so interesting to listen to, you know that? I'm not very smart when it comes to most of this stuff when it comes to reading it is mostly just mission reports. So hearing about how exhilarated you get, makes me really happy. I don't know much about chess either but... I think it could be interesting to play sometime?" he would smile as he spoke. He wasn't too sure what he was getting himself into, talking about all of this. He was sort of dense on this side of the field, he didn't get much time with games like that so he was mostly saying it out of a desire to learn a bit more about the girl. If he didn't learn even a bit about what she enjoyed, how could he say he was interested?
As she kept explaining a bit more about herself, the Saiyan would realize that she had a lot more that she liked to do, but would have to reflect on how long it had been since she was even able to do them. He felt a little bad... and he wanted to do something nice for her but he wasn't sure what. She had a very soft personality though, so he understood why she liked to pull back on the kick of bitter things like coffee. On the other hand for Rutaba, he wasn't really sure on his own take of coffee... he had enough energy on his own, he didn't need some drink to tell him to have more energy! Or something like that. The peacekeeper would rub the back of his head as he thought on her words a bit more. "Its good to be careful about what you take in like that, don't want to get sick or unhealthy. Though I don't know why I say that... I probably eat enough for three of you." he'd let out a bit of an awkward laugh as he realized it was probably absurd to some degree how much his race ate. He just couldn't help it! He burned through all of the food so fast he had to eat more and more to not malnourish himself.
That was, at least, when she got into the final subject... something the Saiyan wasn't too sure of himself but a bit of it worried him. He'd stare back down towards her, his black Saiyan eyes peering right back into her purple eyes as he thought for a few moments. A risk involved? He hoped that she wasn't planning on just throwing her life away for the sake of science... though, was that what some scientists did with their lives work? Perhaps he was being inconsiderate. He'd let out a very soft breath to make sure he was clearing his head, before smiling back to Demalia with still a bit of a worried expression. "I... don't want to see this procedure go wrong if there is a risk. Please make sure that you'll stay safe, alright? Going into engineering sounds exciting, and I hope your work reaches every inch of this universe someday." he'd look really hopeful towards her as he spoke. He wanted to see her dreams and aspirations come true, he really did, and he was really excited with how much ambition she had. But to him, it wouldn't be worth it if it meant that he had to lose her in the process. "Of course, I do trust you will make sure the risk isn't high when you do attempt it. To me... you seem more like the kind to make sure it is perfect before you get started. I suppose I just need to be reassured after hearing the last part that you won't do anything too hastily?" his smile would come back a bit as he let out that he trusted her not to just throw her life away with this project. Of course it was a very selfish thing of him to say that, he wasn't too intelligent when it came to that stuff though, so maybe it was all just a worry to push to the back of his mind.
At the very least he was happy with these moments of talking to her like this, where everything was purely speculation. He wouldn't have liked to find out about this as it was happening.
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Nonetheless, the Saiyan would make his way to a little family-owned shop in a smaller village on Planet Sadal, out in some wooded area with homes that looked more like small huts rather than homes lining streets in a city. It was a much more relaxing change of scenery, perhaps something weird given their original run-ins within cities and gravity chambers. But despite any of that, this is where he took the two of them, and honestly, maybe that was a good thing. He would walk into the little food shop, the place itself being pretty spacious without looking professional or anything. The boy would turn and look to his company should they be following him inside. "Sorry if this kind of place isn't your cup of tea, I'm just more of a fan of Mom-And-Pop places like this. There's just a unique flavor to everything." he would smile as he spoke, before breaking contact to move to a little table elsewhere in the little food place. It was all so quiet and very few people were there, but the Saiyan didn't seem to mind the relaxing and atmospheric tone of a forest restaurant like this.
He would sit down on one side of the table, looking up at the girl and waiting for her to sit as well. She could sit down next to him in the room that was left, as the table was meant for four, but there was also space for two across from him as well which would give them each a side to themselves. He would be lying if he didn't say that he wouldn't like her to sit next to him but at the same time he wouldn't complain if she sat across either. Regardless of her choice, he would call over one of the few workers who wandered around in this place tidying up. "I'd just like something soft, please. Perhaps some soup with lots of meat in it to start off! And just a start it'll be, Saiyan stomachs, right?" he'd wink at the waiter who would just nod before looking at Demalia. "You can ask for whatever you like here, these aren't professional chefs but the Owner is a pretty aged man who likes to cook anythin, and he usually has the supplies for whatever ya fancy as well. So don't be afraid to ask for whatever is on your mind." he would smile at the girl and wait for her response to either him or the waiter. He wanted this to be a nice, relaxing time... they could get their food and then relax to talk about things a little.
