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[Noticing the shift in tone, Leia turns to face him again. She doesn't say anything at first, but is quietly relieved and amused at once, now that it's sort of sunk in.]

As a reporter, I would've loved to be a fly on that wall; but as a friend, I'm sorry someone felt the need to do that.

[She means that sincerely.]

[His shoulders seem to sink as IV waves, a metaphorical gesture of brushing off the incident. If Leia had nothing to do with it, there's no point holding onto a minor grudge.]

I'll find out who did it and confront them when I do.

[That being said, he'd much rather move on from this conversation.]

. . . How did yours go?

[She has no doubt that he will. At his question though, she'll happily let go of the topic and grin almost mischievously.

Oh, yeah.]

You should ask your friend Rio.

[He blinks and studies Leia. On second thought, perhaps it's not so surprising that Rio was also involved. Being paired with Leia was only a matter of probability.]

Rio? She was your date?

That's right! Finally got her name, didn't I?

[Since he never thought to mention it before.]

[He nods; it occurs to him then that he never had.]

If you're telling me to ask her, it must've gone well.

[She did say she'd walk out of it with a new friend, and she did. She looks proud.]

It was great.

[...]

I hope yours wasn't that bad. You weren't a grump the whole time, were you?

What? Of course I wasn't. I have a problem with the guy who signed me up, not the girl I was paired with.

Juuust making sure.

[She grins teasingly, but spares him more of the same. Her expression turns thoughtful instead.]

By the way, there was one other reason I wanted to see you.

[He figured there was, and he gives her a neutral look that waits for an elaboration.]

What?

[It is definitely a reason she was considering the whole time and not something she remembered when she put away her CereVice.

She digs into her purse again, taking out a pink pouch of heart candies. Attached to it is a tag that's somewhat damaged around the edges (he could probably guess she's been carrying it around).]

...I didn't want to wait until Valentine's Day.

[She offers it to him, and she'll even wait for his reaction. She can immediately feel why he didn't, though. She glances off to the side as she waits for him to take it...

Why is she even the least bit nervous? (What if he thinks it's dumb?)]

This pouch . . . It's from your booth.

[He recognizes the pouch instantly, and it occurs to him that Leia means to respond in kind to his "gift" from before. How unusual. Accepting the gift, IV turns the worn tag to read the legend. For the most part, he keeps a neutral expression, but the last line brings out the mirth in his voice.]

"I wrote more than you so I win"? What kind of logic is that?

Leia logic!

[She answers jokingly, nerves calming. She had looked over at some point when she didn't hear any reaction from him at all. She's grateful, suddenly--and glad she kept that particular line in.]

Come on, it's just a joke.

I've heard better punchlines . . . Well, I suppose it's pretty good.

[At the very least, the thought behind the whole gift has IV less grumpy and more in a good mood. He pockets the pouch, making sure to tuck the tag in so it doesn't hang out precariously.]

. . . So you feel lucky, huh.

[Wow!! The jab at her humor aside, she grins; but there's an air of seriousness about her expression, too. She opens her eyes to meet his.]

That part wasn't a joke.

[Has anyone else ever considered it lucky, his friendship? The curiosity is mild and he dismisses it.]

Heh . . . That's good to hear. Then I can say the same about you.

[She perks up again so easily. It's almost like she's genuinely surprised to hear that, since no one's ever told her that before either.]

Really? You mean it?

I don't say what I don't mean.

[It's part of trying to be a straightforward person. Besides, he's too blunt to throw words.]

Don't look so surprised.

[Oh okay. She just reels in her emotions a little then, smile more controlled. If only it were always that easy.

She speaks quietly.]

I guess I'm not. But still... it's a bit of a relief.

[IV inclines his head to the side. That's a rather odd thing to say.]

A relief?

[Leia's an oddball to be sure... she looks a bit sheepish, though doesn't stop smiling as she thinks of how she should explain this.]

Yeah. It's nice when someone reminds you that you're... not just tagging along, and that you're actually important.

[There are times when she needs that reassurance.]

Huh?

[IV lets the words sink in before he shifts his weight, considering the weight of what Leia's just disclosed. The need for validation – what a surprise.]

Is that what this is? Of course you're important. We're friends, aren't we? I don't invite you to play ViViD with me so you can be a tagalong.

["Of course you're important" ... haha. If her cheeks turn a bit pink, he's just imagining it; though she looks sheepish, too. Did she offend him? Arrgh, she's so stupid--]

I... I know that. And we are! We totally are.

[There's a "but" that goes unsaid. He was never really the problem to begin with.]

...Thanks. [She giggles.] I know you'd get your butt kicked without me anyway.

Oh? Are you sure it's not the other way around?

[To be honest, it probably isn't. He's not too shabby as a gamer, but Leia's got so much more under her belt.]

Either way, we work together well enough. If I were with Ryoga, he'd be complaining all day.

[Despite the teasing remark about his first friend, there's definite fondness in IV's tone.]

[Being that she's pretty good picking up on that sort of thing, that much is obvious. He holds his friends dear, and that's something she's come to admire about him.

She's right to feel lucky. She's glad she let him know that.]

...When we met, he thought I was an NPC.

[oops]

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