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Like a venus fly trap [Bell]
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Post by Carlos Rey on Apr 29, 2020 23:20:15 GMT
Even for a digimon that didn't much care about overly populated and well developed places like cities, Dio had to admit there was a certain liveliness to Terminus that even he found infectious, enough for him to want to go out and explore every inch, nook and cranny of it.
At least, that would be the case if he was on his lonesome here, but alas, that wasn't the case, and his current company wasn't exactly one he desired to spend time with at the moment...or ever, really.
Since the moment they had forcefully met, the floramon that called herself Bell had struck a nerve with Dio, a gut feeling not unlike one would feel while trying to sneak past a sleeping predator. So it was only natural that the plant would hone into that weakness and latch onto it with the strenght of a python. It wasn't bad enough that they had to share a roof, he was now pretty much forced into playing along with her games in order for her to stay "undercover"...and probably just to revel in watching him proverbially (and hopefully just proverbially) squirm.
"So where's the place, again?" He asked in a flat tone, a dreary sigh escaping him as he glanced at the buildings around them.
He wasn't entirely sure what their latest escapade together involved, other than he had to join her in going to a rather public place and...pretend to be more personally and emotionally involved with her than he felt comfortable or happy with, to put it in a mild way. The one silver lining to this whole ordeal was that, in return, she had promised to make it up to him by giving him some related pointers for his actual relationship with Bloom. At least, that's what he hoped and understood was gonna happen, but did he really know what this plant had planned? Unlikely, or at least that's what he thought to himself. Truth be told? It was at times like this where the imp couldn't help but ask himself how he had gotten into such a perplexing scenario, as well as wondering if only for a short moment if he hadn't been better off staying in the Dark Area.
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Post by Bell the Floramon on Apr 29, 2020 23:46:35 GMT
Bell would say that the feeling was mutual - but honestly, there was some enjoyment to be had, having this Impmon tied around her proverbial finger. Sure, Dio might have felt an internal feeling of dread, but from the outside-looking in?
Well, Dio and Bell would look like quite the cute couple! With her right arm hooked under Dio's left, she would find herself right up against the Impmon's side. Those flat words were met with an earnest grin from the Floramon. "Oh, come now, Doll - forgetting already? Just a block down and on the left - it'll be the only restaurant you see!" Her tone was pleasant enough, but for the barest moment, the Impmon might sense a small glare from the Floramon. "Mm... but it seems like your thoughts are a bit elsewhere right now..."
The imp was useful, but boy, did he need a lot of 'coaching' to make this look real. At this point, the Impmon had already been reminded to 'stand tall', 'smile', and 'keep his tail from dragging on the ground'. It might have seemed subtle, but those three changes - even if the feeling was completely fake - made the Impmon fit his role a lot better.
And to an extent, this little date would serve as good practice for Dio: when was the last time he'd been out to a proper diner, much less one-on-one with a date? As the two would turn the corner, she'd lean in, running a petal underneath his chin.
"Thirty minutes." Her tone flattened, as she whispered. "And all I need you to do is look pretty. So relax, roll with it - maybe even scope out the place to see if it works for your special someone."
That chilling comment would probably be enough to set the stage by itself! Her tone shifted right back to being chipper, as the two would finally round the corner to the diner. It was a little after 1:00, and there wouldn't be a wait to get a seat. And as they would step inside, an Angemon at the front acting as the main greeter...
... Well, Bell would give a nod to Dio. Right. He had to take the lead, here.
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Post by Carlos Rey on Apr 30, 2020 1:11:34 GMT
Were they really that cute together? It would appear that way, as somehow nobody seemed to pay the duo's any mind, not even an aside glance. To everyone else it was nothing more innocent than two small digimon in love, going out for a nice date.
For Dio? It was a bit of a nightmare, truthfully. Trying to lean his head as far away from her as it was possible without it looking suspicious (which wasn't far enough, really), the imp silently nodded in response, silently taking note of her directions as he walked down the street. His forced smile wavered for a moment, as a cold sweat crawled down his neck at Bell's following words. Was she really that good at reading him? Or was he that obvious? Regardless, he didn't let her have the last word on that exchange.
"Tch," He bit his lip, giving the plant a short glare of his own, accompanied by a sarcastic, venom filled smile. "...what, jealous my thoughts aren't entirely devoted to you yet, "hun"?"
Yes, she was still the one in control and leading him along, but that didn't mean he would simply let her walk all over him 24/7. He still had some pride to keep, and if it meant taking her down a peg, even if just for a moment, it was worth the risk.
That said, that facade of bravado was a slightly shattered as they turn the corner and he'd feel her soft petal rather dangerously running under his chin. A quick, but slightly noticeable shake overtook his entire being for a moment, that cold chill returning as his face ran red and even his legs seemed to lose their strenght for just a millisecond. He glared back at her, but didn't say anything and instead gave her a beleaguered nod.
Thirty minutes, just thirty minutes of this. Easy enough, right? Right?
As they made their way inside the designated place, Dio waited quietly for a moment, as if waiting for further instructions...then he saw the nod from Bell and realized he was the one "in charge" of this part. Right, having her calling the shots both in and out of their little pretend game would probably be too suspicious to ignore.
He sat on a free table at around an even distance between the exit and the door to the kitchen, carefully "leading" the floramon to occupy the seat next to him. Once that was done he'd wait for the waiter to come and ask what they would be having, figuring it was best to keep a low profile as he absentmindedly glanced at the menu that was already on the table.
"Hm, somehow I expected a bit of a fancier place from you, "hun"." He whispered, without taking his eyes off the menu.
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Post by Bell the Floramon on Apr 30, 2020 3:36:56 GMT
"Mm? Would you blame me if I said yes?"
She gave a grin at that, a smirk curling at the edge of her lips as she gave that 'sting' right back to him. But, just as quickly, she retreated and hid a chuckle behind her hand. "Oh, I kid, I kid, of course. Though it has been a while since we've had a chance to catch up!" Bell fit right into that role, and as far as anyone watching was concerned, this was just an Impmon on a date with a perhaps-overly-clingy Floramon.
The plant would tease, of course - but despite Dio's thoughts, Bell (or 'Lily', for this excursion) didn't take it too far. So long as the two were in public - up to the diner, and past the door to the seats - she made sure to keep the act up. But as she was led by the Impmon to a table in the middle section of the diner, she seemed to lead less and less. And when they finally sat down, booth keeping them unseen from all but one side?
Bell finally took a moment to drop the act. She plucked up the menu, eyes scanning for the soup and salad section, as the Floramon rolled her eyes at Dio's comment. "Honestly, with how things are going, this place might be a bit too fancy for me." She tilted her head off to the left, giving a short glance and a nod to a Musyamon sitting a few seats down.
The plan was as simple as it could be: on his way out, Bell's contact would leave a small bag, hidden on the rim of a potted plant near the bathrooms. After that, the Floramon would excuse herself, collect the bag while walking by - and otherwise, the two rookies would just enjoy their nice, romantic dinner in peace.
Well. Faux-romantic, but still!
"Guess I might as well ask, how's Carlos doing?" Her tone was flat, as she folded and set that menu aside. "Does he know about our little 'date', here?"
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Post by Carlos Rey on May 1, 2020 4:15:45 GMT
While his eyes scanned the menu for any dishes that might have meat on them Dio did manage to catch Bell in the corner of his vision, nodding at someone or something that he wasn't able to see, all that was clear to him was that gesture was obviously not meant for him. Her contact, perhaps?
"Never understood this need for secrecy, feels like out of a bad spy movie. Wouldn't it be infinitely easier for you two to meet face to face somewhere else?" He pondered somewhat flatly, resting his head on his closed hand as he finally put the menu down. "Hell, why not have lunch with them instead of bringing a third wheel along? Surely that would be far smoother."
Was it an excuse for him to try and get out of this somewhat awkward situation? Possibly, but there was some genuine curiosity behind his words.
Having Bell (or "Lily") bring up Carlos's name didn't seem to sit well with him however, as it became obvious by the subtle but hard to ignore glare he shot in her direction before he went back to trying to keep up the happy couple act. "He knows enough. That we're out for food and "work". He won't rat you out, so you'll do well to avoid dragging him into this." Moderate teasing and beyond was fine and dandy to a certain extent, but for Dio anything remotely family related was strictly off limits, be it Carlos, Gio, or any of his "extended" family like Syre or Holly. And of course, Bloom. If there was anything he wouldn't let the floramon get close to if he could help it, it was any of the above.
That said, once that was said, he seemed to relax his stance just a tad.
"If I may ask now, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish here? Clearly it's important enough for you to risk...I mean bother leaving the comfort of our place."
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Post by Bell the Floramon on May 2, 2020 1:35:35 GMT
"Mm... how to put this..."
Casting her eyes over to the aisle for a moment, making sure the waiter wouldn't sneak up as she explained, the Floramon gave a shrug. "This is what you'd call 'plausible deniability'. It would look suspicious for someone to meet them head-on - but no-one's going to question him eating alone in a diner, or two rookies trying to look good on a date."
That said, she'd close her menu, and give Gio a gentle tap on the head with it. "Don't slouch, hun. Its not a good look for you."
"Oh, my! Tired one, isn't he!"
Bell shared a chuckle, seamlessly talking to their waitress as she stepped on up! It didn't take long for her to put on her mask, nor did it take long for the two to place their orders. Now with a glass of ice water in front of each of them, the two could get back to talking about this.
Carefully.
"Well, 'what' he knows is hardly important. A human draws too much attention to this sort of thing anyway. But, now that I have you here..." The Floramon tilted her head.
"Mm... back straight, and keep your hands folded on the table. If you don't want to make eye contact, just fix your eyes on the bit of chair above your date's head - its better to be looking too far upward than too far downward."
Seriously, she was weaving dating advice into this? As Dio returned that last question, the Floramon gave a shrug. "Its technically legal to own and it relates to botany. If you want a real answer, this is to cut corners and save money." Yeah, like that didn't sound sketchy at all. "But if you're gonna put me at risk for asking that, I'll turn it right back on ya. What's your flower like?"
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Post by Carlos Rey on May 4, 2020 4:00:38 GMT
"Suppose you're right." It still seemed like an excuse to him, but decided not to push further, figuring it was on his best interest too to keep the happy couple facade going. Which is probably why he didn't give a stronger reaction to that head tap other than a slightly disgruntled sigh as he sat in a more upright posture, joining the plant in placing some food orders of his own.
"Oh trust me, I'm sure he wants to get involved as little as possible...that and someone has to look after Gio." His musings were switfly interrupted however, as the first of surely many other sets of instructions came from Bell's mouth. Without really thinking or questioning it, he pressed his back against his seat, sitting as straight and upright as he could, hands neatly folded on the table. Truth be told, he didn't seem all too convinced about this, could such minute details really make that much of a difference in a date?
"I...see?" He said with a slightly unsure nod, his gaze hovering slightly above Bell's head for a moment before lowering to face her again. "W-what if she notices and asks me what I'm looking at though?"
What he was even less convinced about was the supposed legality of whatever Bell was up to. If it was to "cut corners" as she said, it was probably anything but legal, but asking for more details would probably make some heads turn if anyone overheard, if she was even going to share that much with him to begin with.
"Somehow that gives me more questions than answers, but I think I rather stay in the dark." He conceded with a shrug, taking a short sip from his glass of water...which he nearly choked on for a moment as soon as he heard Bell ask about his "flower". She sure had some gall bringing her up out of the blue like that.
"Low blow." He said with a small cough to clear his water filled throat, shooting daggers at her all the while. "Well, I'd say she's quite kind and friendly, but not afraid to voice her mind about stuff that bothers her...or punching it, if need be." He said, trying to keep things relatively vague enough to keep the floramon from ever finding Bloom, but also trying to give her just enough so that she would have something to work with for her advice.
"Why? You're jealous?" He said back, a hint of smug sarcasm in his tone.
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Post by Bell the Floramon on May 5, 2020 22:27:34 GMT
Indeed. Though Bell might have been in this for herself, she at least knew how to repay back debts in kind, and putting Carlos back into harm's way was not on the top of her list. Heck, at some point, she was going to have to do a favor or two to actually make this even, because this habit of simply 'taking' wasn't going to keep her good in the eyes of the human for very long.
Well, maybe helping Dio out a bit would help bridge that gap. Such minute details definitely made a difference, too: sitting up taller made his face better stand out in the light, and folding his arms on the table feigned a sense of interest in the other party. "Really, its just a trick of eye contact - so long as you're almost looking someone in the eye, it'll look about the same as actually doing it. But if you look up too far?"
She mulled that over for a second - and chuckled. "'Oh, I'm sorry, doll. I just couldn't help but think about last weekend.'" She grinned: "Though, its much easier for me to say something like that than you. But it is interesting that you don't want to meet your flower eye-to-eye... like you're hiding something."
For the moment, at least, Dio could stay in the dark about what was going on - and until it was time to make the transfer, Bell had all the time in the world to pick apart this poor imp. She listened as he explained what kind of girl his 'flower' was. Kind, friendly, but not afraid to speak up or act. "Ah, tricky - sounds like one whose hard to keep secrets from."
Jealous? Oh, she waved that thought off! "Types like that tend to like someone whose able to be a 'backboard'. Mm... I'm not saying you shouldn't have an opinion about the same things she does, but at the same time, I don't think she'd always be looking for an answer. If you do offer her advice, consider it from her perspective and think about what she'd want to do first - and build off of that."
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Post by Carlos Rey on May 8, 2020 1:14:42 GMT
The imp did little other than listen and nod, taking a mental note out of every minute detail and instruction the plant shared with him. There was a healthy amount of skepticism to it all considering who he was dealing with, sure, but beyond that he trusted Bell knew more about the subject than he could ever hope to learn in such a short notice. So if nothing else, bad advice was better than no advice at all.
Though he gave her a look that for once wasn't of annoyance or vitriol, but almost of amusement.
"Now you're the one overthinking things." He replied, rolling his eyes. Frankly, him having anything to hide from Bloom would have almost been better than the reality of the situation: him being generally awkward and unsure how to act at intimate, one on one situations like these, specially if his relation with the one in front of him was anything other than a friendly or familiar one. "But yeah, she'll catch on to my bullshitting fast unless I make it really convincing...and perhaps even then."
Of course, if possible he would much rather not having to lie to her period, but...clearly Bell's ensuing advice would be quite at odds with that.
"So basically you want me to tell her what she wants to hear?" He rubbed the back of his neck as he pondered that aloud, visibly not entirely comfortable with the idea of essentially censoring himself and lying to Bloom just to make her happy. "I guess that makes sense but...it kinda seems disingenuous."
Ironic. For a self proclaimed Dark Lord, he sure had a lot of trouble with more questionable choices such as that.
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Post by Bell the Floramon on May 12, 2020 0:18:37 GMT
"Hm? Am I, now?"
Bell simply left it at that. To the Floramon, well, most Digimon were hiding something - she just wasn't hiding that fact from Dio. "But really, you shouldn't be thinking about how to 'bullshit' around her. Court her, maybe, but if someone like you tries to build something out of lies, it'll all come crumbling back down on you. Trust me, seen it from experience."
The conversation took a pause there for a moment, the Floramon sharing a friendly smile with the waitress as she dropped off their drinks. The plant herself had ordered a fruity concoction, yellow at the base and more red near the top. Letting a petal run along the rim of the glass, she took a sip of that sweet drink, giving a small shrug as Dio summed up her advice.
"I'd say you're simplifying it... let me put it another way." The Floramon thought about it: "Let's see... you ever been mad about something, and just wanted to complain about it when you got back home? And then, maybe Dio tried to convince you that its 'not that bad' or to 'do something else', but really, all he did was get in the way of it?"
The Floramon chuckled. "If you get what I'm talking about, its because what you were looking for then wasn't anything like a rational answer or a solution to your problem. More than anything, you just wanted to vent, right?"
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Post by Carlos Rey on May 17, 2020 4:44:27 GMT
"...court her?" The imp couldn't help but repeat aloud, his rather amusingly meek tone probably saying more about Dio's entire dating knowledge than a thousand words ever could. He quickly tried to compose himself again, trying desperately to take attention away from his overreaction. "By that you mean personal experience or someone else's?"
The self proclaimed Dark Lord's beverage of choice was significantly less fancy than Bell's, a simple mix of some carbonated liquid, a bit of fruit and the slightest trace of alcohol. Yes, he knew well the risks that came with getting something with even the smallest amounts of alcohol in a situation where he needed to be at the top of his game, but quite frankly he'd need a small boost to survive this outing in one piece.
He took a couple of sips from his glass, one or two silent nods of understanding being the only signs that he was actually paying attention to the plant. Obviously, even if he hadn't been in a situation like the one Bell had just described (which he had, multiple times), it was enough for even him to catch the general gist of her advice. Or at least, what he hoped was the general gist.
"I think I'm starting to get it. So it's more about giving her my support in general. Even I can manage that...I hope." He said, rubbing his chin rather pensively. "Any general tips for that or...I'm guessing it's more of a "go with the flow" type thing?"
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Post by Bell the Floramon on May 31, 2020 21:51:25 GMT
Sheesh, this Impmon was surprisingly a softie! Bell couldn't help but chuckle at Dio's rather meek tone, and the next comment made the plant roll her eyes. "Oh, definitely someone else's. Doll, you should know better than anyone that I've built everything I am on lying. Its why I'm so good at reading when people are bullshitting me."
Honestly, it was such a weird 'superpower' to have, at least looking from the outside in. Her voice was low enough that from the outside, this would look little more than an awkward date, or perhaps just a meeting between co-workers. The light buzz of alcohol didn't seem to impact the plant all that much, at least at first, the Floramon going into detail about what it means to vent.
And, thankfully, it seemed that Dio would be able to get it. "Oh, heavens no. For you, its not about going with the flow at all: you're the type to roll up your sleeves and go to bat, and you probably want others to do the same. You're far too straightforward for me to suggest going with the flow." Rather, the Floramon had a sound bit of advice for him:
"For you, I'd say 'shut up and listen' is the key thing you need to follow. Get the whole story, even if you don't need it - she'll be glad to get that whole thing off her chest, and then maybe, if you have a good idea, you could break it to her - gently - at the end."
A bit of a vague thing to follow, but if Dio wanted to do well with Bloom, it was about the best he could do! "Now, moving on... is there anything she likes that you're just terrible at?"
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Post by Carlos Rey on Nov 21, 2020 18:38:43 GMT
"Really now? But you always sound so sincere and kind." He said, the sarcasm in his tone being practically palpable. So much so he had to give a quick but discrete look around afterwards, hoping their "cover" was still somewhat believable despite the passive aggressiveness. All he needed was for this already awkward but necesary "date" to devolve into something worst.
On the subject of venting...well, as much as Dio hated to admit it the plant had hit the nail on the head. By his own admission, he wasn't adept at going with the flow in the slightest. If it were up to him it would be his way or the highway but alas, nine times out of ten it was not up to him, so there was little he could do but follow along and try not to trip over himself.
Which in a way was what she suggested, but in far nicer and easier to follow terms. "I suppose you have a point. Just shut up and follow along until I have a good idea what to do or say." He repeated, trying to get it engraved into his subconscious. "Shut up and listen" yeah, he sure had quite a bit of experience having to do just that, huh.
As for the next point she brought up things were a bit trickier for him to explain. The two didn't know eachother well enough for Dio to really get a grip on a skill or something helpful to that effect that he was lacking...well, at least none that Bloom would probably care enough about. If anything, what he wanted to sort out was a bit more abstract and esoteric than that.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said we never butted heads before, mostly because of me being a bit too proud for my own good, if you can believe that." He rubbed the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, a rather refreshingly self conscious hint in his voice. "But somehow I doubt helping out with that is within your "field of expertise." "
"Hm." He paused for a moment, siletly mulling over something, before he glanced back at her. "What would you change about me?"
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Post by Bell the Floramon on Nov 21, 2020 20:16:14 GMT
"Hey, you're maybe the only one in the room who doesn't believe that."
Bell left it that remark, chuckling as she let the topic slide. The two did have to keep this act up for at least a little while longer, and for now, it seemed that the best way to keep Dio placated was to help him out with his own social missteps - even if Bell's advice was a bit contrary to Dio's own manners.
"Mhm. Often, what you'll find is that what people put forward at first is hardly the entire story. But when someone thinks it over and tries to explain it to another person, something will 'click' in their own head. Sometimes, you won't have to say anything at all." Taking another sip of her drink, Bell listened for the answer to her next question.
... Well, it wasn't exactly what she was looking for. "Doll, I know that about you within five seconds of looking at you. Not that I mind it, the 'proud' type is one of the easiest to manipulate. A little bit of goading the ego there, a suggestive posture here, and boom: they'll do exactly what I want, just to prove that they can."
Ah, but then it came to that last question. A vast, open-ended one that required Bell to really take a deep look at the Impmon, smile, and say in what seemed like a sincere tone: "Oh, not a thing, doll." It might take Dio a moment to pick up on it, but the Floramon was faking it - and as she looked to the waiter, she would hand her menu off to him. "I'll just go with the salad and the soup of the day, thanks." As a plant type, she really didn't have that complicated of a diet.
As their orders were taken, and the waiter would be off, however, Bell would mull over that answer. "Mm, its hard for me to answer without knowing how this 'Flower' of yours is. To a certain extent, what I might find detestable might be what she finds endearing. But, to start, the reason I call you 'Doll' is because the word 'Lord' puts a sour taste in my mouth. Like you're trying to be better than everyone else in the room."
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Post by Carlos Rey on Dec 6, 2020 5:15:35 GMT
Dio couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit more, sighing. It was hard for him to see Bell as anything other than the manipulative criminal she was, so he wasn't entirely convinced on how Bell saw herself reflected in the public's perception, but he decided not to try to poke holes into that just now. There were more pressing matters...well as pressing as dating advice could ever hope to be.
There wasn't much for him to add about her next point, other than giving a quiet nod of his head before taking a quick sip of his drink as well, committing to memory her advice. "Shut up and listen, then act on it."
He clearly opened his word to say something, to try and take her argument down, but stopped himself almost immediatelly, recognizing the trap he would be walking into. Once again, there was some merit to her words, much to his ever increasing chagrin, but if there was anything he could do to deny her a victory, no matter how petty or insignificant, he would take it gladly. Even if deep down he knew his silence was only a confirmation of his agreement with Bell's point.
As for what he could improve about himself...well her initial answer took him aback, to say the least.
"...really?" He asked half surprised, half unconvinced, before he noticed the waiter approaching, and the rather malicious hint of misdirection in her eyes. Right, of course her of all people wouldn't believe that for a second. "Make that two soups, please." He said to the waiter, shrugging a bit at the plant almost preemtively. "Not really hungry, hun." Turns out discussions of one's personality and relationship advices weren't exactly conducive to working up an appetite. At least not right now.
Specially not when she not so subtly attacked his status as the Dark Lord.
"Tch, is there anything wrong with some self respect?"He would have probably added something about being actually better than at least one person in that place, but knew better than to show too much of his ego around her, lest he proved her right yet again. He eventually did give a knowing nod before admitting, "But, for what is worth she isn't particularly fond of adressing me by my title either, so you two have that much in common. So who's to say it's the only thing?"
"Come on, say what you really think, "hun". I won't get mad." He said, a small hint of smug goading in his tone, even if he deep down wanted an actual answer. It was a long shot but hey, she had brought up valid points already, who could say he couldn't take whatever else she thought of him and improve it to his benefit? "Probably."
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