[closed]

[playdolls]

WHO: Pitou, Grell, Ardyn
WHERE: The love nest.
WHEN: Now.
WHAT: Time to pet cats and make up.
WARNINGS: N/A

After sulking for nearly two weeks, it seems Pitou has mad enough peace with the engagement. They're willing to show up and see the house, willing to pet the cats, willing to actually speak to Grell and Ardyn... with maybe some pissiness, but it's a start.

They show up on the doorstep, blowing lazily on their coffee that they assuredly had Mafuyu pick up for them.

Slaves were a beautiful thing.

Comments

[daemonized]

Pitou shows up just before Ardyn returns home; their presence is baffling, considering his last face-to-face conversation with them a couple of weeks ago. So much that he just parks his car in the driveway instead of pulling into the garage. They’ll hear him approach, digging for his keys in his pocket.

“Pitou?” He wonders if this is a good sign, that their ire has dwindled into something manageable where his own existence is concerned. Either that, or they’re going to turn around immediately and claw his eyes out. Time to find out which it’ll be.

He decides to go ahead and unlock the door for them, though he looks skeptical the entire time. Almost hopeful, though.

“Come to visit?”

[playdolls]

Pitou gives him a look which clearly communicates: No, I just came to stand on your porch for no reason. They don't say anything at first, just continuing to blow on their coffee before taking a drink.

Then, finally, "Grell knows I'm coming."

Which is clearly the most obstinate way of answering that question.

[daemonized]

That look is so easily read. But it's halfway expected, and honestly, Ardyn is just glad that they're speaking with them at all.

"I see," he says, opening up the door for them to walk in properly. "Then don't let me stand in your way. Grell's inside."

A pause. Then he tosses in a (hopefully) promising addendum. "The cats, too."

[playdolls]

The narrow, irritated expression persists a moment longer, but then they are cheerful again, brushing past him.

"I think you have some glitter on your coat," and there is no one in the world more satisfied with themselves.

They head inside like they own the place already, calling out pleasantly,

"I'm here, Grell."

[erythristic]

"I'm in here, Pitou."

She emerges from the living room, cradling Rochester in her arms - the cat is, more or less, an idea to keep Pitou in higher spirits. Baiting her friend to come over with the most obvious temptation is at least effective, and she's happy there might at least be some peace to be found in this place.

Like a cat themselves, coming back at last to the people that so offended it but nevertheless offered a warm place to sleep.

[daemonized]

He closes the door behind him after Pitou waltzes right on in, and when he catches up with both them and Grell in the living room, he isn't surprised to see his cat being used as a bargaining chip. An offer of good will.

He dusts off the smattering of glitter that still clings to the shoulder of his coat, wanting to make a remark about how they might've known about the state of his office earlier, but his better sense tells him not to. Not just yet. (He'll be trying to get glitter out of everything for days, though. Thanks a lot, Pitou.)

"Something to drink?" he offers, to the both of them, after setting his things down nearby.

[playdolls]

As one would more or less expect, Pitou Blythe is immediately more interested in the cat than anyone else in the room. Their fingers extend to rub under the cat's chin, making a series of trilling, chirping little noises at the beast. Descending into cat speak, apparently. They have an annoyingly magical touch with cats, and they use it regularly at the animal shelter to tame and soothe lost and feral critters. Only when Rochester is a purring puddle in Grell's arms does Pitou's attention redirect.

"I brought my own coffee, in case yours was terrible," directed straight at Ardyn, to literally... no one's surprise. A wretched, sniping little jerk is now wandering your home, looking at your things and judging your decorating skills.

"This will be much better when Grell redecorates..."

[erythristic]

"Coffee actually sounds splendid."

The cat falls in love with Pitou almost instantly, closing his eyes and purring loudly, giving every sign of utter contentment. He loves these humans, but this one speaks his language and is hitting the right spots. A fully blissed out and relaxed cat is an easy acquisition, and Grell chuckles to hear the comment on the coffee. It's just fine, she's still alive, but Pitou's suspicion was expected.

"What if I don't want to, Pitou? That sounds like a terribly large amount of effort to go through."

She's joking. But the truth is she's willing to compromise on things.

[daemonized]

Pitou’s presence is practically magnetic, it appears, where felines are concerned. Rochester almost immediately adores them in a way that Ardyn has never seen.

It’s fortunate that he’s a man who is famously difficult to offend, unless someone knows exactly the right buttons to push. Therefore Pitou’s words do very little to his pride, and as always, Ardyn just looks frustratingly amused. After all, the act that they’re even here, willing to spend time with himself and Grell (mostly Grell) is a promising sign.

“Coffee it is,” he says, and will turn to disappear into the kitchen for now, giving the two friends time to chat if they like. Eventually, the smell of coffee brewing will eke over into the living room as well.

[playdolls]

"You can probably keep some of the basic stuff," Pitou opines lazily. "But you know as well as I do that this is all way too drab."

Pitou the arbiter of style. Although, to their credit, they tended to be able to pick apart and understand the facets of things others enjoyed, to replicate it. They were so good on that at a superficial level, but the skill really did not translate into a similar insightfulness when it came to feelings. They were stubbornly, determinedly, emotionally inarticulate. Which is likely why they're moving around this place like they've decided it's theirs now with almost no acknowledgement whatsoever of the fuss they'd but up about the two of them sharing it. Not even an apology.

"How have you been sleeping? He looks like he snores..."

Thanks, Pitou, thanks.

[erythristic]

The soul of tact, really. The cat puddle is gently offloaded onto a cushion, and Grell crosses her arms, looking at Pitou wandering around like they actually live here. It's better than seeing them angrily glare at it all, though.

"What, your long list of reasons to dislike him isn't enough for you? I'm sleeping just fine, actually. If he snores, I know nothing about it."

Better, actually, comforted by someone else's presence, but if she says that in front of Pitou she has the sense that she'll be fully and dutifully mocked for being such a romantic.

"I take it this means your death sentence has been revoked?"

[playdolls]

Pitou glances over their shoulder, eyes narrowing. Wow, don't call them out like they're a softy.

"I'm thinking about it," they hedge, hiffy, unwilling to show weakness in the face of Ardyn Izunia, certainly not in his own home. Still, their eyes wander slowly to the man in question, an odd little look, knowing they'd had their own little argument where Pitou had done their best to say nothing, but had likely said something which reflected the tumultuous depths of their need for Grell.

They reach out to accept the coffee, trading it for the cup they'd already drained. They don't say thank you, but they also don't insult its contents any further. Small steps.

[daemonized]

Once Ardyn's returned, and coffee is settled properly into the hands of all those who wanted it, he moves over an empty seat on the couch and sits, leaning back into the cushion in that very casual way of his.

Having caught that last bit, he remarks, "Only thinking about it?" He smile he wears is probably a tad frustrating to Pitou, but it really is just his default look most of the time. "And what can I do to convince you to spare me from a painful, unforgiving death?"

[playdolls]

"At minimum, a Taj Mahal," replied, utterly blithe.

If anyone thinks they're getting a straight answer out of this beast, they are sorrowfully mistaken. Their initial pronouncement had been of knee-jerk panic, and smoothing that out was not a logical process so much as a slow series of concessions for how forgiving they were willing to be. Time more than anything else was the secret, hiffing for the right amount of time would show they were very serious. And not very silly.

"There are more cats."

So possibly, at minimum, two more cats.

[erythristic]

Grell can take a hint, and goes to fetch one more cat out of the bedroom. Erebus was sleeping when she scooped him up, and blinks blearily at the world, offended at being moved. Still, Grell carries him over to Pitou, giving over the next peace offering. Soft and confused, Erebus is glancing around to find a reason to be stirred from his slumber.

[daemonized]

Poor Erebus, he thinks to himself. All he wanted to do was sleep, and yet here he is, being used as a peace offering so Pitou might become more amiable around them. Still, Ardyn watches with obvious amusement as the feline is handed over to them with a vague sort of confusion in his eyes.

He continues his (maybe futile) attempt to kickstart a conversation with his new houseguest.

"So, Pitou, did you by chance have anything to do with the current state of my office?"

[playdolls]

"What state would that be?" As if they are innocent of all crimes. And look at them, they're snuggling a sleepy cat, how bad can they possibly be?

"Also, no."

Mafuyu who conceived, arranged, and delivered the whole thing, thus Pitou had not been involved. Besides paying for the supplies and probably ordering her to do it. That is beside the point, their very dangerously manicured hands are clean.