perfectmatch | week three

Rom and Serpilia are going out to afternoon tea. It's at a faaaaaancy hotel with a faaaaaancy restaurant with the faaaaanciest afternoon tea service.

Highlights

Please dress appropriately.
They will judge your hat, Rom.
The sandwiches are scrumptious.

[ HE DRESSED APPROPRIATELY OKAY!!! For as generally tactless and my-pace as he tends to be, Rom isn't completely blind to social convention, and there's not much he has to gain from standing out too much here, so. He will try to fit in. Yes, he's still in all-black, but at least it's proper nice clothes. Yes, he let the show's stylist slick his hair back. Yes, unfortunately, he is also wearing the eyepatch, but don't worry about it.

He'll even pull the chair out first for Serpilia as they approach their table, his voice kept a little low to fit the ambiance. ]

... by any chance, are you familiar with these sorts of places, Miss Serpilia?

[ Because he sure isn't. ]

[ For the most part despite being more of a pants and jacket kind of girl, Serpilia is also trying here, though she did still put on a pair of pristine looking sneakers rather than wearing heels. She figures if anyone is not going to care deeply about her appearance, it's Rom, even if the people serving them the tea might.

And apparently he's also trying to avoid their ire by following social conventions. She lets out a small, disbelieving laugh at him pulling out the chair, but maybe he is a gentleman, or maybe it just gives him a good excuse to try to see if he can cheat off her etiquette homework.

The problem is... ]

Not even a little bit.

[ She didn't do the homework either.

She will sit down though, and offer him a big grin. They're in this struggle together, bud. ]

[ tfw you're honestly trying to be nice to the best of your knowledge and you get accused of just trying copy someone's homework ]

Haha. I see.

[ Either way, Rom doesn't sound too pressed as he pushes the chair in for Serpilia to sit in, before rounding the table towards his own seat. ]

I suppose we'll just have to do our best not to get thrown out, then.

[ The scammer vibes are just too strong, Rom. ]

How bad can it be? It's just tea and little snacks, right? As long as we're not eating like animals, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[ Probably?

She does frown as she looks around at people who do look very fancy in all their finery. ]

[ It's not like he's blind to some of the sideways glances being thrown their way either, but. Well. Not like they can change into anything fancier now, so! ]

You're right. Surely, we'll be fine.

[ He's just going to pick up the little flute of champagne that's already been poured from them, raising it forth for a little toast. ]

Here's to a lovely strategy m -- [ hehe ] -- I mean, a lovely date, Miss Serpilia.

[ Admittedly a large portion of the looks probably has to do with the halo and wings. She dealt with that when at dinner with Verso too.

She'll do her best to ignore them as she picks up her own flute, though fixing Rom with an exasperated look at the "slip up". This is why the sincerity of the kind gestures is doubted, Rom! ]

Come on! I know what we're really here for, but do my ego a little kindness by pretending for at least five minutes that you want to be here with me for other reasons.

Of course, of course, do excuse me.

[ Said in an entirely unconvincing way as he leans forward to clink their glasses together. But as he settles back in his seat -- not yet sipping from the glass, instead absently swirling it a little -- Rom glances off to the side. Thinking for a moment before continuing, his delivery just a little lighter on the showmanship than usual: ]

I thought it would go without saying that I'd be honored to spend time like this with someone like you.

Nope!

[ It's delivered with the sort of confidence one might expect a girl who didn't need it said that "her company was an honor" would say things with. ]

Those sorts of things absolutely need to go with saying. What good is a compliment to me if someone never bothers to pay it in the first place?

I see.

[ A pause, a blink, before he pits down his glass and sits up a little straighter. Miracle of miracles, he actually manages to look like a proper, normal, serious human being for a hot second when he tries again: ]

I'm glad for the chance to enjoy your company like this, Miss Serpilia. Your beauty is a wonderful sight, of course, but I also look forward to your lovely thoughts. Thank you.

[ She hums thoughtfully to herself, head tilting just a little to one side, then just slightly to the other as she considers it. ]

Still feels like you're angling too hard for that strategy session, but I'll give you a pass this time.

[ She reaches over to their impressive tray of treats, and picks up something that looks a little less overwhelming sugary to put on the plate in front of Rom.

His reward for his performance. You know, the reward he was going to get no matter what. ]

So since you're that eager to jump into it, tell me what you're thinking so far.

[ While she gets herself a lot more teeth rotting looking. ]

[ Ah ................... ]

I wasn't angling, though. I was being serious ...

[ tfw you're too good at looking like a skeevy conman so even your best attempts at being sincere and complimentary aren't believed ...... ]

[ Oh well. It's not like he isn't used to people misreading his intentions. Moving on -- Rom pokes at his fancy little pâté thingy (?) with his fork as he gives a thoughtful hum. ]

It certainly feels like people are more willing to explore other options with this upcoming ceremony. Maybe we should be grateful the close shave has worked as a sort of wake-up call?

[ Sorry, Rom. It was making sure to compliment her mind the most after asking for a strategy session. ]

Grateful seems kind of harsh, but I guess maybe? It definitely helped us eliminate a whole lot of seemingly solid possibilities quickly.

[ Not at all adding to the perception that he's just in it for the strategy meet he's just going to get straight into it: ]

Harsh, perhaps -- but I don't think it's untrue. Consider: if we had gotten, say, even one light this past week, we would have wasted the failsafe that Miss Furina and Miss Ringo's pairing netted us, while leaving far too many pairings on the table as 'still being possible.' I think it's a matter of mindset. It would have left the door open for too many pairings based simply on intuition and feelings. This way, harsh though it might be, the door has been closed on several that people might have been attached to. We can make good use of it, I think.

week three | dates

rom and serpilia

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1/2

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