first night together.

( not a picrew edit this time around, but something i modified from neka.cc featuring vivian and @spiritpyro's hayate! to be honest, though, i couldn't really recreate his stupid, skrunkly hair, so i had to mess around a bit... but surprisingly enough, vivian's chain choker was already an option, so i didn't need to do much for her, besides adjust the glasses and obscure her ear a bit more. EITHER WAY, it still ended up being a huge pain in the butt due to just hayate alone; therefore, i'm glad to finally be done with this! )

    Perhaps it was due to her high caffeine levels finally plummeting to an all time low, but after having shelved away all the recently returned books, Vivian decided to take a short little nap instead of leaving once she had finished clocking out... which is why one would eventually be able to find her seated on a chair by a study table with her arms tucked beneath her face and her glasses folded next to her elbow.

    Despite only intending to sleep for half an hour, however, she ended up underestimating her drowsiness so much, she became pretty much dead to the world for another fifty eight minutes. Why, even when someone had settled themselves across from her, Vivian pretty much didn't notice... until, that is, they tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to jerk upright with a loud gasp.

    "W-Wha...?" Of course, by that point, she would then lackadaisically turn as groggy blinks rolled off her sleep riddled lashes and even though her bleary vision was slow to adjust to her surroundings, it doesn't take long for her to somehow realize Mr. Hottie happened to be the one who woke her up. ...Furthermore, she also suspected she must have overslept judging from how deeply she had slumbered. Still, upon registering Mr. Hottie's request and figuring it was way more urgent than her going home, she'll soon bring herself to hastily shrug on her glasses once more before scooting over to glance over at his text book.

    "Hm... let's see." Sure enough, her fingers would idly adjust the temple of her glasses a bit higher along her nose the whole entire time she inspected the drawing, all scholar-like. "Oh, it's just a whole bunch of letters and numbers... CH₂OH, O, OH? Though, looking closely, this sorta resembles two octagons holding hands. ...Yeah, on second thought, I think showing you might actually be a lot faster," Vivian goes on to absentmindedly acknowledge.

    "Very well. Mind letting me borrow a pen and a piece of processed fibre so that I may artistically depict this diagram?" Naturally, by 'processed fibre', she specifically meant paper. Vivian, however, sucked at phrasing things normally, to the point where she would commonly replace actual words with a combination of adjectives and nouns.

OPEN STARTER

Who would've thought reading the assigned textbook for this class would be so much harder than the ones for his other classes? It was one thing to need a magnifying glass to have a chance at reading a normal textbook, but this book was closer to a novel printed in a small size—which made it just that much harder to read. Ugh, this all really sucked! How could he write up this assignment in time when the tool that would help him make sense of this nonsense drawing was back home and when the assignment was due within the next few hours? Rubbing his eyes, Xander tried to focus on the tiny text on the page, but the light in the library was absolutely bothering him.

It hurt like hell, actually. His head hurt too. Taking a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose, the redhead redirected his thoughts away from the throbbing ache in his skull. He had to finish this assignment tonight.

As much as he would stay in his dorm room, he couldn't read properly in dim lighting either, hence why he was even here to read in the first place (and the library helped him focus on his work better too). The redhead had hoped there would be an large print version of his book here, but he had no such luck when asking the librarian about it. So, here he was—stuck without a reasonable excuse for not completing his assignment on time, the word document on the laptop sitting in front of him mostly typed up but still missing the key components that required analyzing components of the text he couldn't magnify properly with the tools he had brought with him to college.

Glancing over at the person sitting beside him, Xander decided to enlist some help. He knew this was breaking the unspoken rules of not bothering people who were studying, but what else could he do at this point when even going back to his dorm room wouldn't change much of anything? Reaching out hesitantly, the boy gently tapped on the person's shoulder, hoping this person would be nice.

In a quiet voice, he tried to explain himself, ❝ Um, sorry to bother you but... do you mind helping me read this? The drawing is way too tiny for me to read. ❞ The redhead held out the book to the page he was stuck on—one with a chemical compound drawings and tiny letters and numbers that he needed to reference, ❝ or if you could draw it larger on a sheet of paper...? ❞

    Before she could respond, the toaster goes off, prompting her to redirect her attention back towards his waffles. Oh yeah, she had put some in earlier, didn't she? By that point, Vivian would soon wander over, grab a dry plate from the dish rack, lazily plop them onto the crockery surface, and set them down by the dining table. Afterwards, she'll then regard Mizumachi over her shoulder.

    "Nah... to be honest, I was just asking in case I ever felt like making an extra portion of mapo tofu. Would be awful if I had the spoons to actually cook food for once, only for you not eat it, you know?" Vivian shrugs while pulling out a chair for him. Upon realizing she hadn't checked on the kettle for a while, however, she'll immediately rush over towards the stove top. Ah, it seemed the water hasn't yet boiled, causing her to issue out a sigh of relief.

    "Sorry for the wait, Kenny. Your hot chocolate should be done... soon-ish!" Vivian finally tells him. Of course, he probably didn't mind, but she still felt guilty being so immersed in their chat, that he had spent the last few minutes, merely listening to her yapping away.

[水]

He nods his head with an approving expression. Who could complain about chicken nuggets, especially if they were cheap? Mizumachi wasn’t very picky with food either, but he certainly had his preferences, and it was usually different variables of ‘how nutritious is it,’ ‘will it give him enough protein,’ or even ‘is it cost-effective as a meal’.

Not wanting to eat something that was made with expired ingredients just sounded like being conscious about food safety, and no one could be faulted by that. An athlete especially had to be careful about what they ate and drank. Too much of anything in excess wasn’t a good thing. Just ask Tetsuma that one time he drank wayyyyyyy too much water and had to spend the second half of the game in the toilets- or so he’s heard.

“Ah? I like it, tofu is good. Though, meat is easier to digest than tofu, so I usually prefer meat. I still love it though. It’s easy to cook with.”

Something about how the body couldn’t digest the complex something something or whatever. He forgets. If there are no other protein options, he doesn’t mind tofu! It’s great! He personally loves them in his miso soup. You could also pan fry it and just enjoy it with some soy sauce. He wasn’t a super picky guy. Just give him the necessary nutrients and calories he needs and he’s there. He’ll eat it all in record timing!

“Hm? Why did you ask about tofu? Do I look like a tofu hater or somethin’?”

Can someone look like a tofu hater? If so, he wants to know what that looks like so he can work to look like a tofu-enjoyer instead. Honestly, that sounds funny. Maybe he can bring that information back to Japan and educate his friends on something! Mhaa~

Rin wasn't used to gifting another girl a present. He and Tsubaki didn't date long enough for him to celebrate her birthday. So, what does he give someone like Vivian? After all, she was a bit older than him. He knew they like similar games. But did he know little things like her favorite food or color? Maybe that should be something he'd know from a friend, huh? Actually, he didn't think he knew some of those things from Megumu either, huh? 

Still, Rin got her at least something she knew she'd like. He brought a few merches from her favorite otome series. But he still couldn't get passed her preference for white-haired guy. Maybe because all the ones he knew were total jerks—then again, what she said kind of guy is her type—but he wasn't going to lecture anyone about preference since he really couldn't judge for his own.

But a body pillow, a few figures, and some drama CD that was character exclusive. She might like this, right? 

It felt awkward, but she was a good friend. So he can get over this shyness he has when he's around her.

❝ Happy birthday, Vivian. ❞ Rin rubbed the back of his neck, averting eye contact while red in the face, handing her these gifts. ❝I wasn't sure what to get you, so I hope you like them. ❞

VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    Upon beholding the gifts he procured for her, both eyes would immediately widen... for it was actually a lot more than she expected. Why, one could say Rin went above and beyond when it came to getting her something she liked. "T-This is... all for me?" came her subsequent, awe-stricken query, and within seconds, Vivian goes on to shake her head. "Jeez, Rino-puff, this must have costed you a fortune! Seriously, do I dare ask just how much money you had spent on silly ol' me?"

    Despite saying that, though, she'll gladly accept the otome-related merchandise, though not without nearly dropping the body pillow in the process due to there being more than one figure. Honestly, as it turned out, holding them all with her smaller hands proved challenging, to the point where she'll soon cast a sheepish glance towards Rin.

    "Uh... if it isn't too much trouble, could you maybe help me carry the dakimakura the rest of the way to my hotel room?" Vivian awkwardly questions, for having only two arms and no car made things a tad bit more challenging... what's more, she wanted to prevent as much damage as she possibly could to the figures, which only made the body pillow further complicate her current situation. "Oh, and before I forget... thank you for buying me all this!"

@chaosarashi

Shigemasa didn't think too much of what to give Vivian. He was her friend and figured she'd be a happy to receive any gift as long as it wasn't offensive to her. He brought her a box of assorted snacks. Since it was spring and Sakuras were in full bloom, he gives her snacks either matched or some sakura candies.

❝ Here. Not sure if you got the full experience of trying snacks here in your stay, but please take these as a gesture of my gratitude for our friendship, Vivi-chan. ❞

As usual, Shigemasa is curt with his engagements. There was no need for him to express such sentiments as he felt embarrassed to do so—although he'd never admit such a thing. Besides, she should be lucky that she's receiving a gift from the future prime minister of japan. Not many are blessed by such good will.

   VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    Of course, as soon as he brought them to her attention, coal black eyes were quick to flicker down towards the snacks with newfound interest.

    "Ooh... you got me quite the selection!" Vivian then proclaims after eagerly seizing the box and prying the cardboard lid open. ...Furthermore, most were from Bokkusu as well, a company that allegedly made such delicious Japanese snacks, she had heard many anime-related Youtubers like 'sydsnap' and 'That Japanese Man Yuta' sponsor them in their videos. Either way, she found herself becoming immediately intrigued the more she scanned the various packages.

    "Huh, very interesting! I'll hereby be looking forward to eating these with my morning coffee. But thanks, Shiggy-wiggy! I don't usually go outta my way to try anything different, especially since I'll always get stuff I know I'm guaranteed to like, so I'll be sure to treat this as a unique culinary experience," Vivian then adds, shooting him a carefree grin. Why, she wasn't lying either, because as an autistic individual, she clings to familiarity so much, she'd often order the same thing at restaurants she frequented or follow routines for months straight.

    Still, given the fact she wasn't all that picky, Vivian doesn't mind trying out new foods, including even snacks she would never have bought on her own.

@eliteimperialism

Marguerite Duras, from The Lover

Text ID: I am worn out with desire.

Just as he was passing by Vivian on the way back to his dorm room, he noticed her carrying around a bag that clearly said 'Happy Birthday' on it. Well shoot. If he had known this, he would've at least gotten her a card or something! Uh, did he have anything on him right now? Scrambling to locate anything unopened, Xander managed to fish out a still sealed packet of matcha flavored pocky. Uhhhh, this wasn't going to go well was it? Sheepishly tapping Vivian on the shoulder to get her attention, the redhead cleared his throat, ❝ I saw your bag— ❞ He paused to hold out the packet of pocky snack biscuits to her, ❝ —this is all I have to really give at the moment. I'll get you a card when I have time. ❞ [@aeviterncl; excuse my Xander brainrot atm]

  VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    "Uwaaah!" Vivian's quick to let out a startled cry upon registering the sensation of someone tapping their fingers against her shoulder. Honestly, with how surprised she was, it's a miracle she didn't manage to drop Reanne's gift. Either way, she'll soon bring herself to warily peer behind her, before issuing out a sigh when discovering the one who tried to capture her attention all along had been Mr. Hottie.

    "Ah... it's only you. Listen, we have got to stop having these random run ins with each other. It's bad for my heart!" Vivian insists, before subsequently proceeding to blink at his next words. Wait, he had noticed her bag? Furthermore, Mr. Hottie also had a gift for her? Sure enough, she'll go on to shake her head while marvelling over the fact he somehow managed to give her a snack that happened to be her favourite flavor.

    "Goodness, you truly shouldn't have... but thanks! If you can believe it, this actually happens to be my favourite," Vivian admits, and within seconds, she'll go on to shoot him a sheepish smile. "Also, I assure you the card isn't necessary; besides, you don't even know my name yet... so wouldn't giving me one be kinda awkward?"

@aeviterncl

Reanne had somehow managed to remember a special occasion today—it was a friend's birthday! And of course, she had gotten things prepared nicely. Having packed a mini chocolate cheesecake into a very festive and birthday themed gift bag, the pigtailed girl was more than happy to greet her friend with a wide smile, ❝ Vivian! Happy birthday!! ❞ In addition to the cake she had gotten, there was a little acrylic standee of Tyril (was that his name?) from that otome game she hadn't played yet (but it was the same character featured on the keychain Vivian gifted her around the time they first met) packed neatly in the bag too.

   VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    Frankly speaking, Vivian wasn't expecting Reanne to actually remember her birthday, so when she presented her with a fancy gift bag over by the bus stop they had both agreed to meet at, her face would immediately light up.

    "Wow, for me? Thank you so much, Riri!" Vivian soon clasps her hands together before eagerly prying the bag out of her hands. Honestly enough, it was merely the thought itself that counted, to the point where Reanne could have gifted her olive oil and she would have been pleased to no end.

    "Not gonna lie, I didn't think you would actually get me anything... but I guess there's a reason people call stuff like this a 'surprise', huh?" Vivian then rambles while chancing a glance down towards the contents of the bag. Granted, chocolate wasn't her absolutely favourite flavor or anything, but it was still cheesecake; therefore, she doesn't doubt it would taste good! Besides, Reanne had also gotten her a Tyril standee acrylic, so even if the cheesecake failed to match her non-picky standards, she would at least have that to decorate her room.

    "Oh man, I hope I won't end up dropping this cake on my way back home," Vivian finally sweat-drops upon realizing she had to be extra careful when it came to carrying around Reanne's gift. "Kinda makes me wish we were over at the food court again. That way, I could just eat this right away and not have to worry about the limitation of only having two hands."

@aeipathcy

"Hey."

She doesn't have much energy right now, it's plain to see in the way her eyes stay half-lidded and her smile remains slight on her face. At the very least, she's cleaned herself up and made an effort to get herself out of her rut - it looks as though she's even cut her hair, just for this occasion.

"I- I know I haven't been... present, recently. And... I'm really sorry for that. And... and you've been so patient, and understanding, and I dunno where I'd be without the thought of your smile to keep me going. So... I wanna at least do something special for you today. I, uhm... the dog cafe I like to go to is doing matcha stuff this month. And... I figured you'd like that. And then maybe... we can go shopping after? I wanna treat you. So... what do you say? Are you... still willing to spend that time with me?"

   VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    The moment she registers her voice, Vivian would immediately turn, beaming all the while. Honestly, in the event she happened to be angry with Alex, then it definitely didn't show on her face. Why, as if to further prove her jubilation, she'll even excitedly rush forward to greet her girlfriend. "Lexy! You look even prettier than I last remembered. Did you cut your hair?" Vivian then practically exclaims before proceeding to pause upon coming to the realization she seemed rather... guilty somehow. Ah, was it because they didn't spend much time together recently?

    Either way, it doesn't take long for her gaze to soften the more Alex speaks. Of course, rather than interject, she'll patiently listen until she finally finishes before nodding with yet another smile gracing her lips. This time around, though, it was a much more serene, affectionate one

    "Of course, silly! There's never a day I won't wanna spend time with you; in fact, I was actually hoping you might invite me out for a date all along," VIvian admits... and she wasn't lying either, because from morning up until now, she had worried Alex might have forgotten her birthday. "But first... could I self-indulgently touch you to prove you're real and not some hallucination I conjured as a result of my own loneliness?"

@dis--parity

“Hurry up and get dressed—” That’s the first thing that comes out of his mouth; Hayate had plans– yes, he planned these days ahead now that he has the time to do this with his girlfriend. He’s never one to celebrate his own birthday or whatever, however when it comes to other people? Yeah, he’ll definitely go out of his way to make sure that person’s day was excitable but not too much. He already had purchased their tickets to Sanrio Puroland— way in advance. It’s a surprise that he hopes Vivian will enjoy the two of them.

“We have errands to run,” there wasn’t any errands, he was just trying to lie so she wouldn’t figure out what he had going on for her. Yeah— he already made her a few crocheted butterflies ( he had to lie and say he was working on something else when she asked what it was ) that were stored in his little workshop room. On a high shelf where Vivian can’t reach. There’s also a few other things that he will give her but that’s until they reach back home. One of them was a bundle of matcha flavor things— the expensive kind, too. He had no issues on spending his money on Vivian, really, she deserved whatever and Hayate really doesn’t use his money that much for his own personal enjoyment.

“Make sure to wear comfortable shoes, too,” he tells her, reaching over to grab a brush to tidy up those disheveled locks of hers. He’s too used to doing Vivian’s hair for her— this goes without saying that he had too much love for his girlfriend. Maybe. And he doesn’t have to outwardly spoil her or say those three meaningful words — I love you— repeatedly when he knows that she knew he loved her with all his being.

Hayate lowered his head down to plant a kiss on the crown of Vivian’s head after he finished handling her hair. “Come on, birthday girl. Those errands aren’t going to do themselves.”

[ no i will not be late, my name hayate and I'm gonna take my gf to saniro amusement park for her birthday. AND A LOVELY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIVI!!!!!!!!!!!1111 I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY!!111💙 ]

   VIVIAN'S BIRTHDAY BASH. always accepting no matter how late!

    "Nnngh... Hayupin, can't you choose a much more restful period to boss me around? Like late afternoon maybe?" Vivian sleepily mumbles. Truth be told, she had only woken up fairly recently, so at that present moment, she couldn't help dallying when it came to putting on actual pants. Why, before Hayate even addressed her, she had previously been reading out the birthday messages her friends and family members sent to her. Still, upon hearing him say they had errands to run, she'll finally bring herself to toss her phone back onto the bed with a melodramatic sigh before lethargically shrugging on her pants, one leg after the other.

    "Fine, fine! I'll fully clothe this flesh prison for you... so please just wait, okay?" Vivian goes on to reassure him and seconds later, she'll finally fasten her zipper shut. Afterwards, she'll then hastily grab her phone, slide it through the pocket of her hoodie, and lazily make her way over towards their shared closet. "Oh, yeah, I can't exactly go out, wearing my to haai, huh?" Vivian goes on to idly muse. In the end, rather than simply say 'slippers', she opted to use the Cantonese term instead out of natural habit. Either way, she'll soon wince when Hayate runs the brush along the knots behind her head, but rather than express discomfort, she'll prioritize sliding the closet door open before slipping on the loafers she had finished polishing only a day prior.

    Sure enough, though, Vivian finds herself becoming so immersed in the sensation of her boyfriend lovingly tending to her hair, her eyes would briefly flutter shut in true, blissful contentment... only to snap back open once he proceeds to give her forehead a chaste little peck. "Mm... rather than the errands, Hayupin, I think I'd wanna do you," Vivian goes on to pout. "But with there still being thirteen more hours left before the day is over, I guess I can always pounce on your cock later." By that point, she'll soon seize his hand in hers, and without much warning, leans her head on top of his shoulder... fully expecting him to lead the way.

        "In exchange, though, you better show me a good time. Understood?"

@spiritpyro

    Soon after registering his next words, Vivian goes on to squint. What in the world was this guy even talking about? Portal? Tail? None of it made any scientific sense. "Dude, have you been smoking too much weed, you're now spouting nonsense? What do you mean by 'tail' and 'portal'?!" Vivian calls out, allowing her tone to shift into a more incredulous one. Truth be told, she had trouble actually believing he came from another world, so the only plausible explanation she could arrive at was that he somehow got stuck while trying to infiltrate a warehouse. Either way, it doesn't take long for her to stare back at him in complete, utter disbelief.

    "Wait, you expect me to haul your sorry butt out of a god damn chimney? My guy... have you once bothered looking around?! There are no ladders conveniently just propped up against nearby buildings, let alone ones long enough to reach a roof!" Vivian exclaims. "So how can I, an ordinary homosapien, possibly get up to where you are without sprouting wings?" Despite saying this, however, she'll still glance this way and that while trying to brainstorm ideas on how to get him out. Honestly, if this guy fell into a trash dumpster, she would have a much easier time fetching him, but this... well, it was way out of her current expertise.

    "Should I simply call you an ambulance and call it a day?" Vivian finally questions upon subsequently being unable to figure out how else to resolve his little... predicament. Seriously, at this point, there was only so much she could do.

He heard her before he saw her, oh good a person- now he could get outta here. "Oh ha ha, perfect time for a joke- listen I'm chasing a villain, and he dropped us through a portal and my tail got me stuck in here." Des would absentmindedly stretch out his torso, unbeknownst to him, he was in a normal world so he wouldn't know her reaction till the girl reacted.

Kal-li was unusually quiet, only letting out a quiet Murmur when she was searching for the villain, Des thought so he couldn't get feedback from her.

"Just help me out, I gotta catch that villain for my teacher- they're counting on me!" His voice was laced frantic and his eyes serious.

❝ You know, I got this otome game that came out recently just to try it out, ❞ Reanne began to talk as she walked beside her friend. She had actually bought the game to help her deter her expenses from being solely dedicated to food, and she somehow found herself laughing and enjoying the humor in the game she had grabbed. It was an expensive purchase, in her opinion, for a game that was mostly reading, but hey—who was she to judge when the art was so gorgeous she should spend every cent supporting that artist in question? ❝ Oh! And before I forget— ❞ she stopped herself from rambling to dig into her backpack and pull out the game titles she had borrowed from Vivian, ❝ —here! I didn't forget this time! ❞

        UNPROMPTED ASKS. » always accepting!

    "Wait, seriously?!" With newfound interest, Vivian would subsequently turn to face Reanne, but her eyes wouldn't linger long on her gaze before they unconsciously swerve back down to her lips... a habit that came so naturally to her, she didn't even register herself doing it. Honestly, if Reanne found her fixation with the lower half of her face to be weird, then she certainly wasn't made privy to it, because she would soon carry on, acting as though nothing had been amiss.

    "Do share the name and what it's about!" Vivian then goes on to implore, seemingly oblivious to how she comes across. Once Reanne proceeds to hand over the games she had lent her, however, she would eventually come to an absentminded halt while graciously retrieving them from her hands... all while ensuring their fingers didn't touch. "Ah... true, you didn't forget," Vivian finds herself distractedly mumbling.

    Of course, the last time Reanne had forgotten, she tried her best to conceal her irritation, but given how she practically always wore her heart on her sleeve, it's likely she noticed her mood souring afterwards. Regardless, Vivian wastes no time, tucking the games back into the shoulder bag she carried around for class before flashing her a quick smile.

    "Welp, now that I have proof you remembered, thanks for returning them back to me in relatively good condition! If the covers had been scratched or something, I would have succumbed to despair." No sooner did she utter out that last sentence, Vivian would then melodramatically shudder... making it rather apparent she coveted her otome games quite strongly.

@aeipathcy

    "Oh, right... it's my birthday tomorrow!" Vivian idly muses aloud, her eyes never once flicking back up from her phone screen. "Huh... wonder if there would still be anything matcha flavoured I could buy from the local bakeries. Since I'm not working tomorrow, I might as well go check!"

❝ I know we're not really friends or anything, but if you don't mind answering, ❞ Xander took a bite of his sandwich as he cuts his words short, not really sure if he should really share this dilemma over with a girl he hardly knew or not. It was only by chance that he had run into here in the cafeteria after all and it would be rude to simply ignore her. Was it really appropriate to ask her randomly about unnatural hair colors and such? Probably not, but it wasn't like he was trying to form a good impression. Might as well ask anyway—especially since he did recall how this girl could barely look him in the eye the other day. Swallowing the bite he had taken, Xander posed the question that had been swirling in his head for the longest time, ❝ does my red hair really bother you that much? ❞ Or was it his eyes that made people shrink away? Or maybe the piercings? [@aeviterncl]

        UNPROMPTED ASKS. » always accepting!

    Honestly, it was a fortunate thing Vivian had set her cup of coffee down beforehand, because if she hadn't, she would have definitely sputtered out hot, amber liquid upon being addressed by 'Mr. Hottie' once more. Instead, however, she somehow manages to only jolt upwards when spoken to, before forcing a somewhat strained smile along her lips. "Y-Yes? How ever may I help you?" came her eventual query.

    Of course, the whole entire time, Vivian would refrain from mentioning how much she envied the sandwich for being able to experience his mouth on it, for the last thing she wanted was Mr. Hottie concluding she was a pervert. Still, seeing him eat was admittedly distracting, to the point where she had to force herself to actually listen to his next words... and when she did, Vivian's quick to blink. "Huh?" she soon murmurs out rather absentmindedly, allowing slight bewilderment to seep it's way through her voice.

Truth be told, Vivian had no idea what he was talking about at first, only to later realize like a light bulb going off in her head that he must be referring to the odd way she had behaved around him, causing her to sheepishly wince. Oh... yeah, considering she had avoided eye contact with Mr. Hottie the same way she would any other person, it would make sense he'd think the reason would be due to his hair.

    "...No, no, you got it all wrong!" Sure enough, Vivian brings herself to hastily shake her head. "I-In fact, red hair suits you quite well! It's just that... uh, every time I have to interact with non-2D... another sentient human being, I find eye contact super duper hard for some reason. So yeah, don't take my weirdness too personally..." Granted, that was only part of the reason she couldn't bring herself to regard him properly, but telling Mr. Hottie she found him attractive would probably make things doubly awkward between them, hence why she decides not to.

    Furthermore, explaining she's autistic would potentially be a hassle, so she simply leaves it at that for the time being... then again, maybe Mr. Hottie did know about autism all along and her not outright saying it would make him even more confused. Either way, Vivian had no way of knowing for sure; therefore, she would distract herself by sipping on her coffee again.

@aeviterncl