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Ashton entered the Spire by Fire unable to keep the grin off their face. It felt odd, unnatural, like the time their right hand had been broken and they'd had to relearn how to do everything with their left. But there it sat.
The other Hells noticed, and Ashton didn't even care. That's how happy they were.
"Everything all right, Ashton?" Imogen asked.
"I finally did it," Ashton said, swiping a drink from the bar and sitting down between Orym and Fearne.
"Lost your mind?" Chetney said, and Ashton was tempted to scowl, if only because that would have been their line, if it had been anyone else.
"No, I asked Marwa out. On a date. We're getting dinner tomorrow."
"Oooh, how nice!" Laudna leaned forward, her torso elongating slightly as her mouth stretched wide into a grin. "I love meet cutes - tell me all the details!"
"So I stopped by her shop, just in case she had some more explosives. And then when I was paying for everything, I noticed she had some of her leftovers from that Yiosian chicken place down the way - the one that's got great pies? - and then asked if she wanted to try the new Yiosian chicken place on the Core Spire, and she said yes, and then we set a time."
Orym frowned. "Isn't the one in the Core Spire just another Gladfly like the one in the Lantern Spire?"
"Yeah, but that's how I know she'll like the food."
Chetney scoffed, shoving his beer out of the way with a slosh and standing up on his chair to get a little more height. Like, an inch. Ashton didn't really understand why he bothered. "You suggested you try Yiosian fast food together? That's not how you ask someone out! Where is the passion? The commitment? Women (and men) want to be swept off their feet! You gotta take command, and let them know that you're hot stuff, and think they're hot stuff."
"Hey, say what you want. I'm the one with a date tomorrow."
Fearne's consciousness seemed to focus a little bit on the conversation for a few seconds. Ashton honestly had no idea that she'd been listening at all. "I mean sure, but I've got to agree with Chetney. You just tell them that you're ready for a tumble and see what happens."
Chetney went to try to say something in response, but Fearne just held up one hand. "You snooze, you lose. You had your chance."
Chetney sat back down and slumped, pulling his beer with him in response.
"Direct communication is the best way to navigate any relationship! As long as you were clear about your wants and needs, I'm sure it would be fine!" said Letters. Who meant well, and Ashton couldn't find it in their heart to be mad at them. But, c'mon.
"I don't know, it might work out," Orym said a little softly and wistfully, the way they did when they talked a little about their past. "When me and - uh, my last partner - got together, we'd known each other for a while. So when we'd started picnicing and spending more time alone together, it wasn't very obvious what was going on. To me, at least. The sisters all seemed to know."
"Wait. You're the guy who sees and knows everything. You couldn't tell?" Ashton was starting to actually get nervous. They'd been so sure that Marwa had known that it was a date before. But it wasn't like it was serious. It's not like it was love. It was just a date! People manage to go on dates all the time.
"Even if you can read minds, it can be hard to tell how someone feels sometimes. And maybe you don't want to check, just in case you're wrong. Theoretically." Imogen was sipping her drink and very much not looking in Laudna's direction.
Ashton was doomed.
It wasn't like they could show up and ask her if she wanted it to be a date. What if she said no? Ashton had survived many things, but - okay, they'd probably survive that. But they wouldn't want to deal with Imogen knowing, then Chetney knowing, tomorrow.
He just had to figure out what she thought was going on in real time. And in the meanwhile, they would just keep it ambiguous. They could feel her out. Just see what she was wearing and decide from there.
His confidence crumpled in the face of a short, messy haired Marwa in an adorable patterened button up, some grease stains still visible on her forearms.
She would have cleaned up before a date, right? But maybe they didn't have time, or the stains didn't come out. And it's not like Ashton did anything differently, either. Plus, they were somehow really cute.
"Wow, you look hot," Ashton said, then remembered that Milo had suggested that they compliment something about them that they did on purpose. And then remembered that they were supposed to hold off on the compliments until they knew that Marwa knew it was a date. "In that shirt. That shirt looks hot."
Marwa gave them a strange look. "It's short sleeves."
"Let's go inside."
In theory, Ashton knew how to eat. They might even know how to talk to people, though Anni would suggest otherwise. But they'd never bothered with an actual date before, much less a date-that-might-not-be-a-date. And Ashton was a little worried that it might show. They asked about the weather (Marwa had been inside all day, and Ashton knew more than she did). They complimented her hat, and she mentioned how she got it. Ashton asked about the food, but Marwa was too busy eating to answer (it was awful good).
Finally Ashton remembered to ask about her day, and Marwa went onto a tangent about some random objects she'd found in the trove that set off… something. And Ashton was so relieved to have successfully asked a question that they couldn't even get themselves to listen to the answer.
"What about you?" Marwa asked.
Ashton had spent the morning freaking out about the not-date at Milo. And then listening to Milo freak out about some sort of screw threading mishap or something - Ashton wasn't really sure but being an object to rant at seemed to help them out. But Ashton felt a little weird about talking about Milo's more manic moments to a stranger.
"Uh. Shopping. And then I took a nap." Those were normal things to do, right?
Marwa looked at them for a moment, but once they figured out that they were supposed to give more information, the moment had passed.
Eventually, the meal ended. Ashton was no closer to figuring out what was going on. Or what to do next. This was their last chance.
"So do you want to do this again?" They asked, hoping that Marwa would answer with 'a date' or 'a slightly awkward but incredibly platonic hangout with friends'.
"Uh, yeah, sure! But I got an early day tomorrow, so maybe I should head back."
Okay. So that still told them nothing. Still, when they left Gladfly, they still went in for a brief hug. It only hurt a little, and Ashton didn't think it showed.
Maybe it wasn't a date. But it was still nice.
Marwa sat and played absently with a staff of adornment, and then tried her best to put it down carefully when she heard the door open. It immediately rolled from the counter onto a pile of brass vases that did… something, probably, but mostly made an amazingly loud clatter.
Luckily the only one who entered was the elderly half-orc who ran the bakery next door. So, nobody who wasn't already used to their whole thing.
"How did your date go yesterday?" they asked, as they discreetly cleaned off a spot to put a small scone and a napkin.
Marwa shrugged and tried her best to pick up the staff related mess. "I don't know - I was so sure it was a date when they asked, but maybe I misunderstood."