Radar shrugs, his mischievous grin cancelling out any attempt at modesty. "Aw, it was nothing. You just gotta know the right paperwork and the right people and you can get anything. Plus Mayor Poe's way easier to pull one over on than Colonel Potter."
He strips off his shirt and starts rummaging around in his bag for his swim shorts. (Because someone thinks you need swim shorts for this trip. Plus, ever since that one nightmare he's been... kinda squirrely. More than usual.)
"I just didn't want anybody staring at you or being mean while we were having a nice time." A pause; then, hopeful but a little more hesitant, "Actually I was kinda thinking about it 'cause of other stuff, too. Us being alone with nobody interrupting while we're up here."
"Well, uh." Radar's cheeks pink faintly -- like they almost always do, even though he and Dahlia have been sweethearts for months -- and he chuckles. "I mean, yeah, some of that too for sure, we gotta."
He reaches to put his hands on Dahlia's hips; gently tugs her a step or two closer.
"But I was also thinkin'. If, uh... you don't wanna look like this the whole time we're up here. Human I mean. I dunno if it's tough always being in one shape or not -- I mean I like my dress uniform okay but I wouldn't wanna be wearing it all the time, you know? So..." His voice tips up into that uncertain hopefulness again. "If you don't wanna. You don't gotta."
"Oh." Dahlia's brows raise at the idea. She hadn't considered. "I, ah. Well, I wouldn't say it's difficult. I grew up in this form. I didn't even know I had others until I was thirteen. But I sort of feel a bit--- looser? In the other two, if that makes sense. Like I can move and breathe just a little it easier. I might like that."
An uncertain beat.
"You're sure you don't mind? I mean, I look--- different. Like that."
Oh, Dahlia. The bit she leaves unsaid sends a pang through his heart; Radar'd probably catch it even if he weren't psychic.
"Hey, c'mon, no," he says, gently, and tucks a couple loose strands of hair behind her ear. "'Course I don't mind. I'm sure. Specially if it lets you breathe easy. Plus, hey, Serranai's got antlers and everything too and she's one of the prettiest girls I ever seen."
"If you like Serranai, you should ask for a kiss next time you see her! I'm sure she'll oblige. Then you'll have kissed a divine girl and an infernal one, which not many people can say." She encourages him genuinely. As fun as it is to have him all to herself, she's not about to get jealous if he's got eyes for another, considering her own repertoire. More than anything, she just wants him to be happy.
"But--- if you're sure, then maybe I will."
With a deep inhale and a slow exhale, Dahlia's pale features melt away in favor of a darker palette. Black hair, sapphire skin, and bright ultramarine eyes with black sclera take the place of silvery blonde and soft brown, and antlers emerge from her head like a crown. A slender blue tail with a knife-like hook at the end trails out from beneath her skirt and leathery wings stretch behind and above her.
She offers a sheepish smile, awaiting his thoughts.
Radar's entire face flares bright red at the suggestion, and he just manages to turn any nervous stammering into a slightly less nervous laugh. Ask a literal goddess to kiss him? When he's already got a girlfriend?! Not that he hasn't thought about it sometimes, and he always figured Dahlia would be okay with it so long as they talked about it first, but -- but --
Okay, right, that's gonna be something to think about later, because he's got way more important stuff to focus on right now.
As she begins to shift, he only pulls back a little, keeping hold of one hand as the pale skin deepens to blue. Radar got a quick glimpse of her tiefling shape at the gala, just like everybody else did when Mendel started messing with her; he didn't get to really look, though. Not at the way Dahlia's antlers sweep up from her head in smooth curves like they've belonged there the whole time, or how her hair's so dark that it makes her newly-bright blue eyes even brighter. Those wings, gosh, he's never seen anything like that up close before on account of never seeing a bat for more than a couple seconds. And they fit Dahlia, too, don't they? Thin and light and strong as the rest of her.
...Wow, she's even got a tail. He definitely didn't catch that before. (Probably he shouldn't be staring at it so much.)
Radar doesn't quite realize his mouth's fallen open as he takes in the whole sight. He takes another half-step back for a better view. Awestruck, he begins to smile.
"Wow," he breathes, like he can't believe his luck that he gets to see her like this.
"'Course I like it!" Radar laughs, giddy. "It's not strange. Or I guess it's only strange if you're used to nothing but humans, but -- it's you. Just a different way of looking like you."
Cautiously, just in case he's gotta be more careful where he touches, he brushes a hand over one of her wings.
A little wistful, "I always thought it'd be neat to have wings sometimes. Can you fly with 'em, or are they just for decoration?"
"I can fly with them, but I rarely do. It's much less of a production to just fly in Pine Devil form. No crinolines to get caught on tree branches or hair to get in my face, you know?"
Dahlia turns slightly, offering him the wing. The membrane is thin but tough and elastic. He'd have to use something pretty sharp to do it any real harm.
"Gee, I didn't even think of that." He's trying not to giggle at the mental image of her spitting hair out of her mouth as she flies over the town. Poor Dahlia! He settles his palm to her wing a bit more firmly, marveling at the slight give to the membrane, a little like the skin of a drum, then curls his fingers around the edge of it. "Guess it would be a lot easier without any clothes on."
Er. That is to say. Radar presses a couple fingers to his mouth, suppressing snickers for a whole other reason this time.
"No, I mean it, though, I really like it," he goes on earnestly once the tiny giggling fit has passed. "All of it. It fits you, y'know? Like -- you're supposed to look like this just as much as you look like you usually."
"I... appreciate that," Dahlia murmurs, softening with sentimentality. This part of her always feels like it's meant to stay buried. A badge of shame. Her ties to him.
But perhaps if Radar likes it... She can tie it to other things instead.
Turning playful again, her azure hands loop around his neck. "And you know, blue really does look good on you."
He settles his arms around her waist, a mischievous smile tilting the corner of his mouth. One hand brushes the base of her tail, maybe on accident. Probably not, though.
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thethirteenthchild
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Date: 2025-02-11 09:48 pm (UTC)He strips off his shirt and starts rummaging around in his bag for his swim shorts. (Because someone thinks you need swim shorts for this trip. Plus, ever since that one nightmare he's been... kinda squirrely. More than usual.)
"I just didn't want anybody staring at you or being mean while we were having a nice time." A pause; then, hopeful but a little more hesitant, "Actually I was kinda thinking about it 'cause of other stuff, too. Us being alone with nobody interrupting while we're up here."
no subject
Date: 2025-02-16 03:56 am (UTC)Dahlia, of course, did not bring any swim clothes. So when Radar mentions 'other stuff,' a smile creeps onto her face.
"Is that so?" Her tone turns coy. "What did you have in mind?"
no subject
Date: 2025-02-16 10:18 pm (UTC)He reaches to put his hands on Dahlia's hips; gently tugs her a step or two closer.
"But I was also thinkin'. If, uh... you don't wanna look like this the whole time we're up here. Human I mean. I dunno if it's tough always being in one shape or not -- I mean I like my dress uniform okay but I wouldn't wanna be wearing it all the time, you know? So..." His voice tips up into that uncertain hopefulness again. "If you don't wanna. You don't gotta."
no subject
Date: 2025-02-23 03:27 am (UTC)An uncertain beat.
"You're sure you don't mind? I mean, I look--- different. Like that."
Ugly.no subject
Date: 2025-02-23 03:50 am (UTC)"Hey, c'mon, no," he says, gently, and tucks a couple loose strands of hair behind her ear. "'Course I don't mind. I'm sure. Specially if it lets you breathe easy. Plus, hey, Serranai's got antlers and everything too and she's one of the prettiest girls I ever seen."
Wait.
"Except for you I mean."
(Nailed it.)
no subject
Date: 2025-02-24 05:50 am (UTC)"If you like Serranai, you should ask for a kiss next time you see her! I'm sure she'll oblige. Then you'll have kissed a divine girl and an infernal one, which not many people can say." She encourages him genuinely. As fun as it is to have him all to herself, she's not about to get jealous if he's got eyes for another, considering her own repertoire. More than anything, she just wants him to be happy.
"But--- if you're sure, then maybe I will."
With a deep inhale and a slow exhale, Dahlia's pale features melt away in favor of a darker palette. Black hair, sapphire skin, and bright ultramarine eyes with black sclera take the place of silvery blonde and soft brown, and antlers emerge from her head like a crown. A slender blue tail with a knife-like hook at the end trails out from beneath her skirt and leathery wings stretch behind and above her.
She offers a sheepish smile, awaiting his thoughts.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-24 10:56 pm (UTC)Okay, right, that's gonna be something to think about later, because he's got way more important stuff to focus on right now.
As she begins to shift, he only pulls back a little, keeping hold of one hand as the pale skin deepens to blue. Radar got a quick glimpse of her tiefling shape at the gala, just like everybody else did when Mendel started messing with her; he didn't get to really look, though. Not at the way Dahlia's antlers sweep up from her head in smooth curves like they've belonged there the whole time, or how her hair's so dark that it makes her newly-bright blue eyes even brighter. Those wings, gosh, he's never seen anything like that up close before on account of never seeing a bat for more than a couple seconds. And they fit Dahlia, too, don't they? Thin and light and strong as the rest of her.
...Wow, she's even got a tail. He definitely didn't catch that before. (Probably he shouldn't be staring at it so much.)
Radar doesn't quite realize his mouth's fallen open as he takes in the whole sight. He takes another half-step back for a better view. Awestruck, he begins to smile.
"Wow," he breathes, like he can't believe his luck that he gets to see her like this.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-29 10:36 pm (UTC)In her wildest dreams, Dahlia never imagined anyone looking at her like that while she's in this form. She feels... seen.
In a good way, for once.
"Doooo you like it?" The question comes tentatively. Strange to think that anyone would. "I know it's a little strange."
no subject
Date: 2025-03-30 12:33 am (UTC)Cautiously, just in case he's gotta be more careful where he touches, he brushes a hand over one of her wings.
A little wistful, "I always thought it'd be neat to have wings sometimes. Can you fly with 'em, or are they just for decoration?"
no subject
Date: 2025-06-01 11:24 pm (UTC)Dahlia turns slightly, offering him the wing. The membrane is thin but tough and elastic. He'd have to use something pretty sharp to do it any real harm.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-03 03:39 am (UTC)Er. That is to say. Radar presses a couple fingers to his mouth, suppressing snickers for a whole other reason this time.
"No, I mean it, though, I really like it," he goes on earnestly once the tiny giggling fit has passed. "All of it. It fits you, y'know? Like -- you're supposed to look like this just as much as you look like you usually."
no subject
Date: 2025-06-29 05:45 pm (UTC)But perhaps if Radar likes it... She can tie it to other things instead.
Turning playful again, her azure hands loop around his neck. "And you know, blue really does look good on you."
no subject
Date: 2025-07-01 03:00 am (UTC)He settles his arms around her waist, a mischievous smile tilting the corner of his mouth. One hand brushes the base of her tail, maybe on accident. Probably not, though.