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Flip-Flop's carbonara smells even more peppery and delicious than usual this morning, but Lamouralla keeps her eyes on the prize: happy customers. Carrying fragrant dishes to and fro, taking orders and giving her usual delighted recommendation...some (most) days it's draining, but today feels like it'll be bearable. After all, she chose this role for herself.
With that in mind, she strolls up to the next table with two menus and her best smile. "Good morning! I'm Lamouralla, and I'll be your server today. Would you like anything to...hm?" She tilts her head, a bit worried. "I-Is there something on my face?"
At the table, her fellow Draph takes a few moments to respond, stuttering out a "N-No, not at all! Sorry." Her horns aren't just curly, they spiral like a seashell, which make an endearing first impression. It's a shame her clothes are so drab, but maybe that's why she's here in New Ungud.
"We'll have two coffees, heavy on the cream, please," says the woman's boyfriend⏤because why else would he hold her hand so caressingly? "Look at these menus, Cammy. Aren't they cute? Not as cute as you, though."
"...Eep!"
"I'll leave you to it," Lamouralla says, not daring to give the boyfriend another glance because goodness gracious, and bustles off to the kitchen to relay the order.
Once that's over with, she gives herself a quick once-over just in case. No stains, nothing between my teeth...oh! The answer comes to her in a flash: she's wearing her old "Eating Boys For Breakfast" outfit under her apron today, since it matches Flip-Flop's decor so well and still lures in customers. It just happened to lure in that couple too.
That settles that. Re-energized, she returns to the table with their coffees and more confidence. "Here you are! Have you decided on what to order? If not, I recommend the carbonara with hellralla amounts of cheese."
The couple's eyes brighten at the pitch. Could this be another win?
"'Hellralla'? Cute. Want to give it a try, Cammy?" asks the boyfriend. Then, coaxingly, "It has so many favorites of yours: pasta mixed in a decadently-thick egg and cheese sauce...and we can add more cheesy goodness too, looks like."
The woman⏤Cammy?⏤nods, clearly fighting the urge to drool. "I-It sounds yummy!"
"It is, trust me," Lamouralla says, over the moon. "I'll be back with that short⏤"
But Cammy awkwardly jerks to her feet before Lamouralla can deliver their order. "Wait, before you go...may I a-ask..." Her voice gets caught, but her boyfriend gives her hand another squeeze. "Where did you, get that o-outfit?"
Lamouralla blinks in surprise.
"It's exactly like what she's been trying to explore lately, you see," says the boyfriend, taking a sip of his coffee and looking Lamouralla over like an art critic. "You lure the eye with the soft colors and delicate frills, then ensnare with that dainty yet scandalous top...right?"
Eep! "Yes, exactly, though these days that's not my intention," Lamouralla says with a sheepish laugh, desperate to reassure Cammy that her boyfriend is safe.
"Oh, I know." That dismissive tone, ouch. "You're not mature enough to handle me, anyway."
"Um, Belial, I-I don't think I'm mature enough to handle you...!"
"What? But you've been doing so well, handling a tenderhearted boy like me." Belial the Boyfriend wiggles his brows, and Lamouralla kind-of wants to smack him, actually. That is, until he takes out a pad of paper and a charcoal stick and hands them over to Cammy. "So, might we ask where you got such lucky finds?"
Lamouralla brightens at that. "Of course! Let's see, these horn decorations I found in..."
It's amazing, watching Cammy's lilac eyes brighten with each shop mentioned. She takes down notes like it's second nature, her hand flying across the pages. And after that's done, Lamouralla still remembers their orders. Hellralla good work, me!
From that point on, whenever she stops by to see how their meal is going, she sees the couple smiling and deep in conversation like there's nobody else in the world. There's things about them Lamouralla wouldn't call relationship goals⏤she's pretty sure Belial the Boyfriend got handsy under the tablecloth, earlier⏤but when it comes to self-expression, she can't deny he's supportive. Cammy could use a fellow girl in her corner, though...
She knows it's a little presumptuous, but she hopes she can catch them again after her shift is done.
---
Another win for Lamouralla!
She finds Cammy on Original Horizon's third floor that smells of silver and fresh cotton, carefully picking her way through the Draph horn accessories. Or to be more precise, she's holding them in her hands like they're too precious to wear. It's hard to tell what she's thinking.
Lamouralla strolls over, glancing around for Belial the Boyfriend. She spots him a few shelves away, pondering some bracelets and checking the notes Cammy took. He really is helping, that's wonderful.
On a hunch, she sidles into her potential friend's field of vision without getting in her way, and is rewarded with a small, pleased gasp. She turns to Cammy and chirps "You're here too, hello!"
"Hello," Cammy says, her eyes wide behind her glasses. "Your directions were helpful, thank you."
"Really? I'm glad." Lamouralla looks at Cammy's horns again, then at the decorations slowly rotating on the golden rack. "Hmm..." She picks out a pair of simple pink ribbons. "Why not start with these?"
"Um...sure." Cammy takes them carefully off her hands and sets to work sliding them over the base of her horns. Something about the gesture pings Lamouralla as being "off", and she racks her brain for the politest way to give advice for something this...delicate.
"Miss Cammy? I was just wondering...do you know horns need care just like our hair and skin?" The thought of this woman's beautiful horns turning brittle is too horrible to see come to pass.
Cammy tilts her head in confusion, which is what Lamouralla was worried about, but at least she isn't offended. "Yes, but the usual oils⏤they make me sneeze and itch. O-Only medical kinds, will do." She grabs Lamouralla's hands like they're a lifeline. "So, i-if you know of a solution, please tell me!"
This Lamouralla can handle, even if Belial the Boyfriend is looming in that same aisle. She guides her new friend down that way, chatting with her about what scents she likes. They try saffron (no good), hazelwood (fine), and by the time they try musk (explosively bad) Lamouralla can't ignore their quietly amused peanut gallery.
"I'b sorry," Cammy says, blowing her nose with a handkerchief. “I’d’s just’ too strong!”
“Don’t apologize, that was adorable,” Belial replies, taking the offending item off her hands and setting it back on the shelf. “Here, try this one. It's named after you, so I have a good feeling about it.”
"Chamomile"...? Oh! But she doesn't mind the nickname.
Lamouralla expected Cammy to be more hesitant. Instead, she takes the new bottle without a second thought and gives it a sniff. “Oh…!” She smiles delightedly. “Lovely, and there’s vanilla in it too.”
“We could have a spa night with this,” he says, carrying the bottle for her. “Oh, and I believe there were some pretty sweaters in the store opposite this one. Care to join us, Lams?”
”Sure.”
”I-I can ring that up, Belial. You don’t need—“
”Mm? Oh. Well, I don’t want to dissuade you from using that hard-earned money of yours. But the next purchase is on me.”
Lamouralla and Cammy both tilted their heads curiously. “The next…?”
"That’s right,” Belial says, looking pleased with himself until he deflated slightly. “If I can find the clothing store again, that is. With luck nobody snatched up my find…”
Lamouralla has a feeling nobody would snatch anything from under his nose. “Well, I shall leave you to it,” she says cheerfully, and makes to leave. “I’d hate to be in the way of your date!”
"A-And I wouldn’t, want you to be a third wheel,” Cammy says, taking her hand. “Thank you again!”
”Any time,” Lamouralla replies. “I love helping friends, even if they’re older than me. Oh, and feel free to steal my look!”
"You're sure?" Belial looks more concerned than expected.
"Of course," she replies proudly. "This is...a relic of my past, I guess? I wear it because a friend I admire thought I looked great, not because it's me."
She's pleased to see Cammy is mulling this over, her head bowed slightly. "Um..." A mark like a little charcoal line creases her brow. "I-I think I get it. Finding yourself, it's difficult sometimes."
"It sure is," Belial says, and leans over to her conspiratorially despite⏤or perhaps because of⏤Lamouralla hearing every word. "And you know, Cammy...you don't have to wear those clothes in public if you don't want to. There's something luxurious about dolling up for nobody but yourself."
Cammy's eyes widen with delight, and she nods eagerly. "For nobody else...hmm. Not you?"
At which point Belial smiles like a tomcat on the prowl. "Well, you could gobble me up any⏤"
"It was nice meeting you goodbye!" Lamouralla says in a mortified rush before running away, leaving Cammy to weather the storm that is her unbelievable boyfriend.