"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

She was speechless, completely and utterly mute as she stared at her boyfriend... sorta. This was a very peculiar amalgamation of his parts that's for fucking sure. "A- Uh. Hi." There was no way she could take notes now. She tucked her phone back in her pocket and gave him a good once over.

He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and smirked. "I'll take that as a yes. Go on and look me over then."

He was, of course, always her Steven no matter what form he took. She'd always find him undyingly attractive and handsome but this was... a lot. He was mostly Steven-esque, just a bit taller with pink eyes. There was no glow but she couldn't help but find that irrelevant as her eyes locked on the top of his head. "You... have horns."

He looked in the mirror and grinned. "So I do."

"Are you..." Stevens monster? He was devilishly handsome, the horns somehow only adding to it.

"I am not." He stepped into her personal space and tipped her chin up. "But I could be."

"Do you have a name?" She could feel energy pouring off of him. His natural Universe charm was apparently and inherently real, and being directed at her in concentrated amounts.

He backed away and bowed with a flourish. "Ruan Universe, at your service, doll."

"Okay nuh uh, none of that." She wagged her finger at him. "No way in hell I'm letting you call me 'doll'! Call me Ms. Knight if you must have a nickname."

He erected and raised a brow. "Why not? You're just as perfect as a doll and infinitely more priceless."

She almost reached for her heart if it wasn't for her near paralyzed state. "So that's why Zero thought the topic of you was so funny."

"Zero?" He looked confused and searched behind her. "Is there another companion today with us, Ms. Knight?"

"Gross. Now I hate the way you say that. Call me Connie."

He reached out and kissed each knuckle. "Connie. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Is it short for Constance?"

In all of her time with Steven, he'd always been rather shy about expressing affection. He'd blush when she kissed his cheek and even harder when it was a kiss on the mouth. He couldn't even get a boner without freaking out. But apparently, all the confidence he lacked lay in front of her eyes. "You're definitely not sleeping in my bed."

"Awful soon to be talking about bedding together. Shouldn't we have dinner first?" He winked at her and she wanted to sink to the floor.

"Not funny."

"Humor varies." His eyes twinkled at her.

"You're gonna freak her out!"

"ⵊ ᴅᴜɴɴᴏ, sʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛʟʏ sᴇᴇᴍs ᴄᴏɴꜰᴜsᴇᴅ. HEY RUAN GRAB HER TⵊT!"

"ᗪIᗩᗰOᑎᗪ!"

"Well... we were clothes shopping. Wanna... get some dinner instead?" She was flustered beyond belief, but she tried to keep her tone professional. "After that, Steven, your host, wanted to run off for the night."

Ruan hummed and tugged out a dress beside him. "As long as you wear this."

"I'm not wearing that."

His eyes locked with hers. "Even if I say please?"

Nope. Eye contact was a no go. She struggled to break it but eventually got away. It was far too intense and heated, a look she rarely caught Steven having but now it was plastered all over his face. Except, she guessed, not his face. "Will it get you to stop looking at me like that?"

"It will indefinitely have a 100% increase. But it would make me happy. Connie." There was hesitance there, a brief lapse that made her pull out her phone again.

'Possibly bad with names.'

"What are you doing?" He leaned to read her notes and she snatched it away. "I'm not bad with names, I just met you!" He chuckled.

"Then why are you flirting with me? You should know someone's name before you flirt." She crossed her arms and jutted out her chin. "And I barely know you either."

"Dinner it is then." He snorted when her face went red. "Not that kind of dinner. Unless of course, you ask nicely."

"I hate to say it but I almost miss Zero," She grumbled.

"Again, who is Zero?"

She faltered. "He's an alter. You're... an alter too."

He frowned. "Interesting. Do you have alters?"

She pulled the dress out of his hands and sighed. "No. I don't think so. The only ones I really have are the personality my parents see, and the personality you and the magic people see."

"Magic people?"

"Quit stringing her along!"

"I'm just kidding. I know the gems," He admitted hastily. "Your thinking face is cute. And now you're irritated." He observed her frown and narrowed eyes. "That's even cuter."

"Then I'm about to get adorable. Most people find me intimidating." She squared her shoulders powerfully and gave him side eye. "I'm sword trained. I've got more muscle to me than it might seem."

His hand wrapped around her elbow and he studied their contact together before his eyes slid to hers. "I can see that. But whatever they find intimidating, I just find endearing."

"Terminal Flirt. That's your role. It's to be a flirt." She half groaned, half giggled and nudged his hand off. "Fun. This should be fun. I'll try on the stupid dress, but if it shows too much I'm leaving it here."

"Because of your parents?"

She stilled and stared at it. It wasn't promiscuous by any means, but it certainly wasn't something her parents would love or even like. "No. My body, my rights." Connie stomped to the changing room and he sauntered behind to lean against the door while she undressed. "You'd better not be peeking in, you pervert."

He smiled widely. "It sounds like you're projecting."

The shuffling stopped briefly. "Funny."

"I'd like to think I'm a funny guy. Besides, if I wanted to look, I would have already." He imagined her blushing and hummed. "Your silence screams."

"I'll make you scream," She growled. 'What the hell? What the hell? What the hell!!!! Is this like... how Steven actually sees me? Or is it separate?'

"On the contrary–," She stepped out and focused on the mirror presumably so she wouldn't have to see his face. That little black dress was hugging all of the right places. "I stand corrected."

She whirled around, finding the upper hand and latching onto it. "What's the matter? Did you get too hot to trot and then trip?"

Ruan ran his fingers through his hair. "I suppose one might call me a stallion."

"A stallion? More like a cowboy. Cocky and thoughtless."

"Cowboy? Does that make you the cowgirl? I could certainly teach you a few things, then."

""Teach me" is a strange way to put that, but I've been on the saddle plenty in life. There's not much you could teach me."

"I'm sure we'd find a way to teach you other ways, more fun ways."

"Yeah, like a way to dinner. Let's go." She pranced back into the changing room as confidently as she could. As soon as she was obscured she grabbed at the end of her hair and made a horrified/blushing grimace in the mirror. Banter was new to her, that's what that was, wasn't it? Banter, hunting, same difference. For some reason this alter found her attractive, which gave her hope that some part of Steven felt this way about her. Both carnal and genuinely. But still, it was weird right? She definitely shouldn't be flustered and she definitely shouldn't flirt back.

"You okay in there? I wouldn't want to have to wait too long. The body is hungry."

Come to think of it, she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen him eat. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I've been here 10 minutes. So, at least longer than 10 minutes ago."

As helpful as the rest of them. Great.