Fan Behavior (Georgenotfound)

Twelve: "I'm just enjoying the moment" - October 8

Before this trip it was odd for her to go a day without watching George's streams. After tomorrow, it would begin to feel odd for her to go a day without actually being with George. No longer could she go and bother him for the sake of bothering him, for the sake of seeing pretend annoyance melt into genuine happiness when she appeared at his door.

It struck Lilac how weird that was. It took a bit for the habit of watching George's streams to develop, so it made logical sense for breaking that habit to feel weird. This was her fifth day here, but having Clay, Sap, and George around already felt like a habit. Breaking it would be disorienting. She would once again have to rely on Discord to get their attention- a less effective method than yelling up or down the stairs. It was a lot more difficult to ignore screams that couldn't be easily muted.

Sap and Clay still think I like George, Lilac thought next, and she raised an eyebrow at herself as she checked on the browning chicken. She didn't want to go there, but she'd given her word that all thoughts would have a place to exist, so she considered it.

Does that bother me? Perhaps not. She couldn't really guarantee that they thought that. Both of them had said something to the effect of "I'm just curious", and neither had made the declaration that they were convinced she had feelings for them. They were just asking. And now, Lilac supposed, so was she.

Do I like George? The single thought lingered in her mind for so long. No other thoughts came by to interrupt it, her music seemed to fall on deaf ears. Her inner monologue didn't provide any answers, as it had for the previous questions. The question just hung there, unanswered.

Could I like George? Lilac forced the question to change, and the monologue filled in the answer immediately.

Of course I could. George was an absolute sweetheart. He had a heart of gold and a smile that would make anyone glad to have seen it. He was fun and easy to talk to and had that way of making anyone feel comfortable in his presence. George was a lot of things. He was a computer science nerd, just like her. Extremely intelligent. Hilarious when he was trying to be, and often when he wasn't, too. He had a softer side, which she had gotten to see the night prior. Lilac liked his sides. She wondered how many more of them there were.

But possibly liking him is not the same as actually liking him, she thought, and if Lilac could tell her brain I know, she would have. She could, in theory, possibly like anybody. It was possible for her to like Clay romantically, but she actually didn't. She knew that clearly. She saw him as a close friend, and with enough time, she might even consider him a brother. George, though, wasn't so simple, for a reason that was evading her. She could possibly like George, but when she posed the question of actually liking him, her brain couldn't answer it automatically like it could with Clay.

Lilac hissed as oil from the pan popped out and landed on her arm- she'd forgotten the oven mitts. The bit of pain drew her out of her thoughts for the moment. The music returned, fading back in as if she hadn't forgotten to listen to it at all. She transferred the pan off the fire and covered the chicken, then drained the water from the pasta. Lilac danced and sang quietly as she worked. She'd always been expressive in everything she did, even when the right words were lost on her. She dipped and swayed around the kitchen as she finished the capellini, pretending to tap dance as she started on the cupcakes. She was lost in her own world, so lost that she didn't notice George watching her with a grin from the top of the stairs.

He, Clay, and Sap were practically forced to take a break once the smell of the chicken cooking floated to their rooms. Thankfully the plot part of steam was done, so they unanimously decided to take a break and get some food.

Clay came out of his room a few moments later, looking on at the sight before him curiously. He watched George watch Lilac for a few moments, grinning to himself as he tapped George's shoulder to get his attention.