[PRP - Generosity] Have Some of Mine! [Paladin x Live and Let Wine]

[Nym]

Paladin fussed with his lunch pail, setting it neatly onto the bench table before him. He sat by himself, mostly to pour over the study guide their teacher had given them prior to the field trip, circling answers to the questions he knew and marking the ones he needed to glance over again when they returned to the aquarium. He was a studious sort, for the most part -- especially now, when his mother was entrenched in work and clearly needed something good to come home to. Truthfully, he wanted to be that good thing for her, which pushed him to focus on his grades the best he could. Even during lunch break on a field trip.

He hadn't looked up from his task yet, hair flopping into his eyes as he hawed and hummed over the paper, at times pausing to glance at his lunch pail -- untouched but not forgotten. He just... had a few more questions to fill out, then he'd tackle food.

@Syrcaid

[Syrcaid]

Live didn't have a backback, she had... The Purse™!  Everyone at school even called her purse The Purse™.  It was the closest to a true Bag of Holding as anyone could get while still having it be an everyday use purse. It was tooled faux leather, the kind that Phony nanites could manufacture that looked and felt like actual leather without ever having even been on or near a real cow!  Was it ecological?  Probably not.  Was it more humane?  Absolutely!  The Purse™ was dyed in a faded, muted pink that matched her hair and tooled with little grapes on vines.  Even the zipper pull was a grape leaf.  A gift from her mother, having finally decided she needed her own purse since hers kept disappearing.  It was so unusually sturdy and remarkably stain resistant that she took it everywhere and did virtually everything with it. But there was one thing that wasn't in it... her LUNCH!  Live double checked out loud. "Permission slip: check! Study guide: check! Bug spray: check! Suntan lotion: check! Lip gloss: double check!... Where's that darn paper bag??"

@Nym

[Nym]

Paladin finished his work just in time for his stomach to growl, warning him that It Was Time. He took the extra time to tuck away his school books and neatly clasp his bag shut before redirecting himself to the knight-themed pal his mother had bought for him. Truthfully, Paladin had wanted something simpler, but he was a sucker for his mother. He wasn't going to say no to her generous gift! He caught the tail end of Live & Let Wine's list, not casting too much mind to it as he opened his pail and inspected the contents.

Two sandwiches, a small gathering of sliced apples, a branch of grapes, two juice boxes, and a heart-shaped cookie. He could still remember his mother fretting over if he'd have enough for the field trip, evident by the generous amounts of extras. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he fussed with setting his food out, ears prickling when a nearby classmate giggled.

'Did she forget her lunch? No way!'

Paladin snapped his head upright and towards the source, trailing his gaze after theirs to land on Let Wine. Oh- oh, now it made sense why she was surveying her belongings. His eyes flipped to his lunch and then back to her, mouth tightening.

Well, we couldn't have that!

"Excuse me," he called softly, gesturing towards the classmate he had never spoken to before. "Is everything alright?"

[Syrcaid]

"You wouldn't believe..." she looked up at him, putting her hoof up to her forehead.  "I have enough of everything else to go on this field trip four more times but I left the stupid lunch bag in the kitchen fridge."

She was already figuring out ways around the situation in her head.  Maybe she could use her spare change and find a snack machine.  Were there even any in the school? She had a water bottle, maybe she could just keep hydrated and wait it out.  No one starved by missing one meal.  It was going to FEEL like it, though.

"Ugh... It was going to be good, too.  I had spiced apples and wheat."

@Nym

[Nym]

Paladin squinted at The Purse™ (which he had heard the delighted gossip about -- something about how stylish and mature it was, which he had to admit it was cute), wondering exactly what might have caused the lapse in judgment. Excitement, maybe? Paladin was the sort to over-prepare, especially when he was anxious or enthusiastic. Regardless, he couldn't let this stand. A classmate starving (or as close to starving as well-cared-for children could imagine) was not something he'd just turn his head away from!

"My mother packed extra," he announced, ignoring the soft giggling from the students nearby, probably about how formal he referred to his parent. He liked to call it respect, but...  "I have enough for both of us, and the sandwiches are vegetarian if that interests you." He shifted neatly, giving her room to come closer as he began separating his lunch out. While he was void of any facial expression (as was the norm for the overly serious foal) he showed his care by gently setting her portion out and ensuring everything was neatly placed on napkins before patting the spot beside him.

"The trip is another few hours, and I can not imagine how tired you will be without a meal between."

@Syrcaid

[Syrcaid]

She looked at the way he portioned everything out before she even had an answer. Would it be more polite to decline or accept?

Live looked at his face. It was almost impossible to read!  He looked so serious! Did he feel obligated to share and it was hurting him? Would he be terrible insulted if she refused so he wouldn't have to eat less food? But he did mention that she'd be tired.

"That's so thoughtful of you, ummm..?" Her eyes went blank and her cheeks went pink somewhere under all her dusty rose skin.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know your name!"

@Nym

[Nym]

Thoughtful? Was it? It just seemed natural, he thought, but he had heard the same sentiment felt about him before. He just wanted to help -- it felt just and good. His head tilted slightly, noting her blush as she stumbled over his name. Ah, that made sense; he wasn't popular nor did many other ponies speak to him, or was it the other way around? Paladin was often focused on a task when at school, making him often blend into the background until someone or something needed assistance. Then he'd arrive, eager to save the day and slip away before he was offered any praise or gratitude. He usually knew the names of his classmates, but mostly due to religiously memorizing class rosters. It didn't bother him if anyone did the same or not -- his own identity was of little consequence to him.

"No need for apologies. I am Paladin," he extended a hoof, faltering slightly and locking his gaze onto his hoof as he remembered his mother warning him not everyone was comfortable with touch. What... was the polite thing to do? The socially awkward foal straightened his arm back out, reconfirming his intent to shake hooves.

"I believe you are Live & Let Wine? Do you have a preferred name?" He paused, glancing at the food. "Is this enough for you? I do not mind giving you some of my portions."

@Syrcaid

[Syrcaid]

"Wow, you know my name already?" Live looked surprised, shaking his hoof without hesitation.  "Most times people just call me Live.  I have yet to 'Wine', really.  I'm not old enough to drink it, yet old enough to grow and be taught to make it. If you gave me grapes, I could tell you how to make it so alcoholic you could power a rocket."

She laughed and opened up The Purse™.

"This is my purse," she introduced it as though it were a strange pet.  "I usually have everything I could possibly need in it, but this time... I completely forgot I had the apples in the fridge, the freezer packs weren't ready so I left them in there with full intent to pack it all up in the lunch bag before I left.  I guess I was too preoccupied with the homework attached to it that I left it."

Live then proceeded to let him have a look inside her purse.

"It wouldn't be right to just take something without at least trying to give something back, you can have something out of my purse!  Don't worry, there's no family heirlooms or anything in there," she laughed.  "Mom won't let me carry the silver anymore."

@Nym

[Nym]

Alcoholic enough to power a rocket -- Paladin had yet to even sniff alcohol, but he knew of what it did. Or, at least on a childlike level; he had seen enough movies and heard his mother complain about drunk clients after work. His eyes flicked absently to the grapes he had been given for lunch, a brief flicker of amusement finding its way into his brain. His attention was swallowed again as she demonstrated the fabled purse -- no; The Purse™, unable to stop himself from curiously leaning forward to peek.

"Are all purses this well equipped?" Did his mother have a purse? He thought he remembered seeing some old grey thing in the corner of their living room. Nothing as fancy as this one, which was clearly well-loved. "How does it fit all of that?" Like a magician's hat, almost!

He blinked owlishly at her as she revealed her offer, sitting upright and shaking his arms gently. Wait, no, that wasn't how things went! He did the giving!

"Oh, no no, you really do not have to. I did not expect anything in return -- you do not need to part with anything!" Now it was his turn for his cheeks to redden, fueled by the inexperience of how to handle such a situation. Was it rude to reject her? Was it ruder to take something? It felt like payment, almost, and Paladin didn't want her to feel obligated to return a favor she hadn't even asked for.

Although, she had a pretty bracelet in there that his mother would love....

@Syrcaid

[Syrcaid]

"Go ahead!  It could do with a little lightening up," she gave it a little shake.  Things inside it went jingle and rustled, as though there was more than just what was visible on the top. "Pick something, you'd really be doing me a favor," she coaxed.

"I don't know about all purses," she shrugged.  "I had been using my mother's purses, but she got tired of my using them to tatters so she had this one commissioned!  From what I hear, it wasn't just a regular old leather working place, either.  She knew some kind of craftspony who worked practically magic with faux leather.  Masks, coin purses, belts, hats, boots... anything that could be made with tooled leather that looked so real that it could be mistaken for real animal hide!"

She held her purse closer.  "Just SMELL it!  It even smells like real leather, I think they infuse the thing with that smell.  It's like how they get that old library book smell into candles.  Just magic!"

@Nym

[Nym]

He debated saying no, again, but he really didn't think he could politely get away with it twice. It seemed like she was appreciative of his gesture, so maybe it was the right thing to accept her own generosity? Paladin stiffly glanced back into the purse, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Ohh... luckily, Live had continued talking, eating away at his nerves as he found himself totally enraptured by her chatter. He loved learning new things and hearing more about subjects he had never come across before, especially anything handmade.

"It does look real," he murmured, sniffing quietly. "And smells real -- I get the title now." It wasn't just any purse, and she was letting him take something from it? Well, he'd need to value the gift especially.


"If you are sure..." He glanced up at her to triple check before gently plucking a pretty pink bracelet. "My mother would love this, I believe. Is this alright?" He could pick something for himself, and probably ought to, but Paladin had a habit of deflecting others' interest in his self by redirecting the attention and focus on someone else. He had a hard time accepting a gift for himself, but if it was for a friend or his mother then it was easier.

@Syrcaid

[Syrcaid]

"Go right ahead!" Live nodded.  "That's a good one, too.  I think she'd look lovely with it!  I'd feel better about taking your lunch if I was able to give something back, you didn't have to even offer anything to me but you did anyway.  I want to do the same for you!"

Live smiled at him, none of it was a lie.  It really did feel good to share something with someone, she rarely got the opportunity.  It was really nice of him to offer, considering she was usually the pony who had everything.

"Next time we go on a field trip, I'll make a special note to bring extra food.  You've inspired me!  I want to be able to help someone else out along with you."

@Nym