w3 afterparty

[selfconcept]

Everyone passed! That's great! But Wei Wuxian is gone and you keep getting a weird feeling. Maybe it's the adrenaline that's dying down. Maybe you saw something strange because you're tired? It'll all be uncovered on Sunday. Why not take a breather for now? If you're injured, ask Florence for some medical aid. (can be handwaved) It's around 10 PM when you're released.

Comments

[selfconcept]

That's really rude, Phantom. Don't talk about spice man like he's a ghost.

[ Anyway... ]

I dunno if you were around for the feast thing on the first week, but that guy was making the spiciest soup I've ever seen in my fucking life. My eyes water at the mere thought of it.

[ They aren't, but you know. Figure of speech and all. ]

[exofractured]

I wasn't exactly looking for crowds the first week. I'm lucky--

[NOPE that topic is sore. There's just the slightest hitch as Phantom changes directions midsentence, though. He masks it by peering at Hien's face like he's looking for the promised watering eyes.]

--I didn't, from the sound of it. I don't know which of the others that is.

[selfconcept]

It's that guy with the really long black hair.

[ ... ]

Other than you.

[ In case he had to specify. ]

[exofractured]

Naturally. No version of me would survive making something that spicy.

[But he actually seems to know who Hien means from that description, improbably. He nods and moves like he's planning on shooing Hien along back inside.]

Do you think he was left behind? At that carnival?

[selfconcept]

He shouldn't be. They said everyone passed, right?

[ As per Phantom's kind gestures, Hien goes inside... whatever building Phantom made him go into. He digs into his bag for his tablet and pulls up the profiles--

Wei Wuxian's profile has been grayed out. Phantom can see it clearly from his viewpoint too. ]

... Well, this is ominous.

[exofractured]

Yes, if you trust anything about this place.

[Probably the cafeteria, a good and noble building. Also if Hien is that tired, he needs food of some kind. The alarming pronouncement gets Phantom to lean over and check for himself.]

...I can only agree. Although I don't recall seeing him at the carnival, either. [...] Assuming that we would remember.

[selfconcept]

I didn't think Sage would be participating with us either.

[ Hien sits down on a seat at the table and puts the tablet on it. ]

... He's probably a capable guy.

[ So they shouldn't worry about him much. hopefully. ]

[exofractured]

Doubtless. Have you not done enough worrying about people for one day?

[He remembers Hien's reason for leaving abruptly, beside the fact that both of them were experiencing death.

And now that they're inside where it's light and he can actually see... he frowns a little at the brace on Hien's hand.]

[selfconcept]

If I'm the one he's worrying about everyone, Fai probably has it worse. He's a worrywart.

[ Hien sighs and pillows his cheek on his right hand. He also catches Phantom's line of sight. ]

It'll heal in several weeks.

[ Assuming he doesn't do anything stupid. ]

[exofractured]

Good. Surely there won't be another Saturday lesson likely to reinjure it, or be difficult to perform with an injury.

[He knows, he knows, the cards. But Hien really could have refused to fill out ones like that, couldn't he? Phantom scowls a little.]

If Fai is worse than you are [doubt], all the more reason to pull yourself together. ...I'll make tea again.

[selfconcept]

Alright.

[ He'll wait for Phantom to come back with tea. The point of helping others with their score was to willingly be a target. Though he feels like his justifications won't matter, so he sighs. ]

[exofractured]

[Phantom works out the worst of his guilt aggressions on tea preparations, so he only thunks the cup down in front of Hien a little when he returns.]

Here.

I didn't see this notif I'm sorryyyyrjdnd

[selfconcept]

Thanks.

[ He notices the thunk. Will he say anything about it? No. ]

I'm kinda glad you aren't asking many intrusive questions.

fksldfjs ʕ♡˙ᴥ˙♡ʔ

[exofractured]

In contrast to my usual?

[Good. Tactful Hien. Phantom sits down too, holding his own tea more for warmth than anything. Maybe he should have ignored the hour and made coffee, but Hien liked the tea last time.]

Which part were you expecting me to pry about? I can at least strive to be unexpected.

[selfconcept]

About what I said in response to your prompt.

[ Everyone is so nosy here, is what Hien thinks, so that is why he is pleasantly surprised. ]

[exofractured]

[The memory of the embarrassment is enough to make Phantom sink a little in his seat again, but he's too tired for any more dramatic reaction than that just now.]

...Hm. It's not a surprising outcome in these circumstances, I suppose. Particularly when you two already seemed close.

[Which isn't to say he's not nosy. Just that he's figuring out how to phrase his questions.]

[selfconcept]

[ There's a long, slow blink. ]

We're not dating or anything though.

[ Though he's saying that to the "being close" part. It makes him feel nice to hear that, but. Yeah. ]

[exofractured]

Why not? Aside from being trapped in a broken-down world with our survival a weekly gamble.

[Since it doesn't seem like the emotions are the problem, considering what brought this up in the first place.]

[selfconcept]

I don't think he wants to.

[ Hien gets flashbacks about how Fai didn't want to be close to people. Faking emotion doesn't require closeness. Neither does doing it in the bed. ]

[exofractured]

Ah.

[That's... not what he expected, somehow. Fai seems so friendly, and Hien is Hien. But the situation itself is more than a little familiar.]

...Have you actually asked him?

[selfconcept]

He said it earlier on that he didn't want to get too close to people. So, I just did what I would usually do anyway.

[ So that's actually the reason why Hien is surprised at people saying "you two must be close" when it's really more like "He doesnt wanna be close so okay" but Hien initiating things that invite closeness without thinking about it...

closes eyes

Hien is sometimes dense as fuck ]

[exofractured]

Earlier on, yes. But...

[.........Even Phantom is just giving this the stare it deserves. And he is so beyond incapable at the concept of dating that it actually defies description.]

And what is it that you'd usually do?

[selfconcept]

Just... be myself?

[ Maybe he's just normally affectionate? And asking people to do things with him? ]

[exofractured]

[...Yep, that's absolutely what Phantom is getting from this.]

And this is the result. [Hmmm.] I don't know his reasons for not intending to get close to others. But he doesn't seem displeased with the outcome, to me.

[selfconcept]

[ How should he say this as his partner... ]

He has a lot of feelings.

[ sagenod

That's all he'll say about it. ]