theafflicted | 05 - week five

05 - week five

WEEK FIVE

Come Sunday morning, the portals around Estelline fade away, but not all of the oddities hanging around disappear so quickly. The recreations of your dreams and memories are still around, ever changing and shifting. Whatever it is that brought these things here hasn’t ended, not yet.

You don’t have time to worry about all of that, though, even if you know you should exercise caution once two of you found yourselves on the bad end of a monster’s claws. The course still isn’t over, though, even if the portals changed lesson plans. Everything continues on, with new places to explore as the fog pushes back once again. This week still feels a little more like what you’re familiar with, though, after Saturday’s lack of lessons.

...For now.

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[ He shakes his head, looking towards the floor for a moment before finally making eye contact with Sabo again. ]

I'll most likely die when I return to my world, so unfortunately... I don't know that it's an option to go back to them.

[ ah. and here is why he doesn't make assumptions. ]

My apologies.

[ also sabo is not going to acknowledge that ace is right next to him as this conversation is happening or the way his grip slightly changes on ace's ankles. ]

If that isn't a possibility, what do you think you'll do?

[ He's honestly thankful that Sabo doesn't make assumptions, because it makes it easier to admit what might happen to him. While it might not be a certainty either, he knows that he can't fight someone he views as a son, even in self defense. So, as he sees it, his death is inevitable. ]

I'll see if Hien will have me, I suppose.

[ He's sure that Hien will, since Fai isn't the type to make assumptions on that level. ]

[ even if that's valid of fai, it's still sad. but, it's not as though he doesn't know what that kind of situation is like. memshare nonsense aside but hearing fai's alternative is nice. ]

I'm sure he'd love that. [ with a soft chuckle. ] You two became rather close since we first arrived here; I'm happy for the two of you.

[ do they need congratulations? who knows. ]

[ He smiles a little, briefly wondering if Sabo knows, although they haven't told anyone. (At least as far as Fai's aware.) ]

Thanks. I like to think we match each other quite well... whoever put us together did a good job.

[ sometimes you just see things and get an idea? funny how he can see it for other people and yet himself? closes my eyes. ]

I wouldn't have thought so in the beginning but things are always different in the beginning.

[ sabo pls............. ]

Oh, really? Did you think we were mismatched?

[ Fai wouldn't blame him, since their personalities are almost polar opposites. ]

[ do not perceive him. ]

Looking back on it, maybe not so much, but at the time a little bit. He seemed a bit on the prickly side.

[ he says with a laugh and sounding fond. ]

But I could probably say the same about me and Ace. Except he's so much cuter now than when we were younger.

[ i repeat: do not perceive him. ]

[ oh he's perceiving ]

So you're saying... we remind you of you and Ace?

[ Fai can see the similarities, honestly. ]

[ do not look too closely fai... but hmm. sabo hadn't meant it like that exactly but he's going to consider it now. ]

Maybe—just a bit. At least when we were younger.

Really? I feel like we're similar now. We sat on the couch like that last week.

[ And now they're together. Really says something, huh! ]

So the two of you did.

[ he sees where you're going with this fai and—

]

Yep. Although, we've always been pretty physically affectionate with one another, so maybe it wasn't unusual for us to do that.

[ Then again, they committed crimes the second week so???

Anyway. He hopes Sabo thinks about it. ]

[ they sure did!!!! and hien put them on blast. amazing. ]

I'm sure that was a factor into it. Meanwhile Ace and I... ...

[ hm. no. he's going to stop himself right there. there are a few options of how to respond to this and he's wishing he didn't even start to address it. wow he's totally ignoring how ace is somehow here and not acknowledging what is being said here. great! amazing!!!

]

[ Fai tilts his head, flashing Sabo a confused look. ]

Meanwhile...?

[ He is very aware of what he's doing right now. ]

[ and sabo is also suddenly Very Aware of what fai is doing too. he would be more scandalized or embarrassed if he wasn't impressed on some level; it's not often that someone can catch him off guard like this.

he...still has to answer the question though. somehow. without losing face. ]

Ace's typically more reserved with any kind of physical affection or contact. ...except I feel like he's gotten better about it over the years.

Does he initiate it more often?

[ Just... casually asking about Ace while he's right there. ]

[ ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING AS IF ACE ISN'T HERE... ]

Yes.

[ hmm. he's not going to think any deeper than he already has to about this. ]

Any initiation that wasn't a fist for a punch or him just wanting to start something would be considered "more", honestly.

[ He laughs. ]

It's kind of nice when the prickly or the fight-driven ones get affectionate, isn't it?

I wouldn't call him "affectionate" exactly...

[

]

A better way to look at it is that he mellowed out. He's less angry now; he still has his temper but isn't always looking for a fight.

[ and actually allows people to approach him and not treat them as though they were going to harm him like some wounded animal. ]

[ That's definitely progress!

Fai lets out a sigh. ]

I wish Hien wasn't always looking for a fight...

[ Alas. He's not too bothered by it. ]

[ but this was progress that was made before sabo entered the equation!!! ]

Maybe he just needs to find something that means more to him than whatever he thinks he gets out of a fight. [ sabo takes a moment and debates whether he should share this next bit or not and...well. he looks over at ace and smiles at him a bit apologetically before he continues. fai was there in that one memory so— ] Part of the reason why Ace was so prickly and difficult when he was younger was because how he thought no one would accept him.

[ there's much more there to unpack but sabo leaves it there as shakes his head at a different memory. ]

And obviously that wasn't true.

…I understand how that feels.

[ Might as well share that about himself in exchange, right? ]

I assume you accepted him, Sabo?

[ frowns at fai. suppose he shouldn't be that surprised; everyone has their own baggage that they carry with them. it's just a matter of how much and if they share it. shame that sabo won't ask fai to elaborate on what he meant as he instantly responds to the question asked. ]

Of course I did! I might have been the first one to have really accepted him.

[ who knows if that latter statement is actually true but given their ages...probably. ]

[ He only isn't surprised to hear that answer. ]

I'm really glad that the two of you have one another.

[ And he does mean it. He's not teasing this time, because it's good to have people in your life that accept you and become your family. ]

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