05 - week five

[afflictionmods]

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.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

CYOA SIGNUPS
Due Saturday at 8pm EST

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[selfconcept]

I dunno. It's just the way you said it.

[ Hien returns after lapping around once. ]

It was very suggestive.

[partymagician]

Well... even then, it wouldn't be wrong.

[ Just saying.

He's still content to sit where Hien put him, swinging his legs as he rests his hands on the half wall. ]

[selfconcept]

[ ...

Hien gives Fai a half-judging look. The other half is him being tired. ]

Why are you like this...

[ affectionate ]

[partymagician]

You must like it on some level, if you see yourself being with me long-term.

[ He smiles at Hien, continuing to innocently swing his legs. ]

[selfconcept]

[ ...

Hien grabs onto Fai's knees, but then pull him off the fence and holds him up. Fai is now upside down. At least his head isn't hitting the ground. ]

I love you.

[partymagician]

[ This is definitely one of the weirdest things he's ever experienced.

He trusts Hien not to drop him, but also... what is he doing?

And what is he saying????? ]

....What?

[selfconcept]

[ The very strong urge to drop Fai on his head is only held back by his promise to Fai that he wouldn't hurt himself or him too much. ]

Wanna go to the electronics store now?

[partymagician]

At least let me go first...

[ He feels dizzy, and not just because Hien is holding him upside down.

Why did he just say he loved Fai and then move on like that didn't just happen? He feels so lost. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien ends up skating all the way where the cushiony seats are before putting Fai down. ]

I'm gonna change out my skates.

[ And off he goes. ]

[partymagician]

[ Fai just stares after him for a long moment. It feels like he's dreaming, in a sense, like what just happened didn't actually happen because Hien is so casual about it.

Eventually, Fai gets up to follow him so that he can put his shoes back on too. ]

Hien...?

[selfconcept]

Yeah?

[ He's still trying to change put of his skates. It's very different from changing out of clothes, so it takes longer. ]

[partymagician]

[ He grabs his shoes and sits down next to Hien, not looking up as he unlaces the skates. ]

Earlier... what did you say when you were holding me upside down?

[selfconcept]

I love you.

[ Hien doesn't look up from undoing his skates either, but only because his focus is on getting the skates off. ]

[partymagician]

I...

[ It isn't like he feels as if he needs to reject Hien, or that his own feelings are on a similar level. After all, Fai is old enough to know these sorts of things.

But still, when it comes to being loved, he can't help but wonder. ]

How do you know that for sure?

[ His voice is soft and his heart is pounding. ]

[selfconcept]

I wouldn't date you otherwise.

[ The thing about Hien is that he does the dating process before dating... ]

[partymagician]

Oh.

[ His heart beats even faster and wow, it’s hard to untie these roller skates. Truthfully,, Fai operates the same way.

Which is probably why he feels so nervous now. ]

…And I thought you hated me a little over a week ago.

[selfconcept]

There is nothing you can possibly do that would make me hate you. This goes for everyone else too.

[ Hien only genuinely hates two people, and he sounds very confident in that. ]

[partymagician]

Ah. I see.

[ He finally manages to undo the laces on his skates, but he doesn’t move to take them off just yet. ]

I know I made you angry, though.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien lightly shrugs as he changes the skates out into his shoes. ]

It's just a part of life. You get happy, angry, sad... whatever.

[ He goes to kneel down in front of Fai so that he can help him take the skates off, since he isn't doing much other than undoing the laces. ]

You make me feel things that are hard to actually bring out in their genuineness on my own.

[partymagician]

[ Fai isn’t sure what’s more shocking—this or the love confession. He simply sits there as he watches Hien take off his skates. ]

What do I make you feel?

[selfconcept]

Actual emotions. Doing things on reflex isn't hard and expressing myself is something I don't feel like doing often because of that. Just let reflexes take care of it for me.

[ So he'll smile, get annoyed—make it seem like he's experiencing emotion, but it's mostly a reflex. ]

[partymagician]

Oh.

[ Reflexes… that explains why Hien could seem “normal” despite the hollowness. ]

I wonder why I make you feel things.

[ It’s not like he’s special. ]

[selfconcept]

You're special.

[ He puts Fai's shoes back on his feet. ]

It's not really important to figure out why. The more important thing is that you do, so let's head out.

[partymagician]

Well, you leave no room for arguing.

[ He laughs softly as he stands up, waiting for Hien to straighten himself out before pulling him close for a quick kiss. ]

I feel the same. I love you too.

[ Because Fai had to consider a relationship worth it to even get into one, he’d already done all of his own assessments just like Hien. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien slowly blinks, staring at Fai after that kiss.

...

He holds his hand and leads him out of the skating rink. There's nothing else that needs to be said!! ]