That sounds good. [ when their fingers brush, there's a little spark of the emotion share that comes through - there's a warm, muted happiness that comes from yin yu, beneath his usual bustle of a busy retainer trying to make things exactly right. he's careful with the teapot, supporting it with both hands, and makes his way back towards the seating area with it in hand.
sitting on the table in view is a little plate of some very tasty looking chocolate chip cookies. they were an anonymous gift - he's fairly sure he knows who they're from - and since he's already tasted one and they were definitely not poison or something, it would be nice to share.
looks like they were on the same wavelength. his smile remains, a little shy. ] I can pour the tea, just a moment-- thank you, my lady, for bringing it. This should be quite... well, it should be interesting, at least.
[their fingers brush, and that warm, muted happiness is returned with a not-so-muted mix of fondness and affection - there's a small, quiet note of anxiety that seems to be rather prevalent in most of them, if her experiences sharing emotions with others are any indication, but that's probably just from the fact that there in murder camp.
most of all, though, there's a sense of peace. it lingers for that five seconds as she watches him take it to the sitting area, and she sets the teacups down on the table by the cookies, which get a curious glance.
a moment later, she smiles, and it's just the slightest bit mischievous.]
Interesting... certainly. Should it prove to be frightening, you will protect me, will you not?
[ cmon flayn its not like anyones gonna die that you care about this week
ahem. i mean, anyway. as he settles down with the tea kettle and pours the tea with the careful attention of an attendant, yin yu glances up briefly at flayn, allowing himself just a minute longer to look. it's enough to catch that smile, and the hint of mischief to it, and...
he ends up huffing a quiet laugh, shaking his head. fond, amused. ] Of course.
[ he has protected flayn from far worse than some fake monster on a screen.
tea poured, he settles in to get the ghost bride movie all set up. it's what natalie showed him how to do earlier: hit this button, this button, and this, and it should be ready. he's a quick learner, at least, and once the setup is going and the music comes up for the starting screen, yin yu sets the remote down and offers flayn a now full cup of sweetly fragrant almond tea. ] ...here, my lady.
if flayn knew that this was going to be the last time she would see yin yu, would she do any of this differently? maybe. maybe not. but she doesn't know, and so she just settles herself next to yin yu as she accepts the cup of tea.]
Thank you.
[she takes a sip from it, and her expression warms.]
This is truly delicious. [it's a good anonymous gift.] I hope whichever mysterious person gave it to me knows how much I appreciate it.
i wish i could see the person's face to thank them properly. they've been here before. then, yin yu had flinched a little and hesitated before he'd been willing to admit to the kindness that he'd done. today, he's less reticent, just a little embarrassed. he can't really look at her as he answers her, his cheeks a little red.
...but his tone's pretty soft, as he tucks a lock of his hair back behind his ear, an old nervous habit from the most human of his days. ] ...I'm sure they would be glad it brought you joy, my lady.
[ aaaaa. it wasn't much, in the grand scheme of things! he's no hua cheng, able to create thousands of lanterns for autumn festivals, but, you know, if that was enough, then... he's doing the best he can. ]
[she sips at her tea again, looking - and feeling - content. sitting here with him, drinking tea, settling in to... watch a movie? being in his company with this brings her a measure of peace that she's been hard-pressed to find since they woke up on the bus.
flayn wouldn't have thought it was possible, but... yin yu is like that.
if he wasn't here, she wouldn't know what she would do.]
[ ...good. he's really glad. something warm and pleased lights in his chest at the thought, the satisfaction of a job well done, but also, the warmth of putting that look on her face. he's starting to associate those happy, warm feelings with flayn, now, unusual and strange as they may be. he gives a little nod, peeking at her out of the corner of his eye just for a moment, just to sneak a glance.
...right. using the odd remote natalie showed him, he recalls the instructions from earlier, pressing the big green play button to get it started. the entertainment cabin is dark and quiet, ready to play up their ghost movie with ambiance, or something, and yin yu settles back quietly with his tea in hand, a comfortable enough amount of space between them, ready to watch.
the film itself is very...modern. at the beginning, it reminds him of the place he visited with minako last week through the portal, but, some of the sights are familiar. the colors, the sounds. the sight of a temple is almost comforting, to know how little the world might have changed in however many thousands of years it's been. ]
[the sight of a modern city is still a little strange to flayn, though she's seen some of them in the portals. the temple isn't familiar to her, either - the architecture is rather different from the cathedral at the monastery.
but it's still a little more familiar than the modern city is, at least.
her voice is soft when she speaks up. her eyes stay on the movie, though.]
...it seems as though cities like that are common in many other worlds - is that what most places are destined to become, with enough time...?
Mm. [ yin yu agrees, quietly, watching the hustle and bustle on the screen. he can see it: ghost city evolving into such a place. it's already raucous and loud, and the technology he's starting to become vaguely familiar with (???) in the camp would fit right in. the way they talk on those little devices, the 'buses' and 'cars' they ride in... he's sure if hua cheng knew these things existed, he would've started to make them already, just to say he has them first. ]
...The people here [ and in the film ] make me feel quite old. I never thought I was so far behind.
[ he says that with a quiet little laugh, a bit of amusement at the thought. ]
[god, flayn is the oldest person left alive. isn't that wild?]
...I wonder how our worlds will change, after we go back. [there's a lot of information they may be able to bring back with them - about what is possible to achieve (even in worlds without magic), about what other places have become.
it makes her excited, to think about the future, but...
melancholy, too, for reasons she doesn't want to acknowledge.]
...Mine was already in the middle of a change far greater than I think many of us had ever really expected.
[ yin yu knew. i can't tell you why because SPOILERS but boy, he knew. there is a battle rumbling on the horizon that may shake the heavens, at home. it's why he needs to return - chengzhu will have need of him, and so will taizi dianxia. if they all make it through, they will need every bit of help they can get, and maybe this sort of strange world will be waiting on the other side.
for a moment, he glances to the side, while flayn is watching the screen. when they make it out of this place...
...ah. ] ...but, we... it's something we will be able to see.
[ yin yu says it quietly, almost hesitant. it's the first verbal acknowledgement of her lifespan that he's made, but. in this case...maybe it's a good thing. he's immortal too, after all. (haha)
he doesn't think it'll be something that they'll be able to see together. he's not a hopeful person. but, with long lifespans and the fact that they were brought together at all, it... it's something that maybe, he could have a little bit of hope for. that maybe goodbye won't be goodbye, when it all ends. ]
[there is little point in not acknowledging her lifespan. truthfully, there had been little point in denying it for the first few weeks. old habits might die hard, but she wants to be honest with yin yu.
as honest as it's possible for anyone to be, in a place like this.
even now, she still isn't sure just what had brought them together. of all the people in all the different worlds, why had they both ended up on that island? and now, here... why are they both awake and participating, and not asleep like the others? chance, perhaps. or fate.
she's glad for the time she's spending with him, but the thought of it ending is terrifying.
...but if it was possible for them to meet at all, maybe it will be possible for them to meet again.]
[ it's a quite heavy subject. that doubt lingers in the air between them for a moment, and he's thankful, maybe selfishly, that flayn in some ways has a life similar to his. he's already lost her once, when he was just starting to know her, just a bit, and the protective instinct he'd started to garner on the island had only grown, since. to know that their lifespans could intertwine -- that maybe, maybe, when they win this game, it wouldn't be over -- it's a scary thing to have hope for.
he doesn't say anything for a moment, but. as the movie plays on, yin yu reaches over and hesitates, just for a second - and then, finds her hand. their fingers brush, not quite a hold, right away, but the touch lights his emotions, a soft hesitance, a bit of embarrassment, that ever-present lack of confidence, but...
but there's hope, too. a tiny flickering candle in a dark chasm, surrounded by a faint warmth that he's come to associate with flayn, and only with flayn.
luckily, the movie is distracting enough. watching the female actress on the screen setting up for the family opera performance, flayn will see a smattering of familiar looking masks on the wall in the scenery. ] ...look, my lady.
[ familiar!! there's even one among them that looks quite a bit like yin yu's, if you squint hard enough. there are more than just the picture google gave me i'm just lazy. ]
[she isn't quite expecting him to reach for her hand first.
when he does, there's a brief shock of surprise - and then gratitude, followed by a warmth that is more than mere affection.
a moment later, as that small bit of hope washes over her, he'll begin to feel it reflected back at him. it's more obvious now that the faintest flickerings of it are there that it was missing, before - but yin yu has managed to bring it back.
she breathes a little easier when she's with him.]
Oh! The masks...
[she leans forward to get a closer look at the screen, interested.]
[ the feedback loop of emotion sharing returns, making him feel entirely too warm, all over. his own reflect hers, with a quiet hint of relief as he feels a little of her hope, too. is it stronger if they can both be hesitant about it, together? does it feel a little more possible that way? yin yu's not a hopeful enough person to tell, but... if he can support flayn's kindness, then, he's done something worth doing.
as she leans forward, yin yu stays back, his attention drifting from the screen to watch flayn, instead. watching the curiosity on her face, the way the lights from the screen light up her features. observing.
his hand stays loose, gentle, in hers. ] Not all of them. The different colors and expressions can symbolize emotions - if they show an opera in the film, you will see the actors change 'faces', so to speak, throughout the performance.
[ he sets his tea cup down, pointing at the screen as they pass a little display. ] There...and there, the silver one, and the gold. Those are usually for those of the heavenly realm or the ghostly one. Though, there is a saying - "masks for gods, make up for ghosts", because traditionally, you are not supposed to reenact the likeness of a god as a human on your own face, but for a ghost, it doesn't matter so much.
[they don't have traditions like this in fódlan. sure, they have makeup and costumes for performances (not that she's ever been; she's only heard tales from her classmates, and begged for information from a teacher who used to be a performer) - but the masks, and the traditions behind them...
well, it's new to her.]
What sort of makeup would one do for a ghost?
[with his hand in hers, he'll feel her curiosity. she wants to know more - about the world where he comes from, and...
...about him, too, though she isn't voicing that just yet.]
[ yin yu's mouth twitches; amusement flickers across their connected hands. ]
As ugly as possible, typically. It's usually not inaccurate.
[ usually, anyway. most ghosts are not exactly charming looking. there are exceptions. (see: hua cheng.) ] My own mask is a bit unusual because it's so plain. Anything with such bright colors would've stood out far too much, besides, and it's improper to have a black one.
[ he still sticks to his traditions, even in such a unique situation. ]
[ ha ha!! sure!!! the idea of him being anywhere near any of those terms is laughable!
but he doesn't laugh. there's a faint twist of that self deprecating emotion immediately, much more so than it's shown through before, but yin yu shoves it back down quite quickly, focusing on boxing up those negative feelings to be dealt with never.
instead, he just sips from his tea for a moment, giving a little nod of his head. if you say so. ] ...I'm fairly attached to mine, as it were. I've had it as long as I've worked for Chengzhu.
...well, if you prefer yours, then I suppose that is that.
[sentimental value is important, she gets it. but that sense of self deprecation hurts, and he'll pick up on a pang of sadness from her, followed by - as she thinks of the all the small things that he's done that have made her life better since they met - a sense of admiration and affection for yin yu himself.
he feels that, the rush of sadness first (and she'll feel guilt, immediately) and then... the warmth. affection. admiration.
he ducks his head, a little sheepish. his ears are pink. sometimes he doesn't know what to do with how kind flayn is to him. ] ...you're always too kind to me, my lady.
[ he says, quietly, instead, and though his own level of affection is as ever soft, it's still there. steady. calm as still water. he appreciates her words, even if he's bad at saying them. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fishingforcompliments) wrote2020-06-06 12:53 pm
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sitting on the table in view is a little plate of some very tasty looking chocolate chip cookies. they were an anonymous gift - he's fairly sure he knows who they're from - and since he's already tasted one and they were definitely not poison or something, it would be nice to share.
looks like they were on the same wavelength. his smile remains, a little shy. ] I can pour the tea, just a moment-- thank you, my lady, for bringing it. This should be quite... well, it should be interesting, at least.
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most of all, though, there's a sense of peace. it lingers for that five seconds as she watches him take it to the sitting area, and she sets the teacups down on the table by the cookies, which get a curious glance.
a moment later, she smiles, and it's just the slightest bit mischievous.]
Interesting... certainly. Should it prove to be frightening, you will protect me, will you not?
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ahem. i mean, anyway. as he settles down with the tea kettle and pours the tea with the careful attention of an attendant, yin yu glances up briefly at flayn, allowing himself just a minute longer to look. it's enough to catch that smile, and the hint of mischief to it, and...
he ends up huffing a quiet laugh, shaking his head. fond, amused. ] Of course.
[ he has protected flayn from far worse than some fake monster on a screen.
tea poured, he settles in to get the ghost bride movie all set up. it's what natalie showed him how to do earlier: hit this button, this button, and this, and it should be ready. he's a quick learner, at least, and once the setup is going and the music comes up for the starting screen, yin yu sets the remote down and offers flayn a now full cup of sweetly fragrant almond tea. ] ...here, my lady.
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if flayn knew that this was going to be the last time she would see yin yu, would she do any of this differently? maybe. maybe not. but she doesn't know, and so she just settles herself next to yin yu as she accepts the cup of tea.]
Thank you.
[she takes a sip from it, and her expression warms.]
This is truly delicious. [it's a good anonymous gift.] I hope whichever mysterious person gave it to me knows how much I appreciate it.
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i wish i could see the person's face to thank them properly. they've been here before. then, yin yu had flinched a little and hesitated before he'd been willing to admit to the kindness that he'd done. today, he's less reticent, just a little embarrassed. he can't really look at her as he answers her, his cheeks a little red.
...but his tone's pretty soft, as he tucks a lock of his hair back behind his ear, an old nervous habit from the most human of his days. ] ...I'm sure they would be glad it brought you joy, my lady.
[ aaaaa. it wasn't much, in the grand scheme of things! he's no hua cheng, able to create thousands of lanterns for autumn festivals, but, you know, if that was enough, then... he's doing the best he can. ]
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[she sips at her tea again, looking - and feeling - content. sitting here with him, drinking tea, settling in to... watch a movie? being in his company with this brings her a measure of peace that she's been hard-pressed to find since they woke up on the bus.
flayn wouldn't have thought it was possible, but... yin yu is like that.
if he wasn't here, she wouldn't know what she would do.]
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...right. using the odd remote natalie showed him, he recalls the instructions from earlier, pressing the big green play button to get it started. the entertainment cabin is dark and quiet, ready to play up their ghost movie with ambiance, or something, and yin yu settles back quietly with his tea in hand, a comfortable enough amount of space between them, ready to watch.
the film itself is very...modern. at the beginning, it reminds him of the place he visited with minako last week through the portal, but, some of the sights are familiar. the colors, the sounds. the sight of a temple is almost comforting, to know how little the world might have changed in however many thousands of years it's been. ]
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but it's still a little more familiar than the modern city is, at least.
her voice is soft when she speaks up. her eyes stay on the movie, though.]
...it seems as though cities like that are common in many other worlds - is that what most places are destined to become, with enough time...?
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...The people here [ and in the film ] make me feel quite old. I never thought I was so far behind.
[ he says that with a quiet little laugh, a bit of amusement at the thought. ]
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[god, flayn is the oldest person left alive. isn't that wild?]
...I wonder how our worlds will change, after we go back. [there's a lot of information they may be able to bring back with them - about what is possible to achieve (even in worlds without magic), about what other places have become.
it makes her excited, to think about the future, but...
melancholy, too, for reasons she doesn't want to acknowledge.]
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[ yin yu knew. i can't tell you why because SPOILERS but boy, he knew. there is a battle rumbling on the horizon that may shake the heavens, at home. it's why he needs to return - chengzhu will have need of him, and so will taizi dianxia. if they all make it through, they will need every bit of help they can get, and maybe this sort of strange world will be waiting on the other side.
for a moment, he glances to the side, while flayn is watching the screen. when they make it out of this place...
...ah. ] ...but, we... it's something we will be able to see.
[ yin yu says it quietly, almost hesitant. it's the first verbal acknowledgement of her lifespan that he's made, but. in this case...maybe it's a good thing. he's immortal too, after all. (haha)
he doesn't think it'll be something that they'll be able to see together. he's not a hopeful person. but, with long lifespans and the fact that they were brought together at all, it... it's something that maybe, he could have a little bit of hope for. that maybe goodbye won't be goodbye, when it all ends. ]
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[there is little point in not acknowledging her lifespan. truthfully, there had been little point in denying it for the first few weeks. old habits might die hard, but she wants to be honest with yin yu.
as honest as it's possible for anyone to be, in a place like this.
even now, she still isn't sure just what had brought them together. of all the people in all the different worlds, why had they both ended up on that island? and now, here... why are they both awake and participating, and not asleep like the others? chance, perhaps. or fate.
she's glad for the time she's spending with him, but the thought of it ending is terrifying.
...but if it was possible for them to meet at all, maybe it will be possible for them to meet again.]
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he doesn't say anything for a moment, but. as the movie plays on, yin yu reaches over and hesitates, just for a second - and then, finds her hand. their fingers brush, not quite a hold, right away, but the touch lights his emotions, a soft hesitance, a bit of embarrassment, that ever-present lack of confidence, but...
but there's hope, too. a tiny flickering candle in a dark chasm, surrounded by a faint warmth that he's come to associate with flayn, and only with flayn.
luckily, the movie is distracting enough. watching the female actress on the screen setting up for the family opera performance, flayn will see a smattering of familiar looking masks on the wall in the scenery. ] ...look, my lady.
[ familiar!! there's even one among them that looks quite a bit like yin yu's, if you squint hard enough. there are more than just the picture google gave me i'm just lazy. ]
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when he does, there's a brief shock of surprise - and then gratitude, followed by a warmth that is more than mere affection.
a moment later, as that small bit of hope washes over her, he'll begin to feel it reflected back at him. it's more obvious now that the faintest flickerings of it are there that it was missing, before - but yin yu has managed to bring it back.
she breathes a little easier when she's with him.]
Oh! The masks...
[she leans forward to get a closer look at the screen, interested.]
Are they all ghost masks, like yours?
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as she leans forward, yin yu stays back, his attention drifting from the screen to watch flayn, instead. watching the curiosity on her face, the way the lights from the screen light up her features. observing.
his hand stays loose, gentle, in hers. ] Not all of them. The different colors and expressions can symbolize emotions - if they show an opera in the film, you will see the actors change 'faces', so to speak, throughout the performance.
[ he sets his tea cup down, pointing at the screen as they pass a little display. ] There...and there, the silver one, and the gold. Those are usually for those of the heavenly realm or the ghostly one. Though, there is a saying - "masks for gods, make up for ghosts", because traditionally, you are not supposed to reenact the likeness of a god as a human on your own face, but for a ghost, it doesn't matter so much.
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[they don't have traditions like this in fódlan. sure, they have makeup and costumes for performances (not that she's ever been; she's only heard tales from her classmates, and begged for information from a teacher who used to be a performer) - but the masks, and the traditions behind them...
well, it's new to her.]
What sort of makeup would one do for a ghost?
[with his hand in hers, he'll feel her curiosity. she wants to know more - about the world where he comes from, and...
...about him, too, though she isn't voicing that just yet.]
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As ugly as possible, typically. It's usually not inaccurate.
[ usually, anyway. most ghosts are not exactly charming looking. there are exceptions. (see: hua cheng.) ] My own mask is a bit unusual because it's so plain. Anything with such bright colors would've stood out far too much, besides, and it's improper to have a black one.
[ he still sticks to his traditions, even in such a unique situation. ]
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[...she has so many questions! yin yu will never know a moment's peace as long as he's with her.
(maybe that's why he let himself die. to get some peace.)]
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[ yin yu is NONE of those things. he scratches his cheek, glancing back at the screen.
if peace is not having flayn around, then, he doesn't really want it. so. (how strange that is.) ]
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[well, maybe he's not bold or headstrong, but flayn will never agree that he's not honorable.
she just. stares at him. he can probably feel her disbelief.]
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....what?
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[so! there!]
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but he doesn't laugh. there's a faint twist of that self deprecating emotion immediately, much more so than it's shown through before, but yin yu shoves it back down quite quickly, focusing on boxing up those negative feelings to be dealt with never.
instead, he just sips from his tea for a moment, giving a little nod of his head. if you say so. ] ...I'm fairly attached to mine, as it were. I've had it as long as I've worked for Chengzhu.
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[sentimental value is important, she gets it. but that sense of self deprecation hurts, and he'll pick up on a pang of sadness from her, followed by - as she thinks of the all the small things that he's done that have made her life better since they met - a sense of admiration and affection for yin yu himself.
so there.]
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he feels that, the rush of sadness first (and she'll feel guilt, immediately) and then... the warmth. affection. admiration.
he ducks his head, a little sheepish. his ears are pink. sometimes he doesn't know what to do with how kind flayn is to him. ] ...you're always too kind to me, my lady.
[ he says, quietly, instead, and though his own level of affection is as ever soft, it's still there. steady. calm as still water. he appreciates her words, even if he's bad at saying them. ]
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tagging this to cope with my suffering
WAILS
this is my emotional support thread
GOD
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