all of the worry just pours out of him, and yin yu pauses in his climb on the ladder to just, gently put his forehead against the stair above him for a long moment. it's. fine, it's fine, she's just... tipsy? there are more questions that go with that, but that's harmless, in the grand scheme of things.
he feels a bit silly, actually. yin yu lifts his head, a sort of self depreciating smile on his face, but it doesn't last. flayn's smile is so bright its like looking directly into the sun, and it promptly puts everything he was going to say right out of his head. ]
....That's good, I'm.. glad.
[ that's all he can manage, and he ends up smiling back a little more, as he ascends to the top of the ladder too and takes a moment to regain proper composure. are you gonna let him pop up flayn or are you gonna peek more. ] What were you drinking...?
[She waits for him when he pauses on the ladder, and it's only when he nears the top that she scoots back so that he can climb up the rest of the way. When he's found his footing, she gets to her feet and immediately reaches for his hand.
(Sorry, Yin Yu.)]
It was a sweet, bubbly drink called soda, mixed with... whiskey, I believe. You must try it! It was much tastier than I had expected.
[If he allows her to, she'll pull him along to the liquor cabinet. (If he doesn't, she'll... try to pull him along, and fail.)]
[ that's. okay. yeah. sure. he's up and out of the ladder in a moment, and then just kind of staring at her hand for a second. he's...
....yeah. okay. pink cheeked, he goes ahead and puts his hand in hers. sure, why not, she can pull him along...see this tiny girl pull this tall stick man to the liquor cabinet, where he peers over her shoulder to find the aforementioned drink.] Did someone make it for you? I'm not sure what a soda is.
[ whiskey, whiskey...he's checking the tall shelves. ]
[ eventually, he comes away with a bottle that is labeled whiskey, filled with a dark liquor. he's not much of a drinker - even if he was, it's always rice wine and other such luxuries - but baijiu flows like water in the gambling dens of ghost city, so.
the noise of the carbonation surprises him, and yin yu glances down at the can... well, alright. he's weak enough to flayn that he'll actively try almost anything ( i look forward to when she kills him with her cooking), and he sets the bottle down to take the can and take a small, ginger sip.
it's... ] ...Sweet. [ huh. like nothing he's ever tasted before, really. the bubbles too. ] Sweeter than I expected.
Yes... I do like sweet things, but this is a bit much. Still, it is delicious!
[And even better... aha, she finds two glasses as he takes a sip from the can of soda, then sets them down so that she can take the bottle of whiskey. Off comes the cap... hmm, how much of this should she put in?
She settles for about a fourth of each glass, then takes the soda back to fill them the rest of the way.]
Together, the flavors balance each other out. It is not so sweet as the soda on its own, but not so bitter as the whiskey.
I see. [ he watches flayn make the drink with a bit of curiosity on his face, the carbonation curious and the overall process much of the same. it's not common to mix drinks with much of anything, at home, especially not something like this. the island had been full of familiarity in that it was simply wilderness... this bus is infinitely more confusing.
he bows his head, politely. ] Thank you, Lady Flayn. [
it would be a terrible idea to drink to the point of intoxication. (who is he, the windmaster?) but, a little bit won't hurt. after a moment of trepidation, he lifts the glass. ] Shall we toast?
[But what to toast to, she wonders? Flayn lifts her glass as she thinks it over. They don't really have much to celebrate - they're in yet another unfamiliar place, with more unfamiliar people.
The only nice thing about it is...]
...to seeing each other again. [She smiles. Flayn is generally very honest, and she's made no secret of the fact that she was relieved to see Yin Yu again, even if she would much rather he made it home safely, but.] I was prepared to miss you when I returned home, but a part of me is glad that I do not have to miss you after all.
[ in the end, that puts a smile on his face. the reminder that flayn stubbornly stuck to -- i'll miss you, i'll remember you-- still resonates quite deeply with him, more than he's ever really able to accept. the cynicism will always be there, but... it's still a little nice, to maybe... to maybe be remembered. he wants to believe it would have been true.
so. after looking into his glass for a moment, he nods, and lifts his to gently clink it to hers. ] To seeing each other again, even though the circumstances aren't quite ideal.
[ there's a brief pause before he drinks, and he adds, quietly: ] I would have missed you, as well.
[ and then takes a drink. the liquor is strong, but as flayn said, the sweetness cuts it--it's nothing like rice wine, but the warmth of it going down is as much like baijiu as anything. it's strong.
[Hopefully - once they find their way out of this - they will be able to see each other again in the future. The alternative is either never meet again, which is sad, or they wind up in yet another murdergame, which would be the epitome of We really have to stop meeting like this.
Smiling, Flayn takes a delicate sip of her drink. She's going slowly, and this is how she's (hopefully) going to avoid a hangover tomorrow.]
...what do you think?
[It definitely isn't poison. It is much tastier than poison.]
[ i guess flayn would know how tasty poison is.... rip
he takes a moment to let the flavor settle before he answers. ] ...It's good. What you said was right.
[ at least he can handle his liquor. working in the ghost city doesn't teach you nothing, after all. he'll sip at his too, quietly pleased with the taste, maybe a little spark in his dark eyes. how fascinating...
as he finishes, a hint of amusement crosses his face, and he looks over at flayn. ] You know, you gave me quite the scare. It seems a bit silly, now, but I was worried... I'm glad this was all it was.
[ how many times has he broken up drunk fights in ghost city? guess you can't help but be worried, after what they've been through. ]
[It takes her a moment to figure out why he would be worried - and as she does, her voice trails off, and her cheeks flush with shame. Oh. She hadn't thought about how it might look when he'd had to catch her.
Oh -- it's alright, there's no need to apologize... [ he sees that flush and worries, waving his hands as he sets his glass down. ]
I think I was just a bit. Ah, overly cautious. [ it feels especially funny, actually, now, and he smiles, more sheepish and self depreciating than anything. worrying about others has been in his dna since the day he was born. ] I'm glad that you're alright, and that you've discovered such a thing, too.
When it comes down to it, Yin Yu - or anyone else, really - will be hard-pressed to convince her that he isn't. He worries over her, but in a way that is more comforting than stifling.]
...no, you had every reason to be. I was not as careful as I should have been back then, and I did not even stop to consider what it might look like now...
[She manages a small smile, though.]
...but it really is very kind of you to be worried about me.
Of course I would be worried. I... [ there is a pause.
when he speaks up again, it's a little hesitant. almost shy, and it takes him a moment to make eye contact, too. ] ....We're friends, are we not?
[ how long has it been since yin yu has had a friend? a genuine, real friend. the only people he ever talks to are hua cheng and the occasional ghost in ghost city, who don't know him. no one knows him, because he's a forgettable nobody. the hesitation comes from not knowing what to do with having one, as much as he half expects it to just disappear the moment she closes her eyes or he walks away. it implies what friendship means to him - care, and kindness - and what it really means to him, too. ]
[She says it quickly and earnestly, but there is no small amount of relief in her voice. It's true. It's absolutely true, that she thinks of him as a friend - but some small part of her had been afraid that perhaps she was being too pushy, or that he was indulging her selfishness.
It is a very nice thing, to hear that he thinks of her as a friend.
Flayn can't help but smile down into her glass as she takes another sip.]
[ the hesitance takes a moment to fade from his expression, and -- then he's smiling, too, down into his own drink. it's a little wider than before, a little warmer, a genuine feeling of camaraderie and happiness. he's not really sure what he did to deserve this, but... he's glad to have it.
the relief is present in his response, too. ] ...then, of course I would be worried for your well being.
That is to say--I'm very glad. [ it's a little awkward, also, but what do you expect at this point. maybe it's the carbonation, or the alcohol, but it's nice to feel a little lighter than usual. ] Thank you for inviting me.
—I hope you know that I would also be worried for yours.
[There may not be much she can do to protect him here. Her strength has always lied in the healing magics, none of which she can use in a place like this, none of which she's been able to use for weeks.
It's frustrating, to rely on the protection of others instead of being able to provide it herself.]
And I am glad that you accepted my invitation. I like spending time with you, Yin Yu.
Hah- I would say the same, Lady Flayn. [ yeah. yeah, friendship is nice. it's... really been a long time. not since jian yu's death, and that entire messy affair is something he wants to keep as long forgotten as possible, even if it never is.
he takes a sip of the sweet, bubbly drink though, content for a moment of peace before everything goes to hell with... a friend. ] I'll always make time, if you need me.
And I shall always make time for you. It is not even necessary for you to need me for something - merely wanting my company is enough.
[This is, perhaps, a little more forward than she would normally be - and really, she is rather forward to begin with. Maybe it is the drink that has loosened her tongue, or the relief of having a friend in an unfamiliar place.
[ the smile tugs a bit further, at that, though it's not as warm... it's mostly self deprecating, a little bit distant. could he say the same? he is at best, a useful person with many capabilities, and at worse, an errand boy. to want his time is to see him complete a task at some measure of success. it's a hard mindset to shake, after a hundred years of being no one. ]
I'll be sure to keep that in mind. [ he'll never ask for it, even if he does want it, but he won't forget it. ]
...but at least he'll remember that the offer is open. Flayn can only hope that, eventually, he'll reach out to her. Until then... well, she'll just have to keep at it.
Time to sip at her drink a little more. Her head feels a little fuzzy, and she feels warm, but maybe that's just because of the combination of alcohol and extremely crowded bus.
She doesn't seem to realize that she's fallen silent.]
[ it's okay; a bit of companionable silence isn't a bad thing. for a moment, he's fine to soak it in, taking a long drink of his own drink and savoring it. a little alcohol isn't enough to loosen his tongue much, but it helps to make the atmosphere a little more relaxing, to forget that they're inevitably going to be in danger, if they aren't already.
they've been through a lot, and it seems like it was only the beginning. who knows what sort of dangers lie ahead of them, or if they'll even embark from this bus. so many people means so many dangers, especially with so many unknowns. still... to have a moment like this is nice, a calm before the storm. a sleepy warmth drifts through the cabin--it's a faraway feeling of contentedness.
eventually, he's the first to speak, after said pause. how unusual. it seems there's been something on his mind. ] Lady Flayn... I have to confess something small to you, if you wouldn't mind.
[It's almost possible to forget the danger they're in. Not quite, but almost - if Flayn closes her eyes and blocks out the occasional jostling from the bus, she could perhaps believe that she was somewhere safe, sharing a drink with a friend.
Maybe someday...
Ah. When Yin Yu does break the silence, she looks up to meet his eyes.]
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fishingforcompliments) wrote2020-06-06 12:53 pm
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She's smiling.]
Yes! It was delicious!
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all of the worry just pours out of him, and yin yu pauses in his climb on the ladder to just, gently put his forehead against the stair above him for a long moment. it's. fine, it's fine, she's just... tipsy? there are more questions that go with that, but that's harmless, in the grand scheme of things.
he feels a bit silly, actually. yin yu lifts his head, a sort of self depreciating smile on his face, but it doesn't last. flayn's smile is so bright its like looking directly into the sun, and it promptly puts everything he was going to say right out of his head. ]
....That's good, I'm.. glad.
[ that's all he can manage, and he ends up smiling back a little more, as he ascends to the top of the ladder too and takes a moment to regain proper composure. are you gonna let him pop up flayn or are you gonna peek more. ] What were you drinking...?
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(Sorry, Yin Yu.)]
It was a sweet, bubbly drink called soda, mixed with... whiskey, I believe. You must try it! It was much tastier than I had expected.
[If he allows her to, she'll pull him along to the liquor cabinet. (If he doesn't, she'll... try to pull him along, and fail.)]
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....yeah. okay. pink cheeked, he goes ahead and puts his hand in hers. sure, why not, she can pull him along...see this tiny girl pull this tall stick man to the liquor cabinet, where he peers over her shoulder to find the aforementioned drink.] Did someone make it for you? I'm not sure what a soda is.
[ whiskey, whiskey...he's checking the tall shelves. ]
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[While he's checking the high shelves for whiskey, she'll check the low ones for soda. With a little aha! she emerges with a can.]
Here, this is the soda! [She'll open it up and hold it out to him.] Try a sip of it by itself, first.
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the noise of the carbonation surprises him, and yin yu glances down at the can... well, alright. he's weak enough to flayn that he'll actively try almost anything ( i look forward to when she kills him with her cooking), and he sets the bottle down to take the can and take a small, ginger sip.
it's... ] ...Sweet. [ huh. like nothing he's ever tasted before, really. the bubbles too. ] Sweeter than I expected.
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[And even better... aha, she finds two glasses as he takes a sip from the can of soda, then sets them down so that she can take the bottle of whiskey. Off comes the cap... hmm, how much of this should she put in?
She settles for about a fourth of each glass, then takes the soda back to fill them the rest of the way.]
Together, the flavors balance each other out. It is not so sweet as the soda on its own, but not so bitter as the whiskey.
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he bows his head, politely. ] Thank you, Lady Flayn. [
it would be a terrible idea to drink to the point of intoxication. (who is he, the windmaster?) but, a little bit won't hurt. after a moment of trepidation, he lifts the glass. ] Shall we toast?
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[But what to toast to, she wonders? Flayn lifts her glass as she thinks it over. They don't really have much to celebrate - they're in yet another unfamiliar place, with more unfamiliar people.
The only nice thing about it is...]
...to seeing each other again. [She smiles. Flayn is generally very honest, and she's made no secret of the fact that she was relieved to see Yin Yu again, even if she would much rather he made it home safely, but.] I was prepared to miss you when I returned home, but a part of me is glad that I do not have to miss you after all.
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so. after looking into his glass for a moment, he nods, and lifts his to gently clink it to hers. ] To seeing each other again, even though the circumstances aren't quite ideal.
[ there's a brief pause before he drinks, and he adds, quietly: ] I would have missed you, as well.
[ and then takes a drink. the liquor is strong, but as flayn said, the sweetness cuts it--it's nothing like rice wine, but the warmth of it going down is as much like baijiu as anything. it's strong.
... it is pretty good, actually. this is good. ]
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Smiling, Flayn takes a delicate sip of her drink. She's going slowly, and this is how she's (hopefully) going to avoid a hangover tomorrow.]
...what do you think?
[It definitely isn't poison. It is much tastier than poison.]
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he takes a moment to let the flavor settle before he answers. ] ...It's good. What you said was right.
[ at least he can handle his liquor. working in the ghost city doesn't teach you nothing, after all. he'll sip at his too, quietly pleased with the taste, maybe a little spark in his dark eyes. how fascinating...
as he finishes, a hint of amusement crosses his face, and he looks over at flayn. ] You know, you gave me quite the scare. It seems a bit silly, now, but I was worried... I'm glad this was all it was.
[ how many times has he broken up drunk fights in ghost city? guess you can't help but be worried, after what they've been through. ]
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[It takes her a moment to figure out why he would be worried - and as she does, her voice trails off, and her cheeks flush with shame. Oh. She hadn't thought about how it might look when he'd had to catch her.
The last time she had stumbled, it had been...]
I am sorry. I did not mean to worry you.
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I think I was just a bit. Ah, overly cautious. [ it feels especially funny, actually, now, and he smiles, more sheepish and self depreciating than anything. worrying about others has been in his dna since the day he was born. ] I'm glad that you're alright, and that you've discovered such a thing, too.
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When it comes down to it, Yin Yu - or anyone else, really - will be hard-pressed to convince her that he isn't. He worries over her, but in a way that is more comforting than stifling.]
...no, you had every reason to be. I was not as careful as I should have been back then, and I did not even stop to consider what it might look like now...
[She manages a small smile, though.]
...but it really is very kind of you to be worried about me.
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when he speaks up again, it's a little hesitant. almost shy, and it takes him a moment to make eye contact, too. ] ....We're friends, are we not?
[ how long has it been since yin yu has had a friend? a genuine, real friend. the only people he ever talks to are hua cheng and the occasional ghost in ghost city, who don't know him. no one knows him, because he's a forgettable nobody. the hesitation comes from not knowing what to do with having one, as much as he half expects it to just disappear the moment she closes her eyes or he walks away. it implies what friendship means to him - care, and kindness - and what it really means to him, too. ]
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[She says it quickly and earnestly, but there is no small amount of relief in her voice. It's true. It's absolutely true, that she thinks of him as a friend - but some small part of her had been afraid that perhaps she was being too pushy, or that he was indulging her selfishness.
It is a very nice thing, to hear that he thinks of her as a friend.
Flayn can't help but smile down into her glass as she takes another sip.]
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the relief is present in his response, too. ] ...then, of course I would be worried for your well being.
That is to say--I'm very glad. [ it's a little awkward, also, but what do you expect at this point. maybe it's the carbonation, or the alcohol, but it's nice to feel a little lighter than usual. ] Thank you for inviting me.
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[There may not be much she can do to protect him here. Her strength has always lied in the healing magics, none of which she can use in a place like this, none of which she's been able to use for weeks.
It's frustrating, to rely on the protection of others instead of being able to provide it herself.]
And I am glad that you accepted my invitation. I like spending time with you, Yin Yu.
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he takes a sip of the sweet, bubbly drink though, content for a moment of peace
before everything goes to hellwith... a friend. ] I'll always make time, if you need me.no subject
[This is, perhaps, a little more forward than she would normally be - and really, she is rather forward to begin with. Maybe it is the drink that has loosened her tongue, or the relief of having a friend in an unfamiliar place.
Or both.]
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I'll be sure to keep that in mind. [ he'll never ask for it, even if he does want it, but he won't forget it. ]
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...but at least he'll remember that the offer is open. Flayn can only hope that, eventually, he'll reach out to her. Until then... well, she'll just have to keep at it.
Time to sip at her drink a little more. Her head feels a little fuzzy, and she feels warm, but maybe that's just because of the combination of alcohol and extremely crowded bus.
She doesn't seem to realize that she's fallen silent.]
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they've been through a lot, and it seems like it was only the beginning. who knows what sort of dangers lie ahead of them, or if they'll even embark from this bus. so many people means so many dangers, especially with so many unknowns. still... to have a moment like this is nice, a calm before the storm. a sleepy warmth drifts through the cabin--it's a faraway feeling of contentedness.
eventually, he's the first to speak, after said pause. how unusual. it seems there's been something on his mind. ] Lady Flayn... I have to confess something small to you, if you wouldn't mind.
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Maybe someday...
Ah. When Yin Yu does break the silence, she looks up to meet his eyes.]
Something to confess? What is it?
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do you know i tagged this before my meeting and then completely forgot to hit send because i did.
im tagging this out of order so we can pretend you sent your tag before your meeting
<333
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