wearingguess | prisminbox!

Regarding a brief conversation we had previously, you expressed interest in working if my business ever came to be. I currently have open positions for paid moonlacing partners as well as security personnel. Do let me know if you are still interested. Additional information is provided to answer any questions you may have.

If you are interested in a position we can conduct a quick interview, and I will have a contract written up for you. If you have decided against it, please spread the word that we are currently hiring if you know anyone that may be interested.

Thank you for your time.

-Hanzo Shimada

[ right after this thread ]

[A minute or so after Titus's text, Yan Qing quite literally drops onto his balcony. Some grunting and jumping noises may have clued Titus in, but... Anyway, he is here now.]

Hup! There we go. [He takes a moment to smooth his pants.] Okay, I'm here now. Yo, Titus! Long time no see.

It has been a week.
...I have iced tea.

I guess it has!

[ Yan Qing is also clingy. ]

Iced tea! If you don't mind sharing a drink with a guy like me, I'd like that very much. But, first things first.

[ He opens his arms. Not Sinbad-style, as he's wearing a shirt for once, but he looks just as obnoxious. ]

[ titus fully turns around as he pours another glass
and then almost fucking drops the pitcher ]

A shirt?!
Are you—
Are you really Yan Qing?!

Why are you so shocked!? Even I wear shirts too!

[ He slumps against the balcony railing like a drama queen. ]

You don't know how hard it is to find something in my size! My chest is so big, the buttons keep flying off...

[ "like" a drama queen... ]

Really? Let me see.

[ having gotten a hold of himself, titus sets all the glassware down, approaches purposefully, and then—like a needy panda cub—gets to clinging. (the unexpected shirt comes in handy for this.)

when he continues talking, his voice is a little muffled, since his face is now halfway buried in yan qing's cleavage. ]

This one seems to fit all right.
Did you have it altered?

[ Oof. Speaking of the unexpected, he didn't think Titus would bury his face into his chest. But he figures that after having been far more intimate than this, a simple hug should be nothing!

Though it's still moonlacing, so it feels pretty good. One hand settles on Titus's head as the other wraps around him. ]

Yep! I got a lot of chroma last week so I thought... Well, anyway! [ That's said in the tone of "let's not talk about how that happened, even though we are both painfully aware". ]

There, there. It's okay. You're a cute panda cub. Don't cry and stuff.

I am not going to cry... despite your best efforts...
But speaking of chroma, you owe me quite a bit. So we should probably get comfortable.

[ there's patio furniture (something comfy and vaguely nestlike) out here, and a swanky roman-style couch inside! but there's no law that says they have to sit down. except for the law where it's a hassle to keep standing all the time. ]

[HE IS DOING HIS 50% BEST.

Despite the everything about him, Yan Qing is a private person. He invites himself into Titus's apartment, making a beeline for his couch. It looks soft and luxurious, and he wants to feel rich.]

I don't remember anything about owing you chroma. Did I borrow money from you in my sleep? I'm not that kinda guy.

[Throw pillow... fluffy. He hugs it... It's his now.]

Have it your way, then... How about this? This has absolutely nothing to do with you, but I just so happened to lose a lot of chroma last week, and I have decided you are the best person to help me restore it.

[ wtffffffffff ]

Hug me, not the pillow!!

Hahahaha, too slow! While you were busy getting iced tea, the pillow beat you to it.

[But okay. He tosses the throw pillow out of the way. Thankfully, it hits nothing but a wall, but why is he like this?

Ah, but this couch is really soft. He reclines the way he's seen emperors do, propping his head up with a hand as he lies on his side.]

If you want to hug me so much, why doncha come and get it?

You are even colder than the panda caretaker! After all that talk about wanting to take care of someone, you intend to make me beg for every little thing?

[ that said, titus does fling himself down on the couch with some gusto. since he could see no easy alternative if that's the position yan qing wants to be in, he's opted for lying on his back immediately in front of him so that they're face to face... more or less. ]

Mm, yeah, pretty much. You're not the boss of me!

[But their faces are only inches apart now, and before he even thinks about wrapping his arms around him, Yan Qing can't help but stare. His hand rests on Titus's chest as he examines his profile, his features even softer than Yan Qing's own, and how they are so similar to face he's seen in Titus's memories.]

... The woman you spoke to a lot... You really do look like her.

[ titus sighs and relaxes a little, laying his own hand on top of yan qing's... being looked at so intently makes him blush (and quickens his heartbeat a bit, which no doubt is just as obvious). ]

Lady Scheherazade...
That is because I am her clone. She created me from a fragment of her own flesh and bone.

[He won't point his heartbeat out, but he definitely doesn't want to stop feeling it. He's endeared!]

So she's like your sister. Or your mom! I'm kind of jealous.

[Being related to someone by blood... sounds nice. A lot of people find it troublesome, but it only means they have someone who has a connection with them, right?]

But in your memories, she was saying things that made you feel sad...

I always thought of her as like a mother, but I suppose she could be a little bit like a sister, too. After all, a replica is like a twin... so in a sense, we share the same parents. Whoever they may have been.

[ it's weird to think of scheherazade as having parents, or being born, or growing. she seems like someone who's simply always existed and always will. ]

That was...
She thought that... I was making a mistake by living together with Marga and building a life in Magnostadt even though I had so little time left. And on the last night before I awoke here, she told me that my mission was about to end, and when it did, I was to return to Reim.

[Getting attached is the last thing anyone should be doing on a mission. That would make Titus a pretty shitty agent, wouldn't it? But Yan Qing can't say that. He can't bring himself to, especially when—]

But you didn't want it to end.

[Not a guess, but a fact. The tears are still fresh in his mind.]

Marga... So that's her name. She looked sickly, and I don't think she had any parents. Why look out for her?

[ mysteriously, fourteen years of learning science facts in the dark did not imbue titus with the professionalism and killer instinct of a career spy. ]

...You are answering your own question, aren't you? If she were healthy and had parents, then there would hardly be any need for me to look out for her.

[clearly, Scheherazade did not think this through! But we must digress.]

You know that's not what I mean.

[Why did he need to help her?

He feels pathetic, asking a boy for words he wants to hear. Titus can't answer the questions his master left him. He removes his hand, and soon it is his head that rests on Titus's chest.]

Forget it. Just hug me.

[ titus isn't entirely sure he does know what yan qing meant. while yan qing has seen and felt some of titus's feelings and memories (even though he isn't quite sure exactly which ones), titus has never been privy to yan qing's... beyond what he's actually told him, of course.

but he does remember something yan qing said during the incident they're glossing over. you help others without a second thought... no matter how weak. no matter how wretched.

hmm.

for now, he holds him close, hoping his chest that has never popped a single button is still a comfortable enough pillow. ]

There, there. You're a cute, enormous panda.

[ however, he fails to "forget it." and after a moment, he goes on: ]

...I didn't want to admit this at first, but Marga...
Her situation reminded me so much of my own. She had only heard stories of the outside world, and she wanted so badly to see it. And because of her illness, they said she would live another year at most. Maybe I thought that if I could grant her wish... and save her life... it would somehow save mine, too.

[Save... his life?

Yan Qing doesn't know the feeling that tightens his chest. Envy? Pity? And for who? Marga and Titus are so lucky. Living together, saving each other — it would be nice if that was everyone's truth. Because if that held true, and his master truly thought saving a penniless orphan could save him, wouldn't he still be alive? If all of Lu Junyi's kindness was meant for that one final moment, then Yan Qing really messed up, didn't he? He knows that. There isn't a time his sin is on his mind. And even if he could save his master, there's one thing he still doesn't understand.

Why would his master leave him?

His shoulders shake, and tears dampen Titus's shirt.]

Edited (no changes, i just can't believe titus made a grown man cry) 2019-10-14 20:41 (UTC)

[ ??????????????????????????????
he has no idea what he said wrong. should he ask? or just apologize? yan qing can be so unpredictable, so what is the right thing to do for him? (they're ignoring that thing from before. maybe he should ignore this too.) (but that would be terribly callous and cruel, wouldn't it??)

...for now he decides to keep talking. something to focus on other than how miserable he is helps titus out a lot of the time; maybe yan qing needs something like that. ]

You know, I...
Aladdin is from... three years after I left. He told me that, even then, Marga is well and happy.
And that is really all I know. I was too afraid to ask him anything else. I am still too afraid.

[ ah shit. now he's tearing up too... like a lot... ahhh, his eyes really sting... ]

Maybe it really wasn't possible for me. It... it probably wasn't.
So when I think about Marga... living happily, even if I'm not there anymore...
I feel so lonely. Sometimes I even feel envious.
But I'm...

[ ahh the for-real sobs are on their way. he can't hold them off forever, so he makes an effort to hurry through everything else he wants to say. (it's interrupted by a little hiccuping heave here and there, though.) ]

I am so happy. Because even if living longer wasn't possible for me, it was for her. I made so many mistakes, but helping Marga is the one thing I know was right. The one thing that definitely mattered, whatever else may have happened... and whatever became of me...

And—and even though I want so much more than that, I think that maybe knowing she will live and be happy is the only thing I truly need.

[ the for-real sobs are Here ]

[ Yan Qing closes his eyes, breathes, and listens. Thinking isn't his strong point. All he can do is feel, and he feels Titus is sincere. If he lets his mind drift, he can almost hear another voice speaking in his place. The word on his back is righteousness — to do what is right no matter the consequences. Even if he and his master were not related by blood, that was the one thing they shared...

But. ]

You're so stupid.

[ Compassion and relief are not the only things Yan Qing feels. He hovers over Titus, eyes still red, yet his mouth pulled into a smile that is neither warm nor friendly. ]

Don't give me that shit. If you want something so badly, why don't you fight for it? You think you're the only one who wants you to live?

Can't you let me cry for a minute? You started this, so go easy on me for once...

[He's trying to ask him important questions here and Titus is telling him to give him a break? The nerve. He...]

[laughs.]

Wahahaha! You're right, you're right. I'm being too hard on you, huh? Let's get back to the program.

[And then, he hugs Titus. He rolls over and before he knows it, Titus is now on top, his chest resting against Yan Qing's.]

[ titus is extremely mollified, and even puts some effort into not getting any tears or snot on yan qing's nice new shirt. about forty-five seconds later, he's cried it out enough for now. ]

...Perhaps I am being a little too pessimistic.
It's not as though I've completely given up...
But why does that make me stupid?

[Forty-five... At least make it a minute!

Titus is not stupid. Yan Qing just got carried away. He tends to do that — to get caught up in his own emotions and feel too much. Not knowing what else to do, he settles for stroking the mage's hair. Despite all the spells Titus knows, he still has a way to go as a person, doesn't he?]

I just think that... No, I know... [A rough hand lifts Titus's face for Yan Qing to see. His smile is tender, and his voice trembles, for once.] I know that even if they can live on without you, it doesn't mean they don't miss you.

You gotta make it back to Marga, Titus. I swear I'll see that through.

[ titus leans into yan qing's hand with an appreciative huff. ah, his eyes feel all puffy... but he gives a genuine smile back, and his heart twists all over again. ]

You must have some kind of magic I don't know about... If anyone else said that, I really don't think I would believe them at all.

[ he sighs heavily and a bit theatrically, and while he was considerate enough not to cry on yan qing's shirt, he's just feeling totally free to wrinkle it all up by wrapping his fingers in it and clinging. ]

Ahh... I really want to see her again!!
Why can't she just come here and live with me forever? It would be so much simpler!

[Yan Qing smiles to himself as Titus's words repeat in his head. Ah, why does Titus believe him? What kind of magic could it be?! Just kidding. He's well aware of what it is.]

Maybe she wouldn't mind that! Ahahahaha!

[Honestly, if it were Yan Qing, he wouldn't.]

What would you do if she was here?

[ is it dicknotism ]

Of course she wouldn't!
...
Wait, would she?
...I mean, what makes you say "maybe"?

[ he shuts his eyes... and imagines... ]

If Marga were here...
I suppose I would move to an apartment or a home with an additional bedroom.
I would visit the Lunar Scientiae and see what kind of medical treatments are available for those with her illness... and seek out additional magical healing as necessary.
And I would show her all my favorite things to do and places to eat in the city...
And sign her up for school...
And maybe I would try learning to cook.

[it's dicknotism

But apparently it's not strong enough to keep him from asking personal questions! Stop talking! Just think about his dick!!!!!

Titus sounds like he has it all figured out, though. What a nice life plan.]

...

How have you been eating all this time?

[ don't introduce non-dick-related topics of conversation then!!! ]

I eat out.

[he could be nice, but the urge is too strong]

Well, that explains your fat ass...

Eating out makes you fat?!

I mean, I just turn it into muscle. [so he should shut up, probably] It depends on what you eat. What do you get, usually?

Different things every day! But I had a very good pheasant dish recently. Ah, and crab curry... and the stuffed apricots from the vendor on the edge of the market in level 2... and the guava cheese empanadas from the vendor in the middle. And I am working my way through all the flavors and toppings on the crepes from the stand in the park. I like plums a good deal. I don't care for raw carrots, but they are excellent roasted. Have you had baklava before?

[He doesn't deign him with an answer.]

Titus.

Edited 2019-10-22 01:14 (UTC)

[He grabs Titus's face and pulls on his cheeks.]

How do you expect to live that long when you eat so much junk? Didja think you could magically make all your fat disappear? How about the fat that could clog your arteries? That could kill you, you know? That could kill you. And you're buying all that with chroma? That could kill you too. Are you gonna use all your chroma on fatty foods and die? You wanna die, Titus? Maybe I should kill you right now.

[ he blushes ferociously and slaps yan qing's hands away!! ]

How is it junk?? All food contains calories. Calories provide energy! That is why I can cast as much magic as I want! [ he's absolutely confident that he's right about this!! and NO scheherazade did not cover more than the extreme basics of nutrition science but that's literally not even relevant. ]

And that's not how spending chroma works, either!! But fine, just go ahead and kill me, then!

Woah, hahaha! Calm down. No one's gonna kill ya.

[Said the guy who just threatened to do that?? See, when he threatens to kill a friend, he usually expects them to beg for their lives and repent or something. He'll need another less violent and traumatizing strategy. Hmm.

He takes the gentle approach.]

If you like crab curry that much, all you gotta do is say so. But Titus, I'm serious. I'm not gonna stop you from eating your favorite food. But when you get older, you gotta watch what you eat. And I want you to live longer! So it's better to start good habits soon. Everything in moderation.

[Uh, he won't correct his misconceptions about calories. That's not his job. He's not qualified to do that.

Anyway.]

Besides, you need all that extra chroma to spend on Marga, right?

[Time to pat his hair and calm him down. There, there.]

Edited 2019-10-22 02:42 (UTC)

[ the only thing more mortifying than having someone try to calm him down as though he were a pet is the fact that it works... ]

Oh.
I don't know if I am actually going to get any older. I mean, whether I live longer or not. Lady Scheherazade is close to three hundred, and she looks even more youthful than I do... [ and she didn't tell him about her secret basement body before sending him off, so as far as he knows, it's all natural! ]

Of course, I am not a magi like her. But even so, I doubt this body was designed to grow and change. I am sure that would have made its creation orders of magnitude more complicated, and after all, I was never really intended to be around long enough for it to matter whether I seemed to be aging normally.

Learning that made me feel sad, but for some reason it also pisses me off.

[Yan Qing's body isn't meant to age either, but hearing Titus say it like that still pisses him off! So he claps Titus's face with great force. He is now a wizard sandwich.]

Alright, no more excuses! I'm teaching you how to cook!

Edited 2019-10-22 04:00 (UTC)

Ouch!! Why are you angry?!
—And I didn't make any excuses to begin with!!

[He pulls Titus so close, their foreheads nearly touch.]

Listen. You want you and Marga live longer, right? These are just the things you gotta do to make sure of that. So if no one's gonna teach you basic life skills, then I'm gonna do it myself!

Yan Qing...
...
You know basic life skills?

[He picks Titus up like a sack of rice and walks toward the balcony.]

[ he wriggles and kicks!!! ]

Stop! What are you doing?? Where are we going? I can't fly without my wand!!

It'll be fine! You have that shield thingy, doncha? I'll just drop you for a bit and see how you like it...

Then I'll take you down with me! [ he viciously entangles one hand in yan qing's hair! with the other, he...
...well, he can't reach his dick from here, but he grabs his shirt really hard! ]

[please don't grab his dick like that. it is big and many people will miss it.

Anyway, he yelps and starts cursing as he tries to pull them both away from the balcony.]

You idiot! You're gonna kill us both!

[NO NO NO NO WHY ARE THEY SO CLOSE TO THE RAILINGS]

[ YEAH, WHY?? HOW DID THEY POSSIBLY END UP IN THIS SITUATION ]

Then at least you will deserve it!

[ ahhh... they're partway over... the rail...
but it's going to be fine, right??
the parts of them that aren't over the rail are heavy enough to counterbalance them back to safety, right???

with a frightened noise of dismay, titus hides his face against yan qing's back... (if he can't see what's going on, then nothing bad can actually happen, right????) ]

[Yan Qing also makes a frightened noise of dismay, but he's mostly worried about Titus letting go and falling to his doom. Yan Qing is like, a cat. He'll be fine, maybe? If he remembers to catch himself.

It's kind of hard to remember anything right now.

Because they are falling.

Don't worry! They're still at the balcony. They're just hanging from the outside part. Yes, he screamed. But only because Titus was also screaming (probably).]

Well, this is one way to hang out.

[He's dangling from the side with one hand. The other has Titus in tow. Thank you, universe and Yan Qing's stupidly strong arms.]

Titus! Whatever you do, don't let go and don't look down.

Why would I let go??

[ having said that... he does look down. almost immediately.

wow!! they sure are high up! ]

Ah, the balcony from the apartment one level down is right there.

Okay.

[Normally he wouldn't give a heads up, but he likes Titus, so.]

Titus, I'm gonna let go. Don't panic, alright?

Ah... r-right.
Okay... yes, all right...
I just need a moment to prepare first...

[ alright alright alright.
this is gonna be totally safe and easy
so easy, so safe, it's honestly ridiculous how easy and safe

ah his hand is still super tangled up in yan qing's hair. ]

Oh, I need to... your hair...
Don't let go yet!! [ he yelled that more loudly and suddenly than he intended to. but it's not his fault!! he just panicked a little!! ]

[holy fuck don't yell so close to his ear?? he nearly let go that time!]

Aaaaah! Alright, alright, jeez! Not like we're four fingers away from certain doom.

[Where are his limbs? Where are anybody's limbs? All I know is Yan Qing is dangling from a building and it's a miracle no one's reported them yet.]

Take it easy. I've done this before, trust me. I let go, and we land on the balcony. You sure you can't cast magic like this?

Oh!
Oh!!
I thought...
I thought you were going to drop me. Onto the balcony.

[ but instead they're going to drop together!! that's... technically not much better, but it feels a lot better. ]

...No, I can't. My borg is innate, but to cast spells, I need a staff or a wand... something to channel my magoi through.

[He's not going to do that! He knows mages are delicate. If they weren't, they'd kick him aside and tell him they don't need him anymore or something. At least, that's what it seems like in his mind.

Anyway.]

I dunno if I like where this is going.

I definitely can't cast magic with that!

...

I... I am ready. Let go.

[ he's not actually ready but yan qing probably can't hold on forever so he's just going to Not Look and wish for the best ]

[ He lets go, but not in the way Titus expects.

The second he releases Titus, it is upward. He tosses Titus up in the air and lets go a moment after. The view is nice from up there, right? Yan Qing certainly seems to think so, because when Titus lands, it is in Yan Qing's arms. His feet are flat on the balcony. They're safe! And one of them is possibly traumatized, but Yan Qing doesn't seem to mind all that much. Please don't try this at home, kids. ]

Wahahahaha! That was close. Didn't think I could pull it off, but I did it!

[ It also wasn't fucking necessary but here we are. ]

[ he experiences a moment of gut-wrenching mortal terror... an instant frozen in time, with seemingly no beginning or end. (it feels like he probably screamed real loud, but... he can't really be sure...) the sky is down there, the ground is up there, and he's spinning, yet suspended, in motion yet eternally still...

and then, before he even has time to think (and yet after days, months, years might have passed)...

he's safe in yan qing's arms. with solid ground reassuringly close by underneath them.

another instant, eternal second goes by. ]

Yan Qing...

You did it!! We're saved! You are amazing! Incredible! Please don't drop me!

[ of course, he's hugging yan qing tightly enough around the neck and shoulders that dropping might not be possible anyway. he can cling even better than a baby panda. ]

[ He nearly chokes from the lack of oxygen, but that's fine. He is being praised! ]

I'm not gonna drop you! Jeez.

[ Please believe in him. ]

[ But he hears something beyond the balcony doors and sobers up from the adrenaline high, placing a finger near his lips. ]

Shh. We're not safe yet.

[ Because... they're trespassing! ]

[ yan qing's favorite thing to do sometimes seems to be deliberately undermining titus's ability to believe in him!!!! but they'll talk about that later, maybe!!! (anyway he just meant "don't drop me four feet onto the floor," not "don't drop me twenty stories to my death.")

titus does quiet down, but this new wrinkle does nothing to dampen his personal adrenaline high. quite the opposite, in fact. (it's thrilling!! to be sneaking around someplace they're not supposed to be!!)

if yan qing has some sort of plan of his own, titus is all in favor. just in case, though, he glances around the balcony... and catches sight of the most amazing tabletop mini fire pit thing??? omg he totally wants one, he needs to find out where they sell those.

more to the point, though, lying on the patio table next to it is a thin metal poker. it's out of his reach, so titus makes meaningful eye contact with yan qing, then jerks his head toward the poker in a gesture that means if you grab that for me, I can use it as a wand.

but then he maintains the meaningful eye contact, tilts his head toward the doors, and shrugs, in a gesture that means or we could just introduce ourselves and explain what happened. and maybe ask where they got that mini fire bowl thing. ]

[ It is very exciting! He hasn't done a stealth mission since yesterday! Which also raises a lot of questions, as usual, but all will be answered in due time.

Yan Qing narrows his eyes at Titus, tilts his head and shakes in a way that says are you fucking crazy? We can't steal the mini fire bowl thing. Also I saw one at IKEA but I don't know if they have one in that size. So maybe they're lacking in the telepathy department right now, but he sees that poker. If he gets the poker for Titus, maybe Titus can magic them out of sight?

No one can see them now. Before the owner of the apartment passes by, Yan Qing rolls toward the patio table, grabs the poker and gets it to Titus in one fluid motion. Success!

That's when the door opens. ]

Edited 2019-10-25 16:54 (UTC)

[ titus has no idea how yan qing pulled off that move without crushing him or banging his head or foot into anything, and he wants to exclaim about how impressive it was, but

they're being stealthy.

honestly, as much he's sure his downstairs neighbor is perfectly reasonable and friendly, titus would just as soon not get into a whole thing with an NPC right now. so with a swish and flick, he and yan qing are... obscured by a wall of light-refracting water vapor! and then he enchants yan qing with gravity magic and swiftly floats him up off this unknown, alien balcony and back onto the safe balcony of home. ]

[Once he's back in Titus's abode, Yan Qing stands there in awe. Yes, yes, Titus is a mage, he knows. Still, even Merlin must have trained as a chil--

... Was Merlin ever a child...?

Anyway.]

Titus, that was really cool! I dunno a lot about magic, but a lot of mages I know take years to master what you just did. I know you do stuff like that all the time, but even my Master can't pull off spells like that, hahahaha!

[Da Vinci would often need to craft something instead. Somewhere in Chaldea, Ritsuka sneezes.]

Oh—no, well, it obscured us long enough to escape, but it's not as though it provides perfect invisibility. If we had stayed there, they most likely would have spotted us before long. But it really means a lot to hear you say that... I am very happy!

And what was really impressive was the way you were able to move with such acrobatic precision, even while holding me... I was thrilled!!

[ hopefully the person who may or may not be standing outside directly underneath them doesn't hear all this excited yelling and get suspicious ]

[He laughs. Loudly.]

Thanks, man. I wanna say it's 'cause of a lifetime or training, but I also just got the power of the Grail and anime on my si—

...Titus?

Why are you still holding the pointy thing?

Well, if I'd left it behind, I would have had to perfectly calculate our trajectory in advance... this way seemed safer.

[ but yeah, he's gotta return this shit. somewhat reluctantly, he climbs down from yan qing's arms, then goes inside to get his wand. and then he makes the poker float gracefully down through the air and back to its place next to the tabletop fire pit, where it either lands with a clatter or a weird thump (if there happened to be someone out there looking for it who it landed on instead). ]

Now all is well!
Let's go inside and shut the doors.

Good idea.

[ He definitely wants to believe that sound just now was only a clatter! After urging Titus back inside the apartment, he shuts the doors. ]

That was a unexpected detour. Now where were we? Right, right, we were gonna buy some baklava...

[ That's definitely not what they were talking about. ]

Ah, baklava! Shall we order in, or go out? ...I suppose that if we go out, we should probably use the front door. [ he usually just flies in and out via the balcony, but... yeah... ]

You know, we still have all this tea to drink, as well.

Hmm... You're right.

[Pretending to be in deep thought, Yan Qing rubs his chin.

Then he drapes himself over Titus like a bearskin rug.]

Well, I've had enough adventures for today. Why don't we order in and relax? I'll drink aaaall the tea you got! Then we can finish what we started...

[ with a yan qing on him, titus has only enough strength to collapse on the comfy couch! ]

I will place the order if you explain exactly what it is we need to "finish."

[Now that Yan Qing has a Titus for a pillow, he makes himself comfortable. Maybe poking at his cheek a bit. It's sort of annoying.]

Well, it ain't like we forgot what I was here for? Ah, and how could I? After you got on your knees and begged like a dog...

Edited 2019-11-04 11:14 (UTC)

[ wow......... that's annoying
titus has the impulse to do something weird as payback, like lick his finger, but... that might be too advanced a move. ]

No, it was not like that! It was not like that at all!!
If anything, I begged like a little panda.

—And then you came running like a dog.

[Yan Qing pinches his cheek. Hard.]

Yeah, you were so adorable. It almost makes me wanna hug you.

[He pulls on it too. That's how cute Titus is. He pulls his cheek up and down until he feels real pain!]

[ titus bites yan qing's finger, adorably ]

[SWEARS IN CHINESE]

You bit me! Hey! Ahh, you're so uncute... I'm going home.

[He doesn't actually mean this. He just wants to be rude. Without thinking, he starts sucking on his finger to ease the pain...]

You're a thousand times uncuter than I am! [ but he hugs him super tightly so he can't leave... not that titus has the upper body strength necessary to actually prevent him from escaping ]

I do not know what you want from me at times like this. You get angry when I say something back...

[ kiss on the cheek ]

Do you just want me to cry?

[ another kiss on the cheek ]

Yan Qing... is that it? Do you want me to get sad so that you can be the one to comfort me?

[ kiss on the other cheek ]

[He's the one who doesn't know what to say. Yan Qing's not too used to this sort of affection. His cheeks burn with embarrassment as he presses their foreheads together, hoping the distance puts Titus at ease. It already does for him.]

... Haha, don't cry. You already did that.

[He brushes stray locks away from Titus's face and places a kiss on his lips.]

I'm sorry. You're just so fun to tease, I can't help myself.

[ he loosens his grip... but only a little, and only so he can choose an arm position that's maximized for comfort instead of "nooooo dont leeeeeeeave." ]

I'll believe you are sorry if you actually stop doing it.

[ but he doesn't sound all that upset. ]

I suppose... neither one of us is that hard to manipulate, are we? I'm not sure if that is a bad thing...

[ he shuts his eyes and sighs dramatically! ]

Ahhhhhh, I really don't want to cry anymore today... or fight about silly things, even if it is sort of fun.

[He would argue that he is in fact very hard to manipulate if Titus was anyone else, but he relents. It's better this way...

Instead, he rubs his cheek against Titus's face, further confirming that he is, in fact, a dog.]

Then what do you want to do now, Titus? On a scale of one to five, how sensual should I be today?

Edited (touchscreens should die) 2019-11-05 00:45 (UTC)

Oh! That's a very tricky question to answer... Can you give me a quick demonstration of each level? Starting with one and going up from there.

Okay! The first level is my family-friendly mode. I lie next to you and tell you how much of a good friend you are and how much I like spending time with you. Sometimes I'll whisper it, like right now, to make it feel like a secret.

The second level is the same, but I touch you, [And he reaches out to brush his bangs away? They weren't really in the way. He just wanted to do that. He leans in, too, his breath warm against Titus's ear when he speaks.] ...and sometimes I whisper in your ear, juuuuust to make you blush a little.

[ he can't help shivering!! in delight!! and obviously he does blush but he blushes constantly for any and every reason so w/e ]

So that's one and two... I see.
Keep going...

The former ruler of Sanguis moon received this picture and called it "junk mail." 8 days later Sanguis moon became uninhabitable. A man received this picture and immediately sent out copies, then received good fortune for an entire year, including winning a jackpot lottery. Copy, paste, and send this to 9 people or you will be cursed. Don't take any chances. Sanguis did, and now no one can live there.

Do the Lunar Scientia know about this??

How should I know?
Send it around already. Or be cursed, see what I care.

I did already!! We cannot risk another curse so potent it laid waste an entire moon.

Good.
I didn't think you had any sense of responsibility, but I suppose you're not totally hopeless.

If you truly thought so little of me, it would have been the height of thoughtless irresponsibility to entrust me with this task, would it not? So either you already believed I had the integrity necessary to properly carry out the ritual, or you are quite a bit more foolish than anyone would have guessed.

Why should I care if you got cursed? If you were truly foolish enough to take such chances, then you'd deserve anything and everything you got.

[Says the guy who actually got cursed at least once, sorta kinda, but...]

Are you an idiot?! This curse affects more than its individual target. Only the ruler of Sanguis disregarded the omen, yet the entire moon suffered as a result! Hundreds or thousands might have paid the price for that half-baked reasoning!

One man's bad luck extends to an entire moon, but one man's good luck is purely his own? THAT'S half-baked reasoning!
It only affected the whole moon because the man was its ruler. Unless you rule anyone, the planet is safe.

On the one hand, I find it astonishing that you would trust A CURSE to operate with perfect fairness and equity But on the other, I suppose if you hadn't considered the possibility that anyone aside from me would be harmed, then It was also I alone about whom you had been concerned when you expressed relief that I had sent the image on. That is unexpectedly sweet of you. You have my thanks.

Every curse has its own rules, or nobody would be able to avoid or lift it.

I wasn't concerned! I wasn't concerned at all!!
I can congratulate you on having some basic survival instincts, that's all. It's more than one would expect from someone who insists on picking fights with me.

Unfair rules are still rules, as long as they are clearly spelled out. I feel the same way about you. Again, thank you!

[WHY IS THIS CONVERSATION EVEN STILL GOING?!??!

You know what? Forget it. Jin Ling is just going to be the bigger ~~dick~~ man, and stop texting.

This is fine. He can do this. It's fine...]

[ wow titus was literally trying to be nice and this is the thanks he gets ]

The former ruler of Sanguis moon received this picture and called it "junk mail." 8 days later Sanguis moon became uninhabitable. A man received this picture and immediately sent out copies, then received good fortune for an entire year, including winning a jackpot lottery. Copy, paste, and send this to 9 people or you will be cursed. Don't take any chances. Sanguis did, and now no one can live there.

It better count if I send it back :/!!! i don't want us cursed!!!!!!

I really do not want to be cursed either! Do you think I need to send it to nine more people now??

yes
i can give you the numbers of my crewmates so it'll be easy
i thought i was saving us by sending it.. is this something selfish

That is something I cannot answer. Of course it feels self-serving to pass it along to others just to save ourselves. But look at what happened to Sanguis... the entire moon suffered because the curse was allowed to take root. If we fail to stave it off by continuing to circulate this message, how many might be made to pay the price?

but what happens to iris and cordis
why is sanguis the only one suffering?
HMMMMM
suspicious
o_O

Well Their rulers probably properly passed it along, right?

...
you're right...
why is sanguis so pathetic! where would they be without us
let's work hard!

I know we can do it! Thanks to the blessing of Cordis! And whichever one you have, assuming it is not also Cordis! o_o

I'm... A sanguis.
O_O
so i had to make sure to send it to protect the rest of my people
pray for us

That is all right! If you had been the ruler of the moon all those years or weeks, or days, or however long ago it was I know you would have done the right thing! o_o.

i would have! i should be queen!
but they won't let me, im but a skyfarer who is taking care of her crew
as your captain, i will protect us now and if we don't see the future
forgive me..

oh cute it has a beauty mark now.. it's you o_o!

A captain's responsibility is as lofty as a queen's. It is merely the scale that differs. Although Do you want to be a queen? O_O.

Little demon, where are your big brothers and sisters?

[ ~~new phone, who dis~~ ]

I have no such thing. Have you been drinking?

(Might have been, but that has nothing to do with the question at hand.)

You said you would send them my way.. I'm beginning to think you were lying.

Ah yes I did tell all the demons I know about you, but they thought you sounded like too much of a bore Why, are you feeling lonely? Or perhaps you're turning to crystal since no one will moonlace with you...

I don't believe that either.

Well it is quite true that I have spoken of you to every demon I know! It is just that the number of demons I know happens to be 0. What do you actually need?

Demons to prey on.

Haven't I been clear?

What, all this time I assumed the demons attacked, and you fought to defend yourself and others. Are you really just a stalker?

What are you talking about? Make sense.

Explain your relationship with demons!

They exist for me to kill them, and I exist to kill them.

I see... Tell me more about demons They are some kind of monster, yes?

The ones I kill are called akuma. They are born from the souls of the departed and wear the skins of those still living that have called them back out of grief, greed, lust, or whatever their reason was.

And once they've been called back, what do they do?

Destroy families, friends, cities, economies.. their goal is to reap as many human souls as they can. They wear the skin of humans, literally, it's impossible to tell them a part.

So, to answer your question, from before: yes, I treat everyone this way. Because everyone could be a demon, nice or not. That sort of thing doesn't change just because I'm here.

Are you an idiot?

You're cruel to everyone, because anyone might turn out to be a demon? What kind of pathetic excuse for a thought process is that? "Ah, it is I, the demon slayer! I had better make sure I alienate as many people as possible, because one in fifty of them might actually be up to something! I surely will never need an ally, and hurting innocent people is worth it if it means I don't risk accidentally being nice to a demon!"

Aren't you embarrassed to admit that's what your reasoning is? Even if I were content to be an antisocial menace, I would be too ashamed to show my face in public ever again if anyone found out "I am worried I might accidentally have a pleasant conversation with a demon" was my actual logic. What, are "please" and "thank you" the magic words that imbue demons with invincible power? Can they only be defeated if you wear them down with shabby manners first? Please tell me that the real reason you are surly and cold is that you think it makes you seem dashing and mysterious, and you have heard people find that very attractive... even that would be less ridiculous, you know?

Ah, or no, please tell me you were joking just now. I am sorry that I believed something so foolish of you, even for a moment, but you got me! A very successful prank indeed! You are unexpectedly a very amusing fellow.

To be clear, I believe you, about the demons. What they do sounds truly awful, and fighting them must be terribly difficult. I imagine it is emotionally very taxing, and whatever you must do to protect your heart and enable yourself to keep working to protect your world is whatever you must do.

And yet what you have described is the reasoning of a boor and a simpleton! I wish to think so much better of you! Please tell me— Please, PLEASE tell me— that I would be correct in doing so.

To be honest, I would really rather you say that you do it because you simply enjoy being unkind. That would make you a rather nasty piece of work, certainly, but at least it would not be so very humiliating for you!

Why are you so emotional?

That is an excellent question. My mother is always rather stoic. Perhaps it is an unconscious form of rebellion?

Right.

You really got worked up there.

That was for your benefit. I could not help feeling so embarrassed on your behalf! I believe what you said is a form of something known as "cringe"? Anyway, how does one go about identifying a demon? I hope there's no need to wait until they actually begin reaping the souls, and so forth?

Cringe? I don't need you to be embarrassed on my behalf.

You wait until they begin reaping souls. There's no way to tell.

Then please refrain from putting your cringeworthy behaviors and ideas on display. There really is nothing?? Then is there at least some way to halt and reverse the reaping process, if it is caught in time?

You wouldn't last in my world. I remain unconvinced. Magic boy.

I simply cannot accept that so many sacrifices are inevitable. Surely there are scholars or magicians seeking ways to detect them, or working on methods of protection and healing... Exactly how common are demons, by the way? What does it look like when they reveal themselves—do they have a monstrous form with which they attack, or do they resemble normal humans to the very end? Have you found any materials here in Lunatia that seem to refer to similar phenomena?

You won't ever need to know, there's no point in discussing it further.

You were JUST now talking about how anyone could be a demon, even here! Why would it not be important for me to know? For everyone here to know, for that matter.

You really think they'd come here? The akuma?

Only exorcists can kill them.

How should I know? It was you who said they might!

I did. The best way to avoid them is to not be close to anyone. Something you'll find difficult, emotional as you are.

That is a very cute justification for having no friends. But in this world, we need connections and closeness to survive. If you cannot do that, you are the one who won't last—and if you don't keep up your chroma reserves, you won't be able to exorcise so much as a fly.

You are incredibly judgmental, you don't know anything about my situation here.

Well, indeed, I hope you DO have friends and that you are getting plenty of chroma. But if you do and you are, wouldn't that make you a bit of a hypocrite?

Why? Because you're not my friend?

??? No, because you said it was important to be mean all the time and not get close to anyone.

Why do you want to be my friend, is it because you want to moonlace with me?

I never said I wanted to be your friend!! Well, of course, when I first approached you I hoped we might become friends, but after such an unwarrantedly harsh rebuffing... Besides, it's not like I make friends based on whom I want to moonlace with, anyway. I just like making friends! Why would you say something like that all of a sudden anyway?? Please don't think about strange things!

Why are you so complicated?

I'm not! Well Maybe I am. But I cannot help it!

I believe you really can't help it.

You want to be close to me, don't you?

What is this line of questioning? Are you asking me out?

You would be disappointed.

I'm just curious what is beneath all this emotion you have going on. Is it because you can't stand not being liked?

[ he didn't say no though... ]

I wonder... I certainly do prefer to be liked. But I also normally like everyone I meet. So perhaps some of it is that I am trying to figure out how best to like you?

Sounds exhausting. I think it's best you don't put forth the effort and admit to dislike me.

It still feels just a bit too early to give up. Do you dislike me?

Of course I do. You're a little demon.

Oh, I see Well, thank you for your time.

Or Actually, it was you who texted me, so You are welcome for my time?

All the resistance you've put up before this and now you're going to just accept what I say? What happened to you questioning everything I said before now?

I see.

You want to be disliked secretly, isn't that it?

But I never thought you were being deliberately untruthful. I just thought you were unpleasant, twisted, or perhaps a bit slow What do you mean—I want to be disliked secretly?

You gave up so easily, as if you believe your worthy of being disliked. More so than being liked.

Am I wrong?

Why are you continuing this conversation when you dislike me so much? If you actually want to ask me out, the answer is yes. Otherwise, please find something else to occupy your time!

You didn't answer my question.

Why do you care?

That attitude doesn't suit you. Be genuine.

Don't presume to tell me what to do. You don't know anything about me.

Which is why I asked you the question.

I really wonder why you find me so interesting all of a sudden. But in any case, no. OBVIOUSLY, I do not wish to be disliked.

Where do you want to go? With me.

Somewhere expensive. And it will be your treat.

Considering my presence would be anything but a treat.

You don’t have anyone to moonlace with?

? I do. You said you did too, right?

Why would you agree to going out with me?

Because I don't know I like going out with people...

Greedy little demon, aren't you?

Maybe I am! It doesn't seem to bother you much, seeing as you cannot tear yourself away from our conversation.

Fair deduction on both our points then.

So? Where are you going to take me?

I haven’t considered taking you anywhere.

Hurry up and consider it, then. I won't wait for you forever.

Here I figured you for a romantic. Alright, what’s adequately expensive enough here to take you?

link: Restaurant Ratings - Lunatia (Filter: $$$, $$$$; Levels: All) Any of these!

Right.

I’ll take you for some soba noodles.

And then for dessert?

What do you want? A pastry? Candy?

Cannoli! No, or perhaps kanafeh. Maybe affogato?

I’m not surprised in the least you have an inability to even choose your food.

I am a little bit surprised you are trying to make expansive tastes and a willingness to compromise sound like a negative quality.

Compromise? I’m not getting dessert.

Why not?!

I don’t like desserts.

Why not??!

I don’t like sweets, get what you like.

Do you like coffee? I know a bakery with delicious desserts as well as a wonderfully bitter espresso.

I’ll have tea.

Bitter tea?

I don't know. It might be.

[ In the dead of the night, because he's absolutely sure Titus would believe in Firi or Santa Claus or something like that, he drops off a present at his apartment.

But you know, it's totally Yan Qing's neat and blocky handwriting. ]

Dear Titus,

You've been a very nice boy this year, so I gave you something nice!

Love,
Firi

[ It's a big illustrated book about Prismatican mythology! It also comes with an electronic version he can bring on the go. But wait, that's not all. The gift box also has a shiny red bottle of magical fluid. ]

prisminbox!

[text]

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