✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[transmit]

[ if not slide, there are so many questionable things they just wholeheartedly accept now. who knew it'd be so easy for them to abandon everything they knew and retire into the countryside? ]

How should we define 'master'? Being able to hold a conversation with a local?

[ thorns is going to have to be social… ]

[oversea]

How do we judge a conversation...?

[ it's a difference between just exchanging a few words or having a lengthy talk with someone. one is much easier than the other...

this is stupid. ]

[transmit]

[ …

never mind. he realises the inherent flaw in this and decides it's one of those things better abandoned than pursued. the irony is that if he were even a little more normal, he'd want to encourage thorns to talk to others and make a genuine effort at defining the scope of a conversation with another person…

he does want thorns to get along with the locals, but only so they can seamlessly adapt into the community, not because he thinks thorns needs friends. he has elysium, and that's enough. it's fine if he happens makes friends, but does he need them…? no…… he has a moment of self-awareness where he's like 'ah this is pretty fucked up' but he cannot bring himself to do anything about these feelings, so? whatever. ]

Scrap that. How about we pick a day where we speak exclusively in the language? First one to slip up loses.

[oversea]

[ well, at least he is aware it's fucked up, which is somehow still a step up than not. is it good? probably not. but the moment all of their self-awareness dies is the day there is literally no going back from any of this.

he considers the terms, and then nods. ]

What's the end date?

[ this will also determine how long they plan to stay here for. ]

[transmit]

[ so what you're saying is you want the cage end to be real. like they aren't already in a metaphorical cage, a physical cage can happen too, i guess

but the way i need to dissociate from them learning chinese in a handful of months… immersion just goes that hard… ]

We'll have to see what kind of work we can find. From there… I don't know. Whenever it feels right? If you aren't down for that, you come up with one.

[ basically, when it feels like they can move on or if they want to decide to stay… being good at yan's language does open up more opportunities for them they wouldn't have had before deeper into the countryside. they're still technically a short car ride's away from the nearest city and towns. ]

[oversea]

[ they're just... so good at learning... tears up...

thorns just wants to hang out anywhere that elysium might seem happy at. in the end, they likely cannot permanently plop down somewhere because then whoever might want to strangle them will definitely find them.

but it's a nice thought. ]

Yeah, we'll see. I think you'd look cute taking care of a home until then.

[transmit]

[ likelier is them having to move to get elysium treatment then finding a new place to temporarily settle when his symptoms recede. watching the anime reminded me how bad the discrimination was the recent conflicts are so much more than just oripathy… wipes tears

but it really is a nice thought to have—a place where they'd both be able to permanently put down their roots. alas. even in their ideal hermitage situation they'd still need to make the occasional pilgrimage for aforementioned reasons. ]

And whose home would I be taking care of exactly? [ THEY'RE HOMELESS!! ] I didn't know you had this kind of side to you, mi luz. Naughty, naughty…

[oversea]

[ their loving home that doesn't actually exist... well, elysium is his home, so anywhere they sit down at would be one by extension. who needs four walls around you when there's two arms you can be held by instead?

thorns flicks elysium's nose with his fingers. ]

You're the naughty one.

[transmit]

[ that would be incredibly romantic if thorns said that aloud. instead, he's just pvping? elysium reaches up to his nose with both hands and scowls. ]

Who's trying to pawn off who to other people, huh? That's far from the kind of show I want to put on for you.

[ elysium forgetting the existence of the farmer. anytime now they're going to clear their throat and say something about kids these days. ]

[oversea]

[ help

thorns will just cover elysium's mouth with his hand, like he is admonishing him for acting up in public. in reality he does not care that much, but it's still fun to tease him. ]

You prove my point.

[transmit]

[ what point.





he is going to prove it further by sticking his tongue out and licking into his palm. okay. ]

[oversea]

[ disgusting...

thorns does not take his hand off. however he does adjust its position just enough so that he can subtle stick the ends of his finger into elysium's mouth.

hell. ]

[transmit]

[ sure. why not. he licks the tip of one of his fingers and kisses it too. he does not break eye contact.

them going quiet out of nowhere is the weirdest thing, it's fine. they're fine. ]

[oversea]

[ the farmer just assumes that the exhaustion from their travels is finally really hitting them so they're settling down... it is such a charitable thought and very wrong.

thorns slides a second finger in, not paying mind to anything but elysium. hi. ]

[transmit]

[ why is this the second time they've done this in the span of a day. but what else is elysium supposed to do when handed an opportunity to worship thorns? not take it? impossible.

so, he presses a kiss into every other fingertip in turn, unhurried and with all the time in the world, before trailing his mouth along the length of thorns' hand. lips lingering at the heel of his palm, his breath fans across his skin, softly sinking into every crease, down to his very pulse beneath the surface. thorns deserves to be cherished like this, again and again, however many times as he'll allow, as this is what elysium is meant for.

hi. ]

[oversea]

[ he wants to kiss him.

he even leans in, ready to move his hand out of the way




and then they hit a giant pothole in the road ]

[transmit]

[ well

let this be a lesson on why you don't make out in the back of a moving vehicle and on roads that aren't well-maintained at that. imagine if they were actually kissing and thorns bit him hard enough to bleed. that would be the saddest way to contact oripathy.

instead, he just ends up bumping against thorns and sprawled across his lap. ow. ]

[oversea]

[ love is pain....?

thorns rubs the spot that got hit. specifically, he is rubbing elysium where he got hit because that's his poor baby!!!! his ouchies.

they are so dramatic and for what. the farmer apologizes and wonders how strong they actually are. ]

You okay?

[transmit]

No.

[ he sniffles, arms circling around thorns' thighs. ]

You have to keep going…

[ the rubbing.


they are losing so much credibility ]

[oversea]

[ he continues to do so for his bbbb... he must protect elysium at all costs. ]

Should I kiss it?

[ the farmer is amazed at the reminder of how people act while in the honeymoon phase. however these two are not in that, they are simply crazy. ]

[transmit]

[ he did not protect elysium at all costs when he was bad touching his feathers. hello. but that was so long ago and there have been so many kisses between now and then he's completely forgotten about thorns' betrayal. ]

Yeah. I think it'll feel better after you give it a couple of tries.

[ in a way, it does sell the illusion that they're two stupidly in love men on the run for love. while it isn't a lie, it isn't the entire truth. oh well. ]

[oversea]

[ okay he had to touch them like that!!! elysium is the one who said they had to also get dyed!!! thorns already yearns for when the color will fade...

he will kiss his boo-boo, and the farmer will warn them of any upcoming holes; they had forgotten that the two newbies are not familiar with this road. eventually, they pull into a small town. the farmer explains that their farm is close by, just a fifteen to twenty minute walk west and the two of them are welcomed to stop by or stay if they can't find somewhere to sleep for the night. while there is an inn, it isn't as busy as the ones you'd find in a larger city so they also operate as a restaurant. they'd probably be delighted to see the two. ]

Let's look around?

[transmit]

[ they're going to have to do it again and elysium will lock himself up in a bathroom like thorns did that one time he had to [redacted]… that was traumatic… ]

Let's check out the inn first, see if they're open to hiring us for food and lodging. After that, we can look around for other ways to actually make money. [ … ] Some stability would be nice, yeah?

[ his gaze follows the direction the farmer had pointed, and the next part slips out under his breath, not meant for thorns in particular. ]

… I wonder if they have any Messengers working here.

[oversea]

[ thorns will try to be normal about this comment because it is elysium expression an interest in something that does not involve thorns.

he mostly just nods his head, like he would had if elysium had suggest any other potential job to try not to put any pressure on the suggestion. ]

Might as well find out. Our best bet is offering skills they don't already have here.

[ so casual... but they can head for the inn for now. they can likely get more info on the town there anyway. ]

[transmit]

[ they're both one bad day away from saying something even more unhinged than what's already slipped out, but with only good days ahead, what's there to worry about? nothing.

or so elysium would like to think, because when he really thinks about their situation, coupled with being among people in a context other as a rhodes operator, the pleasant haze of their elopement fades quick. yan may be one of the kinder places for the infected, but even that kindness has its limits. this level of free movement just wouldn't be accepted.

… he has to be careful.

but the inn is owned by an elderly couple, and they're more than happy to offer lodging as long as the two of them are willing to take on heavy lifting. it takes them so long to move produce from the truck it arrives in to their kitchen these days— they'd be a godsend.

until then? they should say hi to the rest of the residents and promptly shoos them both out. real first day on the farm in stardew and harvest moon vibes. ]

… What a reception. The people here are something else.

[ imagine if they were in iberia… ]