✧ — four seasons green tea.

[boba]

Comments

[selfconcept]

[ If it was possible for Hien to feel jealousy, he'd go and punch Obikawa's shoulder. How dare he take away this opportunity... but no, instead, Hien is more curious on how Elysium looks. ]

sure
be there soon

[ He's doing his best to give Elysium more agency...

It doesn't take long for Hien to arrive at the salon. ]

"They really cleaned up well after the war in here..."

[transmit]

[ it's fine… they have more than enough problems before jealousy ever comes into play. it was never specified in the thread, but obikawa did brush it out pretty extensively, so it's probably far neater than usual, tied back into a small bun. his nails and cuticles are clean, and unless you're close enough to catch the faint trace of foundation, he looks as healthy as can be. wow!! ]

What war… Do I even want to know?

Sit.

[selfconcept]

"It was a rat war."

[ Salons do wonders. Hien goes to sit and relaxes in the chair, wondering what Elysium will do. Hm. ]

"Your hair looks nice."

[transmit]

[ hien is the rare instance where he will just pretend he didn't hear anything whatsoever. at least, when it comes to compliments. if it were anyone else? he'd just say of course it is. ]

People seem to really have something against rats here…

[ well. there's only so much you can do with short hair.



time to make him look like a player. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Why is he like this... Hien stays calmly seated despite everything, wanting to see the end result. ]

"I wasn't even the one who killed the Prison Rat..."

[ Emi, his mouse, is so sad about that. What the fuck. ]

[transmit]

[ he's going to look like he belongs in a boyband. yippee.

but he's also going to clip in a barrette from the goodbyekitty temple just because. charm item… ]

Was that the warden? Someone actually killed it? I'd be worried about their karma.

[selfconcept]

[ backstreet's back

I should have mentioned this, but he doesn't show up on mirrors, so he has no idea how he looks like right now. ]

"Fiammetta and Lemuen."

[transmit]

[ OKAY? HE'S A VAMPIRE? how is he supposed to show off his hard work, then… damn… ]




Forget I asked. Stay still.

[ he's just going to finish styling the rest of hien's hair. bye. at this point he likes fia well enough, but sometimes you just can't get over one of your castmates being involved with the church no matter how hard she tries. ]

[selfconcept]

[ It's fine sometimes his image will flicker on and off in visual reflections because purgatory magic.

But yeah? That's fair. He stays still, waiting for Elysium to finish. It feels nice having his hair done... ]

[transmit]

You're shockingly obedient today.

[ it's not often he styles others. he wouldn't call it a hobby, but it is one of the few things he feels like he can do for someone he owes a wealth of favours to. it's hard to say he's comfortable just yet, too—soo-won's body in an unfathomable void still vividly clear in his mind. despite everything, his shard remains his priority. every so often his hand pauses as if he's thinking of something. he is, but his mind is anywhere but here.

born to fastburn, forced to slowburn with a man who likely can't afford it. elysium completes the task by tucking a final strand behind hien's ear. it might tickle. he doesn't intend it to. ]

Someone's ready for the charity auction. Off you go.

[selfconcept]

[ There's a slight tense when Elysium tucks the hair behind his ear, but he relaxes fast enough. ]

"You say that like I'm not obedient on most days."

[ Born to fastburn, forced to wait wait wait--this is how his patience has developed, surely. His virtue... Hien notes Elysium's actions here and there and wonders what he's thinking about. ]

"You're sending me off to get bought?"

[transmit]

It's a charity auction 'cause the proceeds go to a good cause, right? And you like good causes, from what I can tell.

[ pats his back in his encouragement only to ruin this the next moment: ]

You aren't.

[ to the being obedient part, but that's just elysium's extremely biased opinion. ]

[selfconcept]

"No, I don't."

[ He doesn't like doing good things for the sake of a good cause. He does them because he wants to and it happens to be a good cause. ]

"You don't even bid things that go to other people anyway. They go to who's being bid on."

[transmit]

This place needs to get a grip.

[ he just sighs, throwing himself in one of the nearby chairs. he swivels around in it, staring at the ceiling. ]

Well, whatever. What I said still applies. You can offer others a date, or something. Don't make my work go to waste.

[selfconcept]

"Alright."

[ Hien looks at Elysium straight in the eyes. ]

"Go on a date with me, then."

[ See? Obedient. ]

[transmit]

Seriously?

[ elysium looks back at him as if he's crazy.

… ]

Try that one again.

[ high maintenance girlfriend simulator… ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien bites back a sigh, but he gets up to walk on over to Elysium, a hand on the armrest, leaning in--almost looming over Elysium because the guy is sitting and Hien is not, and tilts his chin up. ]

"Go on a date with me, Elysium."

[transmit]

[ elysium doesn't pull away.

he just slowly lifts his gaze to meet hien's, a slow drag of attention that makes the space kept between them feel intentional. his mouth quirks, not quite a smile, not quite anything kind.

damn. his own work is being used against him. ]

To the hot springs you were talking about? And then what?

[selfconcept]

"It doesn't have to be the hot springs. We can go anywhere you want."

[ He backs up to give Elysium his space. ]

"If you don't have any preferences, then I'll pick."

[transmit]

[ he hooks a finger into hien's collar and pulls him back. where's he going. ]

Shouldn't the person doing the asking have it figured out? Yeah. Pick.

[ then he lets go, just like that. did he only do it to say that… maybe. he does get up from his chair to stretch around his joints. he says this, but there are still certain spots he will overrule… choose carefully. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien's theory is that Elysium wanted to do something but then changed his mind halfway, so Hien is being let go.

Anyway. ]

"The resort has more than just a charity auction. Let's enjoy it while it's here."

[transmit]

[ elysium seems to consider something…


and then hums. ]

What, the nicer rooms?

[selfconcept]

"Maybe you're the one with the mind in the gutter... no, you idiot. There's a mini-bar, entertainment, and the temperature is warm to stay sheltered from the cold. So? Yes? No?"

[ Hien absolutely wants to steal one of their beds though. ]

[transmit]

[ is his mind in the gutter… probably. but something clicks into place all the same.

ah.

wouldn't it be easier if they defined their relationship this way? ]

And if I say it is? Then we can just skip the rest of it and keep each other warm.

[selfconcept]

[ ... ]

"Is that something you want?"