[ he laughs, even though they both know this isn't the place for it. ]
If past trends are anything to go by, it's going to take a lot more than just cognac for the both of us. So? What's it going to be? Time to break out the absinthe? [ … ] And something extra, just to make that fairy more than a mere myth?
[ He bites his tongue. Fine. He'll sigh here. Elysium. This unbelievable man. Giving permission isn't everything. Hien has given so much permission over his lifetime despite not really liking it, so he'll think this is along similar lines. ]
"You're getting vodka. Unless you wanna be that shitfaced when having sex with me since I didn't realize I was that terrible in bed. C'mon. Let's go."
there's the same vertigo that comes from being unused to teleporting, but he steadies himself quickly enough, hand clamping down on hien's without hesitation. he huffs, eyes narrowing. ]
I would've thought you'd want to make a better impression this time. Too much pressure?
"I won't conform myself to anyone's expectations. An impression you make is just something that I'll have to deal with, no matter what it ends up being."
[ aka he won't stop being himself even for Elysium, even if his wants might oppose the other person's. then that's just how it'll be. ]
"... Before I forget, thanks--for taking care of the stupid kid."
[ hien could most definitely do better for himself. but, as he'd said, they're all adults and responsible for their own choices. if what he gets from elysium is enough, in whatever sense that word applies, then that's that. elysium's benefiting in his own ways, too.
the mention of a certain 'stupid kid' does give him pause. ]
… From what I could tell, you took care of a number of them, too. I doubt anyone here could stomach leaving a kid on their own, so it really wasn't anything special. I just happened to be there.
[ did hien teleport them to the minibar btw… maybe he does need a drink… ]
[ Yeah! They're very close to the minibar. Hien doesn't leave in case Elysium does want to take the drinks. You know you want to, Elysium... ]
"Many things start from the mundane--nothing special. Sometimes you happen to be in the right place at the right time. For him, anything was better than being ignored."
[ Hien would like to think that he outgrew that sort of thing. Of course he would try to get someone's attention if he needs it, but if he can't... well, he supposes that would depend on the person. ]
We've had a similar conversation before, so it's not like I disagree… but thinking about the people we have here, who would've done that to you? Even our most difficult would've taken responsibility in their own way.
[ thinks about sylus. medea. he makes a sound akin to a snort.
it's almost a little incredible, thinking about the kindness of the people here. and since he's already at the minibar, he might as well have his drink at hien's insistence. the way he's thinking about it? the literal worst would be running into hak. god. and even then, he hadn't done more than rough him around.
…
anyway, he isn't reaching for the absinthe, but he definitely isn't going for the vodka either just to be stubborn. instead, he pulls out a cask-strength whisky and pours a generous amount into two cups. ]
You did do the same for me.
[ he doesn't bother with a toast. just unceremoniously down the hatch it goes. ]
[ No toast is fine. Hien gets some vodka for himself. That cask-strength whiskey... stronger than vodka... okay Elysium. Hien wonders what made him change his mind. ]
"I guess you're still cute now, but in a different way."
he poured two glasses for a reason, hien… he simply swaps his vodka for one of the whisky glasses and drinks that, too, offering no additional comment on being cute. stupid. ]
[ Hien would have thought that other glass was for himself, and then Elysium swipes his glass of vodka... okay... He quietly takes the other cup of cask-strength whiskey and drinks it. ]
"... I know I suggested this, but I didn't want you to get shitfaced."
[ Okay!! Let's get the sick guy to drink like this despite his high tolerance! Hien is having mixed feelings, but yeah. Sure. He drinks the second shot. ]
[ makes that three shots. this is heading in the same direction as the very first party.
also, he really needs people to stop thinking about his illness more than he does. it's inconvenient, uncomfortable, and it absolutely harshes the vibe. ]
What are you, a genie in a lamp? Just relax and go with the flow. Stop thinking about what you can do for other people.
[ Stop thinking what he can do for other people? But.
But!!!
Well, Hien finds himself at a loss. This entire thing was for Elysium, even if he framed it as himself selfishly wanting a date. He's not that selfless, but what does he do when his selfishness is tied to wanting to see others get better? Or at least feel better in the moment?
... ]
"... I'm not a wish granter, but I try to be... I guess."
I'm not interested in things I don't have to work for, that's all. If it bothers you, I won't take offense to you spending your energy elsewhere.
[ …
he thinks about his decade-long friendship with thorns and ends up downing another shot. as it turns out, he's perfectly capable of harshing his own vibe. ]
It's enough to have company. At the end of the day, we're all on our own journeys.
[ He looks at Elysium taking another shot and doesn't stop him. He wonders what he's thinking. Elysium must always be thinking of something. This overthinker. Then again, this is how people live and he can't change that if they don't want to.
Well.
He could, by force, but he'd prefer not to. ]
"It doesn't mean people have to go alone on said journey."
… You're shockingly optimistic for someone who's so long-lived. It's not that I disagree.
[ the shots will keep coming and coming for both sides unless hien really decides to stage an intervention. until elysium is left a laughing mess, cheek pressed against the bartop—he doesn't intend to stop. ]
Just sometimes, you accept that the path you take pulls you away from others, regardless of how often it briefly aligns with theirs.
[ After the ninth shot, he finally intervenes. Hien sighs, clearing the counter. No more cups. No more drinks. ]
"I know."
[ He knows that too well. Hien thinks about all the lives that he's affected throughout his existence, which he remembers most of them... even if he needs his memory aid from time to time. They're fond memories of people he favored. ]
"Sometimes you get sick of being jaded for too long that you circle back to wanting some hope again. C'mon... you drank too much."
[ Even if Elysium was super healthy, Hien thinks this is too much. Your high tolerance doesn't make you immune to alcohol poisoning. He tries to get Elysium to start walking to one of the rooms by the hand. ]
[ thanks for letting it get far enough for him to be pleasantly buzzed. he's pliant enough to let himself be pulled up, body swaying just the slightest bit as he rises to his feet. with the warmth of alcohol settling over him, he gives hien a lazy grin. ]
None of this really matters when it'll be far from being the thing that does me in.
[ and that's just the truth of it, his hand lifting to tangle into hien's hair as he shifts his weight deliberately, using it as leverage to drag him back down onto the stool. he misses, elbows propping against the table instead with his back hitting the ledge of it—but that's fine. he collides their mouths anyway, rough and carelessly, barely a kiss at all. ]
Why go anywhere else when we can stay here? You seemed pretty excited by the idea of doing something in public the other week.
[ Then all that happens so quick. When their lips meet, it's barely a kiss. Hien has trouble returning the gesture and makes a slightly quiet frustrated sound. ]
"I wasn't excited by that... I was like that because of you."
[ his hand finds hien's chin, his thumb settling along its curve. he doesn't rush it this time, just tilts his face up before capturing his mouth again, far more softly than before.
with a thoughtful pause before his next movement, his teeth brush hien's lip in a careful scrape, as if to gently coax him to open up instead of using force. an illusion of intimacy, perhaps. ]
[ He feels like a goner the moment Elysium tilts his head up by the chin with his face turning a slight pink at the cheeks from the action alone. The illusion of intimacy is so strong that Hien can't help but to let it wash over him as something he wants, even if he thinks it's not real. He returns the kiss, gentle but full of want. There's no denying that he feels needy right now, but still. In public? Like this? ]
"Elysium..."
[ He breathes out, parting his lips. His hand holds onto Elysium's sleeve, tight. ]
hien is straightforward at a time when everything else in his life isn't, pads of his fingers brushing along his cheek as their kiss deepens naturally. there's something almost coquettish in the way his eyes go half-lidded before closing fully, intent on exploring the familiarity of hien's mouth.
why not in public? where everyone can see, and talk? … it doesn't need to be everyone. it's enough that a handful of people do for the rumour mill to start churning. ]
Is this enough for you? [ he pulls back just slightly, breathless, but not without punctuating the question with another tender kiss to his mouth, similar to a peck. then, close to his ear with his voice dipped in warmth— ] Hien?
[ not 'enough' in the sense of being finished, but whether what little he has to give might be enough at all, his face warm and nicely flushed pink. maybe the alcohol is helpful in more ways than one. ]
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[ he laughs, even though they both know this isn't the place for it. ]
If past trends are anything to go by, it's going to take a lot more than just cognac for the both of us. So? What's it going to be? Time to break out the absinthe? [ … ] And something extra, just to make that fairy more than a mere myth?
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[ He bites his tongue. Fine. He'll sigh here. Elysium. This unbelievable man. Giving permission isn't everything. Hien has given so much permission over his lifetime despite not really liking it, so he'll think this is along similar lines. ]
"You're getting vodka. Unless you wanna be that shitfaced when having sex with me since I didn't realize I was that terrible in bed. C'mon. Let's go."
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[ he gives hien a look, rolls his eyes. ]
We can do it sober. Don't be a brat.
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[ He holds Elysium's hand anyway and teleports them to the lobby of the resort, away from the charity auction. ]
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there's the same vertigo that comes from being unused to teleporting, but he steadies himself quickly enough, hand clamping down on hien's without hesitation. he huffs, eyes narrowing. ]
I would've thought you'd want to make a better impression this time. Too much pressure?
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[ aka he won't stop being himself even for Elysium, even if his wants might oppose the other person's. then that's just how it'll be. ]
"... Before I forget, thanks--for taking care of the stupid kid."
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the mention of a certain 'stupid kid' does give him pause. ]
… From what I could tell, you took care of a number of them, too. I doubt anyone here could stomach leaving a kid on their own, so it really wasn't anything special. I just happened to be there.
[ did hien teleport them to the minibar btw… maybe he does need a drink… ]
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"Many things start from the mundane--nothing special. Sometimes you happen to be in the right place at the right time. For him, anything was better than being ignored."
[ Hien would like to think that he outgrew that sort of thing. Of course he would try to get someone's attention if he needs it, but if he can't... well, he supposes that would depend on the person. ]
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[ thinks about sylus. medea. he makes a sound akin to a snort.
it's almost a little incredible, thinking about the kindness of the people here. and since he's already at the minibar, he might as well have his drink at hien's insistence. the way he's thinking about it? the literal worst would be running into hak. god. and even then, he hadn't done more than rough him around.
…
anyway, he isn't reaching for the absinthe, but he definitely isn't going for the vodka either just to be stubborn. instead, he pulls out a cask-strength whisky and pours a generous amount into two cups. ]
You did do the same for me.
[ he doesn't bother with a toast. just unceremoniously down the hatch it goes. ]
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[ No toast is fine. Hien gets some vodka for himself. That cask-strength whiskey... stronger than vodka... okay Elysium. Hien wonders what made him change his mind. ]
"I guess you're still cute now, but in a different way."
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he poured two glasses for a reason, hien… he simply swaps his vodka for one of the whisky glasses and drinks that, too, offering no additional comment on being cute. stupid. ]
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"... I know I suggested this, but I didn't want you to get shitfaced."
[ YOU MIXED DRINKS!!! ]
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[ he pours hien more whiskey. no one said anything about hien not getting shit-faced, though. ]
Having a high tolerance blows when you're specifically trying to pre-game. Let me live.
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"I can help you with that if you want me to."
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also, he really needs people to stop thinking about his illness more than he does. it's inconvenient, uncomfortable, and it absolutely harshes the vibe. ]
What are you, a genie in a lamp? Just relax and go with the flow. Stop thinking about what you can do for other people.
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But!!!
Well, Hien finds himself at a loss. This entire thing was for Elysium, even if he framed it as himself selfishly wanting a date. He's not that selfless, but what does he do when his selfishness is tied to wanting to see others get better? Or at least feel better in the moment?
... ]
"... I'm not a wish granter, but I try to be... I guess."
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[ …
he thinks about his decade-long friendship with thorns and ends up downing another shot. as it turns out, he's perfectly capable of harshing his own vibe. ]
It's enough to have company. At the end of the day, we're all on our own journeys.
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Well.
He could, by force, but he'd prefer not to. ]
"It doesn't mean people have to go alone on said journey."
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[ the shots will keep coming and coming for both sides unless hien really decides to stage an intervention. until elysium is left a laughing mess, cheek pressed against the bartop—he doesn't intend to stop. ]
Just sometimes, you accept that the path you take pulls you away from others, regardless of how often it briefly aligns with theirs.
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"I know."
[ He knows that too well. Hien thinks about all the lives that he's affected throughout his existence, which he remembers most of them... even if he needs his memory aid from time to time. They're fond memories of people he favored. ]
"Sometimes you get sick of being jaded for too long that you circle back to wanting some hope again. C'mon... you drank too much."
[ Even if Elysium was super healthy, Hien thinks this is too much. Your high tolerance doesn't make you immune to alcohol poisoning. He tries to get Elysium to start walking to one of the rooms by the hand. ]
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None of this really matters when it'll be far from being the thing that does me in.
[ and that's just the truth of it, his hand lifting to tangle into hien's hair as he shifts his weight deliberately, using it as leverage to drag him back down onto the stool. he misses, elbows propping against the table instead with his back hitting the ledge of it—but that's fine. he collides their mouths anyway, rough and carelessly, barely a kiss at all. ]
Why go anywhere else when we can stay here? You seemed pretty excited by the idea of doing something in public the other week.
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[ Then all that happens so quick. When their lips meet, it's barely a kiss. Hien has trouble returning the gesture and makes a slightly quiet frustrated sound. ]
"I wasn't excited by that... I was like that because of you."
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Then, how about something like this?
[ his hand finds hien's chin, his thumb settling along its curve. he doesn't rush it this time, just tilts his face up before capturing his mouth again, far more softly than before.
with a thoughtful pause before his next movement, his teeth brush hien's lip in a careful scrape, as if to gently coax him to open up instead of using force. an illusion of intimacy, perhaps. ]
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"Elysium..."
[ He breathes out, parting his lips. His hand holds onto Elysium's sleeve, tight. ]
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hien is straightforward at a time when everything else in his life isn't, pads of his fingers brushing along his cheek as their kiss deepens naturally. there's something almost coquettish in the way his eyes go half-lidded before closing fully, intent on exploring the familiarity of hien's mouth.
why not in public? where everyone can see, and talk? … it doesn't need to be everyone. it's enough that a handful of people do for the rumour mill to start churning. ]
Is this enough for you? [ he pulls back just slightly, breathless, but not without punctuating the question with another tender kiss to his mouth, similar to a peck. then, close to his ear with his voice dipped in warmth— ] Hien?
[ not 'enough' in the sense of being finished, but whether what little he has to give might be enough at all, his face warm and nicely flushed pink. maybe the alcohol is helpful in more ways than one. ]
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