[ Hien doesn't mind standing, so when he sees Fia get up, he wonders if she has to go somewhere until he feels the hold tighten. ]
"Yup... before I became what I am now. What do you mean by take care of? I was living with my older sister at the time, but she was always busy. I had my friends. My childhood friends... people like that."
"I still ate, but not enough to cover my high daily energy needs. I did dancing as a hobby. I didn't tell anyone. The guy eventually stopped showing up, so I used the money to eat better meals after that."
"I'd say dancing and skating are two different things, since learning how to skate came much later than dancing and I really sucked at it in the beginning."
[ He has no pride, because he knows it takes forever for him to learn anything completely new. ]
"I probably would have, yeah. I was really stupid like that. I craved feeling useful or helpful towards anybody and I was affection starved. I was neglected by my parents because I was the useless kid who wasn't good at anything that would have helped him get a job and was terrible at academics."
[ Hien lets Fia hold the other hand, equally warm. ]
"No. My childhood best friend got involved in some things and I wanted to help her. Then this guy came along and said that I could help. He tricked me, I died in front of my friend, and he used my soul for me to become what I am now with the help of someone else."
[ what's worse than hearing hien speak about what happened to him is hearing no inflection in his voice, no waver of emotions.
he's ages old by now—must be, she thinks, from what she's learned. has it been so long that he's removed himself from the emotions tied to those moments? or is it something else?
she squeezes his warm hands. ]
He was the one who gave you the destruction trait.
"... Don't be sorry about something that had nothing to do with you."
[ But he returns the hug anyway, because he likes them.
The ice reflects another memory... ]
Memory! ver. Greed [ Hello, this man is named Renatus and he is here to terrorize again. This guy who's slightly taller than Hien with his short wavy blond hair and red right eye and left blue eye. He can be seen clinging onto Hien, who looks absolutely exhausted and exasperated with Renatus's very existence. They seem to be cuddling(? very one-sided) on some wasteland with gray dirt all around them. Hien is so bloody, but it looks like dried blood. There's also some blood on Renatus's face too. Hien's clothes are torn at some parts. Fia can probably piece together that Hien regenerated after being injured.
"When are you leaving?"
"Soon."
"Don't leave me. It's been forever since I've been able to see you again. We can't even be in most worlds together... but you won't even look at me when we're in this hub-like space?"
"Maybe if you stopped being like this, I wouldn't be so reluctant to spend time with you."
"But we're fellow monsters, Hien. Monsters don't have rights. We're both just something to be pitied and begging to be mercy killed. It's funny, since we can't even die properly."
"..."
"This has been the seventy-seven million, three hundred eighty-two thousand and two hundred fourteenth time that you tried to raise my child self. I'm so honored to have so much of your attention, even if you don't remember it. You keep trying to save me. That's cute."
"..............."
"And I foil it."
Renatus caresses Hien's face.
"Every."
The thumb gently rubs his cheek.
"Single."
He gets a small peck on the opposite cheek.
"Time.
Renatus laughs. Hien can't bring himself to feel anything.
Hien isn't satisfied, but for now, he will take Lucien out of Bostco's so that he can get him to a proper resting spot so that he doesn't look like he'll COLLAPSE.
[ fiammetta opens her eyes and watches the memory play out over his shoulder.
then she lets go, setting her hands on his shoulders. she looks over his face with shock, half-expecting a burgundy spray of blood on his cheek. should she step away? she has no idea.
that answers her question about just how long he's lived for. ]
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