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[selfconcept]

HELLO

"..."

GOODBYE

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[selfconcept]

[ .................................

Hien just puts a hand over his forehead. That HUUUUUUURT but he's actually very good at not making pain indicator sounds, so he just stands there, frowning a little. Ow. ]

"You shouldn't be sitting up that fast even when you're feeling healthy."

[transmit]

[ It's true… now all he has to show for his hubris is vertigo, which is probably being sent over to Hien anyway given the nature of the week. He presses another hand to his temple.

Whose fault is this, Hien… (It's Elysium's.) ]

I'll get you something better than that other thing.

[selfconcept]

[ Oh... that's not fun. Hien manages to hold onto his balance, but just barely. Good thing he's already sitting. ]

"I only asked you to hold it so that it doesn't fall out when I run. So it's mine now."

[ give him his stuff!!! ]

[transmit]

[ They're both sane now; there is literally no reason for Hien to be like this. He's going to kill him. He explodes him in his mind. ]

No, I get it. It was your way of letting me down easy. Who do you think I am, some guy without EQ? How about this: I'll cook you an Iberian specialty instead. Not many people can say they've had something made by these hands.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien stares at Elysium for a long, long while without saying anything, but when he finally does: ]

"No."

[ Hien? Rejecting food???? ]

[transmit]

[ WHO ARE YOU ]

I think you meant yes?

[ gaslights ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien looks at Elysium for a moment, again, in silence. ]

"You can say that you changed your mind. I won't be offended."

[ Hien decides to be forthright with Elysium, even though he won't bet on the possibility of it being returned. ]

[transmit]

[ He sinks his face into his hands. ]

I don't know why you're so insistent, but it'd essentially mean you're being courted by me. Fia would recognise it in an instant…

[selfconcept]

"So you can't give it to me because you changed your mind about courting me, right?"

[ He'll just make him flat out say it. ]

[transmit]

[ Sorry, he just stares at Hien like




❓ ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien thought he said it clearly, so he's not sure why Elysium is looking confused for. So he'll say it again. ]

"Giving the feather to someone means that you're courting that person, right? I'm assuming your feelings aren't the same now as when you did try giving it to me before, so you're changing your mind about courting me. That's why you don't want to give me the feather. If you still can't understand this, I'll have to question your EQ."

[transmit]

[ There's a long, drawn-out pause. For a moment, it almost looks like he wants to laugh, either in disbelief or sheer ridicule at the situation. But instead he just smiles weakly and fumbles in his pockets until he produces the feather in his palm. ]

Let me put it more plainly.

… Not all Liberi commit to a single companion in life, but in my ethnic group, giving someone your feather carries that meaning. I think we can both agree we were under some kind of influence until we reached the manor. Knowing that, you wouldn't be the kind of guy to just keep it either, right? If I gave it to you now, it'd be just as irresponsible——forget courting or not, it's deeper than that.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien looks down at it and then back up at Elysium's face. ]

"Do you regret it?"

[transmit]

[ Please stop looking at him. You're going to wear out his face.

…

He closes his palm with a sigh. ]

I don't plan on giving it to anyone. Period.

[ even if in that moment, he'd really wanted to. ]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien nods and reaches out to gently pat Elysium's head. ]

"That's all I wanted to know. Are you feeling better?"

[transmit]

[ why does he feel like a child being told they did a good job… ]

… Yeah. This isn't supposed to happen all that often, if you're wondering.

[selfconcept]

"That's good to hear. I'd never want you to be in serious pain."

[ Hien would normally ask more about the illness, but he figures that with everything Elysium said in their past conversations, he gets the feeling that it's not something curable and that it's an inevitable. He can relate to that somewhat--it may not be an illness, but time doesn't stop for anyone. Not Elysium. Not Hien. No one.

He gently pats Elysium's head some more, fingers running through his hair and he quietly breathes out. What comes next is a hand caressing the side of Elysium's face and presses a small, chaste kiss on the lips. It doesn't last long.

The man before him disappears in the blink of an eye, but the warmth lingers. ]