CICONIA: WHEN THEY CRY

[insinning]

It's a holy night. Silent night.

All is calm.

Everything is b r i g h t.

Comments

[dissimulative]

[ Oria just gives Sinclair a Look as if saying "you're so bad at lying", but he lets it go anyway. ]

Hey, Chaaaron. If you've been with him so long, you should have learned some useful things!

[ He says this despite not being able to hear her. ]

[insinning]

[Charon knows plenty of things. Charon is not appreciated. Sinclair pulls a face]

Don't tease her...she'll get upset at me.

[dissimulative]

[ Oria would say that it's only a mimicry of emotions, but he bites that back and sighs. ]

Fiiine, fine. You're so nice, even to Charon...

[insinning]

[this mimicry is very important to Sinclair ok...]

Well, it's not like Charon causes trouble like Keropoyo, right? It's good to appreciate that.

[dissimulative]

The frog is mostly annoying, but it's not wrong when it comes to objective stuff.

[ Oria sighs. Stupid reliable frog AI. ]

Did you already forget her leading us to a shady place?

[insinning]

That was an accident! [Or was it? Sometimes Sinclair isn't quite sure, when Charon was given to him by a company he couldn't even tell people the name of]

Um. It worked out okay in the end at least? I'm helping her...

[Funny how he doesn't have a good memory of that. Just that his knuckles really hurt and he was really sore for a few days after...But it ended fine because Oria wasn't hurt]

[dissimulative]

[ Oria remembers it so clearly, so he looks a bit exasperated at Sinclair for a moment. ]

I guess you're right. Then just help her more.

[ That's really all he can say about that now. ]

Be a little nicer to me tooooo.

[ He's just joking, since he doesn't like being spoiled in any way—especially affection. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair isn't as good at social cues as Oria from being well...a prisoner. He does look a little concerned]

Ah...am I not? You can have my peeps.

[Sharing is caring etc]

[dissimulative]

[ Yeah!! More peeps for him! But he knows Sinclair needs them too. ]

You're so sweet. I love you.

[ Then their food arrives. ]

1/3

[insinning]

[ Ah???]

2/3

[insinning]

[ Is... this a Ciconia born thing? How does Oria say such things so easily...]

3/3

[insinning]

[ It's just Oria's nature so Sinclair lets it go as the food arrives. He'll offer some of his parfait to Oria in gratitude]

Mm...you too? [ Confused but sincere]

I'm glad we're friends.

[ even if...ah]

[dissimulative]

[ He more or less expected this sort of response, so he doesn't look crushed or anything. He just grins and takes the offered parfait. Yummy. ]

Yeah! Me too.

[ Oria would never say "love" so easily, but that's his personal problem and no one else's.

He starts eating his mountainous pile of pancakes drenched with syrup. Mmmmmm... ]

[insinning]

[ Oh, Oria accepted his offering. He's even happier now]

How are your pancakes?

[ He'll take back his parfait and work on his burger first. Sugar tastes even better after something salty]

[dissimulative]

Soooo good. Everything tastes good when I'm hungry.

[ Not like it hasn't already. He takes a giant piece of pancake and eats it. Nom. Kirby time. ]

[insinning]

[Even for a gauntlet knight, sometimes it seems like Oria can just vacuum up an entire restaurant. But Sinclair can understand]

That's good. I would have felt bad if the reviews were all lies.

[dissimulative]

[ Maybe the food he eats just disappears to the dimensioned container. ]

Oh? You looked up the reviews and everything?

[ He seems incredibly fond. ]

[insinning]

Yeah. It seemed like a nice place by the way people talked about it. I thought it'd be nice if we could go together.

[ Research for friends outings!! not that Sinclair can leave without strict restrictions being met but... sometimes he likes to imagine and prepare for that]

[dissimulative]

[ Sinclair is extremely endearing, Oria thinks. This makes me so sad... lonely sinclair... ]

It's comfortable here and the food is awesome. You definitely picked right, so thanks!

[insinning]

[Sinclair blushes a little, pleased and tried to hide that behind his burger]

Mm... I'm glad. You should help me with the chips though. I might have ordered too much.

[dissimulative]

Gladly.

[ Sinclair is so cute... Oria keeps that thought to himself. ]

Only after you feel full though.

[ He doesn't want to take away Sinclair's food otherwise. Boy... you need to eat. ]

It would be nice if we could do this every day.

[insinning]

...me too. [ There's a wistful note to Sinclair's voice. It's nice to fulfil one of his daydreams. The Public Order of the Bath just isn't the same.]

I'm lucky. I fulfilled my conditions this month at least even though I lost my temper at teacher...

[small hard won freedoms. And Sinclair eats dutifully!! But he likes sharing food and experiences...]

[dissimulative]

Hm? What conditions?

[ He tilts his head. Sinclair? What's that?

And yeah, the Public Bath order really isn't the same at all. ]

[insinning]

Mm...avoid any marks against my behaviour record, complete any tasks assigned to me, that sort of thing.

[ And put up with...certain things. It's hard okay]

[dissimulative]

Why are they so strict on you... Are they really doing that comparison thing?

[ "Why can't you be more like x" etc ]