CICONIA: WHEN THEY CRY

[insinning]

It's a holy night. Silent night.

All is calm.

Everything is b r i g h t.

Comments

[insinning]

Yeah. [There's no hiding it. He leans a little into Oria's hand] Just a bad dream.

[dissimulative]

Good thing I'm here to chase the bad dreams away~

[ He tries his best to cheer up Sinclair a little. ]

How's the headache?

[insinning]

[Sinclair can't help but laugh, rubbing at his eyes. He appreciated the thought at least]

Better. It doesn't hurt anymore.

[dissimulative]

That's good to hear. I'm glad it worked out!

[ He ruffles Sinclair's hair for good measure. ]

But just in case, take it easy.

[insinning]

I'll go crazy if I have to stay in bed for too long. [aaaah his hair] But those painkillers of yours really did the trick.

[dissimulative]

Pretty good, huh? They're reliable when needed.

[ Oria and his strong painkillers that he just happens to have... Anyway. ]

Let's get you slowly sitting up first.

[insinning]

I'm not that weak...

[But it feels nice, so he plays along]

[dissimulative]

Of course you're not. You're the most sturdy guy I've ever met!

[ He helps Sinclair sit up anyway with his hand on the center of his back. ]

The strongest defense in all of AOU.

[insinning]

[Pffft.]

That definitely can't be true.

[Or, actually...]

[dissimulative]

I bet that you're at least up there in top 3 at the very least. Ask Coach some time.

[ Oria grabs Sinclair's legs to slide his position like turning a clock hand so that his legs are dangling off the bed. Now they can sit side by side. ]

[insinning]

Yet you still grab me so casually-

[Oria, please. You could have just nudged him.]

[dissimulative]

Yeah.

[ You wanna go?? ]

1/2

[insinning]

[...]

2/2

[insinning]

[Incoming pillow!]

You could have just asked.

[dissimulative]

Wah!

[ His face gets smacked with the pillow. His glasses? Don't worry about it. ]

What was that for?!

[ He feels wronged!! /s ]

[insinning]

Being rude. [Oh yeah, the glasses. Sinclair sheepishly reaches over to make sure he didn't accidentally break them. Funny how with all this technology and improvements with 8ms, no one was able to make it so people didn't need glasses anymore]

[dissimulative]

[ They allocated all their civilization tech points into 8MS. Probably.

His glasses are fine, but Sinclair is welcome to pluck them anyway. ]

If I see an opportunity, I'm gonna take it. There's nothing wrong with that!

[insinning]

[Sinclair will just straighten them. He does not want to steal Oria's glasses!]

But asking is better, don't you think?

1/2

[dissimulative]

[ Oria doubts that. This is the number one reason why he just Does Things. ]

Would you even say yes to what I ask—

[dissimulative]

[ Oh.

Sinclair straightens Oria's glasses and he shuts up immediately. ]

[insinning]

[Ehehe. Better]

Mmm. Well, if you asked to share my bed I wouldn't say no.

[He's always happy to share with Oria]

[dissimulative]

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

Oria has to calm himself down real fast because he knows Sinclair didn't mean it in any debauched definition. What to think, what to think—he imagines people being killed by [redacted]

.... ]

Your bed is too small for both of us.

[insinning]

Maybe if I lie on my side and make myself small? [No, it would be a cramped fit, true]

[dissimulative]

Listen—

[ Oria is trying very hard not to imagine Sinclair lying down on the bed, looking vulnerable with a half open shirt.

...

Oria tells himself to come up with the worst corpse possible. ]

—it's fine. Thanks for the offer though.

[insinning]

[ ? Oria is making a strange expression]

Sure.

[ He wants to lean on Oria again but valiantly resists. He's neither sleepy or sick anymore stop this]

Oh, what did you bring with you?