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]

Thanks. [he takes the water thankfully. He may not need the painkillers yet but it would he helpful for later. Peeps! He needs those now]

Did you argue with her? People kept asking me why there was yelling coming from your room.

[scary raised voices even ]

[dissimulative]

[ Peeps for Sinclair! Oria hands a pack over and sighs. ]

People should be minding their own business. But yeah, we got into several disagreements and I felt that I was at the end of the rope.

[ Oria rarely yells in anger, so that's quite something. ]

[insinning]

[They really should! Sinclair holds out a peep for Oria to take first]

That must have been frustrating.

[Sinclair was surprised to hear it himself and so he ignored all the messages. Besides, why did people think he'd answer if asked?]

[dissimulative]

It's always been like this.

[ He really didn't want to contact her, but look. He's gonna do it again later. ]

Oh, by the way... I managed to get in touch with Sungjin. He told me that Aria and Shion broke off because they were fighting over someone.

[ He sounds a little hesitant as he reaches the end of that sentence. If Sinclair thinks it's weird, that's because it is. ]

[insinning]

[That is weird]

They were fighting over someone?

[dissimulative]

That's how he described it and he didn't seem to be lying... Really would have been nice if he could talk straightforwardly instead of talking like some grandpa sage in a RPG.

[ Sungjin does not do that. Oria is just taking potshots at the guy because he's annoyed. ]

As to who it was they were fighting over, I have no idea and neither does he.

[insinning]

That's odd. It must have been someone really important to Aria, but...

[ Sinclair will just accept what Oria says until proven otherwise. Even if he doesn't quite understand the comparison either]

[dissimulative]

But?

[ Oria tilts his head. Tell him your thoughts, detective sinclair!! ]

[insinning]

It's hard to say for sure because we don't know what this Shion person is like.

[He's trying to think and put everything together]

Mm...if they fought over someone and neither you or Sungjin know who it was they were fighting about, it would have been someone Aria not only thought was important, but someone she had to help, right? But that person probably doesn't even know.

[dissimulative]

[ ... ... ...

Oria merely stares at Sinclair for a while, quiet. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair looks at Oria. Huh]

Or do you think that's a bit of a reach?

[dissimulative]

No, it's just...

[ How does he put this without feeling exasperated? Give him a moment. ]

... All those things you described sounds like you.

[insinning]

Me?

[Sinclair clearly has eliminated himself from the equation]

[dissimulative]

One, you're important to her.

Two, she definitely wanted to help you.

Three, you clearly didn't know about this.

Honestly, I can't think of anyone else who would fit. Anybody she's been seeing that I don't know of aren't probably that important to her either.

[ knox's first!!! take that!! ]

[insinning]

[Not Knox's first!!! ]

But...

[ What about you? Sinclair wants to say. But... despite Oria's problems with his mother, he wasn't in any danger, right?

He tries not to think about Oria's little dents, that awful voice that spoke through him...]

But why would she talk about me to this Shion person?

[dissimulative]

That's what we're gonna find out! I contacted him and we're meeting tomorrow. Do you wanna come too?

[ Emil Sinclair is confronted by a Visual Novel Branching Decision. ]

[insinning]

[ So a branching decision with only one real choice]

Mm. I'll go with you. We don't know what this Shion person is like, right?

[ Safety in numbers and all. He'll deal with the consequences as they come.

Do you need directions for your adventure?

no, no, no need.]

[dissimulative]

Based on a single conversation I had with him, it was difficult to actually talk to.

[ He shrugs and sighs. ]

Let's keep each other in check.

[insinning]

Yeah. [Sinclair smiles and holds Oria's hand] It's better that way.

[dissimulative]

Yeah!

[ Like how they've always been. Oria firmly grasps Sinclair's hand in his. ]

Not like we haven't talked to difficult people before.

[ ... but it usually ended in violence or one of them flouncing out of the conversation. ]

[insinning]

Mm. This time we're more aware, yeah? [He bumps his shoulder against Oria's] We can handle it better together this time.

[Sinclair can hold his temper better now, because he knows without a doubt Oria has his back. And Oria...]

[dissimulative]

[ ... seems pretty set on how to handle Shion. He turns his head to see Sinclair bumping shoulders. This really is a normal thing for them. It's just so normal to them when it isn't for others. ]

Love you, Emil.

[ He lightly bumps the side of his head with Sinclair's. ]

[insinning]

[The warmth from those words suffuses through him, starting with his cheeks. He feels safe and cared for with Oria. He has for ages now and even if Oria doesn't mean those words the way he wants to hear it, it's precious all the same. He leans his head against Oria's]

I love you too.

[dissimulative]

[ The nuance from those words is the reason why Oria knows he's not allowed to be upset—the love, it's there. Even if it isn't the kind Oria wanted to be reciprocated, it's still there. And that's why he can't get mad or sad about it.

Because Sinclair means so much to him as a person rather than a significant other that Oria wants.

Even if he has received the revelation from his mother.

Even if he won't be here in ten years, much less five.

Even if...

Even if, ]

Are you okay with just hanging out in the room today? You did just get over a nasty headache...

[ Or maybe a checkup is due? But he doesn't want to say that out loud. ]

[insinning]

[ Sinclair rests his head against Oria's shoulder. little more and nearly whines at the thought of having to leave]

I'd like that. I only really want to be around you right now.

[ He feels safe here; they're safe here. Even if it's just an illusion of the feeling, it's enough]

But I shouldn't stop you from doing anything you need to do, should I?