july catch-all

[ushiri]

Who: Kyle and folks
When: Throughout July
Where: Castle Thorne + Horizon
What: Closed prompts for meet-ups, plus a chat with the new king
Warnings: General content warnings and opt-out here.

Comments

[ordinar]

[It's a funny reaction. He likes it when Kyle loosens up, slips out of the quiet, serious shell he draws around himself. Scoffing, Wilhelm throws the flower right at his face. The thing doesn't make it — it falls limply onto the grass between them.]

Hey, don't try to turn this on me. I'm not the one who gets turned on by bikes.

[He throws his hands up in a wide shrug, as if to say no judgement. But he's laughing all the while.]

[ushiri]

I don't get - [ his face scrunches and he rolls his eyes without finishing his sentence, instead flicking the flower from where it lands in the grass back in the direction of Wilhelm while he laughs, which is about as effective as Wille's attempt to toss it in his face - the poor, abused flower gets as fair as his leg where it lands. He seems more amused than exasperated, despite his aborted protest - he likes to make Wilhelm laugh. After a second or so shakes his head. ]

I know nothing can last here. [ Most of them can lose their connection at any time, parting without the chance to say goodbye. He doesn't need to explain this to Wilhelm, and he winces faintly. There are different complications too, in the forms of other people for each of them, though he's not going to get into that - ]

But it's been nice. [ He frowns. ] Coups and escalation of war aside, anyway...

[ordinar]

[He only laughs more wildly, his face split open with glee, as Kyle abandons his protest and flicks the flower at him in retaliation. When he rescues the poor thing, its stem is a fair bit bent and it's down a few petals. Well, there's nothing to be done for it but pinch off the rest, one by one. He loves me, he loves me not, except there's only one boy on his mind, and the answer to that question doesn't matter anymore.

Two months later, Kelson is still never very far from his thoughts. It would take time, to bury their short-lived relationship properly. Wilhelm's demeanor drifts back down for a knowing nod at nothing can last here.]

But it's still worth it.

[He still thinks so, despite everything. Sometimes he thinks it would almost be better not to know what it's like to have someone, to love someone, because then there would be nothing to miss. But sometimes he thinks he wouldn't trade that rush, those warm golden days, for anything.]

Lovers on opposite sides of a war...how romantic. It's so Romeo and Juliet.

[ushiri]

[ He smiles warmly at that. Wilhelm's experienced quite a bit of heartache in his time here. Maybe that wouldn't be so odd for someone else his age, except for the particular cruelty of these circumstances. ]

I don't know them. [ He gives a one shouldered shrug, than lets out a small huff. ] And I wouldn't exactly call it romantic, worrying so much.

[ Being so far apart, not being able to do anything whenever the the opposing territory is attacked. There's a part of him that badly wishes he could run to Cadens. But one of the reasons he stayed behind in Thorne is sitting next to him. ]

[ordinar]

[He was mostly teasing, but there is something romantic about choosing to be with someone despite whatever forces try to pull you apart. There was a time when he'd chosen Simon, against the gravitational tug of history, tradition, expectations. Only, he had ruined it by letting his mother get inside his head. He wonders if now he would be strong enough, brave enough, to stand by his choice in a way that he thought he couldn't back then.]

They're from a play. They fall in love, but their families have been beefing with each other since a long time ago, so they have to see each other in secret. At the end, they both kill themselves.

[He cringes, sucking in sharply. The flower has run out of petals.]

I guess that part's not really romantic, but you and Viktor have way more sense than that.

wrap this one up?

[ushiri]

[ 'Beefing'. That's a new one to add to his vocabulary. The description of the ending gets another raised eyebrow. That sounds very dramatic, like teenagers, and for a moment it brushes over a memory not his own - the first time in a while it's happened to him. He remembers telling Jahn he'd be willing to die to be with him. He remembers meaning it, and the way Jahn had lashed out at him, accusing him of being selfish and thoughtless. He remembers how much that hurt.

His expression goes blank until he catches himself with a light huff. ]

We have some sense, probably. [ He grins again. ] But, sneaking around is a little exciting...

[ It is actually a lot exciting sometimes. ]