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Post by Mitchell Carr on Sept 24, 2021 21:05:13 GMT -8
Mitch nodded, at his own limits of razor thin patience. "If you want to spend more time together, I'd appreciate it if you come up with the plans."
The mundane topic was easier—concentration against mind altering chemicals completely spent on directing an emergency response. His smile was glazed as the anxiety eroded, and a small voice reflected on why he used to do this. "It would be nice to learn about your hobbies? I'm not the exciting these days, or," he chuckled earnestly, "At least when I'm not getting dragged from my apartment and collecting groupies. I remember she started crying when I didn't know who she was, then the rest is just-"
The Dancer mimed a shot to the temple as he blew out his cheeks.
The panic attack abating, Mitch motioned to his Mask to loosen it again. His features were hard to see now in the bright, diamond swirls that had breached the marble that caught the light of his Mantle. He checked his hand, flexing them as if he expected something different, and was satisfied with whatever was running through his addled mind. The dampness of his shirt was starting to hit him with the air conditioning of the hotel versus the crush of bodies he apparently was part of a short while ago.
"...Christ, I should shower."
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 28, 2021 15:59:10 GMT -8
The Playmate receded, somehow, bracing against imagined disappointment. He'd never been asked about his hobbies before. For five years now, he's managed to walk the tightrope of his anxiety with relative success. There had been bad days, but he'd always pulled through. Yuan had seen so many people on the verge of a break down over the years. He's even pulled a few out. He prided himself on being aware of his issues, if not on his ability to address them.
Had he been wrong all this time?
"I don't exactly have a lot of free time," he started by way of excuse. His mundane job didn't exactly have paid vacation and he wasn't in a position to do something about it. "I usually go to a club because it's the fastest way for me to get rid of the stress, I find." Efficiency, yes. That should be good enough to placate? He chuckled dryly. He was asking Mitch to open up, but wasn't willing to do it himself?
"Truth is, I've never thought about it? No one's asked me before. It's usually easier to just go along." Pause. "Is that- is it weird?"
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Sept 28, 2021 17:02:34 GMT -8
"Yup! So, does that mean the world is ending?"
The Dancer had moved fast, hovering while synching with Yuan's raw nerve—stringing it through the mournful chorus that pierced his prismatic features. His warm chuckle felt and sounded underwater, layering in a simultaneous message that Mitchell Carr was applying light hearted sarcasm and the Vision was driving a spike through the Beast's ego. In all, Yuan was meant to consider the ridiculousness of his anxiety, and what he was going to do to fix it.
Before the younger Spring even had a chance to process it, Carr was already helping himself to the bathroom of the captured hotel room and make good on the statement of the shower. The familiar creep of his mundane sickness starting to scream at the state he was in.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 28, 2021 18:13:37 GMT -8
It wasn't physical, but it felt like a slap across the face nonetheless. With his back still against the wall, Yuan slid down to sit on the floor, causing his skimpy hoodie to ride up. He replaced and listened for the telltale sound of running water.
"Yeah, fuck you too, Carr."
What was he doing? Was that the thanks he got? Was he even doing it for gratitude? No, he was doing it because something perfect and beautiful was going to shatter. He had to keep it together, or he would fail. He blinked several times, and slapped his cheeks to chase the fatigue away. He thought about leaving, while Mitch was in the shower. His thoughts circled back to the comment.
Was the world ending? Well, yes. Not for a good long while yet, but this world was bound to end someday. Just like he was, just like everyone was. If that was the case, then why bother with anything? If everything was ephemeral, then nothing was worth investing in.
He shook his head. The Playmate couldn't afford to think like that - it was a slippery slope. He had to believe that everything had meaning because it was ephemeral, not despite it. That one had to enjoy the small things before they turned into dust.
So had he been doing that? No. He wanted to enjoy helping others, and at a certain level he did, but his frustration quickly outweighed the feeling of accomplishment from his deeds. He kept putting off his own desires for later, forgetting that he was in a race against his now mortal form because he didn't want to bother to put in the work. He sighed and looked at the clock.
It was so late that it was back to being early. Recognizing that he was in no shape for introspection, he simply closed his eyes and listened to the shower. There was no point in elaborate plans; he had to take it one day at a time, like he'd always done.
Tomorrow. He'd come up with a hobby tomorrow.
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Sept 30, 2021 10:04:27 GMT -8
Mitch felt more functional now that he didn't feel as disgusting. Having a minute to himself allowed for a few harmless punches to the tile and hiccups of bottled hysteria to be silently washed away. He had actually showered with the shirt first, wringing it out and draping it by the window so he would have something that didn't stink in the morning, though he could just as easily move through the mirror. The last thing Carr wanted to do was go home to a roommate, though, and also fuck with Yuan like that.
He silently coached himself to keep it together, keep it calm, don't touch on anything stressful to spark a reaction, and he wouldn't escalate things. Another exhausted chuckle escaped as he straightened his hair and the cracks in his mien, realizing he was treating a conversation with a kind Spring courtier he was occasionally seeing like a loaded minefield. The whole thing had gotten silly; the guy just wanted to know someone gave a shit, and he had let his emotions get out of control. Ecstasy was great for staying in a decent mood.
The Dancer's attention roved the room to fall to the Playmate slumped and sitting on the floor, and slid down the wall to join him.
"I can get you a Lyft if you need one, or walk you home. If you're wanting to stay here, I can use the mirror, too?" Whatever had triggered the earlier encounter, it was like Mitch had already moved on, didn't remember, or was trying to give Yuan an ounce of agency. His tone was back to normal, if a bit intense and gentle from Bad Decisions. He just wanted the other to get home safe while not feeling like he was somehow being dropped.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 30, 2021 10:49:52 GMT -8
The Playmate was having whiplash. The 180, going from sarcastic comments to offers to call a taxi made his head spin. Was it because of his anxiety? Mitchell really had way of getting under his skin. Yuan tried to keep his voice as neutral and conversational as possible, but the muscles along his jaw rolled a few times before he managed to respond.
"I know that you're just trying to keep your Promise, and I'm grateful, but I don't think you in a state where you should go anywhere. I'll pay for the room, so you should get some rest."
Coloured light played along his vision as he turned to look at the Fairest. Even if he had steadied himself, his heart skipped a beat. The Beast wanted to crawl back to his Hollow and take a shower himself. He was running out of gas, both emotionally and physically. He needed some time alone and having Mitch with him would only make he worry more. He leaned in and softly kissed the Dancer's cheek. It was still damp and smelled of hotel body wash.
"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself," he said as he withdrew. "Is there someone you want me to call to check in for you?" He steered clear of the earlier demands of calling a Sun Banisher, hoping Mitch had moved on from his overreaction.
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Sept 30, 2021 15:37:57 GMT -8
"...Huh?"
The comment legitimately painted confusion on his face, but the Fairest regulated and timed the genuine emotion without missing a beat, gearing the reaction towards keeping things calm. "I don't know...why trying to give you a break is an obligation. I'd do it without a Promise?" Mitchell chuckled, blinking as he was kissed with the cool, metallic texture.
"You've done a lot for me... I'm trying to make sure that's at least sort of reciprocated? I dunno." He paused, pensive for a moment, and letting go of another problem for later.
Yuan had dealt with enough.
"I think if I dove in and pulled someone out of a disaster, I'd expect some sort of basic empathy for the effort. I don't want to take what you've done for me and just expect it. If that makes sense."
Answer his question.
"Oh, calling...Um, I can't think of anyone right now. Like I said I'll sleep it off."
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 30, 2021 16:22:28 GMT -8
The Beast chuckled at the concern and the rambling that followed. "Yeah, you'd think that, right? Yet I'm the one helping out, and not one of your regulars." He waived his hand in the air, brushing off the comment as a stray thought. it had slipped out before he'd had time to shut his mouth. "Sorry, sorry. I'm tired. Let me go check you in and bring you the key." He stood up and started to make his way to the lobby.
He came back fifteen minutes later and tossed the key card on the bed. "I'll think about what you said, about the hobbies, when my eyes won't hate me for staying open." It felt like his eyeballs were coated in sand. "You know how you can thank me? Take care of yourself, Mitch."
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Post by Mitchell Carr on Oct 1, 2021 19:30:57 GMT -8
Something light and airy works its way into his mind, but the traumatic instinct to guard against manipulative magic overcomes Yuan's hold on the Wyrd. The Beast feels hundreds of burning eyes lock onto the psychic weave, lighting up the spell to harmlessly dissipate. It was frustrating, but Yuan understood better than most that this was the nature of things, and that the Lost even had these built in defenses protected against true threats.
Mitch winced slightly at the joke about him treating Yuan like one of his clients, but brushed it off with a light snort, offering a smile as he relented to the other's insistence. As long as it was the man's want over a gun of obligation to his head? He purposefully didn't pay close attention to the cues to assess, letting it go instead of fighting the state he was in.
"Yeah. I'll try... have a peaceful sleep, Yuan."
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