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FEBHYURARY 2024 :: Day 9 - Sun
The city was still spinning as the sun rose between distant gaps in the skyline. Ariadne grimaced against its warming glow, wearily shielding her eyes before ducking into the slowly shortening shadows of the towers on the opposite side of the street. She lifted her head, a headache already pounding behind her eyes, her fuzzy vision focusing at last at a balcony far above covered in hanging plants. Given the angle of the sun, she guessed she had about two hours before she was expected to give a lecture - about what?
She stood slack-jawed on the steep ramp leading to her building’s lobby. What was the lecture about? Sexual reproduction of flowering plants, she remembered, the ghost of a childish smirk crossing her face for just a moment. Two hours, she thought, dragging her feet across the lobby to the elevator. Enough time for a shower and maybe food, but certainly not for sleep. It took her a moment to remember which floor she wanted, but the building remembered for her: a pleasant chime as the doors closed and the lift ascended to the 12th floor.
She dreaded these elevator rides. Alone with her thoughts at last, they invariably drifted back to her latest regret. She sifted through her memories, trying to sort out which happened last night, and which happened the night before, or the night before that, or some time in the distant past. So many memories to keep track of and so few (and such temporary) ways to forget.
...
He was there. Probably dragged along by his partner (or his partner’s partner, more like), his back was turned to her when she wandered downstairs from the symposium on the roof to refill her drink. She slipped behind a group of taller Phantomology students, grabbed an entire bottle of wine off a table, and slid into a storage room off the lecture hall without him noticing. She hoped, anyway. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she considered her situation. No other way out of this room. Nothing fun in here, either, just more chairs. She sighed, and opened the door. And there he was. He was still wearing his mask, though the hood had been thrown back, and covering his mouth with his hand in anticipation of her emerging from the storage room. She couldn’t see it, but she knew he was smirking.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” His voice held no trace of amusement. She bought herself some time by downing the entire glass of wine she had just poured, and poured herself another, as Hades leaned back against the wall, his shoulders slumping. He seemed to be deflating.
“No,” she responded flatly, looking for the exit as her burning cheeks betrayed her again. Maybe he would think it was just a response to the alcohol. A foolish thought. A nearby group of students shifted towards the stairs to the roof, leaving them far more room alone than Ariadne was comfortable with. Hades took the opportunity to move closer.
“I missed you,” he ventured, keeping his face turned from hers, his hand dangling dangerously close to hers. An invitation. One she should not entertain. She took another large gulp of her wine, though she couldn’t repeat her earlier performance without consequence.
“I didn’t go anywhere. I was here,” she gestured emphatically around her, wine sloshing in the glass, “the entire time.” The unsaid thing drifted in the small space between them. That was the problem.
…
The elevator chimed again, doors opening smoothly. She stepped into the hallway and doors closed behind her again. She followed the track of soft lights down the corridor, pausing in front of room 1216. She rustled around her bag for a key, eyes unfocused on anything before she recognized a spore growing from a corner of the door frame. It wasn’t there yesterday. Probably wasn’t there yesterday. She hadn’t looked. Another one escaped.
She unlocked the door and entered her apartment. It was pitch black, thanks in part to the dark, thick drapes she had tacked up against the windows. She’d have to redouble her efforts at keeping her specimens contained. Halmarut had given her an earful about keeping her research at the Akadaemia, but she insisted on bringing it home. At the time, she claimed it was because she needed to test spore reactions to different environments, but here, alone, she knew it was because her work kept him away. It kept everyone away, in fact - a convenient excuse to keep going out and never bring anyone home. This was her space: to be as uninviting and hostile as she wanted.
She dropped her bag in the middle of the room and wrenched her way out of her robes, turning on the harsh light in the washroom and gazing into the mirror for a moment. Her neck and shoulders were painted in lipstick smudges, small bruises, and bite marks. She fluttered her fingertips over one of the marks, trying to remember who was responsible. Her stomach dropped when she realized it was one of his.
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At the bus stop one time there was a gaggle of preschoolers waiting to catch the bus for a field trip day, and someone walked past with a couple of friendly little dogs, to great general delight.
But after a little bit, the dogs were getting overwhelmed, and the preschoolers were gently coaxed to back off so the person with the dogs could continue on. Specifically, one of the preschool teachers said, "Sometimes, when you're small, being surrounded by big people can be a bit scary and overwhelming. Even if they are friendly."
This was recieved as great wisdom: after all, the preschoolers were also small, and understood how scary and overwhelming big people could be! And the dogs were indeed even smaller than the preschoolers, so it made sense.
What was funny and charming was that, upon absorbing and reflecting on this wisdom, they all felt the need to tell it to one another. In tones of great insight, they turned to one another and said, "Did you know? Sometimes when you are small, being surrounded by big people can be scary and overwhelming! Even if they are friendly!" Back and forth, without any particular concern that they were all saying the same thing. Have reached comprehension of an insight, it must be shared!
I must say that this behavior is less charming in tumblr users than in preschoolers. Not least because tumblr users, having gained a little analytical skill to misuse, insist on Summarizing and Generalizing and Unifying the insights they repeat, quickly turning any interesting new information into formulaic dogmatic mush.
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Minho and Thomas chatting about future plans for Paradise. Minho sitting on the edge of Thomas' bed as Thomas prepares for the night, drying out his hair, slipping into pajamas (AKA less dirty clothes), etc.
He takes his shirt off at some point, and Minho doesn't bother pretending not to stare.
Minho gets a little more awkward as the conversation continues, which Thomas notices but decides not to mention. He chalks it up to the fact that his only clean trousers are juuuust a little short.
The truth becomes clear when Thomas gets into bed and Minho doesn't leave. Just kind of stares awkwardly. Keeps trying to talk about fortification measures, but in the least casual tone possible.
Thomas finally guesses that Minho wants to spend the night (after fifteen minutes of asking "What are you doing?" and Minho going "I dunno what you're talking about") and lifts up the blankets.
Minho mutters something about "If you insist, I guess I can sleep with you tonight" and Thomas just scoffs.
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