phpBB [media]
Remember this? (I sincerely doubt I'm talking to anyone but myself here. XD) Remember how I said LMS is over, but not for me?
Spoiler
He wonders if he should pull away after a few seconds, especially knowing that everyone else is watching him, but Mason shows no discomfort with maintaining the embrace (and indeed, he has none). Credence feels the heat rise to his cheeks in an embarrassed flush, but he can’t actually remember the last time he’d received a hug of unconditional support. Sky and Lotus, being fully aware of his feelings, don’t experience any second-hand embarrassment whatsoever and are actually happy for Credence. Mason, also, is happy just to support someone who very clearly needs it. Ember is the only one who thinks the situation is maybe a little awkward, but as long as nobody tries to hug him for that long — aside from the, err, really long hug he’s already had — he won’t complain.
Eventually, Credence does pull away. He scratches the back of an ear, grimaces, and says, “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime!” Mason replies, grinning widely and almost a bit too confidently, as if filled with overwhelming amounts of determination. It’s therefore not much of a surprise when he grins at everyone else and asks, “Does anyone else require a firm embrace?”
“No, thanks,” Ember says immediately, turning the two words into one.
Mason regards Lotus and Sky, almost daring them with his gaze. Sky chuckles and politely waves a hand side to side, but Lotus actually gives a cheeky smile and touches her chest-spike with her middle finger, also pointing it as if to say he’d have to be careful.
“I’ve never hugged a centenarian before,” Mason says, winking at her. “Can the little old lady withstand such handsome might?”
She utters a bold, hearty laugh, sinks into a crouch with one hand behind her (almost in a fencer’s pose), and then beckons him with a wave of her fingers.
Mason laughs just as heartily before moving forwards to deliver the hug, as promised. He hugs Lotus slightly from the side to avoid impaling himself, but finds that she actually squeezes him harder than he does her. He makes a sound of surprise and then returns the hug more firmly. Even when he’s almost squashing her, she manages to apply very near to the same pressure. They release each other at the same time, and though Mason’s face speaks volumes about how impressed he is, Lotus herself seems perfectly modest and pleasant, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
“You are one sly jackal, miss,” Mason says, grinning and wagging a finger at her. Her response is to rest her hand on her spike and bow politely in thanks.
“Did y’all just squish each other and nobody came away the winner?” Credence asks, gawking without realising it.
“I believe we did,” Mason says proudly. “I have bigger uncles than me who would have gasped for breath in my position.”
“Is this the kind of ‘big’ that one would typically associate with gasping for air?” Sky asks, trying to be delicate but not quite succeeding.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” Mason says, to their dismay. “Lifting burgers and weights both have that effect on some people.”
“Ah,” Sky says, grimacing sheepishly. “I meant the… former, really.”
Mason nods, considering their question somewhat seriously. “I think it’s both. I had no lack of overweight relatives, but not everyone who is strong is fit, and not everyone who is fit is strong.”
“Oh, I see,” Sky says, following again. “Does that mean you might have smaller uncles, or maybe aunts, who would be able to perform better?”
He nods again. “I might have, but I get the feeling Lotus did not reach her ripe old age only by meditating for twelve hours a day. They would not be able to match her strength.”
Lotus nods as well, the faintest trace of a coy smile on her lips, but for the most part, her expression is one of earnest agreement. Credence thinks its adorable, but he’s not sure if that’s an appropriate thing to think. Naturally, Lotus gives him a brief glance and an even briefer wink before looking back to Mason and Sky. He snorts and looks to the side, embarrassed to have forgotten already that she can sense his emotions.
“We should probably move on towards the square again,” Mason says, folding his arms in a business-like manner. Despite his ‘mud’-stained shirt and tie, he still manages to give off quite the impression of casual confidence. “Credence, do you feel better prepared for the challenges ahead?”
“I’d like to think so,” he says, shrugging, “but I can’t be sure until I’m in that position.” He’s certainly at least calm enough to be able to respond to the question with nonchalance rather than trepidation.
Lotus and Ember are facing Credence, looking in the direction in which the group needs to proceed, and Credence is looking in the same direction, facing Mason. However, as Mason and Sky are looking towards Crendence, in the other direction, they both spot what the other three cannot.
“Well, that’s a good thing,” Sky says a little nervously. “I’m sure some practice would help you feel much more confident about your abilities.”
“What do you mean?” Credence asks, not liking the uncertain in Sky’s tone.
Mason simply taps Credence’s shoulder and points behind him.
Credit goes to Mason for having sufficiently calmed Credence down, as when he, Lotus, and Ember all turn to look at the small green monster approaching them, his only response is a weary sigh.
“It’s fine. As long as we kill it quickly and don’t trap it, it probably won’t explode on us.”
“Do we…?” Sky begins, hesitating. “…have to kill it?”
Both Mason and Credence give them surprised looks, whereas Ember simply looks at them impassively. Lotus makes the wise decision not to look away from the little beast.
“We don’t necessarily need to kill it,” Mason says, “but I can’t think of anything else except tossing it very far away.”
“Is that what Credence meant with you playing sports?” Sky asks.
“Yes. This doesn’t look to be that one, since it would have been more bruised. It could be.”
Eventually, Credence does pull away. He scratches the back of an ear, grimaces, and says, “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime!” Mason replies, grinning widely and almost a bit too confidently, as if filled with overwhelming amounts of determination. It’s therefore not much of a surprise when he grins at everyone else and asks, “Does anyone else require a firm embrace?”
“No, thanks,” Ember says immediately, turning the two words into one.
Mason regards Lotus and Sky, almost daring them with his gaze. Sky chuckles and politely waves a hand side to side, but Lotus actually gives a cheeky smile and touches her chest-spike with her middle finger, also pointing it as if to say he’d have to be careful.
“I’ve never hugged a centenarian before,” Mason says, winking at her. “Can the little old lady withstand such handsome might?”
She utters a bold, hearty laugh, sinks into a crouch with one hand behind her (almost in a fencer’s pose), and then beckons him with a wave of her fingers.
Mason laughs just as heartily before moving forwards to deliver the hug, as promised. He hugs Lotus slightly from the side to avoid impaling himself, but finds that she actually squeezes him harder than he does her. He makes a sound of surprise and then returns the hug more firmly. Even when he’s almost squashing her, she manages to apply very near to the same pressure. They release each other at the same time, and though Mason’s face speaks volumes about how impressed he is, Lotus herself seems perfectly modest and pleasant, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
“You are one sly jackal, miss,” Mason says, grinning and wagging a finger at her. Her response is to rest her hand on her spike and bow politely in thanks.
“Did y’all just squish each other and nobody came away the winner?” Credence asks, gawking without realising it.
“I believe we did,” Mason says proudly. “I have bigger uncles than me who would have gasped for breath in my position.”
“Is this the kind of ‘big’ that one would typically associate with gasping for air?” Sky asks, trying to be delicate but not quite succeeding.
“You’ll have to be more specific,” Mason says, to their dismay. “Lifting burgers and weights both have that effect on some people.”
“Ah,” Sky says, grimacing sheepishly. “I meant the… former, really.”
Mason nods, considering their question somewhat seriously. “I think it’s both. I had no lack of overweight relatives, but not everyone who is strong is fit, and not everyone who is fit is strong.”
“Oh, I see,” Sky says, following again. “Does that mean you might have smaller uncles, or maybe aunts, who would be able to perform better?”
He nods again. “I might have, but I get the feeling Lotus did not reach her ripe old age only by meditating for twelve hours a day. They would not be able to match her strength.”
Lotus nods as well, the faintest trace of a coy smile on her lips, but for the most part, her expression is one of earnest agreement. Credence thinks its adorable, but he’s not sure if that’s an appropriate thing to think. Naturally, Lotus gives him a brief glance and an even briefer wink before looking back to Mason and Sky. He snorts and looks to the side, embarrassed to have forgotten already that she can sense his emotions.
“We should probably move on towards the square again,” Mason says, folding his arms in a business-like manner. Despite his ‘mud’-stained shirt and tie, he still manages to give off quite the impression of casual confidence. “Credence, do you feel better prepared for the challenges ahead?”
“I’d like to think so,” he says, shrugging, “but I can’t be sure until I’m in that position.” He’s certainly at least calm enough to be able to respond to the question with nonchalance rather than trepidation.
Lotus and Ember are facing Credence, looking in the direction in which the group needs to proceed, and Credence is looking in the same direction, facing Mason. However, as Mason and Sky are looking towards Crendence, in the other direction, they both spot what the other three cannot.
“Well, that’s a good thing,” Sky says a little nervously. “I’m sure some practice would help you feel much more confident about your abilities.”
“What do you mean?” Credence asks, not liking the uncertain in Sky’s tone.
Mason simply taps Credence’s shoulder and points behind him.
Credit goes to Mason for having sufficiently calmed Credence down, as when he, Lotus, and Ember all turn to look at the small green monster approaching them, his only response is a weary sigh.
“It’s fine. As long as we kill it quickly and don’t trap it, it probably won’t explode on us.”
“Do we…?” Sky begins, hesitating. “…have to kill it?”
Both Mason and Credence give them surprised looks, whereas Ember simply looks at them impassively. Lotus makes the wise decision not to look away from the little beast.
“We don’t necessarily need to kill it,” Mason says, “but I can’t think of anything else except tossing it very far away.”
“Is that what Credence meant with you playing sports?” Sky asks.
“Yes. This doesn’t look to be that one, since it would have been more bruised. It could be.”
BrumalHunter, reporting with his 1020 words for Week 44! I waited until Sunday again because good gods, did I need a break after last week. For me, this will be the first submission after my victory; for everyone else, it's merely one forgotten night.
phpBB [media]