S'fine. [ even this amount of social ease sits strangely on him without alcohol to get his mouth working and looser, temper a little further away; where most people assuage with polite smiles or at least mirror the openness they're given, Guanshan has mostly thoughtful frowns and eye contact that's been worked on. maybe Ryuu's already seen him at his best, but there isn't much else to do in a new place where he can't (isn't supposed to) treat every interaction like a potential business exchange. the best he has now is a little teasing he usually doesn't bother to hope comes off as gentle enough — ]
Surprised you're even supposed'a be seen in public like this. Swear I've caught yer face on a damn billboard.
[ and that he may have stood there, groceries in hand, examining it a little too long. to be sure it was him. to compare the notes of what all that glam is and what he thinks he may've seen as real. maybe curiosity about that very thing is what brought him here, if he doesn't want to admit to his superficiality: where's the line. ]
[ at least, it feels like he has Ryuu's full attention. step one in shaking off the feeling of being a charity case. ]
[ brows pulling high at the comment, ryuu can't keep the surprise off his face, though it shouldn't actually come as a surprise to him that he's, well. visible. his expression melts soon after, the nature of his smile tilting towards timid more at the comment than guanshan's temperament itself. if he weren't used to some sort of configuration of scowls and judgment, he wouldn't have even survived tokyo long enough to land the job that earned him that accusation. or compliment? it's hard to tell. ]
I'm not at all! [ a chuckle catches in his throat, as if the idea winds him. ] It's just for work.
[ idly, he scrubs the back of his neck to try and dispel the sudden bout of heat there, fingers ruffling warm brown strands away from the darker undercut beneath. ]
I know we don't really have to work so much, but I have a hard time sitting still sometimes...
[ but ah, he digresses. squaring up, albeit softly, he extends a hand. to him, it doesn't matter so much if the billboards spelled it out, he wants to do this the right way. ]
[ ...it's a modesty that doesn't feel disingenuous, and that fact alone shocks him. conceding that it might be earnest feels like a loss when he's denied its possibility in someone for so long, and yet accepting it would mean something in himself has changed (grown?). willing to accept neither, he swallows hard, the flames of a hot temper so easily stomped out in puzzlement and curiosity, nothing to feed them. ]
Guess I'll be the one who decides, then. [ whether or not Ryuu is a 'big shot'. he's an 'actions speak louder than words' kinda guy, and he's staked his claim in sussing out the truth so quickly. ]
[ diligence that's a masquerade when the real source stems from something more like anxiety strikes a chord of empathy, that's for sure. the best money to be made in Lunatia is found in moonlacing, but Guanshan too has found his restlessness leading him to looking at job applications. he doesn't express the commiseration, because it's certainly not on the same level, and Ryuu offering his hand strikes him as... unusual, somehow. when was the last time someone shook his hand? ]
[ chroma blooms between their palms when he takes it, his grip lighter and softer than it looks like he would have — maybe due to lack of use or maybe because he's a reluctant animal still finding his footing in this situation. at least he gravitates towards bodily warmth in chilly weather. ]
Mo Guanshan. [ "Ryuunosuke". yeah. probably won't be able to get his mouth around that one for a while. ] Did you have somethin' in mind? ...Don't make me ice skate.
[ not out of the woods yet, is he? well, that's alright. ryuu doesn't look offended or any less willing to engage because of that - in a place like this, temperaments thrown by moonlight, a melting pot of universes, it's probably a smart enough approach. ryuu just doesn't have the heart to adopt it himself. with that in mind, he smiles, all perfect teeth, expression lit by resilience. if you think he's taking something like that as a challenge, you'd be right.
and there's something in him that intrinsically understands the calmness he's being rewarded with, yet it also seems he's none the wiser. his contradictions are honest, at least. ryuu's grip on his hand, at first stable and hot, slips away and back into his coat pocket, though the sensation of chroma lingers pleasantly. ]
No ice skating? [ a pretty hum. ] I'll admit I thought about it! I heard the ice lights up from underneath. Have you never been before?
[ lights up underneath, huh... his eyebrows say 'curiosity piqued' but his mouth still frowns, everything about him earnest and expressive. it'd be pretty in an empty rink in the dark — or maybe he's just a romantic at heart. ]
Oh, I been. Bustin' my ass is what I been. You ever watch them videos of baby giraffes when they try to walk for the first time?
[ a sweeping gesture down his body. easy to imagine, with those long legs and that gaunt posture, slouched and bristled. what Ryuu has on him in height he also seems to have in grace. ...of course, after a few beats, he heaves a sigh that moistens the air in a plume. he has a few weaknesses, that's all it is. ]
F'you wanna go, I'm callin' what we do next. Fair deal?
[ embarrassing himself for a date is par for the course and will happen inevitably. better make up for it afterwards with something he's actually good at, the impression will probably balance out? ]
[ he can't help it, he knows exactly the look that guanshan is describing, and the ensuing vision makes him laugh quietly, a sound that wells from the bottom of his chest, warm on cold, breath visible. it's not often guys like to highlight the things they're less than stellar at, but the willingness to humor him goes a long way. ryuu may have turned towards a more favorable middle ground, but now - well. he wants to see... ]
Sounds fair enough to me! I like that idea a lot, actually. [ spontaneity! ] - if it helps any, I won't let you fall.
[ or, well, someone's going to get held anyway. Guanshan hesitates for a beat as a thought visibly crosses behind his eyes and is dismissed, before he turns on around and heads further into the square towards where he knows the makeshift rink is set up. lights sparkle, decorations dazzle, shadows of reindeer adorning crystalline skyscrapers and everything's a show of gold and red and green, Prismals with ugly blinking sweaters and knitted caps of antlers or tipped off with fuzzy white balls. ]
[ an overly enthusiastic jellyfish employee just outside of a shop seems to recognize Ryuu from one of his billboards and propels herself up through the air to affix a headband with horns atop his head, stopping them both. when she tries to engage in weightier conversation, Guanshan loops his hand in the crook of his elbow and tugs him along, grimace and snapped obscenities discouraging a crowd from gathering. in spite of himself, he's pretty used to hanging out with someone who attracts fangirls. ]
Two tickets! [ but he lets Ryuu pay for their admission just outside of the rink. this is his idea, after all. ]
[ really, guanshan's dour expression and decisive nature are godsends, in this instance. even back home, ryuu would often get tied up with fans without meaning to - a handshake here or there turned into a commotion even at something as innocuous as the supermarket, disguise and all. he's not a difficult silhouette to recognize, and he's a bad liar even moreso. it's why he just goes without in lunatia in spite of knowing his popularity is on the rise. so he goes without complaint, murmuring a low "Thank you" next to guanshan's ear in the fuss, and gets swept along until they reach the ticket gate, and the safety of the outer rink.
one dip into his chroma turns into two when he rents them both skates also, sleek things with glistening blades that glow much like the ice does. from the outskirts, he can see the reflections from the lights that radiate through the ice. they flutter and blink, cut by the shadows of the skaters. ryuu smiles big as he receives the skates from the counter attendant. ]
Doesn't that look pretty? I can't wait to get out there! Here -
[ with an enthusiastic gesture, he waves guanshan over to a nearby bench. ]
Let me tie your skates for you! It's hard to get them just right by yourself.
[ it's the cold that has him flushed to the tip of the ear whispered into, just the cold. ]
[ attention diffused between kicking off sneakers that have seen better days and following Ryuu's line of sight, he stumbles onto the bench more than he's willingly invited onto it, crashing back on his tailbone and palms. graceful even on land — a good sign of things to come. truthfully, he's usually struck dumb by things he's aware shouldn't be of consequence, but it's charming. the kind of guy who likes to take care of other people... maybe they have more in common than he initially thought. ]
[ view's good, too. Guanshan can see how long his lashes are from this angle, the sweep of them as he looks down to attend the laces, the strong bridge of his nose... collarbones prominent from the neckline that drops open that makes something tighten in his gut. even witht he beat of hesitation, Guanshan's fingers sweep above one of his brows to push brown hair out of his line of sight, freshly tucking it behind an ear towards his undercut. helpful. ]
[ and then he scoots back too quickly the moment the second skate is knotted, spreading his legs and patting the bench between his thighs. ]
C'mon, you too then. [ he'll just have to stand on one foot because he's not moving!! ]
[ a tactile man in most ways, ryuu is someone who won't shy from a stray touch, even affection half-pared by curiosity and withdrawn just as quickly. he's sensitive for his reputation, and so even the most casual drift of fingers makes him go still until his hair is safely tucked back, making him look a bit more boyish than usual. he flicks a glance upwards with catlike eyes just in time to see guanshan heave himself backwards, one intent traded for another.
and he smiles as if maybe they'd met somewhere more wholesome, breath puffing with something that's not quite a laugh. he climbs to his feet easily, happy to be offered - plain things to satisfy a plain person. ]
Okay, hang on.
[ he slips off his shoes and mindfully stows them, standing to his full height again to get his skates in the same fashion. standing on one leg doesn't seem to daunt him much. ]
You can tug! I have pretty good balance, I think.
[ he might be big, but being a dancer has its perks. ]
[ whether that gaze has accusations in it or not, Guanshan strays away from it, face scrunched in a scowl that's probably meant as some kind of armor, a defense that doesn't know when to drop. that Ryuu lets it go so easily offers some kind of relief, the honesty of it in the droop of his shoulders, how his scowl turns into more of a pout of concentration. ]
[ he's had little practice at it; an only child to a single mother means little fretting over anyone but himself (a theme in his life, really) so the angle comes slow to him... and yet he seems to fit right into a serviceable role, being given a purpose in caring for another. loop, swoop, tug, dexterous chef's fingers tie the first skate on snug and then give his ankle a hearty patpat to encourage him to switch. ]
[ once affixed, Guanshan makes to stand... ]
Awright, let's get this shitshow on the r— aghck!
[ and then promptly makes for the ground, long legs wobbling on the thinness of the blades and abrupt lack of support like he fucking forgot he was wearing them, an adjustment not made in mindlessness. ...this isn't even the ice... ]
- whoa, hey! [ instantly flattening the urge to panic, ryuu pitches forward to try and scoop him up in the breadth of his arms - ryuu might have mass, but their heights are pretty evenly matched. (a rarity, for him.) he notices that as he all but crams guanshan into his torso for safekeeping. ...not the most graceful, but it works! ryuu squeezes him with a surprised laugh, the sound puffed somewhere into a crop of red hair. ] Safe!
[ like keeping lanky boys from eating shit is a sport. ]
You weren't kidding about your balance, were you?!
[ a more observant person might wonder about where belligerence intersects with modesty, but ryuu is just happy to still be upright. his arms slide, trying to feel out a pair of lanky elbows to take into his wide palms. ]
[ not the kind of bone-breaking solid he expected like hitting the ground, but a stalwart give that finds a happy home in a bed, between arms, at his chest. hunkered and shrunken against him like he's still waiting for the pain, it takes a handful of heartbeats for the word safe to really sink in; Ryuu had promised, sure, but a chipped shoulder and jaded outlook have always brought pathetically low expectations. not being disappointed, even in a trite situation like this, is... it's a good start. ]
Weak ankles. [ he gruffs, a palm landing on the upper swell of Ryuu's chest, using him as an anchor as he pushes away cautiously (not without noticing how he smells first). his hands don't naturally run warm, but they're still a few degrees higher than the brisk air, body heat seeping through a layer or two of clothing quickly — the fingers at the back of his elbows even moreso, despite his jacket. maybe it's the chroma sizzling through his nerves that just makes it seem that way. ]
Yeah. Sorry.
[ Guanshan is all bowed leg, the fit of his jeans clinging to the misfortune of it. graceless and insecure, he draws in a deep frustrated sigh and then... starts giving it his all anyway. he'd promised too, and what was the fucking point in trying to get a cute guy to like him if he didn't at least give his best effort at what he said he wanted to do. brows knot, gaze rapidly vacillating between Ryuu's face and the ground, he starts taking shuffling little baby steps that don't even lift the blades from the ground. ]
[ he feels (and honestly looks) ridiculous. ]
Wonder how many people ever been sliced open on these things... [ violence, a worthy distraction. ]
but given ryuu's shine towards stubbornness, he doesn't coddle for long. eventually, sturdy fingers slip from the bend of guanshan's elbows and his arms follow suit, thinking better of continuing to circle him in a concerned hover. guanshan seems determined, so he turns that smile of his towards the glistening ice all thrown with color, giving a few equally sturdy steps over. just so he's within the danger zone, so to speak. ]
Don't worry too much. I probably looked about the same my first time...
[ whether it's loose lips or sterling altruism, ryuu doesn't mind painting himself in a silly light to make better of a situation. he steps out onto the rink's surface, the blade hissing as it notches against the ice. he's broad, but has a dancer's balance. ]
My hometown is warm all year. [ a fondness burgeoning in a tone already honey-sweet. ] So I'd never even seen snow up until a couple years ago.
[ Ryuu's absence makes him wobble, still, consider. the blades point outwards with knocked knees until he shuffles himself to the banister around the rink, navigating the experience with pain and discomfort as his guides rather than a trust in his own balance or center of gravity; he's athletic, sure, but mostly in sports that require a little more hands-on navigation — this is out of his realm, even with previous (read: bad) experience. ]
[ and then he's being spoken to. frustrating... he could be listening to him talk about himself somewhere there isn't the threat of his calf being sliced open or blood diluted in ice. ]
Didja— oh.
[ ...he said that out loud. ]
[ cheeks flushing hot, skin already stippled with sweat despite the frozen air, he clicks his tongue and takes that hand, sharp eyes looking anywhere but at Ryuu. even through their gloves, the chroma's warmer than anything, beguiling him with the urge to take more of it to stave off the chill. ]
You... s-so you hate the cold or thought it was, like, a magical fuckin' experience or whatever? [ keep him talking and maybe he won't notice how badly Guanshan is dreading that first step on the ice, which slides under the blade like it's made of goddamn shellac, bringing one knee to a sudden bend. hoo boy... ]
Hey, stay close to the wall... [ beneath his feet, the ice is glowing a fluorescent, nebulous mix of pink and yellow. how soft. ]
[ for being so hawk-eyed (just to make sure no one winds up with a busted nose, broken leg, or bruised pride -), he's casual enough when he maneuvers over to the banister just ahead of guanshan. he takes careful strokes on the ice, blade scraping a bit when he turns and positions himself a bit more squarely. he harbors weight well, naturally - the ice at his heels glows in placid blue, also like a harbor. the colors fan and mesh, warm and cool, turning nearly iridescent. ryuu just isn't focused on that yet.
though he doesn't make a show of it, there is a natural cadence he carries when interacting with others, like things just dance around him. his fingers tighten and his weight anchors once those wobbling blades slide fully onto the ice. for a moment, the sheer anxiety radiating off of guanshan heats the air and he almost feels bad.
but he's still shuffling out here to meet him, so ryuu also doubles down. ]
...as for the cold, it definitely shocked me. I thought I'd be no good with it, but the rest of my group stuck pretty close the whole time anyway. [ mooching off his warmth. ] Until a snowball fight came up, that is.
[ now, he eases backwards on the ice with a slight beckon forward. ]
How are you with the cold? Your nose is a little red...
[ a natural at most things he does, certainly. Guanshan fucking hates guys like this — who can tug on the world's invisible strings and pull everything closer like a mirage intensifying its lure. candied smiles as sickening and processed as refined white sugar, fattening, rotting. hates them most of all because he's not immune to a sweet tooth of his own, craves the attention and appraise of someone charming like this, handsome like this, who looks at him even just for a little while like he's the only thing in the world. ]
[ ...bastard. ]
That's just how it is. [ he doesn't ask who won the snowball fight. for one mean moment, he hopes someone made Ryuu eat shit, wipe that stupid smile off his face... especially when he's beckoned forward, his back going into a full arch with a bend at the waist, as if that might slow him down or save him — or at least make the distance his nose crashes down from now more than six feet up (with the skates) a little easier if he hits the ice. glaring up from under very short, very pinched brows, he grimaces with every last ventricle in his heart, as glowering and moody as a cat in a bath. ]
[ and so he wobbles on... shaky-legged, camel-backed, suffering. ]
Tch. Ain't my favorite. I got trouble keepin' warm on normal days, ya know. [ the fact that he wore out his wintercoat through his entire growth spurt from the time he was fourteen never helped, but he leaves that out. ] I thought Japan was like... all four seasons?
[ his geography isn't great but he knows Japan is Norther than China. ]
[ it seems like ryuu might bruise beneath a gaze as punishing as the one he's getting right now. so much about him is soft and seemingly yielding. the idea that he might succumb to the visceral malice that sheer difference breeds isn't a far-fetched - people like him with their hearts bared and offered freely are often the first ones to be hurt. but ryuu makes no mention of his win, or the fact that he destroyed gaku so hard that he didn't talk to him for nearly an hour afterwards, except to call him a meathead as he had to carry his luggage to their hotel, heavy with at least twenty pairs of everything warm, because he'd never seen snow before.
instead, the mention of a likewise aversion to cold has ryuu gazing at his hands thoughtfully, grip tightening. he can't feel the chill of guanshan's slim fingers through their two pairs of gloves, but it doesn't stop him from quickly checking, the momentary pulse of chroma an afterthought. ]
...ahh, it does on the main island! I grew up in the south, in Okinawa. It's pretty rural...
[ a tiny, humid island, summer held perpetually in its emerald waters.
guanshan seems more the kind hewn from dark things that glow incandescent beneath pressure. a boy forged. ]
Hold on. [ bladed heel scratching as he slows their already crawling pace, he curls his wrist, fingers intending to inch up guanshan's forearm. ] May I?
[ ryuu indicates he's going to pull him in closer. at the very least, it'll keep him from pitching too far this way or that before he's used to moving around. his is a war of attrition even with his diamond edges. brows knit, he has the gall to look hopeful, as if being rejected is an concern he always carries. ]
[ prepared for rejection looks like optimism to Guanshan, his body stilling with an instinct that once said fight or flight and now hovers indecisively between the two, reflecting a history of equal reward and punishment. humiliating, the way couples and children glide right past them, giggling and sharing holiday cheer somewhere beyond the circle of gloom and distrust he casts around himself, a protective bubble but for the Ryuu's amicable presence that punctures right in. it's true what they say about contrasts. ]
[ with a dismissive grunt, he lets himself be guided in, sharp elbows staying bent out like knives on guard, every part of being handled going slow and jerky like unoiled machinery creaking to use; relenting not with relief but a reluctant concession that, at this moment, Ryuu knows best. ]
[ as their grips readjust, Guanshan edges himself up slowly. it becomes a shuffle of not caring where he's being held in the least, gravity's distraction, as he practically climbs his way up Ryuu's body with a straightening of his spine, hands going to his forearms, and then his elbows, and then Guanshan's fingers sinking into his jacket at the biceps, claw-like and tense with anxiety. wobbling at the core as though his top and bottom half where two distinct parts like three balls balancing precariously on top of one another, there's nowhere to look except at the young man in front of him. ]
[ now, feet properly positioned and posture corrected, he seems to drift without resistance, choppy and anxious steps replaced with stillness and a momentum Ryuu skating in front of him encourages, like a car put in neutral. ]
Oh. [ a flush muddies his complexion even more, peevish and avoiding eye contact (and trying not to consider how what he found under his hands was more solid than he anticipated; clothes wear Ryuu well). ] We talkin' the goat-herding type of "rural"? That make me the livestock in this situation?
[ there they are. this is a bit more even of an arrangement. anchoring his weight in his back as he pulls along, the tension and strength lent by his shoulders softer than it is strict. ryuu eases back on the ice with slow, even strokes of his skates. their orbit seems to be more on the outskirts of the rink itself, drawing on the protections of the partition between ice and ground. quicker skaters glide on by, but ryuu's attention is where he feels it ought to be for the moment, less focused on what's around him, but who's in front of him. ]
Not goats! [ focus split evenly between thought and motion, ryuu smiles. the ice lights up with that same emerald as his memories, hemmed in starry white. ] Fish. - I grew up around fisherman, like my dad.
[ though modest, there's a certain heartfelt tilt to how he speaks of something so plain, for someone who seems like he could have had a silver spoon in his mouth when he was born. or at the very least, a capacity to attain one with his looks.
but no. it was harsh salt and glaring sun, the lull of the waves that could dash a man to pieces and then sink the bones. ]
But if we're comparing, you're a lot calmer than most fish.
[ he's only seen Ryuu dancing in the glitz and glam, front and center stage with the hustle and bustle of a baker's dozen other attractive men and women; his face on billboards doesn't tell the story of a boy who held onto a tan all year round or how rough his father's hands were when he was hugged. Guanshan knows better than most the people who work the hardest are usually the poorest, there's no wealth to be made in being the little guy. tropical islands can look like paradises to some; to others, a prison. ]
[ for better or worse, something seems to click into place, and what Guanshan learns is more than just how cold it is on the rink. the brilliant gemstone edges beneath Ryuu's feet bleed into his own and clash with pastels, looking more like a painted easter egg than a december holiday. nostalgia like that is contagious — but nature doesn't hide the bones of the dead where he's from. ]
Didn't exactly drag me here with a hook in my cheek neither.
[ trust is seeping in, slowly encouraging his deathgrip back to something respectable. it was the better way to teach him than with explanation, intrinsically a person who understands by doing rather than seeing or hearing, he's starting to get a rhythm in the blades and encourage a quicker pace, body harnessing the unspoken lesson. Guanshan wonders why it was easier this time, but stumbles upon his answer quicker than he thought he would. ]
[ being met halfway with his fish analogy makes ryuu pause and then snort a laugh, the noise of it polite as it hangs visible and white in the air before fading. well, if there was no struggle or hook, maybe he doesn't feel as bad about not being quick to release him so soon... newness is a stressor easily managed, unlike a hole in the cheek.
his smile is immediate, a beaming and unconquerable sort of pride. ]
We are. I'm the eldest of four! My parents are divorced, and I live away from them all for work, but we're all close in our own way.
[ his words carry that same pacific blue as the environment that raised him, lulling and deep. reacting to the natural shift in rhythm, body suffused with all the tendencies that make him a good partner to have in things concerning movement, he doesn't control the speed at which they move, only the balance. keeping the focus elsewhere and letting instinct take over seems to have done some good for guanshan. this pull is - natural, and well paced. he figures there's an honesty in it that won't be so easily won elsewhere. but it's not as though he's ever shied from something difficult to understand before giving it a fair shot, either.
he tilts his blades, more the rudder in this case than the propulsion, and follows the natural curve of the rink. cool air brushes the back of his neck, all the clearer for the unfocused warmth in his face. ]
[ two separations is what he hears. one forced and painful, the other a choice — and Guanshan only has experience with the first. taken from home too young to go on a fucked up space odyssey (—three separations), he hasn't known the virtue or difficulty of a decision but for the way he scrimped and saved and sent it home in a bundle and prayed it got there. the distances are different, the circumstances stranger, but the similarities are there: a willingness to sacrifice, a work ethic that prevails more than intolerance for adversity. ]
[ broad back, straight spine. Guanshan wonders how much they're holding, really, and if he starts to sag when he's alone — intimate questions he has no business asking but tantalize his tongue anyway. ]
[ it's just like him, for Ryuu to be talking about joys while he wants to tear into the bitter marrow of it all. ]
S'just me and my Ma.
[ and then he wrestles with a desire to be seen and a pavlovian hurt he cradles close, the errant son of a criminal only capable of tarnishing a freshly polished reputation. more than that, he can't yet gauge where the truth might land them; selfishly, he pushes away the flash of an image in his mind's eye with rejection scripted sharp across golden eyes. ]
[ yellow blossoms back beneath his feet, the line separating their reflections on the ice muddling a nauseous green. ]
Maybe I could'a guessed. You got that 'big brother' thing about you.
[ stubbornly, Guanshan hedges on, commenting before he's questioned further on it. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Surprised you're even supposed'a be seen in public like this. Swear I've caught yer face on a damn billboard.
[ and that he may have stood there, groceries in hand, examining it a little too long. to be sure it was him. to compare the notes of what all that glam is and what he thinks he may've seen as real. maybe curiosity about that very thing is what brought him here, if he doesn't want to admit to his superficiality: where's the line. ]
[ at least, it feels like he has Ryuu's full attention. step one in shaking off the feeling of being a charity case. ]
Kind of a big shot, aren't ya?
no subject
I'm not at all! [ a chuckle catches in his throat, as if the idea winds him. ] It's just for work.
[ idly, he scrubs the back of his neck to try and dispel the sudden bout of heat there, fingers ruffling warm brown strands away from the darker undercut beneath. ]
I know we don't really have to work so much, but I have a hard time sitting still sometimes...
[ but ah, he digresses. squaring up, albeit softly, he extends a hand. to him, it doesn't matter so much if the billboards spelled it out, he wants to do this the right way. ]
Ryuunosuke.
no subject
Guess I'll be the one who decides, then. [ whether or not Ryuu is a 'big shot'. he's an 'actions speak louder than words' kinda guy, and he's staked his claim in sussing out the truth so quickly. ]
[ diligence that's a masquerade when the real source stems from something more like anxiety strikes a chord of empathy, that's for sure. the best money to be made in Lunatia is found in moonlacing, but Guanshan too has found his restlessness leading him to looking at job applications. he doesn't express the commiseration, because it's certainly not on the same level, and Ryuu offering his hand strikes him as... unusual, somehow. when was the last time someone shook his hand? ]
[ chroma blooms between their palms when he takes it, his grip lighter and softer than it looks like he would have — maybe due to lack of use or maybe because he's a reluctant animal still finding his footing in this situation. at least he gravitates towards bodily warmth in chilly weather. ]
Mo Guanshan. [ "Ryuunosuke". yeah. probably won't be able to get his mouth around that one for a while. ] Did you have somethin' in mind? ...Don't make me ice skate.
[ or do. he's not the boss of you. ]
no subject
and there's something in him that intrinsically understands the calmness he's being rewarded with, yet it also seems he's none the wiser. his contradictions are honest, at least. ryuu's grip on his hand, at first stable and hot, slips away and back into his coat pocket, though the sensation of chroma lingers pleasantly. ]
No ice skating? [ a pretty hum. ] I'll admit I thought about it! I heard the ice lights up from underneath. Have you never been before?
[ not a fan? too nervous? he's curious. ]
no subject
Oh, I been. Bustin' my ass is what I been. You ever watch them videos of baby giraffes when they try to walk for the first time?
[ a sweeping gesture down his body. easy to imagine, with those long legs and that gaunt posture, slouched and bristled. what Ryuu has on him in height he also seems to have in grace. ...of course, after a few beats, he heaves a sigh that moistens the air in a plume. he has a few weaknesses, that's all it is. ]
F'you wanna go, I'm callin' what we do next. Fair deal?
[ embarrassing himself for a date is par for the course and will happen inevitably. better make up for it afterwards with something he's actually good at, the impression will probably balance out? ]
no subject
Sounds fair enough to me! I like that idea a lot, actually. [ spontaneity! ] - if it helps any, I won't let you fall.
[ your ass is safe with him. ]
no subject
[ or, well, someone's going to get held anyway. Guanshan hesitates for a beat as a thought visibly crosses behind his eyes and is dismissed, before he turns on around and heads further into the square towards where he knows the makeshift rink is set up. lights sparkle, decorations dazzle, shadows of reindeer adorning crystalline skyscrapers and everything's a show of gold and red and green, Prismals with ugly blinking sweaters and knitted caps of antlers or tipped off with fuzzy white balls. ]
[ an overly enthusiastic jellyfish employee just outside of a shop seems to recognize Ryuu from one of his billboards and propels herself up through the air to affix a headband with horns atop his head, stopping them both. when she tries to engage in weightier conversation, Guanshan loops his hand in the crook of his elbow and tugs him along, grimace and snapped obscenities discouraging a crowd from gathering. in spite of himself, he's pretty used to hanging out with someone who attracts fangirls. ]
Two tickets! [ but he lets Ryuu pay for their admission just outside of the rink. this is his idea, after all. ]
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one dip into his chroma turns into two when he rents them both skates also, sleek things with glistening blades that glow much like the ice does. from the outskirts, he can see the reflections from the lights that radiate through the ice. they flutter and blink, cut by the shadows of the skaters. ryuu smiles big as he receives the skates from the counter attendant. ]
Doesn't that look pretty? I can't wait to get out there! Here -
[ with an enthusiastic gesture, he waves guanshan over to a nearby bench. ]
Let me tie your skates for you! It's hard to get them just right by yourself.
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[ attention diffused between kicking off sneakers that have seen better days and following Ryuu's line of sight, he stumbles onto the bench more than he's willingly invited onto it, crashing back on his tailbone and palms. graceful even on land — a good sign of things to come. truthfully, he's usually struck dumb by things he's aware shouldn't be of consequence, but it's charming. the kind of guy who likes to take care of other people... maybe they have more in common than he initially thought. ]
[ view's good, too. Guanshan can see how long his lashes are from this angle, the sweep of them as he looks down to attend the laces, the strong bridge of his nose... collarbones prominent from the neckline that drops open that makes something tighten in his gut. even witht he beat of hesitation, Guanshan's fingers sweep above one of his brows to push brown hair out of his line of sight, freshly tucking it behind an ear towards his undercut. helpful. ]
[ and then he scoots back too quickly the moment the second skate is knotted, spreading his legs and patting the bench between his thighs. ]
C'mon, you too then. [ he'll just have to stand on one foot because he's not moving!! ]
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and he smiles as if maybe they'd met somewhere more wholesome, breath puffing with something that's not quite a laugh. he climbs to his feet easily, happy to be offered - plain things to satisfy a plain person. ]
Okay, hang on.
[ he slips off his shoes and mindfully stows them, standing to his full height again to get his skates in the same fashion. standing on one leg doesn't seem to daunt him much. ]
You can tug! I have pretty good balance, I think.
[ he might be big, but being a dancer has its perks. ]
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[ he's had little practice at it; an only child to a single mother means little fretting over anyone but himself (a theme in his life, really) so the angle comes slow to him... and yet he seems to fit right into a serviceable role, being given a purpose in caring for another. loop, swoop, tug, dexterous chef's fingers tie the first skate on snug and then give his ankle a hearty patpat to encourage him to switch. ]
[ once affixed, Guanshan makes to stand... ]
Awright, let's get this shitshow on the r— aghck!
[ and then promptly makes for the ground, long legs wobbling on the thinness of the blades and abrupt lack of support like he fucking forgot he was wearing them, an adjustment not made in mindlessness. ...this isn't even the ice... ]
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[ like keeping lanky boys from eating shit is a sport. ]
You weren't kidding about your balance, were you?!
[ a more observant person might wonder about where belligerence intersects with modesty, but ryuu is just happy to still be upright. his arms slide, trying to feel out a pair of lanky elbows to take into his wide palms. ]
We'll really take this one step a time...
[ he'd given his word, after all. ]
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[ not the kind of bone-breaking solid he expected like hitting the ground, but a stalwart give that finds a happy home in a bed, between arms, at his chest. hunkered and shrunken against him like he's still waiting for the pain, it takes a handful of heartbeats for the word safe to really sink in; Ryuu had promised, sure, but a chipped shoulder and jaded outlook have always brought pathetically low expectations. not being disappointed, even in a trite situation like this, is... it's a good start. ]
Weak ankles. [ he gruffs, a palm landing on the upper swell of Ryuu's chest, using him as an anchor as he pushes away cautiously (not without noticing how he smells first). his hands don't naturally run warm, but they're still a few degrees higher than the brisk air, body heat seeping through a layer or two of clothing quickly — the fingers at the back of his elbows even moreso, despite his jacket. maybe it's the chroma sizzling through his nerves that just makes it seem that way. ]
Yeah. Sorry.
[ Guanshan is all bowed leg, the fit of his jeans clinging to the misfortune of it. graceless and insecure, he draws in a deep frustrated sigh and then... starts giving it his all anyway. he'd promised too, and what was the fucking point in trying to get a cute guy to like him if he didn't at least give his best effort at what he said he wanted to do. brows knot, gaze rapidly vacillating between Ryuu's face and the ground, he starts taking shuffling little baby steps that don't even lift the blades from the ground. ]
[ he feels (and honestly looks) ridiculous. ]
Wonder how many people ever been sliced open on these things... [ violence, a worthy distraction. ]
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[ and sincere, blinding optimism for balance.
but given ryuu's shine towards stubbornness, he doesn't coddle for long. eventually, sturdy fingers slip from the bend of guanshan's elbows and his arms follow suit, thinking better of continuing to circle him in a concerned hover. guanshan seems determined, so he turns that smile of his towards the glistening ice all thrown with color, giving a few equally sturdy steps over. just so he's within the danger zone, so to speak. ]
Don't worry too much. I probably looked about the same my first time...
[ whether it's loose lips or sterling altruism, ryuu doesn't mind painting himself in a silly light to make better of a situation. he steps out onto the rink's surface, the blade hissing as it notches against the ice. he's broad, but has a dancer's balance. ]
My hometown is warm all year. [ a fondness burgeoning in a tone already honey-sweet. ] So I'd never even seen snow up until a couple years ago.
[ he offers out his hand. ]
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[ and then he's being spoken to. frustrating... he could be listening to him talk about himself somewhere there isn't the threat of his calf being sliced open or blood diluted in ice. ]
Didja— oh.
[ ...he said that out loud. ]
[ cheeks flushing hot, skin already stippled with sweat despite the frozen air, he clicks his tongue and takes that hand, sharp eyes looking anywhere but at Ryuu. even through their gloves, the chroma's warmer than anything, beguiling him with the urge to take more of it to stave off the chill. ]
You... s-so you hate the cold or thought it was, like, a magical fuckin' experience or whatever? [ keep him talking and maybe he won't notice how badly Guanshan is dreading that first step on the ice, which slides under the blade like it's made of goddamn shellac, bringing one knee to a sudden bend. hoo boy... ]
Hey, stay close to the wall... [ beneath his feet, the ice is glowing a fluorescent, nebulous mix of pink and yellow. how soft. ]
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[ for being so hawk-eyed (just to make sure no one winds up with a busted nose, broken leg, or bruised pride -), he's casual enough when he maneuvers over to the banister just ahead of guanshan. he takes careful strokes on the ice, blade scraping a bit when he turns and positions himself a bit more squarely. he harbors weight well, naturally - the ice at his heels glows in placid blue, also like a harbor. the colors fan and mesh, warm and cool, turning nearly iridescent. ryuu just isn't focused on that yet.
though he doesn't make a show of it, there is a natural cadence he carries when interacting with others, like things just dance around him. his fingers tighten and his weight anchors once those wobbling blades slide fully onto the ice. for a moment, the sheer anxiety radiating off of guanshan heats the air and he almost feels bad.
but he's still shuffling out here to meet him, so ryuu also doubles down. ]
...as for the cold, it definitely shocked me. I thought I'd be no good with it, but the rest of my group stuck pretty close the whole time anyway. [ mooching off his warmth. ] Until a snowball fight came up, that is.
[ now, he eases backwards on the ice with a slight beckon forward. ]
How are you with the cold? Your nose is a little red...
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[ ...bastard. ]
That's just how it is. [ he doesn't ask who won the snowball fight. for one mean moment, he hopes someone made Ryuu eat shit, wipe that stupid smile off his face... especially when he's beckoned forward, his back going into a full arch with a bend at the waist, as if that might slow him down or save him — or at least make the distance his nose crashes down from now more than six feet up (with the skates) a little easier if he hits the ice. glaring up from under very short, very pinched brows, he grimaces with every last ventricle in his heart, as glowering and moody as a cat in a bath. ]
[ and so he wobbles on... shaky-legged, camel-backed, suffering. ]
Tch. Ain't my favorite. I got trouble keepin' warm on normal days, ya know. [ the fact that he wore out his wintercoat through his entire growth spurt from the time he was fourteen never helped, but he leaves that out. ] I thought Japan was like... all four seasons?
[ his geography isn't great but he knows Japan is Norther than China. ]
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instead, the mention of a likewise aversion to cold has ryuu gazing at his hands thoughtfully, grip tightening. he can't feel the chill of guanshan's slim fingers through their two pairs of gloves, but it doesn't stop him from quickly checking, the momentary pulse of chroma an afterthought. ]
...ahh, it does on the main island! I grew up in the south, in Okinawa. It's pretty rural...
[ a tiny, humid island, summer held perpetually in its emerald waters.
guanshan seems more the kind hewn from dark things that glow incandescent beneath pressure. a boy forged. ]
Hold on. [ bladed heel scratching as he slows their already crawling pace, he curls his wrist, fingers intending to inch up guanshan's forearm. ] May I?
[ ryuu indicates he's going to pull him in closer. at the very least, it'll keep him from pitching too far this way or that before he's used to moving around. his is a war of attrition even with his diamond edges. brows knit, he has the gall to look hopeful, as if being rejected is an concern he always carries. ]
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[ with a dismissive grunt, he lets himself be guided in, sharp elbows staying bent out like knives on guard, every part of being handled going slow and jerky like unoiled machinery creaking to use; relenting not with relief but a reluctant concession that, at this moment, Ryuu knows best. ]
[ as their grips readjust, Guanshan edges himself up slowly. it becomes a shuffle of not caring where he's being held in the least, gravity's distraction, as he practically climbs his way up Ryuu's body with a straightening of his spine, hands going to his forearms, and then his elbows, and then Guanshan's fingers sinking into his jacket at the biceps, claw-like and tense with anxiety. wobbling at the core as though his top and bottom half where two distinct parts like three balls balancing precariously on top of one another, there's nowhere to look except at the young man in front of him. ]
[ now, feet properly positioned and posture corrected, he seems to drift without resistance, choppy and anxious steps replaced with stillness and a momentum Ryuu skating in front of him encourages, like a car put in neutral. ]
Oh. [ a flush muddies his complexion even more, peevish and avoiding eye contact (and trying not to consider how what he found under his hands was more solid than he anticipated; clothes wear Ryuu well). ] We talkin' the goat-herding type of "rural"? That make me the livestock in this situation?
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Not goats! [ focus split evenly between thought and motion, ryuu smiles. the ice lights up with that same emerald as his memories, hemmed in starry white. ] Fish. - I grew up around fisherman, like my dad.
[ though modest, there's a certain heartfelt tilt to how he speaks of something so plain, for someone who seems like he could have had a silver spoon in his mouth when he was born. or at the very least, a capacity to attain one with his looks.
but no. it was harsh salt and glaring sun, the lull of the waves that could dash a man to pieces and then sink the bones. ]
But if we're comparing, you're a lot calmer than most fish.
[ he asked!! ]
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[ he's only seen Ryuu dancing in the glitz and glam, front and center stage with the hustle and bustle of a baker's dozen other attractive men and women; his face on billboards doesn't tell the story of a boy who held onto a tan all year round or how rough his father's hands were when he was hugged. Guanshan knows better than most the people who work the hardest are usually the poorest, there's no wealth to be made in being the little guy. tropical islands can look like paradises to some; to others, a prison. ]
[ for better or worse, something seems to click into place, and what Guanshan learns is more than just how cold it is on the rink. the brilliant gemstone edges beneath Ryuu's feet bleed into his own and clash with pastels, looking more like a painted easter egg than a december holiday. nostalgia like that is contagious — but nature doesn't hide the bones of the dead where he's from. ]
Didn't exactly drag me here with a hook in my cheek neither.
[ trust is seeping in, slowly encouraging his deathgrip back to something respectable. it was the better way to teach him than with explanation, intrinsically a person who understands by doing rather than seeing or hearing, he's starting to get a rhythm in the blades and encourage a quicker pace, body harnessing the unspoken lesson. Guanshan wonders why it was easier this time, but stumbles upon his answer quicker than he thought he would. ]
You'n yer family are close, ah?
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his smile is immediate, a beaming and unconquerable sort of pride. ]
We are. I'm the eldest of four! My parents are divorced, and I live away from them all for work, but we're all close in our own way.
[ his words carry that same pacific blue as the environment that raised him, lulling and deep. reacting to the natural shift in rhythm, body suffused with all the tendencies that make him a good partner to have in things concerning movement, he doesn't control the speed at which they move, only the balance. keeping the focus elsewhere and letting instinct take over seems to have done some good for guanshan. this pull is - natural, and well paced. he figures there's an honesty in it that won't be so easily won elsewhere. but it's not as though he's ever shied from something difficult to understand before giving it a fair shot, either.
he tilts his blades, more the rudder in this case than the propulsion, and follows the natural curve of the rink. cool air brushes the back of his neck, all the clearer for the unfocused warmth in his face. ]
How about yours?
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[ broad back, straight spine. Guanshan wonders how much they're holding, really, and if he starts to sag when he's alone — intimate questions he has no business asking but tantalize his tongue anyway. ]
[ it's just like him, for Ryuu to be talking about joys while he wants to tear into the bitter marrow of it all. ]
S'just me and my Ma.
[ and then he wrestles with a desire to be seen and a pavlovian hurt he cradles close, the errant son of a criminal only capable of tarnishing a freshly polished reputation. more than that, he can't yet gauge where the truth might land them; selfishly, he pushes away the flash of an image in his mind's eye with rejection scripted sharp across golden eyes. ]
[ yellow blossoms back beneath his feet, the line separating their reflections on the ice muddling a nauseous green. ]
Maybe I could'a guessed. You got that 'big brother' thing about you.
[ stubbornly, Guanshan hedges on, commenting before he's questioned further on it. ]