prismatica | ( text, un: lavieenrose )

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( text, un: lavieenrose )

Bonjour, everyone.

This post will be much more light-hearted than my last one. While looking for things to keep me occupied during Sanguis so as to not disturb others, I happened across this book in the “digital library.”

It’s a gripping tale of a Prismal girl and her horse seeking freedom in a world that would hope to suppress them. I don’t want to spoil it, but I did notice that it seems to be a part of a series. If anyone knows where I might find physical copies of the rest of them, please let me know.

Incidentally, it has inspired me to ride again. Where can I find a stable? Or horses, for that matter? I was in the equestrian club in school, so I assure you I am no amateur.

Bien cordialement,

Serge

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Then please send me your location, and I will come over with a selection of my favorites at once. [ normally he would have just brought all of them, floating in great stacks all around him (or trailing behind or towering above, as navigational needs dictated), but he still feels weird about unnecessary magic use, so... the number he can comfortably carry with his humanish arms, it is. ]

And if you like I am happy to drop them off and return at once, so that perhaps I shall continue to find your bad behavior unimaginable (without your having to devote any special effort to it)?

[ serge cannot in good conscience treat titus like a delivery boy, even if he would prefer it, and even if he is offering. ]

Non. It would be ungentlemanly of me to have you come here without some reward. You’re welcome to come in for tea.

[ and serge, after a moment of struggle, finds out how to send titus his location. ]

[ if he were a bit wiser in the ways of, like, subtleties and nuance and whatever, titus might respond to this invitation by inventing some reason why he couldn't possibly come in for tea (matters of urgent business that cannot be postponed and so forth), but... he's not, so he doesn't!!

and in a while (which is to say, the normal amount of time one would expect it to take for someone to walk at a moderate pace from titus's location to serge's, plus a minute or two because he used to just fly around a lot of the time and still hasn't quite gotten used to navigating the city exclusively at ground level)... he arrives!

and after carefully shifting the books to rest on his hip and free up an arm, he knocks! ]

[ serge wasn’t sure how to time titus’ arrival, which throws off the etiquette of having someone in his home, but he’s arranged some snacks to go with the tea that will be put out just as soon as titus decides what kind he wants. ]

Titus! Bienvenue!

[ he opens the door and immediately reaches out to help with the books—sanguis has blessed him with some cute bear paws to match his cute bear ears, this time around, but he can still mostly do things. he’s learned how to adapt. ]

[ titus is gearing up to give his best (currently available) cheerful greeting—which is still not nearly as cheerful as it once would have been, but quite a bit more cheerful than it would have been a month ago—but then he sees the paws (the PAWS) and the ears (the EARS!!!) and, well...

he gasps so sharply that he almost chokes, and it's only thanks to serge reaching out to help that he manages to avoid dropping all the books. ]

S-Serge!!
Are you a bear?!
I can't believe it!!

Ah?!

[ this is not the reaction he was expecting from titus, and he has to hurry a little more than he expected to catch those books. ]

Y… yes! I am. I’m sorry, is it frightening?

[ he thinks he should have warned titus, as he turns to go back into his home—and there’s a third surprise when he does turn, in the form of the smallest, roundest little tail. ]

[ when titus sees THE TAIL(!!!), he makes a noise like someone's just poured ice water down the back of his neck, and very nearly falls to his knees. how tragically ironic that, after so tenderly encouraging titus to live on, serge would be the one to kill him... ]

No!!
No, not at all.
—Well, unless you want it to be?
—No, no, I apologize. I overreacted.
But I am not frightened. I'm just surprised... by how charming it is...

Charming…?

[ serge blushes, gaze shifting modestly to the side. he never thought of his own features as especially cute, mostly because he still hasn’t gotten used to seeing himself with it all. ]

Well, thank you. I didn’t have a choice in them, but I do realize it could have been worse.

Oh, they suit you marvelously!! The ears especially look so perfect with your fluffy hair... I like them so much I almost want to cry... [ titus is lowkey relieved his cordis features aren't active right now bc they would just be utter dogshit in comparison ]

—Ah, but you know, I am sure you would look nice with any other kind of animal features you got as well.

—And I am probably making you uncomfortable... Please think no more of it...

…

[ this is a little more like the titus he initially met, which is a welcome change of pace from how terribly sad he seemed when they last spoke, but it does leave serge flustered. he always thought of his features as nuisances, and not especially cute ones, either. ]

Merci.

[ then: ]

I am not uncomfortable in the least, I promise. I’ve just never heard such, erm, effusive praise directed toward me.

Really, never?
How strange. I wonder why not... [ like has no one else ever SEEN his little bear ears (or his fluffy hair) or.... ]

Ah, anyway... we were going to drink tea, I think? Or we could talk about the books...

Oh! Yes!

[ serge had completely forgotten when titus started praising him, but he’s quick to get back to it by taking the books and setting them on the table—silently asking titus to follow him to his living room. ]

Please make yourself comfortable. What kind of tea do you like?

[ he wishes he had wine, but, lunatia’s laws… ]

[ titus follows, and makes himself comfortable!! ]

Cardamom or mint if you have it, but any kind is fine.

[ maybe later titus can tell serge about the One Weird Trick he discovered for how to get booze in lunatia (have an old person buy it for you) ]

Do you live here by yourself?

[ cardamom tea… this is the first serge is hearing of it, but he’s intrigued by the idea. he makes a mental note to have it for next time, but for now, titus is going to get mint.

after setting the water to boil once again, serge returns with at least the snacks. ]

Ah, yes. I wouldn’t want to impose on anyone.

[ titus seizes the opportunity of serge's momentary departure to stare at his furry little bear tail!!!! ]

"Impose"? Do you have off-putting personal habits? I wouldn't have thought it of you, but... I suppose we have not really spent all that much time together yet...

[ now that he can't do it secretly anymore, titus tries not to stare at serge's furry little anythings, but it's an uphill battle... especially since he's carrying snacks with his furry paws... ]

[ stare to your heart’s content, titus. serge is used to it. ]

Off-putting… I hope not! But I’ve been told I’m terribly overbearing to live with. A bit strict, as they’ve said.

[ he nudges, with one of his little bear claws, a shortbread cookie toward titus. ]

[ ah well now he feels kind of bad.
but in, like, a metatextual way, not a for-real way. ]

What are you overbearing and strict about? ...Snatching food before the meal is served, perhaps?

[ he reaches out for the cookie at once... a bit too quickly, even... so that fingers brush claws. at least he manages to avoid making a weird noise... ]

M-my apologies!

[ it really does not feel like these paws are his own, so when titus brushes his claw and practically leaps away, serge blinks. ]

No, there’s… nothing to apologize for. [ in fact, serge is about to apologize, when he remembers that titus apparently found these features quite cute. ] Did you want to touch them?

[ he answers the question so quickly he actually halfway interrupts serge asking it ]

Yes!!!

[ oops.
that was too fast.
also serge SAID he wasn't uncomfortable earlier but it seemed like maybe he actually was?? so titus should be acting way cooler about it?? uuuggghhh he messed up

to buy some time, he shoves the whole cookie in his mouth ]

[ oh. serge does, admittedly, feel a little awkward by just how quickly titus responds, but titus spares him needing to come up with something to say by shoving that cookie in his mouth. that, at least, is something serge can respond to. ]

Please be careful. I’m told I’m an overbearing doctor, too.

[ blushing slightly, he holds out his paw—since he’s not an actual bear, always tromping around outside, the underside of his paw actually looks quite soft and squishable. ]

[ he feels an odd twinge... perhaps because having serge an overbearing doctor really doesn't sound that bad. (or perhaps it's just that it makes him think of sphintus.)

in any case, as he continues to chew, he reaches out (slowly and deliberately, because he's putting a great effort into doing it slowly and deliberately) and... takes serge's paw, almost reverently, in both of his own hands. (one underneath, one on top.)

the fur is so furry, the paw pads so soft and smooth and squishy, the claws so perfectly curved...

having chewed and chewed, he eventually remembers to swallow. but it's going to take longer for him to break out of this paw-touching trance. he feels each individual digit... he strokes the furry back... he rubs little circles on the biggest pad with his fingertips. ]

[ this is oddly intimate, and it’s more than enough to generate chroma between them—making serge’s face flush, and his little ears twitch, even nestled in his curly hair as they are. ]

…

[ he’ll let titus touch for as long as he wants, but after a certain amount of time, he does have to ask— ]

Are they that nice?

They're so nice...!

[ he's compelled to briefly, gently gather the paw to his bosom and hug it close, the little claws making pinprick indentations in the skin just under his collarbone. (he leans forward as he does this so that he isn't yanking serge's arm toward himself.) (as he bends his arms, his sleeves slip to his elbows, exposing the cracked oval gemstones embedded in his forearms—and the cracks in his forearms themselves, radiating outward from the stones.)

...and then, at long last, he lets go.

and he takes a deep breath. ]

...I really am sorry.
You just wanted to be alone today, but here I am... doing strange things... with your paw...
You must think I'm weird.
Do you think I'm weird?
I am sorry for being so weird.

[ serge has very little to look at besides titus, and even the kettle reaching a boil in the other room doesn’t distract him from what he sees. those odd gemstones, embedded in titus’ arm… serge realizes he doesn’t really know all that much about titus either, even if titus has told him so much already. ]

I don’t think you’re weird, Titus.

[ quietly. he smiles, feeling less awkward now and simply concerned. ]

Not with… these features… but my roommate from home was very, erm, hands-on. So it’s not something I could hold against you.

Um...
I suppose, but just because you won't hold it against me does not mean you actually like it...

...
Do you really not think I am weird?

[ because like... no offense but titus feels like serge should have been able to notice by now that titus is pretty weird ]

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