[video]

[husbun]

[The video feed opens to Yarne’s face entirely too close to the camera. He holds his phone in both hands, clearly unused to using such a device, and slowly pushes it away from him.]

Hmm... [His hum is a little louder than it should be.] How do you know if this thing is...Hey! H-how’s it going?

[His long, furry ears droop. This already feels lame, but he’s determined.]

So...there’s been a lot of stuff going on, hasn’t there? And it all seems pretty dangerous, too! I’m used to dangerous things, really, but I thought it would be better if I kept to my apartment for a while and, um...conserved my strength. For later.

[Yarne can already hear his mother yelling at him in his head. There's a pause here as he tries to convince himself he sounds believable, but then he continues.]

So, I’ve been thinking! I need to get out more, and it’s not just because I don’t have any Chroma or food left. Or because I’m worried my muscles will atrophy, leaving me in all sorts of dangerous situations where I could die. [The drama!] But there are some extenuating circumstances, you see, and...I was wondering if there’s anyone strong out there who’d be willing to protect me? In return, I’ll let you pet my ears! That’ll earn both of us lots of Chroma, right? So, it’d be beneficial to both of us, and you’d be my own personal knight! Kind of.

[He’s ending on a smile because, truly, this sounds like an absolutely wonderful idea.]

That’s it, I think! If there’s anyone strong out there who wants to protect me and earn some Chroma, you should let me know! The stronger, the better, as far as I’m concerned. And there’s no one softer than a Taguel, I can promise that.

Comments

[husbun]

Yeah. You're a little shorter than I thought you'd be, too.

[According to a quick google, Hal is a few inches shorter than Yarne, but he's one of the tallest people he knows where he's from. He's not too surprised, but Hal sounded tall on the call? He also sounded, um, younger. Yarne isn't a good judge of these things, but he's not about to turn away the man after coming all this way just because he's older than Yarne's father.

He takes the bag and steps inside, gesturing with his free hand for Hal to follow him. The apartment is pretty bare. It's not that Yarne doesn't have money, it's that even if he had money, he's so used to living during a time of war and sleeping in a tent that he doesn't know what to do with it aside from stock up his medicine cabinet. He has like eight first-aid kits somewhere.]

I don't really get a lot of visitors. You're only the second, actually. I hope that's okay.

[ooc; I did a Google like I mentioned, and I think Hal is 5'9"/5'10"? I also realized in the process of doing this information that I never put up an info post for Yarne but he's about 6'2" by my headcanon. My bad, and let me know if I need to change anything here.]

all good ♥ that info is correct

[codecmoment]

Oh, really? It's fine! My roommate -- before I moved in with him -- he lived really sparse and didn't have company ever. Nothing wrong with it. I just... got used to visiting others, here. When my partner was around in the city, here, the place was messy and kinda smelly, so not having people over was smarter.

[ He rambles out of being his usual lowkey nervous. What he is interested in is observing Yarne's humanoid... everything. He looks like he's got fluff patches! Soft... ]

I should send out pics more often, I guess? It'll be like online dating all over again.

♥!!!!

[husbun]

[In observing Yarne, Hal might notice that Yarne's ears move a little when he listens, sometimes perking or relaxing. He's since ditched his armor for more normal clothing, so Hal gets greeted by a rabbit wearing a pair of shorts and a tropical t-shirt(? who let this boy shop), but there's patches of fur around his neck, on his knees and traveling up his shorts, and on the backs of his hands.]

Online dating? Is that a nerd thing?

[He scratches his neck, and then he tries to guide Hal over to the couch. He starts going through the bag, too. He does love attention, and gifts count as attention. He pats the seat next to him.]

Oh, so you don't live alone here? That sounds really nice. Except for the smelly part. Back home, I mostly slept in a tent. I like having walls a lot.

[codecmoment]

[ He's watching keenly - he has lop ears during Iris, so at the moment he has his own floppy pair. They're a tan that fades into grey, different than his brown hair, his little tail poking out the back of his special Chromawear for moon changes. His don't move as much (being a lop means things are limited due to gravity).

He's quiet, but when offered a spot, doesn't hesitate. He's usually much more awkward, since being in other people's homes is a new thing for him. Not having friends for the majority of your life makes the small things like this novel. ]

I haven't since I arrived, no. I did briefly when my partner... left, but I moved in with a friend. It benefits us both.

[ They're simple chips made of local vegetables, cut, dried and lightly salted. ]

Online dating is actually really normal and mainstream, where I come from. People don't really find a partner at work or through school any more. It doesn't seem possible, and why settle when the pool is so big?

[husbun]

[Yarne can certainly relate to being awkward and not having friends. He has friends, but they're also child soldiers forced to battle an ancient evil because all their parents died fighting said ancient evil? They certainly don't share a normal friendship, at least, and he lacks most of the social skills one might learn growing up.

He's not very interested in Hal's ears. Yarne doesn't even make a comment about them, because...they're not Taguel ears, and that people randomly sport these ears is a little upsetting to him.]

That sounds nice. Since it's just me here, it's a little scary. If something bad were to happen, they might not find my body for days.

[You know, casual extinction worries. He eats a chip. It is, predictably, one of the carrot ones.]

Why can't you find someone to date at work or school anymore? And where does the pool come into play? Because I hate swimming. If the water's cold, it's fine, but if it's warm, I feel like I'm being cooked.

[codecmoment]

[ Hal makes a face, a mix of confusion and concern at these odd remarks, but he's a human. He has no idea what kind of life this guy's had. ]

It's not a literal pool, it's like -- a group of possibilities. People do, though, it's just not the default or standard anymore. Not when you'd have to settle on someone incompatible or someone who hurts you, because you have no other options. The world is big now, thanks to the Internet.

[husbun]

Ohhh. I think your pool might be a lot deeper than mine. I haven't had any luck at all when it comes to that sort of thing.

['Let's repopulate my species' isn't exactly a winning pick-up line.]

Also, we don't have that where I'm from. But you already knew that. And...most people aren't really in the mood for dating because of the, uh...circumstances.

[Ancient evil destroying mankind, etc.]

[codecmoment]

You seem to be a bit rattled in general. Are you from a war-torn area? I have experience with war zones -- I worked around them for ten years. My partner was a born and raised soldier.

[husbun]

H-how could you tell? Is it really that obvious?

[Upon thinking on it, he shakes his head.]

Maybe it's more like...I'm surprised you didn't mention it sooner. Yeah. That's right. I'm a soldier, too, and I have been for a few years now. But we lost. There's nothing left anymore.

[He's an actual child soldier from a doomed timeline, after all. The only reason he's alive is because he hopped to an adjacent one.]

[codecmoment]

I'm sorry.

[ He doesn't know what else to say to that. He felt they couldn't win, before, and yet... somehow, they did. And it cost a lot. It always cost a lot. ]

You don't have to talk about it.

[husbun]

It's fine. If I don't talk about it, there's not a lot left for me to talk about, you know? I don't really know that much about anything else.

[It's the only life he's ever known. If you take that away, what's left?]

It's probably not that much fun to listen to, though.

[codecmoment]

I've had a bit of an unfun life, too. It's okay. I know what you mean. I'm not a soldier, obviously --

[ He gestures at his whole self, slim and unmarred by physical labor or combat. ]

-- but some hurt you can't see.

[husbun]

[Some hurt you can't see?]

G-gah! You mean...are you bleeding internally?! O-or maybe you have some kind of rare disease?!

[Yarne's face is startled, but it's coming from a place of concern.]

[codecmoment]

[ Hal is simultaneously emotionally exhausted and amused. ]

I mean emotional pain.

[husbun]

Oh! Phew! That's a relief.

[husbun]

[What Yarne just said sinks in a little more, actually, and he yelps. Hal is right there on the couch, so he grabs his shoulder in a frantic movement.]

W-wait! That's not what I meant! That's not good, either!

[codecmoment]

[ He's startled by the sudden grab, curling up slightly in defense. The tingle of Chroma is nice - especially as an Iris - but he just blinks. ]

I-it's fine, you've had a tough life.

[husbun]

I, uh. I have, but I thought we were talking about you there.

[Yarne has a look of guilt on his face. Hal just recoiled from him! He knows what that feels like, Yarne spends more time shivering in the corner than he does standing upright most days.]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.

[codecmoment]

I know, it's okay. I told out I'm not a protector type to begin with, after all.

[ Hal takes Yarne's hand in his and holds it in both of his own, warm and full of tingly Chroma. ]

I'm more of this kind of person.

[husbun]

I don't mind that. You're still one of the only people who wanted to come over. I'm not really used to this kind of thing, you know?

[Making friends, talking over the network. His old world is just so different that he worries sometimes that he won't be able to fit in here at all. Yarne tenses a little when Hal grabs his hand with both of his—moonlacing does feel good, but he's always surprised by how different it feels.]

Your hands are so warm.

[codecmoment]

[ He gives a sort, dry little chuckle. ]

No, they're not --- it's the Chroma. It feels more like a tingle to me, more often than not.

[husbun]

H-hey, don't laugh at me! Why can't it be both? No one's ever really held my hand like that before.

[He huffs! It's nice, okay? He places his other hand over Hal's to emphasize his point.]

[codecmoment]

[ There is a sudden, slight uptick in Chroma, and Hal makes a little hum in response. ]

I'm happy you like it, then. It's simple and effective, for moonlacing.