[ She wasn't used to it? That's something they can both relate to. Yan Qing looks forward, but his gaze seems to reach beyond their destination as he walks up the stairs and works up the courage to speak. ]
My master would read me stories when I was a kid. I lost my parents before I could remember 'em, so when my master took me in... [ he showed him a kindness he didn't deserve. And then he wasted it.
Away from Elmott's line of sight, Yan Qing furrows his brows. The next time Elmott sees his face, he is wearing the same bright smile. It's the first time he's ever told that to anyone, but it seems he's not ready for some things just yet. ]
Anyway, stories are important. Just as important as knowing how to cast a spell! Sure, they can't protect ya — Well, I guess in some cases, they can. But something about 'em makes you feel like you're not alone, and... I dunno, they give you hope, I guess? Haha, I hope they do!
[ why is he unsure...
A more erudite Heroic Spirit would say they were a testament of humanity's persistence. He doesn't know how to explain that, but it doesn't seem too important now. They're not the same as the ones he can say from the heart. ]
What genres do you like? Me, I like action! And romance.
Edited (adds a small thing) 2020-02-26 02:09 (UTC)
[ it's a rare moment when yan qing talks about his past, unprompted as it is. elmott wasn't expecting it, and while he doesn't think it's a particularly happy memory, he's grateful to hear it anyway. he's never pushed yan qing to share anything about himself or his life before lunatia, but it feels nice, in a way. like the first time tsubasa and the others opened up to him, when he finally felt like they were getting somewhere in understanding each other. like he's been given something special, a tentative step in bridging the gap between them. ]
Yeah. [ something in his expression softens beneath the warm lighting of the museum. ] I get you.
[ he may not have had a master who read him stories as a child, nor did he have parents who would have done the same. but he's seen the way their faces would light up whenever suframare or ladiva tells the kids in the crew stories, whether they were real or simply something they made up on the spot. in those moments, they forget what it's like to feel lonely. ]
Action and romance, huh. [ he should've expected that. as for him— ] Been a while since I picked up a book just for fun. Guess if I had to choose... probably science fiction, or somethin'.
Heheh, I shoulda guessed! You always had a good head on your shoulders.
[Elmott's aptitude for magic required both talent and a open mind. He wasn't the sort of callous, by-the-book mage others from Yan Qing's world tended to be; he was a man who understood the potential of things. He used his flames in ways thought impossible. He moved others with words that could spark a fire and cause a chain reaction, from the movement of feet to the beating of hearts. Yan Qing knows nothing about chemistry and states of matter, but he knows how heat can change soften what was once solid.
... Don't get carried away, don't get carried away. He's not about to jump from ice to condensation on aquarium walls while thinking about a fleeting fondness. Elmott's here now, he beams back at him.]
I'll lend you some books next time! You don't gotta read 'em right away... but you gotta read my favorite to the end.
I'm not a kid, oi. [ he grumbles, but keeps his voice down, because they're still in a museum and he's trying to be respectful. he even showered and wore something halfway decent before coming out today. progress. ] I can read the whole damn thing without you needing to give me a reward.
[ he's wondering what kind of book is yq's favorite though. a small part of him expects yan qing to give him some kind of trashy romance novel to read just to make fun of him, but maybe not. yan qing can be as unpredictable as his own flames can be at times, burning too hot and too bright for him to regulate. perhaps it's not so much that he has an open mind, but that he just has poor self-preservation and lacks a healthy fear of dying. but that's par for the course when you consign yourself to a life of playing with fire. ]
I'd say I'd trust your taste, but... [ he snorts a little; yan qing did stay the night with him, didn't he? that's a pretty sure sign of shit taste, if you ask him. ] Well, I'll look forward to it.
[ but before that, they're at the main event, already packed with everyone else crowding around the statute and taking pictures. it's hard to get closer until the crowd clears, but elmott is fine with hanging back for now, looking to yan qing to see what he wants to do first. he's not really in a hurry anyway. ]
[Elmott is absolutely right to trust his taste. When has he ever said anything doubtful? Many times, yes, but they don't matter as long as he's keeping him safe, right? He doesn't mean to be sappy. It's just that the things that matter to him are far and few.
...It might be something he needs to work on. There's a reason he didn't think he was good enough for Elmott to begin with.
For now, they view the statue. Reminiscent of classic Greek icons of ancient times, he thinks the excitable Ritsuka and the bookish Mash would come to appreciate the legend carved in marble, too. That is marble, right? He's a bit disappointed, but not because of the statue's material. He squints.]
Damn, it's cool, but I wanna get a closer look at it... Let's kill time and wait until the crowds are gone. C'mon!
[Without waiting for an answer, he takes Elmott by the hand and starts dragging him to the next exhibit.]
[ yan qing already has him by the hand before elmott can even respond, managing to avoid stumbling as he gets his footing. the next exhibit is filled with large tapestries of beasts and legendary battles, and elmott finds himself staring at one of them that almost reminds him of bahamut if he squints enough. that can't be it, though. one primordial dragon is enough of a handful already.
this room is at least relatively empty, but that may be due to its proximity to the hall of lovers that he keeps hearing people whispering about. he also hasn't let go of yan qing's hand as he takes a closer look at another tapestry, being careful not to touch anything. ]
Just as Elmott moves on to the next artifact, Yan Qing meets him halfway. It seems he wants to linger around the dragon tapestry a while longer, because he keeps Elmott there as he examines it.]
You said you were from Phantagrande, yeah? Did that place have dragons like this one, too?
[ it takes effort to push down the involuntary urge to stiffen up when yan qing gets closer without him realizing it. but he doesn't pull away, eyes still trained on the tapestry in front of them. ]
I wouldn't say I like it. It just reminded me of somethin'. [ he stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets, bringing yan qing's hand with his. ] Yeah, kind of. They come in all kinds of sizes.
[ there's bahamut and then there's vyrn. jury's still out whether or not he's actually a lizard. ]
[ He's a little giddy that Elmott's been taking the lead more, and it makes him bubble with laughter. Elmott's holding his hand! Which should only be natural at this point, but he remembers when the guy couldn't even look him in the eye. This much is something to celebrate. ]
Any of 'em Yan Qing-sized? I can be a dragon too. Roar!
[ He tiptoes, leans in, and pretends to bite Elmott's neck. But Elmott holding his hand puts Yan Qing in an awkward position, so he ends up stumbling into him. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
My master would read me stories when I was a kid. I lost my parents before I could remember 'em, so when my master took me in... [ he showed him a kindness he didn't deserve. And then he wasted it.
Away from Elmott's line of sight, Yan Qing furrows his brows. The next time Elmott sees his face, he is wearing the same bright smile. It's the first time he's ever told that to anyone, but it seems he's not ready for some things just yet. ]
Anyway, stories are important. Just as important as knowing how to cast a spell! Sure, they can't protect ya — Well, I guess in some cases, they can. But something about 'em makes you feel like you're not alone, and... I dunno, they give you hope, I guess? Haha, I hope they do!
[ why is he unsure...
A more erudite Heroic Spirit would say they were a testament of humanity's persistence. He doesn't know how to explain that, but it doesn't seem too important now. They're not the same as the ones he can say from the heart. ]
What genres do you like? Me, I like action! And romance.
no subject
Yeah. [ something in his expression softens beneath the warm lighting of the museum. ] I get you.
[ he may not have had a master who read him stories as a child, nor did he have parents who would have done the same. but he's seen the way their faces would light up whenever suframare or ladiva tells the kids in the crew stories, whether they were real or simply something they made up on the spot. in those moments, they forget what it's like to feel lonely. ]
Action and romance, huh. [ he should've expected that. as for him— ] Been a while since I picked up a book just for fun. Guess if I had to choose... probably science fiction, or somethin'.
no subject
[Elmott's aptitude for magic required both talent and a open mind. He wasn't the sort of callous, by-the-book mage others from Yan Qing's world tended to be; he was a man who understood the potential of things. He used his flames in ways thought impossible. He moved others with words that could spark a fire and cause a chain reaction, from the movement of feet to the beating of hearts. Yan Qing knows nothing about chemistry and states of matter, but he knows how heat can change soften what was once solid.
... Don't get carried away, don't get carried away. He's not about to jump from ice to condensation on aquarium walls while thinking about a fleeting fondness. Elmott's here now, he beams back at him.]
I'll lend you some books next time! You don't gotta read 'em right away... but you gotta read my favorite to the end.
If you do that, I'll give you something nice!
no subject
[ he's wondering what kind of book is yq's favorite though. a small part of him expects yan qing to give him some kind of trashy romance novel to read just to make fun of him, but maybe not. yan qing can be as unpredictable as his own flames can be at times, burning too hot and too bright for him to regulate. perhaps it's not so much that he has an open mind, but that he just has poor self-preservation and lacks a healthy fear of dying. but that's par for the course when you consign yourself to a life of playing with fire. ]
I'd say I'd trust your taste, but... [ he snorts a little; yan qing did stay the night with him, didn't he? that's a pretty sure sign of shit taste, if you ask him. ] Well, I'll look forward to it.
[ but before that, they're at the main event, already packed with everyone else crowding around the statute and taking pictures. it's hard to get closer until the crowd clears, but elmott is fine with hanging back for now, looking to yan qing to see what he wants to do first. he's not really in a hurry anyway. ]
no subject
...It might be something he needs to work on. There's a reason he didn't think he was good enough for Elmott to begin with.
For now, they view the statue. Reminiscent of classic Greek icons of ancient times, he thinks the excitable Ritsuka and the bookish Mash would come to appreciate the legend carved in marble, too. That is marble, right? He's a bit disappointed, but not because of the statue's material. He squints.]
Damn, it's cool, but I wanna get a closer look at it... Let's kill time and wait until the crowds are gone. C'mon!
[Without waiting for an answer, he takes Elmott by the hand and starts dragging him to the next exhibit.]
no subject
this room is at least relatively empty, but that may be due to its proximity to the hall of lovers that he keeps hearing people whispering about. he also hasn't let go of yan qing's hand as he takes a closer look at another tapestry, being careful not to touch anything. ]
no subject
[His voice is a little too close for comfort.
Just as Elmott moves on to the next artifact, Yan Qing meets him halfway. It seems he wants to linger around the dragon tapestry a while longer, because he keeps Elmott there as he examines it.]
You said you were from Phantagrande, yeah? Did that place have dragons like this one, too?
no subject
I wouldn't say I like it. It just reminded me of somethin'. [ he stuffs his hands in his jacket pockets, bringing yan qing's hand with his. ] Yeah, kind of. They come in all kinds of sizes.
[ there's bahamut and then there's vyrn. jury's still out whether or not he's actually a lizard. ]
no subject
Any of 'em Yan Qing-sized? I can be a dragon too. Roar!
[ He tiptoes, leans in, and pretends to bite Elmott's neck. But Elmott holding his hand puts Yan Qing in an awkward position, so he ends up stumbling into him. ]