[ Odd. The response isn't surprising, but he didn't anticipate the weariness. Usually he would have to fight Dokja and coax him into saying something, anything, worth importance. It makes him suspicious... But he can surmise from his talk with Sooyoung.
Nevertheless, expected that answer and it gains his usual frown, not that Dokja can see his expression twisting to something familiar. Again obstinate and stubborn, unyielding and steadfast, Joonghyuk willfully rejects the implications that he should live life as Dokja prepared for him. He can't. He won't.
A long silence follows. Anyone would think the conversation is dropped, but Joonghyuk's dark gaze stays on the other man. He returns with an addendum. ]
[ Anyway, the conflicted emotions that spring up from their shared connection are a dead giveaway to what Dokja actually feels. He's burdened by their arrival, guilt weighing down on his heart every time he has to see them, but there's no mistaking the hesitant warmth of... simply not being alone.
It's muted, nearly lost under the torrent of his other, darker emotions, but it's present. Shapeless and fragile, it flickers to life a little more than before as he dwells on the question.
... And Dokja flinches when he realizes Joonghyuk must sense it, too. ]
[ That guilt really is annoying and he understands why it sent Sooyoung his way. Their presence is taxing on him when it wasn't before... Because their relationships are not what they used to be. Those emotional scars may never be mended, even with time.
There's a calm from Joonghyuk's side, even if it's murky like dark waters. Rustling sounds as he takes a stand with footfalls following his steps. He stands behind Dokja, looming over with a watchful gaze. Curiosity needles as he wonders how Dokja survived Horos. Who did he have? There was those two prisoners, but now nowhere in sight. A blanket stifles niggling inquiries when he remembers he doesn't know.
He doesn't know anything because Dokja hasn't told him. ]
You belong by our side.
[ Without payment, without atonement. Is that the answer Dokja is looking for? Probably not, but it's the reminder Joonghyuk wants to give him. ]
[ Dread plummets his heart to the pit of his stomach when he hears Joonghyuk's approach. Dokja tenses, shoulders a hard line as he refuses to turn around, fingers curling over the edge of the sink in a white-knuckled grip. This close, he can see Joonghyuk's shadow draped over him, but even still, he doesn't budge. Instead, his eyes bore into the the counter top under his hands.
How he wants to believe in those words. They tempt him in such a way that he can feel himself waver, if only just a bit, before he's reminded what being by their sides had cost them. In an instant, the reality comes crashing back down on him, and he finds himself shaking with the effort to maintain what little composure he has left.
He takes in a deep, shuddering breath, then exhales slowly. Again, he doesn't turn around. ]
Sometimes I wish you weren't such a stubborn bastard.
[ Annoying... Frustrating, even. Not untrue, but not entirely true either. After all, isn't this what had drawn him to Yoo Joonghyuk in the first place? ]
You're the stubborn fool who needs to remember his place.
[ Which is by their side, as he already said. How many times will they need to keep repeating themselves? Joonghyuk feels that he has been writing on the wall that separates them, waiting with bated breath for the other man to read the messages he and their companions left for him.
A lonely existence.
Joonghyuk understood that well. He was once on a lonely pilgrimage through the apocalypse, but as he thinks about it now... Was he truly alone? Dokja was reading his story the whole time, wasn't he?
His lips press into a fine line as his emotions twist and turn in all sorts of directions. In the end, longing echoes more than once. His fingers twitch, tempted to reach out to him... But physical touch could never break down the invisible wall between them. ]
You said we would talk.
[ His tone of voice is the same, but the connection adds hints and undertones. There's a mix of frustration, anxiety, worry, sadness, and a very small amount that would betray him worst of all—he may be sulky. Why is his companion treating him and Sooyoung so poorly? What did they do to deserve this?
Through and through, Joonghyuk despises aspects and legacies whatever name they take on, but one can only control their emotions as well as they can. ]
[ It's really unfortunate how they're wrapped up in the same Aspect, every emotion Joonghyuk feels scurrying across a connection Dokja never asked for and in turn, heightening whatever he's feeling on his end. He senses the longing and hates how his own reaches out to meet with the other, the betrayal at this loss of control following up soon after.
He's never been the greatest at managing his emotions, and then the Fourth Wall had put him out of practice completely by the nature of its existence.
Sighing quietly, he releases the hold he has on the sink and returns his attention to the pile of plates that still need putting away, the distraction welcome but not very effective while Joonghyuk continues to loom over him as emotions slip loose between them. In fact, their emotions in this current time are so similar that it just seems to feed off of each other, creating a weird loop that continuously spirals as the air hangs heavy over the pair. ]
What do you want to know?
[ He phrases the question like he's open to the conversation, tone inviting enough. But again, there's no hiding the way his anxiety shoots up as he realizes what's finally about to happen.
[ Going quiet, he considers and their connection gets that same pensive consideration. Eventually, he stops hovering behind him and steps to his side, guiding him to move over a bit to give him space to also take care of the dishes. They can do this domestic chore together in this hellhole that is an uprising faction war. ]
What you are thinking.
[ General, because what he has meant is that he wants Dokja to talk to him. It isn't their communication style—it never has been. They are people who speak through actions, through the taste of steel, with blood drawn and strewn onto the floor. How long will that sustain them? Is it enough for him now? It was enough for him before. They understood each other (maybe it was one-sided). They could read each other's next move (but how many steps could he have predicted). He thought Dokja understood him better than he understood himself. He still thinks that, as much as he dislikes the thought.
Every day, he wonders what's on Dokja's mind... Suspicious of what he may be scheming, if maybe his state of mind is depreciating, if he's stewing in self-loathing when he catches him by his lonesome. When Dokja keeps them at a distance, when he gently pushes them away, Joonghyuk wished he knew why. What could he do?
[ Surprise flickers between them. Perhaps Dokja had been expecting something more direct, maybe even a touch accusing with how long he's drawn out this "talk" they're supposed to have, but he's left at a bit of a loss here. There's so many ways he could respond considering the overwhelming excess of his thoughts, overthinking at all times, layers upon layers of concerns and worries resting upon even more concerns and worries, but...
Uneasiness stirs within him, the idea of anyone getting a glimpse of just how much of a mess the inside of his head is anxiously prickling at his skin. He certainly doesn't want to trouble Joonghyuk with any of it, so he defaults to a more casual answer in the hopes of deflecting while still offering something. ]
... Currently? Well, I guess I was thinking of what to do tonight. I've been staying out late these days, so I might call it in early for a change.
[ He chatters on as he works, but the tone of his voice and the easy way in which he speaks doesn't match the exhausted slope of his shoulders, the dark circles under his eyes, or the heavy, stilted air settled over him. ]
[ Dokja can think his mind is a complex labyrinth that shouldn't be ran, but Joonghyuk's was once a barren wasteland full of depression and homicidal instinct. It's calmed since then, regressed to how he used to be for the most part. Others helped him carry the weight, they helped lessen it.
He hopes for the same for the man beside him. ]
It would be good if you got more sleep. You need more of it.
[ Odd enough, Joonghyuk entertains the mundane topic in hopes it is relaxing in the slightest. Yes, he wants to know more... He wishes to know what ails Dokja, but this is a good start. Dokja seldom ever talked about other things that weren't scenario-related.
Slowly, the amount of clean plates pile with soft clinks. ]
What have you been doing?
[ Does it sound like a wife who's worried about her husband coming home late... Maybe. ]
[ The slight absurdity of this conversation isn't lost on Dokja, though he tries not to show it. He'd never really imagined them in a position like this, doing domestic chores while talking about the small events in their lives, but as uneasy as it initially feels, it's almost startling how much he finds that he doesn't mind.
Maybe he'd always wanted something like this. Maybe he had occasionally entertained the thought of having someone beside him while he worked to chase away the loneliness.
So he (awkwardly) holds on to this. ]
Oh. Exploring, mostly. Sometimes I run into a familiar face so I stick around to chat.
[ He is trying very hard not to think of his latest run-in and what that had entailed, all too aware of the shared Aspect between himself and Joonghyuk... But a little embarrassment might creep out, which he is quick to distract from by speaking out a second time. ]
There are a lot of libraries in Akadimaïkós, too. I was thinking of spending more time there in general.
[ This is what their life was supposed to be like eventually, Dokja. Hopefully, having moments like this can keep their heads clear, focused on their goals, that they may have more moments like this... But Joonghyuk knows better. He believes that he may be the only one that thinks this and that the man beside him must be distancing himself again.
It truly is difficult to quell the uneasiness he feels. When it's meant to be gone, the lack of it makes him more uneasy. The ping of embarrassment is good distraction and, naturally, Joonghyuk is a curious one and that sincerity shines through their aspect. As odd as the connection is, as much as he hates his thoughts and emotions being conveyed without a say, and as much he prefers to give people the privacy he wishes for himself...
Joonghyuk feels Dokja is indebted to him, for all the times he read him, for the times he possessed his body, and the times he left him behind. ]
You made a fool out of yourself recently?
[ In Joonghyuk fashion, he focuses on what benefits him, what he's interested in, even if it's at the expense of another.
[ Help, this is truly the worst. Why did they have to go and share an Aspect of all things? So caught-off guard is he by the question that he coughs, choking on nothing but air as he turns his face away and shuffles some dishes back into the cupboards where they belong in an attempt to buy time.
The conversation he'd had with Sooyoung had been awkward enough, ending in a fiery blaze where things had very quickly gone south, and he really doesn't want to have to go through the same mortifying account with Joonghyuk. Mild panic touches upon their connection, and by the time Dokja realizes that this, too, can be felt, he's internally losing it as he's forced to think about what had happened at that time. ]
It wasn't... that.
[ Mercy, please. He's desperate for an out, mind racing at top speed for a subject change yet again. ]
—Joonghyuk-ah, [ he says, relying on that age old informal friendliness and immediately rounding on the other man to grab him by the arm. ] You know what I've been thinking? You should join me on one of the visits to the libraries.
[ Because Dokja kins way too much. This is his aspect? Get out. Anyway, things can be different here. Unlike Sooyoung, Joonghyuk gets a window on Dokja's emotions. He has the benefit of ]
It was that.
[ With full confidence, not an inkling of doubt in his mind. Dokja's little spiral which he can feel in waves emboldens him further.
why are you acting like ruby dokja The touch has him slow in his task and turn with a cocked brow. He doesn't try to pry or swat that hand away. It may stay... It has been years, hasn't it? He hadn't laid a hand on the avatar left behind. There was a fear, funny as it was, that he'd break something fragile and precious. Remembrance subsides and he lands on the obvious question: what is Dokja scheming this time? ]
Why?
[ Not in an annoyed way, but inquisitive. Dokja has never invited him anywhere before without a purpose. Usually, that purpose is to progress his plans. ]
[ It was that but who has the details? Certainly not Joonghyuk as I dead eye his thread with Sooyoung.
Hastily, Dokja moves past that awkward bump in the road in exchange for something a little more makeshift, hand squeezing the arm he's taken hold of while he mind does a mental blue screen at how unfairly firm and muscled it is for just a second before he blinks back to himself. Where was he. ]
Why not?
[ He knows he's being annoying by shooting back the question, but he does not have an answer that would be satisfactory for Dokja and Dokja only, so dodge it is. ]
[ He says that, but Dokja is right and probably knows that. Most of his time is spend wandering, talking to locals and natives, trying to find any useful world lore. So far, there's not much.
Does the blue screen get passed on connection cause that'd be funny. Joonghyuk would be like ?? what is he thinking, if so. Don't mind him returning to the dishes as he drops this. Think he isn't clever enough to somehow swing back? ]
With that time you could go kiss that person again.
[ Should have just told him. Not me skipping the rest of my inbox when I'm about to leave work just to dunk on Dokja. ]
Meanwhile, Dokja makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, entire body tensing in reaction. There's no reasonable way to play stupid out of this one. This is killing him. He is going to fucking die. Again.
Drawing his hand back, his narrowed eyes dart around the room like they're in search of someone. Specifically... ]
Han Sooyoung told you?
[ His tone is accusing, embarrassment now gone as something more indignant replaces it. He can't believe she spilled the beans to Joonghyuk. Worse than that, he can't believe what he's even hearing because why in the hell would he go kiss Eustace again?? ]
More like she was talking to herself while she was communioning me.
[ You know how annoying it is to be a soundboard? Why do you stinkies talk to yourselves all the time? Sometimes, Joonghyuk isn't sure why he's included in conversations when what people want to do is vent their passions or grievances.
The dishes are done, so he puts them away into the cupboards before he wipes down the counter clean. Excess water and suds are not allowed. No matter where Dokja looks, the conniving Han Sooyoung is nowhere to be found. Only her belongings left behind remain in the room. ]
You can spend time with them.
[ The emotion that rides on their connection is... Peace? He's happy for you, Dokja, to have found someone to KISS. ]
[ You grow up talking to yourself when there's no one else there for you, OKAY.
Dokja is left dumbstruck as his gaze returns to Joonghyuk, and he stares. He stares like he's not sure what to make of this suggestion because a second ago he was being told to spend his time kissing? For what reason? What's more unnerving is the strange sense of peace that comes across their connection, which only further stresses him out. ]
But I asked you?
[ In contrast to the peace that Joonghyuk exudes, Dokja hits back with complete bewilderment. He doesn't understand what a pollen-fueled night of kissing has to do with accompanying him to the libraries, and while he's mortified that this news is traveling, he's not thinking too much on the act itself. ]
[ Because Dokja should be spending time with those he loves? How difficult is that to understand—except that there's a misunderstanding somewhere here. Joonghyuk, while aware of the confusion and stress in their connection, simply believes that Dokja is emotionally obtuse. He's been at the end of his stupidity before.
He soaks the towel under the faucet, then wrings it of excess water before he looks over to Dokja for like. A whole second. Then looks ahead at nothing in particular, possibly recalling what she said or wanting to avoid remembering. ]
That she was forced to see it.
[ There's a sense that, yeah, he's obscuring some other things. Maybe it's best if he doesn't tell him that Sooyoung blasted the image into his head. ]
[ This might possibly be the worst conversation he's ever had with Joonghyuk. His bewilderment splinters off into even more confusion at the answer he receives, Dokja squinting his eyes as he stares at the other man like he can gleam all the answers just by staring hard enough. ]
She wasn't forced to see it.
[ The incredulity of his tone pitches it higher than usual and then he's pacing. He's pacing because he needs something to do in this moment that isn't just standing there looking like a dumbfounded idiot. ]
I didn't even know she was there. Ugh, what kind of useless things is she saying...
[ Sorry, Joonghyuk, but there it is again. Dokja is mostly talking to himself now as he moves back and forth in the small space offered to them. ]
[ Joonghyuk thinks back on the communion... Sooyoung was upset for other reasons, more important things, than whatever they're talking about. Rightfully so—he feels the same way as her, but he was never as vocal. Instead, he allowed his emotions to emanate from his very person, for his actions and his blade to speak for him. Until today, of course. This is his first using a different approach.
He doesn't know if Sooyoung ended up doing something nice to Dokja with her name attached, but he won't ask. As much as they are at odds, Joonghyuk is her ally and he won't jeopardize her plans to mend their relationship. This includes if she ruins it herself. That's her problem.
The kitchen countertop is clean, so he's left to stand. Turning his body toward Dokja, he leans back against counter with arms crossed. It's very casual and laidback. ]
She was curious about your budding relationship.
[ This part he will divulge because it's not important. ]
[ Pump the brakes. Dokja stops in his pacing to shoot Joonghyuk an incredulous stare. ]
Budding...?
[ That's the part he focuses on, because the "relationship" here clearly means in a purely platonic sense. It's almost impressive how much Dokja doesn't even consider what else it could mean. ]
She's being ridiculous. I've known Eustace for almost a year now.
[ It doesn't feel like a long time... Especially when he considers the countless years he'd spent before arriving in Horos, but saying it out loud has Dokja's expression twisting, as if everything's become a little more real than previously just by acknowledging how long he's been part of this "save your worlds" mess. ]
[ A year means nothing to Joonghyuk, but he understands that is still long... He knows that his and Sooyoung's arrival is relatively new. His eyebrows arch to his bangs as he fits the timeframe in to the narrative. ]
So you fell long ago?
[ Dokja. Why are you stupid? Joonghyuk uses a phrase that should make it obvious what they're talking about... He doesn't outright say it because he's giving the other man way too much credit here. However, Dokja is not. Instilling a lot of confidence in him. In hindsight, he wonders why he assumed back then that Sangah and Dokja were a couple.
[ Ah, here it is. The slow realization as Dokja's head slowly tilts to the side while he narrows his eyes like something's on the verge of clicking in his head. Fell? Fell for what? Fell for Eustace?
The idea is so shocking that he thinks he's misheard. Or misunderstood. In fact, the surprise comes across with such a hitting force in their Exalt connection that it's enough to make it plainly obvious that Dokja is completely flabbergasted by the idea. Sure, he likes Eustace, but... in the way that's being assumed?? ]
... Yoo Joonghyuk, tell me you don't think I'm in some kind of romantic relationship with Eustace.
[ PLEASE. He's mentally in shambles while he outwardly presents himself in as composed of a manner as possible. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Nevertheless, expected that answer and it gains his usual frown, not that Dokja can see his expression twisting to something familiar. Again obstinate and stubborn, unyielding and steadfast, Joonghyuk willfully rejects the implications that he should live life as Dokja prepared for him. He can't. He won't.
A long silence follows. Anyone would think the conversation is dropped, but Joonghyuk's dark gaze stays on the other man. He returns with an addendum. ]
Would you be happier?
[ It isn't about him, it's about Dokja. ]
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It's muted, nearly lost under the torrent of his other, darker emotions, but it's present. Shapeless and fragile, it flickers to life a little more than before as he dwells on the question.
... And Dokja flinches when he realizes Joonghyuk must sense it, too. ]
What's gotten into you all of a sudden?
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There's a calm from Joonghyuk's side, even if it's murky like dark waters. Rustling sounds as he takes a stand with footfalls following his steps. He stands behind Dokja, looming over with a watchful gaze. Curiosity needles as he wonders how Dokja survived Horos. Who did he have? There was those two prisoners, but now nowhere in sight. A blanket stifles niggling inquiries when he remembers he doesn't know.
He doesn't know anything because Dokja hasn't told him. ]
You belong by our side.
[ Without payment, without atonement. Is that the answer Dokja is looking for? Probably not, but it's the reminder Joonghyuk wants to give him. ]
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How he wants to believe in those words. They tempt him in such a way that he can feel himself waver, if only just a bit, before he's reminded what being by their sides had cost them. In an instant, the reality comes crashing back down on him, and he finds himself shaking with the effort to maintain what little composure he has left.
He takes in a deep, shuddering breath, then exhales slowly. Again, he doesn't turn around. ]
Sometimes I wish you weren't such a stubborn bastard.
[ Annoying... Frustrating, even. Not untrue, but not entirely true either. After all, isn't this what had drawn him to Yoo Joonghyuk in the first place? ]
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[ Which is by their side, as he already said. How many times will they need to keep repeating themselves? Joonghyuk feels that he has been writing on the wall that separates them, waiting with bated breath for the other man to read the messages he and their companions left for him.
A lonely existence.
Joonghyuk understood that well. He was once on a lonely pilgrimage through the apocalypse, but as he thinks about it now... Was he truly alone? Dokja was reading his story the whole time, wasn't he?
His lips press into a fine line as his emotions twist and turn in all sorts of directions. In the end, longing echoes more than once. His fingers twitch, tempted to reach out to him... But physical touch could never break down the invisible wall between them. ]
You said we would talk.
[ His tone of voice is the same, but the connection adds hints and undertones. There's a mix of frustration, anxiety, worry, sadness, and a very small amount that would betray him worst of all—he may be sulky. Why is his companion treating him and Sooyoung so poorly? What did they do to deserve this?
Through and through, Joonghyuk despises aspects and legacies whatever name they take on, but one can only control their emotions as well as they can. ]
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He's never been the greatest at managing his emotions, and then the Fourth Wall had put him out of practice completely by the nature of its existence.
Sighing quietly, he releases the hold he has on the sink and returns his attention to the pile of plates that still need putting away, the distraction welcome but not very effective while Joonghyuk continues to loom over him as emotions slip loose between them. In fact, their emotions in this current time are so similar that it just seems to feed off of each other, creating a weird loop that continuously spirals as the air hangs heavy over the pair. ]
What do you want to know?
[ He phrases the question like he's open to the conversation, tone inviting enough. But again, there's no hiding the way his anxiety shoots up as he realizes what's finally about to happen.
So much for avoiding it forever. ]
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What you are thinking.
[ General, because what he has meant is that he wants Dokja to talk to him. It isn't their communication style—it never has been. They are people who speak through actions, through the taste of steel, with blood drawn and strewn onto the floor. How long will that sustain them? Is it enough for him now? It was enough for him before. They understood each other (maybe it was one-sided). They could read each other's next move (but how many steps could he have predicted). He thought Dokja understood him better than he understood himself. He still thinks that, as much as he dislikes the thought.
Every day, he wonders what's on Dokja's mind... Suspicious of what he may be scheming, if maybe his state of mind is depreciating, if he's stewing in self-loathing when he catches him by his lonesome. When Dokja keeps them at a distance, when he gently pushes them away, Joonghyuk wished he knew why. What could he do?
What is he supposed to do? ]
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Uneasiness stirs within him, the idea of anyone getting a glimpse of just how much of a mess the inside of his head is anxiously prickling at his skin. He certainly doesn't want to trouble Joonghyuk with any of it, so he defaults to a more casual answer in the hopes of deflecting while still offering something. ]
... Currently? Well, I guess I was thinking of what to do tonight. I've been staying out late these days, so I might call it in early for a change.
[ He chatters on as he works, but the tone of his voice and the easy way in which he speaks doesn't match the exhausted slope of his shoulders, the dark circles under his eyes, or the heavy, stilted air settled over him. ]
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He hopes for the same for the man beside him. ]
It would be good if you got more sleep. You need more of it.
[ Odd enough, Joonghyuk entertains the mundane topic in hopes it is relaxing in the slightest. Yes, he wants to know more... He wishes to know what ails Dokja, but this is a good start. Dokja seldom ever talked about other things that weren't scenario-related.
Slowly, the amount of clean plates pile with soft clinks. ]
What have you been doing?
[ Does it sound like a wife who's worried about her husband coming home late... Maybe. ]
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Maybe he'd always wanted something like this. Maybe he had occasionally entertained the thought of having someone beside him while he worked to chase away the loneliness.
So he (awkwardly) holds on to this. ]
Oh. Exploring, mostly. Sometimes I run into a familiar face so I stick around to chat.
[ He is trying very hard not to think of his latest run-in and what that had entailed, all too aware of the shared Aspect between himself and Joonghyuk... But a little embarrassment might creep out, which he is quick to distract from by speaking out a second time. ]
There are a lot of libraries in Akadimaïkós, too. I was thinking of spending more time there in general.
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It truly is difficult to quell the uneasiness he feels. When it's meant to be gone, the lack of it makes him more uneasy. The ping of embarrassment is good distraction and, naturally, Joonghyuk is a curious one and that sincerity shines through their aspect. As odd as the connection is, as much as he hates his thoughts and emotions being conveyed without a say, and as much he prefers to give people the privacy he wishes for himself...
Joonghyuk feels Dokja is indebted to him, for all the times he read him, for the times he possessed his body, and the times he left him behind. ]
You made a fool out of yourself recently?
[ In Joonghyuk fashion, he focuses on what benefits him, what he's interested in, even if it's at the expense of another.
Always at the expense of another, actually. ]
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The conversation he'd had with Sooyoung had been awkward enough, ending in a fiery blaze where things had very quickly gone south, and he really doesn't want to have to go through the same mortifying account with Joonghyuk. Mild panic touches upon their connection, and by the time Dokja realizes that this, too, can be felt, he's internally losing it as he's forced to think about what had happened at that time. ]
It wasn't... that.
[ Mercy, please. He's desperate for an out, mind racing at top speed for a subject change yet again. ]
—Joonghyuk-ah, [ he says, relying on that age old informal friendliness and immediately rounding on the other man to grab him by the arm. ] You know what I've been thinking? You should join me on one of the visits to the libraries.
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It was that.
[ With full confidence, not an inkling of doubt in his mind. Dokja's little spiral which he can feel in waves emboldens him further.
why are you acting like ruby dokja The touch has him slow in his task and turn with a cocked brow. He doesn't try to pry or swat that hand away. It may stay... It has been years, hasn't it? He hadn't laid a hand on the avatar left behind. There was a fear, funny as it was, that he'd break something fragile and precious. Remembrance subsides and he lands on the obvious question: what is Dokja scheming this time? ]
Why?
[ Not in an annoyed way, but inquisitive. Dokja has never invited him anywhere before without a purpose. Usually, that purpose is to progress his plans. ]
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Hastily, Dokja moves past that awkward bump in the road in exchange for something a little more makeshift, hand squeezing the arm he's taken hold of while he mind does a mental blue screen at how unfairly firm and muscled it is for just a second before he blinks back to himself. Where was he. ]
Why not?
[ He knows he's being annoying by shooting back the question, but he does not have an answer that would be satisfactory for Dokja and Dokja only, so dodge it is. ]
It's not like you're busy.
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[ He says that, but Dokja is right and probably knows that. Most of his time is spend wandering, talking to locals and natives, trying to find any useful world lore. So far, there's not much.
Does the blue screen get passed on connection cause that'd be funny. Joonghyuk would be like ?? what is he thinking, if so. Don't mind him returning to the dishes as he drops this. Think he isn't clever enough to somehow swing back? ]
With that time you could go kiss that person again.
[ Should have just told him. Not me skipping the rest of my inbox when I'm about to leave work just to dunk on Dokja. ]
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Meanwhile, Dokja makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, entire body tensing in reaction. There's no reasonable way to play stupid out of this one. This is killing him. He is going to fucking die. Again.
Drawing his hand back, his narrowed eyes dart around the room like they're in search of someone. Specifically... ]
Han Sooyoung told you?
[ His tone is accusing, embarrassment now gone as something more indignant replaces it. He can't believe she spilled the beans to Joonghyuk. Worse than that, he can't believe what he's even hearing because why in the hell would he go kiss Eustace again?? ]
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[ You know how annoying it is to be a soundboard? Why do you stinkies talk to yourselves all the time? Sometimes, Joonghyuk isn't sure why he's included in conversations when what people want to do is vent their passions or grievances.
The dishes are done, so he puts them away into the cupboards before he wipes down the counter clean. Excess water and suds are not allowed. No matter where Dokja looks, the conniving Han Sooyoung is nowhere to be found. Only her belongings left behind remain in the room. ]
You can spend time with them.
[ The emotion that rides on their connection is... Peace? He's happy for you, Dokja, to have found someone to KISS. ]
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Dokja is left dumbstruck as his gaze returns to Joonghyuk, and he stares. He stares like he's not sure what to make of this suggestion because a second ago he was being told to spend his time kissing? For what reason? What's more unnerving is the strange sense of peace that comes across their connection, which only further stresses him out. ]
But I asked you?
[ In contrast to the peace that Joonghyuk exudes, Dokja hits back with complete bewilderment. He doesn't understand what a pollen-fueled night of kissing has to do with accompanying him to the libraries, and while he's mortified that this news is traveling, he's not thinking too much on the act itself. ]
Hold on, what did she tell you?
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He soaks the towel under the faucet, then wrings it of excess water before he looks over to Dokja for like. A whole second. Then looks ahead at nothing in particular, possibly recalling what she said or wanting to avoid remembering. ]
That she was forced to see it.
[ There's a sense that, yeah, he's obscuring some other things. Maybe it's best if he doesn't tell him that Sooyoung blasted the image into his head. ]
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She wasn't forced to see it.
[ The incredulity of his tone pitches it higher than usual and then he's pacing. He's pacing because he needs something to do in this moment that isn't just standing there looking like a dumbfounded idiot. ]
I didn't even know she was there. Ugh, what kind of useless things is she saying...
[ Sorry, Joonghyuk, but there it is again. Dokja is mostly talking to himself now as he moves back and forth in the small space offered to them. ]
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He doesn't know if Sooyoung ended up doing something nice to Dokja with her name attached, but he won't ask. As much as they are at odds, Joonghyuk is her ally and he won't jeopardize her plans to mend their relationship. This includes if she ruins it herself. That's her problem.
The kitchen countertop is clean, so he's left to stand. Turning his body toward Dokja, he leans back against counter with arms crossed. It's very casual and laidback. ]
She was curious about your budding relationship.
[ This part he will divulge because it's not important. ]
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Budding...?
[ That's the part he focuses on, because the "relationship" here clearly means in a purely platonic sense. It's almost impressive how much Dokja doesn't even consider what else it could mean. ]
She's being ridiculous. I've known Eustace for almost a year now.
[ It doesn't feel like a long time... Especially when he considers the countless years he'd spent before arriving in Horos, but saying it out loud has Dokja's expression twisting, as if everything's become a little more real than previously just by acknowledging how long he's been part of this "save your worlds" mess. ]
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So you fell long ago?
[ Dokja. Why are you stupid? Joonghyuk uses a phrase that should make it obvious what they're talking about... He doesn't outright say it because he's giving the other man way too much credit here. However, Dokja is not. Instilling a lot of confidence in him. In hindsight, he wonders why he assumed back then that Sangah and Dokja were a couple.
He truly was foolish years ago, he thinks. ]
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The idea is so shocking that he thinks he's misheard. Or misunderstood. In fact, the surprise comes across with such a hitting force in their Exalt connection that it's enough to make it plainly obvious that Dokja is completely flabbergasted by the idea. Sure, he likes Eustace, but... in the way that's being assumed?? ]
... Yoo Joonghyuk, tell me you don't think I'm in some kind of romantic relationship with Eustace.
[ PLEASE. He's mentally in shambles while he outwardly presents himself in as composed of a manner as possible. ]
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