Thursday, Week 4, 1-ISH

[poorlovefool]

[As he was called out on, Eric is not at the pool at one sharp. He's got cold feet in a major way, the happy smile of the mermaid on the cover doing little to help him find his own legs. He really shouldn't have set this up at the pool. The theater of his mind paints pictures of the former swimmer pushing him in and telling him IT would make him breathe underwater while smiling. Brr...

So it's a good thing he got to bring help along. In any case, he's not sure what to expect, why their benefactors wanted him to have this story, but he has to believe it'll help somehow. ....But seriously, is this really going to be worth it? Eric steps over the threshold, then back around the corner, a little disgusted by the scent of the chlorine.]

Argh, I can't take it. You do it, Karma! [He starts to hand the book to him, then jerks his hands back before he can take it.]

Wait, don't - he's gonna stick me in one of those awful tubes if I ditch, isn't he?

[He can't have that!! Sticking his head in the door, Eric puts on his most asymmetrical smile to date.]

H-Hi! We made it!

Comments

[poorlovefool]

[Eric's jaw drops at the bold teasing Karma makes and he starts to mouth 'how did you' before he explains about the blush he couldn't quite see out of his periphery. He can definitely see the panic on Hiyori's face though, and he sets his jaw. His brow furrows as he watches him glance around- he can NOT let him run for it while they're making a breakthrough like this, so Eric is staying right here. Listening, even as he has to lean away from this widened arm span, he may not actually be trying to put it around Eric's shoulders but he's still encroaching on his bubble. His eyes widen at the heartfelt declaration (even though he's wrong because Mira's smile is more adorable.) Grasping that this boy is someone that's already like family. And then... NOPE. He can't deal with the uncanny voice this close to him. Eric skittishly propels himself to the other chair to sit next to Karma instead, breathing faster from the flight response. Hiyori is now quivering on that bench alone, which only makes what he confesses next more sad. And Eric's looking directly at him while he does.

So they really were all lies. He's not good at telling lie from truth, especially as his head tells him to trust. He knows not to, but he trusts so few people that it's pitifully hard to let go of. Is Eric angry? Yes.... what he tells him next is completely appalling. It's so upsetting his eyes are starting to glow and he has to close them, to take a breath.]

Hiyori... that. [Eric whines, a distinct noise of its own, before he can think of how to put it in words.] That's so much bullshit!

[He can put it together. The vision with this. Ikuya was the other kid in the drawing, the one he had such a pure emotion for. Finally, Eric opens his eyes again, still completely searing to look at for a second, so he turns his gaze on Hiyori's fingers at the corner of the book. The glow only fades just then as his power wanes, were it not for that it would likely have stayed. Anyway, he snaps his attention back across from him.]

You may not care, but I know how long you guys knew each other. If you've been missing for a year... it must have broken that Ikuya guy's heart! Are you just not going to think about that?

[He looks up at Karma.]

Let's give it back.

[comesaround]

[ See this? This is the face of someone who absolutely hit the nail on the head about this whole matter.

Karma just laughed a little and shook his head at the comment tied in with his level of schooling. There was an air of mischievousness that glittered in his eyes now as well, a soft hum sounding as he canted his head to the side slightly. ]

Well. You can thank a certain blond english teacher of mine for that. Curvy, Blue eyes, generally nice to look at as far as women go. She had plenty to say, having been a former assassin and unafraid to be upfront with a lot of... things she's done in her life.

[ Surely things could be pieced in from there, but he won't press things beyond that point. Not with things progressing the way they were now, getting some pretty fascinating reactions down to the obvious mask.

What's even more intriguing than that is that lovely bit of information, and for once? Something soft filled his expression as he listened to Hiyori's heartfelt words, resonating with him to a certain level. He never thought they'd be able to actually pry that information out of their dear host, paying attention to the little things from the gentle way he spoke of Ikuya, his brother and most notably??

..felt like I had a place to belong.

He hadn't really been present before now, when it came to that uncanny, demonic voice that followed, and unlike Eric who moved to sit next to him? Karma barely even reacted, well aware that probably wasn't so much Hiyori speaking, as IT was. What came after this, was almost sad and incredibly relatable, and something pained flashed behind Karma's eyes. ]

I'd have to agree with Eric on this one.

[ Speaking of which? There was another good point, to which he nodded without a second thought. ]

You know, if I was you, Hiyori? I'd be pissed if they'd done something like that to me, and made it so I no longer missed or cared about Nagisa. That's a big part of why I'll never side with IT, because I enjoy being able to care and miss about someone so close to me and my heart. Just as Ikuya means so much to you. I'd almost think... you love him, actually. [ There's nothing demeaning here. Just complete honesty as he levels his gaze with Hiyori firmly. ] Did you stop to wonder about him? That he probably misses you a lot? I agree with Eric... it probably broke his heart and likely still hurts him, not knowing where you are and if you're okay.

[ That's when he finally pauses, glancing over to Eric quietly for a moment. He wasn't expecting that, but with this breakthrough? ]

Sure. Why not?

[ Karma turned the book over in his hands before holding it out for Hiyori to take, a small smile in place. This was not the time to be snarky or sassy. There was a time and place for that, after all. ]

Here. Take it. Don't lose it again, okay?

[mermaidkin]

I... have researched Irina Jelavić but I'll have to take your word for it...

[Haha, get it? Because he is not interested in men and not women! Just to clear that up! He is so comfortable with people knowing about this that he can even make jokes about it!!! Everything is!!! Fine!!!!!!!! Also this isn't a distraction that Hiyori is focusing on instead of these accusations. This idea that Ikuya cares, that he's going crazy, that Hiyori loves him, is clearly striking Hiyori like a knife each time.]

The whole reason I'm here is to understand these types of things when my leader doesn't care. Of course I wouldn't have chosen something like this, before I learned more about the world. And I know that Ikuya Kirishima is not going to simply ignore that his acquaintance has disappeared. But break his heart of all things? He says he sold it to get stronger at swimming, before we "first" met seven years ago. So that's impossible.

[Checkmate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a shit-eater!!!!!!!!!!! He scoops the book up into his arms, getting a neat hold against his chest like an important business folder.]

But this is... a part of me. You could even say it's about the "inevitable reality" that nothing less than a wish can change. So I might as well keep it. Thanks for your time.

[poorlovefool]

[What is going ON with this teacher discussion..... Eric ignores that, watching him react. It looks like they're making a breakthrough, but then he keeps saying stuff like that. Are these lies too, or does he really believe this about his friend? Why is swimming so fucking dramatic?

Well, at least he is keeping the book. And that thing about him being here so the leader can understand, that's something that might be important to remember later. So... this was a success? It hasn't been pleasant at all, except maybe for Karma, but he'll chalk it up as one.]

Still sounds like a load of crap to me. Shows what I know about swimming, I guess.

[he is pretty sure it's not supposed to be LIKE that, even so.]

Well if it's really the mermaid story... There's this thing called creative license. [He shakes his head.] See ya later.