pc catchall | turboheaven | jiaoqiu

[historicals]

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[historicals]

Ah.

[ he glances at his little chao, who squeaks, and then smiles and dips his head. it's polite, like ever, but it's... lacking. ]

... I'm not sure. I must have just dozed off. [ sotto voiced, he holds a hand out to his chao, who sticks his head under taair's hand, and then very lightly pets it. ] I'm sorry if I worried you.

[fried]

[ his ears fall back just a little bit. ]

Finding what appeared to be a body was an experience. [ dryly. but. ] ... Do you need help standing?

[historicals]

Ahaha... no, no. I... must have just lost track of time.

[ easy to do that, nowadays.

he looks up to jiaoqiu as he offers - and then eventually nods, obediently, still that sort of dead-eyed even with his little smile. ]

Yes. Thank you very much.

[fried]

[ this is wigging him out, but more in a like... very concerned way, rather than a what the fuck way.

he will carefully help taair up, looking him over, and then: ]

Are you alright? What's on your mind? [ like, clearly he looks like he's going through one of these fun little switch things, jiaoqiu's seen enough of them, but... ]

[historicals]

[ .... ]

I'm not sure the last time someone asked me that. [ there's a very soft huff, and he lifts a hand, adjusting the crown with a delicate hand. ] I'm alright, of course... I just must not have slept well.

Did you need something from me, Jiaoqiu...?

[fried]

... No.

[ he doesn't need anything, but. ]

But your behavior is a little strange. [ a beat. ] Come with me, hm? Indulge me.

[historicals]

Whatever you'd like.

[ he folds his hands in front of himself, nodding to his chao as it peeps at him, and will obediently follow jiaoqiu wherever he'd like to go! no protest, and... no pleasant chatting, either. just silence. ]

[fried]

[ oh this is actually exactly what he does not like, and what he reacted so poorly to before. which is why instead of moving, he folds his arms. ]

What is wrong with you? What sort of curse is this? [ annoyed ear flick. ]

[historicals]

...I'm sorry...?

[ well at least he immediately looks chastised. like, immediately so - he straightens a little like he's trying to make sure he looks okay, lifts his chin as if he is being inspected. ]

[fried]

None of that. [ knocks his knuckles gently against the side of taair's temple. ]

Where is your spirit, hm? Did that crown of yours eat it?

[ don't be like him. he doesn't want you to be like him. ]

[historicals]

[ haha! yeah!

he tilts his head just slightly to the side - flinching a little, and then reaching up to touch that spot, even if it was gentle. ]

...I'm...not sure what you mean.

[fried]

[ frowns. ]

I mean that you -- [ a pause. his ears pin back. ] Do you study history, Taair? Do you collect stories?

[historicals]

[ there's -

a beat. and a tiny spark of something familiar, there and gone as he looks away, curling his hands in the front of his clothes. ]

I used to.

[fried]

And what took that from you?

[ there's an icy undercurrent to that. ]

[historicals]

...Duty.

[ he says with that same soft smile. duty. duty stole it away.

it's right around this time that he wobbles, starting to step forward - and then, with no other warning really, he swoons. i'm so sorry for your noodle boy ]

[fried]

[ bad! double bad! jiaoqiu is not really built to catch people, but he does his best - he scoots forward to try and steady taair with a soft curse under his breath, ears pinned back. ]

[historicals]

[ and it's right as this happen that the change seems to revert - the hair shrinks back to short, the heavy crown vanishes, and he clutches onto jiaoqiu's arms, sucking in a sharp, surprised breath.

and then blinking, he looks up? and it's all gone. ] --Jiaoqiu?

[fried]

[ oh thank god

wow he hated that!! is that what it's like to others!! will he stop doing it himself? no. anyway. ]

Taair. [ jesus. he adjusts, keeping him up. ] What a terrible thing this week has been doing...

[historicals]

[ haha wow yeah imagine that.....

thankfully once he's less disoriented, taair doesn't have too much trouble - he rights himself after a moment, managing an appreciative smile, and then reaches up his other hand and rubs at his temples. ]

Indeed... oh, my head hurts. Did I frighten you...? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.

[fried]

No, not... frightened, necessarily. [ sigh. ] Concerned.

Let's go to the kitchen, hm? Shake you free of the rest of this. [ waits, though, because he doesn't want to see taair just obediently do it. ]

[historicals]

[ god. yes. that sounds great. ]

I would like that very much.

[ this answer comes immediately - warm and clearly grateful, relieved. much more normal taair, as he sets his hand to his heart. ] Can I help you with the cooking again?

[fried]

[ okay. that's a little better, he likes this reaction much more. a huff. ]

You can, yes. I'd like that. [ and he'll start to lead them both, but as they're walking: ] Taair. Are you royalty, of some kind?

[ he's got such a jumbled sense of where taair came from, but the crown is a dead give-away. ]

[historicals]

[ ughhghgh his least favorite question. it's not that he isn't aware of what just happened, but he thought he might be able to get out of answering any questions about it. still, jiaoqiu is way too quick, and he sighs. ]

... It's... a bit complicated. But...yes. My parents were once the King and Queen of the State of Iria. [ a beat ] Please don't tell anyone...

[fried]

I wasn't planning on shouting it from the rooftops.

[ huff. ]

I didn't enjoy seeing you like that.

[historicals]

I know you wouldn't.

[ jiaoqiu seems like the like. last person to tell a secret, but he can't help himself - it's reflexive. ] It was a bit strange, wasn't it...? I'm not sure how much I enjoyed it, either.

[ wry - tugging a tiny half smile on his face as he says it, though it's not quite there. ]

I don't... [ .... ] ...Well. You know the saying. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.