[ the bristling doesn't surprise him at all: more than anything, taair appreciates the way he eases, the patience for the end of the tale more than he could ever really say.
his gaze flicks to fidelio's profile as he's looking at the coins, finally tearing himself away from the majesty of the statues, then back to the water itself, to the coins and the lights and the lovely sight of the fountain itself as he lets the story percolate between them, over the soft smell of fine baked goods nad sea breezes, the soft bubbling of the water. it's a swirl of feelings, nostalgic for something he's never known, impassioned by the wonder and joy of a work of the soul, by a piece of breathing history to be shared with another person, who not only listens but asks questions. who wants to know.
the question is a good one, in fact, and he hums in response. ]
Mn - they were on board. Surprising, isn't it...? I couldn't believe it, either.
[ the church in rodinia is no better than the one in euchronia, and taair has lived under its thumb for so long that it's a sentiment that they share, in many ways. the papal states would be a far kinder place if they chose to think this way - while he knows it didn't last, one little monument of peace, of togetherness, of cultural unity, means something.
absently, taair reaches his free hand down, to skim his fingertips over the surface of the water. ]
The wishes became so popular that apparently, in the true version of this place, the coins in the fountain are taken out daily, and donated to charities to feed the poor and hungry around the city itself.
[ their perspective on it is small, in the grand scheme of- it could be (and is) just as terrible as the crown theocracy. as the light of sanctuary. but right here, in this moment, it’s a little slice of what ought to be. ]
…It is truly wonderful to think what can be achieved, with a leader who dreams not of self-gain, but of peace.
[ there’s something reflective as he says it, quiet - but he won’t let himself linger on it, and he turns his head to Fidelio, and there’s a twinkle in his eye, not too dissimilar to one two seconds that came before he was peering into a grave. His hand is still in the water. ]
You don’t think they would mind terribly if we borrowed a coin or two to not line our own pockets, but perhaps… to toss back in?
Well said! And, surely, it is going to a good cause.
[ a very silly cause, but a good cause nonetheless. pleased taair pulls his sleeve back and fearlessly dunks his hand into the water plucking out a few coins, and holding them carefully in his cupped hand. let's see... ]
The legend I read said the trick is to face away from the fountain, and then toss the coin over your right shoulder, using your right hand - if it lands in the water, you make a wish that you will return to the city once again. A first coin for safe travels. And then, a second coin for...
[ there's
a pause, and the pink that had finally faded on his face starts to return in full force. ]
[ embarrassing, yes, but - well, he still smiles, as he hands two coins to fidelio. the legend is three, technically, but he's forgotten about it entirely in the face of both getting embarrassed and in how very fast his heart is beating, as he turns to face away from the fountain and closes his eyes. ]
On the count of three - the first one, for a happy return. One... two...
[ follows suit and throws the first coin over his shoulder on three! it hits the water with a little splash. feels kind of goofy wishing to come back here when it's just 20 minutes away on a train car, but he'll go along with it. ]
All right. [ clears his throat. ] Er... Same thing for the second one, then?
[ it does feel very silly indeed - he thinks much the same, and there's a smile on his face when he tosses it over his shoulder, a second splash to match. the second coin's a little chilly between his fingertips, and he takes it carefully, keeping his eyes closed.
ears beginning to turn red in his hair, he takes a deep breath. ]
... Yes. The second coin, on the count of three... a wish for love and romance.
[ saying it out loud feels like swallowing a butterfly. ] One, two...
[ tosses this one too! and it hits with another splash. honestly he's not sure how anyone could possibly miss these shots with how big the fountain is; if they're bad at throwing they probably have bigger things they should be wishing for.
... ]
Right.
[ takes a deep breath and turns to face taair.
...seeing how flustered he is now on top of everything else, it's not like there's any reason to still have doubts about his interest, is there? no matter how improbable it seems. ]
[ right. it takes him a second after the wish is made - wishes are the sort of thing he's often dabbled in, and though he mentally often puts words to them, this time, not so much. instead, he breathes in and holds it for a moment, lets the feeling put into wishes than words, and then slowly, his eyes flutter open.
he turns his head when he's addressed to meet his eyes - still pink, naturally, but smiling soft as he absently reaches up to tuck a lock of his own hair behind his ear for something to do with some of that fluttering bird sensation. ]
[ ...god he still has to stand on his toes to do this.
GETS UP ON HIS TOES and unless taair decides he doesn't actually want this once he realises what's happening, fidelio will lightly press a kiss to his lips. ]
admittedly - he probably should have seen this coming, actually, and he makes the tiniest noise, somewhere between surprised and oh, obviously one breathless note. taair can't even actually help himself - still just pressed to that light kiss, his mouth quirks up into a smile. ]
... [ he leans down a little further, so fidelio doesn't have to stay on his toes, and sets one delicate hand gently against his arm. then murmurs, flustered but not at all displeased: ] ... Granting wishes?
[ instinctually, his grip gets a little more sure as he comes down, carefully following in case he needs any support, and. well. he doesn't really want to pull away, either.
seeing fidelio smile makes something in his chest do a backflip, and he ducks his head to hide his own smile just a little, peeking at him through his lashes. ]
...You are succeeding. [ verbal confirmation, if the signals weren't enough. ]
[ the whole other reason they came down here! it feels all very giddy for a second - taair laughs and hurries to settle back to where he set the food down, patting the edge of the fountain. ]
Here - come, come sit, let's eat.
[ though, as he turns his head to busy himself pulling the napkins out of the bag, fidelio might see him very briefly touch his fingertips to his own lips before he turns back around. a ]
[ watches myself switch the spelling of donut halfway through this thread
fidelio laughs too, and joins him in sitting back down on the ledge... and he does notice that little motion, which gives him a happy fluttery feeling himself.
he'd resigned himself years ago to what had seemed like the probable reality that he would never kiss anyone or have any kind of romantic interaction; as genuine as his feelings for junah were, he never once seriously considered that she would ever return them. and that was fine, because he'd had much more important things to deal with.
but it's nice seeing now that someone actually can look at him that way, and for the right reasons. ]
Lookin' forward to this after the praise from earlier.
as taair gets settled, stretching out his legs, he laughs a little to that: ] I hope they don't disappoint!
[ there's a sense of giddiness to it - a simple happiness, fueled by those little butterflies. there's a pressing reminder somewhere in the back of his mind, a need to put things to words, but... for now, just for now, it's so much sweeter to simply savor the experience and all the implications that come with, to not think about the future but think about the now.
so. he plucks a donut free from the bag for himself, shaking off a little extra powdered sugar back into the bag, then offering it to fidelio. they're still warm because this is heaven.
and then holds his little donut out between his fingers afterwards. ] Cheers?
[ hopefully heaven also has germ-free fountain water and coins but fidelio is less concerned about this than i am so.
he takes a donut too, also tapping it a little on the side of the bag to get rid of some of the loose powdered sugar before it gets everywhere. (he's impressed that it's still warm. one of like, five things heaven has done right.) ]
happily, he will take the little 'toast', and then pull the donut up and pop it in his mouth! it's just as tasty as it was the first time (though - maybe better, in good company?) and he makes a happy little noise, melting a bit in job and then peeking over to see del's reaction, too...? ]
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historicals) wrote2025-02-17 06:17 pm
no subject
his gaze flicks to fidelio's profile as he's looking at the coins, finally tearing himself away from the majesty of the statues, then back to the water itself, to the coins and the lights and the lovely sight of the fountain itself as he lets the story percolate between them, over the soft smell of fine baked goods nad sea breezes, the soft bubbling of the water. it's a swirl of feelings, nostalgic for something he's never known, impassioned by the wonder and joy of a work of the soul, by a piece of breathing history to be shared with another person, who not only listens but asks questions. who wants to know.
the question is a good one, in fact, and he hums in response. ]
Mn - they were on board. Surprising, isn't it...? I couldn't believe it, either.
[ the church in rodinia is no better than the one in euchronia, and taair has lived under its thumb for so long that it's a sentiment that they share, in many ways. the papal states would be a far kinder place if they chose to think this way - while he knows it didn't last, one little monument of peace, of togetherness, of cultural unity, means something.
absently, taair reaches his free hand down, to skim his fingertips over the surface of the water. ]
The wishes became so popular that apparently, in the true version of this place, the coins in the fountain are taken out daily, and donated to charities to feed the poor and hungry around the city itself.
no subject
Sounds a hell of a lot better than the churches in other worlds.
[ like the kind of church rella would have wanted theirs to be, he thinks. ]
Can't imagine the Crown Theocracy wouldn't just use everyone's wishes to line its own pockets.
no subject
[ their perspective on it is small, in the grand scheme of- it could be (and is) just as terrible as the crown theocracy. as the light of sanctuary. but right here, in this moment, it’s a little slice of what ought to be. ]
…It is truly wonderful to think what can be achieved, with a leader who dreams not of self-gain, but of peace.
[ there’s something reflective as he says it, quiet - but he won’t let himself linger on it, and he turns his head to Fidelio, and there’s a twinkle in his eye, not too dissimilar to one two seconds that came before he was peering into a grave. His hand is still in the water. ]
You don’t think they would mind terribly if we borrowed a coin or two to not line our own pockets, but perhaps… to toss back in?
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Well, it's not goin' to feed anybody here. And it ain't the axolotl god's religion, so I doubt there's anyone who'd strike us down for it.
no subject
[ a very silly cause, but a good cause nonetheless. pleased taair pulls his sleeve back and fearlessly dunks his hand into the water plucking out a few coins, and holding them carefully in his cupped hand. let's see... ]
The legend I read said the trick is to face away from the fountain, and then toss the coin over your right shoulder, using your right hand - if it lands in the water, you make a wish that you will return to the city once again. A first coin for safe travels. And then, a second coin for...
[ there's
a pause, and the pink that had finally faded on his face starts to return in full force. ]
...ah...
no subject
looks over ]
For...?
no subject
... The second coin is for love. Romance.
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I mean, it doesn't hurt to throw it, yeah?
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... no, it doesn't at all. Two coins, then.
[ embarrassing, yes, but - well, he still smiles, as he hands two coins to fidelio. the legend is three, technically, but he's forgotten about it entirely in the face of both getting embarrassed and in how very fast his heart is beating, as he turns to face away from the fountain and closes his eyes. ]
On the count of three - the first one, for a happy return. One... two...
no subject
[ follows suit and throws the first coin over his shoulder on three! it hits the water with a little splash. feels kind of goofy wishing to come back here when it's just 20 minutes away on a train car, but he'll go along with it. ]
All right. [ clears his throat. ] Er... Same thing for the second one, then?
no subject
ears beginning to turn red in his hair, he takes a deep breath. ]
... Yes. The second coin, on the count of three... a wish for love and romance.
[ saying it out loud feels like swallowing a butterfly. ] One, two...
[ three! ]
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... ]
Right.
[ takes a deep breath and turns to face taair.
...seeing how flustered he is now on top of everything else, it's not like there's any reason to still have doubts about his interest, is there? no matter how improbable it seems. ]
So. That does it, then?
no subject
he turns his head when he's addressed to meet his eyes - still pink, naturally, but smiling soft as he absently reaches up to tuck a lock of his own hair behind his ear for something to do with some of that fluttering bird sensation. ]
Mn. Just about. A fine tradition, isn't it?
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[ except he's never really been one for superstitions or prayers or any of that. in the end, you have to make things happen yourself.
reaches up to lightly tug on his collar. c'mon, lower your head a little. ]
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GETS UP ON HIS TOES and unless taair decides he doesn't actually want this once he realises what's happening, fidelio will lightly press a kiss to his lips. ]
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oh.
admittedly - he probably should have seen this coming, actually, and he makes the tiniest noise, somewhere between surprised and oh, obviously one breathless note. taair can't even actually help himself - still just pressed to that light kiss, his mouth quirks up into a smile. ]
... [ he leans down a little further, so fidelio doesn't have to stay on his toes, and sets one delicate hand gently against his arm. then murmurs, flustered but not at all displeased: ] ... Granting wishes?
[ a ]
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but he ignores that and smiles, face flushed. ]
Tryin' to, anyway.
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seeing fidelio smile makes something in his chest do a backflip, and he ducks his head to hide his own smile just a little, peeking at him through his lashes. ]
...You are succeeding. [ verbal confirmation, if the signals weren't enough. ]
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Ha. Glad to hear it.
—Ah, doughnuts are probably gettin' cold.
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Ah! I almost forgot...!
[ the whole other reason they came down here! it feels all very giddy for a second - taair laughs and hurries to settle back to where he set the food down, patting the edge of the fountain. ]
Here - come, come sit, let's eat.
[ though, as he turns his head to busy himself pulling the napkins out of the bag, fidelio might see him very briefly touch his fingertips to his own lips before he turns back around. a ]
no subject
fidelio laughs too, and joins him in sitting back down on the ledge... and he does notice that little motion, which gives him a happy fluttery feeling himself.
he'd resigned himself years ago to what had seemed like the probable reality that he would never kiss anyone or have any kind of romantic interaction; as genuine as his feelings for junah were, he never once seriously considered that she would ever return them. and that was fine, because he'd had much more important things to deal with.
but it's nice seeing now that someone actually can look at him that way, and for the right reasons. ]
Lookin' forward to this after the praise from earlier.
no subject
as taair gets settled, stretching out his legs, he laughs a little to that: ] I hope they don't disappoint!
[ there's a sense of giddiness to it - a simple happiness, fueled by those little butterflies. there's a pressing reminder somewhere in the back of his mind, a need to put things to words, but... for now, just for now, it's so much sweeter to simply savor the experience and all the implications that come with, to not think about the future but think about the now.
so. he plucks a donut free from the bag for himself, shaking off a little extra powdered sugar back into the bag, then offering it to fidelio. they're still warm because this is heaven.
and then holds his little donut out between his fingers afterwards. ] Cheers?
no subject
he takes a donut too, also tapping it a little on the side of the bag to get rid of some of the loose powdered sugar before it gets everywhere. (he's impressed that it's still warm. one of like, five things heaven has done right.) ]
Cheers.
[ taps their donuts together! ]
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happily, he will take the little 'toast', and then pull the donut up and pop it in his mouth! it's just as tasty as it was the first time (though - maybe better, in good company?) and he makes a happy little noise, melting a bit in job and then peeking over to see del's reaction, too...? ]
Delicious.