[ it is only after decades of practise that charles is able to do this, tell himself everything is just fine with enough conviction that he's able to believe in it, too — ignoring everything he's not allowing himself to think about, like the way unsaid words burn inside his chest, the way a small part of his brain is yelling at him about being an idiot. but really, it's all fine. this is normal, everything's normal, and nothing happened.
it's fine.
he smiles at the lady and makes some small talk, paying for the clothes and insisting she keep the change; then, he makes his way back to where junpei is waiting, and promptly opens the door for him, this time, his eyebrows raised pointedly. ]
Yeah, ready. [ so out the door you go! though, ] Oh? Confident in yourself, are you? [ as he steps out to follow, a smirk accompanies those pointedly raised brows. ] Might hold you to that. I've always wanted a pet.
[ the smirk gives way to laughter as the door swings shut behind them. ] Almost got one, too, during the Infamous Puppy Debacle of '94. Too bad we had to return her back to hallowed ground.
[They're fine. It's festival time, and Junpei waves a hand as he heads out of the shop in a sort of ehhh motion. Confident? Sure, he's played a lot of fishing games in his day.]
You can't just say that and not tell me what kind of super holy puppy you nearly got. What do you mean, hallowed ground?
[What kind of dog was this! He has to know, and not just because he's curious, but because listening to Charles talk will surely—surely keep his mind off of, hm, other things Charles could be doing. Notably holding his hand while they walk to the festival, which is one of those thoughts that drifts into Junpei's active mind and then immediately screeches to a halt. It's not like they haven't held hands before, but those times were all... well.
Like, there was a different context and stuff... Not that that supplemental thought stops him from feeling kind of odd, like they could be holding hands and it would be nice! And it's not not nice to not hold hands, but— And on and on, circling the drain of his thoughts.
He wishes this yukata had pockets. He clears his throat. It has been maybe three seconds. Dog story??]
[ as if on instinct, as they walk, charles drifts closer to junpei — he doesn't think much of personal space as a concept, in general, but this is... different. like an itch under his ghostly skin that will not let up until he is close enough for their arms to brush as they walk; only the does it quiet down into a pleased, content hum.
(as ever, he doesn't really think about it — simply does as he feels like he should. what's there to think about, right?) ]
Well, [ charles starts, grinning widely, ] She turned out to be a church grim. And she was bound to a particular graveyard with this really old church in the middle of it — anyway, wouldn't have survived long outside it, would she?
[ he shrugs; they're walking close enough for junpei to feel the movement. ] She's still there. I go visit her sometimes. She's real cute, all black, red eyes, about this big — [ he reaches out and taps the middle of junpei's chest with his hand, ] You'd like her!
[Okay, so church grims are real, that's good to know. Junpei scoffs while Charles continues to explain - that is not a puppy. It's fortunate Charles has drifted so close to him, as that gives Junpei the perfect opportunity to nudge him in the side with his elbow. A giant scary dog!!]
She could eat me if she's that big! You want me to get eaten by your long-distance pet? Come on.
[If she didn't eat him, though, well, a dog is a dog! But he'd have to survive the initial encounter first.]
Did I tell you about Gab? The dog they gave us in the experiment. Never met a dog more into cheese than Gab. But he's a normal dog size.
Oi, [ he laughs back, half in response to the nudge, half to the eating allegations, ] Bessie would never! She's real friendly, she is, and only eats demons and other unholy things that aren't supposed to be on church grounds. And unless you're either and have been, I dunno, somehow hiding it all this time —
[ swaying sideways, he bumps their arms together, laughing. he's really got nothing to worry about in this very hypothetical situation, since, you know, it's not like they're actually going to run into bessie, or any church grim here. ]
No, mate, you definitely didn't. [ the expression charles directs at him is mock-offended, like he can't believe it's taken junpei this long to disclose this fact. ] I'd ask you to draw me a picture, but... [ a little cock of his head, pointed; chances are the picture would do more harm than good, actually. ]
I thought you liked my art, [he shoots back, faux-hurt. Is he not an artiste? Is Charles not so impressed? Junpei holds up his hands to indicate, well, the size of a small dog.]
Just imagine if a football- [a beat] -uh, the American kind, I guess, imagine if that kind of football was a dog... and also a little old man.
[That's Gab!! Imagine that little man, while Junpei considers the other thing. Are all church grims lore-compliant... what if she did eat him...]
And I don't think I've ever been to a church, actually. But not because I'd burst into flame on the grounds, or anything.
Never said I don't, [ comes the answer with a bright grin — because he does! he really does, actually, but, you know. he can like his silly drawings and also acknowledge that poor gab probably deserves better.
he then moves on to doing as instructed and imagining the little dog and coming to the conclusion he must be right adorable. ] So, small and cute. [ sounds like a description fitting for someone else he knows—
anyway! ] Well, you're not missing out. The boarding school I went to was Catholic, and it sucked. Besides, it's the stuff you do that decides your afterlife, not God or whatever.
[ it seems like he's about to go on, because charles actually has quite a lot of opinions about religion, it turns out — except they've made it to the festival area proper, now, which means there's more people around, and a gaggle of youngsters is rushing towards them and past and charles reaches out, grabs junpei's sleeve to sharply pull him with him as he takes a few quick steps to the side to avoid a collision. ]
Oi, watch it, won't you! [ his yell after the kids doesn't really do much, but he tried... ]
[Well, now Junpei is obligated to draw a picture of Gab and present it to Charles to add to his gallery, look forward to it. He hums - yes, Gab is so small and cute, he's the best little guy ever, sounds like a description of just Gab actually—]
I guess. Assuming I even get to an afterlife, right? So—
[Ha ha, the infinite timelines never die glitch, it's going so great for him; but before they can, apparently, get into God Or Whatever, Charles pulls on him and he, adeptly, trips over himself just a little and grabs onto Charles' arm. Purely so he doesn't fall. It takes him a moment to catch up with the scenario - kids? sorry, he was thinking about God - but,]
C'mon, they're kids. It's a festival.
[Lighten up, Charles, jeez!! Junpei would let these kids run him over whether or not he was paying attention.]
[ he manages an incredulous look at the assuming i even get to an afterlife because infinite timelines or not, he doesn't believe it's possible to outrun death forever, unless you make a deal with one of the endless — but then that thread is lost and he turns, making sure junpei isn't actually stumbling and falling over. when he's sure he isn't doing that, he reaches over with the hand not still clutching junpei's sleeve, and pats the hand holding onto him with a soft smile. ]
Yeah, I know. But they could've run into you and hurt themselves... or you.
[ his tone makes it clear which part he was more worried about. himself, he doesn't really care about — and besides, he could have phased through them if necessary.
and then, ] Right, the fish! You reckon the booth's nearby? Any other games you want to try? If you're set on winning me a fish, then I should win you something too, shouldn't I? [ maybe there's a game out here that requires throwing, he could probably manage that. ]
[He says it like it's whatever, kids scrape their knees and fall down and all of that plenty! But maybe he's not the best judge of this particular childhood behavior, considering how reckless he's historically been. He doesn't need to unpack that right now, here at this festival; those kids are just fine and Charles is fussing. Nice of him, but still fussy.
So he lets go of Charles' arm to give him a hand pat of his own, like, relax. It's fine. Fish time.]
Fish first, then we can walk around.
[He does a quick look around until he spots someone carrying a fish in a baggie, which is as good a guess as any for which direction the fish booth is in. Come, this way...]
[ too bad — junpei better get used to it, because charles will fuss over those he cares about endlessly. but the pat makes him sigh and let it go, because, well, no harm done, so it's fine.
pivoting to follow him towards where the people with fish are coming from, charles laughs, ducking his head a bit as he looks at junpei with one raised brow. ]
Oh? You got a name in mind already? [ but, ] Sure, you name the fish. If that makes you happy, I'm all for it.
[ is he resigning himself to an afterlife with a ridiculously named fish? probably. does he care? nnnot particularly.
luckily the booth isn't too far away — they pass a few food stalls and another game booth that seems to revolve around pulling strings until they make it to the one with the fish, and charles stops with a sweeping gesture towards the booth. ] Well, show me what you've got, then.
[Please cherish this fish in advance, thanks. Junpei shuffles up to the booth to be handed his papery little fishing net, trying to give it a spin over his fingers and absolutely not nailing it; he winds up just wiggling it back and forth in a not-cool way. Don't look too closely at it.]
Well, uh, come here. You can pick the fish, I'll do my best.
[He moves up to the actual tank, gesturing for Charles to come stand next to him and consider the many fish. While he looks, Junpei gives the net a tentative dip into the water and tsks over the fish zooming away from it. The true method is standing very still, one millimeter of net in the water every couple seconds... observe the technique.]
[ fellas is it gay to say he'll cherish anything junpei gives him, ever —
anyway! he does look, in fact, at the way junpei utterly fails to spin the fishing net and smiles at the sight in a way someone might describe as hopelessly endeared, just standing there until he's literally told to come over, which, right. they're here for a reason, he shouldn't just stand and stare.
he leans over slightly, to watch the fish swim around with a slight smile... they're all pretty cute, actually. but he does point to one of them, an orange one that has two white dots over its eyes like eyebrows. ] That one, then.
[ and then, turning his attention back to junpei, ] Oh? So the thing's to catch them off guard, is it?
Junpei is, however, in the zone, so even when Charles comes over to stand with him he only barely visibly acknowledges the choice of fish. Yes, sure, Eyebrows, got it— and then he waves his other hand at Charles without looking at him, giving him a little whap in the chest. Shh!!]
Yeah, and it's a quiet activity— Give me a minute, man.
[He leaves his hand there as a helpful reminder for Charles to hush and let him work. Watch him cook, as the youths say. His excitable swatting wiggles the net just enough to scare off the fish, so now he must start over from the beginning and aim for the eyebrow fish. He'll most definitely miss his first attempt, so sit tight.
On, like, the fourth try, he finally gets the dang fish.] —Finally, jeez. Look, I got him!
As many as you need, [ he answers easily (and quietly, yes, he knows how to be quiet!) before he actually does shut up, bouncing silently up and down on his feet like standing still and not talking is too much for him, actually.
the hand pressed against his chest does help, though, and to distract himself, he brings up his own hand, grabs a hold of junpei's sleeve so he can look at the fish pattern in more detail, though being careful not to distract him from the momentous task of fish-catching.
and when junpei finally gets eyebrows the fish, charles actually whoops in genuine delight. ] You did! Mate, that was brills. [ letting go of his sleeve, he throws his arm around junpei's shoulders and draws him into a side-hug... carefully, though, as not to jostle him and the hard-won fish too much. ]
[Okay, that's all still kind of distracting, actually, bouncing around like that just in Junpei's periphery. But he's got the fish now so it's completely fine, Charles can bounce and do whatever as much as he wants. Junpei holds the caught fish out to the game's booth runner, to get it in a baggie to take home.
The side-hug... is cool, he's got no complaints. Good thing he has an excuse to stand right here where he is, while the fish gets squared away and handed back to him.]
Yeah? It's the technique, I'm telling you. Now you've got to take care of him, his name's... Fish.
[Cherish this animal forever, or at least for however long a goldfish lives.]
Although now we've got to carry him around for the rest of the festival...
[ said with a tone that falls squarely in the middle of "are you fucking kidding me" and "why do i find that really cute", the latter to his chagrin, something must really be wrong with him. ]
You know, this is the last time I'm gonna let you name anything.
[ with a shake of his head, charles steps back, reaching for the little bag with the fish named fish. ]
Oh, right. I could find a mirror? Won't take long, that. [ he looks around — not too many reflective surfaces around the booths, though. which means he'd have to double back to one of the clothing stores, probably, which also means leaving junpei here, which. hm. ] Or maybe just keep carrying him until we come across one...
Hey, I'm really good at naming things! I named all the cabinets in my apartment back home, so— yeah.
[Oops, That's Silly and other realizations that come after he's already said the silly thing. Ahem. Anyway...
Well, the fish dilemma. Junpei wiggles his finger at Fish the fish, watching it go around and around in the bag. Hm.]
It's up to you... How long are fish supposed to be in these cheap bags, though? Sorry, I should have saved this until the end.
[He got way too excited about fish, and they have not even purchased an adequately sized tank or any fish food or little plastic treasure chests for decoration! This is hubris in its purest form. He's apologizing to the fish, too, a little.]
[ he has to duck his head to hide the smile, then, because damn if that isn't the most adorable thing he's ever heard in his afterlife. with a little shake of his head, he focuses back on the matter at hand — ]
Hey, it's fine, innit? I forgot that we'd need to carry him around, too. [ frankly, even after months without his bag of tricks, he still forgets he can't just stuff things in there. ]
I'll take him back, you go on, I'll catch up with you. Get something to eat, yeah?
[ he gestures towards the booths that are selling all kinds of snacks — it's not like he'll miss out on anything, with those, and it'll be much less boring for junpei, too, then. which makes him feel a lot better about ditching him for a bit. ]
[He's off to browse snacks in the meantime, and to try not to overdo it on cute festival food. Unfortunately festival food is delicious, and he's definitely overdone it at least a little by the time Charles comes back from dropping off Fish.
But they've got all day for him to eat all of these snacks, in between browsing the other booths and displaying his... egregious talent... at the other games on offer. Winning the fish took up all of his luck and he's not going to win a single game more for the rest of the day, but it's fine! It goes from being frustrating to funny, and really, roaming around the festival with Charles means a lot more than winning more games. It really has been years since Junpei's attended a festival like this at all, let alone with someone besides his parents, so he's extra keen on making sure Charles has a good time and learns a bunch of fun Obon facts in the process.
By the early evening it's firmly loitering time, in a spot just off the main path of festival booths. The games are being packed up for the next day, and the mood of the whole event has shifted from the day's excitement into something more pleasantly subdued. Cozy, even. Junpei fiddles with a stick that has one last dango on it, do not ask how many of these he's eaten today, and looks away from the booths to Charles.]
[ it's a great day, all around — it doesn't matter that they do rather badly at the different games (well, aside from the one that requires throwing balls to knock over bottles, because that one charles decimates in record time; he's not lost the ability to throw fast and accurate over the years), because it's actually quite funny, and several booths leave him laughing so hard he feels like he might run out of the breath he doesn't even need. and more importantly, they're here together, something that leaves him feeling buoyant, somehow, happy and pleased and content all at once, a bubbling warmth inside him as he listens to junpei tell him about the festival, the games and the food, committing each fact into memory.
when they run out of things to do, it doesn't really matter — charles is more than happy to simply walk around aimlessly, or pick a spot to hang around in. idly, he thinks that it wouldn't really matter to him, where they are and what they're doing, as long as junpei is there with him, which —
he sets that thought aside, looking at him at the question, his smile answering for him before he actually speaks the words. ]
Bad? Nah, not at all. It's been pretty mint. [ a pause. ] Thanks. For coming with me.
[It's a silly sort of relief Junpei feels when Charles looks at him like that; of course they've had a good time today, he knew this already, but he likes the extra confirmation. And Charles' smile, which gives him a pleasantly fluttering feeling in his chest that he absolutely can place, but not right now. Later, he'll think about it later.]
Yeah, sure, of course. It's, you know... [He shrugs,] I can't say no to you. Uh, in a good way.
[—Cool, cool cool cool, anyway. What else is there to do at Obon at night, uh—]
So, uh, you want to keep walking around? Think I saw something with lanterns down at the end of the street, maybe...
[ i can't say no to you, junpei says, and charles ducks his head, feeling his smile turn into something softer, and knows that the kind of strange flush that he feels, all over, means he'd be absolutely blushing right up to his ears if he was still capable of it — knows it with the same kind of certainty that he knows his heart would be skipping beats right about now.
i can't say no to you, either, he thinks and doesn't say it, swallows it back at the same time as he forces his smile into something else, something less shy, less vulnerable. ]
Sure, [ he says, then, an easy agreement. ] Lanterns, was it? Let's see what those're about, then.
[ he starts to walk as he says that, and maybe he can be excused for succumbing to what he's wanted to do the whole day: reaching out to take junpei's free hand in his, tugging him along with him. ]
[Maybe the lanterns aren't the best idea - he knows what they're generally for, after all, and isn't remembrance kind of a downer at the end of a really nice day like this? But it's the first thing he thinks of, and Charles is still smiling, so alright—he can be normal about remembrance lanterns, or whatever. Absolutely.
Then they're holding hands, and those other concerns simply slide out of focus. He gives their hands a squeeze as he shuffles a bit to fall into step with Charles again, not really thinking about it. He's thinking about earlier in the clothing shop, and that one time in his room, and how they're going to decorate lanterns at all with one hand each, because he really, really doesn't want to let go.
Maybe they can do a few laps. It'll work out.
The lantern station isn't that crowded, now that it's getting close to the time to release them properly; responsible festival-goers have long since finished their lanterns, but hey, that leaves plenty of room for the two of them. There are little baubles and other decorations everywhere, and a stack of untouched lanterns waiting to be claimed that Junpei nods to when he spots it.]
There. You want to try? [Hm, and,] Should we just make one to save time...?
[ it's strange, how the moment their hands touch the way charles' phantom heart, flipping over itself, simply settles into something else — more solid, more certain, more.
and it's been like this for a while, hasn't it? it's impossible to ignore the fact that whenever they're together, it's like junpei has his own gravitational field, one that charles is helpless to resist, wanting to reach for him, to hold his hand (or simply hold him, really), like any distance between them is too much, too far.
idly, he thinks that eclipse is right appropriate for junpei, really — because with him around, charles is pretty sure he'd forget the sun even exists.
and oh, that —
that's not a thought he can ignore either, is it? he draws a breath, then, almost on reflex, before hitting the pause button on his thoughts because junpei's asked him a question and he really should be focusing, here. ]
What? I mean — yeah, sure. One sounds aces. 'Sides, decorating one together sounds more fun, anyway.
[ glancing at their joined hands, he wonders if they can just, you know, each use one hand... it's a good thing he took junpei's hand with his right, leaving his dominant left free to actually do some decorating. ]
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it's fine.
he smiles at the lady and makes some small talk, paying for the clothes and insisting she keep the change; then, he makes his way back to where junpei is waiting, and promptly opens the door for him, this time, his eyebrows raised pointedly. ]
Yeah, ready. [ so out the door you go! though, ] Oh? Confident in yourself, are you? [ as he steps out to follow, a smirk accompanies those pointedly raised brows. ] Might hold you to that. I've always wanted a pet.
[ the smirk gives way to laughter as the door swings shut behind them. ] Almost got one, too, during the Infamous Puppy Debacle of '94. Too bad we had to return her back to hallowed ground.
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You can't just say that and not tell me what kind of super holy puppy you nearly got. What do you mean, hallowed ground?
[What kind of dog was this! He has to know, and not just because he's curious, but because listening to Charles talk will surely—surely keep his mind off of, hm, other things Charles could be doing. Notably holding his hand while they walk to the festival, which is one of those thoughts that drifts into Junpei's active mind and then immediately screeches to a halt. It's not like they haven't held hands before, but those times were all... well.
Like, there was a different context and stuff... Not that that supplemental thought stops him from feeling kind of odd, like they could be holding hands and it would be nice! And it's not not nice to not hold hands, but— And on and on, circling the drain of his thoughts.
He wishes this yukata had pockets. He clears his throat. It has been maybe three seconds. Dog story??]
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(as ever, he doesn't really think about it — simply does as he feels like he should. what's there to think about, right?) ]
Well, [ charles starts, grinning widely, ] She turned out to be a church grim. And she was bound to a particular graveyard with this really old church in the middle of it — anyway, wouldn't have survived long outside it, would she?
[ he shrugs; they're walking close enough for junpei to feel the movement. ] She's still there. I go visit her sometimes. She's real cute, all black, red eyes, about this big — [ he reaches out and taps the middle of junpei's chest with his hand, ] You'd like her!
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She could eat me if she's that big! You want me to get eaten by your long-distance pet? Come on.
[If she didn't eat him, though, well, a dog is a dog! But he'd have to survive the initial encounter first.]
Did I tell you about Gab? The dog they gave us in the experiment. Never met a dog more into cheese than Gab. But he's a normal dog size.
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[ swaying sideways, he bumps their arms together, laughing. he's really got nothing to worry about in this very hypothetical situation, since, you know, it's not like they're actually going to run into bessie, or any church grim here. ]
No, mate, you definitely didn't. [ the expression charles directs at him is mock-offended, like he can't believe it's taken junpei this long to disclose this fact. ] I'd ask you to draw me a picture, but... [ a little cock of his head, pointed; chances are the picture would do more harm than good, actually. ]
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Just imagine if a football- [a beat] -uh, the American kind, I guess, imagine if that kind of football was a dog... and also a little old man.
[That's Gab!! Imagine that little man, while Junpei considers the other thing. Are all church grims lore-compliant... what if she did eat him...]
And I don't think I've ever been to a church, actually. But not because I'd burst into flame on the grounds, or anything.
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he then moves on to doing as instructed and imagining the little dog and coming to the conclusion he must be right adorable. ] So, small and cute. [ sounds like a description fitting for someone else he knows—
anyway! ] Well, you're not missing out. The boarding school I went to was Catholic, and it sucked. Besides, it's the stuff you do that decides your afterlife, not God or whatever.
[ it seems like he's about to go on, because charles actually has quite a lot of opinions about religion, it turns out — except they've made it to the festival area proper, now, which means there's more people around, and a gaggle of youngsters is rushing towards them and past and charles reaches out, grabs junpei's sleeve to sharply pull him with him as he takes a few quick steps to the side to avoid a collision. ]
Oi, watch it, won't you! [ his yell after the kids doesn't really do much, but he tried... ]
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I guess. Assuming I even get to an afterlife, right? So—
[Ha ha, the infinite timelines never die glitch, it's going so great for him; but before they can, apparently, get into God Or Whatever, Charles pulls on him and he, adeptly, trips over himself just a little and grabs onto Charles' arm. Purely so he doesn't fall. It takes him a moment to catch up with the scenario - kids? sorry, he was thinking about God - but,]
C'mon, they're kids. It's a festival.
[Lighten up, Charles, jeez!! Junpei would let these kids run him over whether or not he was paying attention.]
Maybe they just won their fish.
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Yeah, I know. But they could've run into you and hurt themselves... or you.
[ his tone makes it clear which part he was more worried about. himself, he doesn't really care about — and besides, he could have phased through them if necessary.
and then, ] Right, the fish! You reckon the booth's nearby? Any other games you want to try? If you're set on winning me a fish, then I should win you something too, shouldn't I? [ maybe there's a game out here that requires throwing, he could probably manage that. ]
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[He says it like it's whatever, kids scrape their knees and fall down and all of that plenty! But maybe he's not the best judge of this particular childhood behavior, considering how reckless he's historically been. He doesn't need to unpack that right now, here at this festival; those kids are just fine and Charles is fussing. Nice of him, but still fussy.
So he lets go of Charles' arm to give him a hand pat of his own, like, relax. It's fine. Fish time.]
Fish first, then we can walk around.
[He does a quick look around until he spots someone carrying a fish in a baggie, which is as good a guess as any for which direction the fish booth is in. Come, this way...]
And—I get to name the fish.
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pivoting to follow him towards where the people with fish are coming from, charles laughs, ducking his head a bit as he looks at junpei with one raised brow. ]
Oh? You got a name in mind already? [ but, ] Sure, you name the fish. If that makes you happy, I'm all for it.
[ is he resigning himself to an afterlife with a ridiculously named fish? probably. does he care? nnnot particularly.
luckily the booth isn't too far away — they pass a few food stalls and another game booth that seems to revolve around pulling strings until they make it to the one with the fish, and charles stops with a sweeping gesture towards the booth. ] Well, show me what you've got, then.
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[Please cherish this fish in advance, thanks. Junpei shuffles up to the booth to be handed his papery little fishing net, trying to give it a spin over his fingers and absolutely not nailing it; he winds up just wiggling it back and forth in a not-cool way. Don't look too closely at it.]
Well, uh, come here. You can pick the fish, I'll do my best.
[He moves up to the actual tank, gesturing for Charles to come stand next to him and consider the many fish. While he looks, Junpei gives the net a tentative dip into the water and tsks over the fish zooming away from it. The true method is standing very still, one millimeter of net in the water every couple seconds... observe the technique.]
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anyway! he does look, in fact, at the way junpei utterly fails to spin the fishing net and smiles at the sight in a way someone might describe as hopelessly endeared, just standing there until he's literally told to come over, which, right. they're here for a reason, he shouldn't just stand and stare.
he leans over slightly, to watch the fish swim around with a slight smile... they're all pretty cute, actually. but he does point to one of them, an orange one that has two white dots over its eyes like eyebrows. ] That one, then.
[ and then, turning his attention back to junpei, ] Oh? So the thing's to catch them off guard, is it?
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Junpei is, however, in the zone, so even when Charles comes over to stand with him he only barely visibly acknowledges the choice of fish. Yes, sure, Eyebrows, got it— and then he waves his other hand at Charles without looking at him, giving him a little whap in the chest. Shh!!]
Yeah, and it's a quiet activity— Give me a minute, man.
[He leaves his hand there as a helpful reminder for Charles to hush and let him work. Watch him cook, as the youths say. His excitable swatting wiggles the net just enough to scare off the fish, so now he must start over from the beginning and aim for the eyebrow fish. He'll most definitely miss his first attempt, so sit tight.
On, like, the fourth try, he finally gets the dang fish.] —Finally, jeez. Look, I got him!
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the hand pressed against his chest does help, though, and to distract himself, he brings up his own hand, grabs a hold of junpei's sleeve so he can look at the fish pattern in more detail, though being careful not to distract him from the momentous task of fish-catching.
and when junpei finally gets eyebrows the fish, charles actually whoops in genuine delight. ] You did! Mate, that was brills. [ letting go of his sleeve, he throws his arm around junpei's shoulders and draws him into a side-hug... carefully, though, as not to jostle him and the hard-won fish too much. ]
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The side-hug... is cool, he's got no complaints. Good thing he has an excuse to stand right here where he is, while the fish gets squared away and handed back to him.]
Yeah? It's the technique, I'm telling you. Now you've got to take care of him, his name's... Fish.
[Cherish this animal forever, or at least for however long a goldfish lives.]
Although now we've got to carry him around for the rest of the festival...
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[ said with a tone that falls squarely in the middle of "are you fucking kidding me" and "why do i find that really cute", the latter to his chagrin, something must really be wrong with him. ]
You know, this is the last time I'm gonna let you name anything.
[ with a shake of his head, charles steps back, reaching for the little bag with the fish named fish. ]
Oh, right. I could find a mirror? Won't take long, that. [ he looks around — not too many reflective surfaces around the booths, though. which means he'd have to double back to one of the clothing stores, probably, which also means leaving junpei here, which. hm. ] Or maybe just keep carrying him until we come across one...
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[Oops, That's Silly and other realizations that come after he's already said the silly thing. Ahem. Anyway...
Well, the fish dilemma. Junpei wiggles his finger at Fish the fish, watching it go around and around in the bag. Hm.]
It's up to you... How long are fish supposed to be in these cheap bags, though? Sorry, I should have saved this until the end.
[He got way too excited about fish, and they have not even purchased an adequately sized tank or any fish food or little plastic treasure chests for decoration! This is hubris in its purest form. He's apologizing to the fish, too, a little.]
I can wait here, it's cool.
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[ he has to duck his head to hide the smile, then, because damn if that isn't the most adorable thing he's ever heard in his afterlife. with a little shake of his head, he focuses back on the matter at hand — ]
Hey, it's fine, innit? I forgot that we'd need to carry him around, too. [ frankly, even after months without his bag of tricks, he still forgets he can't just stuff things in there. ]
I'll take him back, you go on, I'll catch up with you. Get something to eat, yeah?
[ he gestures towards the booths that are selling all kinds of snacks — it's not like he'll miss out on anything, with those, and it'll be much less boring for junpei, too, then. which makes him feel a lot better about ditching him for a bit. ]
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[He's off to browse snacks in the meantime, and to try not to overdo it on cute festival food. Unfortunately festival food is delicious, and he's definitely overdone it at least a little by the time Charles comes back from dropping off Fish.
But they've got all day for him to eat all of these snacks, in between browsing the other booths and displaying his... egregious talent... at the other games on offer. Winning the fish took up all of his luck and he's not going to win a single game more for the rest of the day, but it's fine! It goes from being frustrating to funny, and really, roaming around the festival with Charles means a lot more than winning more games. It really has been years since Junpei's attended a festival like this at all, let alone with someone besides his parents, so he's extra keen on making sure Charles has a good time and learns a bunch of fun Obon facts in the process.
By the early evening it's firmly loitering time, in a spot just off the main path of festival booths. The games are being packed up for the next day, and the mood of the whole event has shifted from the day's excitement into something more pleasantly subdued. Cozy, even. Junpei fiddles with a stick that has one last dango on it, do not ask how many of these he's eaten today, and looks away from the booths to Charles.]
So, what did you think? Not bad, right?
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when they run out of things to do, it doesn't really matter — charles is more than happy to simply walk around aimlessly, or pick a spot to hang around in. idly, he thinks that it wouldn't really matter to him, where they are and what they're doing, as long as junpei is there with him, which —
he sets that thought aside, looking at him at the question, his smile answering for him before he actually speaks the words. ]
Bad? Nah, not at all. It's been pretty mint. [ a pause. ] Thanks. For coming with me.
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Yeah, sure, of course. It's, you know... [He shrugs,] I can't say no to you. Uh, in a good way.
[—Cool, cool cool cool, anyway. What else is there to do at Obon at night, uh—]
So, uh, you want to keep walking around? Think I saw something with lanterns down at the end of the street, maybe...
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i can't say no to you, either, he thinks and doesn't say it, swallows it back at the same time as he forces his smile into something else, something less shy, less vulnerable. ]
Sure, [ he says, then, an easy agreement. ] Lanterns, was it? Let's see what those're about, then.
[ he starts to walk as he says that, and maybe he can be excused for succumbing to what he's wanted to do the whole day: reaching out to take junpei's free hand in his, tugging him along with him. ]
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Then they're holding hands, and those other concerns simply slide out of focus. He gives their hands a squeeze as he shuffles a bit to fall into step with Charles again, not really thinking about it. He's thinking about earlier in the clothing shop, and that one time in his room, and how they're going to decorate lanterns at all with one hand each, because he really, really doesn't want to let go.
Maybe they can do a few laps. It'll work out.
The lantern station isn't that crowded, now that it's getting close to the time to release them properly; responsible festival-goers have long since finished their lanterns, but hey, that leaves plenty of room for the two of them. There are little baubles and other decorations everywhere, and a stack of untouched lanterns waiting to be claimed that Junpei nods to when he spots it.]
There. You want to try? [Hm, and,] Should we just make one to save time...?
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and it's been like this for a while, hasn't it? it's impossible to ignore the fact that whenever they're together, it's like junpei has his own gravitational field, one that charles is helpless to resist, wanting to reach for him, to hold his hand (or simply hold him, really), like any distance between them is too much, too far.
idly, he thinks that eclipse is right appropriate for junpei, really — because with him around, charles is pretty sure he'd forget the sun even exists.
and oh, that —
that's not a thought he can ignore either, is it? he draws a breath, then, almost on reflex, before hitting the pause button on his thoughts because junpei's asked him a question and he really should be focusing, here. ]
What? I mean — yeah, sure. One sounds aces. 'Sides, decorating one together sounds more fun, anyway.
[ glancing at their joined hands, he wonders if they can just, you know, each use one hand... it's a good thing he took junpei's hand with his right, leaving his dominant left free to actually do some decorating. ]
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🎀 hell....................yea