[ that's just the thing, though — charles doesn't think, even for one second, that junpei should be feeling better already. feeling better, or even good... no, that's not really it, is it? if anything, facing your trauma head-on is terrifying, exhausting, like every part of you that's spent so long jumbled up has been dragged out, sharp edges catching on everything inside you, so that the wounds you thought had healed are all bleeding again —
yeah, "feeling better" is not really it, at all.
so when junpei mushes his face in his chest, charles hums softly, wraps his arm around him tighter, holds him against him like he, too, would be just fine if this was them for the foreseeable future.
the question makes him chuckle, though. ]
No, they don't come like that. I had to spend weeks testing the enchantment, to get it just right. And it's not just bats — I gave Shaw magic bullets for Christmas, you know?
[Junpei thinks Junpei should feel better already, but that's one of the problems here already, so he'll... deal with it. Slowly. As appropriate. Not any more today if he can help it; he's had enough and he wants to think about something else, which is apparently magical objects? Sure.]
What do magic bullets do...? Are they homing bullets?
[Hmm. Magic bullets for Christmas... This place really takes all kinds, huh.]
[ that's just fine with him — it's been a lot, for both of them, and there's still a part of charles that's trying to hold the edges of his soul together from dissolving entirely in abject sadness; he thinks he may cry about it all some more, eventually, when he lets himself truly think about everything junpei has been through, how alone with it all he's been, how unfairly he's been treated —
but all that comes later. right now, his focus is on this very normal topic of conversation, shifting it away from the trauma, giving junpei something else to think of. ]
Nah, they hit all supernatural stuff, too. Like, demons and ghosts and everything else that you normally wouldn't be able to wound with a regular bullet, yeah?
[ he smiles, lifts his hand to brush it through junpei's hair gently. ]
Then I'll get you one. Mine's a cricket bat, because that's what I'm used to... but d'you want a baseball bat instead?
[Don't do that, consider not doing that at all, actually— And oh, homing bullets would have been cool... alas. Junpei makes a face slightly to this effect, but hitting demons is cool too!! It is!]
It's cute that you think it makes a difference to me. I'm not the jock in this relationship.
[Has he ever played baseball? Maybe in PE, when forced? Not well, in any case.]
I can look into if I could make some, [ he says completely earnestly in response to the face that junpei makes — it he wants homing bullets, he's going to do his best to see if that's doable! obviously.
he breathes a laugh, then. ] Oi, I'm not —
[ and then he pauses, considers; the number of sports he knows how to do need two hands to count, one of his favourite pastimes is boxing, another one is bouncing a very small football, uh, hold on, ]
Right, no, okay, you've a point. [ another pause. ] Baseball bat it is, then.
[Really? Really, he's about to argue he isn't a jock? Junpei gives him a look for that, a flatly raised eyebrow until Charles concedes. Please, this is the pinnacle of jock/nerd.]
Sure, sure. Baseball bat. You can show me how to actually hit a pitch.
[Eventually. Some other time. Now is for sinking into Charles and just talking about nothing, baseball bats or anything else. Until it's time to get up or he falls asleep, whichever comes first.]
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no subject
yeah, "feeling better" is not really it, at all.
so when junpei mushes his face in his chest, charles hums softly, wraps his arm around him tighter, holds him against him like he, too, would be just fine if this was them for the foreseeable future.
the question makes him chuckle, though. ]
No, they don't come like that. I had to spend weeks testing the enchantment, to get it just right. And it's not just bats — I gave Shaw magic bullets for Christmas, you know?
no subject
What do magic bullets do...? Are they homing bullets?
[Hmm. Magic bullets for Christmas... This place really takes all kinds, huh.]
I wouldn't mind a magic bat.
no subject
but all that comes later. right now, his focus is on this very normal topic of conversation, shifting it away from the trauma, giving junpei something else to think of. ]
Nah, they hit all supernatural stuff, too. Like, demons and ghosts and everything else that you normally wouldn't be able to wound with a regular bullet, yeah?
[ he smiles, lifts his hand to brush it through junpei's hair gently. ]
Then I'll get you one. Mine's a cricket bat, because that's what I'm used to... but d'you want a baseball bat instead?
no subject
It's cute that you think it makes a difference to me. I'm not the jock in this relationship.
[Has he ever played baseball? Maybe in PE, when forced? Not well, in any case.]
no subject
he breathes a laugh, then. ] Oi, I'm not —
[ and then he pauses, considers; the number of sports he knows how to do need two hands to count, one of his favourite pastimes is boxing, another one is bouncing a very small football, uh, hold on, ]
Right, no, okay, you've a point. [ another pause. ] Baseball bat it is, then.
🎀
Sure, sure. Baseball bat. You can show me how to actually hit a pitch.
[Eventually. Some other time. Now is for sinking into Charles and just talking about nothing, baseball bats or anything else. Until it's time to get up or he falls asleep, whichever comes first.]