idealism | Fuda # 2 (Dial 1 to deny everything, dial 2 to dig yourself deeper.)

Do you have anything you prefer to do to keep you distracted?

Why shouldn't it? You're my partner.

I read. You could probably work on cleaning up whatever mess you left in the kitchen.

And you what?

I said I'd buy a new one! Or the equivalent of what buying is here.

I thought you wanted me to get back to the kitchen?

And that's all there is to do?

Fine, whatever. Get it done.

And possibly some burn marks. And the soot. It's not at ll like the library, I promise. [*flinch*.]

Is there a hurry?

It's better not be! I hope you realize you are not to set foot in the library here.

...Not particularly.

But you're always in the library!

So can I wait a little?

Which means it would be unforgivable if you were to ruin it for me.

And do what instead?

[*cringe*] What if I wanted to visit, but I'd promise not to break anything?

Talk?

[This is the sound of the journal slamming shut before he can embarrass himself further. Instead, he seeks out Tsuzuki in person, with a thought bubble marqueeing ]

We can talk.

[Considering how often Tsuzuki embarrasses himself and should be used to it, he still closes the journal gratefully. When he meets Hisoka, his own thought bubble appears helpfully.]

Is this place private enough for you?

It's as private as anywhere else.

Is that a yes or a no?

It's fine to talk here.

You're used to these things happening for weeks at a time?

They very rarely go longer than one. But yes, usually they come once per month.

If they pass by themselves, then I won't fret too much.

This is hardly as damaging as some of the others. There was a period where nobody could resist following commands. It could have gone worse than it was...

I don't know, this could be damaging in other ways. So they were like soldiers? Or slaves?

Both. Neither. It was just this feeling that you had to do what you were told. There wasn't any reason behind it. Not that there's a lot of reason behind most things.

[He drops his eyes after that, partly to keep from having to watch that stupid bubble over Tsuzuki's head feel sorry for him.]

So it mind-controlled people, or put compulsions in everyone's heads. How strange.
[Tsuzuki has a visceral reaction to that sentence. Disbelief and denial, mixed with a heavy dose of warm understanding. No pity, though. It's just that he's used to Hisoka being the strong one that the insecurity took him by surprise.]

[He places a finger beneath Hisoka's chin, as if he wants to lift it up.] You are, though.

[He hesitates to continue the spoken conversation, mostly because he's finding it difficult to focus on that thread under his own angst and Tsuzuki's emotion; normally, this would be when he closed off and threw a book at something. He looks up at the pressure from Tsuzuki's hand.] ...Shut up.

[The hand that lifted Hisoka's chin moved slightly upwards. Tsuzuki strokes his knuckles against his cheek, carefully. There are ways to distract you from your angst that doesn't involve words, you know.]

[Hisoka doesn't shove the hand away. Project:distraction has been a complete success.]

[\o/ And Tsuzuki got to show affection, so everybody wins.]

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