usogi | [ this brick is still smarter than senri ]

[all these things in the salon are still a mystery to him, so even the face masks are a foreign sight as he walks on over to senri.]

What brings you here?

... crying isn't super great for the skin - or the eyes. I thought I'd do an eye mask to bring down the puffiness....

[and he seems sheepish to admit it - ]

What about you? Just wandering?

[his smile, though slight, is warm.]

When I have the chance, I make my rounds around the temple.

How are your eyes?

I'm making do... It's an adjustment, but well - everything here is.

[he shrugs]

You wanna join me?

Today was... kinda stressful.

If you could show me how to apply these, I can stay for as long as you need.

[he gestures at the face masks. he doesn't even know what they're for, other than what he's inferred from senri's words.]

Sure, it's pretty simple.

[he offers up a smile at that]

... what did you think about today, Shang-san?

We're... not done yet, but....

For having fewer bodies than the previous weeks, it was more eventful than the preceding trials.

[that's his answer as he picks up a pack. his fingers trace the edge of the plastic before they close around the edge and tug gently. this is how he opens it, right?]

To see so many of my fellow participants suffering, this evening weighs heavily on all our hearts.

.... you weren't suffering too, Shang-san?

[senri blinks in slight confusion, tilting his head]

I guess... maybe you weren't that close with Ray-kun, huh.

[was he? with a bashful smile, he continues to tear open the pack.]

There are far more important matters at hand. My feelings aren't among those.

[ . . . . ]

What makes you say that....?

You and Connor-san both get like this....

. . . I won't speak in Connor's place; however, a cultivator must act with a certain grace. To burden others with these feelings would not be good.

... do you think that maybe, when it's just you and me, we can be friends first, instead of you being a cultivator first?

[senri frowns]

I... I know what it's like - to bottle everything up like that. I don't want you to have to.

[at that, he can only sigh. the hand that was opening the pack stops.]

It shames me to say this, but I don't know how I can be a friend to you. I have never had one before.

[senri blinks]

... never?

You should've told me that....

Then... let's start now.

[the pack drops to the floor.

shang qinghua hastily kneels down to pick it up.]

You don't have to do that for someone like me. I am perfectly fine with the relationship we have right now.

[senri blinks

again]

.... but I want to be your friend....

[he freezes.

clearly, no one has felt this way about him before.]

This late into the contest, do you really want that?

That's why I said you should've told me before....

[he huffs a little but

also nods]

Of course I want that.

[with a serious expression, shang qinghua meets senri's eyes.]

Nito Senri . . .

[he trails off. it's quiet in the beauty salon.

then he raises his left hand—and, with it, the mostly opened pack.]

This mask, how do you put it on?

Oh... There's gonna be holes for your eyes and mouth, so you just need to arrange it on your face so that you can see through it, and still talk.

[senri will reach out]

Want me to do it for you?

I-if you don't mind . . .

[he'll relinquish his grip on the pack when prompted. help.]

I don't - it's gonna feel a little weird at first, but trust the process.

[it sure is just a sheet face mask,,

and he'll gently pull it out of the packaging, unfolding the face mask before reaching out to gently press the surface against shang's face]

[he flinches at first contact. how can he not? it's cold! he keeps still otherwise, with half-lidded eyes lest the mask get him there.]

[sdlkfjsfsdf please help him

senri doesn't mind though - only laughing faintly before he gently presses the mask to stick on this lovely brick's face]

There you go - we'll leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes.

[and he'll pick up a mask to do the same for his own face]

[the mask is on. only after senri's done his own does shang qinghua see how strange it looks.]

This will help with the swelling? I haven't cried recently . . .

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usogi - 2019-03-26 15:50 (UTC) - Expand

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nosediving - 2019-03-27 02:05 (UTC) - Expand