quietmounds | (no subject)

(no subject)

WHAT 10/10 would post again
WHERE Everywhere
WHEN Day 144

[Today there are little bubbles popping up whenever you're near someone. They seem like . . . testimonials or reviews? Like "X is a great person, excellent listener. Only four and a half stars because they sing too loudly in the shower." If you've only just met, it's just your first impression. Or maybe you can check out the bubbles that are now attached to that person, so you can decide if you're interested.]

[whenever you jump someone in the post, include your character's, uh, honest mental review of them, at the top of the comment. also free to assume you can see other peoples' unless otherwise stated]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[blush. again]

Well I—didn't always have a body like this, so I guess I'm still a little more aware of it.

I saw you small. You were pretty cute.

Thanks. Not a lot of folks thought that about me.

That's absurd. Same eyelashes. Same brows. Same way of smiling. Lungs and heart working a little harder, but no helping that. ...Well, I guess some helping that.

The serum did help that, a little.

[puts a hand lightly to the small of Mikk's back]

I feel like I make things difficult for you. We start to get close and then some kind of awkwardness comes in. And I'm pretty sure I know how I can close that gap, but...

[he pauses a moment]

I don't think it's awkward, this time...

It's not, yet. I've just been thinking about getting to know each other. To see each other. It's on my side, not yours. Ughhhh...

[flops over backwards, kicking his feet in the air]

Anyway, I've had very few serious relationships, and a lot of fun casual things, and you get into serious subjects with the first and not the second. You get me?

[uh? Steve turns a bit to look down at him]

I do. But there's nothing wrong with having something serious, is there?

There's nothing wrong with it. I like it. But when you get to know someone, you see the things that drive them. The unpleasant things that they were built around, as well as the good ones. Or there's a sense of distance. Because those things that built a person go into serious relationships, you know? So you get into a place where you like each other, you want more, but something's odd sometimes.

What's odd for you? For us?

I'm just saying that there's some serious downer things in my past that affect how I behave and relate to people. And it frustrates me to be that way. [shades his eyes, peeking up at Steve] I'm not criticizing you, you know.

[puts a hand to Mikk's arm, squeezing softly]

I didn't think you were.

I just want to know what I can do to help you.

Can I talk to you about some things? There's never a holistic time to bring things up and I can just feel the edges creeping in so I might as well just expunge so I don't feel like I'm keeping things from you. It's in my reactions, my own incredulity at your high ranking, and ... oh, you know. My staring, my hearing, all that. I know I'm taking a perfectly nice moment and getting all skittish.

I'd say it's still a nice moment because I'm getting to learn more about you.

Go on.

I mean, I do like that.

I was abused by my mother for the first century and a bit of my life.

[quiet, soft]

I thought something like that might have happened when I saw you when you were young. I'm sorry, Mikk.

[nods] I've mentioned I was born with a defect. Sight and sound? My mother would have hated me regardless but it gave her endless reasons.

Sounds like she wasn't a very good person.

She locked me in a basket for 90 days with my hands tied behind my back in the hopes I'd die of thirst.

[his eyes are black]

Mikk...

[reaches for his hand, squeezing it]

[squeezes back]

I lived thirty days longer than Vyzanians are supposed to live without food or water. [sighs] I don't mean to have issues over it, but really, who wouldn't?

I don't think anyone would hold it against you if something like that's changed the way you interact with the world.

I'm pretty confident about a lot of things. Other things, not so much.

[brushes his thumb over the back of Mikk's hand]

It's all right if you're not confident. We can work our way through things.