Honestly speaking, he wasn’t really aware of how much time had passed since he started brainstorming, but after trying a small array of things in attempt to get a clue of where to start, he clicked his tongue and slowed to a stop. He stared at the mirror before him for a good, long while before eventually breathing a soft, yet heavier sigh of both defeat and exasperation.[break][break]

”...Ah… Maybe I should just properly get into the feel of it first…”[break][break]

His brows furrowed pensively at the reflection in the mirror, but after just a small while longer, he gave another sigh before jogging back to his phone just long enough to select another song. As it began to play through the speakers in the room, he nodded idly, picking a somewhat bouncy stride back to where he originally stood while accounting for the music.[break][break]

At a certain part of the melody, he began to move again while allowing his body to adjust to the song and the feel he was trying to go for, but he only could about halfway through his impromptu choreography bit (though was honestly already very into it in the short time he fell into everything) before catching a glimpse of a figure that he swore wasn’t there.[break][break]

With a quick, ”Oh, shit—” under his breath, he turned around to properly face her. There was an awkward half pause—partial pause?—as he slowed down (and immediately found himself recognizing the newcomer, which only emphasized the awkwardness he felt), but in the aftermath of the groove, he debated on continuing to dance despite the the stutter.[break][break]

He settled with a leisurely, yet crisp sway back and forth in tandem to the rhythm.[break][break]

”...Uh. I’m not gonna ask how long you’ve been there,” he started off with a purse of the lips, nodding slightly. ”...Small world, though. So you’re supposed to be my partner, huh~?”

PERSEPHONE CARTIER [break]
mission: coordinator choreography

☉

”Yeah, no fuckin’ shit it’s starting to rain—”[break][break]

Sarcasm at its finest, though short lived over the course of only a few moments. As the skies began to boom with thunder and darken out of what was quite literally nowhere, the man instinctively took a step back and closer to the person accompanying him. He lifted his arm slightly as if guarding her, furrowing his brows and beginning to go, ”I remember hearing about this a few days ag—”[break][break]

He stopped abruptly as a shock flickered in front of them, and as what appeared to be a Pokemon emerged from it with a cry, he immediately drew his other hand towards one of the capsules on his person.[break][break]

”Nnnooope. Nooooope, nope, we’re fuckin’ leaving—”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: surviving space-time

☉

”But it literally is the tiniest fucking thing—” he stuttered with a profound shakiness, the effort spent to do so undoubtedly lost to neither of them as a rising quiver shoved its way through so mercilessly with each word that progressively sought to be heard. In spite of the loosening feeling from around his form, and despite noting and watching the movement from the woman before him, he merely placed his gaze upon hers with nothing short of distress. Frustrated and shaking his head in light of the words spoken towards him, he gave another, hissing sigh in attempt to further compose himself, his brows furrowing further as he attempted to begin again, saying, ”I-It’s—... It’s literally such a tiny thing. I don’t even know why it’s—...”[break][break]

The sentence trailed off as his mind frayed further and further, giving a desperate attempt at orienting itself as the threads of thought scattered so suddenly and violently. His jaw clenched as her hand lifted, and almost as at the mercy of hesitance and uncertainty, alike, he shifted back the faintest bit away before managing to ground himself just a tad more. Hues of a dual hues remained upon hers with no shortage of discomfort as her palm made purchase against his [break][break]

”I-I—…”[break][break]

Another attempt to force a statement in the midst of recovery, resulting only in another stammer and a larger hiccup that had finally seemed to successfully subdue his tongue within the moments that followed for fear of a worse display. The sound to escape his lips, however, had been all too noticeable and known by him, and the knowledge of weakness only seemed to prompt an ongoing reaction of everything he’d feared as he tried so desperately to swallow down the mass within his throat once more. Within that attempt, however, came not suppression, and not a stalling of time, but rather a long awaited shattering of the facade he’d been so eagerly and frantically trying to hold together.[break][break]

Though he hadn’t found the will to lean himself away, a hand of his shot up rather abruptly the moment he felt a swell within his eyes.[break][break]

His pride had been broken as thoroughly as the aforementioned facade— but in a situation such as the given, pride was logically irrelevant. A bruised ego paled in comparison to an aching soul ensnared within the vice of insecurity, and so he merely sought to press his fingers against his eyes as the person neighboring him continuously rubbed his cheek so gingerly.[break][break]

…What had he done to deserve such a thing?[break][break]

It was a question that he posed to himself many times within the following moments, so much to the point that her words of ease and comfort had almost fallen upon deafened ears. They made their way to him, however. They made her way to him, far from loud, but absolutely clear— and it had been the clarity that had prompted him to gaze upon her within a daze as he momentarily paused, lowering his hand slightly.[break][break]

The irony of it all.[break][break]

”I just want you to talk to me,” she said to him. She wanted him to talk to her.[break][break]

In any other scenario, he would’ve called the irony of it all absolutely audacious, but as the words settled in more and more, and as he gradually began to lower his hand to his side once more (the tears unattended to, and although attempted to be held back, began to faintly trickle down), he merely pondered in pensive thought while furrowing his brows all the more prominently.[break][break]

”...Do you still trust me?” he murmured in soft, clearly uncertain inquiry.

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

Eye contact, oddly enough, had always been a forte of his— even if it hadn’t always been the case. Truthfully speaking, it had all been because of his initial adversity and incapability of doing so far within his childhood that he forced himself to become accustomed to it as he grew older. Lying (specifically and exclusively in the face of those that he cared about) had always been a vice of his, though for the most part, he had always been more than capable of returning a gaze such such genuine respect that many would fall victim to skepticisms as to whether or the look portrayed the heart accurately, if not paving the way for them to believe the front, altogether. As he stood there before her, however, those dualed hues of uncertainty seemed to have a mind of their own as they continuously grazed the wooden fixtures of the grounds beneath him. He was aware of it. Painfully aware.[break][break]

Painfully aware of his attempted avoidance.[break]
Painfully aware of the wry smile that lingered upon his lips.[break][break]

Painfully aware of how he was acting, altogether.[break][break]

It had been nothing short of a pitiful display, and that fact alone had been what anchored him so dearly and desperately to the ground within the silence that overcame them in light of his words. He wanted to look at her; to see her reaction to it all so that he could properly compose himself and anchor himself to something other than quite literally anything else. However, as the beating of his heart remained constant and ever prominent, so did his eyes remain. Though out of sight, the fingers grasping the doorknob sought to tighten around the metal a faint bit more within an instinctive and absentminded gesture. Though slight and subtle, his jaw clenched lightly as he continuously eyed the planks and their outlines.[break][break]

So awkward… So sensitive… he thought to himself, his eyes narrowing with a raise of the cheeks that came in tandem with a broadened smile that had been unbeknownst to him. Just get yourself in line. You’ve done it before. It shouldn’t be much different here.[break][break]

His hand clenched tighter against the spherical form of the knob.[break][break]

Look at her.[break][break]

He tapped his thumb softly while closing his eyes.[break][break]

Get it together.[break][break]

He inhaled slowly and deeply.[break][break]

Look. At. Her.[break][break]

A gaze directed not at her, though once more at the shaded gradients amidst the panels that dwelled beneath them. They lingered upon the hallway out before him and towards the side, and after finding it within himself to consciously (forcefully) stop himself from tapping even more rapidly, hues of crimson and gold, alike, had seemed to finally gain enough certainty to begin trailing closer towards the very person that stood before him, though rather than taking the time as intended, the man found himself quickly looking up at the note of movement from the edges of his peripheral. The pressure against his hand followed as he realized the door shifting towards him, and within an instinctive manner to save himself the difficulty that would follow having a door quite literally thrusted towards him, he finally let go and sought to take a pace or two back.[break][break]

…He found himself at a momentary loss as he felt the familiar feeling of arms wrapped around him, however. Firmly. Tightly, almost…desperately.[break][break]

For just a spell, his eyes lingered upon the wall opposing him, idly eying the illumination offered by the television set in the order room. The words met his ears despite the meekness and softness of them, and in the moments following their speech, his eyes finally lowered faintly along the wall, then down to the floors before him, and then finally, finally down towards the woman that held him so dearly.[break][break]

His instinct had been to apologize, yet she’d said for him specifically not to do as such— and so, a continued bout of silence overcame him. It settled within him. It controlled him as he attempted to gather himself yet another time (as he attempted to swallow down the more aggravated lump within his throat), but in the end of it all, he found himself wordless. No other things to say. No other words to tell.[break][break]

Nothing more than a low and quiet, ”...I’m sorry…” as he hooked an arm of his own around her, pressing it lightly against her back and shoulders as the respective hand, itself, wove its fingers idly through her hair within a gingerly manner.[break][break]

The thumb amidst them rubbed softly against her scalp as the remaining fingers merely sought to cradle her head against his chest, although after several more moments, his mind began to run in tandem to the scenario at long last, prompting the remaining arm to hook over and join the remaining to hold her all the more closer; its own hand pressing against the top of her head in order to complete the embrace, altogether. While the difference in height prevented him from setting his head down, he tilted it downwards within a gentle angle, all while his eyes narrowed and sought the grounds beneath them for an uncountable time as he held her against him.[break][break]

”I’m sorry for being too sensitive…” he murmured with a touch more lucidity, that time faintly more aware that his words had been against her initial request. They were instinctive. Genuine in belief with his heart. ”There shouldn’t even be any overthinking involved. I’m just overreacting to a tiny little thing. It honestly shouldn’t—”[break][break]

He stopped abruptly as he caught a quiver within his tone, and although his jaw momentarily clenched tighter in a split second attempt to swallow the lump down once more, he gave a small, almost frustrated sigh under his breath as if he were aggravated with none other than himself.[break][break]

”I-It shouldn’t—.. I-I—...”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

Truthfully speaking, the rather quickened response had been somewhat of a surprise. Though the words in themselves had been softer in light of the scenario at hand, he listened with an ear equal parts attentive and absentminded, somehow, in some odd fashion; his gaze—narrowed and similarly distant—remaining upon the very wall it had strayed towards throughout his own initial replies. For several moments, he merely pondered the words spoken to him, The tapping of his thumbs fell into a lull, and before long, he found them caressing one another within what could have very well seemed to be an almost haphazard and wavering caress of uncertainty.[break][break]

”...No. No, don’t…” he murmured through the door once more, all while dual hues of the glare baring clear upon the confinements of the room around him hardened faintly more in thought. Laid cradled within his lap, his finger slowly began to creep closer to one another; the spaces between them finding lesser and lesser distance as they, themselves, found purchase within and upon one another. ”It’s—... I’m sorry I’m being like this~. You shouldn’t have had to even come here, anyways…” the man added on, leaning forward within an instinctive manner as his elbows propped themselves upon his knees.[break][break]

The silence that filled the air after the fact had been shorter, that time around.[break][break]

...You’ve already caught each other in the act. Just don’t let the chance go.[break][break]

Logic. It had truthfully been one of the few concepts that snaked its way between the cracks of the fragile, ever crumbling walls of defense laid clear and bare towards any and all that he chose to involve himself with, regardless of closeness and regardless of attachment. The desire to communicate; the desire to make amends; the desire to prevent discrepancies, wherever they may have been avoided or otherwise worsened. It prompted him to peer down upon the fingers locked within their holds as he sat. It prompted him to think more swiftly.[break][break]

He hadn’t wanted to hurt like this, nor had he wanted to be so sensitive.[break]
…It would be necessary, though, and he had been well aware of that.[break][break]

...This must be hard enough for her, too, anyways.[break][break]

Inhaling deeply yet again, he allowed both eyes to shut within a more gentle embrace that time around; his head tilting up towards the spaces above him once more as he leaned back for the sake of sitting straighter, and soon after, pushing himself up. The tangle of his fingers undid itself throughout the process, and as the tips of one touched upon the chilled, metallic fixtures and form of the knob secured upon his side of the door, his gaze had unveiled itself to focus upon the very same barrier that separated her from himself after turning some amount.[break][break]

He flicked the lock to the side before turning the doorknob with a softened, ’click,’ pulling it towards him within a reasonable amount as the sight of the woman waiting beyond entered his line of sight. While he hadn’t quite opened the space all the way, he took a couple of steps back as his eyes remained upon hers with a soft smile.[break][break]

Whether it was genuine or not was genuinely a topic of uncertainty.[break][break]

”...I’m sorry~,” he began with a gentle chuckle as undertones of what could only be meekness and wryness accompanied it. Averting his gaze from hers for a moment, he peered down towards the hallway floors by her for a moment as the smile upon his lips broadened ever so faintly. While subtle, he strained them in order to fight off an ever brewing pressure that struggled within them. ”I’m just having a bit of a moment. Like, I—...”[break][break]

His brows furrowed once more, and his lips turned down within a vague amount as he gave a low, huffing sigh in thought. He ran a hand through his hair and pressed his tongue against his cheek again within a pensive manner, though gathered enough fortitude to bring his eyes back to hers.[break][break]

”...I’m just being sensitive and overthinking really suddenly for…literally no reason. I’m sorry.”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

...Don’t cry. Don’t do it...[break][break]

A plead to none other than himself, unbeknownst to the matters and struggles occurring just beyond the door that served as the only reprise and sanctum within the face of both mercy and mercilessness from whence she stood mere inches apart from him. Even as the singular word escaped his lips, the constrictive force weighing down upon him sought a tighter grasp upon him; its hand further digging its talons by his throat as the pain dwelling within it intensified for all of a few moments.[break][break]

He swallowed it down while waiting for a response of his own.[break][break]

Within an absentminded manner, his hands drew further along his knees in some shorter distance; the tips of such grazing lightly upon the tops of the bends prior to tapping upon them within a soft, rhythmically imbalanced manner. Orbs of aurous and scarlet hues continuously remained upon the space between their own places upon his form, dulled and tried with a vague loss of spark and life all the while. They lingered upon the expanse before him in general prior to focusing more intently upon the divots carved within the wood, and soon after, the divots within each individual plank. [break][break]

A means of waiting.[break]
A means of distraction.[break][break]

A means to save himself the ongoing pressure of mere existence within the midst of silence— and one that he figured would only continue on and on as he eventually turned his head towards the sight and averted his gaze towards the chilled floors by his flank. Inhaling deeply and and quietly, he settled his gaze upon the gap beneath the door as if awaiting some form of message or other means of communication, telling himself, I wonder how much she’s writing down,” as the silence within the midst of his reply only proved to lengthen more and more. The soundlessness of the scenario by those moments in time had admittedly brought a brief, albeit pitiful, sense of calmness and relief upon him as it gave him the opportunity to further gather his thoughts— though even then, the extensiveness of it had only proven to instill it once more as the thought of what could be happening within the hallway crept within his mind.[break][break]

Furrowing his brows, he began turning his head in order to examine his other side; an action that, in general, had never quite finished its round as the gentleness of spoken tongues touched lightly upon his ears. Although unseen by her, his eyes widened faintly upon note of the few words spoken to him, and his jaw hung slightly as he allowed himself the proper means to process it.[break][break]

…The proper means to process her words, and her tone, and her voice.[break][break]

Silence, responded to with silence. Though she hadn’t seen it, his eyes remained idly and vacantly upon the fabric resting upon his leg as he thought to himself. Though she hadn’t seen it, his lips gradually brought themselves together once more in a feeble attempt to further still himself in the midst of the further growing lump within his throat. He tried to swallow it again, and once he felt it surface once more almost immediately, had merely turned his gaze back towards its initial focus between his knees before trying again to no avail.[break][break]

...She’s talking. Why is she talking? had been the first thoughts and inquiries to roam his head, and with a small, grimacing furrow of brows, he narrowed his eyes while softly digging his nails into his knees while sliding a vague amount along the floor, all while his shoulders dug all the more into the grooves of wood behind him. Is this pity? Is this guilt? Why is she—...[break][break]

He paused.[break][break]

...What if it is guilt?[break][break]

The possibility, alone, caused a further furrow within his brows, and as his hands slowly reached forth to clasp together within a pensive manner, he fought back a third attempt of attack as the pain crept further up. Another silent, yet shakier breath drew itself in as a means and attempt to appease it. It worked to some minor degree, though he clenched his jaw, nevertheless, as he began tapping a thumb upon the other in rapid repetition.[break][break]

...What should I do? he thought to himself once more, achingly aware of the seconds—vital as they were—as they passed on and on. Shutting his eyes within a slow, gradual manner, he tilted his head up towards the ceiling. The tapping grew quicker. She already caught you. She’ll know if you’re lying, but the truth would just make her feel guiltier. It’ll just make it worse.[break][break]

The words settled for a while longer before he grit his teeth slightly, shaking his head with another, softly wry smile to himself.[break][break]

...Lies only ever make things worse, though. She doesn’t deserve that after all this time…[break][break]

Another breath. Deep. Held. Steeling. it remained within his lungs for a number of moments before escaping within the same, gradual span of time; his eyes slowly and narrowly opening to gaze distantly upon the ceiling above him all the while. Though faltering, the smile tugged upon his lips remained as his eyes creepy further along the spaces above him, and then in front him, and then ultimately towards the very same space before him again.[break][break]

”...I’ve been better. Not gonna lie~...” he murmured, his tone soft, yet surely enough to be heard, nevertheless. Tilting his head slightly towards his right, he trailed his gaze along and placed it upon the respective wall bordering him absentmindedly.[break][break]

They lowered in thought.[break][break]

”...What about you? You’re actually talking for once~...”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

Silent, just as he needed himself to be.[break]
Silent, just how it always had been.[break][break]

The time had been lost upon him before long; the sounds of idle life and occurrences (the ticking of the clock; the sounds of life beyond the windows; the footsteps that distantly approached beyond the door) swiftly becoming irrelevant and unnoticed to him, altogether, as they all fell into nothingness. Within a longer period of time, the tips of his fingers had applied more pressure against his skin. Within a longer period of time, the lids of his eyes clenched more tightly together. A familiar pressure made its gradual appearance within its head as it weighed down upon both body and soul, and as a dull sensation began to form within his throat, a slow, hissing, hoarse breath trickled from his lips in both agitation and attempt to comfort, alike.[break][break]

”Breathe…” he murmured to himself, furrowing his brows as even the airiness of the word prompted a rise within the sensations. With his shoulders lifting steadily in tandem to his chest, the air rushed in once more. ”Just breathe… You’ll be fine…”[break][break]

Faltering amidst a faint waver, he exhaled with a vague shakiness.[break][break]

”...You’re overreacting… Just get ahold of yourself…”[break][break]

In due time, his hands shifted further along his head; the pressure from such relieved from the form of his face, only to rest firmly against the sides of his head. Rather than his fingers, he’d sought to lower the palms of his hands against and into his temples, all while the fingers, themselves, curled and grasped more softly against his hair and scalp. The earlier words transitioned into a mantra. Airy. Calm. Tired.[break][break]

A toll, truly— and one that required a means of rest and support. Although the words escaped softly and silently between his lips, there came a time in which he allowed his weight to shift back; his shoulders pressing further into the wood of the door behind him as a means of security before he, himself, began to fold. Halfhearted within his desire for composure by then, the man moved his heels apart, slightly, in order to allow himself the space for descent. Amidst the light shining throughout the room, darkness had been all within his sights as hues of fatigued gold and crimson remained continuously veiled over, all while the chilled touch of the floors beneath him caressed him, and the light, itself, found itself severed slightly as it cast itself within the hallway beyond from the space it reached through.[break][break]

He smiled softly to himself, his head tilting up and against the same surface he sought sanctum against. Though frayed and tired, a brief strength resided within his chest as his tongue touched against the inner wall of his cheek once more, and in contrast to his earlier attempts at soothing, his words escaped the threshold of a whisper; his tone inheriting a faint presence.[break][break]

”...Don’t do it~...” he laughed softly, a light scrunch of the nose surfacing at the immediate note of the wavering tone his words had ridden upon. ”Don’t do it. Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t—”[break][break]

His breath fell short as knuckles met wood.[break]
He fell silent in processing.[break][break]

Briefly had a sharp sense of panic resounded within his mind, but even then, through clenched teeth and a wry grin, he took a deep (and as stable as he could possibly muster, even if it was of a poorer attempt) breath. His hands lowered as he took a second breath, resting upon his knees as he eyed the space between them.[break][break]

”...Yeah~?”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

”You’re. So. Fucking. Sensitive~...”[break][break]

The first words (the last of which, specifically, seemed to be more of a laugh of disbelief) to leave his mouth amidst the sounds of a closed door, clicking and locking itself into place. While he hadn’t quite been lying when he’d told her that he intended to change into something more comfortable (the softened fabrics and cloth had been quick to find their ways between his fingertips, after all), the gates had already been pried open against his own preferences. He was always like this; he was always thinking. Beneath the guise of a smile, he was always thinking. Beneath the guise of idleness and neutrality with the less familiar, he was always feeling.[break][break]

His own silence had always been a curse that he cursed so profoundly.[break][break]

The words were spoken with a faintly wider and significantly more wry smirk to himself, though despite the expression (despite the click of the tongue he gave himself, and despite the press of his tongue against the inner wall of his cheek) he continued to walk through the bounds of his room, voicing an absentminded, ”Just take a breath…” as he drew his arms down to the hem of his shirt to pull it up and off, as well as an additional, ”Compose yourself! Just compose yourself…” while opening a drawer to pick another couple pieces of clothing out.[break][break]

Just get over it.[break][break]

And so he did. To the best of his ability, he did. As if a snake shedding his skin for the umpteenth time, he’d ridded himself of the clothes he’d donned during the day, and after trading them for the fresher ones he’d selected throughout his own, personal conversation, he took care to toss the former into one of his hampers before taking a deep breath. A quick sit upon his bed—as well as a deepened, venting sigh—later, and he shifted his gaze towards his door, once more; his fingers grazing the wood within an idle, absentminded manner as if they had a mind of their own prior to taking the knob and turning it.[break][break]

He opened the door silently and began his venture back through the halfway. The music from the show met his ears only moments after beginning his return, and as his feet carried him along within the same, silent manner that often warranted obliviousness from most people, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweats. Closer. Closer to the living room. Closer to the television, closer to her…[break][break]

And then he found himself slowing to a stop some feet away from the corner.[break][break]

It was faint. It always was, and he remembered as such after committing it to memory despite how long it’d been by then. Yet, faint as it was, it was something that he couldn’t help but notice within the lull of the volume between the scenes of the opening— and if it hadn’t been for the particular volume of the television itself, he may not have heard it, altogether.[break][break]

Truthfully speaking, he hadn’t quite known what happened. Blank. As far as he was concerned, his mind went blank, even as the show fell silent (he figured the program was paused once the beginning was finished playing), and even as all fell silent. His gaze fell upon the floor beneath him within an idle pensiveness, and before he knew it, he’d turned around and began walking back along the way he’d came from.[break][break]

He pushed his door open again.[break]
He entered his room again.[break][break]

Initially, he’d faced the door, itself, as he kept the knob turned, and the simple mechanism that would’ve otherwise clicked into place in; only releasing it once he’d pushed the door back into its frame— though silently and slowly so, lest the noise he was avoiding be made. Hues of gold and crimson lingered upon the divots and other indentations of the wood standing before him within an absentminded manner before he eventually—gradually— turned around and rested his shoulder blades against its surface.[break][break]

Grimacing softly to himself, he pressed his thumbs against the bottom of his chin, and he pressed his index fingers against his temples while the remaining fingers touched against the bridge of his nose. He sighed into his palms while shutting his eyes and furrowing his brows, breathing a low, slow sigh against his palms.[break][break]

”What the fuck am I even doing…?” he whispered softly, barely audible to even himself.

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

But it was only fair to treat stubbornness with stubbornness, now wasn’t it?[break][break]

That was the way he saw it, at the very least; similar to the saying, ‘blood for blood,’ or, ‘an eye for an eye,’ there had always been instances within the world that could only be fairly reciprocated and solved with equality. The same applied to the sheer gravity and stakes of a particular scenario. Equality had always been key. Equality had always been an important factor.[break][break]

So he, throughout all the time following, had always figured that she was as gracious as ever for not repaying him equally.[break][break]

Though she shifted her lips faintly within what could have (and perhaps was, in another universe; oddities and distortions in time were recently discovered to be a reality, after all) been the key to breaking a long, rightfully earned silence, it had simply been something that he hadn’t noticed. Be it due to his own thoughts or the simple thought to keep to leisure, he’d only given the little drawing (abomination) staring at him from the corner of the whiteboard several more moments of a judgmental stare prior to shaking his head with no shortage of exasperation.[break][break]

Reaching for the bags of food (though note without offering both his smile and a gentle pat to the ice type that found interest in them), he hooked a good few of them onto his fingers before making a swift, shortened stride towards the kitchen; his hands deftly and smoothly picking through the cupboards leveled with him in search of bowls and the like. With a soft rustle from the room he’d occupied himself within, he made quick work of undoing the knots that bound the bags before fishing their boxes out and beginning to transfer the food into the dishes he’d selected.[break][break]

He’d only paused for a split second at the note of the unfamiliar voice speaking to him.[break][break]

The connection of what it was sparked within his mind practically immediately, and the realization of such had faltered his smile so suddenly despite how he knew that it had to have been out of consideration— but the sight of such had been far from being able to be noted as he, himself, had been turned away towards the counter before him. A soft, silent huff of a sigh (a laugh; wry and disbelieving not towards her, but himself and the first thoughts that sparked within his mind as swiftly as transmissions between synapses) passed through his lips as he stared idly down at the box within his hands.[break][break]

…And just like that, he’d recovered.[break][break]

With a smile upon his lips and a perk within his voice, he glanced over his shoulder with a teasing look, calling a playful, ”Looks like Pikachu’s cracked up cousin, if anything,” out to her before promptly turning back towards the food before him. Gently setting the emptied box aside, he pulled the next bowl and container over to do the same. ”Bet he doesn’t get invited to too many family gatherings~...”[break][break]

Before long, he took the bowls within his hands, and even balanced a couple more against his wrists within a careful manner once the containers, themselves, had been properly set aside. His eyes narrowed naturally as the smile upon his lips broadened, and he nodded towards the television awaiting them before leaning down to set the food upon the coffee table set between it and the couches bordering it.[break][break]

”Anyways, I’ll be right back,” the teacher hummed, sparing her another look from over his shoulder before starting down another hallway. ”Gonna change out really quick— go ahead and just bring the show up and skip the intro~.”

EUN-HA PARK [break]
mission: slumber party

☉