[ the awkward silence that follows iris' gestures was so thick it could have been cut through with one of those knives lillium favors so much. a weird bubble of laughter escapes iris' mouth — sound as delirious as he feels. lillium is here. ]
—Sorry. I just... [ well. iris has never been known for being very good at keeping his mouth shut, has he? ] I didn't think I'd ever see you again.
[ oh. are his eyes watering suddenly?? geez, put the onions way lillium! (there are no onions) he pulls away suddenly, reluctantly, glancing around them. ]
( oh, jeez. he's crying already? lillium makes a face when iris looks away; he never knows what to do when he starts that. it's always somewhat alarming and makes him feel... weird. it's not like lillium is known for being comforting in any way. but, iris is a.............................. friend, or something. so he should make a little more of an effort. )
It's fine.
( at this point he's kind of used to iris and how he is just always going to be a little on the weird side. he turns toward the sink and washes his hands, wets a paper towel to wipe his face off, gets off the few flecks of shells with another one. he wonders, briefly, where they get extra clothes from or if he's going to have to pilfer some from somewhere ( or someone ). he'll deal with that later.
he turns back to iris, eyes narrowed slightly as if he's trying to parse what he means. )
What do you mean, you thought you'd never see me again? We were just together.
[ it's only when lillium takes his hand away that iris even realizes it had been on his shoulder, the latter suddenly feeling strangely empty without the warm weight of the former. he doesn't move as the older male cleans up — and, no, no teats fall, thank god — stirring only when lillium's question lands. ]
Oh.
[ oh, right. time works funny here, or outside of here. ]
( lillium looks at him, head tilted to the side like he's trying to figure out what iris is saying. a few months? that can't be. they were literally just together this morning. or... whatever. then again, maybe time works a little weird? or something??? he has no idea. thinking about it is going to give him a headache.
so, he resumes making pancakes. )
That doesn't make any sense. ( his shoulder lifts in a shrug. ) But, whatever you say.
( a new egg is cracked, this time in the bowl, not on himself. )
The first mission I was on sent us to this planet where we were all only as tall as mushrooms, and the mushrooms there talked, and also we only had ten days before a giant asteroid was going to come and destroy the whole planet, so we spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way to save them, but in the end we were only able to save half before it was too late.
[ :') he still has nightmares about it nbd ]
Then my next mission we were sent to a place that had a particle in the air that ate our powers, and there were people sick and dying because of it, and we had to fight and rescue people on ships in space.
Then just last month instead of coming back to this station, we went to the station of the past and kept having to relieve memories of our own pasts and also saw what had happened to the crew before us and how they all kind of sort of died.
( the more iris talks, the slower lillium's movements become until he's standing completely still. what the actual fuck...??? why does this all sound horrible?? why does this make that protective instinct rise up so fast within him it makes his insides hot and he wants to find someone to blame for... something. for making iris go through all this when he's just been through his own personal hell??
nah, something about all this doesn't really sit right with him. and now he's thinking back on the mission files he's read and suddenly they're all tinged with something a little more personal rather than just informational. it's making him feel some kind of way and he doesn't know what it is or how to really deal with it at all.
he wets his lips and stares at iris for several quiet beats after he finishes talking. he can't be serious right now, can he? trying to brush all that off by moving on with the next topic like it's nothing? no. no, that's not how this is going to work. )
Iris.
( lillium brings both hands up to rub at his face as he leans down to rest his elbows on the counter. suddenly he's not hungry anymore. he thinks to push and question iris more about all of what he just dropped into his lap like it's a freaking box of donuts. but, he realizes pretty quickly that there's just no point in it. he just groans tiredly into his hands but doesn't move them yet. )
[ the disconnect between all that he has revealed and the way he's spoken about it isn't lost on iris, and honestly a little unfair to lillium to dump it all on him so casually. but iris is not really in any position to do anything about it; he doesn't really want to know what it looks like when he gives those memories any more weight than that. ]
I can help.
[ he wisely opts not to point out that lillium seems more in need of a seat than iris at the moment, instead quietly walking around the older man to dig through cabinets for a frying pan.
when he finds one he sets it on the stove very delicately, as if afraid any sudden noises might spook the other one into non-existence again. ]
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no subject
—Sorry. I just... [ well. iris has never been known for being very good at keeping his mouth shut, has he? ] I didn't think I'd ever see you again.
[ oh. are his eyes watering suddenly?? geez, put the onions way lillium! (there are no onions) he pulls away suddenly, reluctantly, glancing around them. ]
Did, um. Did you just get here?
no subject
It's fine.
( at this point he's kind of used to iris and how he is just always going to be a little on the weird side. he turns toward the sink and washes his hands, wets a paper towel to wipe his face off, gets off the few flecks of shells with another one. he wonders, briefly, where they get extra clothes from or if he's going to have to pilfer some from somewhere ( or someone ). he'll deal with that later.
he turns back to iris, eyes narrowed slightly as if he's trying to parse what he means. )
What do you mean, you thought you'd never see me again? We were just together.
no subject
Oh.
[ oh, right. time works funny here, or outside of here. ]
I've... been here for a few months.
no subject
so, he resumes making pancakes. )
That doesn't make any sense. ( his shoulder lifts in a shrug. ) But, whatever you say.
( a new egg is cracked, this time in the bowl, not on himself. )
What've you been doing for "a few months," then?
no subject
Well...
[ well. ]
The first mission I was on sent us to this planet where we were all only as tall as mushrooms, and the mushrooms there talked, and also we only had ten days before a giant asteroid was going to come and destroy the whole planet, so we spent a lot of time trying to figure out a way to save them, but in the end we were only able to save half before it was too late.
[ :') he still has nightmares about it nbd ]
Then my next mission we were sent to a place that had a particle in the air that ate our powers, and there were people sick and dying because of it, and we had to fight and rescue people on ships in space.
Then just last month instead of coming back to this station, we went to the station of the past and kept having to relieve memories of our own pasts and also saw what had happened to the crew before us and how they all kind of sort of died.
[ he looks to the bowl. ]
What're you making?
no subject
nah, something about all this doesn't really sit right with him. and now he's thinking back on the mission files he's read and suddenly they're all tinged with something a little more personal rather than just informational. it's making him feel some kind of way and he doesn't know what it is or how to really deal with it at all.
he wets his lips and stares at iris for several quiet beats after he finishes talking. he can't be serious right now, can he? trying to brush all that off by moving on with the next topic like it's nothing? no. no, that's not how this is going to work. )
Iris.
( lillium brings both hands up to rub at his face as he leans down to rest his elbows on the counter. suddenly he's not hungry anymore. he thinks to push and question iris more about all of what he just dropped into his lap like it's a freaking box of donuts. but, he realizes pretty quickly that there's just no point in it. he just groans tiredly into his hands but doesn't move them yet. )
Sit down, I'll make you some pancakes.
no subject
I can help.
[ he wisely opts not to point out that lillium seems more in need of a seat than iris at the moment, instead quietly walking around the older man to dig through cabinets for a frying pan.
when he finds one he sets it on the stove very delicately, as if afraid any sudden noises might spook the other one into non-existence again. ]
I'm okay, Lillium. Really.