[As soon as they both approach, they'll be able to see what the problem is. It's immediately obvious from the moment anyone peeks in, provided they know anything about Rin.
Rin's room is designed like a dorm room, with a bed built into the wall and a desk facing a now-fake window and everything. It's all decorated in the way you would expect for a teenage boy's room: a stand-up closet which presumably holds his clothes, a calendar on the wall, some anime-themed blanket and pillow set, a bean bag chair on the floor (with Rinkou, now as small as a cat, curled up on it), a set of fake books that look like a row of shoujo manga on his shelves, you get the idea.
That's not what's wrong with this room though. What's wrong with it is that this room has two of all the basics: two wall-beds, two desks, two stand-up closets. But while the left side of the room is full of Rin's things, the right side is completely empty of anything that adds personality to the room. It's like a dorm room, but where the second student hasn't moved in yet.
And for some reason, just seeing this is absolutely crushing Rin's very soul.]
[ if you know rin well enough, you can take a stab at why this is hitting him the way it is.
hua cheng takes a glance, assessing, before he looks back at rin. he thinks of a tearful smile of someone breaking through to say i'm home, to mirror the wan smile of a brother saying welcome home before the trigger was pulled. of two brothers and the impact that they've always had on one another.
there's nothing to say, really. not when he has to face this for however long they're here. rin'll have to face the gentle cruelty as best he can.
as they stand there, tanhua nips at the hem of rin's clothes to get his attention - not touching, but still seeking to drag him back to the moment with them. ]
[As time passes, Rin goes from shocked to upset to something close to being heartbroken, and his mouth curls downward in what would be the precursor to bawling if not for the fact that he's biting down on his lip to keep from making any sound. His eyes look damp, but they haven't spilled over with tears yet.
Then Tanhua is nipping at his sleeve, and suddenly Rin is here instead of lost in dark memories of a day he'll never be able to forget. He's quick to reach up and wipe any moisture away before it can trail down his face, and then he just breathes, letting the pressure out with a shuddering breath that doesn't let out even the quietest of a cry.
It's fine. He's fine. He can handle this.]
Sorry. I'm alright.
[Sorry for what? He doesn't know. Maybe for being weepy like this. Rin's empathy has always been both his greatest strength and his toughest weakness.]
Mm. [ simple acknowledgment of the apology, the reassurance, and then hua cheng is looking from him and into the room again. he doesn't move to enter. just surveys it with a quiet anger, cold and sharp, before it's tucked away again, something ruthless to save for another day. ] Rinkou, get up. We've been looking for all of you long enough, so I'd say you're done lazing around, now.
[ with a last glance to rin, the large fox moves away and towards its person's side again. neither of them offer any comfort to each other, or lean into one another, but the proximity settles something, regardless. ]
Let's go see if anything else has opened up besides these rooms, and find where everyone has been put.
[ he doubts it. but rin needs to walk away for a little bit before he faces this again. ]
[Rin is too shell-shocked by a sudden reminder that Yukio isn't here that he just goes along with what Hua Cheng is saying. Hua Cheng is a trusted friend, after all, and Rin feels safe around him. Nothing bad will happen as long as he follows him, right?
Rin stays there long enough to crouch down and scoop up Rinkou, who has waddled over to the door after Hua Cheng's scolding. Once she is safely in his arms, he'll look over to the other and nod.
He just needs a little bit of time to process everything. Then he'll be fine using that room.]
[ for the most part, hua cheng isn't a gentle person to those around him. aloofness is a kindness, sometimes, when it comes to interacting with him, but.
you get a little attached, every now and then. there's no one he treats quite like xie lian, but he still reaches and puts his hand at the back of rin's head, letting him hold his daemon in his arms and get that familiarity even if their bonds aren't intact. a pat, and then a slight push with a ruffle, and he draws away, stepping around him.
with rinkou secure in his arms, tanhua yips up at her. just something small. it's better that yukio isn't suffering this again, isn't it? that he and miki aren't here right now. ]
You and I aren't too far away from each other, at least.
[Rin knows that Hua Cheng isn't one for gestures that are normally associated with affection or comfort. It's something he's come to understand over the last few months, that Hua Cheng shows he cares in other ways. So he understands the significance behind the man's actions now, and he does feel comfort in it. It might not be a hug and words of reassurance like what his dad used to give him, but it's Hua Cheng's way of saying 'it'll be okay'. And that's enough for Rin.
He closes his eyes for a moment and focuses on the touch at the back of his head, letting it stabilize him. And as soon as Hua Cheng moves and starts to walk, Rin does too, carrying Rinkou as they walk down the hall.]
Yeah, just a couple doors down.
[In the future, Rin might make a joke about how Hua Cheng will be able to hear the loud parties Rin throws. But in this moment, he's not ready for the jokes yet. He still needs to breathe and be alright.
Rinkou whines a little at Tanhua. She agrees, it's better that Yukio and Miki aren't here. They didn't handle the stress of the last game very well. But that bedroom is still really rude and probably targeted to upset Rin, and she doesn't like it very much.]
...we always shared a bedroom. From as far back as I can remember, and even when we had dorm rooms in high school. That whole angel-thing was the first time we didn't share a room ever.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2022-06-05 07:47 pm (UTC)[As soon as they both approach, they'll be able to see what the problem is. It's immediately obvious from the moment anyone peeks in, provided they know anything about Rin.
Rin's room is designed like a dorm room, with a bed built into the wall and a desk facing a now-fake window and everything. It's all decorated in the way you would expect for a teenage boy's room: a stand-up closet which presumably holds his clothes, a calendar on the wall, some anime-themed blanket and pillow set, a bean bag chair on the floor (with Rinkou, now as small as a cat, curled up on it), a set of fake books that look like a row of shoujo manga on his shelves, you get the idea.
That's not what's wrong with this room though. What's wrong with it is that this room has two of all the basics: two wall-beds, two desks, two stand-up closets. But while the left side of the room is full of Rin's things, the right side is completely empty of anything that adds personality to the room. It's like a dorm room, but where the second student hasn't moved in yet.
And for some reason, just seeing this is absolutely crushing Rin's very soul.]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-05 08:13 pm (UTC)hua cheng takes a glance, assessing, before he looks back at rin. he thinks of a tearful smile of someone breaking through to say i'm home, to mirror the wan smile of a brother saying welcome home before the trigger was pulled. of two brothers and the impact that they've always had on one another.
there's nothing to say, really. not when he has to face this for however long they're here. rin'll have to face the gentle cruelty as best he can.
as they stand there, tanhua nips at the hem of rin's clothes to get his attention - not touching, but still seeking to drag him back to the moment with them. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-05 08:35 pm (UTC)Then Tanhua is nipping at his sleeve, and suddenly Rin is here instead of lost in dark memories of a day he'll never be able to forget. He's quick to reach up and wipe any moisture away before it can trail down his face, and then he just breathes, letting the pressure out with a shuddering breath that doesn't let out even the quietest of a cry.
It's fine. He's fine. He can handle this.]
Sorry. I'm alright.
[Sorry for what? He doesn't know. Maybe for being weepy like this. Rin's empathy has always been both his greatest strength and his toughest weakness.]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-05 08:43 pm (UTC)[ with a last glance to rin, the large fox moves away and towards its person's side again. neither of them offer any comfort to each other, or lean into one another, but the proximity settles something, regardless. ]
Let's go see if anything else has opened up besides these rooms, and find where everyone has been put.
[ he doubts it. but rin needs to walk away for a little bit before he faces this again. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-05 09:24 pm (UTC)[Rin is too shell-shocked by a sudden reminder that Yukio isn't here that he just goes along with what Hua Cheng is saying. Hua Cheng is a trusted friend, after all, and Rin feels safe around him. Nothing bad will happen as long as he follows him, right?
Rin stays there long enough to crouch down and scoop up Rinkou, who has waddled over to the door after Hua Cheng's scolding. Once she is safely in his arms, he'll look over to the other and nod.
He just needs a little bit of time to process everything. Then he'll be fine using that room.]
no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 01:12 am (UTC)you get a little attached, every now and then. there's no one he treats quite like xie lian, but he still reaches and puts his hand at the back of rin's head, letting him hold his daemon in his arms and get that familiarity even if their bonds aren't intact. a pat, and then a slight push with a ruffle, and he draws away, stepping around him.
with rinkou secure in his arms, tanhua yips up at her. just something small. it's better that yukio isn't suffering this again, isn't it? that he and miki aren't here right now. ]
You and I aren't too far away from each other, at least.
no subject
Date: 2022-06-06 03:28 am (UTC)He closes his eyes for a moment and focuses on the touch at the back of his head, letting it stabilize him. And as soon as Hua Cheng moves and starts to walk, Rin does too, carrying Rinkou as they walk down the hall.]
Yeah, just a couple doors down.
[In the future, Rin might make a joke about how Hua Cheng will be able to hear the loud parties Rin throws. But in this moment, he's not ready for the jokes yet. He still needs to breathe and be alright.
Rinkou whines a little at Tanhua. She agrees, it's better that Yukio and Miki aren't here. They didn't handle the stress of the last game very well. But that bedroom is still really rude and probably targeted to upset Rin, and she doesn't like it very much.]
...we always shared a bedroom. From as far back as I can remember, and even when we had dorm rooms in high school. That whole angel-thing was the first time we didn't share a room ever.