caughtinanetwork | video;

Entry tags:

video; | evening

[Well, so much for feeling better finally.

Ioder looks a bit worried when he comes up on the network this evening. He's fidgeting, tugging at little strands of blonde below his ear and looking for all the world like an anxious child waiting for news of something.]

Ah... just... in case anyone is looking for her, my cousin Estellise seems to have left. Her name is no longer on the residency list and I can't get through to her voice mail.

[He forces a smile, though, as if trying to convince himself of something that he's struggling to believe is true.]

But... I'm sure it's just temporary. Yuri came back, after all.

[There's a little more fidgeting, and the forced smile quickly fades. He hesitates, but after a moment he reaches forward and turns the feed off]

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[Throughout the song, Dhaos listens quietly. Perhaps Ioder's voice isn't the most beautiful in the world, but the emotion in it is genuine, and it captures Dhaos' full attention.

As the song goes on, he feels an odd sort of...warmth spreading through him. What is...?

His thoughts are interrupted by the song's end. The prince smiles at Ioder and proceeds to give him another hug.]

Thank you...

[Perhaps he couldn't identify that oddly familiar emotion, but... For now, just to be with his best friend is more important to him.]

[By the end, his voice has cracked a few times, tears barely held back long enough to get through the song. Even if it's just a song he heard somewhere before, enough times to recall the words, he still believes much of it to be true.

And like Dhaos, there's a stranger feeling, a fluttering in his chest and an almost nervous tightening in his stomach, but joined by a warmth that feels comforting, welcoming yet some how still distant. It lasts only a moment, but it leaves him silently wondering.

Once he's pulled back in to Dhaos' arms though, it simply fades. He nods, offering a sad smile up at the prince.]

I'm sorry I can't do much else...

That my best friend is here for me is enough.

[And indeed it is. It's a break from the stress and anxiety going around the entirety of the city, especially in the house, and the guilt he almost constantly feels weighing upon him is lessened when someone is there to distract him from his thoughts.]

I'm glad I can help then...

[Ioder sighs tiredly, leaning against Dhaos. He smiles, but it's weaker than usual, betraying just how heavy the loss of his cousin is weighing on him.

But at least he was able to help Dhaos. That is a victory, in his mind.]

I can stay, if you want. It's not as if I have anywhere to be...

[Dhaos just continues to smile.]

Of course you can stay.

[After all, it's not terribly difficult to see that Ioder needs the company as much as he does at the moment.]

Okay.

[Ioder smiled back at that.]

[Happy that Ioder is not leaving for the time being, Dhaos hugs him a little closer. He seems almost as if he is content enough to start purring if the emperor were to start petting his hair or something similar.]

[Of course he doesn't really think to do something like that, but... well, there is a lot of hair there to play with, which he starts to do without really thinking.]

[...Yep, that sure is a purring Demon King. Congratulations Ioder, you have just discovered something only Zelda previously knew.]

[It actually makes him stop because he certainly wasn't expecting that kind of noise to come from him.

But after a second passes he just... laughs.]

[The sudden absence of a hand in his hair and the laughter startle Dhaos out of his purring, causing him to look down at his friend in confusion.]

...?

S-sorry...

[Ioder puts a hand over his mouth, trying and failing to stifle his laughter. He can't help it!]

[This only further serves to confuse Dhaos.]

...Why are you laughing? What are you apologizing for?

Th-that was... unexpected.

...?

..........?

...!

[And then he buries his face in his hands in a vain attempt to hide his rapidly darkening blush.]

...I didn't realize I was making that noise again.

[Sorry, Dhaos. That just gets Ioder laughing more. It's not a mean laugh in any sense of the word, just terribly amused.]

I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh but I couldn't help it... it's not a bad thing, I assure you. It's...

[Cute?

Oh dear, now he's blushing, too.]

... e... endearing... yes.

[Though he doesn't uncover his face since he's turned even more red, Dhaos does manage to peer out at Ioder between his fingers. Zelda had thought his purring endearing (read: cute) too. She didn't say as much out loud, but it had been clearly written on her face. Either both his sister and friend have odd tastes in what they find endearing in grown men, or... Dhaos isn't sure what to think if it really is generally a positive thing for someone like him to purr like a cat when ~~receiving pets~~ content.]

...

... I didn't upset you, did I... ?

[That gets a little laugh from Dhaos.]

No, I'm just...not used to being praised.

[Ioder tilts his head to the side, blinking curiously.]

Not at all?

[Slowly, Dhaos takes his hands away from his face. He sports a slightly embarrassed smile.]

Well, I've received a small amount since my arrival to Vatheon, but it was more than a decade between my arrival and the last time I was praised before coming here.

... well then obviously I'm just going to have to give you more compliments.

video; | evening

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