video; | evening

[fortheempire]

[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]

Comments

[action]

[fortheempire]

[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.

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

[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.]

...

[action]

[fortheempire]

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

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

[That gets a little laugh from Dhaos.]

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

[action]

[fortheempire]

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

Not at all?

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

[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.

[action]

[fortheempire]

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

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

[And there's that blush again, accompanied with a wide-eyed stare.]

[action]

[fortheempire]

[Ioder just smiles back, cheerful as ever.]

I think you deserve them.

[action] 1/2

[fistfullofmagic]

[For a moment, all Dhaos can do is stare, caught between two opposing emotions.]

[action] 2/2

[fistfullofmagic]

[Then, the mage suddenly draws Ioder to his chest, burying his face in the others' hair again as he begins to tear up.]

...I don't deserve you.

[Despite his words, he can't help the happiness that leaks into his voice, nor the smile that creeps onto his face.]

[action]

[fortheempire]

[The hug doesn't startle him so much as the words do, and Ioder feels that cheerful smile slipping away, threatening in to more tears.]

Don't... say things like that...

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

Alright... Just...please don't cry. It's hard to be sad when you smile.

[action]

[fortheempire]

... alright. I'll try not to. For you.

[Why does saying that make his heart flutter and hurt all at once?]

[action]

[fistfullofmagic]

[Dhaos doesn't quite understand why that makes him as happy as it does, nor does he know why he feels compelled to nuzzle the top of the other man's head a little as an affectionate sign of gratitude. Thus he just runs with it.]

...Thank you.