|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 1:58 pm
Quote: Prompt 7: You've seen the commercials, take a bite of a chocolate mint patty and feel a rush of so cold you feel like you're atop a frigid mountain? Now, imagine you found a cute little shop with a sweet grandmother selling cookies from a recipe passed down for generations. She was warm and friendly, and very good at selling her cookies. They look normal, taste normal--except when you take a bite, for a few seconds, your vision fades and is replaced by a glorious view. You're at the top of a mountain, watching the sun rise above the clouds. The sunset is beautiful and soft, and you can't even feel the absolutely frigid air despite the snowcapped mountains all around you. There is something otherworldly and timeless about the location, and even in the dark of winter it has the ability to fill you with some unshakeable hope. When you swallow, the illusion rapidly fades, and no subsequent bites guarantee any further illusion--but, maybe if you eat enough, you'll eventually find that magical bite again...
He beamed at Yu when they entered the warm shop and sniffed deeply, sighing. “I love this place. I...I’m excited not to have to get the spicy things! This place has wonderful broth, I was in Japan for a few months studying abroad and...honestly? This place comes the closest in the city, I think.”
He looked thoughtful and hesitated, looking worried for a moment. “...Do...you even like ramen? I should have asked...but if you do, please, please try the shaved steak...it’s to die for. Also...the bean sprouts here complete my life most of the time...they have a four point five star review on yelp too, so that...I mean…”
Nelson swallowed, trying to stop himself from rambling. “...if that means anything to you.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 2:43 pm
“I… can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a yelp review in my life.” He said hesitating. “But, what do you mean, not…HAVE to get the spicy things?” He squinted. “Is there like, a familial obligation to get spice?” “How about you order and I’ll try what you recommend. Sometimes that's the best way to find new foods ok?” He offered. It wouldn’t be like he hadn’t eaten some awful things in the past. “Just…no lobster, I don’t really care for it. Not that I think you’d spring that on me, its stupidly pricy for a leggy sea cockroach but I’m just being sure.” He gave a tired grin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:46 pm
“Oh! No, ah, I normally come here with Xander and he thinks I like spicy food but...really I’m a complete and total lightweight for spicy things...and...it’s really hard not to break into tears but...I don’t want him to think that...I don’t like it, you know? And...I live on Yelp...it's...kind of my think. I find the best places around and...make sure they're good enough for my friends..."
Nelson allowed his eyes to roam over the menu. “You really want me to pick out something for you? I can do that, and no, I don’t even think they have lobster here, so that’s no problem!”
...Though lobster sounded really tasty right now…
He walked up to the counter and ordered two bowls, both with the sliced beef in the rich beef broth. He seemed pleased with the choice and got two cups for drinks for the both of them, before paying for the meal, keeping his back firmly to Yu while he did it. Sure, it wasn’t expected that he should pay but...Yu kind of should have expected it when he asked Nelson to order.
When the transaction was complete the male smiled. “Okay! Now we go find a seat and they bring it out to us!” He filled his cup with soda and handed the empty one to his mentor, before slumping into a seat and sighing. “Oh! I have cookies too, if you’re interested! There was this really cute store and I got some for us to share!” He pulled a small bag of festive looking cookies from his coat pocket and just beamed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:57 pm
“… Nelson, dude, if you don’t like spicy… or if you can’t handle the same heat he can, you should probably tell him. If he’s worth knowing he’ll understand.” He put his own foot down when it came to certain seafoods, so that just seemed like reasonable advice. He made a small face when the kid paid for the food, the knee jerk reaction idea that he didn’t need ‘pity’ even if it was nice. The other gut reaction knot in his stomach was that free food was never free, but, hell he didn’t think Nelson could put any force into demanding anything in return so he just… huffed. and murmured thanks. Cookies though. “You had me at sweets.” He said with an unabashed grin as he chose his own drink, well… mixed a few more out of curiosity than preference.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:43 pm
Nelson absolutely looked as though Yu had just given him a large sum of money. And though he wasn’t sure how to respond to the bit about the spicy food he simply laughed. “Well...his brother told me that too but...I don’t want Xander to feel bad! I’ve been...I’ve been doing this for years now! He can’t...find out or he’ll be upset that I haven’t liked it...I...really can’t stop now.”
He took a sip of his drink and took a cookie out of the bag, before handing it over to Yu.
“I’m glad to know that you like sweets! I’ll pick somewhere with a good bakery section after our next practice, if you’d like! I know of this really great one about three blocks away...and I love it. They have the most amazing eclairs…” He sighed happily and took a bite of the cookie, chewing thoughtfully.
For a moment, the world went dark and Nelson gasped, his pupils dilating as they took in the strange but amazing sight before him. He had never seen a place so nice...never…
Oh, he wished that he could bring Xander here...that…
He could simply kiss him on this mountain top…
And then, a moment later he blinked and Yu was once again in front of him, they were once again in the tiny noodle shop...but…
Oh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:46 pm
Yu crinkled his nose at the thought but let it go. “You can build it up a bit, work your way up maybe.” He offered. If he couldn’t convince the kid not to kill himself then maybe he could at least help him out somewhere. He took the sweet and sniffed it just to savor it, which was when Nelson bit into his and… gasped. For just a moment it looked like someone slipped him something that worked -way too fast, and then… he seemed fine again. “you… okay?” he asked hesitating. He was curious enough he almost just took a bite to see if it did anything to him too.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:30 pm
“Mm?” Nelson nodded slowly and took another bite of his cookie. “...Hey, Yu? Have you...kissed anyone before? I...kind of want to kiss Xander, but I don’t know...how to just say...I want to kiss you...you know?” He sighed and rested his chin on his arms, crossing them on the table and looking sideways at Yu.
“...I’ve tried building up to it. I’ve tried but my tongue hates it. And my mouth hates it...but Xander is so happy that he can share things with me...and...I can’t disappoint him...it’s worth it to suffer. He’s worth everything you know.”
He sighed and finished off the cookie. “...These are really good…I’ll have to get more. I bet he’d like them. Are you with anyone? Do you kiss people a lot? Is it nice?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:41 pm
Not the response he was expecting, or the question. “I… mean you could try just saying that?” Yu answered carefully. “I have two… I have two boyfriends, so I’ve done some kissing yeah. It’s part of the fun.” He offered a grin like he had any confidence in what he was doing. “What if you just… wrote him a letter. Or you could tell him over the phone.” He mused trying to think of a way to keep the kid from tripping over the very idea of asking. Not that he could fault him for that. He wasn’t the best at speaking that either. “It is nice, so you should see if he’s down with it. Especially if you’re out like, murdering yourself with spice because you like him.” He took a bite of cookie and… A distant mountain, the cold snow as white and dry as fine ground crystal or the purest sand, swept into cold dunes. The sun spinning through a sky that was at once achingly familiar and strangely alien. Timeless… hopeful. Painfully….hopeful. Like a yearning and a taste of… He swallowed the bite of the cookie and sat blinking at it for a long moment. Both wanting and afraid to bite again. "the hell?... " he murmured more to himself than anything, before risking another bite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 12:55 pm
Nelson watched Yu for a moment, blinking in confusion, and wearing a slightly awed expression. “You...your have two boyfriends? That…” That was a lot. Two more than he had…
“What are they like? Do they know about each other? Are...they as nice as you are? How did you get the courage to ask them out? Do you have any advice?” He still felt the strange, light hopeful feeling that had come after he took the bite of cookie, and he wanted that to linger. Goodness did he ever want that feeling to linger.
“If I write him a letter or tell him over they phone...what if he rejects me? What if he never wants to see me again...it’s complicated because my sister kind of has a thing for his brother too...ah…” He sighed and took another cookie from the bag, hoping for another rush of feeling, but sadly getting nothing.
“I’m just...so afraid of messing things up.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 2:25 pm
“Of course they know about each other.” Blinked Yu. “I’m not that much of an a*****e. But uh… Yeah…no they are like, way better than me, so much better. Like… if they still made people Saint’s? Somehow I’ve ended up dating both of them.” He waved a hand. “I uh… got asked.” He admitted frowning. “It started because I overheard a phone conversation, and I thought he was talking about the other guy, but it was me….and then he realized he loved the other dude I thought he was talking about first…and uh… yeah.” It sounded a bit like a strange Rom-Com now he tried to explain it. “Look, maybe… sit him down and admit you have feelings, it gets…funky if you get confused. Like me thinking he was talking about his friend, which at the time he wasn’t.” He waved a hand. “TALK basically, yeah there might be things you can’t share right off, but… with time…” Boy… ok, that was a bit hypocritical but, no one should try and be HIM anyhow. They should be better… Nelson could be better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:12 pm
Nelson sighed softly, a little sad that the cookies weren’t giving him that same burst of inspiration any longer. It had been nice. “You were asked...they both love you though, right? The one wasn’t just...using you to get with the other?” He hesitated, shaking his head slowly. “No...that wouldn’t make much sense...he could have just gone with him to begin with, I guess…” He sighed and took a long drink from his cup.
“...What if...it just ruins our friendship. I want to talk to him...I want to kiss him and to be his boyfriend and just...get him out of his house...his mom is crazy...and he deserves to be loved, and sometimes I think...that he doesn’t think so...but he really, really does…”
Nelson fell quiet and hesitated, wrinkling his nose for a moment before allowing a somewhat guilty smile to spread across his face. “...I am so sorry for going on like this...you...you don’t need to know my life story...I...he’s just wonderful and I want...to keep him safe...he’s always been so nice to me...and he has the best smile in the world…”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 3:47 pm
“Y-yeah we talked about it.” He nodded trying to look more sure than he’d been feeling lately. They loved him, yeah, but there were only so many things you could ******** up before you found the edges of that. “If you …never tell him.” He said carefully. “If you never tell him, then you might ruin it on accident. Because what if he finds someone else, and then you end up hurt because you never told him, and you might not mean to, but it …will come out.” He reached out and poked at him. “If he’s that wonderful, he’s worth risking things to have even a little happiness. Trust me.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:23 pm
Nelson swallowed at those words. If he never told Xander...he might very well lose his chance to…
And...It made sense...Happiness with Xander...it sounded better than anything else he could think of. “I’ll...see about talking with him tonight...maybe...or….or we if he can come over for lunch tomorrow...I...I think I would like that. I hope that he will too...ah…” Nelson managed a soft smile and tucked some hair behind his ear.
“I appreciate our friendship. Not even just for the fact that you saved my life...you...you’re an amazing friend and I really….I really appreciate all that you’re doing for me, since I obviously know that you don’t have to! But...Still thank you so much…it’s nice to have a friend who seems like they really have things together...you know? N-not that my other friends don’t but...you know how it is...you’re. A mentor in the full sense of the word, I think. And I just...appreciate you.”
Plus, the whole...saving his life things...that was always going to be important.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:27 pm
Yu chuffed out a small laugh. “Nelson, man, Kid you need more friends.” He grinned.
“But I appreciate it while you put up with me.” He tried to make light of it, he didn’t want the kid to feel like he needed to lie or anything to soothe him. Probably he just didn’t get out enough to realize that he could do so much better. “I hope things go great with your Xander, sounds like he’s pretty aces.” He glanced down at the cookie, remembering the mountain top and the hope. “Maybe bring him some cookies.” He grinned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 22, 2020 4:37 pm
He looked down at the cookies and broke into a sudden smile. “...That...that is a really good idea! I’ll pick up some more for him, but you, you take these okay? Since you like sweets so much? I want you to have them!” Nelson was going to say more when one of the waitresses walked over with two steaming bowls of soup.
“Oh...Food’s here…” He said softly, his voice growing soft in awe as he leaned to smell the ramen. “...Yum. Thank you. And you...you’re not someone to put up with, you’re a great friend!” He insisted before falling silent and spending the next however long focused on his noodles. Head empty except for thoughts of Xander.
...It was strange to actually be able to taste something from here without his mouth burning off.
...He wasn’t sure if he really liked it or not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
