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Hijiki rolled his eyes. "Well, obviously. He's always teasing people." His gaze went to Salil. "But something was different this time; otherwise, Jellin over here wouldn't be so pensive and bothered as to be distracted enough to let you speak first."

Salil opened his mouth to object, then closed it again. It was true... he was distracted. What happened at the end of that... flirtation shouldn't have happened.

"But at the same time, he also succeeded in some way, as you're about as red as a tomato, Serenne," Hijiki added. "So. What happened? Detailed explanations get you detailed stories."

"Neither is it nice to make me the third wheel here," Hijiki replied flatly. "Especially with something that clearly has Jellin the Unfazed over here troubled." Before Salil could object, he added, "And not just troubled--confused. Salil doesn't get confused."

Salil sighed, glancing away. "I had... a Lapse," he mumbled. "So I can't reply more than to restate what Serenne has already said."

Hijiki frowned. That was... odd. He turned to Serenne. "He said things that didn't sound like the usual him, didn't he?" he asked, almost rhetorically since he was sure of the answer.

Hijiki looked at Salil, who shook his head. Apparently it wasn't his 'brand of stallion teasing' that was super effective. He sighed as his best friend, looking more troubled than satisfied, got up to pace away from the others. He joined Serenne at the koi pond, watching the fish before speaking. "The thing that was super effective," he began, hoping that it wasn't too awkward. "It wasn't his... 'brand of stallion teasing.' It's something that we've dubbed a Truth Lapse." His green gaze slid from the water to the mare. "Although I've never seen him have one in front of anyone besides me, which is likely why he's sulking over there. He's not accustomed to others seeing him that... vulnerable."

Super effective. Salil had a slight frown on his face as he paced back and forth, trying desperately to remember what exactly he had said. What was it that had Serenne admit that he had... well, seduced her? She'd said something about a game, but that didn't seem like something that would entrance her...

Hijiki tried to think of the best way to explain it. "I guess you could say it's like Salil's subconscious bypassing his consciousness. It happens when he does certain types of teasing, though it's only happened around me before this. He starts speaking what's on his mind underneath all the masks and teasing." He smiled sheepishly. "No, there's nothing wrong with being truthful. Salil doesn't like truth lapses because he can't remember what he says during them. It's doubly troubling to him that it happened around you because that suggests that it may start happening more frequently--and around other people."

Salil didn't even realize what he was doing, ignoring Serenne the way he was. He had been deeply immersed in his thoughts for days, struggling to unlock the memories of those words he spoke and this... distressful feeling he had whenever the mare was around. Serenne made him immensely curious, but also severely distracted. Curiosity he was used to, but distraction he wasn't. Why did she do this to him? How was she different from the countless other mares he'd met?

She wasn't like Hijiki, who clearly saw the whole picture that was Salil. But she somehow still pushed all the right buttons to throw him off-guard or create situations that shouldn't have been possible for an outsider like her. Why? How? He couldn't understand it and it frustrated him...

Salil walked past the koi pond without looking toward it, not realizing that Serenne was there while he was in the midst of his endless thoughts.

Salil nearly jumped at the shout that shattered his mental isolation from his surroundings. His lime green eyes were wide with surprise as he stared at Serenne, her words rushing at him like a river current. For once, his mind went completely blank, giving him nothing to interrupt her with.

The words she repeated back to him felt like a blow to the chest. And when she turned and started to walk away... Something strange happened, something that smacked into him with sudden realization.

Salil was scared.

It took Salil a few stumbling steps before he remembered how to use his feet. He rushed forward with what little speed he had, sliding up beside her and whipping his head in front of her neck so that she couldn't continue forward. His eyes, wide with terror, were perfectly hidden behind his blue bangs. "Don't go." He was surprised at the voice that came from his own vocals; it was almost pitiful-sounding, with how quiet and meek it was. "Please."

He gritted his teeth as his body began to quiver in a humiliatingly uncontrollable manner. Now that Serenne had shaken him from his stupor, he was regaining himself--and his pride aghast at the actions of his moment of weakness. Eyes clenching shut as he became overwhelmingly disgusted with himself, he turned away from the mare, allowing her to more freely choose whether she would stay or go. Salil slowly calmed himself, but he couldn't stop the mild quaking of his frame. Why wouldn't it stop? This was humiliating... Serenne would surely mock him for it. If she was right and he really had been lost in his own head for weeks, then she was likely angry enough to taunt him about it ceaselessly. He deserved it.

With those first four words, his fear was swept away, but dread quickly replaced it. "Expla...nation...?" His tongue felt strange. Serenne had said he hadn't spoken to her in weeks... it was likely he hadn't spoken at all. He was lucky his words were clear in any way. His trembling hadn't stopped, frustrating him. He hoped the mare didn't notice. He'd already given her enough teasing material as it was.