The Fireflies (6) : In the warm summer nights, little glowing lights begin to bob and dart through the city. Fireflies are mating, so this isn't uncommon in itself; in the past few days you've probably seen hundreds of fireflies. What makes these lights so unique is that they seem to change color; you might see a blue one, a green one, a red one. They flicker randomly, and something just seems off with them. If you come into contact with one, you will find yourself with a strange electric jolt. They cannot be caught, and will flicker away if you pursue too aggressively. This isn't the first time they've appeared in Destiny City, but no one's been able to tell where they came from or where they're going. No matter how quickly you chase them, they always seem to disappear before you can find any answers.
The rainbow fireflies, it seemed, were becoming a summer staple in Destiny City. Haru still remembered their electric sting, of course, and so he avoided getting too close, but it was nice to sit on a picnic table and watch them, and also watch the people in the park, without being Alkmene and having to worry about trying to drain energy.
There were plenty of events after dark that a young man with an interest in not being in an increasingly empty-feeling apartment might wish to attend, and Haru certainly did. Sitting around alone with nothing but his increasing collection of plants for company was starting to feel really, really pathetic. (As if it had ever been not pathetic.)
He'd thought the losses might get easier. They never did. They just sort of piled, an ever-growing tower of leaving and vanishing and....
Haru sighed, turning his attention back to the fireflies. There were people around, but at the moment, they weren't really the point. Baby steps into being more social again.
Guine
Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2025 4:50 pm
Ren noticed the fireflies, of course. They were obnoxious in the way most beautiful things were. Flickering just out of reach, demanding attention they hadn’t earned. But what held his gaze wasn’t the flickering lights. It was a man watching them like he’d forgotten how to breathe.
He looked too still. Too thoughtful. Too pretty to be left alone like that.
“Are you always this popular with the wildlife, or are the fireflies just attracted to misery?”
There was a faint curve of a smile. Ren could do charm with his eyes closed. The trick was meaning just enough to make someone wonder if you meant more.
He didn’t wait for an answer before lowering himself to the edge of the table. He sat a little too close on purpose, and was maybe a little too comfortable with someone he’d just met. He was dressed head to toe in black, as usual. The expensive black that came from Italy or the like. His white hair pulled up in a ponytail and out of the way.
“Careful,” he hummed, tone bordering amusement. “They’ve got a thing for lonely types. They’ll think it’s an invitation if you so much as sigh.”
He paused, just long enough to look the young man over. Not predatory just… looking. If he didn’t like what he saw, he would have left already.
Haru blinked, briefly surprised to have someone so obviously directly addressing him, but when he turned and got a good look at the man talking to him, his expression immediately shifted so something more charming. Or at least something trying to get there.
"I'm usually pretty popular," he said, "and not just with the wildlife."
Honestly, it was so convenient for this handsome man to sit himself so close; it let Haru take a moment to take him in, to appreciate the contrast of white hair and fancy imported black outfit; they had to look a set, since Haru had also gone the all black route, though his spaghetti-strap sundress might have looked whimsical and summery in a brighter color palette.
"Anyway, suddenly I'm not so lonely and can't think of a reason to sigh, when I've got such pleasant company." He offered a hand. "Haruhiko. But just Haru will do."
Guine
Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2025 11:24 am
When it was offered, Ren took Haru’s hand like he already knew it would be worth holding. His grip was light, not rushed. The way he took it was as though it was its own unique experience, rather than filling in the lines of a well rehearsed script.
“Ren Wilhelm,” he said, voice smooth and low like silk. “But if we’re picking nicknames, I’m sure we could figure something out that suits me.”
He held onto Haru’s hand a while longer than he probably needed. His thumb ghosted over Haru’s fingers, lingering purposefully, as though to test for areas of tension or sensitivity. Maybe Haru didn’t like being touched, despite being the one to offer his hand first. Maybe he wanted to see what sparked, if anything.
There was a certain kind of tone in which Haru had offered his name and hand. Someone who said it soft like that, someone who offered a piece of themselves without bracing for how it would be received, either hadn’t been burned enough, or perhaps too much.
Ren wasn’t sure of which, yet, but he was curious enough to want to find out.
When he pulled his hand away, it was slow. He looked over Haru in his sundress without shame. Obviously a color he could appreciate. It looked playful but not fragile. It suited him, as did the subtle flashes of firefly light in his eyes.
“Black in July,” Ren said, glancing between them with faint amusement. “Bold choice. Tragic. Maybe just dramatic -- the right amount, I think. I’d ask what you’re grieving, but then I’d have to explain myself, too.”
He turned to face Haru more fully. Still too close. Still just as comfortable. His knee brushed Haru’s briefly, barely there.
“I’d say I’m flattered,” he hummed. “But I’m not entirely convinced you don’t say that to all of the sharply dressed strangers you meet. Black suits you. I wear it to keep people out. But you… I think you might be doing the opposite.”
Ren liked being wanted, yes. He liked being admitted. But there was something about this unexpected meeting that reminded him of parts of himself he didn’t always like looking at too closely. Parts that wanted something real.
Ah. Haru liked the lingering touch, the way Ren held his hand for longer than was necessary. They were well cared for; calluses might try to develop from his violin, but he was generally militant about treating them before they got too prominent. Even though he'd let himself drift, in certain ways, keeping up his appearance felt...almost more important, for that.
And it seemed to be working out for him, if the lingering touch was anything to go by.
"Give me some time," Haru said, lightly, taking advantage of the lingering handshake to idly brush a finger over Ren's wrist. "I'm sure I can come up with something creative."
God, but he'd been so atrociously lonely. It was a little depressing that flirting with a stranger felt like proof that he was still holding it together, but it was something, and so far, Ren certainly intrigued. And it felt good to have someone interested at all.
"Maybe this is the entire range of my wardrobe," he said, though there was a playful lilt to his voice, and he let his hand drop to rest on the table. "I do like black. It goes with everything, as long as you make sure the blacks themselves match. Which you've done quite successfully."
He let himself shift over, welcoming the advances into his space. It had been so long since....well, since anything, it just felt nice to flirt with someone who was handsome, charming so far, and blatantly interested in him.
"So maybe I do like to flatter sharp-dressed strangers," he confessed, "but that doesn't mean the flattery is empty. Especially when they're so kind as to worry about me attracting too much attention from the local insects." He held his eyes on Ren's face, his smile as much an invitation as his words. "And maybe the black is an attention getter. An invitation, of sorts. Is it working?"
Guine
Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2025 11:26 am
Ren’s smile shifted into something smaller, lazier. He didn’t look away from Haru’s face, not even when their knees brushed again and then stayed that way, barely touching, like it could maybe be passed off as accidental.
“Hmm,” he hummed, tilting his head slightly to the side, almost like he was listening for something only he could hear. “I’d say it’s working, if you’re looking for reassurance.”
He purposefully didn’t say whether it was the black, the flattery, or the fingertip that ghosted over his wrist. But his tone said yes.
“You could’ve worn anything and turned heads,” Ren added, his voice a little deeper, quieter. “But I’m guessing that’s not what you’re after.”
And that was something Ren could recognize. Haru was undeniably attractive. He was built for attention and admiration and being looked at. And Ren suspected he knew it. But there was also something in him that felt both calm and hungry. Maybe not for show, but for something real. It was clear in the way he shifted towards Ren, like he missed being near warmth. Maybe he hadn’t let himself get close in a while.
Ren, of course, usually didn’t move towards others. People came to him. There was no need to prove desire when it so often arrived uninvited anyway. But now? He moved closer deliberately. Not so much physically, but definitely closing a gap that was there.
“I could be wrong,” he said softly, almost like a purr. “But I don’t think you need anyone to tell you you’re beautiful. I think you’re waiting for someone to notice when you’re not pretending. So far, the view’s not bad.”
He reached forward, not for a handshake this time, but to brush a small firefly away from the loose strap of Haru’s dress. Although his fingers didn’t linger… they could have.
“Sorry about that. I’m good at making insects jealous.”
It had been...a long time, since Haru had gotten to experience this. The dance of flirtation. The spark of interest from someone new, someone who wanted him.
It felt good, to be the full center of attention.
"Maybe a little reassurance is nice," Haru said, and although his tone was light, there was something honest in that. "Especially that I'm turning the right heads."
He was pretty. He knew that. It was an objective fact and also something he worked very hard to maintain. But he'd let it slip, lately, gotten caught up in everything that was going wrong, everything he'd lost.
All the ways he'd failed.
He was not failing now. And maybe this was a little thing. A flirtation, a game. But that was a first step.
"I may not need it, but I definitely like it. A man's ego needs a little flattering every once in a while," he said. "But you're right. I know exactly how pretty I am."
Even the brief touch to chase away a firefly felt charged. And that was nice.
"I bet you're good at making a lot of things jealous." It was a bold step, but he reached out to rest a finger in the center of Ren's chest, tracing it down. "But I do appreciate you chasing it away. Shocking little things. Maybe I can show you how much I appreciate it? And all the compliments, of course."
