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 Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 10:41 pm
Honestly, Ashe was still a little in awe that a random encounter with a stranger in some nippy wind had managed to result in him finding a friend in the midst of all of Destiny City's nonsense. He was starting a new year feeling more like a new person--more of a whole person, rather than a shadow trying to fill in the shape of a life that no longer existed.
And part of that was being friends with Shulang. So when he'd said he needed to talk, Ashe had easily agreed; back at the cafe near where they'd first met, he waited with a warm drink and a caprese sandwich, scanning for his friend as people walked in. When he finally spotted Shulang's bright green ponytail, he waved, so Shulang would know exactly where to find him once he put in his order.
A little lunch, a little chat, and he'd get to help someone out. That sounded nice.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 10:51 pm
Shulang felt incredibly nervous about this. Ashe was a relatively new friend, but at least they seemed... kind of normal. Even for a queer guy. At least, as far as Shulang knew, Ashe wasn't dating an alien that he'd had some kind of will-they-won't-they with in their previous life. An alien who, by the way, was a huge monstrous guy that was almost completely feral and had no idea how to interact in a polite society. Also he was still bitter about being cast into space by Corvina, sue him. Ashe could probably give him normal human advice for dating normal humans who weren't into all the magical bullshit. That was what Shulang needed and what he wasn't likely to find with Shuangxu or Lianhua. Catching Ashe's eye, he nodded and squeezed over to the table after ordering a black coffee and chicken, mozzarella, and spinach crepe. "Hey," he greeted. "How have you been?" That was how normal people began a conversation, right?
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:00 pm
Ashe was all smiles when Shulang joined him. It was just nice to not feel so damn lonely, to have started forming connections again. It had been bad, for a while, in a way Ashe hadn't really recognized until he was emerging from the haze of it all. He'd found his little wisp, which so gladly accompanied him when he was Carterhaugh; he'd started getting to know Kiyoshi ever since their encounter with the ice wolf; and he had a genuine entire civilian friend in Shulang.
Truly, it was so much better. He had missed people.
"Fine," he said. "Getting ready to start classes again. What about you?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:04 pm
"Confused," he admitted in a rush almost immediately, sighing. He sipped at his coffee and shivered as its heat rushed through his body, warming him up. "I, uh. I went on a date with a friend's sister. It was fine. We got along well. But apparently... It's kind of obvious I'm gay?" he said, absolutely mystified by how the hell Lianhua had clocked that when he hadn't even known himself. "And I didn't think I was. I'd thought about it before, but..." He sighed again, leaning forward. "I just didn't think I was, until she told me to think about it, because apparently, again, it is obvious to people other than myself. And... I did think about it. There's this guy that I'm getting to know, and..." He trailed off awkwardly, not sure what to say next, and to cover it up, he shoved a bite of his crepe into his mouth, embarrassment threatening to turn him into a pile of melted goo.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:20 pm
"Oh, honey," Ashe said, in a way that was more fond than anything else, "if it helps, I wasn't sure until you told me just now." He wasn't usually one to play guessing games about that sort of thing, though, because everyone figured out their stuff on their own time--but, yes, there had been a vibe or two.
Gaydar, as it were.
"Probably it was more obvious to her because she went on a date with you, and one does sort of notice those kinds of vibes in an intimate setting," he pointed out. "But!" He leaned forward, all eagerness for gossip, "tell me about this boy. Are we experiencing feelings?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:26 pm
"Who's we," Shulang grumbled under his breath after he'd swallowed, trying to regain a small amount of control over himself. It didn't work very well. "That makes sense," he conceded with a soft sigh, sipping his coffee. "But. Yes. I think so? Last night, I... I wanted to kiss him. That surprised me. I've never wanted to kiss anyone before. Never. The first time I saw him, he was so pretty I couldn't talk, but I didn't know what I was feeling then. And then last night, he spoke with such passion about protecting people that my stomach swooped and I... I wanted to kiss him." Groaning, he buried his head in his arms on the table. "I don't know what to do about that."
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:32 pm
Ashe laughed, waving a hand.
"Alright, alright, there is no 'we' here, but it does sound like you've got a crush," he teased, cheerfully. But he did soften; baby's first crush was a big experience, and frankly, he felt a lot of sympathy for someone stumbling into this like poor Shulang was.
"It sounds like this boy is really special," he said, "and if you're not ready to actually kiss him yet, why don't you two just...spend some time together? Talk, get to know each other? Take it slow? If he likes you, and he's someone worth being with, he'll be willing to wait." Ashe's tone and expression got very serious. "And if he starts trying to press you for things you're not ready for, no matter how cute he is, he's not worth it. Take things at whatever pace you're comfortable with. It's the only way to do it."
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:39 pm
"It's that easy, huh?" Shulang asked as he raised his head and eyebrows. "Why do I get the feeling it's slightly more complicated than that?" Giving a soft laugh, he took another bite of his crepe. "I guess all I can do is see which way the river flows," he said softly. "Trust me... I've had experience with people pushing things on me. I... actually... I don't want to overreact." As he'd started to say that he wouldn't have a problem telling Ziuhoi off, he realized... he wasn't quite sure where the line would be, between someone clumsily asking for something and trying to slyly force it. That... would be difficult. He... He'd probably not react well. "Some things happened to me," he continued in a low tone. "And... I don't want to push him away if... it turns out that I misinterpreted what he said, because I'm..." He swallowed heavily and covered it up with a chug of coffee. "Well. Too sensitive," he finally muttered.
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:43 pm
Ah. Well, Ashe supposed that was an extra layer of reasons for poor Shulang to be confused about everything that was going on with him.
"It is a little more complicated than that," Ashe acknowledged, "but not so much. The hard part is that emotions are difficult, and things get...tangled up."
He reached out a hand, but stopped short of actually touching Shulang, just an offer to be kind of he wanted physical comfort. If it wasn't wanted, Ashe would simply withdraw with no trouble.
"If he's someone you actually want to be with," he said, "he'll understand. He might need you to explain, and you might have to have some painful, honest conversations, but someone who's a good partner will give you the space to sort out those feelings." He took a sip of his own drink, briefly. "And you don't have to figure it all out now. It's okay to need time, Shulang."
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Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2026 11:47 pm
Shulang wanted to accept the physical comfort that Ashe offered. His hand twitched towards his friend's, but... he stopped himself. And although he knew Ashe wasn't entirely "a man" as such, he still... Shulang just couldn't trust men very well. It was so hard. Many men were ******** pigs, and the ones that weren't... he still couldn't get over himself. He shivered and sipped his coffee again, praying that the warmth would chase away the chill of his negative thoughts and memories. "I don't look forward to those conversations, but... I do like him. Thanks, Ashe. I needed someone with a clear head to help me."
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