[ dextera laughs, quietly. he’s already won two games, so he’s not focused quite as hard as he was before, but he’s not going to let guren just have the game either! there’s no point in teaching if he throws the match after making a point. ]
Hmm.
[ still, he’s flattered that guren thinks he’s that good. as it turns out, amnesia doesn’t have any effect on his ability to remember patterns.
still, with the formation he showed guren, his disadvantage is distinct, and guren has momentum on his side. dextera loses his queen a few turns later, which is more or less a death sentence in this game. ]
[Guren doesn't play any less focused than he did before. If anything, he's more focused, determined not to lose now that it's been handed to him. And with the queen out of the way, a few turns later, he's got checkmate.]
It's like a nice way of telling me I wasn't good enough to win, even if I could have.
[He says that, but there's a soft laugh, and he leans to the side, resting his wait on a palm.] Just one missed chance made a difference. I can't believe I missed that.
[ dextera is happy to see guren happy, even though that win was technically handed to him. still, if they hadn’t been timed, guren probably would have been able to pull it off.
dextera retrieves his laptop. ]
It’s called the Maroczy Bind.
I don’t have a good defense for it yet, so please don’t use it until I figure it out.
[And he did it on accident? After it was pointed out to him, sort of. Well, he guesses there are a large number of formations of defenses and moves that they've both done, knowing or not. Still! He moves from where he is across the board to sit next to Dextera, instead. It's easier for him to type without turning the laptop each time, he's sure.]
Thanks. [For showing him. He's looking back at the chess board, now, remembering their conversation just moments before the latest match, thinking. For now, he's content to just sit here like this.]
[ dextera adjusts so the laptop is more comfortably seated in his lap, and he makes himself more comfortable as well by leaning slightly against guren. ]
I should thank you, too.
I had a really good day today.
[ he’s having more and more of those lately, and it’s hard to believe sometimes. ]
[He can't help it. He grins, but at least this time he's not acting like a giant baby over experiencing emotion. He can hold back from being too embarrassed about this. It's just an admission of a good day, an opening of those warm feelings between them, and Guren is here to accept it and give his own back. He leans a little into Dextera in turn, sharing that.]
Mine wasn't all that good, really.
[Purposefully full of it, not even trying to sound real, he makes it a joke. Even he's aware that he's a tsundere loser.]
[ dextera falls for it at first all the same, because he’s stupid, but one look at guren’s face helps him realize that he’s only being teased. how rude!
he laughs a little, shy to have been caught being so worried, and shakes his head as he playfully bumps his shoulder back against guren’s. ]
[He can't believe Dextera sometimes. How can one guy be so pure?? He moves with the bump, swaying in exaggeration and ending up right back where he was before.]
Mmm, nah. I think I'd rather stay right here. You can't get rid of me that easily.
[ well, good. dextera didn’t really want guren to go home anyway, but then, he never wants guren to go home—if they could stay here together forever, he would be happier than is possible to even describe.
he smiles, privately to himself, warmed by guren’s easy response. ]
[Help... No matter how he tries to hide his smile with a glance down, it's still showing. And maybe that's fine, but it's just so warm, it's spreading from his chest and he hopes he doesn't look ridiculous.]
Yeah, it's okay.
[Gently, he says that. It's obvious, he thinks, but if Dextera has to ask... He can answer like that.] But I'm going to be mad if I doze off and your chicken starts pecking at me.
[His way of saying he is spending the whole night, he guesses!! They already watched the sunset, the stars... Why not stay and see if the sunrise has anything, too? He gets more sleep here than at his own house.]
[ it’s all so fine that dextera doesn’t know what to do with himself, and he smiles when guren brings up leliel like all of this is perfectly natural, the way their lives should be.
he hopes it is. ]
I’ll give you some snacks to feed her. She’s very picky.
[ his spoiled chicken... he gets the things she won’t eat. ]
[ Another laugh... a spoiled chicken!! In a town full of gray shit!! That’s adorable. Dextera’s love for his chicken is adorable. He smiles fondly, running his fingers through his hair. Hmm, he dropped all his work and came here... but it still feels fine. ]
[ she won't eat the grey shit, which is really the most difficult part about feeding her. dextera doesn't pay any attention to the flavorless things he puts in his mouth, but his chicken... wherever she came from, she clearly expects the same quality of feed she got before. ]
[ dextera had actually gotten so caught up in the excitement of guren coming over and watching the sky that he hasn't eaten, and it's like he only remembers that this is true when guren points it out. his eyes widen slightly, and he shakes his head.
joshua and noctis (and their respective plus-ones) always make sure that there's a good stock of food in the house, but dextera somehow exclusively manages to eat the worst of it. if he can eat gross food, why shouldn't he?
[ Geez!! Dextera, he’s more and more worried about you. Still, Guren looks like he’s more amused than angry right now, shifting to stand. He offers his hand to Dextera. ] You dont even have a fireplace, so cooking is a pain... But let me see what you have. I can make us something.
[ if estelle were here, she could start a fire no problem, but dextera thinks she and joshua might be out having a romantic night under the stars. actually, he could probably guess the same about noctis and... iggy... as dextera has observed him being called.
either way, that leaves just the two of them with the house to themselves, for now, and cooking will indeed be a pain. ]
...
[ he nods, closing his laptop and gently setting it aside to take guren's hand. ]
[Guren helps him up and takes a few steps towards the door to Dextera's room before he lets his hand slip away, running ideas through his head before he's even seen what ingredients they might have.]
I guess they're all out looking at the sky too. [He has the same thoughts... Meanwhile, here he is with Dextera. A very platonic night indoors, two bros loving each other's company.
[ dextera supposes they didn't strictly need to continue holding hands, without need for it, but he finds himself watching guren's fingers for a moment longer anyway. guren's comment about what the others are doing isn't particularly distracting, and dextera nods along with it.
he taps down the stairs, and guren will find that their kitchen is relatively well-stocked, for this town, but there's a definite corner of grey nonsense that is probably what dextera has elected to consume for himself. ]
[There's a gesture at that grey corner, and then Guren sighs and moves to grab some other things out. Vegetables... fruit... He will find something to make even if I have no idea what the fuck!!]
I wish we had rice. [Damn it, he's annoyed, even he isn't sure what he's going to make yet. Still, "we" just slips out, even if this isn't his supply of food by any means...]
[ it's easy and abundant, and it sates his hunger! it probably has absolutely no nutritional value, but it gets something in his stomach, and that's all he can ask for from food, really.
dextera seems oddly amused at what guren's just said, but he doesn't actually mention it aloud or anything. "we," like this is guren's house. he taps the countertop, writing his answer out there while he has guren's attention. ]
dextera was not paying attention, but when guren kind of demands it of him, he jolts—and nods, because yes, he is certainly paying attention now. is guren going to show him how to cook? ]
...
[ he really is focused, curious about what guren is going to do with this assortment of vegetables. ]
[He was so not paying attention. But that's okay. Guren is making him pay attention now, and he's sort of going to teach him! They're going to cook together. He eyes where he's planning on starting the fire a little longer, and then passes the pot over to Dextera, pointing at a spot on the inside.]
Joshua should have some of the good water around here somewhere. I saw him working with it before. Can you fill it up to there with it?
[Water that is not... grey... That's all he cares about. Though he guesses he can work with gross grey water if he has to.] Then bring it back here. I'm going to start the fire and start getting everything else ready.
[ thank goodness that joshua is so diligent and concerned with the health of the town, because he has been stockpiling plenty of filtered water for everyone's safety. the water is a novelty for dextera, in a way—there's none in the outer world, and of course, he's only gotten hydrated from blood and flesh.
access to pure, clean water is exciting, even now. ]
...
[ he fills the pot with water, taking a little longer than is strictly necessary because he's just looking at it, and then he wanders back to guren with his task completed.
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Hmm.
[ still, he’s flattered that guren thinks he’s that good. as it turns out, amnesia doesn’t have any effect on his ability to remember patterns.
still, with the formation he showed guren, his disadvantage is distinct, and guren has momentum on his side. dextera loses his queen a few turns later, which is more or less a death sentence in this game. ]
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It's like a nice way of telling me I wasn't good enough to win, even if I could have.
[He says that, but there's a soft laugh, and he leans to the side, resting his wait on a palm.] Just one missed chance made a difference. I can't believe I missed that.
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dextera retrieves his laptop. ]
It’s called the Maroczy Bind.
I don’t have a good defense for it yet, so please don’t use it until I figure it out.
[ a joke... but also, yeah. ]
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[And he did it on accident? After it was pointed out to him, sort of. Well, he guesses there are a large number of formations of defenses and moves that they've both done, knowing or not. Still! He moves from where he is across the board to sit next to Dextera, instead. It's easier for him to type without turning the laptop each time, he's sure.]
Thanks. [For showing him. He's looking back at the chess board, now, remembering their conversation just moments before the latest match, thinking. For now, he's content to just sit here like this.]
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I should thank you, too.
I had a really good day today.
[ he’s having more and more of those lately, and it’s hard to believe sometimes. ]
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[He can't help it. He grins, but at least this time he's not acting like a giant baby over experiencing emotion. He can hold back from being too embarrassed about this. It's just an admission of a good day, an opening of those warm feelings between them, and Guren is here to accept it and give his own back. He leans a little into Dextera in turn, sharing that.]
Mine wasn't all that good, really.
[Purposefully full of it, not even trying to sound real, he makes it a joke. Even he's aware that he's a tsundere loser.]
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[ dextera falls for it at first all the same, because he’s stupid, but one look at guren’s face helps him realize that he’s only being teased. how rude!
he laughs a little, shy to have been caught being so worried, and shakes his head as he playfully bumps his shoulder back against guren’s. ]
Then you can go home.
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[He can't believe Dextera sometimes. How can one guy be so pure?? He moves with the bump, swaying in exaggeration and ending up right back where he was before.]
Mmm, nah. I think I'd rather stay right here. You can't get rid of me that easily.
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[ well, good. dextera didn’t really want guren to go home anyway, but then, he never wants guren to go home—if they could stay here together forever, he would be happier than is possible to even describe.
he smiles, privately to himself, warmed by guren’s easy response. ]
I wanted you to stay anyway.
[ like he’s revealing a secret. ]
Is that okay?
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Yeah, it's okay.
[Gently, he says that. It's obvious, he thinks, but if Dextera has to ask... He can answer like that.] But I'm going to be mad if I doze off and your chicken starts pecking at me.
[His way of saying he is spending the whole night, he guesses!! They already watched the sunset, the stars... Why not stay and see if the sunrise has anything, too? He gets more sleep here than at his own house.]
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he hopes it is. ]
I’ll give you some snacks to feed her. She’s very picky.
[ his spoiled chicken... he gets the things she won’t eat. ]
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[ Another laugh... a spoiled chicken!! In a town full of gray shit!! That’s adorable. Dextera’s love for his chicken is adorable. He smiles fondly, running his fingers through his hair. Hmm, he dropped all his work and came here... but it still feels fine. ]
Somehow I’m not surprised.
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It's not my fault.
[ it is his fault. ]
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[ Spoiled chicken comes from a spoiling dad!! He looks next to him at Dextera, curious. ]
Speaking of food, have you even eaten yourself tonight?
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joshua and noctis (and their respective plus-ones) always make sure that there's a good stock of food in the house, but dextera somehow exclusively manages to eat the worst of it. if he can eat gross food, why shouldn't he?
but guren probably deserves better than gross. ]
I have some berries.
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[ Geez!! Dextera, he’s more and more worried about you. Still, Guren looks like he’s more amused than angry right now, shifting to stand. He offers his hand to Dextera. ] You dont even have a fireplace, so cooking is a pain... But let me see what you have. I can make us something.
[ Something very easy but like, still. ]
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either way, that leaves just the two of them with the house to themselves, for now, and cooking will indeed be a pain. ]
...
[ he nods, closing his laptop and gently setting it aside to take guren's hand. ]
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I guess they're all out looking at the sky too. [He has the same thoughts... Meanwhile, here he is with Dextera. A very platonic night indoors, two bros loving each other's company.
Maybe he'll catch a couple fish.]
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he taps down the stairs, and guren will find that their kitchen is relatively well-stocked, for this town, but there's a definite corner of grey nonsense that is probably what dextera has elected to consume for himself. ]
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[There's a gesture at that grey corner, and then Guren sighs and moves to grab some other things out. Vegetables... fruit... He will find something to make even if I have no idea what the fuck!!]
I wish we had rice. [Damn it, he's annoyed, even he isn't sure what he's going to make yet. Still, "we" just slips out, even if this isn't his supply of food by any means...]
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dextera seems oddly amused at what guren's just said, but he doesn't actually mention it aloud or anything. "we," like this is guren's house. he taps the countertop, writing his answer out there while he has guren's attention. ]
Grey is easy.
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Just because it's easy doesn't mean you should do it.
[Says the man who like, forgets to eat in general, but shhh. He's leading him over to wherever there might be a stove?? That he can light a fire in??]
Are you paying attention?
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dextera was not paying attention, but when guren kind of demands it of him, he jolts—and nods, because yes, he is certainly paying attention now. is guren going to show him how to cook? ]
...
[ he really is focused, curious about what guren is going to do with this assortment of vegetables. ]
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Joshua should have some of the good water around here somewhere. I saw him working with it before. Can you fill it up to there with it?
[Water that is not... grey... That's all he cares about. Though he guesses he can work with gross grey water if he has to.] Then bring it back here. I'm going to start the fire and start getting everything else ready.
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access to pure, clean water is exciting, even now. ]
...
[ he fills the pot with water, taking a little longer than is strictly necessary because he's just looking at it, and then he wanders back to guren with his task completed.
he's being helpful! ]
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