Love Huh - Action And Anon Post

[leafheld]

Action 1: For Ellen

Suguha lay motionless, a cord length stuck in a outlet in the wall. She seemed quiet, with a device wrapped around her eyes. If Ellen found her in their shared room for the time being, she would be too quiet, like something had happened. In truth, Suguha was experiencing the VR that the city provided.

But all too soon, she sighed and opened her eyes. "It's not immersive enough."


Action 2: For Outside

Suguha had gone for a walk.

It seemed that even in the cold, Suguha didn't really find it all that bothersome, as she wandered from place to place, shop to shop.

She steered clear of Fayren, having no way to deal with anything, but she was looking for a sporting good shop. A shinai would be nice to swing around.

Otherwise, she went to the coffee shop where she met Takeru previously. But her mind was far away.

"Love huh..."

Anon Post

Just a single post. Neo's post got her thinking.

Suguha knew she had issues. And yet... she had to ask.

How do you deal with forbidden love?

Comments

Text

[youfool]

Abstinence.

[Ask a simple question...]

Re: Text

[leafheld]

Even if it keeps gnawing at you? I can't stop thinking about my... issues.

Re: Text

[youfool]

I don't see how the persistence of a thing makes it any more legitimate.

Re: Text

[leafheld]

Perhaps not.

But I haven't been able to sleep lately thinking.

Action 2

[anamnestik]

"Love...?"

Also at the coffee shop was a chilly vampire. Though coffee was something he typically avoided (he was way too affected by caffeine,) he did need hot drinks in this season. So he was the weirdo who asked for hot tea, but threw the tea bag away almost immediately. All Eliot really wanted was hot water to drink.

"... I have heard the coffee here is really good. Do you love it?"

Re: Action 2

[leafheld]

"Huh? Oh... no, I don't love it. I'm just thinking of... other things." admitted Suguha as she took a bracing sip of her coffee.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just bothered by Valentines Day."

[anamnestik]

"Haaah... Valentines Day." Eliot laughed weakly, shuddering at the thought.

"That's something I try to forget... Do you need to talk about it, though?" He tapped his cheek thoughtfully, "Topics like that eat you up inside if you don't talk about them, huh..?"

[leafheld]

Suguha's jaw tightened for a moment before she sighed deeply, tension flowing out of her for a moment as she centered herself.

"... I have a problem. The person I love... I can't have. And I'm reminded of it all the time. But now that I'm separated from him, possibly for a long time, it's eating me up inside. And then there was that Anon post on the forums about seeing other people, and it hurt to think about it."

Re: Text

[youfool]

That does sound troublesome. Have you been avoiding drinking two hours before bedtime, and not indulging in screens overmuch?

[Such a helper.]

Re: Text

[leafheld]

Not old enough to drink alcohol if that's what you're implying. But yes, I've avoided it. And I don't have a computer. I tried the city's VR but it's not to my liking.

[anamnestik]

Eliot had taken a seat across from her. His intention had been to offer the best advice that he could. With his exceptional memory, he did have some self-help romance columns memorized.

... And, at hearing her problem, he realized he wasn't going to be much help on a personal level. If anything, he was the one who hurt people like Sugu by becoming separated. Possibly forever.

"That does sound troubling... But maybe this is a blessing in disguise for you...?" He voiced softly, sipping his hot water. Then, as he set it down, Eliot lifted a finger factfully. "This could be your chance to explore who 'you' are without the person you love."

He lowered his hand, looking guilty as he continued, "I've seen it a few times. When you're close to the person you love, when it's someone who you can't have anymore... It's kinder for that person to give you space. Or they'll just be in pain."

[leafheld]

"That's hard to do..." said Suguha softly. "The person I love... my love's forbidden and we both know it. And yet, we live in the same house. He's... family."

There, she said it. She's a trainwreck who loved her brother. "I've tried to move past him. It's not working."

[anamnestik]

"Ah."

Eliot really didn't have an answer for that. At least, not immediately. It took him a few seconds to wrap his mind around that trainwreck.

"Pardon my saying it... But perhaps you simply haven't experienced a love greater than what you have for your brother yet...?" He suggested carefully, "Though... Hmm. I'm not being very helpful, am I?"

It wasn't foreign to Eliot that he was useless. As if to acknowledge that with action, he took out his pocket watch and set it on the coffee table. He was considering switching personalities and trying again. "I have someone I'd like to be with, but can't quite have, as well. Maybe that's why I have no good advice for you..."

[leafheld]

"Maybe not... it's difficult to say. He's aware of my feelings, and for a while we might have had something, but the circumstances was difficult. He's going to get married with his girlfriend and there's like... four girls pining for him!"

She took a sharp, vicious swig of her coffee and sputtered it for a moment. Mopping it up, she sighed. "I'm such a trainwreck, I can barely be away from Kazuya for a week!"

[anamnestik]

"Four? That's... quite the problem." Eliot was certainly caught off guard. Especially when he considered there was no way this was happening without 'Kazuya' being aware. Shouldn't he be the one addressing this a bit better..?

"Well, we'll both have to try while we're here... With Valentines coming up, especially." He sighed loudly, leaning back in his chair and rocking it childishly. "And it's not like we can just wipe it off the calendar... There's even that festival coming up."

[leafheld]

"Four. Silica, Sinon, Lizbeth, myself. And his actual girlfriend Asuna." sighed Suguha. "There's a lot of weird tension between all of us."

"Ugh that festival. I'm going to be trying not to find the closest pillow and scream into it if I'm still feeling like this." pouted Suguha. "It could be worse I suppose..."

[anamnestik]

"It could be a good time to practice, though, right? I've been to Valentines' festivals alone at least ninety times." Eliot tried to reassuring. Also, not making any attempt to mask his real age. "There's more to love than dating. I'm sure it could be fun..."

By now, his cup of hot water was empty. Eliot took off the lid and examined the empty contents with disappointment. Also, a reminder that the festival might not be ideal for him. "Have you made many friends while you've been here?"

[leafheld]

"I've got a few acquaintances here, and a couple of friends. Shi and Ellen are closest to friends right now, and Ellen and I are sharing a room for now, since we agreed to look out for one another. Shi's just a bit too adorable not to talk to though." Explained Suguha.

"Then there's Takeru and a couple of others, but I keep my online persona separate so most of the time I'm under a different name." she added.

[anamnestik]

"Maybe you should all spend the festival together, then? You have an online persona that you probably discovered through the internet, right?"

Eliot is so smart.

"Maybe there are more sides of you that you'll discover with your friends at the festival. Sides of you that don't need Mr Kazuya the same way?" It was a stretch, he knew. Eliot was aware that while this strategy worked for him, his circumstances were very different. "I've been told that I behave very differently depending on who I'm in love with, at least."

[leafheld]

"Well kind of. I'll have to see. I know Shi has said he's going to give me chocolate and he's a sweet boy, I just don't know what else I can do." said Suguha.

"Maybe I'll drag Ellen out there, and see if anyone wants to go as friends like you said. It's worth a shot instead of moping around."

[anamnestik]

"I'm sure it'll turn out well." He hummed with approval. The chocolate giving tradition sounded fun, though Eliot did privately worry. Hopefully no one would accidentally hurt this girl with their kindness.

"If you explain to your friends, they'll likely support you, too." Eliot continued, "You could all make chocolate together, too. Your friends are probably missing someone too. You can get through it as a team."

[leafheld]

"That's... a good idea actually, making chocolate together." said Suguha, tilting her head in thought about it.

"It's a good idea, and yet I'm worried what some people might say."

[anamnestik]

"What would they say? Is there something wrong with baking chocolate?" Eliot worried. Granted, he didn't have anyone to bake for right now... Wasn't going to stop him from making chocolates for his friends back home and pretending.

"Or is it not about the chocolate?"

[leafheld]

"I dunno, I'm just a wreck right now, I'm not thinking straight, and I'm making excuses."

Suguha took a drink of what was left of her coffee. "I suppose it could be a whole lot worse to be honest. People these days are progressive even if my relationship is a mess. Maybe some distance is what I need, but making chocolate... I don't even know HOW to make chocolate."

[anamnestik]

"Well, if how to make it is the problem... You've in luck. I just so happen to be a library. I probably know some chocolate recipes." At that, Eliot seemed to light up. Finally! Something he was good for! He opened the face of the pocket watch on the table, then fishes around in his coat pocket for a piece of paper and a pen. Oddly, he did carry those on him.

"What kind of chocolate do you like? Do you want an easy recipe? Or something challenging, to distract you?"