Floor 2, Room 4

[mirristry]

Phillip Biqe Reston

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[troublereduction]

[ For his part, Day is reminding himself not to touch, or this will go from sweet to deeply awkward. Even if it is tempting to play with Phil's hair a little like this. He makes himself comfortable in the bed, and when Phil finally asks him the question, he manages a smile. ]

Definitely better.

[ A bed will always beat a chair. ]

[mirristry]

[Once again Phil feels the heat rise in his cheeks when Day smiles, and he has to force himself not to try to duck his head away in an attempt to hide what he's sure is the blush that accompanies it. That much at least he can always attribute to the fever if necessary...

Instead, he just tries to focus on looking at something - anything - else, which in this case happens to be Day's eyes, since they're right in front of him.

This may also have been a mistake. But even with one eye mostly blind, he sees...]

...!

[Is that... light in Day's eyes?]

[troublereduction]

[ Starlight in his pupils, to be exact. Flecks of blue starlight that make them look like a miniature night sky encapsulated in a gaze. It's the sort of thing that is hard to notice in broad daylight, but in a dark or even dim room, someone could notice it if they paid attention.

Day seems to have noticed something else about Phil's eye too, judging by how he seems to give a quick wave in front of Phil's right eye. ]

Can't see?

[mirristry]

[Phil doesn't know what the flecks are-- the only thing he knows is that they're captivating, and he finds himself staring without even meaning to, as though somehow if he watches long enough the light might draw him into its depths.

It takes a moment for him to even notice that Day is waving that hand in front of his eye, and at last he blinks.]

Ah-- not very well out of that eye without my monocle, no.

[Without said monocle to obstruct the view, it's clear the eye is grey and cloudy, the pupil smaller than the other.]

But even so... your eyes-- they're shining.

[Then, because he's not so oblivious that he doesn't realize how that comes across:]

Like there's something lighting them from within...

[troublereduction]

[ Day has to wonder if that has to do with Phil's illness, too... But before he can ask that question, Phil mentions his eyes, and Day can't help but fluster a little at the idea that Phil was paying enough attention to notice.

...He supposes it's fine to tell Phil this, considering he's told people here so much more already. ]

Ah, that's starlight.

[mirristry]

Starlight?

[Somehow he's getting the feeling that Day doesn't mean that metaphorically. It certainly doesn't seem metaphorical with the way it seems to twinkle like the night sky itself, but...

... perhaps he should stop looking quite so closely.]

Some kind of magic from your world?

[He shouldn't keep staring. He really shouldn't keep staring. But he can't seem to tear his eyes away...]

[troublereduction]

[ It really isn't just a figure of speech. The way the light shimmers really is reminiscent of twinkling stars in the night sky, if Phil keeps staring. ]

I guess you could call it that? It's more...how to say, a mark that I've blessed by one of the goddesess of the stars, back home.

[ He says this quite neutrally. ]

[mirristry]

Blessed by a goddess...

[He's quiet for a moment, thinking of Dana and her Priestess. But it's precisely because of that that he's well aware of all of the burdens that such a thing entails, and he can't help but wonder how Day ultimately feels about it.

The neutral tone of Day's voice gives him a bit of trepidation... but perhaps if he reaches out for his hand once again, the question he's about to ask won't seem quite as obtrusive.]

... would you tell me more? About yourself, I mean. But only if you don't mind...

[He smiles a little, quiet and sad.]

I told you I've never been very good with people, so I don't really know what sorts of things make for good conversation, or what kinds of questions are all right to ask. If it isn't about mirristry or my research, I tend to just let other people do the talking, but... I know that probably makes me rather boring to be around. So I'd like to learn to be better...

[troublereduction]

[ Day seems a little surprised to see Phil being the one to reach out instead, but he makes no protest and lets Phil take his hand. ]

Haha, well...You can practice with me. [ He always enjoys talking with Phil, anyway. ] And...I may as well tell you more 'bout myself. There's some stuff you oughta know, anyway.

[ If they're going to be this entangled, apparently. ]

You got a Heaven, where you're from?

[mirristry]

[Though Phil isn't going to say a word to make taking Day's hand into a bigger deal than it already is, he's going to continue to be bold and this time be the one to stroke his own thumb lightly across the back. Since Day did it to him earlier, surely he won't mind having it done in return, right?]

Mmm... no, not exactly. That's where gods and goddesses are believed to dwell?

[He's read enough books both here and back in his own world to understand the concept, however.]

[troublereduction]

[ Oh, this is... When Ginger did this, it was a sign of their friendship, that they trusted each other enough to be comfortable with it as a gesture.

With Phil, Day finds his cheeks flushing from the intimacy, and how foolishly happy it makes him. His heart is practically soaring right now and he feels like a teenager in love again, which he knows is silly. ]

Basically, yeah. That's how it's like where I'm from. Apparently in some worlds it's part of the afterlife instead? [ Mumbled incredulously. ] I...work for Heaven. Bureau of Destiny, Division of Serenity, specifically.

[mirristry]

-- you're a god?!

[He's holding hands with a god? Oh no, now he's very certain that he is being far too forward, yet at the same time pulling away would probably be even worse, and so Phil just sort of freezes in place, unsure of what to do.]

I-I apologize for not realizing...

[troublereduction]

Oh, no, I ain't a god. [ He can understand why, but it's really too much that people just assume he has to be a god??? ] I'm, like...a mortal with a bunch of extras tacked on. Blessed by a goddess, remember?

Though I guess in my case you could also say I was destined for it, 'cause she's one of the sisters in charge of fate and destiny.

[mirristry]

O-oh... I'm glad. I was afraid I'd just been very rude to another world's deity. [...] Not that I think that being rude to you would be acceptable with you not being a deity, but you understand what I mean.

[Which means handholding can continue unabated!]

So you were directly chosen by the goddess for your position, then?

[troublereduction]

Holdin' hands with a god too much for you? [ It's a joke. ]

But yeah, basically. We get chosen at birth, but we won't find out 'bout it until much later, usually after we've grown up. [ ... ] My division handles destinies that involve things that bring joy. Stuff like love and culture.

[mirristry]

[Cue Phil doing yet another amazingly accurate impression of a tomato.

Help him. Please hold for a moment while he tries to remember how to speak.]

Joy... oh! Is that why your name is 'Joyous Day'?

[Change the subject change the subject change the subject--]

[troublereduction]

[ Oh no this is cute. The way Phil is so easy to fluster will probably never stop being amusing to Day. ]

Heh, a little. I picked it 'cause I thought it sounded nice. [ Implying that this is not the name he was born with. ] But people here keep surprisin' me with what they take away from it.

[ Like Tatara suddenly telling him he understood what it meant. Bringing joyous days to others, which Day personally thought was sweet. ]

[mirristry]

[Fortunately for Day, Phil will also probably never stop being easy to fluster. Call it one of the bonuses of being socially awkward.]

It does sound nice. [...] And... it's very fitting, I think.

["Because you've already brought so much joy to me," is the other part of what he thinks but doesn't say out loud.]

I suppose in return it's only fair that I admit that the 'Biqe' is my title rather than an actual part of my name.

[troublereduction]

...Thanks. [ All the people who have told him this have no idea, he thinks. ]

Huh. Is it some kinda important title? [ He feels like he has to ask, since Day is used to names that sound more like titles and sobriquets anyway. ]

[mirristry]

The title given to the most powerful and skilled mirrist in the kingdom.

[Allow him one tiny moment of pride! He worked his entire life and devoted everything he was to earn that title, so he will cling to it as hard as he can even though it was also part of what led to all of the terrible things he was responsible for...]

[troublereduction]

[ He assumes "mirrist" is something like a sorcerer, based on what he's been able to glean through context. ]

...You look better when you're proud. [ Day finds himself saying this an observation. It's a better look on him than how meek Phil often comes across as. ]

[mirristry]

[The urge to hide his face is back, largely because this time he knows he's turning bright red. Being complimented about his ability where mirristry is concerned is one thing-- he's more than used to that by now as it comes with the title, and while it's true that he's proud of his skills, it's far easier to dismiss that kind of compliment as being merely perfunctory.

Hearing Day tell him that he looks better this way, though? Somehow that hits in a way he wasn't expecting, and the only thing he can think of to do in response is to put his free hand over his face as though that will somehow hide the luminescent shade he's currently turning.]

Th-thank you...

[troublereduction]

[ Day laughs again, a low, pleased sound of serenity. Cute, he thinks. His seniors were right that age has little to do with cuteness; anyone can be cute.

He wants to reach over and brush that hand away, so he can enjoy a full view of how flustered Phil is, but he knows that would be overstepping his bounds. You knows despite the fact they're in the same bed and holding hands. ]

Hehe, you don't gotta hide your face, Phil.

[mirristry]

You say that, but...

[But he's still blushing and it's embarrassing!

Still, once he's certain enough that he's not going to spontaneously combust if he looks over at Day, he will in fact lower his hand. And yes, he's still pink, and yes, he's trying to pretend that he's not.]

You just like seeing me like that.

[Turning the tables right back around! Or trying, at least.]

[troublereduction]

[ Oho? Is Phil...trying to banter? New and exciting development. ]

And what if I do?

[ Without a speck of hesitation or shame. And without realising what he's implying either, or possibly not quite caring. ]