[ For a moment, he stares at him, uncomprehending. When did he say he wanted to spend Iris with anyone? Having the B-cube throw him into an Iris-adjacent state he couldn't shake off just by powering through it, being forced out of his natural form and into a new one, feeling like he couldn't leave in the first place...
Beyond even that, what kind of relationship did he have with Konoha? ]
I don't know what you're talking about.
[ He says, brow furrowing. ]
Konoha's my friend, and she has her own Iris to deal with. With Gonta, her husband. Why would I force myself on both of them? Why would I even want to?
[ Yes, she knows jinba better, because she is one, all one hundred percent natural, so he doesn't say anything about her understanding versus Shi Qingxuan's: of course Konoha knows more. The only relevance for that statement he can find is tied up in the rest of his own reshuffled thoughts on intimacy and making love, and he doesn't know how the heck that slates together. Is Qingxuan hurt? Jealous? He's not embarrassed, he's too pale as he fans himself.
Shino's chest constricts, and he hugs his chest as a way to both give his arms something to do and to ease that sudden, sharp pain. He's messed up, hasn't he? He's not sure of all the particulars, but he had to have, right? ]
Why are you assuming I want to spend Iris with anyone else? I'm saying what that stupid cube did to me!
[ He's a confused kind of angry, and though it's tempting to give in to being angry, it's the confusion and his own hurt that's more immediate. He blinks his eyes to rid himself of their burning, chin tucking inward. ]
That whole time I couldn't leave, my head was so wrapped up in worrying about Konoha because of that cube, and the heat didn't stop. Nothing made it stop. I couldn't even bring myself to... to touch myself, like I needed permission or something, I don't know! And when Konoha noticed how bad it was, she felt bad and asked if she could help, and I said yes. And I thought it was something like making love but apparently it's not, apparently only certain things are, apparently all the things you wouldn't want to do if I was stuck like that again, and just because you don't want to do those things doesn't mean I'm going to run to Konoha and Gonta and beg that they will because I'm so desperate to make love with people who don't want me.
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Beyond even that, what kind of relationship did he have with Konoha? ]
I don't know what you're talking about.
[ He says, brow furrowing. ]
Konoha's my friend, and she has her own Iris to deal with. With Gonta, her husband. Why would I force myself on both of them? Why would I even want to?
[ Yes, she knows jinba better, because she is one, all one hundred percent natural, so he doesn't say anything about her understanding versus Shi Qingxuan's: of course Konoha knows more. The only relevance for that statement he can find is tied up in the rest of his own reshuffled thoughts on intimacy and making love, and he doesn't know how the heck that slates together. Is Qingxuan hurt? Jealous? He's not embarrassed, he's too pale as he fans himself.
Shino's chest constricts, and he hugs his chest as a way to both give his arms something to do and to ease that sudden, sharp pain. He's messed up, hasn't he? He's not sure of all the particulars, but he had to have, right? ]
Why are you assuming I want to spend Iris with anyone else? I'm saying what that stupid cube did to me!
[ He's a confused kind of angry, and though it's tempting to give in to being angry, it's the confusion and his own hurt that's more immediate. He blinks his eyes to rid himself of their burning, chin tucking inward. ]
That whole time I couldn't leave, my head was so wrapped up in worrying about Konoha because of that cube, and the heat didn't stop. Nothing made it stop. I couldn't even bring myself to... to touch myself, like I needed permission or something, I don't know! And when Konoha noticed how bad it was, she felt bad and asked if she could help, and I said yes. And I thought it was something like making love but apparently it's not, apparently only certain things are, apparently all the things you wouldn't want to do if I was stuck like that again, and just because you don't want to do those things doesn't mean I'm going to run to Konoha and Gonta and beg that they will because I'm so desperate to make love with people who don't want me.