One Month One World One Year Challenge 2022
I'm posting this a few days early in case anyone has never heard of it before and might like to prepare for it and begin on January 1st. Or if anyone perhaps has questions on something in the rules th...
Forum Discussion
Comments coming later tonight or tomorrow :smiley:
January 10
Aaron occupied himself with fishing until the festival started and sent Hunter a message asking to meet at the onsen, near where the festival would be held in Yukimatsu. He travelled off to the onsen, feeling excited to see Hunter after almost a week of not being able to.
There he was, looking very unhappy and... was that fire?
"Hunter, are you okay?" Aaron began, and immediately felt guilty for all those times he had ignored Hunter's invitations to his place. Was Hunter mad at him? Maybe he was mad at him...
"If this is because of all those times I-" he started, but was cut off by Hunter shaking his head and saying, "I'm only slightly flammable, didn't think I'd need an umbrella today but, here we are..." He trailed off, sighed and stepped into the onsen, followed closely by Aaron who instantly apologised for both the ghosting and the insensitive invitation. For he had subconsciously known but had only just fully realised that Hunter was a vampire. (Oh, plum).
Hunter shook his head again. "Don't apologise, dude. It's my own fault, really. Still haven't taken the time to learn sun resistance and when you messaged with the invitation I was only too eager to leave regardless of the consequences."
"But now I feel bad..." Aaron said quietly. "You could have died, and all the festival stuff is outside."
"Yeah, and? We have this great onsen until the sun goes down!"
Aaron couldn't help but feel upset that his own negligence had almost led his only friend to an untimely death. "I could have waited a few hours before inviting you." (You seem very blase about death...) Aaron suddenly remembered his own admittance that he believed no-one would care if he had died after being crushed by a vending machine, and immediately thanked the Watcher that Hunter hadn't burned to death.
"I'm here now, and I'm inside, and I'm still alive." Hunter paused and thought a bit. "Well, not aliiiive alive, but I'm not... dead. I'm unalive. But..." He laughed. "You don't want to know all about that vampire stuff."
"I did want to, after we first met," Aaron said with a shrug. "Maybe then I would actually have waited. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, really. I'm okay, Aaron."
When Aaron frowned and turned away for a second, Hunter was at his side immediately, seemingly wanting to offer comfort. "I need to apologise for the other thing," Aaron said. "Not about almost killing you, which I am still upset about, but... I'm sorry for not talking to you at all this week." He nervously played with the chain on his necklace for a moment.
"Don't be sorry for that either," came the instant reply. "We all get caught up in things that are important."
Aaron's eyes met Hunter's. They were just as warm and sparkling as they had been when Hunter had said Aaron was a cool guy in the spa. Thinking of the night they had shared in the onsen the week before, Aaron felt his face grow warm again and this time he knew he couldn't blame it on the heat of the water. He was sure it wouldn't escape Hunter's notice - the guy was a vampire after all. Plasma, especially that which was close to the surface of the skin, was his whole thing. He was even certain to notice how fast Aaron's heart was beating right now. Maybe he had even noticed it while they were in the spa... "You had a lot to deal with," Hunter said simply. "Come on, let's sit."
(Oh Hunter, you're amazing.) Aaron sat down on the couch, thankful to rest after having stood for most of the day - first picking his harvestables, then fishing. Hunter smiled at him and he grinned back, partially out of nerves and hoped Hunter wouldn't find him strange because of it. "Why did the pirate cross the road?" he asked suddenly. (Stupid!) he chided himself (It may be Talk Like a Pirate day but that doesn't mean he wants to hear a kid joke!). To his surprise, Hunter indulged him by saying, "I don't know, why did the pirate cross the road?" His tone of voice made it clear he had heard the joke already, but Aaron went ahead and revealed the punchline anyway: "To get to the second hand store!" Hunter laughed (okay, his laugh is wonderful), like it was actually funny and not something he had heard before. They exchanged a few more jokes and laughs, but when the jokes died down for a moment Aaron rubbed the back of his neck and Hunter gazed into the flames of the fireplace.
"I felt like a bad friend every single time I had to decline your invitations," Aaron muttered. Hunter shrugged in response. "I'm not... that great with people but I felt a real... well, something with you, Hunter. I've been stewing on this since we met, it's driving me wild, and I know I need to be more attentive, but..."
Hunter turned to look at him, more intently now. Pretending to yawn, Aaron raised his arm and settled it around Hunter's shoulders. To his surprise, Hunter didn't pull away from the move but instead leaned into Aaron's touch, his smile soon larger than Aaron's own. "I was hoping you'd do that," Hunter whispered softly.
"... I like you a lot, Hunter," Aaron concluded just as softly, his voice shaking but elated that Hunter reciprocated his feelings. "You just make my day so much better... thank you for making me smile." He grinned and added, "Plus you're cute, which is a lovely bonus." Hunter only snorted softly in response. "Oh yeah, you can't see yourself in a mirror, can you?" Aaron teased.
"Shhh!" Hunter said, but soon he was laughing too.
Aaron removed his arm, but they continued to sit closely together gazing into each other's eyes until Aaron finally remembered the real reason they had come here and led Hunter outside.
"Nope, still too light," Hunter said with a groan. He looked sadly at a spark of flame beginning to burn on his hand.
"Back inside, then..." Aaron wondered if he'd ever get out and go sledding or make a snowpal with Hunter tonight. He pushed away the thought. Hunter's comfort was the most important thing right now.
"Hunter."
"Aaron." Hunter gave him an adorably lopsided grin in response.
"You're my best friend."
~~~
Hahahahahaha I had no idea what I was doing when I was writing half of this :joy: But hope you still enjoyed! And did Aaron move a little too fast admitting his feelings? Hmm... ;)
Extra pictures:
https://i.imgur.com/GsxVB5M.png
https://i.imgur.com/m80Qmqd.png
https://i.imgur.com/W2YUyRA.png
https://i.imgur.com/GyoS3LZ.png
https://i.imgur.com/hryiikj.png
https://i.imgur.com/g9VpA4B.png
https://i.imgur.com/qrVC0C2.png
<3
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Aaron occupied himself with fishing until the festival started and sent Hunter a message asking to meet at the onsen, near where the festival would be held in Yukimatsu. He travelled off to the onsen, feeling excited to see Hunter after almost a week of not being able to.
There he was, looking very unhappy and... was that fire?
"Hunter, are you okay?" Aaron began, and immediately felt guilty for all those times he had ignored Hunter's invitations to his place. Was Hunter mad at him? Maybe he was mad at him...
"If this is because of all those times I-" he started, but was cut off by Hunter shaking his head and saying, "I'm only slightly flammable, didn't think I'd need an umbrella today but, here we are..." He trailed off, sighed and stepped into the onsen, followed closely by Aaron who instantly apologised for both the ghosting and the insensitive invitation. For he had subconsciously known but had only just fully realised that Hunter was a vampire. (Oh, plum).
Hunter shook his head again. "Don't apologise, dude. It's my own fault, really. Still haven't taken the time to learn sun resistance and when you messaged with the invitation I was only too eager to leave regardless of the consequences."
"But now I feel bad..." Aaron said quietly. "You could have died, and all the festival stuff is outside."
"Yeah, and? We have this great onsen until the sun goes down!"
Aaron couldn't help but feel upset that his own negligence had almost led his only friend to an untimely death. "I could have waited a few hours before inviting you." (You seem very blase about death...) Aaron suddenly remembered his own admittance that he believed no-one would care if he had died after being crushed by a vending machine, and immediately thanked the Watcher that Hunter hadn't burned to death.
"I'm here now, and I'm inside, and I'm still alive." Hunter paused and thought a bit. "Well, not aliiiive alive, but I'm not... dead. I'm unalive. But..." He laughed. "You don't want to know all about that vampire stuff."
"I did want to, after we first met," Aaron said with a shrug. "Maybe then I would actually have waited. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, really. I'm okay, Aaron."
When Aaron frowned and turned away for a second, Hunter was at his side immediately, seemingly wanting to offer comfort. "I need to apologise for the other thing," Aaron said. "Not about almost killing you, which I am still upset about, but... I'm sorry for not talking to you at all this week." He nervously played with the chain on his necklace for a moment.
"Don't be sorry for that either," came the instant reply. "We all get caught up in things that are important."
Aaron's eyes met Hunter's. They were just as warm and sparkling as they had been when Hunter had said Aaron was a cool guy in the spa. Thinking of the night they had shared in the onsen the week before, Aaron felt his face grow warm again and this time he knew he couldn't blame it on the heat of the water. He was sure it wouldn't escape Hunter's notice - the guy was a vampire after all. Plasma, especially that which was close to the surface of the skin, was his whole thing. He was even certain to notice how fast Aaron's heart was beating right now. Maybe he had even noticed it while they were in the spa... "You had a lot to deal with," Hunter said simply. "Come on, let's sit."
(Oh Hunter, you're amazing.) Aaron sat down on the couch, thankful to rest after having stood for most of the day - first picking his harvestables, then fishing. Hunter smiled at him and he grinned back, partially out of nerves and hoped Hunter wouldn't find him strange because of it. "Why did the pirate cross the road?" he asked suddenly. (Stupid!) he chided himself (It may be Talk Like a Pirate day but that doesn't mean he wants to hear a kid joke!). To his surprise, Hunter indulged him by saying, "I don't know, why did the pirate cross the road?" His tone of voice made it clear he had heard the joke already, but Aaron went ahead and revealed the punchline anyway: "To get to the second hand store!" Hunter laughed (okay, his laugh is wonderful), like it was actually funny and not something he had heard before. They exchanged a few more jokes and laughs, but when the jokes died down for a moment Aaron rubbed the back of his neck and Hunter gazed into the flames of the fireplace.
"I felt like a bad friend every single time I had to decline your invitations," Aaron muttered. Hunter shrugged in response. "I'm not... that great with people but I felt a real... well, something with you, Hunter. I've been stewing on this since we met, it's driving me wild, and I know I need to be more attentive, but..."
Hunter turned to look at him, more intently now. Pretending to yawn, Aaron raised his arm and settled it around Hunter's shoulders. To his surprise, Hunter didn't pull away from the move but instead leaned into Aaron's touch, his smile soon larger than Aaron's own. "I was hoping you'd do that," Hunter whispered softly.
"... I like you a lot, Hunter," Aaron concluded just as softly, his voice shaking but elated that Hunter reciprocated his feelings. "You just make my day so much better... thank you for making me smile." He grinned and added, "Plus you're cute, which is a lovely bonus." Hunter only snorted softly in response. "Oh yeah, you can't see yourself in a mirror, can you?" Aaron teased.
"Shhh!" Hunter said, but soon he was laughing too.
Aaron removed his arm, but they continued to sit closely together gazing into each other's eyes until Aaron finally remembered the real reason they had come here and led Hunter outside.
"Nope, still too light," Hunter said with a groan. He looked sadly at a spark of flame beginning to burn on his hand.
"Back inside, then..." Aaron wondered if he'd ever get out and go sledding or make a snowpal with Hunter tonight. He pushed away the thought. Hunter's comfort was the most important thing right now.
"Hunter."
"Aaron." Hunter gave him an adorably lopsided grin in response.
"You're my best friend."
Spoiler
https://i.imgur.com/gUEEpSS.png
Hahahahahaha I had no idea what I was doing when I was writing half of this :joy: But hope you still enjoyed! And did Aaron move a little too fast admitting his feelings? Hmm... ;)
Extra pictures:
https://i.imgur.com/GsxVB5M.png
https://i.imgur.com/m80Qmqd.png
https://i.imgur.com/W2YUyRA.png
https://i.imgur.com/GyoS3LZ.png
https://i.imgur.com/hryiikj.png
https://i.imgur.com/g9VpA4B.png
https://i.imgur.com/qrVC0C2.png
<3
