i finally watched death note. as a 0.5 pic fan i salute animators who cooked so hard with those angles and im a Sidoh supporter, the rest of the cast was annoying as hell.
also lmk if you'd be interested in me (mwehehe) doing a twitch livestream playing through new HSR main quest update (i have a shitass headset, which i refuse to upgrade and i refuse to use my PC and also havent streamed since the xiangling tragedy 2 years ago but i crave a parasocial relationship <33 )
"Did you get taller?" Ga Ming furrowed his brows as he looked you up and down.
You hugged him and took of your coat, hanging it on the back of the chair before sitting down. The restaurant you were in, was bustling and full of people. It was an evening on the weekend, after all and Ga Ming chose what appeared to be a popular spot. He seemed to like the place and judging by the friendly terms he was on with the staff and had taken over ten minutes to greet them, before coming to your table, you assumed that he was coming here regularly.
"Maybe you got shorter?" you suggested with a smirk.
"Actually I've changed my stretching routine not so long ago" he said slowly. "Perhaps I'm not focusing enough on my spine and strengthening my posture." He nodded thoughtfully. "I should make adjustments."
You shook your head and smiled.
"You're still doing those street performances?" you asked as Ga Ming sat down.
"Of course I am!" He folded his arms and straightened in his seat.
You nodded.
"That's good."
"I got a job as a bodyguard" he added with a proud smile. "Not a personal one but I secure transports of goods."
"The way you say it, you're making it sound illegal" you giggled.
Ga Ming stared at you, flabbergasted.
"I can't believe you just said that." A server brought dim sums to your table and Ga Ming shook off his attitude for a moment.
"Thanks." He smiled politely and remained well-mannered until it was just the two of you at the table again.
"Are you calling me a criminal?" he cried, putting a dim sum in his mouth. "If I was, I wouldn't struggle to pay rent, that's one thing."
"You have trouble paying rent?" you repeated, not allowing him to list any more reasons why he could not be involved in criminal activities. "You need any help or..."
"It's not that deep." Ga Ming rolled his eyes, this time not allowing you to finish. "I'm getting by. It's not as comfortable as at home and I work extra shifts but I feel more like myself than ever before." He shrugged. "Like I'm where I am supposed to, doing what I'm supposed to and stuff."
He got himself another dim sum as you looked at him deep in thought.
Ga Ming wanted to be a street performer ever since you could remember. This passion was, alongside his love for dim sum, the most integral part of his being and for the most part, you had always taken for granted that his dream would become reality. Neither of you could have fathomed why the adults thought this goal to be silly and impractical. With time, you came to know about things like money, rent, bills and other inconveniences and the road to Ga Ming's dreams suddenly was not so straight-forward anymore. If anything, you admired him for remaining true to himself and following his passion, even if it meant accepting a compromise.
"So you're happy?" you asked, finally getting a dim sum yourself. It was hot and slippery.
He shrugged again.
"Yeah, I think so."
You nodded, chewing on the dim sum and feeling your tongue burn.
It felt awkward asking him about things like that. You missed times when neither of you really thought much and you just did whatever felt right. Now, you had your own separate lives and although they stemmed from the same place, right now the proximity was gone. Keeping them intertwined was not so obvious anymore and if only one of you lost interest in holding on to a relationship, which was more of a souvenir from your past than anything, the connection would be lost.
At first your relationship happened by chance - you were at the same place, at the same time and you shared sense of humour. Most of the time it was simply convenient to hang out together, because firstly, your parents forced you to, and also, because playing together did not require effort to make yourself understood. You could grasp each other's train of thought and even if you had to explain something, it was easy, since your lives had so much in common. Your childhoods took place alongside each other, you carved your character against his. Now, every time you saw each other, he had new piercings, his hands had cuts and calluses that had not been there before, and you had new stories to tell him, about things that were taking you further away from the times when your home was the same place as his.
"You ever thought about moving to the city?" he asked suddenly. "Or does it still smell bad to you?"
"It still does" you agreed and winced. "Can't believe you don't notice it."
"Because there ain't no smell" Ga Ming sighed. "You're imagining things."
"There's garbage lying in the back alleys and the river is polluted" you pointed out bluntly. "And your sewage system is crap."
Ga Ming laughed but seemed to have forgotten about the dim sum in his mouth and choked on it.
After coughing for a few good minutes, during which you did nothing to help him, he composed himself and with his face still red, addressed your words with utmost seriousness:
"Okay, there are some things that could be" he emphasized "off-putting." You raised an eyebrow but did not interrupt him. Ga Ming cleared his throat and raised his hand with one finger pointed up. "But actually, the up-sides outweigh the down-sides."
You raised another eyebrow.
"How so?" you asked, reasonably.
"Well, I live here." He smiled. "That's an up-side for sure."
"I suppose." You shrugged. "But as cool as it would be to hang out every waking hour, I would be literally homeless. I wouldn't be able to pay the rent by myself" you noted. "But first thing's first, I'd have to find a job and actually earn money and then find a place to live."
"Nah." Ga Ming did not seem bother by the vision you presented. "You could always move in with me."
You stared at him in silence, your hand with chopstick and dim sum frozen mid-air.
"We could split rent and I could help you get a job at the company I work for" he continued.
You pressed your lips into a straight line, feeling a vein pulsating on your temple.
"You piece of shit, so you do need help paying rent after all" you sighed loudly in annoyance.
"But it's gonna be like an indefinite sleepover!" Ga Ming still was not bothered and beamed at you, clearly excited by his plan. "Every day!"
You stuffed the dim sum in your mouth and just rolled your eyes. Ga Ming stared at you with anticipation, almost like a dog awaiting a treat. He knew your weak spots and his puppy eyes were one of them. Besides, it was not like you had any critical thinking ability to begin with. You sighed deeply, defeated.
"So how much is the rent?"
