[the focus pivoting back to him makes Blue lift his head, bewildered for a beat, looking owlishly from one man to the other before the fascination and delight hits him.
his face colors as he looks back down at it.]
I only...just cut. Until there was no more room, is all...
[ Sorry Blue, but it looks like we've reached the point of this session where attention's turned on you. Jim also thinks Blue looks absolutely adorable with that blush, and he smiles while watching him, elbow on the table and chin resting on his own hand. ]
Oh, yeah. Go ahead and make more, if you guys want. I also have some paints and glitter if you feel like sprucing them up a little.
[while the attention isn’t terrible - by no means! - Blue does feel a little bubbling of hesitation, of some unfulfilled expectation he’s not certain how to address.
that won’t do. no…better to nip that in the bud and ask the sources.
so, still pink-faced:] This would be easier if you told me what you prefer. [pointed glance at the Jim teacher:] Since I don’t know much about these things.
[ Sorry, guys. Sorry, sorry. Finn's already folded and started cutting on his second one, the scissors sneakily stolen back from Blue. He won't be long. He'll give them back.
There's no unfulfilled expectation, at least, not from Finn. And if he knows him any at all, he's pretty sure James is of the same mind. This is something to have fun with, not really a set procedure. But since he isn't the Jim teacher and is also in the same starting point as Blue, he doesn't offer his two cents.
But he does pause on his snip-snipping to pull a few things closer to Blue. Markers, glitter, pencils, glue, paper, etc. ]
[ Finn, buddy, there's another pair of scissors in that box. No need to take Blue's.
Anyway, Jim leaves him to his new snowflake, while he turns to Blue and shows him some of the things inside the box. ]
What I prefer doesn't matter. What matters is what you like. You can paint it, color it, put glitter on it... just choose colors that you like, or any of these supplies in here that grabs your attention.
[it's fine, Finn can gank any supplies Blue might have on-hand with no harm done. and here in arts and crafts town, the Mu gets to experience a bit of decision paralysis now that a bunch of various embellishments are laid out before him. he stares quietly at the array with a rather blank expression while he does his bit of woman-with-math gif internally for a bit.
preference? what preference? how fast can he get a preference...
fine: he closes his eyes, hovering his hands over the array. whatever levitates into his hand first is the one he's going to go with...
...and it's going to to be glitter. once he has something in hand, he looks back over at Jim.]
Can you at least...show me how this works? [lest he makes a mess.
...more of one. there's still paper clippings everywhere, and Finn's only adding to the pile.]
[ Finn is absolutely still shamelessly adding to the pile, yep. He's not brave enough to make it as intricate as Blue's, though, which is why he's quick to give the scissors back.
See, Jim? It was just a second.
Anyway, excuse him as he super carefully begins to unfold it. ]
I'm not sure there's a clean way to do it, really.
[ That stuff looks really fine to the point that it'll get everywhere. He's willing to make that sacrifice. Anyway, his snowflake is half unfolded now! ]
[ Jim's just gonna gather those cutouts real quick, bringing them to the edge of the table and tipping them into a bin he brought with him as well. ]
Ah. I thought of that, actually.
[ He lifts the box to pull out the tray where it was set down, moving it towards Blue. Then he gives him glue and a paintbrush. ]
So— here's how you do it. You water down the glue, then brush it onto the snowflake. You don't need a lot of it, by the way. Then you carefully apply the glitter on top. You can use a dry brush for that, just to keep it a little more under control.
Most of it should land inside the tray, so it should be easy to clean up, but if some of it escapes...
[ He pulls out a lint roller from inside the box. What, you didn't think Mr. Neat Freak over here didn't come prepared to handle the mess, did you? ]
[thank goodness the captain's got everything accounted for here in these uncharted waters his understudies are wading in, for Jim may speak with an easy breezy confidence, Blue takes the brush with hesitance.
with Jim's encouragement, he paints a few trails of glue along the broader lengths of paper left on his creation, leaving brush and glue between himself and Finn for later while sprinkling glitter over it.
glitter that...gets all over his fingers, of course. because glitter.
while pinching his finger and thumb together, observing it thoughtfully:] This sort of...creative process...the mess is a feature, isn't it.
[ Oh, Finn should have known better when it came to James and glitter. He bursts into surprised laughter when the lint roller makes an appearance. He's still laughing to himself when Blue realizes that the mess is just part of it. ]
That's a good idea, anyway.
[ Re: the lint roller. But he sees now that the mess is going to be taken seriously, apparently, so he vows to himself to keep it mostly contained. Once he has his snowflake all unfurled, he goes for the markers. ]
Water might help you get them off later, Blue... Or make them worse. I've never seen this stuff before.
[ Jim grins at Finn's laughter, surprised and amused by it. Yes, the mess is going to be taken very seriously, and dealt with accordingly. ]
Hold on, I've got something for that.
[ He produces a bottle of alcohol from somewhere, as well as a few cotton pads. ]
Carefully— shake off the most of it into the tray, or the bin. Then hold your hands out, palms up, for me.
[ Meanwhile Jim soaks the cotton pad in alcohol, and once Blue's gotten the loose bits off his fingers, Jim carefully holds him by a wrist and starts dabbing the glitter off, pressing the pad and rubbing when needed. ]
[Blue still can't shake how surreal this feels - simple crafts for no other purpose than enjoyment, glue and glitter...it's childlike in a way. maybe that's why he keeps thinking of the children, imagining their own delight were they to be able to do this.
maybe it would be feasible, somehow, to forego the undoing of regret simply to give the children a chance to be here, surrounded by kind souls who can teach them things like this.]
...Thank you. [it's murmured quietly in the midst of being tended to, and it's easy enough to see that its gratitude for a bit more than just a bit of cleanup. beneath that humility is a little stirring of remorse - a notion of I wish this had happened sooner that Finn could glean with a bit of extra focus for the moment or two it's there to be gleaned.]
[ Finn pauses what he's doing to watch. At first, it's because he's interested in how to remove glitter, but it quickly transitions into just watching the pair of them being super cute. James with how much care and thought he's put towards all this and how he holds Blue's hand so sweetly, and Blue with the innocent wonder and trust and the light blush on his cheeks. Finn smiles at the display they make until-
Until something deep and sad trickles in. His eyes turn to Blue, and he feels that remorse clearly. Sadness and mourning about the past. Finn's... done the same quite a lot over the last year. Hell, he's feeling it now.
He reaches out to gently hold Blue's free hand without even thinking about it, wanting to tell him that this is a good thing, a great thing, that this is all happening now, that it's happening at all. But he doesn't say any of that, not really wanting to acknowledge it unless Blue does first.
His gaze turns to Jim, his smile warm and a little sad. ] It is. Thank you.
[ Jim doesn't share their unique abilities, so those feelings don't reach him right away. He only smiles at Blue's words, finishing up the cleaning on one hand and then moving to the other. ]
Don't mention it. Just thought it'd be nice to do something together.
[ With the same care and attention, he cleans up the second hand, removing most of the glitter off Blue's fingers. At some point, between the shared touch between him and Blue, and his own connection with Finn, those sadder, quieter feelings reach him, and his smile dims as he slows to a halt, looking up and between the two.
He takes Blue's hand, but this time it's more of a hold that serves no purpose other than offer comfort; and he offers his other hand to Finn, so he'll take it. ]
I'm glad I get to share this with the two of you, too.
[it's a warm and gentle moment - the kind of thing Blue wishes he could make last. he's terribly grateful for these two; were they not here, how lonely it would be. that's not to discredit the kindness he's been shown by others, but there's a different level of focus and care given him by Finn and Jim, never even minding being the ones to physically carry him out of harm's way! there's a lot to it.
were Blue a more prideful sort, perhaps he'd be quicker to pry free of the attention and care...so maybe that wish to have known them sooner would just shoot him in the foot, given his younger self's dispositions. right now might be exactly the right time, and wondering any differently is just idle thought.
so for now, Blue gently squeezes those hands holding onto his, as if he could impress their importance into his skin, before his grip slacks.
he lightly taps the top of Finn's hand:] You should finish the one you started. I think... [giving Jim a glance.] I'll leave mine as-is.
[ Finn easily slides his hand over, taking his hand gently. He's not really sure how but Finn knows that James sees what Blue's feeling. That's still something curious, how easily he connects mentally like this, but that's not on his mind now. Finn gives him a warm, grateful, caring smile ]
So am I...
[ He looks back to Blue and the squeeze of his hand means... so much. Finn can feel that importance. More than that, he understands. Knowing that he means so much to Blue, it kind of makes him want to lean over and press a kiss to his cheek.
But he doesn't. He wants to, though.
Finn takes his hand back from Blue, picks at his newer snowflake as if to give it a closer look. ]
Simple sounds nice. I think I'll just give it a little color.
[ Much better idea than whatever atrocious rainbow he was about to deck it out in. So he goes for the markers again, picking out a blue one. For no reason, of course. ]
[ That heavy weight from before, brief though it was, seems to be gone now, and Jim's pretty pleased that he's managed to help them both pull from that mood. He smiles and relinquishes both their hands, crossing his arms over the table, happier to watch Finn than he is interested in doing another snowflake. ]
Ah. I like blue, too.
[ He offers ever so innocently, smile equally so. No, they mean absolutely nothing by that, of course. ]
Do you guys want some hot chocolate? I found some in the kitchen earlier today.
whew...between that and the vibes from Finn, Blue finds himself in a pretty novel circumstance, doesn't he? well, novel for him. it's not hard for the memory of that mistletoe kiss to come to mind...faster than a freight train.
bracing through that fluttery feeling means he misses the timing of that question by a few beats, murmuring under any response Finn might've had.]
[ Finn absolutely perks up at the mention of hot chocolate. He'd heard of it but it was such a rarity that he hasn't even so much as seen it before. (Though, that was probably more due to his circumstances than supplies.) ]
Yes, please.
[ And Blue seems to agree, too, sweet as he is. Finn's smile comes back. ]
[ Jim gets up with their prompt agreement, shaking his head at Finn. ]
No, you two stay put. I'll be right back.
[ Just gonna steal a quick smooch from Finn first, then he vanishes into the kitchen. Just try not to spill the glitter all over everything while he's gone, guys. ]
[in very quick retrospect, a warmer drink might not be the right call. Blue brings a hand to his face, pressing the back of it against a burning cheek.
while rubbing under his bangs:] It was kind of you, too. Finn. For letting me be here.
[ Finn likes the smooch very much, thank you. He happily melts a little, watching James leave before Blue speaks up. ]
Thank you for agreeing to come. It wouldn't be as much fun without you, and I'm pretty sure James would agree with that.
[ Don't get him wrong, he loves being alone with Jim (like really really loves it) but he's really loving this, too. Plus, watching Blue and James interact is just the cutest. ]
[Blue peers over at Finn sidelong, getting that fluttery feeling again. bashfulness, maybe? it's not really the sort of feeling Soldier Blue is apt to having, even when peers teased him.]
It's...a little strange. Because...I think I'm used to there being...something more I can provide others. Protection. Guidance.
Here, though...I'm the one always learning. Being protected. [...] Cared for.
[his hand falls away from his face, settling on the table as he looks down at the snowflake.]
This isn't anything...I've earned, either. Fought for... [deserve? hm.]
[ Finn... really hates that Blue sees the world like this. He gets it, though, mostly. The Order was much the same, that your worth as a person was only as much as you can provide to the Supreme Leader. That you didn't deserve anything, especially if you didn't earn it.
He wished he knew how to get through to Blue about the truth of the matter. As it is, he reaches his hand out again, only lightly brushing against Blue's the same way his mind and emotions do right now. ]
It's not that complicated, really. Not here. You don't have to do anything. We just like you. [ I like you. ] A lot.
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his face colors as he looks back down at it.]
I only...just cut. Until there was no more room, is all...
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That's a good idea, actually. I think I tried to make my cuts too big, too. You did a great job.
[ And first time, too! Also, Finn's already getting another piece of paper to try out Blue's strat. ]
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Oh, yeah. Go ahead and make more, if you guys want. I also have some paints and glitter if you feel like sprucing them up a little.
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that won’t do. no…better to nip that in the bud and ask the sources.
so, still pink-faced:] This would be easier if you told me what you prefer. [pointed glance at the Jim teacher:] Since I don’t know much about these things.
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There's no unfulfilled expectation, at least, not from Finn. And if he knows him any at all, he's pretty sure James is of the same mind. This is something to have fun with, not really a set procedure. But since he isn't the Jim teacher and is also in the same starting point as Blue, he doesn't offer his two cents.
But he does pause on his snip-snipping to pull a few things closer to Blue. Markers, glitter, pencils, glue, paper, etc. ]
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Anyway, Jim leaves him to his new snowflake, while he turns to Blue and shows him some of the things inside the box. ]
What I prefer doesn't matter. What matters is what you like. You can paint it, color it, put glitter on it... just choose colors that you like, or any of these supplies in here that grabs your attention.
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preference? what preference? how fast can he get a preference...
fine: he closes his eyes, hovering his hands over the array. whatever levitates into his hand first is the one he's going to go with...
...and it's going to to be glitter. once he has something in hand, he looks back over at Jim.]
Can you at least...show me how this works? [lest he makes a mess.
...more of one. there's still paper clippings everywhere, and Finn's only adding to the pile.]
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See, Jim? It was just a second.
Anyway, excuse him as he super carefully begins to unfold it. ]
I'm not sure there's a clean way to do it, really.
[ That stuff looks really fine to the point that it'll get everywhere. He's willing to make that sacrifice. Anyway, his snowflake is half unfolded now! ]
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Ah. I thought of that, actually.
[ He lifts the box to pull out the tray where it was set down, moving it towards Blue. Then he gives him glue and a paintbrush. ]
So— here's how you do it. You water down the glue, then brush it onto the snowflake. You don't need a lot of it, by the way. Then you carefully apply the glitter on top. You can use a dry brush for that, just to keep it a little more under control.
Most of it should land inside the tray, so it should be easy to clean up, but if some of it escapes...
[ He pulls out a lint roller from inside the box. What, you didn't think Mr. Neat Freak over here didn't come prepared to handle the mess, did you? ]
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with Jim's encouragement, he paints a few trails of glue along the broader lengths of paper left on his creation, leaving brush and glue between himself and Finn for later while sprinkling glitter over it.
glitter that...gets all over his fingers, of course. because glitter.
while pinching his finger and thumb together, observing it thoughtfully:] This sort of...creative process...the mess is a feature, isn't it.
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That's a good idea, anyway.
[ Re: the lint roller. But he sees now that the mess is going to be taken seriously, apparently, so he vows to himself to keep it mostly contained. Once he has his snowflake all unfurled, he goes for the markers. ]
Water might help you get them off later, Blue... Or make them worse. I've never seen this stuff before.
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Hold on, I've got something for that.
[ He produces a bottle of alcohol from somewhere, as well as a few cotton pads. ]
Carefully— shake off the most of it into the tray, or the bin. Then hold your hands out, palms up, for me.
[ Meanwhile Jim soaks the cotton pad in alcohol, and once Blue's gotten the loose bits off his fingers, Jim carefully holds him by a wrist and starts dabbing the glitter off, pressing the pad and rubbing when needed. ]
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maybe it would be feasible, somehow, to forego the undoing of regret simply to give the children a chance to be here, surrounded by kind souls who can teach them things like this.]
...Thank you. [it's murmured quietly in the midst of being tended to, and it's easy enough to see that its gratitude for a bit more than just a bit of cleanup. beneath that humility is a little stirring of remorse - a notion of I wish this had happened sooner that Finn could glean with a bit of extra focus for the moment or two it's there to be gleaned.]
It's kind of you to share this, Jim.
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Until something deep and sad trickles in. His eyes turn to Blue, and he feels that remorse clearly. Sadness and mourning about the past. Finn's... done the same quite a lot over the last year. Hell, he's feeling it now.
He reaches out to gently hold Blue's free hand without even thinking about it, wanting to tell him that this is a good thing, a great thing, that this is all happening now, that it's happening at all. But he doesn't say any of that, not really wanting to acknowledge it unless Blue does first.
His gaze turns to Jim, his smile warm and a little sad. ] It is. Thank you.
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Don't mention it. Just thought it'd be nice to do something together.
[ With the same care and attention, he cleans up the second hand, removing most of the glitter off Blue's fingers. At some point, between the shared touch between him and Blue, and his own connection with Finn, those sadder, quieter feelings reach him, and his smile dims as he slows to a halt, looking up and between the two.
He takes Blue's hand, but this time it's more of a hold that serves no purpose other than offer comfort; and he offers his other hand to Finn, so he'll take it. ]
I'm glad I get to share this with the two of you, too.
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were Blue a more prideful sort, perhaps he'd be quicker to pry free of the attention and care...so maybe that wish to have known them sooner would just shoot him in the foot, given his younger self's dispositions. right now might be exactly the right time, and wondering any differently is just idle thought.
so for now, Blue gently squeezes those hands holding onto his, as if he could impress their importance into his skin, before his grip slacks.
he lightly taps the top of Finn's hand:] You should finish the one you started. I think... [giving Jim a glance.] I'll leave mine as-is.
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So am I...
[ He looks back to Blue and the squeeze of his hand means... so much. Finn can feel that importance. More than that, he understands. Knowing that he means so much to Blue, it kind of makes him want to lean over and press a kiss to his cheek.
But he doesn't. He wants to, though.
Finn takes his hand back from Blue, picks at his newer snowflake as if to give it a closer look. ]
Simple sounds nice. I think I'll just give it a little color.
[ Much better idea than whatever atrocious rainbow he was about to deck it out in. So he goes for the markers again, picking out a blue one. For no reason, of course. ]
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Ah. I like blue, too.
[ He offers ever so innocently, smile equally so. No, they mean absolutely nothing by that, of course. ]
Do you guys want some hot chocolate? I found some in the kitchen earlier today.
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whew...between that and the vibes from Finn, Blue finds himself in a pretty novel circumstance, doesn't he? well, novel for him. it's not hard for the memory of that mistletoe kiss to come to mind...faster than a freight train.
bracing through that fluttery feeling means he misses the timing of that question by a few beats, murmuring under any response Finn might've had.]
That--yes. Per...haps so... [whew!!!]
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Yes, please.
[ And Blue seems to agree, too, sweet as he is. Finn's smile comes back. ]
Would you like any help?
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No, you two stay put. I'll be right back.
[ Just gonna steal a quick smooch from Finn first, then he vanishes into the kitchen. Just try not to spill the glitter all over everything while he's gone, guys. ]
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while rubbing under his bangs:] It was kind of you, too. Finn. For letting me be here.
Thank you.
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Thank you for agreeing to come. It wouldn't be as much fun without you, and I'm pretty sure James would agree with that.
[ Don't get him wrong, he loves being alone with Jim (like really really loves it) but he's really loving this, too. Plus, watching Blue and James interact is just the cutest. ]
We're glad you're here.
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It's...a little strange. Because...I think I'm used to there being...something more I can provide others. Protection. Guidance.
Here, though...I'm the one always learning. Being protected. [...] Cared for.
[his hand falls away from his face, settling on the table as he looks down at the snowflake.]
This isn't anything...I've earned, either. Fought for... [deserve? hm.]
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He wished he knew how to get through to Blue about the truth of the matter. As it is, he reaches his hand out again, only lightly brushing against Blue's the same way his mind and emotions do right now. ]
It's not that complicated, really. Not here. You don't have to do anything. We just like you. [ I like you. ] A lot.
[ But if this is a give and take- Finn smiles. ]
And in return, you like us back.
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