exonym | lift your open hand, strike up the band,

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lift your open hand, strike up the band,

( For as long as Dae-Jung can remember, he has always been a cuddly person. His mom used to joke he was part koala bear, because he was always hanging off of the nearest person, fingertips gripping just hard enough to snuggle in. His family had been affectionate regardless, and he'd never truly lost it - even in his awkward youth.

So when the war had come, and things like affection and care and love came few and far between, Dae had made a promise to himself not to let anything harden him. The people he had loved so freely may be gone, but his heart hadn't. Most days that works.

It's better now. The house is full of people he can gravitate towards, bouncing down stairs to throw an arm around someone's neck, or flinging himself into the lap of whoever's occupying the couch at the time. He knows not everyone in the house cares for the way he invades personal space - and he really does try to be mindful of that - but more often than not he's touching everyone at any opportunity. Hands pressed into backs, fingers laced together, a lazy sprawl against someone's shoulder.

Which is why when he stumbles into the kitchen in search of delicious, delicious coffee, he stops first to press a kiss to someone's cheek, squeezing them round the middle. He probably hasn't even opened his eyes yet. )

( Some days being an empath fucking sucks. Dae may not be all that powerful, but he can still sense things. So when one of his housemates is having a very, very bad day it pricks at his skin until he can't keep away anymore. Wherever the afflicted person is, he'll eventually track them down like an emotional bloodhound, laden with snacks and ridiculous information. )

We should build a tree house some day. Those big cypress trees would be great. We could get lots of lights and blankets and make it super cosy.

( A hum as he offers drinks too. )

We could attach a slide!

( Dae comes back in the evening, grinning ear to ear with his hair a victorious looking gold. It's been a successful day picking terrible people's pockets and he's pretty sure he can pawn the lot of it for enough to be able to treat themselves. Maybe they could have a party. He stashes his haul in the usual out of the way cupboard - because no way is he meeting up with the shady people he knows at night - and skips up the stairs to get changed.

When he comes down he's wearing sweatpants, feet bare, a pair of headphones hanging over his naked shoulders. They're not his. Neither's the iPhone he's got, but that's by the by. Scooting over to the nearest person, he offers up one of the buds. )

Wanna judge this person's music collection with me?

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Some people are just bad.

( He scrolls through the iPhone's options until he can press random on the music, wriggling until he's more comfortable. )

I could feel him before I even heard him too. Usually my power isn't like that. I don't really get feelings unless they're super strong. But he was just super smug and mean feeling.

( Oh, but Dae's grin turns gleeful. )

He might be more upset that his car's gone missing too. I know a guy.

[ Ten tries to hold back a laugh, but it escapes in a combination of a snort and a huff. He claps his hand over his mouth and more muffled snickering emanates from behind it. ] You know a guy, huh?

[ Very spontaneously, he gives Dae a quick hug. Essentially, he just raises his arms and loops them around Dae, since he's already leaning on the other. ] That was good, you did good!

[ He nods as he speaks, putting together his thoughts as he goes. ] If you felt it, then he was definitely one of those bad people.

I hope he really misses that car!

( Dae does the facial equivalent of a !!! when he gets hugged, face splitting into a grin. People initiating physical contact always makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Hair turning a vibrant shade of pink at the edges, he nudges Ten gently. )

I know many guys. I'm no good at the selling. I hate haggling. So I just cut people in on the profit so they'll do it for me.

( Gazing at the bits and piece surrounding them with interest. )

What are you working on?

[ Ten looks up, spots Dae's hair, and grins like someone just turned on the sun inside him. ] Cute! [ He does not specify what is cute.

All of Dae is cute. But the hair right now, that is super cute. Extra cute. Leveled-up cute. ]

That's smart. Isn't the haggling the hardest part? [ Not a master negotiator, this one. ]

Oh, uh, it's a game! Kinda. Not yet.

Soon? I hope.

A game.

( Ah! The voice of someone who is suddenly very excited. He prefers his games digital, but there's nothing like a board game either. )

What kind of game? Tell me all about it.

Okay, well. [ Here we go. ] I wanted to make a board game! I got the idea from- well, actually I can't remember. Where did I get the idea?

[ He waves a hand. Not important. ]

Anyway, I started out making it for two people, but that's no fun! So I keep adding people and adding people. I think there's about 12 player tokens now. I might've lost one...

I love games. ( Ten, you're officially his favourite person. ) I wanted to be a pro-video gamer when I was younger. I thought I'd win competitions and get to explore the world with my epic console skills.

( But, war. And also he wasn't actually that good. )

When you get it worked out can I play too? We could have a game night. Ooh, we could have a game box. I can get us some other ones, but yours will be the best.

[ Ten's eyes go a little wide. ] Wow, really? That's amazing! I bet you were so good.

No, no- I mean, you can play, of course, but listen, will you help me? [ He scoots across the floor on his butt, tentacles trailing behind. ]

You're an expert, so you can help me figure out the places where it needs to be fixed!

Then we can show it to everyone. And play together! [ This is his dearest little heart's desire. ]

I wanted to be. Games were just so much fun. You could be anyone you wanted.

( That's what the swamp house needs. Dae doesn't know where he can get the necessary equipment but maybe he should start putting his feelers out. )

Yes. Of course I'll help, that sounds amazing. We can have meetings about it. I'll bring a notebook!!

Anyone you wanted, huh? [ There's some consideration of this thought. ] What kind of people did you want to be?

[ He is a curious little squid, this one. ]

Oh, good. You're organized. [ Ten laughs loudly. ] I am sort of lacking in that department. I guess that's why this is taking so long? Probably, yeah.

A ninja! Or a knight. Or a race car driver. Or Lara Croft. I liked her shorts.

( He never met a video game he didn't like. Well, apart from Amnesia because that shit was scary. )

The first present from my parents I can remember was my Gameboy. It was yellow, and I had a little light for car journeys or when the neighbours would keep us at parties too long.

( Oh Ten, how are you so adorable? )

I'll help. We'll get it done together.

It's kind of amazing that video games let you be all those things. [ Ten is kind of fascinated. Growing up underwater, he does not have a lot of experience with electronics. For obvious reasons.

Also, he would agree about Amnesia, had he had the displeasure of being exposed to it. This one's not about scary stuff. ]

Humans are so creative, wow. They can't make light on their own, so they invent stuff to do that for them. [ He shakes his head, but in such a way that it's clear he's impressed. ]

You're the best! Then we can play together.

( Ten is honestly so adorable that Dae feels like he might explode any second. He'll have to find a way to get video games into Swamp House Life. He'll make that a priority. )

I didn't think about it that way. But yeah, people can be really smart. I'm glad we're not still living in caves. I like electricity. And running water.

( The horror, honestly. )

[ Don't explode, Dae! That would make it difficult to keep appreciating your cuteness, too. Myung would also be awfully sad and Ten couldn't stand that. His little squid heart would break into a million pieces.

... Ten's going to love video games though. ]

I like those things a lot now, too. We don't use them underwater, really! But they're useful on land.

[ Blase as can be, this one. ]

You're like Ariel, but with more tentacles. Which are cooler, I think.

( They far outweigh a fishtail. Unless they eventually get a mermaid in the house and then it'll be a tie because Dae likes any kind of supernatural being. )

Do you miss stuff from the ocean?

Oh, you think they're cool? [ Ten asks, looking ridiculously pleased. He uses two of the aforementioned arms to form a heart over his head.

If a mermaid does arrive at swamp house, Ten will hope they're not from a rival family. That'd be the pits. ]

Miss it? Um, a little, sometimes. I'm really, really happy here. Sometimes it can be sort of tricky, because of the whole- [ he mimes falling asleep ] and having to stay near water and stuff, but that's not bad! It's not.

Yeah. How can they not be cool?

( He's glad that Ten is happy here. He'd hate to feel like he was pining for something. Dae couldn't do it himself. )

We should build a pool.

Some people are pretty weirded out about them. [ Ten nods, sighing and shaking his head a little.

As if to say, they just don't know what they're missing out on. ]

Oh! Oh, a pool! That would be amazing. [ A pool is a lot bigger than a bathtub, after all. A lot. Not that he doesn't love his tub. ]

Maybe we can do some magic and stuff to get a pool in the place.

( He's the least useful of the magical swamp house. He can only ever feel emotions, and even then it's not a sure thing. He feels too much, it's easy to get confused. )

So you can stretch out and let your tentacles be wild.

You think so? [ Ten asks, looking deeply thoughtful. He'd like that a lot, but he's been thusfar hesitant to make a lot of requests.

Well, magical ones.

He did sort of ask Myung to bring this tub along in the first place. Oops? ]

They do need to go wild sometimes. It's true. If they get all cramped up for too long, whew. It's not good. [ He demonstratively wiggles a few in a crazy manner. ]

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lift your open hand, strike up the band,

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