@ashngrt asked a question: “I’m done. ” To Jade he extends the plate with a half-eaten meal on it; a gesture uncommon. “I will be turning in for tonight. ” The Lounge has barely closed its doors, but the haziness in Azul's eyes is unmistakable — it is a mark of sleepless nights and restless days; perhaps, the word has spread too far (surely, he underestimated it).
" of course. have a good night, azul. ” it’s a simple response, delivered with all the ultimately-toneless pleasantries jade normally speaks with. it’s all fake in the normal run of things, of course — his kind warmth is as fake as the futile attempt at being mentally sound that azul is fronting. it’s something they’re both aware of, and they’re both aware that the other is aware, too. such is the nature of their relationship. if either was prone to weakness, perhaps they could allow the other to peel back the mask and peer beneath with painful honesty and sincerity and they would be understood.
but as it stands, they’ll never do that. instead, azul will pretend to have perfect control of himself and his life, and jade will smile and nod and accept his ultimately emotionally-driven decisions, no matter how they harm him. ( he’s learned from experience that pushing azul simply leads to more push back. it does nothing to help. it’s best to do what damage mitigation he can when azul is doing fine and try to help him improve from a position of relative health rather than try to force him back onto his feet when he’s down. )
jade picks up the plate, expression finally falling into something just slightly more somber than pleasantly neutral. he’d been doing better lately, too. or at least it had been seeming that way. it’s sometimes impossible to tell what’s going on beneath the surface of azul’s perfect mask.
the eel sighs. he’ll take the plate to the kitchen to be handled, and he’ll take over for azul with ensuring the mostro lounge closes properly. such is his job as vice dorm leader, after all.
