day 8 "i'm not doing that again"
The two friends stumble through the door, barely making it past the entryway before Bora collapses on the carpet in a fit of giggles.
“Wow, this is kinda great but I’m not doing that again.”
Handong eyes her, skeptical. She’s still standing, also affected but definitely the more put-together of the two at the moment. “And why don’t I believe that for a second?”
Bora just giggles again. “Okay, sure, it’s fun. But I’m gonna-” she hiccups, the sudden action throwing her completely off for a moment. When she continues it’s with an even more noticeable slur to her words. “Wow. I’m gonna be a loooot pickier next time.”
Handong rolls her eyes, but can’t help the small smile in response. It’s not like this surprises her at all. Several hundred years with someone tends to make one used to their nonsense. “I told you not to go for the big guy, even if he wasn’t as drunk as he was. Even just a buzz for that giant would’ve sent you sky high.”
“But it was so easy! I didn’t even have to try to get him alone he was just like ‘alright cool’ and he smelled kinda nice so I thought ‘hey why not’ and it’s been so long since we drank from drunk people so-”
Plopping down on the floor next to the smaller woman, Handong cuts her off with a hand over her mouth. It doesn’t stop her, the sound merely muffled as Handong feels the need to roll her eyes again. “Hey, slow down. Remember to breathe. Can’t believe after this long it still surprises me just how much you can talk.”
Bora glares at the taller woman, eyes narrowing over the top of Handong’s hand. Handong just shrugs her shoulders innocently.
“Hey, I’m just saying, there were plenty of other people there that were more than willing. Mine, oh what was her name? Rochelle? Rachel? She was nice, and she had a friend who’d had her eye on you all night. But no, you had to go for the absolute keg of alcohol that was that big guy.”
A tongue licks a thick stripe along Handong’s palm, and she pulls it away from Bora in disgust. “Really?”
Another giggle. So this is what this much alcohol does to Bora. It’s been a long time since Handong’s seen her like this.
Bora grins, proud of her little stunt to get her mouth free. “I don’t need to breathe, why would I stop talking?”
-----
They don’t move from that spot for a while, Bora content to just lay on the carpet and Handong happy to keep her company. It’s always been like this, really. It’s how they’ve lasted so long and stayed as close as they have.
Their dynamic is… unassuming. A lot of it unspoken. Several hundred years of wars between species and civil rights movements have taken their toll on them, just like the rest of their kind, but Handong always knew that throughout it all Bora would be at her side and everything would be okay.
And it shows here as well, in little moments like this. Handong is always happy to tease Bora and scold her for her antics, but she also always stays with her, obviously not actually bothered enough to leave.
Considering the amount of alcohol Bora likely consumed from that one guy’s blood, Handong’s not surprised at all to see how long her drunkenness lasts. The taller woman just sits with her and lets her ride it out, listening to her babble on about everything and nothing, while letting her own high fade down to a light buzz.
When it goes silent for a bit, Handong thinks she might be clear to put Bora to bed, but is surprised by the sudden seriousness in the smaller woman’s tone.
“Dongie, do you ever miss mirrors?”
Handong considers laughing it off. But the contemplative look on Bora’s face as she stares up at the ceiling makes her pause and think it over.
“I guess so. It’s been so long though, I think I’m just used to it now.”
Bora hums in response. It’s a good spot for Handong to end the conversation - sleep sounds really tempting to her right now - but she knows that tone. That tone is one that says Bora isn’t satisfied with the answer, even if she might not want to say it out loud.
Sighing, Handong takes the bait. “Do you?”
Another pause before Bora responds. “Honestly? A lot. I miss being able to check myself how I’m looking, instead of asking someone if everything looks fine. Actually be able to confirm what they’re saying, you know?”
Handong narrows her eyes. “...I’m the only one you ask that. Are you saying I’m lying to you?”
“No!” Bora laughs and hits the taller woman’s arm. “You’re my friend, though. It’s your job to tell me I look good.”
“Excuse me, I can be both your hype woman and be completely honest, thank you very much.”
Handong pouts, eyebrows furrowing in to show her displeasure. Bora is quick to coo at her and assure her she doesn’t mean it like that, lifting them back into that same relaxed silence from before.
But Bora’s clearly not done, the issue still pressing on her mind. “I just mean… You’d think somebody would’ve figured out how to make a camera that can actually take a picture of us by now but here we are. It’s been hundreds of years since I last saw my reflection, in anything. At this point I don’t think I even remember what I look like.”
Ah. Handong softens at the admission. She can understand, she’s never thought about it much so it hasn’t really bothered her at all. She can remember how strange it was, at first, way back when she was turned. Walking by mirrors or pools of water and seeing absolutely nothing was disconcerting for a while. But what wasn’t disconcerting about her new existence? For her it just all became things she got used to and that was that.
Knowing Bora though, Handong can see how it would be more difficult for her. She seems like the kind of person who’d wear out a mirror with how often she used it. Not in some egotistic or arrogant way, but just to check in. Maybe admire the view a bit, sure, but hey, might as well if it’s there, right?
Handong focuses her eyes back on the shorter woman, still laying next to her and staring at the ceiling. She finds herself really taking Bora in, in a way she doesn’t do often.
“You’re beautiful.” Handong blurts out.
Apparently not the response Bora was expecting. Handong can see the surprise pass over her face before she’s laughing again and pushing at Handong.
“Oh, stop it. Now you’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
Handong smiles back, but keeps the serious feeling as she slightly leans over Bora’s form. “Hey, there you go doubting my honesty again.”
“I’m not-...w- what are you doing?”
“You wanted to know what you look like, well, I’m no camera but I can try.”
And so she does. Handong leans over further, detailing everything she can see. She picks out every little thing she can, from the shape of Bora’s eyebrows, to the sharpness of her nose, the soft slope of her cheeks and how they come to a point at her chin. All the while she drags her fingers lightly over each feature as she describes it, helping to show Bora the shapes she’s talking about.
Bora just watches as she does so, listening intently, a soft look in her eyes as she sees the lengths Handong is going to to make Bora see herself the way Handong does.
“How’s that?”
Bora blinks, taking a moment to return from the haze that had settled over her as she listened to Handong and tried to visualize everything. Handong smiles at the way it takes several moments for her eyes to focus again.
Doing her best to regain her casual tone, Bora hums. “Mm. Not bad. Still not a mirror though.”
Handong scoffs, sitting back up and pushing Bora hard enough she rolls over a little. “After all that… wow. What did you do to deserve me, anyway?”
“Apparently I’m beautiful, so, must be reason enough for you.”
“Oh, for the love of-” Handong stands up, holding her hands out. She tried. She tried, and this is what she gets for her efforts. “I’m off to bed.”
“No wait!” Bora calls, finally scrambling to her feet. “I’m kidding, thank you I love you so much! Don’t leave me!” She runs after Handong, leaping onto the taller woman’s back.
Handong stumbles from the force but catches her with an ease that comes from the sheer number of times the smaller woman has done this to her. As Bora clings to her, more dramatic pleas for forgiveness and declarations of undying love fall from her lips.
And of course, Handong can’t help the smile that breaks out on her face. It’s Bora, after all.
They reach the room, Bora satisfied that she’s cheered Handong back up. In light of that she sets about getting ready for bed.
But Handong has one more lingering thought from their earlier conversation.
“Maybe we could go get our portraits done? Find a painter or someone that does realism, that should work, right?”
Bora smiles, soft. “I like that idea.”
“...”
“Still wouldn’t be as good as your starstruck descriptions of my beauty though.”
“Oh, shut up.”