#dreamtchamber

Hong Lu let out a chuckle, grin on his face and head propped up by his hand once again. "Maybe I just want you to be happy! ....and perhaps a little bit naked." If he hadn't been nursing a nice buzz for the past half hour, he probably would have never said that to the other sinners' face. But here he was, and there was no backing out now. Absolutely no shame in his brain at this point in time.

And this is when Gregor nearly choked on his drink, coughing and nearly tearing through the glass with his inhuman limb. If the alcohol hadn't reddened his face before, the out-of-pocket comment from Hong Lu certainly cemented it. He wasn't sure how to respond at first; the remark had briefly left him speechless, dumbfounded, even.

Niko rests his weapon against his shoulder glaring at the man. It was like talking to a damn brick wall at any rate and he was sure his conversation partner was sick of him too. Well things were going south fast. Damn it what an awful turn of events huh?

Hong Lu leaned back against the brick wall of a building, cold and slightly damp from the recent weather. He let out a slow breath, the moisture quickly turning into a vapour before him. To his side was the only one who had stayed behind for a moment, a look of panic still on his face. Admittedly, Hong Lu was never sure what to do in moments like this; he wanted to help his fellow sinner out, but it didn't always come as second nature to him because of his upbringing. He gently placed a hand on Sinclair's shoulder. "I don't understand the need for all this secrecy," he said, gazing into the dark, starry distance, "if we're supposed to trust each other, doesn't that mean we should be open, too?" In hindsight, his words to the younger man were a bit silly of him; after all, he had no intention of revealing his past until he had to.

Sinclair had stayed behind while the other Sinners went out to scout the next area for them to go. Well, almost all of the other Sinners. Hong Lu was stood beside him, much to the younger man's surprise and confusion, and despite Sinclair's panic, he could still feel the other's eyes on him. He was utilizing his coping techniques (thanks to Don Quixote's tips) and attempting to calm his breathing, but there was still a burning guilt that tore at his soul, causing his anxiety to tussle with his attempts to calm down. He felt awful, like he was a coward for staying behind. Ever since they had arrived in K. Corp, Sinclair felt his anxiety building and building, but this loneliness was almost the tipping point for him.

He nervously eyed Hong Lu, who placed a hand on his shoulder. As the taller man spoke to him, Sinclair felt his entire body freeze up. What was that supposed to mean? Should he tell Hong Lu what was going on? Had he seen through his attempts to hide the truth? He stood in shocked silence for a long, long while. The uncharacteristically-long amount of silence was almost suffocating. He tried to speak, but nothing would come out, no matter how many times he opened his mouth. He was at a loss. He wasn't sure what he should have done.

"I.... I'm sorry. I don't... I don't know what I should do...!"

Since they were the only two left on the bus - besides Charon, who paid them little attention - Hong Lu scooted in closer to where Dante was sitting. Head resting in his hand, his gaze turned from staring out the window just past them, to looking them straight in the clock face, to looking right back out the window. A faint, longing smile on his face, he said to Dante, "Y'know, if you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

It was surprising that the two of them had been left alone; Vergilius had been (somehow) convinced to take the rest of the Sinners out somewhere while Dante and Hong Lu stayed behind. Xe was thankful for Charon paying little attention to the two of them; xir clock face must have been heating up right then. The manager noticed the other Sinner's gaze as it wandered, and xe was about to speak up, but the man across from xem spoke up first.

"Y'know, if you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."

Dante was confused. What exactly was he implying by that? And why was he saying it out of the blue like that? Awkward silence reigned for but a moment before xe got the courage to reply.

<What exactly do you mean...? Are you saying that I'm too much of a stickler for the rules or something?>

The manager kind of had to be a stickler for obeying the rules given, lest xe invoke the wrath of a certain Red Gaze. Xe felt bad about being so strict, but xe didn't really have a choice in the matter when it came down to it.