[ don quixote steps back. hong lu stops craning his head back like a particularly patient giraffe so he can turn to face her. face-to-face like this, he can see that there is a difference after all. her uniform, hong lu thinks, has morphed into a lovely sweater bearing with the face of a cat etched onto it. it's quite cute. hong lu makes a note to ask don quixote later where she found such a sweater and if it also has a foul side as well. perhaps the cat comes to life at night and tries to eat you. that would make nights exciting.

that being said - what hong lu hears and what hong lu sees are two different things, as they often are. don quixote rubs her eyes, and hong lu tilts his head for a moment. he then reaches out with a hand to gently pet don quixote's head, the way one would when helping a small and distressed animal. after all, he's seen others do much the same. ]

Thank you for not opening me up to take a look at whether my bones are solid or not, then. [ hong lu says, as always earnest. ] Maybe we can try it a little later. Why have you missed me, though? Is three hours apart long enough of a time to miss someone?