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“Even though it's just a dummy, why not try giving it a hug?”
You glance underneath your low bangs at the training dummy Ralsei points at. It's an admittedly great rendition of the small prince beside you, complete with a large hat to obscure whatever material he decided to use for the face. You're perfectly fine with going through the motions to satisfy Ralsei's teaching moment and, besides, you wouldn't mind hugging it, just to see how soft it is.
You open your ACT menu to check your options against your ‘enemy’, and you do a double-take because there's an action you didn't expect to be there. The words ‘Hug Ralsei’ appear like a shining beacon in your menu, complete with an adorable little mock-up of him beside it. You look between the option and the prince beside you, and even though it's not exactly what he asked you to do…
*You hug Ralsei
You gasp inaudibly as your hands make contact with Ralsei's green robe, and you spontaneously dig your fingers further into the cloth. It's soft, so soft, perhaps the softest thing you've ever touched in your life. Its silky feel threatens to escape your fingers, but at the same time coaxes you in closer to sample it more.
The only thing better than his robe, you think, is his fur against your face. It's warm, and even though the thin ends bristle against your nose in a way that makes you want to sneeze, you can't help but hug tighter and push your face more.
At your angle, you still can't quite make out Ralsei's face, but you can feel his body stiffen underneath yours, and his heartbeat quickens as he stammers out your name. “Umm…, I don't think, um…This is what you're supposed to be doing.”
Yes, this isn't what you're supposed to be doing, but you're doing it. You've made a decision and you're sticking to it. Luckily, it just so happened to be a great decision.
“But…” His arms stay dangled at his sides, but he moves his head slightly to yours, resulting in a soft, affectionate headbutt.
Eventually, the socially acceptable time period for hugging passes, and you reluctantly pull away. You still can't see his face, but out of your peripherals, you catch the slightest twitch of his fingers.
You try to focus on ACTing against the training dummy because, well, you have an adventure to go on and you can't just keep sitting here in a tutorial but…
Well, that darn option is still in your menu!
You wish you could say that you are a strong person who can resist the temptation.
*You hug Ralsei
But let's be honest, you're addicted to hugging, and Ralsei is about the softest, fluffiest individual that you're ever hugged, and that's saying a lot because your mom is pretty darn soft.
Ralsei tenses up again as your arms enclose him again, and you feel his face scrunch up in confusion. “Are you trying to, um…Ask me to give you a tutorial on hugging?”
You decline to respond, instead using the opportunity to rub your cheek over his fur. You might say that you were the one who wrote the book on hugging, except you know that'd be a fabricated lie since, of course, Gerson wrote the book on it. You are simply a hug fanatic, a connoisseur if you will, and Ralsei is like a fine wine for you to sample. With hugging.
You let go and try to focus again, but it's futile.
*You hug Ralsei
The wind rushes through your hair as you latch onto the dark prince again, and this time he doesn't even flinch, though you still feel the heat from his face as he stammers again. “Ummm… I’ve never hugged anyone before… (Besides the dummy, to try it out),” He whispers in embarrassment. “I don't really know anything about it, sorry…”
You resist the urge to look up at him incredulously because, wait, he's never experienced a hug before? Never had the pleasure of hugging a friend hello and goodbye?? Is this real life???
With a determination to teach this poor youth, you reach down and maneuver his hands so that he's hugging you back. You squeeze softly against his back to demonstrate how it's done, and you smile when you feel the barest hint of him squeezing back.
He giggles. “I suppose you're the one teaching me now, haha!”
You two hug for a little longer and you finally feel the need to hug slowly ebb out of your body, quickly getting replaced with the nagging sense of responsibility.
You part, and, after confirming to Ralsei, you hug the training dummy to continue the tutorial.