James stared at Yue for a long, hard moment. "What? You're crying again?" he asked, voice softening ever so slightly. "Really...?" he sighed as he put a hand on his forehead.

"I wanted the bystanders to notice," she spat a little louder to cover up what she wanted to stay hidden. "Peer pressure can get even a jackass like that to succumb. But how the terra was I supposed to know there was an emotional photography contest?! What moron thought that would be a good idea?!"

"... I've come to the festive a few times before." James sighed, hand still over her face. Then after a pause, "But that logic is still boulder..." he muttered.

Yue cussed a little before falling silent again.

"... You can't tell anyone." James suddenly stated, the anger had almost vanished from his voice.

Yue remained silent.

"I'm seriously, Yue." he stated, slowly removing the hand from his face. His anger had been replaced with what looked like fear and... vulnerability. "You can't."

Still nothing.

James suddenly went over to her and grabbed both of her shoulders, "Knock it off, Yue!"

Yue kept her face hidden and tried to shove James away.

James didn't let her, firmly gripping her arm with one hand as he moved to knock off her hood.

Yue tried to stop James, but he succeeded. She continued to try and hide the fact she was still crying for a brief moment, but then glared up at James.

James took the glare, watching her cry for a long moment. Then he sighed, letting her go as he reached up and started de-pinning his wig. "You're so... temperamental." he muttered as he turned away from her.

Yue moved to punch James in the back.

James didn't dodge.

She didn't feel the need to punch him again. Yet. She put her hood back up and waited for James to drive them back.

James didn't move or turn around.

Yue continued to wait for a long time.

James was silent and unmoving for a very long time. Then finally, "... Why do I keep doing this, Yue?" his quiet voice asked.

Yue was silent for a long moment. "How the terra should I know?" she decided. "You enjoy trying to fix me, and then watch me get pissed off?"

James was silent for another long moment, "... Do I?" he asked quietly, "I wore this because... I knew it would get the biggest... reaction." he paused, "But it wasn't to make you upset." he figured quietly.

Then he cussed, "I should have realized..." he muttered, "... realized I was totally setting myself up by..." he voice abruptly cut off and he inhaled sharply.

"... The pain I feel doesn't just go away," Yue explained after a moment. "So stop trying to make it. Even if I could laugh, that wouldn't solve anything."

"You don't think I know that." James sudden spat, voice heavy with emotion.

"No, I don't," Yue snapped back.

James's shoulders rose a little, "Am I a joke to you?" he suddenly demanded.

"You act like one most of the time," Yue replied.

James suddenly started to laugh, it was a cruel laugh that rang rather hollow. "You think I don't understand your pain?" he asked, "You think I don't know it never goes away?" He laughed a little louder but suddenly it morphed from his own laugh into Yue's. He had never heard her laugh and yet... there it was, resonating around the Juttle.

"Shut up!" Yue yelled at James as she turned around, tears coming a new.

James stopped but he turned, "Why should I?" came Yue's voice from his mouth, "Do you see what I am?" Then his voice switched, he was Nic now, "Yue, you think you're having a crisis of identity?" he laughed again, the laugh which would come from only Nic's mouth, "My whole life is a joke. I have no true identity."

When James started speaking in Nic's voice, Yue let out a shout as her hands flew up and covered her ears. "SHUT UP!" she screamed louder, a deep anger in her voice. It wasn't aimed entirely at James.

"I love you, Yue." James said, still in Nic's voice, "I love you."

Yue screamed louder as she fell to her knees. She was shaking a little now, but it wasn't from the cold. She was afraid.

James fell quiet after that. No sound coming from him for a long time. Then, slowly, nearly hysterical sobbing began to build up. He had shoved himself into a corner, arms covering his face.

Yue was still on her knees sobbing with her hands clamped so tightly against her ears that her knuckles were turning white. Between the tears, her eyes revealed she was lost off in some far away place.

James continued to sob hysterically but his sobbing was never consistent, as if he didn't have one set way of crying.

After a few minutes, Yue laid down on the ground. It didn't look like she planned on moving or stopping anytime soon.

After awhile, James stopped sobbing and started muttering. It wasn't coherent and he didn't stay in one voice for too long, every few words he seemed to switch.

Yue was too lost in her own world to notice.

James mutterings grew louder and more panicked until he was shouting again. This time, however, it was not in the voice of anyone Yue knew. The incoherent babble was a multitude of random voices.

Even the shouting didn't knock Yue out of it; she was in too deep.