[ he summons his most deadpan tone, schooling his features into a thin line not unlike the one attempted by gogol earlier: ] I am afraid not. This is not contagious and therefore you are not sparkling in the slightest. Alas. [ he sighs, faux forlorn expression making itself known.

they touch with ease in these moments, a hand on his shoulder and waist, and his free hand settled on gogol's elbow to keep him from falling over in laughter. dostoevsky remains very serious despite it being over the top. he sparkles and sparkles in accompaniment to that high helium pitch. ]

Although—[ and the expression gives way to curious malice, the hand who had been touching gogol most liberally settling over the clown's injured one. ] I was hoping it would heal this.