[ His transformation undoes itself instantaneously, the tiger changing back to man. Atsushi doesn't care if Akutagawa's coat cuts into his hand as he holds the blade to push it back slightly to create space between them. ]
I need to answer that. That's Dazai-san's ringtone... as unusual as it is.
[ He's still keeping his guard up around Akutagawa, but even with Dazai's absence, his lingering presence still manages to nullify them. Not their powers, but the tension and bloodlust to fight. Warily, he picks up his phone and frowns to see he was too late to pick up, only to receive a voicemail.
At the very least, the voicemail wasn't anything serious. It was merely a request to meet up with his superior. Dazai-san's tone of voice and behavior continues to be stranger than what he was used to. But the weretiger felt a wave of relief come over him that he was alive unlike Akutagawa's words. ]
... We're postponing this fight. I need to go to Dazai-san's location to confirm his safety in all of this.
[ Although the inclination to think of it in those terms isn't one that crosses his mind, for Silco's purposes, it is true. While Miller could dominate the situation by sheer physical size, the control of this moment is still squarely in Silco's hands. Every escalation comes as a surprise, try as he might to continue rolling with the punches. He participates because, surely, this is throwing everything and the wall to see what sticks. It's an effort towards not wasting their time on more handshakes and cheek pecks.
But when he feels Silco's hand grasp his neck, the exchange of warm breath from his open mouth turning from tongue to teeth, he struggles to retain this mindset. His own lips part to inhale, too subtle to be called a gasp, but opening up to the deepening of the kiss all the same — and Miller clenches his hands into the other man's coat, pushing against him, weighing him down until it's clear that they're no longer trapped. They end up against the wall of the building where that errant mistletoe is hanging. Miller's eyes flick open like he's aware of this, gauging it, but he doesn't immediately pull away and instead returns a bite to Silco's bottom lip as one last settling of the score. ]
[ He follows her gaze over to the creatures, as well, narrowing his eyes at the lack of any response. It was right, of course, to think that being cagey over it with her was unwarranted. However, addressing her follow up question truly exposes how pointless said caginess really has been. ]
Depends on the people. We don't act to receive a "thank you," but my position is not exactly a secret to anyone affiliated with us.
[ And the ones who don't know him still know the Spartans. It's all the same. So this anonymity matter is mostly a sentiment of honor and discretion, at least within the Metro. But outside... ]
We — [ He stops himself, correcting, ] I wanted to protect Moscow from the occupying forces. I do not wish to put anyone at risk with my actions here either. However... that, too, seems to have been wrong.
[the smile returns, and then she does a faint shudder — the breeze of the chilly air tickling along her spine and the nape of her neck.]
Day by day, then. I'll agree to that. — Now are ya ready to mosey on away from the toad? We could always find a nice, warm, and cozy place to cuddle up in. Somewhere more private if you're shy of showin' off what a cute softie you are on the inside.
[ it's enough to soothe her, bring her shoulders down from around her ears. her eyes stay on the ground for a moment as she shuffles some snow around with her shoe. ]
You're not going to go off in the trees and leave me here?
[ it's not accusatory, Beta just has abandonment issues. ]
[She said before looking down at her fingers. As she did so, she eventually looked up back at Venti. With her attempting to make fake fangs just like he did, she also attempted to growl.]
Kurama pauses at Hiei's response, while true, he hadn't exactly spoken about it or realized the other had noticed. His eyebrow raises when the fire apparition also notes that his offer stands.
“Was that an offer?” Not exactly how it sounded.
Despite the apparent risk of freezing, he still manages to appear amused by the whole thing, unbothered beyond the initial irritation. Not enough to waste time waiting around to see what comes next, though. The snowmen were no real challenge to deal with, but their weapons were another story and they seemed to have strength in numbers, no matter how many were destroyed more kept coming.
He doesn't bother to clarify, shifting to his demon form without hesitation and bolting in the direction of the house, knowing that Hiei will have no issue keeping up - or bypassing him completely, even now, if he truly wanted to. At least they were close enough that it wouldn't take long at all.
Of course, Kurama doesn't idle that way, returning to his human body once they arrive and safely make it inside. While it was fairly obvious - and understandable - that the freezing hadn't extended to his time as Youko, the lack of chill even now was notable. A hand moves to his side curiously even as green eyes focus on Hiei, any humor in his expression long gone.
[ Calm and collected on the outside at least. She's not willing to present anything else outwardly right now, even if she might find this entire ordeal just as embarrassing as the first time the toads had seen fit to "grace" them all with their presence.
She won't give the little pests the satisfaction of seeing her freak out again.
Also, what is Mochizuki contemplating right now? She should just say no, right? ]
...That would entirely depend upon what this "something extra" is. Although I have a feeling you're just going to show me.
[ In other words, knock yourself out. ]
Very well. If it helps us escape this predicament faster then so be it.
[He's not really sure how to respond to that. He feels a lot of guilt and regret, but not about his desertion. He also doesn't want to get into it.]
No, the council doesn't know anything about us, not really. They might pick crimes that are real but I don't think they even care about the whole story.
[Ekko says all that, but she still knows it would've been pointless if Ekko hadn't shown up when he did. Ambessa was dead when Viktor had connected them all to his collective consciousness. It would have meant nothing, if Viktor had succeeded.]
I never did get to thank you. For saving Vi. You and Jinx are the only reason I still have her. Thank you.
[Even if her and Vi hadn't been super specific about all the details from that battle, she knows Vi would've been a goner if Ekko and Jinx's timing had been off by even just a few more seconds. It's something she could never thank them enough, for.
She pauses, though, at his surprise. It's not unexpected, but he shouldn't be too surprised by how crafty Jinx is, either.]
When Vi let her out of Stillwater, she told her she wanted to "break the cycle." I think that's what she did. Removed herself from the equation. I've been to the Hexgate. I've seen the rubble. There's no sign of her, and yet, I found remnants of her monkey bomb. And the air vents were right there. She's fast, I think she could've easily escaped through the vents before the explosion.
[Vi didn't want to let herself believe it, just in case, so Caitlyn will understand if Ekko feels the same. It might be hard to believe, but Caitlyn sees things that most people don't. She's looked at so many crime scenes and connected so many dots. She's convinced that this is the case.
As for his own confession, she frowns, glancing from Ekko's hand to his face.]
You want my help on how to explain it to her, then? [That's the best she can determine, anyway. She doesn't like it, but Ekko better be keeping his word and being the one to tell Vi about...whatever he's on about.]
[Akutagawa cease as well as the Weretiger slowly withdrew. Much as he like to cut the beast’s head off—-
No, he can’t have ill thoughts like that. The ADA was created to protect people and eliminate the threat. As the tiger now, he was none. He is no threat nor someone to protect. So, the young man stood his ground, guarded, as the other took his time with his phone. Akutagawa raised an eyebrow as the tiger mentioned the name more than the unusual ringtone preference. Only when the tiger spoke again to confirm his suspicion.
Akutagawa’s eyes widen, genuinely surprised, nearly petrified when the other confirmed that man is alive.]
The man is dead.
[He takes a moment, huffs a breath, and continues.]
I’m not sure what is happening here, but I’m not the same person you remembered before.
[Their small blood bath proven enough. Not to mention, he no longer harbors ill quarrel with him.]
I can do quite a few things now. Moving metals through the air at targets was always pretty easy, but I'm better at doing it more defensively. Manipulating it into a different shape is a lot harder, but Toph has been coaching me through. I like to think I'm rather proficient at it, now.
[She's has the magic, what? A little over a year now? It's been challenging, to learn and adapt to magic, but she's loved it, once she got over the biggest hurdles.]
If you had a specific place you wanted to go, we can go there? I don't mind a bit of a walk.
[ Oh. Right. They've been free to leave for a while now. She knocks him back to reality with that, and he pulls away slowly, her last comment earning a balking stare. ]
Whatever gets you to stop saying things like that! [ Shit. Fortunately(?) it would only be more embarrassing for him to object to it further, so he's going to let it roll off his back. ]
Where to?
[ She probably had a destination in mind before this, to be walking around dressed as she is in the cold. He starts taking off his jacket as he realizes it, draping it over her shoulders. ]
[it's like back to the old routine with these two, his outburst and her gifting him a look of exasperation and a brief scoff.]
Men. Ya'll mack on ladies all day and night like it's a sport, but when it comes to intimacy, ya'll just lock up like a jammed filin' cabinet. Steady ain't got no walkin' around sense.
[but it's fine, because the minute miller curtains his jacket across her shoulders, her hot-tempered attitude defuses.]
... The Mansion should be empty, but we got a lotta rooms even if it isn't. We can relax by the fireplace and watch a few movies.
[Before he was forcibly removed from his proper timeline by the Arcane powers of the Hexcore and brought to an alternate dimension he would have been far more reluctant to believe in such things as 'magic'. As time passed by in that reality he worked to create the Anomaly which would allow him to travel back in time to his own cosmos. In the same breath Ekko devised a machine capable of going back in time dubbing it the Z-Drive in due part to the Hexgem fragments stemmed from Arcane makeup, something he never would have thought conceivable until then.
When Ange makes mention of witches and being capable of 'convoluted science' it causes the boy savior to chuckle modestly under his breath with a shrug of his shoulders modestly in response.]
Is that all it takes to be labeled a witch?
[A teasing grin slowly spreading over his lips.]
Looks can be deceiving...You know I have been acknowledged as an inventor with an ingenuous mind for scientific discovery. Does that make me one too?
[ Let's be honest. Aside from maybe the macking on ladies part, if he tried to argue that point, he would lose that fight terribly. Better to acknowledge it and swallow his pride for once in his life. They may have stepped out of the moment, but not all is lost.
He smiles at her, waving an arm out ahead of them. ]
Alright, I suppose you've got me there. I'll work on it. So, please. Lead the way.
[This gets a surprised look out of Echo (as close to that as she can get, at least).]
You have met others who have known you elsewhere?
[Given the course of the conversation already, it really shouldn't have been that surprising. The possibility of the scope of these other worlds is a bit unsettling, though.]
That does sound logical, however.
[Echo had mostly known the Ange before from her existence in that place, and her life before that didn't really come up much. Something tells Echo that she may not want to go into those details, if only because of how complicated it would be.]
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