I don't think getting on the ice is the hardest part. [ Ange protests.
Especially because there's a far bigger chance that she's going to straight up fall on her face if she tries moving on the ice here. It seems so difficult. Maybe that's the reason that she isn't rejecting his hand there, just letting him hold her hand - because Ange is fully convinced that if she has no guidance whatsoever, all the people watching are going to see her fall in the dumbest possible way. America's Funniest Home Videos style.
Something about her face is a little red, and it has nothing to do with the cold. Only with her own embarrassment about this situation. ]
W-Why don't you give me some tips on how not to fall? [ Venti, save her. Please.. ]
[ She says it so simply, even now. Despite what he's saying. There's nothing too insistent about it, no passion in her argument. Instead she's stating it like a simple truth. ]
[Venti will just have to watch out for Aether here. As the only archon who can do that for him at the moment, Venti will do so as much as he can. More than likely behind the scenes but... He'll try and be there for Aether.]
I could sit through hours of you telling your tales, Aether. Let's go.
[It's nicer listening to Aether than it is Paimon---
And with that... They'll go find some safe place to chat.]
Kurama isn't even thinking in terms of romantic affection. Acting out of concern for one another's well being had seemed to be enough. Of course, he isn't aware of the fire apparition's lingering thoughts regarding his little joke after the demon world tournament. He hardly thought beyond the initial amusement of making that encounter something that it obviously wasn't, a throw away line that he only expected to rile the other up with annoyance in the moment and then promptly forgot about the implications of. Focused as he was at the time on Hiei's true direction for their parting conversation: the matter of returning Yukina's tear gem.
If he'd thought that meeting actually had other intentions, he likely would have approached it much differently. Probably. It has been a few years.
Unfortunately, Kurama catches the blush as he straightens back up. He thought he'd made his point clear enough, but perhaps Hiei was too distracted to get it. The fox does sound genuinely confused by his reaction though, frowning slightly with the question, “Playing at..?”
He hadn't really expected it to be as big of a deal as it seems to be for the other demon, which is proving to be enough to throw them both off.
"It is one thing when it is a condition for our release - " Why is this becoming a prison-like scenario in his head? Kurama's guess is as good as anyone's really. Hiei would never, ever give the true reason why this small thing is keying him up so badly and turning his mood sour. His own confusion about what has been said before, his own feelings, Kurama's and the potential for this place simply having its own fun with them both only makes it worse.
As it stands, the fire demon is content to turn away, more effectively hiding his discordant thoughts about everything going on (and tied to) this.
"You've said your piece about this already - stop it. I don't wish to keep playing that game." It is unkind to him to begin with, and uncouth so far as the fire demon is concerned to continue to tease him as such. If he knew Kurama wasn't even considering that joke and had forgotten about it? He might approach differently, but, so far as he is concerned Kurama has already rebuffed him once and he is not about to attempt to be shot down again.
But it seems it's for the best, as the ice beginning to melt away does not escape from Minato's notice. His gaze had shifted down to his arm, but now it lifts again to look Gilgamesh in the eye. ]
Arisato.
[ ... ]
Arisato Minato.
[ Maybe now this man will stop calling him "Mongrel"? ]
[ At least that is a sentiment Ange can understand. Especially when she has lived her life pretty much on the same basis. If you can just succeed in the one thing you want to do, then it's fine if you just die after.
So she's not going to criticize him over this, or even fuss over it. It's clear that Minato has peace with what happened, and-- she gets it.
Instead she's quiet for a moment after it. It's not even that she's too reluctant to talk about her own death in general, but it feels kind of like a dumb contrast after his own death. It feels almost kind of cringe to talk about it now.
But considering Minato isn't going away, she's pretty sure he is expecting her to say something here.
... ]
I had a contract with a witch. I didn't follow the rules of said contract. So she had me torn to pieces. [ Is there much more to the story?
Of course. But this is the CliffsNotes version.. ]
Yeah, you're totally right that is so lame. [ The girl huffs, in regards to being stuck in a coffin before they even were to die. ] I am.... Well......
[ She seems hesitant, uncertain if she is allowed to say anything at this moment in time. However, considering the individual before her, had such a grand display of power. Saving her from within the coffin, surely, it would be okay to open up and share more about herself. ]
[Honestly, it is quite amusing to see as the confusion and bafflement paint an expression on Miller's face as he is trying to decipher what's going on. However, there is a small crack on Richard's own smile with that comment. He forcefully pulls his hand free from the older man's hold. He brings his front against Miller, chest to chest, like he was sizing himself up to the taller man.]
Do not insult me or my people with such slander, colonel. [In all honesty, he did not care too much for 'his people.' The young men were depraved and hedonistic, taking any excuse to indulge in vices of flesh. But children they would protect.]
I'm glad you don't, because that such a stupid belief!
Look - [and he holds her hands while doing so] - we're pretty close, right? And while I'm not exactly a guy all of the time, I'm a guy now, and there's no destruction happening at all.
[ .. at least, she's.. pretty sure it still works that way now? It's been a long time since she had to do that sort of thing herself, and when she did, Aldrip was still that tiny place with way less houses than there are now..
But it feels like a safer suggestion to give Echo than to just tell the other girl to break into a random house, Ange thinks. ]
You can sleep there. They also give you food. After a while they make you pay, but you can always pick up a job somewhere around town, or find someone who does have a house already here to live with if you're not too interested in working. [ There's no judgement to Ange's tone at all as she says it.
She also definitely wasn't interested in getting a job here, so.. you know. She'd totally understand if that wasn't Echo's speed either. ]
Bratva. [ Ange mouths, softly saying the word to herself - like she's trying it out. It's likely not the sort of knowledge that will ever serve her in life, but.. well, she does like learning things when she's actively choosing to do so. Might as well keep this one in mind.
And considering her facial expression doesn't shift all that much when she listens to him after that, it seems that Ange isn't offended in the slightest by him indirectly calling her kind of paranoid and conspiratorial.
Maybe she's acknowledging it's just true, honestly. ]
Ahh, they actually didn't raise me. My mother ran away from that family because she really hated being part of it. They tried to get custody of me after my mother died, but if they had won that, they likely just would've thrown me straight into a river.
[ Ange shrugs. Casually, like she isn't talking about her own potential death. ]
They don't really have a use for children. Unless you can kill them and steal their fortune, anyway.
[As she tried to say something, she quickly looked back at her hands. She wasn’t too sure what to say back but she was trying to process what he said.]
I’m sorry, what do you mean you aren’t a guy all the time?
[ Ah. So there is some clarity to be gleaned. Miller quietly wonders which part of these observed events was Fandaniel's personal doing. For now, he doesn't directly ask. ]
Is there an apocalypse that isn't?
[ His hands go palms up to emphasize the question. ]
What's happened has happened. As long as we are still alive, my people will never give in. We will keep fighting.
[ Look, he may be a bit obstinate himself, but he isn't clueless to the fact that people would describe him the same way... which makes this admission to her of all people feel much easier than expected. He can't judge.
Not Ange, anyway. Her family, on the other hand... While there isn't a big expression shift breaking through his stoicism, he squares his shoulders reflexively. ]
What a disgusting excuse for family. As if they have any right to be called that. I'm sure your mother would be relieved you managed to keep your distance from them... and proud.
[ There's some hesitancy at the end there. Perhaps it isn't his place to say that. But coming from the perspective of a parent with a young daughter, too, it is difficult for him to ignore this thought.
Hiei starts to explain and there's a moment where Kurama thinks he is following along. That it was fine earlier because they had to, it had been on Hiei's terms as well with how quickly he'd acted after the initial blatant hesitation. He'd only done it so that they could escape obviously, maybe this had pushed some boundary the fox wasn't even aware of, the fact of the matter was he just didn't see the big deal.
Still, the most puzzling aspect of the entire situation is that any of this bothers the fire apparition so much in the first place. They remain standing in the front hall, which only serves to make the whole ordeal even more awkward in a way. More importantly, what part of any of this felt like a game to him, exactly? In the confusion, he completely forgets to even ask about Hiei's arm, so distracted by where things have gone here.
“Hiei, I'm afraid that- ” He pauses, trying to think of something better than what comes next and falling short, tone a little helpless. “I don't... know what you're referring to.”
Hiei generally has no issue with Kurama and physical touch. Yes, he will wench and complain and bristle about basically everyone else, even if it's only for posterity's sake, but for the most part, Kurama is given carte blanche. It's his own memory of Kurama's joke that fuels him at the moment - and his confusion with the growing whatever it is between them stacked on top that fuels his confusion. Unfortunately for the both of them he is so out of touch with his own emotions to really know what the hell is going on - and now they are both suffering for it.
Of course, he is not exactly jumping at the possibility of reminding the fox about what he can't remember, either. Instead, he makes a dismissive motion with his hand, calling an end to that trail of thought already.
"Forget it. Clearly it wasn't that important." And no, he definitely isn't a little sore about it. Not at all. Why would he be? The good news is his arm is questionably fine, as he is no longer inspecting it at least, already eager to head for his tree to soothe his injured pride.
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expiationlogs2024-12-09 08:17 am
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