—i play the heroine, i play to their sympathies.

[appeale]

WHO: rudbeckia de borgia & etc.
WHERE: various locations
WHEN: check subject lines
WHAT: catch-all & overflow log
WARNINGS: will update as needed. see individual threads for specific warnings and mind ruby's character cws

Comments

2/2

[nagano]

[ He's quick to slip back into that easy (or easy-looking) smile. Kaito settles his hands on her shoulders, careful yet firm.

The sound of water grows louder. ]

Hey. Breathe. I don't know what you're thinking, but it's going to eat you if you keep fixating on it like that. Take a deep, slow breath, and hold it.

[ A beat passes. He's willing to wait, even as the hunter barrels around the corner into view. His gaze doesn't stray from her. Once he's confident she's holding that breath... ]

Silence, here we come.

[ A glowing blue portal yawns open below their feet, and they sink. It's hardly a fast or even sudden fall, feeling more akin to descending an escalator.

Do they have escalators where she's from?

Anyway, the pair slip into the portal before their bumbling opponent can take a swipe at Ruby's hair. As their heads pass through, the scenery instantly changes to a grassy, flower-filled garden in Serene. And like its namesake, the place is completely empty.

Silence. Kaito pulls away once their feet are on solid ground again, tugging at his gloves as the watery gate (now above them) seals itself.

Y̶o̶u̵r̴ ̴c̸o̷c̶k̷i̵n̶e̸s̶s̶ ̶i̵s̶ ̴g̶o̸i̸n̷g̵ ̶t̶o̵ ̸g̶e̷t̸ ̵u̶s̶ ̵f̶u̸c̶k̵e̷d̴ ̵o̸v̷e̵r̴.̷ ̸W̶h̷a̴t̵ ̵w̸o̵u̸l̶d̷ ̵y̷o̷u̵ ̸h̵a̵v̶e̴ ̸d̸o̴n̶e̷ ̶i̷f̶ ̶t̸h̵e̴ ̴p̷o̴r̵t̸a̴l̶ ̶b̷r̶o̴k̵e̷ ̴m̸i̵d̸-̴f̷e̴r̸r̴y̴?̸ ̸W̴o̷u̶l̶d̸ ̷y̸o̶u̴ ̸h̴a̷v̵e̴ ̶t̶o̸ ̸m̸a̸k̸e̷ ̷a̶ ̴t̴r̴i̵p̶ ̶b̵a̷c̸k̵ ̸t̵o̵ ̶t̵h̷e̵ ̶m̸a̸z̴e̶ ̸t̸o̸ ̷c̷o̴l̸l̸e̷c̴t̵ ̷t̴h̴a̵t̵ ̷g̷i̴r̸l̶'̸s̷ ̵u̷p̴p̷e̵r̵ ̸h̶a̷l̷f̵?̶

Wow. His Shadow usually isn't this grumpy about him showing off his powers. Is that actual concern, or is it just being an ass?

Either way. ]

And we're out. You okay there?

[appeale]

[ Kaito takes his hands away from Rudbeckia's person once they're settled, but Ruby does not detach herself from where she's gripped the front of his shirt in white-knuckled terror. her fear had risen to a screaming pitch in the moment the portal opened under them—even as she held her breath, there was an absolute, crystal certainty in her mind that she was going to die. she remembers nearly drowning in the pond at Angvan Palace, dragged to the depths by long tendrils. more than that, she remembers the only abilities she's ever been exposed to: her husband's sword, lit up with holy energy in the hands of the person who would kill her someday.

with the two of them on solid ground once more, and the air utterly still, the apex of her fright has passed, at least. now she just looks dazed. ]

H... Wh... [ there was never much magic involved in Sodom and the Holy Grail. of course she's consumed plenty of fantasy in her life, but her personal experience is close to zero. she is definitely reeling somewhat. ] What did you do...?

[ normally, this is where she would burst into tears and throw her arms around her saviour. her character is still buffering. ]

[nagano]

[ Well, that answers his question. Okay would be the most optimistic conclusion here. Between the fear of (yet another) death as they sink and the total mental BSOD occurring right in front of him, Kaito gets the feeling that he should maybe dial his usual showmanship back a notch or four with Ruby. ]

Do you want the short answer or the exposition-heavy one?

[ He doesn't bother waiting for a reply. Kaito's self-aware enough to know that Noctis is probably the only person he's met so far who would consciously allow him to ramble. Mavis is a solid maybe. Hibiki? Hmm... ]

Using a utility aspect of water-elemental magic, I conjured a transportation gateway connecting the ground beneath our feet to this garden in Serene.

[ Come on, buddy. Make it a little less technical. ]

Water teleportation circle. Sorry if it, uh, caused more alarm. [ Vague gesturing in her general direction. ] I probably could have given a better warning...

[appeale]

[ What the hell? That's so damn OP.

even if she had known he had water magic, she never would have connected it to something like this. what does water have to do with teleportation, anyway? no, that isn't what's important here—she needs to severely reassess Kaito as both a threat and a lifeline. the problem, she thinks, is that he's so... normal. he isn't stoic or ruthless in the way of people like her husband and Yoo Joonghyuk, so she can't find where the line she needs to toe is; but his friendliness is casual and carefree, without the chivalrous courtesy she can depend on from the likes of Sylvain or Zagreus.

in short, after three years in the world of the novel, she's too accustomed to being around people who are fucking insane. "Rudbeckia" wasn't designed to be played against an ordinary person, magical abilities or not. maybe that's what unsettles her so much about Kaito.

it means she has to take some risks to figure out his boundaries. friendliness isn't something she can count on to actually save her. ]

N— No, it's alright. [ still grasping the front of his shirt, Ruby leans against Kaito's chest, like she's light-headed and trying to get ahold of herself. her feelings are an uneasy simmer, apprehension rising in response to proximity. ] You were trying to get us out of there quickly, signore. I'm sorry that my constitution is so frail...

[ when does the obligation of kindness reach its limit, and he begins to regard her as a burden? that's the first thing she needs to know. ]

[nagano]

[ Yeah, and that's barely a third of it.

Gloved fingers slip around Ruby's wrists amidst her ten-panel analysis. The smooth leather surface grips carefully but not gingerly, eventually pulling her hands away from his chest. She won't be left to flounder, of course—he'll assist in the process of steadying the blonde with his own hands shifting to her shoulders.

Her aura is simply too close—and her raw emotions are burning too brightly in his periphery. It's giving him a headache. There's also the matter of why she still seems so terse, even as she's clearly leaning against him for support.

The picture doesn't match the vibe, and it might just be starting to draw his attention.

Only when he's absolutely sure that she can manage on her own two feet does he relinquish his hold and take a fair stride back. With the adrenaline all but drained from their situation in the maze, Kaito can finally take a deep breath...

And as he resets, a plain, placid expression settles on his features. He shrugs. ]

You have no reason to apologize. It's not really something you can help, yeah? And even then, it had no bearing on my objective to help you out. I'm just glad you weren't hurt in the process. It, uh. It was a bit of a reckless plan. Maybe even a touch arrogant on my part.

But the look on that guy's face was worth it, I think. If he tries giving you any shit in the future, you can just tell me and I'll give him a talking to.

[ 'With my fists,' he does not add. ]