—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

[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. ]