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[I refuse to look at you dropping the hints about her terrible depression. I can’t take it.]

I don’t.

[It does not sound like he is upset about this at all. Of course he isn’t. He knows about as many people back home as he does here, honestly. Personally anyway.]

[ me handing them to you like a cat offers a dead lizard

but she nods again at that. ]

That might be for the best. Other people being here means that they also supposedly died. I think I would prefer to be alone than to see familiar faces, in that case.

[ she and shalem had a mini panic moment as they tried to figure out if other people from their company also died or not, since that means something went very wrong. but if it's just the two of them, that's... not better, exactly, but it means her friends are likely safe. ]

[While he doesn't stop or turn around, he does swivel his head enough to glance over his collar at her.]

I agree.

[In fact, hilariously, he said these literal exact words almost to someone else about it. Can't believe they're the same person. They can have bad depression together.]

But I would rather someone like you have familiar company.

[ help

that is a nice thing to say... although she isn't surprised. after talking to people, she's probably one of the younger people here. ]

... thank you. Shalem and I aren't very close, but we get along well. It's a good way to keep staying on your toes, I guess.

[ when you have to look out for someone else, as well as yourself. ]

[Still following his nose, he leads them along a treeline, his pace the same as it has been. He does not give the plants an usually wide berth, they are able to brush against his clothing sometimes, but there is a subtle turn to him for the ones that stretch too far toward the skin of his face. Likewise, he keeps his hands hidden beneath the edge of the long cape.]

He said you were a hard worker.

[This is not really an attempt to gossip; he truly doesn't gossip. But he would like to know what she would say to hear this.]

Did he...?

[ it's fine, she doesn't mind talking about it. they can only talk about the strange situation they're in so many times before it gets old, so having something more focused can be nice. ]

I didn't want to be a burden to them. They do a lot of good work, and I didn't want anyone to regret allowing me to stay with them... or to bring down their reputation.

[Usually, this is where the person (in D's case) would say something optimistic and reassuring. Unfortunately, D is extremely pragmatic and does not know shit all about Rosa, her world, or her coworkers... so... it feels like baseless platitudes if he tries to give her uplifting words.

Since what does he know?]

Do you enjoy your time with them?

I think so. I think for some of them, our differences are too wide that we may never be more than co-workers, but it's a good place.

[ she wouldn't have stayed with them otherwise. or... at least, trusted her fellow students with them. ]

I can only hope they are doing okay.

[ rosa wishes there was some way to at least know what was happening elsewhere, so she could worry less about the safety of others and concentrate fully on here. ]

If you enjoyed your time with them, then they were glad to have you.

[Now he can make not baseless reassurances. Since he suspects she would not have had such a nice time with them if they had disliked her.

They would have maybe gotten rid of her or ostracized her. Plus, Shalem spoke highly of her.]

They will keep going.

[It’s about all the living left behind can do.

He stops on a mound of moss in a small clearing near some trees. There are several kinds of flowers here, but he kneels down in front of some scarlet crabgrass and reaches out to pull some away.

And then he puts them in his mouth.]

... that is true. They will, and so will we.

[ it's still uncertain where they are supposed to be going while here, but they'll just have to continue moving. after all, they will only be truly dead once they stop.

i wish i could say she would stop him from putting it in his mouth.

she does not. instead, she actually leans in a little closer, like she's eagerly waiting for him to give some kind of verdict on it. unfortunately, rosa will not stop a person from eating something. ]

Ah...?

[I wanted it to be a poisonous one, but I'll be nice. For now. D stays perched there, not moving, waiting. Nothing really happens, so he starts slowly and carefully chewing what he has in his mouth. All he can taste is cinnamon and licorice, but it hasn't made him explode yet. Or break out into hives.

He's hoping it's not just immunity, or delayed. Time to kill Rosa (no).]

These are okay.

[He stands slowly up again. If Rosa wants to try the bloodgrass, she may do so.]

[ yea

but she will kneel down so she can pull some out with her fingers. have you seen someone daintily put something that was in the dirt into their mouth? now you have. she chews it slowly, and then nods her head. ]

Cinnamon?

Something like it.

[Since they are the same person we've unfortunately realized, D just... allows her... to stick a bunch of grabgrass from the earth straight into her mouth as she did him. He really is the last person to intervene in some things.]

It shouldn't be poisonous.

[He'll let her harvest what she wants if she wants. He turns in place to look over the other flora that's around them.]

[ as she doesn't keel over dead, or there aren't any other immediate signs that this may have been a bad move, rosa will take a few of these and stores them in her skirt pocket as carefully as possible. straightening back up, she dusts herself off and then follows along. ]

Was it suitable to your tastes?

[ what does d like... in general, rosa is used to more expensive tastes, but she has learned to open her palette more. ]

[Rosa is a rich girl...]

It wasn't terrible.

[He has to be the single most annoying person to deal with, honestly. But human food has no true appeasement to him, so he is indifferent... Like a lot in his life. Maybe the lore is trust issues, maybe the lore is his taste buds are whack.

Before moving back, he quietly inspects some of the rose-looking flowers amid everything else. Carefully, he a pale hand out to test the petals. The edges of them wilt and curl slightly under his fingers, but they come out better than his skin. Drying up, blistering, he brings his hand back to himself without any gasp or yelp, curling and uncurling the fingers. It does hurt; he seems to not be surprised by this outcome.]

[ well, not anymore. she won't deny that she was a rich girl though if asked.

and then d touches something that is obviously poisonous, fuck you, thank you for not making him put it in his mouth. but rosa starts slightly when she catches a glimpse of the ruined skin. she doesn't exactly hover around him, but she does take a few small steps closer. ]

Does it burn?

[ she digs into her pockets in search for anything that can be put on it, a handkerchief, maybe. ]

[Hm. His lips pull into a thin, surprisingly clinical frown. The flesh falters in being destroyed anymore, but simply dulls into a wound that begins to take a painfully long time to heal.]

A little.

[He glances at her as he lowers the hand, expression softening.] It's alright. I'll be fine. [She doesn't have to give him anything.]

Are you sure?

[ she looks back down at the plant that he had touched, taking careful note of its placement and features. ]

Poisonous?

[ obviously, at least by touch, but d seems like he is knowledgeable enough about plants he might be able to give more information. ]

Only to me.

[He also glances back at the flowers. They are roses, and seem to be simply that. Beautiful, and full, and red, though a few of them here and there have an edge of pink as if they had crossed somewhere along the way with white ones.

It's a shame that the rose and D attempted to unintentionally destroy each other. Going into Augustine's door had been very sweaty for him. ALSO, ROSA'S NAME BEING ROSA. Killing me.]

Roses are deterrents for vampires on the Frontier. They aren't able to touch them unless they are part of the Greater Nobility and have built up a resistance. They have never bothered me much before.

Edited (an edgy?) 2022-10-11 21:28 (UTC)

[ yes the edgy in this thread

but a few things click. he had told her that he's a vampire hunter, and that he's paid to go after them. but if roses affect vampires, then... she also remembers shalem mentioning that for some reason his arts weren't as effective here as they are back home. very interesting. ]

The resistance has dampened?

[ she doesn't want to outright ask if he's a vampire, since that may be rude. ]

[He frowns professionally at the roses. Thanks a lot for the suffering.]

I don’t know, [he admits honestly.] The balance of being a dhampir must be made imperfect by this place.

Or perhaps they’re stronger.

Someone mentioned that their abilities were acting oddly after arriving here, so something is definitely wrong...

[ although it's hard to say what it is exactly. they really don't know enough about how the netherworld works, although there are some things where she isn't quite sure they'd get answers to some. but she may just be pessimistic. ]

Are you sure you don't need your hand looked at, D?

I agree that is true. The effects have been apparent to me. The hunger of chaos some Stygians say plague this dimension may have something to do with it.

[He’s not sure if that’s exactly the case, but it is the only good lead they have outside of whatever secrets and Hierarchy may hold.

He glances at her, then he looks down at his hand before tucking it inside of the cape’s edge.]

Thank you, but I’m fine. It will heal after a while. Do you have all you want for your tea?

If you're sure. But be more careful, if you can.

[ she won't tell him never to get hurt, since it seems somewhat hypocritical, but doing what you can to avoid unwanted injury is probably the bare minimum.

her gaze falls back down to the roses, her lips pursing slightly in what can possibly seen as disappointment before she looks back to her companion. ]

I'm taking what we found though, yes. Thank you.

[Good luck making him not act stupid. He doesn't say anything, only bows his head briefly in acknowledgement.]

If you have a reaction, contact Sakura or Aspen and let them help you. Then let me know.

[HE WILL FEEL BAD IF HE GAVE HER BAD LEAVES. It's fine, she'll have better tea at the party.

He starts moving back in the direction they came, leading the way.]

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