hadriel | 003 [Video]

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003 [Video]

[Ikaruga looks serene as she pats her golden cyclops cat. It's visibly sparkling. She's learned this is what it does in lieu of purring.]

I hope everyone is having a lovely evening. I've decided to host a dinner party tomorrow night. The dress code will be semi-formal, and I ask that everyone who attends bring something to share.

[The conversation topic is light-hearted and ordinary enough, but she has an underlying purpose behind this that goes beyond simple socialization. Anyone who's spent much time around her can probably gather that, even if they're not sure of what that underlying purpose is.]

While useful, the network is a poor substitute for face to face interaction.

[Not to mention, the gods can see everything said over the network, and she'd rather they not be able to easily eavesdrop on this conversation.]

We can discuss current events, and toast to our loved ones. I will be supplying the main entree and two bottles of wine.

[She can supply other things as well, if need be, but she's curious what others might bring.]

Do let me know if you'll be able to attend and what you intend on bringing.

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[Some attempt at humour is better than none. It indicates that even if he's not at all okay now, he'll get better with time.]

I suspect if my parents were ever to arrive here and start lecturing me about my life choices, inviting a lord to stay in my guest room wouldn't even make the top five.

At best I could explain that I was a chaperone so you could wander about but I'm sure by now you don't need their permission to do anything.

[He will need to be ordered to leave his post after a while. Who knows how long he'll stay there brooding. It'll have to take something fun.]

Needing their permission for things went hand in hand with needing their financial support. Once I no longer needed the latter, the former became irrelevant. My first few visits after leaving home were a little tense, but after my parents came to accept that I was not going return contrite and prepared to do whatever it took to get back in their good graces, things improved.

[Despite the horrible circumstances where her magic appeared, she's always been grateful that she was born to have power. It gave her options she otherwise wouldn't have had.

She glances over at Tyki after a moment.]

You should eat something other than junk food.

Smart people.

[In a way he really wanted to meet her parents just to show how better off she was without them. He might be a bit vindictive and cruel on that part but it was what most fathers did. He wasn't going to object. Even mothers tried to give their daughter away to him when he was prowling parties for good reputation.]

You are not the first and you won't be the last to tell me that. At least I know your words are out of concern.

My mother used to compare arguments between my father and I to an immovable object meeting an unstoppable force.

[Perhaps she wasn't a paragon of virtue, but she willpower in spades.]

I doubt I am the first to express those words out of concern.

Pointless yet amusing to watch until the frustration builds in. After that it seems pointless once more.

[Maybe that's why he's given her the benefit of the doubt.]

Maybe but I don't value the word of others as much as I do yours.

[Considering what happened, it's a very nice thing for him to say.]

Promise me you will not remain here for more than a few days.

[His teeth grit a little behind his jaw and an observant eye will catch this. He doesn't want to make promises right now but....]

I promise, my lady.

[She can see, and it's why she's not going to push him beyond this. He needs a little nudging, but too much will make things worse rather than help.]

Thank you. I might visit you briefly again to bring you better food.

I am also sorry for being angry with you. They weren't real.

[Which is all he'll say to that. He was angry because in the moment that was his family even if they were simply as he remembered them.]

Your anger was understandable and expected. I could feel that all of them were magical constructs from day one...and I still had trouble making myself do what was necessary.

[Including with Road. She'd grown to like the spoiled girl in the short time she knew her.]

Ultimately, it was realizing that they would die regardless that helped me decide. Admittedly, I thought they would die of starvation over a period of days rather than instantaneously when the person whom they were attached to died.

Hai, hai. Even I could tell they weren't real and when they died I didn't feel a thing. We Noah share a bond. We know when one of us has died.

[There was no connection. No tug. No tears he couldn't stop nor start without will.]

All is back to where it should be.

[It's on the tip of her tongue to point out that given how distraught he's been over what happened, he did feel something, but that's not what he means and she knows it. This was just a reminder of their loved ones from back home, memories given form. A reminder, and a very cruel way of ensuring they wouldn't stick around, one way or another.]

It is. I would offer to bring you a book, but the library is woefully inadequate.

[Oh, he did feel something. Bitter hatred, distraught, fear, determination, even jealousy at their ability to escape this hell so easily. Tyki can't die unless he allows it and he almost did.]

The gesture is still appreciated. I do like a good book. It's a shame.

Perhaps you should try writing one sometime.

[It's not like they have much else to do.]

I could make some illustrations to accompany it.

I think I'll pass on that. You'll find while I can read well that my writing skills from a lack of education will fault me there.

[It's why sometimes large words confuse him. He's far from stupid but don't throw giant terms at him.]

We could always co-write it. I imagine we could craft some interesting stories.

[She knows he'll need some more brooding time before he's ready to leave here, but she can cheer him up a bit in the meantime. A short reprieve, at least.]

Hmmmm, Nope. Sounds like far too much effort on my part to keep up with that kind of thing.

[Hours upon hours. He didn't need to sulk just brood and he'd be back to his cheerful self.]

[She mock pouts, but really, she didn't expect any other answer.]

Oh, very well. I suppose we'll have to stick to telling one another stories verbally and deny the rest of the community our brilliance.

The community still needs a lot of work and while lead by example is something that could benefit them the lot of them still have no class despite the ball showing what few could. It simply doesn't stick.

Lessons are best learned through repitition and reinforcement. Opportunities to teach the community to have a little more class have been scarce.

I know but that requires tremendous effort and for often a lost cause. If signs of it sticking were something manageable perhaps. Sometimes I do miss my enemies because at least they did have some. Well, one or two that is.

Oh, there are a few people with class here. Dr. Lecter, Regis, Anakin, Anne and Henry all come to mind, and there are a few more who manage it with conscious effort. Those who have some class are still in the minority, though. Alas.

Even Allen had some class and could be a gentleman. [He's mentioned Allen a few times now. About how he was the enemy and a fighter that was worth it. There were very few Exorcists that actually gave him a challenge. Besides a general, Kanda and Allen were the rare couple of Exorcists that could.

But then his face turns a little sour.] Not to mention he was rather good at poker. [And Tyki lost for once.]

[With the way that he talks about Allen, and likes to playfully torment Kanda, Ikaruga suspects that if they weren't on opposite sides that would never be able to peacefully resolve their problems with one another, that he might prefer a friendlier rivalry with them instead. Given that killing Kanda would be useless, he seems to have a bit of that with Kanda now. Friendly is an exaggeration, but she hasn't seen them out for each other's blood in the months she's been here.

She can't hide the smirk that spreads across her face when Tyki mentions Allen's talent with poker.]

Oh~? Completely hoodwinked you, did he?