newlydead r2 - day 8 - june

[jinglebros]

[ Aoi had asked Akane to help him prepare breakfast for the group meeting. Sometime during the setup, he grabs her arm gently and tries to lead her off to his dressing room instead of the scifi set. Will she let him do so or object? He has a very serious look on his face, but he says nothing to explain himself. ]

Comments

[exequte]

[He does get a curious look, but she follows without argument when he starts trying to pull her off, after making sure that nothing is likely to imminently fall over or burn. She doesn't really say anything, actually, until they reach where they're headed and the door gets shut.]

Are we talking secrets again?

[jinglebros]

[ His dressing room is still a goddamn mess but at least he's shoved most of the mess behind the mirror. There's a brand new, deep dent in the wall that's pretty noticeable. He nods and reaches underneath his shirt to pull out the ceramic shiv Niles gave him. ]

I want to tell you about this before I tell the others. I don't want you caught by surprise.

[exequte]

[... UH]

... is it something I should be worried about?

[jinglebros]

I don't know.

[ He exhales a short puff of breath in frustration and puts it back. ]

The fact these things are being made at all is worrisome in itself.

[exequte]

Yes, it is.

[A pause.]

Why do you have it?

[jinglebros]

I'll tell you if you don't tell anyone else. I don't want the group to know.

[exequte]

[She gives him a somewhat dry look.]

You should know better than anyone that if there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping secrets. I won't tell.

[jinglebros]

I know you are. But I figured it's important to note that it's a secret.

[ He sighs. ]

Niles made it and had me promise to carry it. He's getting desperate to see Corrin and me protected.

[ Pause. ]

Shit. I haven't caught you up on that either.

[exequte]

Caught me up on what? Aoi, what on earth is going on? Why would he be so worried about you, anyway?

... nothing's happened, has it? Other than Ene trying to sabotage you?

[jinglebros]

Oh, loads happened. Shit won't stop happening. Your brother's kind of mixed up in an emotional mess, Akane, but he doesn't care to get himself out.

[exequte]

You never have, right?

[A poor attempt at a joke]

Maybe it feels like home, now.

[jinglebros]

[ He smiles at her attempt at a joke, but continues. ]

What I'm saying is the three of us are kind of... involved. As complicated as that is.

[exequte]

Oh.

Well, you're okay with that, right?

[jinglebros]

I'm okay with it, yeah.

[ He offers her a bright grin. The kind she probably hasn't seen from him for a very long time. ]

[exequte]

[Not for a while, no, and it's nice enough to see that she stands, goes over to him, and hugs him.]

I guess it's really not that different than just dating someone and not exclusively them, right?

[jinglebros]

[ He hugs her back. ]

I'm not gonna be dating anyone else, but I guess not, yeah.

But it's got Niles freaking out about our safety, hence... making me promise to carry this thing.

[exequte]

Is there any reason he's so worried, though?

[jinglebros]

He's got this idea he's going to die sooner rather than later and then he can't protect us.

[exequte]

... Why does he think that? Do you know?

[jinglebros]

Self esteem issues?

[ Santa shrugs and looks kind of pissed off. ]

[exequte]

Does he have any real reasons though?

[jinglebros]

....his past.

[ Santa does another shrug and looks guilty because he's not sure he should expand on this. ]

[exequte]

[Lucky for him she doesn't ask, then?]

But there aren't many people here who know about it, right? So why should it affect him? Unless, of course, it's something like he's been cursed.

[jinglebros]

You'd think?

I don't know how to convince him otherwise.

[exequte]

.... maybe tell him he's not the only one with dark secrets.

[jinglebros]

I did that.

[ Santa looks frustrated. ]

Maybe I have to elaborate...

But....

[exequte]

But...?

[jinglebros]

I've never told anyone most of that shit before.

[exequte]

Neither have I.

[Except Kyrie, at least, but she doesn't mention her here.]

You don't have to tell him everything. Maybe just that you were involved in the death of multiple people, and maybe it was because a girl got burned to death when you were younger?

[jinglebros]

Yeah.

[ Santa exhales out a sigh. ]

I can do that.

[exequte]

... sorry.

[jinglebros]

What. Why.

[exequte]

Some of that... I know it's not....

[She's not even sure if she's trying to apologize for dying or for talking about it or what this is a strange, strange situation the two of them are in.