breaks_destiny | 024th Shattering * Audio

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024th Shattering * Audio

[Filtered to Ange || 100% Unhackable]

Have you ever ice-skated? We could go to the lake, I don't think it will snow today despite how the sky looks.

[Open to all]

While I appreciate the effort from the Malnosso to bring in the Christmas mood... I still would have preferred to be able to decorate the house myself and decide what lights it has and all that. Guess we could still do it despite this.

How many of you are spending Christmas here for the first time? Or even hearing the term Christmas for the first time, I guess there are many of those. If you're curious, Christmas is basically a winter holiday, it has religious background but it also has a pagan tradition. Back on Earth many different religions and countries have it or an equivalent holiday. In simple terms it's a way to celebrate the end of the year and the start of the new one, also there's a tradition of giving and receiving gifts on the 25th, which is Christmas day. Or getting them from Santa Claus, or the Malnosso like last year.

It's a holiday to spend with friends, family and loved ones... Does everyone have someone to celebrate it with?

[Filtered to Brigade members, Hughes family, Winry, Arisato twins, Loki, Rosa, Shiki, Ami, Usagi, Naoto || 100% Unhackable]

By the way, anyone has some advice to share regarding what to do for a special girl on Christmas? I don't mean regarding gifts, I have that covered, but... You know, getting her somewhere or doing something special, I suppose. It doesn't have to be necessarily romantic, it's preferred if it's not too romantic, even.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Wow, does he find dealing with a witch who could kill him at any time easier than with a tsundere.. ]

It's fine. A little exercise never hurt anyone, or whatever they always say about that stuff. [ ... wait. he mentioned his bicycle, but.. ] Are you sure it can hold the both of us at the same time though?

Well, it's not the travel there what worries me, it's the travel back. And of course it can, I wouldn't suggest it if it couldn't. I made sure it had a seat big enough for two.

[She will have to hug him quite tightly, though.]

[ was that hugging thing all planned. :| ]

Then it's fine. As long as you're okay with it, I won't complain, I guess.

[No, but it's a nice extra.]

Then let's go, we're going to the one at the south of the village anyway so we can pass by easily.

[ it's only so she won't fall of the bike, okay.. d-don't think too much of it.. ]

Hmm, let's hurry up then, before we've wasted an entire day doing almost nothing.

[It's okay, he doesn't think more of it. He'll just enjoy it.

And thus they go back to the house, grab his bicycle and ride the rest of the way to the lake. Fortunately, when they arrive, they still have a lot of time to enjoy there.]

Fewh! Was that fast enough for you?

[ That's good, because she'll silently enjoy it too. But never admit it. ]

Yeah, you're nearly a race car on that thing, Keiichi. Soon they'll ban you from driving it around Luceti for everyone's safety. [ deadpan jokes all over the place - she's used to Amakusa's horribly reckless driving, after all, so just this is rather nice. ]

Don't worry, I think I still have enough leeway to run over three more squirrels before they ban me from driving my bicycle.

[Maybe too dark of a joke? Anyway he parks the bicycle against a tree.]

One of the good things of this place... You rarely have to secure things. It still feels odd to not put a lock on it so no one steals it, though.

[He returns to Ange's side as he talks, eying the frozen lake with critical eye.]

[ Ange is the queen of morbid humor, so she doesn't even blink at it, really. And you know, Ange is already walking off a little to test it - did I mention she's pretty reckless? Yeah.

So currently she's tapping one foot against the ice to test it, although she's still standing on land with her other foot. She's talking as she does this. ]

It's only to be expected, right? There's no way someone could steal a bike in this place and not be found out about it with such a small community, so nobody would even dare to think of doing something like that to start with.

[He hurries after her, no wonder Bernkastel had fun with you, girl.]

Besides, a bicycle isn't something that special. A bit rare around here yet, but nothing great.

... You are the type that checks things by herself, huh? That's good. But don't worry, by time time of the year the lake is already frozen. And anyway we won't go too far into it.

[He sits and starts putting on his ice-skates.]

I just want to make sure. Falling into ice cold water or getting stuck under the ice isn't exactly what I'd call a fun afternoon activity, after all. [ then again, what would Ange call fun out loud..

But once she sees him starting to put on the skates, she just sits down as well after shrugging to do the same. ]

I'm telling you, it's all safe. You think I would bring you anywhere that can be dangerous without making sure the chances of that happening are as small as possible? The biggest danger you're in by being here is falling and hurting your bottom.

Hey, that's still a pretty big risk. Maybe I'm a really frail kind of girl who can't take falling on her butt on the ice, then what would you do?

[ It mostly seems to be joking though, as she's tying the shoelaces on her iceskates. ]

Then I'll just make sure to catch you before you fall anywhere. But I know Ange is a strong girl capable of taking that and much more so I'm not worried.

Ah, you caught on to me. I guess I can't hide anything from you.

[ She just shrugs - maybe slightly amused, considering it was all fairly obviously a joke - before she's done with her iceskates and puts them on the ice, even though she's still sitting on the side. See, the difficult part about this is managing to stand up without tumbling over again. ]

Don't be silly. You have dealt with things much worse than this, it's obvious you're strong.

[Hello Ange, have a Keiichi sliding in front of you and offering you two hands to help you up.]

Don't worry anyway, I've your back. I won't let anything hurt you.

Great. Just bring on the dragons, then. [ an almost amused sound.

There's a slight moment of hesitation, but then she does grab both of his hands to be able to hoist herself up that way - and now she actually is standing on the ice, even if it's still a little bit shaky. She has to get used to this, and hey, at least she's not falling yet. ]

They better be ice dragons, or this whole place will be melted in no time.

[He grabs her hands firmly, helping her up and keeps holding them tightly so she stabilizes herself.]

Don't worry, I'll never let go of your hands.

[You're not going to fall or anything and he's going to stay right where he us until you get used to be standing on the ice.]

[ you know, if he's going to say stuff that will make her (nearly) blush then there's just a higher chance of her falling down.. ]

What sort of corny line is that supposed to be out of context, Keiichi? [ HOLDING BACK THAT BLUSH AT LEAST but she can't help but not say it with her full usual deadpan. ]

What? It's not a corny line, it's the truth!

[He sounds confused and a bit hurt.]

I don't want you to fall, if out of context it sounds bad then don't take it out of its context. If I wanted to say something like that in that tone, I would have said something like that you don't have to worry, because I'll always be there to catch you even if you fall, no matter how high or how far you do.

[One of his hands lets her go and sneaks around her waist as his tone gets serious and he makes her slide closer.]

It's not a matter of never letting go of your hand, I can't promise that and you wouldn't want that either. I'll let you go as many times as you want to go, but I'll be still there for you whenever you need me, even if you don't ask for it. I'll always be there to catch you or fall with you, always by your side, but never tying you down by grabbing your hand and never letting you go.

[ There's a slight moment where she almost feels like pushing him away somehow the moment she feels that hand slipping around her waist as they get closer, almost out of instinct. Not that it would be a good idea either way, considering they're both on ice. Part of her feels too flustered at it, and it makes her feel too vulnerable, exactly the way she doesn't want herself to be.

But.. at the same time.. it doesn't feel bad at all to be held like that, does it? ]

That's even more like some line from a manual, isn't it? [ Her voice is much softer than usual though, completely lacking its usual deadpan, and she dips her head a little just so she can at least try to hide her eyes behind her bangs a little, to avoid his gaze so she might not have to blush. ] Is that what you tell all the girls to make them fall for you?

[He frowns at that, but she can see it so he also tightens his hold on her hand and her waist. When he speaks his voice is still serious and firm, only a slight hint of annoyance and hurt lingering on the back of it.]

This is not a manual, Ange. Those aren't words practiced or studied, prepared before hand to be used in a certain moment. I'm honest here.

I may have said something similar to my friends, whether they were girls or boys, of course I want to be with them when they need me, but if they reject me I'll accept it. But for you I won't, because if I do so I'll just hurt myself. I have never said those words to anyone before, and the similar ones I said were never with the same sentiment as now.

You don't have to accept it. You don't have to answer it. But please, Ushiromiya Ange, don't think even for a second or as a joke that I'm lying or mocking you. Don't even think that I'm such an asshole to say something like this without meaning it or who would throw it around to anyone who can hear it. I'm not.

... I wouldn't.

[ It's so tempting to just try and escape now, run away from such a position in which she's confronted with her confusing and almost painful feelings even more to a point where she doesn't even know what to make of it anymore.

At the same time.. it's almost very tempting too to just go for it, after all, what he said might as well practically be a downright confession by now. So she squeezes her hand a little, directing her gaze up to face him finally, but she thinks of Battler and of how he was here, and mostly of just how happy she had been to be with him here, how happy she had let herself be for once and then he disappeared and she crashed into that lonely and depressing hell. And how easily it could happen again in this situation.

... And she's scared. ]

I wouldn't think you are a guy like that. You're better than that. You wouldn't play around with a girl's feelings for whatever reason.

[ Ange swallows, looking for words, and it almost hurts. ]

... I'm sorry if I made it seem like I thought that, Keiichi. Because I don't, not at all.

[The frown on his face persists, but it's not angry, just a bit hurt even with her words. He knows she doesn't think like that, she wouldn't let him say those things if she thought so, but still even if it's a joke or just a way to make herself be strong, it hurts. He knows what she thinks, it doesn't take a genius to figure why she may not like him saying those things.

In Luceti there's no such a thing as forever. Promises made, swears, they all mean nothing the moment one is sent back home, because memories disappear and they will just continue their lives without any second thoughts. That's what fate dictates. That's how the rules of this world work.

But he has defied the rules of a world before, it took many tries and a lot of time, but he did it. They challenged the rules and broke them, they destroyed the imposed fate. Maybe Rika won't reach adulthood after all, maybe she just avoided Takano to go and die in a traffic accident a week later. No one knows, there's no such a thing as forever. But it can be done. Even if he's sent back... He believes there's a way for another miracle to happen. If he believes strongly enough, if the friends he meets here wish for it strongly enough, maybe one day he will go with his father to one of his expositions, maybe he will meet many people there and among those will be a member of a certain wealthy family, among whose members is a little red haired girl who loves her older brother dearly. Maybe one day, he will get to work as a social worker and meet a blue haired boy who has lost all his family in an accident and whose relatives don't care enough to keep him with them for long. Or maybe... Maybe that future he saw and dislikes will happen after all, maybe he will become a wizard, and maybe that wizard will gain the memories the piece lost.

The solutions aren't perfect, but they are there but if he doesn't believe in them he will never be able to reach them.]

It's okay... I know you don't really think so...

[His hands squeeze hers a bit again as he looks into her eyes...

But now is not the moment. It's not a good time yet, something tells him so. So he slides back a bit, his hand leaving her waist and searching for her other hand.]

Seems you're already used to standing on ice, you're not shaking that much. Want to try to skate a bit?

[ Although there's obviously still something of the thoughts and feelings lingering - and she knows that Keiichi knows too, it's easy to just feel in the air that they're both thinking about the same thing, even if it would most likely weigh heavier on her than on Keiichi, considering her negative kind of thinking. But at least when he moves back a bit of the tension disappears, enough so she makes her swallow again and at least act a little bit like normal again. ]

Sure.

[ She can do this. Just act normal. Like there's nothing special going on here, even as she reaches out so they're holding both of their hands together now. ]

I didn't know you were that much into pair ice skating though.

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[ action ] walking right into the landmine..

[ action ] KABOOOM

[ action ] FLIES UP IN THE AIR

[ action ] CATCHES

[ action ] ooh mister maebara ooh?