Young But Deadly

Oh. 

This–Aqua remembered this. Well, she remembered being both on the receiving, and giving end of it. The raised chin, the pride, the undercurrent of smugness accompanying the spoken word? And then, that little smirk. 

She was being tested. By a kid. Clearly not an ordinary one; Aqua wasn’t sure she agreed with the fact that the boy’s mother had been training him to kill, but then again, hadn’t Master Eraqus been doing the same to her and Terra? Child soldiers were still soldiers, after all. A newfound respect started to bloom, despite the situation. He’s as young as Ven was–maybe younger, Aqua thought to herself. 

Aqua did genuinely regret her mistake–but it was that and only that. A mistake. Which she had apologized for and didn’t intend on making again. 

“I can see that,” Aqua said calmly in response to the young man’s claims. “And if your mother was brought to Wonderland with you, I’d be welcome to apologizing to her in person, either by blade or by word. I know that each–” Aqua paused to think over her word choice, and settled on, “–culture has a way of reparation for shunted honor.”

She leans forward, a little. Statuesque stunner she was not, but she still had height to spare over the young man. 

“But isn’t throwing such pride around a little immature of you, Mr. Assassin,” Aqua prodded back. 

   Damian rolled his eyes at her words. She was assuming things which was to be expected with the differences between their worlds. She lacked the proper knowledge because if she had it she’d pick her words more carefully and would know better not to try to and poke his buttons, find his faults. She would learn in due time.

    “Thank whatever religious being you follow for my mother not having come to wonderland with me. Things would be a lot more complicated and I would be spending my time on more important things than dealing with you.” 

    He raised his head up a little to meet her eyes, eyebrows raised in question at her last words. Did she really assume this was him throwing his pride around? He was simply stating facts and dealing with her nonsense that he hadn’t asked for. How he was missing the fools back in his world that would have at least understood those matters.He was not in the mood for explaining every little thing to her. 

Or send “Restrained?” for a randomly generated number.

It had been natural to look out for the kid. 

Aqua had been raised to watch over and to protect others who couldn’t do for themselves. Her entire life had been dedicated to such a cause, more or less; she was a soldier for the light first and foremost. It had been with the kindest of intentions that Aqua had reached out to the youth.

Needless to say, the young man’s ice cold attitude metaphorically slapped that down. 

“Oh. I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend–”

She clamped her jaw shut at the last line, felt a tick in the muscle. Aqua inhaled deeply for patience, trying to let the rudeness roll off her back like water. She was far older than the boy, after all; it was her duty as an adult and a Keyblade Master to…not want to grab him by the ear for a stern lecture. 

And, well, he was right in some aspect. She was no mother. And–And she wasn’t mothering him!

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Aqua repeated, voice cooling slightly. “But it’s not mothering to look out for others, you know.”

     He could see her struggle to be kind, it was a bit amusing watching her try to be nice. He could tell a lot about her with just that minor thing and he already knew he didn’t like her. She assumed he had needed to be looked out for, and while he didn’t blame her for her lack of knowledge, he felt offended that she assumed he needed it. He was a master assassin after all, and he still had his katana, just not with him.

    “Mothering or not, I didn’t believe I ever asked to be looked out for. As you are no mother, I am not a child that needs looking after. My actual mother raised me and trained me to look out and care for myself. You are insulting my mother by treating me otherwise, and you’d be wise to not do that.”