KEEP CALM AND POISON ME

“ SAY , WOULD IT  H U R T  IF YOU LOVED ME? PERHAPS IT WOULD. “

indie kirigaya hitsugi of akuma no riddle ( riddle story of devil ) written by jess || art credit

Chloe sees one of her dearest friends once again, so she doesn't even hesitate to give Hitsugi a big hug!

Hitsugi was unsure of how she felt. The sudden hug certainly caught her by surprise, then quickly fading to joy and relief. Emotions moved so fast it left her looking stunned.

She hugs Chloe tightly, relieved to see her dear friend again. "You are well..!" she says, smiling into Chloe's shoulder.

Maria could not wait to show him what she'd got, humming a merry tune as she made her way home.

"Thel, look what I found!"

She whipped out a box the second she spotted him, holding it up so that the box art was visible.

"Doesn't this look like a Sangheili?!"

It felt like a fever dream, like something she should have knowledge of or heard about, but her memory returned hazy. The one thought that overshadowed others is how powerful a fighter a Corrupted Thel would be. A frightening foe, strong in both wits and strength.

Even so, that won't stop Maria from trying bring him back.

Another? What did she mean by that. Hitsugi panicked for a second when their eyes met, just what happens when one stares at another for too long. But how could she not be curious when the girl was her exact likeness?

"Ah.. I'm sorry!" she squeaks with a shy laugh. "I was just wondering the same; why do you look like me?"

sometimes i do wonder if hitsugi was passively suicidal, if she had agreed to assist chitaru’s hunt for angel’s trumpet not simply for closure or repentance or redemption but because it was a prime opportunity to end herself.

many times in the manga + knr stories she’s mentioned how worthless she sees her value is as a person, someone with no motivation, someone who deserves to die, someone who didn’t think anyone would forgive her for being alive due to the twisted nature she has of toying with and taking lives for her own entertainment, how if she were to be killed she’d rather die by chitaru’s hands, though the choice of chitaru could be traced back to the attraction she’s had for her since she first saw her at the funeral prior to ep1.

chitaru also remarked in the drama cd in a rare moment of seeing past her facade how “the real you is alone and crying inside, isn’t it?” and surely it wasn’t just the physical loneliness but also the conflict between emotional sensitivity and emotional numbness that was required of her as an assassin bred to be ruthless.

Rarely was she frustrated at Hibiki. Well, rarely was she frustrated in general. But this time, perhaps already irritable from earlier events in the day, Hitsugi could barely hold back snapping at her friend, and it didn’t matter if she’d just called herself a liar to push her point.

“Yes, we shouldn’t lie. And it is good that you are aware of how poor of a liar you are. But that doesn’t mean anyone else wouldn’t lie to you if it means benefiting off your genuine kindness.”

She reached for the bottle of ‘supplements’ that the girl had just bought and rolled it over to read its label.

“ While you are right my dear, I really am glad revealing myself to the world didnt ended in the worst case scenario. With those people forcing my capture and having me imprisoned to study everything I have, from my equipment to my anatomy ….. ”

He shivered for a moment but didnt let the bad toughts overcome the moment

“ But I cant also deny that I wanted to step into battle at your side, facing those so called Illuminatti and teach them a lesson or two. ”

He chuckled and waited for his drink to be fixed, when Maria mentioned to have a gift for him too he tilted his head in curiosity. And as Maria suggested, he picked the box he was carring and opened it. It was filled with Maria’s favourite sweets. But at the center of it a ring was displayed in a small cristal box. A metal ring very bright with luminous details on it that matched Maria’s eye color.

“ When we married each other it was kind of rushed, given your schedules. And I have learned about the tradition of the husband to gift a ring to his loved one; so this is for you Maria. A ring made with forerunner metal extracted from one of the Halo rings, the one where my life had a twist, a painful one, but it was for the better. And just like back then the moment when I meet you changed my life, but now it was a change that I cheerish since it started. That allowed me to slowly open my mind and heart to those you hold dear. And for all of that, I will be eternally grateful to have meet my dearest person in you, Maria ”

Maria had things to say. She knew when her tongue would start to get witty when topics of the global governments were involved, and the promising facts she would spill if Thel did have the opportunity to join their front-line efforts against the Illuminati. But all those words vanished when she laid eyes on the ring.

It was beautiful, shinier than any ring she’d ever seen. She could tell that the metal used was special, rare even among the highest grades known to humans. Never did she expect that it was actually a metal from his world. A one-of-a-kind.

The luminous details etched on the ring glowed a faint cyan hue as she reached to hold it closer. Her gaze softened, like she was in love all over again.

“I remember what you told me of those Halo rings, how their existence had impacted your life… That this ring is made from the same material as those things, makes me happy that our simple meeting is just as significant. A ring is round without beginning or end, therefore symbolizing the endless and eternal nature that love is… I love this, and I love you too, Thel. Thank you too, for stepping into my life.”

Then Maria raises her left hand to him.

“H-how far have we gone?!” Tsubasa repeated, taken back by the strange question. Her eyes widened. “H-Hitsugi-san, we’re only fourteen! I-I don’t think we can go farther than being boyfriend and girlfriend without getting in trouble!”

Was she misinterpreting things? Maybe.

“R-regardless, I’m so happy to be around him…” Tsubasa then began rambling about how Seiji made her feel, clearly sounding like a teenager who was absolutely smitten. She could probably go on forever about this…

“No... I didn’t mean anything risky beyond your age that would get you both into trouble.” Hitsugi raised both hands to calm the situation. “My question came out wrong. I just hoped you both enjoyed Valentines together, spending time with each other and all.”

While her question was definitely misleading, her thoughts quickly shifted as she listened to Tsubasa gush of her love interest. It was endearing to watch and Hitsugi couldn’t help but smile. It faintly reminded her of her first crush, even if that didn’t end quite well.

“ It would work, to be sure ”

He nervously chuckled

“ But that would be very akward to be honest. Dont you agree ? ”

“We’re pretty fine! I think. Maria and I are getting along well, and there hasn’t been anyone after my life for over a year now...? It’s actually quite peaceful. Though it also means I’ve not been in contact much with anyone, hehe. Bartender me is enjoying her new responsibilities, while older me is still slightly bitter over an eye injury, so that’s a lil concerning.”

He shakes his head slowly

“ No, we sangheili dont have a tongue. We can still taste things tough. Our sensors are located in our throats, just above the vocal organ ”

While Maria couldn’t understand a single word Chris had uttered, she could tell that it had been about her, and it didn’t sound all that bad perhaps.

When Maria placed her head of his chest, Thel caressed her hair gently, oh how he had missed feeling the softess of her hair, and the overal warmth of Maria.

“ There’s no way I could miss one of your presentations on stage, I am your biggest fan after all ”

He chuckled and when Maria took her seat besides him, Thel showed her the gifts he was carring.

“ Those are for you my love, but the bar must be free so you can get a drink, I’ll give them to you once we are done ”

“ Ah, dont worry about that Maria, yes I felt a bit lonely, as while I could say I was used to it as a soldier, it felt really different now ….. now I felt the same as you, like an important part of my life was missing and I really missed you. But I knew since the very beginning that you are an artist, and I cant take you away from your fans, from the stages… ”

He held her hand, that was resting on top of the bar

“ And since the day you became my wife, I promised not only to respect your career, but to always support you. Even if that means that you have to stay away for long periods of time; and well we didnt knew at the time that announcing my existence to the public would backfire as it did. With many of the world’s leaders asking Genjurou to have me stationed in Japan, if only we knew, I would have been at your side in the whole trip; sure I would have to stay hidden from the rest of people, but at least I would have been able to be there for you ”

Maria sighed, but smiled, when Thel mentioned of his travel limitations.

“I really should appeal once more for that ban to be lifted. It’s one of those moments that has me reminded how narrow and fearful we can be, despite being an evolved species. Even if not for tours, your input is valuable when it comes to missions on the ground, and I’m sure more countries can benefit from that, especially those with sub-optimal warfare experience. They don’t know what they’re missing out.”

She pouts for only a second, and returns to her usual self just as a bartender came to ask for their order. As their drinks were being made, Maria turns to Thel with also a thin box in her hands. She winks coyly at him as their drinks were served.

“I’ve gotten you a gift too. Something from London. Perhaps you’d want to start with yours first?”