Glitter & Gleam

"Vivianne? It suits you." He reaches to tuck a bit of dark hair back behind his ear, showing more of the pair of scars on his left cheek. "I'm Rixian. It's nice to meet you too."

His attention is drawn briefly to the movement at her side, watching Gwen swish her tail at him. Animals tended to avoid him, but this little one seemed completely fine beside him.

Which is a shame, as Rixian is quite handsome, but so was Ilseong in a way.

"Rixian suits you, too," Vivi says warmly. She can't let this stranger see her distrust building.

To think that something awful could befall someone so ordinary.

Certainly, Dam-bi wouldn't... the press of Gwen's body against her ankles breaks Vivi out of the though spiral she had about to go down. Vivi just gently smiles at Dam-bi instead - as if trying to hide her distress.

"I am honest, I do not know if stories of my adventures will want to be heard," the trainer continues. "The last conversation we had before they left was... rather awkward."

“S-so… is she gonna look different one day?”

He reaches up to give Gwen a little scritch between her adorable ears. Hopefully not that different.

When Till asks if Gwen will look different, Vivi nods. "She will, but she will still be adorable."

Gwen lets out a happy "vui!" in response, especially as Till gives her a scritch.

"See? Warm!"

He tucks a strand of hair behind Vivianne's ear and pauses just briefly. Eyes lift upward just for a second.

Damn...now? He asks himself, a tad bit disappointed. There's the itch, and he knows that, followed by that itch, the Entity is hungry.

Those brown eyes are back on Vivianne's, and he smiles ever so sweetly. Kind, warm...

....

And then....

"I meant what I said, Viv. I hope you can see that through all this."

It happened rather quickly. The brain took a moment to register and process what happened. That's something Ilseong learned in his first kill when he was just a kid.

There's a knife lodged deep inside Vivianne's side. As if just sticking a knife through her wasn't enough, Ilseong had to twist it. He has to make sure she dies.

Confusion does flicker on her face when Ilseong speaks. "All this? What do you-"

"Mmm," He hums quietly to himself.

"Man, now she'll definitely hate me, huh? Should have trusted your gut instinct."

Regardless, it's time for the Entity to feast upon its victim's soul. It leaves nothing but a husk behind.

"See? Warm!"

He tucks a strand of hair behind Vivianne's ear and pauses just briefly. Eyes lift upward just for a second.

Damn...now? He asks himself, a tad bit disappointed. There's the itch, and he knows that, followed by that itch, the Entity is hungry.

Those brown eyes are back on Vivianne's, and he smiles ever so sweetly. Kind, warm...

....

And then....

"I meant what I said, Viv. I hope you can see that through all this."

It happened rather quickly. The brain took a moment to register and process what happened. That's something Ilseong learned in his first kill when he was just a kid.

There's a knife lodged deep inside Vivianne's side. As if just sticking a knife through her wasn't enough, Ilseong had to twist it. He has to make sure she dies.

Confusion does flicker on her face when Ilseong speaks. "All this? What do you-"

The trainer just blushes and laughs softly. "I would hope so," she says. Still, it felt impolite to not return the gesture.

⚙️ "CALL OFF YOUR RAT!!!"

It wasn't a rat!! But he didn't know that!!

"Oh, I am sorry," the pink-haired girl says, "but I honestly was not aware you weren't... a rock?" She knows that sounds rude, but he was rude to Gwen.

"Trying?" He looks at her, but then releases a breathy laugh. "Yeah. I guess I am trying, huh? I wanna do right by you. That's all.

Perhaps it feels too forward. Maybe it tis. But the fact that Ilseong said he'd want to do right by her...

"Only once. I would prefer the cheek," Vivi says, not commenting on the new nickname of Viv. "We are just figuring things out."

If Ilseong is truly sincere, he'd listen. Another subtle test.

"I only met you recently, but you don't really deserve to be killed." It was as simple as that, really. "We only met recently, but I don't feel any anger or whatever when I see you." Even if she took Cecil right from under his nose. "It's hard to explain. It's a little complicated, my emotions." He has his hand on his chest now, while the free hand still holds the treat. Eventually, though, he places his dessert on the empty side of the seat they're sitting on and looks to her.

"I can see you're trying to be sincere," Vivi says gently, "and it may take some time. I do think that, maybe, in time I won't worry about that."

"Was that what you were worried about?" he finally asks once the shock calmed. "Is that why you were distant from me? Because you worried I'd kill you?"

She must have talked to someone. Someone....The only ones who knew were Cecil and that damned angel who mind-read. Bastard. Out of those two, he knew who'd tell her.

“If I must be frank,” Vivi says, “then, yes. I was worried you’d kill me.” She doesn’t voice the ‘still might’ that rests on her tongue.

He had been told otherwise by the adults around him and the children of his age when he was younger. So many feared him and had said he was nothing but trouble. Ilseong chews on the inside of his cheek, eyes cast downward at his treat. His finger fidgets against the wrapping, and then, he lifts his gaze to look at Vivianne.

But Klaus’ warning is still fresh in her mind. Though she is dating Cecil, and Vivi is well aware that he would have no qualms about killing her if it so struck him.

So, when Ilseong looks up at her again, Vivi sighs. She gives in. “Something could,” the pink-haired trainer admits. “Provided you don’t try to kill me.”

"I was beginning to think you had quit."

“Non, I had fallen ill,” Vivi says, “and it was so sudden, I had not called out appropriately. I am sorry that my absence worried Soft Elk.” Vivi knows Dam-bi is more guarded about expressing worry, but that is fine. Soft Elk expresses enough for the young girl.

“Mostly for a quiet spot to rest, but I am curious if this place has any books that showcase historical fashion.” Vivi says as she continues to pet Gwen.

now as for her other pointed interest in this idle conversation...

So this man was, perhaps, a gambler. The way he spoke about party planning and his former profession before coming to Isola said volumes already. It is a note she puts away mentally, just in case he ever steps into Faucher when she is up front.

🎮👾 "Do you come from a world where people capture these Pokémon things and battle them? Hm... I feel like that's pretty common." Kit had uttered that last sentence quietly to herself after chatting Vivianne up. It was a goal of hers to get a sense of the genre of world everyone came from. Partly for her personal curiosity, partly so that she could keep an eye out if she ever ended up seeing them in the future outside of the city.

Assuming they were all from video games anyways, but that sounded like the perfect setup for a video game, didn't it?