STOLEN / SELF.

honestly? anyone who can tolerate him. i’m going to be answering this in a completely platonic relationship kind of aspect? but even if it was in regards to a romantic relationship, the statement still stands. 

but raphael knows that he’s a handful and has a lot of outstanding issues— knows full well that the only one who is responsible for his own seclusion. he just doesn’t… know how to properly process his own emotions and is still recovering from the loss (they’re not dead, they just kind of… vanished from his life) of the person he loved the most. he can be very emotionally dependent on people he let’s in and it kind of scares him. 

   Only for but a split second does it seem Jaune even allows himself to think; and without warning, his voice escapes with spilled LAUGHTER.

   “The–the pepperoni ARE the badges.”

   A bout of snickers roll from his tongue, and the Arc seems FAR too amused with his positively awful attempt at a joke. If it wasn’t for his failure of socializing with the other, he would likely drown in his own laughter, but as the meal is offered back out to him the rabbit has to force himself to quiet with a muffled cough against an armored hand.

   “R-right–!

             Yup. I will just. Take this back from you, and–…do…something with it. Right.”

   And now, he just had a cold slice of pizza right back in his hand. Hm. Awkward.

          now that warranted a soft chuckle from him, the opposing laughter far too infectious. this kid was amusing to say the least— very versed in his own emotional capacity. it was interesting to watch, especially when he took back the slice so awkwardly. he tilted his head, lilac eyes looking to the armored boy before them with slight curiosity. 

“you could always just throw it away.” there was no way to veil the amusement that trickled in his words. “it’s not like it’ll be the end of the world.”

EACH FOOTSTEP CLOSER made him flinch, eyes of opal watching each movement that the other made, body almost preparing for a punishment even though he knew that it would not come. so when the jacket came to cover him, mikaziel’s leg gave out, tears starting to trail down his cheeks. the first made was trying to latch harder onto what the other was trying to do, scratching slightly at his scar.

“ i do not know. ” the other’s scent was different though, sniffling as his hands came to grasp at the jacket. “ its harder to deal with it when those memories come up. ”

          annoyance centered itself on his expression as he pinched the bridge of his nose. he tried to sympathize with the frightened celestial but he’s been at capacity since he was first mistaken for the archangel. he sighed. 

   “You might want it later. You should save it. It could, uh–”

   Pausing, eyes flicker, and he searches for any answer that could be grasped for.

   “…Save your life.”

   Jaune winces, and with a nervous glance, lips tremble up into a feigned smile.

   “That was a lie. It can’t do that, it’s just a slice of pizza.”

          if he was expecting a quick response, he was only regarded with silence. though, this kid almost got a laugh out of the false angel— almost. but he wasn’t so cruel that he’d berate his companion, he could see that there was some good will to... whatever this was. 

   “Well, then–…”

   Lips shut, and the paladin hums. That was a GOOD question that Jaune wasn’t prepared to answer.

   “…You can save it for later.”

@halofeit​

   “…You’re supposed to EAT it.”

   Jaune brings fingers to his own mouth, making the vague motion of popping something between his lips to chew.

     “ It isn’t necessary, no. But I do. ”   He doesn’t expect conversation.   Given Raphael’s rather quiet and solemn nature it was easy to assume he wasn’t interested in much, let alone a stranger, but the fact that he’s curious enough to question rather than keep silent is a step in the right direction he thinks.   Adrian feels a semblance of a smile grace his lips, especially tickled by the impeccable timing that is Raphael’s rumbling stomach.

     “ Anyone who knows how to prepare a decent meal should probably know what one tastes like, no ? ”   He feels the other beside him, eyes on him, watching as he slices through vegetables with the swiftness and ease of one who’s done this countless times before.   “ Do you have a favorite dish, then ?   A favorite dessert ? ”

          out of habit, the curt hum that came in response to his question seemed almost dismissive. but the mere fact that he stayed by the celestial’s side, he hoped, was evidence enough that he committed the answer to memory. lilac eyes wandered up towards the face of his companion and took in that simple change of expression. it sparked a recollection. an echo of a person whose persona reminded raphael of a sunflower— warm and bright. 

“uh,” he blinked, disorientated by the difference in voice that came from a familiar face. right, he wasn’t here right now— only adrian. the false raphael focused his attention back to the ingredients on the cutting board and forced himself to readjust to this phase of reality. a part of him hoped that it could have been read as confusion, but he wasn’t so naive. “i’m not to sure? maybe?”

THAT WOULD HAVE been great, and he would have done so, that is… if he was not reliving that day over and over in his own head, finally tearing his gaze from the other to look down.

“ it would… ” but after the last step back, he was frozen up, like he did the other time he was punished by the archangel. “ but i cannot move. ” he needed something to make him move, something to latch onto to ground himself from his thoughts.

          there was no helping the sigh that escaped the false raphael and without really thinking too much into it, he shed off the jacket he wore. it was a simple-minded gesture as he draped it over the other, obscuring his line of sight all the while. he wasn’t sure if would have worked, but he knew that his physical presence was drastically different than his celestial aura, so there was a margin of success— ... right?