survive

                †~  “… Are you certain you’d want to know? No matter how impossible my answer                     was?”

            He didn’t like to give out information about future events… Especially not to himself             but… The question was so direct, and for once a layer had been… Peeled away,             somehow. It wasn’t in that same demanding tone as the rest of his words had been…

Deep down, there was a part of him that already knew; he simply didn’t want to face it. Whatever anger he had buried within refused to surge up when he needed it most.

Emilio.

Pursing his lips, he stood in silence as a thousand thoughts raged war inside his mind. His eyes slipped shut and his own voice, rattling against his skull, magnified in intensity.

“Do I really hate myself this much?” came the definitive response, never mind how it echoed like a rhetorical; did this man think him so irredeemable that even he would speak with spite? The start of tears stung at the corners; he knew he had to open them, however, and he steeled himself. 

“Am I worthless in your eyes?” he pleaded, just barely above a whisper.

“Is this city like any from your world?”

“There are considerable similarities in terms of the... culture, but the architecture is wholly different. The diversity is another jarring factor. Although humans consist of a large portion of the population, I’ve seen m--others.”

He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, wiping away at sweat that hadn’t much time to collect.

What was wrong with pants! Pants were cool! Are cool. Right? 

“Well…it is true that it comes in scoops sometimes.” he won’t fight you there. He also just doesn’t feel up to explaining the ingredients of ice cream right now, or how ingredients were what made it ice cream as opposed to how it was presented. 

And off goes the switch. Leon hurries to the stall and comes back with an armful of popsicles as well as several stashed away in his cape. Ice cream... looking back on everything, he’s never had reason to try and beat his personal record.

“Well…there’s no ‘like’ about it, unless ice cream is a lot different where you’re from.” he takes a bold bite, teeth and all, as if to portray the validity of his statement.

“Ice cream comes in scoops,” he insists, almost disturbed by the popsicle’s firmness. How the hell did you eat that without a spoon?! Never mind the fact that it had just been demonstrated to him.

‘…’ staring down at the younger swordsman as he felt the blade closing to his throat, though his own sword was tougher than the imitation he had been threatened with, he knew that even the dullest of weapons can be dangerous in the right hands.

‘…it’s difficult to explain, but…’ difficult was putting it lightly, but he couldn’t be the only person in this place to experience a situation like this, though whether Leon would accept this fact was a different question. Taking one last breath as he proceeded to speak calmly, he had no reason to worry as there was no lie in what he had to say.

“Fairy tale? What, you think I’m some sort of magical being that floats about granting wishes to little swordsmen? Get that ridiculous nonsense out of my face.”

Although the stranger’s tale rang true about him and his swordian, Leon was far too put off to even consider humoring the other boy. No one liked being told someone had an advantage over them and in this case, it irked him that someone would presume to know who he was.

She could tell that she was greatly weakened, it wasn’t Gae Bolg in her hand, but a wooden lance. Granted, it would work rather similarly, simply without the features Gae Bolg had. Yet she felt the weight of exhaustion sometimes, wearing her thinner by seconds.

She will make do.

A warrior always does.

In her dignified steps, she took in the buzz of the city, the click of her heels, to the breeze against her neck, and the light of the sun – knowing that all of the city people’s eyes were on her. 

She knew no shame, for shame is one’s way of belittling themselves – an internal obstacle  from achieving their dreams. For someone like her, an obstacle like shame was something she had long seen and bade farewell to.

But then, returning to the point of her walking in the sun, to observe its people and the city’s foundation –

Disturbed from his meditation, a young man garbed in nobleman’s attire stared pointedly at whom he considered an obtuse distraction. Not a lick of sympathy shone in his eyes. The tight-lipped look on his face suggested something far more imperious.

“They intend to make a pawn out of you in their twisted little game. You’re playing right into it as we speak.”

                    “I am my own person, I go where I please. You have no power to tell me                     what to do, Leon Magnus.”

For once, Leon looked his age: A young man of sixteen years, struggling to find his identity while navigating the trials and tribulations of interpersonal relationships. Given a template based upon his father’s standards, he was somehow supposed to know truth from lie.

Much as he tried to, he found it impossible to weaponize his fear into anger this time. This time, his voice shook with more than just rage:

“I’m Mirajane. It’s nice to meet you Leon.”

Turning on her heel, she began to lead him, hoping that things hadn’t changed so much since her last visit, her caring nature making his dilemma a cause for her concern.  

Mirajane. A good name, he decided. Unique enough that he wouldn’t have to worry about multiple faces to it.

He fell into step with her, gaze wandering along the city skyline. Those ‘skyscrapers’ as they were known felt like cold rigid spires. Closer to eye level, the architecture diversified. ‘Neon’ lights shone as if constantly powered by some greater force.

                †~  “Oh, you won’t. I’m already aware of that.”

            Headstrong, stubborn, unwilling to listen… He knew all these things. He’d gotten             such a sharp dose of reality he was able to recognize those flaws and try to act             accordingly, but this… What he assumed was a younger version of himself…             Clearly had yet to be given that wake up call.

This man, who claimed to know him so well, was just like everyone else: Condescending, incapable of placing any faith in him. Even now, he was being made a fool out of. No one gave a damn about him. Not even himself. It made his skin crawl.

“I’m sure they will have something and it shouldn’t take us too long to get there. It’s a shame I don’t have my old possessions or we could have just gone to my apartment.”

She was upbeat, pleased for something else to focus on for the time being.

“Medicine? Well, there used to be a pharmacy in sector five I think.”

                †~  “It means you are quick to anger and rash judgment, not calm and logical                     thought. You’ve already determined I mean you ill will, as shows by your                     demeanour. I don’t think you know what I am thinking at all. Just what you                     want me to be thinking so you can dismiss me rather than listening.”

What a boor.

True to form, Leon didn’t listen to what the man had to say, ignoring any and all attempts at underscoring his flaws; Leon Magnus had none to speak of - that was why he, not someone else, was promoted to the rank of knight-captain. His accolades spoke for themselves.