#beatgod

╰┈➤ continued.

Their standards aren't normal, that is true. Having asked and having received an answer, Shigeo doesn't ask again even though he can see the blood and the way she grits her teeth, the pinch in her brows.

« You have plenty other good skirts, » Shigeo offers, inching closer. He doesn't say anything, but his body language is open : ' Here, lean on me '. If she will have it.

❝ All I want is whatever my sister wants, ❞ is the short, simple answer she gives at first. Hiroe never liked getting too wordy, and she wasn't very good at it even if she did like to. She wasn't sure yet if it was all that worth it to explain that she's been paying her dues, paying younger than anyone should start. That was precisely why she was so hard set on making sure there wouldn't be any dues for her sister. Made things easy if she didn't think about her own uncertain wants just yet. A deep sigh and she folds her arms back behind her head, leaning her posture leisurely to the side. ❝ .. Maybe some old man with lots'a money, too, but other than that, ❞ she finally adds after just a few beats of silence in thought. It was half a joke, something to lighten the air she didn't want to linger at. ❝ I'm a simple, hard-workin' gal. Only dues I got'a pay are the ones on my sister's academy bills! ❞

It wasn't that simple for Vaan about just paying something off or helping someone get rid of debt. To him, paying your dues meant something deeper, as in helping yourself get over your past, not to completely disregard it, but to be at a point where it didn't affect you anymore, to not be closed off with your friends, and to confide in people, even if it was scary.

"You shouldn't just think about it that way, I didn't mean to say literal dues like debt, the Gods know everyone has some form of that in their lives." He didn't really mess around with monetary debt that much, though Vaan knew how to take care of money, given he was a scrappy orphan who used to cheat and steal for a living.

He had turned around after meeting his friends, they had made him realize that one should fight for their country, for their right to even exist. "I pay my dues by being a truthful guy! I don't back away from hardship and face adversity head on."

Shigeo stood looking blankly at Hiroe for a moment, baffled.

Suguru's trained expression didn't falter when Hiroe gave in to his request and showed him the wound, despite how nasty it looked. He didn't want to make her feel any worse by even the smallest twitch of his face.

But it was bad, and he worried.

Gently he reached a hand to press cool fingertips to the edge of the wound, close enough to feel the temperature but not so much to hurt her.

« I'm sorry I couldn't get here earlier... » He said. It wasn't to say she wasn't strong, but maybe if he had, he could've helped prevent the injury.

REB LOST THE MEME

"Oh? That looks nice."

"Kid? I'm 26...do I really look that young?"

There he is, left alone with his thoughts as he wondered how old that woman was if he was a kid.

she can notice the self-loathing in her eyes. while mizuki had spades of confidence; what had been revealed and what she knew now about what her mother had done did not make it any easier especially when looking into horadori institute. whatever kind of augments that hiroe herself had undergone or some uncanny theory that made her so unimaginably strong like the young woman before her; bits of powdered ceramic in her gloved hands . . . she was the last person to judge her.

which was quite a thing, considering she could use her judgment of unsavory characters like a rapier; seamlessly eviscerating those she felt deserved it. naturally with all their history, the smile that barely hid her self loathing tugged at a well guarded, but compassionate heart.

" yeah, i probably need some new ones. " voice light and cheerful; as if to avoid any pain and the elephant in the room. aiba really did love elephant jokes, but now wasn't the time. they weren't normal . their strength was something on par with the stuff of mythology, and sometimes maybe mizuki just wanted to be looked at like she was.

still, if it could help and protect people she actually gave a damn about . . . or people that would never know all the pain and tragedy of her own life, much less being a 'labrat' by her own mother's insistence to 'fix her' . . then mizuki would fight all the harder.

" c'mon. that's a great idea! and we'll put it on date's tab." it seemed some of her teasing bratty quirks hadn't changed; endearing and not meant maliciously; but more teasing. she'd happily pay.

... her 'inheritances' at least had given her that much. loveless as they were. without a second thought she reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze that would have broken every bone in someone else's body. but to hiroe - it wouldn't phase her. she could take it. was...it wrong to be grateful?

"let's go! oh and let's get ota's omlette rice. pummel him with me if he creeps on iris, okay? i think a double united front can get him off my best friend for at least....well, okay maybe one day is too generous. also i need a second party to cut his hair or i'm doing it by force. "