#radicalrascals

The night was clear, stars just about visible despite fighting the light pollution from below. There was a hum of traffic, people going home after their days of work. He often sat up there when he didn't feel ready to go home to his lonely apartment, watching the world below go by and making up stories about the people he could make out. That man was rushing home to meet his wife because he was an hour late getting out of the office, that woman on the phone begging her child to not do something stupid again... It kept him from being bored at least.

Smoke from his cigarette whirled around his head before being caught in a gust, one that timed with the opening of the exit onto the roof. There, his eyes fell on an all too familiar face. It had been strange seeing Paulo again after so many years. Things had not ended well between their friendship, and Vic knew that a lot of that was his own stupidity. But a long time had passed now, both of them had been through various obstacles thrown at them by life. It was all in the past.

"I'm not giving you this expecting anything in return," Bella smiles gently, though it does turn nervous when she realises that he's opening it now and not when she's safely somewhere else and doesn't have to witness whatever reaction he might have. Although Leopold had accepted her back in his life easily, Bella would not have begrudged him anger at the idea that their separation had essentially been for nothing, and only caused both of them pain.

Not that she should have worried. Bella steps to him easily when he takes her hand - reaching out with her other to brush some of the tears from his face. "Ah, darling, I didn't mean to upset you," She murmurs, fingers cool on his cheeks. "I just wanted you to know I always thought of you. I'll never stop being sorry for keeping us apart for all those years, not for as long as I live." She brings their joined hands to her lips, pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

* ♡ @radicalrascals , sc , cassia.

Remaining cautious, but not wanting to escalate things too quickly, Ben slowly lowered his weapon as he watched the man hold up his hands. He knew too well that someone could feign surrender, trick someone into thinking that they were not a threat, but he also wasn't about to start shooting over nothing. If anything, it was a waste of ammunition that he could not afford.

            “Whatever King sent you, tell them I’m not interested.”

Seph took his life of solitude very seriously, there was a clear reason why he resides a tower out in the middle of nature and it wasn’t for the social aspect. But he knew that people could wonder here and get trapped, the forest spirits were devious like that, he was half convinced they did it sometimes just to play jokes on the Summoner.