#zelotae

ASK RECEIVED

"That's what a lie is, Zelos," Luke says, glaring at him. It lacks any real venom, though. Luke is clearly more frustrated than anything else. "That was really embarrassing, you know! I just—in front of everyone...!"

Luke's face is heating up at the mere memory of how he'd made a fool of himself in front of everyone. Many years ago, Luke had asked Zelos what birds would do if their nests were compromised. Zelos had "helpfully" informed him that birds had tiny hands under their feathers on their chests, and would carry away their eggs.

And Luke had believed it. For five years. He had believed it until the moment he'd talked about it in front of his friends and they'd looked at him like he was stupid.

Luke groaned loudly and rubbed his head, then peered at him from between his fingers.

He was going to get revenge for this.

" no, really, i have time. why don't you tell me all about it."

“Oi, Zelos!” Luke’s full of energy as he runs up to his cousin’s side. His smile is wide and there’s something... hopeful in the way his eyes are shining. He really seems to be pumped up about something! Of course, if Zelos knew Luke well enough, then he’d probably know that there’s only one thing that Luke gets this excited about.

“Guy told me that you learned how to use a sword. You’ve got to show me what you can do!”

Oh no. The jig is completely up, isn’t it? He’s never going to stop now.

"Stop asking, you’re not going to like my answer." With hand to his head, it's clear he's not in the best of moods. The drink he has before him is mostly done, ice cubes still bathing in the whiskey. Not a moment after he sighs and winces before turning to face her as Mama looks solemnly at the bonito they continue to polish, as they always do. "Sorry, sorry. It's been a shitty day. I know it's... hard on you but I still haven't seen him. If I do, you'd be the first person I'd tell." There's another pause before he turns away, raising the glass to his lips. "And none of my connections have heard or seen anythin' either. I'll keep an ear out for you." / @zelotae​

‘honey .... ‘ 

mama seems to almost whisper with pity at least in mizuki’s ears; the sight of her. her, the girl that no one could best in a fight; clinging to crutches and ripped away eye on her left covered upon layers and layers of gauze and an eyepatch. no one commented that the eyepatch was very familiar, and normally she’d deflect why she’d wear something so stupid from d-- ( no. ) but date wasn’t here. he was still somewhere under the rubble; waiting for someone strong enough to get him out. mizuki was more than spades strong enough. too much power dwelt in that twelve year old body. and too much brokenness.

the insignia of aiba’s core glittered on the patch as she instinctively whacked him with the edge of her crutch at his crass remark. unlike his boyfriend, he had no sense of sensitivity, and she highly doubted there was even a brain in there. 

“ yeah, you’re right! i shouldn’t expect a bum to answer anything about date! it’s not like he bought you tickets for iris’ concert even if the stupid idiot did---doesn’t have half the money to barely get by! or that one time when you were so drunk he let you and your gross breath plop on his couch and then date didn’t have anywhere but the floor, how pathetic is that?! i can’t decide which one of you is more! date is --- you’re wrong you know?! you’re wrong about date! your answers are probably wrong too because you’re so wasted! you’re just wrong! 

stupid drunk idiot! you’re so stupid! every single man is stupid! “ she snarled; voice full of venom and vitriol and hurt. she could feel the stinging of tears against her existing right, grey-blue eye and swallowed hard at the eerie silence of mama, their silence and the brief glimmer of what she suspected was tears ignored by mizuki.

and it was then she stumbled into the stool in front of her; wobbling as her crutches deftly prepped her. aiba was on her shoulder; date’s partner never seemed to want to leave her sight. what...was left of it. she wasn’t used to moving, shouldn’t be moving, but time was of the essence and she had to find out anything. that’s why she went to mama’s. mama would...mama would know right? they always did.

thankfully her hair shrouded her right eye; so the plop of tears on the counter as the pain of the sharp impact could be ignored like every other tear mizuki ever shed. she could see a hand reaching out; mama’s probably; but the inferno of rage that she had unleashed upon hearing the redhead’s words after her emotional assault upon him made the tears only fall harder. stubbornly and stoically having no expression despite them continuing to form a puddle on the counter. the only thing that made them disturbing aside from gutwrenching was that the adopted date did nothing but stare blankly even as her face; still red with fury and hurt; swollen with tears that came too quickly for someone who wasn’t dead --- he --- he !!! at the lining of alcohol. 

“ will you? he’s not dead. he’s....he’s not, okay? h - he’s not! sometimes there are people so stupid that they aren’t capable of even dying properly. that’s what kaname date is. a stupid person who doesn’t even know how to properly kick the bucket a-and give me life insurance! “ choked out; but still the same unwavering stoicism painted across her face -- in contrast to her voice. 

“ ..................... also? “ clumsily, trying not to break his glass, she grabs it in her hand; caring little for his annoyance.

“you’ve had enough. seles will be upset. she says she gets worried when you drink too much . . . she’s still here so....stop worrying her. “ his sister was her friend, so --- even in this, the innate kindness bled; despite wanting to dispel it all for good this time. weren’t the cyclops serial killings enough? 

“ .... i’ll leave when you go home. i’m.....” aiba is still eerily silent. ever since...she hadn’t talked much save to her. protectively and almost obsessively not leaving her sight despite not being at home in her missing partner’s eye socket. 

apparently hers....was worse for wear than her adoptive father’s. a name she hadn’t barely been able to grasp yet and -- tears stream a rivulet in silence.

“ i have rehabilitation therapy soon. i’m gonna stay here and talk to mama. they should know something. so......” angrily wiping her eye of any tears; the only proof the puddle on the counter; mizuki stares with an unquenchable pain in her heart that the person closest to a family member and father she’d ever had’s old friend was openly wiping bonito with tears streaming down their face.

just like her.

it was a wonder she still walked with her entire chest cavity smashed in half. it hurt so much more than the current agony she physically felt. 

“ z-zelos? don’t be a pervert but.....can you lift me onto the stool?” a bit angrily and indignant as if defending herself before words came out.

“ i....i can’t see yet. but i will in like, five days. no three! then i’ll never be lifted by any old pervs ever again, i swear!” the bravado is not fooling anyone. she forgets how warm his arms were after the psync, she doesn’t forget. she forgets. she doesn’t, she couldn’t, she’ll never. he didn’t give up for eight years right? so....so.... she ----- another tear falls.

The redhead scrambled to close the door behind him, ducking under the windowsill only to dare to give a glance outside. Narrowing his eyes, he ducked again and turned only to see someone staring at him. With a sheepish smile, he merely lifted a finger up to his lips to indicate his wish for them to stay silent for the time being. Hopefully they play along or he's gonna have one annoyed priest on his back for the rest of the afternoon.

Tasked with the duty to sort the Church’s storage, much progress had been made on the bookworm’s lone diligence. The room seemed to have been of better use in the past, select areas with layers of dust and traces of some documents had been removed or returned before he was assigned to this miscellaneous work. Now, it was in a bit of a better state, though his clothes and silver hair had paid the price.

With dusted hair and a dirtied white button up, Luca raised his arms to stretch as he decided to take a small break. “I wonder how the others are doing...” he said, absentmindedly before darting his attention to the visitor. At first, Luca had thought perhaps it was Spada who came in to check up on the bookworm, but instead it was a man.

“Ah--...” with his lips slightly parted, the meek boy stared at the red head before him. Signaling him to remain silent.

❝ ...okay so, like, purely hypothetical and not at all because I’m vaguely compiling possible-itineraries: are you more of a ‘cottage on the beach near a cute little ocean town’ or ‘dramatic high-rise in the city near a whole bunch of cool clubs and restaurants’ kind of vactioner? ❞

“ I DIDN’T NEED YOUR HELP , you know ! ”

rita crosses her arms , giving the older man her BEST glare . ( which is pretty good , if she does say so herself . and she does . ) whatever gratefulness she SHOULD be showing to zelos is nonexistent , replaced with indignation and -- perhaps ? -- EMBARRASSMENT . 

“ i’m FINE on my own ! ”