Ulysses

✦ “A wish… I don’t think I’m entitled to anything like that. Regardless, anything I might wish for would be impossible. I can undo past events, and I can’t bring back my fallen friends and comrades.”

But then again, he smiled at most everything humans had to say. “You’re welcome.” That was what he was supposed to say, and say it he would. He liked being polite to people. They acted so flustered over it if not thankful. Kaworu wondered, then, if this young man was the quick to fluster type. A look at Hope’s face said as much.

Out of more practiced politeness, Kaworu averted his gaze - you should only make about 70% eye contact, he read once - and cleared his throat. “My name’s Kaworu. Kaworu Nagisa. You could say that I’ve lived here before. That’s how I know how to get around. Want me to teach you?” It never hurt to be prepared, nor to offer a helping hand in preparing others. It’d be the right thing to do.

The teen looked over just as the stranger averted his gaze, naturally, and so sea foam colored eyes remained trailed upon the other as he seemed to search for the correct words... Before finally introducing himself. It was almost as if social interactions were forced and times like some kind of experiment rather than just naturally awkward. Furrowing his brows, Hope tilted his head slightly in confusion, Kaworu's speech pattern throwing him off slightly, though as time passed it became more... natural.

Perhaps it was just him then.

"I-I'm Hope--,"

You could say that I’ve lived here before. That’s how I know how to get around. Want me to teach you?”

Goodness, well if anything he was quite forward. The teen shrugged slightly, looking down and away immediately once Kaworu tried to make eye contact one more. Gloved hands laced behind his back as the teen tried to think of some response to the others forward actions, clearly uncomfortable, but he knew that Kaworu was only trying to help... So he supposed he needed it more than anything, and replied with a small nod, hair bouncing slightly and getting in his eyes before he moved his bangs out of the way.

While he ruminated over his purpose, or lack thereof, he noticed a man stalking after a young boy. The gentle smile that normally sat upon his lips faded. He followed after them, peering over the ledge of the building as the confrontation quickly became physical.

Kaworu dropped down from the buildings above, a literal angel descending from the heavens, and shunted the thief back with a flash of his shield: The physical projection of his soul manifested as a brilliant orange polygon that would withstand plenty.

With a soft chuckle, he reached out for his new friend and hoisted him back onto his feet. “I think we should run. Don’t you?” Not bothering to look back, Kaworu sprinted down the streets, leading Hope left and right and right again, intending to lose the thief long before the man recovered from his stunt.

“I think we should run. Don’t you?”

The voice came smoothly, clear and light as if he had not a care in the world that a potentially dangerous man was currently grunting and standing up from the fall behind them... And there was something about that that had drawn Hope in, trusting the other and taking his hand. Before Hope could utter a single word he was pulled up to stand, and the two of them bolted away from the thug.

Sure, Hope had run great distances across crystallized lakes and great expanses of fields and cliffs, yet it seemed that provided him with no advantaged as he was still pulled along by the stranger attempting to help him flee from the shouting man. Their shoes pounded against the pavement almost painfully, Hope's lungs starting to burn and his arm aching as the stranger pulled him through thew maze of buildings-- left and right, a sharp tug with each change in direction.

Finally they had stopped, and parting their hands Hope bend over and panted, hands upon his knees as his head bowed. So was he safe? Did Hope just let another lead him into a more dangerous situation...? No... even he seemed out of breath, but just slightly, obviously more fit than the teen.

"Are you okay?"

The sky was darkening as night grew nearer, and Shogo hadn’t been able to disregard the notion of observing Hive City’s more dangerous happenings. He was sure to find something if he looked hard enough, and, while he’d been deliberating over the decision at home, his curiosity had simply grown to be too much. That, and the apartment had become stifling, particularly when there was hardly anything within that he could use as a source of sufficient entertainment.

It was the sound of a scuffle that swiftly drew Shogo’s attention as he walked through the city’s grimier areas. A fight. That was within the range of what he’d been hoping to find. Following the noise, he soon found himself faced with quite an unfair amount of trouble— an older man trying to subdue a mere teen. Problematic, indeed. Shogo didn’t waste any time in taking part.

“Oh, dear..” he uttered, immediately catching the man’s attention. The crook hardly appeared to be worth his time, though he hadn’t been Makishima’s point of focus from the very beginning. No — rather, he was more interested by the young man, knowing that he could potentially make use of him. Before the man could do anything else to the smaller of the three, Shogo lunged forward, throwing him to the side. With swift ease, he thrust his knee into the man’s gut, winding him — before delivering a hard hit to his head.

Nearly instantly, the thief fell to the ground, out cold. Shogo knew he could have finished the job entirely, had he been provided a cut-throat razor, but that was of little importance now. In any case, the boy seemed to be the easily-frightened type, and Shogo hardly intended to frighten him off nearly so soon.

“Are you alright?” Approaching, he offered his hand to the other with the intention of pulling him up.

It was nothing short of amazing.

Wide, sea foam colored eyes blinked in awe as he stared at his, well, savior, and something about him reminded the teen of Light. Perhaps it was his cool composure or his strength... No, perhaps a mixture of both that had Hope thinking of the female soldier. His heart stilled raced as the man made his way toward Hope, offering a kind hand in order for the teen to pull himself up. With a small nod, a black-and-white gloved hand reached out, taking the strangers and pulling himself up. Absentmindedly he dusted himself off.

“Did he hurt you?”

"A-ah, no, not really." he muttered back shyly, looking up at the other before feeling something warm drip down his forearm. Lifting his arm he saw a trickle of blood coming from from the deep scrapes upon his arms.

"Well, there's that, but... It's fine. Really." he paused, looking away before back up at the strange man...

He got a bad feeling from him, but how bad could he have been, saving a child?