I am perfect.

||  █ ▌— genesis smiles at that, unaware of the thoughts that might or might not be running through angeal’s head at this moment. he’s just happy for the company, the solid presence of angeal at his side. it’s easy, to fall into old habits like this, to let the quiet thrum of rain match his quick steps toward the townhouse he lives in.

❝ we should, yes. come in quickly, and i’ll put on some tea for us. ❞

Angeal reaches the door first, though he makes no move to open it. Instead, he steps to the side and places one firm hand on Genesis’ lower back; grounding, perhaps, for the both of them. “I’d appreciate that,” he says as the door is opened, and ushers them inside.

After certain other people just dropping by unannounced and uninvited, Badou actually peeps through the peep hole before opening the door.

“Hey, man. Glad you could make it. Come on in and don’t let the dog knock you on your butt,” he says in greeting, pushing the door open a little more to let Angeal in. 

Their giant of a dog Bleu is on the other side, waiting to tackle anyone and anything new.

Angeal smiles wide at the sight of the dog. He rubs the back of his head and steps inside, looking around to see what sort of setup Badou has going on. “I’m happy to be here,” he says, honestly, because he is. It’s good to make friends, so he’s been told.

His eyes are drawn upwards, towards the trees with their sleeping branches and their dead leaves. Winter is not a favorite month, but he’s not sure he has one of those, anyway. Though his hands wrap around a cup of tea he still feels the chill in his bones as he walks along the forest’s path, a place created -- he’s learned -- before his arrival in Spirale. The Forest of Airaisal seems to hold many a hidden gem, and Angeal is eager to see them all.

He looks to see another soul wandering. Perhaps he too is looking for inner peace, and longs for it in the same way Angeal does. That’s not why he approaches, however; he comes up beside him and nods to him to seek companionship -- not to explore their own reasons for wandering.

He is a lot of things: loyal, chief amongst them, to his best friend. He is strong, physically, but sometimes keeping himself in check with his emotions is a little difficult. Call it whatever you wish; the point remains that Angeal struggles with the concept of courting and love and romance because he doesn’t think himself worthy of it.

But he read somewhere that love is a friendship amplified, something that burrows itself deep within you and doesn’t let go. Love is what keeps you up at night and helps you sleep in equal measure.

Angeal isn’t ready to say he’s in love with Genesis, but he’s known he’s loved him since they were young. He also knows Genesis holds poetry in his soul, vines that wrap around his bones and speak beautiful words out of his mouth. Angeal is steel and metal and harsh: he is a botched experiment, a SOLDIER, a man and a monster in equal measure. 

It doesn’t stop him from searching for months for what to give Genesis. Ever since their kiss he feels the fire on his lips and his fingers ache for something to hold that reminds him of Genesis. Genesis: the origin or formation of something, a beginning.

His handwriting is shaky, so he throws the paper out. He tries again, this time after wrapping a small parcel in plain brown paper and scrawling across the wrapping:

Genesis --

I don’t know if you’ll enjoy these, but I hope you will. The woman at the bookstore had never heard of The Goddess, but I looked over these and I thought you might be able to find something that you 

I’m not good with words. I think there is a holiday about giving gifts to people you care about, so I hope you’ll like these.

Yours,

He reads over the letter one last time and doesn’t sign his name. Instead, he leaves the collection of love poems and a small bouquet of flowers on the inside of Genesis’ apartment before leaving.

Angeal had texted Zack earlier in the day, mentioned that he wanted to treat him to lunch. So here he sits, bundled up and cosy inside of some place Zack had recommended, one hand holding the menu and the other tucked around his chest. It’s cold outside, and though he does not have issues with the cold, generally, he does feel that this place isn’t as well heated as it maybe should have been.

He looks up when he hears the little bell on the door chime, and he smiles. It’s good to see Zack -- he looks happy here. Angeal thinks maybe he’s happy, too. Perhaps they can continue on and be close again, a mentor-student relationship. Angeal had always thought of Zack as a little brother, and once he works through the guilt maybe he’ll be able to again.

Angeal holds in his hands two options. It’s valentine’s day, but he’s considering which brand of chocolate is best. He never really saw himself as romantic, yet again he never thought he’d be attempting to date anyone at all; the life of a SOLDIER does not lend itself well to those kinds of things.

So he stares at the two chocolates in his hands and frowns, just a little. It would be better if someone was able to tell him which was better, he’s not sure he’d be able to tell even if he could taste them.

||  █ ▌— genesis answers the door with a small smile at the cat ears on his friend’s head. he himself is dressed a little more somberly: a ghost. he’s painted pale and ugly for the season. it seems to suit the season. too many people are dressed with the intent to disturb, and he sees no reason not to join in.

❝ well… don’t you look adorable? ❞ he asked, amused as he took in angeal’s… costume, so to speak.

Angeal rolls his eyes and nods his head to the right. Of course Genesis would make fun of him; he’s sure he’ll make fun of himself later. Still, the outfit is nice even if it is a little tight, and he has a soft smile on his face.

He knocks on Badou’s door. The two of them had hit it off when they had been on the dinosaur island; though, Angeal’s memories of that place were not necessarily pleasant ones. A mixed bag, perhaps. Regardless, he was glad to have made a friend from it.

okay so a lot of my old threads were stressing me out because I was sick all this month and they just got too old, so I decided to start fresh! so unless you are a castmate / i responded very recently, I’m dropping all old threads.

||  █ ▌— genesis frowns slightly, his eyes narrowed. it… isn’t fair, that either of them ever looked like that, innocent and wide-eyed and full of stupid ugly hope. he knows he must have been the same way, once.

probably not in exactly the same way, of course. he was never as earnest and good as angeal. he was never something worthy of the hope he once held. always bitter, always angry, always jealous… and what is he now? decaying.

❝ it’s not your fault, ❞ he says anyway. because it isn’t. and it’s not fair to let angeal think it is. ❝ you tried to help me. it just… wasn’t enough. ❞ 

It does hurt, it’s hurts and it confuses him and he feels so hopeless. There’s something in the way that Genesis is looking at him that makes him feel a weight in the center of his stomach, something he can’t get rid of.

“Oh,” is all he says to that, and he flexes his hand a little. He feels so small, but he thinks that maybe Genesis feels the same way. There has to be more he can do, to be stronger, to save...

His eye nearly pops out of his head. He hadn’t. Noticed that??? Had he not noticed the entire time?? Has he lost his touch for being nosy? Jeez. 

“Enough to get us to safety?”

Because as much as he wants to get out of here, he doesn’t want to be dead weight either.

“Yes,” Angeal agrees easily. He’s only been able to push about fifteen to twenty minutes of flight, but that should be enough to make sure the two of them are safe. It shouldn’t take too long, and Badou is already kind of a small guy.

||  █ ▌— genesis had gotten his hands on a costume as well. while not normally one for holidays, he was one for frivolity. he wanted to enjoy himself while he was here, away from everything that had gone wrong. this seemed the perfect time for something absurd and pointless.

so he texted back. i’d love to. come by my place and we can go together.

It took Angeal only a short amount of time to get to Genesis’ place. It hadn’t taken him very long at all, and he was already headed in that direction anyway.

He knocks on the door a couple times, a small smile on his face as he waits. His little cat ears from the costume peek out, and he’s genuinely excited to spend time with his best friend.

           — IT WAS ALWAYS THE POISON THAT GOT PEOPLE !

    metaphorically, of course. well, had he employed the contents of a poison made by himself, he’s certain it’d ‘get’ people something awful.

     thankfully, no matter his knowledge on what components to mix to make something truly devious … rook hadn’t any poor intentions. he never did, given that whoever he was addressing wasn’t a target in his latest hunt.

    && even then did rook opt to spend some time playing and dancing with whoever fell victim to his arrow. come sunrise to sundown, the huntsman did enjoy getting to know whatever he was… ah, searching for.

    the timer was set && rook was pleased, skipping to the side of angeal after he propped his camera up against a ledge to face them. stifling a laugh at the mans surprise, he was fast to imitate. arms across his chest, facing forward with a pose that practically screamed discipline, honour && strength. like a soldier, came a fleeting thought in rooks mind.

    and so his suspicions were confirmed. click ! went the camera, taking a rather odd image of angeal mid-sentence…

    ❝ fufu? i have no clue as to what you’re saying ~ ❞ and in that verbal whiplash rook had mastered oh so well (the art of simply ignoring conversation topics), he veered the discussion elsewhere.  ❝ a soldier? i can see it clearly now! you really do exude that aura of protection, hm? i felt it within the depth of my heart that you were trustworthy. ❞

    after all … were vil to meet angeal, perhaps being associated with poison was a bad first impression. yes, it would be wise to backtrack on that remark, rook decided.

   ❝ though, i’m afraid i’ve never met a soldier before… how exciting! i could gaze at that determined face of yours until sundown.  ❞ and so he grabbed ahold of his phone, well-manicured nails tapping against the screen to view the photo they took. he seemed pleased, regardless.  ❝ and for the grand finale !  ❞

    he paused. oh, how sad. he didn’t have a means to print it out.  ❝ hm. non, non. we must wait a little while until i can process these photos. one for my collage, if you would be willing, monsieur guerrier.  ❞ he lifted the phone a little to show it to angeal - someone considerably taller.  ❝ so, ah … what possessions does a soldier such as yourself have? i would quite like to see a demonstration of your skill for inspirations sake! i’ve only awoken to my broomstick and magical pen, unfortunately.   ❞

    well, just a pen now.

It kind of is whiplash, talking to this kid. It’s nice though, Angeal admits that to himself as he listens to the younger man talk on and on. It’s easier to let someone else draw out the conversation, to keep it going at full speed; he’s not one for small talk often, but he really does appreciate it when someone else can keep going.

Sometimes, he can get Genesis talking like that and it’s... nice. Extremely comforting to let someone else fill the silence, do the socializing for him. Even if that means ignoring the poison comment he’d made -- Angeal just made a mental note not to ingest anything this guy gave him.

He peers at the picture and raises an eyebrow. “Not bad,” he agrees, though his face looks a little off. Was he mid word? It didn’t matter, far more unflattering images have circulated around, he’s not about to complain about this one. Besides, Rook seems happy to have a picture at all -- and Angeal is honored to have been a part of it.

“Process the photos?” he thinks for a minute and puts an arm behind Rook, almost as if to guide him. He doesn’t touch him, though, just merely keeps close. “Hey, we can head to the library, if that’s something you’re interested in? I’m sure we can print there.”

Which is true, though he doesn’t really know for sure about their printing capabilities.

||  █ ▌— genesis seems comforted as well, by the presence of angeal. his nervous hands still, and instead of pushing angeal away, he brings them up to rest on his chest, just to touch. it’s… well, there’s something in this that he finds just… safe.

angeal is safe. ❝ we’re all right, ❞ he says, then hesitates before leaning in to press his lips to angeal’s, quick, before the moment passes.

He freezes, it’s not unlike Genesis to touch but it’s the closeness that makes him feel... different. He pauses, and his eyes are on Genesis as his own hands hold his shoulders gently, keeping him in place. 

“We are all right,” he echoes, and before he can say anything else he feels his best friend’s lips on his. They leave as soon as they’ve come, and Angeal decides he doesn’t like that -- no. It’s impulsive and stupid and he isn’t thinking as one hand moves up to cup a cheek.

||  █ ▌— he’s surprised by the gesture, but not displeased. he accepts the coat, holding it up over his head to keep the rain off his hair, at least. his boots will be drenched, which will in turn mean wet socks, and with how quickly the rain picks up, he won’t be the least bit surprised if the bottoms of his pants get wet, too.

ah well.

❝ thank you, angeal. now… we should move quickly. ❞

He easily ignores the dull pain in his chest that tastes a bit too much like rejection for his own liking. Eyes are still cast downwards, but that’s more a fault of the rain rather than anything Genesis did or did not do. He walks towards Genesis’ apartment and tries not to complain -- he knows his best friend is doing enough of that internally for the both of them.

“Unless you have a jet pack in that spikey hair of yours–

Badou opens his mouth, closes it. Brow furrowed,

“You don’t have a jet pack, do you?” 

Because 1, not fair and 2 NOT FAIR!!! He thinks the jetpack could scare the dinosaurs even more than walking fast.

Jet pack? Angeal can’t help but smile and shakes his head. What an interesting person Badou is. “I... no. I don’t have a jetpack.”

📚  Dortin shakes his head no. He had been thinking about how it would be to have a pet companion a few times, but concluded these thoughts with his lack of time whatsoever to take care of a pet. “No, and I’m not planning on getting one in near future. I’m often outside at work or spend my free time in libraries.” It would be irresponsible to get a pet. But plants? They can be companions too and they make rooms prettier. He has stumbled over articles in magazines that give suggestions for home decorations. He skimmed them through usually for any suggestions how to store all his books practically, but found that plants give lovely accents. Ah… when did he actually start to care so much for such things?

“I’m from a cold enviroment with only a minimum of flora, so my knowledge on plants and how to care for them is very meager. I know several flowers by their name due to a book I read about floriography, but that’s it.”

He smiles. That makes this a lot easier for him, actually, and though he loves dogs he hasn’t had the chance to get one yet. That’s something on his to do list, but he sees the benefits of only having plants to care for in the meantime. “Alright,” he says, and starts to seriously consider. “Well, there’s a lot you could add. Cactus and succulents are nice, but for color you probably want to go with some nice flowering plants. It depends, partially, on how much effort you want to put into it.”