☼ 004 ☼ | Video

[wilder]

[Filtered from Seles]

[A rare video feed from Kaneis comes on, partly because one of his roommates had to turn on the tablet. It becomes quickly apparently why- it seems his hands and locks of his hair are tangled up with strips of brightly colored leopard print duct tape. Someone attempted to do home repairs when they knew absolutely nothing about home repair. The background shows one giant hole in the wall about six inches in diameter, just to give you an idea. Allen is next to him, trying to get some of the duct tape off]

Okay okay- I'll ask! Just get me outta this stuff!

[He gives a huff and looks at the camera. He looks rather disgruntled]

Say, does anyone out there know where a person can get a couch? Ours kinda...got wrecked the other day and we can't fix it.

Oh and, stuff to seal up holes in the wall? That'd be good too.

Thanks in- [And then he YELLS "OW" as Allen his roommate pulls a piece out of his hair not so gently]

ALLEN! THAT WAS MY HAIR!

[Transmission end!]

Comments

[anklets]

[ is always looking (the Order always inspects), and it relieves her

(she never wanted to be relieved by weaponry) ]

I have to wonder if there is any Romanée-Conti to be found in this place.

[aequivoci]

[ he smirks as his hands rest on his hips, looking to the side as a flash of gold flies in — Timcanpy. ]

I'm not holding my breath. I will simply have to...strongly encourage them to do a mission for a large supply sooner rather than later. [ Timcanpy will fly around Cross and then settle on Lenalee's shoulder. ]

[anklets]

[Lifting a hand, she rubs the spot between the golem's wings. Solid. Reaffirming, again, that this is not the preface to another nightmare.]

You would be the one to convince them, General. Somehow, things always seem to bend in your favour. [ wry ] Almost always.

[aequivoci]

[ Timcanpy flutters his wings at the rub!! Cross scoffs lightly, the smirk never really going away. ]

They'll learn fast enough to let me have my way. Some wine and cigarettes for my time & effort shouldn't be an absurd demand.

[anklets]

But it is still a demand.

[aequivoci]

More like a strongly-worded request.

Speaking of missions, exactly what do they entail?

[anklets]

Meddling with the past.

[ "meddling" ]

[aequivoci]

[ he scoffs lightly. ]

How exciting. So hardly anything is done in the present?

[anklets]

[ hardly anything, until they've no choice but to fight (and lose) in the now ]

Have you had the chance to look into the events of the past few months, General?

[aequivoci]

[ how exhilarating ]

Only a quick skim. [ because it is boring to do a detailed read without a sip of wine to help him read through the bullshit. ]

[anklets]

They destroyed a Transport's world. [ brings Tim from her shoulder so that she can worry his cheeks ] Shipped a virus to the island. Dropped bombs on the Hold.

[aequivoci]

[ Tim lets her do that because cute girl!! yay!! ]

What a joy. [ and the sarcasm is strong in his voice ]

[anklets]

[He is blessed to be so malleable. Worry worry.]

Is it so different from what we've come from?

[aequivoci]

[ he is blessed to be in the hands of a cutie patootie. squish squish. ]

Certainly not. Your brother would still have a fit over your well-being anyway. [ he pauses for a moment and then swears under his breath in another language, probably one of many he's picked up from his travels. ] His damn robots would liven up this place, even if they malfunction seconds after starting.

[anklets]

[Most people have had the wisdom to be more careful of mentioning the estranged sibling in front of her, General. A pucker appears between her brows, fondly. He won't ever realise she's been gone.]

He doesn't need to become involved in this. He belongs at home. So do you, General, but I hold faith that you will take to these waters.

[No Vatican to tail him, for one.

Her hands do not stop their pulling.]

[aequivoci]

[ Cross isn't "most people," darling Lenalee.

"Home." the word makes him want to laugh, a bitter, harsh laugh, but he refrains from doing so. he may not consider it a home, but the person in front of him certainly would not agree in some aspects. ]

Being back in the Order's clutches and with Lveille breathing down my neck, I doubt they'd send me off again without heavy surveillance. As for Exsilium, I will manage. I still want my wine and cigarettes, damnit.

[ he notices her hands still pulling and stretching Timcanpy and waits for a moment when they come close once more, and then playfully knocks Timcanpy into the air with a loose fist from her grasp. and in an equally lighter tone than before: ]

Timcanpy is a wonderful pillow that needs no stretching, Lenalee.

[anklets]

[He is the only one to get away with breaching the topic so bluntly, that she doesn't subject him to the wistful homesickness of a teenage girl and instead shakes herself when he frees Timcanpy from her fretting.]

Allen is going to want to speak with you, you know.

[ that lightness of tone does not deceive her ]

[aequivoci]

[ Timcanpy rotates several times in the air before regaining control, fluttering a bit before circling around both Exorcists quickly. he then settles on top of Cross's head as he rotates his shoulders back, feeling the weight of that come down on him again.

the fact that he may have to go through this reveal again, and with a younger Allen to boot— it doesn't sit well with him. at least the Allen he finished talking to moments before had experience, had truly dealt with the Order and the Noah multiple times, and thus had a better opinion of the war overall. this Allen is too fresh, too immature still. ]

In time, yes.

[anklets]

[She appreciates what he is doing, but that isn't what she means. Shakes her head, and has the decency, at least, to meet his eyes.]

No. [ softly ] I don't think it will take nearly so long.

[aequivoci]

[ he makes eye contact with her, and his voice stays calm and relaxed. ]

Only time will tell, right?

[anklets]

[Makes herself breathe and let each out in slow tandem, taking some deeply needed reassurance in the calm he holds in all the ways she has gone without.]

He hasn't been to Edo yet. He'll be irritable again.

[aequivoci]

Let's hope no one important post-Edo shows up to make him more irritable.

[ FAMOUS LAST WORDS WELP ]

[anklets]

[ soft laugh: ah... heh ] Why don't we amend that to "Let's hope no one else shows up", General?

[aequivoci]

[ a smirk appears on his face. ] You mean you wouldn't want Komui to destroy the place with his endless supply of failed robots?

[anklets]

I wouldn't have him follow me into another war, no.