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[Fearless lumbers his way in, all the way in, to the opposite side of the room, so that Idia is closest to the door, before he says anything else.]
Damn. Really is a cave in here, isn't it.
[Motions with his finger to kind of 'everything'.]
Damn. Really is a cave in here, isn't it.
[Motions with his finger to kind of 'everything'.]
[Looking from the pile, to Idia, to the pile again.]
Yeah. Uh,
[Hm.]
Sure.
[Right. Anyway, not the point. Fearless puts his hand to his head, starts a sentence while pointing at Idia, and then retracts his hand to start again.
Puts his hand in his pocket, wiggles side to side.]
So uh.
Seras.
Yeah. Uh,
[Hm.]
Sure.
[Right. Anyway, not the point. Fearless puts his hand to his head, starts a sentence while pointing at Idia, and then retracts his hand to start again.
Puts his hand in his pocket, wiggles side to side.]
So uh.
Seras.
Look, I don't—
[Fearless stops, breathes in, pinches the bridge of his nose.]
I really wasn't a good guy before I got here, Idia. And I'm trying really hard not to be the kind of guy that decks another dude just for making a girl cry.
[A long sigh. He isn't built for this.]
So I just wanna know what's going on.
[Fearless stops, breathes in, pinches the bridge of his nose.]
I really wasn't a good guy before I got here, Idia. And I'm trying really hard not to be the kind of guy that decks another dude just for making a girl cry.
[A long sigh. He isn't built for this.]
So I just wanna know what's going on.
[That-- visibly shifts Idia's posture. Not the threat, but the fact that Seras has cried? About him?]
Huh? How should I--
[Ah... Oh. Idia presses his lips together, slowly stuffing his hands in his pockets. How would he know? He's quiet for a moment, disappointment weighting his shoulders.]
Did she... say anything? [Closes his eyes tightly, shaking his head-- interrupting himself.] Right, the thrall.
[Granted his understanding of it is. General.]
Huh? How should I--
[Ah... Oh. Idia presses his lips together, slowly stuffing his hands in his pockets. How would he know? He's quiet for a moment, disappointment weighting his shoulders.]
Did she... say anything? [Closes his eyes tightly, shaking his head-- interrupting himself.] Right, the thrall.
[Granted his understanding of it is. General.]
[If anything, Idia's understanding of it is probably even more than Fearless can conceptualize, just because he's familiar with magic. But as Fearless will point out;]
Yeah, uh, I also just, uh, have eyes.
And, you know, context. And the ability to ask questions.
Yeah, uh, I also just, uh, have eyes.
And, you know, context. And the ability to ask questions.
[Fearless shakes his head.]
You don't wanna know that.
Wouldn't fit your little 'world hates me' emo-kid narrative you've got goin' for ya.
You don't wanna know that.
Wouldn't fit your little 'world hates me' emo-kid narrative you've got goin' for ya.
Because, Idia, I like you, is the thing. And that girl more than likes you.
[That's the one thing keeping him from busting Idia's face open.
But posturing... that hasn't worked in the past, has it? Never really seems to. Never really seems to be what the others want to hear.
So Fearless rolls his head back, looks at the ceiling, and takes a breath before looking back at Idia.]
So I just wanna understand, man.
What the hell are you on that you'd turn a girl like that down?
[That's the one thing keeping him from busting Idia's face open.
But posturing... that hasn't worked in the past, has it? Never really seems to. Never really seems to be what the others want to hear.
So Fearless rolls his head back, looks at the ceiling, and takes a breath before looking back at Idia.]
So I just wanna understand, man.
What the hell are you on that you'd turn a girl like that down?
[An unfortunately transparent surprise washes over his features.]
Okay, hold. On. What are you even saying? Turn--
[There's, like, way too much to internalize there. Since when does Fearless like him? Obviously he's misattributing one feeling for another. And Seras-- Idia closes his eyes, shaking his head like it'll clear it out. It doesn't. He gestures rigidly.]
How could I turn her down?
[That would imply she asked something of him or that there was something to be turned down from. But there's not. They're not!]
Okay, hold. On. What are you even saying? Turn--
[There's, like, way too much to internalize there. Since when does Fearless like him? Obviously he's misattributing one feeling for another. And Seras-- Idia closes his eyes, shaking his head like it'll clear it out. It doesn't. He gestures rigidly.]
How could I turn her down?
[That would imply she asked something of him or that there was something to be turned down from. But there's not. They're not!]
[Oh
Oh.
Idia might be stupid. That might be what's going on, here.]
Hold— hold on.
[Fearless rubs his temple again. He has to make sure they're on the same page.]
You live in the girl's room. She takes you out places. Hangs out with you. Watches movies with you. Plays your little video games.
Has sex with you.
You know what that means, right?
Oh.
Idia might be stupid. That might be what's going on, here.]
Hold— hold on.
[Fearless rubs his temple again. He has to make sure they're on the same page.]
You live in the girl's room. She takes you out places. Hangs out with you. Watches movies with you. Plays your little video games.
Has sex with you.
You know what that means, right?
[Flushes and looks away, the tips of his hair flickering pink when Fearless says "sex" out loud.]
Friends do that sort of thing! [Seras said so herself! That this is what friends are for! Right?? Anyway Idia gestures hurriedly at Fearless.] You do the same things! What difference do I make?
[Ope! Too close to the real issue!!]
Friends do that sort of thing! [Seras said so herself! That this is what friends are for! Right?? Anyway Idia gestures hurriedly at Fearless.] You do the same things! What difference do I make?
[Ope! Too close to the real issue!!]
...Yeah, we do.
Exactly. We do the same damn things, Idia.
[As if that makes it obvious.]
I could do the same damn things with her, and she'd still be crying over you.
The fuck kind of difference do you think it makes.
Exactly. We do the same damn things, Idia.
[As if that makes it obvious.]
I could do the same damn things with her, and she'd still be crying over you.
The fuck kind of difference do you think it makes.
[why. Why can't he just skip to the part where he kicks Idia's ass.]
I'm not the one avoiding the girl I like, dude.
I'm not the one avoiding the girl I like, dude.
[Stopping for a moment, staring.]
...You don't. You don't need to talk about this with me.
But you should talk about it with her.
...You don't. You don't need to talk about this with me.
But you should talk about it with her.
I don't even--
[He cuts himself off. Idia doesn't want to talk about this; his shell is too rigid for that.
His gaze falls to the floor, looking like he's working through some problem in his head.]
Don't act like that wouldn't just make it worse.
[He's running the scenarios nightly, the outlook is not great.]
[He cuts himself off. Idia doesn't want to talk about this; his shell is too rigid for that.
His gaze falls to the floor, looking like he's working through some problem in his head.]
Don't act like that wouldn't just make it worse.
[He's running the scenarios nightly, the outlook is not great.]
Worse?
You're worried about making it worse?
Do you even know what worse is?
You're worried about making it worse?
Do you even know what worse is?
I don't even know what this is!
[That was. Too loud. Too loud and too much. Realizing how stupidly vulnerable that is, his teeth practically click with how fast he shuts his mouth. There's a stretch of silence and then;]
Look, I don't know anything, okay? About anything! You're right, I'm wrong, "ha ha" have a laugh about it.
[That was. Too loud. Too loud and too much. Realizing how stupidly vulnerable that is, his teeth practically click with how fast he shuts his mouth. There's a stretch of silence and then;]
Look, I don't know anything, okay? About anything! You're right, I'm wrong, "ha ha" have a laugh about it.
[Fearless doesn't even flinch at being yelled at, but he does squint—]
What—
[Fearless shakes his head, huffing out steam through his nostrils, holding out his hand as if to tell Idia to stuff it. He knows he can't handle this the way he handles everything with Vicious.
The only problem is, he... doesn't actually know how else to handle it.]
I'm not here to laugh at you. I'm trying to keep you from making a mistake.
What—
[Fearless shakes his head, huffing out steam through his nostrils, holding out his hand as if to tell Idia to stuff it. He knows he can't handle this the way he handles everything with Vicious.
The only problem is, he... doesn't actually know how else to handle it.]
I'm not here to laugh at you. I'm trying to keep you from making a mistake.
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