last_free_city

[books_n_battle]

1) *So, you're walking around the Foundry district? Well, you might catch sight of a twelve year old boy running the mechanics through their paces on a two story mecha.*

Hey, watch it! That's not just any old A.M.W.S., you know! Mess him up and you'll be sorry!



2) *Someone went and told him about the library. Now he's running around like a kid in a candy store, grabbing books off of just about every shelf in the immediate vicinity and building up a huge pile of them. Try not to trip over it...how does he plan to carry all of them, anyway?*



3) *Ahhh, the battlefield. No matter what he says, he'll always feel somewhat at home here. That's why he doesn't seem worried at all as he dashes from place to place, alternating incredibly flashy dual wielding gun techniques and firing off fireballs or laser beams.*

Comments

[books_n_battle]

*His grin starts to falter. He shouldn't have mentioned getting old, it's reminded him that Gaignun won't be getting any older.*

Like hell I'm the one that's getting old. Watch me take down an A.G.W.S and then say that...

[namedforcat]

[Don't think like that Jr, even if he's dead, he'll always be the same age as you time-wise.]

Running off into battle isn't going to prove your point. [His fingers curl in the bright red hair underneath them.]

And neither will avoiding me.

[books_n_battle]

*Urk. He glances away, not able to meet Gaignun's eyes at that accusation.*

S-sorry...I just...I didn't know what to say...

[namedforcat]

[He hadn't meant it as a true accusation, more...an admonishment. The only reason he wasn't so hurt by it is because he understood exactly why Jr hadn't reached out. He knew his brother's patterns by heart now after all.]

It's alright...that's why I'm here. It wasn't your fault Jr, it never was.

[books_n_battle]

You're only saying that because you don't know...Albedo warned me, but I ignored it. I didn't even try to find out what he meant.

[namedforcat]

[SIGH. Fine Jr, make this difficult for yourself.] You were busy, you had a lot on your plate.

[books_n_battle]

*Isn't that what he's best at?* I still should've noticed...

[namedforcat]

[Man, you let the standards break you early.]

You couldn't have. Albedo probably said it in some really cryptic way, and Father would have found another way to hide it from you. There was nothing you could have done and things turned out for the best. There is nothing about that situation that you need to feel guilty about.

[books_n_battle]

*Letting them down hurt, okay? And proved them right.*

But...I couldn't save you, or Citrine or...or even the crew of the Durandal, and they didn't even have anything to do with that mess. They were only there because I hired them.

[namedforcat]

And I signed their paychecks.

Jr...Rubedo...we couldn't be saved. There was no way. [He wants very badly just to pull Jr close and to be able to make everything bad go away, but he can't. He knows Jr will try and hold on to these feelings of guilt because that's how he functions, how he copes, just like how Gaignun himself just keeps quiet.]

Citrine died doing what she wanted.

[books_n_battle]

*It's probably not healthy, taking all the responsibility onto himself, but it's what he does. And he'd rather blame himself than blame his siblings.*

I'm the leader...I was supposed to protect you guys...

[namedforcat]

You can't do everything Jr. What you were doing was far more important, it had to be done. What happened to me was my own fault.

[books_n_battle]

I wasn't away from the Durandal all the time! I should've noticed you were acting strange before...before it got to that point.

[namedforcat]

You forget I moved to Fifth Jerusalem, and I wasn't acting strange where anyone could see me.

[It really is his own fault...he was just too used to keeping secrets, and by the time he finally decided to speak up, he couldn't.]

Jr, stop beating yourself up about this. You did well and you made sure I didn't suffer.

[books_n_battle]

I... *He turns away, putting one hand on the edge of a shelf.* I wanted there to be a way I wouldn't have to lose you...

[namedforcat]

[No, you don't get to turn away. Jr will find he's getting hugged instead, and rather tightly at that.]

I know you did...so did I, and I know deep down so did Albedo. But I couldn't put you through loosing him again, nor could I allow either of you to be killed. I just...couldn't.

[books_n_battle]

*Gaignun will be getting huged back, with Jr. burying his face in that expensive suit.*

I wanted to keep both of you.

[namedforcat]

I know....I know. [He'll hold on to his brother tightly, looking down at that mop of hair.]

I wanted us all to be together...but I had to take the next best option. I had to keep you both safe.

[books_n_battle]

That can't have been the only way...

*Jr.'s grip around Gaignun's waste tightens. It would probably be painful by this point to a human, but Jr. knows Gaignun is built tougher than that.*

[namedforcat]

It was. [Alright, sure, his plan had been a little last minute considering he had no idea how or if Albedo was going to show up and what their middle brother had planned, but the beginnings of the idea had been swimming about Gaignun's head for a while, being locked up in Yuriev's head had left him a lot of time to think.]

Any other option would have put you in danger,and I couldn't have that.

[books_n_battle]

It would have been worth it!

*He doesn't even know how much danger. It doesn't really matter to him, either.*

[namedforcat]

No it wouldn't have! Not...not to me. I refuse to put you in danger when I could prevent it. [Jr, after is not the only URTV to have inner demons and complexes.]

You're important to me...the most important thing to me.

[books_n_battle]

And what about me? I need you...I need both of you.

[namedforcat]

I tried my best Jr...I made sure you'd never be alone, even if he's a bit of a jackass.

[books_n_battle]

You know...he was pretty pissed about what you pulled, too.