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

2 - you asked for it.

[namedforcat]

[So here he was, silly Jr and his avoiding the issues. Gaignun wasn't about to let this turn into 'Miltia aftermath 2.0', so he had to take matters into his own hands. Only making enough noise as to not completely startle Jr, he crept up behind his brother, and with a swift move, picked him up from behind so that he could 'reach the higher shelves'.]

>:3c

[books_n_battle]

*Jr. was probably vaguely aware that Gaignun was nearby, but he was distracted from his mental radar by all the books. Which meant that, while he knew someone was behind him, he wasn't expecting to be picked up. So, of course, his initial reaction was his standard one for when Gaignun did things like this: to start flailing until he could kick his brother in the chest.*

I can use the ladder you know, asshole!

[namedforcat]

[Ooof...well, he was expecting that, so thankfully his grip doesn't falter.] I know, but they're all the way over there and I figured you'd appreciate the quicker route.

Keywords relevant

[books_n_battle]

*Yeah, you're going to keep getting kicked until you let go.*

Just because you're taller than me doesn't mean you can pick me up whenever the hell you want, you bastard.

[namedforcat]

Allow me one of my few pleasures in life Jr. [But, bb!bro will set him down, perhaps a little slower then Jr would like, and a sneaked in micro hug. He's still waiting for the 'wait WHAT' shoe to drop.]

[books_n_battle]

*He gives a few more kicks until he can feel the ground under his feet, making extra sure to kick Gaignun in the shin on his way down. But once the initial irritation wears off, it dawns on him exactly what just happened and he whips around to face his brother. Thank whichever divine being is your favorite for the link, or he'd be a lot more surprised.*

G-Gaignun?

*Not that he isn't still...*

[namedforcat]

[There we are. See, this is the reason why he continues to be a pest to his oldest brother. The reactions are simply priceless. He's happy to see Rubedo, glad to see him alive and well, but he knows that as soon as they stop joking around there is going to be much more heart breaking reactions so he'll try and keep it as light as possible for as long as possible.]

Was it this book you were going after? [He'll pull down a random one and flip through it.] I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff.

[books_n_battle]

That's not what I was after! I wasn't even looking at that shelf yet, asshole!

*Yup, guilt reaction delayed again...for now.*

[namedforcat]

Honestly, I thought you had grown out of being interested in 'trains'. [And he'll hand over the book. Well, ok, gently bop Jr on the head with it.]

[books_n_battle]

*That's not one of the ones he was after, so he'll just be putting it ba-oh for the love of. Shoving it back into Gaignun's hands.*

That's not one of the ones I was looking for and you know it.

[namedforcat]

Hey now, think of your blood pressure Jr. [As he puts the book back, he'll rub Jr's head where he hit it. Perhaps his hand lingers over long but...what else can he do?]

[books_n_battle]

*He reaches up to shoo Gaignun's hand off his head, but...doesn't. He stops with his hand on his brother's wrist, not quite able to rush him to let go.*

Says the guy who's deliberately pissing me off.

[namedforcat]

[Feeling the restraint for what it is, Gaignun doesn't attempt to move his hand.] You'll have to forgive me, it's so rare that I can get you into such fine form anymore.

[books_n_battle]

Maybe you're just losing your touch. Getting old?

[namedforcat]

I guess so. Maybe you are. Maybe it's both of us, I don't know.

[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.