high_seas | Masquerade Ball - Totally not an ambush

Ghhh─

[The man chokes on the bun, taking a moment to swallow it before he can speak (and maybe breathe) again. Okay, maybe he overreacted a bit, but she can't blame him! That was a dumb thing to ask!]

Just like that? I told you I travel a lot. [And, well, he destroys the army's branches wherever he goes, killing everyone in sight. Kind of hard to think about romance when you live a life like his.] ... Don't look at me like this.

[Ragna doesn't like pity; it annoys him when people show it to him, like he's some sort of stray dog in need of a home...]

[Kodachi's expression changed to one of sadness, and she looked away. It really was a lonely life, and she felt sorry for him. For all his crassness and everything infuriating about him, well . . . maybe he'd be different - not nicer, of course - but different if there was someone who loved him and he knew it.]

It sounds lonely, is all. It would be easier, I think, if you had someone fighting alongside you.

[She pushed a bit of cake around her plate. Hadn't it occurred to Ragna that the reason she was so enamored of marriage wasn't just the trappings and the grandiosity of it - it was the simple fact that marriage meant that someone loved you forever and would always be at your side, no matter what - and that you could do the same for them.]

Edited 2014-05-27 17:39 (UTC)

[Again with the "lonely" thing. Ragna honestly can't see why it bothers her so much, especially when it doesn't concern her, but some man from a different world that she barely even knows.]

I don't really care 'bout that. They'd probably just get in the way.

[A part of him is aware saying something like that may make her even more sad, and he feels bad about it, but he'll stand his ground nonetheless. He used to have people he loved─ and now every night he wakes up from the nightmares (or more like memories) of losing them all. The last thing he needs is to go through that kind of hell again.

The Grim Reaper makes a pause, his frown deepening slightly.]

... 'Sides, I'm not a kinda guy people should get involved with.

[It's not any sort of self-deprecation on his part; he's simply stating a fact. Really, hanging around a wanted criminal charged with rebellion and treason is not something many people would choose to do─ and rightly so. The man glances down at his right hand thoughtfully. There's also the matter of his Azure Grimoire... it seems to have gone dormant while in this world, thankfully, but under normal circumstances, it would consume the souls of those around him. Hardly the conditions to keep a lover close to him.

All in all, Ragna feels he has every damn reason not to desire company.]

[Maybe he was right about himself - after all, he was a criminal. He was hard to talk to, difficult to spend time with, and probably preferred to be solitary. There wouldn't be much of a chance for him to be involved with anyone.]

[Kodachi was beginning to realize that here, in this place that she still had no name for, people had different ideals than her; she'd always believed that marriage was the highest ambition in one's life because everyone around her fought for it, tooth and nail. But here, after talking to people like Motochika and Mitsunari and Ragna, she was beginning to understand that there were bigger things. Not necessarily better dreams, but . . . bigger ones. Different ones.]

[It was an eye-opener for sure.]

Hmm - you're quite right, someone as foul-mouthed as you would have a hard time whispering sweet nothings to a lady.

[Kodachi gave him a small smile.]

[Ragna staying as far away from people as possible is better for everyone, for multiple reasons. Plus, he gets peace, while others don't die because of him. It's a win-win situation.

He eyes Kodachi with a scowl. Sure, by now the Grim Reaper has figured all this love shit means a whole lot to her and she'd probably drop everything like it's hot if it meant getting married; that's fine with him, since what she does with her life is none of his business anyway. But does she really have to drag him into this bullshit?]

Who the hell would wanna do crap like that?

[... Just because he knows how she feels about it doesn't mean he'll show it proper respect.]

Not you, obviously.

[Kodachi scoffed and took a bite of another entree. She was beginning to feel that all her talk about the virtue of marriage was wasted in this place. While he was the most vocal in his disapproval, Ragna wasn't the only one who seemed averse to it.]

[Oh, now she's done it.

Normally, Ragna doesn't give a damn about what people think or say about him; after all, at this point the society views him as nothing but a ruthless murderer. And that's fine, as his public image isn't something the Grim Reaper concerns himself with. But the way Kodachi makes a fuss over him not being a romantic type... it feels almost like she deems him to be emotionally stunned or something. Regardless of whether it was her intention or it's just him reading too much into this, he finds himself irritated by the thought.

The man places his plate back on the table with a little more force than necessary, the noise it makes causing a few heads to turn in their direction, but Ragna doesn't seem to care or notice. Instead, he extends his arm towards the girl without a single word.]

[Quite honestly, Ikki doesn't appreciate the lack of personal space, though that's hardly a surprise. However, as far as he knows, dancing means pretty much giving up on personal space, so at the very least he doesn't oppose to it either.]

I had a good teacher, my older brother is more used to those things than I am.

[Way more used, actually.]

*Faye smirked as they continued to dance, quirking a brow*

An older brother, hmm? Is he as handsome as you?

[His eyes narrow for a split second and his instinctive reaction is to actually get defensive. More than he normally is. But just as he has been doing so far whenever a girl commented on him being handsome or whatever, Ikki pushes it all back. Instead, he focuses on the rest of what Faye said and ignores the "as you" part, so she gets a humming noise before he replies with a smirk.]

Well... You could say that he sparkles with fabulousness. Not sure if that counts as handsome in your books.

[She raised a brow at him. Had he finally snapped?]

[She looked at the hand that was outstretched towards her. Some measure of her didn't trust Ragna completely, and she briefly wondered if he was going to suddenly hurl her across the room or some such. By nature, she wasn't a very trusting person - because she wouldn't trust herself completely if it came to it - but she wanted to be.]

[With that in mind, she hesitated only briefly before putting her hand in his, wondering what the hell he was up to.]

[Did she just successfully goad him into a rage!dance?]

Edited 2014-05-30 18:00 (UTC)

[Oh come on, even he isn't barbaric enough to use violence on a girl in public in a middle of a party!

... At most times. And thankfully, it isn't his intention now, either; instead, Ragna simply takes her hand and starts walking in the direction they came from in the first place─ namely, towards the dance floor.]

You wanted to dance, right? Fine, you're getting it.

[He says that with a huff, looking not unlike an offended ~~and overgrown~~ child.]

*Well, that was quite the reaction that Faye had expected - her compliments are usually met a bit more enthusiastically. But perhaps what he says next has something to do with it. She tilts her head slightly and smiles*

"Sparkles with fabulousness", hmm? In my books, that can count for handsome, but maybe not the kind that likes what I personally have to offer...

*Perhaps both brothers are gay, she decides*

[And Ikki arches an eyebrow at that.]

I'm afraid you have lost me. What do you have to personally offer besides good company and conversatio-

[He pauses as a lightbulb flashes in his mind, because despite everything and the comment about being handsome or not... Those kind of things still don't come to him as an actual thing that comes up in natural conversations.]

Oh, you mean that. You're wrong, he would like it, he's fabulous but not in that way.

[Now excuse him as he turns red under the mask.]

*When Ikki initially begins to ask the question, Faye raises an arched eyebrow of her own, pressing her chest ever so slightly closer to him in order to aid him with the answer. She smirks widely at his realisation and laughs, tapping his upper arm with her hand*

Interesting. And good to know. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Ikki growls lowly at that, feeling the urge of pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.]

You people should wear a sign or something that announces when you're starting to talk about that or flirting or whatever.

[It would help him to keep track at least.]

If by 'you people' you mean 'gorgeous women', then you're right. Perhaps we do. Though a handsome dancer like yourself should be used to such attentions, no?

*Well, now that Faye has discovered he's capable of being flustered, that just makes things all the more interesting*

I mean people, in general. Those kind of things aren't anywhere near the top of the list of things that come to mind when I'm dealing with another living being.

[But it seems that they are on everyone else's top lists, or at least that they expect his top list to include those things.]

Eh... I guess the women I've danced with so far may have done it, or maybe they were just being over-flattering and nice as it seems to be expected from those things. I don't really know.

[His social skills are really close to zero in every aspect.]

Ah, I see. Then it's neither hear nor there for you, but I'd be bored in a world without attraction. It's just too much fun.

*She could be prepared to accept that he just doesn't like this sort of thing, or maybe he's asexual. She'd come across that once or twice*

For example, I rather like that there's a few men around the dancefloor who have been between eyeing me in my dress, and glaring at you in envy.

*Faye chuckles slightly, then tilts her head at Ikki*

And what about me? You think I'm just being nice because it's expected?

There's attraction and there's that. For me both things are very different, though I've come to understand that people can't imagine one without the other.

[And it had been a bitter lesson, to be honest, even if technically he knew it all along. He's not normal and thus not made to have normal relationships with others.]

That's good, you can enjoy whatever you want after all. Though I would prefer if that doesn't mean that you value your worth based on how much someone wants to do that to you.

[Unlike other girls seem to do. Sure, this one seems smart but... So seemed Selphie and she has thoughtfully demonstrated him to lack an actual functional brain regarding her own worth.]

You? No, you seem to have much more than that in you. If it was just like that you would have excused yourself nicely well before we started dancing.

[What, Kodachi would totally hurl someone across a room in the middle of a party.]

[Kodachi raised her brows at the way he said that he was finally dancing with her - it was as if he was meting some sort of punishment upon her. Except he looked miserable, while she simply felt bemused.]

[Ragna, you're weird.]

What a change of heart.

[She smiled slyly and easily took up the closed position, coming close to lay her free hand on his shoulder.]

Hmm, no. I don't think they're very different. But they're different. For a start, I think you're attractive, but I have no designs to take you home with me. There's nothing less attractive that forcing something on someone that doesn't want it...

*The music tempo changes into something slower, and Faye pauses to rearrange her footing. Her voice lacks the cheekiness that it had in it a moment ago*

Every woman hinges worth on her attractiveness. It's not our fault - we've been brought up to believe that if men don't want us, then we're useless. It's not all my worth, but it's still a part of it.

*But then she smirks, apparently much amused by his final statement*

One hundred per cent genuine. That's me.

That's more than what some people think.

[Ikki adjusts the dancing as soon as the tempo changes, pausing just enough so both can get into the new pace. What she says next makes him hum lightly, it's something no one had told him so far so he just didn't understand it. Suddenly he thinks he can understand why Athena makes her female Saints wear masks, and why Selphie was so focused on being wanted.]

I see... It's disgusting. [Actually by his tone it's far beyond disgusting but he can't think of a better word at the moment.] No living being should value their worth on that and no living being is useless. Women are far more than baby fabrics and a pretty face.

[He can imagine where those teachings come from. Men like his father. Maybe even men like Seiya, he didn't see women as objects, true, but he never really treated women the same as men, not when he hesitates to punch a woman even if she's trying to kill him. Ikki, however, never saw the point on it. He had wanted to rescue Esmeralda and protect her, but had she been a boy, as long as he was also kind and suffering, Ikki would have befriended him and would have wanted to save him. And obviously he never hesitates in punching a woman when she's fighting him. He doesn't hesitate even when it's someone he loves.]

Thank you, believe it or not, no one had mentioned that to me before. I think I can understand things a bit better now.

[Even if he still disapproves of it and all, at least now he isn't that surprised or confused as to where it comes from.]

*The hand on his shoulder runs gently, as though trying to calm him down in case he lost his temper on the dancefloor. He did sound particularly angry, Faye thought*

Nice to have a male agree. But sadly, there are too many men that see women as objects for the taking, for owning. Even if they claim otherwise. Way I see it, if men are too stupid to realise what they're doing, then I'm more than happy to use my looks to get exactly what I want from them. It can be depressingly easy sometimes.

*She frowns a little at his thanks - polite, but how the hell could he be this age and not have known that? Faye didn't know exactly how old he was, but judging by his build, he was certainly old enough to understand more about women*

Are you kidding? Never noticed a girl trying out new clothes, new styles? Playing with her hair? Wearing make up? All about trying to impress, to be wanted. Women feel rejection more keenly than men, because it makes us wonder about what we're worth. So we preen until we're noticed, and accepted.

[He is angry, however it takes more than that to make him actually lose his temper. Especially when he knows he has to control it. Still the hand movement makes him realize that he may be letting a bit too much of said anger show and he takes a breath, forcing himself to relax, at least as much as he can relax normally.]

I know of men that don't even consider women objects for taking or owning, just as toys to play with for a bit and then throw them aside. Which is why I have never understand why anyone would want to be wanted that way. It doesn't just put someone's worth in their appearance, but it doesn't even last as it's a one time thing.

[He sighs at her next question, yeah, he probably should have noticed. But without knowing the basics...]

I knew girls liked new clothes and new styles as well as painting their faces. But I thought the clothes thing was just because they liked them, the styles because they wanted to see themselves differently... And depending how it was wore I thought the make up was either a paint to hide their real face or some sort of war paint.

[He shrugs lightly before he adds something else, his tone calm but there's a hint of pain deep under it.]

I once new a girl who wore no make up on her face, but mud and ashes. Her only dress was just a ragged sheet poorly patched as something wearable, dirty and with washed out colours. Her hair was blonde, but it was so dirty and uneven that it could have been a wig made of hay. And her hands were just as dirty, rough and calloused due all the work she had to do. Compared to those noble ladies gathered here with their most expensive clothes and jewels I guess people would say that she was nothing. But I assure you that I have yet to meet a woman who is more beautiful than she was.

[Pause.]

That doesn't mean I haven't meet women whom I thought were pretty or beautiful, though. It's just that for me, no matter how a women or a man preens or whatever, if the inside is made of shit, all I will see is exactly that, even if it's covered with make up and fancy clothes. I guess you could say that my perception of the world is broken.

Masquerade Ball - Totally not an ambush

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That Face!

Isn't it perfect?

Very! XD

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