high_seas | Masquerade Ball - Totally not an ambush

I never asked.

[The man snaps at her in response almost on instinct, and immediately regrets it when he catches a glimpse of her expression. He recalls how she reacted when he carelessly suggested she'd never get married─ and for some reason Ragna cannot fathom, that apparently holds great meaning to the girl. Better leave that subject alone.]

... I dunno what people do during crap like this. You tell me.

People usually dance, eat, drink, mingle, chat, and have fun.

[Kodachi eyed him.]

I'm not certain if any of those things are desirable to you.

[Yes, she did insinuate - or blatantly state - that he probably didn't like having fun. It was probably an alien concept to him.]

[A thought occurred to her.]

Why do you dislike people so much?

Why the hell not? I'm starving. Sure wouldn't mind grabbing some grub.

[... So at least there's that. Her assumption isn't exactly correct─ sure, Ragna likes having fun as much as the next guy. It's more that ever since the incident eight years ago, he pretty much lost the ability to for most part.]

... Don't be stupid. I don't "dislike" people. [That's a strong word, one that suggests their very existence annoys him. Which... isn't necessarily true. Despite the pure disdain he's showing others, his crew included, the Grim Reaper doesn't actually mind most of them all that much.] I just don't like it when they stick their noses into my business.

Come on, then.

[Kodachi nodded to him and headed in the direction of the banquet tables, where, incidentally, she'd knocked out a lecherous Navy officer and hid him under the tablecloths.]

[She took a plate and peered at the delicious choices.]

Hmm . . . I suppose anyone would dislike that.

[She put a sliver of baked salmon and some capers onto her plate.]

It seems a bit lonely, though.

[Ragna follows her silently, scanning the table once they get there. He has to admit it's rather impressive─ the man barely ever manages to dine at smaller restaurants in more shady areas of Hierarchical Cities without getting jumped by a bunch of vigilantes back in his world, so this sort of rich cuisine and wide variety of choices is new to him.

The Grim Reaper grabs a plate and puts whatever is the closest dish on it without much consideration.]

That so? [He's perfectly aware of it, yes. But he also doesn't see why this should be an issue. His Master and the Rabbit warned him multiple times that the path he'd decided to walk would be a painful one, but he'd already lost everything and everyone he loved and cared for. What else is there left to hurt him?] ... Whatever. It's the choice I've made.

[Kodachi watched him curiously. She would've pointed out what food complimented what, but then, he was a big boy and he could figure that out himself. It was strange how she felt, at times, that she was the older one between the both of them, but in truth they were simply naive about the other's world.]

Do you ever wonder what'll happen when . . . well, it's all over?

[She nibbled on her food thoughtfully, looking up at him.]

When you get what you want, do you know what you'll be doing next?

[While Ragna's probably never seen most of these dishes in his life, he can tell what's what. Perhaps even try making some of them in the ship's kitchen if he feels like it. Hell, he'd probably get irritated if she tried lecturing him─ he's aware they have completely different backgrounds, and he's not exactly interested in learning more about hers.

The Grim Reaper doesn't answer immediately, looking away from Kodachi. This isn't something he thinks about a lot, being far more focused on his goal rather than the aftermath.]

... More or less.

[After he's finished with the NOL, the Imperator and Terumi, he'll... die, most likely. Though to make that happen, he needs to get the hell out of here first, and fast. And before it all ends... he'd like to settle his score with Jin, too. Who knows, with any luck, it may be his little brother who takes his life.]

[Kodachi watched as his expression shuttered closed. She herself wondered the same thing - though of course, the consequences of her choice were less dire than his. Not marrying the man that you loved did feel like death, but it was a small death compared to everything else he had to go through.]

[She frowned, looking down at her plate, appetite suddenly waning.]

Such grim topics for a party!

[She put a smile upon her face and looked up at him. She was fully aware that she'd started it, because she did like conversation, but she knew that that look in his eyes didn't equate to good things. He didn't have a bright view of his future, that much was certain.]

[The man snaps out of the gloomy thoughts, turning to Kodachi with a blink. Is... Is she trying to cheer him up? It's not like he was in need of that, though... much to his surprise, it's not exactly unwelcome, either. Ragna picks at the food on his plate with a fork for a short moment, uncertain how to respond, before finally letting out a small sigh.]

... Sorry. I'm not good at small talk.

[It seems that he truly means it for once. Sure, the Grim Reaper wasn't the one to start that subject, but he probably wouldn't do much better with any other.]

[Had Kodachi been any less formal of a lady, she would have given him a shrug; as it was, she waved a hand carelessly to dismiss the apology.]

I started it anyway.

[But that wasn't to say that she didn't appreciate it.]

[She stood there in silence for a moment.]

You could ask questions about me too, you know. [An arch of her brow.] I don't think you want to know, but small talk sometimes involves asking questions so that the other person's talking and you don't have to say anything - or listen.

[She quirked a smile.] Be grateful for my sage advice!

I really don't give a shit...

[Which is a great way to start a conversation, I tell you.

Ragna lets his eyes wander around the table in front of him, as if hoping to find a suitable topic for a chit-chat among the dishes. Finally, he grows tired of the awkward silence and lifts his gaze back at the girl.]

... You mentioned getting married, no? Why the hell would you do that? I mean... in the future, sure, but you're what, sixteen? [If he remembers correctly, she mentioned being something around that age.] Shouldn't you be going to school and meeting friends and... do whatever it is that teenage girls do?

[There, that works. Not sure if it's a good one, but he's honestly out of ideas here.]

We already know that.

[Kodachi was getting used to how many times he said that he didn't care about this or that. We know that you don't have any fucks to give, Ragna. We know.]

I do go to school. Well, I was, until I was kidnapped. [She frowned at that.] I was attending school, winning tournaments . . . and now I'm meeting friends.

[She tilted her head to one side.] Why shouldn't I be able to do all of those things when I'm married?

[Perhaps he needs to repeat that every now and then to remind himself of it. Perhaps.]

It's not that you wouldn't be able to... just, marriage is one hell of a serious crap, right? People your age should probably wait a bit before making a decision like that...

[That's what he imagines it to be like, anyway. The Grim Reaper has never been interested in that kind of thing himself.]

Don't tell me your family's okay with this?

[He's having a hard time imagining that. Ragna knows that if it was about his little siblings, he wouldn't allow them to do something as foolish while they're still kids─ for their own good, of course.

... Not that he was there to watch over them when they were her age, unfortunately.]

They are, in fact.

[Her brother had said yes to her and Ranma so that he could, in turn, steal Ranma's fiancee, Akane. It was complicated, alright.]

[As for her father, he never got in the way of Kodachi's wishes - and only hated Ranma because he wanted to give him a bowl cut. As earlier mentioned - complicated.]

Believe it or not, I wouldn't mind waiting to get married. Whether it happens now or later is all the same to me - what's important is being with the person that I love!

[The only reason she's rushed into things was either she saw the golden opportunity to do it or . . . well, she just wanted to make sure that Ranma wouldn't escape her and marry one of his other fiancees.]

Huh.

[Ragna figures it must be one hell of an interesting family. There again, just looking at Kodachi should tell him as much.]

Sounds like you've really fallen head over heels for the poor bastard. [Yes, he's just called him "poor". For a reason, too.] You sure he's the right guy for you?

[Will he treat her right? Protect her? Stand by her side no matter what─ wait a minute, why the hell is he even curious enough to ask about shit like that? It's not like it concerns him in any way. Oh well. Perhaps he's getting better at this small talk thing.]

[Her brother fancied himself a samurai and the Blue Thunder, while her father was a maniac who insisted on giving girls bowl cuts and boys shaved heads. It was strange, though, how he never wanted to cut his precious daughter's hair . . .]

I have, in fact!

[She said that with so much pride.]

I believe that he is. He's kind and compassionate . . . even if he may not seem like it.

[Though, the fact that he loved someone else was a mark down on the "are you sure he's the right guy for you" scale.]

Good for you, I suppose.

[He's still not convinced, but the girl is so honest in expressing her feelings, Ragna simply can't bring himself to dampen her mood. Here's hoping that if the guy turns out to be a jerk (or alternatively, a reasonable human being), it'll be before the wedding so that the whole thing can be canceled painlessly.

Though with that clarified, he can't think of anything else to ask regarding the marriage thing. WELP.]

... So, uh. You mentioned some tournaments...?

[Look, he's trying really hard to keep the conversation going, okay.]

[Kodachi all but beamed at him. He was learning! And being civil! This was amazing. No one on the Katabami would believe her if she'd told them that she'd gotten Ragna to converse with her.]

I did. As you know, I'm a martial artist.

[She smiled mischievously, remembering his astonishment when she'd crept up on him when they were in that creepy island. Whoops.]

I'm quite famous where I come from, as I usually win and I am the captain of my team.

[It was said matter-of-factly, without arrogance. Kodachi simply knew herself to be the best in her school of martial arts.]

Perhaps sometime you'd like to see a demonstration.

[That response is met with a frown on Ragna's part. Oh yes, he remembers very well how not only she sneaked up on him, but also put him to sleep with a goddamn rose.]

Whoo. I can't wait.

[Kodachi must know this flat tone of his by now─ the one where his sarcasm makes it clear as a day the way he feels is the exact opposite to what he says. It's not that he doesn't believe her; on the contrary, now that he's been paying more attention to her movements and keeping his guard up around her (you know, just in case she tries something funny again), the Grim Reaper can tell she's quite a skilled fighter. Still, he's not exactly interested in seeing her in action.]

[And, as always, Kodachi took Ragna's sarcasm in stride - and took his words literally. She didn't care if he'd rather walk the plank than see her do a gymnastics demonstration; she was going to make him watch her whether he liked it or not.]

Wonderful!

[She clapped her hands together and did a pirouette.]

Perhaps you can even spar with me!

[Ragna opens his mouth to say something in protest─ but he quickly realizes there's no point in trying to do that. He really should've known better, since Kodachi always seems to ignore the sarcasm part and take his words at face value. The man sighs, feeling it's a little too late to argue about it now.]

... Whatever. Guess a spar can't hurt...

[Although he'd feel weird fighting against the girl. Not that he hasn't faced kids in battle before, but it's far from his favorite thing to do.]

[Kodachi smiled at that. Yes, he may have been rude and annoying, but at least he knew when he had no choice. That was very important.]

When did you learn how to fight?

[Feeling much more at ease, she began to place more edibles onto her plate.]

I was doing martial arts as soon as I could walk and talk.

[Ragna finally takes interest in his own plate as well, sampling various dishes. They're actually pretty good, which may at least make up for being dragged to this place.

The Grim Reaper doesn't find this new information odd─ sure, he's unfamiliar with the ways of Kodachi's world, but in his own, it seems to be common for the children of noble families to be trained in combat from early on, so that they can join the Librarium's ranks later. So it all makes sense.]

That was like... eight years ago, I guess.

[Never the one to keep the track of time too closely ~~since he's jobless~~, Ragna feels slightly surprised at his own words. Eight years already? And yet, that sounds about right... The years spent by Jubei's side sure flew by fast.]

How did you learn?

[Kodachi remembered training with various teachers until she could best them all. And best them all she did. It was part and parcel her talent and her penchant for fighting dirty, but then, that was all ancient history by now.]

[She eyed him all of a sudden, looking him up and down.]

How old are you, anyway?

From my Master.

[And he taught him well. Besting him, though? That's something Ragna wouldn't even dream of; Jubei is the strongest creature to walk on Earth, after all, and one of the legendary Six Heroes on top of that. The old coot may claim he's no longer what he used to be, but he could still defeat most of the world's warriors with minimal effort.

The man blinks, feeling rather uncomfortable with the look she's suddenly giving him. He raises an eyebrow at the question, too─ it's not something he's asked too often.]

Me? I'm twenty-three... no, wait. It's April already, no? Then I guess twenty-four it is...

[~~headcanon ahoy~~ It's hard to keep up with your own age, okay.]

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