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[ Maika gives a wry chuckle and tosses her hair, forgetting again that it's tied back for the moment. ]

Who all the men are kissing? Couldn't think of anything that interests me less. But...

[ Hmm, how to put it. She falls silent and thoughtful for a moment, just watching the stars as they walk. ]

[Schneider snickers a little, her gaze focused on the path in front of them]

I don't care for how horny any of them are honestly. But...?

Edited 2024-10-07 23:22 (UTC)

[ Maika snickers too — that's a blunt way to put it, but she's never been one to care about refinement. Although she thinks they're probably pretty middle of the road, by her standards. ]

But... I don't hate a world where people can get so excited over something so pointless. It's a luxury.

That's rather optimistic and loving of you.

[ Schneider smirks. She can't disagree but she also can't summon even the slightest sense of endearment either. It's all so removed from her after all]

Do you think you'll become the hero Braphine wants us to be then?

[ Oh, gross. Maika grimaces and shoots the bottle in Schneider's hand a glance. ]

If you keep saying shit like that, I'll change my mind about drinking. [ She might yet, before the night gets much older. ] I'm not doing fuck-all for that goddess. And I'm no hero. I'm just a killer who doesn't have anything to do in this place, unless that god of whatever wants to make another appearance.

[Ahahaha ] Then don't say such sappy shit. [ She lifts the bottle up a little more] What a pair we make then. Killers with nothing better to do with our time.

[ Maika hums a little in agreement. ]

Makes you wonder why Braphine chose us. I've only ever been good at the one thing. [ Well, not that violence doesn't have its uses here. She can certainly guess. ] ...What did you want to be? If you could have chosen anything?

...I never had the luxury to think about anything like that. You survive or die. Even before Chicago.

[ She lived in a small world in Sicily. ]

No time for dreaming, then. At least in my world, there was a time before the war.

[ Also not really dreamy, but. Maika shakes her head to brush that aside. ]

We have nothing but time now, though.

What about you? [ Not dreamy but they can play pretend for a moment]

If you had something you wanted to do, what would it be?

[ Schneider is humoring her, isn't she? But then, she can be kind like that sometimes. ]

...I don't know. People who knew me as a child tell me I loved to dance. I want to remember that. But it's not a direction.

[ An objective, a purpose. She's someone who doesn't know how to steer without that. ]

Hm. [She sets her bottle and glasses down on a park bench and holds a hand out to Maika]

Then shall we dance? Maybe that will give you some kind of memory or feeling.

Heh. We could have stayed at the party for that.

[ Although the thought of the party brings another smile to her lips briefly. But she shrugs and pushes herself up from the bench to take Schneider's hand. ]

But then we would have to deal with other people and the crowd. Very annoying.

[Schneider steps back, tipping into a little curtsy. There is music playing from a nearby bar and that is enough to sway to]

And the chatter and the inane questions.

[ Although Maika sounds more amused than sharp about it. Sometimes, one is just the world's angriest extrovert. She gives Schneider a bow only slightly ironic in its awkwardness and follows her obligingly in the sway, athletic-graceful despite the unfamiliarity of dancing again. ]

...I didn't think I could miss my own world. This place made me realize otherwise.

Mm. We always long for the familiar, don't we?

[ Schneider laughs and begins to move to the beat, her steps natural and at ease]

Even the shithole places.

Hah. Better the shithole you know...

[ The one you belong in. Maika's grin turns wry, just a little focused as she follows the rhythm that Schneider picks out. ]

...There were beautiful places there, too. Maybe not many, anymore. But they hung on. And they'll rebuild.

Mmm. [ Schneider can't see that for herself. There's nothing to be found in dust to dust. But] Then it must be worth going back for.

[ Maika nods — she's never been in doubt of that, for all the shit she'll talk about her world. There's just too much she's not done with.

The only people who were ever real family to her need her now. ]

...To me, anyway. What about you? I know your home is gone. And this place...

[ Kind of sucks, actually. ]

If I could go back to my family, I'd go back in an instant. [Schneider admits freely] I... didn't mind the poverty. Back then...

[well, she was young enough not to know any better]

Fuck. I won't stay here though. Maybe...

[ She'll turn back to dust? Give up on everything...?]

...It didn't matter, while you had each other?

[ She doubts the sappy words will leave Schneider's mouth, so she'll say it. Whatever. She's bared worse vulnerabilities before.

Maika glances out at the night, giving a quiet huff as she tugs Schneider along. Dancing, still moving. She hates being still. ]

You've already come this far. There's got to be something better than this.

[She nudges Maika's hand to send her into a graceful twirl and doesn't answer. Maika already know it anyway ]

Better than this? [ A strange smile curves at Schneider's lips] I wonder, sometimes. With the way the other "chosen" behave...ahaha.

[ Maika spins, her expression brightening a little despite herself. With our without those memories, there's still no denying that she loves to dance. ]

...What, you mean you think every world out there only makes fucked-up people?

Yes. [Honestly] I did not think I'd meet anyone more messed up than me, and yet...

[ Okay, she wins. That gets a crack of a laugh out of Maika. ]

Congrats. You and me? We're normal. Maybe a little traumatized and pissed off. But I'd say we're still more sane than not.

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unweathered - 2024-10-24 05:49 (UTC) - Expand