[ dextera doesn’t know what it’s like, when people leave. for those who have disappeared and returned, it’s been different. their names remained, the color stayed. those who have well and truly left… there’s no way of knowing what the trip home is like. how much they retain. ]
I don’t know… what will happen. But I know… what loss is like. So…
[ the transition trails off, dextera left even more wordless than usual. he hopes damian can understand. ]
[After a long moment or two, Damian's hand lifts, and he settles it over the top of one of Dextera's own. The squeeze has a lot of trained power beneath it, but it's surprisingly gentle and also reassuring.]
I will. When I go back... I'll spend more time with him. [He heard Dextera's advice, he's saying.] I'm fine.
Tell anyone you saw tears from me, and I'll eat Leliel for dinner.
[Even not knowing how Damian is, Dextera would know this threat was a such a bold lie solely because he's vegetarian... and he loves animals too much.]
[ that gets a smile out of dextera, and he does wonder how this turned from trying to cheer damian up to dextera himself getting a mood-lift. it’s always nice to see damian, anyway, even at a time like this. ]
I think she would object.
[ she would also object if damian moved right now, so… he’s stuck here forever, probably. ]
[Yeah, Damian would voluntarily turn into a skeleton standing here if the chicken didn't want him to move. What a way to go.
But instead of withering away at the whims of poultry, Damian bends again to gently gather her up in his arms.] Were you taking her outside? Let's go. [He hadn't meant to hold them up with his Episode.]
[ dextera nods, watching with only mild jealousy as leliel clucks and burrows into damian’s arms. she’s really the perfect girl. everyone should want a chicken as fluffy and lovable as leliel. ]
Things are normal again. I’m… better.
[ “better” being relative to how he was when half the town saw his trauma. ]
[At this, Damian nods like it's an agreement. The last widespread happening was such a wild, sometimes devastating ride. He understands.
With Leliel in hand, Damian leads them out. She really is, like, the perfect chicken, and Damian is actually glad Dextera has her. But, sadly, Damian has to put her back on the ground so she can stretch her legs and not get too fat.
For a moment, it looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, he tips his head back and peers at the sky. Being outside feels less suffocating than being inside. It feels like he can make sure there's no stains left on his face.]
[ as soon as she’s down, leliel runs free… to start immediately pecking at the ground, because no matter how much she stretches her legs, she’s going to eat enough to balance it out. bless her. ]
…?
[ dextera watches damian rather than his pet, though, noting the way he looks up at the sky. ]
I’ve seen ice. And I know… on snowy days… you curl up by the heater because it’s so cold. That’s… what people do.
[ he works through it like he’s remembering something someone told him, because he is. the mood of the population. windy days are bothersome, cloudy days are melancholic… sunny days, “you can, like, work all energetically and whatever.”
he remembers quotes about weather quite well, even if he’s never experienced some of it. ]
Boring people stay inside by the heater. [Damian half smirks. It sounds like Dextera is reciting something from a textbook.] Other people do things differently.
They go outside and throw snowballs or make snowmen. [Not that he... does these things... Shut up. All that matters is the topic is a good buffer for his earlier sad mood.] Sometimes, they go sledding if they're feeling particularly dangerous.
Feel like being dangerous? [He knows that's not exactly what Dextera meant, but--it's funny.] All the time.
I'm sure people here will drag you out into the snow when it comes. After you spend a day in it, you'll be ready for fire afterward. [When he looks away, it isn't anything in particular, and his gaze is thoughtful.] Kids usually throw snowballs and make snowmen.
[ dextera wonders if damian counts himself among the kids or adults, when he talks about throwing snowballs and making snowmen. he’s never done either, so it doesn’t really matter what category he falls in. ]
Guren has a fireplace.
[ damian was not going to get out of this conversation without hearing about guren. ]
As if Ichinose really knows how to have fun. Tch. [They'll just have to bully Guren. He gets dick pumpkins for Halloween and dick snowmen for Christmas.] But maybe you and Hyakuya will be able to get him outside.
[Otherwise, Guren is just going to be broody about the time of the year and a certain apocalypse.]
Then you can throw snowballs at him. The rule is you have to hit him in the face.
[ hm. a snowball fight with yuu, and guren, and possibly damian as well… it sounds like it would get violent in an instant, with all those egos, but dextera thinks it would be a lot of fun, too. ]
He can take it. He's always bragging about how strong he is, isn't he? It'll just sting because it's ice. [Poor Dextera would be in a giant garbage mess with Yuu, Guren, and Damian.
Probably because Yuu and Damian would gang up on Guren and try to get Dextera on their side, too.] The rule is: don't put rocks in the snowballs. That's when it's dangerous.
[He owned some bullies at Jon's school for doing that.]
[ ah, memories of all the times dextera has died because of an actual solid block of ice impaling him. at least, by now, there’s no chance of it being transferred. ]
When it snows… let’s get together. You can show me how to do it.
[ that’s the conclusion he comes to, with damian laying out the rules for snowball fights like this. ]
[For a moment or two, he glances at and regards Dextera without saying anything yet. Then he looks away again, out over the yard that'll one day soon be covered with snow more than likely.]
Fine. Don't say anything to Ichinose. When it snows, we'll make some snowballs with Hyakuya, and we'll go knock on his door. When he opens it, we'll throw the snowballs on him.
[ it sounds like exactly the kind of thing that a kid would come up with, but considering everything that damian is dealing with right now, it’s fine if he wants to act like a child. teasing guren is stress relief, even if they’re only just plans for the future right now. ]
…deal.
[ and then, he offers his hand out. let’s shake on it! ]
[Thanks, calendar, for the Halloween snow. Sadly, it won't stick...]
Deal. [Reaching out, Damian doesn't shake Dextera's hand. Instead, he presents his pinky finger much like they've done before, waits for Dextera to accept this instead.] A promise.
[ dextera will gladly accept it. a pinky promise is an important thing, something unbreakable, and it feels like a little more than just promising to give guren a hard time.
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I don’t know… what will happen. But I know… what loss is like. So…
[ the transition trails off, dextera left even more wordless than usual. he hopes damian can understand. ]
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I will. When I go back... I'll spend more time with him. [He heard Dextera's advice, he's saying.] I'm fine.
Tell anyone you saw tears from me, and I'll eat Leliel for dinner.
[Even not knowing how Damian is, Dextera would know this threat was a such a bold lie solely because he's vegetarian... and he loves animals too much.]
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I think she would object.
[ she would also object if damian moved right now, so… he’s stuck here forever, probably. ]
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[Yeah, Damian would voluntarily turn into a skeleton standing here if the chicken didn't want him to move. What a way to go.
But instead of withering away at the whims of poultry, Damian bends again to gently gather her up in his arms.] Were you taking her outside? Let's go. [He hadn't meant to hold them up with his Episode.]
How are you doing?
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Things are normal again. I’m… better.
[ “better” being relative to how he was when half the town saw his trauma. ]
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With Leliel in hand, Damian leads them out. She really is, like, the perfect chicken, and Damian is actually glad Dextera has her. But, sadly, Damian has to put her back on the ground so she can stretch her legs and not get too fat.
For a moment, it looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, he tips his head back and peers at the sky. Being outside feels less suffocating than being inside. It feels like he can make sure there's no stains left on his face.]
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…?
[ dextera watches damian rather than his pet, though, noting the way he looks up at the sky. ]
It looks like… rain is coming.
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[He lowers his head, eyes flicking to Leliel who, as expected, simply starts pecking around them in the vicinity. What a good bean.]
Before long, it'll probably be snowing. [Which... Slowly, he glances up and over at Dextera.] Have you ever seen snow before?
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I’ve seen ice. And I know… on snowy days… you curl up by the heater because it’s so cold. That’s… what people do.
[ he works through it like he’s remembering something someone told him, because he is. the mood of the population. windy days are bothersome, cloudy days are melancholic… sunny days, “you can, like, work all energetically and whatever.”
he remembers quotes about weather quite well, even if he’s never experienced some of it. ]
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They go outside and throw snowballs or make snowmen. [Not that he... does these things... Shut up. All that matters is the topic is a good buffer for his earlier sad mood.] Sometimes, they go sledding if they're feeling particularly dangerous.
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…?
[ snowballs! snowmen! what is all that! ]
Do you?
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I'm sure people here will drag you out into the snow when it comes. After you spend a day in it, you'll be ready for fire afterward. [When he looks away, it isn't anything in particular, and his gaze is thoughtful.] Kids usually throw snowballs and make snowmen.
But I've seen adults do it, too.
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Guren has a fireplace.
[ damian was not going to get out of this conversation without hearing about guren. ]
Maybe… when it snows… we can all play together.
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As if Ichinose really knows how to have fun. Tch. [They'll just have to bully Guren. He gets dick pumpkins for Halloween and dick snowmen for Christmas.] But maybe you and Hyakuya will be able to get him outside.
[Otherwise, Guren is just going to be broody about the time of the year and a certain apocalypse.]
Then you can throw snowballs at him. The rule is you have to hit him in the face.
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Wouldn’t that hurt?
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Probably because Yuu and Damian would gang up on Guren and try to get Dextera on their side, too.] The rule is: don't put rocks in the snowballs. That's when it's dangerous.
[He owned some bullies at Jon's school for doing that.]
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When it snows… let’s get together. You can show me how to do it.
[ that’s the conclusion he comes to, with damian laying out the rules for snowball fights like this. ]
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Fine. Don't say anything to Ichinose. When it snows, we'll make some snowballs with Hyakuya, and we'll go knock on his door. When he opens it, we'll throw the snowballs on him.
Deal?
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…deal.
[ and then, he offers his hand out. let’s shake on it! ]
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Deal. [Reaching out, Damian doesn't shake Dextera's hand. Instead, he presents his pinky finger much like they've done before, waits for Dextera to accept this instead.] A promise.
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[ dextera will gladly accept it. a pinky promise is an important thing, something unbreakable, and it feels like a little more than just promising to give guren a hard time.
he hooks his pinky around damian’s, and nods. ]