Of the engagement, there was not much to say. It had been years since he had had a fight worth talking about, and centuries since he had faced anything that could truly hurt him. Still, it had scratched that itch, and given him an opportunity to watch Yulia Bostova in action.
Hikaru Shinta happened to be watching Yulia now, as they cleaned up. There he was, lighting up another cigarette, tracing her progress across the warehouse floor. The place reeked now, and there was definitely more blood than there was anything else. Thankfully, that did not have to be his concern, or the concern of his companion for the moment. The Methuselah, on the other hand...
The Blade King laughed a little, and took another drag from his cigarette. Thinking about making somebody of Elias Tagabigay's pop another vein always amused him.
"Want one?"
He held his pack out in Yulia's direction the moment she was close enough, and smiled. Best not to give her the impression that he was laughing at nothing, or, worse yet, laughing at her.
At first, she thought she was the one laughing. She isn't; Anya was. She hasn't heard herself laugh in years, and that voice was definitely Anya's. She missed the sound of her laughing, although it sounded a little different now. They were both different now.
Yulia let her sister be, shaking her head as she wiped a spatter of blood off her cheek. It probably wasn't the best decision as it only smeared the blood across her face, but it was less annoying now. She rolls her shoulders, letting her muscles relax. The fight was delightful. Sure, it wasn't her best, but she hadn't felt that rush of excitement in quite some time, now. Not since... Not since them.
Still, when she turned to the Blade King, there was a small smile on her face-- she probably hasn't even noticed she's smiling yet. She had to step over limbs to get to him, sure, but she just sort of admired their little handiwork. She wasn't at his level just yet (probably never will be), but at least she was no hindrance. She was good at her job, and she was damn proud of it.
She reached for his proffered pack, taking a stick from it with her less bloody hand. "Spasiba," she said as she lit up. She took a drag from her cigarette before returning the pack and addressing him, one eyebrow raised. Anya had calmed down at this point, but she could practically feel her smile in her head.
He decided, yet again, that he quite liked it when Yulia smiled. He knew of only too many people who felt that they were incapable of it. They had their reasons, of course, and he understood them all too well, but few came to realize that the first step to being better was to act like one was better.
(That is something you are good at, isn't it?)
And I do wonder whose fault THAT is.
"The local Vanguard division is going to have a bitch of a time cleaning all of this up."
And there will probably be a report of two crazy Bladians being behind it. One from Netsach, and that other being That Fucking Blade King from Zangyaku. Another one for the records, another urban legend for novices to gape or giggle at over the network.
Hunting built a special sort of camaraderie, all in the different shades of morbid truths and even more morbid humor.
Yulia allowed herself a short, soft chuckle as she looked back at the mess they had made. "That should be fun."
For a moment, she wondered if she could help, maybe just a little. With all that blood-- she'd seen it happen: with Saxon and Breton at that evening at King's Rest, calling the blood to them (you found it sexy.); and many years ago, with the Blade King himself when he saved her small, starving village. It would take time for her to master that skill, but in time, she knew she would. She was determined enough.
"So," she began, bringing the cigarette to her lips again. Too casual, she thinks; a little like what Kaz had done a while back. It felt a little embarrassing, but what's done was done and all she had to do was go with it. Roll with the punches, as they said.
"Right now? I plan on finishing a few more cigarettes and waiting around for the Vanguard boys to come in for the debriefing. After that, though..."
He smiled, as he brought the cig back up to his lips.
"You need to take me around."
Yulia had been the one who had specifically cited Prague. Surely she knew what was worth looking at and what wasn't?
(That, and he wanted to see what she was going to do, being back in a city for reasons that she did not seem comfortable divulging. And that could only mean one thing.)
Yulia tilts her head in thought, running through her memory of Prague. There is a brief flicker of emotion in her eyes when she thinks of a place.
It was a small place along a lonely-looking road. Had a nice view of the river. Marcin and Hans practically had to drag Yulia there, who, at the time just wanted to return home. But it was Stefan's birthday, and everyone else wante to celebrate, and she eventually gave in.
"There is bar across the Vltava," she said, her voice betraying none of her feelings (embarrassment? regret? both?). "You might like there."
She remembered the route. They could cut through a wooded park, take the bridge by the old town. She remembered Ingrid wanting to stop by the Astronomical Clock on the way, how she rolled her eyes when pictures were taken.
She doesn't think of what happened after the bar.
But if Hikaru Shinta wanted her to show him around like standard tourist fare, he could shove that thought up his ass and pay for the goddamned boring tour guide himself.
"If you like it there, then I'm sure I'll like it there."
Thankfully, Hikaru was completely uninterested in guided tours, stilted shuttling from one famous place to another. He preferred to explore, to dwell on all of the little things, to take his sweet damned time sucking on the marrow of the city and reveling in how the insides tasted different with every bone he took.
The door opened at that moment, and seconds later, the anxious face of a boy in a Methuselah uniform was peeking in.
"Inquisitor Shinta...?"
"Thanks." He turned to Yulia just once before walking towards the operative. "Give me five minutes, then we can go."
Yulia was about to say, about to reply that no, she did not like it there (lies, all lies.), when the Methuselah kid popped his head in. She gave Hikaru a shrug in response instead, not even verbalizing the implied "Do what you want, I'll be right here."
He was the Blade King, you let him do what he wants; you just follow.
Still, five minutes was a little too much time to leave Yulia alone with her thoughts. Especially with thoughts of Prague and the people who left her behind. She tried holding back the memories, but it was useless. They came back, rushing, unwanted-- good memories, but sad at the same time.
Then again, she was the one who suggested to go to Prague in the first place. She wondered why, for a moment.
She finished her stick, and crushed it under her boot as she fished for her own pack. She was running low and needed to stock up again, but still she lit up her second stick. She needed them badly. If not that, the drinks they would have (should have) later.
Yulia forced herself to just watch Hikaru talk to the Methuselah kid, listen in, or whatever. Distract herself from the memories. She scratched lightly at her cheek, at the thin layer of drying blood. That had to come off before they went out into the city.
And since she was watching him, Yulia was going to end up seeing Hikaru Shinta delivering his report and managing to snag a nice quick-dry cum clean-all towel and some nice grape-flavored cigarettes.
Charm could get one very, very far in life.
"Here."
He handed his offerings over to Yulia the moment he broke off from the operative, and smiled.
"Gifts for the road."
Besides: he could not have Yulia not looking pretty. They were going on a pseudo-date, after all.
"...Thank you," she said as she took the offered gifts, a little wary, a little unsure.
The towel Yulia needed; and she used it immediately, scrubbing at her face, her neck, her hands. The cigarettes, she pocketed. She didn't even wonder how Hikaru knew what she needed. He had ways, she was sure.
She was wiping her hands when she flicked her gaze from where the kid stood, at the entrance of the warehouse, then, to Hikaru Shinta.
"He's just a little overwhelmed. The boy's used to having to clean up after particularly messy Hunters, but it's rare that he has to do it all on his own."
Naturally, Hikaru was sympathetic. He was also not going to bother making it easier on the kid. Hunting was a thankless job, and the sooner people got used to that, the better.
And she set off right then, dropped the towel she just finished using on the kid's shoulder and slipped out of the warehouse. She only stopped across the street so she could get her bearings, find the direction of the river before continuing on. Although, with who she was with, it was probably alright to get a little lost.
Besides, there was still a bit of daylight they could waste.
Hikaru, on the other hand, hung back at just the right distance to observe one Yulia Bostova at Work En-Route to Being at Play. The girl's focus honestly amused him. It also reminded him of a lot of things.
"I suddenly remember why I enjoyed my last stay here."
Walking around Prague was always a treat. It was a beautiful city; anywhere you looked was something even Yulia could appreciate. It's also a good thing she still remembered some of the ins and outs of the city.
She looked back at him as they walked.
"And you will tell me why even if I do not asked, da?"
"Of course not. You've always got a choice with me."
Smooth and easy, as ever. Now Hikaru was picking up the pace just long enough to come up at her shoulder. He was smoking through another cigarette.
Funny how the emergence of the Vigil in to the World of Light had helped tobacco companies and pro-smoker city planners out immensely. Not a lot of places didn't exile smokers to godforsaken corners now, and there were ashtrays and trashcans everywhere.
"But you will tell me anyway," she said, not really smiling, and not really smirking, either.
If she were any other person, she might have also added 'please' at the end of her sentence. But she's Yulia Bostova, the word practically doesn't exist in her vocabulary.
"I guess I will then." Hikaru paused just long enough to take another drag of his cigarette. He turned his gaze towards the skyline, the buildings around them.
"I remember Prague mostly for its beauty. This place has an incredibly rich history, though, and its development was intimately tied in with the needs of the Vigil."
"It is... romantic," Yulia nodded. There really wasn't anything to not like about Prague. Just the memories that haunted her sometimes. If she tried to even be honest about it, she would probably say that out loud.
They turned a corner, and she threw the empty pack of cigarettes at a passing bin, now that she was on her third stick after the engagement. Thankfully Hikaru had managed to obtain another pack of cigarettes for later.
"No, but you certainly don't think about it often. Hence, I assumed that describing things as 'romantic' doesn't really happen much on your end of things."
An innocent blink, as he was plainly stating things how he saw it. (That, in a way, was worrisome to him. Trusting too easily again? Getting attached? You do remember the last time when--
And then he stopped that voice before it could continue.)
"Hmph," she huffed, frowning at the sidewalk in front of her. She decided to just let the silence stretch and settle between them; she can just enjoy her cigarette in silence. Prague was surely pretty enough as a distraction.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Waking the Dead 2.0 || Prague
Hikaru Shinta happened to be watching Yulia now, as they cleaned up. There he was, lighting up another cigarette, tracing her progress across the warehouse floor. The place reeked now, and there was definitely more blood than there was anything else. Thankfully, that did not have to be his concern, or the concern of his companion for the moment. The Methuselah, on the other hand...
The Blade King laughed a little, and took another drag from his cigarette. Thinking about making somebody of Elias Tagabigay's pop another vein always amused him.
"Want one?"
He held his pack out in Yulia's direction the moment she was close enough, and smiled. Best not to give her the impression that he was laughing at nothing, or, worse yet, laughing at her.
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Yulia let her sister be, shaking her head as she wiped a spatter of blood off her cheek. It probably wasn't the best decision as it only smeared the blood across her face, but it was less annoying now. She rolls her shoulders, letting her muscles relax. The fight was delightful. Sure, it wasn't her best, but she hadn't felt that rush of excitement in quite some time, now. Not since... Not since them.
Still, when she turned to the Blade King, there was a small smile on her face-- she probably hasn't even noticed she's smiling yet. She had to step over limbs to get to him, sure, but she just sort of admired their little handiwork. She wasn't at his level just yet (probably never will be), but at least she was no hindrance. She was good at her job, and she was damn proud of it.
She reached for his proffered pack, taking a stick from it with her less bloody hand. "Spasiba," she said as she lit up. She took a drag from her cigarette before returning the pack and addressing him, one eyebrow raised. Anya had calmed down at this point, but she could practically feel her smile in her head.
"You are amused at something, also?"
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He decided, yet again, that he quite liked it when Yulia smiled. He knew of only too many people who felt that they were incapable of it. They had their reasons, of course, and he understood them all too well, but few came to realize that the first step to being better was to act like one was better.
(That is something you are good at, isn't it?)
And I do wonder whose fault THAT is.
"The local Vanguard division is going to have a bitch of a time cleaning all of this up."
And there will probably be a report of two crazy Bladians being behind it. One from Netsach, and that other being That Fucking Blade King from Zangyaku. Another one for the records, another urban legend for novices to gape or giggle at over the network.
Hunting built a special sort of camaraderie, all in the different shades of morbid truths and even more morbid humor.
no subject
For a moment, she wondered if she could help, maybe just a little. With all that blood-- she'd seen it happen: with Saxon and Breton at that evening at King's Rest, calling the blood to them (you found it sexy.); and many years ago, with the Blade King himself when he saved her small, starving village. It would take time for her to master that skill, but in time, she knew she would. She was determined enough.
"So," she began, bringing the cigarette to her lips again. Too casual, she thinks; a little like what Kaz had done a while back. It felt a little embarrassing, but what's done was done and all she had to do was go with it. Roll with the punches, as they said.
"What now?"
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He smiled, as he brought the cig back up to his lips.
"You need to take me around."
Yulia had been the one who had specifically cited Prague. Surely she knew what was worth looking at and what wasn't?
(That, and he wanted to see what she was going to do, being back in a city for reasons that she did not seem comfortable divulging. And that could only mean one thing.)
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It was a small place along a lonely-looking road. Had a nice view of the river. Marcin and Hans practically had to drag Yulia there, who, at the time just wanted to return home. But it was Stefan's birthday, and everyone else wante to celebrate, and she eventually gave in.
"There is bar across the Vltava," she said, her voice betraying none of her feelings (embarrassment? regret? both?). "You might like there."
She remembered the route. They could cut through a wooded park, take the bridge by the old town. She remembered Ingrid wanting to stop by the Astronomical Clock on the way, how she rolled her eyes when pictures were taken.
She doesn't think of what happened after the bar.
But if Hikaru Shinta wanted her to show him around like standard tourist fare, he could shove that thought up his ass and pay for the goddamned boring tour guide himself.
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Thankfully, Hikaru was completely uninterested in guided tours, stilted shuttling from one famous place to another. He preferred to explore, to dwell on all of the little things, to take his sweet damned time sucking on the marrow of the city and reveling in how the insides tasted different with every bone he took.
The door opened at that moment, and seconds later, the anxious face of a boy in a Methuselah uniform was peeking in.
"Inquisitor Shinta...?"
"Thanks." He turned to Yulia just once before walking towards the operative. "Give me five minutes, then we can go."
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He was the Blade King, you let him do what he wants; you just follow.
Still, five minutes was a little too much time to leave Yulia alone with her thoughts. Especially with thoughts of Prague and the people who left her behind. She tried holding back the memories, but it was useless. They came back, rushing, unwanted-- good memories, but sad at the same time.
Then again, she was the one who suggested to go to Prague in the first place. She wondered why, for a moment.
She finished her stick, and crushed it under her boot as she fished for her own pack. She was running low and needed to stock up again, but still she lit up her second stick. She needed them badly. If not that, the drinks they would have (should have) later.
Yulia forced herself to just watch Hikaru talk to the Methuselah kid, listen in, or whatever. Distract herself from the memories. She scratched lightly at her cheek, at the thin layer of drying blood. That had to come off before they went out into the city.
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Charm could get one very, very far in life.
"Here."
He handed his offerings over to Yulia the moment he broke off from the operative, and smiled.
"Gifts for the road."
Besides: he could not have Yulia not looking pretty. They were going on a pseudo-date, after all.
no subject
The towel Yulia needed; and she used it immediately, scrubbing at her face, her neck, her hands. The cigarettes, she pocketed. She didn't even wonder how Hikaru knew what she needed. He had ways, she was sure.
She was wiping her hands when she flicked her gaze from where the kid stood, at the entrance of the warehouse, then, to Hikaru Shinta.
"He did not look very pleased."
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Naturally, Hikaru was sympathetic. He was also not going to bother making it easier on the kid. Hunting was a thankless job, and the sooner people got used to that, the better.
"Enough about that, though. Lead the way?"
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And she set off right then, dropped the towel she just finished using on the kid's shoulder and slipped out of the warehouse. She only stopped across the street so she could get her bearings, find the direction of the river before continuing on. Although, with who she was with, it was probably alright to get a little lost.
Besides, there was still a bit of daylight they could waste.
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"I suddenly remember why I enjoyed my last stay here."
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She looked back at him as they walked.
"And you will tell me why even if I do not asked, da?"
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Smooth and easy, as ever. Now Hikaru was picking up the pace just long enough to come up at her shoulder. He was smoking through another cigarette.
Funny how the emergence of the Vigil in to the World of Light had helped tobacco companies and pro-smoker city planners out immensely. Not a lot of places didn't exile smokers to godforsaken corners now, and there were ashtrays and trashcans everywhere.
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If she were any other person, she might have also added 'please' at the end of her sentence. But she's Yulia Bostova, the word practically doesn't exist in her vocabulary.
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"I guess I will then." Hikaru paused just long enough to take another drag of his cigarette. He turned his gaze towards the skyline, the buildings around them.
"I remember Prague mostly for its beauty. This place has an incredibly rich history, though, and its development was intimately tied in with the needs of the Vigil."
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They turned a corner, and she threw the empty pack of cigarettes at a passing bin, now that she was on her third stick after the engagement. Thankfully Hikaru had managed to obtain another pack of cigarettes for later.
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Hikaru was smiling at her again, and not hiding (as expected) the fact that this exchange was taking an amusing turn for him.
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"I am not that cold a woman not to be unfamiliar with the concept of romance, Blade King."
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An innocent blink, as he was plainly stating things how he saw it. (That, in a way, was worrisome to him. Trusting too easily again? Getting attached? You do remember the last time when--
And then he stopped that voice before it could continue.)
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"You were with them, the last time you were here."
It was a statement of fact.
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She took a long drag from her cigarette and exhaled; looked up at the sky overhead and tried to keep her emotions in check.
"...Da, that is correct."
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Places full of ghosts were difficult to come back to, and it was rarely ever a journey that one should do alone.
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/slow ;u;
/slow as well... orz
i didn't forget about this one...!!! ;u;
♥
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