his reaction is amusing because he sounds like he's in disbelief. [break][break]

and it helps her move her mind away from the.. actual emotional weight it puts on her. "mm.. yeah~" she's humming with a smile on her lips, like it doesn't affect her anymore. like it doesn't hurt her or sting when she thinks about it, anymore. there's a soft bite of ice in her tone when she continues "without a care. they brought me to ula'ula, then they said to stand where i was. then i never saw them again." lowers her eyelids, closing them. keeping them open was a little tiring. [break][break]

"i could still see them a little bit, at the time." though their faces were shrouded with darkness past a certain point. "you sound so surprised, though?~"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

”Uh, yeah I’m fuckin’ surprised?” Maybe a bit vengeful and annoyed, given the tone within his voice, as well. The list of descriptors could honestly go on, though. ”I dunno, I just find it ass that they’d do that to you? Like, seriously— the fuck?”[break][break]

Words of a guy that, he realized, had been born in the exact opposite sort of situation that she was. On one hand, it made him a bit more thankful of his own family, as well as how he’d never had to deal with any sort of bullshit like that, but it also worked against him as a sense of disdain twanged within him on her behalf.[break][break]

Family was important.[break]
He couldn’t fathom her situation.[break][break]

And thus, a tired sigh and a quick, ”I take it back, then— they can go suck on a dick, then,” with a faint scrunch of the nose visible upon his face. He clicked his tongue softly. ”...No siblings, either, though? No one else to have a vendetta against?”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

oh?[break][break]

he sounds angry. well, it doesn't surprise her - most people get angry when they hear about what happened to her. she can count how many people in skull got angry on her behalf, when they find out how she made her way over to their base, and when they found the poor girl who could barely see her hand crying, knowing she was abandoned. but ariadne isn't that same girl anymore, and can only smile - with the same toxic bite it always had. [break][break]

maybe if she weren't blind, she'd turn out differently. she wouldn't turn to crime, and would have been able to live out a normal, pleasant upbringing with her family. she would have been able to see, for starters. she wouldn't have to worry about the looks on people's faces, and the pity, or the disgust that comes with her condition.[break][break]

the anger in her stead is a little endearing, in its own, twisted way. she appreciates it, even if she only hums in amusement. [break][break]

"eh~.." she trails off, the sand is dropped and instead she clasps her hands together, fingers twined. "if i had any, it'd probably be after i was dumped." she's humming, although her hands hold tighter "... i'd say nine years younger than me, at least? they left me, there, around that time."

Inigo del Rosario

☉

A silence overcame him.[break][break]

”...Fuckers.”[break][break]

Though unbeknownst to him, a further expression of disdain remained persistent upon his face as he breathed a low, growling sigh in equal parts exasperation and annoyance, alike. He debated for a small while longer before opting to lean further back against the log behind him once more, crossing his arms atop his chest within a loose, idle embrace.[break][break]

”If they did, the kid’s fuckin’ lucky,” he murmured. ”Hope they didn’t turn out as fucked as your folks. …Blood’s supposed to run thicker than water, and, like…literally any bullshit than that...”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

and he gets more frustrated with every passing moment. she can feel it in the air; she can feel the frustration, and the vibe coming from him, although maybe she doesn't need to be able to feel the air so well when she already has an idea of the kind of person he is. so family-oriented, so close to his tight knit family. [break][break]

honestly, there's envy when she thinks about it. he cant fathom a family abandoning their child, and she can't imagine a family that wouldn't abandon her. she's already had it happen twice. it's not a lot of times, but it's weird that it's happened that many times. at some point, she's thought 'i'm the problem', only to grit her teeth. [break][break]

'blood runs thicker than water' is what she's heard, before, though she doesn't quite remember from who. she just knows that hearing it makes her upset, or makes something behind the white eyes burn. "mm.. i'll beg to differ~" it certainly didn't run thicker to her. [break][break]

"i'm sure my hypothetical sibling turned out okay." she hums, a deep breath of air enters her lungs. "after all, my parents abandoned me, but" she pauses, and has to mask the soft hiccup in her voice, thinking back on it, with a soft giggle "they're actually pretty good parents."[break][break]

"promise." an overcast of silence falls over her afterwards, and the uncharacteristic silence lingers, and the smile slowly drops. "the past is the past. it doesn't bother me that much."

Inigo del Rosario

☉

Whereas a burn surfaced beneath the film of her eyes, a blaze ignited fiercely within his own as the words met his ears. Within the utmost sense of disdain, a sound almost akin to a hiss, or even a growl, escaped his lips as he slipped a hand into his hair. Its fingers tangled within before pressing themselves against his scalp, shaking and scratching it amidst an instinctive ruffle of frustration as his face further contorted.[break][break]

”No. They’re not,” he groaned with a voice equal parts dismayed and stressed— though whether or not he’d been entirely aware of such had been up for debate. ”Cousin, I’m sorry, but if they were good people, they wouldn’t have fuckin’ ditched your ass like that. Like, that’s just—... That’s so fucked, dude, like—”[break][break]

He furrowed his brows, taking both a deep breath and a sigh to follow it.[break][break]

”...Fucked. It’s just…fucked.” His hand strayed from his hand at long last, instead falling back within the space of his lap as he dropped his back against the wood once more in something akin to defeat, though not quite as such as the look of annoyance remained upon his face. ”Y’say it ain’t botherin’ ya that much, but, like—... I dunno. I think it should bother ya.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

she's lying through her teeth (lying to herself). it makes it easier to grit and bear with it when she does, but the genuine skepticism coming from him is poking holes to let the feelings seep through. she can't see the frustration on his face, and she can't see a man shake his head in frustration, listening to her circumstances, but she can feel the irritation in her stead - and it's familiar. it's like back when skull found her battered back then. [break][break]

of course she knows it was fucked. of course she knows it was messed up; but just knowing doesn't change anything. it's put her in the position of knowing, and not being able to do anything. though if you put her in front of the family now, she'll only laugh and shrug, and carry on with her day (she likes to think that she's passed them on the streets, but they never took the chance to apologize. something about that makes her more spiteful, but she'll bite her tongue). [break][break]

this time she sits herself up, and debates - then decides against pulling the hatterene out as to spare her the bad vibes. so instead, her ears perk a little at his voice, and she's taking a moment to try and get a brief idea to where he is. sadly, she's no pokemon, so she can only find herself feeling the air, and walking along cautiously, until she finds the wood he has his back leaned on. then she uses it to guide her over, closer, until she reaches out to brush her finger tips along his arm with a sigh. [break][break]

then her hand raises up, higher, until it can rest itself atop of his head in a quick pat. [break][break]

"well, yeah. it does bother me." how could it not? "but at this rate, you're gonna have a vendetta that's stronger than mine~"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

He watched her. As if it hadn’t been more than obvious by that point in time, one of his greater advantages within the face of another not blessed with the boon of sight had been, of course, his own sense of sight; thus did he simply take the time within the lapse of both of their words in favor of simple observation.[break][break]

He’d known her to be much like him within the face of seriousness, though even then, no person had ever been truly bulletproof, so he watched. He listened.[break][break]

Even as she reached out (though not without the faintest of struggles at first, by the look of it), and even as her hand finally found purchase against his head, a smile had been hard pressed to form upon his lips once more.[break][break]

”...I just think loose ends should be burned for closure, if anything,” he sighed, clicking his tongue. ”They obviously won’t be tied neatly if that’s how they treated ya, so, like—... I dunno.”[break][break]

He quirked his lip, furrowing his brows further.[break][break]

”...I dunno. I dunno. I just think you’d be in your rights to make ‘em feel bad, ‘cause damn if they don’t deserve it.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

oh, inigo. [break][break]

"i've given up on closure." she still wears a smile, her eyes open, even if she can't see a thing. at least, she's looking up, and maybe making eye contact. using your arm to guide your gaze usually helps. "trust me, i think they'd deserve it, too~" she says such a morbid thing with such a carefree smile, raising her other hand to gently press her fingers against her lips to stifle a chuckle. [break][break]

hen she pats again, with a casual hum escaping her lips. "honestly, i got all my closure when they just.. dropped me off." there's a softening of her tone, and her empty gaze when she lowers her eyes, instinctively, this time. then the smile tapers off. "i still hope they feel bad for doing that." she's spiteful, but she won't pursue it. not when she's the only one involved. [break][break]

it doesn't make it hurt less. [break][break]

not when her other hand starts instinctively holding itself a bit more firmly, and as she takes a slightly, shaky breath. "i mean, it was just a few days before i completely lost my vision." so she saw it, and the image of a man and woman turning their backs was so vivid to her. "so it doesn't matter." her breath is getting more shaky, and now she's pulling her hand away from his head. [break][break]

ah, she's trying her best. [break][break]

"i got my closure by watching, so it doesn't matter." too much. she's over it, and she really is. she just doesn't like that image engraved in her mind.

Inigo del Rosario

☉

Everything she’d said honestly rang clear and true.[break]
Even then, though, the bitter taste lingered and spread further.[break][break]

”...I dunno,” he murmured yet again, a groaning sigh of exasperation leaving his lips once more. He eyed her arm as her hand lingered atop his head before inhaling deeply and reaching over to brush it aside. ”Can’t imagine how it feels, but again, it’s obviously a shit situation even as an outsider looking in.”[break][break]

He narrowed his eyes towards the flames once more, crossing his arms as he shifted against the log behind him absentmindedly.[break][break]

”...Just feel like given’ ‘em a dose of karma is the next best thing. It’s petty, but still.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

live and let live. [break][break]

it's doesn't make her feel any less petty, but it's kept her from being swallowed up by her own grief and spite. she'd have too little energy for too many people by then. it's energy she'd rather not waste. "aw," she starts, blowing a soft whistle as she faces towards the embers of the fire. she can't see it, but at least she's sensitive to temperature. does it burn as brightly as it feels? [break][break]

it burns as strongly as a man's spite, no matter how much water he's thrown over the fire. one day he's going to pick up a bucket of gasoline; the bite in his tone says it all, in the midst of the soft grumble when the sentiment of revenge isn't shared. [break][break]

"i appreciate it anyways, ku'uipo~" it's still endearing, in some way - and it just means he cares, and just means he's passionate - and ariadne knows that there's nothing inherently wrong with that. she's no saint, and will consider dishing out due karma. [break][break]

she just has no energy for it. [break][break]

then she sighs, tilting her head to the sky as artificial lens gaze up at the stars. they're fixated on nothing in particular, though. "but," her hands are lowered to rest against the log, with her leaning her rear back so she can hold herself up, and lightly cross one leg over the other with a leisurely hum. [break][break]

"i'd rather build my own family to wash out the bad family--" she raises her hand, and speaks with air quotes "--out of my mouth. one day, maybe." [break][break]

but that's "if people will be, y'know, alright with dealing with me and the fact i'm pretty much a criminal~" she sighs and chuckles - it's making light of a situation that'd otherwise be pretty sad. "not many guys into women who deal with shady shit, i don't think~"

Inigo del Rosario

☉

”And that’s why ya gotta play in the pool,” he sighed, inhaling deeply soon afterward. ”Either that, or get lucky enough t’find someone that’s as ride or die as you are. …Someone in the business that wouldn’t rat ya out.”[break][break]

He furrowed his brows softly, a brief bout of quiet thought overcoming him as the words forged within the flames of his mind as those before him raged ever on.[break][break]

”...Anythin’ t’make sure history ain’t gonna repeat itself again,” he added, murmuring. ”Gettin’ fucked over once or twice’s already more than enough, I’d imagine.”

ARIADNE MAUCH [break]
mission: slumber party

☉

an amused hum buzzes between her lips. finding someone who was a criminal, who was still willing to start a family, or settle, regardless of their activity? surely, people in their field would scoff at the idea of being tied down like this - or people with normal livelihoods would be appalled by her work. usually, there's no in between. [break][break]

"i dunno," she starts, hanging her head back over to have locks of silver fall to her waist "... i wouldn't say there are a lotta guys who'd be like that." save for one person she knows, it's always people who have no where else to go finding their ways in rocket. or sitting in a cell. [break][break]

".. well, there's also you." she chuckles, letting out a soft sigh as the embers warm her neck and chin. the woman's eyes open to give a bright gaze from the corner of her eyes. "i'd say i'm pretty lucky to have met you~"[break][break]

she'll say it with a teasing or playful tone, but there's genuine truth under the flighty tone.

Inigo del Rosario

☉