As usual, her profanity to normal words ratio was impressive. One day he would try to figure out a way to tell HOW upset she was by the number of profanities she used. He presumed this would almost max out that scale.
Also, fun fact about Astartes, Nina: they have special ears, too, that can dampen sound if it's too loud. Thanks for giving that a functions-check.
Play it cool, though, Gadriel. It had been several days. Surely she had forgotten about her threat to punch him, right?
"Oh yeah, they're great. I'm putting them on right now so I can use them to BEAT YOUR ASS."
Would Gadriel be smart enough to just, like, leave? Probably not. But Nina was sprinting out of the guild and out into the woods to find her brother. Do not expect a hug. Do expect a punch aimed at the easiest place to hit without jumping up. Chest?? Arm?? Right on his thigh where she knew there wasn't any armor? Dealer's choice.
She could apparently move very fast when motivated. He wasn't wearing his armor--he'd revived without it and everything hurt so he was solely in his bodyglove, trying to stretch out the stiffness. Her fist landed squarely in his solar plexus, staggering him back and knocking the air out of his lungs.
"good to see you, too, Nina" he managed to wheeze, doubled over.
"You're a fucking piece of shit, you know that, Valorem!? Are we just adding names for ourselves now?!" Why was she screaming about that?
Nina punched him in the arm when he doubled over. "Who gave you the fucking right to die like that?! Who said you could be so fucking stupid, you dumbass motherfucking—" expletive, punch, expletive, rinse and repeat, tears in her eyes.
Wh-why was she upset about his name? Also why does he feel like it was a mistake letting her know it? Sure would be nice to have the time to puzzle those questions out, but right now he was dodging a flurry of blows.
To his credit, the gauntlets were working out well.
"Nina." Ouch. He wasn't fighting back, just trying to step back so the punches don't hit quite so hard. Because he deserved it, and he knew it. "I would give my life for yours a hundred times."
Oh, because she was hysterical. Nothing made sense. She was just angry and upset and relieved all at once. And for whatever it was worth, her punches were getting increasingly weaker as her emotions were channeled more through tears instead of fists.
"I don't want you to!" She sobbed, fists resting on his chest. "I don't want you to die for me."
"Death happens, Nina. The best one can do is face it without fear and sell one's life for a high price." Like saving a dear friend. He had no regrets. He would do it again, even if he wouldn't come back.
And he took his opportunity, taking her wrists in his hands, her hands probably still balled into angry fists. "You would trade your life for those you love, as well." Don't argue with him; he knew he was right.
Balled into fists and shaking, along with the rest of her. And it was almost impressive how she could look so furious with tears streaming down her cheeks and her voice cracking.
"It's not supposed to happen to you. Not here." She said, "it doesn't matter what I would do. You're the one that died, and I hate knowing it's my fault."
Another sob made her shoulders shake. She leaned into the embrace, arms around him, gripping tight with her face pressed into his chest. "I could have helped you if I was closer. If I had known you had already died once..." She sniffed. "You can't do that shit to me."
This was arguably weird, to console someone about one's own death, after the fact. But it was Nina, and so he had learned not to ask too much of common sense. "You were defeating the Extremis class enemy." You know, otherwise occupied.
"Nina, I said I would never leave." He tried a faint smile, which still looked weird on his face. "It just took me some time to find my way back to you."
Ugh. So what!? That didn't make her feel any less useless.
She looked up at him, unable to stop herself from laughing softly at his attempt to smile. Dork. "Too fucking long, asshole. I was starting to think you weren't coming back at all."
She sighed. "I know. But you don't know what could happen here — the leaders could decide to just be dicks and not bring you back. That wouldn't be your fault. I don't know." A shrug. "I was worried. Wouldn't you be?"
"I know. But they could take any of us here at any time, as I understand it." He'd seen the network this last month and apparently that happened. Not super reassuring, he knew.
"I would mourn, because I know you would not want to return home, and leave the life you've built here." But he was good at mourning, after all. Lots of practice.
"No." Listen he's only tactically smart. He's not good with deep questions like this for himself. For other people he could come up with good advice. For himself? Not so much.
"I have spent so much time where returning home was not a possibility I wanted to entertain." Now, his soul uncorrupted, it's something he doesn't fear anymore. But does he want to as much as he did before?
"It's not an easy decision." She admitted. "I've more or less decided to stay, but I think about all I'm going to lose back home when I do. No one would blame you for whichever road you took in the end, even if I'm bias and would like you to stay here."
"You should stay, Nina. You are the heartbeat and conscience of this place." He pulled her into a hug, fast before she could punch her way out of it. "And I will not leave willingly." That's all he can say right now. But it is a promise.
"The conscience? Please." She laughed — grunted when he pulled her in for a hug. She paused for a second before she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "Good."
He was serious. "Who else is willing to challenge our faction leaders. Who else has the courage to fight for this place and all you've grown to love here?" He will not be debating this.
"How bad was the aftermath this time? How much work do we need to do to clean things up?" He was asking about trivial things, but he hadn't released her from the hug, because maybe he needed the reassurance of another person's physical contact right now. Someone who wouldn't entirely judge him for it.
Nina would argue that several people, at the very least, had the courage to fight. But arguing with Gadriel only made her more annoyed, so she decided to just roll her eyes.
"Not as bad as before. Structurally speaking, anyway. Emotionally — I think it's a lot worse, seeing how many people died. But we'll make it."
"I think so." She couldn't say for sure. It sounded like Beleth was asking about someone that had died that, somehow, didn't make it back, but she was choosing to ignore that. "It still sucks, seeing or hearing about your loved ones dying. Like you did, asshole."
It's not like he did it on purpose just to piss her off.
"It was either you or me. I made the obvious choice." She had a complicated network of friends and loved ones here. He had...a cat. And a goddess sort of girlfriend who had accepted his loss with the stoic acceptance he would have expected from her.
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voice
Also, fun fact about Astartes, Nina: they have special ears, too, that can dampen sound if it's too loud. Thanks for giving that a functions-check.
Play it cool, though, Gadriel. It had been several days. Surely she had forgotten about her threat to punch him, right?
"I am at my camp. Do you like the gauntlets?"
>action lmfao
Would Gadriel be smart enough to just, like, leave? Probably not. But Nina was sprinting out of the guild and out into the woods to find her brother. Do not expect a hug. Do expect a punch aimed at the easiest place to hit without jumping up. Chest?? Arm?? Right on his thigh where she knew there wasn't any armor? Dealer's choice.
healthiest non-sexual relationship in Caldera
She could apparently move very fast when motivated. He wasn't wearing his armor--he'd revived without it and everything hurt so he was solely in his bodyglove, trying to stretch out the stiffness. Her fist landed squarely in his solar plexus, staggering him back and knocking the air out of his lungs.
"good to see you, too, Nina" he managed to wheeze, doubled over.
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Nina punched him in the arm when he doubled over. "Who gave you the fucking right to die like that?! Who said you could be so fucking stupid, you dumbass motherfucking—" expletive, punch, expletive, rinse and repeat, tears in her eyes.
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To his credit, the gauntlets were working out well.
"Nina." Ouch. He wasn't fighting back, just trying to step back so the punches don't hit quite so hard. Because he deserved it, and he knew it. "I would give my life for yours a hundred times."
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"I don't want you to!" She sobbed, fists resting on his chest. "I don't want you to die for me."
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And he took his opportunity, taking her wrists in his hands, her hands probably still balled into angry fists. "You would trade your life for those you love, as well." Don't argue with him; he knew he was right.
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"It's not supposed to happen to you. Not here." She said, "it doesn't matter what I would do. You're the one that died, and I hate knowing it's my fault."
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He released his grip on her arms to pull her into a less disgusting hug than their last one. "And it was not your fault. It was my choice."
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"Nina, I said I would never leave." He tried a faint smile, which still looked weird on his face. "It just took me some time to find my way back to you."
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She looked up at him, unable to stop herself from laughing softly at his attempt to smile. Dork. "Too fucking long, asshole. I was starting to think you weren't coming back at all."
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The smile faded, replaced with seriousness. "Nina. I pledged to you I would not leave you. I have never broken a vow. I would not, with you."
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"I would mourn, because I know you would not want to return home, and leave the life you've built here." But he was good at mourning, after all. Lots of practice.
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"You ever figure that out — going back home. Staying. Whatever?"
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"I have spent so much time where returning home was not a possibility I wanted to entertain." Now, his soul uncorrupted, it's something he doesn't fear anymore. But does he want to as much as he did before?
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"How bad was the aftermath this time? How much work do we need to do to clean things up?" He was asking about trivial things, but he hadn't released her from the hug, because maybe he needed the reassurance of another person's physical contact right now. Someone who wouldn't entirely judge him for it.
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"Not as bad as before. Structurally speaking, anyway. Emotionally — I think it's a lot worse, seeing how many people died. But we'll make it."
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That was sobering news. "Everyone is back now, though, right?" Not that it undid death for those who had to be left behind, but it was something.
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"It was either you or me. I made the obvious choice." She had a complicated network of friends and loved ones here. He had...a cat. And a goddess sort of girlfriend who had accepted his loss with the stoic acceptance he would have expected from her.
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