[ Well, that bites. The painful reminder that even his blademate still acknowledges that he isn't human. Brigade's fault of course, he's lulled himself to the belief that some people see him as human ] You know, I've never really thought about that much. [ A pause ] She made me think about it. In our talks at Seigi.
[He notices the tone of Brig’s voice drop. He winces, because yeah, he forgets that Brigade isn’t exactly like he is. He’s never thought of Brigade as inhuman, never thought of the older man as any less human than Hikaru or Aidan or Alistair or Rethe.]
That’s not what I mean, and you know it, Roland.
[Leave it to Kaz’s ability to gauge your mood. He’s learned at the heels of Alistair Mordechai, after all.]
Riddle me this: Is the attraction to Kasumi because of everything she is, or is it because you want to consider the idea of being attracted to someone?
[The twenty-one year old Vaizard brat is looking at you now, Mr. one hundred and twenty-two year old Promethean, and he is not kidding.]
[ Brig smiles ] Nah, it's something I've been talking to a lot of people about already actually. [ The name he'd been given by HECATON years ago feels so foreign now. It's still a happy memory though. ] Brig's fine, Kaz. It really had been the name I've opted to use more.
[ He thinks on what Kaz asks ] I'm not really sure, you know? It's just, she was genuinely intriguing. And the conversations were [ pleasant, for awhile. ] enlightening.
[ Lots of things. There's an urge to just spout out a lot of words. But his mind filters on instinct ]
I find her attractive. [ He's still very human in that regard. He gives that honest, sheepish look people do when they admit that. ]
She's intimidating but seems kind underneath the tough exterior. [ A pause ] She reminds me of Alison - Hawke's woman, back in the War - and how even as calculating and stern as she was, she loved every single one of us. [ Another pause ] Even me.
[ He takes a long drag of his cigarette and lets out a long puff ] She's a soldier. [ And the next words are said half-jokingly to try to lighten the mood. Although it's still true. ] And she's a lot closer to my age than every other woman I've met. [ He tilts his head slightly to the right with a look on his face that says "I still am 122." ]
[ Brig laughs at that. The mood suddenly so much lighter. And he can't help but take a jab at that, all in good fun really ] You do know that in one major future, Steve and Natasha ended up married with a kid. [ He taps the ash from his cigarette into a portable ashtray he'd brought with him ]
But yeah, it was a different Captain America who ended up with Natasha main timeline. [ He lets out a sigh. Have the geekier side of Brig, Kaz. He's glad to be able to share geekery with you too. ]
[ And this is when the filter turns off. ] It's... [ He looks down on his hands, his cigarette tapering out. His next words come out in a whisper. Audible, but low. ]
I'm scared that those conversations weren't anything but Whisperer work. [ He's remembering how nice and entertaining she'd been. And how on the last night, nothing. Was it all an act? ] Or that I might have done something wrong.
Well, if they were... Maybe you should just leave them at that. You know part of being human means getting your heart broken once or twice. What should matter is the experience.
[He shrugs, because his own situation with Nico is rather different.]
What should matter is that you had that time, those talks. Whether you did something wrong is irrelevant. Because I think Kasumi-san would be upfront about that sort of thing.
[ Brig gives a nod, with a look on his face that he is absorbing the advice whole-heartedly ] I wouldn't go as far as heartbroken. [ He chuckles softly ]
It's just that it felt a bit so abrupt how she suddenly seemed so distant. [ He sighs ] Cause those talks did matter.
They [ a beat ] got me thinking about a lot of things. I just don't want to have offended her or anything.
I think you'd know if you offended her. And if the conversations you had mattered to you, then isn't that what counts? People. Conversations.
[He stands and balances himself, needing to stretch out.]
While it's not the same, Nico and I had to go through a lot before things settled. You'll go through that too when the right time and the right person comes along. [Pause, backtrack.] Not that I think Kasumi-san would be bad at all... It's just... [Shrug.]
[He spots guards looking up at them. Hm. That could be bad.]
That said, I think we've overstayed our welcome. How's about we take the normal way down and find ourselves some food. All that running made me hungry.
Still, thanks. I haven't had many friends in a long, long time.
[ He pulls out his phone and clicks open a bookmark. He forwards it to Kaz's number. ]
Big Fernand? [ It's a burger joint that's known to be "A brilliant little burger joint, which takes the traditional American burger and gives it the French terroir treatment." ]
[ He steps off the ledge and kills his cigarette ] You know, I'm pretty sure you won't be screaming when you do that next time we have one of these again. More like victorious shouting like Jack from "Titanic".
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ktotheatothez) wrote2014-01-03 11:19 pm
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That’s not what I mean, and you know it, Roland.
[Leave it to Kaz’s ability to gauge your mood. He’s learned at the heels of Alistair Mordechai, after all.]
Riddle me this: Is the attraction to Kasumi because of everything she is, or is it because you want to consider the idea of being attracted to someone?
[The twenty-one year old Vaizard brat is looking at you now, Mr. one hundred and twenty-two year old Promethean, and he is not kidding.]
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[ He thinks on what Kaz asks ] I'm not really sure, you know? It's just, she was genuinely intriguing. And the conversations were [ pleasant, for awhile. ] enlightening.
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So... Now that that's out in the open. [A beat.] Okay, you said intriguing... What about her is intriguing to you?
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I find her attractive. [ He's still very human in that regard. He gives that honest, sheepish look people do when they admit that. ]
She's intimidating but seems kind underneath the tough exterior. [ A pause ] She reminds me of Alison - Hawke's woman, back in the War - and how even as calculating and stern as she was, she loved every single one of us. [ Another pause ] Even me.
[ He takes a long drag of his cigarette and lets out a long puff ] She's a soldier. [ And the next words are said half-jokingly to try to lighten the mood. Although it's still true. ] And she's a lot closer to my age than every other woman I've met. [ He tilts his head slightly to the right with a look on his face that says "I still am 122." ]
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[Kaz is smirking.]
She seems more superspy than soldier to me. Lemme put it this way, Brig: If you're Cap, she's Black Widow, and we all know how that turned out.
[Have a shrug from the blade's baby boy, Brigade, as he takes another puff of his cigarette and let his gaze wander.]
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But yeah, it was a different Captain America who ended up with Natasha main timeline. [ He lets out a sigh. Have the geekier side of Brig, Kaz. He's glad to be able to share geekery with you too. ]
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He's opening up to you, Kaz. haha. Yes, you know more about romantic relationships than Brig does.
[ And this is when the filter turns off. ] It's... [ He looks down on his hands, his cigarette tapering out. His next words come out in a whisper. Audible, but low. ]
I'm scared that those conversations weren't anything but Whisperer work. [ He's remembering how nice and entertaining she'd been. And how on the last night, nothing. Was it all an act? ] Or that I might have done something wrong.
Aiyaaaaaaaa.
[He shrugs, because his own situation with Nico is rather different.]
What should matter is that you had that time, those talks. Whether you did something wrong is irrelevant. Because I think Kasumi-san would be upfront about that sort of thing.
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It's just that it felt a bit so abrupt how she suddenly seemed so distant. [ He sighs ] Cause those talks did matter.
They [ a beat ] got me thinking about a lot of things. I just don't want to have offended her or anything.
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[He stands and balances himself, needing to stretch out.]
While it's not the same, Nico and I had to go through a lot before things settled. You'll go through that too when the right time and the right person comes along. [Pause, backtrack.] Not that I think Kasumi-san would be bad at all... It's just... [Shrug.]
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Thanks, Kaz. This really means a lot to me. [ It really does ]
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[He spots guards looking up at them. Hm. That could be bad.]
That said, I think we've overstayed our welcome. How's about we take the normal way down and find ourselves some food. All that running made me hungry.
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Still, thanks. I haven't had many friends in a long, long time.
[ He pulls out his phone and clicks open a bookmark. He forwards it to Kaz's number. ]
Big Fernand? [ It's a burger joint that's known to be "A brilliant little burger joint, which takes the traditional American burger and gives it the French terroir treatment." ]
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[That, and he wants to save that sort of thing for next time. He has a feeling talks like this will happen more often between himself and Brigade.]
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[ He steps off the ledge and kills his cigarette ] You know, I'm pretty sure you won't be screaming when you do that next time we have one of these again. More like victorious shouting like Jack from "Titanic".
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Welp, we should go. I don't think they're gonna climb up here or anything, but I don't want them to send up a Helicopter either. Which way down?