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 Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:19 am
[Dated before Mont Blonc's battle with Xenotime in come crashing down]
It was foolish, Ashanite knew, to come back to the same fountain over and over. Foolish in that it meant he was predictable and therefore potentially an easier target. Foolish because it undoubtedly made him look sentimental, foolish because it would only reinforce Umber's suspicions about his loyalty. And yet he kept coming back, siting on the edge and listening to the water rush.
And besides, he had run into Mont Blonc here once before. He was sort of hoping it would happen again, because Mont Blonc was a project. A friend, too, but primarily - well, he was trying to take Umber's advice and apply it to more than just his efforts at bringing over Victoria. Mont Blonc had to be a target first, a man second.
As hard as that sort of dissociation was to make with someone he had a beautifully clear memory of kissing.frayedflower 5evr meeting at this damn fountain because i'm terrible at settings!
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:26 pm
Mont Blonc, on the other hand, was a man that was unapologetically sentimental. The type to carry his heart openly on his sleeve, and the type to carry guilt where there should have never been any -
- as he was doing tonight as he made his way back to the fountain once again, not for the first time, certainly not for the last, and he was, too, half-hoping to meet his lost friend here. Because in his mind, he had a lot to apologize for, especially now.
When he felt the familiar spike of a captain's aura along the way, the squire allowed himself to hope for the best - and so he ran, heels clacking loudly against the cobblestones, only skidding to the halt when he finally caught sight of both the fountain and the man, and thank god he'd been right.
"Ploutonion!" he called in greeting, sounding both relieved and tense in one breath; and over his eye, already, had formed a dark ring of bruising from Umber's blow.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:41 pm
As soon as he heard his name, Ashanite was on his feet, moving towards the familiar, comforting voice.
"Mont Blonc"! He said, and then his eyes were drawn to the darkening bruise around the other man's eye, and he picked up his pace, stopping when he was close enough to gently cup the Squire's face in his hands. "What happened?" He asked, concern coloring his tone. It was a strange day when Mont Blonc was the more visibly injured of the two of them - Ashanite had gotten better at dodging Xenotime's blows, and at defending himself in krabi-krabong practice, so he no longer presented with quite so many bruises.
"Are you alright, otherwise?" He was clearly unconcerned about how his tenderness might look, fingers carefully avoiding the edges of the injury.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:50 pm
It was always such a relief to see Ploutonion, to see him whole and as himself even tainted by chaos. But his chest tightened as his friend drew closer, guilt tightening his chest as though in a vice.
Shame colored his cheeks this time, rather than mere embarrassment. It was good to see Ploutonion looking better this time, of course, that was a given. Mont Blonc never did completely cease worrying, and to see him looking more whole -
But for how long, now? After what he'd said? He really didn't deserve any of the tenderness that his friend was showing him now, not after that mess.
"I-It's nothing, I - " Mont Blonc frowned and reached up, gently cupping his friend's hand in his own, remorse etched across his ever-expressive face, his gaze downcast. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Umber, he found me out on patrol, and he - he was asking all sorts of questions about you, and I tried to - I didn't really want to say anything that might get you in trouble, but then he pulled his weapon on my friend, and I - "
All the words were just coming out in a rush, heavy with regret.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:17 pm
Ashanite's concern didn't change - if anything, it deepened, watching Monty stammer over apologies and break eye contact. What did he think he had to apologize for?
And then he explained, sort of, and concern changed to confusion. "Umber what?" It wasn't that it was out of character to hear that he'd threatened someone, or done injury to Mont Blonc, but that it was for information on Ashanite? That made absolutely no sense. Mont Blonc had no reason to lie, though, and his remorse was obviously real. It just refused to add up. Umber had barely shown interest in him except when he had to, and even then, it wasn't so much interest in him as interest in his place in the Negaverse.
"Is your friend alright?" He asked, because Mont Blonc certainly wasn't going to be able to offer insight into his roommate's motivations - he would have to ask those things of Shale himself. And he hated to think that someone Monty cared about might have gotten hurt because of him, even if it was indirectly.
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Posted: Sat Nov 07, 2015 11:26 pm
"H-he was asking things like, uhm - like what you used to eat for breakfast, a-and how we met, " Mont Blonc blushed a little darker than usual here, "An-and about your wonder, and - and things like that, and I - I tried to be vague, but he - he really wanted details and - I'm so sorry that it - "
Oh, yes. This was the part of the story where the squire visibly winced, blushing the darker shade again. "W-well, he got a little roughed up, but uhm - n-no, Umber didn't - I sort of uhm, " he laughed, sheepishly, as though it were some minor thing even though he knew it wasn't. "I-I sort of said if he left him alone he could have my, uhm, starseed, so - a-anyway, I'm alright now, " and he knew full well it'd been a dumb thing to do. Whether or not he really regretted it was another story.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:48 am
"Mont Blonc," Ashanite said, his voice gentle, "please. Stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong." He was still trying to parse what the hell the point of it all had been, and he was coming up empty. Why would Umber want to know details like that? They certainly weren't the thing that impacted his performance as an officer, or at least, he couldn't think of a way they would.
He made a choked noise of horror, hands dropping from Mont Blonc's face, when the Squire continued. "You -- no," he said, and it came out strangled by frustration and panic. "God damn it, Mont Blonc, you serve no one as a corpse. Not me, not Methone, not Aegir, not this other friend - and knowing Umber, I sincerely doubt he kept that promise." Umber was practical, to the point of coldness.
Whatever anger might have been in his voice drained out, when he kept talking. "You both could have ended up dead, and then what would have happened?" He asked. "I told you I didn't want you getting hurt for me; I doubt your friend wanted you to die for him."
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:35 am
Mont Blonc bit back another apology - because apologizing for apologizing was just silly, and it wasn't really something he was sorry for. "I might have gotten you in very real trouble, Ploutonion, " he said quietly, and his remorse showed clearly in his eyes. "You know that, right? - I don't see any reason I shouldn't apologize, I - I've been causing you nothing but trouble lately."
The squire winced visibly at the sound Ploutonion made, and his shoulders shrank further the more his friend spoke; it was about the reaction he'd expected. It didn't exactly make it any easier. "I - yes, " he murmured, his cheeks burning and his gaze squarely on the toes of his own boots. "My friend said - felt much the same way. Not the ideal decision to make."
He glanced up, briefly, and tried to smile. "A-at least it worked out, though - I'm still here, and he's okay."
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:48 am
Ashanite just shook his head, firmly. "Let me worry about that." He said. "I get myself into plenty of trouble. I'll be able to handle whatever comes." The promise was sure and serious. Umber was his problem, first and foremost - and nothing has happened, yet, so perhaps nothing would? He couldn't imagine Mont Blonc having any information that was too compromising - except that they'd met more than once.
He would have to speak to Shale. Address it directly, determine how much his roommate knew and what he had deduced or decided from that information. And maybe find out why the hell he'd asked in the first place.
He reached out, again, this time to rest a hand on Monty's shoulder. "It may have worked out this time, but it won't always. Please, promise me you won't do something like that again. I don't have many friends, Mont Blonc - certainly not so many that I can afford to lose one." His voice was gentler, softer. "I'm glad you're both alright - glad you gave him what he wanted to hear, I suppose. I'm not so frail as in need of protection that I would want you to trade someone else - or yourself - to keep Umber from knowing things about me and what I'm doing."
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 12:54 pm
Mont Blonc looked at him, meeting his eyes briefly. A terrible, terrible blush spread across his cheeks before he looked down again. "I told him you kissed me. When we first met." The words came out quickly, in a rush, but without a stammer. It was the first time he'd ever actually acknowledged the kiss out loud, and no one was more acutely aware of this than the squire himself. "And that you'd been to my wonder recently. Y-you should know. So i-if he asks, you can - you can come up with an excuse."
No, Mont Blonc could not take care what he'd said. But he could at least make Ploutonion aware of the worst of it, give him a chance to be able to prepare and better defend himself if it came down to it. That much, at least, he could do. Hver's words rang through his head again, an unconscious mantra he'd been trying to cling to in the weeks since.
Mont Blonc flinched unconsciously, that time, at the touch, some of the nerves from Ploutonion's brief flare of frustration staying with him. But he smiled softly, sheepishly at him moments later, tilting his head to his hair fell into his face. "I know you're not frail - you are anything but - but you're also a very precious friend, Ploutonion. If there's anything I can do to protect you, then I will."
There was another layer of implication there, thinly veiled: If you returned to us, I would protect you.
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 1:27 pm
Ashanite swallowed. "Oh," he said, simply. That was not information he was entirely sure he wanted Umber to have - but it wasn't as if he could take it back. The General already knew he and Mont Blonc were close; how much more harm could this information do? (A lot, but if he convinced Umber he was working Mont Blonc like he was working Victoria, maybe...)
"He hasn't asked yet, but...I'll think of something," he said, and he tried to bury how nervous he was, because right then he didn't want Mont Blonc carrying extra guilt or pain. Not over him. Not when he didn't deserve it - the protection, the worry, any of it.
Especially not when Mont Blonc smiled at him like that, insisted so sincerely that he would protect him. "Thank you. For trying. For wanting to." A brief laugh. "For calling me Ploutonion, even - I'm so tired of hearing Ashanite."
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 1:53 pm
Think of something. "The k-kiss is easy," Mont Blonc interjected quietly, flashing his friend a smile. "You were just playing around, after all - and it was a long time ago. A-and as for my wonder, you can just say - "
He fumbled with the thought for a minute, idly fiddling with his pen that had appeared in his hand. "T-that uhm. You're trying to get information out of me? - would that work? - what kind of story would work?" he asked, his yellow eyes bright and eager now, guilt still just bubbling away beneath the surface. "I-if he asks you, I'm - I'd go along with any story you came up with. I promise.
His smile softened, broader, both warm and a little sad as he briefly cupped his friend's cheek, much like he'd done for the squire just moments before. "Of course, I - you will always be Ploutonion to me. Always."
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Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 2:26 pm
Ashanite nodded. "That will work. I hope." It was also uncomfortably close to the truth, but that Mont Blonc could suggest it so blithely meant, he hoped, that the Squire had no idea how close it was. Because Mont Blonc couldn't know - not until Ashanite was ready for the whole truth to be revealed.
"But it isn't your responsibility to cover for me," he said, again, because really, it wasn't - if they had conflicting stories, he would deal with that later.
When Mont Blonc's hand rested on his cheek, Ashanite's eyes closed briefly, and he relaxed just a little. "Thank you," he said, again. "I'm lucky to have you - even after all that's happened."
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 9:15 pm
The squire smiled, shrugged his shoulders rather helplessly as he said, "I'm not a great liar, no - but it's what friends do, it's - we take care of each other. It's not about responsibility, it's about - that's just how friends work, I think." Not that he'd had many. "You'd the same for me, you know?" No, Mont Blonc had need for lies (those had never gotten him anywhere), but that wasn't really the point.
Ploutonion's smile was reflected on his face as Mont Blonc chuckle softly, stroking the arch of the captain's cheekbone with a swipe of his thumb. Any reassurance, any shred of peace he could give to his friend while he still could. "I should say the same - I keep thinking I've lost you, and still, here you are. I'm so grateful for that - and that you're still you, Ploutonion, I - that's really something lucky."
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Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 10:13 pm
Ashanite flinched, guiltily. He had meant it when he said he didn't have many friends - it felt unfair to count himself as having any, when he was lying so regularly to the ones he had. That Mont Blonc took it as a matter of course to protect him ached. "I...yes, I suppose it is. I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to return the favor, but...if I can, I will." He said. And he meant it. He owed Mont Blonc, for all the lies.
It was strange, that they had managed to hold onto this friendship for so long. That somehow it was stronger after the grand deception of his corruption. "I'm glad you think I'm still the same man. I don't think I'd know if I had changed." Not with all his memories of the man he had been under his powered form long gone.
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