middaeg | [ closedish? ] Jan Logs

[The tiny swat was- well, the Ascian wasn't the type of person to find it cute, but it was kind of amusing. He can't help but smirk a bit at the creature.]

Oh? I suppose you take your work very seriously then.

[He leaves his hand where it is, undaunted. Certainly not bothered by the Flood's (quite sensible, honestly) display of caution.]

Still, you must know you're less effective at doing... whatever it is you're meant to be doing. Aren't you frustrated?

[Maybe he was giving it too much credit. But it was easy to talk to, for some reason.]

[ Maybe Emet-Selch should pull the hand back? Because the creature doesn't take kindly to it just lingering there after insults. Or maybe it's that smug expression. Ether way its blue skin begins to ripple like a stone in a pond.

Besides. It isn't frustrated. It has to be irritated. ]

[The Ascian certainly isn't getting less smug. But huh, rippling. Was that a good sign? Probably not.]

Ah, did I hit a nerve? Do you even have nerves to hit, for that matter.

[If he were a person more capable of empathy (or rather, more capable of empathy towards non-Amaurotines), he'd probably feel a touch of it for the poor Flood. Most of his words towards it could just as easily apply to himself.]

Try not to take it personally. But you should understand what you're doing when you're approaching me, of all people.

[Does he do the sensible thing and retract his hand from the rippling Flood? Of course not- and on the last of his words, Emet-Selch reaches out that bit more, intending to prod the creature on its weird little head. What did manifested negativity feel like? Time to find out.]

[ Unfortunately no, no nerves. Not literal nerves anyway. And, really, maybe Emet-Selch really should just swallow his pride and actually talk? Unlikely. Besides the old man probably doesn't actually like the truth being echoed at him does he?

As for the Flood itself, why should it not seek the Ascian out? There's so many bad feelings floating around. If it could perform its intended function, it would be feeding well just by sitting here. There's no need to aggravate the situation, though it always could in the future if things see fit to change.

Though really... What does this say about Emet-Selch that he'd talk to a fragment of someone's emotion? Go so far as to touch it?

Which, for the record, is a weird texture. The Flood is somewhere between a solid state and a liquid one. ]

[Hm, no swatting, no biting (if it even could bite, rather). Perhaps the rippling had been a positive response? Unlikely, if only because of what the creature supposedly was. Some kind of acknowledgement? Emet-Selch couldn't tell, but at least he hadn't yet provoked it too far.

And since the poke had been tolerated, he turns it into more of a proper pet. What a strange creature. And a strange texture. But even if its existence was vaguely off-putting, it wasn't an unpleasant thing to be around in itself.

Kind of like Vanitas, really. Though at least the kid didn't sneak into his room to watch him. Hopefully. Speaking of--]

You're less skittish than your master.

[As he remembers Mira's unfortunate attempt at a headpat. Which leads to another thought, and a sigh that's more for the show of it.]

And then she invited you both to stay, without so much as a word to the rest of us. [Or at least, Mira hadn't asked him, which is what truly mattered.] Honestly... you should all be grateful for my exceptional patience.

[ Yeah not so much a positive response as it had been Emet-Selch ignoring the warning. And, if anything, it at least knows that the Ascian isn't really going to hurt it. However that doesn't mean the Flood isn't agitated all the same. It does think to hiss ~~though how it can will remain a mystery~~ when the man starts to pet it. Though really it sounds more like an irritable pet at the moment than anything that will lash out at him. If anything, the Flood just seems to accept the fact that this must be its fate.

As for being less skittish... Well that goes without saying, right? The Flood itself doesn't have the same experiences that its master, its source, has. It is just a tiny fragment that broke off because of those experiences.

It tilts its head again to the side as Emet-Selch speaks more. Does he not want them here? ]

[The hiss gets a raised eyebrow and he prods its head again with a finger.]

Behave yourself.

[Though the Ascian does, finally, retract his hand afterwards. He knew what it felt like now, and he had no particular desire to keep petting it.

So he sits back instead, and though he continues to observe the Flood, he seems distracted, speaking as much to himself as to it.]

Well... there's worse things Mira could have dragged home. Though I can't begin to understand why she bothered.

[The impulses of heroes were strange indeed. Why would you invite something of the Dark to live with you, especially when you weren't aspected that way yourself? Did she hope to rehabilitate him or something?

Nonsense, if so. But it didn't matter, and Emet-Selch just shakes his head after a moment, refocusing again on the Flood.]

Is your owner around? Or did he leave you to your own devices again?

[ Well being prodded isn't nice! The Flood scrunches as far away from the hand as it can, without actually leaving it's spot. It only moves back into place as Emet-Selch gets bored and decides to move on. Hopefully the old man won't make a habit of this.

However the question... Well it is the same question Vanitas himself had asked. He had, too, wondered why Mira would ask him to stay there. She owes him nothing and he doesn't owe her anything - though now he certainly believes that he does. It's odd and baffles him to no end. The Flood? It doesn't really care either way.

Instead when Emet-Selch asks as to the whereabouts of Vanitas, the Flood merely looks in the direction of the living room ~~wherever that may be~~ ]

[Clever little Flood. If he'd asked that question of the cat, she would've just stared at him.

Though the Ascian would've been surprised to find that Vanitas thought he owed something to anyone. It wasn't as though the kid needed to stay there, right? So there was nothing to be grateful for. An offer was extended and accepted, nothing more. It was how he viewed his own presence in the household as well.

Pushing himself back to his feet, Emet-Selch heads to the door, pausing only to glance back to the Flood.]

Come on, then. I assume you'd rather not be left alone.

[Time to return a stray emotion to its creator.]

[ That all depends upon how you define "need," really. Vanitas doesn't need this house, no, but he does need a place to stay. Just like he has been conditioned to believe he can be thrown away at any given time so Vanitas had better be useful. Continue to be useful.

The Flood hops down to follow after Emet-Selch. Might as well be right; it isn't as though the creature is an emotion based off of loneliness. That would be the Hareraisers. Besides, the old man is a nice, steady stream of irritable feelings. So yeah, the Flood is going to follow after.

Too bad Vanitas is still sleeping on the couch. Breezy is sleeping there. ]

[Well, at least the Flood was doing as he wanted, even if it was for the creature's own reasons. As harmless as it was in practice, it still wasn't something that Emet-Selch liked considering too closely. It was maggots on a corpse; the Flood's regular interest in him was a sign that something was perpetually rotting.

It wasn't flattering.

Now, if he considered the direction the Flood had indicated... and there Vanitas was, downstairs in the common area, apparently dead to the world. This surprised the Ascian slightly; sure, the house was as safe as anywhere, and there wasn't much to be concerned about in regards to its inhabitants, but it was a vulnerable position.

How much of a light sleeper was he? Emet-Selch raises his voice slightly as he approaches.]

Picking up my habits already? Though the couch wouldn't be my first choice for a nap.

[ "Perpetually rotting" may be a stretch, but not much of one. True, should the Flood continue to take interest it definitely means that Emet-Selch is in a foul mood or is allowing things to eat at him more than he is allowing these things to just roll off of his shoulders. At the end of the day, the Flood doesn't really care. Should it tire of this practice it is more than capable of running off and escaping the house to incite some chaos in the streets.

Though to think that Vanitas himself would just drop off into sleep? It is a highly unusual occurrence. It doesn't matter how safe a location is, because as Emet-Selch had also thought, Vanitas doesn't want to be vulnerable. While certain that he isn't going to be attacked here, why give anyone the opportunity?

So when the old man speaks, Vanitas immediately bolts upright, hand extended. His Void Gear doesn't come to his hand, of course, but it is a practiced response nonetheless. He seems to recover fairly quick, dropping his hand in favor of looking back at Emet-Selch. What shock had been on Van's face slips into a flat look - as if no one had witnessed that at all. ]

It still looks to rate pretty high on your list...

[Though he smirks a little at the startle, the Ascian deigns not to comment on it, on how... defensively aggressive the kid's response had been. It wasn't as though it was strictly a bad thing, to be cautious.]

The world is full of places to sleep, if one is thusly inclined.

[Not that he'd pegged Vanitas for being one to nap in the open like this, and perhaps he'd return to that in time. But first, the reason he'd sought him out in the first place--]

Your 'pet' was in my room again. I'm beginning to think you're letting it in on purpose.

[ Never a bad thing to be cautious as far as Vanitas is concerned. He isn't one to make reckless moves... Save where Ventus is concerned. Then it becomes a different matter altogether. ]

Maybe that works for you, not that it really helps with the color under your eyes.

[ As if he isn't going to call him out a little. Vanitas does have to save face a bit. ]

If that thing is annoying you, then just get rid of it. I have no idea what would become of it if it's destroyed.

[The reason for the insult is so obvious, that it barely even offends. There was no amount of sleep in the world that would make him feel less tired, but it wouldn't stop Emet-Selch from trying. He just shakes his head in reply, sighing demonstrably.]

Not fond of it, are you? In that case, why haven't you gotten rid of it yourself?

[He looks around to wherever the Flood had gotten to.]

Do you hear that? Your master's not inclined to protect you.

I've never liked any of them. They're useful and that's about it.

[ Vanitas sets the book that he had been reading aside. He takes in the sight of the Flood and gives it a little sneer. It doesn't seem offended by Vanitas' lack of concern.

If it could shrug, it likely would. Instead the creature twitches its antennae and stays where it is on the floor. For now. That might change. ]

Honestly? By now I would have gotten rid of it in one way or another. As it stands, I don't know that I can. It's a part of me, but not.

You know how to attack don't you? Unless it's hiding a secret durability, your magic should be plenty for it.

[It certainly didn't strike him as being a very impressive creation. Still, while he didn't approve of its presence, neither was it enough of a bother to warrant destroying, as far as the Ascian was concerned. So long as it did no worse than watch, he could mostly ignore its existence.

And if Vanitas didn't like the Flood either- well, he wasn't going to remove his problem for him.]

So why can't you? It being a part of you isn't much of an excuse.

There is that, yes. That isn't really how I would get rid of it.

[ Frankly speaking, the reason that Vanitas hesitates is because he doesn't know how it would effect him. Drawing back in the Unversed can be a painful experience. What happens if putting down this Flood does something to his already damaged heart?

Vanitas isn't dumb enough to risk it. ]

If you're volunteering to rid yourself of a toe or a finger, then let's see you do that first.

I'm not volunteering anything of the sort. [A dismissive wave.] I can't exactly change bodies so easily now, so I'd prefer to avoid seeing this one maimed.

[But was it safe to harm the Flood or not? He was getting some mixed signals here. Surely letting someone else chop off your hand was no better than doing it yourself. The result was quite indistinguishable.]

If it's that much a danger to you if it's harmed, why suggest I destroy it in the first place? Unless 'getting rid of it' has some entirely different implication to you.

You're the one who seems to think that something being a part of you isn't a big deal.

[ Vanitas snorts though, actually somewhat amused. ]

Part of that was just me musing on if it could even be destroyed rather than wanting it gone permanently.

[ More of an afterthought than anything else, honestly. ]

Honestly you could just kick it out of your room. Lock your door. I don't think it's learned how to pick locks just yet.

I do kick it out. It returns. And I'd rather not contribute to its education by giving it locks to pick.

[Still, his protests are mostly for the sake of it, and he finally shrugs.]

If I were going to destroy it, I already would have. I certainly don't require your permission.

[And it possibly being part of Vanitas didn't... really change that, actually.]

And I certainly don't have parts of myself wandering around of their own accord. If I did, I'd keep a better eye on them.

[ He hadn't thought that the Flood being a part of him would mean anything. Ultimately it doesn't mean anything to Vanitas either. It's just an emotion that he can't reign in completely. ]

Sounds like it's more your problem than mine, then.

[ Vanitas shrugs. What does is matter to him if the Flood is attached to Emet-Selch? All it means is the guy is a breeding ground for negative emotion, which Van already knows. ]

Maybe I don't keep an eye on it because I want people to know my Irritation.

[So it was to spite others for the sake of it? Well. It wasn't as though he didn't share the same impulse.]

Anyone who knows you doesn't require your pet to notice that. And to anyone who doesn't, your creature conveys very little.

[Still, he'd lodged an Official Complaint, with about as much effect as he'd expected. And that was about as much effort as he wanted to expend on it, for that matter.]

Not that I'm so unreasonable to expect you to control it from your sleep. But I'm surprised to have caught you napping in the open like this. Are you so comfortable here already...?

[ Nor is Vanitas unaware of that fact too. Of course there is a chance that, like Vanitas, Emet-Selch doesn't quite enjoy when the tables are turned back on him. Vanitas knows that he doesn't care for that at all. ]

It does when there is more than a handful all working towards the same end.

[ A dozen or more of these creatures actually performing their function can be a big nuisance. Ask any one of the guardians that...

His mood sours a little more when Emet-Selch thinks to comment on his sleeping. ]

...My study material wasn't as riveting as I thought it would be.

[ Some book he picked up. One of those books from another world altogether. ]

[Spite was better inflicted than received, it was true. And even when some returned irritation was inevitable- it was a difficult habit to deny.

But he's retroactively a touch relieved that there's not a flood of Floods scampering about. That would be much harder to ignore. Though he wondered vaguely if they would all still be connected to Vanitas in the same way; if so, that would be a very large weak point.]

Oh? I do hope you're not overworking yourself.

[Yeah that's not even attempting to pass as anything like actual concern.]

Dull material or otherwise, you must've been quite exhausted. Are you feeling alright?

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