Sixty-Third Explosion

[god_is_a_dude]

[Written]

Today's sciences assignment is really stupid. Come on, what's with this junk? I learned this years ago, but I still need to fill all this out. Jeez.

[...Okay so like guys, seriously, if your characters can/would get through these filters and comment on them, please feel free. Particularly this first one]

Comments

[slaying]

[You're staring out the window, Haruki? Well, then you might just see Buffy barrel her way past. She's been spending an awful lot of time outside, recently. Even if the temperature is dropping.

Anyway, she spots the boy through the glass and seems to hover a moment--convincing herself into or out of something. She's unabashedly staring back inside--give a moment, she might screw her courage to the sticking place and backtrack enough to knock on the door.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[This door facing outside the main square... and there's Buffy. Buffy who often makes things complicated but interesting. She's like a twin-sided coin of interesting, light-hearted, and depressing. Isn't that three sides? Either way, she is complicated. He's not sure if he wants or not and-

He's not sure what he wants, really.

So he'll just stare right back. Making unabashed eye contact]

[slaying]

[That's permission enough for her. The Slayer disappears out of sight for a few seconds before a light rapping of the knuckles can be heard against the door-frame.

After all, there were possible things to be discussed. The last serious conversation she had with the boy had been a little on the heavy side; however, since then? Things had gotten heavier.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[They really have. And they always do. He doesn't get up from his chair - this is the Brigade HQ, the door is always unlocked. So he's going to grunt from his chair before yelling back there-]

It's unlocked!

[slaying]

[Right then. She enters, quietly shutting the door behind her. Truthfully? She'd never been inside the Brigade HQ before. She probably would not say so to Haruki's face, but she is pretty leery about the Bridage as a whole. She can't quite put her finger down on why.]

I see you're back in your own skin. [Not the warmest of greetings, but the boy didn't really look like he'd appreciate a cheery wave and a grin. Not only had the experiment finished--but it was hard to mistake that look in someone's eyes that told who exactly who was sitting behind them. It clearly wasn't Minato any longer.

Calmly, almost as a distraction, Buffy wondered if this undeniable and recognizable look was, in actuality, a person's soul.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[Is is the tiki heads in the room? Is it the other random things hanging on the walls or the ceiling? Is it perhaps the fact that he has a coffin in his bedroom? Is it the fact there is a large closet of various costumes off that door to your right? Or the teapot there on the table to your right. ...Oh well, point made. He grunts, and then-]

Yeah, finally. You were hit, right? You don't curse with the word "moons."

[It just might be. He would probably know what she meant if she mentioned that. Still, he does turn to her at this point. To be polite. And waves for her to take a chair at the big center table. You know, if she wants]

[slaying]

[Nah, Buffy remains standing. After all, there's a control to be had in standing--and that was exactly what Buffy feels she needs in the midst of this...this jumble of things. They sort of make her want to shrink in upon herself; so, instead, she crosses her arms across her chest and tries to draw to as much height as the five-foot-three young woman can.]

Not usually, no. Poor Fina--I think she had more of a rough time being me than I had being her. Still, I couldn't have asked for a more respectful and all around unhorrible body snatcher. It wasn't too bad.

[She takes three steps into a wide berth around Haruki. This was small talk, but it the formalities had to be respected. This time, at least.]

[god_is_a_dude]

Well that one balloon friend of hers might not have listened to her in your body. Did it follow you around still?

[Ewww smalltalk. Normally he dislikes it, but well... Buffy is an adult. Adults do deserve some sort of respect, in his mind. He doesn't comment on his own experience but really? He doesn't want to go into Minato's business. Minato has his own issues which he can deal with and he has his and... whatever.

All this arm crossing and her looking so serious is in turn making him keep being serious though]

[slaying]

Cupil? Yeah, at first. I think he had insider info, though. Totally could smell the Buffy-rat hanging out in Fina's skin. So I just went back home and found her and let Cupil do his little silver balloon thing with her. [Bewildering sigh.] I'm totally not cut out for a pet. I could probably even manage to kill a pet rock. We had these egg-children things back when I was in school? As a project, and...[She trails off. It's a boring story, anyway.

She chews her bottom lip, keeping an eye on Haruki. How do polite people even manage conversation? She doesn't know how to broach the subject of kidnappings without coming out with her guns a-blazing. Not that she has any guns because, guns? Never help.]

[god_is_a_dude]

[Hell if this kid knows how to do that. The only kind of polite he knows is to talk nice to adults here about useless things, which is what he's going to do now. He pauses there, and then, well, something pings him to continue this chat-]

Was that a home economics class or something? Or sociology?

[slaying]

[She hesitates because--hey, this is a kid she's talking to. Except it doesn't take long for Buffy to remind herself that she was actually pretty close to Haruki's age when this had actually happened.

With a firm shake of her head, she replies:] Actually? It was Sex Ed. Y'know sort of a don't have babies warning. Not that it really worked out the way anyone planned--what with the demons living in the eggs and all. But there was a moral there, somewhere.

[god_is_a_dude]

[Sex ed? Oh yeah, he started that back when he was ten. no seriously Japan starts it in third grade or so That's kinda an afterthought thing for him. Raising babies in there, though? Egg-babies? ...Huh, that's interesting]

Demons in the- Jeez, nothing ends up as planned in your life, does it?

[slaying]

[She laughs, in spite of herself.]

Not really, no. Fate seems to have plans, but it doesn't really get too keen on sharing them with me. Exchange the Fate with Malnosso and it's pretty much the same story here, apparently.

[Now we're getting warmer.]

[god_is_a_dude]

...You know, do you really think those two things are so different?

[That's a non-sequencer, yes, but it's something he's been thinking about since his last talk with ANI's maker. That got him thinking, honestly]

I mean not the 'Nosso - they're just assholes - but this place as a while.

[slaying]

Fate and here? I dunno. Fate's all old and moldy ancient texts. It's prophecy and mojo and all that stuff. Luceti is Luceti. Unlike back home, I feel pretty exceptionally destiny-less, here. Unless being taken away and shoved back, minus a few synaptic connections constitutes a destiny.

[A huff:] If it does? Then label me a newly converted skeptic who should be wearing a down with destiny slogan on her shirt.

[god_is_a_dude]

[Snort. But then he goes on to say-]

I meant the force getting everyone here. Fate doesn't need to be linear does it?