(Untitled)

[2ollux]

Characters: A quad of brilliant idiots. (aka want_the_world, cardfortress, espionagegamer, and 2ollux
Location: The ALPS
Rating: PG-13 for now for sheer language alone. (Thanks Mello, Sollux)
Time: December 12-13
Description: Mission log

Comments

THE LODGE

[2ollux]

[ Oh. Shit. Time to relax. ]

[open]

[cardfortress]

[Here, have a Near sitting on the carpet by the fireplace and working on yet another blank puzzle-- because mind-melting puzzles are just what someone needs after an exhausting mission, really.]

[open] this is only super late, oops

[2ollux]

[ What guy in his right mind wouldn't want to twist his thinkpan into a pretzel after a mission like that? Really now.

He's trying not to seem too obvious, the way he's peering at the puzzle in question, head tilting just so in curiosity, perhaps in thought. Cue the bitten lip to hide whatever he may have wanted to say.

God he wants to solve that puzzle so bad. His liiife. ]

shhhh only puzzles now

[cardfortress]

[Even though Sollux tries not to be too obvious, Near can easily tell he's looking at his puzzle; he'd have to be blind not to notice it, given his experience in watching others and realizing when he's being watched.

He snaps another puzzle piece into place, and then another, before finally speaking; he doesn't look up, though.]

Do you like what you see?

[Click, and another piece is placed correctly.]

[outside, sometime after sollux and mello talk] [closed to mello]

[cardfortress]

[Blissfully ignorant of whatever words were exchanged between his partner and a certain yellow-blooded troll, Near remains outside, crouched down and building a snow fortress around him. Despite what happened during the mission and the occasional trouble with their resonance, he feels somewhat content; of course, playing outside in the snow is actually the biggest factor contributing to that feeling.

He'd missed playing in the snow like this.]

[want_the_world]

[Mello doesn't give a shit if he looks ridiculous; in fact, he's all but forgotten about the humiliating nose and hat that are still firmly attached to him.

He doesn't feel the cold, either, as he stalks outside to find that little bastard; he's honestly surprised the wall of the fort, when he spots Near and puts his hand on the cold-packed surface to arrest his forward motion (for now), doesn't crumble and melt from the force of his anger.]

Where the fuck do you get off, trying to turn my friends against each other?

[cardfortress]

[He looks up when Mello stomps outside, startled by the sudden noise, but when he realizes it's only his Meister, his attention focuses on his fortress once again. Unfortunately for the detective, however, the matter at hand is one he cannot ignore.

It doesn't take him long to realize what the blond is talking about. He should have manipulated Sollux further and ensured he wouldn't tell Mello, but it's useless to dwell on what he had done or should have done: now, he must deal with the collateral damage.]

Stating the facts is not the same thing as trying to turn someone against another.

[He grabs another fistful of snow and adds it to the fort, patting it with gloved hands.]

[want_the_world]

You're fucking biased. You've never liked Rochefort. Your 'facts' are opinion.

[Mello's sure he's read the motivation correctly, and he's fighting the urge to tackle N over into the snow, crack that goddamn composure for once.]

Whatever the fuck your issue is, leave Gemini out of it, and Matt, too.

[This is between them, Mello would know it even without the way their resonance has seemed like trying to tune a radio to a station that's just out of range.]

[cardfortress]

[The faint twitch in his eyebrow is the only reaction visible to Mello's words; his voice remains neutral, although there is a certain coldness behind it. He's absolutely tired of this subject and they barely even started talking-- if Mello's even going to keep talking instead of resorting to other means of 'conversation', that is.]

You are significantly more biased than me, considering your infatuation with that perfect example of stupidity.

[Another fistful of snow is grabbed and smashed against the fortress wall, a little more forcefully than necessary.]

I didn't say anything to Matt.

[The 'yet' at the end of his words is obvious even though he doesn't actually say it. Near will do his best and his worst to push Lili away, and he's more than willing to manipulate Sollux and Matt to this purpose. Why wouldn't he?]

[want_the_world]

[Near may as well have said the 'yet'; Mello hears it as if he had done, and he really has been trying, for his own sake, for theirs--not that the fucking twit seems to believe in there being a 'theirs'--to hold in his anger, but the way N keeps building his stupid fort, as if nothing affects him, or ever could, and the way Mello knows fucking well he would bring Matt into this, if he thought he had anything to gain, it makes the rage crest, propels him forward.

He tackles Near into the snow and does his best to pin him there. Mello's not going to throw a punch, yet, but he will if it seems remotely called for.]

Not infatuated, but even if I was, where the fuck do you get off thinking you have a say in it?

[cardfortress]

[He barely has any time to react before Mello tackles him into the snow, pinning him down quite effectively. What is also quite effective is the sudden physical contact and how it makes him want to squirm away, until he realizes that his discomfort is most likely what Mello has in mind, rather than a physical display of dominance.

Very well: two can play this game. Near stops squirming and focuses on the matter at hand.]

I could care less about whose body secretes the most fetching kind of pheromones, or whomever you decide to write heartfelt poems to.

[He's lying, of course. Naturally, the most logical-- and mature-- course of action to follow is to grab a fistful of snow and shove it in Mello's face, which is exactly what Near does.]

But when an idiot girl with daddy issues tries to brainwash you, and actually manages to be the one person responsible for significant breaks in our resonance, then I do have a say in it.

[His patience is finally reaching its end, and he's closer to snapping than ever before. Contrary to Mello,

[want_the_world]

[That's it, damn it.

Mello spits snow out, having been far too surprised at Near going on the offensive to dodge the attack. The twit has a point, which only pisses Mello off more, and he can still feel them, those places where their resonance seems quite literally cracked. He takes a perverse pleasure in it, in knowing Near feels it too. Hurts, doesn't it?

Now that it comes to it, he somehow can't bring himself to actually deck Near, no matter how richly he deserves it. Years of hating him (never more than in this moment, feels like), and Mello's still never resorted to outright violence.

He grabs a fistful of that white hair, though, twists his fingers to make the twit look at him; snarls out his words in an angry rush.]

Then you fucking tell me that! Don't go behind my back, and don't try to pull on my strings like I'm some fucking puppet. I know you haven't forgotten what I said the last time you saw me.

[cardfortress]

[There's a slight feeling of victory as Mello spits out snow, not expecting that attack; Near doesn't care if it's noticeable through the resonance, as cracked as it has been lately, but he hopes his partner recognizes it.

He can't help but wince as he sees Mello's fist approaching at an alarming speed, but even though he squeezes his eyes shut in anticipation of a blow, the pain never comes-- instead, his partner reaches for his hair. Near's eyes snap open and widen ridiculously; no no no, not the hair! Mello grabs it, twists his fingers through it and Near has to try his hardest not to squirm away. He could care less about how messy his hair would be after such handling, but his scalp and hair are too sensitive for his damned good, and that makes him feel a lot more uncomfortable than before.

Near reaches for that stupid Excalibur nose, curls a gloved hand around it to try to pull Mello away.]Any previous attempts at discussing this subject with you have ended in frustration and an absolute lack of results. It became quite obvious

[want_the_world]

[The sense of triumph catches Mello more off-guard than the contact does, and he snarls. He knows Near provokes him on purpose, so why the fuck does it always work?

But he feels the panic through their resonance, too, and that's interesting. Even incensed as he is, he files it away for future reference and exploitation.

All this goes through his mind in a flash of a flash, as Near reaches for the idiotic fucking nose Mello's stuck with, and he hangs on even tighter, pulling hard at white hair now, even as he twists to try to break Near's grip. Not like he cares if the nose breaks off.]

It doesn't have anything to do with you! Some things don't, don't you see that? You're the one who's fucked us up. Not her.

[cardfortress]

[His eyes narrow and he grits his teeth as Mello grips his hair even tighter; it feels painful, now, on top of being downright uncomfortable. Near counter attacks by tugging on the fake nose, as if to snap it, not knowing or caring if his actions would actually remove the thing... but secretly hoping that the sudden motion would hurt Mello, if only a little.

But it's only when those words leave his partner's mouth that Near finally snaps. While his anger is still as tightly controlled as before, it's much more powerful, clawing at him like ice-cold blades.

Rochefort is winning. The resonance cracks even further.]

From the moment it interferes with our resonance and jeopardizes our survival, it has everything to do with me. I'm not the one responsible for this mess. [His tone is colder than the snow surrounding them.] And for you to reach that ridiculous conclusion... It seems that you've caught her stupidity, Mello. What a disappointment.

[He's tired of making attempts at diplomacy. Near transforms into his Weapon form, wanting

[want_the_world]

[The horrible appended nose doesn't break, damn it all. All that happens is that Mello's real nose, under it, feels wrenched and twisted.

And Mello does, too, the shattering of their resonance like shards of ice stabbing at his psyche, like his own thought turned back on him full-force and more (hurts, doesn't it? yes, it does, like broken places, a cold burn worse than the blasting heat of the explosion he knew in real life) and oh, he would definitely break his own taboo and take a swing at Near, except.

Except there's just that fucking Rubik's cube where the twit was a moment ago.

Mello reaches to grab it, and the burning's hot now, like he felt before, when he deliberately broke their resonance, but he knows it won't leave a mark on his palm, isn't really burning, and he grits his teeth and endures it long enough to pitch the cube as far and hard as he can.]