Who; suaveleather and OPEN What; Zevran makes a late night venture to check on the traps he set up Where; SEES dorm When; Very early Thursday morning Rating; PG-13 max Status; Open and Ongoing
Lately sleep had become something that Mitsuru rarely engaged in, she tried to tell herself that it was because there was simply too many things for her to do, however the truth was much more simple. In truth, Mitsuru was simply afraid of sleep, so she busied herself with other things, or with simple wanderings. For the most part this meant waiting until Akihiko was asleep to go back to her work or to whatever activity she chose to keep herself from sleep, the last thing she wanted to do was to worry him or anyone else.
Tonight she found herself up and heading to the kitchen to make herself some tea when she heard a strangely familiar voice. Her first reaction to the voice was a slight jump, followed by the tensing of all her muscles as she tried to place it.
"Zevran-san...?" Her voice sounded hesitant as she approached the couch, as his image became clearer she frowned. Sometimes she wondered if there was something exceptionally wrong with the elf mentally. "What are you doing here so late?"
Ah, and there was the reason for his guilt. Zevran kept that familiar cocky smile on his face even as he studied her, taking in even the smallest details. The tensed muscles, the tired look. He often refused to feel guilty. It was a waste of time and energy. Yet it was the knowledge that they had people he cared for that which was used to hurt him the most during his time in captivity. He could handle being tortured, any physical pain. Seeing Starwind taken and knowing Mitsuru was there as well...
His stomach clenched as he forced himself into a sitting position.
"I was not aware I wasn't allowed in the house? What are you doing up so late, dear Mitsuru?"
"You're welcome here whenever you wish, it is simply ...odd for you to be here at such an hour." Odd and potentially dangerous, not all the residents of SEES were aware of Zevran's strange penchant for entering their dorm at random times.
She shrugged nonchalantly at his question. "I was coming to make some tea when I heard something."
"Is it truly?" He raised an eyebrow at that because really... He had been around at this hour before. Granted the last time she would probably remember was the night he had slipped into her bed, during the initial trap set up, but it was not that odd.
He took another moment to take in her appearance before pushing himself out of his resting position. "Now... Tea? At this time of the night?"
"There are more of us here now, some that might not be familiar with you." Which did not really disturb her that much, she simply did not want any accidents.
"I could not sleep, so I saw little harm in it. What brings you here at such a late hour?"
He grinned with a slow shrug of the shoulders. Sooner or later all would know him and he had faced worse than the children. There was no fear on his part and he would not hurt any of them.
"We will meet. I stopped by to check up on the traps and add in some new ones. And before you ask, my dear Mitsuru, no, I will not tell you the locations."
"I suppose you are correct, you will meet them. However, it might have been best for you to meet them on their own terms, rather than by surprise in our home." She chuckled and shook her head.
"You may have a point. I will try my best to keep that in mind." He took in her chuckle, pleased with the sound. How often did she get to laugh recently? He raised an eyebrow, her previous thoughts on his own mind.
"You mentioned tea? Would you be willing to share some with a friend? I am not quite ready to leave yet."
"I have those sometimes I suppose." She gave him a pleasant smile, at least she had managed to lighten up a little. To his questions she nodded. "I would be more than happy to share with a friend." She motioned towards the kitchen and started that way herself.
It was wonderful to see a smile on her face. His own lips forming a smirk he followed behind her as she led the way to the kitchen. He leaned against one of the counter tops to watch her prepare the tea.
"I have no complaints to voice beyond a distinct lack of you in my life." He winked at her.
She grabbed two cups out of a cabinet and then began to prepare the tea.
"You are as charming as ever," she replied with a smile. It was strange that he was able to make her smile so easily, perhaps it was because of the ease with which he seemed to take everything. He had a strangely relaxing aura to him. "I suppose we have all been quite...busy with all that has gone on."
"This place does have a tendency to keep us busy. That is true." He crossed his arms over his chest, allowing himself the relaxation and the rare sight of that smile. He could only hope she allowed others to see it as well. She was very beautiful when she smiled, after all.
"If it isn't fighting for our lives it is fighting for the lives of others."
"At least we are never bored..." That was her exceptionally poor attempt at keeping things light, although she imagined it was probably not going very well.
"I was." He raised an eyebrow at that, his head lifting up a little. It was easy to push past that, he told himself. Yet even at the mention he could bring to mind the images of those tortured around him, the screams and pitiful whimpers.
He grinned, his mask back up. "You cannot stop thinking about it, can you?"
"About the time you spent in there. There's no need to hide, dear Mitsuru. You were not alone in there."
He let his grin fall and his face became serious. "They put me in a cage next to somebody I care for. I watched as they took him away, unable to do anything, and could only hold his hand when they brought him back broken, on the verge of madness."
He met her eyes. "The memories won't go away, my friend. You just have to hope time dulls it."
Tonight she found herself up and heading to the kitchen to make herself some tea when she heard a strangely familiar voice. Her first reaction to the voice was a slight jump, followed by the tensing of all her muscles as she tried to place it.
"Zevran-san...?" Her voice sounded hesitant as she approached the couch, as his image became clearer she frowned. Sometimes she wondered if there was something exceptionally wrong with the elf mentally. "What are you doing here so late?"
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His stomach clenched as he forced himself into a sitting position.
"I was not aware I wasn't allowed in the house? What are you doing up so late, dear Mitsuru?"
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She shrugged nonchalantly at his question. "I was coming to make some tea when I heard something."
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He took another moment to take in her appearance before pushing himself out of his resting position. "Now... Tea? At this time of the night?"
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"I could not sleep, so I saw little harm in it. What brings you here at such a late hour?"
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"We will meet. I stopped by to check up on the traps and add in some new ones. And before you ask, my dear Mitsuru, no, I will not tell you the locations."
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"Luckily I will not ask."
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"You mentioned tea? Would you be willing to share some with a friend? I am not quite ready to leave yet."
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"How have you been, Zevran-san?"
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"I have no complaints to voice beyond a distinct lack of you in my life." He winked at her.
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"You are as charming as ever," she replied with a smile. It was strange that he was able to make her smile so easily, perhaps it was because of the ease with which he seemed to take everything. He had a strangely relaxing aura to him. "I suppose we have all been quite...busy with all that has gone on."
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"If it isn't fighting for our lives it is fighting for the lives of others."
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"You were...one of the ones taken, were you not?"
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He grinned, his mask back up. "You cannot stop thinking about it, can you?"
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He let his grin fall and his face became serious. "They put me in a cage next to somebody I care for. I watched as they took him away, unable to do anything, and could only hold his hand when they brought him back broken, on the verge of madness."
He met her eyes. "The memories won't go away, my friend. You just have to hope time dulls it."
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