[Video]

[wineandwomen]

[When the feed clicks on, a clean Cross Marian is setting something down on the edge of the roof of the apartment building before he sits on it. He's sitting on a towel he nicked from a hotel he had stayed in across the river, the Exorcist General sat there, holding an umbrella in one hand to keep the rain off and a glass of wine in the other. The

Comments

1/?

[tothelastbreath]

[Oh, look who's back―]

2/?

[tothelastbreath]

[But wait, what did you just say.]

3/?

[tothelastbreath]

[And is that an actual glass of wine.]

4/?

[tothelastbreath]

[......]

5/? [VIDEO]

[tothelastbreath]

[The feed clicks on to just one word―]

Master.

[―and a bright smile fuelled by his inner reservoir of all things dark and scary.]

6/? [OFFLINE]

[tothelastbreath]

[And clicks off again. Allen slips through the door leading to the roof several minutes later and stalks right up to Cross, Tim performing a agitated little dance of oh no oh no oh no right behind him...]

7/7

[tothelastbreath]

[...then plucks the wine glass from his Master's hand and empties it over the ledge with nary a blink.]

How nice of you to join us.

[This is the face of someone who has HAD. IT.]

[offline]

[wineandwomen]

[He could hear Allen getting closer. He just didn't realize his apprentice would be stupid enough to dump out his wine. There's a twitch to his brow before, really Allen? You left him with an empty hand... Cross reached back, grabbing the teen by his shirt collar and hangs him over the edge of the roof much in the same way his wine had just been held by the younger.]

Is that anyway to greet your, Master? Even after he went and found some information for you and brought your sorry ass some food?

[The man looked back at the supply of items he had brought with him, including one Noah's birthday gifts before he turned his attention to his old golem, giving it a pleasant smile.]

Hello there, Tim.

1/2

[tothelastbreath]

[Allen isn't sure what gave him the nerve to do that either. Month upon month of extreme FML in two worlds, probably. He goes over the edge with a yelp, but then narrows his eyes the way teenagers do when they realise they're in deep shit, and is set on out-stubborning it.]

You could've told me what you were doing! Is it really that hard!?

[Grabs hold of Cross's wrist with one hand in case his master lets go ― and speaking of letting go, that'll be Allen tossing the empty wine glass away too. What's some more debris, really.]

But no, you left me hanging. [And if anyone points out the hilarity of that statement given his current predicament, he will punch them in the face.] Again. For three weeks!

[tailwhacks]

[While all that ranting's going on, Tim's gone and flattened one pudgy cheek to the unmasked side of Cross's face, effectively squishing his eye half-shut and skewing his lips. It's all very attractive.]

[wineandwomen]

[The visible brow arched at Allen as he started to rant, shifting to get to his feet. He managed to still be graceful, holding a raging Allen by his shirt off the edge, staying covered by his umbrella and... Now getting a cheek smushing from Timcanpy.

He gave an aggrivated sigh when he heard his glass hit the ground all ten flights down there. At least he had another glass and if Allen went for that, he had Maria hiding his bottle of wine.]

What? And let others listen in or get found out? Yes because that is so logical. Besides, I've left you alone longer and you've been fine before, idiot apprentice.

[Tim, your maker would be patting you right now but the umbrella is important, but he's putting up no complain to having you mashed against his face, feel free to nest in his hair if you want too!]

1/2

[tothelastbreath]

[Allen would rant about the belated delivery of supplies too, because this was never about just him and Cross, but whatever. He and Kanda took care of that, he doesn't need his master's help to keep everyone else fed. Instead, he glares harder and carries right on.]

I had you on a private feed once! And it's not like you couldn't have sent me a text message―

[Cuts off then, well aware of how ridiculous this probably seems to Cross. He's not twelve anymore, for god's sake. He was never this bothered, at least outwardly, even at twelve. Cross is right, he's been dumped on his own for far longer and done just fine.]

[ takes a deep breath ]

I never got to ask. [Too many things, with the most pressing one being―] What's the last thing you remember before you were brought here?

[He's not unused to Cross leaving him behind, but it was the first time it turned out to be permanent.]

2/2

[tailwhacks]

[Awesome, Tim will go ahead and make himself riiiight at home atop Cross' head, clutching at his hair with tiny hands. His joy at seeing Cross again is dampened somewhat by what appears to be a Very Serious Conversation, though, and it shows in the uncertain way his wings are sagging, tucked close to his rounded sides.]

[offline]

[wineandwomen]

[There's a sigh, a very put upon sounding sigh from the man. The way he was going on about text messages and private feeds was annoying. This whole place was annoying. How the hell was he to know what Allen was talking about with the device? Half the time it sat in his coat pocket getting ignored, while the rest of the time he poked around on it trying to see how it worked.

The sudden change of topic earned a questioning brow raise. What was Allen getting at with that question? He had noticed right away his apprentice looked different; older, more tired, a scraggly mess. Another sigh and Cross answered, sounding much less aggrivated with the teen.]

Last thing I remember was the Crow and Order minons dragging you off from the meeting. Why? What does that matter?

[He's happy to have you on his head Tim and will gladly give you the attention you so rightly deserve soon. For now though, he's keeping you dry under his umbrella, enjoying thise little hands holding his hair again. He missed you, you silly ash eating golem]

[offline]

[tothelastbreath]

[Somehow, this is exactly the answer Allen's expecting. He's learned long ago that it's typical of Libitina to be cruel, after all. But expecting something doesn't necessarily mean you're prepared for it, and it is in this moment, with stinging disappointment yawning wide in his chest, that Allen realises how much he isn't prepared for this, simply because he has been hoping otherwise.

Hoping Cross is from a further point in time.

That even a gunshot to the head isn't enough to keep him down.

That he's still well enough, sometime in the future, to simply show up, be utterly unfazed by Nesreca except for the dirt, declare it a cess pit, and bugger off to some woman's bed in Credinta because he's just that untouchable.

Allen supposes it's his own fault for pretending not to know better.]

[Looking and sounding winded, though his grip on Cross's wrist remains steadfast:] Libitina can kidnap people from different points in time. I have to ask to be sure we're all on the same page.

[And often to make sure they're not.]

[offline]

[wineandwomen]

[Cross didn't really understand why it had been so important to know. He hadn't seen Allen make such a fuss over that winged Tyki but then again, no fuss needed he supposed. Wings were a sure sign the Noah hadn't been from their own world.

If only he knew what was going on in his apprentice's mind would Cross understand Allen's concern. Perhaps he would press the issue later, when he wasn't holding the teen ten stories from the ground... By his shirt.]

Oh? Is that why you look such a mess? At least you got a damned hair cut since I saw you last.

[There was a sigh from him. He was getting tired of holding the younger up, giving up for the moment, Cross pulled his apprentice back over the edge of the roof, setting him down on the building. Slowly, he let go of Allen's shirt, actually smoothing it down for the smaller. It was as close to an apology Allen would get from him.]