pika pika

[revelate]

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[revelate]

A euphemism? Not at all.

[kurapika thinking about sweet deaths smh]

The Homecoming Ceremony is for those who have reached the end of their tenth term. It's considered a great honor to be sent to the heavens by the Queen herself... but I don't know that Mio will get that honor, being trapped in this place.

[revengier]

[ sweet death aka when he finally dies! ]

Does the Queen kill you, then?

[ Because if that's the case... hm. But he'll wait for Noah's answer before making any real assumptions. ]

[revelate]

No. We only live for ten terms max— ten years, in your words. If we're lucky, we'll get to live out that full time.

[revengier]

[ He doesn't really know what that implies, given Mio is on her tenth year alive and she looks to be his age, but he decides not to concern himself with all of that right now. ]

That's a short amount of time.

[ Something about that prickles at the back of his mind, reminding him of years he's filed off of his life in mere hours.

...

He downs the rest of his glass and stands to pour more whisky as it burns the back of his throat unpleasantly. ]

[revelate]

It is. And from what I gather, Mio and I are the odd ones out here.

[Everyone else gets to live to be wrinkly and old. Like, look at Walter White. In any other context, Noah would think that man were mummified.]

[revengier]

You are. Anyone else dying young wouldn't be from natural causes.

[ He takes a nice long sip of his drink. This is much more than he usually consumes, and it's already getting to his head. ]

So... what will you tell her?

[ He can't hold it against Noah for thinking about his feelings, not anymore. ]

[revelate]

...That's what I've been wondering myself.

[What will he tell her when the time comes? So many thoughts come to mind, but so few of those can make it past his lips. Words have a habit of failing people when they need them the most, don't they?]

That... I enjoyed what time we had together. That I'm proud of what we were able to accomplish. That she can rest easy knowing the rest in our hands. And...

...That I'll miss her.

[revengier]

[ In a way, Noah is lucky that he can acknowledge those thoughts and allow them to take root in his heart. Kurapika isn't bitter, but it would be a lie to tell himself that a part of him didn't wish he could do the same. ]

I think she should know all of that, especially that last part.

[ ... ]

Those are important words to hear.

[revelate]

Yeah. I figure.

[But is he ready to cement those feelings in his heart by acknowledging them? Right now, the idea of Mio dying doesn't feel quite real. If he says goodbye, that he'll miss her, he'll be forced to accept that truth.

Noah's brow furrows, forehead lolling on the bar counter.]

They're not easy words to speak, but they're important. I'll have to take your advice.

[revengier]

I hope you do, especially before time runs out.

[ There isn't much left of it, after all. He watches Noah's head loll around as a thoughtful look passes over his face.

Biting back a sigh, he takes another sip. ]

Try to feel some happiness over it. Feelings like those should be held close.

[revelate]

I wouldn't have expected you to be the type to say something like that. You're normally very logical, aren't you?

[revengier]

[ He downs the rest of his glass. ]

So?

[ What about it, Noah? Are those fighting words? ]

Some things are important. Even I know that.

[revelate]

[Please, why so cagey? Noah does a 'don't worry about it' motion with his hand.]

I didn't mean anything by it. You just seem like the type who keeps his feelings close to his chest.

[revengier]

[ He finally sighs, setting his glass down on the bar. His head feels pleasantly warm as his thoughts swim around, making it easy to say what he wouldn't normally. ]

It's easier that way.

[ In other words, do as Kurapika says, but don't follow his example. ]

[revelate]

That's a depressing way of looking at things. Aren't you being a bit hypocritical, Kurapika?

[revengier]

Of course I am. I never said I wasn't.

[ Point: Kurapika. He's totally winning this. ]

[revelate]

[...Noah snorts a little. Sorry. He's too drunk not to have a laugh at that.]

You're certainly stubborn. You might actually be more pigheaded than myself.

[revengier]

Pigheaded isn't what I would call it.

[ RUDE. ]

Determined is a better word.

[revelate]

No?

[Don't flatter yourself too much there, Pika.]

I'd like to call myself the same, but my friends would disagree. If you know with certainty that you're correct, you'd ignore even the wishes of your friends to pursue what you thought was right, wouldn't you?

[revengier]

[ Wow.

Noah really caught him in a little trap, didn't he? Kurapika's almost mad that he didn't see it being set, and he pours more whisky into his glass.

He sighs. Loudly. ]

I would, and I have. I eventually stopped telling them what I was doing because it was easier to ignore their calls than to hear them say I shouldn't be doing something.

[revelate]

[Trust no one, not even the deceptively sharp jrpg protagonist... but really, it was an easy guess. They are incredibly alike, and the more they get to know one another, the more Noah sees aspects of himself reflected back at him in Kurapika.]

Because you'd feel emotionally compromised by their pleas, wouldn't you? It's hard to say no to the people you care about.

[revengier]

[ He takes a sip from his glass, the alcohol burning his throat just as much as it did on the very first sip. ]

They're also stupid and would go along with anything I did.

[revelate]

[Another amused snort.]

That's not very nice.

[But he gets it. Noah is the brains of his group as well, along with Taion, but before that...]

My podmates are two of the most hotheaded and shortsighted people you'll meet. I wouldn't call them stupid, but they'd rather act first and think second.

[revengier]

It might not be nice, but it's true.

[ Hmph. He never claimed to be nice either, but at least what little huffiness Noah can see from Kurapika doesn't have any real anger attached to it.

It's just the way he is. ]

My friends are the same way, though. They never do any real planning, and would rather do everything on the fly instead. [ He pauses. ] I've learned from them, though. They're adaptable in ways I could never be.

[revelate]

Mm. At least you're open to expanding your horizons. Other people always have something to teach us, I think, even if we're learning from them what not to do.