[ warning hikage like he's simba and she's mufasa, i see... ]
Hmph. My expectations are high.
[ It feels nice to think about that potential future, even if it's just a dream. Simple, easy things, like walking in the snow together, or waiting for a train - they're the stuff of his fantasies after being indoors for so long. Walking outside in the grass like this is nice, too, but he knows he's still trapped. When he's truly free, he's sure he'll feel the difference. ]
In return, I'll make you something good when we get back from exploring. [ a beat. ] Do you really like mashed potatoes that much?
[ if he'd known that, he wouldn't have made her so many sweets back in the castle! Then again, there are only so many ways to make mashed potatoes. He'd run out of ideas eventually. And she never seemed to complain about it. Still, it would be nice to make something different, specifically for her... Maybe the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach, too?
In any case, they're coming up on the weird portal tree. Hikage looks at her, then surreptitiously at their hands, then back to the hollow again. ]
[ stop hikage, she doesn't dislike sweets it's fine!! and she can't say this because it's all bracket text, so instead she just tilts his head at the first comment.
[ he's a perfectionist how is he gonna win her heart if he doesn't make her mashed potaters :(
anyway, this portal thing is still weird, but here they go. He's done it a few times already, so he lands on his feet this time. The area on the other side is actually a lot nicer than the camp; it's too bad they can't stay here, instead. ]
[ she assumes these portals might have been a weekly thing instead of them receiving all of them at once, but even then it's still a lot of places to explore. amazing.
once again, he is stuck at an impasse about how honest he should be with Steph... this time, at least, he recalls how oddly freeing it was to let himself be vulnerable and not get humiliated for it. After a second or three of hesitation, he answers. ]
... I thought we could make an offering. After that... [ a beat. ] ... To be honest, I don't have any memories of "dates." Probably... I've never been on one. When I was alive, I didn't have opportunities for things like that... I didn't have anyone around me in the first place. The things I've seen in the hearts of the dead aren't things I can accomplish here, either.
[ while his voice remains even and neutral, he does look rueful. ]
... Even so, I wanted to monopolize your time for a little while. Having you to myself, just walking and having a normal conversation, looking at scenery that's slightly more interesting than usual with you... that sounded good enough to make me want to try. [ a pause, and he huffs a silent laugh. ] I'm a boring, selfish old man, after all. Maybe someone will hear my prayer and give me a second chance to take you on a better date.
[ she laughs, although it's not a mocking one. just... amused, and understanding.
with her free hand, she just gestures in front of them. ]
This is fine! You know, not all dates have to be something super fancy or planned out. The best kind can usually just be you and the other person, just... existing together.
[ she has had more than one conversation here, with people being confused about what qualifies as a date or flirting or just something romantic. and when steph described the concept, the response that she got a lot was that sounded like something you can do with your friends.
but of course it does, because the person you date should also be your friend. your feelings are what makes it romantic. ]
[ oh!! despite his best efforts not to show it, he does look a little relieved when she says that, smiling faintly. ]
Yeah. That's what I think, too.
[ not that he has any experience to draw on - at least none that he remembers - but his favorite moments of this second chance at living have been the small and intimate ones he's shared with his friends, not the parties or the thrills (the non-murderous ones, obviously.) And it's comforting to know that she's enjoyed them, too. Theoretically. ]
Still... It would be nice to impress you sometime.
I'll have you know, I'm veeeery difficult to impress.
[ that's a joke. steph is genuinely rather easygoing when it comes to things like this. it's why she's so okay with waiting until gotham before figuring anything out.
she has learned what happens when you try to rush things, and a lot of the time it's not that pretty. ]
... but seriously, you don't have to try.
rises out of the water like a beautiful dolphin and returns to this thread
If you're telling me to back off, you're a little late.
[ Hikage is All In, as long as he ignores the whole Belph thing. Or doesn't ignore it?? He doesn't know anymore. Maybe the details don't matter, though, considering how they only bother him when he starts picking at them. From far away, it's fine. ]
Besides, telling me not to try only makes me want to try more.
[ he raises an eyebrow at her questioningly, at least for a moment or two, before he thinks he understands what she's getting at. ]
... Nothing's going to change that quickly, especially not me. [ he's still remembering how to just... live. And the way things are now is good, too... aside from being trapped in yet another battle royale, of course. It's just that he now has the capability to think about things changing, eventually, and maybe even for the better, which he's not used to. Regardless, if one thing about him has been consistent throughout both his life and his death, it's that he's very bad at giving up once he's set his sights on something. ] You should know me well enough to know I don't do anything I don't want to do, anyway.
[ his mismatched eyes flick over to her, briefly. ]
[ me looking in the graveyard: yeah it's not always a good thing
he chuckles. ]
Then I'll take your hesitating on this as a compliment.
[ she must be serious about him!! or them, he supposes. Once again, he considers that he should probably be jealous of Belph, but he doesn't really feel anything about it... it's fine. They're almost to the shrine now, if the big archways they're passing under are any indication. ]
[ the shrine, at least, distracts her from the conversation. this kind of scenery isn't really what she's used to-- it's such a sharp contrast to what's in gotham.
she misses gotham, but this is its own breath of fresh air. ]
[ he takes the ladle out of the well and... dumps water on her hands. It's been a little while since he's done this, but it's probably fine if he does it for her, right? Right. ]
Now you're "purified." Unless you want to drink some, too.
Well... [ he hesitates, shifting his weight onto his other leg. ] I doubt it's worth it. My soul's already been sold off .
[ that power's taken its pound of flesh from Hikage already, metaphorically speaking - and a little holy water isn't enough to purify him now. Divinity probably wants nothing to do with him. ]
... Honestly, I was somewhat surprised nothing happened to me when I walked in here before... [ like he doesn't feel particularly cursed and he wasn't attacked by angry spirits?? crazy. ] But so far, I've been fine.
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Hmph. My expectations are high.
[ It feels nice to think about that potential future, even if it's just a dream. Simple, easy things, like walking in the snow together, or waiting for a train - they're the stuff of his fantasies after being indoors for so long. Walking outside in the grass like this is nice, too, but he knows he's still trapped. When he's truly free, he's sure he'll feel the difference. ]
In return, I'll make you something good when we get back from exploring. [ a beat. ] Do you really like mashed potatoes that much?
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[ hm...
she thinks over how to say the rest. ]
It's more like, a comfort food? Whenever I'm feeling down about something, it's what I go for to help make me feel better.
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[ if he'd known that, he wouldn't have made her so many sweets back in the castle! Then again, there are only so many ways to make mashed potatoes. He'd run out of ideas eventually. And she never seemed to complain about it. Still, it would be nice to make something different, specifically for her... Maybe the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach, too?
In any case, they're coming up on the weird portal tree. Hikage looks at her, then surreptitiously at their hands, then back to the hollow again. ]
Let's jump on three.
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but then he speaks again, and she nods. ]
Alrighty. One... two... three!
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anyway, this portal thing is still weird, but here they go. He's done it a few times already, so he lands on his feet this time. The area on the other side is actually a lot nicer than the camp; it's too bad they can't stay here, instead. ]
This way. I was here earlier.
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[ she assumes these portals might have been a weekly thing instead of them receiving all of them at once, but even then it's still a lot of places to explore. amazing.
but she'll follow wherever he goes. ]
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[ too many places to have to look for bodies and evidence, tbh. ]
Still... I prefer this area.
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[ although honestly, she is pretty sure if she was stuck here for two months while murders happened, she wouldn't be the biggest fan of it. ]
What do you have planned?
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once again, he is stuck at an impasse about how honest he should be with Steph... this time, at least, he recalls how oddly freeing it was to let himself be vulnerable and not get humiliated for it. After a second or three of hesitation, he answers. ]
... I thought we could make an offering. After that... [ a beat. ] ... To be honest, I don't have any memories of "dates." Probably... I've never been on one. When I was alive, I didn't have opportunities for things like that... I didn't have anyone around me in the first place. The things I've seen in the hearts of the dead aren't things I can accomplish here, either.
[ while his voice remains even and neutral, he does look rueful. ]
... Even so, I wanted to monopolize your time for a little while. Having you to myself, just walking and having a normal conversation, looking at scenery that's slightly more interesting than usual with you... that sounded good enough to make me want to try. [ a pause, and he huffs a silent laugh. ] I'm a boring, selfish old man, after all. Maybe someone will hear my prayer and give me a second chance to take you on a better date.
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with her free hand, she just gestures in front of them. ]
This is fine! You know, not all dates have to be something super fancy or planned out. The best kind can usually just be you and the other person, just... existing together.
[ she has had more than one conversation here, with people being confused about what qualifies as a date or flirting or just something romantic. and when steph described the concept, the response that she got a lot was that sounded like something you can do with your friends.
but of course it does, because the person you date should also be your friend. your feelings are what makes it romantic. ]
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Yeah. That's what I think, too.
[ not that he has any experience to draw on - at least none that he remembers - but his favorite moments of this second chance at living have been the small and intimate ones he's shared with his friends, not the parties or the thrills (the non-murderous ones, obviously.) And it's comforting to know that she's enjoyed them, too. Theoretically. ]
Still... It would be nice to impress you sometime.
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[ that's a joke. steph is genuinely rather easygoing when it comes to things like this. it's why she's so okay with waiting until gotham before figuring anything out.
she has learned what happens when you try to rush things, and a lot of the time it's not that pretty. ]
... but seriously, you don't have to try.
rises out of the water like a beautiful dolphin and returns to this thread
[ Hikage is All In, as long as he ignores the whole Belph thing. Or doesn't ignore it?? He doesn't know anymore. Maybe the details don't matter, though, considering how they only bother him when he starts picking at them. From far away, it's fine. ]
Besides, telling me not to try only makes me want to try more.
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it's a little nostalgic, in an odd way. ]
Nah. It's more that... you don't have to try too hard with that kind of thing. Only if you actually want to.
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... Nothing's going to change that quickly, especially not me. [ he's still remembering how to just... live. And the way things are now is good, too... aside from being trapped in yet another battle royale, of course. It's just that he now has the capability to think about things changing, eventually, and maybe even for the better, which he's not used to. Regardless, if one thing about him has been consistent throughout both his life and his death, it's that he's very bad at giving up once he's set his sights on something. ] You should know me well enough to know I don't do anything I don't want to do, anyway.
[ his mismatched eyes flick over to her, briefly. ]
It's not like you to hesitate.
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[ it's not always a good thing, depending on what it is, but it's something she's used to by now.
the hesitation comment, though, gets a small laugh out of her, amused. ]
There are definitely things I've hesitated on. But here you kind of just have to jump in running for a lot of stuff.
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he chuckles. ]
Then I'll take your hesitating on this as a compliment.
[ she must be serious about him!! or them, he supposes. Once again, he considers that he should probably be jealous of Belph, but he doesn't really feel anything about it... it's fine. They're almost to the shrine now, if the big archways they're passing under are any indication. ]
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she misses gotham, but this is its own breath of fresh air. ]
It's really pretty, isn't it?
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[ he casts a glance at the purification well as they approach it. whatever gods do exist have already forsaken him, but... ]
You've never done this, right? Hold out your hands.
[ the same can't be said for her!! ]
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What next?
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[ he takes the ladle out of the well and... dumps water on her hands. It's been a little while since he's done this, but it's probably fine if he does it for her, right? Right. ]
Now you're "purified." Unless you want to drink some, too.
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[ but she holds her hands up, looking at her new and purified hands. ]
Shouldn't we do the same to you?
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[ that power's taken its pound of flesh from Hikage already, metaphorically speaking - and a little holy water isn't enough to purify him now. Divinity probably wants nothing to do with him. ]
... Honestly, I was somewhat surprised nothing happened to me when I walked in here before... [ like he doesn't feel particularly cursed and he wasn't attacked by angry spirits?? crazy. ] But so far, I've been fine.
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she just takes the ladle, and scoops water into it. ]
Hands out, please.
[ :/ ]
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he does it because he's fuckin whipped. but ]
I-I'm not just saying that. How do you think I managed to exist this long? And my eye...
[ dark deals with darker powers, baby ]
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