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Date & Time: October 12
Location: Some VR room
Characters: Kevin and OPEN
Summary: When faced with war, genocide and - God help us - time travel, ~~flower power~~ gardening is clearly the answer!
Warnings: Virtual flowers?

[Kevin took some time to comprehend the true potential of VR rooms, but now he believes he has finally nailed it. The Twining manor’s garden seems like the perfect place to start. He has known it for almost a decade, and it is very unlikely that his memory would fail him at something as simple as that. The result is a very archetypal British garden: just the right amount of wildness and reason, of darkness and light, of shady groves and rolling lawns, still ponds and lavish flowerbeds. The scent is just right, and so are the birdsongs and the soft breeze. If one takes their shoes off, one might even feel the wet grass under one's feet, and the gentle memory of morning dew.

He has considered keeping the door for that very private place locked, but the dimness of the moon base and the general gloomy mood of his fellow Transports have coerced him into leaving it ajar. He contents himself with discreetly hiding behind a lavender bush, wearing gardening gloves he doesn’t need, to work on an herbal patch that doesn’t really exist.

Naturally, the house steward and ~~regent of the sun~~ has not forgotten the most important make-believe detail of this long-gone land. Let the naysayers see for themselves what a proper sunny day in England feels like. ]

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[peter is tired of the moon already. or, more specifically, he's tired of being in one more place that feels and smells and just is plain old wrong, where it's always cramped and metallic and a body can never get outside. so when he walks past the open door and sees the outside inside, well. he's all over that.

the flowers don't interest him, and he walks right by where kevin is hiding without even seeing him. what peter wants is open space, grass and trees and wild things.

he knows they're not real, of course. but it's a hell of a lot better being flopped on pretend grass, pretend dew soaking into his clothes underneath a pretend sky than staring at the close, dark ceiling.]

[Kevin doesn't move from his spot when the man passes by, but certainly smiles at the weirdness of someone lying on wet grass as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world. This place is full of nutty types, though he hopes the stranger won't catch a cold. Can a person catch a cold from lying on make-believe wet grass?

He can also sense that the stranger is no normal human being, so perhaps he cannot get sick to begin with. Nutty types indeed. Well, at least this one doesn't strike him as demonic, which is more than Kevin has hoped for.]

[peter is capable of catching a cold, but it's thoroughly unlikely he'll get sick from a little wet. he's hardy enough. also very thoroughly undemonic. supernatural, definitely, but at the same time he's a creature of nature, not against it.

it's temping, actually, to become the wolf, but it might ruin the illusion if he could smell properly. besides, he can't possibly be alone in here, though he still hasn't noticed kevin.

after a few minutes he gets up again, the back of his jacket damp and pants soaked through, and heads off again. he wants to see how far this goes, what the boundaries of the garden are, and generally stretch his legs.]

[It is a good thing Peter has decided against turning into a wolf, or Kevin would be immediately reminded of the stories Naoya told him and probably toss...garlic heads in his general direction.

The garden goes as far as Kevin's memory will allow. It is a Victorian manor's garden, after all, and so it is almost as big as a small farm, surrounded by old stone walls covered with moss. The building itself remains at a distance, unreachable no matter how much Peter tries to walk towards it.]

[inside is the very last place peter wants to go, although he does admire the perspective trick and its dreamlike logic. there's nothing that interesting about watching him walking around, scuffing the grass with his boots and touching plants and trees. he goes all the way out to the walls, running his hands idly over stone and lichen, picking a bit, sniffing it. he wants to make one of these for himself. kevin has probably long gotten bored and gone back to gardening by the time peter makes his way back to the incongruous door to reality. this time, he actually notices the other man at his work, though.]

So where are we? Nice place.

Edited 2013-10-16 11:26 (UTC)

[After all the delighted exploration, Peter's direct approach and question take Kevin by surprise. He quickly stands up and takes his dirty gloves off, much like any servant would at the approach of a special guest.]

The Twining manor, sir. I am their employee.

[That is what he says. What his voice and expression say is something less complicated: this is my home.]

[peter hears what he says and gets what he means, and nods, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.]

Seems like a really nice place. And I'm Peter, no sir'ing necessary.

How'd you make it?

[It is also a very personal place, so Kevin is a little embarrassed to admit what he has been up to.]

Exsilium's library used to have many books on England. I merely gave them to this room as a reference, and then attempted to correct anything that was amiss...I fear that part was solely based on memory.

[And the whole process took him several days, but Kevin wished the garden to look as natural as possible, as close to its original as possible.]

[This whole VR business is still a bit beyond Eren, and it's one of the few places he's been actively avoiding since he arrived 12 days ago. It's unsettling. The most unsettling thing on the goddamn moon, because the rest of the base, at the very least, is consistent. The walls don't change. He's pretty sure they're real. But this virtual reality thing is a room that invents illusions, tangible ones, and that's going too far beyond his already compromised comfort zone.

But there it is.

And when he feels like he's at risk of dying from boredom, nearly two weeks into his stay, he finally gives in and gives the VR room another try. He's already going crazy, so why... why not.

He wasn't expecting to find a garden, however. He squints in the virtual sunlight, taking in the scene with a sudden pang of — homesickness? They don't have archetypal British gardens, specifically, back in his world, but it doesn't matter — greenery is greenery and it's been way too long since he's seen any. And it's beautiful, even if it's fake.

He's still a little on the tense side as he wanders further in, like he doesn't trust the soft grass under his shoes (he doesn't), but so far, it's holding up. He wonders if he's alone.]

Hey, hello? Is anyone in here?

[Kevin has noticed the young man a while ago. It is quite obvious that the boy is not used to all this science either. Still, his tension might be attributed to another factor. Indeed, Kevin wonders why his behavior seems so nostalgic, so primal...until it finally dawns on him:

Cavemen. The young man looks as if he expected an imminent assault.]

Here! [He stands up and waves from behind the lavender flowers, trying to appear as harmless as possible.

[It's--

just some guy. Huh. Eren glances about him, just in case there's anyone else lurking behind fake-flowers, before approaching Kevin.]

Did you make this?

[It is certainly some guy, with no unknown attackers lurking nearby. And the newbie seems like a normal kid. Probably.

The question makes him particularly self-conscious.]

Ah...yes. [He bows politely.] Though I merely told the machine what to do...

[ Continued from here

He allows himself to be pulled along. He'll refrain from overt mocking; but not smiling is somewhat beyond him. ]

Mister Cecil...

[ It's the beginning of a gentle reproach, until he hears the birds and smells the flowers. Ah, even... even that? ]

My goodness. You really are fond of the sunshine, aren't you?

[He cannot help the pride in his voice. ]

English sunshine... Huh, Exsilium. Now you know!

[He wonders why his face is on fire.]

...M-my young master's home.[His too.]

[ You people and your young masters.....

Anyway. He has, by now, heard about the VR rooms and what they're for. He plops down, cross-legged in the middle of the grass and reaches with his fingers, feeling for flowers. ]

Doesn't it make you homesick?

[ He couldn't conceive of making a place similar to the Rainsworth estate, for instance. It would be too painful. ]

[He sits by Break’s side, enjoying the man’s reaction and noting details he should correct so the place will look even more like the original.]

It does…Though I would rather feel homesick than…

[He shrugs. Lost? Desperate? It is so hard to have a point of reference these days. He makes a small noise, something between amusement and annoyance.]

I…fear I am not particularly fond of change. This is not the same as tampering with time, is it? It is not a sin.

[Though he seems to be trying to persuade himself rather than Break. Is he allowed such good things? Maybe he isn’t. Maybe the energy he is spending on this could be used for coffee making or that abomination called air conditioning.]

[ He finds a lowly clover flower and plucks it. He can't comment on the subject of sin, however... ]

If you're as old as you say, your life must be nothing but change.

[ Sighing, he throws himself back, so that he's lying on the false grassy ground. He twirls the flower between his tapered fingertips (his once-perfect nails are sadly neglected, Gilbert you suck as a manicurist). ]

The lives of humans must be like mayflies, to you.

[That is also true.]

It was not as bad during the first three billion years or so…Then it became somewhat confusing.

[He tugs a strand of Break’s hair, gently picking up a dry leaf that found its home there.]

This is part of what makes you all so treasurable. Besides, some of you go to heaven. And some keep returning. It is not the same, but...change is not as bad when one is fulfilling their wishes, is it?

[And that is why young master should remain William. That is what Solomon would have wanted.]

[ He is basking in the warmth of the artificial sunshine and this divine creature's artless affection; thus he suffers his hair being played with. ]

"Us all." I take it you've acquired a little collection of "treasures," over the years, hm?

[ He'd imagined it would be sad for somebody like Kevin to form attachments to humans, as they would necessarily be so short-lived. But to be able to live through the hundred-year cycle of rebirth, and know when a person has come back....

He holds the little clover flower close and inhales its green perfume. It won't last the day; it will be wilted within an hour. ]

Like flowers.

[ He hands it to Kevin. ]

[He accepts the flower with a self-depreciating smile and pretty much flops beside Break.]

What a social butterfly you take me for. There was just one.

[And he never got to "collect" him in the first place. He blushes a little at the admission. Exsilium has provided him with more human connections than he ever had. It is very exhausting, really. And terrifying to say the least.]

I keep meaning to apologize. For crushing your views on angels.

[For someone like Break, this must be a terrible thing. People like him need more hope than a mere Angel of Cruelty can provide.]

Only one...

[ How unexpected. Wouldn't an angel — wouldn't this angel fall in love as easy as breathing? He puzzles through this, absentmindedly reaching for Kevin's hand as he reclines. It feels natural, this light intertwining of their fingers...

That is, until he follows his thoughts to their logical conclusion. ]

Is that how you lost your wing?

[Kevin does not avoid the touch. He does, in fact, welcome it.

Break's question, though, is a complete different matter. He feels the tension build on his shoulders and looks away, even if Break cannot see the expression on his face.]

...It is not a sin for an angel to love humans. [He says carefully, and that is the best he can do, since he cannot deny the truth.]

[ He opens his mouth, to press for details — then realizes he doesn't need them. Kevin's careful reply is as good as an admission.

There is love and then there are mad crushes and he had lulled himself into believing that it was all harmless. Somehow love's madness had torn this pure creature apart. He'd lost a wing and been cast out of heaven. Break feels ill, suddenly. He sits up. ]

Haha, well...

This has been, er, lovely. But I suppose I ought to be getting back, you know. Things to do, and so forth.

[ He lets go of Kevin's hand (which he had been clutching tightly, he realizes in retrospect) and stands, straightening his jacket. He feels that old sensation of pollution: that he is, by his sinful existence, contaminating Kevin. ]

[By now, Kevin knows Break well enough to guess what he is thinking. He catches his hand again. It hurts to talk about this, but he doesn't wish this poor lonely man to get the wrong impression either, or believe that he is somehow at fault.]

P-please, it is not what you think!

Edited 2013-10-21 18:12 (UTC)

[But how can he express what Solomon is? How can he explain how he went against heaven rules...and drifted away from God, and yet...]

I owe him everything. H-he saved me.

[This is not something Kevin has managed to conciliate over the past three thousand years. Maybe he never will.

He holds Break's hand even tighter.]

He saved me, so please, do not make assumptions.

[Do not leave too.]

[ He feels a stab of pity: this poor innocent, hurt beyond all measure, who still cries out over the pain of his lost wing, insisting that the author of his distress "saved" him.

....although, in a way, Break could say that the Will of the Abyss "saved" him. She took his eye and destroyed his reason for living, in granting his wish; but she gave him a purpose, too. However, that is not the sort of "saving" Kevin needs or deserves. He is no murderer.

Even so, through his own carelessness, he has allowed his life to become entangled with Kevin's, to the point that cutting things off cleanly would be too cruel. He manages to laugh lightly, and pat Kevin's hand. ]

Dear me, don't get so upset. I'm only going because I know that the longer I spend here, the harder it will be to go back to the real world.

[Mister Break is an idiot. Kevin opens his mouth and closes it again, incapable of giving words or even a name to what he is feeling.

Human beings... are really exhausting. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally lets go of Break's hand.]

Is the air too fresh?

[He says that as an apology. He has put Mister Break through far more than necessary, hasn't he?]

That's right. It's all too good for the likes of me.

[ He suppresses a shiver, as Kevin lets go of him. He had begun to take it for granted: living in the divine radiance of an angel. It had warmed his soul, as the artificial sun here has been warming his skin. How much colder the world outside seems.

He flashes a grin. ]

That's a joke, by the way. We'll come here again sometime, you and me. I've enjoyed this very much.

[ A kind word and a little bit of hope will break the inevitable fall. Poor Kevin. ]

[He looks away, unable to pretend everything is fine. All his life, Kevin has lost what was most important to him: God, Solomon…He might even lose young master if he messes things up again. And in this place, this bizarre man has been his most important point of reference. When Break offers him his forced smile, what he feels is not the dwindling of a divine presence, but a far more mundane and equally painful brand of solitude The likes of him. If Break only knew who he is dealing with. But if he finds out, then Kevin will lose him for good. This way…this way there might be a slight chance.]

Yes. [He replies a little too soberly, raising to his feet. And then with far more determination:] Yes, we will.

[That is a promise. This angel will not give up on someone like him.]

Edited 2013-10-22 03:47 (UTC)

[ He feels obligated to pick up on Kevin's determined tone, because the alternative is unbearably sad. ]

We shall.... put together some supplies. Yes, that's what we'll do.

[ He's heading out towards the exit, yet amiably bumping shoulders with Kevin as he goes. It's familiar, but not flirtatious (in his mind, anyway). ]

Go get some tea — and cake~! We'll invite all sorts of people 'round and have a party, won't that be jolly?

[The tone is soothing, and Break's totally non-flirtatious ways might explain why Kevin has not started blushing at all, or smiling at the grass, for that matter.

Maybe. Maybe the fake sun is just a little too warm.]

...I-I am not sure if we can ever bake such an amount of cake. Especially if you are invited.

Why, a simple house steward who can't do that much isn't worth his salt~!

[ He disappears out the door.

...and then swings back inside and says in a loud stage whisper: ]

Don't worry~! Mister Gilbert will be delighted to help~!

[ Poof! He's gone.

...

(Kevin might find a clover chain draped over the doorknob) ]

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