soulreleaser | --- IC INBOX

[ it is by random chance that furina finds herself at rose's home returning some of the manga the other woman had lent her, it is also by random chance that wriothesley just so happens to be with her as she does so! the world likes to work in mysterious ways after all, and sometimes things line up just so that meetings such as these happen.

thus it is also by random chance that, once returning the last few volumes of sailor moon to the large collection of manga, that something catches her eye and stops her feet dead in place. orange marmalade? she simply intended to return what she had been reading and continue on with her day but now... ]

One moment, Wriothesley...

[ is she going to grab it from the shelf and read the blurb??? yes. leave her be. ]

Edited 2024-02-27 23:52 (UTC)

[ strange little pieces of happenstance! all paths cross eventually and tie together at the nexus of life, and it was only a matter of time before Veldora would be on his way home while Furina was puttering about

he's changed into his 'civilian' clothes, as the maid costume is work property--a long-sleeved button up shirt and a pair of cargo pants, oddly ordinary for someone who calls himself a dragon, and he breezes into the house like he owns the place--for while he does not own the place, he is welcomed here! as a tenant! residency!

so it's strange that there are two unfamiliar magical sources in the house--not terribly strange, Lady Rose entertains many friends and guests, and Veldora swears he knows one of the energies, but the other one is... divine. an angel, perhaps, if not a bespoke deity of somekind--odd, but not too strange for a man that comes from such a magical world.

what is odd is that the aura gets stronger the closer he gets to his room--and what's oddest of all is that there's a tiny woman standing in his room, pawing at his books, setting down a pair of volumes that'd Veldora had been searching for restlessly for a week now, and it's a flare of draconic temper that takes him--and puts his voice to the loudest decibel of an authoritative tone as he draws to the full breadth of his height behind her. ]

You must not be much of a god to busy yourself with petty thievery of another man's possessions! 'tis quite a level of audacity you comport yourself with! I should strike you down where you stand!

[ ... 'cause it doesn't matter that she's tiny. Milim is tiny and it's suicidal to disregard her. Veldora is a himbo, not an idiot. ]

[ he spent most of his time in kaisou reading these days, himself--though most of what HE read was the daily newspaper--magazines, and, sadly, Wikipedia. He hadn't yet picked up on things like Novels and Comics, as he's too sure he'll come across some topic in one that he doesn't understand and will spiral into another day spiraling down into Google. He loved Google. It was so useful. How did people not just use it all the time to do everything? Baffling.

Either way, he crosses his arms patiently as she goes over the piles of books, leaving the ones she'd returned to look at a different pile.
He'd have been content to wait for her to make her selections, honestly, but.

That's a voice he recognised. His doglike ears flicking up high on his head and swivelling backward to the--loud voice that was near-deafening.
It's like something odd being pinged on in his brain--the aggressive shout, the sudden feeling of being Loomed Over--
Wriothesley is between Veldora and Furina in an instant, ice blue eyes dilated with a strange look on his face as --

He computes what's going on here. Veldora--
Veldora lived here, as well? And --ah, he gets what's going on.

He raises his hand to try to get the huge man to stand down. ]

Noone needs to be striking anyone down here, Vel. She's not stealing anything, she came to return something she'd borrowed from a friend.

...From Rose.
Calm down, we can talk this out.

[ she freezes, immediately, her heart leaping up into her throat as her entire body locks up with a fear she has not felt since that night she was attacked by a cloaked figure. then she falls to her knees, hands coming up to cover her ears as panic begins to claw at her throat. oh gods, oh gods, she's going to die, she's going to die, she's going to─

furina does not see wriothesley move, she does not even hear him speak her ears ringing with the loud booming voice. ]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry─

[ just give her a second... ]

They were not Lady Rose's items to lend, you--Duke Wriothesley?!

[ there's a power in Veldora's voice; a timbre that's a little like a rolling thunderstorm and a lot like a mountain ringing after a lightning strike, and it immediately drops off into his usual 'cheerful-but-loud' register as one of the two presences finally attaches themselves to a familiar face. he settles to more of his resting height, posture coming down--though not quite losing all of his tension in the gesture. ]

I do not know her and she took my books--I've been driving myself mad, wondering where I've misplaced them. [ it's a simmering irritation, now, as he huffs out a little more of his odd strike of temper--especially since the little god is cowering, terrified. there's not sport in such fearful prey, and he might. uh. feel a little bad. ]

I simply--I simply do not appreciate it, is all!

[ huff. puff. hruff. ] I like to know where my things are. It's not an urge I've always had, but given how finite my collection is in a place where Rimuru is not, I simply... must be mindful of it. I would like to be asked before something is removed from my possession.

[ less heat, less height, more worried looks at the girl over Wriothesley's shoulder--and what might be a twinge of guilt in a face that doesn't know what consequences are until they bind him in a soulprison for 500 years. ] Is she all right? She's a touch tremulous for a god, isn't she?

[ there's a worry in his chest--some deep instinctual gut need to protect rising up in his chest like fire. He doesn't recognise it--he's never felt this way before, and he hopes it's just. More of Kaisou's weirdness.

He at least feels a little less tense when Veldora's tone changes, and the 'Dragon of Disaster' actually seems to forcibly calm himself down.

As if a reward, Wriothesley will even raise a hand to place one up on Veldora's uh. Giant shoulder. And pat him, as if to let him know it's okay. It's fine.
He understands now--the reason he got so upset. it was a miscommunication and misunderstanding, mixed with a dragon and its horde. Venti had recently told him about this--so of course, that's what it is.

He'll quietly thank the little god for the information he'd almost told him he didn't want. ]

These books are part of your treasure hoard, right? Makes sense why you're so attached to them.
This--this is Furina. She's a very special friend of mine. [ think. think... how to endear her to him, despite how scared she is, how angry he was...

...ah. He snaps his fingers. ]

She's like my Rimuru. [ that should do it, right?? ] I think I see what's going on here.
She's buddies with your--housemate? Rose?
I believe Rose may have lent her the books without thinking you'd get upset by it.

Let me be the one to apologise for the misunderstanding.

--Furina?

[ he's going to move--to crouch, to put a hand on her back, and offer her one of his hands. ]

He's not going to hurt you. He's a buddy of mine. He's a dragon, too. Like Neuvillette.

[ the conversation behind her feels distant, but she hears it all the same. focusing on the sound of wriothesley's voice in an attempt to squash the panic attack trying it's best to overwhelm her.

ah, a treasure hoard? in old stories of dragons they often mention hoards, items or beings that dragons feels specifically attached to. there is no way for her to know that they were a part of his horde, no way to realise that borrowing them as she had was causing another such problems. gods, she feels... terrible and not just because of the anxiety coursing through her veins.

it is only when wriothesley's hand falls on her back that she remembers how to breathe, eyes shining with unshed tears. everything is fine, it was just an misunderstanding. this man knows wriothesley and there is no way he would allow harm to befall her. everything is alright. ]

I'm alright, [ she takes his hand, her grip tight, and tries to stand back up. once on her feet she looks to veldora and offers him a weak smile. ] P-Please take my sincerest apologies, I did not know you valued your books so highly. I only wished to return them after I finished reading them myself.

[ but hang on a second... how did he know she is a god? ]

[ it's all right if Furina swims for a little bit--Wriothesley might not be a knight in white, but he's certainly a hound in black, and Veldora's a little distracted as he really considers the Duke, as he sorts out where one aura ends and the next begins, arms folding over his chest as the guttering embers of anger are further extinguished by Wriothesley's patting and his, well...

activation of the 'I win' button. golden eyes flick down to Furina, and then back to Wriothesley--and the man probably has no actual idea of what that really, really means. how deeply Veldora is indebted to Rimuru, how quickly he'd follow him to the end of hell and bring him back, how he'd bear all his burdens and share all of his sins, even if that means ten thousand men must die for those who must live. that's what it did mean. that Veldora stood as a terrible monster once more while his friend conspired and grew in the shadows of his reputation--but it was all right, because it was Rimuru.

it would always be right simply because it was Rimuru. it makes sense, in some ways--hounds are loyal, once they've taken a good master. he gives a nod of approval, as if Wriothesley knows the truth of what he's just confessed to, and then he continues to work to chill the hell out.

he exhales out the last of his odd flicker of temper, flexing his fingers as he finally settles, allowing himself one last huff as he's mollified. ] Yes, well. I am fully willing to share my knowledge and my texts, it just... simply must be done with my permission.

[ he doesn't? quite get this instinct? it's weird and new and he doesn't think he cares for it and the voice that sounds like Rimuru that makes up his conscience would scold him for making a cute girl cry as he has. ]

They are some of my most precious objects and I--thank you, for returning them, dear Lady. Any B.F.F. of Wriothesley's is a dear friend of mine in turn, and I apologize for the show of force. I am unused to having people in my quarters, I suppose!

[ he knows because he can sense magic. duh. like it's hard? ] Did you enjoy the books you borrowed, Lady Furina?

Edited 2024-02-28 02:29 (UTC)

There's not a single thing wrong with wanting permission for your things being taken from you. Pretty sure if Furina was aware they were yours, she'd have asked first. [ it's likely rose doesn't know about Veldora's hoaring habit too--so he makes a note to let her know the next time he sees her. ] I know I'd probably get real vexed if someone borrowed my teapots without asking.

Can't say I ever read a comic book back home, but Furina's been pretty fascinated with them since she started talking about them with Rose.

[ hands go to his hips and he turns his head to look at Furina--nodding his head. See? Big scary guy, sure, but he's a really big gentle guy once you get on his good side.

Wriothesley thinks he's pretty cool. ]

Yes, I did. I found them very enjoyable. I'll be sure to ask you if I desire to borrow any others.

[ there is a distinct change in the air between them all and it helps furina relax, tension slowly ebbing from her shoulders and her face-- she still unconsciously steps closer to wriothesley, trying to resist the urge to simply take his hand. ]

I enjoy reading books, although I cannot admit to ever reading books like the ones you collect until Rose showed them to me. They were a welcomed distraction from... [ she trails off, turning to look at wriothesley for a moment before returning her focus to veldora. ] From my dear Duke Wriothesley risking his life to help another.

--- IC INBOX - KAISOU

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