18+ Private Diamonds in A Losing Deal

[Fiora Di Angelo]

It had begun, as it was heralded by guys in suits on the T.V, despite how terribly off weather reports tend to be. She wasn't one to believe them, sure, but her return from Hawaii left her all the more astounished at the changes. Nothing out of the ordinary, she's been living in Philly since she's got memory of it. The winter wonder, however, never ceased to amaze her.

And it never would, given the change of perspectives it brought, the dashing green and red colours and festivity that blooms with the ocassion of the economical pitfall that is christmas. At least, her wallet felt it this time around with most of the lights, pompous golden stars and santa clauses being left at her first home, and with no wish whatsoever to make a return to her family. They could burn for all she cares--Except she doesn't mean that...

Cold breath left her lips as she hoisted the bags atop of a larger cardboard box jiggling full of decorations, some green poured from the top, and the pinkette had to make a stop every now and then to get a better look of where the hell she's going, right before a loud 'THUMP!' Signaled her arrival, if anyone were to hear it from inside, that is.

But what they couldn't miss would be the triple knocking on Theo's door, tucking her hands back into her coat's pockets a second later.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"Theo, honey, be a dear and get the door."

"I'm going, I'm going."

"Sometime today, please, it's cold outside. We can't have people freezing while they wait on you."

"I said I'm going, ma!" With a string of curses beneath his breath, Theo cast off the VR device he'd barely just logged out of and wobbled toward the door to his room. His vision was slowly returning, the darkness at each edge of his frayed vision bleeding away as he got used to the feeling of his "real" body again. He hated it.

Jin was more frail than Theo by miles in terms of aesthetic, but he never succumbed to the ataxia the way Theo did. He could be burnt alive and all of his nerves shot and come back from the brink. Theo had lived those experiences and felt all of that glorious pain, but he still woke up from that dream as someone who couldn't scrape the surface of that power.

"Who is-" Theo had the door part of the way open and saw Nico, sighed, and attempted to close the door quickly in her face. "Christmas Carolers," he quickly lied. "No one special."

"Nice try," his mother weakly brushed him aside and pushed the door open properly for Nico, who she beamed brightly at. "Nico, sweetie, come in, come in. You must be chilled-" she shot Theo a death glare, "go make her some hot chocolate and be glad she's here. You never get guests."

"I never want guests."

"Honestly, I don't know what it is you see in him, but I'm thankful you keep coming around. Here, you can put your things down right over here. Take a seat, relax, please stay for a while."

Theo groaned as he slipped away into the kitchen and began to boil some milk.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Who is-"
"It's- YOU MUPPET!" Her voice blurred out as he shut the door on her face, rising a fist up about to punch on the door in full protest, held back only for the minimal chance his mother were asleep, not wishing to wake her up.

Fortunately that wasn't the case, as soon after the door opened, and a welcoming visage greeted her, with Nico smiling brightly back at her at the offer of some hot chocolate, stepping in to give the old lady a warm hug. "It's so nice to see youuu. It's been a few weeks already, hasn't it?" Since her last visit, yeah, she could do that much math by herself.

Once she let go of the embrace, and after dragging the heavy box inside, Nico took off her coat and scarf alike, hanging them next to the entrance, dusting off her skirt just as she watched grumpy ol' Theo make his way to the kitchen. Oh if only she could grin at him right now...

Later.

"Honestly, I don't know what it is you see in him, but I'm thankful you keep coming around. Here, you can put your things down right over here. Take a seat, relax, please stay for a while."

"He's nice when he wants to be." Her voice loud enough for him to hear her, eyes panned out towards the kitchen just to let his mother notice that much. "Just need to get him to open up a bit. Would you believe it if I told ya' I'm more or less the same? Just less grumpy about it." She giggled, heading over to the couch with a little nod equivalent to a 'excuse me' and a weary sigh, hands rubbing at the back of her neck. "All of these are so heavy, I figured Theo and you might want a hand to put some decorations in and out of the house so I went ahead and brought a bunch of stuff I had." All of it brand new. 'Bought' more than 'brought', but she didn't want to worry her over that little detail. It was money well spent in her eyes.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"Would you believe he was such a sweet boy, once? If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't." She returned the pink-haired girl's hug as best she could, shaking a bit but persevering despite her maladies. Despite being his mother, she pulled no punches when it came to talking about his poor attitude and people skills. She wanted to see him do better in her lifetime, not after.

He's nice when he wants to be. Just need to get him to open up a bit. Would you believe it if I told ya' I'm more or less the same? Just less grumpy about it.

"Bless you, I don't know where he met such a fine young lady, but I think you should give yourself more credit. Not that I'm at all telling you to give up on Theodore, not at all. Please, don't do that. You're my last, best hope at seeing him live an almost normal life."

"Would you please stop talking about me like I'm not in the next room?" Theo asked as he walked back in with something in his hand and thrust it against his mother's arm. She glanced at him and opened her hand, and if she was watching closely, Nico might see the fistful of pills drop into the older woman's palm. "You take your hot chocolate with marshmallows or without?"

Theo was staring pointedly at Nico by now, his frosty glare saying more than he could with words. "Don't encourage her."

"Really, Theo, do you have to ask? Give the girl sugar- all the sugar you can fit in the cup. She's still young, she can afford to enjoy the sweeter things in life."

"Just because you're a diabetic doesn’t mean you get to live vicariously through people who aren't, ma," he stated flatly. "Your choice. You don't have to have any if you don't want to," he told Nico.

The older woman's eyes narrowed as she turned to Nico and lowered her voice. "Can I have just one of your marshmallows?" she asked.

"Mom, we barely afford your insulin as it is. Please-"

"Don't you argue with me in front of Nico, Teddy." His mother crossed her arms. "You shouldn't be talking about such sad things in front of her. I only want her to be happy."

"Don't you fuckin' call me that name-" he took a large step toward his mother with a finger jabbed into her face, but exhaled before he could lose himself to the anger. "Fine. Marshmallows. See if I care."

"I didn't raise him to talk like that," she shook her head as Theo stormed out of the room, then looked back toward Nico. "Don't you let him talk to you that way, Nico. Slap him hard if he does."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Nico hoped that it's only the cold what caused that shakey hug, and not the obvious decline in health Theo vaguely mentioned weeks ago, noticeable in her last time here, and this time half-hoping there would be some improvement as a christmas miracle of sorts.

"Would you believe he was such a sweet boy, once? If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't."

At least she didn't lost her sense of humor! A quiet snicker escaped from her lips, rosy cheeks at how she complimented her- Poured trust on her like no other had done so for her. And in a way, it felt heartwarming, like a teacher who encourages you and you simply can't fathom the idea of failing them.

"Oh we met on that one trip he took to Japan." She started, figuring she should lie on what his mother wouldn't know rather than the obvious. "Chatted for a while, figured we should keep in touch, and then we just kind of found out we live a few blocks away on our way back- Don't worry though I ain't giving up on him that easily. He's cute when you least expect him." A little bit of teasing on her side, but spoken with an honest face. It wasn't a lie compared to how they first met. Granted, Theo -can- be cute, as opposed to the zero chances of Jin doing anything cute, unless exsanguination were to be considered 'kawaii'.

"Would you please stop talking about me like I'm not in the next room?"

"We only sayin' nice things about you." The pinkette tilted her head with warm 'innocence' against his chilly glare. When the discussion broke out however she went quiet, all the wiser not to get in-between a family matter that did not concern her, despite her desire to do so in defense of... The both of them, given his mother's condition, exemplified by the medicine she had to take even now as they speak.

They both had good enough points to stand for, and even when his mother asked for a marshmallow- not certain if light-hearted pun rather than a serious question, Nico's lips parted then sealed shut once Theo becoming the saving grace on an otherwise very, very awkward situation that had her at the edge of her seat.

And the outburst that came from him at the cute nickname he was given.
"Fine. Marshmallows. See if I care."
"One for me please!" She called out just as she saw him leave, turning back to her hostess with a dismissive wave and a cordial smile. "I don't think that would help much other than make him hate me for it. I rather sit him down on a chair to talk it out." She admitted, and for Theo that might have been much of a lie if he heard it out.

The truth is, it's hard to lie to someone she cares for unless it truly meant for the best, and right now, his mom might just be the only adult to ever hold some modicum of respect to her as a person, enough for her to open up to such little details, despite her best attempts to make Theo look far better than he really is.

"If he crosses the line I'll do it though. I'm not about to let him do as he pleases, buuut this time I think it's best to keep the sugar out of your cup until christmas." Apologetic in tone; Win some lose some, Nico tried to appeal to her better senses this time.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"You're probably right," she sighed, defeated. "I love sweet things, but my body just can't handle them like they used to. One candy now and then doesn't hurt, though..."

Theo came back into the room at right about that moment, one mug in hand held out to Nico and the other a bottle of water for his mother. "She's had some dangerous irregularities in the past year alone. The doctor said she could cheat on Thanksgiving or Christmas sparingly," he said with a glance toward his mother. "Don't lie to the girl and put her in a position to cause you to go into a diabetic coma."

His mother looked apologetically at Nico. "He's really such a sweet and considerate boy, see? He doesn't want you to be sad."

"I don't want to be held responsible when she gets charged with criminally negligent homicide," Theo corrected.

"Tomato, tomato," the older woman said with a shrug. "Now, I've had my fun, please enjoy your hot cocoa Nico, I'll leave you two alone. I can put up some decorations myself while you two talk and spend some time together."

She smiled at Nico and then toward Theo, who managed to roll his eyes as he went to get himself a drink.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

That was true enough, one candy now and the-
"The doctor said she could cheat on Thanksgiving or Christmas sparingly,"
"He's really such a sweet and considerate boy, see? He doesn't want you to be sad."
"Welp, so much for 'one candy now and then'" A hearty chuckle heaved out of her throat "You sure are a sweetheart, Ted. Putting my feelings before others." The devil chose her words carefully near his mother. Depending the point of view that is, in his eyes that might just be reckless, if only to let the old lady fantasize a bit more between them both, and the back and forth between mother and son didn't grow any less spicy nor old to her, all the way to when she excused herself out.

"Thanks, but no heavy lifting please! Theo and I will handle the hard work later, enjoy!" She called her out with a quick wave of her hand and a pearly smile upon her lips, the brightest Theo might have seen out of the pinkette, right as she turned her eyes back to him and took a hold of her mug and gave it a reserved, trying sip with her eyes closed to better immerse herself, or at least that's how it felt for her.

Warmth finally coursed through her, if the room's temperature wasn't enough to get the chills from the snowy outdoors. Once her eyes opened, Nico gave a few pats to the seat next to her. "Come 'ere don't be a chicken. Girls don't bite, weeb." She said, stretching the mug out for him if he were to get just a little closer to share a sip with him. "You know I always thought you are a pretty good cook, and good with hot chocolate apparently. Did you learn that on your own or from your mother?"

@Jin

 

[Jin]

The glare that she earned from the shortened "Ted" was on par with the icy glare she might have got from Jin upon saying something he disapproved of. In front of his mother, however, Theo did not spit back hellfire or bite back in any way. The woman was too frail to see the monster her son had become, and there was enough human left in him to know it.

Once they were out of the room, Nico got herself more comfortable and invited him closer- a decision that met with his obvious skepticism. Theo looked at the vacant spot that she indicated, then back at the woman and raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have to pretend when she's not in the room," he said, as if he knew no woman in her right mind would have actually wanted to share close proximity with him.

Her next words took him by surprise. He glanced out the window toward the snowfall, which had exacerbated considerably since she arrived. If it kept up at that rate, the plows would be delayed until morning and even walking a block could prove dangerous. With a frown, he realized that there was a high probability that he'd have to give up his bed for the night.

He didn't bother mentioning that to her, though. "By the time I needed to learn, she had gotten too frail to cook. The heat was too dangerous to leave on if she fainted and the cookware was too heavy for her to lift on her own. The diabetes came first- then all the other complications started adding up." He took a sip of his own drink, not daring to share with her. Nico loved food, and despite how greedy and selfish Theo could be, he wasn't going to take any from her. "The doctors could never pin down a root cause for any of it. They said whatever it was, she missed the window to deal with it by at least ten years. So, instead of having to go without dinner, I went out and took cooking classes. Thats also where I met Ari."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

Was he really that mad at her, or is it merely another of his usual reactions? Granted, he isn't easy to read given how limited his array of facial expressions such as: Glare, worse glare, deadpan, smug. And about half of these were just worsened degrees of the base.

There's another reaction over there: Distrust, and a questioning one at that.

"You don't have to pretend when she's not in the room,"
"I'm not Fiora and you are not Jin, relax. What, afraid of a pinkhead? Think I'll bite?" She leaned back, as if an artist getting a different angle at their canvas, that being Theo, smug-faced. "You ain't wrong, I was the kind of toddler that bit others. But hey at least take a seat, you makin' me nerveous by standing around." She shrugged, not really going to try any harder, gods know how hard he has it already with her presence alone.

As it is per usual, there is something to make her heart ache when it came to Theo, almost as much as Ronja, were she not so intertwined with the magia. Yet instead of feeling sorry, Nico kept a straight face at him, as serious as it can be for a topic of this sort. He already knew how sorry she felt for him, or maybe not, yet her presence here should be enough of a reminder: they are both 'working together' for his mother.

This winter would be harsh for them all, but she didn't bother to track his gaze earlier towards the window. Whatever it was, it couldn't be more interesting than his present company. "She ain't letting death take her for as long as she can help it, I suppose. All because of you." A cute thought, if only tragic at the end of the day without a good ending around the corner. Thoughts she chugged away with one sip of hot to burn her tongue just a bit in the process.

"Speaking of Ari, he's been pretty involved with a girl lately. Can't take the fuckboy out of him apparently. But he finally got a good catch, he just needs to stop dual wielding fishing rods and reel her in." She paused just for a giggle at that. "I'm surprised you would make friends with someone at a cooking class though. I imagined you far more reserved than that, like me. But eh, something about him caught your attention I bet. For a reason he knows so much about you- Don't worry, he didn't told me anything." Not about to drop Ari under an imaginary bus for it, since the man didn't tell her a word beyond 'he had it rough'

Just how rough, she just couldn't tell at a first glance.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

He studied her with a vacant expression for a moment. She had to have some ulterior motive for being kind like this. She was always so rude and obnoxious or generally mean. The holidays didn't just cure people's entire personalities, unless Nico was afraid of being on the naughty list.

I'm not Fiora and you are not Jin, relax. What, afraid of a pinkhead? Think I'll bite?

He looked away when she said that. She wasn't Fiora, certainly. That was true of most people in Terrasphere. Until they got UI locked, they were someone else. Theo was probably one of the few people for whom it wasn't the case.

But hey at least take a seat, you makin' me nervous by standing around.

Quietly, he took a seat next to her.

She ain't letting death take her for as long as she can help it, I suppose. All because of you.

Was this some kind of reassurance? Was it supposed to make him feel better about the inevitable, coming doom? The all but certain death of his mother that a doctor had verified, and they had gone for two grim second opinions for? He couldn't help but look at the pink-haired woman wearily. It was the way of kind people to say things without digging deeper, hoping to ease some of the pain.

Not knowing that sometimes, they were only making it sting more.

Speaking of Ari, he's been pretty involved with a girl lately.

Theo grunted. "Good for him." The other man wasn't exactly what you'd call 'outgoing,' but he also wasn't nearly as introverted as Theo was. He wasn't necessarily as much of a fuckboy as Theo made him out to be the first time they had all met, but he was more inclined toward getting girls than the deviant Theo. Now it made sense why he hadn't seen much of the other man for a while.

And it was also unsurprising that Ari never mentioned a girl.

I'm surprised you would make friends with someone at a cooking class though. I imagined you far more reserved than that, like me. But eh, something about him caught your attention I bet. For a reason he knows so much about you- Don't worry, he didn't tell me anything.

"There's not much he knows that I'd bother keeping secret," Theo replied, not knowing anything about how much Ari actually knew. He could only speak for what he'd told the other man himself. "I'm not exactly forthcoming about anything when it comes to my personal life. And that's not something I care to change," he added as if predicting the course of the conversation and preemptively steering it in a different direction.

"Ari isn't one to ask questions," Theo explained. "He comes around sparingly, and leaves me alone most of the time. The kind of guy you want to share beers with because it's not complicated. We don't bitch about our problems. We don't share deep, dark secrets. We just hang out and life is a little less boring for a few hours on a Saturday."

Granted, Ari knew about his mother. He knew that they had it rough for the years after his father's death, when they lost the financial backing and had to throw themselves at the mercy of the Commonwealth just to pay for food and make rent. But Theo was proud. He always made sure Ari didn't even think about trying to offer them charity.

It wasn't like Nico at all. She came around whenever she felt the itch. She asked lots of questions, and she got involved. At first, Theo was resistant to it entirely, but then he realized how much his mother adored the girl. Even if he couldn't stand her, the smile it put on the older woman's face was such a welcome relief compared to the shaky grip and the days where she couldn't stand on her own. It was like seeing new life budding on a tree that had grown old and dried out.

For the person tending the garden, it was a ray of hope.

Hope was one thing Theo wished people wouldn't give him; yet his mother deserved kindness. She deserved to enjoy her last days on Earth. Even if it was a white lie like a beautiful girl showing interest in her hopeless son.

"I thought with you staying at his place there might be something between you two, but it doesn't seem like that's the case. You don't exhibit any signs of being jealous. In fact, it sounds almost like you're happy for him."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

That one last bit had her break her listener mode with a laughter. Amusing rather than embarassing, to imagine he would just assume of them being together just because they share a space. Nah, Ari? With her? That's fucking dumb. Although at one time it might have crossed to her the possibility...

No, he was too similar to her in certain aspects moreso than others. She didn't want someone like her to share a lifetime with.

"Jealous? Nah, I am happy for him. I don't get jealous, just fucking mad when he starts to think with the wrong head." That last word an extra spiteful. "On top of that, people make things so complicated nowdays. I feel like my hair's greying out just from being exposed to his stupidity." Critical about this as a hand rushed over to push pink hairs away from her features, as if subconciously she got to think about them and their color once implied advanced age via exposure to stupid.

"But you said life's a little less boring for a few hours. Should I bring beer next time to make it more fun to ya?" Curious up to a certain extent. It didn't take a genius for her to notice how odd their conversations could get, how little she trusted her if his first few words when finally alone weren't enough of a cue about it. "Well listen, I did come for a reason and it's not just to put some money over decorations and visit your mother, which I do enjoy by the way, she's an angel and deserves all the joy I can give her." She started, seeting the mug between her feet, elbows resting against her knees. "And you might not trust me that much at times, but let me make you an offer you -can- trust: Ari and I are going to spend christmas together, and this chick he's with- Luthien's her name ingame- She's coming around. So I say: Why don't you and your mom come to spend it with us?" The bomb dropped, Nico smiled the whole way, and her instincts told her to go and give him a slap on the arm as if to encourage him. But that would only get her the opposite reaction.

Instead she picked back up her mug after a delay and took a sip from it. "Think about it at least. I know she would love to see you making new friends, and we can only be so natural meeting eachother here before it feels awkward. I promise it won't be like Japan. No two-story sized fuckbrained frenchies, no elders nagging at you in a foreign language, no pink bitches trashtalking you, none of that." Siiiiip "Just the five of us, spending a nice Christmas. You get to meet someone new in your life, which by the way you need to meet her ingame, Luth's pretty amazing company. And on top of that, you make her happy. What do you think?" She didn't wait for an answer. He didn't have to.

Her stretched out hand for him to shake would be enough. What did he have to lose, afterall? Money? A few minutes to walk over to Ari's place? Most importantly, keep the veil of an illusion that everything around Theo was starting to get better. If they couldn't bond for who they are, they could at least work together for one common goal:

Give a last smile to his mama.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"You want to stifle your vomit long enough to pretend at having a Christmas party with friends as my girlfriend?" Every scathing bit of skepticism made its way into his voice as he spoke his mind. "It's one thing to do it in front of just her, where you have no dignity to lose because she won't be around long enough to hold it over your head, but in front of Ari and his new girlfriend? Come on."

The idea just made his blood run cold. He didn't mind the comfortable lie, where he didn't have to do anything but exist and let the girl have a row at his expense, but to actually have to do that in front of people? And what was worse, to actually buy in for a few hours and try to be happy together with Nico...

He sighed. It wasn't like he didn't think the girl was pretty. It was more that now that they knew each other, they knew they had nothing in common other than the shit no one wants to have in common. It wasn't the kind of experience he wanted with a woman, none of the actual warmth and light and love that he had dreamed about before all of his dreams got crushed. It was tantamount to declaring his loss outright, saying that he could never actually get a girlfriend, and so he was fine with a pity date. That wasn't true at all.

Theo would rather maintain his dignity as a proud, lonely, single man forever.

But doing it for his mother...?

"I'll... think about it. There's nothing else going on in real life, so unless some kind of big event in Terrasphere happens... maybe."

He didn't give any kind of eye contact. He didn't want to look at her and blush. Pretty girls were the worst kind of liars. They didn't have to like you to pretend to like you. He knew that now better than anyone.

"Maybe," he repeated for emphasis. "But no promises."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"Well when you put it like that..." She scratched away at her chin with that hand he refused to shake (smart of him), pensive but just this close to break into a laughter, self-contained behind a pearly smile. "Yeah imagine telling others I'm your girlfriend. I may be stupid but I'm not braindead." With the little joke administered, her hand dropped back down to her lap instead. "I'll just tell them to play along with me, I'm sure Ari will do it since it's for a good reason, and his girlfriend is cool so she won't complain. Come on, we both win and you don't have to do anything other than acting like a little shithead. And babe, you are a natural at it." Dripping venom, yet at the same time these 'fangs' of hers were far more blunt, if only because they both had their reasons to do what they did.

Yet is it so strange to want to help a friend and his dying mother get her last wish done before even reaching deathbed?

"I'll... think about it. There's nothing else going on in real life, so unless some kind of big event in Terrasphere happens... maybe."

Blue eyes pursued after his, relentless to get some eye contact if only because she half guesses between his emphasis and initial reaction, as if the whole idea was blasphemous by itself. Just what kind of funny face could he be doing right now? She was left wanting on that department, leaning back against the couch.

"You won't be playing that night, so events are out of the question for ya'. Besides, would you really put the game before your mom? That reality is going nowhere, you can go back any other day. Her days are counted though. You can put off your thrills and death wishes for her, just for one day." Firm about it, enough to make her face turn into one ugly frown at the idea he would act beyond reason and do the unthinkable instead. "Or I'll do it for you."

@Jin

 

[Jin]

He let out a small sigh when she mentioned the master scheme. It was wine when they lied in front of his mother, but to have to put on that act in front of other people was a headache. What kind of liberties would she take at his expense? How bad would she make him look in front of someone he didn't know? ...did he really care, or did he just not want to suffer the inconvenience of it all?

It was probably that, honestly.

Come on, we both win and you don't have to do anything other than acting like a little shithead. And babe, you are a natural at it.

"I don't win anything," he said flatly. In fact, Theo was the only one who didn't get anything out of the plan. His mother would get to spend the holidays happy and hopeful as she slipped ever closer to death, but once it was over, and god only knows what happened with Nico- when the inevitable truth came out, or when she disappeared, or died in Terrasphere, it only stood to speed her along toward Styx. "I get nothing out of this arrangement, actually."

And even when it came to his mother, Theo had very little room in his heart for charity. The feelings of obligation notwithstanding, he hated to do anything that stood to profit him nothing. She kept looking for his gaze, and when she finally found it, he was staring at her like a devil looking into her soul. Nico was a kind girl, alright.

You won't be playing that night, so events are out of the question for ya.

Rather than "who do you think you are?" or any other kind of explosive reaction, she was met with a slow, steady, and calm step forward. Theo planted his hands on either side of her, his face slowly inching closer to hers. His expressionless face and unblinking eyes did not waver as he drew closer, pushed into her comfort zone, and continued past it. She could fight, or resist, and he wouldn't back off of her in that moment.

"I don't like it when people tell me what to do," he said in a much lower, silky smooth, venomous voice. She would recognize that tone immediately. "I've had more than enough of that. You can be as kind as you want, even lie to my mom to make her happy, but don't involve me in your little games with your friends."

Or I'll do it for you.

"How confident do you really feel about that threat?"

He remained in her face, unmoving, unflinching, unblinking. If she had ever written him off before as lazy, unmotivated, and harmless, this was the moment in which she would realize that he kept everything hidden. This world didn't deserve Theo, anymore. Not in his mind.

But she'd earned just a taste of the truth.

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

It was baffling how he couldn't see his gain on all this, flat words of his met with a quirked up brow from her. She opted to say nigh a thing, simply left to ponder and think twice her way to proceed, a train of thought swiftly severed like an executioner's blade separates the body from a head: precise, painless, yet gruesome all the same.

His bold approach wasn't what shut off any attempt of mockery, based on how her lips parted and closed just as quick as they did. His hands upon her though, caused a whole different reaction as she quickly put her eyes on him. If he wanted her attention that much, he got it.

But it was Jin who greeted her and not Theo this time around. It was starting to make sense inside her head, even after the weirded out glance she gave him as he spoke... This is why he acted so differently, or that's her theory so far.

Split personality..? Some other disorder she might be missing? Or simply that's who he always was and didn't want to show it? Regardless, her silence wouldn't hold for much longer, not when most of her vision is covered with a stonelike expression.

Her right hand got in between them, slowly wagging a finger towards him as her lips finally spread into a smile.

"That's the Theo I know." Her smile grew wider,going back into a thin line just as she exhaled air through her nostrils. Where to begin with this..? From the beginning, probably.

"Don't do it because you are told to, but because it's the right thing to do right now. I'm just giving you a nice reminder about it." A line was drawn, with her voice being it's catalyst as goofiness is set aside for the time being. "I'm not involving you in any games, I told you I would let them know. We ain't lying to Ari nor Luth, just making them aware of what's happening."

"How confident do you really feel about that threat?"
"Look into my eyes. You tell me." She stopped her tone short of being at the verge of breaking into silence in favour of a much more bloody kind of argument, puncturing with a glance back at his hands, then straight back at him, tilting her head ever so slightly, close enough that their bangs almost graced eachother. Leveled gaze. immovable. Yet where there would be excitement for a dance right now, it certainly wasn't the time nor place.

And he would probably enjoy it, if anything.

"I ain't about to twist your arm any harder. Just sleep over it once I leave. You got my phone number, call me when you decide. But do me a favour first and get your hands off me. You don't like to be touched, I don't like to be touched."

@Jin

 

[Jin]

Don't do it because you are told to, but because it's the right thing to do right now.

Her first move was to appeal to some sense of integrity or propriety that Theo just didn't have. There was no flinching, no movement at all as she spoke, only the thin sound of his chest rising and falling as he breathed in and out. A body that was alive, but not living. A heart that had long ago gone cold.

I'm not involving you in any games, I told you I would let them know. We ain't lying to Ari nor Luth, just making them aware of what's happening.

"I dont care about any of that." His response was flat.

Look into my eyes. You tell me.

She pushed even closer, to the point where they were touching. If either of them disliked the sensation, neither one was showing it. He didn’t back off of her at all, and his knees were on either side of her legs at this point, with Theo standing over her as she spoke back to him, his hands planted on the wall behind her.

I ain't about to twist your arm any harder. Just sleep over it once I leave. You got my phone number, call me when you decide. But do me a favour first and get your hands off me. You don't like to be touched, I don't like to be touched.

If looks could kill, they were strangling each other with their eyes.

"I haven't even touched you yet," he said teasingly, "you could at least try to hide your excitment, Nico."

He said her name with the familiarity one might of a friend, not quite affectionate but with the mirth that he afforded someone who had amused him. "If you wanted to be this close, you should have said so."

His right hand traced the wall, pulling back toward her until it was inches away from her face. If she wanted to get mad about him touching her, he'd give her a reason.

Or at least, he would pretend to, for a moment.

Before his fingers touched skin, he pulled them away again and finally did back away from her.

"I'm not interested," he said in his normal, boring voice. She wanted the game to end, she had asked for him to back off. In the end, she didn't want the challenge. At least, not today. "We make it through Christmas, and at some point, we stage a breakup, and it doesn't hurt her," he explained. "It's natural. Those things happen. She doesn't get her hopes up, because we don't do anything extravagant. But say we did it, say we had the party, she met our friends, she saw all of you having fun, and she associates Theo with that. Then it falls apart, and she'll have tasted a moment where her son had a normal life."

He turned away from her, showing his back.

"That breaks her. Any life she has now, disappears, because for all the lies I've told, that one would expose the truth." Whatever facial expression he wore as he said those words, she would never see it. He took a moment of silence before glancing back at her.

"There are some lies even I won't tell, because she's the one person in this world I won't hurt."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"I dont care about any of that."

She sighed off, but at this point she expected him to lack in cooperation. Her fault for hoping he would see things in a different light. But alas, woe be to her who hoped for something else other than disappointment, which is all she's been left with right now and it shows, just as much as the acrimony did.

"I haven't even touched you yet, you could at least try to hide your excitment, Nico."
"You are one to talk after dropping your mask, Tee." He didn't seem to enjoy the nickname her mother gave him, so the task of giving him a new one fell to her, accepted with not so much glee and moreso to return the gesture back at him. "But you and I both know we ain't ready to clean up a mess in the living room if we got any closer." With no context, anyone else might think of it as a deviant's dirty talk. Theo shouldn't have any doubts by now she refers to something much more exciting and bloody than that.

Within her peripherical she could see how his hands inched away at her, squinting her view until her eyes were half-closed, and her hands already begun to bail into fists, ready to drop it all should he dare- But he didn't, thankfully.

No one would win if they did.

"Why would a 'breakup scene' need to happen though in the first place, or am I missing something here." She replied, genuinely puzzled given her tone. "Just... Don't drop the lie? It's less of a lie exposed and more of you not knowing how to tell it. Which surprises me given who I'm talking with."

"There are some lies even I won't tell, because she's the one person in this world I won't hurt."

Silence followed across the room, by the both of them. There were limits apparently, but these were an exclusive, extraordinary case rather than the standard: His mother was ahead of most in his eyes, and once gone, that exception would also be buried with her.

"Well, I tried. How about instead we try not to tear eachother's head off right now. Else, when your mom comes I'll tell her you are being mean to me." She teased, in her own vain attempt to switch the conversation a bit. They weren't here to argue, that was left for Terrasphere where they could back up their threats with no repercussions. "Plannin' to invite me to stay for dinner, or are you gonna offer me more chocolate?"

@Jin

 

[Jin]

But you and I both know we ain't ready to clean up a mess in the living room if we got any closer.

"You'd be surprised how easily a mess cleans up with the right knowledge and sufficient reason to commit to the effort," he replied offhand, not smiling or laughing as he spoke. No- and Nico would be able to tell, perhaps disturbingly so- that this was not one of Theo's sarcastic comments, nor was he joking. "But you're not wrong. As much as you annoy me, I don't have the desire to make the kind of mess I have to clean up with lye."

He looked up at her after saying that. "Burns right through latex gloves. It's a real pain," he added as if explaining for her benefit.

Why would a 'breakup scene' need to happen though in the first place, or am I missing something here. Just... Don't drop the lie? It's less of a lie exposed and more of you not knowing how to tell it. Which surprises me given who I'm talking with.

"Because dealing with this is vexing," he said, turning to face her entirely. "It made her happy for a while, but she can deal with something like that because she expects disappointment from me. She's learned to set her expectations low so that nothing causes her undue stress, and I'm not the sort of son who comes home with a trophy girlfriend on his arm every other day. You're it. You're the one girl who showed me the time of day, and she's getting used to that. It's becoming comfortable for her."

He pointed to her. "But we don't know. Realistically, we can't possibly know how long we have left before we die in there. And if you die suddenly, tragically, it would kill her. But not if we break up. She'll be able to go back to living comfortably with the reality that I just don't get girls like you."

After a moment, he spoke up again.

"And if I die, it doesn't matter, because we don't have any family who can care for her anyway. She wouldn't be far behind. So it's better if we stop this before it hurts her. Because you don't like me, and I don't care to ask you to keep doing this for her. The breakup scenario is a win/win."

Plannin' to invite me to stay for dinner, or are you gonna offer me more chocolate?

"Do what you want," he waved her off. "There's probably going to be plenty for you to have some. I'm making pierogis and stew."

@Fiora Di Angelo

 

[Fiora Di Angelo]

"You'd be surprised how easily a mess cleans up with the right knowledge and sufficient reason to commit to the effort,"
"Y'know, Google probably alerted the FBI about your search history by now." Contrary to his own, she just didn't see it as more of a 'random fact' moment. It was almost amusing, like an everyday thing to tell to others. Simply because it's Theo, an already disturbed guy, the one whose telling her just that.
"Burns right through latex gloves. It's a real pain,"
They met gazes, and a brief chuckle escaped out of Nico's lips, "Sounds like skill issue to me. Ain't so easy in practice as it is on paper, eh?" She teased, poking at the bear again and again, 'couse it's fun.

It always is when it comes to him. Yet funsies died off when he elaborated on his own reasoning. Her eyes dropped, half-lidden, a piercing stare that vaguely ressembles the serious uptight look from Fiora, yet less bruised and restless than her elven counterpart.

It bothered her, her gaze made sure to tell him so.

"Cute. One problem-" Nico leaned closer, "I ain't about to die anytime soon. You and I may be after the excitement in that game, but that's as far as similarities go." Somber reply, moreso a correction in her mind, before straightening herself. "I'll live for christmas, don't you worry about it. If you wanna plan a 'breakup' we can do it once I get close enough to my third. She won't even know I'm gone if that happens." And that would extend the lie just enough and give a backup plan for them to execute.

She waved at him in dismissal, "Don't get it wrong. You ain't someone I would share a conversation for long like other players in the game, but you are consistent and I value that. I know I can trust you to at least do your job right. I don't like you the way I like Ari or Luth, but I do like some of 'you'. Smart, adaptable, willing to pull the trigger when you need to. And you haven't done anything to make me hate you nor got the intention to, so we are cool." That much honesty she would give. At least after their interactions, that's the conclusion she arrived to, until he gave her a different picture. Which is to say, she ain't giving her back to him.

"Do what you want,"
"What if I want you to bring me over some chocolate? Come on, what kind of shitty fake boyfriend are you if you ain't giving a girl their second mug." She grinned.

@Jin

 

[Jin]

"What you intend and what I'm going to prepare for are vastly different things," he said. He'd already made up his mind, and her appeal wouldn't reach him. "You want to wait that long, and then what? She's already attached to you, and the very idea of your death would render her inconsolable. I want to delete you from the equation before that happens."

The way he said those specific words hinted that he didn't necessarily care if that meant literally or figuratively, but he was being generous enough to let her choose which.

Don't get it wrong. You ain't someone I would share a conversation for long like other players in the game, but you are consistent and I value that. I know I can trust you to at least do your job right. I don't like you the way I like Ari or Luth, but I do like some of 'you'. Smart, adaptable, willing to pull the trigger when you need to.

"Do you think that it makes me happy to hear that? You're doing me some kind of favor by being nice to my mother and paying me backhanded complements?" He shook his head. "I'm lost as to why you'd even bother volunteering any of this. If you want to be nice to her, do it, but don't involve me in your plotting."

What if I want you to bring me over some chocolate? Come on, what kind of shitty fake boyfriend are you if you ain't giving a girl their second mug.

He turned and grabbed the mug from her, stopping to look her dead in the eyes. "Keep it up and I'll make sure to add a generous helping of cyanide," he said, not menacingly, but if he were joking, it was not a convincing jest.

"What kind of fake girlfriend does that make you?" he asked. "You do none of the things I'd want a girlfriend to do, and you're as much work as the real fucking thing. This is a total loss scenario for me."

Theo stood and turned abruptly, snatching the mug away to fill with the drink she'd asked for.

@Fiora Di Angelo