IC: Day 225

[hunting]

[Having gathered a fair number of grape-flavored apples from the over-sized flowers, Zero returns to Sterling to drop one off with Dandelion. He figures the rest might make for an interesting dessert and a way for Ace to practice more with his tarts. Tossing an apple toward Dandy, he watches as the incest eagerly scamper-hops after it, darting under the bed. Dandy's pursuit kicks loose a glossy piece of paper that must have gotten scuttled under the bed sometime ago.]

What a mess?

[He heads over to the bed and leans down to retrieve the page.]

Comments

(frozen)

[hunting]

[His eyes immediately widen it as he notices it. The picture he once asked the Green Knight for. The picture he had intended to give to Ichiru, back before everything fell apart for the second time, the last time.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Then his look darkens again, as he grips the photo tighter, crumpling it. He was so stupid, even as recent as then. He actually thought things could be different. Things can never be different. And just like before, Ichiru had robbed them of the only chance they had. He'd robbed him of everything.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Out of a newly developed instinct, he remains still, waiting for a response that only he can hear.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[This time, it doesn't come.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[He releases a tight breath, edged with hysteria.]

What? Nothing to say this time? You're not going to bother telling me I'm still being an idiot? I thought you loved that.

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Silence, except for the quiet sound of Dandy nibbling at his apple.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[The silence seems to mock Zero, an ever-present reminder of who's really in control here, no matter what he tries to convince Ace. His head jerks up, as he snarls:]

Answer me! You took everything! You killed me! You hijacked my heart! The least you could do is answer me when I'm talking to you!

(frozen)

[hunting]

[The familiar sigh echoes in his head. The weight of a familiar hand rests on his shoulder.]

"Really, Zero, don't you have better things to do with your time? This is embarrassing."

(frozen)

[hunting]

That's right. My time. My time. I'm supposed to enjoy it while it lasts, right? Or be like Snow and go somewhere else, somewhere the rules of our world no longer apply. Forget about... everything.

(frozen)

[hunting]

[The weight moves from his shoulder to the back of his head in a quick push.]

"Hn. You make everything into such a tragedy. Is it any wonder I have to stay with you?"

(frozen)

[hunting]

I don't—

(frozen)

[hunting]

"If that were true, we wouldn't be here. It's that simple."

(frozen)

[hunting]

Shut up! I just want to know why you did it!

(frozen)

[hunting]

"Hmmm, it's not obvious yet?"

(frozen)

[hunting]

Nothing with you is fucking obvious!

(frozen)

[hunting]

[A whisper at the edge of his ear.]

"Well... there's always one way to know, isn't there?"

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Zero cringes, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment... before opening them and letting their gaze take him to the trunk. Both of his recent memories were dumped there. After all, they're meaningless, aren't they? What's the point of knowing anymore about his past if that self no longer has a future. Zero was dead, in every sense of the word. Thorn is all there is.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Dandy is now dragging his apple out from under the bed, having decided the lack of Zero's attention is getting old. :/]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Zero glances at him, again trying to ignore Ichiru's presence.]

If there's no point to them... then there's no point to avoiding them either, right? Might as well take them so I can be finished and...

[And? And what? Where can he go from here? While he always yearned to stay here with the teams, with Ace, part of him always knew he would have to go back. He was a Hunter. He had a job. He had a role. He couldn't escape that. But now... is that really gone? He should be glad. Why isn't he glad? He wants to be with Ace. Why does he feel so... lost?]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[This whole soul-searching confuses Dandelion so he just offers hand nuzzles.]

(frozen)

[hunting]

[Maybe. Maybe he just wants to know. For sure.

It's what he tells himself, as he opens the trunk and takes out the cage from Firebird's game.

Just so he knows...]