The main hallways. Good. And the coast seemed to be clear, so far. Link briefly wondered if the new clue would help the situation, or only make it more grim. He would know soon enough.
Ah, she was wrong, but he wasn't explaining as well as he ought. It was heavier, somehow, and along the way he would have to shift if he wanted to regulate--change his mind to speak his soul. Because this was nothing personal in the end. It required no thought or consideration--only something to be done. A mission all the same. So in that, it remained....
Simple.
He laughed, once, and some of the tension slipped from his form. "Nothing so intimate as that. The good doctor just wants a few people to stir up a fuss to make the populace mill about frightened. The payment is as I've said. Something necessary." Something altogether needed. His eyes cast about the hall, looking over the occupants. "So would you like to join me? Yomi."
Out of all of the things Yomi had missed out on while she'd been sleeping and healing and pulling herself back together (the sesshouseki's work more than hers), this was news that struck her the most. That Nigredo seemed to be in the cross hairs of Landel's little monster experiment was second in line to the revelation that Albedo had taken on an assignment from the circus ringleader himself.
She thought about this for a moment, and then of all things to escape her mouth there came a laugh. Her hand went to her forehead. Dragging her fingers through her bangs, she released a breath. "So that's what you've been up to. Protecting your brother yet again. All Landel has to do is pluck that string and situations like this happen, I suppose."
Yomi, of all people, knew what happened when you pushed people into a corner and made them choose between life and love. She'd been a victim of brotherly devotion once already. But was there any guarantee these victims would come back as she had?
They were rather cruel creatures, talking about these things without a flicker of reserve.
"Are you asking me just for the company or because you think I'll protect Nigredo again, too?" she inquired, sweeping hair aside in order to let her hand drop.
He watched her for a moment, trying to figure out what she was asking with that. He had been in contact with the man, because Albedo understood. From the moment Nigredo had thought to read those older transcripts aloud, Albedo had understood the way the man played his game. Because a little subtler, a little more extreme, and Albedo would do some of the same. There was nothing personal in the acts, and if Albedo's life and love happened to be the cause or effect, it was just a movement to be made, a shift to slip past.
He had said it to her, after all. That night. It was all a dance in the end; a game to play for the pawns present. And Albedo, if nothing more, intended to win what he wanted.
So she was given a thin smile for the question, an indescribable look and a tilt of his head, and then he deigned to answer her second one instead. "I didn't think it was about Nigredo at all for you," he answered truthfully. "Now or that night. I'm asking you," he said lowly, eyes bright in the dark halls. "Because I enjoy you."
An answer good enough or not, but Albedo had already caught a glimpse of a man shuffling along, a hand to his stomach. Prey by any other name. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her, in casual invitation, then inclined his head to the man, moving as if to follow. He glanced back at her, watching.
Yomi looked the boy over, shielded from the worst of her doubts by the sesshouseki's veil of antipathy. She was beginning to think that Albedo didn't think at all. The worst kind of person was someone convinced they were being clever when they really weren't, but then she could hardly expect wisdom from children.
She wasn't in a position to judge, regardless. She'd proven herself quite unclever, too.
"That's a sweet sentiment," she said, and then without warning she moved forward, hand outstretched to ruffle silken hair. Invited on a hunting expedition by a little boy who liked her enough to kill her and include her in his hobbies. Normal siblings did at least one of those things, didn't they?
As for what to do.... well, was there any reason to say no? Running the infected prisoners to ground wasn't like the Coliseum--it was more like trash clean-up. Without a cure, they were only in the way in the long run.
Besides that, Albedo had posed an interesting quandary with news of Landel's meddling.
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Simple.
He laughed, once, and some of the tension slipped from his form. "Nothing so intimate as that. The good doctor just wants a few people to stir up a fuss to make the populace mill about frightened. The payment is as I've said. Something necessary." Something altogether needed. His eyes cast about the hall, looking over the occupants. "So would you like to join me? Yomi."
no subject
Even after all of that. Even after he watched us.
Out of all of the things Yomi had missed out on while she'd been sleeping and healing and pulling herself back together (the sesshouseki's work more than hers), this was news that struck her the most. That Nigredo seemed to be in the cross hairs of Landel's little monster experiment was second in line to the revelation that Albedo had taken on an assignment from the circus ringleader himself.
She thought about this for a moment, and then of all things to escape her mouth there came a laugh. Her hand went to her forehead. Dragging her fingers through her bangs, she released a breath. "So that's what you've been up to. Protecting your brother yet again. All Landel has to do is pluck that string and situations like this happen, I suppose."
Yomi, of all people, knew what happened when you pushed people into a corner and made them choose between life and love. She'd been a victim of brotherly devotion once already. But was there any guarantee these victims would come back as she had?
They were rather cruel creatures, talking about these things without a flicker of reserve.
"Are you asking me just for the company or because you think I'll protect Nigredo again, too?" she inquired, sweeping hair aside in order to let her hand drop.
no subject
He had said it to her, after all. That night. It was all a dance in the end; a game to play for the pawns present. And Albedo, if nothing more, intended to win what he wanted.
So she was given a thin smile for the question, an indescribable look and a tilt of his head, and then he deigned to answer her second one instead. "I didn't think it was about Nigredo at all for you," he answered truthfully. "Now or that night. I'm asking you," he said lowly, eyes bright in the dark halls. "Because I enjoy you."
An answer good enough or not, but Albedo had already caught a glimpse of a man shuffling along, a hand to his stomach. Prey by any other name. He raised his eyebrows slightly at her, in casual invitation, then inclined his head to the man, moving as if to follow. He glanced back at her, watching.
no subject
She wasn't in a position to judge, regardless. She'd proven herself quite unclever, too.
"That's a sweet sentiment," she said, and then without warning she moved forward, hand outstretched to ruffle silken hair. Invited on a hunting expedition by a little boy who liked her enough to kill her and include her in his hobbies. Normal siblings did at least one of those things, didn't they?
As for what to do.... well, was there any reason to say no? Running the infected prisoners to ground wasn't like the Coliseum--it was more like trash clean-up. Without a cure, they were only in the way in the long run.
Besides that, Albedo had posed an interesting quandary with news of Landel's meddling.
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