songerein | ( closed ) and they were roommates

Entry tags:

( closed ) and they were roommates

Who: Kainé & Dad!Nier
Which: Log, Closed
Where: Their treehouse.
What: The plight of ugly Christmas sweaters and Barbarian Roommate shenanigans.
Warnings: The usual strong language! Will edit if necessary.

[Trying to change out of the 'gift' Reverein had seen fit to give her had been the first logical course of action.

Seemed simple enough— no reason to wear something you didn't want to when the other clothes you have will do just fine. Kainé had even gone through the trouble of finding herself clothing that would better protect her from the elements than her usual pick, even if it wasn't all exactly to her taste. She had learned before coming here that she would rather be covered than freezing her ass off, and she wasn't interested in learning that lesson the hard way a second time.

Seasons, she maintains, are fucking bullshit. If there was one good thing about back home, it was that you could count on shit to be the same every damn day of the year. For better or for worse, nothing changed.

Unfortunately, the reasonable solution to the Sweater Problem turned out to be useless. Regardless of how many times she takes it off or shoves it into remote corners of the treehouse she'd finally conceded to moving into, it always finds its way back to her. Clearly, it's time for some desperate fucking measures, which is why upon coming back inside from one task or another, Nier will find the floor of the living area strewn with ragged red and white pieces of knit fabric that look very much like they've made the acquaintance of at least one of Kainé's swords.]

Motherfucking goddamn— [The stream of foul language is definitely coming from the direction of Kainé's room, punctuated by a growl.] How the hell am I supposed to keep this bullshit off of me?!

[There's a good chance the swearing and the murder scene in the living area are, in fact, related.]

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[The thing about Kainé is that it seems to be she's often easily found. If it's not the serrated edge of her voice, then surely because she's leaving some kind of trail behind, be it shades or something else. He's sure anyone even passing by could probably hear her and he wonders how likely it is that they'll be accused of having some kind of domestic dispute.

Well. Anyone who knows Kainé will know that it's just how she is.

He steps carefully over red and white that's now accenting their sitting room. He knew they hadn't decorated, but this is ridiculous. Besides, he didn't do decorating. Back home, that had been far better achieved by wife and daughter. But he supposed that he'd eventually have to buck up and try to make things look a little more... comfortable. Whenever he's got some of that control better down. He wouldn't call himself great at this world's abilities by any means.

Eventually, he makes his way to Kainé room, surprised he's managed to get her into one at all, and simply pauses in the doorway. Folding his arms across his annoyingly decorated chest, he airs a huff. Incredulous? No. Because he can see exactly what she's been getting up to.]

They can hear you outside, you know. You're gonna make it sound like we're the ones fighting, not that you're wrestling with a dress.

[But honestly? She doesn't look half bad.]

Shit.

[She had, admittedly, hoped against hope that she would have been able to get rid of this thing before he came back and had a chance to see it. How was she supposed to get anyone to take her seriously in this? She has a rep to maintain— or rebuild, given the circumstances, and she's been working at it pretty steadily for awhile. If even one person sees her wandering outside the house in this?

It's fucking over.

She looks beyond annoyed when she turns to face him, folding her arms in front of her and obscuring the antlers on her dress in the process.]

This is even worse than the last one.

[It's smiling. That makes it worse.

Her expression shifts slightly when she looks him over, the fact that she's mirrored his stance escaping her.]

I can't decide which of us looks stupider.

[From head to toe, Kainé looks pissed. Even so, he can't hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth because no matter how ridiculous she thinks she looks, it's kind of nice to see a change. Of course, he doesn't really feel the same about his own disaster that he can't seem to be rid of.

At her very professional assessment of his person, he dips a head and unfolds his arms to get a better look at his catastrophic sweater.]

Is it that bad? I was pretty sure it could be worse. I don't know how, but I just bet it could be.

[But then Nier's often been on the outside a glass half-full sort of guy. Mostly.]

I take it you haven't figured out a way to get it off, eh? I'm sure it's not permanent. We just might have to get comfortable with them for a little.

You wanna tempt fate? Say that too loud, and I bet they will find a way to make it worse.

[Whoever 'they' are. Her money is still on the little talking woodland animals. Despite all their efforts to 'help,' ss usual, she's not big on trust. Some things never change.]

You just don't look like— you.

[Since when does he even wear a shirt, huh?]

... I guess they're kind of warm, at least. Place I was before this, I learned that snow is total bullshit.

[They. How conspiratorial of her.

He offers up his shoulders in a shrug. She's got a point, but what's the use in getting up in arms over it? His energy can be better utilised elsewhere.]

Yeah, I know. Never thought much about what I was wearing before getting caught up in this. Can't say it's going to affect my sense of fashion afterwards either.

[Nnnnnope. He's going to go right back to his barbarian attire the first moment he gets an opportunity to. He just doesn't care a lick about looking nice or what other people think of his apparel. Or lack thereof, sometimes.]

You've faced more shades than I probably have. And a hell of a lot more adversity. I doubt that snow or cold are going to be the things that take you down.

[Everything is a conspiracy until proven otherwise— Kainé doesn't mind being proven wrong when it comes to her distrustful approach to other people, but she never expects it. This place is no different, even though she's softened up just enough to acknowledge that it's better for those who have found themselves here to help one another out, rather than to go back to her old ways. Change doesn't happen overnight, much as she might wish otherwise.]

You didn't wear much, the way I remember it.

[Most things where they came from were function over fashion, anyway. She'd thought about asking him if he ever got cold a time or two, but...

Pot. Kettle. Black.

She does crack a smile at his offer of reassurance. It's almost a compliment, right?]

Snow came pretty damn close the first time. Kind of took living in a place where the sun never moves for granted. Not saying we were better off, of course. [Their world is pretty much a dying shithole.] Just takes getting used to. Night, too— that took awhile. How you handling it, old man?

[He looks relatively unimpressed with her observation. It's got to be a jab. It has to be. Because he's not chosen to wear anything that's particularly part of the 'native' habit, whatever that might be, which means she saw him in that 'didn't wear much' getup not long before. Eventually his expression relaxes into an easy-going grin.]

That's a good point. Easy to brush it off— [In more than one way.] —and not realise what we're getting ourselves into. [It's not as if any of them have really experienced much in the way of cold. Or night. That's been a shockingly difficult thing to adapt to. But the sun wasn't always staining the sky in the constant way it does back where they come from. Still, a day and night cycle are jarring things to acclimate to.]

I can handle anything this place throws at me. I've been learning a little about dreamotion from a young lady here and if what she says is true, sounds like we could probably just imagine an infinite day and it'd probably happen. You know, just in case we ever felt like we were missing home or something.

[Nier considers for several long moments that it wasn't really the place he missed, but the people. He'd like to think he's come to terms with the nature of his being, though he doubts it. He still has wants, after all. If there could have been another way...]

Can't imagine I'd miss the place enough to want to do that.

[Although that's not entirely true, she supposes. She does miss parts of it— misses some of the people in it, something she never thought she'd catch herself thinking, but she's grateful for the fact that she's not entirely alone here. She wishes Emil could have come with them— and Yonah. Both of those kids deserved a better world than the one they got. She's not sure if she can say with any certainty that this one is better, but it's definitely safer in some ways.

She shakes her head, folding her arms in front of her and obscuring part of the reindeer's face in the process.]

That dreamotion shit is powerful stuff, though. You've been practicing?

[She's curious, more than anything.]

I've... kind of been putting it off.

'Practising' might be giving me too much credit.

[He wears something of a lopsided smile as he shakes his head.] It's more like I stumbled upon on it by accident. Guess she put something together for people to practise and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. She sat down with me and taught me how to... uh.

[Nier pauses for some moments. There's no way to say this without it sounding remarkably comical.] She taught me how to make flowers bloom. Doubt I can replicate what she was doing herself, but I guess I can make something, which might be better than nothing. You could probably practise doing that kind of stuff with me, too.

[It does sound comical, and even gets a little bit of a laugh out of her, but:]

Well, you've always had a green thumb.

[Not just anyone could cultivate a lunar tear, and she hasn't gone a day without wearing it since he'd given it to her.]

Seems like the kind of thing that would be... real personal, depending on who was doing it. Honestly? Part of why I haven't messed with it.

[She's been warned against it, though; there's every possibility that shit will seriously backfire if she doesn't learn to make use of and control it, but...]

Figure nobody wants to see what my dreams or feelings look like.

I don't know if I'd say that...

[But she's got a point. He knows exactly what she's getting at. Gardening and this dreamotion thing are two very, very different things, though. Nier isn't even sure he really gets it. He's definitely not as imaginative as he once was. Maybe that has something to do with older age.

He eyes her with no small amount of respect. He doesn't want to share his dreams or feelings with much of anyone either, though he wears his devotion on his proverbial sleeve. It's everything outside of his devotion that he doesn't want to share. He doesn't want to reveal his fatherly insecurities or his resignation.]

Everyone has sides to themselves that they don't want others to see. [He reassures her with a tone that is somewhere between factually firm and gentle. A tone that is uniquely his.] If an old man like me can get into this dreamotion crap, then so can you. You're capable and stronger than you give yourself credit for. But don't do it before you're ready to. And if you just want to practise with someone you trust, do it that way.

[It's an offer that's definitely worth considering. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other— he likely believes he already knows all of the worst things there are to know about her, and depending on how their memories may differ, that may very well be true.]

I'll think about it.

[Honestly, truly. Those same words might have been a brush-off under different circumstances, but not this time.]

Someone said if you don't get ahead of it, it can get really nasty. All that energy can really fucking hurt someone if you don't know how to handle it. Blew him off and said I'd deal with it when I had to, but starting to think that's not such a great idea.

[He doesn't dare press her. Sometimes he can get away with pushing just a little harder than she'd like him to. Maybe it's something about their current turn of events. Maybe it's because he's just happy to have her near him in any fashion. He can't quite put his finger on it, but he doesn't want to take advantage of the moment. Rather, he doesn't want to take this for granted.]

I've been guilty of giving similar responses. If I don't need to, I haven't seen any reason to get more involved than necessary. Not saying my making flowers bloom is going to be of benefit, because it's definitely not gonna save us from anything, but it's at least a step in the right direction. The least I can do is share with you what I know. Guess I can act as your guinea pig, if you want.

[Which is most likely an offer he'd make to most anyone in need when he really thinks about it. He simply trusts Kainé more. At least he knows he's in good hands with her.]

[If anyone could get away with pushing her, it's him— and really, some part of her is grateful that he does so when he deems it necessary. She'd never have picked herself up off the ground back at the Aerie if he hadn't. He's always intent on encouraging her to think better of herself, to take steps forward she wouldn't otherwise. He might not be at the moment, but even now, she had to admit that saying these things aloud, however tersely she may go about it, is comforting in its own right.

It's nice to know he's here to push her if she does need it, or to fall back on if she stumbles. Hell if she'll admit it, but it's no less true.]

Look at you, setting a good example.

[She cracks another smile, faint and crooked.]

If an old dog like you can learn new tricks, then I guess I've got no excuse. Can't have you showing me up.

[That would just be embarrassing.]

[He offers up his shoulders in a shrug, wearing the quirk of a smile at the corner of his mouth. A good example? He's not sure he'd be quick to agree with that either. There's plenty he could have done to be a better man. He hasn't always been the paragon of 'good examples.'

...Frankly, he still isn't one in the present.]

The only thing I can do is my best. Whatever that might be.

[Nier shakes his head, amusement tinting his tone as he continues.]

Don't make me start barking again. People are going to think we're into some weird stuff. Or that we imagined up a dog in this place. [Honestly... a dog wouldn't be the worst idea.] But if a little healthy competition is what you need to get your butt in gear, I'm willing to provide.

[Look, he's better than her, or so she's convinced. He'll have a hard time talking her out of that particular belief— but it's probably for the best that he doesn't. Whether he realizes it or not, he inspires her to be better, too, to push beyond her self-imposed limits.]

Hell, let people think whatever they want.

[Also, can they dream up a dog? That could be a pretty good time...]

But you know, a little competition can go a looong way.

[That was how they'd started their reunion here, wasn't it? Nothing like the adrenaline of competition to light a fire under your ass.]

Maybe no need to set the stakes so high this time, but you know I hate to be outdone. I bet I can make twice as many flowers bloom as you can. ... eventually.

[He laughs outright. Not the harsh kind of laughter. Just a very sincere kind. The kind where he realises that things aren't as bad as they could be. Things would be worse if he didn't have her and the Other Nier with him. Every day passes and they become closer to him. Every day passes and he feels distinctly more as if they're his family. Not replacements for the people he's known back home, but they are a distinct slice of comfort where he's not sure he was going to have any.

Even if he doesn't deserve such a kindness.]

I don't doubt that you can, actually. Knowing you, we'll end up in a field of lunar tears and you'll make them all bloom at once.

[Actually...

That sounds wonderful.]

[That's—

You know what? Actually a pretty nice visual. She cracks a genuine smile, and there's something almost sheepish about it, a softness that she only ever allows to be glimpsed in very particular company. Emil might have managed to soften her edges in his own way, but it's different with Nier. It always has been.]

This place could use them. If anywhere was gonna have supposedly magical wish-granting flowers, seems like it would be here.

[Of course, they both know that they're just flowers, no matter what the stories say... but they still mean something. To her, to both of them. The one she wears in her hair is still impeccable, despite the fact that she only takes it out to sleep.]

Nobody's ever seen that many all at once before. It'd be one hell of a challenge— I like that.

I'm pretty sure this is the place to make that happen.

[She's right, though. Not even he's seen that many. There's the necklace of lunar tear flowers he saw once. The one in her hair. The one he's grown, pain that it was to cultivate that. A whole field of them? It sounds like something out of a fever dream. Given the state of this world, wouldn't that make sense?]

To be fair, given what I've learned about the world here so far, seems like you could probably just imagine it into being. Could probably pick a nice section of the town that isn't being used and make a whole field of them. Fence it off, so people can't get in to destroy the flowers. It might not be exactly practical, but we deserve a taste of home.

[The idea had started out as a mention in passing, but the more they talk about it, the more it sounds like something she might actually like to do— or at least try her hand at.

It would be a good way to practice, anyway, and if he’s been making flowers bloom, what better way to try and outdo him?]

That’s a good idea. Forgot you have those, sometimes.

[Well, he has them a lot of the time, but she wouldn’t be herself if she wasn’t ribbing on him just a little bit.]

Challenge accepted. Be nice to have a little bit of home here with us— the good parts.

[There’s no Yonah and no Emil, but maybe it will help them both to feel a little less homesick. With as much of a shithole as she often considered home to be, even she’s surprised at how much she misses it.]

… hey. Thanks.

[Nier lifts a hand and rests a forefinger against his temple.]

Sometimes I use this guy. But most of the time— [After a moment's thought, he lowers the same hand and crosses right over his heart. He's a man often driven by his emotions. He hasn't always picked the logical path and he suspects he has suffered a great deal for that. The current situation, having given up his life for Kainé, isn't his heart the reason he's where he is now?] —it's this thing right here that's the driving force.

[He grins, baring his teeth, comforted by the thought of home, a place he knows he'll never see again. In its comfort, he is wrapped by the bittersweet ache of longing. Yet Kainé wipes it all away with her gratitude.]

...Hm? What're you thanking me for? I haven't even done anything yet.

[He always has let that heart of his drive him forward, hasn't he? Even not knowing the half of it, not knowing what he'd given up or what he'd done for her— she's seen it in action. It's what kept him going, made him so goddamn persistent.

She exhales, raising a hand to make a dismissive gesture.]

Just... for everything.

[Vague, maybe, but no less genuine for it. Her gaze falls away all the same— she has trouble looking at him straight in the eye when it comes to emotional shit.]

Giving me a push. You've kind of done a lot of that.

[She'd have been content to lay down and die without him.]

Not just here.

[Just like that the levity melts away. Becomes something else. Somewhere else. He's left with the heavy weight of reality that lingers against him. Invisible to the eye, but fully present to the heart. He would love to say that he's great at these little emotionally-charged talks. There's no doubting that the man can be pretty good at sharing what he really thinks or feels on a situation, but...

Sometimes he just isn't sure what to say. In his own opinion, he's not sure he's done much to be considered worthy of Kainé's gratitude. Or maybe it's just that he thinks he hasn't done enough. That probably applies to most of his life. He's never done enough. Feels like he's never done enough. Dying isn't enough. Erasing his existence isn't enough. Maybe there's no such thing as enough.

He knows better than to say any of that.

Finally, he looses a breath he's held for far too long and shakes his head.]

Forget about it. It's nothing, you know? You would've done the same for me.

[Does he know that for sure? No. Of course not, but he'd certainly like to think so. For all of Kainé's outer aggression and serrated edges, her heart is soft and loving, filled with good intention. She's a good person. There's not a thing that could convince Nier otherwise.]

Edited 2022-01-30 02:43 (UTC)

Yeah— probably.

[There's a note of doubt in her voice. Would she? She'd been so ready for rejection at every turn that she had covered herself in thorns. She might not have been so generous with Nier as he'd been with her— not at first. She would have expected the worst of him, instead, questioned whether or not he was worth helping, or so she thinks. It's still hard, to accept the part of her that wants to offer kindness to others, fearful that it may yet be a weakness.

He's a better person than her, but he makes her want to be better.

Fortunately for both of them, neither one of them is really inclined towards emotionally charged conversation. She's content enough to leave it at that, for now— especially with the two of them standing here, dressed the way they are.

Kind of sucks all the gravity out of the situation.]

You're right. It's nothing.

[They both know it's not, but in agreeing with him, they can both move past it.]

You wanna go eat something? This stupid sweater isn't going anywhere, apparently, so my plans are shot. ... should probably clean up the mess I made in the front room, too.

[Shit. Gotta be a responsible roommate.]

[She plays along. Nier doesn't doubt for a moment that she'd be pretty free with her protests. Neither of them are particularly good at taking praise and it's very unlikely that will change anytime in the near future. All the same, she gives in without much of an outward fight and that is a precious rarity.

Without even realising it, the smile in his features grows all the more.]

Food sounds great. Maybe it'll make us forget all about these stupid sweaters we're stuck in. At least for a little bit, if we can manage to get our hands on something with a little touch of special in it. I wouldn't hate hitting up a tavern or two.

[Gives them both something to focus on. Something that isn't sweaters. Something that isn't the undeniable weight of profound thought and insecurity. Even in the face of all of that, Nier knows it wouldn't matter what they were doing. Only that they were together.]

[Yeah, yeah. She entirely blames him for her getting soft and learning to pick her battles. She'll definitely be harping on him about that in the future— he's taken a lot of the fight out of her in the best way, and if she's going to maintain her image, she's going to have to make it sound like she hates that.

Of course, she doesn't. Everything got better after they met. Not always good, definitely not always easy, but definitely better.

She huffs a sigh, a smile quirking to one side.]

You know, kind of nice to be able to walk into a tavern without being stared at. I mean, the sweaters might draw some attention, but shit, everyone's wearing them.

[Everyone looks stupid.]

Come on, I'll buy. I made out pretty good on a hunt a few days back.

Right now, sweaters are an unfortunate evil. Can't say how long we'll be stuck with them. Besides, I guess the change is kind of...

[Exciting? That's not the right word. It's new. New and interesting. A little weird, but also stupidly amusing.]

We'll be able to look back on it and laugh.

[There. That's the right way to put it. At her offer, he offers a nod after a thought.]

I guess letting you pay isn't a bad idea. You can tell me all about what you were hunting.

Maybe you will.

[He's right, though. Somewhere down the line, annoying as this is, she'll be able to look back on it and laugh, too. They've been through way worse— this is a minor inconvenience at best, something that will become a dumb story to pepper in among all the bad shit. They could use more of those.

She brightens considerably at the promise of being able to tell him about her odd jobs— he's been picking up a fair few of his own, she's noticed, but they haven't always overlapped.]

Sure, I'll fill you in. There's some wild shit around here. Makes me wonder who the hell dreamed up some of the wildlife.

[Eager to make her way to food now that the idea is on the table, she heads towards the common area of their house, stepping over scattered remains of her previous sweater on the way.]

Maybe afterwards we can squeeze in some of that flower practice.

[So she can beat his ass.]

Well, you know the stuff around here that comes up comes from the people here. You know, the ones like us. So not the talking animals. Not the creatures that seem to be local here. Guess we could ask anyone who looks... like us.

[But the chances are that whatever gets dreamed up here is something that exists in another world. After all, isn't it possible that he, Kainé, or their younger Nier can just start summoning Shades? That sounds like a disaster in the making.]

Either way, food first. Then flowers. We'll make the best damned flower field anyone's ever seen.

[The idea of having to actually question other residents makes a sigh threaten to escape, one she manages to just barely keep back.

Right. Stands to reason that there are some worlds out there just as wild as theirs, if people are dreaming this kind of shit up— maybe even moreso. Depends on who you ask, probably.]

When you put it that way, there's a whole lot of potential for this place to become even more of a shithole than back home.

[But, for the time being:]

Come on, old man, let's go. Gotta make sure we can get back before your bedtime.

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( closed ) and they were roommates

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we can let them fade out to eat and compete soon, I think!

this sounds perfect to me

wrapping up!