[It was just by chance that Zelos came across Ris. No hidden motive, just happened to be in the same area at the same time. So when he sees his friend, he'll give a wave as he starts taking the first steps to walk over]
Hey Ris!
[But two steps into his journey? He promptly and unceremoniously falls to the ground.]
[Well, isn't that a happy coincidence! Ris perks up when she hears her name, and visibly lights up a little once she recognizes her friend.]
Oh! Hey there Zel—
[She doesn't even get to finish her thought before Zelos is on the ground. She gives an alarmed noise that can only be reasonably described as a squeak, but aside from that her response is immediate, running over to his side and dropping down to her knees.]
Zelos?! Are you all right?!
[Is he conscious? If he's not, she's immediately going to start checking for vitals. She's a surgeon's stepdaughter, after all, she knows her way around at least basic first aid.]
[He's conscious! He's trying to pull himself up, but it's a clear struggle for him. What little color he had, he's quickly losing and he's getting pretty feverish. ]
D-Dammit not again... [He says through pained gritted teeth, as if he's not fully aware of Ris's presense. ]
[So that's a definite "no" on the "okay" front, then. The "not again" is particularly worrying, but right now Ris doesn't have the time to focus on that.
There's no way Ris is going to be able to carry him, and having him just pass out in the middle of the road here is not good. Maybe if she can at least help him get up, she can maintain enough leverage to get him to a bench or something?
She adjusts herself to prepare.]
Hey— hey. Let me help you...
[She reaches out for his hand, kind of tentatively. She's not 100% sure he knows she's there, so she's a little afraid to touch him and freak him out, but she's got to be the one guiding this. There's no way he's with it enough to do so.]
[He flinches a little at the touch of his hand, but he doesn't pull away entirely. His head jerks to look at Ris. He looks feverish, but he's still somewhat lucid]
Ris? [Ah that's right, she had been just there] Damn, rather you didn't have to see this...
[See him vulnerable and unwell. Ana and Bruno were bad enough, but now Ris? Can't say he's wholly thrilled with the idea of showing the people in his life this side.
But hey, he's not fully recoiling - so that's something! ]
[She sighs, taking his hand and moving to help pull him up to loop his arm around her shoulder.]
Listen. If it's what you want, I can just pretend I never saw this going forward. [Because vulnerability is hard, and she gets it.] But let's at least get you out of the road first, okay?
[And maybe get him a little more help than that, because she's not just going to leave a feverish and semi-lucid Zelos on a bench and call it a day, she actually does care about the guy, but. Baby steps.]
[He makes a slight grunt as he's pulled up. He's trying to use his legs to stand because he knows he's probably a lot bigger than what tiny Ris can carry by herself, but he's slow-moving and extremely shaky - as if his body could give out again at any moment.]
...Alright, thanks.
[Thats about all he can manage to say until they reach that bench. When they finally do, which feels like an eternity, he'll collapse against it.]
[Yeah, this is... not easy, but there's something to be said for determination, at least. She's definitely a bit winded by the time he manages to collapse onto the bench, but since this isn't about her right now, she elects to ignore that.]
Okay, you're stuck with me for a little longer before I pretend I didn't see this. [She's not just going to ditch him!] So. Should I be calling a doctor, your roommates, or getting you some water? D, all of the above?
[He is semi-aware that she's winded, but he guesses that isn't too much of a surprise. He's not exactly small, especially compared to her. He'll have to do something to make up for it....later though. When he can think of what
[Zelos hadn't heard much from Ris, which was pretty unusual. So he went through the app chat logs that were going on while he was also dead and found that Ris too had bit the dust and came back. Which man, that brings up so many complicated feelings and Zelos isn't really know how to approach this clearly sensitive topic.
[When Ris sees the message notification pop up, she initially freezes, because hey. Didn't Zelos also fucking die in some stupid sacrificial game of sportsball or whatever?
Dead people don't send messages. But then again, Ris was dead herself, and here she is, checking her phone like it's no big deal. So, with no small amount of trepidation, she opens the message...]
And, okay, she isn't actually going to murder him, probably, but she is still going to stuff her newly-acquired butterfly knife in her boot, because like hell she's heading out alone and unarmed ever again.]
[Zelos does not get a reply, but after a bit he does get a knock at his apartment door.
Presumably, he'll get there to answer it first, and the second the door opens and Ris locks eyes with Zelos she wastes absolutely no time in laying right in to him.]
You asshole.
[Ris is caustic even at her best, but this is something else entirely. Her voice is low, practically a whisper to contain how it's quivering, and she altogether gives off more of an impression of crackling electricity than she does ice.]
What the hell were you trying to pull with that stunt?
[He opens the door and...yep, she's pissed at him. Considering how the other three were, he's not surprised by it. Honestly, he expected it at this point. He steps back so she can come into the apartment proper without the whole building hearing this, rubbing the back of his neck as he shuts the door.
But...just to be sure-]
To be clear...which stunt are you referring to?
[The message or him dying? Because really, he knows he's done a lot]
[Ris starts off strong, glaring him down, but as she listens to him, eventually her gaze falls to the floor.
...She's no good at fighting. Physically, even if she wanted to punch him for being an idiot, it wouldn't amount to much more than her hurting her own knuckles. And as far as emotionally...
Well, there are a lot of things she could say, but he's already acknowledged that it was wrong, so what good would it do? He doesn't sound like he's just saying it to brush it off, so it'd just be beating a dead horse, really.
And besides, it's not like she doesn't understand. Not that she's ever followed through, but...
Ris is quiet for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say, what to do, before eventually just heaving a heavy sigh and taking a step forward.
Instead of punching him, she just wraps her arms around him and hugs him, as tightly as her little noodle arms will allow.]
...I hope you never feel like that again. Because some of us still want you around, you know that? Some of us care about you.
A-and you... you aren't allowed to just leave me— leave us behind like that. You aren't allowed to just be gone.
[Saying things like this is... well, above all else, it's awkward, but she thinks it pretty clearly needs to be said.
Sure, he's an asshole, but... he's her asshole. He takes her seriously when he needs to, makes her laugh when she needs it, and even the incredibly stupid conversations they have at the expense of everyone else aren't something she can just replace.]
...If I have to be in the dead club, I want to actually be in it with you, you know? So that means you have to stay here.
[Zelos had been bracing himself for a slap or a punch, for that is a way that many people in his life seem to choose to show their affection - and Ris seems like that type.
So he's caught off guard when she instead opts for the hug. He lets her, but man, is he awkward. He's given hugs before, usually insincere, but being on a receiving end of one? It's still a pretty new feeling. Enough that he doesn't exactly know how to respond back except squirm a little.
At least until he hears what she has to say. Even if the others have said it? It's still a bewildering feeling. Having people who actually want you around. He doesn't get why, maybe he'll never get why, but....
Well...he can't say it's a bad feeling. Quite the opposite.
So he'll give a little smile and reach over to her head to give her a headpat. He's not good at hugging, but he remembers doing that to Seles sometimes. ]
Ha....alright. You got me. Can't promise to always be a ray of sunshine, but ...I'll try my best to stick around.
[Zelos isn't wrong, but Ris prefers to save her strength for when someone needs a wake-up call. Zelos has clearly already had his, so there's no point in it.
And, well, it's fine if he's awkward. Ris isn't exactly a particularly touchy-feely person, and she can count on one hand the number of people she's actually hugged in... probably the last decade, honestly. And one of those "people" is a Piplup, so his counting in that final tally is a bit nebulous. Point being, it's not like she really has any firm grasp of how something like this is supposed to go, either, but she is getting her emotions out physically somehow, damn it, and he just has to deal with it.
...
Or he can pat her head, which seems to catch her a little off-guard, but once that split second of startle has passed, she seems pretty okay with it, actually.
And to Zelos' words, she laughs a little.]
Tch... Zelos, I hate to be the one to tell you, but I don't think anyone likes you because you're a "ray of sunshine."
[She pulls back a little, enough to look up at him.]
I like you because you're you, unapologetically. And if you're more hurricane than sun sometimes, so be it.
[That catches him off guard for a moment, before his face goes something into a grateful smile. A sincere one]
Ha...Damn Ris. I think that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me.
[He means it. All his life he's been criticized for not being "chosen-like". Chosens were supposed to be happy serene people that acted liked a bright spot in people's lives. And well...his personality just never worked for that. He was always too loud, too blunt, too cynical...the list goes on.
But hearing that people actually like him for the hurricane he is? It's a nice feeling]
But you know, all that stuff applies to you too. No trying to beat my death count record, you hear? I like having you around too, rain or shine.
Ehe. I guess I shouldn't have worried about offending you, then?
[If that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to him... ouch. But Ris isn't going to rub it in any further.
That just means it's up to her to keep reminding him of things like this! Which, while embarrassing because ugh, feelings, isn't the worst job she could have.]
And oh, don't worry about that. I don't intend to go anywhere any time soon.
[...Could she have truly said that before she met him, before she got dragged kicking and screaming into the supernatural? It's not like she ever had plans, but... she never really saw herself living on, either.
That's a secret she'll keep to herself for now, though, she thinks.]
You're important to me now, and that means you're stuck with me forever. [And, a little more teasingly:] No refunds. ♥
Ha, why would I be offended with a remark like that?
[Because to him, it's a genuinely nice sentiment. But then again, he supposes most people haven't lived their whole lives with unobtainable expectations shouldered onto them.
When she mentions the importance and plans to stick with him forever....his gut twists with guilt as he thinks about how short that "forever" actually could be. This should be a nice moment, a moment they should both be enjoying. He shouldn't say anything and let her have this. She died too, the last thing she needs to worry about is more of his problems.
....
Dammit. He hates this. He really does ruin everything. But he did promise Ana and Adol he'd be more truthful]
...Yeah, about that "forever". [He pulls away from the hug now.] I do wanna stick around and I'll try, but...
[It's so hard to come forward. Just say it. Just say it]
Remember back in March, when I collapsed? That...wasn't a one-time anomaly. It was a symptom...to a bigger problem.
[WELCOME BACK TO THE WORLD OF THE LIVING, AMAL. Even though Amal didn't actually die, but whatever.
Ris is just glad to hear his voice again, either way.]
I'm holding up okay.
It's more weird than anything. This... isn't really how this sort of thing is supposed to work, you know? So I suppose I just... don't really know what to do with it now that it has.
[...]
Honestly, I think I was more upset when I heard about Zelos than I ever was at any point during all of this.
You've been given a second chance. What that means-- and what you do from here-- is up to you, I think. A little piece of you has changed, even if it isn't obvious to everyone else.
[He makes a thoughtful noise.]
It's easier to work with others' problems than your own.
I mean, that's what I'm doing right now... hahahah.
[Ris isn't mad about getting a call out of the blue! After all, it's not like she actually does anything with her time, freeloader that she is.
But she is just a little sus about getting a call from Zelos. He's her friend and she'd shank someone with an icicle for him and all, but he's normally not the one to reach out first.
She doesn't let that into her voice when she answers, though.]
Okay, okay, fine. I guess I can't fault you for having faith in me~.
[That strain is noted, and compounds the suspicion especially given what he's asking for...]
Oh? Yeah, I'd be down for that. Have you managed to work your way through the Didney classics or do I still get the opportunity to force you to watch one with me?
Ehehe. No worries, that one's not up there in my "must-watch" list, anyway.
[Maybe The Emperor's New Dance Moves? Hmm. Of course, the movie's just a front, anyway, and she's pretty sure they both know that.]
Well, you know where to find me. Just ring when you get here, I'll buzz you in, you know the drill. [...] You still don't eat or drink anything, right?
Ehehehe. I will gladly take that excuse and run with it.
[Yeah, Zelos doesn't have to worry about that. Ris' taste is so plain it'll be a wonder if she goes with pepperoni.
Anyway, she'll keep up inane conversation as he walks, all the while trying to brainstorm a good way to break the "sooo, what exactly is up with you because it's obviously SOMETHING" ice that won't send him packing somewhere else to avoid feelings.
Respecting his privacy is important, but also, bottling things up kind of sucks? Zelos has enough going on without adding that to the pile, Ris thinks.]
[And keep up this inane conversation as he walks he shall! Anything to keep him distracted and away from the thoughts about Lloyd. Eventually he'll hang up when he reaches her apartment building. A few minutes later, there's a knock at her door and he'll call through the door]
Yoo! Let me in!
[He looks pretty normal, all things considered. There's no injuries or anything like that. But there is a bit of a nervous energy about him, as he keeps trying to keep the bad thoughts at bay]
[Ris isn't surprised to see that Zelos looks fine when she opens the door, stepping to the side with a flourish to invite him in. (Look, drama invites drama.) Frankly, Zelos always looks fine, for multiple definitions thereof.
But there's definitely something shimmering about him that's off.]
I put in the order while you were on your way over, so hopefully pizza will show up... at some point. And I have a big ol' bottle of red pepper flakes in the pantry.
[Is she teasing? Who knows.
She does want to ask what's going on, but she'll keep it inane for just a bit longer. Lull him into a false sense of security.
...Or something. Honestly, navigating this kind of thing is not her forte, but friendship dictates that she gotta, so here she be.]
[Yeah keep up with the lulling. This is Zelos, so he's going to pretend everything is ok as long as he can. ]
Oh yeah? Cool! [The idea of a delivery guy makes his eye twitch just a little. But Lloyd was delivering coffee, surely he wouldn't be a pizza delivery guy too?
nnnh he'll hide from the door just in case. ]
Gotta say, I wonder if I can beat Amal's spice tolerance like this. Apparently the guy goes out of his way to eat the most painful stuff possible.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Mid-March; Action
Hey Ris!
[But two steps into his journey? He promptly and unceremoniously falls to the ground.]
no subject
Oh! Hey there Zel—
[She doesn't even get to finish her thought before Zelos is on the ground. She gives an alarmed noise that can only be reasonably described as a squeak, but aside from that her response is immediate, running over to his side and dropping down to her knees.]
Zelos?! Are you all right?!
[Is he conscious? If he's not, she's immediately going to start checking for vitals. She's a surgeon's stepdaughter, after all, she knows her way around at least basic first aid.]
no subject
[He's conscious! He's trying to pull himself up, but it's a clear struggle for him. What little color he had, he's quickly losing and he's getting pretty feverish. ]
D-Dammit not again... [He says through pained gritted teeth, as if he's not fully aware of Ris's presense. ]
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There's no way Ris is going to be able to carry him, and having him just pass out in the middle of the road here is not good. Maybe if she can at least help him get up, she can maintain enough leverage to get him to a bench or something?
She adjusts herself to prepare.]
Hey— hey. Let me help you...
[She reaches out for his hand, kind of tentatively. She's not 100% sure he knows she's there, so she's a little afraid to touch him and freak him out, but she's got to be the one guiding this. There's no way he's with it enough to do so.]
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Ris? [Ah that's right, she had been just there] Damn, rather you didn't have to see this...
[See him vulnerable and unwell. Ana and Bruno were bad enough, but now Ris? Can't say he's wholly thrilled with the idea of showing the people in his life this side.
But hey, he's not fully recoiling - so that's something! ]
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[She sighs, taking his hand and moving to help pull him up to loop his arm around her shoulder.]
Listen. If it's what you want, I can just pretend I never saw this going forward. [Because vulnerability is hard, and she gets it.] But let's at least get you out of the road first, okay?
[And maybe get him a little more help than that, because she's not just going to leave a feverish and semi-lucid Zelos on a bench and call it a day, she actually does care about the guy, but. Baby steps.]
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...Alright, thanks.
[Thats about all he can manage to say until they reach that bench. When they finally do, which feels like an eternity, he'll collapse against it.]
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Okay, you're stuck with me for a little longer before I pretend I didn't see this. [She's not just going to ditch him!] So. Should I be calling a doctor, your roommates, or getting you some water? D, all of the above?
no subject
He shakes his head]
No, it'll pass. Just gotta give it some time.
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She watches him warily for a moment, before sighing and electing to just take a seat beside him.]
If you say so. But I hope you don't mind if I hang around until it does, just in case.
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Ha...you don't gotta but, do what you want.
a text right after the Zelos Offering To Pose Nude for Mirabel
ice cold water
right to the dick
that'd calm him down
no subject
and if he's hanging around me your mistake is thinking i WANT to calm him down lmao--
UN: ZW🌹 ; after revivals
So, he does it the only way he knows how]
[Loudly.]
un: spiderlily; action; 1/3
Dead people don't send messages. But then again, Ris was dead herself, and here she is, checking her phone like it's no big deal. So, with no small amount of trepidation, she opens the message...]
2/3
text; 3/3
bc i am going to come and kill you myself
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[he can't remember if he's ever given it ok]
Ana, Adol, and Bruno's already had their go's at me so I guess you should get a turn too.
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[She is already getting ready to go.
And, okay, she isn't actually going to murder him, probably, but she is still going to stuff her newly-acquired butterfly knife in her boot, because like hell she's heading out alone and unarmed ever again.]
no subject
Just take the elevator. Shouldn't be busy this time of day.
> action
Presumably, he'll get there to answer it first, and the second the door opens and Ris locks eyes with Zelos she wastes absolutely no time in laying right in to him.]
You asshole.
[Ris is caustic even at her best, but this is something else entirely. Her voice is low, practically a whisper to contain how it's quivering, and she altogether gives off more of an impression of crackling electricity than she does ice.]
What the hell were you trying to pull with that stunt?
no subject
But...just to be sure-]
To be clear...which stunt are you referring to?
[The message or him dying? Because really, he knows he's done a lot]
no subject
[Because, honestly, the message would have been pretty funny if not for that. ...Ris' sense of humor might need some work.]
cw: suicide mention
[Because he thought Ris would've found the message at least a little funny! But he guesses word's gotten around by now.
He sighs. Putting his hand on his side. After his long conversations with Ana, Adol and Bruno - he's finally pieced together a clear perspective]
I screwed up. Let myself get to that dark place where you think it's the best answer. Then saw an opportunity and took it.
....It was stupid, and wrong. And also selfish. I know now I hurt a lot of people, including you. Wasn't my intent, but...well, that doesn't matter.
I'm sorry.
no subject
...She's no good at fighting. Physically, even if she wanted to punch him for being an idiot, it wouldn't amount to much more than her hurting her own knuckles. And as far as emotionally...
Well, there are a lot of things she could say, but he's already acknowledged that it was wrong, so what good would it do? He doesn't sound like he's just saying it to brush it off, so it'd just be beating a dead horse, really.
And besides, it's not like she doesn't understand. Not that she's ever followed through, but...
Ris is quiet for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say, what to do, before eventually just heaving a heavy sigh and taking a step forward.
Instead of punching him, she just wraps her arms around him and hugs him, as tightly as her little noodle arms will allow.]
...I hope you never feel like that again. Because some of us still want you around, you know that? Some of us care about you.
A-and you... you aren't allowed to just leave me— leave us behind like that. You aren't allowed to just be gone.
[Saying things like this is... well, above all else, it's awkward, but she thinks it pretty clearly needs to be said.
Sure, he's an asshole, but... he's her asshole. He takes her seriously when he needs to, makes her laugh when she needs it, and even the incredibly stupid conversations they have at the expense of everyone else aren't something she can just replace.]
...If I have to be in the dead club, I want to actually be in it with you, you know? So that means you have to stay here.
[So there.]
no subject
So he's caught off guard when she instead opts for the hug. He lets her, but man, is he awkward. He's given hugs before, usually insincere, but being on a receiving end of one? It's still a pretty new feeling. Enough that he doesn't exactly know how to respond back except squirm a little.
At least until he hears what she has to say. Even if the others have said it? It's still a bewildering feeling. Having people who actually want you around. He doesn't get why, maybe he'll never get why, but....
Well...he can't say it's a bad feeling. Quite the opposite.
So he'll give a little smile and reach over to her head to give her a headpat. He's not good at hugging, but he remembers doing that to Seles sometimes. ]
Ha....alright. You got me. Can't promise to always be a ray of sunshine, but ...I'll try my best to stick around.
no subject
And, well, it's fine if he's awkward. Ris isn't exactly a particularly touchy-feely person, and she can count on one hand the number of people she's actually hugged in... probably the last decade, honestly. And one of those "people" is a Piplup, so his counting in that final tally is a bit nebulous. Point being, it's not like she really has any firm grasp of how something like this is supposed to go, either, but she is getting her emotions out physically somehow, damn it, and he just has to deal with it.
...
Or he can pat her head, which seems to catch her a little off-guard, but once that split second of startle has passed, she seems pretty okay with it, actually.
And to Zelos' words, she laughs a little.]
Tch... Zelos, I hate to be the one to tell you, but I don't think anyone likes you because you're a "ray of sunshine."
[She pulls back a little, enough to look up at him.]
I like you because you're you, unapologetically. And if you're more hurricane than sun sometimes, so be it.
no subject
Ha...Damn Ris. I think that's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me.
[He means it. All his life he's been criticized for not being "chosen-like". Chosens were supposed to be happy serene people that acted liked a bright spot in people's lives. And well...his personality just never worked for that. He was always too loud, too blunt, too cynical...the list goes on.
But hearing that people actually like him for the hurricane he is? It's a nice feeling]
But you know, all that stuff applies to you too. No trying to beat my death count record, you hear? I like having you around too, rain or shine.
no subject
[If that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to him... ouch. But Ris isn't going to rub it in any further.
That just means it's up to her to keep reminding him of things like this! Which, while embarrassing because ugh, feelings, isn't the worst job she could have.]
And oh, don't worry about that. I don't intend to go anywhere any time soon.
[...Could she have truly said that before she met him, before she got dragged kicking and screaming into the supernatural? It's not like she ever had plans, but... she never really saw herself living on, either.
That's a secret she'll keep to herself for now, though, she thinks.]
You're important to me now, and that means you're stuck with me forever. [And, a little more teasingly:] No refunds. ♥
no subject
[Because to him, it's a genuinely nice sentiment. But then again, he supposes most people haven't lived their whole lives with unobtainable expectations shouldered onto them.
When she mentions the importance and plans to stick with him forever....his gut twists with guilt as he thinks about how short that "forever" actually could be. This should be a nice moment, a moment they should both be enjoying. He shouldn't say anything and let her have this. She died too, the last thing she needs to worry about is more of his problems.
....
Dammit. He hates this. He really does ruin everything. But he did promise Ana and Adol he'd be more truthful]
...Yeah, about that "forever". [He pulls away from the hug now.] I do wanna stick around and I'll try, but...
[It's so hard to come forward. Just say it. Just say it]
Remember back in March, when I collapsed? That...wasn't a one-time anomaly. It was a symptom...to a bigger problem.
voice; un: riftdancer
Hey, snowdrop. How are you holding up?
no subject
Ris is just glad to hear his voice again, either way.]
I'm holding up okay.
It's more weird than anything. This... isn't really how this sort of thing is supposed to work, you know? So I suppose I just... don't really know what to do with it now that it has.
[...]
Honestly, I think I was more upset when I heard about Zelos than I ever was at any point during all of this.
no subject
[He makes a thoughtful noise.]
It's easier to work with others' problems than your own.
I mean, that's what I'm doing right now... hahahah.
July; voice
Heeeeey Ris! You busy right now?
no subject
But she is just a little sus about getting a call from Zelos. He's her friend and she'd shank someone with an icicle for him and all, but he's normally not the one to reach out first.
She doesn't let that into her voice when she answers, though.]
Pff. As if I'm ever that busy.
What's up?
no subject
[He sounds a little like he's trying too hard to be jovial, honestly. Like yeah this is totally normal and nothing weird about it at all no siree.]
Well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang! At your place or somewhere else.
no subject
[That strain is noted, and compounds the suspicion especially given what he's asking for...]
Oh? Yeah, I'd be down for that. Have you managed to work your way through the Didney classics or do I still get the opportunity to force you to watch one with me?
no subject
[something like that.]
Oh the didney movies? I watched one or two, but not all of them so - sure go ahead and make me watch one of those.
Just not Frozen ok? [ONLY MADNESS LIES IN SHOWING ZELOS FROZEN]
no subject
[Maybe The Emperor's New Dance Moves? Hmm. Of course, the movie's just a front, anyway, and she's pretty sure they both know that.]
Well, you know where to find me. Just ring when you get here, I'll buzz you in, you know the drill. [...] You still don't eat or drink anything, right?
[Just making sure pizza's a no-go.]
no subject
[There's sounds of movement as he is doing that, but he's still talking too]
I can eat a little thanks to that rock you guys found! But my tastebuds are still pretty shot so it'd have to be really flavorful to pick up anything.
no subject
[...It's weird for him to just. Keep talking. He knows how to get here, he could just hang up. Concern levels rising.]
no subject
He snorts]
Yeah yeah, go ahead and use me as an excuse to order pizza. I'll eat whatever.
[He only really dislikes weird texture stuff like octopus, and he has faith that Ris wouldn't order something like THAT]
no subject
[Yeah, Zelos doesn't have to worry about that. Ris' taste is so plain it'll be a wonder if she goes with pepperoni.
Anyway, she'll keep up inane conversation as he walks, all the while trying to brainstorm a good way to break the "sooo, what exactly is up with you because it's obviously SOMETHING" ice that won't send him packing somewhere else to avoid feelings.
Respecting his privacy is important, but also, bottling things up kind of sucks? Zelos has enough going on without adding that to the pile, Ris thinks.]
no subject
Yoo! Let me in!
[He looks pretty normal, all things considered. There's no injuries or anything like that. But there is a bit of a nervous energy about him, as he keeps trying to keep the bad thoughts at bay]
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[Ris isn't surprised to see that Zelos looks fine when she opens the door, stepping to the side with a flourish to invite him in. (Look, drama invites drama.) Frankly, Zelos always looks fine, for multiple definitions thereof.
But there's definitely something shimmering about him that's off.]
I put in the order while you were on your way over, so hopefully pizza will show up... at some point. And I have a big ol' bottle of red pepper flakes in the pantry.
[Is she teasing? Who knows.
She does want to ask what's going on, but she'll keep it inane for just a bit longer. Lull him into a false sense of security.
...Or something. Honestly, navigating this kind of thing is not her forte, but friendship dictates that she gotta, so here she be.]
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Oh yeah? Cool! [The idea of a delivery guy makes his eye twitch just a little. But Lloyd was delivering coffee, surely he wouldn't be a pizza delivery guy too?
nnnh he'll hide from the door just in case. ]
Gotta say, I wonder if I can beat Amal's spice tolerance like this. Apparently the guy goes out of his way to eat the most painful stuff possible.