dumbshow | once more with shitposting

once more with shitposting

[Reim is loath to think it's convenient that the city needs to be put back together after everything. There's been so much loss, they've all felt it—but having something to do after Pandora is dissolved keeps everyone's minds off those things, more or less, so. It's a little convenient. It keeps people busy, himself included.

Most people, anyway... Reim has more than enough to do, from ironing out the details of the relief efforts (it's-not-Pandora-but-it's-mostly-the-same-people is not a viable organization name, the struggle) to dealing with people on a much more individual level, including trying to integrate the remaining Baskervilles— he's never been more stressed in his life!!

Unlike some people apparently on a quest to ruin the only peace and quiet he has in his schedule - locking himself in his office to eat meals - in between everything else. It's just after he's been to check up on Duke Barma, who is surprisingly... robust, if bedridden, and he's escaped that harrowing exchange only to find his office invaded and some kind of food out. It smells like food. That's not the lunch he ordered??

He sighs. It must be every day of his life at once. He will address... the office:]

Xerxes, come out of there.

[he doesn't even know where, but he Knows it's somewhere.]

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[The total fiction he is hearing right now. A good listener...! Since five minutes ago? Please. Reim does give him a look, punctuated with a judgmental little hum so Break knows just how far his eyebrow has risen at this point. It's gone, it's escaping.]

For your information, plenty of people take me very seriously.

[Punk. Give him another brief moment before he lets this hug end, keeping his arm around his shoulders like before. Now: more walking. There's probably a super extra rich people gazebo or something out here, that's where they're going.]

If you're serious about what you said... then that's enough for me.

[He appreciates this unnecessary emphasis on his disbelief. It makes him laugh again, which is like, two more times that he would have on a normal day. He places his hand back at back Reim's waist, minus poking at his side this time. He earned the right not to get riled up for maybe ten minutes.]

I keep my promises, Reim. [Like, the serious ones. Not the "I'll do my work on time" ones.] Are we not going back inside already? Maybe you have started to relax more...

[Ten minutes of gazebo time, coming up!! They are clearly not going back inside, since Reim would have fussed about it. He shakes his head, like he can't believe Break has to critique? Every plan?

Good, though; Reim squeezes his shoulder, a big fan of his sappy promises.]

This was your idea... I suppose I don't have to indulge you, so indulge me.

[They're just going to sit out here, which is the same thing they'd do inside, but with less stuffy office air and Reim trying to do work mid-conversation. So appreciate him, thanks.]

[Reim usually critiques everything? Someone has to take it up when he's not doing it. No, Break likes this plan. He won't go as far as admitting something Barma owns might be nice after all, but he likes it.]

I'll have to remember this path... It must look romantic, if you like it. [Because he likes... that sappy stuff... not this particular time. Ignore those words he just spoke?] Can you see the sun set from here? If you're truly going to be done with your work before dark, we can read out here until nightfall...

[He's not that sappy, is he... He's not Sharon. It's a good path and the gazebo is a good place to relax, so shut up and sit with him.]

Through the trees, I'm sure. I'll consider it. [He says this like it's a maybe, but they'll be back out here later, he can already feel it. Maybe if this outing had proceeded differently, they wouldn't- maybe they would have already gone back inside, if Break hadn't inadvertently dredged up all those feelings. But he did, and now Reim is thinking about it all, and he is genuinely content to just be here.

He still has his arm around Break, but stretches the other one over the back of this gazebo bench and leans back with a sigh. Nothing can ever be simple, as much as it seems like it should be. This is the longest he's touched Break without poking or hitting or hauling his half-conscious body out of danger. He's doing a lot of ruminating on that fact.

But, simply put:] You mean the world to me, you stupid jerk.

[nice. that's Casual.]

[He knows he's getting what he wants already, please. He probably doesn't deserve it after being a jerk for so long, but he's not going to say no now. Maybe he'll suggest they do what Reim wants next time, and he'll only complain a little.

But he settles in easily, combing his fingers through his hair to fix the space Reim had leaned into. He'd assumed they'd already moved on from thinking about this - and was wracking his brain of something else to talk about - so when Reim speaks up, he turns his head with raised brows.]

Mmm? You're still on that? You mean the world and more to me, Reim. You won't win. [it's not a competition]

[Break is so! lucky! Reim is being so nice to him and not punching him in the head for his attitude every few minutes. Yes, of course he's still on that—what else could he possibly be on, when he's put so much of himself into keeping Break alive and... mostly stable.

This is stupid jerk behavior. Idly, Reim lifts his hand from Break's shoulder to flick his ear for being rude again.]

Oh, I already have. [reim] Never mind that now.

[He just wanted to say it? He's learned the error of his ways.]

Well, think about what you want to read later.

[No, be a sappy friend at him, he loves making fun of it. Break grins, moving closer and leaning his head back on Reim's arm.]

Maybe all I'll want to do is talk about how you care for me~! You call me such harsh things all the time, I think I deserve hearing such things again.

[No, he's bad. Reim takes back all that sappy stuff he said, he hates Break forever.]

Oh? And would you look at me with that confused face again? Honestly, I don't know why anything I've said would surprise you.

[Remember: 15 years.]

All you do is hit me and call me an idiot. It hurts my feelings!

[He places a hand over his heart, like truly this is a tale of woe. Love him?]

Is it so hard to believe I think you don't like me, sometimes?

Yes.

[Know that he has actively turned his head to stare blankly down at this moron, now. Don't test him, old man.]

Stop fishing for compliments.

You must be looking at me so lovingly to make up for it.

[He shuts his eye longer than a blink... is this his attempt a winking? Yeah, it is.]

It's okay, Reim. I forgive you.

[He really should just flip Break into the sun! But he's not, he only sighs and looks away from him to check out... the nice weather? Instead.]

I don't call you anything you don't deserve! [So there, he's not saying he's sorry. Jerk.] Now, tell me what you want to read later, please.

[Hey? Pay attention to him? Even if Break can't see and he's already probably making Reim's arm fall asleep, this is unacceptable. He tugs on Reim's jacket... thing like it needs adjusting. Spoilers: it didn't.]

We don't have to read anything that isn't to your tastes. [There's so many volumes of Holy Knight and Reim worked through all of them, probably.] There is a series of vampires...

[don't doxx me for referencing other boys you put me in this position]

[Stop this!! Let him live. Reim puts up with this for about ten seconds before he swats vaguely at Break's hand and then just holds it again. He's officially out of hands that aren't paying attention to Break, happy? God.]

Vampires...? [he's lowkey judgin] Alright, if there's a copy in the library...

[And there probably is because Barma is a weird collector who buys first editions he will never actually read just to say he has them in his private stash, so. It will even be fancy.]

[Um, fine. He's reluctantly satisfied. He intertwines his fingers through his before he finally relaxes, though.]

Good. [He hums, ignoring the fact he's judging his great choices.] I won't make you read every evening if it becomes tiring... so if you had to choose, what would we do?

[He'll read Break's vampire fanfiction, it's fine. Later, when it's not hand holding time. How will Break get through reading time, since Reim will need his hands for that??]

Well... an evening with no work would be great on its own.

[He doesn't know what to do with free time because he never has any, okay. He'll have to judge this when he gets there.]

[Reading time will consist of maybe a few pages before it's just holding Break time, clearly. They'll get through the book in maybe a month.]

Hmmm? Is that all? We'll just lay around and do nothing? [Hmmm.] ... That isn't all that bad if I can be in your company, I suppose.

[But the literature... He's already doing holding Break time right now, how much holding does one old man need??]

If I could do nothing for one day, it would be a miracle. [He never gets days off... But what else can they actually do, before Break gets bored—] We'll drink.

[yes.]

[Compromise: he'll read while Break lays in his arms instead. This is ideal.]

You'll turn into an alcoholic, moron. [but really: HELL yes] Though I'd love to see you hungover... what a mess you'll be! Your master won't be drinking anything he's saved for his wedding, so we'll enjoy his finer wine.

[They should stay inside for that where there's comfy furniture then. Ultra ideal.]

Somehow, he'll find out... [but also: fuck it] We won't spend an entire day doing nothing but drink, besides. Even you'd have trouble with that.

You underestimate me. I already have all the qualities of someone who would drink all day. Old, mad, on the verge of diabetes...

[Truly, he has done everything else to put him on death's door, so why not?]

But I would probably say things I shouldn't, so maybe you're right.

[Oh, it sounds like... Break is banned from drinking...?? What the hell happened to that bottle of wine, it's banned now. Wherever it is, on the ground somewhere.]

Hmm. [Is he curious? Hell fucking yes he is, but he won't let Break win!! So he won't ask. The logic is sound.]

Well, it will only be enough to relax, anyway. There's no point in getting out of control.

[His great set up, lost to the fact Reim has to win... Awful. He can't just give up and say things, so he'll stubbornly stand off on this.]

I don't think you've ever gotten out of control in your life... It must be so boring.

[What a baby? Just say words like an adult.

Here, a brief cinematic flashback of all the doors Reim has broken at Pandora in his lifetime. It's several. He kicked doors off their hinges, Break.]

Maybe to you. Most people are kind enough to say I'm reliable, not boring.

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