nexus_sages | (no subject)

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Without warning, someone emerges into the Nexus through a swirling portal of light.

The smartly-dressed young man, one-handedly adjusting a pair of dark-framed glasses on his nose as he walks, appears to be quite involved in paging through a book of some sort, hence not noticing that he is most likely not where he was actually intending to be. It's only when he finally looks up from the book--

"--I can't be sure as of yet, but it appears...that it...might..."

Yes, this is definitely not where he meant to end up.

He blinks slowly - once, twice, three times, absently taking a bookmark from his pocket so he can close the book and take a very good look around.

A brochure from a nearby table finds its way quickly into his hands, and while it doesn't really explain things to his satisfaction, at least it gives him a bit of an idea to work with. Now...a question. Which involves picking one out of the multitude swirling round in his head.

"...How - hypothetically, mind you - would one go about showing their appreciation to someone who was kind enough to take them in? Without overstepping their boundaries," he hurries to add the last bit, looking sour.

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"No, not at all. She's just quite a close friend - a fellow shinki I've grown very fond of." Kazuma chuckles. "It's not a bad thing at all that you reminded me of her."

"Hmm. No, sounds like quite a compliment," she admits. Context helps with these things. "She your girlfriend yet?"

"More like a younger sister." At least Kazuma's amused at the thought, from the quiet chuckles he's letting slip.

"Ah. That's sweet." In her defense, it's an obvious conclusion to jump to. But adopting siblings is cool too.

"We're all one big family, despite our idiosyncracies. Well, mostly. There are moments."

Then again, what family doesn't have moments?

"That sounds nice."

Don't talk to her about family moments. No, really. Hers have given her a lot of issues.

"It is. Even when it becomes difficult."

She shouldn't ask. She knows she shouldn't ask, there is no possible answer that will make her happy.

But.

"How is it nice when it's difficult?"

"It reminds me I'm not alone and never will be."

He can be a simple man sometimes.

"Oh. That does sound nice." She really should listen to herself. Not like she can lie.

Kazuma hesitates, then takes a step closer. "May I give you a hug?"

"What?" She looks up again, looking confused for a moment before relaxing and giving him a nod. "Okay. I like hugs."

She will henceforth be hugged, Kazuma patting her back comfortingly.

"I'm sorry things are so difficult for you." Not that he understands what things are difficult, or exactly why, but it's in his nature to sympathize.

She really does like hugs, but this was a pretty sudden jump to touching a stranger so she's a little stiff. But her arms close around him comfortably enough. "Thank you."

Kazuma takes note of the stiff, and is careful not to let the hug linger past friendly into awkward, smiling reassuringly at Verity when he lets go.

"It's the least I could do, really. You seem to be a perfectly nice and pleasant person; I only let people be upset if I really don't care for them." Half-kidding, yes.

Well, that sure gets a laugh. "Me? Perfectly nice and pleasant? Wow. Thank you."

"Do you not get that often?" Sort of a rhetorical question, really. "I do mean it, though."

She's still laughing. Not at him. Just. At life. "Uh. No. Not ever, this is a first. My therapist is never going to believe this. My boyfriend is never going to believe this."

Kazuma can't help but laugh a bit himself, now. "Everyone's life needs a little surprise in it anyway."

"True, true. And Heven knows I don't get enough surprises around here."

"Well, surprise." Kazuma laughs, shaking his head. "I feel like I should have a balloon and a cake if I'm going to say that."

"Ah... that sounds suspiciously like a party. And then where would we be?"

"It does, doesn't it?" Kazuma shrugs a bit. "A good thing I don't have any party supplies, then."

"Yes. I'm not sure I could handle a surprise party," she admits.

"To be fair, I'm not fond of surprises either. They usually don't mean much of anything good, no matter the intention."