paradisa | (no subject)

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martel yggdrasill

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[Martel had woken up back in her own bed after spending those few days in that strange world that reminded her of home in a strange and twisted way. She hoped that everyone who had been taken by the mirror was all right and as safe as they could be in this place.]

Did everybody come back all right from that place and remember who they are?

[And then to her friends:]

Don't worry, I'm all right. Are you all right? Did anything happen while I was trapped in the mirror?

Are you all right? We got separated from each other and I was worried about you. Not that you can't handle yourself, but... [She still worried about him.

A slight pause.] ...Did you ever find Tsuna?

[And with that, she leaves her room and goes outside with her panpipes to play them from the top of her tree.]

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[A gentle smile at him. Good. She knows Tsuna would do anything to protect him.] Then you at least still have some hope, and as long as there is hope...not all is lost. [She doubts he will notice her emphasis on him, and how there is no hope for her, really. She may become a summon spirit, but the person that she is right now would be dead.

And at that she shrugs.] I'm just...not used to people worrying over me. The only people who used to worry over me were my best friend and my fiance. And that was rather recent. [At least in her mind. She doesn't include her brother because she cannot remember him. She's been alone for quite a long time before they came along.]

[As he would do anything to protect Tsuna. Considering he doubts Ninth's orders extend to here, he can do that a little more freely.] As long as Tsuna is standing, there's hope. He can be very convincing when he wants to be. [And no he hadn't picked up on it, at least not very well. He's not Luce or Yuni, he's better at seeing where someone can improve in leadership than reading hearts.

And he narrows his eyes even more at that. Oh no, don't go giving him feelings like Luce and Yuni, or rather more than you already do Martel. Because he's totally getting that vibe.] People will worry about you even if you aren't used to it. It's better to accept it, they tend to be more persistent if you don't. [Like Luce had been with him.]

...He cares. That is what makes him convincing. he makes other people care, whether they want to or not.

[She smiles at that, a small smile that's still genuine.] I'll keep that in mind. It's nice, to be worried about. Though it's still a novelty, when they do. I'm more used to being alone or being the most wanted women in my world. [And isn't that a story.]

And that is what will make him Vongola Decimo. He cares, and those under him will care, and the world can use more like him. [He's proud of Tsuna, and to be speaking so highly of him, well, that should be obvious.

And he's happy to see that smile, even if it is a small one.] And I'm more used to being with my chameleon and doing my job as a hitman. People care for who they want too. [And he can bet it is, but he's not sure if he wants to pry or not.]

[Another, stronger smile at that.] The world can always use more people who care, no matter which it is. [Truer words have never been spoken.] ...is that his title? He's never told me. He can be quite vague when he wants to be.

Caring for someone like me can be dangerous. At least in my world. So perhaps it is a good thing we are not there. [And it is, and he can pry if he so chooses. He'll find out eventually. It's so much a part of her life than she can't tell her story without mentioning it.]

[At that he can smile some himself.] It can. [And then he nods again.] He spends so much time avoiding it, that he doesn't realize he is turning into it. Vongola Decimo, the Tenth boss of the Vongola Family.

[And then he reaches up to grab Leon before he can shuffle off to the branch he's noticed in front of him, holding him in his hand to keep him warm.] I care and tutor people involved in a world full of assassins and power grabbing with rival families. And for people cursed as I am. [It's nothing new in other words, he's used to it.] So it's good you are not in my world either.

That seems to happen with a lot of things. Just be careful when he does realize it. [That's the most dangerous part.]

[A curved, sad smile at that. She figured it was something like that. But that doesn't scare her in the slightest. She supposes she should offer something for that admission in return, though.] I'm trying to stop a thousand year old war between two countries that is quite literally killing the world. And neither countries want it to stop, even at the cost of all life. Or perhaps they just do not care.

When he does realize it, hopefully he will be the boss. [He knows man, he's not his first student.

And yes, well that's how life is, isn't it? He's not expecting something in return, but when he hears that he just tucks Leon under his suit jacket to stay warm and tugs his hat down over his eyes.] War brings money for people, even at the cost of life. Those with money tend to have influence, and why would they stop the source of their income? [He's made quite a bit of money off of warring Mafia families after all, or at least he did for a time.]

And what will they have in the end? Money? That means nothing if they are dead and the world is a barren rock. Most of them do not even remember why they are fighting anymore. I do not even know why they are fighting. The reason has faded into time. Now they just fight because they know nothing else. But I wish to see peace. I wish to see equality.

[And she never, ever will.]

Many don't look ahead that far, just to their immediate concerns. It's how war keeps happening. [And yet, hearing this, he can see why she talks to Tsuna. Why she seems to know things about him, and why Reborn likes her.] And for such things to happen, people need a leader to show them those things.[And he idly fiddles with his hat.] And even then what starts out good doesn't always end well. Wishes don't always happen, and gifts become curses. And the kind rarely see good.

[And he's back to looking at Leon whose staring at him from under his jacket.]

[She smiles, gently, sadly, and closes her eyes, feeling the cool night air on her skin.] I know. I know all these things all too well.

[Quietly:] Because I failed.

[He knows that smile, that sad smile on the face of someone that shouldn't have it. And when he hears those words he makes sure she can't see his eyes, see how familiar this is for him and that's why that hurts more to hear then it normally would. Even if he doesn't know her so well as the others, it still bothers him and gets through his carefully crafted face to hit him in the heart.

And he really hates it when people get him like that.

Because it makes him do things like shift closer to her in the tree and offer her Leon for comfort, the chameleon rather confused as he's taken out of the warm of his jacket to being handed up to Martel.

Don't judge he doesn't have any other way to comfort her and this is all sorts of awkward for him with the feelings and being in a tree thing.]

You only failed if not even one person heard what you were doing and didn't change. Change happens over time and in small ways. That's how a grand group can fall and can be reborn again in one person.

[She seems slightly surprised, before she takes him, holding him gently and running a finger down his back to pet him. It is rather soothing, in a way. She listens to him, listens to his words, and shakes her head. He didn't understand, and that is because she hadn't told him everything. Perhaps she never would.]

Reborn, you don't understand. We stopped the war. They signed a peace treaty. And yet... [She still failed. She couldn't save the tree. She had only doomed the world to 4,000 years of pain and agony under her brother.]

[Which Leon is happy for and then he turns into a green teddy bear, not an overly large one but well, it's something. It's about all he can do, both of them can do, especially at that news.

Because if she failed, and the war had ended then that meant...] Your world didn't heal. [Oh. Well then. That's, well, he's not sure what to make of that. Because that's not something he can fix with words and a chameleon, that's the type of sorrow that you live with and always will.] And what you couldn't do was save it.

I was doing it. I was healing the tree... But I was so focused on just that, on saving the world tree, on saving the world. [She hugs Leon tightly, staring forward.]

...I didn't hear the man come up behind me. [You know what happened next.]

[Of course, that's when he would have done it if he was the assassin and didn't know what she was doing. Get the target while she's busy, not paying attention. One quick, clean kill.

Or he hopes at least, if you're going to kill someone at least do it right. Be nice enough to give them that.

But he can't help how he tugs his hat down harder over his eyes, or how his free hand clenches shut to where his knuckles are white.] Because of what you are?

...yes. [He learns fast.] I am a half elf. To many, many humans, a half elf's place is in the slums, in the research labs, or in slavery. I was none of those. It did not matter that I was going to save them all, discrimination is born of fear and paranoia. I had caused too much trouble, was too radical, didn't know my place.

So a human ran me through. [It was not quick, Reborn. It was slow and painful and she bled to death beneath the dead tree.]

[She mentioned it when they were trading information back and forth, and while it hadn't seemed important then, why else would she mention it? It made sense.

And he can't help how his hand shakes this time at that. That's not a quick death, that's not what anyone deserves.] And because of that, because you had a vision and were different, they killed you.

They made you fail. [They, not her, they. He's not blaming her for this failure but the circumstances around it.]

[A sad smile.] If I had been paying attention, if I had heard him coming, I wouldn't be dead right now.

Some things take more concentration then others. [A pause.] You should have had someone watch your back. [Going to silently blame your fiance and best friend now.]

...And perhaps it was just meant to be. [Martel doesn't like to think About that, but she does. That maybe, for the world to truly heal, she had to die.]

[He slowly takes in a breath and unclenches his hand, the shaking gone.] There are many things we think are meant to be when they shouldn't be. People like you dying too young being one of them. [Because it again stings of Luce and her daughter and granddaughter and how close he's always been to them and what their curse is as an Arcobaleno.]

It's all right, Reborn. [A smile, though it's sad.] I am dead, and there's nothing I am ever going to do about it. If I hadn't died, a lot of bad things wouldn't have happened, yes, but good things wouldn't have happened either.

[She looks up at the sky, filtered through the leaves.] So in the end, it all balances out. No one, no one, should try to live beyond their death. Dead is dead and your existence will only worsen if you try to escape your death. [She knows from experience. And she has probably quite lost him by talking about this.

So she smiles instead.]

But you, Reborn, you have hope. You're not dead yet. You should try to stay that way.

[Lose him? Oh please, she'll have to try harder then this, even if it does give a certain welling up of emotions that he would rather not have. But even Tsuna manages to do that.

So instead he just looks at the sky himself through the leaves. Those words are ones he's heard before, and he's not about to argue with her like he had with Tsuna. Instead, he adjusts his hat and makes no move to get Leon back from her.]

I should, if only to not sadden my niece. [She's not really his niece but if Yuni ever showed up he'd never get her to stop calling him uncle, so it's just easier.] Her life is already to short for more sadness.

[And yet he's conveniently leaving out that if he lives, that if Tsuna's plan works, she'll live longer too hopefully. He hopes.]

[She looks down at him, and smiles sadly.] And I am sure that more people than you know will care if you die.

[Tsuna, for one. Her, for another.] But, if you're going to live for anybody... Live for yourself. Don't tie your existence to one person. Keep living because you want to see tomorrow, not because someone else wants you to.

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