woofus

[bisouled]

Comments

[soulus]

I don't remember . . . It's not important.

[bisouled]

Must have been a long time, then. You should give it a try. The water here's really warm - it's relaxing. I think you deserve a little break.

[ she crosses her arms. ]

If it wasn't for that electric shock bit, I'd push you in myself, so consider yourself lucky I'm being polite.

[soulus]

I will take a break once the competition is over.

[bisouled]

Yeah, right. How gullible do you think I am?

[ he's just going to go back to his MurderQuest and she knows it... ]

[soulus]

. . . Once I kill him . . . I will have time.

[bisouled]

[ hmm. that gives her pause for a moment. idly, she scuffs a heel against the planks. ]

If you don't enjoy yourself while you can, you might never get the chance. Life has a funny way of ruining your plans. [ though her tone is still light, there's a strange gravity to her words, only made more obvious by the brittle sense of regret he'll feel from her. ] ... Especially in a place like this, right?

[soulus]

[She can say it. In fact, he will say it for her as he files the regret away.]

That's true. Either of us may die in the coming weeks.

[bisouled]

Exactly. And while you're here, you can't exactly work on reaching your goal.

[ a nod. ]

There's things I have to do, too, you know. Things that can't wait at all. But right now, all we can do is wait. So... I say we make the most of it.

[soulus]

. . . Is swimming fun for you?

[bisouled]

Sure! You saw my hometown - we're right on top of a big lake.

[ swimming is a regular thing, especially to get out to some of the islands or do repairs. ]

Oh. Have you not done it before, maybe?

[soulus]

I know how to swim . . . but I've never thought of it as entertainment.

[bisouled]

[ good, because it would be really hard for her to teach him without electrocuting him. ]

Really? It's not any different from running around or climbing things, really. I bet even you did that stuff when you were a kid.

[ 700 years ago or whenever ]

[soulus]

When I was a child . . .

[Things had felt much different back then. In his early years, everything had felt perfect in spite of all the hardship.]

. . . That was a long time ago.

[bisouled]

Must have been! Your profile said you're something like 800 years old?

[ grandpa. ]

I've been meaning to ask you about that, actually. I'm guessing you're not Homs? [ a beat. ] Um, human.

[soulus]

[He's older than that.]

No. I am a Haros.

[bisouled]

[ she's just going off her memory! ]

A Haros?

[ tilting her head curiously! tell her more. ]

[soulus]

. . . Haros are the demons of the Underworld. Unlike mortals, we possess longevity.

[bisouled]

A demon, huh?

[ Fiora eyes him curiously. That explains the ears... maybe? It at least explains the lifespan. She is, perhaps, not as perturbed by this revelation as she should be. ]

By that metric, I suppose you're actually a really nice guy?

[soulus]

What do you mean?

[bisouled]

Demons are supposed to be nasty monsters that love to hurt people. At least, that's how the stories go where I'm from.

[ a smile. ]

But you're just a grumpy guy, and the worst you've ever done is pat me on the head.

[soulus]

The Haros' purpose is supervision—not destruction.

[bisouled]

Supervision? [ a pause. the Bionis doesn't have many analogues with Earth, so it's taking her a moment to put things together. ] Of the Underworld... Don't tell me you're talking about ghosts, or something like that?

[soulus]

I'm talking about the souls of the deceased.

[bisouled]

Oh.

[ no wonder he wasn't surprised when she told him what had happened to her. Fiora's wondering more at the fact that she can just accept such a bizarre statement head-on -- this place has really given her high standards for weirdness. There's a note of concern as she continues. ]

... Rufus, you're not dead, are you?

[soulus]

[It's a reasonable assumption for someone who's never heard of the Underworld, so he answers simply:]

No.