abnormalizes | Seasons: IC Contact/Continuations

To be fair to them, the battering and bruising only included my father's hand when they were actually home.
They spent the majority of the year in Japan, only coming home in the winter... and there were a few years in which they didn't give me that, either.

But the tutors they hired... weren't pleasant. The house staff could do nothing for it, either.

[He holds his hands up, now, splaying his fingers out to look at the backs of them.]

I'd spent many days while I was younger with reddened knuckles as said tutors attempted to rid me of the accent I'd picked up from them.
As you can tell, they managed it with flying colors. I speak as though I should be on the evening news, presenting the latest murder charges with such enunciation, even a kindergartner could follow along.

[... And now those hands are balled into tight, white-knuckled fists, bringing them up to his chest as he looks at Evangeline, herself.]

Even in the hospital. Even there. Do you know how maddening it is having a ghoul stand in the corner, listening to you speak to the doctors and explain what's wrong, knowing that they have something behind their back with which to swat your knuckles if you pronounce anything with too long of a drawl?
A drawl that they gave to me?

I hope they all died miserably in a fire.

[Evangeline listens. It takes a moment to process what she's hearing.]

-An accent. They hurt you for an accent?

[There wouldn't be any good reason to hurt a child, but she could understand alcohol, or curbing disobedience, or - something that made sense from awful people.]

I'm going to rip their throats out.

An accent that they gave me!

[He's smiling now, but it's not... a good smile... it's pulled up, ear-to-ear, all sharp teeth and twitchy corners, clearly filled with fury.]

For the record, this sort of tutor is the norm where I come from - the others can't get away with simply smacking their charges with rulers and the like, of course, but I have seen them pay off students to harass those who spoke like Jean does.
I imagine he only retained his due to being pulled out of school at an early age; otherwise, he'd sound more as if he was from a neighboring state, instead!

...

And no, in case you ask, you do not get to hear my accent.

I'm not going to ask you to use an accent you were physically abused out of??

[Horrified he would even suggest that she'd ask.]

Well - alright, yes, when you say it like that, it certainly sounds unreasonable, but... I-
I don't know, I thought you might, as... something you would want to know about me.

You seem very keen on knowing as much of me as you can, after all.

Not if it's something that causes you pain, Louis. I do want to know you, but I never, ever want to hurt you in pursuit of knowing you.

[...Actually, it's high time she wrap him up in a hug.]

[The hug comes, and it squishes his arms between them, considering he still had them lifted and held against his chest... but despite that, he still leans against her shoulder without hesitation, taking in a deep breath -
Holding it -
And slowly letting it back out again as a weary sigh.]

... I know you don't. But frankly, I never know what might hurt me until I've already spoken or acted.
If I didn't find my accent dreadfully embarrassing, I would have said yes without question.

Well... I'll just do my best then. And I accidentally hurt you, please tell me right away, and I'll do everything I can to make up for it.

G ol agapô.

[More direct than before.]

Edited 2025-11-05 01:15 (UTC)

...

Sa, gi.

[It's not a direct "I love you, too". It's more just "you, too". But it's used often enough to mean "I feel the same", among Grim Reapers, that he knows what he's doing replying with that.
And he knows that she won't.]

I'll do my best to remain vigilant for that sort of thing. But there may be times I don't realize until much later... and -
I feel you should know that... even if you do hurt me, if it's purely by accident, I will forgive you no matter what.

...

At this point, I'd likely forgive you doing things on purpose, really. You have me quite tightly wrapped around your finger, Ol Siaion.

[She doesn't know, but she's saving that for later.]

I can't imagine myself ever doing anything like that on purpose. Your friendship is a rare and precious thing that I never want to abuse.

I know. I know you never would. It... was merely an extreme example - illustrative, purely to show that my devotion runs deeply for you.
That's all.

... I'm not sure what makes my friendship rare, though. Precious, I could perhaps formulate some sort of bullshit arguement - but rare?

Rare in two different senses. It's rare because you don't allow many people to be your friend and to have that blanket forgiveness, and it's rare because you're my only friend who writes me poetry and wants to have my blood tattooed on them.

[A gentle squeeze.]

[Leaning into that squeeve even more... he's just putting his weight on her outright, at this point.
Which isn't saying much. There are gourds out there that weigh more than he does.
But still.]

... In me, thank you. A tattoo goes beneath the skin, it doesn't merely reside on top of it.

Edited 2025-11-05 01:27 (UTC)

[She will gladly support him from now until forever.]

In you, right. Which only further supports my point.

Most would call that obsessed and unhealthy, you realize. And would consider me something of a stalker, in fact.

You don't, like, have cameras set up or go through my trash or anything?

[She's 100% sure Chipp would have told her about cameras in her house.]

So I don't know how you could count as a stalker.

Those aren't the only things that make someone a stalker...? In Hollywood, perhaps.

What else is there?

Following your social media profiles, going through your pictures several years back?
Collecting remnants of you from wherever you go, to keep for their own purposes?
Following you while you're out and about, merely because they saw you, but keeping several step backs so as not to be seen?
Recording every single phone conversation to be played back whenever they wish?
Bothering friends and family so that they know your schedule without having to ask you, directly?
Going into your place of work when you're off the clock merely to see what your day is like?
Looking you up over the internet to have a record of your adresses, including the home you were raised within?
Tapping your phone lines so that they may listen into your conversations for their own sick curiosity?
Peering through your blinds in the darkness of night so that they may watch you go about your nightly routines?
Planting a bug in your car or your purse so they know exactly where you are at all times?

[...]

I have only done the picture one, for the record, and that was simply to get an idea of your taste in fashion.

You didn't even need to do that much, I would've sent you a bunch of selfies if you'd asked.

Perhaps, but I enjoy doing my own research. Orange core, remember.
That, and what if I wish to surprise you with something? I can't very well surprise you if I ask you for material, can I?

That's true, research is fun.

Okay. So you're definitely not a stalker and it's silly to think that you might be.

Yet you aren't arguing unhealthy and obsessed.

I mean. I honestly don't know what healthy friendships are supposed to look like. But you make me feel special and valuable, and I remind you that your feelings matter, so that's probably healthy, right?

no subject

no subject

... this is real for the area ftr, im not making this up for drama,

hissss

hissing well deserved

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2;

2/2;

no subject

love that she's not questioning why he can think of all of those w/o any issues

"that seems like something he would know about, sure"

yknow what. she's not even wrong with that assumption, he watches enough true crime documentaries

no subject