[ exciting... malkuth plops down opposite of her, perking up. her three step plan is already working. ]
I'm sure I don't have to, but I want to. It's better than just sitting around all day.
[ ... and it's nostalgic to be in a classroom in its own way, even if the information isn't taught the way elijah had been. it eases the curious yearning in her chest well enough. ]
You got tired of it, huh? Day in, day out, the same thing over and over again -- so you went to the sea for a change.
[ yeah. she knows it. malkuth plays with her hands under the table, hesitating a moment before continuing. it might feel more like a story she's read a dozen times over, but it's still her history, isn't it? ]
Me too. I got tired of seeing the faces around me always looking down at black and white, when I wanted to see the colors they didn't think were important. So I ended up joining something else entirely. [ research team, wing, rising threat of the city... ] I just didn't expect it to turn out the way it did in the end.
[ there's no way elijah could have ever imagined it would. her life ended on the ground, after all, begging to be helped, to be acknowledged just once. poor girl. ]
[ she's tempted to lie, but... she's never been that type of gal. not anymore. so she shakes her head, plopping her chin on her hand. ]
Well, I hopped from one Office after another. Just trying to make ends meet.
[ and also clinging onto the hope that the pequod was still alive. and they were! just... not in the place she'd expected. ]
This is really the first time in a long while that I was able to have some time for myself without the City's faults looming over me. And I imagine it's the same thing for you.
In a way. The Library... sort of feels like its own world sometimes, since it locks everyone out. If it wasn't for the guests that came by, you'd think it was.
[ her workplace is a touchy subject by nature, so she takes it slowly. ]
Everyone's found their own hobbies in what downtime we have, and we even made a schedule for cleaning the corridors! It's weirdly normal sounding, huh? [ ... something she misses, new as this parting is. ] But this place really is different. I feel like a regular person.
[ that's... oddly domestic. the more she hears about the Library, it's looking more like malkuth and the others were just doing their jobs, and that they were possibly forced to by their mysterious boss. in other words, they're just another wing who did what they had to do for the betterment of the City.
wish it's not always that way, though. but there's nothing a civil servant like ishmael can do about it. ]
A regular person?
[ her lips are a thin line as she considers this. someone arrives to serve their respective udon bowls, and promptly leaves. ]
I don't think we'll ever be regular. At least compared to everyone here. The City... it shaped us to be like this. And it's going to be hard to untangle ourselves out of it.
[ malkuth has her own thoughts about that, but she's curious about ishmael's. the possibility to change... to untangle themselves from the City, to unlearn the lessons that were impressed to their minds since they were young. whether it be here, or there, can they? ]
malkuth smiles at that, carefully pushing her own hair back to keep it from getting into the broth as she picks up her set. time to put her lessons from kaito into practice...! ]
I think so, too. But I think anyone, anywhere can, even in that City of ours -- it's just more difficult.
[ way more difficult, without someone to lead them to the right path. she'll have to be that for netzach and yesod here.
okay let her. she's still clumsy with chopsticks but she can get it in, okay. it's not great but she can manage. ]
-- It's so good! [ and spicy!!!!! she's got no problems with it... ] I don't think I'll ever get over how flavorful stuff can be... I guess that foodie was right to be so into it. How's yours?
[ HOLD ON half-oomf she's going to make one long slurp of her curry noodles. god, curry udon is so great. twins you have got to try it once in your life it's been my favorite food for a while now i can't get enough of it ]
It's pretty good. [ nodnod. ] Very filling too. Might get another bowl of noodles for the leftover curry...
[ god blair you don't get it. i wanna try it so bad. the noodle cup curry ramen we get sometimes is good i can only imagine the real, fresh thing is divine beyond compare.
maybe malkuth will join her in curry udon though... after she finishes... ]
A coworker of mine. He's... [ ........ how............ to expl...... hm.
okay. ] Something like an unwilling volunteer? It was help out or he dies, so... he didn't really have much choice, but he's been professional as any Fixer about it. And he's pretty fun to talk to as someone who's actually been out in the City, like you -- he gets along with everyone in his own way, except for our old man, but that one's tough in general.
[ some people get along with hokma more than others... ]
Sounds like a guy's real down on his luck if he's this willing to work with you guys. I'm surprised you all didn't kill him right then and there.
[ poor guy... she really gets it, though. fixer work involves killing people, no surprise there, but having to do it pretty often can have a toll on them. ]
[ kind of like how dante is around vergilius, actually....... ]
I'll keep that in mind anyway. [ the fact that it all started with that guy too? hmmmm. ] But you should still be careful around Vergilius regardless. He doesn't fuck around.
hold on, she's gonna loudly slurp this one long noodle ]
I think most of them are scary in their own right. I'll just throw you to the wolves for that one. It's not like they're gonna kill you right away, at least while we're here.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I'm sure I don't have to, but I want to. It's better than just sitting around all day.
[ ... and it's nostalgic to be in a classroom in its own way, even if the information isn't taught the way elijah had been. it eases the curious yearning in her chest well enough. ]
What did you go for?
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[ she wrinkles her nose just thinking about it. ]
Or rather, it didn't really matter what I took. Once I graduated I immediately became a feather for a Wing. I'm sure you know the rest.
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You got tired of it, huh? Day in, day out, the same thing over and over again -- so you went to the sea for a change.
[ yeah. she knows it. malkuth plays with her hands under the table, hesitating a moment before continuing. it might feel more like a story she's read a dozen times over, but it's still her history, isn't it? ]
Me too. I got tired of seeing the faces around me always looking down at black and white, when I wanted to see the colors they didn't think were important. So I ended up joining something else entirely. [ research team, wing, rising threat of the city... ] I just didn't expect it to turn out the way it did in the end.
[ there's no way elijah could have ever imagined it would. her life ended on the ground, after all, begging to be helped, to be acknowledged just once. poor girl. ]
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huh.
is this some universal experience that every feather has? tf. ]
Yeah. That's why I quit and stumbled into becoming a sailor. But... that didn't go well either.
[ aaaaaa ]
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Nothing in the City ever goes like we think it will, huh? For a predictable cycle, it sure does have its surprises.
[ both good and bad, always brought on by desire. ]
Did you end up with anything worth your time? During it, or even just because it happened.
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Well, I hopped from one Office after another. Just trying to make ends meet.
[ and also clinging onto the hope that the pequod was still alive. and they were! just... not in the place she'd expected. ]
This is really the first time in a long while that I was able to have some time for myself without the City's faults looming over me. And I imagine it's the same thing for you.
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[ her workplace is a touchy subject by nature, so she takes it slowly. ]
Everyone's found their own hobbies in what downtime we have, and we even made a schedule for cleaning the corridors! It's weirdly normal sounding, huh? [ ... something she misses, new as this parting is. ] But this place really is different. I feel like a regular person.
[ and not. well, ishmael knows. a city citizen. ]
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wish it's not always that way, though. but there's nothing a civil servant like ishmael can do about it. ]
A regular person?
[ her lips are a thin line as she considers this. someone arrives to serve their respective udon bowls, and promptly leaves. ]
I don't think we'll ever be regular. At least compared to everyone here. The City... it shaped us to be like this. And it's going to be hard to untangle ourselves out of it.
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[ malkuth has her own thoughts about that, but she's curious about ishmael's. the possibility to change... to untangle themselves from the City, to unlearn the lessons that were impressed to their minds since they were young. whether it be here, or there, can they? ]
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I think we can. So long as we've got someone to lead us to the right path.
[ and they aren't gonna find that in their City, that's for sure. ishmael lucked out with dante, but for malkuth... well...... that's her problem now.
ishmael raises her hands up to tie her hair back into a ponytail, before picking up her chopsticks. ]
Come on, let's eat.
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malkuth smiles at that, carefully pushing her own hair back to keep it from getting into the broth as she picks up her set. time to put her lessons from kaito into practice...! ]
I think so, too. But I think anyone, anywhere can, even in that City of ours -- it's just more difficult.
[ way more difficult, without someone to lead them to the right path. she'll have to be that for netzach and yesod here.
okay let her. she's still clumsy with chopsticks but she can get it in, okay. it's not great but she can manage. ]
-- It's so good! [ and spicy!!!!! she's got no problems with it... ] I don't think I'll ever get over how flavorful stuff can be... I guess that foodie was right to be so into it. How's yours?
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[ HOLD ON half-oomf she's going to make one long slurp of her curry noodles. god, curry udon is so great. twins you have got to try it once in your life it's been my favorite food for a while now i can't get enough of it ]
It's pretty good. [ nodnod. ] Very filling too. Might get another bowl of noodles for the leftover curry...
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maybe malkuth will join her in curry udon though... after she finishes... ]
A coworker of mine. He's... [ ........ how............ to expl...... hm.
okay. ] Something like an unwilling volunteer? It was help out or he dies, so... he didn't really have much choice, but he's been professional as any Fixer about it. And he's pretty fun to talk to as someone who's actually been out in the City, like you -- he gets along with everyone in his own way, except for our old man, but that one's tough in general.
[ some people get along with hokma more than others... ]
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Sounds like a guy's real down on his luck if he's this willing to work with you guys. I'm surprised you all didn't kill him right then and there.
[ poor guy... she really gets it, though. fixer work involves killing people, no surprise there, but having to do it pretty often can have a toll on them. ]
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[ it was pretty fortunate for all of them. not that he had a choice. but still. ]
So you can blame him for everything if he ever comes by! [ ... ] That's a joke, by the way.
[ just in case she doesn't get it, ]
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[ kind of like how dante is around vergilius, actually....... ]
I'll keep that in mind anyway. [ the fact that it all started with that guy too? hmmmm. ] But you should still be careful around Vergilius regardless. He doesn't fuck around.
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Noted. [ and ignorable. ] Any other scary folk I should keep an eye out for?
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hold on, she's gonna loudly slurp this one long noodle ]
I think most of them are scary in their own right. I'll just throw you to the wolves for that one. It's not like they're gonna kill you right away, at least while we're here.