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[anarchos]

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6/18, text

[zerotohiro]

[Okay look. He has his Ways of tracking people and maybe it's been ten days since the intro game and he hasn't seen the guy since then, but he's sat on a bunch of questions and mulled over a lot of information. He should really, really leave well enough alone...but if he did that he wouldn't be Hiro Hamada. So Bellamy gets a text.]

Still fighting the good fight?

[anarchos]

[Bellamy may have spent those days grappling with whether or not he wanted to actively seek out Hiro himself. Well, okay, that's a lie - he knew he wanted to, because it was Hiro, but the step towards actually doing so gave him pause. He just kept coming back to how unfair it would be and cried complained to Grell about everything.]

[Honestly, he was probably no more than a few hours of doing the same, too tired of hoping the whole 'casual run in' would actually work in real life and too impatient to at least try. So the message in his inbox is as nerve-wracking as it is welcome.]

Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing here anyway?

[zerotohiro]

Between you and me, I think the whole idea of what we're supposed to be doing here changes every time CERES pulls something new.

[So he's still here. And he doesn't seem too perturbed by Hiro messaging him out of the blue so that's nice. He pauses, staring at the CereVice for a moment to think of how to continue.] How's your arm? And how're you settling in now that you're in the colony?

[anarchos]

Normally I'd be glad they don't cling to stagnation, but I can't bring myself to give that kind of support to CERES, even backhanded.

[It's a weird line to figure out: how much is too casual, how much is too formal? Bellamy knows he's different with the people he knows and trusts, and he's far from interested in scaring this Hiro off by being too familiar.]

It's fine. Like I said, not the worst I've had. Not sure I'd call it settling when I'm not interested in putting down another set of roots.

[His world has changed dramatically like four times now, okay?? That's too many.]

[zerotohiro]

They'd probably let it go to their heads anyway. I never tell them about the things I'm mildly thankful for for that reason.

[He reads that. And rereads it. And then:] Another? ...are you one of those people who was in another world besides your own before this one, too?

text | 7/11

[flamekeeper]

[ She's supposed to be working, and this is belated, but- ]

So, I hear I was demoted to 'housemate' when you told Hiro about me.

[anarchos]

[He's absolutely sure she can imagine the two headed deer-in-headlights look on his face.]

Best friend doesn't really cover it, okay? Less of a demotion, more like the ultra bare bones.

I mean, it wasn't technically WRONG either.

[flamekeeper]

Best friend has never covered it, but we used it anyway, you know.

[anarchos]

It just felt even less fitting now? Housemate sort of came out instead, even though neither's enough.

[flamekeeper]

Not really, no.

But you know I'm just giving you a hard time.

7/13 action

[pseudonyms]

[It's not that Rise's really the type to hit the books that often. She doesn't like studying and even when she does sometimes she's not that great with her schoolwork, but for once she's in the library for something else totally unrelated. After her conversation with Rock Lee, she's decided she wants to research elements more to see if maybe she can determine which of the spirits she "belongs" to.

That would be all well and good if the book of mythology she was trying to grab wasn't at least three shelves above her head. She frowns, stretching first to no avail. She tries jumping, a little whine as she hits her elbow on a shelf on the way down. This continues for a moment before she huffs to herself, looking down the row of books before--

--oh. He'd do. She has no problem turning to face Bellamy, not exactly approaching but speaking at a normal volume. Striking up conversations with random strangers is always fine, isn't it?]

Hey! Are you busy? [Winning smile? Winning smile!]

[anarchos]

[Bellamy spends a lot of time in the library. This is not news. Next to his own apartment, it's probably his favorite place to be in this world. Books continue to be novel to him, even when he's surrounded by them.]

[If he likes to be in the mythology section, well no one's called him out on it just yet.]

[When the girl starts jumping for the book, he's not unawares. He's far enough away at this moment to avoid making a comment or even offering some help, but not far away enough to avoid conversation when it happens. Not that he's annoyed, exactly, but he does just raise an eyebrow at her initially.]

Why? [There is nothing about him that screams being overwhelmingly busy. He looks amused more than anything else, because he knows what she's going to ask, it's so very obvious, but he can't resist meeting her smile with a little teasing. He is kind of an ass, but at least it's good natured this time.] Something a little out of reach?

[pseudonyms]

[He could have at least pretended a little harder!!! But she's hardly impressed with his raised eyebrow and instead she takes his teasing with grace even if she fixes him with a mock pout.

At least he won't be grumpy about this. That's something. She can deal with people who are kind of an ass.]

It wouldn't be so out of reach if somebody were nice enough to try and help a girl out. What do you say?

[anarchos]

[But that would be giving in!! Or something. He has no idea, he just likes to be contradictory sometimes, and the mock pout he gets makes him think it was not the worst response.]

[He shifts over casually, putting himself into better view of the section she was trying to reach and grab to no avail. The fact that it's the mythology section is not lost on him, and it does make him curious too.]

If I was so inclined, which book eludes you?

[pseudonyms]

[She seems far too pleased with herself when Bellamy joins her and she takes a step back, pointing up at a book that's partially sticking out of the shelf. It's definitely old, spine cracking and blue coloring starting to fade but clearly labeled "The Elements of Creation."]

That one sounds like it might have what I'm looking for. I don't know a ton about mythology in most other worlds, but it looks basic enough to answer a few questions.

four days post the happening.

[erythristic]

[she doesn't need to ask. won't ask, actually, not when she's come back from having singed her fingertips with fire in how furiously she's tried to put her thoughts into magic instead of what's brewing inside her hatefully. panicking is one thing. that wasn't the case. but being unhappy about it, when her very scent was still there...Grell allows for that. might have beaten certain things in ViViD to pixelated pieces for it.

what Bellamy's going to do, she doesn't know, but she can focus by paying attention to him instead. so she'll find him, and wait at the doorway of whatever room he's in be it at their apartment or where he's working or hanging out. she's not picky.]

How willing are you to entertain stupid ideas right now?

[anarchos]

[He hasn't been home too much, honestly. They talked about it, about this possibility, and how it was worth it to take the chance anyway - and then it happened and she vanished. Bellamy's heart has felt like it's on the edge of bursting for four days, and nothing he does quells it. He never let up with his training, but he's largely spent the last couple days pushing himself harder than he has in months. He channels everything into just feeling angry, because that's always been the emotion he's most familiar with.]

[He's in the kitchen for once when Grell walks in, in the process of downing some moonshine. It burns his throat, but it's still not as heavy as Monty's; it's been years since he's had any, but the taste was always that strong that the one he's found here still doesn't feel strong enough.]

[He should be cautious, if only for Grell's sake. He doesn't miss the way her fingertips look, just like he's not unaware of how hard he's been pushing himself, the soreness in his muscles. He should reach out and heal her. But.]

I've done a lot of stupid shit. You'll have to be more specific.

[Translation: probably very willing.]

[erythristic]

[no healing. she wants to feel this. she wants to feel the discomfort, or else she wouldn't have turned the pain on in ViViD. who cares about getting points when the fight feels empty? especially now, when she needed the pain to remind her of how far she was going lest she cross the line.

Grell watches him with the moonshine, and she figures that's good enough of a cue to move on.]

You and I take a few of our credits and go take the edge off somewhere with decent drinks and a matching atmosphere.

[not to get blackout drunk. but if it's serious enough that Grell is suggesting drinking a noticeable amount, it says enough about how she really feels about all this.]

[anarchos]

[It occurs to him that he doesn't really think he's ever seen Grell drink much. That it comes now when they're both trying to push for something in the wake of Clarke's disappearance isn't a surprise, but it does tell him plenty about how she's handling it (as if everything else hadn't already been a clue.)]

[He finishes his glass and sets it down on the table, before shrugging his shoulders. The responsible side of him should reject the idea, but the irritated, hurting part of him kind of wants to enter that exact atmosphere and maybe even fight someone.]

Got a place in mind? Your standards are probably higher than mine.

[erythristic]

One. I wouldn't say it's high standards as much as people just don't ask questions.

[as soon as he's ready, she'll lead the way. the more time goes on, the more she wants the edges of what she feels blunted enough to get through.]

what's the point of roomies if you can't do dumb magic experiments.

[erythristic]

[all is well in their shared apartment. the tech is functional enough again, groceries were gotten a few days ago, there's the sound of a muffled explosion from Grell's room and the scent of smoke-

well, most things are well. Grell's always been flammable.]

what else are roomies for

[anarchos]

[Honestly it's not terribly unusual to hear explosions from Grell's room, so Bellamy isn't initially concerned - but Rhea whines at him, and Bellona zips off to hide in the kitchen, so he decides it's probably for the best to check on it.]

[Especially with the smoke.]

[He knocks at her door, three solid times.] Grell? Everything okay?

[erythristic]

Not exactly!

[she sounds at least cheerful about it? though she coughs before continuing - that was absolutely smoke.]

It appears I'm on fire.

[...at least she isn't panicking? part of that comes from working with fire magic, part of that is accepting her bad luck and the now ruined sleeve. her skin is okay, it's just her clothes. which is the fascinating part of this, really - it's not affecting anything living. not the intended purpose of these runes, a sort of "safe" fire, but curious all the same.]

[anarchos]

[Her tone sounds fine, but literally nothing else about this situation sounds fine. Especially the smoke and the -]

What?

[And sorry not sorry, Grell, here is Bellamy, opening the door without anymore preamble, because his concern outweighs any privacy considerations.]

[She's not panicked, but he certainly looks it once he catches sight of the fact that she really is on fire. He summons a mini swarm of ice in his hand immediately, but doesn't do anything with it yet; he just likes having it easily accessible, if she needs it. He trusts her but jesus christ she is actually on fire.]

Are you - Jesus, Grell, what are you doing? What happened -?

[erythristic]

Bellamy, touch it.

[the fire, she means. if he does, it'll feel oddly cool - the temperature of warm water, not hurting him at all.]

I think it only burns nonliving material.

[neat magic discoveries are worth not panicking over. she will sacrifice this shirt to the greater good.]