[ He's considered it before, how he could probably just use blunt impact to stun them - but Jusis is right, that the best approach is to disarm them and make the fight extremely disadvantageous. ]
I'll keep that in mind.
[ Julius is keenly aware of how fragile humans can be... and it's his hope that he won't push that fragility too hard. ]
[ there's a lot he considers tacking on, but he ultimately decides that he is ... a little too mentally and emotionally exhausted to get into the particulars of what to do if you kill people who were trying to kill you first.
instead, he is going to make an uncharacteristically friendly offer. ]
[ every place seems to have its own merits, doesn't it? but that's not a very satisfying answer. he leans back against the wall and closes his eyes. ]
Our academy is a two-story building in a small town, twenty minutes from the Imperial capital by train. There's a park in front of the train station, surrounded by shops. The lino flowers bloom there every year. Many residents consider them one of Trista's most charming features.
[ his tone does not imply he disagrees. ]
Past the park and the stores, a bridge goes over the Trista River. On the right, the head of the Imperial Fishing Club would be casting a line. The chapel is on the left. The children in Trista tend to congregate outside its gates. The path ends in three directions: the nobles' dorm on the left, the commoners' on the right, and the academy gates straight ahead.
[ he realizes he risks getting carried away and opens his eyes. trista is a place of memories, but the campus especially so. ]
That may not be the answer you were seeking, but it's the first which came to mind.
[ Jusis' words come more as a constant stream of impression than words, as if his mind had fragmented the sentence and pre-processed them for his comprehension. His thoughts linger more on the nature that is being described to him - flowers, fishing, parks. All luxuries that had become unattainable after the era of the Aragami.
He speaks a few moments after Jusis finishes, looking not at him but up at the ceiling. ]
It sounds like a place with a lot of fond memories. It sounds beautiful.
[ said quietly, but, yes, fondly. trista boasts the most prestigious academy in the empire, but the town itself is often overlooked. jusis has found both exceed his expectations. ]
... Truthfully, much of its beauty should be attributed to its people, rather than its scenery. Still, I would call it a place I enjoy.
[ bareahard is objectively beautiful, but many of the nobles who inhabit it make it difficult to recall as such. ]
[ The people. It's always the people that make hardship worth enduring. ]
I worked in many different places, so I spent only a short while in each one. What stands out the most to me was a garden built on the top floor of a building. It was perhaps the only luxury that I could have afforded.
[ Time. The true price was time. ]
My teammates would come to find me there. There were trees and flowers that bloomed according to the seasons. They're hard to come by outside.
[ right. julius did mention he liked gardening, way back on jusis' first day. it gets a small smile out of him. ]
I can certainly imagine that would be a luxury. [ a pause. he's kind of already been set on a sentimental track. ] One of my classmates enjoyed gardening. She toiled to grow flowers over the course of our first year together and eventually gifted them to the rest of our class.
[ well—that's neither here nor there, either. ]
Did you like them? Your teammates, I mean.
[ is that too out of the blue. he was just thinking about his own teammates, none of whom he particularly cared for at first. ]
[ He closes his eyes, remembering their faces and voices. It's been so long since he last saw them. ]
I do. They each have their quirks, which got on my nerves a little at the beginning. However, they were people with good hearts. That was enough for me.
[ In a world where humanity is strapped for numbers, one learns to not be picky. ]
[ Being raised in isolation had led him to treat most interactions like tasks to be completed. Yet, his team had taught him that life was much more than that. ]
Thank you too.
[ He had lost his blood family, but his friends were more than enough to make up for that. ]
Once, a friend said to me: Believe in me who believes in you. We'll get through this together.
[ giving up is the first step to defeat and all that. he's resilient, if nothing else. it would be a more difficult claim if they weren't fortunate enough to still be in contact with the rest of the coven, even if the signets are sometimes strained. ]
I would extend the same sentiment to you. It hardly needs to be said at this point, but I'll assist you in any way I'm able.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I'll keep that in mind.
[ Julius is keenly aware of how fragile humans can be... and it's his hope that he won't push that fragility too hard. ]
Thank you.
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instead, he is going to make an uncharacteristically friendly offer. ]
Would you like to talk about something else?
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Still, it would be nice to talk about something that is far less depressing. So, after a pause: ]
What do you like?
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In what way? I think I've already mentioned most of my hobbies.
[ those are things he, strictly speaking, enjoys. he would figuratively kill a man to be riding a horse right now. ]
no subject
Julius sighs, pressing a hand against his temples. ]
Sorry. I should've clarified... What kind of places? Scenery and all.
no subject
[ every place seems to have its own merits, doesn't it? but that's not a very satisfying answer. he leans back against the wall and closes his eyes. ]
Our academy is a two-story building in a small town, twenty minutes from the Imperial capital by train. There's a park in front of the train station, surrounded by shops. The lino flowers bloom there every year. Many residents consider them one of Trista's most charming features.
[ his tone does not imply he disagrees. ]
Past the park and the stores, a bridge goes over the Trista River. On the right, the head of the Imperial Fishing Club would be casting a line. The chapel is on the left. The children in Trista tend to congregate outside its gates. The path ends in three directions: the nobles' dorm on the left, the commoners' on the right, and the academy gates straight ahead.
[ he realizes he risks getting carried away and opens his eyes. trista is a place of memories, but the campus especially so. ]
That may not be the answer you were seeking, but it's the first which came to mind.
[ and some small solace to think of, besides. ]
no subject
He speaks a few moments after Jusis finishes, looking not at him but up at the ceiling. ]
It sounds like a place with a lot of fond memories. It sounds beautiful.
[ And that's enough for him. ]
no subject
[ said quietly, but, yes, fondly. trista boasts the most prestigious academy in the empire, but the town itself is often overlooked. jusis has found both exceed his expectations. ]
... Truthfully, much of its beauty should be attributed to its people, rather than its scenery. Still, I would call it a place I enjoy.
[ bareahard is objectively beautiful, but many of the nobles who inhabit it make it difficult to recall as such. ]
What about you?
no subject
I worked in many different places, so I spent only a short while in each one. What stands out the most to me was a garden built on the top floor of a building. It was perhaps the only luxury that I could have afforded.
[ Time. The true price was time. ]
My teammates would come to find me there. There were trees and flowers that bloomed according to the seasons. They're hard to come by outside.
no subject
I can certainly imagine that would be a luxury. [ a pause. he's kind of already been set on a sentimental track. ] One of my classmates enjoyed gardening. She toiled to grow flowers over the course of our first year together and eventually gifted them to the rest of our class.
[ well—that's neither here nor there, either. ]
Did you like them? Your teammates, I mean.
[ is that too out of the blue. he was just thinking about his own teammates, none of whom he particularly cared for at first. ]
no subject
I do. They each have their quirks, which got on my nerves a little at the beginning. However, they were people with good hearts. That was enough for me.
[ In a world where humanity is strapped for numbers, one learns to not be picky. ]
no subject
I could say the exact same about my own. It would seem we've both been blessed with good company.
[ here, too. it would be much harder on him to have a cellmate less approachable. he doesn't rush to say as much, but ... after a moment or two: ]
Thank you, Julius.
no subject
Thank you too.
[ He had lost his blood family, but his friends were more than enough to make up for that. ]
Once, a friend said to me: Believe in me who believes in you. We'll get through this together.
no subject
[ giving up is the first step to defeat and all that. he's resilient, if nothing else. it would be a more difficult claim if they weren't fortunate enough to still be in contact with the rest of the coven, even if the signets are sometimes strained. ]
I would extend the same sentiment to you. It hardly needs to be said at this point, but I'll assist you in any way I'm able.