[Video]

[whatwas]

[The PCD clacks and the view shakes a bit, but finally centers on Horst's happy face. He's up on a roof, with four bottles of liquor and a chair.]

Right, you bunch of nutters, I'm going to sit up here and watch you all run about.

Tyki, you want a drink? I'm up here in the sane corner of the world.

Comments

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Not a moment too soon. It's a pain in the arse to get company for the night here.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

You invited half the city over with your post, didn't you?

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Only the sane ones.

And it's just us right now, what does that tell you?

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

That you're more picky about sanity than I thought, or they were all here earlier.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Of course I'm picky. You saw my brother; I've only got room for one of him in my life at a time.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether I should be insulted or not.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[That gets a laugh]

Don't be. You're not the 'him' of the moment.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

Good enough. Though you must be fairly desperate for company if you invited me.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Harsh! Be your own best friend now, Kurotsuchi. You ought to apologize to yourself for that.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

It's just a realistic observation. I'm not social, you approach me when you want to be dissected, not to have a conversation.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

[He just shrugs] I like difficult people. Besides, you and I have been conversing since you got here and I've rather enjoyed it.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

Then you'd be one of the first. Also, you're drunk. [Points out.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Unrelated. I'm drunk because I haven't been sober since...since Merlin left, I think. By now I'm so used to it I may as well be sober.

But I've spoken to you when clean many a time, and at no point did I want to do something drastic to escape the conversation.

And I would wager you're fairly tipsy now, too, besides.

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

That's a strange reaction to have to someone leaving. [Grief, what's that?]

And... possibly, yes. [Agrees when he realizes he can't really counter that.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Isn't it? It beats my last reaction, apparently. [Horst has no desire to jump into the sun again, no, but he thinks it's funny people approve more of this slowly destructive behavior than overt suicide.]

Have you ever lost someone, Kurotsuchi?

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

The other was a lot quicker. [Doesn't really understand either reaction.]

And no, not that I've noticed.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Not that you've noticed? I suppose loss is different for-- [For shinigami? No, look at Hitsugaya and Unohana.]

Were you born a death god?

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

I'm not sentimental like the rest of you. And when I was alive I was human, though I don't remember it. I've always been a shinigami.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Don't be arrogant, of course you are. Think how annoyed [that's the word Johannes would use] you'd be if Yuca were gone.

[There's that nausea again.]

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

...I suppose I would be. If he goes back, I'll never find a way to kill him.

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Sentimental like the rest of us.

[Lots of drinking now.]

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

It's not sentimental.

[Barely picks up on Horst's increased drinking. Especially not when he's doing it himself.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

Don't lie. What is it with you devoted scientists?

[Just the faintest note of disgust and frustration.]

[law-of-reason.livejournal.com]

What are you talking about?

[A touch frustrated himself, though mostly through confusion and defensiveness.]

[ahandsomedevil.livejournal.com]

You shut off your emotions. Or you think you do; in reality you stuff your heads in the sand and pretend not to feel a bloody thing. When you do, you deny it and you grasp at these ridiculous excuses for why it's not what it is.

[He's drunk, and annoyed, and--well frankly he's not as honest about his feelings as he pretends he is, either. He's scrambling for some hard denial in the bottom of that bottle.]