[ And so, Natalia, bedecked in floral crane pajamas is knocking on Squalo's door in exactly ten minutes. She's brought a small bag for toiletries and extra cloths, slung over her shoulder. ]
[ Squalo has a pretty fucked up sleep schedule so he's probably still in his day clothes when he opens the door. He steps aside to let her in, but there's a little tense grin on his face that suggests that he's not done with the topic yet. ]
So, you'd rather spend the night with the guy who shanked you than any of your actual friends? Oh, this'll be good.
[ Clearly something's up, and he's very interested in what exactly, though he's not going to push for it too hard. People had secrets, so did he. ]
[ He flashes a grin and shuts the door, making his way back to his bed, not much other sitting room aside from that and the couch that Natalia has occupied. Now that he's able to walk on his two feet again, it's like he was never injured; that certain grace of a predator is back in his movements. ]
Isn't that a good thing?
[ From what little he knows, he'd expect her to want to be there. ]
[ She kicks off her flats and scooches more fully onto the sofa, looking around for said giant cat so that she can pet it and not have to look at Squalo. ]
I don't think you've met, but have you seen Aiden?
[ and the cat emerges! it's less of a cat and more of a fluff hellbeast, really, but Squalo gives it a fond look as it jumps on the free end of the sofa and stares Natalia down in that particular cat way. ]
[ Squalo may not have spoken to said man, but he's been around a long time and the hotel wasn't that big, he knows pretty much all the guests in passing at least. ]
Not today. Why?
lmao I just had a good chuckle at that image & had to show Mr Zebra xD
[ Natalia finds herself temporarily distracted by the majestic feline, lips slightly parting. Liho used to be a stray who worked herself up to approaching Nat, but still she uses slow movements to extend her hand partly towards it, offering knuckles at a safe distance. ]
But you're aware of how much he resembles Bucky. [ More statement than inquiry. ] I just needed time to myself. And not time looking at one man and seeing another.
[ probably a wise idea. Xerxes looks suspicious at first, but as she doesnt move he does inch a little forward to sniff her hand. hello. ]
Now that you mention it. [ Squalo hadn't thought too much of it though. After all, there were Kirks who looked absolutely identical to each other. ] But they have been here at the same time before.
[ Something had to have changed, but he won't press if this is as much as she wants to talk about it. ]
[ She won't move until given permission, and even then, she keeps the first few pets deliberately slow, showing her hand with each return so as to keep her intentions known. ]
I know. But there was the hair that helped set them apart. The hair, the voices, the metal arm, obviously, it's just jarring right now. I had gotten used to them one way, and then Bucky died, and now he's back and looking like Aiden's fucking twin.
[ Does Squalo know she's sleeping with both of them? It's nothing that's been discussed, there never being a reason, really. ]
[ the cat arches its back, then curls up on one side of the couch. Natalia will be allowed to continue petting, for now. ]
He came back different than before? [ Okay, that does sound rather confusing. Not that Squalo imagines he'd be upset about having two of Xanxus around. They'd probably kill each other, to be fair, but still. It'd be hot. Ahem. ] And I thought this place couldn't get any weirder.
[ She idly gives Xerxes attention, casting a sharp glance at Squalo. ] That hasn't happened? Anyone who has returned, they returned looking like they did before?
Not that I know of. [ He raises his eyebrows slightly, not sure how to take that glance. ] I mean, Hector came back as a magic skeleton, but I don't think that counts.
[ because it's some bullshit. and hey, maybe his skeleton always looked like this before his flesh got stripped off, he wouldn't know. ]
[ Natalia isn't quite sure herself what to make of it and she exhales heavily for it. ]
If another version of you showed up while Dodger was around, where would you stand on the two of them sleeping together? While Dodger was also having sex with you?
[ Ah, there we go. Squalo's cool exterior cracks for a moment, his eyes widening in surprise and darting to her face, searching. ]
How did you --
[ --aaaand it's gone. He scowls a little, cutting himself off. She was some sort of a spy, right? Of course she would know things that nobody was really trying to hide. ]
[ More importantly, this brings up a whole tidal wave of feelings he had thought he'd buried since the man disappeared from Hell. Good and bad. He misses him, he can still feel the unnatural heat coming off his skin, feel his punches, smell the godawful mix of embers and gasoline. And there's also anger, because every time they almost got close to each other, one of them would inevitably fuck it up, and in the end, Squalo was not willing to give up any part of who he was just so he could be content with the situation. ]
[ His expression finally shifts into a sarcastic grin, more like a bare of teeth. ]
Considering he was fucking half of Hell anyway, I don't see how that would be any different.
[ He might be bluffing. When he saw a shapeshifting demon being all over Xanxus in his form though, he'd slayed it without a second thought. But Xanxus had always held a place in his heart different from anybody else. ]
[ And anyway, he'd fuck his own different version if it showed up, because who better? ]
I did dump him for it in the end, so I guess that answers that.
[ Not entirely how that happened, and even then it was not the end of their weird relationship at all, but he doesn't feel like going into detail. ]
[ She makes a noise that's partial snort, partial soft bark, this being not the first time Squalo referred to Dodger's insatiable desire. ]
He had a way, didn't he? James wanted me to look after him, but he didn't properly prepare me for that damn charm.
[ Natalia hadn't been on the receiving end of his shittiness, apparently, and the only physical violence that occurred between them was consensual and in the form of sparring. And that one time they slept together, but it was minor and nothing alarming.
She brings up her knees as if they'll act like a buffer. ]
The random things this place makes us does can't be helped, and so I don't place blame for those instances. They're not slip-ups if you're not yourself or if you're forced to engage. Sharing just isn't something I'm used to back home. After the fact, sure. I was with Barton, then Morse was with him. But it wasn't at the same time. Or with one of our alternates from another Earth or timeline.
[ A beat, and then -- ]
I won't pretend that I haven't spied on either of you, but it wasn't just that. There were little things, too. Your tone, your body language. [ Talia is speaking plainly, though softly, not quite apologizing but showing she's fully aware of her actions being a violation of privacy. ] I was an assassin; that means learning to read people.
[ Squalo had, at points, but it only made him like the man more, for the most part. It wasn't healthy, probably, but he had always been that way. Punches and burns and cuts, always expressing feelings better than anything tender. ]
I guess. [ The walls are going up again. He hates how that guy ended up wrapping him around his finger -- whether intentionally or not, all while he was trying to do the same. He should have forgotten him by now, and yet here he was. ] He didn't need to be looked after, anyway.
[ Not in a way anyone but him could have, or so he thinks. ]
[ He listens to the rest, not particularly sympathizing, but noting it all the same. It's a bit ironic, that fondness they seem to share for monogamy. Assassins were selling their morals and their bodies for a living, if in a different way for the most part. It makes no sense to get caught up in something like this. ]
[ And yet. ]
[ At least she's wiser about it than Xanxus was. He had held every instance of Hell playing with Squalo's inhibitions against him. They never got the chance to sort it out before he disappeared, too, and that makes his heart ache in a whole new way. ]
[ It's fine. He'd never let himself break apart like this again. ]
I thought it was something like that. [ In regards to her confirming she was an assassin. So was he, but he dealt more with hitting hard and fast than infiltration or subterfuge; he could recognize dangerous situations quickly but he didn't always read people like an open book, as she seemed to be able to. ] We gotta hold onto some reservations, no?
[ Recognizing Squalo as one of her own, Natalia (possibly temporarily) steers the conversation into something that's somehow easier to discuss, those legs lowering once more into a crisscross pretzel formation. ]
What's your story, Squalo? Did they grab you or did you choose the profession?
[ This Natalia/Bucky/Natasha situation, she'll sort it out. Eventually. The least troublesome course of action would involve her ending the romantic side of their relationship, but if it were so simple, Talia would have done so by now.
[ This may be an easier topic for Natalia, but it's not really Squalo's favorite either. He hates that questions like this always seem to come with some sort of pity layer under the surface, something he does not need nor want. ]
[ He'll just have to make it perfectly clear, then. He gives a half-grin. ]
No sad story, I'm afraid. I always enjoyed fighting. It just... evolved.
[ He got scouted for the job, yes, but that was because he had already made a name for himself by slaughtering multiple swordsmen in his quest for power and the ultimate technique. And he'd done that on his own accord. ]
[ It's not a belief she actually gets behind, a matter of 'just because you can, should you'. Old Widow may have followed such a philosophy, but Natalia's been trying to right the wrongs she caused all those years ago. Or, that is, was until being kidnapped for this experiment. ]
The way I found balance was to take back ownership of the things I could, make shit my own. Like the memory the Soviets implanted of me being a ballerina; I made that a reality. And I used it to my advantage for jobs. This branding. (sits up and lifts the top of her pajamas just high enough to show the word 'гнев' that Nathan Drake was forced to carve). Wasn't my choice, but the language could be.
[ Lots of people didn't like hurting others. Squalo didn't mind it. Even enjoyed it, sometimes. Of course, his family and friends were an exception. Everyone else? Fair game, for what it's worth. ]
You became a dancer out of spite? [ He looks seriously amused. ] That's some dedication.
[ For the rest, he makes a slight face. He sort of wishes he had thought of this when it came to Hell's punishments. With how long he had been here, it may not have been feasible either way though. His upper body was basically a map of "murder" at this point. ]
It's strange, but it was similar to muscle memory. Like my body already knew what to do, because in my mind, that was what I was doing, except in reality, I was brainwashed and killing someone. Not realizing it until after being deactivated and seeing the blood or brain matter or whatever.
[ Natalia lays her head back against the sofa and stares up at the room's ceiling. ]
Are you planning on staying here or getting redeemed? Assuming that part wasn't a lie and that the experiment is one without an end date.
[ He frowns slightly as he listens. Does that mean that she did not take lives of her own free will? Or perhaps it only started this way? ]
[ The question snaps him back to reality, but he considers for a few moments before speaking. ]
Neither. I plan to find a way to get out of here, but I'm not going to betray everything I am to do so.
[ He's a creature of darkness, he can not live within the light, blah blah. Or something like that. He does not regret what he did, for the most part, and that kind of puts a hamper in most redemption efforts. ]
And if this really is Hell... I expect my family to show up sooner or later. [ Family or family? Yes. ] Might as well stay, then. Carve a piece of Hell out for ourselves.
[ Maybe even take over Lucifer's domain. He seems to have a penchant for getting kidnapped. ]
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He's a little bigger than normal cats.
[ but hey, maybe he won't try to eat his new little friend? maybe. probably. perhaps. ]
It's up to you.
⇉ action;
[ And so, Natalia, bedecked in floral crane pajamas is knocking on Squalo's door in exactly ten minutes. She's brought a small bag for toiletries and extra cloths, slung over her shoulder. ]
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So, you'd rather spend the night with the guy who shanked you than any of your actual friends? Oh, this'll be good.
[ Clearly something's up, and he's very interested in what exactly, though he's not going to push for it too hard. People had secrets, so did he. ]
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[ In the very least, she thinks of them as more than acquaintances, given their connection to Dodger and now the whole bonding after murder thing. ]
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You must have an interesting definition of friendship.
[ well, he also did not deny it outright. congratulations, few have gotten to this point. ]
Wanna tell me what chased you out of your own room?
[ as usual, "no" is a valid answer to him, but an attempt was made. ]
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[ But best believe, she'll be buying him a December gift.
Natalia perches on the sofa's edge, elbows on knees and hands freely hanging. ]
Bucky's back. He was the only one who Lucifer hadn't resurrected.
[ Squalo's opened the door and she's yet to shut it. ]
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[ He flashes a grin and shuts the door, making his way back to his bed, not much other sitting room aside from that and the couch that Natalia has occupied. Now that he's able to walk on his two feet again, it's like he was never injured; that certain grace of a predator is back in his movements. ]
Isn't that a good thing?
[ From what little he knows, he'd expect her to want to be there. ]
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I don't think you've met, but have you seen Aiden?
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[ Squalo may not have spoken to said man, but he's been around a long time and the hotel wasn't that big, he knows pretty much all the guests in passing at least. ]
Not today. Why?
lmao I just had a good chuckle at that image & had to show Mr Zebra xD
But you're aware of how much he resembles Bucky. [ More statement than inquiry. ] I just needed time to myself. And not time looking at one man and seeing another.
good c:
Now that you mention it. [ Squalo hadn't thought too much of it though. After all, there were Kirks who looked absolutely identical to each other. ] But they have been here at the same time before.
[ Something had to have changed, but he won't press if this is as much as she wants to talk about it. ]
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I know. But there was the hair that helped set them apart. The hair, the voices, the metal arm, obviously, it's just jarring right now. I had gotten used to them one way, and then Bucky died, and now he's back and looking like Aiden's fucking twin.
[ Does Squalo know she's sleeping with both of them? It's nothing that's been discussed, there never being a reason, really. ]
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He came back different than before? [ Okay, that does sound rather confusing. Not that Squalo imagines he'd be upset about having two of Xanxus around. They'd probably kill each other, to be fair, but still. It'd be hot. Ahem. ] And I thought this place couldn't get any weirder.
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[ because it's some bullshit. and hey, maybe his skeleton always looked like this before his flesh got stripped off, he wouldn't know. ]
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If another version of you showed up while Dodger was around, where would you stand on the two of them sleeping together? While Dodger was also having sex with you?
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How did you --
[ --aaaand it's gone. He scowls a little, cutting himself off. She was some sort of a spy, right? Of course she would know things that nobody was really trying to hide. ]
[ More importantly, this brings up a whole tidal wave of feelings he had thought he'd buried since the man disappeared from Hell. Good and bad. He misses him, he can still feel the unnatural heat coming off his skin, feel his punches, smell the godawful mix of embers and gasoline. And there's also anger, because every time they almost got close to each other, one of them would inevitably fuck it up, and in the end, Squalo was not willing to give up any part of who he was just so he could be content with the situation. ]
[ His expression finally shifts into a sarcastic grin, more like a bare of teeth. ]
Considering he was fucking half of Hell anyway, I don't see how that would be any different.
[ He might be bluffing. When he saw a shapeshifting demon being all over Xanxus in his form though, he'd slayed it without a second thought. But Xanxus had always held a place in his heart different from anybody else. ]
[ And anyway, he'd fuck his own different version if it showed up, because who better? ]
I did dump him for it in the end, so I guess that answers that.
[ Not entirely how that happened, and even then it was not the end of their weird relationship at all, but he doesn't feel like going into detail. ]
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He had a way, didn't he? James wanted me to look after him, but he didn't properly prepare me for that damn charm.
[ Natalia hadn't been on the receiving end of his shittiness, apparently, and the only physical violence that occurred between them was consensual and in the form of sparring. And that one time they slept together, but it was minor and nothing alarming.
She brings up her knees as if they'll act like a buffer. ]
The random things this place makes us does can't be helped, and so I don't place blame for those instances. They're not slip-ups if you're not yourself or if you're forced to engage. Sharing just isn't something I'm used to back home. After the fact, sure. I was with Barton, then Morse was with him. But it wasn't at the same time. Or with one of our alternates from another Earth or timeline.
[ A beat, and then -- ]
I won't pretend that I haven't spied on either of you, but it wasn't just that. There were little things, too. Your tone, your body language. [ Talia is speaking plainly, though softly, not quite apologizing but showing she's fully aware of her actions being a violation of privacy. ] I was an assassin; that means learning to read people.
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I guess. [ The walls are going up again. He hates how that guy ended up wrapping him around his finger -- whether intentionally or not, all while he was trying to do the same. He should have forgotten him by now, and yet here he was. ] He didn't need to be looked after, anyway.
[ Not in a way anyone but him could have, or so he thinks. ]
[ He listens to the rest, not particularly sympathizing, but noting it all the same. It's a bit ironic, that fondness they seem to share for monogamy. Assassins were selling their morals and their bodies for a living, if in a different way for the most part. It makes no sense to get caught up in something like this. ]
[ And yet. ]
[ At least she's wiser about it than Xanxus was. He had held every instance of Hell playing with Squalo's inhibitions against him. They never got the chance to sort it out before he disappeared, too, and that makes his heart ache in a whole new way. ]
[ It's fine. He'd never let himself break apart like this again. ]
I thought it was something like that. [ In regards to her confirming she was an assassin. So was he, but he dealt more with hitting hard and fast than infiltration or subterfuge; he could recognize dangerous situations quickly but he didn't always read people like an open book, as she seemed to be able to. ] We gotta hold onto some reservations, no?
[ That was one of the few ways to stay human. ]
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What's your story, Squalo? Did they grab you or did you choose the profession?
[ This Natalia/Bucky/Natasha situation, she'll sort it out. Eventually. The least troublesome course of action would involve her ending the romantic side of their relationship, but if it were so simple, Talia would have done so by now.
It makes no sense at all, Squalo. And yet. ]
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[ This may be an easier topic for Natalia, but it's not really Squalo's favorite either. He hates that questions like this always seem to come with some sort of pity layer under the surface, something he does not need nor want. ]
[ He'll just have to make it perfectly clear, then. He gives a half-grin. ]
No sad story, I'm afraid. I always enjoyed fighting. It just... evolved.
[ He got scouted for the job, yes, but that was because he had already made a name for himself by slaughtering multiple swordsmen in his quest for power and the ultimate technique. And he'd done that on his own accord. ]
[ Nobody controlled his fate but him. ]
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[ It's not a belief she actually gets behind, a matter of 'just because you can, should you'. Old Widow may have followed such a philosophy, but Natalia's been trying to right the wrongs she caused all those years ago. Or, that is, was until being kidnapped for this experiment. ]
The way I found balance was to take back ownership of the things I could, make shit my own. Like the memory the Soviets implanted of me being a ballerina; I made that a reality. And I used it to my advantage for jobs. This branding. (sits up and lifts the top of her pajamas just high enough to show the word 'гнев' that Nathan Drake was forced to carve). Wasn't my choice, but the language could be.
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[ Lots of people didn't like hurting others. Squalo didn't mind it. Even enjoyed it, sometimes. Of course, his family and friends were an exception. Everyone else? Fair game, for what it's worth. ]
You became a dancer out of spite? [ He looks seriously amused. ] That's some dedication.
[ For the rest, he makes a slight face. He sort of wishes he had thought of this when it came to Hell's punishments. With how long he had been here, it may not have been feasible either way though. His upper body was basically a map of "murder" at this point. ]
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[ Natalia lays her head back against the sofa and stares up at the room's ceiling. ]
Are you planning on staying here or getting redeemed? Assuming that part wasn't a lie and that the experiment is one without an end date.
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[ The question snaps him back to reality, but he considers for a few moments before speaking. ]
Neither. I plan to find a way to get out of here, but I'm not going to betray everything I am to do so.
[ He's a creature of darkness, he can not live within the light, blah blah. Or something like that. He does not regret what he did, for the most part, and that kind of puts a hamper in most redemption efforts. ]
And if this really is Hell... I expect my family to show up sooner or later. [ Family or family? Yes. ] Might as well stay, then. Carve a piece of Hell out for ourselves.
[ Maybe even take over Lucifer's domain. He seems to have a penchant for getting kidnapped. ]
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