kirito | the black swordsman (littlebraveone) wrote in elsewhere_rpg, @ 2017-12-07 22:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | attack on titan: captain levi, fullmetal alchemist: roy mustang, red vs blue: north, sword art online: kirito, tags for admin: year 01 |
Who: Kirito, Levi, North & General Mustang
What: A meeting of the one-named and the general.
When: December 8th, Early evening.
Where: The Elric/Spartan House
Rating: PG-13
Status: Log - Complete
Levi had been in this place for almost three weeks now. Thankfully, he’d found a place for Arturo to stay-- the boy, Alphonse (and his brother, the kid who’d almost been eaten by a titan, Ed) had made a barn and a paddock out back of their house. So Arturo stayed there, and they even fed him. They hadn’t asked for money yet, but Levi was sure it was coming. He dropped by the house once a day to visit with the animal, but he never knocked, or went inside.. He just went around back to groom the animal and spend time with it, before he ultimately left. Where he went after that? Lord only knew. But he’d apparently found somewhere to bathe, and something to eat, which was all that mattered. He was surviving. It was likely Kirito had glimpsed him outside his second-story window at some point, and sometimes Levi would speak briefly with North, or even Ed or Alphonse, but he never stuck around for very long. Then the General had decided that a few of them needed to meet up, so Levi had turned up at the designated spot, at the edge of town, and was quietly waiting, arms crossed beneath his green cloak, the large boxes hanging at his sides, and looking rather unimpressed with the world around him. Was it surprising that no one attempted to come near him? It shouldn’t have been. He was only (a little under) five-three, but the look in his eyes was enough to scare just about anyone off. Edward had taken to calling him ‘Dead Eyes’, and it was painfully appropriate. As he saw the group headed towards him, though, he uncrossed his arms and turned to face them fully. He didn’t straighten, or try to appear taller. He wasn’t hung up on height, there was no need to be. It just so happened Humanity’s Strongest was also one of humanity’s shortest.. *** North towered over all of them. He had more than a foot of height on both Levi and Kirito (who was also taller than Levi by a few inches). He had more than a hundred pounds of muscle on all of them them, too. In fact, Kirito was a slim 130 whereas North weighed in over 300--double that of even Mustang. He could break the lean, lanky kids in half without trying. Fortunately North knew just how gentle to be around civilians so that no one got hurt on accident. He was walking behind both the new kid and General Mustang. For once, North was the odd one out. The other three were dark haired and broody eyed. North, the token platinum blonde, wasn't quite as smiley as York but still looked less like he was about to stare your heart out of your chest by force alone. The dark haired brood said otherwise. North was alert, his gaze sweeping left and right at intervals, keeping their peripheral under lockdown as the resident caretaker. The eyes of the group made sure the group could move smoothly from one place to the next without trouble. Mustang had been out in search of the dark haired kid, who he'd found with North. Somehow the giant sniper had been included in their plans to meet with Levi. That was why he was following behind now. By nature, both Mustang and North had moved Kirito into the center, the Flame Alchemist leading the way. He hadn't met Levi face to face since the night the young man had attacked him. What he was expecting to face wasn't what he actually found. It was disturbing. Roy regarded the man with dark eyes. He wanted to burn his lungs out of his chest. Roy stuck his hands in his pockets instead, looking perfectly at ease. If there was an academy for best actor awards, Roy would win. Well, he and Grey. The young kid trapped between Roy and North casually stepped to the side, that little escort had been weird… “Hey,” he said. Then he stopped. Levi was Japanese like him. Kirito bowed, not quite so severely as he had with Lucretia Prewett who was many years his elder, but with enough respect because Levi was older. “Konnichiwa,” he said, “Levi-san.” North and Roy turned to look at him. *** Kirito had some height on him, but Levi had a solid fifteen pounds on the boy. Much like Mustang, what he hit beneath his clothes was very unexpected. And much like Mustang, every inch of him was covered by fabric, save his hands and his face. The straps that criss-crossed over his thighs and disappeared into his boots were tight and looked uncomfortable. There were more under his cloak. The boxes that hung at his sides seemed awkward and heavy. He didn’t particularly look like he belonged on the ground-- and he had no weapons that could be seen. It looked like there might have been slits of metal inside the vertical slots in the box (eight little vertical slots in each box), but they had no hilts. It was the strangest looking contraption. And as the group approached, those blue eyes lifted to North-- somehow, he looked less dead inside when his attention was on the tallest of the group, which was strange because his expression never changed. As his eyes moved to Mustang, though, any bit of life was gone, like a man walking to the gallows, just waiting patiently for his turn to swing. And as the group came to a stop, he eventually focused on the boy in the middle, and he took on a slightly surprised look. The boy was.. Bowing? Levi’s lip curled up slightly in displeasure. In his world, you only bowed to the rich and powerful. He was neither. Just a soldier. Then he spoke. The words didn’t make any sense. Still, he couldn’t help himself. “You look like me.” Was it strange, that he found that so unusual? He’d never seen someone aside from Mikasa (who was related), who looked like him. Asians as they were called, were incredibly rare. They were nearly extinct now, with just two being left-- and both of them only half asian. The only two people in all of humanity with black hair. But here was this boy, and he had Levi’s eye shape. And his nose. And his hair. His skin color-- though Kirito was a bit darker from his time spent outside. The slight surprise was wiped away a second later, though, and replaced again by some look of disinterest. “Who are you?” This must have been Kirito. The two swords on his back were instantly noted. He was just a kid, not more than sixteen, surely. Eren’s age. Mikasa and Armin’s age. Less than half of Levi’s age. “Tch.” The disapproving clicking noise escaped him before he could catch it. *** Well, that was rude. Kirito stood his full height again--a paltry 5’6”, which put him between Mustang and Levi--but said nothing. Being Japanese, he was perfectly polite--though the two impulses warred inside him. Kazuto Kirigaya was the filial son who behaved as a Japanese should. Kirito, however, was an illusion who lived inside the boundaries of a game. Who the hell the physical body of that person with the brain of the real Kazuto was supposed to be in company was entirely lost on him. So he didn’t say anything about Levi’s lack of manners (not that he would, he wasn’t the older one between them anyway) and awkwardly rubbed at his head instead. “Yeah, Japanese, we all look the same,” A joke. He’d heard that from some Americans online awhile ago, though he’d gathered it was meant to be an insult at the time. Kirito looked Levi over with mild curiosity. His costume was a little strange, but then Kirito had seen the outfits from the Knights of the Blood up close and personal and they were a little outlandish too. So, fine, alright. Besides, Kirito looked ridiculous in his own getup so there was no room to talk. “I’m Kirito,” he confirmed, “General Mustang said we should meet. He wants us to fight a shapeshifter, but I can’t find shit for his specs.” Roy snorted slightly, “He doesn’t advertise them. I haven’t seen him in a fight either.” It was as much a test of Grey’s abilities as it was theirs, too. Kirito glanced at Roy, nodding his head in respect. “So none of us know what we’re up against.” That was okay. All boss battles were the same. *** The word, ‘Japanese’, it seemed to spark something in Levi and the man looked over to North again-- funny how his eyes kept slipping to the tall man-- before going back to Kirito. “The country that woman mentioned.” That was where he knew the word from. “You’re from her world.” If he was from Japan. It made sense. Still, Levi was inspecting the lines of his face, his eyes having lost the bit of light they’d gained in their shift to North. It was an eerie look, as if he could stare right through the boy in front of him and into his soul. The only way to describe Levi, was that he looked dead-- or that he was waiting to die. “You carry two swords.” No one carried two swords unless they were fighting titans, who required two swords to kill them. “How old are you?” Just a child. But he looked old enough to join the survey corps. If he was? Well, he was old enough to fight at Levi’s side, even if he was just a child. Just another small grave to dig. *** What woman--- Oh, Georgia Mason. Right. Kirito had spoken with her when he’d given her his House Program. They’d bitched about technology and laughed for a few minutes. It had been fun. “Yeah,” he agreed easily, “I’m from Japan.” Sort of. “Not her world though, hers has a plague and mine doesn’t. Well it might now, for all I know, but I don’t think so.” Everyone’s eyes turned to look at Kirito’s swords. Mustang wasn’t unused to the idea--he had a sword for formal wear, the last time he’d donned it had been for Maes’ funeral--and General Armstrong fought with one instead of a gun, because the woman was insane. But still. North too had seen Texas wield one, among others, but he’d never used a sword or anything sword shaped himself. He was a sniper, rifles were his favorite things in the world in terms of weapons. Really neat though, the swords looked pretty badass. They looked heavy too. Kirito said they were. The two of them had been on their way to Harry’s cause North said Kirito could test their durability against his armor, when Mustang had found them. “Sixteen,” the small boy confirmed. Roy smiled a little. What was with these kids? Christ. There were a ton of them. North, however, seemed to think this was perfectly acceptable. “Dual wielding isn’t a common skill,” he continued after a minute. “Most people carry shields. I guess the skill was given to me explicitly.” He’d earned it. Watching Levi though, Kirito tilted his head. “What are those?” he pointed to the boxes at his side. *** Sixteen. The age the new recruits were. The age most of them died at. The statistics for joining the Survey Corps weren’t good.. After the first year, 40% of new recruits were dead. After five years, 90% of them were dead. But after five years, if you could make it that long, you were considered a veteran, and the chances of dying after five years dropped dramatically.. Mostly because there were only eight veterans left alive, and they were the best of the best. Last year, they’d lost six of eight. But Levi pushed that thought from his mind, his stomach twisting a little. He decidedly did not look at North. Instead, he kept his focus on the boy in front of him and when he inquired after the boxes that hung at his side, the shortest among them swept back the hip-length cloak, revealing his brown, rib-length coat beneath, emblazoned with wings on the front pocket, and the white shirt beneath, with more straps running up it, over his chest, around his abdomen, and across his back. It also revealed the two holsters under his arms, where two handle-like objects hung, each with two triggers a piece, as well as a grip, and a full-handed pulley, and a few slides and catches. It looked very complicated. Hoses went from the bottom of the grips, curling down and hooking to the back of the dark man. One of the gun-like things (only, there was no barrel) was removed, and he held onto it, two fingers on two triggers, and his pinky and ring finger holding onto the full-handed latch, thumb pressed onto one of the sliders. He brought it down across his body, as if reaching to pull a sword from his side, and he clicked the grip onto one of the slivers of metal, then with a metal-on-metal sound, he pulled out the long blade, revealing a sword nearly as tall as he was. It looked like a modern-day box cutter, with serrations in the metal every six inches, where it was clear the blade was meant to break away. Disposable blades. He held it at arm’s length, sideways, so the trio could get a look at it. “They’re blades. The creatures they’re meant to kill have skin so thick it dulls a blade after just two or three cuts. So we made them replaceable.” Simple. Efficient. It always left a mess of blades behind after a battle, metal glittering amongst blood and bodies. *** Kirito watched with interest, dark eyes scanning Levi when the young man revealed the contraption hiding under his cloak, assessing and figuring out how it was connected. When he revealed the sword at length, a grin spread across the younger man’s face. “That’s badass!” he said. And he meant it. He didn’t know that he liked having to replace weapons every time a blade was dulled, but the fact he carried a bunch of extras around was cool, too. Or, that’s what he assumed was in the boxes. But without looking at it closer, he couldn’t say. Dark eyes scanned the length of the weapon itself. He wasn’t a blacksmith so he couldn’t speak to the quality, but it looked alright from his perspective. He assumed Levi knew what he was doing with it. Awesome. He looked pleased. “What kind of creatures are you killing with it?” As he asked, the dark haired boy reached back and unsheathed Elucidator from its hilt, drawing the black sword out in a swift motion. He slid into position. North and Roy exchanged a look, both of them kept themselves from smiling, but for the moment the pair of them were reminded of children showing off toys. North thought it was cute. Roy… wondered what he was asking for when he set this kid and Levi up against Marco and Grey. He resisted the urge to rub his face. *** Badass? He even sounded like Eren. Levi’s expression softened just a fraction. “They’re called titans.” Listen up, Roy, because this was the information you’d needed, but no one had been prepared to ask for. “They look like humans, only some of them don’t have skin. And they heal themselves. They range from three meters tall, to some of the largest at fifty meters tall, most being around twelve to sixteen. And they eat humans.” He sheathed the blade, then disconnected the firing mechanism, and hung it back in the holster. There were two. He also dual wielded. “They don’t actually need to eat, they have no complete digestive tract. They kill humans, and eat them, either torn to pieces or whole and alive, then after a few hours they throw them back up, half digested.” Welcome to his world, you three. “They can only be killed by cutting out a section of the back of their neck.” Now imagine having to get that close, having to climb up on a fifteen meter creature trying to eat you, so you could cut the back of its neck. “Once they’ve been killed, their bodies evaporate, just like their blood.” Like they were never even there. It was horrifying. The only carnage ever left behind was human. It really played havoc with your psyche. Then those blue eyes were roaming over the black sword and Levi nodded his approval. Just one single nod. “May I?” A hand extended out. Christ, but his hands were small. *** Roy did listen. He looked for all his casual attitude that he’d checked out of the conversation, but he was much more attuned to what was being said than any of the group. Kirito was still too in line with thinking of everything as a game. The fact this was real life hadn’t really dawned on him yet. Sure, the death game meant you’d die once your HP drained. But there was no HP to replenish here and no nifty little hacks or potions that would bring your health back up to full speed. Castiel was the trump card, but none of the men assembled had earned that right to use him for it. So Roy listened. And he determined that Levi would need to be kept alive at all costs, in the event one of the titans came through a portal again. He wasn’t going through portals on his own for stupid adventures. They had North, Texas, and now Kirito for that. North furrowed his brows, “Wow,” he said, “that sounds rough,” understatement of the year, man. Roy glanced at him and shook his head. “Do they come in groups?” Roy asked. Kirito stood straight, nodding his head as he lowered the blade and offered it two handed to Levi, laying flat in his hands. At just over three and a half feet long, it was a beast of a weapon and heavy as hell. But it was made well. A rare item. *** When North spoke, those blue eyes shifted back over to him, his face taking on an eerie hollow look, his darker gaze locked onto the more pale set of the tall blonde. He was silent for a few long seconds, then looked away from him and back at the General. “Yes. They can smell humans from miles away, and they can run up to forty miles an hour. Our horses can out run them, most of the time.” But only just barely. “They come in groups of five to seventy or so. Usually it takes a group of six or seven men to bring one down.” Levi could bring them down alone. Solo kills were rare, they were a distinction. He had nearly two hundred. The next closest to him had just twelve. “They can climb trees, buildings.. Run, jump. Think.” His eyes lowered some. “Some of them can speak.” The one who had killed Erwin had spoken to him. Silence hung for a moment, before Kirito was offering out his blade and Levi took it by the hilt, though he didn’t set a hand under the blade as was tradition. His own blades were razor sharp and would remove fingers if touched wrong. So the blade was never handled. When Kirito released it, the blade dropped down a little, Levi hadn’t been expecting it to weigh quite so much, but it was clear he was capable of handling its weight, he just hadn’t known it’d be quite so heavy. “And what is this blade used to fight?” It wouldn’t work for killing titans, it didn’t look sharp enough. *** Levi explained more about the Titans, Roy’s expression changed just slightly, listening but his mind was running the information through and assessing their defenses. They’d been relying on the town’s natural ability to repel danger, but Harry Dresden had said something about wards. Mustang would speak with him and the other wizards when he left here. They didn’t have walls high enough to protect against a horde of man eating monsters. And they couldn’t continue relying on defenses they couldn’t see. They’d been fucking around for weeks instead of shoring up their protections. Well, that was about to end. North peered at Levi for a moment, then he shifted from behind the General and Kirito both, stepping closer to get a better look at Levi though he could see him clearly over everyone’s heads. “Hey,” he said, “focus. You’re here with us right now, not back there.” Not back there where they needed a man with such dead eyes. But Levi recovered enough to take the sword from Kirito, which eased North’s own concern for the little man. He understood when things were difficult to talk about. There was a reason neither he nor York spoke about the war. They talked about being soldiers, sure, but they never ever said what that entailed. Kirito looked between the group, then he unsheathed his second sword, the Dark Repulser, and held that one out, too. “A range of things. Aincrad isn’t limited to a specific type of monster. They vary depending on the location you’re in. The bosses are the biggest ones, the meanest, but they’re all different with varying strengths and weaknesses. It takes a group to kill them. Going solo sucks the higher you get.” Joining a guild had been a last resort, but it was also a smart move. If he’d made it willingly, anyway. *** When North came forward, the change in Levi’s stance was impossible to miss. In fact, it was blaring. There should have been a neon sign hanging over his head that pointed down and announced that North was welcome at his side. With a giant, neon “X” on the ground a foot away from him. Because though North was a foot and a half taller, and weighed twice what the dark-haired, dead-eyed boy weighed, he didn’t move back when he came forward. He didn’t flinch. He didn’t stare. In fact, his body shifted slightly forward, even if his feet never moved, and his posture relaxed, his weight falling to the leg closest to North. “I’m fine. I’m not a child.” Um. Yes he was. And even though his words were rough and scolding, somehow his face seemed softer. It was strange. The soft look was gone the instant he looked away from that familiar face, eyes falling to the newly offered sword. He’d take that one in his opposite hand, this time prepared for the weight of the thing. He held them like that for a moment, then he spun the one in his right hand around, so it was held like a dagger, the blade pointed back behind him, while the left remained proper. That was how he fought. Surely Kirito had never seen anything like it, holding a blade backwards like that. But that was Levi’s style.. That, added to his strength and speed, made him the monster he was. “You fight alone, with these, against.. Bosses?” His question was directed at Kirito, his fingers shifting some on the blades. Lord, his hands looked far too small on the hilts, like a child with his father’s weapons. This kid fought alone. It was.. Very impressive. *** That was surprising. Considering Levi’s utter reluctance to be around people, his response to North was curious. North didn’t think anything of it, just being glad that Levi could respond well to anyone. No one needed to be alone and if you found someone that gave you even an ounce of comfort, take it. Roy stared at them until the atmosphere changed, wondering what the hell that had just been. North smiled very faintly, his expression just as soft as Levi’s had been, “No,” he agreed, “You’re a man, but sometimes men need to hear the words, too.” Everyone needed to be reminded where their feet were planted sometimes. There was nothing wrong with that. No shame. But the giant soldier recalled his place, he stood back again, in the background where he belonged. He fell silent. Kirito watched the exchange, about as uncomfortable with the conversation happening between the pair as Roy Mustang looked. But the words touched on him too, and it helped ease the strange feeling in his chest. He wasn’t out there, he was here. And here was okay. And here was weird as hell with Levi holding his swords like that. Sure, Kirito held his in the back but never with it turned around like that. They were too heavy to manipulate in that position, but, alright. He’d have to see this guy in action. He was fairly excited by the idea, so much so that a little grin spread across his face. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m a solo player, it has its perks and… its pitfalls, but I prefer to be alone.” He refused to think about the guild he’d lost, forcing his mind to remain right here on the conversation happening now. “That way the only one in danger of dying is me. Besides, people can’t fight and they become liabilities.” A harsh perspective, but he had to hide behind something. *** The only thing Levi could do was stare at North when he spoke like that. When he spoke like Erwin. His jaw tightened, his expression became hard instead of blank, because it was the only way he could keep it from taking on an expression he wasn’t about to display in public. Fuck. This pig. “Tch.” He turned his face away almost violently, hair swinging some. Surely North would know that anger anywhere-- South had it sometimes. Getting angry so you wouldn’t feel something you didn’t want to feel. It was easier to be angry than sad. It was smarter. It was less dangerous. North was dismissed from his mind (as best he could) and he focused all of his attention and those now hard, dead eyes onto the boy amongst them. “This is not a game.” His words were sharp and scolding. The dark sword was lifted and extended out, nearly shoved into the taller, younger man’s chest. But it stopped just inches away, because Levi’s arms weren’t long enough. “And you’re not alone anymore.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. One that held no room for debate, nor argument. “You’re with me.” And that was that. Once the first blade had been taken, the second was expertly spun and turned, then extended out. Just listen to him speak, Mustang. That was the tone of a man who was rarely, if ever, contradicted. That was the tone of a leader, not a subordinate. *** North said nothing of the reaction, it was indeed something South would do. He wasn’t offended. Was North ever offended? He was so calm about everything, always temperate. He had less reactions than York, which was saying something. Kirito for his part, narrowed his dark eyes, taking back the swords and resheathing them one by one. “For now,” he agreed, “by my choice.” Not because Levi demanded it. He wasn’t a soldier, he didn’t work in teams. And when he did? It was because he agreed to, not because someone else said so. Unless that someone was Asuna, but that was different. She was different. But stepping back slightly, the boy relented and he offered Levi another bow at exactly the same angle he’d done from the start. Respect. Tradition. Roy nodded his approval at their apparent agreement, “Good,” he said. “After your test with Grey, you and I will speak with the others about defenses. I need you to repeat this information on the titans to them.” Despite the twisted feeling in his stomach, Roy set aside his personal issues and held out his hand to shake Levi’s. Roy Mustang cared more about the community than he did himself. *** “By your choice.” Levi repeated. Not ‘For now’, it wasn’t ‘For now’, it was ‘For ever’, because Levi had claimed him and that was that. Because Kirito was right. It was better to be alone. It was better to be alone because everyone around you died, because they weren’t as good as you were. It was better not to form the attachments with corpses who just hadn’t died yet. And if this boy understood that? Then he was the only man capable of standing at the Captain’s side. When the bow came, those blue eyes watched intensely.. Then he repeated the action. It wasn’t as deep, it wasn’t as straight, and his arm bent at his waist, which his body bent over-- but it was close. Then he straightened up and looked at Mustang, before looking down at his hand. After a second, he took that hand, but didn’t shake. He just held. “Fine.” He’d repeat it. He could talk about it all day. It was like the weather to him. None of it mattered, he was already dead, his body just didn’t know it yet. It was North who threw him off. It was that face. Those hands. Those words. That voice. “For what it’s worth,” he said after a second, “I made a mistake.” And it was clear this was a man who didn’t often admit that. *** That was a strange ritual only North didn’t understand. Roy bowed and kissed ass every day of his life in Amestris. If a higher ranking officer were here he’d do the same thing to them. So he didn’t mind that the pair found some accord, that they communicated in a way that made sense to them. North just watched curiously, Theta filling in the details about Japanese customs as he found the data stored. Not much on customs, but what he did share was still pretty neat. Roy looked at Levi, his dark eyes meeting those dead pair without flinching. He made a mistake. That was definitely a word for it. His mistake had potentially devastating effects on the life of a man he’d never even met. Roy had to live with the results of the man’s actions. The paranoia, the reluctance to be touched when touch was so fucking important to him. But sure. The man made a mistake. His apology, for what it was, wasn’t worth a damned thing. Roy just squeezed Levi’s hand, “I know,” he supplied, “No hard feelings.” Then he released his grip. It was fine. Roy was always fine. He’d get over it, his personal issues were never a concern. The community mattered more. “I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, looking between the group. North slid into a salute, Roy waved him off, turning away. *** It wasn’t an apology. It was an acknowledgement. Levi didn’t apologize. He never had. It made you appear weak. He could admit to being wrong, because as a leader you had to accept responsibility when you screwed up.. But he never apologized for it. He’d done what he thought was right at the time and he’d stand by it, based on the knowledge he’d had in the moment. That was his world. But as Mustang spouted his lies, the Captain only nodded. Perhaps if he hadn’t been the best friend of the best liar of all humankind, he wouldn’t have noticed. But he was. Erwin had been Commander, and Politician. He’d done what he needed to, to get his troops money, horses, and gear. And if he needed to lie, cheat, and make some shady deals? Well, then he would. Levi had been impressed by his skills to deceive. Roy had a bit to learn about it. It was too bad Erwin was rotting in the ground back home. As Roy waved off the salute and headed off, Levi’s eyes slipped back to North and his strange.. What was that? A salute of some kind? He looked between Kirito and North for a moment, then lifted his chin some. “Are there any other adults here?” Clearly not the two of you. But that was left unsaid. *** North completed the salute to Mustang’s back, smiling to himself when the General walked off. Why were there so many broody men in this place? Maybe there was something in the water that made them that way. They needed more things in their lives that made them smile. He and York smiled and laughed all the time, it set them apart from the others. Even here. But North’s attention slipped from his contemplations to Levi when the young man spoke. He raised both his brows. “Lots,” he said. “In fact, I don’t think there are any kids.” Kirito was the youngest at 16, he and Marco both. But that was well into adulthood as far as North was concerned. The boy blinked, “A couple that I know of. Harry Dresden and Lucretia Prewett,” he rubbed his head. “They’re old enough to be my grandparents.” Kirito had spoken to Harry about magic. That had been a fun afternoon. The wizards were crazy. *** No kids? That earned North a blank stare-- but Kirito soon drew his attention. Harry. Right. The guy who liked his horse. And Lucretia? Fine. She’d have to do. He imagined the tall blonde was very near to thirty, but likely not over it. Well, maybe by a few days. The babyface was hard to look at. He missed Erwin. But Kirito? He could have been his son. Maybe North had a skewed idea of what constituted a ‘kid’. Maybe he was thinking of goats. It was an amusing thought. “Fine.” The two adults. And Mustang. Levi was on the fence about him, he looked young. Too young to be a General. Of course, ‘General’ was subjective. It meant different things in different armies. And with that, he was turning away and heading off. There was nothing more to say. |