he lets out one big laugh , a guffaw , a word he himself would never use, or at least never had the opportunity to do so, when she reiterates the obvious. as much as he considers himself a mechanic, a fixer, someone who has the gift to fix any machine known to man just like that, he just couldn’t fix himself. of course, he wasn’t a machine, but wouldn’t it be much easier to find out what was wrong with him himself and correct it, handle it, deal with it, than tinkering with bolts and nuts, risking electrocution? he’s tried, though, so many things and as best as he can, gods know how hard he’s tried, but all were to no avail. whatever was wrong with him, he just couldn’t fix it.
“yeah… of course there is,” he groans as he accidentally moves his arm and pain shoots back up, reminding him that he wasn’t his old man’s television set that for one reason or another would work better when he slapped it around. the image made him chuckle, and he shakes his head, finding the memory both appropriate to the situation and strange to come to him right then and there. “i chose a beatdown instead of euros for payment, after all,” he clicks his teeth, wincing in momentary pain until it finally subsides. “…and from an ares kid at that.” his dark brown eyes wander towards her, a playful smirk on his face. maybe he does have a death wish.
she inhales , sighing deeply through her nose at his reaction. the part she was having trouble wrapping her head around was how he was still laughing despite everything. there was absolutely nothing funny about the situation. most of those that leo has left in the state ved is currently in would agonize in pain on the floor, flopping like a fish out of water barely even able to mumble a word in between cries. but ved? ved seemed to be thriving in it and leo would have been impressed if she hadn’t been so confused or annoyed.
“you need therapy.” her tone is flat though it’s one hundred percent sincere. while she’d never admit it, with all the losses and anger leo’s dealt with in her life, therapy has been the only way she’s stayed afloat. she keeps her gaze on him unimpressed, carefully studying his reaction. “yes, you did, which was absolutely stupid if you have no actual will to learn anything? why not just take the damn euros or give me the weapons free of charge?” she’s not a fan of not earning what she has but this training session with ved feels like a nightmare from the underworld itself and she can’t help but wonder if he’s actually not trying to torture her? lips purse into a fine line as she gives a small nod. “we tend to like violence.”