shall we dance with this tragic history?

[valiinus]

right i sure am alive. ive been mostly over on @lnvxctus as of late if anyone wants to watch a dude have seven mental breakdowns i guess. weeps. i will one day be a functional human again but Shit Keeps Happening.

[mixtapecore]

it doesn’t take a killer to murder it only takes a reason to kill

[valiinus]

//gurgles.

patch destroyed me emotionally and my job physically hello.

[valiinus]

"You don't look well, Valinus."

"Twin pregnancies tend to leave one looking less than well, Baelsar." Nerva snorted in response. Though to his fairness, they did indeed look as if they had been sleeping on a bench for far too long- which was indeed the current case. In their mind, they could still move around even if it involved pain and Quintus could not even do that much right now. They would have felt dreadful taking his more comfortable seat from him or daring to try to acquire a proper spot to lay in one of the train cars. As far as the Viera was concerned, those were meant for the citizens who were not used to much more than the comfort of their own homes. A few weeks of sleeping on a bench couldn't be the worst thing could it? It probably was close to it, but.

"Nor does partially fucking one's spine dealing with the Tempered." A small shrug of their shoulders, at least it wasn't a threat of paralysis with how they damaged it, Nerva supposed. "Still evading the luxury of being set ablaze though, I'll leave that one to you." A light tease, to try to ease the mood if at all possible. Even if it was extremely unlikely, the tension in the air of Tertium could be cut with a sharpened stick at this point.

[valiinus]

"Are you - ... well?"

Jullus felt as if he were but sixteen summers again, the feeling of a gun in his hand awkward and novel alongside the other recruits. He was in far more mundane a situation, he knew, but he felt just awkward, as if a wrong move could cause him to lose a toe.

(He doubed Nerva was as ceaselessly dangerous, but - ... he had always been taught to respect danger, and he had yet to deduce how much of a threat they truly would be.)

He had been less than a dozen summers when his mother carried Cassia, but such things were kept quiet and intentionally opaque. He was too young to be informed, but too old to truly be ignorant, leaving both him - and his brother - on an odd footing.

That had been his own mother, and she had not been bearing her daughter in the aftermath of catastrophe. He knew so little of his mother, he realized remorsefully, but even less of his Legati's partner.

He could only cross his fingers and hope he hadn't shot himself in the foot, three years overdue.

"I know - ... he's uncertain. But I am afoot," he promised, "should you need of anything."

The Viera's response was wordless at first, raising a hand to the top of his head and gently ruffling the blue hair upon it. "Ease up, lad." Nerva offered him an odd sort of half smile in an attempt to reassure him that there was no harm done in their eyes. It was not like they ever truly made themselves approachable to most.

Nerva didn't exactly enjoy showing themselves with their guard down, but if they were to keep it up forever it would grow tiresome even if they desired there to be a constant reminder that they were a threat and not to be trifled with. Even with their position of 'sas' far too many people had vastly underestimated them for their liking.

"I won't bite, I promise. I do appreciate the offer."

[valiinus]

-i've lived more lives than enough, i haven't died quite as m u c h

[valiinus]

i really do have problems disease.

[valiinus]

Nerva watched most of the 'older' generations of Garleans grow up from mere babes and absolutely will not hesitate to bring up stupid shit they did as kids to lower their egos if they get too out of control. No one is safe from this.

[valiinus]

Hi I'm back! What's your favorite thing about Nerva? What do they need to work on? Doth thy bun have a bun tail? The world wonders

hmm. I'm simple really, I think what I enjoy most about them is just how far they've managed to go in their military career despite facing disbelief and negativity quite frequently from not being a native Garlean to taking up an art that most see as taking a stance against the Empire as a whole. They've had to hand plenty of people their own asses on a plate to prove themselves and they remain happy to do so should anyone dare question them or their rank.

As far as something Nerva needs to work on, it would desperately be trust. They completely lack the ability to have faith in most people due to being treated as a savage among Garleans and sticking out like a sore thumb back in the Woods. It takes a decent amount of time for them to not anticipate someone to be thinking lowly of them in some capacity if not outright despising them. It doesn't help that they are quite aware of the murmurs about them simply being a 'pet rabbit' of Lord Quintus.

Ah yes, the bnuuy features. As far as those go, Nerva obviously has rabbit ears which have folded downwards due to years of trying to obscure them from view. There is also a tiny black bunny tail poof that tends to be hidden under their jacket. Nerva also comes with clawed feet and hands, they do take some care to trim both but not to the point where gloves become an option. Due to their feet having a rather high arch, it's unusual to find them not wearing some sort of heeled boot. Anything else hurts their feet, even if it does make running a slight inconvenience.

[valiinus]

well shit.

[valiinus]

"Little rabbit," he murmured with uncharacteristic gentleness. Since it was just the two of them at the moment, settled into the privacy of his quarters, there was no need for stiff formalities and keeping up appearances.

Not that fraternization between soldiers was uncommon, even as far as Legati were concerned. But he would not have Nerva's reputation sullied by their relationship, nor would he allow others to whisper about the Viera being his "pet" or "toy". His lover deserved better than that. (But Quintus was not naive nor blind to the struggles of non-native Garleans within the military ranks, try as he might to quash such behaviour and biases within his own legion.)

And so their time together would have to remain in the all-too fleeting hours of the night, where Quintus could be tender or passionate or loving or even rough with them without worries of prying eyes and loose lips.

A gloved hand raised to cup their cheek, then he leaned in to press a kiss to their forehead.

He had never been one for romance, and he had always been rough and quick when it came to intimate acts -- in fact, he still tended to be, even with Nerva. He had never been one for committed relationships either, preferring instead the casualness of one-night encounters. But something about Nerva had, over time, opened him up to things he had never realized he had been missing, while at the same time they allowed him to continue to be himself around them.

In short, the remaining lord of House Cinna was quite smitten.

As if to emphasize this, he took hold of one of the Viera's hands and raised it to his lips, to kiss the back of it in a show of affection.

Nerva despite the many decades at this point the pair had been together, still never quite managed to anticipate Quintus' rare romantic side popping out. Not that they minded, nay they truly enjoyed the scarce moments when the pair could be alone and not worry about their work or what ever the odd assignments given to them were.

Their head leaned into his touch, savoring it even through his gloved hand. The calloused nature of his hands could still be felt against their skin, reminding the Viera of just whom the attention came from. "Lord Quintus." They murmured placing a hand upon his chest, feeling the dull pattern of his heartbeat against their palm.

Their free hand was raised and a kiss placed upon it, causing a quiet laugh to part their dark lips. "You truly leave me wondering if I am so deserving of the affections of a Lord, at times. Given how oft you spoil me so much, it still feels foreign." A small smile, they minded none of this even if they did tease him for giving them a glimpse and an entrance to a life they never could have fathomed growing up in the Woods.

The Viera then shifts their weight to the fronts of their feet to lean upwards and press a kiss to his cheek. "At the very least I have grown more mindful of my makeup so we don't have to spend a grand amount of time trying to remove my lipstick from your skin." Another laugh, that was a grim memory they still recalled how much trouble the pair went through when soap and warm water proved not enough. At least they could always blame gunpowder from cleaning weapons back then.

[valiinus]

Nerva despite being far from a Garlean native has come to view most of the 1st Legion as family. The Viera has imparted as well as becoming a producer of numerous healing salves and medicines for those in the Legion who are not fond of Garlemald's more surgical methods for one reason or another. They also tend to offer to repair any tears in uniforms or even sew new ones should they become beyond repair to save newer recruits from spending most of their pay on new uniforms. If they knew how to cook they would likely assist with that as well, but they do not and it's likely better that they're kept away from any open flames.

[valiinus]

behold, whatever the hell is wrong with nerva's ancient self

his name is arlecchino, and he's 50% problems and 50% gender. that's it thats the whole character. he's just a crummy records keeper for the akadaemia who specializes in storing information from pandaemonium.

[valiinus]

crush common sense for a moment

[theomocentarchive]

snowy garlemald.

[valiinus]

jazz hands i am working on setting things up and i do plan to become active. i am unfortunately a full time employee in a currently understaffed and high seasonal demand job so ive been uhhhh. mcfucking dead.

[valiinus]

oh, where do we begin

the rubble or our sins?