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[divisi]

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[likeiron]

Nina hummed softly, leaning back and propping her arm on Jeritza's thigh, fingertips tapping his knee. "Could do that." She agreed. "I'm not usually a fan of armor — gets in the way. But a few pieces won't kill and we sure as fuck have no idea what we might be up against here." Besides the... video game monsters.

[divisi]

"Yes... There is no way of knowing what foes we may face, so best to prepare for the worst."

He wants her to be safe... She is a strong fighter, but no one is invincible.

As he finishes his food, he finds himself laying a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it gently.

[likeiron]

Nina groaned softly, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Shit. Press a little harder. I think I have a knot there."

[divisi]

Instinctually, he follows her instruction, his thumb pressing into the flesh between her shoulder and neck. His hand is giant against her small shoulder, and even her bones feel delicate to him. With her body so breakable, it's a good thing her spirit and fighting strategy are strong... Still, he wants to... Protect her...

His thumb moves a little from side to side, trying to find the right spot.

[likeiron]

Nina... probably had more than one knot that needed to be dealt with, honestly. So when Jeritza found one, she moaned as his thumb sank into the muscle and loosened it. "Mm. Right there. Don't be shy about pressing hard."

She probably should have been more wary about awakening the Death Knight somehow with allowing him a little roughness, even in a situation like his. Vulnerable and with her head tipped back, in a perfect position to inflict pain and clearly not primed for retaliation. But she trusted Jeritza in that moment.

[divisi]

Fortunately, it isn't that easy to trigger the Death Knight. He wants no part in this mushy-gushy shit.

Jeritza presses hard into the spot she indicates. Moves it in place in a circular motion.

[likeiron]

Thank god because Nina was having a great fucking time right now.

"You're good at that." She murmured appreciatively, body relaxing against the couch. "Gods. All this world hopping shit must be stressing me out."

Also the whole. Torture thing.

[divisi]

He adds his other hand and continues, his grip firm yet somehow gentle at once.

"Yes... I could say the same... I hope we stay here for a while so we can... Adjust..."

'Settle' seems too optimistic. Jeritza isn't sure he can ever settle anywhere, with things the way they are with his alter. He doubts Nina would want to either, since she is the adventuring sort...

[likeiron]

Nina's breath hitched at the addition of his other hand. Strong. But she knew that — Death Knight had snapped her fucking arm in a second, and it stood to reason Jeritza could do the same; had the same amount of strength in his body.

"Adjust." She repeated with a sigh. "Figure out your shit, too. But my offer still stands, if we have no other alternatives."

[divisi]

"Offer?"

Does she mean... The sex?

Hm.

He continues to knead her shoulders. He feels that he wants to keep touching her. It's... Strange.

[likeiron]

Not exclusively the sex, but sort of.

"For him to take his bloodlust out on me or whatever. I don't know how shit works here, and I still don't want him running rampant on innocent people. Not to mention, you know, that I care about you and want you to not wake up confused and covered in blood and gore if it can be avoided sometimes."

[divisi]

He sounds at this, his massage stilling for a moment.

"I wish not to speak of it further."

They have had this conversation many times, and neither of them seem to budge. Jeritza doesn't want Nina hurt, and she wants to prevent others from getting hurt. There's no point in speaking of it, especially when Jeritza feels so little control of the situation.

[likeiron]

Nina nearly snapped back with a 'you're the one that asked' and somehow, miraculously, managed to simply reply with "Fine." instead. "What do you want to talk about? Because I hate sitting in silence for long."

[divisi]

Hates sitting in silence?

"I am not sure why you spend time with me, then... I am quiet by nature..."

Is he expected to talk all the time to entertain her? Exhausting...

[likeiron]

"I mean, you don't want to talk every once in a while? I'd like to get to know you better if you let me, and the only way for that to happen is to talk."

She sighed. "We don't have to though."

[divisi]

"I can talk... It just does not come naturally... Whatever you would like to know about me, you may ask and I will tell you..."

He isn't a conversationalist, but he's not going to keep secrets from Nina. He continues his massage, smoothing his hands down her shoulders.

[likeiron]

"Why?" Must have been her first question. "I mean... why do you not talk much? How the hell do you fill dead space? By just sitting in silence?"

[divisi]

"Yes," he says, accompanied by some dead silence, as though to illustrate, but it's not on purpose. He genuinely leaves dead silence in every conversation, and is a bit perplexed that she hasn't realized this by now.

"Because... I was always alone. I never talked to anyone, so I never learned how to..."

Emile was a chatty boy, but he is gone.

[likeiron]

It's definitely because she's always talking. Dead silence drives her crazy, makes her think too hard about things she doesn't want to think about.

"That sounds awful." She admitted, head tipped backwards to look up at him. "Why were you always alone? I mean you mentioned your shitty dad once, I think."

[divisi]

He nods.

"My father was planning to... Kill my mother and marry my sister to bear her children. So the Death Knight killed him and the rest of my noble house when I was 9. Then we were on the run and in hiding from the law until Edelgard took us in. Even after that, I was still fearful of getting close to anyone, lest they get hurt."

A stunted childhood in pretty much every way.

[likeiron]

Nina was silent now, her eyes widening as she twisted around so she was facing him properly. "By the Father..." nobles did some fucked up shit back home — some probably as fucked as what Jeritza had just described — but it was so much different when it was someone she cared about.

"You were just a kid. And the Death Knight was there, even then?" Why did that explain so much? "I — I can't say I know exactly what you went through, but rough childhoods seem to be common in people from Seven it sounds like."

[divisi]

"That incident is the reason The Death Knight exists. In order to protect my sister and mother, he had to do away with any feelings of fear or guilt to do what needed to be done. My father needed to be stopped, and at 9, I was not strong enough to do that on my own... So he helped me."

His alter is terrible and cruel, but he exists for a reason. He was needed. Though he is made of pure hatred, it would seem, he was actually born from love and protective desires.

[likeiron]

So that was a revelation and a half. Nina continued to stare up at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"I never thought I'd be grateful he was there for you, but that's — I mean. Not great that you had to hide away for so long, but, he saved your mother and sister from something so much worse. I can't say I wouldn't kill for my own." Gods now she was agreeing with the damn knight. "Did you ever see them again?"

[divisi]

He nods, rubbing between her shoulders. He's relieved she understands. More understanding can only help them in the situation they've found themselves in.

"I saw my sister, yes... Not my mother. But Mercedes was determined that someday, we would all be together again..."

His tone and expression hint with sorrow. He misses them, the only people who ever loved him, and he's no longer sure they'll ever see each other again.

[likeiron]

"I hope you will." Nina had lucked out. She barely remembered her birth parents — doubted they were even alive if Roland hadn't been able to find them — but even then had found a family that loved and supported her. The Death Knight saved his own, had to run for his life because of it, and it was... unfair. Terrible for this sweet man to have to suffer because he did, in her eyes, the right thing.

Maybe the Death Knight wasn't great. Was absolutely abhorrent in the shit he did and the bloodlust he had, but god dammit, he could be a fucking hero for that initial move.

Nina reached up to gingerly cup his cheeks, leaned in and pressed a kiss to the center of his forehead. "I don't know how I can help you see them again, but I sure can fucking try."