𝕮𝖗𝖎𝖒𝖘𝖔𝖓 𝕯𝖆𝖜𝖓

4 || 𝕻𝖆𝖘𝖙 𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖚𝖗𝖊𝖘

"Well? Do you plan on idly standing around, or do you intend on actually doing something to wipe the blood off your ledger?" 

Behind the mask that betrayed nothing lay more remorse than she anticipated. Not that the wearer would ever admit to the nausea that filled his stomach at the mention of blood. He knew there was much of it. How much exactly, he didn't know; didn't care to know. Facing the very idea of the destruction and havoc his action had caused had been sickening. He wasn't sure if he could face the specifics of it, each individual drop, each lifeless corpse. Looking at the rubble of the buildings destroyed once his men had been overtaken by elves had already very nearly been more than he could handle.

Slipping on the mask, he let the confident facade take over him, and followed in the steps of his new ward, who appeared to be in a rush to get out of here. To be fair, the atmosphere that took hold of the Golden Dawn headquarters after the recent elf-human war, was not one anyone wanted to spend time in. He could understand how the tension might have been uncomfortable. Or maybe she just disliked the formal and elitist nature of his squad that differed so much from her own. 

"If it is all the same to you, I have patrols and rebuilding to attend to first," he informed her, going by the schedule he had written up for the squad for the coming months. He was still in charge of that, firstly because not all of his squad members knew that he was only leader in official capacity - the truth about that would have to come out at some point, but right now...? Now was the least ideal time, with the threat of the other kingdoms attacking and all the rest of it - and secondly, he doubted that Yuno would have time amongst everything else for this. This was meant to be his job; it felt wrong to place so much responsibility on the young man. 

"Whatever, Vangeance. Just get on with it." Asides from her annoyance, there was little else that he could read from her voice. Even so...

"Is there anything that bothers you about this arrangement? Besides the obvious, I mean. Would you rather skip the restoration? Or the recon? We could skip both... Perhaps I could ask a member of my - this - squad to accompany me." He corrected himself, realising this was technically no longer a squad under his leadership. That power rightfully belonged to someone who was actually capable of protecting his squad members, rather than damning them.

"As long as I have time for the things on my schedule, I honestly don't care. So hurry that slow ass off yours along. I don't feel like following you around the kingdom until midnight." 

He'd heard of her preferred way of spending time. Knowing that he had probably cost her the freedom she would normally have, he had a feeling things would remain tense between them for some time, perhaps even forever. If he could find some way of apologising for that, but he doubted that an apology would suffice.

[♥]]] [♦]]] [♣]]] [♠]]]

The guilt lingered, even as they stepped into the early morning scene, despite the chirping of songbirds. Normally their lilting voices would put him at ease and make his day brighter, but with a heavy cloud over his head, one which he doubted the sun could shine through, he remained tense and aloof. He could hear Mereoleona's footsteps beside him, but neither spoke and neither looked at one another. 

They'd headed outside, taking brooms with them as he wasn't about to bother Langris. His recovery was still ongoing and the captain was sure his squad member had already enough work as it was. Thanks to him. 

He could feel the chill of the early autumn breeze, but asides from the wind rustling branches and clothes, and the distant sound of street vendors and children running around coming from the common realm, he heard little else even as they finally descended. Finally hearing her speak, he felt her gaze upon him, impatient and full of annoyance. "Is there any reason why you simply didn't use mana skin? It would have been faster."