[There's a quiet laugh from above him, without any real mirth in it. It's been a long time since Kariya's laughed from the heart -- it occurs to him some days to question whether it's still around.]
Optimistic of you. [There's a rustle as Kariya forces himself up and the frock slides down; he's bare from the waist up, covered in shallow slashes that look a little too patterned to be entirely haphazard. He wouldn't be surprised if Kirei had started trying to prolong his own enjoyment in new ways. The man likes wine far too much for a priest.] You... patched yourself up already?
[This part is always the most awkward, even on the days when Kariya is the only one needing bandages. Even now, he's not sure whether the new, tentative peace is better or worse: he can be a little concerned now without backlash, but...
When Kirei expands his targets, it always undoes half the work of the night -- he knows it, knows Kariya will come after him sooner next time because there's no way he'll sit back. He knows all about the viciousness of cycles, and refuses to let them break him; Kirei is a very dangerous creature, though. Kariya's not much of a beast tamer, let's say. He can only draw lines in the sand and push back when or if Kirei crosses them.]
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Optimistic of you. [There's a rustle as Kariya forces himself up and the frock slides down; he's bare from the waist up, covered in shallow slashes that look a little too patterned to be entirely haphazard. He wouldn't be surprised if Kirei had started trying to prolong his own enjoyment in new ways. The man likes wine far too much for a priest.] You... patched yourself up already?
[This part is always the most awkward, even on the days when Kariya is the only one needing bandages. Even now, he's not sure whether the new, tentative peace is better or worse: he can be a little concerned now without backlash, but...
When Kirei expands his targets, it always undoes half the work of the night -- he knows it, knows Kariya will come after him sooner next time because there's no way he'll sit back. He knows all about the viciousness of cycles, and refuses to let them break him; Kirei is a very dangerous creature, though. Kariya's not much of a beast tamer, let's say. He can only draw lines in the sand and push back when or if Kirei crosses them.]