[ The comment about compliments from girls seems to come from left field, and Gray's brain hiccups as it grapples with the statement being both funny (weird-funny) and quite sad. He's only been nice to her so far despite having very few reasons to be. She feels like that's proof enough of his praiseworthiness... She makes a note to compliment him more in the future. ]
Do you not get along with him?
[ She thinks being compared to Eustace should be a high compliment. She should be so lucky as to be compared to him someday. It will absolutely never happen, but if it did happen, she'd feel quite nice about it. ]
[ it could happen!! they have the same hair color, so there's one thing... ]
It's not that, exactly... He's one of those guys that's hard to read.
[ he keeps showing up when Johnny is in trouble - and Johnny, being Johnny, finds it suspicious, especially since Eustace's bearing is never particularly friendly. ]
When I first showed up here, he's the one who found me, technically.
[ Can he hear the approval in her communion voice... because it's there. ]
He doesn't say much more than what he needs to, but he's always thoughtful. And if you seem like you need help, he'll always be there for you... He isn't as scary as he looks.
[ a scoff. ] He ain't scary-looking with those big fox ears on his head.
[ they're very silly!! Unless she's referring specifically to the huge gun he's seen Eustace carrying around - that's another story. In any case, now Johnny's wondering how many of these traits Gray apparently thinks he shares with Eustace. ]
But I'm glad you've got someone over there you can rely on. That Regent shouldn't be employing kids in the first place.
[ Johnny's mindfulness of her age momentarily takes her aback, even though she knows on a gut level that good people don't make teenagers fight their wars for them. At the same time, she's already used to following the whims of irresponsible adults, so for someone in her life to (rightfully) point out that she is, actually, a child who shouldn't be asked to do dangerous work, it's depressingly shocking.
At the same time, she doesn't want to be coddled either, so... ]
Um, what should the Regent be having me do instead then?
Huh? [ the question was evidently one he hadn't been anticipating, and he flounders for a moment. ] I don't know... Going to school?
[ it's hypocritical for him to suggest this when he'd stopped going around her age to focus on his racing career, but at the same time, he'd like to think that racing horses is a more acceptable mode of employment than "death cult infantry." ]
[ That's probably a good thing. The Pleroma sure are soft on their youths. ]
There's only one Aion here younger than me [except Majorita really isn't] but I think she likes to fight. I think... on average... your Aions are probably a bit more mild-mannered than ours.
[ that gets a little laugh out of him, despite everything. ]
I don't know about that. We've got some crazy folks here, too. [ not naming names but hayame ] ... I'm saying all this, but do you actually know how to fight?
[ This may be the first time in Gray's life that she's been told to her "face" that someone doesn't believe in ghosts, and it momentarily takes her aback. She's seen such claims in movies, so she knew non-believers existed, but it's different to meet one in person. ]
Robbers... um, I suppose so, but the cemetery I watched over didn't have much to steal.
Well... I know they talk about spirits and stuff in the Bible, but I never saw one, so I figured it was just a metaphor or whatever. People make up things like that so their kids listen to 'em all the time.
[ and what is church if not a big organized parent trying to discipline its rowdy children?! of course, his feelings are a little more complicated nowadays. ]
[ As someone who doesn't really believe in God despite being reasonably familiar with the Bible and also magic, she supposes she doesn't have much room to question him. It really is hard to believe what you can't see.
... Oh. She realizes belatedly that he knows what the Bible is. She'd briefly taken it for granted that everyone would know. ]
Mr. Johnny, are you from Earth too? Most Londoners believe in ghosts even if they don't interact with them directly, so I thought... Um, where are you from?
[ a mild flicker of surprise at his being from Earth being questioned. It's such a strange thing to have to clarify - he's still not used to it. ]
Yeah, I'm from America. Kentucky, specifically. [ as she may have been able to guess from his accent. ] I lived in England for a little while when I was a kid, though.
[ She... has no clue where Kentucky is in the U.S., but she can at least point to the country itself. She gets another blip of surprise when he mentions having been in England. ]
I didn't know you were so well-traveled...
[ He's literally only named two places on Earth, but the U.S. seemed like it was on the other side of the world. Very exotic. ]
I've never been to the States, but I've seen some films. It seems like an exciting place.
[ She says this with a touch of happiness, mostly because all the strange movies she was made to watch are finally paying off. ]
[ is two countries well-traveled?! Johnny is a little puzzled by that, too, but he doesn't push it. Techncially, he's been to a ton of different states now, so maybe it's true. Even if she doesn't know that. He's heard English people don't move around very much, so maybe even going between the two continents is impressive to her. ]
"Exciting" is one word for it, I guess... What's a film?
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Do you not get along with him?
[ She thinks being compared to Eustace should be a high compliment. She should be so lucky as to be compared to him someday. It will absolutely never happen, but if it did happen, she'd feel quite nice about it. ]
no subject
It's not that, exactly... He's one of those guys that's hard to read.
[ he keeps showing up when Johnny is in trouble - and Johnny, being Johnny, finds it suspicious, especially since Eustace's bearing is never particularly friendly. ]
When I first showed up here, he's the one who found me, technically.
no subject
[ Can he hear the approval in her communion voice... because it's there. ]
He doesn't say much more than what he needs to, but he's always thoughtful. And if you seem like you need help, he'll always be there for you... He isn't as scary as he looks.
[ Her experience might be slightly skewed. But. ]
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[ they're very silly!! Unless she's referring specifically to the huge gun he's seen Eustace carrying around - that's another story. In any case, now Johnny's wondering how many of these traits Gray apparently thinks he shares with Eustace. ]
But I'm glad you've got someone over there you can rely on. That Regent shouldn't be employing kids in the first place.
no subject
At the same time, she doesn't want to be coddled either, so... ]
Um, what should the Regent be having me do instead then?
no subject
[ it's hypocritical for him to suggest this when he'd stopped going around her age to focus on his racing career, but at the same time, he'd like to think that racing horses is a more acceptable mode of employment than "death cult infantry." ]
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Would you want to go back to school?
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... No.
[ ok, he can't argue with that... he didn't like regular American school, and he's sure kenoma school would be worse...... ]
Okay, maybe not school, but definitely not fighting people.
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Do your younger Aions not fight?
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[ a beat. ]
Or... I guess we do, but no, he doesn't fight. [ he's never met Yuya, so it took a moment to remember him. ] Not that I know about, anyway.
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[ That's probably a good thing. The Pleroma sure are soft on their youths. ]
There's only one Aion here younger than me [except Majorita really isn't] but I think she likes to fight. I think... on average... your Aions are probably a bit more mild-mannered than ours.
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I don't know about that. We've got some crazy folks here, too. [ not naming names but hayame ] ... I'm saying all this, but do you actually know how to fight?
[ WHAT was gray doing back home... ]
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[ This undoubtedly means more to her than it will to him... ]
Maybe you know this already, but ghosts can be very dangerous.
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[ ... ]
... Well, maybe I believe in 'em now. [ he kind of has to. ] Isn't gravekeeping more about chasing away robbers than spirits?
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Robbers... um, I suppose so, but the cemetery I watched over didn't have much to steal.
[ ... ]
Why didn't you believe in ghosts?
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[ and what is church if not a big organized parent trying to discipline its rowdy children?! of course, his feelings are a little more complicated nowadays. ]
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... Oh. She realizes belatedly that he knows what the Bible is. She'd briefly taken it for granted that everyone would know. ]
Mr. Johnny, are you from Earth too? Most Londoners believe in ghosts even if they don't interact with them directly, so I thought... Um, where are you from?
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Yeah, I'm from America. Kentucky, specifically. [ as she may have been able to guess from his accent. ] I lived in England for a little while when I was a kid, though.
no subject
I didn't know you were so well-traveled...
[ He's literally only named two places on Earth, but the U.S. seemed like it was on the other side of the world. Very exotic. ]
I've never been to the States, but I've seen some films. It seems like an exciting place.
[ She says this with a touch of happiness, mostly because all the strange movies she was made to watch are finally paying off. ]
no subject
"Exciting" is one word for it, I guess... What's a film?
[ oh boy ]