dear_mun | Possibly coming out of retirement...

It's admirable to be so dedicated to your job, but is not the point of these "games" to place us in situations that differ from our own?

That seems to be the recurring theme with me and my mundane, yes. They claim they enjoy watching me "grow", so to speak.

I suppose it's not terrible, but it does get rather tiring.

[It only takes her hearing about 'loyalty' to realize exactly what kind of place he's talking about.]

For once, we agree on something. A place like that doesn't suit you.

Millia...

[He has to compose himself before continuing to speak. All that pent up anger is still there, etc. etc.]

If only they could see that.

[She's not surprised by that reaction, but she seems as unaffected by it as she always has. The only difference between her then and now is that she decides against a sarcastic remark while he's riled up.]

Maybe they will, eventually. Sounds like there could still be time to dissuade them, if no applications are actively being written.

Though if they don't, have they at least given you a reason that it's even being considered?

Fortunately, other factors have slowed down application completion. Still, I'm on guard.

As for the reasoning...

[He shakes his head.]

It's a futile attempt to find me another... suitor, for lack of a better word. I personally find it rather foolish.

I would be too, in that scenario.

For whatever it's worth, I hope there's a way out of it.

[When she hears the reasoning, she seems to consider it.]

I can see the merit, but there are other ways to go about it that wouldn't be so...extreme. That's not something you can force, and definitely not something that can be solved by just tossing you into bed with random people. Especially when you're not the type.

I hope so, as well.

[He's kind of surprised at how cordial this conversation is going. Millia seems different than what he remembers, and it's not just the outfit.]

It's ridiculous, in my opinion. I'm not about to yield so easily.

[Yeah, she's definitely less of an antagonistic ass, especially if there's a problem at hand, and people are being competent about it. She only really starts heckling people if they're playing games with her, or if she knows them well enough to tease them amicably. Despite the fact that she knows Venom, their relationship is still too shaky for that now.]

I think the method is ridiculous. Taking someone that has no desire to find someone and forcing them to jump into the most vulnerable part of a relationship is cruel. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[She'll bite her tongue on the fact that she approves of the idea of him finding someone, though. Even if she thinks so for his benefit, there is absolutely no way it could sound that way, coming from her. Especially as they are now.

Still, when he says he won't yield, she shows the smallest inkling of a smile.]

I would expect nothing less.

I doubt even they would be that cruel, but it's certainly coming off that way. I've been with my mundane for many years, and this is the first time they've considered such a place for me. Nevertheless, you are...

correct.

[It pains him to say that.]

That's at least good to know. Our past aside, I would hate to think that you were stuck with someone capable of that kind of cruelty. I'm glad that's not the case.

[Her smile grows just the slightest bit when she thinks of a retort once she sees how pained he is to admit she's right. Where she's from, they get along relatively well, but it's always a little entertaining to see him begrudgingly agree with her. Under literally any other circumstances, she'd take this moment to voice one of those sarcastic remarks, but the subject matter is a bit too serious to do that just yet. The smile passes as quickly as it appeared, seamlessly fading into a look of consideration.

Perhaps the strangest part of all this is the fact that she clearly had a remark but chose not to make it. That would assume that she's regarding the situation with enough gravity that she would rather focus on it than teasing Venom. Which would, in turn, mean that she might actually be concerned for him.]

As long as your writer is someone you trust to make decisions based on what would be best for you, I think you should be fine. Just don't let them put you in a situation that you absolutely don't want, or aren't ready for.

Whether you end up there or not, I hope this whole thing works out well for you.

[That concern is something that he's definitely not used to, especially coming from Millia. He's still going to be prickly, but for now, he's addressing her with a little more respect than usual.]

I... I appreciate it.

[Of course it sounds more forced that he wants.]

[If anyone, she understands the prickliness. Even without her flippant ways and his hatred for her, being prickly is just about the only way to survive as an assassin.

When he speaks his appreciation, he's met with a small, but genuine smile of acknowledgement.]

Now that that's taken care of, I feel like I should leave before you pull something.

[Though she is teasing him, it's not in the bitter, malicious way she used to do it. There's a light somewhere past her eyes that wasn't there before, and a lilt in her voice that takes away any threatening edge it would have had in the years prior.]

Just take care of yourself. As much as it pains me to say it, I've seen the kind of person you can be when push comes to shove, and I've been sincerely impressed. Regardless of what you've got ahead of you, I think you've got what it takes to see it through.

[While she sounds hesitant to say those things, they're not exactly forced. On the contrary, she says them with such ease that it's clearly something she's believed for a while. Where she's from, he's proven himself to be the kind of leader the Guild deserves, and he's earned her respect.]

Possibly coming out of retirement...

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