Sometimes* you can't take a break (Closed)

[closedcircuit]

[*In Ky's mind sometimes means always]

Who: Ky Kiske and Libertà (foolswords)
Where: Around and about
When: December 14th
What: Libertà's slacking off, Ky objects
Style: Use what you're comfortable with.
Status: Closed

There hadn't been any threats recently, but Ky knew perfectly well that that didn't mean that they could afford to let their guards down. After all, the whole purpose of having the Defense Force was preventative care, which means that even when nothing happened on them, patrols still had to take place.

With Zelos in a sleep coma, Ky decided to swing by the host club to make sure everything was in order. He was a little surprised to find it open, people coming in and out, but the Defense Force member assigned to the position not currently there. Ky huffed, spent some time waiting for him to return until it became clear that Libertà wasn't just going to the bathroom, then left to track him down wherever else he'd decided to go.

Comments

[foolswords]

With Christmas so close Libertà couldn't just sit around and do nothing. He decided to leave his post for a moment to go and look for something that could be a good Christmas present.

Honestly, he planned to go back in a moment or two! Nothing bad would happened in such a short time...

Not like anything had been happening lately... and besides, everyone needed a break sometimes!

[closedcircuit]

Bad things weren't limited to only happening when people were prepared and on guard, and if Libertà had found it so important to take a break than he could have called for backup.

Irresponsible was the word that went racing through Ky's head when he spotted the young man -- boy, except that it would be hypocritical for Ky to call anyone who could fight a boy -- idly shopping.

"Libertà." His voice was firm, displeased.

[foolswords]

Wouldn't calling for a backup be kind of pointless? In Libertà's mind it certainly was, especially that he was going to go back to his job in a moment and it was pretty boring there anyway.

Libertà turned around hearing Ky's voice and smiled at him, cheerful and carefree.

"Oh, hey!" he then paused, finally noticing that something was not right. "...What's wrong?"

It didn't even cross his mind that Ky would be angry at him for leaving. Libertà hadn't forgotten about what he was supposed to do after all!... Even though he was probably away from his post longer than he was planning to be.

[closedcircuit]

It wasn't as though Libertà wasn't given time off, he didn't work any more than the hosts who staffed the club did, and so long as he was at his post and keeping a decent enough eye on everything, Ky would have understood something a little less than constant vigilance. Outright leaving his post, though, was much less understandable, and Ky didn't think that anything Libertà could be doing in a store would justify it.

Ky's face was serious, not stern, but certainly not anything friendly or pleased either.

"Don't you have a post that you should be at?" he asked.

[foolswords]

"Oh, c'mon." Libertà made a face. Why did it always happen to him? Even back home he would always get scolded by either Dante or Nova.

"I was going to go back in a moment!"

Seriously, Christmas were so close; how could he think of work right now?

"Besides, nothing bad was happening either and it's almost Christmas too!" He couldn't help but look at least a little annoyed (even though it was all his fault for neglecting his duties).

[closedcircuit]

"Perhaps nothing was happening because you were there. You can't underestimate your own influence as a preventative measure. And if something would happen, you would want to be available and close, not simply assigned to the post but far away."

It was far from entirely Libertà's fault, Ky took everything far too seriously and that was equally the case now. Vatheon tended to be surprisingly safe, but Ky saw that as no reason to relax.

"If you need relief from your post, you should request it."

[foolswords]

"Nothing bad has been happening in Vatheon for... okay, I don't know for how long, but, seriously it's safe and peaceful lately. Why would it change before Christmas?"

Libertà couldn't imagine anyone, not even the worst villain committing crimes before Christmas. Not in Vatheon that seemed so peaceful. Maybe it was just his lack of imagination.

In any case, he was annoyed at how Ky was so serious about this. It made Libertà wonder if the other ever took a break. If he was like Nova (and to Libertà, Ky sounded like Nova right now) then he was sure he never relaxed even for a moment.

"Besides, I said I was going to go back in a moment anyway." he huffed. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"

[closedcircuit]

"Christmas isn't an inherently safe time of year," Ky said. "Our captors themselves don't assign the holiday any more significance than any other of the things they find many people here celebrate. And many of the people here don't come from worlds where there even was a Savior who walked the Earth and taught for us to learn."

Ky was serious about most things, it was true, but perhaps the most difficult fact for Libertà to believe would be the fact that Ky had actually loosened up a bit since coming to Vatheon. There were, however, times when he felt comfortable relaxing, and times where that was very distinctly inappropriate. From every angle Ky was willing to consider, this was one of the latter.

"Because abandoning your post is something that should only happen under very pressing circumstances, and you didn't have those and chose to leave anyway. Because I made a promise to the people here that we would keep them safe, and if we can't even manage to have them guarded at all times then we can't really keep that promise, can we?"