what does your oc like about the oc above them?

It almost frustrated them how well Shry's life had gone despite their hardships. "Ah..so you've been through..a lot!" Their teeth were gritted as they forced a smile. "And you're..still standing..!" They tried their best to sound sincere, but they came off very passive aggressive and condescending. "You're a fighter! Aren't you?"

Hopeless. Fuun decided to ignore their rage that was piling and took a breath. "That's quite admirable." Their tone softened, and so did their posture. "Maybe mortals aren't so..incompetent." 

(basically they're impressed that Shry has gone through so much but has been able to make their life better; they take pleasure in people's pain but if they survive that pain they receive respect lol)

"Whoa, you've got your own cult? That's really cool, and that "fortune telling" business is a genius idea too, after all you know what they say about a fool and his money~"

...Lemons?! Caelestis coughed as he nearly choked on his current sip of lemonade. It had been a casual conversation, largely in the ways of attempting to provide some love advice for this girl's crush that sounded perhaps increasingly concerning the more he heard of it. Confidence was not always a problem at all in and of itself, but sometimes it was best to simply reconsider one's approach, rethink one's mindset... And yet any further thoughts in relation to the matter scattered entirely at the mention of that particular bright, sun-tinted citrus fruit.

"Pardon—I—" He downed several more gulps in attempt to clear up his throat, before setting the glass delicately down once more as though the previous moment had never happened. "You… like lemons as well? The simply wonderful sour tang, that hint of sweetness that balances it out ever so flawlessly…" Honestly, when he thought about it, one look at Sulfur felt enough to judge her as someone who would be likely to enjoy the lovely, natural delicacy. Significant ego aside, persistence that had him sympathizing somewhat with the object of her affections aside, to not appreciate one with such fantastically cultured tastes was simply unheard of. "Say, Aurelianus, was it? I will put in good word for you to all the best of my ability. He will be utterly charmed, and beyond dazzled, I assure you."

Truthfully, there seemed a very great unlikelihood that anything of the like would yield positive results at all, but Caelestis, really did quite want some lemon pie.

Cormac was excited at the person above. Another true romantic! Being a flirt himself, he felt like he could relate. “I see I have spot another flirt! It’s nice to know someone out there enjoying the wonders of love! Whether it be platonic, romantic, etc…!” He can’t help smiling to himself. Oh, love, love, love, his favorite word…

"Wooo! I gotchu boo! I don't really understand romance, but flirting is fun!! Partying is fun! Good on you for just going at it and having fun in college! People in general are just great!!! Be careful though, some people" Red pauses, squinting their eyes "are assholes." 

"I have to say, emotional intelligence is certainly not my forte. Truly caring for someone is a rather difficult task that requires quite a bit of emotional energy. You are quite open with your feelings and thoughts, which is rather dangerous and foolish to an extent; however, kind people such as yourself are what people should keep fighting for." He pauses as if considering what else there is to say. After all, he has never been particularly decent with emotions and stating how he legitimately feels. The entire conversation feels like it was prepared ahead of time, calculated in some way. "I admire your ability to read people is what I mean to say and your inability to care for what others think of you." He states bluntly, breaking the silence. 

     "Gotta say, you've gone through a lot," Alcott said while lighting his cigarette. "Single dad? Or I guess a caretaker... Uncle? Either way, looking after a kid on your own isn't easy." He snorted, well aware of that fact. "What with balancing your work too, you're pretty damn good at this. Still feels like I can't keep up with either half the time, but you make it look pretty effortless." Sure Sean seemed pretty stoic and serious, but hey, a life like that and a job in government? Alcott could understand.

Maribelle watched Alcott warily. She had since just... made herself at home, but remained relatively alert. New places and all, though she was comfortable enough with him to have gone this far. She was, of course, still worried -- she didn't want to have to deal with Laojin for much longer, and now more than ever going back was daunting. Would her boss care if she stayed?

Alcott was kind to her -- sometimes she felt inferior to him, just out of learned habit, but he was compassionate under all of that crankiness. Laojin Base could never give that much to her, no matter how old she was, her own comrades threatening her safety, her life and sanity at stake every day. But at least here she had steaks. Ha. Hahahaha.

"I don't mean to get in your way." she said to him meekly, "Did you get those strawberries, at least? Not that it matters. I was just wondering. Sir." After a long pause, she then asked, her voice even quieter, "You wouldn't care if I stayed here for the weekend, right? Weekends? As I said, I don't want to trouble you. I don't mean to trouble you. I'll do yard work and cooking for you, if you'd like. You are kind enough to even tolerate me. I only want to help." Aaaand stay away from the West for a bit. She was worried what the school year being over likely entailed. Obviously entailed. You know.

Lorna was set on intentionally losing the chess game, but Maribelle didn't need to know that. The older girl had gone into it with the full intention to throw the match, to sprinkle in a few convincing moves to show she was truly trying, before handing the kid a win. Steadily, Lorna found that she didn't need to pretend. The ice melted in her tea beside her, and the book she'd been reading to punctuate the match had started to gather dust in the specter's aura.

"You're... quite good," She says, voice bewildered, as she scans the chessboard, looking for an in that wasn't there. As she reaches over to move her final chess piece, her hand flickers into translucence in the light of their broken surroundings. The windows of this house are cracked and torn, an abandoned Victorian structure who's door Lorna had kept in her back pocket.

Lorna doesn't normally appear- but the wallflower had recognized something within Maribelle, the horror of a broken lock. Maribelle was younger than Lorna ever had been before her hinges were broken open, before the possibility for love was stolen from inside her. Lorna could remember a world where she was whole- Maribelle might not have that blessing. It... hurt to think about, to comprehend being so young and already so ravaged. Lorna wanted to think that being a locked box meant that she could be a shield, that perhaps the walls of her haunted house could protect those with broken doors. She wanted to think a haunting to be a shelter- but who knew if she could actually be one. 

Still- when Lorna had offered this abandoned house to explore, her hard metal edges couldn't help but soften as Maribelle's eyes lit up. Broken and dusty hallways became something enigmatic and beautiful, every door into a new ruined space became something exciting they could share. Gently, they slid into a conversation about mystery novels, about gothic literature and the failures of romance stories. Lorna had come around to the genre of romance, in a sort of distant, analytical way- but there was a lot to relate to in it's distress, in the ways it failed to comfort people like them. 

Maribelle was young. Maribelle had growing to do. So did Lorna, in her own ways- but she could open up a little bit, this time around. When they were done, Lorna reached to the side of her hip, unhooking a thick, metal key from her belt.
"...If you need a place to hide, any door will take this. Take care of yourself, alright?" 

Eiset sits down on the chair, her back acheing. "Healing is hard, and difficult."
She sips a cup of tea, she looks at Lorna, her mind half telling her that she's in danger, that Lorna could hurt her in some terrible godly way. But she pushes that feeling away, as she has done many times before. "When you want to help someone heal you might make mistakes. And although I don't know the correct way to refer to the people you heal, the environments, the houses, I still think it applies. You will make mistakes in your path to help, and as horrible as it is, it is okay. We're all imperfect. "
She huffs slightly as she sets the teacup down "I doubt it matters much, coming from me, but I think you're a good person. Flawed, and scared maybe. But a good person." She smiles, leaning back into her chair " ,I wouldn't mind your company at one of the parties my partner throws, I tend to get terribly bored at those events. To sit with you again, take a few drinks. I think it would be wonderful."

"Oi always feel respect for dose dat run and can tell de tale," Roswell said. He smiled at Eiset, but his smile hardly reached his eye. "It's not easy. Runnin', survivin'," he added. "But yer still did it. Yer still here. Dats commendable." The thief then turned towards the other's cat and gently scratched it behind its ears. Cats, Roswell always had a soft spot for cats.

"Oi know a fair bit about it meself. Though I had never had to outrun slavers." The old man couldn't help but grimace as he spoke the last word. The word made his tongue coil. It even tasted bad. "Scum dey are." Roswell straightened his back and looked Eiset back in the eyes.
"So, yer got a house, a partner 'nd a cat," he summed up. Even using his fingers to count. "Watcha plan next? Watcha long game kiddo? Yer not runnin' away, again roi?" Roswell lips curled. "If yer do plan on it though, oi can take care of de cat." If he hadn't stolen it already.

--

     "Well there's a lot I like about you, Ros!" En shrugged when the question came. He crossed his arms and plodded through the forest path, half-drunk. Maybe the alcohol was where the question came from in the first place, it was sure as hell why he didn't mind answering it either. "I guess it's that you're... you. Does that make sense?" he smirked over his shoulder before looking at a particularly uninteresting leaf off a tree.
     "I mean, you're so real. Lately I speak with nobles and the upper class, and they're all fake smiles-- in more ways than one. It's obvious they're lying through their teeth. You, though, you tell the truth, even if it's hard, and you don't try to mask any bad parts of yourself. It reminds me of when I was younger."
     He tossed another smile over his shoulder. "Plus, you're dating my old music teacher, so it's a bonus when I visit one of you. Oh! And you introduced me to McDonald's-- AFTER saving my life! Yeah, there's tons to like about you, Ros!"

     He spun around, wobbling before catching himself. "What about me? Hey, we should make friendship bracelets while we're at it!"

You can talk to him, his younger self, or his evil self!

^ couldn't resist a bonus reaction for that, whooo boy

(evil eeeennn. also tired af and i have no idea if this makes sense at all or not, so pls go easy on me ahjksghjks)

After what felt only a short time since En's unexpected rejection, the rain had slowed to a stop nearly as suddenly as it had started, even if a little too late for anyone to avoid getting fairly thoroughly drenched though any time spent underneath it. "En," Caelestis called out at the first sight of the other's figure, walking briskly to catch up. "En… En." It was one thing to be angry at him, but to walk right off into the rain like that—!

"I'm sorry. I can leave if you'd rather—you don't have to. I just..." He'd followed on maybe a bit too much of a whim, admittedly. How badly was this pushing his luck now? Did En already hate him all over again? Was the time he feared already becoming reality? "I don't mean to bother you more, but I... feel as though I've taken you for granted, lately," he finally expressed. "I have. You've helped me, time and time again, now. I liked you when you wanted me dead." Perhaps somewhat questionably attracted, frankly. "I still will, even if it becomes so again."

"And now, even while hardened by the world, there remain so many times that show how greatly you care. That glower in your eyes when you're irritated that I can't help but enjoy, your seldom yet dazzling smiles, the faint yet unmistakable softness when caring for your pets. Your harshest moments are sobering, and your moments of affection are all the more heart-fluttering, to the point where I can barely think at all. You've tolerated me for so long, yet I can never predict you."

Unconsciously, his hand grasped loosely onto En's. "Every moment together is such a freshening thrill, I can't begin to explain it. All the unexpected, endearing little things… Everything about you, I…" While pausing to take a proper, deep breath, Caelestis' eyes at last drifted away. Gazing at the ex-prince so fixedly, he could feel it as well—the lurking thoughts that yearned to seep through. It was frightening. To spill all these feelings so effortlessly and unwarranted still, was this the influence of Envy as well? "I can't blame you for any path you take, but I don't want you to walk it alone. I hope you know that."

He looked back at En, although with less courage. How pathetic it was, all but begging him for forgiveness at the slightest show of disapproval. What if he truly did loathe him again already, and this shameless persistence was only further sealing his fate? What if he just hadn't been in the mood for any coffee? "And I mean to say—I had no wish to leave, let alone so suddenly. Only… to host that soul brings certain powers as well, and if… the ones given to me are anything like theirs were, I fear for your safety. Already, I believe almost…" He trailed off with a frown. "I mean to thank you, and apologize. My mind is muddled and misled. If there are any other ways I've wronged you, please, tell me."

“I admire your motivation,” Croatian said in a tone that did not fit that statement at all. “It is very important to try new things, because…you need to live life to the fullest, right?”

He laughed a bit too diabolically after saying that. He was lying through his teeth. What he actually meant was that he admired how he could exploit the celestial’s desire to experience everything there was to see. Someone who constantly chased new sensations like a football player chases the ball, someone who would take pain just as gladly as pleasure…Croatian had never before met anyone so perfect to turn into one of his language learners.

He grinned malevolently as he imagined himself teaching the 7 noun cases of his language to Caelestis. Most of his previous pupils, mainly the ones whose native tongue did not involve as many grammatical cases, quickly grew to fear his language, some were even scared off entirely. But he would finally catch a break from such weak-willed cowardice. A pupil who lived for experience would certainly not disappoint; even through the toughest challenges of the language learning process, Croatian was sure that the celestial would persevere, for the sake of experience itself; this would grant Croatian countless opportunities to watch him suffer.

He suddenly realized that he had been staring at Caelestis the whole time he was lost in thought. Croatian would have been embarrassed if he actually cared about anything other than football and inflicting pain on his victims.
”Uh…keep trying new things. It’s…a good life skill,” he said.

Baghead can't speak words! Only chirps and gurgling sounds and other such things. As such they are immune to any attempts to try and learn the croatian language. Or any language really! They don't know much, like what a vowel is or what a case ending is. But Croatian seems like a very spunky and silly man! Please, tell Baghead all your sport opinions. Let us eat a bowl of fruit together as we watch the little people in the fuzzy box play sportsball. Lets destroy things in triumphant cheer! Oh you are here to wake Baghead up even though Baghead doesn't sleep! How delightful! Let us eat fruit together this fine morning.