video; un: ushiromiya (cw: mentions of house fires, arson, murder)

[entreats]

So for those not in the know, our house burned down last month.

[ What a way to open a post, right. And yet Ange manages to say it with something very close to a pokerface. Those who know her well may see something at its edges though. An annoyance that starts to bleed more and more into the girl's tone as she speaks on. ]

And not in the 'dumb accident' sense. No, it's because apparently it's socially acceptable in this place to come to someone's house and set it on fire, before bringing your friends inside to start murdering its inhabitants. [ Okay, yes. At this point it's not thiny veiled annoyance anymore. This is obvious annoyance that she doesn't bother to hide. ] And before anyone asks me if I'm alright— I'm fine. Totally fine. I mean, I half-turned into a beast back there, but it's clearly cool. It's fine.

[ It's clearly not fine. The sarcasm is thick.

Though Ange seems to realise that's not why she was supposed to make this message, and manages to snap herself out of passive-aggressive-ville for just long enough to sigh and sound a little bit more neutral as she speaks on. ]

Anyway, we want to rebuild the house, but that's obviously something we need help with. None of us are exactly architects.. I think. I've learned to not question weird Remnant hobbies. [ You never know what those Remnant people are capable of. ] Not to mention we'd need help with the actual physical rebuilding itself too.

We could use help from a lot of people, so if anyone would be willing to help, that'd be great.

Comments

[entreats]

[ Thankfully Ange seems to take no offense. She supposes one of the Alices is a little bit like a dog, anyway.. ]

I said it just now, right? They're kids.

[ AS.. IF IT'S NORMAL FOR KIDS TO BITE, SOMEHOW.. ]

I think it's how one of them shows fondness or something. Who knows, maybe they were raised by wolves. [ All said with the calmest possible tone in the world.

Totally normal. ]

[chessboardturn]

...do kids normally bite? I don't remember you or Maria biting at all.

[ Look, he's not a dad (yet). ]

...the raised by wolves part wouldn't surprise me, though. There's all kinds of people out there. Did you guys adopt them or what?

[entreats]

They all come from Break's world, and they don't have their parents here. [ .. in fact, Ange is pretty sure some of them just may not have parents period. Which would explain a lot about the whole 'seems like they were raised by wolves' thing.. ] He's the only responsible adult from their world here, so he's looking after them.

[ That's what that arrangement seems like to Ange, anyway. ]

Kind of like how it'd be if Maria onee-chan would suddenly show up here. We wouldn't be able to just let someone as young as her wander around by herself in a place like this, right? [ Especially with how dangerous Trench can be. Please. Ange feels anxious just thinking about that. ] So if aunt Rosa wasn't here in that scenario, we'd end up looking after her instead.

[ Or. You know. Maybe even if aunt Rosa was there after all.

Screw aunt Rosa. ]

[chessboardturn]

Yeah, I understand. I just was a little startled to hear that they bite...

[ He shrugs. He wasn't objecting... more just trying to figure out the whole bitey thing. He'll manage just fine with the idea of them adopting a bunch of kids! ]

You're right about Maria; she'd deserve having her cousins taking care of her. Although she'd probably be a little surprised to know you're so much older than her now! Can you imagine? She'd probably say it wasn't fair.

[entreats]

[ Ange slowly exhales. It's true that it's something she's thought about before. ]

Right. That sounds like Maria onee-chan, doesn't it..

[ She'd be happy to see them, but also throw a mini-fit over something like that, all at the same time. ]

I guess it isn't as strange for me, since I've been growing up all this time. But for Maria onee-chan in that hypothetical scenario, or even for you or Jessica onee-chan here.. It must be weird to see me so much older than you're used to. [ Even though Battler at least got a slight edge by having seen Ange older before, even though he didn't know it was her back then. ]

[chessboardturn]

...I mean, you were already older the last time I saw you, so it's not that much of a surprise.

[ Battler smiles. ]

But no matter how much older you get, you're still my little sister. So I don't think it bothers me too much. Even if it takes some getting used to.

[entreats]

[ At least she does feel rather glad to hear that it doesn't bother him. After all, it's hard for her to tell just how uncomfortable it'd be. She's not the one who's having to deal with a huge change in someone she cares about so much, after all. ]

Are you saying I've changed that much? [ She definitely has. Ange basically admitted it only a moment ago.

But if Battler is being truthful here, then it can't hurt to tease him just a tiny bit. ]

It's kind of cruel to imply a girl is no longer cute, you know.

[chessboardturn]

You're definitely taller.

[ Which is more of a joke than a serious answer, but that's definitely true! ]

And I never said you weren't cute! You're the cutest sister a guy could ask for! And I bet your girlfriend thinks you're cute, too!

[entreats]

[ Pause.

Or rather: it's a pause during which Ange definitely sounds like she's almost choking. ]

H-Hey, wait a second! Why do you have to bring her into it?!

[ It's a protest born out of pure fluster, judging by the way Ange suddenly starts stammering, and with the way her face lights up with a darkblood glittery blush. ]

[chessboardturn]

Because she also has opinions on your cuteness of course!

[ He grins nice and big. Look, if he's going to be the big brother, that means he gets to tease her about her girlfriend. ]

Should we ask her?

[entreats]

Definitely not!

[ Poor Ange.

If only she was more resistant to this, but.. alas. A combination of being both easily flustered and completely unused to having a teasing big brother in her life make her very, very weak to this.

As evidenced by the way she quickly squeaks out that answer, her fluster not hidden in the slightest. ]

You aren't allowed to ask her any questions about me! None whatsoever! Zilch!

[chessboardturn]

Oh, well, guess I should start making a list of questions. I've gotta get caught up on you, Ange! You're my adorable little sister and who better to ask then the woman you love?

[ He's going to keep this up until she explodes, see if he doesn't. ]

[entreats]

[ She's definitely gritting her teeth over here.

All the way until he arrives at that question, and then she bursts. ]

Are you saying I should ask the woman you love about you then, huh, onii-chan?!

[ Not that she'd ever want to talk with Beatrice about Battler.

Ange would rather jump off a cliff. ]

[chessboardturn]

I mean-

Um.

[ Wow, not fair. ]

I-if you want? What would you even want to ask her?

[ HELP. ]

[entreats]

[ Nothing at all is definitely the right answer here.

But Ange can't say that. She can't be that honest. It means she'll lose, just when she's starting to get Battler to sweat a little too for once..!! ]

I'll ask her to tell me the embarrassing stories she has about you.

[ Pause.

For dramatic purposes. ]

Every.

Single.

One.

[ It's a good thing that Ange can make her tone sound relatively even, no matter the bits of fluster that still remain on her face while she's talking.. ]

[chessboardturn]

Now you're just playing dirty! What happened to my sweet little sister?

[ He's teasing in kind. Really. ]

[entreats]

She disappeared the moment you threatened to embarrass her.

[ A crime which can't be forgiven, Battler.

No matter what!! ]

Now you're just left with me, the demon inhabiting your sister's body, ready to expose your most embarrassing secrets to the world. [ And you know Beatrice would know many of them, Battler.

So many of them. ]

[chessboardturn]

[ Beatrice does know quite a few of them, to be fair. Although Ange would have to talk to her to learn about them... ]

It was just a bit of teasing, Ange! Come on, give your beloved older brother a break!

[entreats]

...

[ A pause. Maybe he is getting a break. Especially since Ange's fluster seems to calm down a little, until a point where it's less angry, and more just.. well. Pouty. ]

You're the one who started it.

[ Very mature sibling talk. ]

[chessboardturn]

It's all in fun, you know.

[ He laughs softly. There's a very affectionate look on his face as he peers into his communicator. ]

I didn't want to seriously upset you, though. So I'm sorry.

[entreats]

It's okay.. [ Still a little pouty, but in a way that's more settled now. ]

I knew that. [ It's just how Battler is. Even as he might tease people - he's way too kind. He'd never want to hurt someone on purpose, not like this. ] I'm just a little embarrassed. But.. I'm also okay.

[ More or less. ]

I'll let you know when we'll start to rebuild, alright, onii-chan? If you want to make it up to me, you can just show up for that.

[ Please - like he needs to 'make it up' to her. She loves him either way. ]

[chessboardturn]

I definitely will.

[ There's a low laugh from him on the other side. ]

If you ever need anything, really, just let me know. I'll come running. I promise.