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The youth squints at her for a moment then rolls their ******** language Nyx."

They mimic her words, wiggling their hands in the air. However taking a moment to think it all over they stare blankly into the distance, shaking their head when they reach a conclusion they didn't much like, black hair rustling around them.

"Dude. You need to sit her a** down and tell her everything. ******** the Accords Lex."

Running one hand through their hair, they think about it a bit more, a laugh escaping as it all catches up in their head.

"You're like.... a ******** wrecking ball sometimes. It's too late for this 'what if' business."

They run their hand over their face, then chuckle gruffly. The biggest reason they'd probably avoid that entire hellhole in the future, and Lex had just farted it out like it was Sunday's gossip under the screeching timbres of a church choir.

"Gods damn it Lex. You have to get it together. You made a choice. You asked for a second chance. And you.... are just gonna have to figure it the ******** out. Starting with me getting you that book, and hopefully ending with you sitting down with a particular atom bomb and telling her the truth about any of this s**t. Her and her... wait..."

Phenyx pauses, rewinding a moment.

"Did you say her new love??"

Mhm. The youth was not the quickest on the uptake when they were baffled. And there was something about the idea of Alice being in love with someone that just.... skritched them weird. Like they had never assumed the girl was capable, or something llike that.

Or.... something.

They really weren't sure what was getting their brain in knots about that one.

The youth watches as Lex fluffs out her hair. The only result that really had was making the woman look more angelic, which was an odd dichotomy with everything Phenyx knew about Lex and her filthy habits. Especially her filthy as ******** mouth.

A frown extends.

"The ******** kind of name is that? Sounds like some sort of medication. Or a doomsday weapon. Guy another weapon like Chesh? You sure Alice didn't just make that s**t up on the spot so you'd quit lamenting her hermit ways?"

Says the person literally named Phenyx. Like that wasn't the most made up name one could cling to. Running one hand through their hair again, they sigh, rolling gray eyes.

"You really gotta start putting your foot down with Phan. It having the pants in your relationship is wild, my dude."

The youth speaks, then pushes out of their seat, walking the room. They started opening and closing cupboard doors, as if they needed a distraction. But this is how they thought about things. While rifling through other people's belongings.

They find a stash of chocolate bars and pull one out, holding it up and pointing at it.

"Can I eat this?"

They opened it and started eating it without an answer. What was Lex going to say? No? Like farts she would. Then, Phenyx pauses, staring out the window.

"Guess it's good she's not splatter punking people all over the place anymore. Turning to ash has gotta be bad for the corporeal forms."

Wiggling their hand, they sigh, stopping and looking up at the ceiling as they chew the chocolate in their mouth, considering.

"Good ******** night, Lex. You folks make it real difficult to enjoy homecomings."

Phenyx lets out a wheezing breath, swallowing the chocolate that seemed a lot heavier in their mouth than it had started. They mulled over the thought of Alice growing into a person. A human, of sorts. An actual living being that wasn't just rage, destruction, and massive amounts of sad sacking around the Phantasia.

"Huh. Guess that's a thing."

They take another bite of the chocolate, mulling it all over. A Him this time. Definitely a change from the last couple. Hopefully this one would live longer. The youth chuckles at the thought. Guess they could make a bet board and really be awful people about it.

"s**t. Color me bamboozled."

She says she doesn't want the chocolate back. Not those exact words, but that's what was said ish. The youth grimaces at her, walking to the window and staring out it. They were closer to it now. Enough to see that Lex needed to wash her ******** windows. They were filthy. No birds flying into these things.

"How long you say you were gone again? Your housekeeping is slipping."

The youth muses the words, tugging down a piece of sleeve to wipe at the window. They knew it was pretty low on her list of priorities. Woman was focused as ******** on counters and stoves and cook stations. She sort of forgot the rest of the world sometimes. Then, with another grimace at her saying that they were missed, they look at her, gray eyes holding amusement.

"Shut the ******** up, Lex. You're being gross."

It was said warmly. What the words didn't say, tone did. Phenyx was glad to be home, even if home was a new building in a different realm.

The youth looks at her when she offers the cleaning supplies. Forehead gained furrows and they scoff.

"How about ******** no?"

They say it in that faux cheerful tone of voice. Shaking their head, they wander away from the window, coming over to rest beside her legs. Her a** was up on the counter, but honestly, it wasn't their place, so the youth couldn't care less.

How'd things get so complicated? What a helluva question. They snort, rubbing the back of their neck with one hand full of rings. A shrug next, and they speak dryly.

"Prolly cuz you done ******** up once and just never stopped. Kept piling on the decisions to make the first one less stupid, but all it ended up doing was creating..."

They gesture towards the general area around them. Not meaning the Elysian, but just in general life around them

"...yanno. ******** light grin and they slap her knee with one hand.

"Bright side. Some of us will live through it long enough to get some long-awaited therapy."

The hug from her up on her perch was met with a grimace. The youth leans into it only slightly, folding their arms across their chest. It was something. They had been missed. Therapy would wreck the whole lot of them. Phenyx shakes their head, black hair moving on their ******** weirdo."

Then, reaching up, they pat one of her arms, just letting her have that for a bit. It didn't hurt either way. And it had been a long time since they had affection that wasn't from stray animals. Lex asked if they were staying, and the youth looks up at the ceiling, considering.

"Mm. I think I am. Here. In your place. Like old times."

They pause, then laugh all of a sudden.

"Just yanno. Without the end of the world threatening us all the time. Normal would be nice. Normal adjacent even, for those watching from home."

They speak lightly, leaning their chin against her arms that were tightening around their shoulders as if afraid the youth would disappear. Phenyx couldn't promise longevity. But they could be here for a while at least.