They're totally evil?? I mean- it's about the context! It's not that sex is bad, but before marriage it's-

[ a small sound, somewhere between confused resignment and alarm. ]

Look, God's the one who gets to decide that, not you? You. You do get that, right? Like, you can yell all you want at me about not being evil enough, but I could just as easily point out that you'd be a villain where I'm from???

THEN WHY ARE YOU SAYING IT'S FINE???

[ she splutters for a second at the response she gets. he just doesn't get it, does she? and for a moment she's ready to give him hell over that.

but... something catches her eye, first. something that makes her slowly stop stuttering and fall silent instead. something that makes the eyes all across those wings refocus, turning to face the camera as one.

when she speaks again, it's in a much quieter tone. ]

Killing people for a reason. [ the emotion in her voice is gone - surprisingly held back, surprisingly even. ] What about that, then?

A lot of the Scouts talked like that back home. But most of them were just excited for the chance to pull the trigger.

[ sorry, bakugou. she's made up her mind here: whoever GRTEXPLSNMRDRGDDYNMT is, he's the kind of person she's ran into far too many times to count. ]

I think... whatever you want to call me doesn't really matter? [ she sounds like she's trying to pick her words carefully. it's odd, hearing how much different she sounds like this. ] But I don't think I'd want to be a hero. And I don't think you'd want me on that anyway.

I don't know if you're trying to give me a pep talk or yell at me? But. Either way. You can say hero or villain or whatever you want, just...

[ the girl sighs, running a hand through her hair. ]

Look. You've said you're not gonna try to beat the gay out of me or whatever. And I'm glad? Like. Genuinely. Just don't try to tell me I'm not the devil or beat that out of me either. Can we just agree on that?

Already on it, sir.

[ is she being a bitch or just defaulting to old habits? kind of hard to tell when she's keeping herself even like this. she sighs as she reads the second message, shaking her head gently. ]

I believe that just fine. I've just never met someone calling themselves a good guy who-

[ -wait. that's not quite right, is it? ]

...I've never met a hero other than Kyoka who actually meant it.

She was a hero I met on the last planet I got stuck on? Or, uh. I guess she went by "Earphone Jack." We, uh- we got to know each other pretty well, I guess.

[ she is ABSOLUTELY not going into detail about that. especially not in front of this guy who keeps wildly swinging between "worst ever" and "passable." ]

Yyyyeah?

[ don't say you were friends with benefits, don't say you were friends with benefits ]

Oh, wait, do you know her? Are you from that world with the uh- Quirks and stuff?

Oh. I mean. Yeah, that makes sense? I probably wouldn't have any idea if I hadn't met her.

[ ... ]

No offense? But I feel like she was a lot better at gentle introductions than you.

Yeah. I kind of got that impression?

[ the worst part about it is that she doesn't even sound like she's trying to make fun of him. it's just like she's pointing out a fact, that's all. ]

Oh. Uhhh. I mean, sure, I guess? I've just been hanging out in Nightwake. Do you want to meet anywhere in particular, or...?

Uh.

[ this definitely isn't a date situation, right? because she is not sure how to feel about this random- guy? probably a guy. not like she knows, but most of the people that were that eager to get their hellmurder on back home were guys.

after a moment's hesitation, she says: ]

No...? I guess. Any place you're feeling works.

[ his general vibe is rancid. the kind of guy god sounds like, barely holding back yelling at you. venus doesn't wince or flinch away; she makes eye contact, grabbing onto that tiny bit of rebellion and holding tight. ]

Yeah. [ one wing flutters, stretches out - then ducks back in, wrapping around her side. ] You're the guy from the network?