In Lieu of Unicorns
DISCLAIMER: Yggdra Union © Sting.
"…Are you making fun of me?"
Yggdra frowned at Gulcasa, hand still extended. "I most certainly am not, but I do have to wonder why you ask when I'm only trying to keep your spirits up. You've looked so tired over the past few campaigns, after all."
"And your idea of a pick-me-up is this thing?"
He pointed at the object in her hands, and she looked down at it as well. It was simple—a thin ring of gold-colored metal that was far too durable to actually be made out of gold. Spindly, ornamental little wings were attached to opposite sides.
Her frown deepened. "It's rare, and I've been told that it's very useful. One would think that most people would like rare things, and I know that you're a fan of things being useful."
Gulcasa closed his eyes and sighed, the sound drawn-out and filled with suffering.
"Just for now, I'm gonna ignore the issue of the many things wrong with trying to hand an angel halo to someone descended from demons. And because I know you and even if the workings of your pampered-little-princess mind escape me quite a lot, I know that you mean well, I'll also ignore the fact that demon blood or no, something like this just doesn't suit me.
"The point is that you should save items like this one for people who can actually use them."
Yggdra blinked at the halo, then looked back up at Gulcasa.
"Forgive me, sometimes it's hard to understand what you're trying to say when you bury the topic in sardonicism. What do you mean, you can't use it?"
His broad chest rose slowly and then fell as he exhaled. "I mean I can't use it." Subtly, his face reddened. "I'm not qualified."
Again, Yggdra looked from the halo in her hands to the man standing across from her. "I don't understand how."
The blush on his face deepened, going positively luminescent.
"It's because I'm an adult."
She stared at him in confusion, and he averted his eyes, absolutely refusing to look at her.
But as Yggdra opened her mouth to ask, Gulcasa gritted his teeth and cut her off.
"Look, if you're too stupid to figure out what I mean, then fine! I'm not gonna spell it out for you, since it's none of your business anyway! You should use it your own damn self, the fact that you have no idea is just more proof that you'll be fine! Now shut up and don't bother me!"
And with his face the same color as his hair, he whirled on his heel and positively fled.
Yggdra sighed. She'd never understand why he got so touchy about bizarre things like this, but now she'd have to go through their storehouse to find some other reward for him, one he'd actually like. And it would be a chore to chase him down now.
But she'd thought that this really would work, and let him know that she acknowledged and could accept him. There was no way she'd be able to hand a halo that could only be worn by the pure to someone she only thought of as a murderer, after all.
Maybe there really was something that she just didn't understand about this whole situation. She sighed again, turning to face the fancy cart that held a third of their supplies.
First she'd have to find somewhere to put this.
…She'd ask Mistel about what Gulcasa had meant later.