shoma, for the most part, seems quiet as he considers these things. it's a lot to process, and it's a lot to really accept knowing this is just how luke is. two sides of the same person, someone who does what he has to to get results without consequence.
it's hard to say what his feelings are because his emotional feedback is also pretty quiet, but it's clear he is thinking a lot of things judging by the way he's staring at him without breaking eye contact. ]
You don't really have to justify it, Luke. [ evenly. ] If that other person caught him before you did, you'd be losing valuable information and time. Right? [ ... ] But I can tell that wasn't your first time doing something like this either.
More than that, it would have made the situation far more dangerous. [Even a serial killer has the right to a trial... and Rosa was... He pulls back his thoughts and feelings then, though, as if locking them behind an iron door. There's another pause, but then he nods slightly. He could lie, but Shoma was just in his head--Luke knows his thoughts weren't those of a scared new trainee.]
Fortunately, not often. [...] I wish I could say never.
[Not that he feels particularly bad about being an asshole to a much worse asshole, but he'd also love it if his job wasn't necessary and he could just do photo restorations or track down old ladies' lost puppies]
Not all killers do. [ he answers the unspoken thought without really meaning to. no. no, he is not going to agree all serial killers have a right to a trial, but that's him being a bitch and biased. nevertheless. ]
...who is she to you? [ he has a lot of other questions, but he's taking it a step at a time, and he thinks rosa must be important if luke cares that much about how she may see him and keeping her safe. ]
[Luke... does not argue with this because tbh he agrees deep in his heart... but unfortunately he can't support vigilante justice either. Sometimes you recognize that some people are shitstains and that there are lots of flaws in the system, but you also know that you can't just let people do whatever they want. (Sometimes you accidentally get wrapped up in a transnational case and recruited at 16 so your perspective is heavily skewed.)
He lets it pass in favor of focusing on the question--and although Luke is a very good actor, he doesn't try to school his features now. His expression softens, and though he turns his gaze away, the gentle fondness in his voice is unmistakable.]
...We grew up together. Her family took me in when I was a kid. [It's more than that, of course, it always has been--but even though he's being relatively open, he doesn't go into detail.] She's a very good person. One of the best I've ever known.
[ he will let it pass to focus on the other part, too. this is a little more important, and he's watching luke's expression and reading through his emotions to see how it all adds up. ]
...you did look like you knew each other pretty well. [ childhood friends to lovers...? he does not say this, but he kind of vaguely wonders. ] It's hard not to care about people you know for that long. Even harder not to think they're a good person when they've been around and have supported you that long, too. [ ... ] Does she always go with you for these things?
No. [Immediately!! He actually looks--not upset, exactly, but unhappy.] I told her not to come with me, but she insisted.
[And... he'd figured he could at least make sure she was protected if she was with him, so he'd eventually relented--but he still regrets it, knowing that it led to her seeing him that way.]
You managed to keep her safe. [ said more like a statement even if it's a question. like maybe in doing so, revealing the true nature of what luke's had to do isn't the worst outcome. ]
No, she's usually pretty good about staying uninvolved. This case was an exception. [SHOCKINGLY. Though it's more because she respects that his work is meant to be classified than anything else... and he doesn't comment on what she wants for his safety, because. Well. If he thinks about it too hard his heart will do all kinds of things, both good and bad, and he doesn't want that slipping past his emotional shields.]
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shoma, for the most part, seems quiet as he considers these things. it's a lot to process, and it's a lot to really accept knowing this is just how luke is. two sides of the same person, someone who does what he has to to get results without consequence.
it's hard to say what his feelings are because his emotional feedback is also pretty quiet, but it's clear he is thinking a lot of things judging by the way he's staring at him without breaking eye contact. ]
You don't really have to justify it, Luke. [ evenly. ] If that other person caught him before you did, you'd be losing valuable information and time. Right? [ ... ] But I can tell that wasn't your first time doing something like this either.
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More than that, it would have made the situation far more dangerous. [Even a serial killer has the right to a trial... and Rosa was... He pulls back his thoughts and feelings then, though, as if locking them behind an iron door. There's another pause, but then he nods slightly. He could lie, but Shoma was just in his head--Luke knows his thoughts weren't those of a scared new trainee.]
Fortunately, not often. [...] I wish I could say never.
[Not that he feels particularly bad about being an asshole to a much worse asshole, but he'd also love it if his job wasn't necessary and he could just do photo restorations or track down old ladies' lost puppies]
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Not all killers do. [ he answers the unspoken thought without really meaning to. no. no, he is not going to agree all serial killers have a right to a trial, but that's him being a bitch and biased. nevertheless. ]
...who is she to you? [ he has a lot of other questions, but he's taking it a step at a time, and he thinks rosa must be important if luke cares that much about how she may see him and keeping her safe. ]
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He lets it pass in favor of focusing on the question--and although Luke is a very good actor, he doesn't try to school his features now. His expression softens, and though he turns his gaze away, the gentle fondness in his voice is unmistakable.]
...We grew up together. Her family took me in when I was a kid. [It's more than that, of course, it always has been--but even though he's being relatively open, he doesn't go into detail.] She's a very good person. One of the best I've ever known.
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...you did look like you knew each other pretty well. [ childhood friends to lovers...? he does not say this, but he kind of vaguely wonders. ] It's hard not to care about people you know for that long. Even harder not to think they're a good person when they've been around and have supported you that long, too. [ ... ] Does she always go with you for these things?
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[And... he'd figured he could at least make sure she was protected if she was with him, so he'd eventually relented--but he still regrets it, knowing that it led to her seeing him that way.]
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You managed to keep her safe. [ said more like a statement even if it's a question. like maybe in doing so, revealing the true nature of what luke's had to do isn't the worst outcome. ]
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[There's a huge difference between normal city dangers and getting involved with tracking down serial killers, he thinks,,]
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...wait how long ago was that?
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Picks a random time]
Last summer.
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At least there's been a bit of a buffer between then and now. [ a little time for things to settle. ]