[Mello is already reaching for his Weapon when Near anticipates him and pulls him into that kiss; it feels so inevitable that he doesn't even think to be surprised that Near would do this in public. (Near echoing Mello's own all or nothing mantra is, in its own way, much more of a surprise.)
They've both tried to convince themselves, and each other, that they're nothing but confident about this fight, but Mello's been able to feel, every time he wields his Weapon, the tumult of the souls Near has consumed so far, and the difficulty of controlling their effects and power. And for Mello's part, even though the last time they faced a Witch turned out much better than the time before that, he's not foolish enough to assume there will be anything easy about this battle.
But he's eager, almost cheerful, about facing this challenge. Payback--for the Moral Manipulation Machine, for the times the Witches have hurt people he cares about, for the times they've fucked with him--has been a long time coming, and Mello's more than happy to finally be dishing it out.
He lets his own mental walls down completely, which by now feels more natural than keeping any barriers between his mind and Near's, and takes a quick moment to feel the steady warmth of their resonance, as he might once have listened to his bike's engine before riding off, before stepping through the mirror.]
You have to ask?
[He starts walking towards the canyon, every sense already on alert, though he knows it's unlikely they'll encounter anything yet.]
no subject
They've both tried to convince themselves, and each other, that they're nothing but confident about this fight, but Mello's been able to feel, every time he wields his Weapon, the tumult of the souls Near has consumed so far, and the difficulty of controlling their effects and power. And for Mello's part, even though the last time they faced a Witch turned out much better than the time before that, he's not foolish enough to assume there will be anything easy about this battle.
But he's eager, almost cheerful, about facing this challenge. Payback--for the Moral Manipulation Machine, for the times the Witches have hurt people he cares about, for the times they've fucked with him--has been a long time coming, and Mello's more than happy to finally be dishing it out.
He lets his own mental walls down completely, which by now feels more natural than keeping any barriers between his mind and Near's, and takes a quick moment to feel the steady warmth of their resonance, as he might once have listened to his bike's engine before riding off, before stepping through the mirror.]
You have to ask?
[He starts walking towards the canyon, every sense already on alert, though he knows it's unlikely they'll encounter anything yet.]