sweethymns | ғaтe/alт.dιѕтorтιon

[ New experience list: riding on buses, check. It's a little fascinating, and he almost misses Lien's whisper between checking out the buttons on the seats and windows. ]

Huh? Yeah, it's likely. Whoever's been keeping an eye on you hasn't stopped all day.

[ Which is stupid, considering that Cu was also right there, but he figures that whoever is stalking them is cocky, or stupid, or both. ]

[She takes a seat near a window, placing her tote bag on her lap.]

Guess we'll have to choose the grounds to duke it out on. [Already thinking of possible areas and where to place a Field and such...]

Ai may be down for the count, but she's got her Servant and she could probably kill a person from a bed. Not that she would, but a broken limb is a good deterrent.

I'd worry about yourself before you start worrying about everyone else around you. Your sister's Servant can hold his own fort.

[ He says, throwing his feet out as much as he can on the cramped space on the bus, tapping his heels on the floor. ]

If it's a one-on-one that our enemy wants, I'm all for giving it to them.

[Worry about yourself... It's not like she doesn't, but at the same time there's something foreign about the concept. Then again, since the moment she contracted with him, Lien had been more worried about outer repercussions compared to what it was doing to her as a Master.

She slumps into her seat, head tilted so it lays against the window.]

... I didn't dream last night. Could be a good thing, right?

[ That seems mildly out of the blue, so he turns in his seat and raises a brow. ]

Yeah? Dream about what?

I haven't seen the end of the story yet.

[She means his of course.]

Can't say I'm looking forward to it.

Hey. My life isn't some damn Greek tragedy— save me the pity, I never wanted it.

[ A careless wave of the hand, as if to wave away any unpleasantness that might come along with the rest of his "story". For him, it's just fact. ]

It's all stuff that was bound to happen.

[She's silent for a minute or two, not remarking about the tragedy of it all. That's not what she was concerned about and right now it was as good as a time as any to bring it up]

Ai dreamed. But it wasn't normal.

You know, when I toss you a ball, you're supposed to toss it back.

[ The tone here is a little leaden, a little exasperated, but he readjusts to the sudden shift. ]

What did she see? The other kid's life wasn't great, but it's not abnormal.

Was he supposed to die twice?

[ A moment to consider: ]

That would depend. If he was summoned to this world before, there's a possibility he got offed again. It's rare, but as long as our originals stay intact, whatever happens to our projections is fair game.

You both said it though; you're supposed to retain the knowledge and memories you've made while you were here. He's completely clueless and appears to think this is his first time here.

[Lien groans and starts thumping her forehead lightly against the window.]

I'm getting that overwhelming feeling of biting off more than I can chew again, dammit.

Then that's his problem, not mine; if he asks for help, you can all find a way to help him. If he hasn't asked, then there's nothing any of us can do about it, is there?

[ He knows that that's a cut-and-dry argument, and he knows that it sounds dismissive, but he has to have an objective otherwise: this isn't what he was summoned for, he assumes.

Not that he doesn't care, but in his heart of hearts, he has a feeling that they're all trying to wrestle into a spot that they're not meant to touch without some sort of acknowledgement from the affected party. ]

If you can't chew it, don't bite it. Or only bite it if you're gonna have the guts to chew, later.

[She rubs her forehead to face forward again, grimacing.]

Well, I made an offer to root out those memories, but it'll be up to them to follow up on it. So that's, that.

... What about you though? Sure there's nothing you're forgetting or you don't care?

[Hey, she's beginning to catch on, good for her]

Don't conflate our personal issues with the task at hand, little lady. I can handle whatever's going on with me.

[ Which has always been his stance, from day one of his life and from his subsequent nonlife, when he had to kill his one true friend, when he had to kill his son—

(—when he saved that hard-headed girl with a hole in his chest, ah, but he doesn't regret that, either).

He has a feeling that Diarmuid makes things a lot more complicated for himself than he has to. ]

If you want to see, take a look. I don't have anything to hide.

[ He holds out his hand. ]

[!!!!]

Edited 2015-01-06 01:19 (UTC)

D-Don't offer things like that so freely!

[She crosses her arms as if wanting to hide and protect her hands. Is she... Embarrassed...? Happy? A bit of column A, a bit of column B??]

Why trust me so easily anyways, even if we do have a pact??

[ For a moment, he genuinely looks like he has no idea why she's asking. ]

[ ...And then, of course—

—he laughs. ]

What, don't tell me you're the type that'll exploit that kind of thing.

[ he knows she's not. ]

Edited 2015-01-06 01:24 (UTC)

That's a no, of course!

[It's easy to tell she's flustered. Lien's been exhibiting a lot of expressions in the past two weeks for someone who's default mode is quiet contemplation or outrageous snark.]

It's just that I don't... Ai's the only other person who lets me do that's only because we're family and even then I don't...!

... God, I have issues.

[Well, she's still her, through and through.]

I told you. I don't have anything to hide, and there's nothing about my life that I'm too ashamed of.

[ He figures that it might not be the same for her, or that she's gotten used to being reclusive— either way, it's not difficult for him to trust Lien. ]

We're saddled with each other either way, issues or no, so it's not that big of a deal to me, whether you know things about me or don't.

...

[Lien uncrosses her arms and places her hands in her lap. Her fingers move a little, but she's debating with herself over something that's only comprehensible to her.

And then she slowly, hesitantly, but surely reaches over and places her hand over Cu's.]

... I'm just holding your hand. I'm not reading anything.

[ If she expected him to be surprised, he isn't: instead, he quirks his lips as if to say "really", before reaching out with his free hand to let her rest her head on his shoulder, if even for a moment. ]

That's fine, then.

[It's so simple and it's so stupid at the same time. Those were the words that she would describe herself with right now. Holding someone's hand isn't supposed to be a big deal. But it is for her. Resting on the shoulder of someone you've only known for a little while isn't a big deal. But it is for her.

Her bangs cover her face as she rests against his shoulder and her gloved hand moves slightly as if she wants to hold on tighter, but is too afraid to do so. Her prana feels more prominent even with the glove on; after all they were just preventives and they couldn't fix her.]

... Tell me when we get to our stop. It's in 20 minutes.

Edited 2015-01-06 06:34 (UTC)

[ He wasn't lying in the past, when he said he likes hardheaded women. Lien is as stubborn as she can be roundabout, but he doesn't hold that against her; she's 19 and scared of things that she shouldn't be, and she's fighting. There's no way he can see that and dislike it.

Letting her settle, he waits until she's halfway asleep, before saying, in smooth Old Irish: ]

—Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine.

[ "Under the shelter of each other, people survive."

He hopes that that'll be the case for her, at least. ]

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