(no subject)

[at_heart]

Who: LiliS + visitors
Where: LiliS Dorm
When: Day 460, post-game

[ Lost one, won one, processing and plans and updates and whatever! ♥ ]

Comments

[wayofthehousekeeper]

You were a knight?

[ Genuine surprise. ]

[at_heart]

[ —People being surprised about this is fine. It's neutral. It should be a compliment, hell. So why does it tense him up a little. ] [ Lupine tugs the reins, an easy gesture that gets his horse moving! ]

Apparently! I only lasted three months, though, so. No need to totally change how you think about me.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Huh, you do seem to have a good temperament and nature for it.

[ But Aster doesn't seem to give it much thought either way, following Lupine's lead. ]

[at_heart]

[ ...................That's weirder! He's not sure he likes that, either! ]

—Thank... you?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ What's weird about it?? ]

Wow, you sound really hesitant about accepting that compliment.

[at_heart]

[ bleeeeehhhhh he needs to buy more memories ]

Yeah, sorry. I don't know, I've gotten back a few memories of run-ins with them...

Knights aren't all bad, I guess.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Knights also aren't all the same though, right? They're individuals, just like all of us.

1/

[at_heart]

...That's true.

[ Leading his horse over to the, like, exit, that will get them down out of the building, etc. And still frowning to himself. ]

—There's only so much good individuals can do in a crappy system, though.

[at_heart]

...Man.

[ SCRUBS A HAND THROUGH HIS HAIR, gives Aster an apologetic half-smile. ]

I'm sorry, I think I'm having an argument with someone else.

[ The words coming out of his mouth sound, feel, strange to him. ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Giving a little smile of understanding in return. ]

No problem. It seems like knights is a loaded term for you and that's fair.

[at_heart]

Heh. You could say that.

[ Though he immediately thinks of Zari, and by comparison not at all. ]

...I, uh. Appreciate the patience.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Giving a playful wink since he can't nudge Lupine from atop his horse. ]

I've been told it's one of my best traits.

[at_heart]

[ ffff ]

—Yeah, well. If there's anything that's loaded for you... or, rather, when you figure out what is? I'll do my best to handle that at least half as well.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

I mean, the only one I've got isn't really old news and it's more or less something we have to figure out as we go...

[at_heart]

[ His smile slips a little, more curiosity. ]

Think it's the kind of thing where talking it out might help?

[ Horse elevator or tunnel or WHATEVER IT IS PRECISELY is happening, they'll be up and out on the streets soon! ]

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Well... it's more like I think the only way to settle it out is to do it. But it's kind of a long and slow wait?

[ Wait he's being weirdly vague. ]

... Figuring out a friendship with a former superior is odd.

[at_heart]

—Oh.

[ Man, he doesn't know what he was expecting, but. Hmmmmm. ]

The woman who's here from your world, right?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Yeah. We agreed to be friends, found out we have a professional sort of relationship, and honestly I can't help but fall back into old patterns around her.

[at_heart]

[ A humming noise. ]

I'm guessing she's not a fan of that idea?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

She hasn't said anything yet... so I could be worrying over nothing.

[at_heart]

[ ...aw, Aster. ]

You should definitely make sure you're not actually already on the same page before you spend too much time worrying.

[wayofthehousekeeper]

[ Laughing. ]

I'll try to bring it up. She's just a lady I respect a lot, which is weird to say since I'm just getting to know her both in my memories and here, but... it's a feeling I've had since that first memory.

[at_heart]

[ Grin. ]

Yeah, I — well, I can't say I know what that's like... but it makes sense to me?

[ Smallest pause— ]

Can I say again that if you wanna have her over sometime, I'd be happy to help out?

[wayofthehousekeeper]

Well, thanks for the support. I don't know how keen she is on visiting Lilis, but for now we've been meeting up a lot at the teahouse and that's been real comfortable.

1/

[at_heart]

[ He both does and doesn't like that?? It's a cute mental image, but... Lupine doesn't know. He supposes... he just wants to think of their dorm as feeling enough like home...

It's probably silly. ]