imeeji_frontstage | (no subject)

[HE HAS DONE IT ONCE TOO MANY TIMES, he knows.]

Fair enough.

Did you want to ask anything else? Because I should just need to sharpen this after the handle.

[ LOOK!! She has to believe she can do it! ]

[ The question doesn't exactly earn a pause, but she does frown a little more deeply. There's plenty of questions she could ask, but she's still sorting through them. Makes a face as her hair falls back over at the gesture. ]

Oh, only about a dozen of them. But most of them are ones I should figure out on my on.

All right. If you think of something else, feel free to ask.

[All right, that should seal the wound. A nicer leather strap to wrap around and he's moving over to the grindstone, hitting the pedal to start its turn.]

Yeah, sure.

[ She's almost tempted to stay mum since the process of grinding is a bit loud. Let's it be for a good minute before deciding, testing the waters: ]

What about you - is there something you want to ask?

[ Not that she knows or has anything on him, but it seemed right to ask after... Yesterday. ]

[He starts grinding after she asks, mostly because grinding IS very loud and he gets through a few passes.]

[Then pulls away, wiping down the edge and looking it over as he does ask.] How are you getting along with Avante?

Besides Suoh, I imagine that hasn't been pleasant. I had to promise to be his coffin maker just to make sure no one actually tries to bury him. [Since there is obviously no coffin being made in here.] He's under a status effect.

Fine, I guess? [ She does in fact sound dubious, but she's not entirely sure she's a good teamplayer :u

But ah yes the mention of hawk, she makes a breath of a sound that's somewhere between exasperation and a laugh. ]

Yeah, that kid. Robin was recovering from something too and he was just proclaiming he was dead... Honestly, with everything going on I just went with it.

[ Until someone explained later but honestly, it just. Seemed better to go with it everything else was magic??? And they talked about regrowing limbs? And Hawk was earnest it didn't help. ]

Yeah, sometimes that's all you can do with status effects. If they're not causing any actual harm, sometimes the best thing is to let it work through their system.

Hopefully they'll be able to give a better impression when they're themselves again.

[Okay, grind grind grind, buff and check.]

Did you get to do anything fun yesterday?

Hopefully.

[ She agreed, wary on the matter. ]

[ There's a small pause at the question as she considers it. She's not suspicious of him just yet in this regard so - ]

One of your unitmates took me for a flight around the city.

[ Which feels less weird than it sounds, but yknow. ]

Oh? Red hair, white hair, black hair, or blonde?

Red. Caeli.

Hmm, that sounds about right. He's been here the longest after me, and pretty sociable.

Did you enjoy it? [Will wait for her answer before more grinding.]

[ ... ] Yes.

[ A beat, ] But I'm sure you already knew that.

[ Notably, not an accusation. ]

....well, I had an inkling. I didn't know the status of any fear of heights you might have had.

[He shrugs with a sheepish look and then gonna grind the other side.]

I wasn't worried about that.

[ Because she wasn't... She just doesn't back down from a perceived challenge. ]

[ His question does bring up another one that she decides need to be asked. Since she's not convinced he put Caeli up for it, but even so - ]

So just how many people know who I am?

[ The 'knows more about me than I do,' goes unsaid ]

[He absolutely didn't. Well, not specifically. He just told Caeli he thought he and Astrid would get along.]

[There is a pause in his grinding. Then he focuses on it for A Bit.]

I believe....eight people who are still here who have seen my memories and thus likely have seen you. Its about half of them who saw anything of real substance.

[ It's not as bad as it could be she tries to tell herself. She still doesn't like it. Continues to cement her former ideas. Exhales, something more of an annoyed groan. ]

Great.

If it helps, if they hadn't seen the memories, I may have still told the memories. They're people I trust.

And if I'm remembering anything of you of substance, its because I'm involved in the substance...stuff. [He gestures vaguely as he polishes the blade, looking over the edge.] You weren't their concern, I was, so I was the focus of any digging about the events.

Edited 2022-09-24 04:55 (UTC)

[ She shakes her head slightly. ]

Look, I don't blame you for them knowing anything. [ Because she doesn't, though there's still something in her touch. ] Of course they'd be more worried about you, you're their friend and the one that was here. It's just -

[ Difficult to describe. She doesn't blame him, but by consequence of him being there she feels seen by total strangers when she doesn't have her own bearings. ] It doesn't matter. I'll deal with it.

[ Because that's kind of. All she can do. ]

Its still disconcerting and uncomfortable. As well as probably a lot of other words.

[He just hoped the fact he would have shared the information normally would make it less....a lot. Make it more mundane, maybe.]

[He holds out the axe to her.] Want to go to the park before memories? You can hit some trees and hopefully if I'm there, that'll be enough screens for the memory?

[ The fact she chooses not to respond to that is probably proof enough he hit the nail on the head. ]

[ But she will take the axe. Because she's not going to lie about how it's comforting to herself. ] I'll be fine without hitting some trees, but a walk sounds nice.

[ A pause. ] What do I owe you?

[ For use of the axe; Said in a way that she won't take no for an answer. ]

I don't suppose saying I owe you from home will work for this, huh?

.....

Never mention the dress or girl thing to certain parties at home. You'll know exactly who I mean when you remember them.

[ He's right to immediately go into a suggestion, because otherwise she was going to continue to stare him down. ]

[ ...Curious choice, though. ]

For now. Pretty unfair of you to use my lack of memory to your benefit when it sounds like it might be a good time. For me.

[ Certainly, probably the lightest tone she's taken with him yet - almost teasing. She'd (probably) wind up agreeing and keeping it, but he doesn't need to know that. ]

Edited 2022-09-24 05:36 (UTC)

And that's exactly why I'm asking it for payment. I know the value of it.

[He gives his own cheeky tone, as he tugs off the apron.]

[ ... Squinting. ]

You have yourself a deal.

[ But now she's just curious. ]

Glad to hear it!

[Listen, Snotlout nor the Twins never need to know about Maid Rye.]

So anywhere you want to go? [Heading for the door.]