IC Contact + Overflow

[gunslingerqueen]

Wanna continue a TFLN thread? Wanna text or call Nariko, or just play in general?

Here's the place to do it!

Comments

[hairrowing]

[Gladion's heart lurches, both by the sudden awakening, and her soft utterance of someone else's name. She'll be disappointed, won't she?]

No, it's me. It's Gladion. You want some water?

[gunslingerqueen]

[Green eyes, not blue! His voice is a little darker, too, but only because despite being the same age as Gladion, Nathan always sounded naturally lighthearted.

And - Well. Fuck.]

I ...

[Why does she feel so much worse now? Maybe it's the complete mortification adding in a little spice.]

... If you don't mind.

[hairrowing]

[she looks horrified to see him, and Gladion feels a bolt of guilt. But he just gives her a soft smile and pats her hand]

Of course.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Guilty, miserable silence warps around some attempt to smile, she's still at a loss for words as he moves. Pasha kind of looks up and between them curiously but ... That baby loves to eat, they're fine for a little while longer.

Only when he comes back, does she end up sounding like some scolded toddler:]

I'm sorry. Really.

[hairrowing]

[he sets the water beside her before he speaks, before those green eyes lock gazes her her. he raises a brow]

You've got absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Not at all.

[gunslingerqueen]

Pretty sure I made it weird.

[The hand with crescents of blood is free of wounds, they’ve already healed, and she presses the glass to her forehead.]

… It’s not usually this bad.

[hairrowing]

[he looks at her from beneath his eyelashes]

It wasn't weird.

[a pause]

And you're alone, usually?

[gunslingerqueen]

Mm.

[She definitely made it weird! What does he think about the crazed idiotic adult having weird fever dreams?! Nothing good!]

Oh, I guess I never really mentioned it, [Slow, grateful sips.] I’ve been on my own for over two years now. I just went home sometimes to check on my brother, or throw an egg at my ex-boyfriend.

[For fun, you know.]

[hairrowing]

[he hums, watching her silently for a moment]

Sounds reasonable enough. Not weird.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Oh, what can she do except blink at him because maybe he’s being serious, but this just seems like his sense of humor peeking out a bit. Even tired, she snickers a little,]

Right? That clerk had no business judging the quantity of eggs I had! A lady needs her hobbies.

[hairrowing]

[maybe a bit of both]

Either that or you're making chickens into cannibals.

[gunslingerqueen]

And we'll never know because that's how I maintain my alluring air of mystery!

[There it is, just a bit, her usual cheeriness, and luckily it settles, but doesn't leave the building entirely when she asks, carefully,]

Hey, are you okay?

[hairrowing]

Right you are. [he rolls his eyes playfully, a smile playing at his lips.

Her question makes him pause]

Yeah? I'm fine. Why wouldn't I-- that doesn't matter. You should rest.

[gunslingerqueen]

Of course it matters.

[Stern face goes here!!!!]

And isn't this resting? [She's just ... Sitting! Not doing anything! And enjoying the water because maybe she's still got a fever but who cares. Not her!]

[hairrowing]

[he hums-- it doesn't matter, not when she's going through this. he's doing the frowny thing]

No thinking, that's not resting.

[gunslingerqueen]

I know it doesn't look like it, but asking me to not think is a challenge.

[Unreasonable request, comrade, try again! He's lucky she's tired or else she'd pinch his face or something since he wants to be all frowny!]

This just isn't, like, fair to you, is all. [She clears that water real fast, and the confession makes her very aware of how exhausted she still is.] You have to know that.

[hairrowing]

[a sigh

she's right. not thinking is a challenge for him too]

Life isn't fair. Its not fair you're going through this. I'd rather I were here, than not.

[gunslingerqueen]

No, that part is fair because I've done this to myself.

[It isn't very often that Nariko says something and immediately wants to take it back but that response - probably wasn't the best way to go about this.]

I'm putting too much on you.

[hairrowing]

What? No you didn't! That's stupid. You didn't do that.

[the Frown grows]

You aren't.

[gunslingerqueen]

[They are both really hardheaded people, she knows he could probably argue with her forever, or worse - stop arguing and just do the Frown in silence. It makes arguing pointless.]

I just want you to protect yourself, that's all.

[It's a lot more complicated than that but, hey, she's tired!]

[hairrowing]

[he might do half and half at this rate.

he faulters]

I will. I do. But I wanna protect you too.

[gunslingerqueen]

[He's so good that it's unfair.]

You can protect me by never, ever going near him, or even thinking about it. Because I would rather lose every limb and stitch myself back together, than make another person I care forget about me.

[hairrowing]

[he doesn't say anything in the negative or positive. just gazes at her with those green eyes and goes:]

Hmm.

[gunslingerqueen]

[Okay, look, Nariko is not any more or less immune to embarrassment than a normal person and!!!! That was an mortifying, vulnerable thing for her to say out loud!

It makes that even-tempered response so much more challenging. Her arms fold tightly over herself, sharply looking away from him as if that neutral gaze was as searing as a glare, and then ... Pouts.

Just pouts!!!!]