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[ there's a lot put into tone, when a person speaks. tone carries intent, meaning, even context. but when you can't hear the tone, you have to make do with everything else — the set of the shoulders, the thoughtless gestures of the hands, the way eyes flicker back and forth. body language.
he's in-tune to all of that because he has to be, because he's got to be able to read people if he can't hear them, and so when that hand hovers uncertainly between tess and his shoulder, he can do nothing but watch it, and watch her.
watches how she shifts back, jaw set in a decision. how her eyes look directly at him, but not entirely naturally. every movement is a conscious effort, even the way she steps back and puts some physical distance between them, as if the words weren't enough on their own.
and then, suddenly, surprisingly, a step forward with her very words, even though her lips fold awkwardly around the shapes, even though the syllables drag on her tongue.
he stares, but she's probably used to that by now. what she may not be used to is the small step he takes towards her, the width of his shoulders easily framing hers as he turns to her fully.
there is no hesitation in his words, though his own jaw sets in decision. ]
aNYtHIng ElSe You WAnT?
[ even if maybe he already knows.
even if maybe he knows better than to give it. ]
he's in-tune to all of that because he has to be, because he's got to be able to read people if he can't hear them, and so when that hand hovers uncertainly between tess and his shoulder, he can do nothing but watch it, and watch her.
watches how she shifts back, jaw set in a decision. how her eyes look directly at him, but not entirely naturally. every movement is a conscious effort, even the way she steps back and puts some physical distance between them, as if the words weren't enough on their own.
and then, suddenly, surprisingly, a step forward with her very words, even though her lips fold awkwardly around the shapes, even though the syllables drag on her tongue.
he stares, but she's probably used to that by now. what she may not be used to is the small step he takes towards her, the width of his shoulders easily framing hers as he turns to her fully.
there is no hesitation in his words, though his own jaw sets in decision. ]
aNYtHIng ElSe You WAnT?
[ even if maybe he already knows.
even if maybe he knows better than to give it. ]
[Well, that gets her attention.
That's not anything she was expecting. Spent enough time chasing him down, even if she never quite gave it her all. Still, she wrote him off awhile ago, easy enough to do with the way he was. No point in it. She's quiet for a long moment, eyes a little wider than usual. It makes her look softer than she is, chin tucked slightly to meet his gaze. She blinks.
There's a lot of thing she could say to that. Could say what she'd considered saying half a dozen times since they met. Push for something that would be- well, if not a good idea, at least not the worst one she'd ever had. But it wouldn't exactly be simple, and it might not even be fair. Not with things like they are. Not with her the way she is and him-
But hell, she's never been a very good person, has she?
Not the kind of thing she's meant to be dwelling on right now.
What she does is this: Blinks again, and the mild, thoughtful surprise slips off her face, trades it for a suit that fits her better, slightest hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth and amusement tucked in the corner of her eyes. Takes half a step forward, until there's not much room between them at all, which shouldn't be half as easy as it is.]
Usually. I'll have to think on it. [and it's not much of an answer as she lifts her left hand to brush against his forehead, pushes back the errant hair, eyes focused very carefully on her fingers. Distracted.] You still need a haircut.
[Which means absolutely nothing at all. Drops her hand at the same time she looks back down to meet his eyes, and her expression hasn't changed. It's a funny fucking world.]
That's not anything she was expecting. Spent enough time chasing him down, even if she never quite gave it her all. Still, she wrote him off awhile ago, easy enough to do with the way he was. No point in it. She's quiet for a long moment, eyes a little wider than usual. It makes her look softer than she is, chin tucked slightly to meet his gaze. She blinks.
There's a lot of thing she could say to that. Could say what she'd considered saying half a dozen times since they met. Push for something that would be- well, if not a good idea, at least not the worst one she'd ever had. But it wouldn't exactly be simple, and it might not even be fair. Not with things like they are. Not with her the way she is and him-
But hell, she's never been a very good person, has she?
Not the kind of thing she's meant to be dwelling on right now.
What she does is this: Blinks again, and the mild, thoughtful surprise slips off her face, trades it for a suit that fits her better, slightest hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth and amusement tucked in the corner of her eyes. Takes half a step forward, until there's not much room between them at all, which shouldn't be half as easy as it is.]
Usually. I'll have to think on it. [and it's not much of an answer as she lifts her left hand to brush against his forehead, pushes back the errant hair, eyes focused very carefully on her fingers. Distracted.] You still need a haircut.
[Which means absolutely nothing at all. Drops her hand at the same time she looks back down to meet his eyes, and her expression hasn't changed. It's a funny fucking world.]
[ he certainly doesn't come off as the bookish type, but walk in on him on a quiet, sunday morning and you'll likely find him sipping on some simmering coffee with a book propped open in a hand.
(some days are easier to pretend than others.) ]
soMEThinG LIke ThAT.
[ he's practically got it memorized cover to cover.
the novel he presses into her hand, releasing it so quickly she'd have to hold on to it lest it fall again. ]
GiVE iT A LoOk tHrouGH WHeN You'Re boRed.
(some days are easier to pretend than others.) ]
soMEThinG LIke ThAT.
[ he's practically got it memorized cover to cover.
the novel he presses into her hand, releasing it so quickly she'd have to hold on to it lest it fall again. ]
GiVE iT A LoOk tHrouGH WHeN You'Re boRed.
[ nic doesn't have a lot of value for his life. that much surely wouldn't be much of a surprise, given how often he's found in states like this, how often he willingly puts himself there.
lives like his, they're expendable, and replaceable, and it's just common sense not to waste time trying to fix something that keeps breaking.
so this "care" that so many medical professionals (or otherwise) here claim to distribute indiscriminately — it is too foreign not to be a lie, and too insensible not to be distrusted.
so while he may not value his life, when he is asked to pretend to, he certainly doesn't put it in the hands of people he does not trust. ]
i'Ll heAl jUSt FiNe ON mY Own.
lives like his, they're expendable, and replaceable, and it's just common sense not to waste time trying to fix something that keeps breaking.
so this "care" that so many medical professionals (or otherwise) here claim to distribute indiscriminately — it is too foreign not to be a lie, and too insensible not to be distrusted.
so while he may not value his life, when he is asked to pretend to, he certainly doesn't put it in the hands of people he does not trust. ]
i'Ll heAl jUSt FiNe ON mY Own.
Edited 2015-02-11 18:14 (UTC)
[of course - these are things Hinata doesn't understand.]
[doesn't even fathom. he pauses only because a moment passes wherein he wonders if Twilights had regeneration like Wilson's; the moment leaves with a resounding no way, otherwise he'd be already fine in its wake.]
... You could at least set them. I'll grab the materials.
[foot dropping from Nic's side with a suspicious look on his face. it was the least he could do after causing the man so much trouble--- it was the least he could do, as those fingers looked awful.]
[and different as the origin may have been, he knew as well as any swordsman how valuable one's hands were.]
[doesn't even fathom. he pauses only because a moment passes wherein he wonders if Twilights had regeneration like Wilson's; the moment leaves with a resounding no way, otherwise he'd be already fine in its wake.]
... You could at least set them. I'll grab the materials.
[foot dropping from Nic's side with a suspicious look on his face. it was the least he could do after causing the man so much trouble--- it was the least he could do, as those fingers looked awful.]
[and different as the origin may have been, he knew as well as any swordsman how valuable one's hands were.]
[ a quiet, steadying breath. a tightness around his lips that seem to settle on a refusal, already ready with it, but when he actually responds, the words seem to surprise even him. ]
dON'T knOw HoW.
[ he's seen theo and nina do it a million times, 90% of those on his own hands. but with both damaged, there's no chance he'd be able to do it right, not that he'd be able to do it right despite.
his hands have never been very good at fixing things. ]
dON'T knOw HoW.
[ he's seen theo and nina do it a million times, 90% of those on his own hands. but with both damaged, there's no chance he'd be able to do it right, not that he'd be able to do it right despite.
his hands have never been very good at fixing things. ]
[ he bites the inside of his lip, avoiding eye contact— contemplative with his words, more worried about what it sounded like more than anything, but . . . soon, he's inhaling, appearance only slightly calmer, tone taking a more serious turn. ]
—I need them.
[ he made that point— but this time, he says it quietly, reaching the beginnings of a hush, though with firmness. ]
To protect my friends, or anyone— I need them. To fight.
[ his brows furrow with worry— he already mentioned he didn't like fighting, never took pleasure in it. with every punch came a tiny prayer to end it all in peace. ]
—I need them.
[ he made that point— but this time, he says it quietly, reaching the beginnings of a hush, though with firmness. ]
To protect my friends, or anyone— I need them. To fight.
[ his brows furrow with worry— he already mentioned he didn't like fighting, never took pleasure in it. with every punch came a tiny prayer to end it all in peace. ]
[as the other's expression sets him up to expect refusal, the answer surprises the both of them. for Hinata, it made for a... somewhat pleasant surprise. headway, anyway. words turned over quick, head tilting as suspicion slid smoothly into consideration.]
Then, [still not understanding why Nic wouldn't just go to medical, but accepting it as an immobile obstacle,] we can go to Hange. She knows how. And she spends more time being science-y in her room than at medical, far as I'm aware.
[whenever it might have become a "we," the conditional was apparently there to stay.]
Then, [still not understanding why Nic wouldn't just go to medical, but accepting it as an immobile obstacle,] we can go to Hange. She knows how. And she spends more time being science-y in her room than at medical, far as I'm aware.
[whenever it might have become a "we," the conditional was apparently there to stay.]
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