[ 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. ]
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.]
[ plenty of things to dwell on while you're here. plenty of things to hold you down and keep you down, and plenty more to keep you contained within yourself. everyone needs their chance at release. and everyone manages it a different way.
tess isn't the most powerful of their lot — in fact, she may well be one of the weakest — but there's more to strength than power, and there are people here who depend on her. ellie, hinata, even eren and parker and the rest of harpy — none of them can afford to let her lose herself. and while the woman may be stubborn enough to go down fighting, it'd still be a damn shame to let that happen any time soon.
the whole point of being an effective shield is knowing when to take the hit, and who to take it for. ]
i'Ll puT IT On mY LISt.
[ and in return, she gets nothing more than a slight turning up of his lips. a ghost of a smile that's still somehow more genuine than most of the others he's spare since recruitment (a good number of them with her, for her).
shirt in hand, katana strapped back on his hip. a tip of his head and he's on his way.
but it's not like she doesn't know where to find him. ]
I hate it when you leave but I love watching you go
[Put it on his list, huh? Must be getting to be a long one, everything said and done. Still, she's quiet, stands there and lets him go without a fuss. One less problem.
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no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
tess isn't the most powerful of their lot — in fact, she may well be one of the weakest — but there's more to strength than power, and there are people here who depend on her. ellie, hinata, even eren and parker and the rest of harpy — none of them can afford to let her lose herself. and while the woman may be stubborn enough to go down fighting, it'd still be a damn shame to let that happen any time soon.
the whole point of being an effective shield is knowing when to take the hit, and who to take it for. ]
i'Ll puT IT On mY LISt.
[ and in return, she gets nothing more than a slight turning up of his lips. a ghost of a smile that's still somehow more genuine than most of the others he's spare since recruitment (a good number of them with her, for her).
shirt in hand, katana strapped back on his hip. a tip of his head and he's on his way.
but it's not like she doesn't know where to find him. ]
I hate it when you leave but I love watching you go
One more problem.]