(Untitled)

[fallforthesky]

[There is an open door leading into a nicely-furnished bedroom in this neutral hallway. The bed is made, bay window open to let in the interdimensional summer breeze; shafts of afternoon sunlight filtering in and playing off the specks of dust, making the hardwood flooring gleam

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[1year_wakened]

[Ignoring all everything ever and just strolling in.]

[fallforthesky]

[Master of manners.]

[Tyki will find Lenalee kneeling on the tile in the en-suite, shivering and shuddering and about as pale as the whitewashed walls. By the time he comes in, she's luckily finished retching (for the time being), and is resting her forehead shakily against the toilet bowl. She thinks she might actually never be able to stand again.]

[A moment is in order before she notices he's made himself at home.]

[1year_wakened]

[YES. HE IS.]

...Food poisoning? [No actual humor in it.]

[fallforthesky]

[Good, because he isn't going to get anything even resembling a smile. And for whatever reason, she doesn't feel quite as surprised to hear his voice as she should be-- there is an automatic sort of jolt, and she opens streaming eyes to miserably glance up at him, but otherwise, she doesn't move.]

[Voice rough-hewn, a bit raw, and dripping in a kind of honesty that has no place in sarcasm:] Something didn't sit well with my stomach.

[Like, say, an Innocence broadsword.]

[1year_wakened]

Yeah. I figured.

[Goes to lean against the wall.] Back to normal, are you.

[fallforthesky]

[Digs her fingers into her knees, hard, as another bout rises, burning at her throat.] D-Define 'normal'.

[1year_wakened]

Human, whatever.

[Sidelong glance.]

[fallforthesky]

[Why are you even here. Coming to collect on that debt already? Or just watching her squirm and fail to deal?]

Y-Yeah. Perfectly normal, then. [Hurk.]

[1year_wakened]

[...Welp. Waiting a good minute or so before speaking.]

You gonna be okay, then, Lady Exorcist?

[He shrugs; cannot even. Believe. Himself.]

[fallforthesky]

[He'd have to define 'okay' for her, too. It's been a month of warping her soul to the point of honest-to-god asking a Fourteenth to save her, and now that she's back, she gets to remember every little thing she's done. From torturing a friend to how it feels to be impaled on Innocence to having her anklets removed (they're noticeably still missing from her legs, by the by) because she couln't stand to have them on anymore.]

[There is, really, only one thing to say to his question. A resounding--]

...no.

[1year_wakened]

...Had a feeling, then. [Sitting down and making a soft sound of what might be some sort of discontent.]

You're not wearing those anklets.

[fallforthesky]

[It must be some lingering gratitude that keeps her from trying to place more distance between them both. Still, Lenalee goes still down to what feels like her very bones when Tyki sits, because finally, finally, she's noticing a strange pattern in their interactions. How he constantly alternates between the usual cocky Noah she knows he'll grow into and... something that's almost human enough to give her pause. What's with sounds of discontent and asking her if she's going to be fine?]

[But it's what he says that knocks her right into the sand. Pulling her ankles closer to her body as if somehow that'll hide what he's already seen and shaking her head.]

No.

["And why do you care?"]

[1year_wakened]

[Pausing and fishing around in his pocket for a cigarette and a matchbook.] What, they still hurt, or is it just, y'know. Weird to think about... [A little curious and a little genuine concern. After all, most humans would feel some concern about this, right?]

[Lighting and taking a deep drag.]

[fallforthesky]

[Humans, yes. That is exactly what makes the display of concern, no matter how small, extremely and endlessly unusual.] Can't get them back on.

[See, the thing about the Innocence is it's rather supposed to stay attached to its wielder in a manner where it is useable. There was a reason she couldn't just slip the bangles off herself when they were burning her; they're too small to get over her feet.]

[There's a second reason, too, however-- one he won't hear unless he pries very deep. She's afraid of trying to activate them. What if doing so gives it a reason to reject her? Start a Fall? It's an irrational, and therefore gripping, fear.]

[1year_wakened]

[If he knew how he confused you, it'd be a tie between laughing a little and pointing out that he's not soulless or anything.]

[Okay. Probably the first, but hey.]

So. After all your efforts, it's just that stopping you. Bit cheap of the things, if you ask me...

[fallforthesky]

[He should possibly consider the Tyki she's familiar with. By the time she comes to know you, man, you've got quite the number of murders of her surrogate family under your belt.]

War is cheap.