it's in the water baby, it's in the pills that bring you down [CLOSED]

[swallow_wing]

Characters: Cirucci Thunderwitch and Shinjiro Aragaki
Content: Cirucci decides that not visiting her 'prince' not only would be suspicious, but a missed opportunity to boot. Unable to warn Shinjiro, she surprises him at his room to remind him of what he 'saved.' Let the fake 'tsundere' act begin!
Setting: The Silvana, Shinjiro's room.
Time: As he'

Comments

[swallow_wing]

She shifted her gaze onto Shinjiro, swallowing down a noise of indignation. "That was your concern? The Captain would have been pissed? That's not very flattering to hear," she replied dryly. A quick recurrence of that small smile, however, lightened her words, forced as it was.

Cirucci took a few hesitant steps further into the room, stopping by the foot of his bed. "...Look." She breathed loudly through her nose. "I'm not repeating this again. Get it through your head or don't. But for now, I owe you, whether I'm pleased with it or not." Her eyes locked onto his. "I don't know what the hell you did, but..."

She trailed off, gaze flicking to the ground; then, it darted back up, her eyes watching him closely. "...Probably not willing to talk about that yet, are you?"

Gin knew about his power, no doubt; as it stood, she didn't need to interrogate Shinjiro about the matter. Her question was rhetorical, really, a way of showing that she had some sympathy for him. She could afford to back off, for now; best not to threaten and corner him with demands for explanation.

[adiosasshole]

Shinjiro actually managed to lost chastised, though he couldn't help looking amused as well. "Calm down princess, it was a joke." But his amusement dried up when she stared...thanking him. He was certainly not used to this sort of thing.

"Look, it wasn't that big a deal." Yes is was he KILLED people. "But I can understand owing someone something. So do what you gotta do." That was the truth. Owing a debt would drive him insane, so how could he hold it against Cirucci?

"And... I don't even know what the hell it was that I did."

[swallow_wing]

Cirucci-again, hesitantly-sat down at the edge of his bed, quirking an eyebrow at his words. "'Princess?' I've had men call me a number of things, but that..." She snorted. "'Witch' is in my last name for a reason, you know~" But she shot him her own amused expression, before sobering up to what he said next.

"Modest, aren't you," she muttered under her breath, shaking her head once. And then, more bluntly: "I don't get it." But it was his last words that really caught her interest, and her head snapped up curiously to examine the boy's expression yet again.

"Are you saying you've never ...used it before?" She resisted the urge to lean in, not wanting to pressure him into answering. This wasn't the time for that. "For that to go unnoticed...you really didn't have any idea it was in you?" Her tone, it should be noted, wasn't accusatory: it was curious, maybe even with a tiny hint of faked awe, in there.

[adiosasshole]

He laughed at that, a shockingly happy sound for one so normally sullen. This chick was blunt. He liked that.

"And not exactly... I mean..." he paused, wondering how to explain. "It's called Persona. And I can summon it when I need to. But it normally can't come out on it's own. That was the second time it's happen..." he face darkened, and he looked at his hands. "The last time was years ago. I still don't know what sets it off."

that icon is adorable :D

[swallow_wing]

As he laughed, her own wicked grin slipped onto her face. So she was getting somewhere. A reaction like that out of him was all the encouragement she'd need.

Her reaction was only temporary, however, as Shinjiro began to explain that unruly power of his. "Persona?" So direct, the name of it was. Nothing like arrancar, that was for sure. "So it's for emergencies, is it..." She leaned back slightly on his bed, eyes still carefully trained on him. "Was-someone else-" She worked her mouth to form the words, not normally admitting to such moments of weakness. "...Was someone in danger like I was, this last time? Or was it for self preservation?"

It is, isn't it~

[adiosasshole]

He didn't say anything for a few long, tense moments. The slightly more relaxed expression on his face fell away into something twisting and bitter. Not aimed at her, not at all. But at himself. Complete disgust.

"Neither"

[swallow_wing]

Cirucci pursed her lips, before giving a single sigh. "You're not going to let me in quite yet, are you?"

She hesitated only slightly before touching his arm.

"Don't." She pressed her lips in a tight line, raising her index to his lips. The response wasn't to discourage him from telling her his past; it instead was directed at the self-hate scrawled over his face, the chain of insults she was sure he would lash himself with should she keep prodding. She pressed her finger against them lightly. "None of that pity party crap. Look, whatever shit happened back then-happened. You can't change it. Mulling over it isn't going to take it back."

She spoke her next words briskly, staring at the boy with a pointed, sober look. "Even if I owe you, the one favor I won't return is sitting here watching you mope. It's not flattering for a boy like you." Cirucci paused once, before averting her eyes, a clipped, uncharacteristic offer leaving her lips. "...Come and talk when you're ready, but until then, there's nothing I can do until you just accept whatever happened."

And then, she just spoke quite simply, shrugging her shoulders almost casually. "You are who you are. No point fighting it."

Her words were harsh, but the actions accompanying them were gentle enough. Cirucci figured all the sappy words in the universe couldn't encourage Shinjiro's true nature out-but perhaps tough love would work better on him as an alternative.

[adiosasshole]

He blinked at her in slight surprise, looking thrown off balance and for a split second horribly vulnerable. She had sounded, for a moment, so much like what Aki had said to him 2... 3 years ago that it was like glimpsing into the past.

But he recovered quickly, no longer scowling, but managing a glaze of cocky indifference as he lounged on his bed. When anti-socialness failed: resort to just being an asshole.

"So what did you have in mind to 'pay me back' instead?"

[swallow_wing]

Cirucci caught that look, and if it the meaning behind that look was tangible, she'd have just grasped it between the very tips of her fingers before it slid past. The hand on his arm moved a little higher, skimming right over his shoulder. She inched it lower, then; past the collarbone, to his chest, before his expression shifted.

So did the hand. She placed it into her lap almost prim and proper-like, lips pursed as he attempted nonchalance. "Well, you can expect a Lunasa present, for one," she bristled. "All of your things look ratty. It's not a good look for you, even with your personality."

She hesitated then. How does one go about these things? Saying, look I don't like your type but maybe I kind of care about you and dammit you're an idiot so someone has to look out for you. She had little issue with the fib; she stumbled on the phrasing. "...Look. Someone needs to keep you in line, all right?" But to soften the confrontational tone of the words, Cirucci tried to force a flush onto her face. Being this sappy. How embarrassing. To add to the effect, she rubbed a cheek seemingly absentmindedly, face turned away from him.

[adiosasshole]

She really didn't have anything to worry about, she wasn't really his type either. But back in Kropmork a cocky attitude mixed with a vague flirty nature was the best way to bluff through things.

"My stuff is fine." He grumbled, brushing his fingers over the sleeve of his shirt unconsciously. His tone was barbed, but not as bad as it normally could be. "And I take care of myself. I don't need a goddamn babysitter."

D-DID YOU SEE THE PIC OF SHINJI SMILING IN PERSONA PSP?

[swallow_wing]

If Cirucci had successfully faked a blush at being embarrassed to show any concern for the boy, it quickly turned into a flush of annoyance. "Have you seen what you're wearing? It's ratty." Scrunching her nose, she leaned forward, palms pressing against his bed. It was a tendency, perhaps, a common one, to infringe in the space of another when agitated, although she was careful not to get entirely in his face.

"And please, I have no desire to babysit you. I just--" She exhaled loudly through her nose, biting her lip before she continued. Her voice was flat, almost resigned: "It's the least I can do, all right? You would't really deny a woman that much, would you? To be in a one sided debt with another..." Her eyes locked on his, words curt and clipped. "It doesn't suit me."

NOOO, I CAN'T FIND IT ;__;

[adiosasshole]

He leaned back when she got into his personal bubble, perhaps faster and more cringing then most would. He didn't really care what his clothes looked like... it kept him warm, that was all he really gave a shit about.

When she continued speaking, he paused, something unreadable flickering across his face. Debt... yeah, he could understand that just fine.

"Fine, whatever. Do what you want."

DON'T WORRY I HAVE IT <3

[swallow_wing]

"Hmph. I will." Her words seemed harsh, but were softened by a small nod she gave, the way her eyes flickered to the side for a moment. She leaned back, eyes scanning over him once more, taking in his general fatigue. It was probably best to end the visit here; it was going to be a long affair, Cirucci realized, this 'debt' between her and Shnjiro. Best not to push too much too fast.

Cirucci slowly moved to her feet, sliding off the bed almost gracefully. She took a few steps towards the door before she spoke again, back still to Shinjiro. "...If you need anything, then--" She tapped a finger against a leg, before reaching into a pocket, a stray piece of paper crumpled in her hand.

Turning back on her heel towards the bed, she extended her arm almost mechanically-but reached to tuck it into Shinjiro's hand, if possible, a gentler and almost warm gesture in comparison to her awkward turnaround. "Here." It was a (very) rough sketch of the ship's floorplan, with her room marked in whimsical curves in purple ink. True, he could always contact her through the journals, but Cirucci thought (hoped) the extra gesture might be a little endearing. It wasn't a come-on; just an offer, if he 'needed to talk' or any of that cliche nonsense.

"I live there, if you've forgotten." She kept her expression neutral, despite the slight fidgeting of her hands. "You know where to find me."

(OOC: http://www.famitsu.com/blog/p3p/ ---- Scroll a little less than halfway down? AND NOTICE THE DATE WTF).

[adiosasshole]

He allowed her to tuck the paper in his hand, looking at it numbly for a few moments before looking up at her. His face was strategically blank, but he didn't look put off in any way.

"Yeah, I guess I do." he replied, voice almost bordering on soft, though with his husky voice it was hard to tell. Shinjiro was not built for touching whispers or verbal shows of endearment.

[Eeee, tyty ^^]

[swallow_wing]

She allowed her hand to linger for just a moment on his before her palms fell awkwardly together, nodding curtly. "I'll probably be in most days. It's not like we do much on this ship." That was worth doing, anyway, misadventures aside.

She turned around for good, then, exhaling loudly through her nose. It had gone better than it could've gone; he hadn't chased her off, not completely. This was going to be frustrating, this encouraging of Shinjiro Aragaki, but still she felt a corner of her mouth turn upwards as she closed the door behind her.

Successful? She'd say so. So far, anyway.

(OOC: no problem! ♥)