[the step in his way has him blink as a slow creature knocked from its routine. she hadn't ever-- it'd been something she'd said, point-blank, I don't linger, I don't intervene. I'm a traveler. he'd long been a sponge with no mind for character analysis, but as times had changed and-- and he knew her enough, she hadn't been lying. -- no he didn't, he didn't know her a lick - or maybe she hadn't been lying but now she was nosing, now she was making herself a wall and a barrier and he really, really just wanted to go back to his bunk and take some time off. training in two hours, couldn't miss that, had the builders to report to, what did she even want to talk about, what had happened---]
[right.]
[their argument. bruised pride, bruised ego, rash decisions. singed hand. the table. he'd been livid, hunched up and defense, rude.]
[right.]
[so she was here about what had happened. and of course she wouldn't know what the black box was like. none of them had. only Tess knew his, besides (had that been a good idea?). it wasn't fair... him getting mad at Kino, it wasn't fair. she might've been a traveler, but she was human and trapped here just the same as the rest of them. of course she'd be concerned about upsets between them-- they were friends-- she'd agreed to call him Shouyou, the only one in four months, he'd thought them friends, because as a traveler she couldn't involve herself with the world but fellow recruits hardly counted as the world (he may have missed a crucial fact there)-, and teammates, and... in comparison to the black box, the day before seemed nothing more than a string of mistakes. he'd lost a fair bit of pride, and though its absence twinged, he did his level best to keep it to downcast eyes and his crossed arms.]
[the quickest way out was to cut to the chase. only fair. she must've wanted an apology - he'd seen her confusion at the table and hadn't even attempted to allay it.]
... Sorry. [with a small wince, as his tone came out more you're pulling my teeth than sincere. after a beat, firmer, though without bitterness (they were right, after all; he'd been caught up in the moment, hadn't been thinking. it'd get him killed, probably):] Sorry. I'd been... it was dumb. I'm sticking to where they direct me.
["not sure they want me, haha, but they'll have to put up with me!"]
[is what should've bubbled out of his mouth with a grin and hop. instead, he bit his lower lip. shook his head.]
If that's all...--
[- took another step to her side, made to move forward. annoyance shoved deep, fear shoved deep, curiousity and concern and bruised pride shoved down, emotions as flat and neutral as they could be. it felt as if one straw would tip the scales wrong, but so long as he avoided any upsets and got some rest... it was rude to her all over again, but-- hell- he couldn't. not right then. a bit of him wanted to ramble, to stick to her side, apologize five times over if it meant she'd play the listening ear for an hour, but -- wasn't that part of what got him here? relying on others? not 'part of.' the only reason he was here. maybe he'd try self-sufficiency for a change, though she had always been the better one for that.]
no subject
[hadn't volunteered. seeking someone. seeking hi--?]
[--- seeking him.]
[the step in his way has him blink as a slow creature knocked from its routine. she hadn't ever-- it'd been something she'd said, point-blank, I don't linger, I don't intervene. I'm a traveler. he'd long been a sponge with no mind for character analysis, but as times had changed and-- and he knew her enough, she hadn't been lying. -- no he didn't, he didn't know her a lick - or maybe she hadn't been lying but now she was nosing, now she was making herself a wall and a barrier and he really, really just wanted to go back to his bunk and take some time off. training in two hours, couldn't miss that, had the builders to report to, what did she even want to talk about, what had happened---]
[right.]
[their argument. bruised pride, bruised ego, rash decisions. singed hand. the table. he'd been livid, hunched up and defense, rude.]
[right.]
[so she was here about what had happened. and of course she wouldn't know what the black box was like. none of them had. only Tess knew his, besides (had that been a good idea?). it wasn't fair... him getting mad at Kino, it wasn't fair. she might've been a traveler, but she was human and trapped here just the same as the rest of them. of course she'd be concerned about upsets between them-- they were friends-- she'd agreed to call him Shouyou, the only one in four months, he'd thought them friends, because as a traveler she couldn't involve herself with the world but fellow recruits hardly counted as the world (he may have missed a crucial fact there)-, and teammates, and... in comparison to the black box, the day before seemed nothing more than a string of mistakes. he'd lost a fair bit of pride, and though its absence twinged, he did his level best to keep it to downcast eyes and his crossed arms.]
[the quickest way out was to cut to the chase. only fair. she must've wanted an apology - he'd seen her confusion at the table and hadn't even attempted to allay it.]
... Sorry. [with a small wince, as his tone came out more you're pulling my teeth than sincere. after a beat, firmer, though without bitterness (they were right, after all; he'd been caught up in the moment, hadn't been thinking. it'd get him killed, probably):] Sorry. I'd been... it was dumb. I'm sticking to where they direct me.
["not sure they want me, haha, but they'll have to put up with me!"]
[is what should've bubbled out of his mouth with a grin and hop. instead, he bit his lower lip. shook his head.]
If that's all...--
[- took another step to her side, made to move forward. annoyance shoved deep, fear shoved deep, curiousity and concern and bruised pride shoved down, emotions as flat and neutral as they could be. it felt as if one straw would tip the scales wrong, but so long as he avoided any upsets and got some rest... it was rude to her all over again, but-- hell- he couldn't. not right then. a bit of him wanted to ramble, to stick to her side, apologize five times over if it meant she'd play the listening ear for an hour, but -- wasn't that part of what got him here? relying on others? not 'part of.' the only reason he was here. maybe he'd try self-sufficiency for a change, though she had always been the better one for that.]