[they stall his feet. freeze him in place. he hears her head toward Hermes, footfalls light on the metal flooring. small. they were both so small.]
[but she could stand on her own - she could tower over him, if she wanted to. just one flick of the wrist (he'd seen how quick she'd been with that gun) and she could've blown him out of the water. she didn't, though. she sought him out. even here.]
I'll be okay.
[never one for lying.]
[he doesn't want to talk. doesn't want to think. doesn't want to talk, doesn't want to think, doesn't want to talk or think or talk or move or do or say or cry or scream or plead or see or.]
[fucking hell, she was his friend.]
... If you didn't think it was dumb... What'd you want to talk about?
[and she'd came all this way! suck it up, princess, and get down from your ivory tower -- he turns with a click, heels snapping together, chin up and shoulders thrown back. as though the question were a declaration, as though he wouldn't have been able to make it if he didn't add flare. honestly, that was the truth.]
[The sound Hermes' kickstand makes when it clatters up into withdrawn position is loud in the hallway. Even though Kino has heard the sound more times than they could possibly count, it seems deafening.
They hear Hinata's footsteps stop. Eyebrows knitting, drawn a little closer together. Just go, a quiet will. Anything more will just make it worse.
The traveler taking their time to set Hermes back up and get him turned in the proper direction; a useless endeavor, as by the time all that's done and Kino's turned to direct him down the hall, he's turned back around to face them. They tended to know when a certain time has passed—a bit more-so with physical reactions, the way one would need to be the first to draw and fire to survive in so many situations, but it almost feels the same now. The time has passed and anything afterwards is just wasted effort.
This sort of despondency is very unbecoming of the young traveler, but it's a new emotion and they have very, very little natural or learned defenses against it. It's infectious, spreading, causing Kino to begin to lead Hermes down the hallway, now the two of them being the ones walking past Hinata.]
It's a bad time. [Kino tries their best to make the words sound like an agreement more than an admission.] It can wait. I'll speak to you about it later.
[You'll "be okay," right, Hinata? Kino would force themself to trust that, even though they know the words had had a tinny ring to them when heard.]
[there's no telling what the response would be, and once he receives it --]
[there's no telling what his response would be.]
[because his mind's blank. because she's back to Hermes. because she's walking away, because he let his feelings get the best of him once more, because of this training, because she had an exit he couldn't begrudge her, because he wasn't sure, because she'd shown up and because he.]
[let her go, eyebrows up but mouth closed. nothing to stop her, nothing to soften the words between them.]
[it didn't feel good.]
[it didn't feel right.]
[it still happened.]
[...]
[she'd have considerable distance on him before he started for his bunk.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
you're far more guilty don't even start...!! (this is megashort but ah.)
[they stall his feet. freeze him in place. he hears her head toward Hermes, footfalls light on the metal flooring. small. they were both so small.]
[but she could stand on her own - she could tower over him, if she wanted to. just one flick of the wrist (he'd seen how quick she'd been with that gun) and she could've blown him out of the water. she didn't, though. she sought him out. even here.]
I'll be okay.
[never one for lying.]
[he doesn't want to talk. doesn't want to think. doesn't want to talk, doesn't want to think, doesn't want to talk or think or talk or move or do or say or cry or scream or plead or see or.]
[fucking hell, she was his friend.]
... If you didn't think it was dumb... What'd you want to talk about?
[and she'd came all this way! suck it up, princess, and get down from your ivory tower -- he turns with a click, heels snapping together, chin up and shoulders thrown back. as though the question were a declaration, as though he wouldn't have been able to make it if he didn't add flare. honestly, that was the truth.]
we are both guilty (and lol "megashort")
They hear Hinata's footsteps stop. Eyebrows knitting, drawn a little closer together. Just go, a quiet will. Anything more will just make it worse.
The traveler taking their time to set Hermes back up and get him turned in the proper direction; a useless endeavor, as by the time all that's done and Kino's turned to direct him down the hall, he's turned back around to face them. They tended to know when a certain time has passed—a bit more-so with physical reactions, the way one would need to be the first to draw and fire to survive in so many situations, but it almost feels the same now. The time has passed and anything afterwards is just wasted effort.
This sort of despondency is very unbecoming of the young traveler, but it's a new emotion and they have very, very little natural or learned defenses against it. It's infectious, spreading, causing Kino to begin to lead Hermes down the hallway, now the two of them being the ones walking past Hinata.]
It's a bad time. [Kino tries their best to make the words sound like an agreement more than an admission.] It can wait. I'll speak to you about it later.
[You'll "be okay," right, Hinata? Kino would force themself to trust that, even though they know the words had had a tinny ring to them when heard.]
no subject
[there's no telling what his response would be.]
[because his mind's blank. because she's back to Hermes. because she's walking away, because he let his feelings get the best of him once more, because of this training, because she had an exit he couldn't begrudge her, because he wasn't sure, because she'd shown up and because he.]
[let her go, eyebrows up but mouth closed. nothing to stop her, nothing to soften the words between them.]
[it didn't feel good.]
[it didn't feel right.]
[it still happened.]
[...]
[she'd have considerable distance on him before he started for his bunk.]