[her hand seems fine, now that it's clean. it looked way worse than it was, because it hadn't been taken care of - all it took was someone paying attention.
she doesn't think she's a good person, and she's not sure that people will want to stick around her, but that's kind of what he's saying, isn't it? that you gotta try, or you'll never figure it out, and you'll always be on the outside looking in, and that sounds so simple but nobody has ever said this to her before.
it kind of makes her want to bolt, but she doesn't, for now.]
I didn't really know him that long. [... but it still hurt really bad, and she's still bleeding out on the inside because of it, but - someone is paying attention to it now. so it'll get better.]
I'm not mad at Mika. [just so he knows.
carefully, she holds his wrist again. maybe a bit to comfort him, maybe a bit to comfort her. maybe as a thank you.]
[ he's fine with letting her hold his wrist. he tenses a little under the touch at first, if only because even with as much as he's improved he's not always one that likes to be touched. but for her, he allows it.
sometimes you really do just need someone pointing out the most obvious things to really consider them. he wouldn't be surprised if she left to wall herself off again. there are still times he'd love to do that himself (and times he does, still.) but she stays, and there's a bit of relief there. ]
I don't think that really matters when it comes to a connection with somebody. I've known people for short periods of time and they changed my outlook on things. [ ... ] I can't be mad at Mika either. Not after the way she spoke at the trial and the results that came from it.
[ not after it was very clear to him that she already expected to be villainized for something that was really just an accident, no matter what people said. ]
[yeah. it took all the wind out of her sails, to know that mika was expecting people to hate her, that she had that primed and ready to go. it felt too personal.
I liked that you have wings on it. It made us match.
she exhales slowly. she doesn't have anything else to say that he hasn't already said so much better than she can.]
... My hand feels better. [because she can't just say that he is making her feel less like she's crazy for feeling the way she does.]
[ it sure as fuck did. but...he nods to that and still doesn't pull away. ]
Good, I'm glad. Even though the cuts aren't bad, it always helps to try and clean what you can. Kind of the first step to healing.
[ he seems to get that this could apply to also internal healing, but he's not going to think too hard about that when nico himself is still very much a person trying to figure that out. ]
[ good. that's about all he can really do is be a brat right back. sometimes it's nice to have someone else who speaks your language. ]
Yeah, but don't tell him. I don't think he knows and I don't want him getting any ideas. [ he's good with giving her an out. this was a lot of vulnerability for one day. ]
[ he. gestures for her to follow him out of the bathroom then and he leads her into his room? i dont know if you got the meta about what phoenix bedrooms look like but whatever it's nice with a big red bed and wall art and shelves and a sliding closet. he's approaching a night table though to pick up a card to hand over to her.
and once that's done, he takes out the bronze coin to also hand to her. when she flips it over, she'll see that the side that doesn't have a sun on it has what looks like a helm. ]
Yeah. [ he sounds...a little proud, in an offshoot kinda way. ] When he wears it, he's basically invincible. He can melt into the shadows and travel through walls, and he's invisible. He can't be touched or seen or heard. People say that that helm is the reason why most creatures fear the dark. It's got enough power to drive fear into a person so intensely it'll make them insane or stop their heart all together.
[ the longer he talks, the more it's both casual and a little weary like "this is my legacy." ]
[she leans forward a bit, off the bed, fidgety. gets her hands under her and lifts herself up so she's using her upper body strength to hover her butt off the bed for a couple of seconds, just - the kind of stuff jittery kids do when they can't sit still.]
That's way overpowered, wow. [...] Why's it on the coin?
[ listen, he gets it. he gets fidgety sometimes too. ]
Yeah, it is. [ but there's a pause to that. ] It's...a dumb symbolic thing. About being two sides of the same coin. [ he flips it to the sun side and does not sound like he thinks it's dumb and that he's saying it this way for nimona's benefit. instead he sounds pretty fond.] It's just a reminder that if we're ever separated he's still thinking about me. He has something of mine, too, for similar reasons.
[ ig i should also say that if she at all noticed will's tattoo from strip today the sun is identical right down to the last flare and point. anyway thanks for being nice about it. ]
It's disgusting. [ sagely. but he cannot keep himself from sounding fond. ] ...my life would be drastically different if I didn't give him a chance to try. I spent the better part of a year trying to figure out why he liked me, but he's still here so I guess I have to get used to it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
she doesn't think she's a good person, and she's not sure that people will want to stick around her, but that's kind of what he's saying, isn't it? that you gotta try, or you'll never figure it out, and you'll always be on the outside looking in, and that sounds so simple but nobody has ever said this to her before.
it kind of makes her want to bolt, but she doesn't, for now.]
I didn't really know him that long. [... but it still hurt really bad, and she's still bleeding out on the inside because of it, but - someone is paying attention to it now. so it'll get better.]
I'm not mad at Mika. [just so he knows.
carefully, she holds his wrist again. maybe a bit to comfort him, maybe a bit to comfort her. maybe as a thank you.]
no subject
sometimes you really do just need someone pointing out the most obvious things to really consider them. he wouldn't be surprised if she left to wall herself off again. there are still times he'd love to do that himself (and times he does, still.) but she stays, and there's a bit of relief there. ]
I don't think that really matters when it comes to a connection with somebody. I've known people for short periods of time and they changed my outlook on things. [ ... ] I can't be mad at Mika either. Not after the way she spoke at the trial and the results that came from it.
[ not after it was very clear to him that she already expected to be villainized for something that was really just an accident, no matter what people said. ]
no subject
I liked that you have wings on it. It made us match.
she exhales slowly. she doesn't have anything else to say that he hasn't already said so much better than she can.]
... My hand feels better. [because she can't just say that he is making her feel less like she's crazy for feeling the way she does.]
no subject
Good, I'm glad. Even though the cuts aren't bad, it always helps to try and clean what you can. Kind of the first step to healing.
[ he seems to get that this could apply to also internal healing, but he's not going to think too hard about that when nico himself is still very much a person trying to figure that out. ]
no subject
You're so naggy. [there is 0 heat to this, she just has to scrape together some brattiness so that she can stop feeling vulnerable!!]
no subject
anyway she says that and he just uses his free hand to flick her in the forehead teasingly. ]
Excuse me for dating a doctor and having to hear that on repeat every time I get a simple scratch. [ exaggerating. mostly. ]
no subject
Ew, gross, it's like you like him or something! [teasing!!!]
no subject
Yeah, but don't tell him. I don't think he knows and I don't want him getting any ideas. [ he's good with giving her an out. this was a lot of vulnerability for one day. ]
no subject
Whatcha gonna give me to not tell him? [yeah ok]
no subject
A card of Satan? Or you can see the other side of the coin that's in my pocket.
[ he says this knowing neither option is appealing and he's playing along with the joke. ]
no subject
Hmmmm... both. [>:3]
no subject
and once that's done, he takes out the bronze coin to also hand to her. when she flips it over, she'll see that the side that doesn't have a sun on it has what looks like a helm. ]
no subject
the card she keeps in her lap. when he hands her the coin, she does in fact flip it over, head tilting a bit, and then:] Helmet?
no subject
Helm of Darkness. It's a symbol of power that belongs to my father.
no subject
Sounds spooky. [this is her invitation for him to tell her more if he wants.]
no subject
[ the longer he talks, the more it's both casual and a little weary like "this is my legacy." ]
no subject
That's way overpowered, wow. [...] Why's it on the coin?
no subject
Yeah, it is. [ but there's a pause to that. ] It's...a dumb symbolic thing. About being two sides of the same coin. [ he flips it to the sun side and does not sound like he thinks it's dumb and that he's saying it this way for nimona's benefit. instead he sounds pretty fond.] It's just a reminder that if we're ever separated he's still thinking about me. He has something of mine, too, for similar reasons.
no subject
You guys are all about each other, huh. Gross. [but she's trying to be nice about it, because it's important to him and she respects that.]
no subject
It's disgusting. [ sagely. but he cannot keep himself from sounding fond. ] ...my life would be drastically different if I didn't give him a chance to try. I spent the better part of a year trying to figure out why he liked me, but he's still here so I guess I have to get used to it.