[text]

[looselips]

you know, it's kind of funny.
The first day I woke up here, they were serving heart-shaped pancakes.
and now, after my little forced vacation, what's the first thing I see?
the same ridiculous, twee pancakes.
happy anniversary to me, I guess.
I'd say try harder next year, but I guess that won't be an issue anymore.

FYI, anyone still hanging onto the hope that your home is really okay? don't bother.
and the people crowing about how they're going to "fix our dead worlds" sure as hell better, since I'm in no hurry to go back to THAT.
I was so bored I thought I'd go insane.
I hate to think about how the rest of you bleeding hearts would fair.
sheesh, just THINKING about how pathetic it'd be is making me cringe.

[Since it's not like he was bothered or anything!!!]

[Shinji can also be found skulking around the libraries and the media room, should anyone want to stumble across him in person.]

Comments

[action]

[bowandblade]

[His powers were almost completely restored -- or, at least, restored to the same ridiculous limit that the Tower had placed on him before. Even so, he's not quite in the mood to go around utterly destroying some monsters.

So he's going to the library to do some dull stuff like make paper airplanes and throw them from the tops of the tallest bookshelves.

Or that was the plan before he spotted the familiar little boy in the library. He draws near, briefly looking at him with something between suspicion and disbelief before settling on aloof annoyance.]

Took you long enough.

[looselips]

What do you mean, "took you long enough"? It's not like I had a choice! [Sounding a little defensive there, Shinji.] Trust me, if I had choice in the matter, I wouldn't have been gone more than an hour.

[He crosses his arms and juts his chin out, trying to look imperious. So what if Archer might have been disappointed in him?! It wasn't his fault, so if he was, screw him!!!]

[bowandblade]

[Archer pulls one hand out of a jacket pocket and reaches out to settle it on Shinji's head, eying his defensive expression before snorting dismissively.]

Well, at least you still sound like yourself.

[Then his fingers curl into a fist as he raps his knuckles against the boy's skull.]

You broke the contract by leaving.

[looselips]

[His face reddens, but he doesn't bite back again, not even when Archer knocks on his head.]

[...Well, doesn't bite back immediately, anyway.]

I just said I didn't do anything! Sh... Sheesh, it's not like I would have broken our contract on purpose, you know.

[bowandblade]

That had better be the case. I was greatly displeased.

[He leans a bit of weight onto Shinji's head, as if he could shove him through the ground with his hand alone. But his tone is more sulky than anything else.]

[looselips]

[He continues to endure the hand on his head, regardless of how comfortable it may or may not be.]

Please. I'd have to be an idiot to do something like that. [And he's definitely not an idiot, thank you very much.] If you want an apology for it, though, we could figure out which one is responsible and make them give us one, though.

[bowandblade]

[There's a long moment of silence as he considers Shinji's suggestion, his stance remaining the same as he deliberates.]

That would be acceptable. I have a feeling it would be the boy administrator, and he would at least not be immediately killed on sight.

[looselips]

[It's only when Archer speaks again that Shinji tries to squirm out from underneath his hand, one of his own coming up to grab at his wrist.]

Alright, then. It's settled.

[bowandblade]

[He smirks, allowing Shinji to grab his wrist while lifting his hand away--

--but only long enough for him to poke at Shinji's forehead. It's been over half a year since he's made the next command, and many things have happened since then, but there's still that easy confidence that carries through with each uttered syllable.]

Say the words, boy.

[looselips]

[Ugh!! Shinji doesn't comment on the poke to his forehead, but he sure does make a face, blushing all over again. He's still scowling to himself as he grabs for Archer's hands with both of his.

(If Shinji were being honest with himself, he'd admit that he feels happy and relieved by that kind of casual gesture right now, but he isn't in the habit of being honest with himself.)

This time, when he seizes Archer's hand, he just holds onto it. The frown and the blush don't disappear entirely, but as he looks up at Archer, he sets his jaw and does his best to look serious.]

Will you accept me as your Master?

[bowandblade]

[When Shinji boldly holds on to his hand and doesn't let go, Archer's smirk widens into a full smile; to see that willingness and eagerness intact despite the boy's ordeal made him feel ... proud.

He shifts his hand in Shinji's grasp, meeting that gaze that still struggled between the innocence of a child and the maturity of one who had seen many things in such a short length of time.]

I will allow it. Consider yourself honored to have the King of Heroes as your Servant twice.

Room

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku was in his room, he was actually getting better at sleeping, though he still patrolled most nights. He blinked when he saw his roommate]

You're back. [He kept his tone carefully neutral, he was glad the boy was back and didn't seem too traumatised, but he didn't want to scare him away, or make him go into a tantrum.

[looselips]

What a stunning observation.

[Shinji huffs and rolls his eyes, grumpily flopping back on his pillow. However, though his prickliness seems genuine, his heart isn't quite in sounding caustic...]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku ignored the prickliness, which he had seemed to be the best way to deal with Shinji in general. He sat up, wishing the exhaustion that he had felt since returning from downstairs would go away, he was not used to feeling so tired.] Are you hungry?

[looselips]

[There's a pause where Shinji doesn't speak, continuing to stew face-down in his pillow. Finally, though, he says:]

...Yeah, I guess so.

[Refusing to fuel his aggression is a good move; all he can do on reply is force himself to sound casual.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku stood] Do you want to come and get some food?

[looselips]

...Well, it's not like I have anything better to do.

[Grumbling that, he stands as well.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku just nodded and led the way to the door.] Do you want a report on what you've missed?

[looselips]

Yeah, actually. [Shinji answers as he trots along after him. Being spoken to like an adult is always the best way to appeal to him, so he actually says:] I'd appreciate it.

[It isn't quite a thank you, but. Almost?]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded, he had slowly gotten the hang of talking to Shinji... mostly.]

More explosions. This time they destroyed the staircase, or at least the middle of it. Riki told us that Jason was responsible, for all the explosions. We don't know his motive yet.

[Suzaku frowned but continued] He also told us he needed volunteers to help power the tower, or we would run out of power completely. A lot of us went down and were strapped to a machine. We ended up in a strange void, but apparantly it worked and the power was restored.

[looselips]

[Shinji stays quiet as Suzaku relates what transpired, not piping up with his own commentary. Once he has finished, Shinji remains silent for another few seconds, then comments:]

So I take it you were one of the ones that agreed to that, huh.

[It isn't spoken like a question, Shinji carefully keeping his tone neutral.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded] I was. If I vanish into thin air over the next few days don't be alarmed, it seems to be a side affect of whatever happened.

[looselips]

—Don't be alarmed? Are you kidding me? [His tone snaps back to heated.] Look, I'm not going to berate you for volunteering or whatever else, since I guess some of us have to be martyr enough to stick their necks out like that. But don't be so casual about side effects.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku blinks at him] I'm not being casual [Yes he is] I'm just warning you. So far I have always returned within less than an hour or so.

[looselips]

That's not the point! [Shinji gesticulates as he talks, hand swinging in front of himself in a sharp motion.] The point is— If there are side effects at all, there could have been serious complications. So don't just say there were side effects like it's no big deal.

[swordofzero]

Alright [He frowned] I'm sorry. [This kid was hard to deal with]

text;

[bydefacto]

they're GOING to fix everything. you don't have to be mean about it!

permatext

[looselips]

oh wow, mean.
you're right, I wouldn't want to be mean!
except, oh wait, I wasn't even badmouthing them.
sensitive much?