... you're still going to have to deal with him. Or you can keep avoiding him while we're all here, if you'd prefer, but that-- doesn't sound like something you'd really want.
[just kind of-- soothingly rubbing at her back, a little.]
I don't know. [ but nie huaisang has seen her memories - it might not be a huge leap to guess why she might think her father figure here would see her as a burden. ]
[ she doesn't take it back, and almost argues - she thinks this is worth thanking - just a bit of kindness makes it easier for her to breathe. but he speaks again, and she shifts, just a little, so she can look up at him. ]
[ oh, he's going to make her cry again. she takes the fan almost delicately, looking it over, opening it and tracing her fingers over the crest. she doesn't cry, but it looks like she's close to it when she spots the name.
she brings one hand up to cover her mouth for a second, stroking the lettering with her thumb, and then: ]
It's beautiful. [ she definitely sounds choked up. ]
[the mask's still the same color and he has no idea so like, here's hoping she's too distracted!!
he grins back at the sight of that smile, though.]
Well, several of them don't really fit here, but-- the gestures can be reworked. For example, though-
[he lifts his own closed fan, letting it rest on his left cheek.] No. [switching to the right cheek:] Yes. [twirling it idly in his right hand:] We're being watched.
[ she is very distracted! she really is dedicated to learning how to shittalk with fans, mostly - it's why she's been spending most of her free time reading up on sign language. ]
No. Yes. We're being watched. [ beau repeats, copying the movements after a moment. ] Could be useful during trials.
[ she's soaking all of this up, though, she loves it. sneaky languages - well, languages in general, but especially espionage type stuff like this is honestly her bread and butter. ]
I'm gonna have to write this down so I can practice. [ she says, grinning now. she's working on trying to make the fanning look natural, which is difficult because she's never even opened one before. ] Any other ones that you can think of?
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He saw the memory of my dad. The one you saw.
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[just kind of-- soothingly rubbing at her back, a little.]
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But I can't be a burden on him, either.
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I don't know. [ but nie huaisang has seen her memories - it might not be a huge leap to guess why she might think her father figure here would see her as a burden. ]
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I doubt he would. No one here should see you like that, not after knowing you.
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I don't want to be one more thing he has to look after. He didn't ask for me to - fucking attach to him like a baby duckling.
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Yeah. It did. [ she sounds grateful. ] You didn't ask for me to come to your room at midnight and sob all over you, either.
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[-he has to pause a moment, after saying so, before he continues.]
And I'm sure you're more to him than just a burden, too.
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she sniffs. maybe she hides her face against his shirt and gets it damp a little. ]
... Thank you, A-Sang.
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[thank him, he means. he doesn't even complain about her getting his shirt damp.]
Ah- I had something for you, actually.
[he'd grabbed it on the way out the door, when he saw it was her-- and this seems like a good time.]
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-- You do?
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[he reaches into the outer layer of his outfit, pulling out a closed fan and passing it over to her.
when opened, the fan itself is a deep cobalt blue, with the nie sect's beast-head crest painted onto it in gold.
along one edge, he's painted in careful lettering, also in gold: nie beau.]
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she brings one hand up to cover her mouth for a second, stroking the lettering with her thumb, and then: ]
It's beautiful. [ she definitely sounds choked up. ]
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[there's a little fondness in his tone, there, that he doesn't manage to stifle-- it warms him to see how much she likes it.
the edges of that mask are a deeper shade of pink.]
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Shut up. [ she says, but it's that fond, playful tone - she's clearly touched. ] I'll keep it with me.
Mom always did say I should be a little more delicate.
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[a soft hum, and-]
They have their own language, you know. It's easy to use them as a form of code.
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Yeah? Like how? Teach me.
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he grins back at the sight of that smile, though.]
Well, several of them don't really fit here, but-- the gestures can be reworked. For example, though-
[he lifts his own closed fan, letting it rest on his left cheek.] No. [switching to the right cheek:] Yes. [twirling it idly in his right hand:] We're being watched.
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No. Yes. We're being watched. [ beau repeats, copying the movements after a moment. ] Could be useful during trials.
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[he hums thoughtfully, there, opening the fan most of the way and fanning himself in a slow, deliberate way.]
Follow me- usually means physically, but we'll take it as 'follow my lead'.
[he lets the fan drop and turns it to show the back, as he brings it back up in a casual gesture and continues fanning.]
Suspicion, if done while speaking to someone in particular.
[is he just repurposing gestures for new meanings specifically for the situation, he sure is, nobody @ me later.]
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I'm gonna have to write this down so I can practice. [ she says, grinning now. she's working on trying to make the fanning look natural, which is difficult because she's never even opened one before. ] Any other ones that you can think of?
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