tampered | Log; On-going

Log; On-going

When; Nov 23
Rating; G
Characters; Nill [

x_voiceless] and Heine [

weisshaar]
Summary; After months of waiting, Nill finally reunites with Heine.
Log;

Patience.

But no, Nill couldn't keep still at all. She'd first sat very still in a pew, admiring the stained glass and the carved stone though she'd seen them many times before. But then she'd gotten restless, and she'd started balancing along the back of the pew to occupy herself. And then she began to practice flight, jumping from the bench to the floor with hopes that she'd stay in the air for longer than a second.

More than once, the girl had stuck her head out the door to see if she could spot Heine approaching. Disappointed each time, she finally returned to sit, wringing her hands in anticipation.

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Unlike Nill, Heine was not restless. He did not deny the attachment he had for the winged girl, but he would not proclaim a love for her either. He did not want to connect himself so strongly if...if that were to happen again. If the attraction grew, that meant he would follow, the dog would stalk her in the back of his mind until one day, he would snap. For that reason, he kept his distance.

He would stay no longer than an hour, he decided while traversing the vehicle-empty roads. The chance of Giovanni was high; he did not want to risk leading him directly to Nill. He didn't want to show the girl that part of him, the uncontrolled Heine. He stepped on that line the other day; so close was he to losing. He shut his eyes, a sudden zap ricocheting in his head. ~~Stop thinking,~~ he scolded.

A few minutes and the disruption subsided. He shifted his mind to Nill. It had been a while since he last saw her. Back home, the light of the lower levels had dimmed a little due to her absence, but as he ascended the steps of a high-roofed church, Heine permitted an eased expression and passed through the immense, open doors of the cathedral.

The doors clicked open and Nill immediately jumped to her feet, whirling around. There he was, standing coolly in the doorway with a vague smile. The dash from the pews to his side took mere heartbeats, and she greeted him with the biggest hug she could muster. Though in person she couldn't express her delight with words, she hoped her grin could convey all she wanted to say.

I missed you, her expression announced, so so so much, and I was really lonely. But you're here at last!

Although not one to accept such forms of affection, Heine allowed the girl to hug him. For like five seconds; then he stepped away and frowned at her quizzically.

"You gained weight. That's good."

As for the white-haired gunner, he seemed slightly thinner. He hadn't eaten much since he arrived, and he had been running from that guy for a while. His clothes had a few holes in them, but he figured Nill was used to the sight. Heine patted her on the head before gingerly moving towards the altar. He was examining the interior of the church. It was bigger than the one back home.. and cleaner and better kept. He turned to the girl, raising a brow.

"Were you alone?"

Though she was somewhat disappointed he didn't return her hug, Nill accepted it as who he was and softened her beaming grin to a contented smile. She nodded once at Heine's remark, noting it as a small display of concern. She kept such acts close to heart, for they were all she would ever receieve from him.

She followed him down the center aisle towards the altar, flapping her tiny wings in delight. For a moment she imagined it was like home, with Badou and the Priest discussing business... but of course the Priest was back home, and Badou was nowhere nearby. It was just her and Heine.

His question brought the girl out of her thoughts, and she nodded affirmatively. Then she tilted her head as if to ask, Why?

Heine slipped into a pew and took a seat, sighing in relief. This is the first time he felt rested since he arrived. First he looked for a job, stalked the person he was paid to stalk, met Giovanni, then dealt with Badou. Wedged between all that was a few hours of sleep, some food, and enough water to sustain him. Overall, he was exhausted, yet he continued on, as always.

He kept his eyes on Nill, honestly glad to see her well. Accustomed to her vocal handicap, he read her questioning motions. "Just asking. You've been here by yourself? Anyone take care of you?"

Rightly concerned, Heine wanted to know how the girl got by the past months. She was capable, yes, but he knew that she hated being alone in an unknown place. Then that Naoto woman came to mind, and he leaned on the pew in front of him. Maybe she was the one taking care of her?

Nill sat in the pew in front, if only so she could see his face when he spoke to her. She reached out and took his hand in one of hers, tracing letters into his palm: priest, they spelled, but then she shook her head to indicate he was no longer there. She wrote another word, valerie, then raised four fingers, fisted them, then raised four again. The girl hoped Heine understood that she was telling him where she was staying, and with whom.

It was her turn to ask questions. She placed her finger on his palm again and wrote, eat?, her expression forming into one of deep concern. sleep? He looked completely exhausted, and she prayed he wasn't finding rest on a park bench or underneath the overhang of a vendor's booth.

This way of communicating, letter tracing, was the only way she could speak in person. Heine put each letter together, waiting for her to finish patiently. "Ah," he acknowledged, frowning when she signified that the blind priest was gone. Briefly, he was amused with the thought that perhaps the angel was happy with his absence. He always thought that the priest was over-the-top.

The man paused, thinking of what she meant by the numbers. "...building four, room four?" Although he did not check the apartments himself, he knew that there were buildings numbered one to twelve.

The girl then asked him about eating and sleeping. He blinked once, then lowered his gaze with a sigh. Any answer would disconcert her somehow so there was no use hiding. "I've had both. What I'm able to get anyways."

Lifting his head again, he looked hard into her eyes. "Don't make that face. I'm fine. More importantly..."

The clock was ticking; he dropped his hand and rested it on his knee. There were things he wanted to do and say, but he didn't know where to start. Oh, right, Valerie. It wasn't Naoto after all.

"What have you been doing since you got here?"

When Heine comprehended her residence, she nodded energetically, happy he understood. But when he only vaguely answered her own questions, her concern only deepened. She frowned harder when he told her to stop.

At his question, Nill got up on the back of her pew and balanced there. She didn't know how to express the joy of actually flying, so she grinned widely and flapped her wings to simulate flight. She wanted to tell him about her first fireworks, about Halloween, about making friends -- everything she'd done in the past month. But of course she couldn't. It was too abstract, too complex to show in gestures. If only she'd brought her laptop...

She hopped down and sat beside him, her smile softening. She wanted to say, Don't worry about me, I've been fine, and hoped he could read it on her face.

Heine definitely understood, and he smiled weakly, but it was there. "You must've done a lot of things," he noted as he laid back, less tense.

He took a deep breath, relaxed himself--or tried to. Giovanni was still in his mind, and he always will be despite efforts to keep him farthest. At least the canine beast was locked now. That was most important since he was with Nill. He gazed at her for a moment; then took her hand, like he did before she stood on the pews.

"Sorry for making you wait."

Nill shook her head, still smiling, and gently squeezed his hand to say, It's not your fault.

Then she turned his hand again so it was palm-up, and wrote where stay? on it. She hoped that if Heine had a place of his own, she could visit him occasionally. She knew that he was often about on his own business, so she was much safer living with Valerie and now Ruth in Building 4. However, Nill loved his company and hoped since they were both now trapped, she could see him more often.

Another question he couldn't walk around. Heine tilted his head to one side and pretended to stare at the crisscrossing beams of the church's high ceiling.

"Nowhere. I don't 'stay' anywhere."

Honestly, Heine was playing nomad. Aside from having no money, it would also mean he'd be easier to find (which was what Nill wanted, he was sure). Back Underground, he had an apartment. He only went there to get away from the masses when everything got too loud. It had a TV that he barely watched, and a couch which was his bed. Not much of a loss; the "bad guys" found him anyway. But maybe he should find a place.... he wondered where Badou stayed.

Nill's entire body slouched in disappointment; even her wings drooped. She stared for a moment at his palm, wondering what else she could possibly say without using any other means. She'd been hoping to tell him all sorts of stories, but it wasn't possible. Not here, and not like this.

She'd also hoped that, somehow, life would be different in the City. She wouldn't have to fear for her safety, and Heine wouldn't have to work so hard to find... whatever it is he was looking for. But in the end, nothing changed.

Finally, the girl wrote leave? on his hand, looking at him with head tilted, brow furrowed, and lips pulled into a slight frown. He was never around for long, and she hoped he could stay just a few minutes longer. She had missed his voice, and had wanted to listen to him speak even if she couldn't reciprocate.

Although it seemed as if everything remained the same, the short visits, the distanced attitude, there was a few differences. Heine knew he wasn't in his world. He knew then, that there was no Deep. That did not ease him, but neither did it disconcert him. He did not think about finding a way out. His mind, at this stage, was fixed on Giovanni. That, to a great extent, was enough of an unwanted home for him.

He not only read her written word, but felt it. There was an ounce of annoyance (because she really let these things overweigh her) mixed with a vague sympathy swirling within his pupils as they shifted towards the girl out of the corner of his eye. However, he let the sympathy win and took a stand. "Show me around first," he said with a flickering smile.

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Log; On-going

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