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tampered2007-07-29 08:39 pm
opfern.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-07-29 08:39 pm
Log; Complete
When; July 29th [After This].
Rating; PG-13 [Ninja Potty-Mouth].
Characters; Alfons Heiderich [![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
opfern] and Tayuya [violentflutist].
Summary; The morning after the big shindig down at the Cathedral, accusations of rape and kicking in the side ensues.
Log;
It had been a very long and unusual night, and Alfons hoped it didn't bear repeating. While he was still terribly disgusted with Greed, his accusations stuck with him. Who was he to judge, when he interacted with Cirucci on a regular basis? True, he was trying to change and help her, but it was practically a lost cause, and everyone knew it.
With a groan, the blond reached up to rub at his face tiredly, glancing over to Tayuya to see if she was still sleeping. At least one of them was. When this entire event had broken out, Alfons had just managed to fall asleep reading up on his old notes regarding exoatmospheric aeronautical engineering. He'd had just enough time to throw on his pants and jacket and grab his first-aid kit before showing up at the cathedral to find the awful mess.
He was relieved that Joshua would be alright, but he hoped Nill would be able to recover from the emotional trauma it took to witness something like that. At least Vash was with her.
The chair scraped against the ground a bit as he stood up, buttoning up his jacket so that he didn't have to look too indecent, before moving over to pull the curtains shut, only to pause when he saw the effect it had on the room. The stained glass was now coloring the room in various locations, and he just couldn't bring himself to close that out. Quietly, he moved the chair closer to the window, which drew it closer to the bed as well, so he could appreciate the light show in all it's beauty.
Sometimes he could forget that this was the house of God. Perhaps he wasn't overly religious like his parents, but the practices had still been engraved in him, and it was on an afterthought that he pulled the rosary out of his pants pocket to hold it up and gaze at it along with the designs on the wall.
It was after a good half hour of letting his mind wander that his eyelids started to feel heavy, and he slipped the rosary back into his pocket before folding his arms over his chest and leaning back. It was hard to get comfortable in a chair, but he had fallen asleep at his desk enough times to become rather used to it, and so he was asleep in minutes.
Tayuya was tired.
Using the new curse seal always tired her more than anything else, hit her like a brick when she released it. And she’d held it longer than usual last night, attacked Greed and drawn him out of the cathedral into a match with her, with skin darkened, brow horned, and pupils gold against black instead of brown against white.
It had been harder to reseal, too, always was when she was emotional, and emotional she had been. The ninja had a soft spot for Nill, and to see her distressed, to see Greed, whom she hated, the cause, well… it was easy to become such.
She groaned, recalled vaguely being held back before the seal sapped her energy, and turned over. Where was this?
A bed?
Suddenly alarmed, the ninja’s senses tripped, shooting bolt upright, and catching a figure, male, beside her. On reflex, she kicked out, connected, and pushed off, a flip, before landing four legged on the ground behind the bed, heart frozen and muscles taught.
She didn’t like waking up in strange places.
If he had thought that waking up and hearing a distressed Nill was unpleasant, then being kicked awake was complete and utter cruelty. It connected right with his side, knocking the wind out of him, and him out of the chair with a startled yelp.
Cringing on the cold floor, Alfons reached to clutch at his side, positive that was going to form a bruise later. It took him a few moments to understand that he was indeed awake, and he had just been struck by someone. When he sat up and saw the bed was empty, and a rather confused and angry looking ninja standing on the other side of it, well...Alfons could add two and two.
"What... What did you do that for?!" he croaked out, still a little winded as he staggered back up, rubbing at his side and glaring at her. "Is that how you normally wake people up?!"
Tayuya took in her surroundings quickly, as she was conditioned to do.
Stained glass, marble floor, simple bed furnishings… her mind reached the logical conclusion, took one step forward, one back, before she straightened, glowered, muscles still taut and humming with readiness, to spring, attack, move, anything, thrust into a painful state of alertness that made the seal begin to pulse wild on her neck again and made her grimace.
“Who brought me here?” She barked out, clutching the back of her neck beneath wild red hair, fixing the boy, older than her but she still called him that, with a withering stare, defensive posture, hating that she’d come last night in what she slept in, namely, the skin tight black body suit beneath her uniform.
"Would you keep your voice down?!" he hissed out, holding a finger up for silence. "I'm sure the others are still trying to sleep. Last night after fighting Greed, you passed out. Vash and I carried you to this room, as we figured the steps weren't really a proper place to leave an unconscious lady."
With a grimace, Alfons reached over to pick his chair up and straighten it. "He stayed with Nill, and I stayed with you. I was worried but it's clear you're in better shape than me."
“…I did not pass out.” Tayuya sharply retorted, didn’t lower her voice either. She was still on guard, too taut, too ready, one hand in a fist by her side and the other clutching sharp and hard at the back of her neck. She wished she hadn’t woken up, still too wound for the seal to relax, throbbing, pulsing, begging to be let free again.
Stupid seal.
With a sigh, Alfons held up both hands in a meek defense. "My apologies. I guess you just felt like taking a nap outside. Regardless, we figured a bed would be more comfortable."
Then he noticed that she was still clutching at her neck, having just figured initially that she was rubbing at some sore muscles. Brow furrowed in concern, he stepped around the bed.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you there? I checked you for injuries and didn't find anything."
Her brow furrowed immediately.
“You checked me-“ She wasn’t fond of people being anywhere near her person, let alone handing her while she was unconscious, ah, no, she denied that, asleep. Her hand tightened, other unfisting to point accusingly.
“You were touching me while I was out?” Tayuya spat, stepped back when he got closer, sizing him up and down as if having to revaluate him, distrust and anger clear on her face.
Immediately he stopped when she stepped back. What on earth was this?! He was probably the least threatening person he knew. What was she afraid of?!
And then she had to go and phrase it like that. "Don't make it sound so perverse! You pas--fell asleep rather suddenly, and considering I had a first-aid kit on hand, I wanted to be sure I didn't have to use it. I didn't take off your clothes or anything!"
With a glare, Alfons folded his arms across his chest. "Trust me, staying in a chair all night was not my idea of a good time! The least you could do is not kick me and yell at me!"
“How do I know?” Tayuya spluttered, covering her insecurities, the seal pulsing on her neck, by accusing him. “I was pas- FAST ASLEEP!” She muttered something under her breath that contained the word bastard and paced warily in the small space between the bed and the wall not near him.
“Besides, you don’t need to insult me, Capo, I’m not ugly.”
Alfons scowled right back and gestured with his hand while trying to keep his voice down. "What's the matter with you?! First you accuse me of touching you inappropriately, then when I say I haven't, you take that to mean I'm insulting you?! There's just no winning with you, is there!"
And that was most certainly a statement, not a question. Even more irritated at the nickname, he pointed at her. "Stop calling me that! I'm not Sicilian!"
“Yeah, well-“ Tayuya hid another grimace in a bite of a statement, knew she shouldn’t be letting herself get worked up again, but couldn’t help herself. “I’ll call you what I fucking want to!”
For a moment, the seal grasped hold, the black marks racing in geometric line across her skin, but she forced it back, a shiver, jaw clenched tight and hands fisted, glaring, daring, fighting it for control.
"I thought you were--" Immediately Alfons cut himself off when he saw the marks spreading over her skin, remembering what she had looked like when she fought with Greed. In a way he supposed it was frightening...but after seeing Cirucci transform, it was getting rather hard to phase him.
Mostly he had quieted of concern. It seemed to be causing her pain. "...Would ice help? Or a pain killer?"
Goddamn, why couldn’t he just take offense and leave her alone like a normal person?
“No,” she snarled, nearly feral, bestial, something, conceding to sit back down, to clutch less at the seal but try and steady her breathing, try and calm herself and bring her mind, her senses, back down from that initial high alert, that warning, slowly bringing the mark back under control until it’s pulsing settled back in time to the dulled beat of her dead heart.
Well, he could take a hint. She obviously wanted to be left alone, and really Alfons had no reason to stick around any longer, but he didn't want to just leave with the sheets all astray like that. And he couldn't exactly tell her to sit somewhere else while she was in pain, so he would wait a bit longer until she was standing again before making the bed.
Until then, he figured he might as well do something useful, so he turned to leave her to her solitude in the room, rubbing the little sleep he'd gotten out of his ways. He remembered where the kitchen was, but he certainly didn't know where the tea or coffee was located. Either one would be a blessing, though he admitted silently that it was lots and lots of beer that he was really craving.
Too bad he wasn't the type to go and get drunk early in the morning.
The mugs were easy to locate, and the modern coffee maker was pretty impossible to miss. He was left staring at all the buttons and setting for a good minute before going about trying to brew a few cups.
It took a little while longer, but she silenced it further, pushed it back, back, back, until it didn’t thrum along with her false life, waiting for an opportunity, easier to push it when she was alone, could calm herself, try and relax, even though ninja never truly relaxed.
With a rather un-lady-like grunt she rose, shook herself, her wild hair, and sighed. “Fuck this.” A mild statement directed at the stained glass windows.
When the coffee was finally brewed, he was faced with a dillemna. He had no idea how Tayuya liked it. So, after pouring two cups, he went hunting for a tray, and found a matching sugar bowl and creamer during the search. Pleased at how well stocked the kitchen was, he set some napkins and spoons down on the tray as well before poking around for something quick and easy to eat.
A couple apples and four pieces of toast later, Alfons walked back into the spare bedroom, offering Tayuya a wary smile while setting the tray on the simple desk nearby. "Breakfast."
Oh glorious, she had moved, meaning he could dart over and begin making the bed before she could mess it up again.
Tayuya turned to watch him scurrying, s’what it looked like to her, and picked up an apple idly, tossing it in one hand as she stared out the windows.
“Nill okay?” It was a quiet, blunt, question, staring up and not looking at the fruit she deftly threw up and down, catching by the stem and tossing it back up before it had a chance to snap off, quick and easy motions reminiscent of the last time she’d been in his company, except then she’d been tossing daggers.
Alfons was no housekeeper, but the bed did still look nice as he smoothed out the sheet and blanket, folding it back just a touch before fluffing the pillow. "I thinks she's still asleep. At least, I hope she is."
When he turned to spot her tossing the apple so carefully, he quickly ducked past her in an attempt to hide the sudden smile on his face. The sudden mental image of an Irish Ninja was just too much, and he was quick to grab his toast and coffee to occupy his mouth so that he didn't burst out laughing. No doubt, she'd find some way to take offense if he did.
“Ah.” She gave a non committal answer, hated looking worried or concerned, and took a chunk out of the apple, chewing thoughtful before she turned around, fixing him with a look.
“… Problem?” She muttered around a mouthful, gesturing with the half eaten fruit.
Alfons was quick to shake his head, eyes wide, although his mouth was currently full of toast, so he had to wait until he swallowed and took a sip of coffee before responding. "No, no! I was just thinking about something else funny. Completely unrelated," he lied smoothly before taking another sip of his coffee and glancing towards the window.
"...I'm going home to get some things, but I'll probably be coming back afterward to make sure Nill has company, and I think I'll also need to find a skilled healer." He wondered if Holly would be able to help with something like this...
“… Oh.” Tayuya quieted, waited for the ticking in the back of her head that didn’t come.
“Well, I’m going to leave, too.” She was all business, in appearance, sharp movements before she twiddled an apple core between her fingers, eyed the coffee. A few motions of her hand, quick hand seals of a jutsu to detect poison, and she relaxed somewhat, finally reaching for the cup and gulping some down, not at all refined in motion or eating habits.
The complex motions of her hands brought about quite a bit of staring, his last bite of toast hovering near his mouth. It almost looked like a dance, really, and he silently wondered what it was for before he shook himself back to reality and finished off his toast and coffee. He would save his apple for later.
"Ah, really?" With a smile and a shrug, Alfons stood back up to gather his dishes and the tray, setting the toast he'd made for her aside so that she could still eat it. "I'm sure Nill would like it if you stayed. But I understand wanting to hurry home. Things to do and all that, right?" With a chuckle, he headed back down the long hallway towards the kitchen.
She followed after him, munching on the toast and carrying the coffee in her other hand, tossing long hair back behind her. She only knew the side entrance down this hallway anyway, from escorting Ritsuka to and from his room.
“Shouldn’t be here anyway, so. Nill’s got other people to take care of her without me trying and failing at it.” Tayuya talked roughly, course and quick, nearly a snap but without so much bite.
"Trying and failing? All you need to do is simply be here, letting her know that you're offering support. That's really all any of us can do...aside from help fix up her room."
He slowed down his walk a bit to admire some architecture before finally entering the large kitchen, obviously made to be able to handle large banquets if necessary. Moving over to the sink, Alfons set down the tray and unbuttoned his cuffs so that he could roll up his sleeves. "Her room really is a mess now... At the very least, I should clean up the blood. And I have a feeling she'll need a new book case."
“… Right.” Tayuya didn’t offer any other answer. She didn’t feel like saying that ninja were not supposed to care for anything, let alone once-mute little girls. She dropped her cup by the sink, and stepped back as if to look at something else, but she moved quietly, stealthily, and instead slipped out the door and out of the Cathedral.
She fled.
He blinked as the cup was dropped in the sink, quickly moving to grab it to check for any chips before stepping back to look over his shoulder. "You really shouldn't--"
Ah. Gone.
The kitchen suddenly seemed much larger then, as he stood there in front of the sink and gazed down at the dirty dishes. Unable to take the sudden ticking, he turned on the faucet and grabbed the soap with a shake of his head.
Nothing was ever simple, was it?
Rating; PG-13 [Ninja Potty-Mouth].
Characters; Alfons Heiderich [
opfern] and Tayuya [violentflutist].Summary; The morning after the big shindig down at the Cathedral, accusations of rape and kicking in the side ensues.
Log;
It had been a very long and unusual night, and Alfons hoped it didn't bear repeating. While he was still terribly disgusted with Greed, his accusations stuck with him. Who was he to judge, when he interacted with Cirucci on a regular basis? True, he was trying to change and help her, but it was practically a lost cause, and everyone knew it.
With a groan, the blond reached up to rub at his face tiredly, glancing over to Tayuya to see if she was still sleeping. At least one of them was. When this entire event had broken out, Alfons had just managed to fall asleep reading up on his old notes regarding exoatmospheric aeronautical engineering. He'd had just enough time to throw on his pants and jacket and grab his first-aid kit before showing up at the cathedral to find the awful mess.
He was relieved that Joshua would be alright, but he hoped Nill would be able to recover from the emotional trauma it took to witness something like that. At least Vash was with her.
The chair scraped against the ground a bit as he stood up, buttoning up his jacket so that he didn't have to look too indecent, before moving over to pull the curtains shut, only to pause when he saw the effect it had on the room. The stained glass was now coloring the room in various locations, and he just couldn't bring himself to close that out. Quietly, he moved the chair closer to the window, which drew it closer to the bed as well, so he could appreciate the light show in all it's beauty.
Sometimes he could forget that this was the house of God. Perhaps he wasn't overly religious like his parents, but the practices had still been engraved in him, and it was on an afterthought that he pulled the rosary out of his pants pocket to hold it up and gaze at it along with the designs on the wall.
It was after a good half hour of letting his mind wander that his eyelids started to feel heavy, and he slipped the rosary back into his pocket before folding his arms over his chest and leaning back. It was hard to get comfortable in a chair, but he had fallen asleep at his desk enough times to become rather used to it, and so he was asleep in minutes.
Tayuya was tired.
Using the new curse seal always tired her more than anything else, hit her like a brick when she released it. And she’d held it longer than usual last night, attacked Greed and drawn him out of the cathedral into a match with her, with skin darkened, brow horned, and pupils gold against black instead of brown against white.
It had been harder to reseal, too, always was when she was emotional, and emotional she had been. The ninja had a soft spot for Nill, and to see her distressed, to see Greed, whom she hated, the cause, well… it was easy to become such.
She groaned, recalled vaguely being held back before the seal sapped her energy, and turned over. Where was this?
A bed?
Suddenly alarmed, the ninja’s senses tripped, shooting bolt upright, and catching a figure, male, beside her. On reflex, she kicked out, connected, and pushed off, a flip, before landing four legged on the ground behind the bed, heart frozen and muscles taught.
She didn’t like waking up in strange places.
If he had thought that waking up and hearing a distressed Nill was unpleasant, then being kicked awake was complete and utter cruelty. It connected right with his side, knocking the wind out of him, and him out of the chair with a startled yelp.
Cringing on the cold floor, Alfons reached to clutch at his side, positive that was going to form a bruise later. It took him a few moments to understand that he was indeed awake, and he had just been struck by someone. When he sat up and saw the bed was empty, and a rather confused and angry looking ninja standing on the other side of it, well...Alfons could add two and two.
"What... What did you do that for?!" he croaked out, still a little winded as he staggered back up, rubbing at his side and glaring at her. "Is that how you normally wake people up?!"
Tayuya took in her surroundings quickly, as she was conditioned to do.
Stained glass, marble floor, simple bed furnishings… her mind reached the logical conclusion, took one step forward, one back, before she straightened, glowered, muscles still taut and humming with readiness, to spring, attack, move, anything, thrust into a painful state of alertness that made the seal begin to pulse wild on her neck again and made her grimace.
“Who brought me here?” She barked out, clutching the back of her neck beneath wild red hair, fixing the boy, older than her but she still called him that, with a withering stare, defensive posture, hating that she’d come last night in what she slept in, namely, the skin tight black body suit beneath her uniform.
"Would you keep your voice down?!" he hissed out, holding a finger up for silence. "I'm sure the others are still trying to sleep. Last night after fighting Greed, you passed out. Vash and I carried you to this room, as we figured the steps weren't really a proper place to leave an unconscious lady."
With a grimace, Alfons reached over to pick his chair up and straighten it. "He stayed with Nill, and I stayed with you. I was worried but it's clear you're in better shape than me."
“…I did not pass out.” Tayuya sharply retorted, didn’t lower her voice either. She was still on guard, too taut, too ready, one hand in a fist by her side and the other clutching sharp and hard at the back of her neck. She wished she hadn’t woken up, still too wound for the seal to relax, throbbing, pulsing, begging to be let free again.
Stupid seal.
With a sigh, Alfons held up both hands in a meek defense. "My apologies. I guess you just felt like taking a nap outside. Regardless, we figured a bed would be more comfortable."
Then he noticed that she was still clutching at her neck, having just figured initially that she was rubbing at some sore muscles. Brow furrowed in concern, he stepped around the bed.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you there? I checked you for injuries and didn't find anything."
Her brow furrowed immediately.
“You checked me-“ She wasn’t fond of people being anywhere near her person, let alone handing her while she was unconscious, ah, no, she denied that, asleep. Her hand tightened, other unfisting to point accusingly.
“You were touching me while I was out?” Tayuya spat, stepped back when he got closer, sizing him up and down as if having to revaluate him, distrust and anger clear on her face.
Immediately he stopped when she stepped back. What on earth was this?! He was probably the least threatening person he knew. What was she afraid of?!
And then she had to go and phrase it like that. "Don't make it sound so perverse! You pas--fell asleep rather suddenly, and considering I had a first-aid kit on hand, I wanted to be sure I didn't have to use it. I didn't take off your clothes or anything!"
With a glare, Alfons folded his arms across his chest. "Trust me, staying in a chair all night was not my idea of a good time! The least you could do is not kick me and yell at me!"
“How do I know?” Tayuya spluttered, covering her insecurities, the seal pulsing on her neck, by accusing him. “I was pas- FAST ASLEEP!” She muttered something under her breath that contained the word bastard and paced warily in the small space between the bed and the wall not near him.
“Besides, you don’t need to insult me, Capo, I’m not ugly.”
Alfons scowled right back and gestured with his hand while trying to keep his voice down. "What's the matter with you?! First you accuse me of touching you inappropriately, then when I say I haven't, you take that to mean I'm insulting you?! There's just no winning with you, is there!"
And that was most certainly a statement, not a question. Even more irritated at the nickname, he pointed at her. "Stop calling me that! I'm not Sicilian!"
“Yeah, well-“ Tayuya hid another grimace in a bite of a statement, knew she shouldn’t be letting herself get worked up again, but couldn’t help herself. “I’ll call you what I fucking want to!”
For a moment, the seal grasped hold, the black marks racing in geometric line across her skin, but she forced it back, a shiver, jaw clenched tight and hands fisted, glaring, daring, fighting it for control.
"I thought you were--" Immediately Alfons cut himself off when he saw the marks spreading over her skin, remembering what she had looked like when she fought with Greed. In a way he supposed it was frightening...but after seeing Cirucci transform, it was getting rather hard to phase him.
Mostly he had quieted of concern. It seemed to be causing her pain. "...Would ice help? Or a pain killer?"
Goddamn, why couldn’t he just take offense and leave her alone like a normal person?
“No,” she snarled, nearly feral, bestial, something, conceding to sit back down, to clutch less at the seal but try and steady her breathing, try and calm herself and bring her mind, her senses, back down from that initial high alert, that warning, slowly bringing the mark back under control until it’s pulsing settled back in time to the dulled beat of her dead heart.
Well, he could take a hint. She obviously wanted to be left alone, and really Alfons had no reason to stick around any longer, but he didn't want to just leave with the sheets all astray like that. And he couldn't exactly tell her to sit somewhere else while she was in pain, so he would wait a bit longer until she was standing again before making the bed.
Until then, he figured he might as well do something useful, so he turned to leave her to her solitude in the room, rubbing the little sleep he'd gotten out of his ways. He remembered where the kitchen was, but he certainly didn't know where the tea or coffee was located. Either one would be a blessing, though he admitted silently that it was lots and lots of beer that he was really craving.
Too bad he wasn't the type to go and get drunk early in the morning.
The mugs were easy to locate, and the modern coffee maker was pretty impossible to miss. He was left staring at all the buttons and setting for a good minute before going about trying to brew a few cups.
It took a little while longer, but she silenced it further, pushed it back, back, back, until it didn’t thrum along with her false life, waiting for an opportunity, easier to push it when she was alone, could calm herself, try and relax, even though ninja never truly relaxed.
With a rather un-lady-like grunt she rose, shook herself, her wild hair, and sighed. “Fuck this.” A mild statement directed at the stained glass windows.
When the coffee was finally brewed, he was faced with a dillemna. He had no idea how Tayuya liked it. So, after pouring two cups, he went hunting for a tray, and found a matching sugar bowl and creamer during the search. Pleased at how well stocked the kitchen was, he set some napkins and spoons down on the tray as well before poking around for something quick and easy to eat.
A couple apples and four pieces of toast later, Alfons walked back into the spare bedroom, offering Tayuya a wary smile while setting the tray on the simple desk nearby. "Breakfast."
Oh glorious, she had moved, meaning he could dart over and begin making the bed before she could mess it up again.
Tayuya turned to watch him scurrying, s’what it looked like to her, and picked up an apple idly, tossing it in one hand as she stared out the windows.
“Nill okay?” It was a quiet, blunt, question, staring up and not looking at the fruit she deftly threw up and down, catching by the stem and tossing it back up before it had a chance to snap off, quick and easy motions reminiscent of the last time she’d been in his company, except then she’d been tossing daggers.
Alfons was no housekeeper, but the bed did still look nice as he smoothed out the sheet and blanket, folding it back just a touch before fluffing the pillow. "I thinks she's still asleep. At least, I hope she is."
When he turned to spot her tossing the apple so carefully, he quickly ducked past her in an attempt to hide the sudden smile on his face. The sudden mental image of an Irish Ninja was just too much, and he was quick to grab his toast and coffee to occupy his mouth so that he didn't burst out laughing. No doubt, she'd find some way to take offense if he did.
“Ah.” She gave a non committal answer, hated looking worried or concerned, and took a chunk out of the apple, chewing thoughtful before she turned around, fixing him with a look.
“… Problem?” She muttered around a mouthful, gesturing with the half eaten fruit.
Alfons was quick to shake his head, eyes wide, although his mouth was currently full of toast, so he had to wait until he swallowed and took a sip of coffee before responding. "No, no! I was just thinking about something else funny. Completely unrelated," he lied smoothly before taking another sip of his coffee and glancing towards the window.
"...I'm going home to get some things, but I'll probably be coming back afterward to make sure Nill has company, and I think I'll also need to find a skilled healer." He wondered if Holly would be able to help with something like this...
“… Oh.” Tayuya quieted, waited for the ticking in the back of her head that didn’t come.
“Well, I’m going to leave, too.” She was all business, in appearance, sharp movements before she twiddled an apple core between her fingers, eyed the coffee. A few motions of her hand, quick hand seals of a jutsu to detect poison, and she relaxed somewhat, finally reaching for the cup and gulping some down, not at all refined in motion or eating habits.
The complex motions of her hands brought about quite a bit of staring, his last bite of toast hovering near his mouth. It almost looked like a dance, really, and he silently wondered what it was for before he shook himself back to reality and finished off his toast and coffee. He would save his apple for later.
"Ah, really?" With a smile and a shrug, Alfons stood back up to gather his dishes and the tray, setting the toast he'd made for her aside so that she could still eat it. "I'm sure Nill would like it if you stayed. But I understand wanting to hurry home. Things to do and all that, right?" With a chuckle, he headed back down the long hallway towards the kitchen.
She followed after him, munching on the toast and carrying the coffee in her other hand, tossing long hair back behind her. She only knew the side entrance down this hallway anyway, from escorting Ritsuka to and from his room.
“Shouldn’t be here anyway, so. Nill’s got other people to take care of her without me trying and failing at it.” Tayuya talked roughly, course and quick, nearly a snap but without so much bite.
"Trying and failing? All you need to do is simply be here, letting her know that you're offering support. That's really all any of us can do...aside from help fix up her room."
He slowed down his walk a bit to admire some architecture before finally entering the large kitchen, obviously made to be able to handle large banquets if necessary. Moving over to the sink, Alfons set down the tray and unbuttoned his cuffs so that he could roll up his sleeves. "Her room really is a mess now... At the very least, I should clean up the blood. And I have a feeling she'll need a new book case."
“… Right.” Tayuya didn’t offer any other answer. She didn’t feel like saying that ninja were not supposed to care for anything, let alone once-mute little girls. She dropped her cup by the sink, and stepped back as if to look at something else, but she moved quietly, stealthily, and instead slipped out the door and out of the Cathedral.
She fled.
He blinked as the cup was dropped in the sink, quickly moving to grab it to check for any chips before stepping back to look over his shoulder. "You really shouldn't--"
Ah. Gone.
The kitchen suddenly seemed much larger then, as he stood there in front of the sink and gazed down at the dirty dishes. Unable to take the sudden ticking, he turned on the faucet and grabbed the soap with a shake of his head.
Nothing was ever simple, was it?