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[hellufacade]

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[hellufacade]

[He gives her a look of true understanding. His lips part as he stares at her. He seems to be... processing something. His eyes tremble a little as he stares at her. ]

This has made islands of us all, I see. [This being... The sundering, the rejoinings. The endless cycle. He bites his lower lip.]

...Countless times have I wanted to stop. To be satisfied. To find... love and peace. To be comforted that everything would just be alright. [He closes his eyes as he closes his fingers around hers. ] ...But that is always just out of reach, isn't it?

[eightfoldlight]

[ The weird smile loses its staying power and fades. It's a truth about him she would have been more surprised to learn if Elidibus had not offered some seemingly-cold comment regarding Emet-Selch and his mercurial nature. ]

... aye. Two of the most powerful people in the world are two of the loneliest— and no-one the wiser. Whyever should a hero of Light or Dark feel such a thing? T'would be funny, were it not so cruel.

[hellufacade]

Alas, cruelly, we are still people. [He smiles bitterly, gazing at their hands. ]

Which brings me to my earlier point... You are lonely. I am lonely. None but the other can understand us. So... Come live with me. Speak with me, toil with me—And if the Gods smile upon us we just may find a solution to this ceaseless madness.

And if you truly are our chosen hero, you will need to take better care of yourself. ‘Tis either by miracle or design of your blessing that you have not died of exhaustion, I think.

[eightfoldlight]

[ She stares at him, mouth agape. Yenh continues to find it blatantly unfair how completely sensible he can be while still being a complete lunatic. ]

Would we not simply be tormenting ourselves? What if we lose the other? [ She asks this out of protest. ]

[hellufacade]

What if I die before you, you mean? Well, you’ve already had to wrestle with that fate, haven’t you? And I’m long used to losing others... I would be disappointed. Buuuut, I’m always disappointed. [So he shrugs.]

Unless you mean something else?

[eightfoldlight]

[ She settles back into worry, though she begins to feel foolish. Maybe they had been talking about completely different types of loneliness. He did, after all, only suggest they keep each other company and become partners-in-crime. Metaphorically. Probably. And it would align with her mission to keep an eye on the local Ascian. ]

[ Which leaves Yenh wondering what absolute madness it is that has seized her instead. ]

No. No, you're right. It would make a sensible arrangement.

[hellufacade]

[His eyes take a wild glint. He’s sort of astonished, really, that she agreed. But it would be a very good arrangement. He raises his other hand into the air, pointing. ]

Well, I’m not abandoning the theater. So you’ll just have to live in Nonah!

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh withholds her comment that maybe the theater wouldn't mind being abandoned. It does give him something constructive to do that isn't, well, following the bidding of Zodiark to perform the Rejoining. ]

Fine. Does your building have a spare room, or shall I make a bed in the basement? I could string a hammock up.

[hellufacade]

Oh, they’re all unpleasant. Plus, there’s nowhere to park my car. Let us find somewhere else...

[He grins. Even if this is a disaster, it is forward movement. ]

House or apartment?

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh feels like all of this is part of a decision that is as dangerous as any of the adventures she's been on lately. ]

House, I think. One with a very old tree. I like the chance to stretch out under the sky.

[hellufacade]

Hm... It shouldn’t be too hard to find a property like that in this city.

[He gives her hand a squeeze before drawing it back to his own lap. This all did feel completely insane, didn’t it? But he was a caution to the wind sort of man. And he was bored and sad, and a change sounded wonderful.]

Well... do you have any belongings?

[eightfoldlight]

Only a few.

[ Yenh slides her glove back on, wriggling her fingers to settle them snuggly back into place. At least that still feels right, unlike everything else in her life right now. ]

[ She begins to ask the same thing in return, only to remember she has already seen the inside of his room. ]

Is all of that furniture in your room yours? Not provided by the government, I mean.

[hellufacade]

A bit provided... a bit mine. I stumbled upon an antique market and simply could not help myself! However, I have access to some young men with strong backs... Or at least unsullied by years of manual labor.

[He was getting his stolen robot parts somehow.]

I do have quite a lot of clothing... Well! No time like the present, eh?

[eightfoldlight]

—right this moment?

[ This became yet another one of those 'sure, why not' moments where she gets caught up in the whirlwind of someone else's life, and once again she didn't even notice until it was too late. ]

[hellufacade]

Oh what, are you busy?

[He gives her a playful, catty look that is only accented by his... cat features. ]

[eightfoldlight]

[ Yenh stares at him. ]

No, but... [ She tries to think of a delaying tactic. No, still checking out as a good idea for the whole 'keep track of the Ascian while trying to help him' thing. ]

It's remarkably sudden, is all.

[hellufacade]

Now now, my hero isn’t getting cold feet, is she?

[He crosses his arms and frowns. ]

[eightfoldlight]

Cold feet! I shall have you know that-

[ Yenh latches onto a word and abandons the previous thought. ]

Wait, your hero?

[hellufacade]

[laughs, grimaces, and looks away. ]

Just a slip of the tongue. Don’t get excited. Anyway, what was it you’ll have me know?

[eightfoldlight]

[ She shrugs and tries to remember what she was going to say. ]

Right. I shall have you know that my feet are perfectly warm, thank you!

[ Yenh jumps down from the stage. ]

[hellufacade]

Good. I'd have it no other way, and the day is young. Let us get this properly underway... [He shuffles himself off the stage and walks after her. He tugs his pants up. Shit, he definitely needs suspenders. His shirt keeps riding up, too.]

Ah, as far as finances go, how much will you be able to contribute?

[eightfoldlight]

I am a fiscally-responsible citizen, if that's what you're wondering.

[ She digs around in her pockets and waves a checkbook holder around to demonstrate that she is Prepared to Contribute. As she waves it around, it's clear from how it bulges and the stray receipts sticking out that she's using it as a wallet. ]

[hellufacade]

[His eyes follow the checkbook holder.]

...Let me see that. Give it here.

[eightfoldlight]

[ She offers it out to him with both hands. ]

Here you are. I believe you shall find everything in order.

[ It may or may not come as a comfort to note that Yenh has written one check for practice or for fun, as she made it out to The Father Of Dragons, Midgardsormr. The numerical amount is a bunch of symbols she drew, and the written amount is 'how many wild boar could he eat?' She wrote in the 'notes' field 'trying it out.' Her handwriting is a somehow-readable scrawl. The rest of the contents are her debit card, several coffee shop punch cards from different cities in various stages of use, a De Chima library card, and receipts for the purchase of pretty much everything she has eaten in the past week. She appears to favor hole-in-the-wall restaurants. ]

[hellufacade]

[In order was a way to put it. A way that was factually dubious.] Do you still not have an identification card...?

[He stares at the check, and then gazes at her.] As sure that I am that Midgarsormr would be happy to have you pay for his meal, none of this is real proof that you're financially secure. Though, you will be moving cities, perhaps I should offer to do the gentlemanly thing and subsidize your costs.