week 0 | eleanor

[shinssin]

[ When Eleanor passes by Hachiko(?)'s statue, whether she means to or not, she will certainly find Assassin doing his morning stretches. And when Assassin finds her, he drops everything to stand upright and wave at her with a bright, toothy smile. ]

Yo, Eleanor! What's up?

[ As if nothing ever happened in the bathroom yesterday. Everything is fine! ]

Have you eaten breakfast yet? Skipping meals is bad for your health, you know.

Comments

[shinssin]

Kgh!

[OW. HE WAS NOT PREPARED. Assassin reels back as he holds his nose in shock and pain. ]

But it's funny when you freak out... Ow... Hey, is my nose broken?

[it's fine, he's just vain]

[exorcismo]

I don't find it funny! And I hardly hit you-- let me see!

[ she smacks his hands away from his face. ]

See? There's not even any blood.

[ she punctuates her discovery by flicking the tip of his nose. bad dogs should be punished!! ]

[shinssin]

[how... caring...

this is how he suffers. when she flicks his nose, he reaches out to shield it again.]

Don't do that! [Not the face, please!!] Ugh... At least I don't have to worry about your reflexes.

[exorcismo]

[ since he's busy guarding the money (his face) he's briefly left himself open, so she strikes. ]

Maybe-!

[ a jab to his side! ]

You-!

[ and his other side! ]

--Should worry about yourself!

[ she just kinda goes at him for as long as he'll allow ]

[shinssin]

[just lets her hit him tbh he can take it

mostly. he wants to keel over.]

Yes, ma'am...

[... yeah, why is he worrying about her anyway?]

What are you getting with your latte?

[exorcismo]

[ She freezes, hand in the air mid-jab, suddenly overcome with deep thought. ]

Quiche, perhaps!

[ content with the fact that she's taken her frustrations out on him, she turns to the glass case of food, pressing her hands against it like it's an aquarium or something. ]

Hm, quiche definitely!

[ And as if on command, her stomach makes a very loud and angry grumbling sound. She's highkey mortified, so she just, keeps looking into the case, refuses to turn around. ]

[shinssin]

[ Putting up a front when her weaknesses are in plain sight— She really shouldn't be hanging around him, no matter how many times he asks.

He tries not to laugh this time. It hurts, anyway... But he leans in and smiles. ]

Then I'm getting that too.

[ The otome game shenanigans return... ]

[exorcismo]

[ She’s just about given up trying to understand how and why he’ll respond in such varied and contrary ways. Perhaps, that was just who he was— as frustrating as that might be. For now she’ll enjoy an opportunity for civil conversation. ]

I must say, I’m surprised you take the time to indulge in such mundane things.

[ quiche, Starbucks, waiting in lines, conversations about semi-normal things. She takes a very long sip from her rainbow colored drink. ]

Considering you spent your first few days here picking fights and complaining about being bored, that is. I hope this place hasn’t worn down your spirit.

1/2

[shinssin]

Haha. Did you take me for some musclehead? [ He's not offended. The bandits of Liangshan were often those types of people, after all. ] I like a lot of things! Fights, food, music... The world's full of things I like.

[ His past is riddled with mistakes, but of all his choices, protecting his world was not the wrong path to take. And when people get in the way of the things he likes, well... ]

So I wasn't really bored. I was just— [ He'll continue that thought after he takes a sip of his own unicorn latte. She got one too, so why not, right?

... ]

[shinssin]

Just... what's in this?

[ takes off the cover because what the fuck ]

[exorcismo]

Of all the less than normal detail of this situation, this is the thing you decide to question?

[ Also she's given this a lot of thought soo-- ]

I believe part of what makes the drink so appealing is the mysticism of not knowing exactly what's in it. It's a bit magical that way, don't you think?

[ Otherwise it's just a smoothie with pink sugar okay? But she presses him on his earlier statement ]

But? You were saying? You were just 'what'?

[ Finish your thoughts!! ]

[shinssin]

[ Oh, she's a romantic. That's cute.

Assassin hums. He'll... keep drinking Mysterious Latte X, then... ]

I told you before, didn't I? I was trying to remember something. [ He pounds his chest with a fist. ] I'm really famous for my martial arts, you know! And my music. And my wit. And my good looks— [ just stop him please ]

[exorcismo]

[ She is... a very big one actually. Shh!

She's not actually all that put off by him going on about himself. Pridefulness aside the enthusiasm is kind of refreshing, but she's gotta ask-- ]

Does that not defeat the point of being an assassin? Is it not more ideal to remain unseen and unknown..?

[ Unless the word assassin has an entirely different connotation in his world..]

[shinssin]

Well, yeah. But being famous is the entire reason I'm an Assassin, you know?

[Behind his straw is that enigmatic smile. Again!]

Why don't you ask Caren about it? She can explain it better than I can. It's kind of her job.

[exorcismo]

[ She definitely doesn't know, and as someone who's sworn herself to a life of modesty and humbleness so much of his behavior goes right over her head. ]

Oh, are you both acquaintances from a time before this place? How odd, I assumed anyone who already knew someone here was partnered with them. But the two of you are paired with other people, correct?

[shinssin]

Yeah. She's with that shrimp, Chuuya. I've never met her before, though? I don't know if we're from the same time or place. She just happens to be someone from the same world. Other than that, we're total strangers.

[If there's any animosity between them, he keeps that to himself. It has no place in a plane where things like the Church and the Mage Association don't matter anyway.]

You knew your partner from before, right?

[exorcismo]

[ She is the picture of contentment-- sipping on her frappe and listening curiously. At the mention of her partner however, her disposition sours very visibly. ]

Yes, unfortunately. Though she's not the same as I remember, and apparently I'm not the same as she remembers either.

[ Not that it matters. ]

Perhaps they made us partners because if our lives weren't linked, I would have already taken care of her myself.

[shinssin]

[Alternate timelines seem to be a thing.]

Wow, harsh. [says the guy who literally kills people] You hate her that much, huh? Is that why your nose was bleeding?

[exorcismo]

Yes.

[ She says, simply, assuredly. ]

I have no forgiveness for anyone who would harm innocents to achieve their own ends.

[ It's a little more personal than that, but she's already ruined her appetite enough by talking about Velvet. ]

Thank you for accompanying me this morning. It was.. certainly a mixed bag, but I had fun. I think.

[shinssin]

[Hm. Note to self: don't talk about beast women, and also yourself probably.]

Oh! You think? You can hit me more if you want. I don't mind.

[exorcismo]

T-That won't be necessary.

[ Not everyone wants to fight all the time!! ]

It was.. nice, to have a normal exchange with another person considering what our circumstances are. I, like many of the others I'm sure, have had quite a bit on my mind. It was comforting to just speak freely with someone.

[shinssin]

[... It's not like him to open up so easily, but when she gives him so much honesty despite her struggles, he can tell it's not just coming from a place of innocence. She'll wear him down and he can't let that happen, but.]

It's not just you.

[He likes nights on the streets, be it for missions or merrymaking, but he likes quiet mornings like these, too.]

Hey, let's do this again.

I had fun on our first date!

[exorcismo]

[ A resigned sigh. ]

You should really be more careful about how you say things. Someone less accustomed to how you speak might get the wrong idea.

[ But despite that, she smiles. ]

But yes, if the opportunity presents itself let's do this again. I had a nice time.

[shinssin]

[ No, dammit, she was supposed to fluster first— ]

... You don't have to say it twice.

[ His cheeks earn just a tiny tinge of red before he teleports away. ASSASSIN OUT. ]