hotel: shinobu

[shaft]

Comments

[wisterin]

You. You are.

[ how does he look, outside of his terrible mood? ]

[shaft]

[ he's carrying himself normally! and there is no blood, but there are still red splotches of minor burns across his visible skin ]

I received two heals yesterday! You don't need to worry.

[wisterin]

Two?

[ my, aren't you loved, claude.

she frowns. ]

I will continue to worry. Your behavior indicates I should worry, and even if it didn't, I would still worry.

[shaft]

[ he's baby

also, he will hold her hand ]

At that point, it just sounds like you enjoy it.

[wisterin]

[ honestly, it's kind of refreshing after so many refused or tried to push off getting healed. claude may be self-serving at times, but she's glad for it in this case.

she is surprised that he is taking her hand, but if he wants it today, he can have it. ]

Please don't act like caring about you is a crime.

[shaft]

It's not that.

[ his grip will also feel a little odd, kind of tight. ]

I think there's plenty of people who don't often take care of themselves, but I've never been one. So it's strange to be worried after.

[wisterin]

[ she notices that, and she gives his hand a gentle squeeze. ]

I'm afraid I care for people regardless if they do or don't take care of themselves. I'm more assertive with those that don't, but it wears on you if you take care of yourself in solitude too long.

[shaft]

[ he tilts his head ]

Do I seem worn down?

[wisterin]

[ her smile is serene. ]

You are human, with a heart. For someone who dreamt of reforming nations to be better places where people wouldn't be judged by the blood they were born with... I think it would be more alarming if someone like that wasn't a little tired, sometimes.

For someone who said they can no longer hold those ambitions as tightly... aren't you?

[ something had to make him jaded.

for someone to be unemployed in their guestbook entry even if he should be the leader of the leicester alliance. ]

[shaft]

[ wow, shinobu never misses ]

... You're really perceptive you know that, I'm kind of jealous.

[wisterin]

There are a lot of things I can relate to.

[ she isn't the most fair or understanding person, but for her purposes and goals of protecting people's happiness, observation goes a long way. ]

And if I want to help people, being perceptive is helpful. Would you like to tell me how you're feeling now?

[shaft]

Not particularly, but...

[ he shakes his head ]

I'm just angry, that's all. And tired of having nothing to take it out on— as much as that makes me sound like a brute.

[wisterin]

It doesn't. I wish I had an outlet for my anger, too.

[ she can be violent in her own way. ]

It makes more sense to me to be upset by all of this than not.

[shaft]

It does.

I'm not really used to feeling it, to be honest. I'd always been able to turn anger into productivity, but there's only so many levers to pull here.

... Maybe I'll go read.

[wisterin]

... If that's calming for you, by all means.

[ this surprises her more than it should. ]

[shaft]

[ he smiles a little ]

It's a type of escapism, don't you think?

[wisterin]

I can see that.

[ her smile is a fraction sad. ]

A type of productivity, too.

[shaft]

It is.

Do you ever think you have to give penance for surviving?

[wisterin]

No, not usually.

[ for her murdergame circumstances, she thinks she does personally, but that's neither here nor there.

she looks at him closely. ]

Why do you think that?

[shaft]

[ he shrugs ]

Just something that's been on my mind as I figure out what next.

You helped to kill that demon, but you're still alive. So what do you plan to do?

[wisterin]

To help whoever I can for however long I can. I could go back to being with my family. [ and she would be happy to be back with her family, if she were strong enough to face them, strong enough for any of their acceptance or forgiveness when she's still struggling to accept and forgive herself. ] But I was asked, if I couldn't choose to live.

[ if for once, she would choose life after choosing to sacrifice herself so many times. ]

And my dear and beloved sister asked me with her last words, if I couldn't try to live a normal life.

[ which fódlan won't give her, but... it's fine.... ]

[shaft]

[ He looks at her for a moment, and it's funny how similar their struggles are, thought Claude doesn't quite see the entire picture. ]

If you returned home, you'd have to rejoin the fight?

[wisterin]

No, I wouldn't be able to.

[ on account of being dead. ]

I wouldn't cheat my fate at home.

[shaft]

[ he nods, a little sad for her. ]

Perhaps it's the universe's way of telling you to live peacefully. You don't need to fight for the rest of your life.

[ ... ]

Your time here excluded.

[wisterin]

[ she has to smile. it's a little funny. ]

... I suspect peace will take a while either way. Being pulled here, or where I go after...

[ she doesn't know what timeline he's from, but everything she's heard is fodlan can't avoid war. ]

But I don't mind.