05: † text

[salvagedsoul]

Hello, everyone.

I have been in United Earth territory since June. I was released last week. Although I have been inspected and declared safe by the Initiative, I feel that it is my obligation to notify you all of what happened.

I am very eager to see some of you again. I am staying in my assigned housing at 502 while I continue to recover. Please come by at your convenience.


((feel free to use this post for both network conversations and action!))

Comments

[ private ]

[salvagedsoul]

I failed them when I left.

[ permaprivate ]

[reassures]

If you think you failed them, then make it up to them. There's nothing else you can do about that.

[salvagedsoul]

What does one do when others are angry with him?

[reassures]

You apologize-- and try not to do whatever you did to make them angry again if you can help it.

[salvagedsoul]

There are people I care about who don't take apologies well, even if they try.

[reassures]

Then you have to try to make it up for them in some other way.

If they won't accept apologies, then-- I think the best thing you can do is wait. If they're that upset, then they probably just need time to stop being upset.

[salvagedsoul]

Yes... you're right. Thank you for the advice. You are very patient.

[reassures]

I've known a lot of people.

You never said if I could get you anything. I have tea.

[It's pretty shitty tea, but slightly better than nothing?]

[salvagedsoul]

Only if I may learn the face and voice of this strange person who has been a surprising counselor to me.

[reassures]

Okay. I'll make the tea here and bring it over.

[salvagedsoul]

Thank you, Nill.

502.

[ text -> action! ]

[reassures]

You're welcome.

[About twenty minutes later there's going to be a knock at the door! If he doesn't answer it, since she's not sure what kind of state he's in, she'll just slip in provided the door's open.]

[salvagedsoul]

[The door's open, and one of his roommates would have probably let her in anyway. Kaworu is in his room, sitting back in bed, looking out the window. When he hears her stop in the doorway, he glances over.

Is this "Nill"? Kaworu didn't realize that Nill was a she. Her mature face and demeanor is clear, even with her more whimsical clothing. He offers her a polite smile.]

[reassures]

[Nill has always looked a little on the young side - maybe sixteen or so at this point, though she's actually nineteen. Anyone that asks is told she's twenty. It makes her life easier. A small smile appears on her face, and she nods towards him, before actually stepping into the room. She sets two mugs on whatever flat surface is nearest to him (a bedside table, maybe), and then opens the thermos she brought to pour tea into them both. As she does, her wings flutter slightly, before settling comfortably against against her back.]

[salvagedsoul]

[Whatever her age, Kaworu senses that she's older than he is, although her youth is still surprising either way. Can someone this young have expressed herself so calmly? Her thoughts and questions were careful and considerate, much more than he's used to seeing from humans at least.]

Thank you for coming, Miss Nill. It's nice to meet you.

[As she's pouring the tea, he notices the small wings on her back. His surprise shows on his face. Are those a part of her body or her clothes? They seem to move naturally...

Kaworu looks back to her with renewed curiosity.]

Are you not human?

[reassures]

[Her smile widens slightly, a silent return of the sentiment. After she's done pouring for both of them, she picks up a cup and hands it to him. Be careful though, it's fresh and still steaming.

Since Kaworu's probably had other visitors, there's probably a chair somewhere in the room, right? She holds up a finger, a gesture for him to please wait for a moment, and regardless of where another chair might be she pulls it over next to the bed so she can sit.

Then, because she had to tell him at some point, she pulls her tablet out of a pocket on her jacket (which is dark, and doesn't really suit the rest of her attire, but also has holes in the back for her wings) and begins typing.]

Just Nill is fine. It's nice to meet you too.

I am human. Some people in my world are just a little different than people from other worlds.

I'm sorry if this is inconvenient. I can't speak.

[salvagedsoul]

[Kaworu watches her with calm curiosity. When she pulls her tablet out, he begins to suspect what is confirmed by her message.

Looking up from his own tablet, he smiles again with a newer glimmer in his tired eyes.]

It's not inconvenient. Would you prefer me to write back, or speak?

[so far, he's ignoring the tea.]

[reassures]

[Her wings flutter, and Nill is quick to lift a hand, shaking both it and her head at the same time with a more awkward smile. Her typing is only slightly slower than someone talking might be - she leaves no doubt that she's been doing things this way for a fairly long time.]

There's no need for you to write back. I love it when people talk.

[Her wings settle again. She reaches over for her own cup, and takes a tentative sip, though she shows no outward sign that him not drinking his bothers her.]

[salvagedsoul]

[Although she can't speak, her feelings shine through her mannerisms. They could probably have a conversation of sorts without her using her tablet at all. But, of course, he's contet with whatever method of communication she's used to. He sets his tablet back down.]

The tea smells good. [He's only drank water for the past six weeks. When he takes the tea, he brings it close to take a deep breath of its scent.] What kind is it?

[reassures]

[She's found that most people can't pick up her body language. They can to some extent, but it's useless for more specific things - this has always seemed the better alternative.

A few years back she new someone that could flawlessly read lips. They had some of the most enjoyable conversations of her life at the time. But of course, like most of the other people Nill had known, that man is gone now, and Nill does not expect others to understand her easily anymore.]

Chamomile. I hope it's okay.

[Truthfully, most of the tea here isn't very good. It all has a sort of old, stale quality to it. But she thought chamomile might be a good, calming tea for him. Even sitting with him now, she's not sure what state he's in physically. The fact that he's still in bed, however, is telling enough.]

[salvagedsoul]

It's lovely.

[Kaworu finally takes a long sip, and sets the cup back down. He looks back at her with a heavy eyelids and a muted smile.]

You know, I didn't know you were female. Now that you're here, I would like to learn more about you.

[it would be a welcome distraction from the silence of his room, which only encourages him to obsess over what had happened.]

[reassures]

[Another small smile. She reaches for her own cup, and takes a brief sip, before settling the cup between her hands, on her lap.

She doesn't reach for her tablet again immediately, though the admittance of him not realizing she was a woman makes her giggle very quietly (a strange sight - there's no voice, so though it looks like laughter, it sounds more like a strange huffing). Somehow people could usually guess that she was a girl, though she had no idea why.

As for herself... she was rarely comfortable with talking about herself. But for his sake, maybe she could answer a few questions.]

A very good friend of mine didn't know I was female until we met in person, too.

What would you like to know about?

[salvagedsoul]

[Kaworu glances between her and the delicate wings resting calmly on her back. Is it rude to ask? She'd already said she was human, but those wings are pretty hard to miss.]

... Can you fly? [are they even attached to her?]

[reassures]

[She offers a brief smile - slightly and fainter than the others - and extends her wings to their full length, to give him an idea of her range of motion and how much control she has of them. Then they settle against her back again with a flutter to get her feathers to settle. That's literally the most common question she gets asked.]

No. I might have been able to if they were this size when I was a infant-- they're much too small to lift my weight.

[salvagedsoul]

So, you were born with them, then...

[Although she's already identified herself as human, Kaworu can't help but look away from those wings. Maybe because there are so few people here who are like him. Human-shaped, treated like a human by others, but not human. Especially now, with the discovery that Kaworu's closest friend in this category had left Exsilium while he was gone.]

Is it common for humans to have characteristics like this in your world?

[her gentle but obviously rehearsed response to his last question makes him feel safe in asking this without coming off as rude.]