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 Posted: Sun Jun 16, 2013 12:27 pm
Alfheim let his head dip to the side ever so slightly when she mused his reasons to be selfish, followed by her own. In the end, he seemed to agree with a passive twitch of the shoulder and some additionally body language.
"Well..." He cleared his throat. "I don't think there's anything wrong... with wanting to own it. I'm learning a lot of things, things I had no idea about. About my identity, my family's... I guess it is selfish, but, is that really a bad thing?"
After some more attempts to get his mental wheels turning, he seemed to conclude that he agreed with himself. "I mean, if anyone's going to own and define your identity, it'd best be you," He laughed. Everything was an easy or a smile, especially now that she didn't seem like she was going to tear his head off.
The next sentiment was no exception, even though it was punctuated with a shrug. "Everyone ******** up sometimes." He decided to leave it at that. It wasn't his place to speculate on her motivations or capabilities as a mother. And she looked pained by the conversation altogether.
"If you feel like you should, I won't keep you," He said, watching her shift around. "Palatine... there's really no reason to be so uptight."
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Posted: Sun Jul 07, 2013 12:29 pm
“I'm not—”
Palatine cut herself off before she could finish the argument. Denying that she was in any way “uptight” didn't seem to be the best way to prove that she wasn't. If anything it would probably do the opposite, so she kept her mouth shut for the time being and hoped the silence was better.
It probably wasn't. Silence had a way of making things more awkward. She hardly thought they knew one another well enough for any silence to be companionable.
It occurred to her that she probably seemed as if she had a major stick up her a**. And maybe she did, but that was her business, wasn't it?
“I don't know what to say,” she admitted—pointlessly, perhaps. It certainly wasn't any way to continue a conversation, and she was still tempted to flee the scene to save herself the trouble, but he wasn't being unfriendly, or prying too deep, or doing anything to turn her off from the conversation.
If anything, she was doing that herself.
“It's not that I don't agree with you to an extent,” she said, “I just... don't really know how to own it. I know what I am, and to an extent I know who I am, but... I'm still not sure about the why, and whether or not that's important, or what it says about me. If it says anything at all. I'm not good at asking for advice, or... commiserating...”
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Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:05 pm
Alfheim had expected her to leave like she said she would, but instead she gave him an 'I'm not' that worried him he had offended her or started an argument followed by silence.
And while he didn't find it painfully awkward, he did get the distinct sense that he should be doing something, and didn't know what, and ended up standing there waiting for her to give him a hint with a confused half smile that looked more dorkish than he was aware of.
"You're not on trial," He ended up laughing, and needing to remind himself he wasn't either. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You also don't have to stay, I won't be offended," He said sincerely before adding with a shrug, "Wouldn't be offended if you stayed, neither."
He almost gagged on a stuttered, "A-ah," Though. "Well... I was being self centered. I really didn't mean to sound like I was being profound or giving advice, because I really shouldn't, I was just talkin' about myself like an a**, I guess" He smirked and tried to ease back into being amiable and shrugged with a bit of a bewildered smile, "I mean, I don't really know what I'm doing either. But you seem to be doing okay at the uh... uh. Commiserating thing."
For growing up in the 1%, his dialect was absolutely classless.
"Maybe you're just rusty and used to skirting by because you're pretty," He said sarcastically, trying to break up the mood with a bit of teasing.
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Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2013 11:26 am
Years and years ago the teasing might have been appreciated. Palatine might have even been able to respond in kind, returned it with a bit of lighthearted, sarcastic banter. It was harmless fun, she knew; it meant nothing. Just a way to diffuse the tension. She should feel relieved that Alfheim was trying instead of immediately growing defensive because he happened to joke about her being pretty.
What did it say about her that she couldn't even take a joke anymore?
Or a compliment? What did it say that she couldn't even tell the difference between the two?
Palatine tried not to react in a way that could be construed as negative, but ended up adopting an expression that showed her to be rather emotionally constipated. Her smile was strained and obviously contrived, almost painful looking, and she'd developed a bit of a tick in her brow.
“'Rusty' is a much kinder description than I probably deserve,” she forced herself to explain. “Suffice it to say I tend to avoid most social interaction that doesn't have to do with my job. Easier, less awkward, less of a chance of ruining a life.”
She made another face and thought that sounded a bit over-dramatic. “Under normal circumstances I'd've probably ignored you or tried to scare you off, but that seems pretty counterproductive to making alliances and figuring out the war, so...”
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 12:43 pm
Alfheim looked confused, and then he raised one brow and looked around before back to Palatine. "I promise I'm pretty intact," He joked. "But if you think you can ruin some lives with some mildly awkward social interaction you're free to keep trying."
He did need a second to think about what she said, about normal circumstances and what this qualified as. "I'll be honest it doesn't look like much of a war t'me," He said with a slight shrug. "Are you looking to make alliances?"
That almost sounded silly. They were both on the side of order, didn't that already make them allies? It did in Alfheim's naive head, at least. They were on the same team, after all.
"Don't worry, you're only a little bit scary, I think I will manage to escape the night all fully functional, and not at all put off or thinking terribly of our little conversational hiccup," He smirked. "I know we've only gotten to introductions all of a few minutes ago but all you've really done to me tonight is act like a classy lady who spends way too much time talking about how awful she is. Maybe it's cutting into your time to actually do something awful, you should put some thought to rearranging your priorities here."
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Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2013 10:14 am
For a minute there Palatine was ready to respond with some other mildly sarcastic self-deprecating comment, but she shut her mouth around it for the sake of stopping that cycle from starting again.
Alfheim was certainly not the most eloquent, but he had a few points. As much as Palatine would have liked to dredge up some denial or argue for argument's sake, she thought it would be pretty foolish of her to do so. And probably a waste of both of their times.
“Alliances, yes, I suppose,” she said instead. That seemed the easiest vein to follow. Stick to business. That had always been easier.
“I don't know how the knights are supposed to function as an organization, or if we're supposed to function together at all, but since we're all in the same boat it seems pretty stupid not to at least become acquainted,” she said. “Whether or not there's anything beyond that I haven't really figured out yet. I assume different circumstances yield different results, but... alliances, yes.”
In her head it seemed easier than making friends, even if both could often be one in the same.
“Then again, I haven't had the opportunity to meet very many of us.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:39 pm
"Me either, really," Alfheim pondered. How many knights did he really know? Maybe more than he was considering, since they were all inserted into such mundane little niches of his life. The librarian, his sister's friend, his waitress, a schoolteacher.
"Welp," He rolled his muscles and held out a hand, as if to reset their greeting process all over again. "I'm Alfheim of Earth..." He powered down, replacing his leathers with his ratty t-shirt that was somehow still surviving even though it was clearly from a Pearl Jam concert in 1994 and jeans with the knees blown out, "Also known as Noah. And I work down the street. And if you want to consider your bid for an ally successful, feel free."
It was also way too late.
"But I think I'm giving up this patrol thing for the night. See ya, lady," He smirked, taking his hand back for a quick gesture goodbye as he turned on his heel.
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Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:14 pm
Palatine took Alfheim's hand but was unprepared for him to power down in front of her and proceeded to stare in open surprise. She took a small step back, as if further separating herself from the decidedly normal image of someone who had previously looked rather abnormal in a modern-day city would make it easier to take in.
For a moment, she considered returning the favor. Unfortunately, she'd never been one to reveal much of her private life, and one's civilian identity seemed, to her, a very private thing, so instead she responded with a delayed and stuttered “Pala..tine...” as her return greeting and remained as she was.
“Right, see you,” she said, releasing his hand and watching as he turned to go, her expression caught between lingering surprise and rising bemusement.
Eventually she decided it was probably rather foolish of her to continue standing there and forced herself away from the spot, satisfied with the attempt but not altogether reassured that she had any sort of skill in making friends and gaining allies.Carneli Super delayed, but FIN! sweatdrop
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