SEI+SIENNA; SLEEPOVER!??!?!?!?!
Sei
Sienna
Sienna was drifting between sleep and consciousness, hand propping her up at the chin. She was sitting at her desk, journal open, waiting for Sei to tell her when to come over. It wasn't really that late at night, but Sienna had gone outside earlier and practiced with her sword for hours to relieve the anger she felt at a certain Oracle and her Guardian. She literally did not stop until she had no energy to move, and waited until she could drag her butt back to her room. She was exhausted.
Well, at least she'd gotten something to eat and showered. That was good.
Sei was laying on his stomach, considering. Do I tell her to come? He was thinking of maybe cancelling. As he sat there, he just kept thinking about it. How she'd looked like she was about to choke. She'd almost stopped breathing, so stressed, so pained...
How could he make any woman feel like that? And then, further, why did he just want to go make it all better? Sienna would help. Sienna could help. He'd ask her to help.
Maybe. Maybe.
No, he didn't want to talk to Sienna. Talking to her about it would be - no, he'd just keep it to himself. It'd just drag it out.
Finally, he scribbled a tiny message on the lower end of the page. To Sienna, Hey, maybe we could talk?
Hey. Maybe we could talk.
Her eyes were about to flutter closed when the writing appeared on the pages. Great. Finally. She scooped up the towel and container of ice in her arm and walked to Sei's room. Knocking, she asked, "Can I come in?"
He almost rolled onto his back. Damnit! When would it heal? Maybe a week. "Sure." Maybe more?
She entered, closing the door behind her, and set the items down on Sei's bedstand. Not caring about how close this might have been, Sienna sat down next to the boy and began putting ice into the towel.
Back: Inflamed. Bruises? Prevalent! Cut from painting: Almost gone. Sei rested his chin on his folded wrists, having already been shirtless and waiting for Sienna's arrival. He flicked his eyes over to her, then focused on the wall before him. How does one exactly talk about this, anyway? Sienna always seemed really well put together, actually, if he had to think about it.
Why did it always seem he was the one with something needing to crumble away. . .? "How are you?" Simple enough.
"Tired," she answered, placing the ice-filled towel on his back. Freya, it was so bad. Sienna would be filled with anger just from the sight of it--if she had the energy. Instead, she just frowned.
"Eh. Am I keeping you up?" He closed his eyes and winced. In a way, he was concerned about this injury on his back - it was a mark that more than definately, Sigyn had done something. He kept replaying it in his head. Was there something he could have done different? No. He'd begged for that potion, all right. Ah, ah, ah - change, Sei, change! That's all he ever heard.
Now his back kept reminding him too! What a world.
"No." Pause. "You should stay in bed."
"I can't. Not without having to admit I'm injured. Do you understand the kind of - the just sheer amount of; that would happen then? Can you imagine? It's bad enough, I fight everyday, I get my ass kicked regularly - but I just can't. Not right now, okay? Not right now."
Sienna sighed, adjusting the towel. "So you're just going to let this slide?"
"Sure, yeah, if that's what you want to call it. Calling out Lilith in a formal argument is too much headache. I can't be replaced - best not to get myself 'fired.'" Obviously, by that, he meant killed.
"It's not right..."
"What do you want to do about it, hmm? Who're they going to believe, me, or them? And besides that, what proof do I have that Lilith really didn't just screw up? Fuck, she could easily just sit back and never have to say a thing. It's an old issue. I'll just let it be whatever it's made out to be, okay?"
Her frown deepened. So she was more upset by this than him? That... That was weird. She sighed again. "So."
"What do you know about the ritual, anyway." Sudden conversation changes were more his style, anyway, and if he didn't tell someone, and somehow, it made sense he'd tell Sienna, maybe, he didn't know, he just bit his lip and tried to quell the lump of nausea forming at it's mention.
"Ritual?"
"...Marcine, is really pretty, you know?" He paused, shook his head, and exhaled - shaky. "I don't know. I don't know! I don't know what the hell happened! But all of a sudden Ethne was talking to her, and I was in her room, and it was, 'we have to forget about anything,' and I never even touched her, and goddamnit, I want to know what happens! I want to know if it's painful!"
Sienna was silent for a moment, digesting this sudden information, before adjusting the towel again. "...You and Marcine like each other?" When did this happen? Sienna always thought they would repel each other.
...he frowned. "Fuck, it's not like I get it, either."
"When?"
"Do you remember me from training?"
"A bit." And only because he stood out so much.
He smirked. "...I didn't think when I saw her again it would be like this, you know? It's just so fucking complicated."
"...They say love is a mysterious thing," she said, fingers playing with the edge of the towel. "I...don't know what to tell you. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff." Sienna looked down at her lap, hand tense. Why? All these strange things were happening. Why now? It was like Sei was being picked on, all at once. Her brows furrowed, troubled.
"What do you know about it?
"Is it painful?"
"Love?"
"No. I don't know anything about that. Fuck. I can't be in love. No way."
"What do you have against it?"
Honestly, Sienna wasn't too keen on the idea of love either. It meant depending on someone. Relying on another person. That didn't sit too well with her. People were unreliable. The only person she felt she could rely on was herself. She was strong. She didn't need others. Not like that. But she was curious. What was Sei's reason?
He shifted his attention to her, resting his cheek against his hands now. He watched her with one free eye. "It destroys everyone." He mumbled, frowning. "First, you have to surrender yourself. Then you have to care. Then you have to go out of your way. Then you have to want, and feel bad if you don't receive, and always want more. Then you fall apart when they leave. Then there's nothing."
Yeah, when he put it like that, the concept lost whatever appeal it might have still had. "People do crazy things in the name of love," she remarked, returning his attention. "I guess it's for some and not others."
"Is it for you?"
She blinked. "I...don't particularly like the idea."
He took a short breath and released it from his nose in a snort. "Well, that was kind of obvious. Why don't you like it, now?"
"Because you have to depend on someone."
"Don't you depend on your friends, though?" In a way, Sei realised with that statement, he was depending on Sienna...
...how odd.
"What friends?" was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
And suddenly, Sei broke into a grin. He couldn't describe it, but for a moment, he saw himself, and that was bizarre and alarmingly funny, all in one.
His grin caught her off guard. "What?"
"You sound just like me."
Sienna stared at him. "I do not," she objected, bewildered.
"Do too! Right there!" And he tried to hop up, but the sudden movement had him pressing his cheek into the bed for safe support. Now he was laughing, and it was good to laugh. "You just said, 'what friends' like me, all the time, didn't I say it to you? I did."
"I... Did you?" Sienna honestly could not remember. Maybe because she was tired. But Sei was laughing, and that was a good thing. Why?
"I did." He depended on her, she said the same thing -- he closed his eyes and took a short breath. "Hey, maybe we're friends, you know?"
She peered at the back of his head, thoughts fuzzy. Friends? "Is that what we are?"
"I guess, maybe that's what we are." Friends didn't feel right, but, who knew. The ice was starting to melt, sending cold water down either of his sides -- if it wasn't, he'd be asleep by then. "I don't know. I've been depending on you lately, I guess."
It felt...different. Strange, to hear him say that. Sienna had never really been much for friends; she was always engulfed in guardian training or sword practice. And yet, this guy, this loud, obnoxious, annoying--did she really think he was annoying now?--said they might be friends. Might. But it. It felt.
It felt nice.
Her lips crept up in a tiny smile, eyes lowering. "Yeah. I guess."
A wail screeched through the hall, but Sei merely closed his eyes and kept smiling. "Maybe you'll depend on me too, one day."
She was so out of it that the wail didn't really do much to phase her. Instead, Sienna just tilted her head, looking at Sei thoughtfully. Depend on him? Didn't she just get through saying the idea of dependence was appalling?
But he had gotten her medicine, and she had depended on him then, however much unknowingly. And... And it wasn't so bad, besides the fact that he got hurt to do it. Well. She'd just make sure he'd never ever do that again. Her features softened. Maybe... Maybe it wasn't so bad. To depend. Just a little.
"Maybe."
"If I go through this thing," Sei was falling asleep despite even the cold water. "I just don't want to be a different person afterwords. The thing I was most scared about coming here was this - what if it was necessary... was that really my destiny... to be erased..."
The smile faded. "If...If you can't get over it...then they might..do it," she said hesitantly, moving to adjust the towel. Except most of the ice was gone. Whoa. She hadn't even noticed. Her hand was wet. Sighing, she got up and wrung the towel in his bathroom sink, then returned to the bed and added more ice to the towel. "But.. It happened so soon, maybe it's...not really that big of a deal? A...'crush?' "
"Maybe it's not." He mumbled, yawning. "She's the same person though, and I'm different, so maybe nothing matters anyway. I'll just stay away from her... yeah..."
The didn't sound like the right thing to do, but Sienna didn't even know what was right or wrong about this type of situation, so she refrained from commenting.
Sei was asleep, and luckily, he didn't snore.
She just continued to ice his back, adjusting the towel periodically, her expression sad.
Sienna
Sienna was drifting between sleep and consciousness, hand propping her up at the chin. She was sitting at her desk, journal open, waiting for Sei to tell her when to come over. It wasn't really that late at night, but Sienna had gone outside earlier and practiced with her sword for hours to relieve the anger she felt at a certain Oracle and her Guardian. She literally did not stop until she had no energy to move, and waited until she could drag her butt back to her room. She was exhausted.
Well, at least she'd gotten something to eat and showered. That was good.
Sei was laying on his stomach, considering. Do I tell her to come? He was thinking of maybe cancelling. As he sat there, he just kept thinking about it. How she'd looked like she was about to choke. She'd almost stopped breathing, so stressed, so pained...
How could he make any woman feel like that? And then, further, why did he just want to go make it all better? Sienna would help. Sienna could help. He'd ask her to help.
Maybe. Maybe.
No, he didn't want to talk to Sienna. Talking to her about it would be - no, he'd just keep it to himself. It'd just drag it out.
Finally, he scribbled a tiny message on the lower end of the page. To Sienna, Hey, maybe we could talk?
Hey. Maybe we could talk.
Her eyes were about to flutter closed when the writing appeared on the pages. Great. Finally. She scooped up the towel and container of ice in her arm and walked to Sei's room. Knocking, she asked, "Can I come in?"
He almost rolled onto his back. Damnit! When would it heal? Maybe a week. "Sure." Maybe more?
She entered, closing the door behind her, and set the items down on Sei's bedstand. Not caring about how close this might have been, Sienna sat down next to the boy and began putting ice into the towel.
Back: Inflamed. Bruises? Prevalent! Cut from painting: Almost gone. Sei rested his chin on his folded wrists, having already been shirtless and waiting for Sienna's arrival. He flicked his eyes over to her, then focused on the wall before him. How does one exactly talk about this, anyway? Sienna always seemed really well put together, actually, if he had to think about it.
Why did it always seem he was the one with something needing to crumble away. . .? "How are you?" Simple enough.
"Tired," she answered, placing the ice-filled towel on his back. Freya, it was so bad. Sienna would be filled with anger just from the sight of it--if she had the energy. Instead, she just frowned.
"Eh. Am I keeping you up?" He closed his eyes and winced. In a way, he was concerned about this injury on his back - it was a mark that more than definately, Sigyn had done something. He kept replaying it in his head. Was there something he could have done different? No. He'd begged for that potion, all right. Ah, ah, ah - change, Sei, change! That's all he ever heard.
Now his back kept reminding him too! What a world.
"No." Pause. "You should stay in bed."
"I can't. Not without having to admit I'm injured. Do you understand the kind of - the just sheer amount of; that would happen then? Can you imagine? It's bad enough, I fight everyday, I get my ass kicked regularly - but I just can't. Not right now, okay? Not right now."
Sienna sighed, adjusting the towel. "So you're just going to let this slide?"
"Sure, yeah, if that's what you want to call it. Calling out Lilith in a formal argument is too much headache. I can't be replaced - best not to get myself 'fired.'" Obviously, by that, he meant killed.
"It's not right..."
"What do you want to do about it, hmm? Who're they going to believe, me, or them? And besides that, what proof do I have that Lilith really didn't just screw up? Fuck, she could easily just sit back and never have to say a thing. It's an old issue. I'll just let it be whatever it's made out to be, okay?"
Her frown deepened. So she was more upset by this than him? That... That was weird. She sighed again. "So."
"What do you know about the ritual, anyway." Sudden conversation changes were more his style, anyway, and if he didn't tell someone, and somehow, it made sense he'd tell Sienna, maybe, he didn't know, he just bit his lip and tried to quell the lump of nausea forming at it's mention.
"Ritual?"
"...Marcine, is really pretty, you know?" He paused, shook his head, and exhaled - shaky. "I don't know. I don't know! I don't know what the hell happened! But all of a sudden Ethne was talking to her, and I was in her room, and it was, 'we have to forget about anything,' and I never even touched her, and goddamnit, I want to know what happens! I want to know if it's painful!"
Sienna was silent for a moment, digesting this sudden information, before adjusting the towel again. "...You and Marcine like each other?" When did this happen? Sienna always thought they would repel each other.
...he frowned. "Fuck, it's not like I get it, either."
"When?"
"Do you remember me from training?"
"A bit." And only because he stood out so much.
He smirked. "...I didn't think when I saw her again it would be like this, you know? It's just so fucking complicated."
"...They say love is a mysterious thing," she said, fingers playing with the edge of the towel. "I...don't know what to tell you. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff." Sienna looked down at her lap, hand tense. Why? All these strange things were happening. Why now? It was like Sei was being picked on, all at once. Her brows furrowed, troubled.
"What do you know about it?
"Is it painful?"
"Love?"
"No. I don't know anything about that. Fuck. I can't be in love. No way."
"What do you have against it?"
Honestly, Sienna wasn't too keen on the idea of love either. It meant depending on someone. Relying on another person. That didn't sit too well with her. People were unreliable. The only person she felt she could rely on was herself. She was strong. She didn't need others. Not like that. But she was curious. What was Sei's reason?
He shifted his attention to her, resting his cheek against his hands now. He watched her with one free eye. "It destroys everyone." He mumbled, frowning. "First, you have to surrender yourself. Then you have to care. Then you have to go out of your way. Then you have to want, and feel bad if you don't receive, and always want more. Then you fall apart when they leave. Then there's nothing."
Yeah, when he put it like that, the concept lost whatever appeal it might have still had. "People do crazy things in the name of love," she remarked, returning his attention. "I guess it's for some and not others."
"Is it for you?"
She blinked. "I...don't particularly like the idea."
He took a short breath and released it from his nose in a snort. "Well, that was kind of obvious. Why don't you like it, now?"
"Because you have to depend on someone."
"Don't you depend on your friends, though?" In a way, Sei realised with that statement, he was depending on Sienna...
...how odd.
"What friends?" was out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
And suddenly, Sei broke into a grin. He couldn't describe it, but for a moment, he saw himself, and that was bizarre and alarmingly funny, all in one.
His grin caught her off guard. "What?"
"You sound just like me."
Sienna stared at him. "I do not," she objected, bewildered.
"Do too! Right there!" And he tried to hop up, but the sudden movement had him pressing his cheek into the bed for safe support. Now he was laughing, and it was good to laugh. "You just said, 'what friends' like me, all the time, didn't I say it to you? I did."
"I... Did you?" Sienna honestly could not remember. Maybe because she was tired. But Sei was laughing, and that was a good thing. Why?
"I did." He depended on her, she said the same thing -- he closed his eyes and took a short breath. "Hey, maybe we're friends, you know?"
She peered at the back of his head, thoughts fuzzy. Friends? "Is that what we are?"
"I guess, maybe that's what we are." Friends didn't feel right, but, who knew. The ice was starting to melt, sending cold water down either of his sides -- if it wasn't, he'd be asleep by then. "I don't know. I've been depending on you lately, I guess."
It felt...different. Strange, to hear him say that. Sienna had never really been much for friends; she was always engulfed in guardian training or sword practice. And yet, this guy, this loud, obnoxious, annoying--did she really think he was annoying now?--said they might be friends. Might. But it. It felt.
It felt nice.
Her lips crept up in a tiny smile, eyes lowering. "Yeah. I guess."
A wail screeched through the hall, but Sei merely closed his eyes and kept smiling. "Maybe you'll depend on me too, one day."
She was so out of it that the wail didn't really do much to phase her. Instead, Sienna just tilted her head, looking at Sei thoughtfully. Depend on him? Didn't she just get through saying the idea of dependence was appalling?
But he had gotten her medicine, and she had depended on him then, however much unknowingly. And... And it wasn't so bad, besides the fact that he got hurt to do it. Well. She'd just make sure he'd never ever do that again. Her features softened. Maybe... Maybe it wasn't so bad. To depend. Just a little.
"Maybe."
"If I go through this thing," Sei was falling asleep despite even the cold water. "I just don't want to be a different person afterwords. The thing I was most scared about coming here was this - what if it was necessary... was that really my destiny... to be erased..."
The smile faded. "If...If you can't get over it...then they might..do it," she said hesitantly, moving to adjust the towel. Except most of the ice was gone. Whoa. She hadn't even noticed. Her hand was wet. Sighing, she got up and wrung the towel in his bathroom sink, then returned to the bed and added more ice to the towel. "But.. It happened so soon, maybe it's...not really that big of a deal? A...'crush?' "
"Maybe it's not." He mumbled, yawning. "She's the same person though, and I'm different, so maybe nothing matters anyway. I'll just stay away from her... yeah..."
The didn't sound like the right thing to do, but Sienna didn't even know what was right or wrong about this type of situation, so she refrained from commenting.
Sei was asleep, and luckily, he didn't snore.
She just continued to ice his back, adjusting the towel periodically, her expression sad.