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[He supposes he did mess that up...... he really hadn't expected her to go off and get something anyway. Is she just some weird crazy gift lady??? What's going on here.]

It's fine.

[He probably will never wear them; the earring (SINGULAR...) he has is fine. But... as a gift, they're still something precious.

But now he feels like he owes her somewhat, even if she says she wasn't expecting things, so after a moment, he picks one of the less embarrassing things he likes.]

... I enjoy gaining new information when I can. I like to read.

[No.... she's just embarrassed to say the reason why she really wanted to give him the gift. And she may never say it, despite his questioning (which was more rightful than she'd like to admit).

So she's about to excuse herself when.... he says that....

And she's just thinking and saying out loud-]

Should I have gotten a book...?

[Before she actually follows with something of matter. She hopes to not have to repay him again but... even now, the fact that he's sharing someone with her, it's hard to feel comfortable with just shrugging that off.]

What do you like to read?

[He's quick to deny that with a firm shake of his head.]

No. There is no need to get me anything. You asked a question, and I was simply answering it. That is all there is to it.

[He, too, doesn't like to be in someone's debt, quite honestly... and she deserved that much for her trouble.

A pause, and--]

... What I have read were generally for my studies. I suppose that is close enough.

[He's never actually read any fiction or anything else.]

[ . . . oh. In a rare moment of rather complete understanding from Lili:]

Were you tutored?

[She can understand that much. Out of curiosity, she can't help but wonder-]

Did you have a favorite subject?

[She rather liked learning about flowers herself.]

Edited (i too complete understand) 2016-01-17 23:16 (UTC)

[Did he...? He supposes, if he had to pick--]

The sciences were...acceptable.

[No, he liked them. He liked learning about the world, and he liked understanding how things work. Leon likes understanding, and science always gave him that.]

[It's already different.

Lili doesn't know much of science despite her tutoring - she never had a reason to. It's not like her curriculum is the same as if she were a boy. Many of her studies were centered around considerably more delicate things.

But that doesn't mean she's not interested--]

What does that entail?

[talk nerdy to her apparently]

[??? Huh.

It's...strange. He's never had a conversation like this before, so he's not quite sure... how to have it in general. But, well... he does like science...]

I don't intend to be a textbook for you.

[He says, to preface him being a textbook for her.]

I suppose my preference is in learning about the world and how it functions, though naturally understanding technology is equally important... [Heir to the Oberon Corp, he'd be a disgrace if he couldn't keep up with that.] The study of lens and its properties, or monsters and their existence all falls under the sciences as well.

[He moves into his explanation so quickly that she doesn't.... really have time to be huffy about his previous statement. She wasn't asking him to though?!

Still though - one bit manages to earn her surprise.]

Monsters? Actual monsters?

[Like - the ones that were in the virtual world? But that was entirely made out of fantasy and fabrication, right?]

Of course.

[Monsters are a way of life for him; it's strange for him to think of worlds that don't have them.]

Monsters have existed for years.

["Of course"...... Her brow furrows at that. The only monsters she knows are the ones who accompany Yona... and even then, they do appear to be more aligned with men.

So on a different course of conversation, she presses on with her questions-]

Is that why you had to learn how to fight? To protect yourself?

[Would it be a norm for everyone in that world?]

No.

[That answer comes immediately, but...well, he can see why she would think so. So he follows that up with:]

Some people learn to protect themselves for that reason, though, yes. As for me...

[... Wasn't it really just that he was given a sword when he was six, and told to learn? There'd never been any other option, because:]

I am a knight. [was. was. Somehow, he fights off a grimace, though there is a brief pause.] Naturally, I must be able to fight to serve my king.

[That, at least, was something he'd been able to be proud of, before he'd thrown it away.]

[ . . . . she blinks. Once. Twice. Then she can't help but ask a little incredulously:]

Really?

[She emits a soft hum then, thoughtful. Though now that she thinks about it, isn't the newly appointed Wind Tribe General rather young as well? Hak is about her age - even though she dislikes even thinking of herself in relation to him in any way.

Then she nods once.]

An admirable cause. [After all, the Water Tribe's soldiers are very well-trained. She has no reason to feel distaste for them.] Though....

[Oh. She realizes that she's asking a lot of questions and pauses.]

Ah -- am I keeping you from going somewhere?

[Even though she's still obviously curious and has more to ask....]

[He was ready for her incredulity--it escapes her, and he responds immediately and sharply:]

Don't look down on me.

[He knows. It happens all the time--for his age, for his size, for his appearance. HE'S A KNIGHT, DAMMIT. Or. Was. Well, shit.

Uh.

Y...es? Yes, she's keeping him from getting home. But also, he's lost, so she's really not. Uh.....]

Yes, you are. I was on my way [some...where??? somewhere....] ...elsewhere. [Nailed it, yeah.]

[Just as immediately and sharply as she'll slam head on into this:]

Stop putting words in my mouth. I'm not looking down on you.

[She doesn't even have the right to??? God, Leon, shut up.

But...... ok. Cool. She blinks once.]

.... Are you in a rush to get there?

[What kind of a question is that.]

Not as such, no. It isn't as though I am running late, naturally. [HE'S ON TIME ALWAYS DUH.] ...Why do you ask?

[They're both such naturally suspicious people...]

[Tsuns dancing around each other..... The awkward is real.

And then, because she's terribly honest-]

I have more questions... but only if you have time. They're not pressing, and it's not like I expect you to -- be a textbook for me?

[Is that what he said....

Oh and also she's lost and you've been here longer. She'll get to that.]

[She's...being so polite, it almost makes him uncomfortable. He's used to her being snappish, but now she's really, clearly trying.

... ... ... A sigh.]

Where are you going?

[Maybe he can... at least figure out a bit where he is based off of where she's going, and he can answer her questions at the same time if they're actually moving towards a destination. It'd be less of a waste of time, and also it might get him unlost. Win-win!]

[Y'know, it's kinda hard when you accidentally call someone pathetic because you're being careless and you actually don't.... mind that person.... and he obviously takes offense.....

Listen, she just doesn't know if she can handle being yelled at today. (That's a lie, she can totally take it and will probably throw it back but sometimes she doesn't want to deal with that.)

. . . . that said.

They're both definitely suspicious people because she's blinking.]

Why do you care?

[like.... you said earlier that it didn't matter...... ????? leon?]

[Shut up, he was tsunning.]

If you are going in the same direction as me, then you may ask your questions. It won't be wasting either of our time then.

[There. That's his compromise. (But Leon, you'll be going in her direction no matter what because you're lost shut up nobody needs to know.)]

[When isn't he tsunning.

But. That manages to get her to blink as she opens up her CereVice and tries to navigate her phone away from cat videos and more toward the map with directions that Kashuu sent her.]

..... the end destination is unclear [which she doesn't like] but I'm to meet Kashuu here.....

[And the map says that it's somewhere by the park.

They're def not by the park.]

[Right.... by the park. Which is definitely nowhere near where they are.

Uh.]

Where is the park...

[It almost sounds like he's talking to himself, but really he's asking Chaltier--there's a pause as he listens to the answer, nodding to himself.]

This way, then.

[Imagine Chal sighing in exasperation because now Leon is listening.]

[ . . . . . she watches and is confused.

Did he have a sudden epiphany.]

....

[Right. Anyway. She follows after easily enough.]

Were.... you headed toward the park?

[Sorta.]

...Past it.

[Maybe.]

Regardless, if you really insist on asking your questions, now would be the time.

[Since now they're back on track.... and admittedly he's kind of curious, though he'll probably just shut down anything he doesn't want to talk about.

Tsuns.]

[Maybe.

But well, that seems like a free pass if Lili ever got one and so she doesn't... really waste time, diving back into the question that would've followed her previous 'Though....']

As a knight, would you say your dedication is oriented more toward your king or your country?

[ . . . sorry for the probably detailed question.

But.

It's something she wonders. She's commanded armies before - but only because she had the family seal. People don't listen to her just because she's the General's daughter and it's also why she couldn't ask her own soldiers.... what were they going to say? No, they 're not allied entirely with her and her father?

It's not like she got to meet many other knights, after all.]

[That's...actually a good question, and entirely nothing that he expected from her. Admittedly, the reasons he became a knight are... nothing so glorious as that. He wanted to establish himself, to stand on his own, to separate himself from Hugo, to make Marian believe that he could stand on his own.

King and country came after... and in the end, the person whose orders he ended up following most was--

There's a bit of a bitter twist to his mouth then, but he just responds with the best answer he can give.]

... My king. [Maybe. Sort of. He doesn't really care, but he also doesn't really care that much about his country. itt: Leon is the worst knight.]

It was his orders I followed. [Sort of.

Mostly.

Once upon a time.]

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