week one ♡ sunday ♡ jaffar + nino

[jokered]

[there are a few reasons he waits until well after sunset to check on nino (and jaffar). the first is to give them time and space, especially in knowing that so many others would be doing the same.

the second is because no matter how important they grow to be to him, his teammate (of the phantom thief variety) comes first. her body, her remains—he can't leave them to just rot in the heat any longer, after all. so that comes before all else.

but of course, he's still worried—so it's only a matter of time before he knocks gently on the door to the hut he knows they're in.]

...It's Akira.

[though he won't be fussed if he gets turned away, for obvious reasons.]

Comments

[learnings]

[Akira's definitely not getting turned away, especially since it's later now. Nino's had a little bit of time to recover and come to terms with things--a little. It's not really enough, it might never be enough, but for now, she's a little less out of it.

That said... she's still definitely pressed right up against Jaffar and shows no signs of moving, though she speaks up quietly when she hears his voice.

She's still worried about him, after all--as much as she can be with things the way they are now.]

Akira...? Um...Akira...

[Please come in, Akira.]

[killerfang]

... Enter.

[ unlike everyone else who has visited, Jaffar is a little bit more cordial towards Akira, if only because he's spoken to him more and Akira has helped them both out in the past. And, perhaps, part of him sympathizes with him. He'd seen the emotions in his face when that girl died. At the time, he didn't understand them. But now he's felt them inside himself, too, though surely not as strongly. Nino's still with him now, after all. ]

[jokered]

[he waits until he hears the both of them—he definitely doesn't want to intrude here.

he's quiet as he enters the room, closing the door to the hut behind him and shoving his hands in his pockets. he keeps a decent distance away for space, but his expression definitely shows his concern.]

...Are you in any less pain? [he's not going to ask if she's alright, or if she's feeling better. he knows that it doesn't come so easily—not after that kind pain and trauma. he thinks back to when he was taken into custody, when he was beaten just because they wanted him to cooperate the police's interrogation—and how the physical pain hadn't subsided for quite a bit.

this was more traumatizing, more brutal. more cruel—he could never expect her to be okay, but he's still worried for her well-being—as well as jaffar's.]

[learnings]

Mm...

[She lifts her head a little, but the moment she lifts it enough to meet his eyes, she flinches away a little, training her gaze elsewhere--not through any fault of his, but because she's pretty ashamed by the fact that she's got gauze covering where her eye used to be, and the knowledge...that it's gone forever.]

... I feel...a little bit better.

[You know, instead of passing out from the pain, she's at least able to be coherent.

That's progress!]

Akira... I'm glad you didn't do it.

[From their conversation before--she's glad Akira didn't try voting for himself too, regardless of his morals. It's a complicated feeling, because Nino still doesn't think it was wrong...but it's clear that the punishment far outweighs what they could morally feel like doing.]

[killerfang]

[ he waits for Nino to answer this one - he has no idea how she's feeling. Which is frustrating, in its own way, but at the same time, Jaffar knows that she's strong and resilient enough to power through this. She might not know it, herself - but he'll help her through it, and she'll be on the other end of it all before she knows it. ]

... That doctor treated her. At the least... it will not worsen.

[ It shouldn't have happened at all, though. That's the problem. When she tells Akira that she's glad he didn't do it, it's easy enough to guess what she's talking about, and his expression flinches just slightly; clearly, Jaffar still has a lot of things he wants to say to her about her decision, but he's not going to do it while the wound is - literally - still fresh. ]

[jokered]

...I'm glad we have a doctor here.

[he is. honestly, he's relieved that someone could treat her properly. but his breath catches a little at what nino says—and akira visibly winces a little.]

I stand by what I said last night, Nino. [it's unlikely he'll really tempt fate, but not taking that risk yesterday—being a sheep, falling in line with exactly where the chiefs led him—

it's like what happened before. when haru's father died, when they were specifically led to target him and the phantom thieves played right into the hands of the people that wanted to frame them for his death and so many other crimes. he played into their hands, and maybe something in him still thinks that it would have been worth the risk—maybe an eye, or his tongue—to vote with heart instead of with the despair of haru's death controlling his actions.

hm.]

[learnings]

[Yeah, sorry about that, Jaffar. She still doesn't really regret it!!

But she just... nods quietly, shoulders slumping a little. She's not surprised that's his answer, but it does mean--]

Please... be careful, Akira.

[Don't get yourself killed??? Basically don't be as stupid as she was.]

[killerfang]

[ >:(

jaffar can infer what he means easily enough. internally, he's thinking that nino is being incredibly hypocritical by asking him to be careful when she threw herself to the wolves so readily last night - even after jaffar asked her not to do that. He turns his cool gaze onto Akira, shaking his head slightly. ]

... A dead man's beliefs hold no value. Don't sacrifice yourself for an ideal. There is nothing waiting for you on the other side.

[ how positive. ]

[jokered]

[...

for a moment, akira falls quiet. he understands what they're saying, of course. but he can't say he won't make sacrifices for an ideal, for a belief—for doing what he needs to for the sake of those that matter to him.

he has people to protect too, after all.]

It's not about me right now.

[well, that's evasive.]

You both need to take care of yourselves right now.

[learnings]

[It's evasive...but Nino doesn't really have the strength to pursue it right now. It's probably for the better--she just ducks her head at that response, sighing a little. It's a little miserable to realize how much of everyone's focus is going to making sure she's okay, when there are so many more important things to worry about.]

I'm sorry...

[To Akira, to Jaffar for not listening even if she still doesn't think she was wrong, to everyone for causing this sort of trouble--

Maybe even a little to Lloyd and Linus, because even when she tried to follow their ideals and example and be better than them too, it didn't work.]

[killerfang]

[ evasive, but Jaffar can guess what he's talking about easily enough. And that guess is enough to quiet him. After all, if he were in Akira's position, and Nino were in Haru's - he's almost certain that he'd think the same thing. He can discourage Akira, but he's no liar. He won't tell him that he's wrong.

he quietly and a little bit awkwardly places his hand over Nino's when she apologizes, but he continues to speak to Akira. Nino is strong. She's persevered through worse, even if she doesn't know it. ]

What will you do?

[ seek revenge? ]

HOLY SHIT WHERE DID MY NOTIF GO FOR THIS? gomen......

[jokered]

Whatever I can.

[he's not looking for apologies from nino right now. her lesson's been learned, for sure. she's safe for the time being, and that means he can't dwell too much on it.]

To beat them at their own game. [it's not like "getting revenge" on the ones running the game is going to work out in his favor, after all.]

wow hdu

[learnings]

[... Nino just nods quietly. That's just like Akira, isn't it?

And all she can really admit, quietly, is:]

I hope...that you can. I think if anyone can...

[It's probably Akira, right?]