[she's already got a fray, her name's harrowhark

she makes a face at him at the first part, but she doesn't argue. he's not wrong.]

Yeah, but I would've been a little more cool about it. [she says, faux-haughty. she rubs at the bandage around her hand, absently.] Like five percent less guilt-ridden.

[she fuckin' snorts, and reaches up to shove at him a bit. with all her fingers! she has fingers! it's so exciting.]

Gross. Yuck. Don't Bixing me. [a beat.] And yeah. Don't sass me or it'll creep up to six.

[she looks like, startled? and then sort of laughs.]

-- What, like you haven't seen him trying to adopt me at every turn? He dads me more than you do, loser.

[she grins a bit.]

Yeah, no shit. You deserve it, though. Someone ought to be on your ass about things - I've learned this is called affection in some circles.

[that gets a smile - something a little less shit-eating and little more pleased. she's glad people care about him.]

You had a fit earlier. You weren't subtle about it. [she watches him, eyes bright as usual.] But other than beating yourself up for shit you can't control - which is something I'm told I'm guilty of on a consistent basis, probably at least once by you - you've been fine.

[yeah that's what she thought you'd say you dumb tank]

I know. Bixing was the same way, but I think his wore off after trial. [a pause.] You don't think straight around him, is all I'm saying.

[a beat, because there's a joke to be made there that she isn't making.] But I am throwing stones from a house made of the most easily shattered glass there ever was, so.

[because she is eighteen an a brat sometimes she doesn't look thrilled to know she has a lot of things in common with rynlan, but this is not a failing on rynlan's part so much as she's just the way she is.

still. she rubs a little at her hand again.]

... I've got a week to take advantage of it before it might be. [and rushing past that:] You told me, like almost six weeks ago, maybe five, to figure out what living for myself was like. Do you remember?

I tried not being a cav, or - I guess, I tried not being Ninth, for a bit.

[she pops her knuckles, absently.]

I found a pack of old guys who keep trying to give me something to call home. Embarrassing for them, really. I found Akira. You know, I've never had anybody I could call a friend before this and know that they'd call me it back. Like, for sure for sure, without any doubts. I figured out I like coffee, because it's hot and it sucks. Ice cream, too, even though it makes my teeth hurt, and chocolate, even though it makes me sneeze.

And there were pretty girls, too. Uriel's sweet and all, but I realized she's not Harrowhark, and that's who I want. And I'm who she wants.

[she glances at thancred, eyes sharp and amber and more alive than they were before she fell on an iron spike.]

I think - what that is for me is living somewhere with a sun, and getting up early in the morning, and drinking a cup of coffee. And kissing Harrow on the forehead and going for a jog, and then just being utterly fucking boring, for a while.

So I guess to answer your question, I think I've done okay.

[the smile on her face is the kind of smile she doesn't really do, honestly. her smiles are all grins and smirks and shitty lopsided looks, but this is just a smile. something easy and relaxed. a little vulnerable, maybe. she trusts him enough to let him see it.]

You think you could keep up with me? [she says, teasing. but:] We can do that here.

[a beat.] I'm going to try to get Satan to let me and Harrow go somewhere else, you know. If we win.

[she hums.]

Bixing offered me a place. He's like the president of everything where he's from and he's pretty sure he can universe hop. [she glances at him. her hand absently goes to the necklace she's wearing - the one he gave her, obviously - as she rubs her thumb along it thoughtfully.] Are you thinking about going somewhere else?

[she nods a little at that, because that's what she expected.]

Well, I... [she pauses, scratching her nail a bit against the marks. and then, with a renewed sort of confidence, like she was pushing something down and away:] I'll come see you. I want to meet the girl you keep going on about, she sounds like fun.

[the word she means here is trouble. she wants to get in trouble.]

[she laughs at that, wildly pleased by the idea of tanking for the warrior of light.]

Yeah, of course. Which of them d'you think I'd like the best?

[this is correct though i do think she would really enjoy estinien as a concept]

Explain more.