Thread: //.ghost/ECHO::Murphy_Was_Right:// [ClockworkCadence x Ryees]

It was with a strangely pensive expression that he watched Lyra settle herself. The morning walk had cleared his head to proper consciousness now, and connecting the dots of their morning encounter to her outburst just then came in the moment before she sat down. He was exhausted, but that did not stop him from finding the amusement in her middle-schoolian coughing fit. The look she gave him as she sipped at the water could have cut diamonds and boiled tungsten, so he made no further commentaloud, anyway. For all his temperance, he could not hide the cheeky smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips. She set into her food, carefully and pointedly avoiding looking at him, and for a few moments, silence hung, broken only by the clicking of their silverware against the hard-plastic trays. The food itself was nothing exceptional, cafeteria food at its core, but more than once he found himself inhaling it all the same and had to force himself to slow down lest he end up feeling sluggish and bloated through the afternoon. He did not find much success in that, though, and in the end, it was barely ten minutes that passed before his tray was cleaned, mopping up the last bits of syrup with the edge of a crusty bread roll. Lost in his head and his food, he actually gave a start when Lyra spokehe had not been expecting it. So how are you feeling today? He considered that for a few seconds, asking it to himself first and really searching for an honest answer. I'm... alright, he said slowly, working his shoulder in a slow circle. Stiff, and putting any weight on it feels like the searing heat of the sun trying to burrow into my nerves, but I'm alive. The look he flicked up to her had a subtle, hidden, Thanks to you, attached to the end that he did not voice, that he did not intend for, that he could not avoid. Kirin let his eyes fall immediately, avoiding the message there. Im sorry your shoulders so fucked up. I really hope it heals alright. His eyes came up again, an odd mix in them. Surprise, first, his eyes flicking open wider and his eyebrows climbing. Those brows furrowed down, then, and perplexed followed surprised. A short sigh of frustration came out through his nose, followed by a questionably hurt flicker that dissipated almost immediately. It all went away in the space of a second, though, replaced by an appreciative smile coupled with a gracious nod. It'll get better soon. A thought occurred to him, and the glint in his eyes turned sharper. It wasn't all taht bad, really, I made it worse by moving into it. He let the jab be the last thing he said, fearing his life now more than he had the night they met. .GORGON 's voice echoed from the door, harsh and annoying, and Kirin stifled the urge to ultimate-frisbee his food tray through her face. A few men got up and followed her, as did Lyra, seemingly grateful to end the horrifically awkward breakfast encounter. Kirin, though, had an entire shoulder that was demanding calories as sacrifice for its healing. His second trip to the buffet cleared out most of the remaining plates of food. Ffffthunk! The sound caught Kirin's attention as he left the mess hall, a cup of water in one hand and the last half of a crusted roll in the other. His distrust of this place had told him that it was best he front-load his meals, unsure when the next time he would get a chance was, or if the place would even still be standing by sunset he was still unsure how this place had not already been razed to the ground, and not at all confident that it would not be by any given sunset. Following his ears, he came around a building and found its source. Targets, dotted with carbon-fiber shafts, lined a section of the wall, and men with actual, factual, bows and arrows stood up-range from them. Kirin barked a laugh in spite of himself, loud and sharp. His shoulder barked back, silently but much more painfully. Lyra, seated in the grass just off to one side, turn her eyes from them to him, and he was thankful of the amused glitter in her eyes. If he had been the only one that found the absurdity in this exercise, he would have been completely alone in his internal cackling. He would have really preferred external cackling, but he was incredibly unenthusiastic about the prospect of his shoulder cackling along with him. .GORGON 's look was supposed to be intimidating, Kirin assumed, but he largely ignored it and waved at her and called, You do you, Merida, we'll just be watching over here! with an exaggerated wink he made sure she could see from the distance he kept. He thought he could actually hear here brain short-circuit, and he afforded himself a few extra seconds of precognition in case she really did try and physically assault him or turn one of those bows his direction. The distance between him and Lyra was closed in a few long strides, and he made to plunk down next to her before thinking better of that and instead squatting and falling back on his butt more slowly. He shifted around and tucked his legs under him, letting his arm rest in the crook of his pretzel'd legs. Aight, so what've we got? he asked Lyra wryly, grinning cheekily and shooting glances at the gathered archers. We got space for a Katniss, a Robin Hood, a Hawkeye, and a Legolas. Unless you count Daryl as an archer, but none'a these fucks have a crossbow, so I think that's our cast. He pointed to a reedy-looking woman with blonde hair, altogether looking somewhat frail, but possibly fluid in her movements if her willowy body was any indication. I got this chick for Legolas. He looks girly enough, right?