[MillietheWarrior]

[Eyes Human Form (Armor)]
[Eyes Human Form (Out of armor)]

He wasn’t sure where he’d been left this time, although he could hear running water and the sound of a small crowd milling about. Usually, he was stashed away in some kind of hidden place, whether in a forest or in some random civilians back yard. This time though, it was different. Eyes was just glad it was Dusty who had lead him to a safe place to sit instead of Click; if it had been Click, there would have been another rousing game of ‘where the heck did he hide Eyes?’ to be played later on. Unlike most of the other times, though, Eyes and his brothers weren’t on a battlefield. Quite the contrary; they’d been given a little time off and a bit of leave to head into the nearby town and just relax a bit. Blue, their leader, wasn’t exactly happy with the idle time, but Dusty and Click had all but forced Blue and Mute, the silent man of the squad, to come along. Eyes just tagged along for the sake of being somewhere other than an empty, lonely room in the base.

He knew his brothers enjoyed his company, and they wanted him to come along, but he also felt somewhat guilty for forcing them to worry about him while they went off and had fun. Was he ruining their good time? Eyes wasn’t sure, despite their assurances to the contrary. Even if he worried about holding his brothers back, Eyes didn’t worry about himself; he had Naasade, his Khimera, tagging along. Eyes, unlike his brothers, could not see, and therefore, would be deemed ‘obsolete’ if this was discovered and sent to be ‘reconditioned.’ He’d lost his sight during a training accident when a flash bomb he’d thought he diffused went off in his face. After that, he felt completely useless. He’d had to relearn how to do everything without his sight. He re-learned how to strip his rifle and clean it, how to put it back together, how to re-load, and to clean and put his armor on. It was harder to do when he couldn’t see any of the equipment he was handling.  

Eyes couldn’t even walk openly about the base; more often than not, he found himself stashed away somewhere, hidden by his brothers so no one would find out about his handicap. He couldn’t even go into battle with them anymore, and it made him feel useless. No one but his squad mates knew about his blindness, and they knew that if word got around, that would be it for Eyes. He wondered if it wouldn’t be a bad thing to let everyone know about him; maybe it’d be better if he wasn’t such a burden on his brothers. A low, rumbling growl at his feet made him reach a hand down and fumble to find Naasade’s metallic neck. She obviously could sense his emotions, and didn’t like where that dark train of thought was leading. “Sorry, ad’ika,” he said quietly, trying to ignore the sound of people milling about.

He was in a town square, he figured, and he was sitting on the edge of a fountain. The cool breeze at his neck and the soft spray from the water as it cascaded down to mist across his cheeks was soothing, refreshing and completely different than what Eyes was used to. For a moment, he lost his train of thought as he soaked in all the sounds and feelings around him. Naasade’s nudge at the top of his hand broke the spell he’d fallen into, and he chuckled, leaning back slightly. “I know, I know. Think happy thoughts. It just gets harder and harder everyday.” He ran a hand along his face, and then leaned on his elbows, resting them on his knees. He wondered what he was looking at; did anyone notice that his eyes never seemed to focus on anything? He doubted it. “Ah, just another great day to…not look at anything,” he muttered, a small, sardonic smile quirking his lips up at the corners at the end of his sentence. Man, this sucked.

[1,1]

[Kallile]

Avatine
Human Form

It was a much needed trip away, but one she still didn't want to make.

A lone woman made her way through the busy shopping plaza, her long, loose red curls hanging down by her shoulders. Her long bangs were all brushed to one side, nearly hiding her left, vibrant maroon eye from view. It also effectively hid a few scraps and bruises. It had been two days since the raid on her small hometown. Mostly a farming community--people who were content to mind their own business and make an honest living.

The attack had come at the earliest morning light and was amplified by the burning crop fields. The attackers had chased the families from their beds--most had fled into the burning fields to try and hide. Avatine had seen most of the men gunned down, and she had never seen a woman or child besides herself leave the village. She feared the worst for them, and thanked whatever celestial being was up there that she had escaped.

The only problem was that she had escaped to a callous, empty world where she knew no one and had no money to speak of. Her meager life savings had been pulled from the bank just that morning--enough for a months rent and maybe a few weeks worth of food at best. Her clothing was slightly singed--a long sleeved v-neck t-shirt, a pair of simple blue jeans, tattered scarf and older running shoes. Her lack of a coat made it apparent that she had left in a hurry.

With a stack of job applications in hand she moved as quickly as she could, seeking out each business in the order she held the applications in. A man by the fountain with his Khimera caught her attention briefly, if only because of the creature's brilliant and soothing teal coat. She smiled lightly at it, looking then to the man. She followed his gaze to a small kitten walking across the little pavilion area. She smiled--he must be a very sweet man to like cats so much.

A moment later she ducked into one building, then another, until she was down to her last three applications. She sighed heavily--so far she had not had any luck. Her clothing and overall appearance after the attack had left her in less than work-ready appearance. With a heavy sigh she glanced around in search of her next shop to hit up when she noticed the man and his Khimera still sitting by the fountain. The sun had moved a considerable distance and though the man was still looking at the same spot there was no longer a kitten occupying the space.

With a frown, Avatine steeled her still-rattled nerves and slowly approached. "S-Sir?" She called out testingly, looking at the khimera to ensure that it wouldn't attack her. "Sir? Are...are you alright?"

[1]

[MillietheWarrior]

Eyes had no idea he was being observed, either the first or the second time. Naasade, however, was well aware that her master was being watched, and in turn, watched the girl very carefully with large, glowing blue eyes. She made a little growling noise in the back of her throat, and eyes reached down to absently pat her head, as if to assure her that nothing was wrong. He’d heard no footsteps coming towards him, but he knew he’d been sitting here for quite some time. He knew his brothers would never leave him here, but he was starting to get tired of all this sitting. He didn’t dare get up for fear of getting lost or losing his spot. He could hear the hustle and bustle around him, and felt the crisp air brush against his face. He could no longer feel the sun on his skin, so he assumed it was getting later in the day.

It didn’t seem to slow the progress of the civilian shoppers though, and they continued their fast paced march as they hurried to and fro to their shops. Eyes wished he could join in their fast paced lives, if only for a moment. A low growl rumbled from Naasade, and from the tone, Eyes was instantly sitting up straight, eyes darting around in old, practiced habit, even though he couldn’t see anything. That wasn’t the tone she used when one of his brothers came to get him; it was the tone she used when someone unwanted got too close. Then the sound of a woman’s light footsteps, and her voice followed Naasade’s growling, and Eyes reached down to fumble slightly as he tried to put a hand on her back to steady her. “Er, uh…Yeah, I’m just fine. Sorry about Naasade; she’s not used to strangers.”

He lightly tapped a finger against her metal back plate, and the Khimera settled back down instantly, giving a low, rumbling purr as she regarded Avatine with a cautious eye. Her master said this woman was safe - after all, she was just a woman - so Naasade believed him and allowed her to come closer. Her long tails curled around her splayed out legs and Eyes managed to owner his head so it appeared her was staring at his boots. “Uh…My name is Eyes…And this is Naasade, though I think you know that. Are you out, uh, shopping today?” He sounded stupid, lame. But what was he supposed to do? Yell at her to go away because he didn’t want her to know he was blind? That would definitely draw attention.

[2, 2]

[Kallile]

As the Khimera rumbled at her Avatine withdrew as if following a command. The cat was big and dangerous--something she didn't have the funds to seek medical attention for if it decided to attack her. She certainly didn't want to do anything to provoke it. It was thoughts of these fears that made her miss the subtle fumbling of the mans hand as he reached down to the Khimera's back.

Smiling thankfully at his reassurance, she took a few steps to land her back to the position she'd originally held. She supposed that was understandable--if a dog could be loyal and protective towards their human companions, then why not a cat? Albeit, it was a strange companion for a man to have, but she figured the metal additions and bladed tails gave it enough edge to be a manly pet.

"Eyes?" She repeated slowly, wondering if she'd heard him right. That...was a very strange name for someone to have. She watched the man look to the ground and frowned slightly. She knew she wasn't the prettiest right now (every turned-down interview had helped to give her that hint already) but she hoped she wasn't that repulsive to look at. Rather than dwelling on it, she smiled at Naasade and reached out her hand--limp and harmless looking with her palm upturned. "What a pretty name for a very pretty Khimera. You don't see many of them around as pets."

She turned her attention back to him and felt her fingers tighten around the three remaining job applications. She was sort of glad he hadn't mentioned them--it was a rather embarrassing story. "Um, yes, a little. And looking for a job to help pay some holiday expenses."

Taking another small step forward, she regarded him carefully. "You've been out here a long time--are you waiting on your wife to finish shopping?" She asked jokingly--well aware that men tended to find a place to sit and wait rather than get caught up in the hustle, bustle, and endless window-shopping.  

[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

Eyes shifted uncomfortably. He really didn’t know what to do in this situation. If he’d been anyone else, like Dusty, or Click, or even blue, he’d have easily figured out what to say to her to either go away quickly without hurting her feelings, or invite her to sit down without revealing his handicap. He could almost feel her gaze on him, and wished she’d look away. Or look at something else. He gulped down the growing lump of nervousness knotting in the pit of his stomach, and tried to look as though he were intently studying the tips of his boots. When she repeated his name, Eyes felt instantly stupid. Yeah, it was a dumb name. Yeah, it wasn’t normal. But it was his name; he wished he’d been named something different. Maybe something that would make people look at him to try and figure out how he’d gotten such an obvious name. He cleared his throat, blinking his eyes slowly and fidgeting with his hands in his lap.

Naasade, meanwhile, offered Avatine a low, rumbling purr, craning her thick neck to sniff at the proffered hand and then rub her cheek along it in a very cat-like move. She seemed pleased to be complimented, if the swaying of her long, tube-like tails was any indication. She continued to watch Avatine with steady blue eyes, but no longer seemed hostile, and even managed to scoot over just slightly no make room for the woman to get closer. Eyes could hear the nervousness and embarrassment in her voice, and wondered if his would sound the same when he spoke. “Oh…Um…Well, good luck on your job hunt. These little shops are always hiring…Or so I’m told…” He couldn’t see any ‘now hiring’ sings obviously, but listening to Click prattle on about how ‘cool’ it’d be to work in this store or that store, Eyes had grown accustomed to knowing which stores were hiring and which weren’t. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, keeping his gaze downcast.

He silently wished he owned a hat; not only would it be nice to own one, but it’d help him in awkward situations like this. He laughed nervously. “Um, well, I’m not married. I don’t have a girlfriend either. I’m just waiting for my brothers to get done having fun. I think they went out to the local cantina or something. I don’t know. I just know they told me to stay here and wait for them until they got back, and that‘s what I‘m doing.” Eyes realized that as soon as he said it, it was going to cause more problems than it fixed. He placed a hand over his eyes to shield them, still wishing for that hat, and lowered his head, trying very hard to look as inconspicuous as possible; he needed to work on looking inconspicuous, because right now, he just looked like he was inwardly freaking out.

[2, 2]

[Kallile]

The woman suddenly gave a nervous chuckle and covered her mouth with her hand. How rude of her--she hadn't even told this man her name!  Smiling at Naasade and withdrawing her other hand from the metal-coated cat slowly, she managed a wary smile at Eyes. "Oh my gosh...I'm so sorry. I've lost all my manners." She said, still talking very nervously. He was the first person she had actually talked to in days about anything other than her pleading with them for a job. How could she help but not be a little nervous--especially when he wouldn't look at her.

"My name is Avatine...but most people call me Ava for short, if you'd rather." Her smile faultered for only a moment when he spoke about jobs, and she cast a casual glance down to the last three remaining in her hand. "I certainly hope you're right...I could use a job right now."

Fear gripped her inside as she was reminded that she only had about a months worth of funds. What would she do after that? Beg? Pick up street-corner performing?...Worse? She shuddered at the thought and edged closer to the man and his Khimera.

her smile was completely gone within the next minute and she just instinctively sat down beside him--no matter how uninvited she might have been to do so. They went to have fun and had just left him here? And he'd stayed? She felt the fear in the pit of her stomach spread slightly. Was...was his family abusive? Was that why the Khimera was here--to make him behave or else? She slowly leaned her head down, trying to get any kind of read that she could from his downcast face. "They just left you here? For hours like this while they go out?" She questioned worriedly. "Wh-why haven't you just went to do your own thing for a while? Meet them back here later? Surly you can't like sitting here all day..."

[3]

[MillietheWarrior]

Eyes hadn’t even seemed to notice that she’d forgotten to give him her name. He seemed much more preoccupied with looking as inconspicuous as possible. She sounded as nervous as he felt, and Eyes wondered what she was trying to hide that was making her sound and act as flustered as she was. He turned his head away from her slightly, but still managed to seem interested in what she was saying. “Ava sounds nice; I think I can manage to remember that.” He chuckled lightly, trying to sound and act as casual as possible. He could almost feel the fear and nervousness rolling off of her in waves, and when her smile faltered, he could hear the hitch in her voice. “Don’t worry; someone will hire you. You don’t seem crazy or mean, so that’s gotta count for something right?” he joked, wishing he didn’t sound like an idiot. Naasade grumbled deep in her throat, and Eyes knew she was silently laughing at him and his lame attempts at being humorous. He discreetly nudged her ribs, and the grumbling stopped as she let out a resigned huff.  

When Avatine spoke again, he could hear the concern in her voice. Eyes mentally sighed; he knew this would happen. Why did he have to go and open his big mouth? “Well…Uh, yeah. I don’t really like going places that are packed with people. I prefer open spaces like this, where no one can bump into me or get too close, if that makes sense.” He was trying to explain it in a way that made him seem normal, but it was harder than he thought. “I…Uh…Didn’t go anywhere…Because…Um….I don’t really feel like it. I like…sitting here? The fountain is soothing.” He felt like an idiot, and even he didn’t believe what he was saying. Everything he said sounded like a question he was debating over, and he knew she wouldn’t believe him. “Yeah…I’m kind of…lame, I know.”

[4, 4]

[Kallile]

The question or sheer notion of jobs were temporarily pushed from her mind, no matter how he tried to lighten the situation. The way he talked about why he had been seated at the fountain all day were disturbing to her; so far fetched that she doubted anyone within earshot would have believed what he was telling her. Her eyes drifted down to the Khimera and watched their interaction for a moment. Well...at least the cat didn't seem to be there to watch him. They seemed like buddies, in a sense. She pushed one of many fears from her mind.

"You let me come up here easily..." She said softly, now sitting beside him. For telling her he didn't like running into people, he was certainly being very accepting of her. granted, she was just one person and not an entire crowd, but he could have just gruffed a 'Yup, fine, thanks' and ended this whole meeting long ago. But he hadn't. He'd gone on to tell her his name and the name of the Khimera, rather than just letting the feline hold her at bay.

She couldn't help but to feel...that he really did want someone up here to talk to. He really would rather be with his brothers than sitting by the fountain. His stammering around his answer to why he had stayed put all day made her shiver. The fountain was not quite soothing--it was cold in the quickly chilling season of late fall. Had his companion been a Magma Creeper or Candle Shinzo...then yes, she could see where a chilly fountain spray would have been soothing in late fall. But with a half-metal Khimera there was just no way.

She sighed, looking down at her hands that were now wringing together in her lap nervously. So much...for making a friend, she supposed. "I'm sorry...but I can't believe that." She said softly, looking away from him. "Is it...that they won't let you leave?"

Her heart pounded hard in her chest at this. What if these 'brothers' of his were those same metal monstrosities that had attacked her town? What if he was some sort of prisoner? Memories of the fire glow-lit attack flashed back through her head and she clamped her eyes closed to quell them. "Please...if they are, let me help you. I know how it feels..."

[4]

[MillietheWarrior]

Eyes could feel her closeness; she was beside him now. He didn’t need sight to know that she was getting closer with each passing second. He could hear her shifting, heard the dirt and grit beneath her shoes crunch and the sound of her skin as he hands slid along the concrete of the fountain’s outer rim. He imagined, for a moment, that he could hear her heart beating, and then realized it was his own. Now he was very nervous; she was asking a bunch of questions, she was getting closer. How was he supposed to deal with this? “Uh, yeah,” he said, in answer to her question, turning his head away a little more. He looked as if he was staring at the ground beside his boots now. “I wasn’t going to make you leave or anything. It’s a public place; you can go wherever you want. And I don’t mind. Naasade isn’t much for conversation, you know.”

He chuckled nervously, once more wishing for a hat to hide his face. Or his helmet. He knew no one could see his face when he wore his helmet; he longed for the sanctuary of his armor. He felt her shirt sleeve brush against his own leather jacket, hearing and almost feeling every move she made, even though he wore long sleeves and pants to keep out the cold. He heard her sigh, and mentally grumbled; she was going to keep asking questions, wasn’t she? When she did ask her question, Eyes had to stop himself from whipping around to stare at her, even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to see the look on her face; it would’ve been pure reflex. He was somewhat shocked at her question.

“No, no. You got it all wrong…It’s…Look, it’s just hard to explain. But they’re not forcing me to be here. I just didn’t want to stay at home in an empty room. At least here, there are people I can listen to and stuff. My brothers wanted me to go with them, but I just don’t like being stuck in crowds. And I didn’t want to lose them because then I’d be stuck and…” He fell silent. Shab, he’d pretty much put his boot in his mouth on that one. He ran a hand over his face, wishing he hadn’t been so inviting when he spoke to her. Naasade grumbled low in her throat, as if sensing Eyes’ distress, but made no move to do anything about it; it was better for him to get out and meet people and stop trying to hide his true self from everyone.

[5, 5]

[Kallile]

Avatine tried to reply to his nervously told joke with a small grin, and found that it was extremely difficult. Not that she wasn't enjoying what little company they had shared before the topic became what it currently was; she would have killed for someone to have been so kind and inviting a few days ago rather than be looked at like she was some sort of common street-filth. She sighed inwardly, looking down at her smoke and soot tainted clothing. No wonder he was trying to get rid of her now.

Her eyes darted up at his last statement blinking at him with wide eyes. "An empty room?" She asked echoed, leaning forward. "Why would you be stuck? Don't you know where you live?"

She frowned even more deeply--the facts (as she was seeing them) just ket pointing more and more to the fact that maybe he was just like someone from her town--maybe his home had been pillaged as well and some of the thugs had grabbed him as a hostage. Maybe...he was in a place where Avatine should have been had she not abandoned her neighbors and ran.

"These...people. Are they really your brothers? Or do you have to call them that?" Her heart was beating hard against the inside of her ribcage. Anyone from those attacks could be watching them right now--and maybe this man and the Khimera were bait. She looked around nervously, suddenly and unexpectedly reaching out to put her hand over his. She blinked at her own hand in shock, as if she had done it without thinking.  With a small, nervous sound she withdrew her own hand and shifted away from him. What the heck had that been for?

"I-I'm so sorry....it's just...I might know what you're going through and..." She stopped, putting her head in her hands. She was being an idiot--an idiot abandoned and alone who was having her first real human contact in several days. "I'm sorry. I can leave, if you want me too."

[5]

[MillietheWarrior]

“Er, well…” Eyes tried to think of a plausible reason he’d be stuck somewhere, or why he’d be in an empty room. He sighed heavily, running his hand along his face and leaning his head down to rest on his knuckles. He wished she’d just accept what he said without asking so many questions. It’d make this whole conversation a whole lot easier. “Uh, it’d be empty because everyone else would be out having fun,” he tried, wishing he could think of a better explanation. “And, uh…I wouldn’t have anywhere to go, so I’d be…stuck?” Yeah, that made so much sense. Eyes mentally smacked himself; he sounded like a complete idiot. Naasade seemed amused by the situation. ‘Glad I can provide some entertainment,’ he thought grouchily as he nudged the rumbling Khimera against in the ribs.

He didn’t turn his head to look at Avatine, though her questions were starting to frighten him a little. What if she wasn’t just a civilian? What if she was trying to pry information out of him. “Uh, well, technically, we’re not brothers. We’re just close, like brothers. So that’s what we call each other. I don’t have to call them that; it’s just the way we were raised.” He turned his head just slightly, as if wishing he could see her out of the corner of his eyes, but he knew he couldn’t. “I’m not really…going through anything. And I…doubt you’d understand even if you knew more about me.” He paused, seemingly suddenly frantic when she asked if she should leave. He was enjoying a conversation with a new person; no one but his brothers ever talked to him.

And if she was dangerous, he’d need to keep her here until his brothers got back. “No, wait,” he said, and turned to her without thinking. Eyes suddenly cursed his stupidity, and immediately turned away, shielding his gaze from her as if the sun was making it hard to see; she'd most definitely seen that something had been wrong wwith him, he was sure of it. “Er, I mean…you don’t have to go. It’s…nice to talk to someone other than my brothers.”

[6,6]

[Kallile]

Avatine didn't look back up at him at first, just listened and waited for him to react poorly to having been touched out of the blue. She felt so stupid for it--why had she literally reached out? Why, why, why? It didn't help that nothing he was saying made sense to her. He wasn't being honest about something, and he was trying everything to hide it from her. that much was almost painfully obvious.

"The way you were raised?" She repeated, looking back up at him sheepishly. That didn't do any good to settle her nerves. How, then, was he raised to call complete strangers 'brothers'? His explanation only rose more panic to the back of her mind--what had she really gotten herself into here?

She caught his gaze, but only barely. She blinked, then squinted at his general direction as she tried to think of just exactly what she had seen. Milky white--right? He had just looked at her with two milky white eyes... She inhaled sharply, but stayed still. He had looked away so fast she couldn't be sure, but if he really did have white eyes then everything he was saying began to make sense. Besides, there wasn't enough sunlight anymore for it to be blinding...and it wasn't even behind her. No, there was something about his face he didn't want her to see. Relaxing a bit, Ava smiled at him slightly.

"I-I guess I can stay a little longer. I don't have any dinner plans or anything anyway..." She looked down to Naasade, watching the Khimera's rather playful expression. "Where did you get her?"

[6]

[MillietheWarrior]

“Yeah,” Eyes said nervously, still wondering what exactly she had seen. If she’d noticed that he was different in any way, she hadn’t called attention to it. But then, she was most likely to polite to grab his face and say ‘Hold on a minute; your blind!’ He doubted anyone would do that, but still…Had she actually noticed anything? He sighed heavily, and continued with what he was intending to say. “We were all raised together. Since the moment we were…born, we’ve been brothers. We’ve eaten together, fought together, bled together. It’s what we are; we’re soldiers, and we’re a family.” He smiled lightly, though kept his head down, kicking one boot idly against the ground. Naasade grumbled as he accidentally hit her with the tip of it, and she shifted slightly, glancing up at him with a low, whuffing purr.

Eyes felt around for her head and patted the cold metal as Naasade leaned into his touch. She then glanced at Avatine, as if to ask for a pet from her as well, but contentedly settled down again Eyes’ legs to keep them from kicking. “Thanks. It gets lonely sometimes…Although Naasade is good company, I can’t just sit here and talk to her all the time, or everyone would think I was a little crazy.” He paused, folding his hands on his lap. When she’d touch his hand earlier, it had been warm and soft, but it had also frightened him. Did she expect him to hold her hand or something. He hoped not.

“Uh…well…my brothers and I found her and her siblings a long time ago, when they were kittens. Their parents had been hunted by the local people for killing some livestock, and the two kits had been orphaned. We stumbled on them, and they were just too…cute to leave.” Naasade rumbled in annoyance. “Hey, you were cute when you were little. Deal with it.” He chuckled and tilted his head just slightly so it looked as though he was facing Avatine without actually looking at her. “She’s been with me ever since. My brothers call her ‘my eyes’ because she’s always…looking out for me. Her name means ‘nobody.’”

[7, 7]

[Kallile]

Avatine continued to make ever so slow and careful movements to try and subtly lean down and get a look at his eyes again. She was sure of what she'd seen...but not sure enough to feel she could assume without a second look. Besides, if he could see her making such small movements, it would prove her wrong, right? Well, then it'd also make him angry...but maybe she could explain her way out of things. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she began piecing everything together in her mind.

Born brothers--soldiers and a family...that sounded like the strange armored army that was rumored to be based across the ocean from here. She'd never seen any down this far...but if he was one of them... Her eyes lit up hopefully. Was he here because of attacks like the one on her hometown? Her nerves seemed to be slowly melting away and she inched a little closer, making a more bold move to lean down and catch a glimpse of his eyes.

"I'm surprised you haven't had more little kids coming up to ask to pet her. She's pretty enough she'd draw anyone's eyes. I'd have thought you would have gotten a lot of conversation." She listened intently to him talking about the Khimera--and when he turned just slightly she was at the perfect angle. She was right--two white, blind eyes. Carefully she leaned back, a new fear stirring in her. If he was blind...how could he be part of that rumored army? Maybe that's why he was here--he'd been kicked out or something. She sighed, looking down at Naasade.

"Nobody?" She echoed, furrowing her brow. "So...when you call for her, you're really saying "Here, Nobody?"

She laughed a little and shrugged. "Well, there are stranger names. At least hers sounds pretty but...why give someone who always looks out for you the name 'nobody'? Doesn't that make it sound like...nobody is there for you?"

[7]

[MillietheWarrior]

Eyes could almost sense her movements; she was leaning closer. He could feel her gaze on him, even if he couldn’t see it. He had a good knack for knowing when someone was staring at him because it happened a lot. She was getting closer to him; Eyes could feel it. He mentally growled, wishing he could just get up and walk away, or at least hide behind a pair of sunglasses or a baseball cap. That was it! Why hadn’t he thought of getting a pair of sunglasses or something? It would’ve made life easier, that was for sure. “Er, yeah…She’s pretty, I imagine, but she’s not exactly…Nice looking. All that armor definitely puts people off.” He chuckled.

“I know how that is. There’s plenty of people around here who don’t know how to act around me when I wear my armor. They don’t even want to come near me, or talk to me, or even associate with me. It’s the same with my brothers as well; They don’t even like us because of what we are or where we’re from, which I think is ridiculous. We’re normal guys, and…You know, we just want to be treated like everyone else. But they can’t see that, so they shun us and ignore us and make snide comments behind our backs. I don’t understand it, and frankly, I think they need to grow up a little and stop being so afraid. We’re the good guys. But they don‘t seem to see it that way; we‘re not welcome in certain social circles or certain places…Those di‘kute.” He snorted, and then realized his mouth had run away form his brain. Now she’d definitely know he wasn’t just an ordinary man.

“Ah, er…Never mind. Forget I said all that.” but it was stupid to think she would; it was a lot of information to just ‘pretend’ it hadn’t been given. “Um…Yeah…Nobody. It’s kind of a clever play on words that way. Well, maybe not clever, but…you know what I mean. She’s always there for me, so in essence…nobody is there for me? I know it sounds stupid but…ah well.” He chuckled nervously, scooting away just slightly. Naasade rumbled a low growl, annoyed that Eyes kept shifting where he sat, and inadvertently nudging her in the ribs. Eyes rumbled right back, and then placed a hand on his stomach, as if he was suddenly sick. “Man, I’m starting to get hungry. Er…” He tilted his head slightly so it looked as though he was acknowledging Avatine. “Would you like to…get something to eat?” How was he supposed to do that without showing her his face? But he was hungry, and food came before everything else in a Clone’s world.

[8, 8]