[ Uh, Well. Lio's here! He's not exactly going anywhere, since he's in a cage and all. The fire has calmed down for the moment. He's simply sitting, head in his hands. Waiting.
[It's been a few hours now! It's pretty late, actually. Nic should be resting. In fact, that's exactly what Luna had told him to do when she'd left the infirmary to check on other people. And he wouldn't normally make a point to disobey Luna but... he's not sure if he'll have a chance to talk to Lio tomorrow morning before the execution.
So he slips out, a little shaky and looking incredibly0 tired, more than he ever has. With Lio sitting like that, he has to speak, looking between the two of them.]
Said you were gonna master it. [Hi to you too, Nic.]
[Lio sits up when Nic enters, and, by god. There's something about the fact that a one armed man is now coming to fuss at him for his dumb promises to master sign language and then failing in that promise by turning into a monster. It gets a bit of a laugh, even? When he huffs the breathe out of his nose, sparks come out.]
[Then he makes the signs for NO and TIME. Cut short, right?]
[He's just gonna... sit down on the floor here. He is a bit dizzy. It's fine. It's also hard to tell the exact state of his arm, since he's in a fresh shirt, the right sleeve dangling limply at his side. But it's probably not still actively bleeding, at least.
He actually sits and just looks at Lio for a long minute. Thinking about what to say maybe. Or maybe just trying to memorize what Lio looks like. And then he starts signing. It's slow, since it's mostly finger-spelled, either because they're signs he's not sure Lio knows, or because the sign requires two hands.]
The older I get, the harder it is watching young people run out of time.
[He hasn't come anywhere close to promised mastery, but he has managed to memorize that alphabet. He is dedicated enough for that, stubborn enough to use hours of his day burning the motions into his mind. He's never been quite sure what to do in the face of kindness. Everyone here is kind, aren't they? Even if they don't appear so on the surface. Even Nic is prone to that fool's errand of caring too much about other people then. He could tell him a lot in response to that - that maybe he was always going to burn out young, that he's thrown away an arm for a life that was already half ashes. But he doesn't want to be cruel, either. He's quiet, thinking it over. Then, eventually, signing back:]
S-O-F-T.
[It isn't an insult, or at least he doesn't mean it to be. It's one of the only things that's actually made him feel better tonight. They'll all have to care about one another to finish this, right? Then, very slowly and haltingly, because he's a little distracted fighting monsters in his head, signing out a little more in finger spelling.]
[If this weren't such a unique situation, with Lio caged and sentenced, and Nic exhausted and frankly rather depressed, he'd argue that "soft." Get agitated about it.
That said, he does still make a face. He's not soft!!! How dare you. He's real tough, look, he lost an arm a few hours ago and he's already up and about. He- Well he does really care a lot about a bunch of the kids here. Lio included. But you don't have to rub it in. But when he finally starts signing again, he manages to crack something like a smirk.]
I will. You're not the first to tell me I can't die yet.
[And then he drifts back into something adjacent to sad again.]
Gonna be a lot harder on trial day without you around. [Lio was a big help. Nic wants to be sure he knows that.]
[He is very tough, with a heart that cares. That's the best kind of tough. Lio just nods when Nic acknowledges he won't die yet, but he turns his head away at the comment about trials. They'll be okay, he thinks. He did just commit a murder with his own flamethrower and lighter, he isn't that smart.
Looking at Nic's arm at this point. Then, because he doesn't know the signs - points at his own arm, then makes bunny ears. Plum can help , right? ]
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Galo's here too! Seems like a fun party. ]
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So he slips out, a little shaky and looking incredibly0 tired, more than he ever has. With Lio sitting like that, he has to speak, looking between the two of them.]
Said you were gonna master it.
[Hi to you too, Nic.]
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[Then he makes the signs for NO and TIME. Cut short, right?]
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He actually sits and just looks at Lio for a long minute. Thinking about what to say maybe. Or maybe just trying to memorize what Lio looks like. And then he starts signing. It's slow, since it's mostly finger-spelled, either because they're signs he's not sure Lio knows, or because the sign requires two hands.]
The older I get, the harder it is watching young people run out of time.
Sorry I couldn't help.
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S-O-F-T.
[It isn't an insult, or at least he doesn't mean it to be. It's one of the only things that's actually made him feel better tonight. They'll all have to care about one another to finish this, right? Then, very slowly and haltingly, because he's a little distracted fighting monsters in his head, signing out a little more in finger spelling.]
Keep going.
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That said, he does still make a face. He's not soft!!! How dare you. He's real tough, look, he lost an arm a few hours ago and he's already up and about. He- Well he does really care a lot about a bunch of the kids here. Lio included. But you don't have to rub it in. But when he finally starts signing again, he manages to crack something like a smirk.]
I will. You're not the first to tell me I can't die yet.
[And then he drifts back into something adjacent to sad again.]
Gonna be a lot harder on trial day without you around.
[Lio was a big help. Nic wants to be sure he knows that.]
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Looking at Nic's arm at this point. Then, because he doesn't know the signs - points at his own arm, then makes bunny ears. Plum can help , right? ]
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That said, he blinks, almost owlish. It seems like he didn't understand at all but then he signs;]
P-L-U-M?
[He pauses a moment, gears turning, before he manages to figure out what Lio must be suggesting.]
She did Akira's leg?