Gabriel's smile looks soft and almost shy. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. Sometimes it's good to have people to talk to that aren't- experts, I mean." And she seems both kind and wise, and he could use help on both fronts there.
He looks thoughtful for a moment, then turns and taps the point where the base of his head connects with his neck. "It's right there, by the way. If things ever go wrong, or even if you're worried- impale that spot and it'll shut me down. I'll look dead, but if you pull it out, I'll heal right back up."
He turns back to her and tilts his head to the side, giving her a wry smile. "I know that's kind of gruesome, but I want you to feel as comfortable around me as you can. Know I'm not some unstoppable force." Because if he does end up sparring with the kid again, he doesn't want Masaki to feel powerless about what he can do.
That's a rather gruesome turn to the conversation. Then again, it's not much worse than talking about his murder victims. She looks to the spot that he taps, her smile straining a little but still holding.
"I'll... keep that in mind. Thank you." She's absolutely not going to be able to do that. But that's alright. She has other things that she can try first... Once she figures out how to make them here. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to get a general list of what other things he can do. Just in case she does need to stop him for whatever reason.
"You mentioned learning other abilities. What are those? Can you tell me about them?"
Ah, maybe that was pushing it a bit far. He gives her an apologetic smile and nods.
Talking about other abilities is perfectly fine- he just needs to make sure he doesn't get too excited over it. "Sure. I've got telekinesis, which I'm extremely proficient at. There's clairsentience, which is the ability to touch objects and read their memories. That one doesn't work too well here in the Meadous, no idea why. Lie detection's the same- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've got the healing, which I've mentioned- that's technically called rapid cellular regeneration. I've got the ability to turn things into gold and the ability to manipulate sound. And I've got electrokinesis, although I'm not as good with that one."
In fact, he's tried to keep it locked up, most times. But it does come out occasionally. He focuses on that, rather than the fact that each one of those undoubtedly reads as another dead person to Masaki.
Telekinesis. Clairsentience. Lie Detection. Rapid Cellular Regeneration. Turning things into gold. Sound Manipulation. Electrokinesis... Masaki tries really hard not to count each of those out. She doesn't want to start associating him with a body count, when he's just a person who's trying to make himself better. All she really needs to know is how to handle him if he gets out of handle.
"Okay. That... doesn't sound too unmanageable." Well, maybe not at the current moment, but she can work on that. There's time. What she doesn't seem interested in, however, is elaborating on that statement.
Instead, her attention turns back to the fish, which she's almost finished slicing up. She starts to busy herself with packing it away into the fridge for later, then pauses to glance up at him. "...Do you like fish?"
If Gabriel was expecting any reaction, it definitely wasn't Masaki's. His eyebrows raise and before he can filter himself, he asks, "It doesn't?"
But hey, if she's not scared, that's good. Right? He looks doubtful, but she's not saying anything. And frankly, if she doesn't want to go into it? It's probably better. He could use at least one person with a surprise attack against him, if he really loses control of himself again.
So he just shrugs and looks back to what she's doing. "I do. Honestly, I like just about everything- I still eat like I did when we met back in Timeless." He's always had a high metabolism, and the abilities just made his appetite worse.
She just smiles at Gabriel question. She doesn't seem too worried, for what it's worth, which means she probably has something in mind--even if she has no intention of telling him what it is.
But in response to his shrug, she looks back down to the fish she's packing away and slices off one of the ends of the fillets. Balancing it on the flat side of the knife, she holds it out to him. "Would you like to try some? It's been frozen already, so it's safe," she assures him.
It's not the most graceful offering, but she means well. And she doubts he'll mind too much.
Mind it? Gabriel looks delighted! He reaches forward and takes the slice in his fingers. He eats it quickly, treating it like a piece of sushi. He smiles as he finishes it off.
"Delicious. You know, I haven't had much in the way of fish here, and I end up hunting almost too much. Would you want to maybe strike a deal? I can share whatever meat I bring home if you'd be willing to toss me a fish every so often?"
He looks mildly hopeful. As it happened, his telekinesis has a harder time with liquids than with solid objects. He's been working on it, but this would make fish much easier to get. --of course, he could fish normally, but where would be the fun in that?
She looks pleased with his reaction, smiling back at him in return.
"Well, I'm already fishing for two," she tells him with a laugh. "I don't mind making it three. Just... Pork and poultry are fine, but no deer. I know that's a popular hunting pastime around here, but I can't stomach it. They're too cute." A tender-hearted soul, this one is.
Wow, she is sweet. He smiles, dipping his head down in acknowledgment. "Of course. No venison, that's perfectly fine. Sounds like we've got an agreement. Plus, it gives me an excuse to visit now and then, see how everything's going with you two." And maybe ask for advice if he needs any- from either of them, now that he thinks of it. The kid seems to have figured out quite a bit, too.
"I suppose I should leave you to the rest of your day," he says, looking vaguely apologetic. "But I'm really glad we've talked. Thanks for listening, and- being so understanding."
Masaki smiles a bit wider at the mention of keeping tabs on her and her son. "I don't think you'll need to worry about us--but you're welcome to drop by just the same." He's a friend of Zangetsu's, after all. That's rare enough that he would be welcome around her home if for no other reason than that.
But he suggests that he should be going, and she doesn't make any move to stop him. When he thanks her, it catches her a little by surprise. Her smile softens just a touch.
"You're welcome. And if... you ever need to talk again--if your friend isn't around, I'll be here to listen too. I think what you're trying to do... It's not a good situation, but you're trying to learn. And that's important. You shouldn't have to do that alone."
He catches that slight change in expression and smiles back at her. Her words are- well, they're too kind, really. But Gabriel's the sort of person who's spent a lot of time looking for kindness in the wrong places. He'll take it, deserved or not.
"Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind. It always helps to have someone to talk to, I've noticed." He nods his head at her and walks to the door. "See you later, Masaki."
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no subject
Date: 2018-09-03 05:26 pm (UTC)He looks thoughtful for a moment, then turns and taps the point where the base of his head connects with his neck. "It's right there, by the way. If things ever go wrong, or even if you're worried- impale that spot and it'll shut me down. I'll look dead, but if you pull it out, I'll heal right back up."
He turns back to her and tilts his head to the side, giving her a wry smile. "I know that's kind of gruesome, but I want you to feel as comfortable around me as you can. Know I'm not some unstoppable force." Because if he does end up sparring with the kid again, he doesn't want Masaki to feel powerless about what he can do.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-03 05:38 pm (UTC)"I'll... keep that in mind. Thank you." She's absolutely not going to be able to do that. But that's alright. She has other things that she can try first... Once she figures out how to make them here. In the meantime, it might be a good idea to get a general list of what other things he can do. Just in case she does need to stop him for whatever reason.
"You mentioned learning other abilities. What are those? Can you tell me about them?"
no subject
Date: 2018-09-03 05:51 pm (UTC)Talking about other abilities is perfectly fine- he just needs to make sure he doesn't get too excited over it. "Sure. I've got telekinesis, which I'm extremely proficient at. There's clairsentience, which is the ability to touch objects and read their memories. That one doesn't work too well here in the Meadous, no idea why. Lie detection's the same- sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I've got the healing, which I've mentioned- that's technically called rapid cellular regeneration. I've got the ability to turn things into gold and the ability to manipulate sound. And I've got electrokinesis, although I'm not as good with that one."
In fact, he's tried to keep it locked up, most times. But it does come out occasionally. He focuses on that, rather than the fact that each one of those undoubtedly reads as another dead person to Masaki.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-03 09:14 pm (UTC)"Okay. That... doesn't sound too unmanageable." Well, maybe not at the current moment, but she can work on that. There's time. What she doesn't seem interested in, however, is elaborating on that statement.
Instead, her attention turns back to the fish, which she's almost finished slicing up. She starts to busy herself with packing it away into the fridge for later, then pauses to glance up at him. "...Do you like fish?"
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 06:41 pm (UTC)But hey, if she's not scared, that's good. Right? He looks doubtful, but she's not saying anything. And frankly, if she doesn't want to go into it? It's probably better. He could use at least one person with a surprise attack against him, if he really loses control of himself again.
So he just shrugs and looks back to what she's doing. "I do. Honestly, I like just about everything- I still eat like I did when we met back in Timeless." He's always had a high metabolism, and the abilities just made his appetite worse.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-04 11:46 pm (UTC)But in response to his shrug, she looks back down to the fish she's packing away and slices off one of the ends of the fillets. Balancing it on the flat side of the knife, she holds it out to him. "Would you like to try some? It's been frozen already, so it's safe," she assures him.
It's not the most graceful offering, but she means well. And she doubts he'll mind too much.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-05 03:23 pm (UTC)"Delicious. You know, I haven't had much in the way of fish here, and I end up hunting almost too much. Would you want to maybe strike a deal? I can share whatever meat I bring home if you'd be willing to toss me a fish every so often?"
He looks mildly hopeful. As it happened, his telekinesis has a harder time with liquids than with solid objects. He's been working on it, but this would make fish much easier to get. --of course, he could fish normally, but where would be the fun in that?
no subject
Date: 2018-09-07 03:07 pm (UTC)"Well, I'm already fishing for two," she tells him with a laugh. "I don't mind making it three. Just... Pork and poultry are fine, but no deer. I know that's a popular hunting pastime around here, but I can't stomach it. They're too cute." A tender-hearted soul, this one is.
no subject
Date: 2018-09-07 05:50 pm (UTC)"I suppose I should leave you to the rest of your day," he says, looking vaguely apologetic. "But I'm really glad we've talked. Thanks for listening, and- being so understanding."
no subject
Date: 2018-09-08 03:21 am (UTC)But he suggests that he should be going, and she doesn't make any move to stop him. When he thanks her, it catches her a little by surprise. Her smile softens just a touch.
"You're welcome. And if... you ever need to talk again--if your friend isn't around, I'll be here to listen too. I think what you're trying to do... It's not a good situation, but you're trying to learn. And that's important. You shouldn't have to do that alone."
no subject
Date: 2018-09-12 04:04 pm (UTC)"Thank you. I'll definitely keep that in mind. It always helps to have someone to talk to, I've noticed." He nods his head at her and walks to the door. "See you later, Masaki."
He's still smiling as he leaves.