Dive In ⇒ w/ psychometer

[psychometer]

[It's a beautiful autumn evening. The sun is dipping below the horizon, the sky is mixed with hues of violet, reds, and blues. The leaves are browning and the air is crisper and chillier, a great contrast with the great heatwave of summer.

There's no one out during the after hours in this part of the city. The park while quiet and full of quaint charms has been avoided recently after seven unexplained disappearances. Certain officials have advised the locals to stay inside.

Oh, wait.]

Dancing in the moonlight,
Everybody's feeling warm and bright!

[Lien is walking past the warning signs and doing a little twirl all by herself. For someone who works on cold cases that usually involve murder in the first place, she sure is way too optimistic. She stops singing and calls to her companion that is not Jonah...]

Isn't the fresh air great? Man, I feel so energized!!

Comments

[blindknight]

[ He doesn't want to intrude any more. There are things there he shouldn't be seeing, so he draws his gaze back, looking over her physical form again. What was it he'd thought earlier? "Not unpretty"? Well, that was just another way of saying pretty, wasn't it? And she really was.

Today must be the day for sudden realizations.

When she falls to her knees, Lindsey's right there kneeling beside her, one hand out to steady her. His armor dissolves, flaking off him in specks of light, and for once he's not exhausted or dizzy or sick after using her powers. He gives her a worried smile. ] You okay?

[psychometer]

[She smiles back, not registering the fact that she voluntarily reaches out for his arm to steady herself.]

Y-Yeah. That was... Ha. Haha. That's a first. That's never happened to me before. I mean, I heard things about monsters, but I didn't...

Oh god, rough n-night huh?

[She sniffs and Lien's voice sounds shaky as if she's on the verge of... Nope, she really is crying a few tears just fell down her face even though she's smiling.]

[blindknight]

Lien? [ It doesn't take a genius to figure out that tone of voice, and he instantly draws her into a hug. ] God, I'm so sorry.

[psychometer]

[The hug just cinches it. She sobs her one arm falling and dangling uselessly by her side and the other wiping the tears away from her face.]

W-What are you t-talking about you idiot?! I'm sorry! I-I'm such a dumb ass! I dragged us both into this, we could have g-gotten killed because of me!

[She's faced all sorts of murderers, criminals, and yet those types never threatened her sense of self like that demon did. Even worse, Lien felt awful because she put them both at risk out of misplaced confidence.

Her sobbing settles down once she leans her forehead against Lindsey's chest.]

I'm an idiot.

[blindknight]

Hey. You're not an idiot! You had no way of knowing what would happen.

[psychometer]

I totally am though!

[Oh wait, OOPS physical contact. She lifts her head up and waves her hands at him backing away slightly.]

A-AH!! Aw, crap, sorry for touching you!!

[blindknight]

Huh? Oh no, it's... I'd say you're... entitled at this point.

[psychometer]

[At least she's stopped crying although when he says that it makes her pretty surprised.]

I... Um.

You were able to become a Knight. Really quickly too.

[blindknight]

Yeah. I uh.

... I didn't want to lose you.

[psychometer]

...

[Lien falls silent and she lets her hand touch her forehead. She wasn't able to completely recall what the demon was saying while possessed, but now it's all coming back to her. The offer, the exchange, and the result.]

... You could have gotten your sight back.

[blindknight]

I almost said yes. It's what I've always wanted, since... since my accident. [ He hasn't really told her about it, aside from dropping hints. It's strange, yet somehow a relief, to be putting words to it. ]

But I realized that being able to see wasn't going to magically fix everything. And... even with my sight, my world would be just as dark without you in it.

1/2

[psychometer]

[Lien finds herself at a loss again and a warm sensation spreading across her face as she listens to his words.

She knows this feeling, it's a type of happiness that is achieved in a variety of ways that she isn't quite sure she wants to deal with right now--]

[psychometer]

Auuuuugggghhh!!

[... So she settles for bumping her forehead against his chest and letting it stay there, as if she's trying to hide her expression; but the fluster can be heard in her voice.]

You are so unreal! T-Those words are unreal! Who even says stuff like that anymore? Is that a Knight thing??

[blindknight]

[ That noise startles him at first, but she does manage to draw a laugh out of him. ]

I dunno. Maybe?

[ His moment of levity doesn't last long however, and he clears his throat. ] I have a confession to make.

[psychometer]

Ah... yeah, sure. Go ahead?

[She pulls back to look at him expectantly.]

[blindknight]

When I, uh, attacked the demon, I had to... God how do I even put this? I had to look into your soul.

[psychometer]

Oh.

[A beat.]

Ooooh!! Wait, I really DO have one?

[blindknight]

I... of course you do. Why wouldn't you?

[psychometer]

It's...

[Ever since she was young, she questioned her existence. She could accept that she was born artificially. She could even accept that she was a copy.

She just wasn't sure if it meant she was real and living. Even with the ghost's comforting words, she only came away with less doubts, not a clear answer.]

... Lindsey, what did you see? I told you before didn't I? I can read a lot of things with my touch, but souls aren't one of them. That's just territory I'm not able to cross like you.

My confession? I don't know that part of myself at all.

[blindknight]

[ He frowns a little, thinking. ] It was bright, strong- like your personality. But it was... I don't know, it looked sort of like patchwork.

[psychometer]

... So that's how it is huh??

[It feels... liberating to hear that. To know that there is something.

She deliberates over her next action for a few seconds, but then Lien... does put her hand over Lindsey's, smiling.

She had her own wall to jump and she finally crossed it too.]

I'm glad though. Thank you, Lindsey.

[blindknight]

I was expecting you to be mad at me. That was sort of a major invasion of privacy.

[ But damn if the feeling of her hand on his doesn't bring a little color to his cheeks. ]

But you're welcome?

[psychometer]

I invade everyone's privacy Lindsey. And let's face it, I pretty much invaded yours ever since we first met. It's about time someone did the same back to me, but at least it wasn't as bad as I thought.

[HA, sees his face and grins.]

Hehe. Your cheeks are pink.

[She's sounding happier again, like her usual self. Maybe a little brighter though? After all that's happened it's hard not to be.]

[blindknight]

Thanks for the newsflash. I couldn't tell.

[ The comment is dry, but it's followed quickly by a smile. It's really hard not to be in a good mood, all things considered. ]

[psychometer]

I'll be nice this time and say that it does look cute. Just this once.

[She takes a look around and notices that there are... Oh! People lying around, they're still breathing and they're the ones that were missing. The curse was broken once the demon died after all.]

... And I'll call Jonah to come pick us up. We'll drop you off back home.