[He's ridiculously proud of Goro already, though the closing distance has his own nerves starting up... He shifts in his spot before stilling again. He's fine, Goro doesn't intend to hurt him anymore, after all...]
[When he sees the lion move, he balks. For a moment, it doesn't seem like he's going to move...but this time, the paranoia can't be chased away by turning on the lights. His expression shifts from unease to outright terror, before he stumbles backwards a few steps.
By this point, he doesn't even have the mental presence to reassure himself. Rather than stopping because he doesn't want to flee entirely, he seems to be frozen in fear, eyes wide behind his mask and wings fluffed defensively. It doesn't even occur to him that he can just say the word and have the lion change to something less intimidating...and even if it did, he wouldn't be able to find his voice to say it.]
[He hears that movement and looks back over, and he can clearly see that Goro has lost his nerve. So he turns back into a human and gets off the ground.]
[When Shido changes shape, the obvious panic fades, but he's still visibly on edge. The rigid terror gives way to shaking, as he nervously pushes his mask up to run a hand over his face. There's no verbal response...it seems like that moment of panic was so intense that it's taking him a while to recover even now that he's not actively freaking out.]
[His brow pinches at the sight of him... he's too far away to see the shaking, but he can still see how distressed he is nevertheless by the way he pushes his mask up and doesn't even respond to Shido. He starts to move towards him—
... hesitates... and stops moving after having taken only a few steps. But now, at least, he's close enough to see that shaking, and that fuels his concern enough to close the distance between them.
... except... now what...?
...his heart feels like it's going to pound out of his goddamn chest, to be honest? Every part of his body... screams at him, warns him not to do this...
And yet he steps forward one last time, arms wrapping around his son. The hold is terribly fragile and loose, tightening only a very little bit. His body is a bit tense, breath a little uneven... this is probably a terrible idea?
Yet, as he saw his son stand there, shaking and unable to speak, he could only think to do one thing, even if it would have him scorned:
Protect.
His voice is quiet, almost as if afraid to dare to speak.]
[His eyes were covered by his hand, but even if they weren't, he still might have jumped a bit at the sudden hug. He pulls his hand away from his face as he looks up. Despite the surprise, though, his shaking does seem to be subsiding, and he reaches out almost like he's going to cling back...before instead resting his closed hand against Shido's shirt.]
I...was doing pretty well, until you moved that second time...
[And now that he's found his voice, it does seem to be steady...if tired.]
[The fact that he's not... immediately pushed away comes as a small surprise of its own. And the shaking is actually... lessening? He's... so relieved, honestly, and he slowly relaxes. The fact that he isn't being hugged back hardly surprises him— if anything, having the motion returned would have really sent him for a loop, and even that hand resting on his chest is far more than he hoped for.
After what had happened back on the Trivesta, he'd at the very least expected that this would be unwanted, but given that it's... actually helping Goro calm down? It's... enough to rekindle just a little spark of hope in him.]
Sorry... I guess I underestimated just how nervous your mask can make me.
[A bit of a pause, but then:] It won't happen again.
[He... isn't going to move quite yet. He wants to soak in this moment while it lasts...]
[As the shaking settles, his feathers slowly smooth out, wings shifting to help slide them back into place. Slowly, his off hand reaches up to remove the mask from his forehead, letting it dissolve into blue embers and disappear.]
Weren't you the one lecturing me about pushing myself, earlier today?
[He feels fragile in his arms. He's— warm? He may be a ghost, but he's as solid and real as any human he's ever known. Except, perhaps, for the apparent lack of breath...
Even that little question... somehow seems so innocent and yet implies at something deeper. A genuine caring, perhaps, for the person that was supporting him...
It's dangerous to get his hopes up, isn't it? He frowns for a moment... then gives a nod.]
I'll look in the library to see if there's some way to work around it.
[His breath isn't nonexistent, but it is sporadic, mostly coming before or after he speaks. More notable, possibly, is the lack of the pounding heartbeat that would be expected after that sort of panic attack...]
If need be, we could probably find some way to get better lighting. That way, I wouldn't need the mask improving my vision.
[He definitely does notice the lack of heartbeat and feels a bit of a chill go down his spine, but it doesn't reflect outwardly at all. After a very tentative moment... he finally decides to draw away from Goro. He... still doesn't want to press his luck.]
It shouldn't be that difficult. I'll see what I can find.
[There's a bit of awkwardness to his movements and posture, after that... like, he just hugged his son??? He— he didn't think anything like this would ever happen. And Goro even allowed it???
He is... definitely looking down and away and probably in his own world at the moment...]
[He takes a breath as Shido steps back, shifting his weight awkwardly from foot to foot as his feathers lift and flatten. It's not quite clear whether it's embarrassment, nervous energy, or something else, but there's definitely something uncertain to it.]
I'll see if I can find something, too.
For now, though, we should probably both go inside and find something relaxing or distracting to do.
[Here's something you've never seen in all your years of knowing your father, Goro.
Shido's eyes lighting up like it's Christmas.]
Of course! Of course. [It seems he's trying to rein himself in a bit, but isn't... completely succeeding? In fact, he's smiling and... honestly just seems... really happy?]
[A slight scoff.] ... you'd be surprised. [Something flickers in his eyes... perhaps just a hint of... pain? The smirk he gives is a touch wry.] Though it has been a long, long time since I last played.
[The reaction is immediate... Here's another new for you, Goro: Shido suddenly blushing to his ears and nearly down his neck... The look in his eyes is... almost vulnerable? He opens his mouth for a moment, then closes it, and his brow pinches in frustration as he looks away...
For fuck's sake, he's not an awkward, bumbling teenager anymore...]
[He blinks again, just at how...surreal it is, seeing Shido looking ashamed of something. But. Well. It's not like he doesn't understand being embarrassed by your own hobbies...]
I'm not judging you for it, I just...well, I guess I'm so used to you being so absorbed in practical things, I never even thought about you having hobbies to begin with.
[... well, surprisingly, that reassurance actually goes a long way in calming him? He takes a deep breath, though, honestly... Goro was the one to suggest it in the first place, so why...
He holds a blink for a moment and shakes his head, shakes himself out of the past and back into the present, before he looks to Goro... and that wry smirk is back.]
... shocking, I know, that at one point I was actually more man than machine.
[A scoff as he crosses his arms!] I'll have you know that I've been working on my stamina since I arrived here. [He glances away.] ... not that that wouldn't make look utterly ridiculous attempting a game like that.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2018-07-17 04:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-17 09:58 pm (UTC)By this point, he doesn't even have the mental presence to reassure himself. Rather than stopping because he doesn't want to flee entirely, he seems to be frozen in fear, eyes wide behind his mask and wings fluffed defensively. It doesn't even occur to him that he can just say the word and have the lion change to something less intimidating...and even if it did, he wouldn't be able to find his voice to say it.]
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Date: 2018-07-19 05:59 pm (UTC)Alright, I think that's enough for today.
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Date: 2018-07-20 12:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-20 03:02 am (UTC)... hesitates... and stops moving after having taken only a few steps. But now, at least, he's close enough to see that shaking, and that fuels his concern enough to close the distance between them.
... except... now what...?
...his heart feels like it's going to pound out of his goddamn chest, to be honest? Every part of his body... screams at him, warns him not to do this...
And yet he steps forward one last time, arms wrapping around his son. The hold is terribly fragile and loose, tightening only a very little bit. His body is a bit tense, breath a little uneven... this is probably a terrible idea?
Yet, as he saw his son stand there, shaking and unable to speak, he could only think to do one thing, even if it would have him scorned:
Protect.
His voice is quiet, almost as if afraid to dare to speak.]
I'm... so proud of you, Akechi.
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Date: 2018-07-20 03:08 am (UTC)I...was doing pretty well, until you moved that second time...
[And now that he's found his voice, it does seem to be steady...if tired.]
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Date: 2018-07-20 04:13 am (UTC)After what had happened back on the Trivesta, he'd at the very least expected that this would be unwanted, but given that it's... actually helping Goro calm down? It's... enough to rekindle just a little spark of hope in him.]
Sorry... I guess I underestimated just how nervous your mask can make me.
[A bit of a pause, but then:] It won't happen again.
[He... isn't going to move quite yet. He wants to soak in this moment while it lasts...]
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Date: 2018-07-20 04:21 am (UTC)Weren't you the one lecturing me about pushing myself, earlier today?
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Date: 2018-07-20 07:14 am (UTC)Even that little question... somehow seems so innocent and yet implies at something deeper. A genuine caring, perhaps, for the person that was supporting him...
It's dangerous to get his hopes up, isn't it? He frowns for a moment... then gives a nod.]
I'll look in the library to see if there's some way to work around it.
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Date: 2018-07-20 09:43 am (UTC)If need be, we could probably find some way to get better lighting. That way, I wouldn't need the mask improving my vision.
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Date: 2018-07-27 05:42 pm (UTC)It shouldn't be that difficult. I'll see what I can find.
[There's a bit of awkwardness to his movements and posture, after that... like, he just hugged his son??? He— he didn't think anything like this would ever happen. And Goro even allowed it???
He is... definitely looking down and away and probably in his own world at the moment...]
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Date: 2018-07-27 08:31 pm (UTC)I'll see if I can find something, too.
For now, though, we should probably both go inside and find something relaxing or distracting to do.
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Date: 2018-07-29 01:49 am (UTC)Yes. Of course. [he literally has no idea what Goro just said. But he gives a little nod and a smile.] Take care, then.
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Date: 2018-07-29 01:55 am (UTC)[In his tired and rattled state after the panic attack, he can barely even try to hide his disappointment.]
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Date: 2018-07-29 04:43 am (UTC)His son, who... actually... seems to be disappointed that Shido's leaving prematurely?
He blinks a couple of times, then turns to face him fully.]
I... didn't expect you'd want to.
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Date: 2018-07-29 05:05 am (UTC)[He tugs awkwardly at his bangs with one hand.]
We do have a lot of lost time.
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Date: 2018-07-29 05:28 am (UTC)Shido's eyes lighting up like it's Christmas.]
Of course! Of course. [It seems he's trying to rein himself in a bit, but isn't... completely succeeding? In fact, he's smiling and... honestly just seems... really happy?]
Is there anything in particular you had in mind?
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Date: 2018-07-29 05:35 am (UTC)Well, at your age, I doubt you even know what a video game is...we do have some board games around, though.
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Date: 2018-07-29 05:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-29 06:04 am (UTC)I wouldn't have even thought you'd be the type to have been interested in them.
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Date: 2018-07-29 06:23 am (UTC)For fuck's sake, he's not an awkward, bumbling teenager anymore...]
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Date: 2018-07-29 06:29 am (UTC)I'm not judging you for it, I just...well, I guess I'm so used to you being so absorbed in practical things, I never even thought about you having hobbies to begin with.
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Date: 2018-07-29 06:38 am (UTC)He holds a blink for a moment and shakes his head, shakes himself out of the past and back into the present, before he looks to Goro... and that wry smirk is back.]
... shocking, I know, that at one point I was actually more man than machine.
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Date: 2018-07-29 07:35 am (UTC)...There's also the dancing game upstairs, but I think you'd be at an unfair disadvantage with how long you've spent chained to your desk.
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Date: 2018-07-29 05:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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