I've been high; I've been low [Open]

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

Wandering the ship had quickly become boring - surprising, considering how large it was compared to the Ptolemaios or his limited, secretive movements on Earth. He'd never really known what to do with his free time as a Gundam Meister. Visiting the graves only took so long, and he couldn't stand to be there longer. The Sensoriums had quickly become disgusting. As much as they helped, he couldn't help but be constantly conscious that they were mere illusions, replicas of things that he had known and seen and, to some extent, cared for.

Even a small task would help. Which is exactly how he latched onto Setsuna.

Surprisingly, when he came out of the changing area bearing scissors and towels, the tools of his accidental trade, Setsuna was already there, waiting patiently, washing his hair. Grinning, Lockon sat down next to him and waited, splashing water idly over his bare skin.

He was just waiting for Setsuna to either say something or finish so they could get on with the haircut.

Comments

[jesus_is_gundam]

Not that surprising, at this point. Sure, back when they first met, the first few times Lockon offered to cut Setsuna's hair were met with staunch refusals and threats of violence; he wasn't going to let someone stand behind with a sharp object. But after a while, washing his hair in the ocean then letting Lockon cut it on the beach of their tropical island base became one of the few simple pleasures he'd allow himself.

And something that ended with Lockon's death five years ago.

His damp bangs came down to his nostrils, and the rest of his hair was a few inches down his back; he needed a damn haircut anyway. So, no, this wasn't their island base, but there he was anyway, no shirt, no shoes, pants rolled up to his knees, splashing luke warm water on his head to rinse out the last of the soap. And there was Lockon, somehow alive again, waiting patiently. And for a moment, things felt relaxed in a way that he hadn't in quite some time.

He took one of the towels, drying off his hair and chest. He then glanced over at Lockon, as if asking him where to now.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

He cocked his head to his left, indicating a spot away from the baths where they could sit. He didn't have stools, of course, but there was a step that Setsuna could sit on and space for him to put a towel down.

"You really need one."

[a_mere_human]

Setsuna brushed his hair back with his hand, then ran his fingers over his cheek.

"I might need a shave, too." If those aren't words you probably never expected to hear, Lockon...

He walked over and sat on the step, making himself comfortable while he waited for Lockon to get settled.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

"Finally old enough to start shaving?" he crooned as he laid out the towel and gathered Setsuna's unruly hair.

[a_mere_human]

"You've been gone a long time," he noted, tilting his head forward some. "Some things have changed."

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

Lockon said nothing as he ran his fingers through Setsuna's hair to make sure he was looking at it right before cutting. He didn't need to be reminded of his own mortality. He'd been thinking about it ever since they'd told him. They all seemed to be certain he died. But if that was so, how could he be here? It didn't make sense.

Gathering some hair between his fingers, he began cutting.

[a_mere_human]

It's not like Setsuna wanted to talk about it either. Not that he ever wants to talk about much of anything. But he wasn't going to shy away from it either.

Still, the silence from the ever mouthy Lockon was enough to cause Setsuna to turn his head towards him slightly. Still, he didn't say anything, returning his head forward without puncturing the silence.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

He made no comment on Setsuna's movement. At least he'd waited until he was done cutting to move. He kept smoothing the hair, snipping, and repeating silently.

[a_mere_human]

The silence went on for a few minutes, until Setsuna grew uncomfortable with it.

"You're being quiet," he pointed out. It was never quiet when Lockon was around. Which was partly why Setsuna hung around him so much.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

"I'm concentrating," he replied, making another cut and combing Setsuna's hair out.

[a_mere_human]

"As long as I don't end up bald." Like that one time. :|

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

He chuckled as he checked the length again. "I think you'd know if I were going to shave your head."

[a_mere_human]

He made a small noise of acknowledgment, but otherwise dropped the subject. The silence lingered a few minutes more until, he spoke up again.

"Lockon..." Admittedly, there were about a billion and one things he wanted to ask, most of which were of a personal importance to him.

Why did you abandon Dynames that day? Was avenging the family you lost so important that you decided to sacrifice the one you had? Why didn't you just shoot me that day instead?

Do you know how much I've missed you? Do yo know how much I've changed?

...are you proud of who I've become?

Do you like my new Gundam?

Have you spoken to Feldt? Do you know she's in love with you?

...about you and Lyle...

But none of those questions were important to the situation at hand. So he let the silence hang there for a bit, filled with all the questions he'd probably never ask, the followed it with "...what's your opinion of the crew so far?"

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

Any of the questions Setsuna would ask Lockon had no answers to, and he sensed that. He couldn't answer a single question about how he'd died, because he had no idea how or why.

"Which crew?" he asked, conversationally.

[a_mere_human]

"Everyone not from Celestial Being," he responded flatly.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

"Well, there are a lot of people," he replied evasively. "But they seem like they mean well."

[jesus_is_gundam]

There was the smallest of scoffs from Setsuna. A lot of people meant well, but they never did well.

"And the other Gundam pilots?" Which Lockon can imagine how the kid he once called an 'impossible Gundam nut' feels about them.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

"Now which ones are they?" Lockon did so want to hear from Setsuna's mouth about all his new friends.

[a_mere_human]

Setsuna's eyes narrowed, though its not like Lockon would notice. Still, if he wanted a brief report...

"Duo Maxwell. Pilot of the XXXG-01D2 Deathscythe Hell, a stealth unit. You've met him. He thought Tieria was a girl.

"Athrun Zala. Pilot of the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice, a CQC suit." Much like his own. "I haven't met him.

"Kira Yamato." Setsuna may keep most of his emotions under wraps, but when he didn't like someone or something, it showed easily. "Captain of Blade Squadron, the ship's mobile suit contingent. He pilots the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom, a variable assault unit. He's a coordinator, a genetically enhanced human. I may regret allowing him to live." The path they were on, he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before they came into conflict again.

"None of the other pilots have a Gundam." He wasn't going to include Allenby on the list. That thing she piloted was not a Gundam. "They're of no concern.

"None of the other Gundams have GN drives, though."

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

Lockon shrugged. Duo seemed like a reasonably nice kid, at least, and he wasn't sure he had met the others or remembered them well.

"To each meister his own, right? Why don't you like this Kira?"

[jesus_is_gundam]

There was a fairly substantial pause there. That he didn't like Kira was fairly clear in his head. But why he didn't like him was harder to put into words.

"Because." He was about to follow that up with something, but stopped there for a second.

"Do you remember that one Union Flag pilot?"

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

"Yes." He snipped again, close to Setsuna's ear and hoped that the other didn't get so angry he moved a lot.

[a_mere_human]

Setsuna tensed up, and his jaw clenched for a moment. He turned his head to the side a bit, and glanced back at Lockon; a warning, silently delivered.

Looking forward again, he continued with his point.

"Imagine giving him a Gundam, then watching him do with it they same things he'd do with that Flag." Granted, Kira didn't have the same... fanaticism that Graham did, but they were still similar. Both young men who likely joined the military to serve and protect, to help bring and keep peace, only to find themselves on an endless treadmill where every step forward leads them nowhere.

"He's been handed something with the power to change the situation, but wastes it in an effort to keep things the same." Growing up and not having much of anything, wasting anything was a pet peeve of Setsuna's. And wasting a Gundam? That's downright blasphemous.

[sniping-meister.livejournal.com]

Lockon kept on cutting, oblivious to Setsuna's pout.

"Does his world need to be changed?"

[a_mere_human]

"Yes." Why else would someone build a Gundam to begin with? "Now, more than ever."