[ drift fleet ] overflow

[noprophecies]

Comments

[exothermia]

I do know that. It's fine. [He's a bit gruff, but he means it. It's rare that he's challenged on the way he handles his friends.]

[noprophecies]

All right.

[maybe she should elaborate. Explain why she brought it up. But that means admitting to things she hates to admit to] . . . it was not meant to be a judgement, you know. Regardless of how you answered.

[exothermia]

[He picks up his glass and sips at it, for something to do. The question itself was loaded in that direction, he thinks. Or it would be from most people.

"No. You're not going to horrify me, it's not going to make me budge." Charles had said once, and the thought twists his lips a bit.]

I doubt it would have come to that, with her.

[noprophecies]

Mmm. You are rather quiet these days.

[again, it isn't said unkindly, simply a statement of fact. She finally picks up her glass, but still she doesn't drink. She watches it instead of him quiet almost to the point where she might not even continue.

Finally, she takes a breath, and just says it]

I tried to do that with her, once or twice.

That is why I asked.

[exothermia]

[...he shakes his head finally.]

I never did with her. She ended up seeing some memories at one point, and there was little I could do about it.

[noprophecies]

Mmm. She's seen some of mine as well.

[her lips quirk, wry] I still tried.

[exothermia]

[Adelina had had a calming effect on him, she always had. He had tried to terrify others away - Maya, Schooler, Wrath - but never with her. Somehow, he'd known it would be pointless.]

The ones closest to us never do know when to stay away.

[noprophecies]

[she had tried with her team, and at one point, even tried with Ampere. Lace had been one of her first attempts, and not even literally killing the girl had changed anything]

No, they don't.

[exothermia]

[He had tried it with Charles, with Magda. Just about the only person he knew he'd never attempt it with was his own daughter. She hadn't lived to see how terrifying he could be. He sips at his drink again.]

[noprophecies]

[she sits back in her chair, glass in hand, quiet for a bit. Somehow, this hadn't gone as planned. She had just wanted to drink with him and try to distract them both from the things on their mind.

Of course, it hadn't worked when she tried with Charles. So why would it work now?

She finally huffs out a noise, annoyed and directed at herself]

This was not what I intended. I apologize.

[exothermia]

What? Why?

[noprophecies]

I wanted to drink with you so we could take our minds off our problems.

Not somehow end up discussing them.

[exothermia]

[He frowns a little, looking at his glass.]

For that to work, we'd have to drink in silence. [It might be a lame joke. Maybe.]

[noprophecies]

[it does make her quirk a smile]

I think we can manage it without complete silence.

[exothermia]

[He smiles a bit in turn.]

Hopefully.

[noprophecies]

We have before. [those times where they'd take advantage of available drinks. She knows that was a lifetime ago for him, though; in a way, it was for her as well]

[exothermia]

That was a long time ago.

[noprophecies]

And? You are still Erik, and I am still me. That has not changed.

[exothermia]

I wonder. Some days I have no idea if I've changed at all, or too much.

[noprophecies]

[she sets her glass aside to rest her elbow on the table, chin on her hand]

You have, a bit. But so has Charles. So have I.

The important things have not changed, though.

[exothermia]

And what are those? [Normally he wouldn't ask. But the drink has loosened his tongue a bit, and he didn't think before speaking.]

[noprophecies]

[she blinks in surprise; she hadn't expected him to ask, nor had she expected to have to put it into words. Still, she purses her lips a little thoughtfully]

Things like . . . I know that I can come to you, when I am troubled. Or wish for advice. And that you will offer your honest advice, regardless of if I will like it or not. You do not - mince? - your words. And you are firm in what you believe - I have always respected that.

There are other things - I do not know how to put it into words. But they are things that have never made me doubt our friendship, or the trust between us. Even if ten years have passed.

[she goes quiet, then makes a quiet noise and glances over at him, quirking a bit of a smile]

That is what I think they are, at least.

[exothermia]

[He doesn't know what drove him to ask, and now that Tempest is laying those cards on the table, he wants to find a reason to overturn them. But none of what she says is part of what he's lost, to his mind. His convictions, maybe. He doesn't know that he believes as strongly as he once did, had hardly known he held it so closely until it was ripped away from him.

The silence is a bit awkward as all of that settles, and he huffs finally. There's no picking that apart, damn her.]

You would pick things that stay constant.

[noprophecies]

[something in her shoulders relax; it was always hard, to navigate these conversations and not automatically gear up to argue her point. It wasn't as though she had these conversations with other people - Ampere, sometimes, but the rest of the people she traveled with couldn't be bothered.

She finally shrugs and smiles a bit wider]

You did ask me about what hasn't changed.

[exothermia]

Yes, I did. [Had it been Charles or someone else, he might expect solemn words about how he's still good inside and valuable as a person. Important as that might be (and he does believe it, despite himself) it's a lot harder to swallow. Thinking positively is a big ask, these days.]