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[ he does know exactly what she's accusing him of. honestly, while Ren's got his own sturdy moral compass, that doesn't mean it doesn't make room for some more questionable practices. ]
Too worried? [ he seems to pause, because he's thinking that over. ] Maybe at first.
...
After that, it's kind of lonely.
[ even if it's just one person. ]
Too worried? [ he seems to pause, because he's thinking that over. ] Maybe at first.
...
After that, it's kind of lonely.
[ even if it's just one person. ]
That's the fuckin' catch.
[ And there's some bitterness to it. If Nathan really is dead, what's a few more weeks or months with him if he heads back to Libertalia with a head full of nothing? ]
Stuck here for now, anyway.
[ And there's some bitterness to it. If Nathan really is dead, what's a few more weeks or months with him if he heads back to Libertalia with a head full of nothing? ]
Stuck here for now, anyway.
[Kyna wrinkles her nose, but doesn't answer right away. Instead, she focuses on practically chugging half of her drink. Super healthy coping mechanisms.
It isn't that she doesn't want to tell him, just that she doesn't know where to start. She hasn't discussed this with anyone that wasn't there.
So she sets down her drink and flops back on the couch.]
I fucked up really bad.
[Good start.]
It isn't that she doesn't want to tell him, just that she doesn't know where to start. She hasn't discussed this with anyone that wasn't there.
So she sets down her drink and flops back on the couch.]
I fucked up really bad.
[Good start.]
[ Good news, Ms. Healthy Coping Mechanisms, Ian's been taught a new and fun way to support your friends — wait until she gets regretfully drunk and then make her go jogging at 5 a.m. Apparently two days of that cures angst-drinking temporarily; at least, it did for him.
He curls his fingers around his glass and levels her with a deeply furrowed brow.
Ok, slowly but surely pulling these teeth here. ]
Expound upon fucked up really bad.
He curls his fingers around his glass and levels her with a deeply furrowed brow.
Ok, slowly but surely pulling these teeth here. ]
Expound upon fucked up really bad.
Um.
[It's a great answer, but it's really just her stalling, because Jesus. She's pointedly not looking at him, as though that will make talking about this easier. Part of it is also just that there's so many silly world specific details to this, and she doesn't know how to explain succinctly.]
I told you my brother's a cop, right?
[It's a great answer, but it's really just her stalling, because Jesus. She's pointedly not looking at him, as though that will make talking about this easier. Part of it is also just that there's so many silly world specific details to this, and she doesn't know how to explain succinctly.]
I told you my brother's a cop, right?
[ Nah, he wants to say. He's not bothered. He's fine.
But he's not, and maybe it's the fact that he's had a beer or two, or maybe it's just Kyna there next to him. It takes a minute, silent and thoughtful and maybe staring a little too hard at the surface of the bar. ]
If I was looking to forget everything about New Amsterdam, I wouldn't be out with you. You think I wanna go back, lose all this?
[ Not hostile, the question, but pretty rhetorical. There are plenty of ways to completely forget what's going on, and none of them involve hanging out with a pretty girl while she tells him what she feels like telling him about home and here.
(And making it about her, he figures, is probably the best distraction from the reality of the situation: I don't want to lose this time with Nathan.) ]
But he's not, and maybe it's the fact that he's had a beer or two, or maybe it's just Kyna there next to him. It takes a minute, silent and thoughtful and maybe staring a little too hard at the surface of the bar. ]
If I was looking to forget everything about New Amsterdam, I wouldn't be out with you. You think I wanna go back, lose all this?
[ Not hostile, the question, but pretty rhetorical. There are plenty of ways to completely forget what's going on, and none of them involve hanging out with a pretty girl while she tells him what she feels like telling him about home and here.
(And making it about her, he figures, is probably the best distraction from the reality of the situation: I don't want to lose this time with Nathan.) ]
[Something about it doesn't ring quite true, though she can't put her finger on it. It doesn't feel like he's lying, but it feels strange that he'd be referring to her specifically. Is he just being nice?
Either way, she scoots her stool a little closer and rests her head on his shoulder.]
Maybe it's stupid to be upset about.
Either way, she scoots her stool a little closer and rests her head on his shoulder.]
Maybe it's stupid to be upset about.
[ Cardinal rule of hanging out with pretty girls, even if you're unlikely to sleep with them: make the conversation about them where you can.
Old habits, et cetera.
(Besides, it not like he wants to lose memories of this, either.) ]
Eh. [ He glances down at her for a second, surprised, then puts an arm around her shoulders. ] You get torn out of one place, put in another, and it turns out the clock's ticking down 'til you're an amnesiac? Couldn't blame you if you were upset.
Old habits, et cetera.
(Besides, it not like he wants to lose memories of this, either.) ]
Eh. [ He glances down at her for a second, surprised, then puts an arm around her shoulders. ] You get torn out of one place, put in another, and it turns out the clock's ticking down 'til you're an amnesiac? Couldn't blame you if you were upset.
Ain't that the truth.
[ But hey, she laughed. That's something. So's the weight of her cheek against his shoulder. ]
Right now's not so bad, though.
[ But hey, she laughed. That's something. So's the weight of her cheek against his shoulder. ]
Right now's not so bad, though.
So, uh... Usually in most major cities there's a unit for occult crimes, but... Most people who can use magic are from really old families, and it's kind of taboo for them to do that kind of work, so you've got a lot of new kids working in them without a ton of background knowledge. My brother can't use magic, but he has the background knowledge, and he doesn't give a fuck what our family thinks, so that's what he does.
[Maybe barrelling through it like this is best. Not getting tangled up in nitty gritty details or the emotions of it. Rapid fire.]
Anyway, he started noticing people going missing or turning up dead, and he thought they fit a pattern, but it was probably tied to some ritual or something. And a lot of times the cops don't want to go after big shit like that, because there's just... bullshit politics at play, right? Not worth the trouble. And these people were the kinds that they think no one will miss—they were homeless or drug addicts or whatever. He pushed as much as he could on it, and then he couldn't anymore, so he tossed it to me and asked if I could figure anything out that his boss couldn't ignore. So we did.
[Maybe barrelling through it like this is best. Not getting tangled up in nitty gritty details or the emotions of it. Rapid fire.]
Anyway, he started noticing people going missing or turning up dead, and he thought they fit a pattern, but it was probably tied to some ritual or something. And a lot of times the cops don't want to go after big shit like that, because there's just... bullshit politics at play, right? Not worth the trouble. And these people were the kinds that they think no one will miss—they were homeless or drug addicts or whatever. He pushed as much as he could on it, and then he couldn't anymore, so he tossed it to me and asked if I could figure anything out that his boss couldn't ignore. So we did.
[ it is strange.
if he hadn't had Akechi, something in his memory that was consistent, he probably would have been more bothered by the existential consequences of his return. ]
Even if you didn't remember it, you do now. I still remember it.
[ as some ... grasp at comfort. ]
if he hadn't had Akechi, something in his memory that was consistent, he probably would have been more bothered by the existential consequences of his return. ]
Even if you didn't remember it, you do now. I still remember it.
[ as some ... grasp at comfort. ]
look, i know you don't know me that well, but i've been in the exact position you're in. it's not fucking easy.
what i'm trying to say is that if you want to talk about it with somebody who's been there, you know where i work.
what i'm trying to say is that if you want to talk about it with somebody who's been there, you know where i work.
Edited 2020-10-22 21:56 (UTC)
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