hadriel { ic inbox }

[nonscriptum]

This is Nate, you know what to do. I'll...probably get back to you.

Comments

PRIVATE video;

[storyseeker]

I know you do. So do I.

[She's not willing to act as Nate's bodyguard, turn her back on everyone and pretend nothing is going on. But there's a bone-deep dread that grips her at the idea of Nate fake dying that makes her fear it could become the real thing—something she's already seen maybe a hundred times when everything reflective decided to show her his corpse. She's not sure he gets that, gods or no gods.]

But if you want me to say yes to this, it needs to be a real plan, not what-if this, maybe that.

PRIVATE video;

[nonscriptum]

Well, I'm taking suggestions!

[He says defensively, throwing his hands up.]

I don't like sitting here with my thumb up my ass because these are- these are kids. It's not a list of felons.

PRIVATE video;

[storyseeker]

[Irritation visibly crosses her face but she reins it in. It's not his fault that any of this is happening and she understands the frustration. Even if he is being kind of a dick right now.]

Don't do that, Nate. It's not fair for you to get upset if I don't instantly have an idea that's slightly less reckless.

I know they're kids and I want to protect them too, but that doesn't make you being targeted any better, and I just—I'm really tired of seeing you dead, okay?

PRIVATE video;

[nonscriptum]

[Okay, she's way more upset than he thought she might be, especially given their ability to come back to life here with (seemingly) no problem at all. Elena is right, anyway: he's being a jerk out of impatience, and cows to her point with a clenched jaw.]

Yeah.

[They haven't spoken extensively about the reflections from weeks prior, what each of them saw in any gleaming surface, and that's fine. Nate doesn't want to talk about the divorce papers with her signature neat and tidy at the bottom line. Elena probably doesn't want to talk about whatever she saw, though this makes it sound grisly by comparison.

He ducks his head, too intimidated by eye contact, thinking.]

Yeah, okay. I'm sorry.

PRIVATE video;

[storyseeker]

[Elena lets out a breath slowly, more relieved than she wants to admit. In the back of her mind, that strikes her as wrong—she and Nate have argued before and they've always worked it out. Why should she be afraid of what might happen if he doesn't back down? But she brushes it aside.]

Okay.

[She nods, more for herself than for him.]

Come home, all right? We'll sit down and try to think of something together.

[That's how they do things best, right?]

PRIVATE video;

[nonscriptum]

[He pushes his luck. It's something he's done for years and while it's gradually slowed down to infinitesimally-occurring events like stretching the last five minutes of his air supply on a dive, it still happens. Nate would rather paint himself a target than have anyone go after children.

But it's not fair to Elena.]

Okay.

[He says again, quieter.]

I'll be back soon.

PRIVATE video;

[storyseeker]

[He'll get back, and they'll put their heads together, and whatever they come up with will be better than what either of them would think of on their own. That's got to be how it goes.]

See you soon.