and far too many stars have fell on me

[domina_mira]

After a memorable night in the bar with her sister and Abberline, Elizabeth doesn't quite make it all the way back to her apartment. Pinpoint in hand, she detours to the swimming pool in the building and sits at the edge, carefully unhooking her stockings and rolling them off to dip her toes into the heated water

Comments

[acoldgreensky]

Oh, dear. This isn't good. Time to make a few other phone calls and then prepare for the upcoming hissy fits from all around.

B|

[acoldgreensky]

"I certainly wouldn't say no." He is awfully clever and has access to a multiverse of fruit markets, so it's a good bet that there's a freshly sliced mango and some papaya in a little dish to go with their pastry.

[domina_mira]

"Wise man." Some days, anyway. Coffee is never really far from being ready, not in the mornings when she hasn't quite got out of the apartment yet. That's sorted out easily enough.

She shreds the pastry more than she eats it until she notices and switches that around promptly. "Well."

This is not awkward at all. Really.

[acoldgreensky]

"Well." He will eat and make whatever small talk is necessary until Elizabeth is ready to finally get whatever is bothering her off her chest.

Scaevola can afford to be generous; he's already done what he can to make sure that his work is safely hidden and that his master knows just as much as he does.

[domina_mira]

It really is a good thing they're generally patient people. Elizabeth finishes her breakfast before she says anything else, watching the flame on the altar for a bit. She's got a whole collection of soothing things when she's fussing. (It's helped, the last four months. Not quite enough, but some.)

"I don't think I should've expected it, but I'd been hoping I'd have less to worry about when they all got home," she says in a contemplative tone, eventually.

[acoldgreensky]

"And yet?" Just tell him what you told Threnody and then he'll know if he needs to run or not. How much damage is there?

[domina_mira]

"They're always that way." Fond, but brittle. She sighs and sinks lower where she's sitting. "I don't know if Threnody's speaking to me." Elaborate, woman, don't drag this out. "Who your alternate is...came up." 'Came up'. Yes. Okay. "The conversation effectively ended when I admitted I wasn't going to leave you."

Pause.

"I mentioned Nicholas, the baby...contextual." Vague. "It wasn't much of a discussion."

[acoldgreensky]

"Oh God. Before you spoke to her, did you do any research into who my alternates are? They're...she's quite justified in her dislike of them." He has gone a little pale(er) than usual and there might be a slight tremor to his hand.

[domina_mira]

"No, Nathan, I dove in completely blind." Oh, well, there's an edge to that flare. Although the wind goes out of her sails a bit when she realizes something, and she chuckles mirthlessly. That's a private joke. For a given value of 'joke'.

"I did. Yes. And we'd discussed them before, after her first appointment with you." The headache is back, unsurprisingly, and she goes to say something else but--doesn't, quite, watching him carefully.

[acoldgreensky]

Scaevola puts his cup on the table and lets his head hang forward into his hands. "The trouble with being the lone, sane alternate is that no matter what you do, no matter who you've helped, you don't have much of a reputation for good works."

[domina_mira]

"I wouldn't know," she murmurs, moving to sit so she can rest a hand on the small of his back. "I'm the lone madwoman." Some people can make jokes like that sound funny; for Elizabeth they invariably fall flat.

She dips her head and tugs lightly the hand nearest her. "Nathan. Nathaniel."

[acoldgreensky]

"Please, let's stick to Nathan. It's who I am here, in the Nexus." He looks up and over to her, letting Elizabeth take his hand. "I've liked it here. I still like it here. You...I don't want to lose what I've found."

[domina_mira]

Now is not really the time to bicker with him about name preferences. She presses her lips to his hand and then leans against his shoulder. Whatever she was going to say, something's made her rethink it.

When she does speak, it's oddly matter of fact for the content. "I don't think this is very practically useful, but Nathan, I do love you. I've been fairly determined not to lose you for a while now."

For future reference, Elizabeth, try to sound less brisk when saying things like that.

[acoldgreensky]

"Then I've nothing to worry about. I can't imagine anyone or anything foolish enough to try and stand in your way." He's relatively sincere in that. Elizabeth is a holy terror, but in the best way possible.

"I am not very good at fighting for what I want, at heart, I am the sort of man who prefers the company of test tubes and journals to confrontation with anyone, but...but there are certain things that even I would argue for. I suspect that you're one of them."

[domina_mira]

"Haven't you heard? I have a 'mighty death gaze'." There's a breath that could've been a laugh and she presses her cheek against his shoulder. "Please just don't argue with me, I think you'd win." To be fair, they're one-all on the 'should we/shouldn't we' discussions.

...not that Elizabeth is keeping score.

Exhale. "Well. There. That's something." Who are you trying to convince, lady.

[acoldgreensky]

"You are a fierce warrior for justice and I wouldn't be suprised by your 'mighty death gaze'." Scaevola turns to kiss the top of her head. Hello, pretty lady. Please don't let your friends blow him up? :D?

"And yes, I suppose it is something, although lord knows what?"