(Untitled)

[morelikeasponge]

[OOM: Back home, Peter talks with his mother, his niece, and his brother. Spoilers for 1.19, ".07%."]It's been an hour or so since Peter first returned to the bar; now he's found his way outside, and onto the Milliways roof. It's a quiet night -- quiet and peaceful

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[invisanthrope]

Nobody walks up to the edge of the building and looks up.

Nobody says, "You look constipated. And that's not an invitation to tell me about it."

[invisanthrope]

Claude rolls his eyes and heads around the side of the building.

A short time later, he steps on the roof. "Unnerving," he announces, looking out at the view.

[morelikeasponge]

"I know." He shakes his head, and glances back toward the lake. "All those trees, instead of more buildings. Did you always live in cities?"

Peter is aware that questions like that are off-limits. He's just not going to let that stop him.

[invisanthrope]

"That wasn't what I was referring to," Claude says; Peter's question gets ignored. "Horizon's too short."

His hands are shoved deeply in his pockets, and he's rocking back and forth on his feet.

[morelikeasponge]

Peter squints.

Uncertainly: "I guess it is."

[invisanthrope]

"Better than New York," he announces, and turns his back on Peter, walking over the roof. "Quieter. You going to blow this place up instead?"

[morelikeasponge]

The smile drops off Peter's face. And possibly off the roof entirely.

"Why would you ask me that?"

[invisanthrope]

"You seem to spend a lot of time here, that's all. In here whenever I am. If we're going by statistical probability here -- "

[morelikeasponge]

"But we're not."

Peter wraps his arms around his knees again. "The paintings are all of New York. And so were my dreams."

He glances up again. "You were going to keep teaching me."

[invisanthrope]

"I might've been drunk at the time I said that."

He wasn't, and he knows it.

[morelikeasponge]

"No, you weren't."

So does Peter.

[invisanthrope]

"I might have been," Claude insists. "If you knew everything, you wouldn't still want to be taught, so quit thinking you do."

[morelikeasponge]

Peter clearly does not like this argument.

"Well, even if you were, you still said you would."

[invisanthrope]

Claude turns around.

Takes a few strides in Peter's direction.

"All right."

And without further ado, he hauls Peter up by the collar.

[morelikeasponge]

Ordinarily Peter would complain. As is, he makes a point of not.

Although he does make a muffled noise of discomfort.

(Good thing there aren't any sticks handy.)

[invisanthrope]

"I need a blunt object," Claude says, thoughtfully, shoving Peter back. "There's not one up here, is there."