Come As You Are // Open Post

[therealbrianna]

P.Y.T. [ Pretty Young Thing ]

(Taken during THAT mission that we do not speak of.)

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[mordechai]

Right.

[Color this one Unconvinced.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Hmph.

Softly, under her breath: ]

I can see why he likes you.

[ Actually, she can. Alistair is... A good person? Maybe not to Brianna yet but he definitely is good to Hikaru. Even... Good for Hikaru? ]

[mordechai]

[Catching that. Not saying anything for a while.

Now he's moving to comandeer his own slot beside yours at the range. He doesn't look pissed? He actually looks... well, he looks about as pensive as someone like him can.

It may also be because he's fixing his gun first. Yeah, that's definitely it.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Oho?

Watching him closely. Cause, y'know. To get some pointers and tips.

Yep. ]

[mordechai]

[Well, his form is pretty damned perfect. Might also be because he gets even better at what he does when he's studiously trying to NOT think about something. But you don't have to know that.

Dishing out an entire round at the target before he's stepping back and setting the gun away.]

Stepping out for another cigarette.

[Normally, that is followed by him either telling Brianna that she can join him, or that she needs to stay in and keep practicing. This time, though, that's all he says as he moves off.]

[therealbrianna]

[ ...oopsies. :(

She runs off after him partly because she felt guilty, but partly because she wants to check on Alistair. ]

[mordechai]

[You'll find him back at the spot that the two of you were earlier, lighting up a cigarette.

...And apparently rather focused on that, then later on the people moving around in the distance, the streets.

No words, all over again.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Welp.

Walking up to him and poking him on the shoulder with eyes that say "You okay? ]

[mordechai]

What?

[He knows that look, but he's purposefully ignoring it. It's not like she asked out loud, right?]

[therealbrianna]

[ She directs her gaze to the floor. ]

I'm sorry....

[mordechai]

[Considering her a moment, then shrugging, taking another drag.]

Don't be.

[Quiet, but truthful. He's not just saying it to get her off of his back.]

[therealbrianna]

Okay, if you say so!

[ Looking at him now. ]

Why so tense though?

[mordechai]

You just reminded me of something, that's all.

[Vague on purpose, because he does try to keep his mind away from. Well. That.

He's resolved to carry on like this. He'll stick to it, because it's good for them both.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Not about to let that go, especially since Alistair just referred directly to Brianna. ]

Like what?

[mordechai]

A simple truth.

[You'd know, by now, that he isn't normally this indirect, that he only ever gets like that when he either can't put it into words or it has to do with himself.]

I'll be fine.

[therealbrianna]

Oh? Like what truth?

[ This one doesn't understand vague, yo. ]

[ "I'll be fine? REALLY?" ] You also remind me of something. Or well, someone.

[mordechai]

[He knows who you're talking about.]

He picked that up from me, I think.

[Yeah, let's focus on that, not the whole truth thing just yet.]

[therealbrianna]

[ Not that she doesn't already know that. While it interests her, she's a bit selfish okay. She wants to know what she reminds Alistair of.

Girl has GOT to know. ]

Yeah, I figured. So what truth do I remind you of?

[mordechai]

[He is suddenly reminded of one of his worst moments in 2012: Mapayapa Village, sitting with Tala Vega, dealing, for the first time in his life, with her insatiable Need to Know.

Sigh.]

That we're both good, but now isn't the time even if the feelings we have for each other are mutual.

[therealbrianna]

[ She's probably heard that so many times. It's an unfortunate circumstance that affects even her peers from high school only theirs was a lot less complicated. And it wasn't something that took hundreds of years to develop. ]

What makes you say that?

[mordechai]

Because too much shit has happened. This is the first time, in his twenty-nine cycles, that I can safely say that we're seeing eye-to-eye.

[It just gets hard, sometimes. But Alistair Mordechai has always been one to soldier on and figure shit out as he goes along. And he is liking this direction, even with its occasional potholes.]

[therealbrianna]

Why ruin a good thing, right?

[ Yep, she gets it. ]

[mordechai]

Yeah. Besides, he needs more time. I've got plenty of it, and I can be patient.

[Patience is kind of his middle name when it comes to Hikaru Shinta.]

He needs it more than ever now.

[therealbrianna]

[ Oh man yes you BOTH have so much time. SO MUCH. ]

That's very considerate of you.

[mordechai]

Is it? I don't know. Never really thought about it that way.

[He just figured it was... right of him to do this. Sure, it had been awkward. Sure, maybe he didn't have to kiss Hikaru that night --

Right. No. He had to, because that was how they worked. That was probably how they were ALWAYS going to work. Actions, rather than words. Timing. Grace.]