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 Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 7:52 pm
Dimitri hadn’t been ready for that counter attack, honestly, and he just kind of pressed the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He was trying. He was trying very, very hard to either retort or keep it together. “Good to know, I suppose, “ and his voice was a little choked with it. Then came the rice line, and ********, that did it. Dimitri dropped down onto the table, arm first and face buried in the crook of it, occupying what space Lia wasn’t as he cackled, really completely failing to keep it in check. He didn’t even know WHAT about it got him - the delivery, surely - but he’d been gotten, badly. “ Like avocado on toast, “ he got out, snickering hard, hitting the table maybe a little too hard before he got himself back together. Dimitri has straightened back up by then, nibbling on the burger and just generally looking vaguely amused when she asked an interesting question. “I don’t know, “ he said, nodding along with her assumption. Then shrugged, carelessly. “Just as well. For all I know, I might’ve killed them if I had. Or tried, at least. - my impulse control was lacking back then.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 8:26 pm
Lia just looked pleased as punch when the man dropped onto the table, and everything associated with that expression. Smug. "Like funny on your face~" She replied, and took another bite of her burger while she listened to him. Hearing his answer---in that moment, she felt a brief twinge of horror at the thought of murdering a sibling. The woman didn't outwardly react much, though her brows lifted a bit, she continued to eat her burger, and, she looked at him, thoughtfully. It was a weird push and pull with him, sometimes, she noticed. She was well aware of what he was like, and it wasn't like she ever forgot---but there were times, like now, where it slapped her in the face (for a lack of better words) more than others. Perhaps it was because the topic was too relatable for her. She loved her siblings. Would never dream of harming them...and from the bits of conversation she had with Dimitri about his family, he wasn't attached to them...so she wasn't entirely surprised by the answer, once she got over the initial shock. The Negaverse had been life altering---perhaps even more so now than she had originally thought. How interesting she could be both horrified yet accepting at the same time---accepting, and yet know, that for all the things he said and did that she didn't always agree with, that he had her back. Friendships. Bonds. Connections. Loyalty---perhaps those were the really ******** up things. That thought made her smile. "Some things just work out the way they need to, huh? Even if we don't realize it at the time." She paused for a moment. "Did you have any friends growing up? You know----like baby Mason and I?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:22 pm
He let the silence linger, confident that Lia would come out of the other side in her own time. She always did, and she did not disappoint now. At the question, Dimitri really did smile, toying with the straw of his drink. “Funny you should ask, “ ironic choice of words considering most of what they’d been doing. “I was thinking about that just before. - and no, I didn’t.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms now. “Like I said, poor impulse control back then. When I was a child, I mean. Other children were boring. So I made them fun. But my definition of fun wasn’t in line with theirs, so it caused problems.” Dimitri shrugged his shoulders. “So I learned how to handle it - but that just left the boredom. I can handle the expectation of friendship, of course, but - “ With a slight fidget, he glanced back at her. “Like you and Mason, no. No one like you has come before.”
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:44 pm
Brows lifted once more, this time out of curiosity when he he spoke. Once again, the man had a way of making her go from one end of the spectrum to the other. She was briefly contemplating her level of sanity, and now she was tickled they were thinking about the same thing. As he spoke a bit about growing up though, it made her think of something else. She almost wanted to say that going as long as he did the way he did seemed... "Have you ever felt lonely, Di?" She asked. Lia had finished her burger, crumpled up the paper, and was now resting on her elbows on the table as she spoke to him. Funny enough, it was easy to pick up on his body language when it was something other than his usual: ease, confidence, purpose---when he fidgeted, even slight, she noticed. She smiled at him, wide, her eyes creasing, and it was not to tease or to jest. It was genuine. "Does that bother you?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:03 pm
The question took him a little off-guard: not because he had any secrets there to protect, but because it had never really occurred to him. Dimitri’s lips pursed into a fine line as he stared off, his brow furrowed in genuine thought. The moment dragged on; it dragged on to an uncomfortable degree. Finally, he faced her again. “I don’t know.” It was the most honest answer he could come up with. “Removed? Yes. Bored? Yes. Frustrated? Absolutely. I can’t say to loneliness, though, “ and he gave another small shrug. “Does a feral child really know it’s alone? Not to say I’m a feral child, but - I don’t know, “ and he returned to the first point, not exactly troubled that he lacked an answer, but not exactly comfortable with it, either. He kicked back, leaning in the back two legs of his chair. “Granted, maybe my answer would’ve been something different before the party. Now I remember having people in my life much sooner, so it’s hard to say. Everything’s a bit muddy now.” Dimitri tilted his head, allowing his chair to go flat again. “Does what bother me? That you and Mason matter?”
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:27 pm
Lia didn't find the stretch of silence to be uncomfortable. If anything, she found the silence to speak fascinating volumes. It wasn't a yes, it wasn't a no. It wasn't a definitive answer, which he was usually quick and certain to give. It was another insight into him she appreciated. She nodded, and when he brought up the party, she just laughed. "Oooh yes. The party." The way she said it said she very much agreed with the sentiment. Muddy. "Speaking of---really quick---I owe you an evening of patrolling." She grinned a bit at him. "Since we didn't go after due to partying it up in the ER, and I need to make it up to you. Pick a night that works for us both, and we'll go all night." Because she was still all about practical fair trading, and it seemed like the right thing to do after that blunder of an evening. "Yeah." She confirmed, nodding her head. "That we matter---after you've spent most of your life without people who did."
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Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:47 pm
Bartering. Dimitri enjoyed the bartering. “For all that went into that, you owe me two of those, “ he countered. “At least two. And if you’re not busy tonight, I want to go.” He would go regardless, of course, but - she was a good patrol partner. A welcome addition. A friend. That question also required some thought. “That night. At first, it was hilarious - in a sense, I mean - exhilarating, somewhat. All these new sensations rushing in with the memories. I don’t know if I’m describing it well.” He furrowed his brow again. “Maybe like a drug? I went so long feeling a certain way, and then an entirely new lifetime with a plethora of experience so came to me. I was having fun. Then you got hurt.” Dimitri let his arms fall to his sides, then settled them on his lap instead. “I was frustrated and overwhelmed in the moment, yes. I was not expecting the memories to stay. - maybe I’ve said that before. - I don’t know if it bothers me or not. - it isn’t right now.” That seemed important. “My connection to you is not bothering me now.” Had he really answered the question?
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 8:37 am
Lia laughed at how readily he replied to that. "Oh, two of those at least, huh?" She grinned. "For emotional distress caused as well?" She teased, but nodded her head. "Yeah, I can do tonight. Usual time and place?" As he answered her question though, Lia's head tilted a bit as she listened, and she thought about it as he spoke. Hearing him talk made her realize that while these memories had been jarring for her, for Dimitri, they might have had a more profound effect. He had existed in his own little sphere for most of his current life, but in that other life---they had known each other since they young children. Man. That must have been something of a whiplash. "Sorry." She said, her grin turning apologetic, "About the getting hurt bit, anyways---I literally didn't see it coming, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause you guys trouble." And usually she wasn't the one who needed to be taken care of. She'd been disappointed in herself after getting out of the ER that night. "Do you think it's a bad thing?" She asked. "To have this connection?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 8:52 am
Emotional distress: somehow, that tickled in the right way, and he just gave up and smirked. “Yeah. Sounds good to me.” At least now he had something to look forward to. Then, his brow arched, one side of his lips quirked downwards. “I’m not upset at you for getting hurt. It doesn’t merit an apology. I just... “ He went to get more milkshake only to realize the cup was empty. Dimitri stared at it like it had offended him before he finally said, “I wasn’t expecting my reaction to be so visceral, I suppose.” The nicest way to put it - the simplest. When it came to the last question, “I think it’s too soon to say,” it was still something he was working through. “I’ve been holding back for so long... and this could potentially hold me back.” He didn’t sugarcoat it. It had happened once already. However, “But I do think it’s with the right people.” And that much he could say with some confidence.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 2:16 pm
"I know." She said. "It was just awfully inconvenient and..." Lia paused for a moment, her lips twisting to the side as her nose wrinkled as well. "I felt like a crappy team mate. I wasn't able to have your back, and that bothered me." Her frame shook lightly in amusement when he clearly reached the end of his milkshake, and Lia grabbed her's, only to scoot it over to him. "You can have mine." The blunt honestly made her smile. Man...it was just so refreshing. To know where someone stood with someone? Seriously. "I dunno, Di---" Lia started, as tanned arms unfolded from the table top to spread open. "Maybe it could make you better?" She shrugged as she tossed that thought out there, hands splayed. "And I don't mean---because you have feelings and all that---I meant because sometimes having something you care about makes you fight harder and be better." It did for her, but of course, everyone was different. "Time will tell."
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:03 pm
"I don't think you're a crappy teammate." Dimitri blinked after he said it, looking vaguely perturbed by it. After all, he'd never in his life felt compelled to reassure someone before, and even if he felt it was true, it felt... suspiciously close to that. Circus Dimitri, he thought to himself. That's where it came from. Long nights away from home, some bad nights, some needs for gruff reassurance for his oldest and closest friend. He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else, but instead dropped it entirely, too glad to have another milkshake straw to shove between his lips. Be better, he kind of laughed. "By what definition of 'better'?" he asked out loud, more of himself than of her. Either way. "Time will tell, " he echoed in agreement before he glanced at the clock and added, "And time is up." He did sound a little annoyed about it, didn't he?
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 3:46 pm
Dimitri blinked. Lia blinked, but then she grinned, appreciative. "D'awww, that's so sweet of you, Di. Careful---" She wagged a finger at him. "You might give me cavities, and I know what you do to those." She nodded her head, and though it looked like he was going to say something else, but didn't, Lia let him be. To his question, she just shrugged. "That." She said in agreement once more to the time will tell, and when he announced that time was up, Lia blinked and looked baffled. She turned her eyes to the clock as well. "...Huh." She uttered. Wow. Had it really been an hour already? Time flew. She found that when she spent time with him, they just...entered this little pocket space. "Darn." She said, and sat there in a moment of silence before she laughed. "But I'll see you later, so there's that." Eyes creased, and after another moment she got up and stretched. "Gonna walk me back up to the front, Di?" She asked the man, grinning down at him. "I might get lost, otherwise." No, she wouldn't, but she could tease.
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:26 pm
Dimitri snorted, but nodded, pushing himself up and out of his chair. “I’ll meet you around 7, then?” He did a quick sweep, throwing away all of their garbage. It was with his back to her, roughly shoving everything into the can, that he asked, “Will you be back tomorrow?”
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:35 pm
"Yup! Sounds great." She was gonna help, but the man was just so efficient about getting it all. Instead she lingered nearby, touching the top of her head to make sure her sunglasses were there. Lia paused at the question, eyes turned towards the ceiling idly before turning to look at the man's back. "I can...do you want me to?" She was silent for a moment before she grinned. "You know you're gonna set off a wildfire for your gaggle of geese upfront, yeah?"
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Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 7:04 pm
He laughed, a little - not especially loud, but his shoulders swayed with it. “I don’t care about them.” Which was a fact. “This has been the least boring part of my day.” So yes. Come back.
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