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 Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 6:46 pm
He was, Frost realized calmly, in over his head. A long way over his head. There were two options here, two very simple options in fact: walk away, or attempt to offer some sound advice. He had not a paternal bone in his whole body that might make him feel protective of her simply for being younger than himself and it was far too early for him to consider her a friend, but for two reasons he decided upon the latter course of action. Reason one: she was a member of Team Rocket, and it was therefore in his interest - even if indirectly - for her to be emotionally stable. Reason two: she had attempted to be friendly to him, and good manners dictated that in return he attempt to be kind to her.
"Understood," Frost said; his entire thought process had taken only a few moments so this initial response was not too delayed. After that single word, however, he fell silent again for several long moments. "I see," he continued eventually. "You did not wish to have intercourse with him, and so you derailed the situation? I do not think that deciding you do not wish to have sex, no matter how close to it you may be, is cowardly; it is your body and therefore your choice... Is it backing out that troubles you, or the way in which you backed out; you said that you hurt him? What did you say to hurt him?" This was very difficult; it was clearly a problem rooted solely in emotion, logic played no part in it at all. The application of logic to it could help, would help in his opinion, but most people struggled to set aside strong feelings no matter how sensible it would be to do so. Still, he would try to help her see reason; he could do no more than that.
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Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2011 9:03 pm
 Honestly, Lilith had no idea that she could be so predictable that Frost could correctly assess her situation on the first try, but, then again, it wasn't like it was incredibly hard to figure out. In any case, it took her completely by surprise. Her eyes grew wide and her hand clamped over her mouth once again, the capillaries in her face dilating and turning her cheeks a brilliant shade of pale red. A moment of silence from her, then a heavy sigh with a defeated chuckled tacked onto the end. "Oh, Arceus... You can read me like a book."Lilith delicately set her ping-pong paddle on the playing table, having no desire to continue her epic battle with Frost at the moment. Instead, she ran a hand through her long brunette hair and flopped down on the couch nearby. Her elbow was propped on her crossed knees and her chin rested in her hand. "Geez, I'm so sorry to get you caught up in this. It is in no way your burden... But..." Lilith looked up at Frost. "... I really do appreciate you hearing me out. Honestly. It means a lot." Lilith pursed her lips and leaned back against the couch. "Oh my, where to begin..." Yeah, that would take some thought. "It's a little bit of everything, I guess. I mean, I certainly didn't feel ready to go that far... But the thing that worries me is that he was." She looked away. A pained smile creased her lips. "He was more than ready, and that's what scared me, I think. I felt like the only way I could stop him was to tell him what I said...
I... asked him a question. I asked him if that was what he was like when... when he had sex with that other girl; the other girl being, of course, someone else he banged." That smile had now transformed into a pained and angry frown, but angry at what - or who - was the question. "A few days before, we had a run in with someone else close to him; close enough and malicious enough to reveal that secret when it would hurt me and him the most. It hurt me because... I don't really understand it myself... The fact that he hid it from me deliberately, I guess. And I..." Lilith's voice became quiet, and she stopped speaking altogether. She held her face in her hands. ...Who better to pour your heart out to than a stranger? Lilith knew this well.
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Posted: Sun Mar 27, 2011 8:44 am
"I cannot 'read you like a book'," Frost contradicted with a shake of his head, "I cannot read anybody like a book. I am aware, however, that when most young people start to umm and err and flush and so on, it means sex is involved. It is not intuition so much as... deduction? Mmh. I am not sure that I am expressing that quite right. Suffice to say that... I am aware that when young men have an idea to do 'something', sex is usually the something. Many of those in possession of a y-chromosome have rather... rather limited interests for about the age of fourteen to thirty, or older even." Ah... But she wasn't really interested in why he'd guessed, was she? No, she had continued and he ought to process what she'd said rather than whittering on about himself and his opinions about the brain power of so many young males.
"Anyway... So..." This was all too difficult; guessing correctly what the problem was was one thing, actually understanding it or working out what to say about it was another. "He was upset because you knew he'd recently been with somebody else, and mentioned it at that particular moment? I'm not sure I quite understand what you're getting at... So were you in a relationship with him, but he had been with this girl anyway? At the moment I'm not sure what he had the right to be upset about."
Perhaps he shouldn't have started this conversation, shouldn't have made a guess. If he hadn't guessed, and guessed correctly, then she might well not have continued on and told him more... A normal person would probably offer her a hug or something around now, but the idea of touching her made his skin crawl. She clearly needed... something though, even if it was just to continue talking. Why him? Why couldn't an emotionally intelligent person have found this out? What could he possibly do that was even vaguely comforting?... Well, he supposed that would be better than nothing.
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Dith had always insisted that a good cup of tea helped with any problem, and at the moment he was willing to try more or less anything. How had he got himself caught up in this?
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Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:23 pm
Young people? Those two mere words nearly made Lilith laugh out loud, but her current upsetting situation and the fact that that action would have been downright rude prevented her from doing so. How old was Frost so that he could call a twenty-one year-old woman a young person? At the moment, she could not come up with the answer. This was no time to think about such things, though. Lilith ran her hands through her hair absently, wincing whenever her fingers fell into contact with an unruly tangle or knot. She exhaled slowly through her nose, trying to get her thoughts and emotions in check. "It's-It's hard to explain... I mean, I thought he still had his "V-card," as the one who revealed the secret to tactfully put it, and he never said anything about it to the contrary! And when the secret got out, it... It hurt me. Hurt me awfully.
And I don't even know when it happened! Like... If it happened while we were dating or before or what... I'm scared to ask him, too, 'cause I'm afraid he'll get mad, and I feel like I'm making too big a deal out of this, and aarrrggghhhh!" As if her fuse had run to the end of its rope on a time-bomb, Lilith growled and balled her hands into fists, falling face-first onto the couch. She lay there for a moment, then as Frost offered her some tea, she lifted her head up and sniffed. "...Yeah, that would be lovely, thank you."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 9:30 am
"I see..." Sort of. He understood every word she'd said, but it was hard getting his mind around the issue as a whole. "Tea then." That would give him time to think. Setting down his ping-pong paddle, Frost moved into the kitchenette and located his box of tea bags. There were four left. He'd put this new box in here only a week ago. He really should stop hoping that people would learn some basic manners. Pursing his lips, Frost filled up the kettle and put it on to boil before setting about cleaning a pair of cups.
"So... You were hurt because you felt deceived, and you also weren't sure whether you wanted to go through with it or not, so you made comment. I must admit I don't see how this makes you a coward, or what right he had to get angry with you... Is this man somebody on base? Is it an ongoing issue, or something from the past?" What was he doing? Really? He hadn't a clue. He had no helpful experience to draw on, he had always avoided romantic entanglement, or possibly it had always avoided him. Maybe both: he didn't want to get mixed up with so much emotion, and nobody he had ever met had considered him a suitable mate anyway so far as he could tell. Given the state Lilith was in this was probably for the best; he would not like to have his judgement clouded like that. There were benefits to a romantic relationship of course but on the whole it was more sensible to avoid the whole tangled mess.
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Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:35 pm
Still lying belly-down on the couch, legs and arms splayed out in several direction, Lilith grunted and propped her chin up on the couch cushion, looking up at Frost. "Yeah, he's on base... I wouldn't be such a fool as to fall for someone who wasn't part of Team Rocket. Even I'm not that stupid." Humorlessly, Lilith chuckled as she flopped her head back down onto the cushion, feeling very weary. "It's not... I don't think it would be an ongoing issue... It's more of just a sore spot than anything else, I think. It's just... I want to talk to him about it, but I have no clue how he'll react. It's so confusing." With her eyes beginning to water again, Lilith lifted her head up and rubbed them away. She sniffled before speaking again. "...Have you ever had problems like this in relationships, Frost? Like... have you ever felt pressured to do something you weren't sure you wanted to do by someone you liked?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 2:26 pm
"I thought it might have happened before you came here," Frost said with a slight shrug, pouring boiling water over the tea bags and stirring both cups carefully. "Some people do hang onto issues like that for a long time... I believe there is sugar, and even milk if you wish some in your tea?" He thought sugar and milk made tea and indeed coffee taste disgusting, but he was aware that it was a subjective matter, and that it was impolite to hand somebody a drink that wasn't... umm... seasoned? That was the wrong word but the right one escaped him. Fine: seasoned to their taste.
"I never know how anyone will react about anything," the pale-eyed man went on after a moment. "As such I have a good technique for dealing with it; be frank, but polite if possible. I see no point in beating around the bush for fear of how another person might or might not interpret my words, but I am aware that not everybody likes to be so... direct." Humm, and what was he to say to her last question? He supposed he had just answered that for himself, although this was not so much concern for how she would take his words as concern for sharing personal information, no matter how trivial... Honesty, but not necessarily too much detail.
"And yes, I suppose so," Frost said after a pause that lasted some moments. "An old... acquaintance of mine often wanted me to do things I didn't want to do, mostly he wanted me to go to places that were far too full of noisy, uncouth people for my tastes. I felt pressured to go because I did not wish to upset or disappoint him, but in the end I seldom caved into the pressure." Dith had been sure that repeatedly socializing him and forcing him out of his comfort zone would help his social skills. Perhaps it would have, but there was no sense dwelling overmuch on the past unless it was to consider how one might change in the future... He supposed he had changed. He made far more of an effort here than he ever had before he'd joined Team Rocket. He wished he could contact his old friend and tell him... As he has just told himself, there was no sense in dwelling on the past. It would be far more sensible to forget all about him and move on.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:29 pm
Lilith finally got herself up to a sitting position on the couch, and she rubbed the back of her now slightly sore neck. "Yes, I suppose that is true... Holding onto things like that for a long time, I mean. Heh, ironic, isn't it, that we keep the most hurtful of memories closest to our hearts..." She glanced up at Frost, and she shook her head and smiled. "Oh, no sugar or anything for me, thank you. Though some honey might be nice..." This last sentence was more spoken as a thought out loud. Lilith did not intend for Frost to get anything more for her - he had done enough and helped her enough already. The woman's glassy-green eyes strayed down to stare at her hands in her lap. She reflected on Frost's words. He was right... she knew that. It would do her no good to wait and to wonder and to fear what might happen... The only way she was going to receive closure of any kind would be to just let it all out and actually talk to Sorano about it. Imagine that: communication being the solution to someone's problems! "So... I need to will up the courage to talk with him about it and not be scared of what he might say... You're right, Frost. I think I understand a bit." She raised her chin a bit, setting her jaw firmly. Her vision strayed back over to Frost, who was answering her final question. Her eyes softened a bit. "Oh my... I'm sorry that he pressured you into doing that. That sounds like it'd be difficult, but... You're such a strong person, Frost." Another smile painted the slightly tear-stained cheeks of the young woman.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:18 pm
"There is no honey; plain tea will have to suffice," Frost said with a slight shake of his head, exiting the kitchenette and handing over one of the cups. "As for my friend... He meant me no harm, and as you observe I am resilient. A long time ago I decided that I would not give other people the power to hurt me. It took time and effort, but it has been worthwhile; there is very little in life that phases me anymore." Dith had told him that there was nothing wrong with getting upset, that it proved you cared or some such. He had never bought into that little theory; why would anybody decide be weak when they could be strong instead? He was worth more than they were. He would not allow their words or actions to move him.
"I do believe you need to talk to him if you are to solve this," the pale-skinned man went on after a moment, taking a careful sip of his tea, "if he is important to you that is... Hurtful things. Mmh. It is very... very human to keep them close. Instinctive. Adaptive. To remember bad things, to remember how they happened, to avoid such things in future. In its raw state, tied up to emotion, it is indeed hurtful. If you can dismiss - or at least come to terms with - the emotion, you can remember the incident with even better objectivity and therefore actually be more likely to avoid repetitions of whatever the incident was... Or so I believe."
He might be about as emotionally intelligent and socially observant as a rock, but he knew many people found his attitude odd to say the least. He had been liked to a robot in the past, and presumed that it had been intended as an insult to his humanity rather than praise of his efficiency. It was never praise of your efficiency when people called you a robot, which seemed like a great oversight in the possibilities of similes to him but that was coming from the one who got called a robot to begin with... Did he find that upsetting? No. Of course not. As he had just told Lilith, he had banished such weaknesses from himself. People could say whatever they liked about him, it was of no consequence in the end.
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Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:48 pm
Lilith received the cup of warm tea gratefully, smiling as she did so. She raised the cup to her lips and took a tentative sip. The taste was more than satisfactory, and it was just sweet enough to be bearable. She took another sip. There was another thing that Frost was good at then: brewing tea. She looked away for a few seconds as she pondered on Frost's words. "...I think that's what I need to do then. Next time I see him, for sure. I need to apologize, first and foremost, but... I need to be sure of his feelings for me. A little reassurance, is all..." Her eyes closed, and she spoke quietly. "I know for a fact that I love him, but I want to know that he loves me the same way. Everyone has different ways of showing their love, and I want to be sure of his way so... So that I don't hurt him anymore." Noble words, indeed, but did she truly mean it? She did know that she loved Sorano - more than she had loved anyone before him. She depended on him. But, was that the same thing he needed her for? Did Sorano need Lilith as much as she needed him? ...Or was she just another girl to lead on and desert, like that other woman he had? In any case, she would never know unless she asked. Better to hear it from Sorano himself than from any other "interfering parties."
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Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 11:44 am
Love. It made an apparently bright enough young woman call herself a coward, and question a perfectly reasonable action. It made her overlook any wrong the man in question might have done. The old adage was true; love was completely blind. How terrifying to give over control of yourself, of your whole perception of the world around you to hormones, to emotion that knew no logic. How could anybody let something so wild, unpredictable, nonsensical run their life? He couldn't understand it. Love was a mistake, be it romantic or platonic. He had almost done some very foolish things because he had loved Dith as a friend. Far better that he had cut ties now. It had been difficult at first, but now he could see that it had been sensible, sensible for both of them.
For some moments Frost stood sipping his tea in silence, his sharp eyes fixed intensely somewhere in the middle distance. Eventually however his shook himself and turned that pale gaze back onto Lilith. "I wish you all the best with him. I hope that however things turn out, you can both be happy." He meant that. He couldn't understand how she could let emotion rule her, but that didn't mean he wished her ill for her lack of wisdom. Not everyone saw as clearly as he did, which was probably fortunate actually. A lot of people might not like what they saw when they removed their emotion-tinted glasses. "You should set a date," Frost added after a moment, "SMART objectives are the only way to get things done. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timebound... Though I would have to think for a moment to pinpoint what would be measurable. Maybe his response to you, whatever that may be."
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Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 3:25 pm
Yes, love was the root of this particular little dilemma, but one could only hope that love would be the solution as well. It was hard to tell either way... Perhaps it would only be the fuel for the flames, but maybe it would be the retardant to put it out. Never know until you try, right? Lilith felt grateful to Frost. He had listened and reasoned with her so logically and peacefully that it almost surprised her, and she had gotten prime advice to work off of. Surely she can apply some of this advice to the situation with her and Sorano, and - with a bit of luck - it would do the trick and she would be assured at last. A sudden thought to hug Frost crossed her mind, but she dismissed it quickly. Somehow, that seemed improper to do with their kind of relationship. Instead, Lilith smiled as she held out her hand to the man for a handshake. "Thank you so much for your help, Frost. I really do appreciate it. And, of course, I'm still hoping that I can look forward to seeing you later, even if we don't meet up for the equinox. In any case... I'm still so grateful."
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 1:38 am
Ah. A handshake. It was only polite and proper, and she did look clean enough. After only a moment of hesitation, Frost reached out and clasped Lilith’s hand briefly but firmly. “You are welcome,” he said with a slight nod, “I don’t feel that I have done anything special but I am glad that this conversation has been useful for you. Mmh. If you would like to eat somewhere for the equinox you can find me in the garages most days; come down and speak to me. If not... Well, come and speak to me about doing something another time.” She did seem like a nice young woman, and he did need to try to form more relationships; no man is an island, strength in unity etc etc.
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Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 3:49 pm
Lilith was relieved when Frost finally shook hands with her; for a split second, she was sure that he was going to refuse for one reason or another. She nodded as well, smiling as she did so. "All right, then... I suppose I'll see you around later. Oh, and thank you for the ping-pong game, too. I had fun."With that, Lilith stood, retrieved her cup of tea, and made her exit from the recreation room. Her headache had miraculously been alleviated, and she felt much more reassured than she had been a few hours ago. She supposed that the logical next step would be to find a way to speak with Sorano again and speak her mind. Hopefully, with the advice she got from Frost, she would at least sound confident, even if her heart wasn't.
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Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 7:45 am
"You are welcome," Frost said again, nodding slightly, "and good luck." He didn't believe in luck, but he knew that others did. As Lilith departed Frost sat down on the cleanest looking chair and sipped at his tea. Had he just been vaguely successful in something delicate and people related? He had been, and he had done so whilst being himself. It was an odd thought to get his mind around, the thought that perhaps sometimes his approach to life was acceptable to other people. Maybe only specific other people. Maybe only in specific situations. Whatever the specifics, he had actually managed to be helpful, and she wanted to see him again. He wanted to see her again too. Leaning back in the chair Frost sipped at his tea, an smiled.
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