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 Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:28 pm
Haki nodded as if this was the most interesting thing in the world. Which was, kind of. "Mages?" she knew there were others. But she had never concerned herself much before.
But now, she supposed she should. After all, she had to build her whole support network, the thing Ismet had talked about before!
Brightening at the idea of family, she nodded. "Haydren Marc's family. So Isme ..." she scowled, thinking. And then her brow cleared up as she reached her conclusion.
"Brother!"
--
What was wrong with Hadrian? He was stunned by the outburst, stunned enough that he didn't know what to say. Not really. Standing there until he thought the mage had run out of air, his face closed up.
"I sell things, Hadrian. I sell weapons to men who need to protect themselves from others who would like nothing more than to kill them. I sell drugs to those who are addicted so much that they would murder their way for a sample. I sell weapons, drugs, biological and nuclear, organic and synthetic to people who are already hurting each other and themselves. I don't help people hurt themselves, Hadrian." his tone was cold as he pulled himself further. "I give them the opportunity to do something that they will inevitably do anyways. If it is not me, it is another seller. If I don't supply them with top gear, someone else will with a standard lower, with something that will cause more pain. More damage."
Marc got up, moving away. "Before you judge me." he said. "Before you throw around that high handed opinion of yours, think, Mage." he couldn't use the man's name.
"You loved me when you didn't know what I did. Why the HELL does it affect anything now?
Marc walked out.
He couldn't help it.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:38 pm
"Brother, huh?"
Ismet's lips tilted upwards at the corners, seeming amused by the title he'd been given. "Well then, I suppose I have a new sister."
Haki wasn't all that bad, he had decided. He liked her more then any of the other children he'd met, anyway...he could stand her thinking of him as her brother.
She just shouldn't expect him to consider Marc his father. That was where he definintly drew the line.
--
What had he just done?
Hadrian stared at the doors Marc had just walked out of, feeling as if he'd been punched in the gut. Yet he knew he was the one that had been doing that 'punching' a moment earlier - and he still had the same opinion. That Marc...that what Marc was doing was wrong.
So why did he feel so horribly guilty?
And so he simply stood there, frozen in place.
It was only when an employee arrived, buzzing in his ear and asking if he required any assistance or had questions about the furniture, that he began to move. Just waved a hand at the man, before exiting from the store.
And he didn't even know where he was going. To find Marc? No, that wasn't it. He had to - he had to think, to figure things out.
So he just walked, aimlessly and without the slightest idea where he was going. It was only when he reached a more secluded location, one where there weren't so many people bustling around, that he sat down on the bench.
And resting his face in his hands, he tried to think.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:44 pm
Haki smiled back. He knew how to smile! Nodding her head, she started to dig in with more enthusiasm. See? Everything would work out, really it would. "Thank you." for the food, she meant.
--
Thorn was, a stalker. He was good at that, keeping a tab on anyone and everything that caught his eye. But he hadn't been stalking Hadrian. Not this time.
"Hadrian?" the voice, pleasantly surprised and full of amusement as the man walked out the gate of one of the large fully domed homes. "I thought it was you." instantly his expression went sympathetic. "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"
Perfect timing, as always.
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Posted: Sun Jul 02, 2006 2:50 pm
Jerking his head up in surprise, Hadrian fixed startled eyes on Thorn.
This really wasn't turning out to be a good night.
"I..."
Remembering not too long ago, at the miniature golf course. Remembering his conversation with Marc, less then an hour earlier. And remembering that Thorn was his boss.
"It's nothing."
He couldn't say what had happened, not to this man.
Even as he claimed there was nothing wrong, it was obvious that there was. Remaining where he was on the bench, he pushed some hair back off off of his face and straightened up.
He should go home...
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:13 am
Thorn moved easily to Hadrian's side. "Hadrian." he said gently. "I'm not stupid. Come. I haven't had dinner yet. Why don't you join me for something to eat?"
He kept his distance, kind of. Nodding his head and looking around him, he pointed out a small, well furnished building with the soft sound of music barely audible whenever the doors swung open.
"That place has fantastic Pho. Come. It's on me, and you can tell me what Marc did to make you so upset."
--
Haki sighed. Pushing the plate away from her, she slid off her seat with a satiated. "Thank yew~". She was sleepy after all that food! But not willing to sleep either. There was something captivating about the boy. He had the answers to her future, dangit!
"Isme." she said, looking up. "Talk more?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:22 am
Biting his lip, Hadrian stared at the door to the restaurant. It was a sensation of being torn - wanting to talk to someone, even someone who was technically a part of the problem...and wanting to go find Marc, to apologize and hope everything wasn't ruined.
But with a quiet sigh from the mage, Thorn won.
Standing, he nodded. But...he didn't know if he would say exactly what their argument had been about. Because Thorn was a part of that world - Marc's boss, even...he was more inundated in all of that then even Marc.
--
Raising one eyebrow at Haki, Ismet felt somewhat amused. He didn't think he'd ever met a toddler who was quite this talkative - or at least, who wanted someone else to talk.
"About what?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:28 am
Haki beamed. She had never thought he would ask. "Me!" she said, beaming and nodding her head. "My worl'." Of course that was second on the list. Standing close and placing a hand on Ismet's arm, she all but dragged him towards the couch. It was time to make this talk just a little bit more official! Yes. That was a good word.
"My worl." she repeated, pulling herself onto the couch and trying to pull Ismet on as well. Gosh, for a boy, he was sure heavy!
--
Thorn smiled, nodding. The resteraunt was crowded, but enough people recognized him that he and Hadrian were ushured to a private room in the back. It had a strictly western theme, the wooden walls and high backed chairs bringing to mind formal resterauts serving foie gras and pate, rather than Pho and spring rolls.
"Hadrian." he said, pulling out the chair for the man to sit in. A smile played on his lips, one of amusement and exasperation. "I won't... bite." the second word was uttered with some care.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:35 am
Ismet allowed himself to be pulled over, and sat on the couch alongside Haki. Honestly, he was a bit puzzled with himself - why was he allowing this toddler to pull him around, to bother him? He could have just given her a toy and let her entertain herself...
"Your worl'? World?"
Well, at least she was amusing. He hadn't met any other toddler who thought the world was theirs, after all.
--
Sitting in the chair, Hadrian answered Thorn's comment with a half-smile and the words, "I didn't think you would."
Absently, he wondered why he felt the urge to trust this man so much. There was no reason for him to trust the other - in fact, there was reason for the exact opposite.
So why did it feel like he could trust him?
Obviously, Hadrian needed to learn to stop listening to his instincts. They seemed a little faulty.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:46 am
Thorn's smile deepened. Taking the other seat, he nodded his head to the server who had followed him in, inclining a choice or two as if that was all there would be to resteraunt dealings.
"I've ordered the standard course for the both of us. I don't believe you've tried Vietnamese food before?" he tilted his head. "It's a mix, really. A fusion. Fantastic food."
Resting one hand on the table, his eyes melted into a comradely look of concern as he mimiced Hadrian's body language. "Now." he said, gentle, trusting. "Why don't you tell me what happened."
I can fix it for you. I can make you feel better. That seemed to be what Thorn wanted to say.
--
Yay, he was up here! Wiggling down and leaning forewords, she nodded. She would get sleepy soon (damn food for wearing her out.) but she wasn't sleepy yet. "My world." she said, pronouncing the 'D' with a thud of her tongue.
Stupid words.
"Isme' like world?" she asked.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:51 am
Hadrian wanted to tell him. He didn't know why, and he knew that he shouldn't - that Thorn was involved in that same world that had caused the argument with Marc.
"I...we had an argument."
Stiffly stated, hoping that the other man wouldn't press too deeply into what it was about. Because as much as the emotional side wanted to spill it all, the logical side said that wouldn't be a good idea.
Leaning forward, he rested his chin on one hand, not even paying much attention to Thorn. Brooding, really.
--
"Do I? Well...some of the time. I like some of the things in it, but I don't care too much for a lot of the people."
Try everyone. Well, excepting a few ones - Ahneta, Hadrian - and now, Haki. It was a small group.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:54 am
Haki beamed. "Isme like me?" she asked.
--
Thorn nodded. "I could guess that much." he said wryly. "Now come, let me know. I can help." with a tilt of his head (what he'd if he had known what the argument was about... hah.) he lifted his glass of ice water to his lips.
Silence, but only for a little while.
"Has everything been okay, between you and Marc?" a cordial, polite question as Thorn leaned forewords too.
Mimicing body language.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:00 am
"...yes, I suppose I do."
Ismet reached over and ruffled the little girl's hair, a motion of brothers everywhere - though he would have been startled to realize that. It just felt natural.
--
Was everything alright between them?
Well...things had been more tense, since the mini-golf. It was almost unnoticable, but it had been like that.
"Lately, things have been a bit - tense. We were actually going out tonight to try and get things back to normal..."
But obviously, that hadn't worked. If Hadrian had managed to stay off the topic of work, then it could have; but he opened Pandora's Box, in this instance.
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:15 pm
Haki made a noise of protest at the hair ruffling-- but this was more to do with her hair being ruffled than at the touch. Grinning, she moved her hair back into place-- she could style the short mop in her sleep!
"Then Isme help Hakeee rule?"
Ahah! That was the crux of it all. And her eyes flattened, taking on a much more intent, serious look as they waited for his answer. Because if he didn't help her...
She'd have to get rid of him! Or something.
--
Thorn nodded his head. "But things went wrong?" shaking his head, as if he had known this would happen (Thorn was almight god!) he frowned. "Hadrian."
Not condescending, not pitying but... something similar. Something that was a mix, concern, amusement, exasperation. "This. The two of you. It doesn't seem to be working out very well.
What did you fight about?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 1:52 pm
"Why not."
Ismet didn't really seem to take her question seriously, just thinking it was in the typical fantasies of a toddler; he had no idea that Haki actually planned to carry through on this. So he thought nothing of agreeing to it.
--
"We had a difference of opinion on something."
Delicately stated, Hadrian was doing his best to avoid stating the exact topic. That, and the way he was staring at the table rather then anywhere else, showed how much he didn't want to say exactly what it had been about.
"It was going fairly well, until I brought it up."
A futile attempt at 'proving' that he and Marc could make it work; futile because, on the basic level, they were a nice pair: but any deeper then that, and it would take some work on both sides. They both needed to make some changes to make their relationship work.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:47 am
((aaand I'm going to end Haki's arpee there. I think I have enough on Ismet, and you have enough on Haki? XD))
--
Thorn clucked his tongue mildly. As a server walked in with two bowls of steaming noodles and another with smaller dishes to place in the middle of the table, Thorn leaned back.
"Darling Hadrian." he shook his head. "I'm sure it wasn't your fault. And what could the subject have been about?"
He let the question hang, for just a moment before he motioned to the food. "Now, let me tell you what each dish is."
And he proceded to explain, giving Hadrian time to think. And to put distance as well. It hadn't been an accident that he had inserted the soft pet name there.
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