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 Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 9:58 am
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Oliver had come alone. He’d put a lot of thought into it, and made extensive preparations to make sure this still felt like a good idea. Retzian was kind to him! She hadn’t tried to hurt him! She probably wouldn’t gain much by trying to corrupt him–she knew him well enough to know that he’d be a terrible officer.
He showed up bundled in an oversized sweater; it wasn’t the coldest it had ever been, and he was looking forward to Spring, but it was a comfort thing as much as it was a practical thing.
He came alone, despite Asher’s would-be protests, and assured that he knew what he was doing. Or, thought he did.
He saw Retzian easily enough and made his way to her with his head tucked down. A dark blue lunchbox was tucked under his arm, and when he sat down across from her he moved it into his lap.
“Hi, I’m sorry. I hope I’m not late. I couldn’t find you at first, I was looking in the wrong spot.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:47 pm
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Retzian’s eyes widened in concern when he almost dropped the cup and her brows furrowed in worry. “Be careful, Oliver, it is hot you know, I don’t want you to burn yourself…”
That would be all she would need. Then he would have burns and she would be blamed and she’d never get to be his friend and…
Reaching up, she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “...Don’t get hurt please. Your husband will hate me forever if that happens and if I lose my best friend I really don’t know what I’ll do with myself…anyway. I ran into several people…and like. One of them told me what would happen if I just…forced Dagon–my…the…the um. The Senshi I like…and it sounded horrible, Oliver. I can’t do it…but. Then she mentioned someone named Alastor who…I guess is also from space and found his soulmate, and I’m hopefully going to meet them the day after tomorrow, if the Senshi was able to convince them…but. Even that aside…I met another one from Space…and her name is Daphne, and oh my God Oliver…she’s so precious and I just want to protect her from everything…I…I told her I’d leave…and the…I don’t know! I don’t know what to do or how to do it…and now I’m nothing more than a big fat traitor and…”
Swallowing, she realized that she was crying, and swiftly scrubbed the tears from her eyes.
“...And I can’t seem to find Dagon anywhere and people keep attacking me and I just don't want to fight anymore and I’m tired. I guess.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:04 pm
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This time Oliver really almost dropped the cup. He heard Alastor’s name and could have panicked, but he held it together, barely. And she was going to meet Alastor, and–there was so much of this that he didn’t know, and like always he felt like he was scrambling to pick up all the pieces and put them together.
His tongue felt very large in his mouth and he placed the cup on the ground to make sure he didn’t drop it.
“Sorry,” he said quickly. “No–you won’t get in trouble if I burn myself, honest. It happens all the time. My hands are just so cold, I’ll just let them warm up for a minute while this cools off.”
He could tell how serious she was–how upset she was–by the tears. “But I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t want to fight if I were you. You seem like–well, a lover, not a fighter. I’m sorry, maybe that’s cheesy. But it would be safer for you. Maybe even better for you. I don’t like that you keep calling yourself a traitor–are you? If you follow your heart? Because that seems better than living a lie, I think. You’re allowed to do what’s best for you, and if you found people that you like–what’s so wrong about pursuing that? And–if you don’t know what to do, you’re talking to that other Senshi soon, right?”
His mouth felt like cotton and he really didn’t want to give any indication that he knew Alastor, so he put his best front on. “Maybe he’ll know. And you’re meeting up soon, so you won’t have to wait long to answer. It’ll be okay.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:17 pm
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The concern was back on her face, and Retzian gave a half horrified chuckle. “God, Oliver…please be careful! I’m going to have to put you in bubblewrap…but. A lover, not a fighter, really? You nerd…ah. I’d have to figure out my whole life. I’d need a new job…and I love the one that I have now but…”
She glanced at him. “Yeah, hopefully I’ll be meeting up with him, but if he doesn’t show up, that’s fine…I’ll figure something out. If I can find Dagon, I’m sure she’ll have some answers…and I can always try to find that other Senshi too, she seemed like she knew what was up…ah. I’ll get out, I’m sure…I just need to plan. I’m normally good with planning but. I’ll have to figure out how to fake my death…and again…a new job after everything…is your school looking for any teachers? I do love teaching, I really do…and I don’t want to give that up.”
Wiping her eyes again, Retzian forced a smile on her face. “Plus then we can be real work buddies as well as besties! Don’t you think?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:50 pm
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“I mean, it would definitely be safer, wouldn’t it? I’m sorry, I’ll be careful. I try to be careful, honest. If you need a new job–I mean, whatever you need, I’m sure we can figure things out. I know some really great people. Smart people who have influence and all, people who are better at helping than I could ever hope to be.”
He couldn’t tell he that he could be certain Alastor would show up, so instead he just smiled encouragingly.
“And if you left, it would give you time to look for Dagon again without worrying, right? I don’t know if we’re looking for teachers right now, but–well, even if not, I’m sure we could find something else for you. I’ll support you. When I was younger–”
He caught himself, like maybe there was more he wanted to say, but he drew it in. He didn’t want to make this about him. “I had to make some hard decisions and make a new path for myself,” he said, trying to keep it brief. “And it was scary, but I didn’t regret it. It was hard, but it was the right decision. And I just think–I’m proud of you for being willing to take this chance. I think you should. I think it would be good for you. Definitely healthier, and definitely safer. And I want that for you. I want you to be happy.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 8:56 pm
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“I’ll be able to actually keep you safe without being the monster under your bed, so that’s another good part of this…and, yeah. I need to find her before I do anything…I just. Damnit. I want to grade papers with you again, that’s one of my favorite things to do and if I’m not a teacher how am I supposed to do that anymore?”
She didn’t think of what she was saying, how Retzian had never graded papers with Oliver, but…it was Oliver. Sometimes…most of the time…Retzian forgot to hide the parts of herself that only Celestina would know but…it was just Oliver. It didn’t matter.
“I want to be happy too, and…I’m sure I will be. How could anyone not be with such a great friend?”
Smiling once again, the Captain pulled out two bowls and filled them with soup. “Now, give me one of those muffins, I hadn’t expected to cry and now I’m hungry!”
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