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Jan. 13th, 2014 02:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_hermitWho: Henley and Merritt
What: Henley and Merritt try to clear the air between them.
the_hermit: *isn't drunk at the moment, but the glass he's working on isn't his first one this evening. it's been another long day of not finding the jackass so he can rip him apart despite the fact that he's been all but holding a "pick on someone your own size" sign when he goes out. he's tired, and stressed, and tired of people asking him what happened on Saturday and tired of feeling like everyone here is still walking on eggshells and he's just. he's not drunk yet, but he's well on his way*
the_highpriestess: *she's spent most of the day out. not that she's trying to be avoidant, per se, but well, someone has to get things done around here while everyone's sulking -- like, you know, they have something to eat beyond the whole liquid diet everyone seems to be on -- and it might as well be her. that in mind, she lets herself into the suite, carrying a handful of bags. she glances at Merritt as she passes on the way to the kitchen, flashes him a smile, and a Hey, and moves to set her things down*
the_hermit: *tilts his head back to look at her when she comes in - and then turns more on the couch so he can actually look at her without having to crane his neck.* Hey. *and that comes out with a bit of an unintended drawl, considering again: not his first drink. he's not slurring or anything when he goes on, though* You need some help?
the_highpriestess: *she glances back at him, frowning just the tiniest bit, though more for the fact that, again, yay, liquid diet, rather than any distaste for him* I wouldn't say no? But if you don't feel like getting up ... *she shrugs*
the_hermit: *shrugs, too, and then leans to set his glass back on the table. he pushes himself up and rounds the furniture, moving toward her* What can I do?
the_highpriestess: *dangles a bag of cold cuts in front of him* Put that away in the fridge for me? *she'll handle the dry goods*
the_hermit: *takes the bag, turning to do as asked - and the fact that he resists the half dozen "meat" jokes he could make probably says something* Thanks for errand running. I know it was getting scarce in here.
the_highpriestess: *a part of her was kind of hoping he would, hence why she offered him that particular bag, but ... she's not really surpised. and she can't really blame him. for as well as she seems to be doing, she'd be lying if she said she weren't a little more hesitant around all of them, herself. regardless, though, she frowns a little as she turns to start putting things away* Kinda, yeah. *a beat* Minus the magic booze fridge.
the_hermit: *reaches around her for something else he knows where it goes, to move to put it away in one of the cabinets* The magic booze fridge might be enough to make me believe in a higher power.
the_highpriestess: I'm pretty sure you won't get an argument from anyone here. *and another pause* Except maybe Danny, with his whole ... *lawl, magic sky man sthick*
the_hermit: Doubting Thomas thing? *a beat* "Doubting Daniel" has the alliteration going for it...
the_highpriestess: *she hums, almost pleased* Let's go with that.
the_hermit: *lets out a breath of a laugh, a little despite himself*
the_highpriestess: *flashes him a smile, tired still but real, over her shoulder and finishes putting the contents of her bag away*
the_hermit: *turns to lean back against a counter out of her way. and, after a moment...* You holding up okay? *she seems to be holding up the best of all of them, but he knows how much that actually matters, sometimes*
the_highpriestess: *she moves to lean against her own section of counter, too, once she's finished, and takes a moment to consider that* I'm kind of ... *half of her is terrified that this guy's going to get to them again, before Merritt takes him out; the other half of her is afraid that they're all going to fall apart, whether or not he does, just because they suddenly can't seem to talk to each other the way they used to. and as much as she's not really helping with that last bit, even if she is the most well-adjusted at the moment, she's not really sure how to stop it, either. rather than say all of that, though, she just blows out a sigh, her breath making her hair flutter, and makes a face that seems to suggest she swallowed a lemon* I'm pretty sure all of this kinda sucks.
the_hermit: Yeah. Yeah, it does all suck. *he pauses a beat, to actually address some of what he got from her. and first and most importantly, and fiercely...* He won't get to you again. *the same tricks shouldn't work again - considering Merritt let them keep the memory of the programming, they should realize if any of Torre's dupes get too close, in a sort of "cannot unsee" way*
the_highpriestess: *after a moment and honestly* I believe you. And not because ... *not because of the cannot unsee factor -- because she trusts Merritt to protect them or fix them. either or*
the_hermit: *and the fact that he is a little tipsy means he's not as in control of his expressions as he'd like to be. which means the gratitude for that is probably more obvious than he means for it to be - and that it's obvious he's being honest when he says...* Thanks.
the_highpriestess: *she offers him a little smile* You're welcome.
the_hermit: *returns the smile, slightly, and then, after the smile fades and after they fall into an awkward silence, he reaches up to run a hand over his face, muttering This is stupid. and, once he drops his hand, and without actually looking at her for more than a few moments* Look. Legend has it you can't hypnotize anyone into doing something they wouldn't do anyway. I didn't... pick on you guys to make you uncomfortable or piss you off. *a beat, where he has to admit - and where he does actually manage to look at her, and smile, faintly, though it doesn't get remotely near his eyes* Well. Maybe Daniel. *but seriously* But if it ever actually did, and if it wasn't just this asshole talking *and then he makes himself look at her, and there's something a little too bright in his eyes* I'm sorry, Henley.
the_highpriestess: *she smiles a little, crookedly, if only because she was thinking of apologizing for slapping him here in a few, and then looks away, pulling her lower lip between her teeth to worry at it as she tries to decide how to respond to that. she knows what she wants to say -- and it's very clear that it has nothing to do with being upset with him because, yeah, it was the asshole talking -- but she needs to find the words for it. she wants him to hear it, rather than just picking it up off her face. it's kind of important* You really think I'd be sticking around for this conversation -- or, hell, any conversation -- if you did? Or that I would have handed you what was more or less an engraved invitation to a dick joke party when I had you put the lunch meat away? It doesn't bother me because I know you're not serious -- *or at least not trying to be a creep. if she thought he was, then yeah, she'd step on his balls, but* -- and because you're kind of my best friend, here, Merritt. *she loves Daniel. she thinks of Jack as a little brother* And I'm hoping I didn't screw that up, even if it wasn't really me. So ... I'm sorry, too.
the_hermit: *he laughs a little a couple of times through that, and, when she finishes, there's something distinctly involuntary about the breath that rushes out of him, like he'd been holding it and just realized it - which isn't that far from the truth, really* I've spent the last few days stopping myself from saying anything, just in case. And that's as much on me. *he should have said something before now - all the tiptoeing around obviously isn't getting any of them anywhere. so no, she hasn't screwed it up*
the_highpriestess: *she looks up at him, her smile a little shaky, her eyes stinging, and softly, teasingly* Yeah, well. Idiot kind of seems to be going around here, lately. *it's not just him. it's not on him. and that said and after a moment's pause, she pushes away from her place at the counter to invade his, leaning half against it and half against him so she can nudge his shoulder with her own. ish. the heels help* ... so, we good?
the_hermit: *his is just as shaky, and there's still that brightness in his eyes as he breathes out another laugh.* Too bad we didn't designate anyone to slap us upside the heads. *he leans back into her, to nudge her back as he nods. and then seems to change his mind about how he was going to answer that, if the sudden way one corner of his mouth lifts is any indication* We could be. *and there'd be a leer in there if the relief on his face wasn't ruining it somewhat*
the_highpriestess: *she laughs, the sound more than a little relieved, rolls her eyes, and in a tone that somehow makes what she says next an endearment rather than an insult ... * Ass.
the_hermit: *and he can't even manage a response to that - he just laughs, reaching up to rub a hand over his eyes. he suddenly feels a lot better about all of this*
the_highpriestess: *she smiles up at him, breathing out another sigh* I think we're gonna be okay. *and not just them, specifically, but all of them*
the_hermit: *drops his hand, returning the smile as he nods* We'll be fine.
the_highpriestess: *and inch by inch, her smile fades* Not gonna lie, but I was a little worried there for awhile.
the_hermit: *and his follows* Yeah, me too. We'll pull back together, though. *a beat* You know what I noticed, aside from everyone acting like it was their time of the month? No one threatened to leave. Yeah, no one could stand being in the room with anyone else, and yeah, Jack took off after he and Daniel tried to beat each other's faces in, but we were all still here, and he was back here that night. No one packed.
the_highpriestess: *she has to fight a smile at the time of the month comment, if only because she did actually leave him a pack of tampons, and she's still finds it amusing, even if she probably shouldn't. she should probably apologize to Danny for that. and that, along with what else Merritt says, is enough to keep her from grinning, even if her mouth twitches a little* No one packed. *she didn't actually think about that, but ... he has a point*
the_hermit: *and again, he nods. he's honestly more worried about people leaving now than he was while they were all at each other's throats - especially considering how much Jack's been gone the last couple of days. but he doesn't want to bring that up and ruin the hopeful mood he's trying to keep going, here*
the_highpriestess: *she's worried about that, too, and for the same reasons, but ... she's not going to say anything, either. or at all, apparently, as that's enough to make her lapse into silence*
the_hermit: *well that backfired, and he sighs* We'll still be okay. It's just been a few days. Everyone just needs to get their heads back on straight.
the_highpriestess: Sorry. *a beat* But yeah, it's -- I think we all need time to kind of ... cope.
the_hermit: *gestures faintly to dismiss the apology and nods* Yeah, we do. And it'll be better once I find this asshole and we all know he's not still out there lurking.
the_highpriestess: Yeah. *she pauses, pulls her lower lip into her mouth again, thoughtfully, and then* Should I ask what you're gonna do to him?
the_hermit: *pauses to sigh, turning his head to look at her properly* I don't know that I'll know until he's in front of me. But I'll make sure he never does this to anyone else ever again.
the_highpriestess: *she's a touch disappointed. she wouldn't have minded hearing how Merritt was going to make him wet the bed for the rest of his life or trap him in his own head forever or ... whatever. oh, well. she can fantasize on her own* Fair enough.
the_hermit: *and he smiles a little again, amused and a little impressed, too* I'll take suggestions. *a beat, and more seriously, almost gravely...* Do you want to be there? *he's kind of assuming even if he happens to run into the guy on the street, he'll obviously need some privacy to actually do the thing*
the_highpriestess: *after a moment* Is it going to throw off the Emperor's groove if I am?
the_hermit: Nah. I have no problems with an audience.
the_highpriestess: Then yeah, I want to be there. *and if that comes out a little coldly, well ... she wants to watch the asshole burn*
the_hermit: *nods* I'll make sure you're there. *if he runs into Torre, he'll call them before he actually does anything besides getting him secured*
the_highpriestess: Thanks.
the_hermit: You're welcome.
the_highpriestess: *she flashes him a brief, equally cold smile, though obviously not directed specifically at him, and then sobers, relaxes where she wasn't aware she'd tensed, and leans against him again. and after a moment ... * And if you need anything from me ... *or Danny or Dylan or Jack. she figures none of them will be opposed*
the_hermit: *he nods, leaning back into her a little, too* I'll let you know. Thanks, Hen.
the_highpriestess: *she hums in lieu of telling him he's welcome -- she figures he'll get the hint. another moment of silence follows, her expression shifting back towards worried* Even if you don't need us, just ... be careful, okay? I mean, this guy managed to screw Jacob up pretty bad. *and she has no idea how the fuck they're supposed to rescue him, if this guy sees him coming and does the same thing to him*
the_hermit: *she has no idea how badly he managed to screw Jacob up, honestly - but he doesn't mention that, nor that he does need them, see: why this has all torn him up so badly.* He managed to surprise Jacob by playing dirty and crossing the streams. *by showing up at the FBI, he means* I'll be careful. Even if he does know we caught on and got you guys back to normal, he won't catch me off-guard.
the_highpriestess: *nods a little. she believes him, but she still worries* Okay.
the_hermit: *he knows she does, and after the last few weeks, he can't really say how much he appreciates it. so, he just nudges her shoulder again* He won't bother you guys again. *now or after Merritt gets his hands on him*
the_highpriestess: *and she nudges him back* I know. *she still might be a little nervous about that one, but ... she trusts him. she trusts that he won't let anything bad happen to them again*
the_hermit: *and he just settles against her a little, letting out another breath, possibly actually relaxing for the first time in weeks - and it has very little to do with the drinks he had before they started talking. he knows there's still a lot to take care of before this is over, but. at least they're getting there*
What: Henley and Merritt try to clear the air between them.
the_hermit: *isn't drunk at the moment, but the glass he's working on isn't his first one this evening. it's been another long day of not finding the jackass so he can rip him apart despite the fact that he's been all but holding a "pick on someone your own size" sign when he goes out. he's tired, and stressed, and tired of people asking him what happened on Saturday and tired of feeling like everyone here is still walking on eggshells and he's just. he's not drunk yet, but he's well on his way* the_highpriestess: *she's spent most of the day out. not that she's trying to be avoidant, per se, but well, someone has to get things done around here while everyone's sulking -- like, you know, they have something to eat beyond the whole liquid diet everyone seems to be on -- and it might as well be her. that in mind, she lets herself into the suite, carrying a handful of bags. she glances at Merritt as she passes on the way to the kitchen, flashes him a smile, and a Hey, and moves to set her things down*the_hermit: *tilts his head back to look at her when she comes in - and then turns more on the couch so he can actually look at her without having to crane his neck.* Hey. *and that comes out with a bit of an unintended drawl, considering again: not his first drink. he's not slurring or anything when he goes on, though* You need some help? the_highpriestess: *she glances back at him, frowning just the tiniest bit, though more for the fact that, again, yay, liquid diet, rather than any distaste for him* I wouldn't say no? But if you don't feel like getting up ... *she shrugs*the_hermit: *shrugs, too, and then leans to set his glass back on the table. he pushes himself up and rounds the furniture, moving toward her* What can I do? the_highpriestess: *dangles a bag of cold cuts in front of him* Put that away in the fridge for me? *she'll handle the dry goods*the_hermit: *takes the bag, turning to do as asked - and the fact that he resists the half dozen "meat" jokes he could make probably says something* Thanks for errand running. I know it was getting scarce in here. the_highpriestess: *a part of her was kind of hoping he would, hence why she offered him that particular bag, but ... she's not really surpised. and she can't really blame him. for as well as she seems to be doing, she'd be lying if she said she weren't a little more hesitant around all of them, herself. regardless, though, she frowns a little as she turns to start putting things away* Kinda, yeah. *a beat* Minus the magic booze fridge.the_hermit: *reaches around her for something else he knows where it goes, to move to put it away in one of the cabinets* The magic booze fridge might be enough to make me believe in a higher power. the_highpriestess: I'm pretty sure you won't get an argument from anyone here. *and another pause* Except maybe Danny, with his whole ... *lawl, magic sky man sthick*the_hermit: Doubting Thomas thing? *a beat* "Doubting Daniel" has the alliteration going for it... the_highpriestess: *she hums, almost pleased* Let's go with that.the_hermit: *lets out a breath of a laugh, a little despite himself* the_highpriestess: *flashes him a smile, tired still but real, over her shoulder and finishes putting the contents of her bag away*the_hermit: *turns to lean back against a counter out of her way. and, after a moment...* You holding up okay? *she seems to be holding up the best of all of them, but he knows how much that actually matters, sometimes* the_highpriestess: *she moves to lean against her own section of counter, too, once she's finished, and takes a moment to consider that* I'm kind of ... *half of her is terrified that this guy's going to get to them again, before Merritt takes him out; the other half of her is afraid that they're all going to fall apart, whether or not he does, just because they suddenly can't seem to talk to each other the way they used to. and as much as she's not really helping with that last bit, even if she is the most well-adjusted at the moment, she's not really sure how to stop it, either. rather than say all of that, though, she just blows out a sigh, her breath making her hair flutter, and makes a face that seems to suggest she swallowed a lemon* I'm pretty sure all of this kinda sucks.the_hermit: Yeah. Yeah, it does all suck. *he pauses a beat, to actually address some of what he got from her. and first and most importantly, and fiercely...* He won't get to you again. *the same tricks shouldn't work again - considering Merritt let them keep the memory of the programming, they should realize if any of Torre's dupes get too close, in a sort of "cannot unsee" way* the_highpriestess: *after a moment and honestly* I believe you. And not because ... *not because of the cannot unsee factor -- because she trusts Merritt to protect them or fix them. either or*the_hermit: *and the fact that he is a little tipsy means he's not as in control of his expressions as he'd like to be. which means the gratitude for that is probably more obvious than he means for it to be - and that it's obvious he's being honest when he says...* Thanks. the_highpriestess: *she offers him a little smile* You're welcome.the_hermit: *returns the smile, slightly, and then, after the smile fades and after they fall into an awkward silence, he reaches up to run a hand over his face, muttering This is stupid. and, once he drops his hand, and without actually looking at her for more than a few moments* Look. Legend has it you can't hypnotize anyone into doing something they wouldn't do anyway. I didn't... pick on you guys to make you uncomfortable or piss you off. *a beat, where he has to admit - and where he does actually manage to look at her, and smile, faintly, though it doesn't get remotely near his eyes* Well. Maybe Daniel. *but seriously* But if it ever actually did, and if it wasn't just this asshole talking *and then he makes himself look at her, and there's something a little too bright in his eyes* I'm sorry, Henley. the_highpriestess: *she smiles a little, crookedly, if only because she was thinking of apologizing for slapping him here in a few, and then looks away, pulling her lower lip between her teeth to worry at it as she tries to decide how to respond to that. she knows what she wants to say -- and it's very clear that it has nothing to do with being upset with him because, yeah, it was the asshole talking -- but she needs to find the words for it. she wants him to hear it, rather than just picking it up off her face. it's kind of important* You really think I'd be sticking around for this conversation -- or, hell, any conversation -- if you did? Or that I would have handed you what was more or less an engraved invitation to a dick joke party when I had you put the lunch meat away? It doesn't bother me because I know you're not serious -- *or at least not trying to be a creep. if she thought he was, then yeah, she'd step on his balls, but* -- and because you're kind of my best friend, here, Merritt. *she loves Daniel. she thinks of Jack as a little brother* And I'm hoping I didn't screw that up, even if it wasn't really me. So ... I'm sorry, too.the_hermit: *he laughs a little a couple of times through that, and, when she finishes, there's something distinctly involuntary about the breath that rushes out of him, like he'd been holding it and just realized it - which isn't that far from the truth, really* I've spent the last few days stopping myself from saying anything, just in case. And that's as much on me. *he should have said something before now - all the tiptoeing around obviously isn't getting any of them anywhere. so no, she hasn't screwed it up* the_highpriestess: *she looks up at him, her smile a little shaky, her eyes stinging, and softly, teasingly* Yeah, well. Idiot kind of seems to be going around here, lately. *it's not just him. it's not on him. and that said and after a moment's pause, she pushes away from her place at the counter to invade his, leaning half against it and half against him so she can nudge his shoulder with her own. ish. the heels help* ... so, we good?the_hermit: *his is just as shaky, and there's still that brightness in his eyes as he breathes out another laugh.* Too bad we didn't designate anyone to slap us upside the heads. *he leans back into her, to nudge her back as he nods. and then seems to change his mind about how he was going to answer that, if the sudden way one corner of his mouth lifts is any indication* We could be. *and there'd be a leer in there if the relief on his face wasn't ruining it somewhat* the_highpriestess: *she laughs, the sound more than a little relieved, rolls her eyes, and in a tone that somehow makes what she says next an endearment rather than an insult ... * Ass.the_hermit: *and he can't even manage a response to that - he just laughs, reaching up to rub a hand over his eyes. he suddenly feels a lot better about all of this* the_highpriestess: *she smiles up at him, breathing out another sigh* I think we're gonna be okay. *and not just them, specifically, but all of them*the_hermit: *drops his hand, returning the smile as he nods* We'll be fine. the_highpriestess: *and inch by inch, her smile fades* Not gonna lie, but I was a little worried there for awhile.the_hermit: *and his follows* Yeah, me too. We'll pull back together, though. *a beat* You know what I noticed, aside from everyone acting like it was their time of the month? No one threatened to leave. Yeah, no one could stand being in the room with anyone else, and yeah, Jack took off after he and Daniel tried to beat each other's faces in, but we were all still here, and he was back here that night. No one packed. the_highpriestess: *she has to fight a smile at the time of the month comment, if only because she did actually leave him a pack of tampons, and she's still finds it amusing, even if she probably shouldn't. she should probably apologize to Danny for that. and that, along with what else Merritt says, is enough to keep her from grinning, even if her mouth twitches a little* No one packed. *she didn't actually think about that, but ... he has a point*the_hermit: *and again, he nods. he's honestly more worried about people leaving now than he was while they were all at each other's throats - especially considering how much Jack's been gone the last couple of days. but he doesn't want to bring that up and ruin the hopeful mood he's trying to keep going, here*the_highpriestess: *she's worried about that, too, and for the same reasons, but ... she's not going to say anything, either. or at all, apparently, as that's enough to make her lapse into silence*the_hermit: *well that backfired, and he sighs* We'll still be okay. It's just been a few days. Everyone just needs to get their heads back on straight. the_highpriestess: Sorry. *a beat* But yeah, it's -- I think we all need time to kind of ... cope.the_hermit: *gestures faintly to dismiss the apology and nods* Yeah, we do. And it'll be better once I find this asshole and we all know he's not still out there lurking.the_highpriestess: Yeah. *she pauses, pulls her lower lip into her mouth again, thoughtfully, and then* Should I ask what you're gonna do to him? the_hermit: *pauses to sigh, turning his head to look at her properly* I don't know that I'll know until he's in front of me. But I'll make sure he never does this to anyone else ever again. the_highpriestess: *she's a touch disappointed. she wouldn't have minded hearing how Merritt was going to make him wet the bed for the rest of his life or trap him in his own head forever or ... whatever. oh, well. she can fantasize on her own* Fair enough.the_hermit: *and he smiles a little again, amused and a little impressed, too* I'll take suggestions. *a beat, and more seriously, almost gravely...* Do you want to be there? *he's kind of assuming even if he happens to run into the guy on the street, he'll obviously need some privacy to actually do the thing* the_highpriestess: *after a moment* Is it going to throw off the Emperor's groove if I am?the_hermit: Nah. I have no problems with an audience. the_highpriestess: Then yeah, I want to be there. *and if that comes out a little coldly, well ... she wants to watch the asshole burn*the_hermit: *nods* I'll make sure you're there. *if he runs into Torre, he'll call them before he actually does anything besides getting him secured*the_highpriestess: Thanks.the_hermit: You're welcome.the_highpriestess: *she flashes him a brief, equally cold smile, though obviously not directed specifically at him, and then sobers, relaxes where she wasn't aware she'd tensed, and leans against him again. and after a moment ... * And if you need anything from me ... *or Danny or Dylan or Jack. she figures none of them will be opposed*the_hermit: *he nods, leaning back into her a little, too* I'll let you know. Thanks, Hen.the_highpriestess: *she hums in lieu of telling him he's welcome -- she figures he'll get the hint. another moment of silence follows, her expression shifting back towards worried* Even if you don't need us, just ... be careful, okay? I mean, this guy managed to screw Jacob up pretty bad. *and she has no idea how the fuck they're supposed to rescue him, if this guy sees him coming and does the same thing to him*the_hermit: *she has no idea how badly he managed to screw Jacob up, honestly - but he doesn't mention that, nor that he does need them, see: why this has all torn him up so badly.* He managed to surprise Jacob by playing dirty and crossing the streams. *by showing up at the FBI, he means* I'll be careful. Even if he does know we caught on and got you guys back to normal, he won't catch me off-guard. the_highpriestess: *nods a little. she believes him, but she still worries* Okay.the_hermit: *he knows she does, and after the last few weeks, he can't really say how much he appreciates it. so, he just nudges her shoulder again* He won't bother you guys again. *now or after Merritt gets his hands on him*the_highpriestess: *and she nudges him back* I know. *she still might be a little nervous about that one, but ... she trusts him. she trusts that he won't let anything bad happen to them again*the_hermit: *and he just settles against her a little, letting out another breath, possibly actually relaxing for the first time in weeks - and it has very little to do with the drinks he had before they started talking. he knows there's still a lot to take care of before this is over, but. at least they're getting there* 
