[ it does feel familiar, even if it feels like a lot of time has passed since. not a whole lot has, actually, but so much had gone on in the times between when they'd first gotten dinner and now that it feels like even longer.
honestly, she's still sorting out how she feels about him having not told her, but she does understand a little better why he hadn't. she's also starting to feel a little better about him having been married before, even though she'd been upset to discover it. he'd ended up saving her from getting killed, and it doesn't exactly make that he hadn't told her okay, but it had made her more willing to move past it.
she likes him. she doesn't want to distance herself from someone she cares about when this place is already determined to make things as hard for them as possible.
she gives lucas a small smile when she sees him, but it freezes on her face when she sees that he's looking upset, remembering how he'd mentioned needing a pick-me-up. maybe that had been a little more serious than he'd let on. when he comes up to hug her, her arms go around him quickly, holding him close and maybe a little tighter than necessary. it feels like he needs it. ]
Hey. [ her voice is soft, and her hand rubs between his shoulder blades. ]
[ It wasn't his intention to seek comfort from Max. She doesn't owe him that, or anything for that matter, even if he did save her life. He didn't want to make the same mistake he did before by letting too much time pass before seeing her again. And she makes him smile, which is what he needs right now, so meeting up with her seemed like a good idea...
Only now it's harder to hide how sad he is in person. ]
Hello. [ Spoken into her hair, soothed by her touch before he finally pulls back, returning to his seat. ] I'm sorry if I don't seem myself... [ Knowing she'd appreciate more honesty from him, he reveals why. ] I'm feeling the loss of a friend who left the city.
[ maybe she doesn't owe him it, but that doesn't keep her from wanting to offer it, especially when he clings to her like a lifeline. she holds on until he lets go and pulls back, taking his seat again, and she settles into the one opposite from him, watching him with a concerned expression.
when he explains why he's upset, she nods, immediately getting it. she remembers another picture she'd gotten from him - only by now, she's well aware that the people they're getting the messages from aren't actually sending them. ]
Nile? [ she'd never really met her, but she had been at the red emerald meeting before it had gotten broken up. it feels strange to be sad about someone leaving this place, but then she remembers daniel, who'd be dead if he wasn't here. she'd feel awful if he were suddenly gone.
she doesn't know if that's the case with nile. she hopes it's not. ]
I'm sorry. [ she reaches her hand and settles it in the center of the table, palm up in case he wants to take it. ] Do you - we can go, if you want. Talk somewhere else.
[ Knowing Nile is immortal, he doesn't have to worry too much about her existence where she's from - though it was always a concern of his that because of her immortality, she didn't seem to care about any life-threatening situation she put herself in because she'd always come back from death. His sadness is more due to the fact that he simply misses her presence, both around the home he shares with Peggy and Red Emerald. She'd not only become a big part of the business but their lives, too.
Nodding to confirm it's Nile he's speaking about, he reaches for Max's offered hand and keeps a hold of it with a grateful look across the table. ]
No, here's fine. [ A bit of fresh air, good company and sweet treats are what he needs right now. Nile wouldn't want him hiding somewhere feeling depressed, she'd want him to pick himself up and carry on. ]
Besides, I can't brood on an empty stomach. [ He manages to joke. ]
[ he takes it and she links their fingers, squeezing his hand. her thumb runs back and forth over his knuckle and she watches his face as he ultimately decides to stay where they are, and she smiles, glad that he's able to try to joke with her even if he's upset. ]
Okay. Whatever you need.
[ she's not sure what that is, but eating something's probably a step in the right direction, too. and she's free tonight, if he wants someone to keep him company.
the waiter comes by to drop off menus and max thanks them, squeezing his hand again before she lets go of it to look hers over. ] So, pancakes aside, what else did you like here?
[ She's set herself up for the answer she's about to receive. ]
You. [ It's true. He does like her, and looks up from his menu with a smile before his gaze returns to reading. ]
The milkshakes are good, too. Perhaps we can share one? [ A whole one to himself might make him sick, but half of one he can manage. ] You can choose the flavor.
[ she did, in retrospect. there's a slight blush as she smiles back, shaking her head. ]
I meant out of what you can eat. [ wait, did she set herself up again? moving on: ]
I could go for one of those, sure. [ there's not a whole lot of delicacies to be found in the time where she's from, unless you happen to know someone who dabbles in gourmet cooking. (there's plenty of liquor to be found, though.) ] What flavors have you tried?
[ it doesn’t occur to her until she catches him laughing, and she doesn’t comment on it either, but she does blush a little, shaking her head. ]
Do you like coffee? I was thinking of trying the mocha. [ that having been decided, she sets her menu aside. ]
I think it’s going about as well as any of these partnerships can go. [ she knows there are some contracts that go better than others. hers had been okay, then kind of rocky, and is now good. for the time being. ] What about yours?
I like coffee but I've not tried that before. [ And since he likes to try new things, especially by a friend's recommendation, he nods his approval of her decision. ]
Who are they? [ He wonders if he knows them, but the city is big enough that he could likely not. ]
We've been contracted for over a year, Peggy and I. I'd like to think that's proof we work well together. [ Or that they're simply too attached to part from one another. ]
Nile fit in well with us. [ He adds somewhat sadly. ]
It's coffee mixed with chocolate. Pretty hard to go wrong.
[ the waiter shows up to bring them water and take their order, and she makes one for a mocha milkshake with a shot of vodka, since that seems the least likely to flavor it beyond the mocha itself. they take the menus back once lucas orders as well, if he's going to, and max turns back to him. ]
Daniel. Le Domas. I don't know if you know him or not. [ since yeah, the city is enormous and seems to only keep growing, but also it's pretty hard to miss someone advertising a baby goat for adoption.
it doesn't surprise her to hear that he's contracted to peggy or that they work together well; she's seen them at work and in the city. her expression turns a concerned when he brings nile up again and she reaches across the table to take his hand again. ]
I'm sorry she's not here anymore. [ which feels odd to say, considering this place is what it is. but having people here makes it easier to bear, and it always hurts to lose somebody. ]
[ Lucas orders a stack of pancakes that inspired him to come back here, which were featured in the video that was sent to her by accident. He hasn't had much of an appetite lately, but he can feel it returning in Max's company. ]
I've met him. He helped me once with a guard. [ He'd outsmarted the guard rather than by using his fists the way Lucas probably would have, which he thought was commendable. ] He seems like a good man. [ Which he approves of for Max, not that she needs Lucas' approval. He's just happy she's found someone who won't take advantage of her kindness. ]
Thank you for being here. [ He squeezes her hand in return. ] I wish I had friendships like ours back in my world. [ Perhaps he wouldn't have made the mistakes he had if he'd had people like her he could confide in. ] It's what I'll miss if I ever leave this place...
[ He would miss Max, he knows this from the way he's memorizing her hand, his thumb tracing the lines on her palm. ]
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honestly, she's still sorting out how she feels about him having not told her, but she does understand a little better why he hadn't. she's also starting to feel a little better about him having been married before, even though she'd been upset to discover it. he'd ended up saving her from getting killed, and it doesn't exactly make that he hadn't told her okay, but it had made her more willing to move past it.
she likes him. she doesn't want to distance herself from someone she cares about when this place is already determined to make things as hard for them as possible.
she gives lucas a small smile when she sees him, but it freezes on her face when she sees that he's looking upset, remembering how he'd mentioned needing a pick-me-up. maybe that had been a little more serious than he'd let on. when he comes up to hug her, her arms go around him quickly, holding him close and maybe a little tighter than necessary. it feels like he needs it. ]
Hey. [ her voice is soft, and her hand rubs between his shoulder blades. ]
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Only now it's harder to hide how sad he is in person. ]
Hello. [ Spoken into her hair, soothed by her touch before he finally pulls back, returning to his seat. ] I'm sorry if I don't seem myself... [ Knowing she'd appreciate more honesty from him, he reveals why. ] I'm feeling the loss of a friend who left the city.
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when he explains why he's upset, she nods, immediately getting it. she remembers another picture she'd gotten from him - only by now, she's well aware that the people they're getting the messages from aren't actually sending them. ]
Nile? [ she'd never really met her, but she had been at the red emerald meeting before it had gotten broken up. it feels strange to be sad about someone leaving this place, but then she remembers daniel, who'd be dead if he wasn't here. she'd feel awful if he were suddenly gone.
she doesn't know if that's the case with nile. she hopes it's not. ]
I'm sorry. [ she reaches her hand and settles it in the center of the table, palm up in case he wants to take it. ] Do you - we can go, if you want. Talk somewhere else.
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Nodding to confirm it's Nile he's speaking about, he reaches for Max's offered hand and keeps a hold of it with a grateful look across the table. ]
No, here's fine. [ A bit of fresh air, good company and sweet treats are what he needs right now. Nile wouldn't want him hiding somewhere feeling depressed, she'd want him to pick himself up and carry on. ]
Besides, I can't brood on an empty stomach. [ He manages to joke. ]
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Okay. Whatever you need.
[ she's not sure what that is, but eating something's probably a step in the right direction, too. and she's free tonight, if he wants someone to keep him company.
the waiter comes by to drop off menus and max thanks them, squeezing his hand again before she lets go of it to look hers over. ] So, pancakes aside, what else did you like here?
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You. [ It's true. He does like her, and looks up from his menu with a smile before his gaze returns to reading. ]
The milkshakes are good, too. Perhaps we can share one? [ A whole one to himself might make him sick, but half of one he can manage. ] You can choose the flavor.
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I meant out of what you can eat. [ wait, did she set herself up again? moving on: ]
I could go for one of those, sure. [ there's not a whole lot of delicacies to be found in the time where she's from, unless you happen to know someone who dabbles in gourmet cooking. (there's plenty of liquor to be found, though.) ] What flavors have you tried?
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Just strawberry. And they can add alcohol if you wish. [ He's yet to try a boozy milkshake. ]
How goes your partnership? [ He's been meaning to ask her about it, assuming she found someone. ]
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Do you like coffee? I was thinking of trying the mocha. [ that having been decided, she sets her menu aside. ]
I think it’s going about as well as any of these partnerships can go. [ she knows there are some contracts that go better than others. hers had been okay, then kind of rocky, and is now good. for the time being. ] What about yours?
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Who are they? [ He wonders if he knows them, but the city is big enough that he could likely not. ]
We've been contracted for over a year, Peggy and I. I'd like to think that's proof we work well together. [ Or that they're simply too attached to part from one another. ]
Nile fit in well with us. [ He adds somewhat sadly. ]
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[ the waiter shows up to bring them water and take their order, and she makes one for a mocha milkshake with a shot of vodka, since that seems the least likely to flavor it beyond the mocha itself. they take the menus back once lucas orders as well, if he's going to, and max turns back to him. ]
Daniel. Le Domas. I don't know if you know him or not. [ since yeah, the city is enormous and seems to only keep growing, but also it's pretty hard to miss someone advertising a baby goat for adoption.
it doesn't surprise her to hear that he's contracted to peggy or that they work together well; she's seen them at work and in the city. her expression turns a concerned when he brings nile up again and she reaches across the table to take his hand again. ]
I'm sorry she's not here anymore. [ which feels odd to say, considering this place is what it is. but having people here makes it easier to bear, and it always hurts to lose somebody. ]
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I've met him. He helped me once with a guard. [ He'd outsmarted the guard rather than by using his fists the way Lucas probably would have, which he thought was commendable. ] He seems like a good man. [ Which he approves of for Max, not that she needs Lucas' approval. He's just happy she's found someone who won't take advantage of her kindness. ]
Thank you for being here. [ He squeezes her hand in return. ] I wish I had friendships like ours back in my world. [ Perhaps he wouldn't have made the mistakes he had if he'd had people like her he could confide in. ] It's what I'll miss if I ever leave this place...
[ He would miss Max, he knows this from the way he's memorizing her hand, his thumb tracing the lines on her palm. ]