"Hundreds of years of self control," he laughs. "And I focused on the cigarette smoke." He raises his eyebrows at her. "Though now I simply want cigarettes. I have not smoked in centuries."
"I bet cigarettes were better then," she sighs. "I quit for about a month. I can't get cancer and I can outrun a train so I figured I can give myself that weakness."
A worrisome thought occurs to her. "The other vampires won't try to hurt him, will they?"
Godric sighs, but there's steel in his words. "No. That is something unique to my world. But I have already cut my ties with Nadja," he tells her softly. "If I must kill her for this, too, I will."
"I'm sorry," she says, frowning. She knows his relationship with other vampires is already complicated. "I got your back though. In however you want me there."
"I do not want you there," he smiles. "I can take care of Nadja myself." He pulls himself up enough to kiss her. "I know you will be there for me. But she continues to threaten Anita, and I cannot abide that. Anita is human and an inmate. Nadja should know better, but she lets her emotions rule her."
"I know you can handle her. This is he having your back now, too. Like this." Offering the comfort back that he so frequently gives her. "I hope she doesn't do anything stupid though. The second you realize you locked yourself in, it's... Bad. And I don't think I'm as, um, emotional as her in the first place."
"No," he assures her. "You aren't. But bloodshed is the last thing on my mind. She's angry with me, but I'm stronger than her. I'm hoping that will keep her at bay for a while."
He shrugs, sitting back again. "But enough of Nadja. Back to your leprechaun." And he deliberately uses that word again. "Did he hurt you? Let me see."
She lifts her shirt to show him bruises that are nearly healed. "He never punched me really. Not in the face especially. Not as hard as her could have, and... I don't know. It felt like play. It wasn't frightening."
Godric sits up and inspects the bruises, running his fingers gently along the bruises, not pushing against them, only tracing them. He tsks softly. "If only we didn't have to be careful about blood," he says lightly. "You would not need to outsource for this sort of play."
He's mostly worried about either one of them losing control one day.
"I've been thinking about that," she murmurs, turning slightly so he can see the ones still dark on her back. "Iris had to do stuff to her blood to be one of us. I know she had to, and it worked, because we're still buddies. I usually can't get near other wolf girls. But I don't know if she can change people with her blood. And... I am never going to change anyone again."
"I think that's wise," he tells her, inspecting the others, placing a hand on hers, silently telling her to put her shirt down. The bruises are acceptable for him, and definitely not the worst he's ever seen in his life.
She arranges her shirt back down, and tugs lightly on his to urge him to lay his head on her lap again.
"I want to ask her if she can take away the thing in my blood that can turn people." There are so many reasons for it, but the largest is what she told him: she never wants to turn anyone again.
"Plus, then we can play-fight, right?" stroking his hair again. "You should let me take care of you more, bruh. You're good at carrying that whole world on your shoulders but our cabin's a total safe space."
"I know. I allow it with some. With Archer. With Jedao. And sometimes with you," he assures her. "But I would like to continue practicing. So, how would you take care of me now?"
He's mostly joking, but he's curious about it. "Not that I believe I need it."
"Right now?" She looks upward thoughtfully. "I think I have a different angle than Jedao does, 'cause he gets your old person vibe, or Archer who's you know, your boyfriend." And also grappling with old wounds.
"I think I'd try to remind you that right this second, things are okay. People we love are safe. We're in a good cabin with books and things we can learn, or have fun with. Nothing behind us is happening right now, and nothing ahead of us can be touched. So we get to be right here...and if things are too stressful to be good, you at least know they're better right this second than they were before you came home."
He squeezes her hand. "You don't need to be Jedao or Archer," he tells her. "You're good at this." She and Quentin are the same in this regard. It's natural for Godric to want to take care of them. So when they do that for him, he's touched. It's genuine. And he loves it.
He smiles. "But you forgot about Julia Roberts on the television."
"So close!" Her grin sobers just a touch. "Actually, because I saw this one when I was a couple years out of leaving school. And the story in this is 'you have to know yourself before you can love or be loved'. And considering the guys I ran with, it just hit home. Changed how I looked for guys."
"Ah." He sits up at that. "Is that something I need to worry about?" he teases lightly, though he recognizes the seriousness of what she's saying. And, as he always does, he appreciates her candor.
"Oh don't worry, I know myself now. No one's shaking this brain." Including the newly discovered monster part. But she meant what she told him: right now the only thing that matters is she's calm and safe.
"You know so many stories. Was there one that really changed your mind on something?"
"Changed my mind? No. But I have been influenced by stories in my life. War stories, particularly, but not in any profound way, though. Not in the way you describe. It may be difficult to believe, but I have only started really and truly reading since arriving here on the barge. The other stories I've heard have been stories passed down orally."
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
A worrisome thought occurs to her. "The other vampires won't try to hurt him, will they?"
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
"I know you can handle her. This is he having your back now, too. Like this." Offering the comfort back that he so frequently gives her. "I hope she doesn't do anything stupid though. The second you realize you locked yourself in, it's... Bad. And I don't think I'm as, um, emotional as her in the first place."
no subject
He shrugs, sitting back again. "But enough of Nadja. Back to your leprechaun." And he deliberately uses that word again. "Did he hurt you? Let me see."
no subject
She lifts her shirt to show him bruises that are nearly healed. "He never punched me really. Not in the face especially. Not as hard as her could have, and... I don't know. It felt like play. It wasn't frightening."
no subject
He's mostly worried about either one of them losing control one day.
no subject
no subject
She'll be fine.
"So what are you saying?"
no subject
"I want to ask her if she can take away the thing in my blood that can turn people." There are so many reasons for it, but the largest is what she told him: she never wants to turn anyone again.
no subject
no subject
no subject
He reaches up to take her hand. "I am not good at letting people take care of me. It is difficult for me to accept."
no subject
"You have to practice it. It's like we've all got walls up and we forgot to build a door, so you gotta just carve one in a brick at a time."
She pauses, thinking that over, decides it's close enough.
no subject
He's mostly joking, but he's curious about it. "Not that I believe I need it."
no subject
"I think I'd try to remind you that right this second, things are okay. People we love are safe. We're in a good cabin with books and things we can learn, or have fun with. Nothing behind us is happening right now, and nothing ahead of us can be touched. So we get to be right here...and if things are too stressful to be good, you at least know they're better right this second than they were before you came home."
no subject
He smiles. "But you forgot about Julia Roberts on the television."
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
"You know so many stories. Was there one that really changed your mind on something?"
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)