Elliot was half expecting Skylar to start talking about how good looking Roderic was, and that was the only reason she liked him. He wasn’t expecting her to have an answer; nearly everything she said about the guy was negative, at least in Elliot’s opinion. The question had bubbled from his chest, Elliot now realised, not because he actually wanted to hear the reasons, but because he wanted her to stumble. It was mean. It wasn’t like Elliot at all. He was being unreasonable. But he wanted there to not be an answer; he wanted the reasons to only be shallow so he could pick them apart.
He had to pause in his cleaning as Skylar listed the things she loved about Roderic. Yeah, she might have said it wasn’t love but she talked about him all the ******* time. Every single conversation, somehow, she found some way to mention Ric. Elliot didn’t have to have a superpower to see it. It was pretty damned clear to him.
And it became even clearer as Skylar continued to list.
When she was done, Elliot had to arch a brow. He was silent a few seconds, before he scoffed, and even laughed. No, he wasn’t laughing at what Skylar was saying and he stopped, quick smart, in case he got fade gunk in the face.
”And you say you’re not in love?” Elliot asked. He had been all set to argue with her and tell her that her reasons weren’t good enough. But he couldn’t argue with her. Not now. He could understand, kind of. The cogs of his brain slipped against each other, smoothly looking at Skylar’s description from an outside perspective; trying to look at it from an unbiased point of view. He could see it, why an emotional vortex might be appealing to someone whose emotions can constantly get the better of them.
It wasn’t a bad thing. It wasn’t a criticism, thinking that Skylar let her emotions get the better of her. It was an Allurist thing. Elliot couldn’t criticise Skylar for not being able to control her emotions without being a hypocrite. He was the same. His head even canted to the side as he considered Pi, when he had first met her. Not quite as cold as Roderic seemed to be, but cold enough by Elliot’s standard. Enough of an emotional vortex that Elliot could all of a sudden put himself in Skylar’s shoes and understand. Roderic was in Tytonidae. Pi had wanted to join Tytonidae. She upheld the Masquerade and she didn’t like Elliot’s small rebellions against it.
It was a good thing that Elliot had asked the question.
By this time, Roxette was walking back toward them with the hot water; two buckets’ worth.
“Don’t even say it, Lan. I know what you’re going to ask. You’re going to tell me to get a third bucket. I looked. There isn’t one. Can I go home?” she asked. Elliot laughed and shook his head.
”Nope. You can’t get out of it that easy. Sky and I will mop. You’re going to take these remains out back. There’s a drum – toss them in and burn them,” Elliot said. The drums were used in the dead of Winter, when they set up the soup kitchen for the homeless – the drums helped to keep the tents heated.
He had to pause in his cleaning as Skylar listed the things she loved about Roderic. Yeah, she might have said it wasn’t love but she talked about him all the ******* time. Every single conversation, somehow, she found some way to mention Ric. Elliot didn’t have to have a superpower to see it. It was pretty damned clear to him.
And it became even clearer as Skylar continued to list.
When she was done, Elliot had to arch a brow. He was silent a few seconds, before he scoffed, and even laughed. No, he wasn’t laughing at what Skylar was saying and he stopped, quick smart, in case he got fade gunk in the face.
”And you say you’re not in love?” Elliot asked. He had been all set to argue with her and tell her that her reasons weren’t good enough. But he couldn’t argue with her. Not now. He could understand, kind of. The cogs of his brain slipped against each other, smoothly looking at Skylar’s description from an outside perspective; trying to look at it from an unbiased point of view. He could see it, why an emotional vortex might be appealing to someone whose emotions can constantly get the better of them.
It wasn’t a bad thing. It wasn’t a criticism, thinking that Skylar let her emotions get the better of her. It was an Allurist thing. Elliot couldn’t criticise Skylar for not being able to control her emotions without being a hypocrite. He was the same. His head even canted to the side as he considered Pi, when he had first met her. Not quite as cold as Roderic seemed to be, but cold enough by Elliot’s standard. Enough of an emotional vortex that Elliot could all of a sudden put himself in Skylar’s shoes and understand. Roderic was in Tytonidae. Pi had wanted to join Tytonidae. She upheld the Masquerade and she didn’t like Elliot’s small rebellions against it.
It was a good thing that Elliot had asked the question.
By this time, Roxette was walking back toward them with the hot water; two buckets’ worth.
“Don’t even say it, Lan. I know what you’re going to ask. You’re going to tell me to get a third bucket. I looked. There isn’t one. Can I go home?” she asked. Elliot laughed and shook his head.
”Nope. You can’t get out of it that easy. Sky and I will mop. You’re going to take these remains out back. There’s a drum – toss them in and burn them,” Elliot said. The drums were used in the dead of Winter, when they set up the soup kitchen for the homeless – the drums helped to keep the tents heated.
