maskormenacelogs | Pull point plot!

It's easier to keep track of him when I know what he's doing, [ Gregor says frankly, shifting subconsciously the moment her arm is around him and leaning into her. His book ends up falling shut, and he hugs it to himself so he doesn't act so childish as to crawl onto her lap or anything like that.

Never mind that today has been very scary, and long, and overwhelming, and Gregor has quite had enough. ]

Did I really do that? [ he asks, curiosity springing up twice as hard, diverted from his story momentarily. ] And yes, we did. He shrunk us and we went around the game board. It was wild.

[ Which sounds definitively like a good thing. ]

You did, which I thought was very clever of you at the time. Most people thought you were mad, which was also a thought I had, truth be told. But it seems to have worked greatly in your favor nonetheless.

[ Her arm is still around his shoulders as they talk, but she raises her hand to thread fingers in his hair soothingly. The chuckle she gives is easily felt with how close they're pressed together. ] Sounds like you had a great time.

[ He warms at being told he was thought clever, and that it had worked out in the end.

That and the affectionate fingers in his hair conspire to make him blurt out, ] Then it turns out okay? I'm not-- I'm not-- [ He falls silent for a moment, tries to force himself to compose his thoughts properly rather than letting words tumble out of his mouth, which he absolutely cannot get in a habit of and he knows it. ]

... I'm a good Emperor?

[ Gosh she hasn't seem him do that in years. Decades probably, now that she thinks about it. It makes her heart ache, watching how young and unsure he is, so much that she can;t help but lean in to pres a gentle kiss on his forehead. ]

Yes, love. You're a great Emperor.

[ He squirms a little in his seat, embarrassed but pleased. Gregor is a total, one hundred percent momma's boy, and Cordelia isn't Kareen but he's young enough still that those thwarted, wistful desires to have a mother haven't died out yet.

He doesn't want to be so babyish as to ask for more explicit reassurance, though. He'll have to settle for this. Except-- ] And Miles is really one of my Auditors? ... Is he still like he is now? [ So diplomatic already. ]

[ She laughs lightly again, ] You don't need to say it so politely to me of all people. Yes, Miles is still obnoxious, loud, and perpetually getting himself into trouble.

[ He looks up at her, fascinated. ]

So how does that work? I thought if I picked any Auditors they had to be well-respected and obedient and beyond reproach.

[ All things he is presuming Miles is not, even as an adult. ]

Oh, he's all of those too, but he's still Miles. He had to grow up at some point.

[ A beat. ] Well, come to think about it, the "well-respected" part might be questionable, at least to some groups.

... That sounds nice. To have someone I know I can trust like that.

Yes, you've remained good friends all your life.

[ Though now ... oh. Oh. The other part of their relationship coming back to her now, having been taken away when they left this place. She smiles warmly as she remembers just how good a friends they were here. ]

[ A bit of a look, unsure. ]

What's that smile about?

Oh, just thinking about how the years turned out as they did.

[ Gregor doesn't buy that for a second but he also isn't sure he wants to know. Spoilers don't seem appealing to him now that his basic worry has been assuaged. ]

I guess it must be weird seeing us this way.

Oh, it absolutely is. The pair of you have brats almost as old as you are right now by my reckoning.

[ She tousles his hair gently, fondly. ] But it's certainly not unwelcome.

[ His eyes widen, thoroughly distracted again. Motherly affection nothing, Gregor can't help chasing these specific spoilers. His interest is unshadowed by anything but a very teenage uncertainty anyone will ever want to kiss him, much less marry him. Thinking of kids at this age is mind blowing, though obviously he knows he has to have them at some point. ]

So I do get married? Is she nice? Oh, unless... maybe I shouldn't know...?

It's up to you if you want to know or not. I'll tell you if you ask.

[ He swallows and thinks of something he'd overheard once, and looks down at his hands twisting around the edges of his book. Gregor certainly knows it's a possibility, and he just... wants to cause the least fuss possible, so he can see how this would get decided for him-- isn't even sure he'd be able to have input... ]

Can you just tell me if it's arranged or not? Or if she really wanted to marry me.

No, [ she says firmly, her arm tightening around his side. ] There was no arranged marriage. Aral and I did not allow that.

Oh.

[ He slumps against her, just a little, with relief. That means she did want to marry him. Gregor slowly brightens, taking in this fact of his future, though he doesn't straighten up again but remains pressed against his foster-mother. ]

That's alright, then. I don't think I need to know anything more.

[ He becomes a good emperor and he gets married to someone who wants to marry him and Miles is one of his Imperial Auditor. Gregor at fourteen cannot imagine further dreams that could be realistically achieved. ]

[ She half-hugs him again, pulling him even closer against her, and she presses a kiss to the top of his hair. ]

If that's what you want, love.

[ Gregor finally lets himself snuggle into her, a little guiltily, but the truth is that Cordelia has always been the one person he didn't have to hold himself back around at all. ]

I'd rather find out on my own. Do you have any plans for while you're here, like this? Mostly I've just been trying to keep Miles out of trouble without Bothari here.

[ Good, yes. She slides her other arm around him then, encircling him in a half hug while they sit sideways in the chair. ]

I hadn't thought about it, honestly, beyond spending time with—with everyone.

[ She hides that little blip of emotion with another kiss to his hair. ]

[ He's not sure what that uncharacteristic hesitation means, but like he'd said, he really would rather find out on his own as he ages. It can't mean anything good, he's sure. (Gregor is perhaps not used to receiving good news, anyway.)

He looks up at her. ] We're on Earth, did you know that? In the 21st century. There's all kinds of things we could do.

[ She looks down, smiling warmly. ]

Do you have something in mind that you'd like to do?

Oh-- well-- [ He fumbles. ]

I wanted to go out with... that is... Miles and I met this girl earlier, and I think I'm dating her.

[ Gregor sounds mixed horrified and fascinated. ]

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

no subject

no subject

no subject