(no subject)

[vicedirector]

Who: Moles
What: Group meetings and some news
When: Week 9

[ When everyone arrives on Monday, Satori's manuscript is on the table. PRESUMABLY BREAK AND LIET HAVE LIFTED THE BOOKMARK, THE ARMOR, AND THE FRIDGE SO THERE'S THAT, TOO.

Leviathan's chilling in the chalk circle, talking to Miata in her usual stiff manner. ]

Comments

[neidvoll]

[ After Rhys leaves, she turns to Break. ]

...thanks. I didn't think he would explode like that. Get upset, yeah, but not...this.

I'll put forth 110% these next weeks.

[crazily]

[ Break is actually a little surprised to be spoken to, but after a moment of that surprise, he nods lightly. ]

You're very lucky that Katerina wants leverage.

[ He has to say that first, because honestly, if not for that, Break wouldn't have intervened. He would have had no way to do so that wasn't completely selfish, and Rhys would have picked up on that immediately. For better or for worse (probably worse), Break finds that the two of them are similar in that way. It's also why he sighs heavily and reaches up to rub the back of his neck tiredly, because there are things he'd like to say too. But for once, he holds his tongue. It wouldn't help, and there's nothing else here left to argue, so he won't provide his barbed commentary for the sake of it.

So instead, he steps closer to Miata. He's not the best at motivating people, since it requires him to show much more faith in how things will turn out than he may actually feel, but maybe this is partially for himself too. He smiles at the thought, since he knows he's definitely selfish in that way. ]

Well, he's angry because you're asking a lot of us. Giving up your own life for a gamble isn't an easy thing to do, and especially if it's for reasons that honestly don't mean much to us. Not to say I don't understand, but we're little more than strangers here. Giving up your life for a stranger isn't something that's in everyone's heart to do. It's not in mine.

[ So long as she'll let him, he'll take one of her hands and give it an encouraging squeeze. ]

It's also why I still don't like the idea of you putting yourself in with the rest of us. But if it's what you want to do, then I'll give twice as much effort to make sure that this goes well. I can't give up my life for a stranger, but I'll give it up for the sake of people I care about. You're here to do what only you can. I'm at least entrusting you with that, Miata.

1/2

[neidvoll]

...!

[ She looks genuinely shocked at this pep talk. Honestly, she expected something more like "look I did this one thing, but it wasn't for you, and if you fuck this up I'm gonna haunt you." But no, it's only a scolding that's also sort of a light threat, and then an actual pep talk.

Miata stays completely silent while he talks, and definitely doesn't move when he takes her hand. ]

[neidvoll]

[ And then she laughs, just a little bit. ]

Understood. It matters to me, and it matters to her, but it's not your town and your family, so I get it.

[ That may have been another, smaller reason why she was reluctant to spill info. "What? That's a boring sob story." ]

It'll be difficult, but I'm certain it's not impossible. So, thanks for your effort and faith.

I won't let you down, not any of you.

[ ugh who infected these two with the shounen virus ]

[crazily]

[ Pretty much right after he says all of this, Break is feeling a twinge of regret, because, god, he's terrible at this. He feels it in his bones how terrible he is at saying anything like this, because he doesn't feel that there's a bone in his body that's noble enough to support those kinds of words. He's the sort of person that will lie, cheat, and steal for the sake of his own selfish goals, and he won't even regret it. So saying something like this feels odd to him, and he starts to withdraw awkwardly, since he's at least thinking that the silence means his words fell flat.

(Or, worse, she's about to cry. He hopes it's not that, since he can't deal with people crying.)

He draws his hand away, but his hand pauses and falters in the air as she laughs. It's unexpected, but hearing what she says, he ends up ducking his head lightly. ]

Well, that is—

[ He stumbles over the sentence awkwardly, but he just sighs out a laugh of his own as he drops his hand to his side. His voice is definitely tired, but it drifts into a lilt that's definitely playful and teasing instead of being serious. That's much more comfortable for him. ]

It's an old man's job to make sure that the young people don't screw things up too badly, isn't it~? Rhys dragged me down here for a reason, so I'll just have to babysit everyone, him included.