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Post by Anya on May 19, 2016 9:37:54 GMT
Anya nods at each his points, thinking them over. When he finishes, still seeking reassurance, she asks, "Do you? - Don't get me wrong, I like him and I trust him." She laughs bitterly. "That's the problem, really. I trust him, but I don't trust that I trust him, or maybe I don't trust me trusting him."
She pauses for half a second before all the words come tumbling out. "It was fine when he was just Alex, but now he's officially the leader and I said I'd listen and everything, and I mean before he was really good about setting boundaries for himself and not for anyone else, and he's clearly lying to himself about how well he deals with people, it's kind of adorable, but what if he isn't lying to himself that much, and what if he decides his personal responsibility thing means he to try to tell us what to do, like, a lot, though his first real action as leader was to grab that Dutch oven and try to lure the Marauder away, that's a good sign right, not for his sanity and wellbeing but at least for the likelihood he won't just try to use us." She stops and shakes her head violently.
She holds her left hand out in front of her, palm up. "I trust him." She holds her right hand out. "I'm afraid to trust him."
"I know that I have to surrender my fear." She flings her hands outward in a gesture of banishment before clasping them together in front of her. Staring at her hands, she says, "But old habits die hard."
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Post by Chance on May 19, 2016 14:17:42 GMT
Chance listens quietly, because - let's be honest - trying to get a word in edgewise when Anya is stream-of-consciousness talking is practically impossible. She makes good points, and he sees where she's coming from. He sums up his feelings pretty simply when she is done, "Remember, just because you trust him, doesn't mean you stop trusting yourself." He lets that sink in for both him and Anya. The words themselves seem to fit with his view of the world from all accounts. There's a brief tenseness to Chance's posture as something seems to be considered behind those green eyes. Eventually, he acts, wrapping his arms around Anya in a comforting hug. It's rather mechanical at first, stiff to watch, and probably not the warm embrace he intended. However, a few seconds in and he wraps his arms around her, "You're not alone in this either. We're gonna have to figure it out as we go."
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Post by Anya on May 19, 2016 16:47:49 GMT
Anya stands still, looking at her hands, after Chance speaks. Her gaze is inward, mulling over his words. She doesn't notice as he moves to hug her, and so startles a little when he touches her. She swiftly recovers and sinks gratefully into the hug. When he relaxes into it and speaks again, she sighs and tightens her arms momentarily. She stays there a minute, just enjoying the comfort. But Anya makes sure disentangle herself before he can start to pull away.
She smiles at him, almost shyly, and just says, "Ok."
Then she determinedly returns to her usual chipper mood, linking her arm in his, and starts walking towards Venisha's place again. "You better remember that too though, Mr. Wearing-Yourself-Out-Trying-To-Take-Care-Of-Everyone-But-Yourself. Crash at my place tonight, I'm willing to bet it's closer than Dodger's or wherever you were planning on staying, and that way we'll save time in the morning. And that way I'll know you actually slept and I won't have to carry you off bridal style when you pass out from overwork tomorrow. Cause if I have to do that, there will be pictures, and they will be hilarious." She's teasing, trying to get a rise out of him, but concern underlies her words.
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 16:50:18 GMT
Alexander had been stuck in line at an Indian takeaway restaurant, trying to figure out how to save the life of a woman who doesn't know she's dying. It started out simply enough; he opened up his senses to test them, to try and refine what he could detect via his life and entropic magick. It ended with him stuck behind a lady in the takeaway line, listening to the leaky aortic valve caused by a congenital defect that would likely kill her within the next two weeks. It would be a relatively standard surgery to fix it once symptoms manifested, but Alex estimated there would be around a 90% chance she would die within minutes of her starting to feel light-headed.
So he decides to bring on those symptoms early. He pretends to make a call, speaking in Greek as he writes on a prescription pad. A moment later, the woman stumbles and collapses. He quickly leaps into action, explaining he's a doctor and performing basic first aid. He ignores the cold feeling of a hand around his throat... there's simply no easy way to influence a person's Pattern this way without incurring Paradox, but he figures he owes karma anyways given that he escaped the battle with the Marauder without accruing any. The paramedics arrive, and Alex explains the symptoms, noting which tests should be run. He checks the woman again; less than a 2% chance now. It's all he can do, given the circumstances.
He proceeds to order a dozen different meals, including two vegetarian ones and twice the naan any normal person would ask for. The manager offers to pay, but he refuses, leaving the cash on the counter while dropping a few notes in a bag with a single order in it. "Pay for the next three people if you want to thank me."
He crosses the street, sitting the seperate box in front of a homeless man on the other side. "Thank you for your service" he says, not giving the man time to ask how Alex knew he served. Three blocks later he arrives at Venisha's door. Unable to knock, he kicks it several times and yells, "I hope you like Indian food!"
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Venisha
Junior Member
Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
Posts: 67
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 17:08:08 GMT
Of course, OF COURSE, the flat is a complete wreck when Venisha gets home. But fifteen minutes shoving books and sweaters under beds or sofas and a quick run of the hoover makes everything look a bit nicer. She's finally finishing the dishes - Ranjit apparently had something with a lot of toast, judging by the crumbs - when the pounding at the door begins.
"Of course I like it!" she calls back, drying off her hands and running over to the door. She's amused to see Alexander carrying stacks of takeaway boxes. "But I can make better food than any of that," she adds with a grin, stepping aside to let him in. "Thank you for covering me. Next time it's my treat, especially if you're looking for authentic Indian."
She can't help but notice that he looks exhausted. More so than usual, in fact. A simple brush of the fingers along his spine could improve a lot, but she knows better than to do it without his permission.
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 17:41:59 GMT
Alex nods, walking in as he does. "I imagined you did, but you can get tired of anything if you have it enough. Well, I can, at least. I'll take you up on that offer though... doesn't quite taste the same here as it did in India, even at the little hole in the wall places."
He sits the boxes down on a counter. "Wait, you're vegetarian, not vegan, right?"
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Venisha
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Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 18:44:52 GMT
"Yep, vegetarian. I had vegan meals when I was at the ashram," she says, with a shudder. "It was awful. Only pregnant women were permitted to have milk or butter. I considered having a child just for a decent breakfast."
She takes several of the boxes and takes them to the small dining room, then moves to the kitchen for flatware. "I invited Anya and told her to bring the others," she calls out over her shoulder. "Glad you anticipated that."
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 19:36:13 GMT
Alexander opens a box, takes three pieces of naan, and promptly slumps into the nearest chair. "Actually, I was hoping to talk to you before the inviting the others. Potentially having leftovers if they fail to show is just a plus."
He takes a bite, chews, then swallows. He seems to think a moment, then leans forward and speaks. "What do you think about me being made the defacto leader?"
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Venisha
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Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 19:50:13 GMT
"I think the better question is what you think of being made the de facto leader," she replies, settling next to him and grabbing naan for herself.
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 20:23:28 GMT
Alex grunts. "I'm assertive, competent, and willing to make the tough decisions. I also have PTSD and find it easier to manipulate people instead of asking them for what I want. I feel like I'm on the verge of one colossal fuck-up that gets everyone killed."
He sits up a little straighter, then looks over at Venisha. "I think you would have been a better choice."
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Venisha
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Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 21:30:55 GMT
"Absolutely not!" Venisha protests. "I would spend an hour debating the pros and cons of any action before making a decision. We need someone who's decisive. Who's willing to take risks, but able to trust in the group's ability to get things done.
"And maybe being able to manipulate people isn't a bad trait," she adds, "so long as you trust us and treat us with the respect we've earned."
She moves back to the kitchen and fills two glasses with water, setting one in front of Alex when she returns to the table. "I think part of leadership is knowing that you're one colossal fuck-up away from getting everyone killed. It keeps you vigilant. And I think you're the kind of person who always wants to improve whatever you're around. You went into medicine to save people, yes? Not for the fancy car or Wednesday afternoons on the golf course? I assume that you also want to improve yourself. Never make the same mistake twice, do a little bit better every day - you know, all that inspirational fluff you hear from athletes."
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 21:43:33 GMT
Alex smirks at the last bit. "Give 110% all the time, everytime. You're right though; I've never been able to leave good enough alone."
He closes his food and sits it to the side. "Speaking of which, if you're up for it, I wouldn't mind getting some sparring time in before the others arrive. If I'm going to be the team leader, I really need to be able to assess what everyone can actually do. Besides, I'm curious to see the much vaulted Do of the Akashic Brotherhood in action."
He jumps to his feet, suddenly full of energy, then pauses a moment and looks inquisitively at Venisha. "Can you really catch bullets?"
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Venisha
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Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 22:00:40 GMT
"I don't know; I've never tried." She leads him to the living room and pushes the coffee table aside. "It's tight, but it'll do," she says, entering her fighting stance.
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Post by alexander on May 19, 2016 22:47:06 GMT
Alex chuckles a bit. "When the time is right, you won't need to catch bullets. Maybe I'll shoot paintballs at you to start out."
He pulls out two sets of tonfas from a duffel bag he was carrying. "Two rules: First, no magic, though you can use Do. Second, you can use a set of these...I will be. I broke a finger hitting a heavy bag trying to learn martial arts while I was working my first rotation and missed a shoulder surgery. The patient never recovered full range of motion and I think the I could have given that to him. So then I took up fencing, and I learned plenty of melee combat in Kolkata. So yes, I'd recommend you use these."
He slides the clubs over to Venisha and takes a low, crouching stance. His whole body language and demeanor change, and he suddenly seems like a very different person. "Don't go easy on me...we're both healers, so I'm going to come at you with everything I have."
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Venisha
Junior Member
Completely cool with having last-minute house guests. Completely.
Posts: 67
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Post by Venisha on May 19, 2016 22:50:24 GMT
Venisha looks the weapons over; they're not completely unfamiliar, though she's accustomed to finesse weapons. "All right," she says, swinging them experimentally to test their weight. She matches his stance. "Let's go."
She immediately goes on the offensive, lunging toward him with a precise attack.
[OOC: feel free to come in now, whoever wants to show up next. We're not going to draw out our battle, but will describe the scene when someone comes to the door.]
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