[When Chris started getting that telltale dentists drill sound, he honestly thought about ignoring it. The problem with that? It was, really, really, really annoying. Was that part of the plan? Make the first calls of a whitelighter's new charge sound like nails on a chalkboard so you absolutely had to answer? That actually kind of tracked. So, he put down the vegetables he had been chopping, cleaned the knife off and put it aside before finding a place to settle. Sure, he could just orb to where ever they were and figure it out later but, Chris was the type to come prepared. He liked lists. He liked gathering information. And he really didn't like just orbing into situations he couldn't try and control.
The first thing he was hit by was the pain, this all consuming horrible pain that almost made him rush and orb straight there. What was he going to do? He couldn't heal. They were stuck with the only angel in existence that couldn't actually do anything about it. Was there even a first aid kit here? Okay, figure out where to get a first aid kit later. Taking a shuddering breath, he tried to remember what he'd been told, what he read, how to help without getting sucked in. How to register and feel the pain without letting it control you.
Fuck that.
Instead, he just orbed to Nebula, fully expecting her to be bleeding out and stabbed in 5 million places, and not roasting a piece of meat over a fire.]
What the fuck?
[What do you mean Nebula, that wasn't completely self explanatory? He glanced over at the shithole of a temple the Solvunite's had decided to build because yeah, that made total sense, momentarily distracted by the utter stupidity of it all.]
Okay, first of all, it's moronic. And second, how are you okay right now?
The first thing he was hit by was the pain, this all consuming horrible pain that almost made him rush and orb straight there. What was he going to do? He couldn't heal. They were stuck with the only angel in existence that couldn't actually do anything about it. Was there even a first aid kit here? Okay, figure out where to get a first aid kit later. Taking a shuddering breath, he tried to remember what he'd been told, what he read, how to help without getting sucked in. How to register and feel the pain without letting it control you.
Fuck that.
Instead, he just orbed to Nebula, fully expecting her to be bleeding out and stabbed in 5 million places, and not roasting a piece of meat over a fire.]
What the fuck?
[What do you mean Nebula, that wasn't completely self explanatory? He glanced over at the shithole of a temple the Solvunite's had decided to build because yeah, that made total sense, momentarily distracted by the utter stupidity of it all.]
Okay, first of all, it's moronic. And second, how are you okay right now?
The settlement--where I came from isn't important.
[See Chris, see Chris totally disregard the fact that Nebula could have and almost stabbed him, like it happens every day, and he's totally cool with it. The fact that she stopped herself? Appreciated. He didn't want to slink back to Michael, who he hadn't come clean to yet, and be like 'so my newest charge stabbed me and no I never read the angel handbook'. So all things considered things were looking up right? Nebula wasn't actually in a million pieces, although she might wish she was because was that a rat or a lizard she was eating? Either way, it was gross. He was hungry--orbing used a boatload of calories but honestly? Not that hungry. Definitely not 'I'd eat dead monster' hungry. He was still hoping a Burger King would randomly pop up. Maybe he'd could create Burger King spell. That didn't have personal gain written all over it at all.]
I can orb. Teleport. I think I got an advantage on the wildlife.
[Okay, no he was totally screwed if they attacked, but she didn't need to know that! He had appearances to keep up.]
Why aren't you hurt? I mean, okay, you are hurt but....
[How did he explain this without sounding like a total random stalker?]
Can you put the knife down?
[See Chris, see Chris totally disregard the fact that Nebula could have and almost stabbed him, like it happens every day, and he's totally cool with it. The fact that she stopped herself? Appreciated. He didn't want to slink back to Michael, who he hadn't come clean to yet, and be like 'so my newest charge stabbed me and no I never read the angel handbook'. So all things considered things were looking up right? Nebula wasn't actually in a million pieces, although she might wish she was because was that a rat or a lizard she was eating? Either way, it was gross. He was hungry--orbing used a boatload of calories but honestly? Not that hungry. Definitely not 'I'd eat dead monster' hungry. He was still hoping a Burger King would randomly pop up. Maybe he'd could create Burger King spell. That didn't have personal gain written all over it at all.]
I can orb. Teleport. I think I got an advantage on the wildlife.
[Okay, no he was totally screwed if they attacked, but she didn't need to know that! He had appearances to keep up.]
Why aren't you hurt? I mean, okay, you are hurt but....
[How did he explain this without sounding like a total random stalker?]
Can you put the knife down?
Edited (html fail) 2024-09-01 03:05 (UTC)
[Yup. Maybe it was the nonchalant aggressive attitude, but something about her kind of reminded him of his family. So while he completely was not expecting the snake that was seconds away from killing him, he super appreciated the save. It was kind of nice how some things didn't change.]
Nice throw. Thanks.
[He glanced again at that snake, now embedded in the tree and raises his eyebrows. Okay, maybe he couldn't take care of himself. But he could bounce around like a christmas light if needed?]
No, you look the exact opposite of weak. And hurt and weak are not the same thing. Hey, didn't someone say like, not to go out here alone?
[He looked at her like, where's the other person you're hiding? Was it the snake you just killed?]
Nice throw. Thanks.
[He glanced again at that snake, now embedded in the tree and raises his eyebrows. Okay, maybe he couldn't take care of himself. But he could bounce around like a christmas light if needed?]
No, you look the exact opposite of weak. And hurt and weak are not the same thing. Hey, didn't someone say like, not to go out here alone?
[He looked at her like, where's the other person you're hiding? Was it the snake you just killed?]
[Chris looks at her and then looks to the bandage, getting this real puzzled look on his face. He follows her and sits down opposite, looking around again just in case there was another animal on it's way to kill him. ]
No, that's definitely not what I'm feeling. It's constant, it's widespread. Are you sure whatever bit you wasn't poisonous or something?
[He doesn't want to make assumptions, because she's a blue alien, but, maybe, just maybe it has something to do with the random computer bits all over her. Just a thought. Then again, maybe that was normal for her species?]
Survival training like wilderness training? [He eyes the lizard meat and honestly can't imagine being that hungry. Okay sure he was hungry, orbing really took it out of you. But it was lizard. ]
No, that's definitely not what I'm feeling. It's constant, it's widespread. Are you sure whatever bit you wasn't poisonous or something?
[He doesn't want to make assumptions, because she's a blue alien, but, maybe, just maybe it has something to do with the random computer bits all over her. Just a thought. Then again, maybe that was normal for her species?]
Survival training like wilderness training? [He eyes the lizard meat and honestly can't imagine being that hungry. Okay sure he was hungry, orbing really took it out of you. But it was lizard. ]
Uh.....
[Abort, abort mission! An incredibly shady, incredibly guilty expression passed over Chris's face. Watching her, he decided to do what he did best. Just not answer the question.]
You sure you should be eating that? How do you know that's even edible? And don't tell me survival training.
[Chris meanwhile, is also kind of tense, wiry, like he might leap up the moment Nebula moves. Cornered. He looks cornered.]
[Abort, abort mission! An incredibly shady, incredibly guilty expression passed over Chris's face. Watching her, he decided to do what he did best. Just not answer the question.]
You sure you should be eating that? How do you know that's even edible? And don't tell me survival training.
[Chris meanwhile, is also kind of tense, wiry, like he might leap up the moment Nebula moves. Cornered. He looks cornered.]
[Chris almost answered with 'but that's not food, that's a potion ingredient', before he thought better of it and shut his mouth. Because really, it had just gotten him into trouble so far. Trouble he couldn't get out of. But, what she had just said? Told a lot. Explained a lot. That her life had been hard. That she knew what it was like to hurt, to be hungry to the point of pain, that she wouldn't think twice about eating a lizard. As opposed to Chris, who grew up with Piper, a trained chef. It gave him a little window into who she was. Or at least who she had been.
[Maybe this was one of those things that was in the whitelighter manual, that he hadn't actually read. He fought with himself for a while, scrunched up his nose and sighed, leaning back.]
You're in pain. I can feel it. It's kind of like a psychic connection. And no, I didn't do it on purpose and I can't make it go away.
[Maybe this was one of those things that was in the whitelighter manual, that he hadn't actually read. He fought with himself for a while, scrunched up his nose and sighed, leaning back.]
You're in pain. I can feel it. It's kind of like a psychic connection. And no, I didn't do it on purpose and I can't make it go away.
[Chris still isn't correlating how feeling pain is being weak. You know, pain, that thing every living thing feels? Hell, his father was dead and he still felt pain. So. Totally not computing. Still, he was really grateful that she didn't stab him. Or would have been if he knew it had been on the table. He arched an eyebrow, however, not missing the aggressiveness with which she chewed the lizard (yum!) and tossed the skewer into the fire. Right. Anger issues. He could relate.]
You're own dad did that? That's not like. De-facto cool alien stuff? [What? You were blue, Nebula. Okay sure, Chris dealt with demons who came in all shapes and colors but still. You. Were. Blue.] And you can't stop it?
[Chris let out a sigh, an uncomfortable, tense sigh.] I don't know why. Either someone's having fun and assigning me people, or...it's a natural connection. Either way, I can't make it go away. I'm probably supposed to help you in some way.
But why not you?
[Nebula was so busy being angry that Chris wondered if she stopped to wonder why not her? That maybe she was actually deserving of not being in pain and having a friend. Someone who cared.]
You're own dad did that? That's not like. De-facto cool alien stuff? [What? You were blue, Nebula. Okay sure, Chris dealt with demons who came in all shapes and colors but still. You. Were. Blue.] And you can't stop it?
[Chris let out a sigh, an uncomfortable, tense sigh.] I don't know why. Either someone's having fun and assigning me people, or...it's a natural connection. Either way, I can't make it go away. I'm probably supposed to help you in some way.
But why not you?
[Nebula was so busy being angry that Chris wondered if she stopped to wonder why not her? That maybe she was actually deserving of not being in pain and having a friend. Someone who cared.]
And I think you just answered your own question. [You don't scare him Nebula. Okay, maybe a little bit. But he also knew he couldn't just ignore it. Just not say anything. Magic happened for a reason right? Besides, for now they were kind of stuck together.] I think you want to live like this. You said it yourself. Atonement. You don't punish yourself for things you don't think you're guilty of.
[Chris eyed her, watching her sort through her own emotions as he tried to sort out his--and what he could feel of hers. Being a Whitelighter was kind of a pain in the ass, but not as much pain as what she was going through. And she was stuck with the one angel who couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Ignore it? He could do that. He could just put her on mute. But that didn't actually solve the problem.]
Also your dad? Sounds like a giant jackass. Who does shit like that?
[His tone softens a bit, looking at her.] and it sucks you have to live with the consequences of his actions.
[Chris eyed her, watching her sort through her own emotions as he tried to sort out his--and what he could feel of hers. Being a Whitelighter was kind of a pain in the ass, but not as much pain as what she was going through. And she was stuck with the one angel who couldn't do a damn thing about it.
Ignore it? He could do that. He could just put her on mute. But that didn't actually solve the problem.]
Also your dad? Sounds like a giant jackass. Who does shit like that?
[His tone softens a bit, looking at her.] and it sucks you have to live with the consequences of his actions.
Think they need to get better acting skills.
[ Rocket's reply comes quickly, and with a fair amount of judgment from someone who has spent the majority of his short life in the seedy underbelly of the Andromeda galaxy. The tells are too obvious, and the guys sitting around the table look too soft — one good poke with a stabby thing, and they'd deflate like a birthday balloon, the colourful, floaty kind that Quill used to talk about from his childhood.
As of yet, Rocket has no intentions on actually joining in — there's a little more study needed to learn the rules of this weird game — and he's kind of happy to sit and drink where he is and make scathing commentary anyway.
It's fun. ]
These guys are freakin' rookies.
[ Rocket's reply comes quickly, and with a fair amount of judgment from someone who has spent the majority of his short life in the seedy underbelly of the Andromeda galaxy. The tells are too obvious, and the guys sitting around the table look too soft — one good poke with a stabby thing, and they'd deflate like a birthday balloon, the colourful, floaty kind that Quill used to talk about from his childhood.
As of yet, Rocket has no intentions on actually joining in — there's a little more study needed to learn the rules of this weird game — and he's kind of happy to sit and drink where he is and make scathing commentary anyway.
It's fun. ]
These guys are freakin' rookies.
[Chris is caught completely off guard as she lunges and shoves him into the freaking tree. Even if he wasn't? Well, he was an absolutely terrible fighter, thanks in part to his whitelighter heritage. So he hangs there as she holds him against the tree, ranting. Unfortunately for Nebula, Chris had spent his entire life being threatened, used and abused by his sociopath of a brother, and then proposed to an assassin witch and made alliances with demons. So? He wasn't scared of you. Which was probably a deeply unhealthy reaction.
Still, he waited until she was done ranting at him, and then orbed out, rematerializing a few feet behind her.]
Wow, I think I hit a nerve there. Got it. You're really big and bad and desperate to prove it. Here's the thing. It only works on people who are scared of you. You want to be in pain? Sure, have it your way. Enjoy punishing yourself.
Still, he waited until she was done ranting at him, and then orbed out, rematerializing a few feet behind her.]
Wow, I think I hit a nerve there. Got it. You're really big and bad and desperate to prove it. Here's the thing. It only works on people who are scared of you. You want to be in pain? Sure, have it your way. Enjoy punishing yourself.
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