1457/A Dinner Meeting!

A Dinner Meeting!
Date of Scene:	31 January 2015
Location:	Boston-666
Synopsis:	Psyber and Elliana meet for some Chinese food and conversation.
Cast of Characters:	92, 253

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Psyber (253) has posed:
    Pretend that this is not today. Pretend it is, in actuality, Wednesday when Psyber originally asked to meet Elliana.

    The meeting place is a small, hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. And within that restaurant, Psyber can be found at a corner booth waiting. He's pre-ordered two family-sized entrees in preparation of waiting for Elliana. By the time she arrived, there's a tray of dumplings and a huge bowl of chow mein on the table.

    Psyber is drinking a beer and looking pretty anxious while he waits.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana has once again shown up in casual clothing, though this time she has a jacket overtop of it to make herself look less suspicious. Also a hat and scarf, but those are being taken off as she makes her way over to the table.
    "Apologies for being slightly late," Elliana states as she pulls up her chair. "I thought it best to use conventional means of transport again, and... well, I am unused to the traffic hours." She's blushing, vividly. Even being a few minutes late is something that she dislikes.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "It's fine, really." Psyber reassures her. The bags under his eyes indicate he probably hasn't slept well lately, but he looks upbeat to see her besides that. He smiles and waves at the food a bit sheepishly, "Help yourself. Best Chinese place in Boston. Run by a pair of yaojing that set it up a century and a half ago."

    "So what's up? How're you doing lately?" He asks, almost immediately. He coughs a bit after spilling that out, trying to adopt a more relaxed posture and sit back a bit in the booth.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The sudden question has Elliana peering curiously, before she looks at the menu and hmns. "Twice-cooked pork." There, that should take care of it. It's a good thing she doesn't have any odd dietary requirements.

    The order taken care of, Elliana folds her hands together and sets them on her lap. "Nothing much is 'up' right now. Nothing I can talk about, at any rate. I have had to adjust some long range plans, but nothing out of the ordinary and none that you would disagree with in concept."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Actually... about plans and stuff," Psyber starts, kind of awkwardly, looking over at her, "Well. No. First."

    He looks up and over at Elliana, "Are you sure you're okay and everything? Not the plans, though I have a minor question about that later. I mean like... you, Ell. Are you okay?" Red eyes stare directly at her as he places his hands on the table.

    He's not the greatest at subtlety, but Wrathborn did inspire him to actually sit down and ask Elliana how she was doing in a more direct sense.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The direct questions really are baffling to Elliana. "I... am well enough, I suppose? A little short on temper of late, but that is not really a concern I can speak about." She shakes her head. "Worried. Frustrated, perhaps. But healthy and in control of the situation."

    She tilts her head uncertainly. "Why do you ask? Do I come across as stressed? I had hoped I did not."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "No, I just..." He frowns and tries to think of how to explain it, "I've been having a rough week and it's made me more than slightly aware of a few things. One of which is that I ask you about your actions, but never seem to check on your emotional state as much as I feel a friend should."

    "Frustrated, though? Sorry to hear that." He thinks, "If I can help at all, just tell me." He'll refrain from telling Elliana about Haruno storming off and half-moving out. That will just upset her.

    "Can I ask you sort of a weird question about your plans?"

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana has ordered hot tea to go with her meal, and it's this that she starts to sip quietly while she listens. "Mm. Well, it is hard. I've been trying to let go more, but I still like to feel in control. That does not mean it is easy to maintain that control, and certain events recently have raised my ire. It is... distressingly easy to consider murder as a viable means of resolving the issues."

    Of course, in saying that, it would imply that she attempts other means, so it isn't a bad thing to say... not entirely.

    "Well, I cannot promise that I will answer, but you are welcome to ask," she states calmly.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber sips his own beer, nodding his head as he listens to her explanation, "Violence is a base instinct of many people. Take myself, for example," He waves at himself, "I've hyper specialized such that murder is one of my only solutions," He teases, trying to make a bit of humor.

    "I appreciate you trying to control less. And bring alternate means. And... generally attempting to keep pursuing your goal, but as ethically as you feel you can," Psyber adds, smiling at her.

    "As for the plan. Well, and this is awkward," He looks down at the table, "Do you have a contingency plan for me? I don't expect you to tell me WHAT it is, if you do. But for certain, personal reasons, I just wanna know if you have a plan in place to neutralize my threat if I get in your way."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Nodding, Elliana relaxes slightly. Very slightly. She doesn't seem the type to totally relax, at least not often. "Hmm. I do try. Control is in my nature, though less than some might suspect."

    Leaning back in her chair, she is silent for a very long time about the other question. It's almost a half minute before she replies, at last, "Yes. After a fashion. I cannot tell you what it is, you are right... but I can tell you it is probably not as bad as you would think."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber nods his head and says, "Then would you fault me were I to plan a contingency around you?" He asks seriously, as if it were an actual question he wished to bring to her, "I had been considering it lately, mostly owing to pressure from Nathan in relation to his relationship with Nine versus mine with you. And other external circumstance."

    The half-angel stretches in the booth, "But I don't want to, on the other hand. I've come this far in our friendship believing in you." He thinks it over, mulling the idea, "And it seems like it would fly in the face of that faith in you as a person if I were to do that. You need your plans to feel secure, but my goal requires me to operate without a net as a matter of trust in you," Psyber notes, "Do you... understand what I mean?"

    "It's weird that you're the only one I can talk to about this," He laughs slightly, "And I'm immensely appreciative that you haven't ever..." He thinks about how to say it, "Used my feelings for you against me." Wrathborn did, but that wasn't her.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The mention of using feelings against Psyber causes Elliana to make a face, setting her cup down at the same time. "I understand, and... I admit that I have come up with plans which do exactly that. It leaves me with a feeling of distaste to consider using them, however. Generally, I rely upon improvisation more with you, and do not come up with a contingency for every major situation. At least one of my major plans has no contingency for you should you choose to oppose it... in part because if you chose to do so, it would indicate that my assessment of the situation was entirely incorrect."

    She sighs, "You really should have more plans against me. It pains me to suggest that, since it hurts my cause, but at the same time... I have doubts. More of them lately than before. I am thinking I may need to reassess priorities, but I do not yet know where to begin."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I usually wing it when it comes to you. It's what I did with Steppenwolf...worth. Sorry. That name still amuses me because of the band and all." He awkwardly coughs and then rubs the back of his head, "If I feel a substantial need to stand against you, I often rely on Nathan's plan or whatever I can come up with in the moment."

    "I'm... not smart like you or Nathan. You guys are really the big brains and the diplomacy." He shakes his head and then adds, "I'll try, though. I had one in mind, to at least look into."

    "Just... never, ever think I don't believe in you, alright?" He says seriously, looking at her, "I know you have your past and all that baggage, and I've yelled at you at least once before. But... whatever disagreements I have with you, I need you to know you can still count on me."

    "I've given up a lot to try to help you, I just want you to know that I really do believe that you're a good person. Okay?"

    It's really awkwardly emotional from him as he says that to her, but then again he's had a really bad week so far.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana rubs at her head "I know that you care, Psyber... and it is something I appreciate, no matter how many times I am forced to act against you. I will not lie that there has not been some stress involved in all of this. I appreciate that you come to talk to me, even knowing... the possibility that I could use it against you."

    She straightens up. "Fortunately, you have taken care not to do so in a way that the Confederacy can directly benefit." Directly. That is a key word. She could use some of what she knew against Psyber, but she does not feel /obligated/ to do so. "This trust issue is difficult for me, but I think I have started to understand it."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "The same could be said for the things you tell me and my status in the Union. Truthfully, and this never leaves you and me, sometimes I think about what it would all be like if it played out differently," He says a bit wistfully, "But... I know you. You torture yourself every day over the choices you've made to get where you are."

    "I don't want you to feel utterly alone," He smiles and reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, "So, you know, thanks for being patient with all my checking in."

    For trust, though, he thinks for a long moment on how to phrase what he wants to say, "I am not too dis-similar from you there. But... you open up at your own pace. I'm patient. And immortal. I'll be around in a thousand years when you're..." And then just to crack a joke, he flourishes his hand dramatically, "Ready to fully trust and give me your ~heart~."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana looks amused, "And I am still only... goodness. Twenty now. But I do have many centuries ahead of me." She sighs, shaking her head. "I spoke with Nathan." Yes, she used his first name there. "It did not go as well as I had hoped. I even pleaded with him. I very much hope I will not be forced to use my contingency against him... he would be a strong ally, and there is no reason for us to be enemies concerning my world."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Nathan is set in his belief," Psyber says, crossing his arms a bit, "I already got my ass chewed out once over him feeling like all I do is tell him to lighten up on you, while he feels he's done more to reach out for you than I have," If Elliana remembers carefully, she might be able to date that conversation by the last time Psyber checked to make sure she didn't resent him over their past. It's also him revealing that Nathan feels that way.

    "I am unsure how else to approach him on the topic. I know that I won't be doing it until I'm sure I can beat him in the debate, though."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Sigh. Elliana rubs at her eyes, then returns to her food, nodding her head. "It may be best to not approach him. I cannot /entirely/ blame him, but I do wish he would not blame me for things that I did not do. Damcyan, for example, was a plan he still seethes about... even though I expressed my distaste of the idea to the Confederacy, and told him such. I had very little to do with it, though I must admit I profited from it in the end."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Yeah, you're probably right," Psyber agrees with her, nodding his head, "For now, though, let's just eat. No sense letting good food go to waste, yeah?"

    And then they'd totally eat dinner.