1825/Garage Talk

Garage Talk
Date of Scene:	17 March 2015
Location:	Boston-666
Synopsis:	Just an absolutely normal chat between two friends.
Cast of Characters:	253, 395

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Psyber (253) has posed:
    Today sees Psyber working in his garage. All the sauces and most of his stuff is ready for the grilling tomorrow, which means he has some free time to tune up a car or two. And that's precisely what he's doing.

    Wearing a t-shirt and jeans, Psyber is currently buried up to his chest under a car that is lifted slightly off the ground. There's the sound of a wrench being worked or some other tool that occasionally drifts from underneath the vehicle and there's a radio nearby tuned to some local classic rock station or another.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "Hey you."
    It's a familiar voice that much is for sure. Though Amalthea doesn't stop by the tower as often as she used to, it's still not an out of the ordinary sight to see the unicorn in Boston- much more these days than usual. That might be why she's invaded the garage, kneeling to get a peek under the car while Psyber works, in a sudden, unannounced visit.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    There's the sound of rolling wheels as the cart Psyber was laying on slowly withdraws out from under the car when she peeks at it. The car itself is almost unidentifiably rusty and beat up, "Hey. I was just checking out a scrapped '65 220 SE. See if I could do a full resto for fun."

    One of his arms is in a sling and shows signs of frostbite, but is clearly recovering. The other one is holding a ratchet, "So what's up?"

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    With the wheely cart skreaking and the half-angel rolling out from under the car, Amaltheea crouches, hands planting on her knees as she inclines her head in her usual lazy-ass nod of greeting. Another peek under the car gets her a look at Psyber's erstwhile handiwork so far. "Huh. Thinking of doing anything special with it, or just restoring it to its old glory?" Idle conversation as she eyes the slung-bound arm.
    She's not really going to LIE to him though about her reasons for being here. "Mostly. I just came to check up on you."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber wiggles the slung-bound arm when he sees her looking at it, "Took some frostbite against an ice and water pair last night. Should be good by tomorrow." He then looks to the car and thinks, "I dunno. Thinking of giving it to Homura for her birthday as her first car, maybe. She can't carpool with me to university forever."

    "I am getting by. Having to deceive Nathan the way I do is hard, but necessary. I'm sure that when it all comes to a head, he's going to be devastated, so I hope people like you and Pegasus will be there to help him." Psyber says pretty honestly, leaning back against the rusted frame of the car to look up at her.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Frostbite huh. Well Amalthea isn't so worried about Psyber physically as to she da tear over his arm, if he says it'll be better within the day, she leaves it as is. "Not a bad gift." She concedes, lightly patting the car, before things swing into a more serious direction.
    "Deception isn't exactly easy when done against a friend, no." She concedes. "But Nathan is blind." She says with a distinct finality, lone eye sliding closed for the duration of a small sigh. "You're right. He has Pegasus. But I'm going to be here for -you- in that time." She says, turning her gaze pointedly on him.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber lets out a deflecting laugh and then waves his hand and says, "Me? I love my job, even with how rough it can be. I'm doing my duty, which is hard, but it has to be done by someone." Psyber non-answers her.

    "Why would you think I need help?" He asks cautiously, watching her with his red gaze. He twirls the ratchet he was holding in his hand between his fingers lazily.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    And that laugh is met only by an intense stare. Blue eye locks on red in a silent, and hard gaze that says the unicorn knows Psyber all too well for him to try and pull that on her.
    "Duty never needs to be shouldered alone. I thought you would have learned that by now. Or are you just as blind as Nathan? And please don't tell me that's the case." She counters.
    At least before she sighs a small snort of steam, running doll-jointed fingers through her hair. "We know each other very wel, by now, Psyber. And while we still have our mysteries that we keep from one another, I know you take everything you do very personally, and if you think I don't see the strain going on for everyone I will reminde you that just because I have one eye doesn't mean I'm wholly blind." She pauses there, glancing aside briefly. "I guess I just came to say, if you ever needed to breathe or get anything off your chest, you know you can come to me. I'll listen. I'll never judge."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber sighs a bit when his deflection goes pretty unsuccessfully, "I know I don't have to shoulder duty alone. That's why I brought you and Himei in to help me. Reiji now too. But I'm still going to try to take as much of the fallout as is possible from this to save you guys career trouble." Psyber notes seriously.

    "I don't have many secrets. You know all the basics of the matter: The current arrangements are hard," Psyber sighs, "I love my job despite that. It's very difficult for me to be in the position I am between people, with Elliana as so divisive a topic. It's all semantics from there."

    He looks towards her, "I appreciate it, though. I don't have a lot of people I can open up to."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    A flump, and just like that, Amalthea plops down, setting her back against the car as she settles beside the half angel. Cherish the moment well, because one mechanical arm goes right over Psyber's shoulder, despite the unicorn's professed distaste for prolonged physical contact with others. "The basics yes. And a few of the complexities. But that's a rabbit hole to go down when I get to it." She chuffs.
    "I can live without a career." She does note. "It is... Strange to me. The complexities of human tensions." She murmurs, before turning that steely ocean-deep gaze upon the half-celestial again, expression far too placid.
    "The hardest division is one stricken between friends. Nathan's reasons are obvious. He was betrayed, it upsets him, as much as he loathes displaying his feelings. You on the other hands; betrayed just the same as he was, and trying a different path that isn't Elliana's total annihilation. Divisive as the situation is, I'm certain your reasons are more valid than blind rage and petty vengeance, and that's why I chose your side of the fence, much as the whole situation baffles and pains me."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber is awkward with physical contact himself, so when Amalthea puts her arm around him, he tenses up a bit before taking a breath and relaxing. He scowls slightly, "It's a very deep rabbit hole."

    "I know you can live without a career, but Lest is a peer of mine and Ariel is like family. I won't detriment them for actions I decided upon and roped you into. I refuse to," He says adamantly, his free hand curling into a fist idly and cracking his knuckles.

    "My reasons are... private. They're arguably as biased as Nathan's, but in a different bent," He admits to Amalthea, "I told you that before, I worry that I am almost as selfish as him and that all of this plays into my own hand."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Now that eye's gaze hardens, narrowing a fraction. "My decision was my own, I was roped into nothing." She pointes out solidly. Before her hand squeezes at a shoulder and she pulls her arm back, to hug her knees to her chest, still eyeing Psyber in that sidelong manner. "Is that so? Well there's nothing wrong with selfishness, it's the way most creatures are. It's when that selfishness leads to ill, that it had best be quashed. I trust you, Psyber, I trust that in the long run you seek to do good. And won't let that lead you astray in some insane templar fashion." She chuffs.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber laughs to Amalthea and then looks at her, "No, no. I have no templar desire or grand scheme in motion. I'm not planning a great action, nor am I aspiring to a lofty goal." He smiles a bit, "I promise you from the bottom of my heart that I'm just a stupid guy following an equally stupid, almost impossible, goal." He gives her a thumbs up with his good hand as if to prove his point.

    "My only regret is that I can't get Haruno or Nathan to see how much it means to me."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Stupid, Psyber says. Impossible, he says. Sidelong glance turns into a serious, intent stare from that lone eye, as if the unicorn were trying to read into Psyber's very soul, despite his chuckling and laughter. Her focus is wholly upon his face when he fires off the thumbs up. Amalthea's ingers buzz briefly, tap-tap-tapping on her knee in thought, before she breaks the stare.
    "That's good, then. I'd rather follow a emotional fool on a wild and stupid goal than a logical lackwit who's bad at hiding his rage."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber's smile turns into an awkward half-smile as her eye looks into his very soul, figuratively. His look is an awkward mix of uncertainty and nervousness that seems to say 'I've given you all the pieces to this puzzle, you just need to arrange them right'. Finally, though, she speaks.
    "I'm glad you feel that way," He says with a nervous sigh, "Here's hoping it all works out in our favor."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "In our favor? Or do you really hope for it to be in your favor?" Amalthea asks a bit more bluntly in the face of that guiltily nervous face. "I suppose favor upon the rest of us would be a bonus though." Added as an afterthought. From the newly suspicious glint in that lone blue eye, pieces may be falling, edging into place. It's with another slow breath and hiss of steam that she musters herself, charging the topic with all the delicacy of a battering ram.
    "How long, then?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "About a year and a half," Psyber says in a quiet tone. He looks away and out over the garage instead.

    Now it's his turn to bring his knees up to his chest and wrap his arm around them, "I've kept it very carefully hidden because it's irrelevant. I'm a Union Colonel. That dream was torment on me, though."

    He murmurs a bit, "I've hidden it very well, haven't I? I never lied about it, I gave people all the pieces, but no one ever put it all together before you and Himei."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "You hid it well." Amalthea concedes in a soft voice. "You're wrong though, it's not irrelevant." The unicorn says with a shake of her head. In truth it is a clear emotional bias, and though she recognizes the fact, she buttons her lip, as it is not the most important matter at hand. With an inward breath, silvery lips purse. "I'd say you're hopeless. But that goes against my grain. But I know that face. I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner. I suppose this only means you are all the more doom-driven to see this through." Mused, before she lets that hang in the air for a moment.
    "I won't tell anyone."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I told you. I'm just a stupid guy following an equally stupid, almost impossible, goal," Psyber notes, looking sideways at her, "You can say it's hopless and I'll agree, but let me ask you this: 'If someone had told you Ellestaria was hopeless, would that have stopped you?'." He says seriously. Not as an accusation, more as a point of fact she can relate to.

    "I appreciate that you won't tell anybody, though. I'm not ready for people to know."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Then... Then comes the chuckle. A soft, almost tinkling, bell-like sound as Amalthea toses her hair with another shake of her head. "Oh no. No that wouldn't have stopped me. Just like I imagine nothing is going to stop you." She concedes, before doll-jointed fingers take Psyber's hand, clasping it in both of her own.
    "I said you're hopeless. I didn't say your dream was."
    She holds for a moment before releasing, and picking herself up to stand. "Knowing you, you'll find some brash way to make it work." Stated before shrugging exaggeratedly.
    "I'm just a simple unicorn. A wild creature of emotion and instinct. It is not my right to share the business of one man with any other."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I never had a real family growing up," Psyber says to Amalthea seriously when she takes his hand and squeezes it, "I am not accustomed to being able to trust any person with the whole of my problems. It is good to know I have people like you that I can consider my family now."

    "Thank you for coming to check on me. It has been a helpful, if utterly awkward, experience," Psyber says seriously, watching her as she moves, "And I'm going to try, but I also know it might fail, so I'm not gonna throw away everything for it."

    "Take care of yourself, Amal. You, Lest and Ariel are all really lucky."

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    "I didn't have much of one, myself. I understand." Amalthea replies. If anything it gets a contemplative tilt of her head for a moment. "I would think. True family is what and who we make of it." Decided before she shrugs again. "Anyway. Don't make me feel like I have to poke in on you; you can come to me now when you need it, you know that." Added before she shakes her head on mention of awkwardness, as she makes for the exit of the garage, tail swishing lazily.
    "My hopes goes with you in all you do, regardless."