don't you ever consider giving up [March, catchall, open]

[ruinsprofessor]

Characters: Raine Sage and open!
Date: Most of March, primarily after the 11th
Location: Healers' Guild, Earth sector apartment, assorted others
Situation: Many, lots. Most post-fourth-wall.
Warnings/Rating: just going to go ahead and warn for suicide themes and discussion with Kratos. Dammit, Kratos.


A | Healers' Guild | open

While Raine's largely absent for the first third of the month, spending as much time with her husband as she can before he's inevitably drawn out of Keeliai, she's doubly present for the latter parts of March, throwing herself into work. She always has her hands in something, whether it's healing or herbs or simply scheduling the next days or weeks, and as a result she will need to be interrupted if someone wants any part of her time.

It's entirely possible to get one of her apprentices to interrupt her for you, fortunately, and she doesn't snap at interruptions anyway, only glances up with distracted eyes, slowly focusing. "What do you need?"

B | Healers' Guild | Miles

She wasn't entirely expecting to see Miles again without some grievous injury, but it's not a bad thing; simply a matter for curiosity. Raine lifts her head from the dried herbs she's disentangling and tilts her head at Miles. "It seems you're doing well. What brings you here?"

C | Midnight Hotel | Fai

Eventually, citing time concerns, Raine had had to let Fai go the previous time they'd met, and there wasn't nearly enough opportunity to speak of all the magical and linguistic things she'd wanted to. So she'd arranged with him to meet for lunch, or an equivalent meal at the time of day that worked, and now that's the reason she's at the Hotel, looking for Fai with a pair of notebooks and a slate tucked under one arm. "There you are. I'm glad we were able to sort out a time."

She doesn't look quite as cheerful as she did the last time Fai saw her, but her interest in the matter at hand is undisguisable.

D | Sky Sector, Pepper's home | Pepper

Raine calls ahead, just to be sure; but early in the month, she stops by while Pepper's in and both Gene and Tony are out. "I'm not here for very long," she says, apologetically, "but I needed to discuss something with you in person. I take it you heard I accomplished something with Bakura?"

E | Water Sector, a tea house near the Healers' Guild | Kratos

It's one of their weekly teas, and they've spent what Raine judges is an appropriate amount of time on small talk and catching up socially. Eventually she sets her tea down, arranges her hands delicately around the base of the cup. "I heard," she says, "that Lloyd was here for some little while, these past few weeks."

Comments

[ruinsprofessor]

[It isn't easy, no. But it can be simple, at least to start.]

[Raine's eyes narrow slightly, but more for the fact she thinks she has him than any suspicion.]

If you are not content with yourself, then the only recourse is to change. I might think, rather, that you are reluctant because you don't know what the future may bring.

[She's guessing. And hoping that Kratos would be more drawn to a correction, if she's wrong, than he is to genuine questions.]

[simulsimul]

... Perhaps.

[It sounds roughly correct, even though Kratos has never really considered it in such a way. He barely dares to think about things like this, let alone the future.]

There hasn't been much of a future for me for a very long time.

[ruinsprofessor]

I'm aware, yes.

[She knows only what he's told her, and what they discovered along their journey. Raine is sure she doesn't have the half of it, even then. But she can guess at it, at least.]

But there is now. And that, too, is a change.

Can you see as far ahead as tomorrow?

[simulsimul]

Yes.

[Tomorrow is usually about what he can manage. Sometimes, only a few hours ahead; but tomorrow is generally a good bet.]

It doesn't look much different from today.

[Save for the meal with Raine he's not having.]

[ruinsprofessor]

[If he can see tomorrow, then that's... something.]

[Raine frowns at him nevertheless.]

Then, I'd like to ask you to do something to make it different.

[simulsimul]

Like what?

[His polite blankness, under any other circumstances, could have been either amusing in itself or pointed sarcasm. It's neither. He genuinely cannot think of anything to do that he isn't already doing.]

[ruinsprofessor]

It doesn't matter, though I can give you suggestions if you're truly lost.

[The blankness is a little sad. Raine sighs.]

Go somewhere you don't usually. Have a different drink. Speak to someone you've never met, for more than just practical purposes.

[simulsimul]

Alright.

[He pauses for a moment to consider how he might achieve any of those. A different drink is surely possible. Speaking to someone for other than practical purposes is a little more difficult, but perhaps if he goes somewhere new ... hm.

[He nods a little shortly.]

I can do that.

[He's ... fairly sure.]

[ruinsprofessor]

Good.

[Raine is not at all uncertain, by contrast. The look she gives him is a little severe.]

I want you to either write down what you did, or come back and tell me about it.

[No pansying out, Kratos.]

[simulsimul]

Very well.

[Somewhere between amusement, resignation and exasperation.]

Is there anything else you wish to discuss today?

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine sighs.]

Your opinion on the weather.

[The dry sharpness coloring her tone is one she didn't use much when Kratos first knew her.]

[simulsimul]

Cold, presumably.

[... He probably shouldn't have added the presumably.]

[ruinsprofessor]

[...Raine's eyes narrow the way they do when she's fixed on something.]

Presumably.

How much do you take advantage of your ability to not feel things?

[simulsimul]

[She says that as though it's not an ordinary state of being for him.]

One more mouth to feed and body to clothe would have been an unnecessary tax on the city's resources.

[Given that he doesn't need those things.]

[ruinsprofessor]

[It is not an ordinary state of being, Kratos. The fact that you are not ordinary should not deceive you.]

...I won't argue with you on the eating front, but there's no reason to completely cut yourself off. I would recommend you didn't, in fact.

[simulsimul]

[Things Kratos doesn't intend to mention: he hasn't had anything turned on since he arrived.]

There's no point in putting additional drain on the city's resources when I don't have to be.

[ruinsprofessor]

[Kratos no.]

As I said. I won't argue with that; but it also doesn't do well to forget the trappings of mortality. At least drink something. Feel the temperature. Don't hold yourself aloof.

[That way madness and Mithos lie.]

[simulsimul]

[That does make Kratos hesitate. Once upon a time ... he had thought it. He still does. It's just -- difficult to remember, when he's already been like this.]

... I'll try.

[ruinsprofessor]

[Don't make her assign you more homework, Kratos.]

...I suppose that's all I can ask, for now.

[simulsimul]

[It might be the best way, really. He nods.]

Shall I escort you back to the Guild?

[ruinsprofessor]

[Raine doesn't strictly need an escort. She nods anyway, in return.]

I'd appreciate you walking with me, yes.

[simulsimul]

[It's not precisely a bodyguarding offer. So Kratos rises, and ushers Raine out to head back to work.]