(no subject)

[kayip.livejournal.com]

Behrooz is sitting on the floor, near the fireplace, eyes flickering aorund the bar while he picks at a plate of onion rings.

After falling out of his chair during the earthquake, he may figure he's safer already being on the floor.

Comments

[watching_you]

Look, it's Veronica! And if you break the fourth wall a little bit, that comment's even more fitting.

"Hey, B." She grabs a seat on a nearby couch, putting her feet up. "I gather you were here for the quake, too?"

[kayip.livejournal.com]

If the earthquakes keep coming, it might just happen!

Behrooz looks up. "Yeah... it's been doing that a lot recently."

Probably because he's been gone for a few days, and should read the annoucements more often, he doesn't sound too concerned. More annoyed.

[watching_you]

"Mm," she says with a nod. "I think I've missed most of them, luckily. Been spending time in Neptune, getting ready for school."

Leaning forwards, "Can I steal an onion ring?"

[kayip.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." He pushes the plate in her direction.

"I think they must've started while I was out... and I haven't tried to go back in a few days..."

He shrugs.

[watching_you]

Mmm, delicious onion rings.

"Yeah?"

She glances across the room.

"Don't suppose you know the story behind that stupid clock, do you?"

[kayip.livejournal.com]

"Uh."

Behrooz blinks at the clock. "No."

He's been distracted?

[watching_you]

"They've got something to do with each other," Veronica says, with a mild shrug that is not quite indicative of her internal reaction. "But it's all - magic and doom and things that I really know absolutely nothing about."

[kayip.livejournal.com]

"Right..." he says slowly. "And they can't just... throw it in the lake or something?"

[watching_you]

"Apparently not," Veronica says, warily. "That's magic for you."

[kayip.livejournal.com]

"Yeah..." he says, eying the clock again. "I guess it's always more complicated than that."

[watching_you]

"Guess so," Veronica tells the boy with inexplicably yellow eyes.

"Anyway. How's your life on the outside been?"

[kayip.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Well.

Behrooz pauses. He doens't... feel like being a liar.

"It's been - um... kind of complicated, recently."

It's a hard habit to break, though. But. "Someone... a lot of us knew from the outside died recently."

[watching_you]

"Oh!"

Veronica puts a hand to her mouth for a moment, then lets it drop to her side.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know..."

[kayip.livejournal.com]

Behrooz's eyes go carefully to the plate.

"Well, I'm not - sure you would've met him. He hadn't... been here much at all recently."

[watching_you]

"Doesn't mean I'm not still sorry."

Veronica supports her chin with a hand, absently.

"Were you close?"

[kayip.livejournal.com]

Behrooz's eyes don't come up.



He starts to say something, but stops. It's an impossible question.



Finally, "Sometimes, in here."

[watching_you]

She nods, slowly, and doesn't reply.

Today's been a day of impossible questions, all around.