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it doesn't have to be for long. I didn't let myself stay long either.
I just liked how it felt. to be so close to someone. like there was nothing but the two of us until one of us left.
I just liked how it felt. to be so close to someone. like there was nothing but the two of us until one of us left.
[There's been quite a lot of stalking going on in their odd little triangle, and now it's Cole's turn to stalk down Petre. He hasn't spoken to him since Birkhoff made his report, no offers for drinks or odd questions, and any attempts at contact that Petre might have made have been ignored.
Now he's waiting outside their usual bar, hoping that maybe Petre comes here at other times, with other people. Hoping he won't be taking whoever it is home. Eventually he does appear with someone, and it's Cole's lucky day, because they part ways not far from the entrance. Following in the shadows as quietly as he can, he waits until Petre is somewhere quiet and secluded, then finally steps into a pool of moonlight and loudly disengages the safety on his gun. He's got both hands on it, pointed right at the back of Petre's head.]
What'd I say about Birkhoff.
Now he's waiting outside their usual bar, hoping that maybe Petre comes here at other times, with other people. Hoping he won't be taking whoever it is home. Eventually he does appear with someone, and it's Cole's lucky day, because they part ways not far from the entrance. Following in the shadows as quietly as he can, he waits until Petre is somewhere quiet and secluded, then finally steps into a pool of moonlight and loudly disengages the safety on his gun. He's got both hands on it, pointed right at the back of Petre's head.]
What'd I say about Birkhoff.
[Well, he wishes he could say anything about this night was new.
He does stop, but doesn't freeze when the gun presses against his head, when he hears the familiar click of the safety off. There's something almost feline-like in the way his focus sharpens in his eyes, in the way he takes a sharp intake of breath and his shoulders go perfectly still. First thought is that an enemy of his has finally arrived to this place, where so many worlds meet and so do old acquaintances. Then comes the voice - Caleb's voice, but it's not him - and the name that he heard before.
Petre is smiling. This is the opposite of fear. He wishes he'd pull that trigger just to see what would happen next.]
What did I say about you telling me what to do?
He does stop, but doesn't freeze when the gun presses against his head, when he hears the familiar click of the safety off. There's something almost feline-like in the way his focus sharpens in his eyes, in the way he takes a sharp intake of breath and his shoulders go perfectly still. First thought is that an enemy of his has finally arrived to this place, where so many worlds meet and so do old acquaintances. Then comes the voice - Caleb's voice, but it's not him - and the name that he heard before.
Petre is smiling. This is the opposite of fear. He wishes he'd pull that trigger just to see what would happen next.]
What did I say about you telling me what to do?
I'm not fucking around, Petre.
[There's nothing uncontrolled about his voice, no unbridled rage; it's all cold steel like the barrel of the gun. Deadly, but no-nonsense about it.]
I've cleaned up way worse messes than you. You just finally gave me a reason.
[There's nothing uncontrolled about his voice, no unbridled rage; it's all cold steel like the barrel of the gun. Deadly, but no-nonsense about it.]
I've cleaned up way worse messes than you. You just finally gave me a reason.
[He turns around. Not a single drop of dread on his face. He wasn't kidding when he said he eats things like Cole for breakfast. There's still some synthetic equivalent of him waiting inside his fridge.
Cole is cold, Petre is hot with pure defiance, pure amusement.]
I barely touched the guy. I got what I needed to know and let him go.
[Which is in no way him scrambling for words to get that gun out of his face. It might as well not even be there.]
But go ahead. Make a mess. It's been a while.
Cole is cold, Petre is hot with pure defiance, pure amusement.]
I barely touched the guy. I got what I needed to know and let him go.
[Which is in no way him scrambling for words to get that gun out of his face. It might as well not even be there.]
But go ahead. Make a mess. It's been a while.
And I thought you were out for survival at any cost.
[He was, and is. That's the thing. This behaviour makes no sense, even as bravado, which Cole knows all too well.
Didn't he tell Connor, they don't even know what trouble means here?]
What do you mean, it's been awhile.
[He was, and is. That's the thing. This behaviour makes no sense, even as bravado, which Cole knows all too well.
Didn't he tell Connor, they don't even know what trouble means here?]
What do you mean, it's been awhile.
Shut up about him. We've got nothing to do with him.
[He's getting agitated now, which is only breaking down any threat he might have carried initially. This situation is so infuriating.
At the last comment, he curls his lip.]
You're not my friend.
[He's getting agitated now, which is only breaking down any threat he might have carried initially. This situation is so infuriating.
At the last comment, he curls his lip.]
You're not my friend.
And yet, all these similarities! You can't blame me for being nostalgic.
[Agitation is good. Agitation provides distraction. Truth be told, Petre could go for that gun and overpower the man. He did not get the chance to see what he could really do before the official stepped in that first time.]
That's hurtful.
[Agitation is good. Agitation provides distraction. Truth be told, Petre could go for that gun and overpower the man. He did not get the chance to see what he could really do before the official stepped in that first time.]
That's hurtful.
That's bullshit. You're after one thing, and it's not friendship.
[And Cole's indulged that desire when it suited him, hasn't he? He never said he was perfect, but he was trying to improve, once.]
[And Cole's indulged that desire when it suited him, hasn't he? He never said he was perfect, but he was trying to improve, once.]
[He's not heartless, but he literally has no soul. Which is meaningful somehow, even if the idea of the soul is a bit too conceptual for Cole to make any solid judgments on that fact.]
You didn't have to attack him.
You didn't have to attack him.
Yeah, I would too. Getting grabbed by some stranger out of nowhere means kill or be killed for some of us. You better learn that pretty quick.
[The rigidity is slowly going out of his arms, elbows bending ever so slightly. He's losing steam fast here, as much as he still has an answer for everything.]
[The rigidity is slowly going out of his arms, elbows bending ever so slightly. He's losing steam fast here, as much as he still has an answer for everything.]
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