IC INBOX for The Last Voyages

[magician_king]

You know what to do.

Comments

[magician_king]

"Then maybe you can practice returning the favour by expressing that discomfort?"

He urges, watching him work.

"He'd want to know."

[biocomposer]

"No, he wouldn't. He'd overreact and feel embarrassed that he asked for this in the first place."

This is stated more as fact than conjecture.

[magician_king]

"Okay. What about expressing it positively, then- finding the thing you like, and you feel is being threatened, and want more of- and going to him and asking for it. A lot of non-monogamous couples make agreements about a space that's just for them- or agree on a portion of their weekly calendar reserved for one another. Asked for, explicitly because 'you're important to me, I like that you're seeing other people, but I don't want to lose track of one another first and foremost.'"

[biocomposer]

That sounds like a terrible idea because it involves acknowledging that we're a couple, Elijah does not say.

"...I'll give it further thought."

[magician_king]

"You should. He's too good to loose because you're scared of expressing yourself."

In Quentin's slightly biased opinion.

"He saved my life the other day."

[biocomposer]

"....He did?"

Elijah knows nothing about this; details, please.

[magician_king]

"After they left, the cabin was- horrible. Like a mausoleum. I texted Rhys, he just- absorbed me, unquestioningly, unconditionally."

[biocomposer]

That sounds more like moral support than lifesaving, but he supposes that's a technicality in Quentin's world.

"...I'm glad you had someone to reach out to," he says, more diplomatically.

[magician_king]

"Go out of your way to be good to him."

Instructs Quentin, in case this wasn't clear.

[biocomposer]

Elijah makes a noise, then works up to actual words.

"I don't see how that would make me look anything except desperate at this point."

[magician_king]

"Expressing the way you really feel can make you vulnerable. And make you look desperate. What's more important to you- that you look cool, or that he knows he's admired, desired, and respected?"

There are days where he can't have both.

[biocomposer]

"I went on national television to recommend androids over humans as sexual partners," he points out, which is to say: "I have never once cared about looking cool."

[magician_king]

"Then why aren't you telling him what he means to you?"

Pushing, just a little.

[biocomposer]

"Because..."

He glares at a lightbulb for several moments.

"Because I don't know well enough to articulate it."

[magician_king]

"Well, practice. Explain it to me now. What does Rhys mean to you?"

He's got nowhere to be.

[biocomposer]

"Quentin-"

He takes in a breath.

"I literally do not have the vocabulary for this."

[magician_king]

"You have a perfectly fine vocabulary, you're just rearranging words into unfamiliar configurations."

He insists, watching him.

"How has your life been improved by knowing Rhys?"

[biocomposer]

"I don't feel comfortable rehearsing this with you," he says plainly, and descends the ladder to move it along the hallway.

[magician_king]

"Only because you don't feel comfortable saying it." Pulling himself up, following after to set up the ladder with him.

[biocomposer]

"Frankly? Yes. But I can't imagine that you'd want to say to me what you plan on taking to your next conversation with Jedao," he says, bluntly.

[magician_king]

"It would be really nice to have someone to talk to about that. Normally it'd be Fives, but he isn't speaking to me."

So;

"Rehearsing this stuff is normal and healthy."

[biocomposer]

Elijah almost says something about needing to see his sources for that, but retreats up a ladder instead.

"Well, I wouldn't be any use regardless. I don't know him."

[magician_king]

"It's not about whether you know him, it's about whether I know how to express myself."

Quentin informs his back;

"It's immaterial."

[biocomposer]

"Surely there's an element of adaptation to your audience," Elijah murmurs, not really caring, just conscious that picking at technicalities beats having a real conversation.

[magician_king]

"That's level two. Level one is just stringing together a sentence about what you're feeling."