IC INBOX for The Last Voyages

[magician_king]

You know what to do.

Comments

During the Rankinville port

[credere]

Credence comes across Quentin a couple of days after Alec drops him off. He's still in his usual clothes, his old coat - but it saw him through a good number of New York winters. As long as his hands are in his pockets, it's fine.

"Quentin," he says, coming up to meet him.

[magician_king]

"Oh, hi Credence."

He says, and tucks a bag behind his back. It's his Christmas present.

"How's it going? Enjoying the port?"

[credere]

"Yes. It's...some of it's...very strange," he says. "But I - enjoy it."

He shifts in place for a moment.

"Can I ask you a question?"

[magician_king]

"Of course."

Promises Quentin, glancing up and down the street, and giving him a nod, starting walking towards a place that looks promising- like you might find a nice cup of cocoa in there.

[credere]

Credence tags after him perfectly happily.

"There's, uh - a girl, I was thinking about - buying a gift for."

[magician_king]

"Fun. Is this a girl who happens to be a friend, or a girl whose femininity you kind of can't help but notice sometimes?"

Wonders Quentin, with a very slightly knowing look back over his shoulder at him.

"Or right in the middle between those two?"

[credere]

He ducks his head, but the blush is too luminous to miss.

"Um - in the middle, I - I guess."

[magician_king]

"All right. Well first of all, what is she like?"

He asks, warmly, as he holds the shop door open for him.

[credere]

"She's - very quiet," he says, trailing after Quentin. "And she's - we have some things in common, I guess. About...hour we grew up, and...things we can do. It's good talking to her, she always...she understands."

[magician_king]

"Hm- well, what kind of world is she from?"

As he slips into a seat.

"Maybe you could bring her something nice she's never tried."

[credere]

Credence sits down across from him, nervously folding his hands together.

"I - she lived in Japan, but...I don't think she saw much of...anything, really."

He's nervous of saying anything more, of repeating things he feels he was told in confidence.

"But I guess that means there's a lot she hasn't tried."

[magician_king]

"So maybe you can think of something you loved when you had it for the first time. Did it for the first time."

He proposes, with a small smile at him, then a bigger one up at their waitress, who comes to take their order.

"Cocoa for me."

[credere]

"Oh - um, cocoa," Credence echoes, eyes a little wide. He can't think; cocoa sounds fine.

"I...I can't think of anything like that," he mumbles. "Mr Graves showed me some things, but he..."

His memory has been colored by his betrayal.

[magician_king]

"Hm."

Says Quentin, moving to pull his hat and scarf off- then his glasses, which are pretty badly fogged up, and need to be cleaned on the flannel corner of a shirt.

"Well, then you could do one of a few things. You can try to think of something that she'd really like, that'd be special to her and based off what you know about her?"

[credere]

Even in the warmth indoors, Credence doesn't feel he's sufficiently defrosted to take off his coat, yet.

"Yes. But I - what if I get it wrong? She might hate it."

[magician_king]

"Vulnerability is part of what builds intimacy, Credence."

He says, slipping his glasses back on.

"You're opening up a bit. If it's bad- you can come watch a movie with me and eat candy and mope. If it's good- it'll be all the more worth it for the risk. And- there are other ways. If you don't know her that well, you could do something less personal, but that takes a bit more effort. Like making her something. She'll see the time you put into it."

[credere]

That has not been Credence's experience of what vulnerability does, at all, but he supposes Quentin wouldn't say it if it wasn't true.

"Oh. That's - we've made things together, she might - like that."

[magician_king]

"That's what I was going to suggest next, actually. If you can't think of anything you liked that you've tried, maybe you can think of something that you both might like to try, together."

He says, rubbing his hands together, blowing into them to warm them, then smiling at him.

"A craft. An activity. A recipe to cook. A place in the Enclosure."

[credere]

Credence nods.

"But - we've done a few things like that," he says, fidgeting. "I wanted to give her something..."

He knows how childish he sounds.

"Special."

[magician_king]

"Then let's drink our cocoa and walk around and look for something. Maybe you can find it here."

He's sure there'll be millions of little gift shops.

[credere]

"Okay. Alec gave me..."

He produces a credit card.

"He - says it's money?"

[magician_king]

"Think of it like an incredibly scaled down version of our communicators. Inside that, there's information that says how much money you have. You tap it to the bigger communicator that the stores will have, and that acts as you giving permission to take the dollar amount out of your account. It messages your bank to tell it now you have a little less money, and the store has more."

Explains Quentin,

"Keep it out, we can use it to pay here, I'll show you the system. The Admiral gives the wardens cards with a lot on them, more than they could realistically ever spend."

[credere]

Credence nods.

"So...the money is a gift from the Admiral, I won't need to...return it?"

So maybe he could get himself some clothes, too.

[magician_king]

"You don't."

He agrees, obviously thinking along the same lines.

"Let's pick up what you need- if you've got some time and don't mind company?"

[credere]

"No - no, not at all. That's - that'd be....helpful. I don't want to buy the wrong thing. Thank you."

And he obviously does not really have plans with anyone else. With the possible exception of spending some time with, well. A girl.