Fade Rift: Inbox

[keenly]

you know what to do

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[sulahnan]

[ As always, the walk from Lowtown after curfew requires some nimble navigation of the streets and alleyways, avoiding the Guardsmen she knows to be particularly strict.

And as always, she makes it to Colin's apartments in Hightown without incident (if you ignore that mess with Byerly). Rather than smushing her face between the door and jamb or climbing onto the balcony or any of her other unorthodox ways of announcing herself, she just knocks. Like a normal person. Knock, knock. ]

[keenly]

[The servants have gone home, so it is Colin who answers. He immediately lets her in.]

Everything all right?

[sulahnan]

[ Athessa heaves an exaggeratedly heavy sigh as she steps through the doorway, tipping her head back for it and letting a groan creep in for its finale. UuuuuuuuUUUUUGh. Then, she smiles at him. ]

Yeah. Missed the ferry, though. I didn't wake you, did I?

[keenly]

Not at all. [He pecks her on the cheek in greeting.] I've been up trying to think of what to do for...um, Ben and I realized we both had birthdays recently and he wants to celebrate them together?

[sulahnan]

[ A soft gasp, excited. ]

You did? When? Wait, how old are you now?

[ Prepare to feel old, Athessa. ]

[keenly]

The second? [A little wince.] I'm twenty-seven.

[sulahnan]

PHEW! [ She mimes wiping sweat off her forehead. ] Sorry, I'm so bad at ages, I was worried you were gonna say twenty or something and make me feel ancient.

[ But then, genuinely, she smiles and kisses him on the cheek. ]

Happy late birthday, brother.

[ On to the kitchen, after that, to peruse in search of a snack. Or a meal, she didn't actually eat dinner. ]

[keenly]

[He smiles and blushes a bit, following her into the kitchen.]

I haven't celebrated a birthday since before the Circle, so I don't really know what to do for it.

[sulahnan]

I might not be the best person to ask, [ she says, finding some bread and slicing off a piece. ] I've never really done anything for birthdays.

[ What to put on this bread? She's kind of bored of meat and cheese, so maybe just some butter and honey. ]

Did you have any ideas? Like a dinner party or somethin'?

[keenly]

[Colin takes a basket of various preserves off of one shelf and offers it.]

Smaller. Maybe just the three of us, and anyone else Ben wants to invite.

[He peers at her as she hunts for food. Has she not eaten dinner?]

What've you been up to tonight?

[sulahnan]

Oh, you know. Trying to make up with Byerly, starting a bar brawl, arranging for a Guard to get promoted in exchange for him informing on his squadmates, fighting with Byerly, bypassing curfew. Normal stuff.

[ Oooh, black currant preserves. She plucks that one from the basket and plops down at the table, using a spoon to put the jelly on the bread. ]

Just hanging out with friends sounds like a good birthday option to me, if that's what you wanna do. [ Then, teasing: ] You haven't been trying to think of something since you got off work, have you?

[keenly]

[Colin looks faintly embarrassed before circling back.]

I don't know if Byerly makes up with anyone. He just. Gives up at the first bump in the road.

[sulahnan]

[ Oh nooo, Colin you're so CUTE. ]

He's got some self-worth issues, [ she explains, shrugging. ] Which is definitely his problem, not ours, but I'm too stubborn to let that fly. He tried to give up on me once already and I threw anything I could grab from his desk until he relented and told me what was wrong.

[keenly]

You can't have issues over something you don't have at all. [Colin shrugs, clearly at a low-simmering anger rather than a sharp hurt.] I can't do what you did. Not about this. It's up to him.

[And that's the end of that.]

Anything you need to make yourself comfortable tonight? I know you've got a clean nightshirt here.

[sulahnan]

[ She shakes her head that no, she doesn't need anything. But also, she did say she's stubborn, didn't she? ]

You're right, it is up to him. I told him as much tonight.

[keenly]

[A sympathetic sigh, and he moves in to wrap his arms around her.]

You're perfect. You know that?

[sulahnan]

Oof, I hope not. [ She holds the bread slice at arm's length so as not to smear him with jam. ] Seems like a lot of responsibility.

[ But she hooks her free arm around him and gives him a reassuring pat on the back. ]

You okay?

[keenly]

I'm fine. [It's not that dismissive excuse it often is, a way of brushing past her concern. He's actually fine.]

I talked to Bastien. He's got me painting the dining hall with Ben now. He...asks a lot of questions.

[sulahnan]

Yeaaah, he finds people really interesting. What kinda stuff did he ask?

[keenly]

Things about my life. Who my first patient was, how I got into healing, what my life at sea was like. Why I have a flat outside the Gallows. Things like that.

[sulahnan]

[ She nods and takes another bite of bread. ]

What was your life at sea like? [ A little cheeky, because she is being trained by Baz, after all. ] Mine was brief and spent either chumming the waters or drunk below.

[keenly]

[Really? Again?

Colin sighs.]

Spending four years doing ciphering in a floating barrel I can't get off of.

[sulahnan]

I'm kidding, Colin. [ She laughs, pleased with that reaction. ] He's training me, so I gotta turn his tricks around on him all the time.

[keenly]

Do you have to turn his tricks around on me, though?

[sulahnan]

[ Properly chastened, though not fully regretful: ] Sorry. You can tell me to fuck off, ya know.

Do you wanna hang out on the balcony tonight? You can say no. I wanna do what you wanna do. Even if that's just...sitting quietly or turning in.