[right][code]Home > Roquefort Island[/code][/right]
The day passed along in quiet, subtle tension. Perhaps they’d talked [i]about[/i] things, but ultimately the only thing that was settled between them was that something was aching. Neither trusted themselves enough to return to the comfort of one another in totality. Which had a strange, almost adverse effect of Casey being, frankly, more clingy than Trisha was. Of course, as things went, nothing was said about it. No need to: They both understood. It only added to the ominous air. His head in her lap, rather than hers in his…

But sometime during the night, Trisha’s new bracelet had some spontaneous enchantment issues. Casey determined that there was a great deal of physical interference, essentially basal Lux in the form of electricity, causing the size-modification enchantment to destabilize… Thankfully, Trisha had taken it off her wrist, otherwise it wouldn’t have been clear how the ultimate release of the magic would’ve affected Trisha’s hand. 

As it was, one of the opaline beads expanded into its full size, about that of a large computer tower. This rapid expansion and loss of magical connection broke the entire enchantment, sending a shock so great that the last bead lodged itself in the back wall down to the brick when it hit. Thankfully the actual material had been magically grown opal to begin with, and its crystalline structure made it incredibly resistant to impact damage in spite of its hollow center. The edges were still inches thick just to be sure whatever component was inside stayed nice and safe. Though, the liquid coolant line went the way of the other connecting cables, snapping in half and spattering gallons of mineral oil across their bedroom.

At least they hadn’t been sleeping. Just laying there in the dark, staring at the same light-polluted sky above them. Only the moon was bright enough to outshine downtown St. Portwell when they were this close… So, they got it all cleaned up and fixed by the time the sun was up again, and Casey bundled the eighteen soccer-ball sized opals into his truck to bring to the one place he knew he could get it all fixed at once, and probably put back together better.
Though, knowing full well she’d expect him to want to go himself, Casey didn’t just [i]invite[/i] Trisha to come with him.

[color=577d06][i]”We’ve gotta go to my Grandparents’ place if you wanna get it fixed to practice more.”[/i][/color]

It was a serviceable lie. One she could’ve easily pushed against by just working on getting used to the software in the computer without testing the actual harnesses on the bees. Even working on her own magic would’ve been plenty of an excuse, as she needed to get better at repeating the unique pheromone signature they’d attached to the bracelet and to the computer in the first place. It had to be well within a certain range of deviation, after all, or it’d be too easily recreated.

But Trisha was just as quick to accept it for many of the same reasons he was quick to presume her accompaniment. There was a reason for this to be the back and forth, the expectation of one fuelling the expectation of the other. For now, Casey knew they’d both be able to keep it up… The constantly ramping desire to please being passed back and forth like insecure football. But, when would [i]that[/i] break? 

For now, they were able to make for the south end of the bay, where the rich people really lived. There was the north of course, where Trisha had lived, and out in the woodland outskirts like the old Vanburen mansion or the Templegrounds. But, here in the south, they were rather gaudy about it. Mostly because this was the type of “We’re rich and we like boats” showoffs who couldn’t help but build the absolute most ridiculously out of place Med-style villa mansions they could. 

There was a house for sale. One Casey recognized. Enough homework had to be done on it, routinely of course… Eyes on all members. Greyson included.

[color=577d06]”I guess your friend Linqian ain’t keepin’ it.”[/color] Casey pointed out the window of the truck as they slowly rolled down the road and further on toward the coast. 

The Chateau la Laurier was a bit more of a hike, as they had to take a ferry… But at least the family barge was expecting them, so they didn’t have to wait in line or deal with catching one at any particular time. They’d maintained some level of acceptable smalltalk the entire time, though it was a little more obvious that Casey was physically tired after missing another night of sleep. He figured they’d at least be able to reminisce a little bit more about Trisha’s newfound freedom from that time in her life.

[color=577d06]”Should we snag it?”[/color] he asked with a giggle.

Trisha slowly looked towards where he’d pointed, eyes squinting at the for sale mansion. It wasn’t the [i]worst[/i] in the area, but it was gaudier than anything she’d ever want to go near. She was definitely much more of the lowkey rich person- a lot of her family were. She couldn’t even say it was a made rich versus old rich kind of thing… The Devolas had probably been richer for more generations than the Vanburen had. At least, Trisha didn’t even know who her grandparents on that side were. 

[color=d1b300]“Only if we demolish it and rebuild it as something not horrendous. But I don’t really want to risk the sad jazz filled haunting that might follow.”[/color] She managed to joke back, with a slight smile. 

She wasn’t as tired as Casey, having at least gotten a few hours the night before. Her mind was incredibly active- with anxiety and stress. The bracelet explosion had been stressful enough, nevermind suddenly being dragged along to visit his grandparents. That had meant making herself look presentable in a much shorter time than she normally liked. It wasn’t really something Casey had to worry about, because it was his grandparents. But she was still trying to make an impression… Not that there were many outside of the slowly expanding inner circle that she’d show her makeupless, home self to. 

She knew that there were loads of excuses she could use to get out of coming with him. There was other practice she had to do, and growing bees she had to tend to. She didn’t [i]need[/i] to go with him to get it fixed. But she needed to go with him to prove that she was coping just fine right now. She could still deal with his family when things were a bit difficult between them, no matter how much she didn’t want to.

Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, doing her best not to fiddle with the french braid she’d put her hair in- hiding the mess that it had been in. But she didn’t want to ruin that effort. She was forcing herself to not pull her knees up to her chest like she normally would when more anxious to normal, the main tell being the near constant fiddling with her engagement ring. 

[color=d1b300]“There was no way Linqian was going to keep something like that. She’s always been very practical… That kind of house is the opposite of her taste.”[/color] She continued. She didn’t find talking about Sycamore members so bad right now. At least, she’d managed to make some amount of peace with some of them. In the end, Linqian and Greyson had done everything they could to help. Though she knew her and Linqian would never be able to be truly friendly, at least there was some respect now. 

She was happy enough to go along with the topic. It was better than silence right now when she was so nervous.
[color=d1b300]“I was… Kind of surprised she was [i]actually[/i] dating Greyson. Her and Britney both. They just didn’t seem like each others’ types.”[/color] Outside of the physical, that was.

Casey laughed at the thought. Two women? He’d met others with the same proclivity. He figured one was going to be enough to handle, potential for a daughter in the future even more horrifying given all the quiet implications surrounding that concept. How could Greyson have ever thought he’d be able to cope with what he had planned?

[color=577d06]”Well, maybe there was always something between them. Her brother hated him, right? I remember her mentioning that, so- Oh, uh… Unless you meant Linqian and Britney. Then, I wouldn’t really know I only know Linqian, I was too out of the loop to have any real contact with Britney when she was first hanging around the Temple. Then when she left, she really never came back.”[/color] he explained, remembering those early days, when some of the listless Sycamites were still trying to find their way, and came knocking at the Temple doors.

Back then, Leon still had so many feelings about all of them. He used to get really upset when people brought it up, even. Nowadays, he was thankful that his brother was cleansed of that. At least, seemingly cleansed. Cass seemed to be helping. 

[color=577d06]”But, I mean… Yeah, I don’t see how that guy was really anyone’s type. Especially not two smart women. Maybe when you’re smarter than the bullshit, it becomes endearing? I just assumed he’d be super insecure and shit.”[/color] Casey continued to casually speculate as the house slowly rolled away from them. 

It was another cold one, and rainy too. But with the rain was a predicted “heat wave”. They could expect sixty degrees for a couple of days, which was really just Winter’s way of teasing the Pacific North-West before strangling them with an arctic blast that promised December rain with chances of snowfall.
Perfect Christmas traveling weather.

[color=577d06]”Like when we met him at that pizza place. You don’t just jump into acting like that when you’re confident in yourself… Unless you’re really malicious. I can’t fucking tell, is the problem. Was he spineless? Or was he evil?”[/color] he asked aloud, not exactly expecting Trisha to have any answers.

[color=d1b300]“He never came across as insecure… Then again, nor do I in public.”[/color] Trisha shrugged one shoulder. She wasn’t comparing herself to Greyson, just realising that there could be insecurities underneath his asshole persona. 

Though, he was an asshole whether he was spineless or not. 
[color=d1b300]“He was probably both. Which makes it stranger… Maybe Britney would find it cute, but what I know about Linqian, she’d just scoff and kick him when he was down. They used to always fight then flirt, then repeat, ten years ago- in the kind of way you’d expect them to have sex but not last.”[/color]

She furrowed her brow, thinking a little bit too hard about the exact motivations of a dead man. 
[color=d1b300]“He can’t have been [i]all[/i] evil. Sure, Linqian would ignore every red flag, but I don’t think Britney would. Her moral compass was… skewed, but far as I remember she always did things for the greater good. Not that I agree with what she did or anything.”[/color] 

The forced Adjoining… Not a topic she wanted to get into, even if she wasn’t one of the victims herself. 
[color=d1b300]“I’m less surprised Britney and Linqian have ended up close. Maybe they were able to put up with his bullshit because they had each other to go to? Or it wouldn’t have lasted if he was still around.”[/color]

Casey shrugged in an oddly cold way.
[color=577d06]”Not like it lasted all that long to begin with. Just surprising they both let him do what he did, I guess. I mean, I get that there’s a lot of years of sentimentality between them, but the dude was fucked up.”[/color]

As if there was zero irony in Trisha dating someone who was probably more fucked up on a much deeper level. Greyson may’ve been a killer, he may’ve done unsavory things… But Casey didn’t imagine a guy like that being able to do what he did exactly. It’d be hard, at least. He walked around with his fancy gun that Casey’d been commissioned to make, and the armor to go with it. But the guy was ultimately an emulator. A poser. If he hadn’t been, he’d have signed up once the war hit home. Obviously, that didn’t happen.

[color=577d06]”I guess my only hope is that the kids all get to, y’know, feel like they’re a family. Their moms’ decision to separate is fine, but the kids shouldn’t suffer over it. I mean, I guess if it’s all they know, there’s no harm done. But, [i]I[/i] feel bad from an outsider’s perspective. Which doesn’t matter, it’s their life. I’m… Pretty happy about that. That they Linqian didn’t want to stick around. I like her, but she’s too prickly. I feel like we’d argue.”[/color] he shrugged, thinking about more than just the other night at the bar. There’d been a few interactions in the Cannery while they were there that left an awkward taste in his mouth.

[color=d1b300]“She is! Really prickly!”[/color] Trisha was suddenly overly enthusiastic, leaning towards Casey without getting in the way of his driving. 

[color=d1b300]“See, this is why what Leon said was [i]wrong[/i]. That we were really similar and should be friends.”[/color] Wasn’t exactly what he’d said, but close enough.
[color=d1b300]“Because if you think you’d argue, obviously we aren’t all that similar.”[/color]

She settled back down, puffing up her cheeks like an indignant pufferfish. Sure, her and Casey had argued the night before… But that was different. They only argued about big things, stuff that affected their relationship. Linqian would get pissed at everything. Though she’d been far more muted than Trisha remembered, but it was still different to her… Trisha didn’t always explode. Sometimes she just held onto it. 

[color=d1b300]“I never expected her to stick around after… Though I was a little worried when she got so friendly with Cass. It would’ve been difficult for me if she was around more. Like…”[/color] She trailed off, playing with her ring as she continued. 
[color=d1b300]“I was a [i]little[/i] worried Leon and Cass might be the next couple she joined.”[/color]

Casey laughed aloud in genuine shock. That certainly wasn’t where he expected things to be going, but at the same time, he imagined she maybe had something there.

[color=577d06]”I guess that [i]would’ve[/i] been the next logical step… But, she’s pregnant! I doubt she’d feel like she could impose like that. Besides, she’s got another brother and stuff, right? Dude’s gonna need her help and shit probably.”[/color]

He stopped for a moment, a slight grimace forming.

[color=577d06]”Are… Are we bad? For talking about this kind of stuff? There were times in the service we chopped up over other people’s problems without them being there, but in those days it was just because we were always packed together so tight. Now, I don’t know… Maybe I’ve just got a guilty conscience, but it feels… Eh. I don’t know. We don’t [i]need[/i] justification for our private conversations. So, I guess I’m just uptight maybe. I started it anyway… [i]So naturally.[/i]”[/color] he shivered.

In truth, it was a little bit of his Mom still in him. Lynette was so quick to be able to make judgements, even if that judgement was hypocritical of her to make. Anything for a little pain. She could pick out the worst in everyone and lay it out on the table like a Tarot. Scary stuff. Only scarier that the perception had nothing to do with seeing into the future: They were just [i]that keyed in.[/i] In tune with the subtlest things.

Trisha’s hands gripped tighter together, her body tensing as she strained to not get more anxious, or snap. He had started it… But she’d gone along with it easily. She wasn’t exactly a snoop, but she couldn’t pretend she never gossiped. Hypocritical who hated having her shit out in the open so much… But she was sure people gossiped behind her back too. It made her anxious, but she couldn’t stop it.

Maybe he was right that they were bad people for talking about this kind of stuff. Did she agree? Or did she tell him it was fine, comfort his guilty conscience? She didn’t know which was the better choice. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t know… It’s normal, I think, but maybe it is bad? Maybe we shouldn’t. I don’t want you to feel guilty because we’re talking like this. I’m pretty sure everyone does it, but I never really thought about it.”[/color] Trisha bit her lip, answer coming out a bit of a mix. 

[color=d1b300]“We can move onto something else! Like… Uh…”[/color] [i]Forcing[/i] conversation was never easy, but she didn’t want to dwell on the whole them maybe being bad people thing. 
[color=d1b300]“The- The party tomorrow! Since it's, y’know… Tomorrow. It’s at the Arcade, right? That’s where Cass wanted it, at least. At least we’ll be able to take a social break by pretending to concentrate on some games.”[/color]

Oh great. Exactly what he wanted. A social break with someone. Like she couldn’t find the irony in the statement, he simply let it roll off his back and down the gutter as the feeling of annoyance passed.

[color=577d06]”Oh yeah, that’ll be [i]great[/i] I’m sure. Uh, how many people are actually showing up for this? Not much of a party if its the four of us and Rey, right?”[/color] he asked casually, not wanting her to think he was totally against it. Maybe he shouldn’t have emphasized the particular spot in what he was saying… But he couldn’t take that back now.

Oh, right, obviously he wouldn’t want to take a social break like that… She wasn’t any kind of exception for him like that right now. That was just selfish thinking on her part. He was the one struggling more anyway, so maybe she could just cover for him so [i]he[/i] could sneak away [i]alone[/i]. 

She didn’t say anything about that, deciding to just [i]ignore[/i] it. Another added anxiety. 
[color=d1b300]“Uh, Cass invited the girls and Gin, I think? I thought it was going to be some big thing for safety… I guess I missed that it changed back to something smaller?”[/color]

Casey’s eyes got wide.

[color=577d06]”Oh, God…”[/color]

He hadn’t quite remembered that… The other night had been a similar function: Lots of people there, most who didn’t even really know what the party was for, just to make sure any last minute retaliation didn’t feel like such an easy affair. He’d been so wrapped up in himself that the whole plan had been filed away in the back of his mind. But, [i]Leon had been told.[/i] Which meant that not only was there a high chance that the place would be crowded with the Temple’s Adjoined and friendly Adepts, but there was a chance that people from outside the immediate area would be coming. 

Fellow fighters. Hell, maybe even celebrities. He wouldn’t put it past Leon to make a place like an arcade into a goth-chique dream for a night. He’d talked about wanting to theme it for her, but that was all pending as far as he knew… Only because he hadn’t bothered asking!

[color=577d06]”I… Need you to text Leon. Tell him I need to know how many guests are attending the party, because I think I accidentally left him in charge.”[/color] he grimaced.

[color=d1b300]“Oh… Shit… Alright.”[/color] Trisha scrambled to pull her phone out, sending the text before talking again.

[color=d1b300]“There… That’s… Let’s hope he hasn’t done anything crazy?”[/color] Who was she kidding, he probably had. It was for Cass, which meant not only that Leon would have gone all out, but she liked [i]crazy[/i]. Which meant it could be a nightmare for Trisha and Casey. 

[color=d1b300]“At least he’s not stupid enough to make the whole thing an orgy?”[/color] She tried to joke.

[color=577d06]”God, not at the arcade at least… I think if it was something super public like this, he’d want to keep it separated. But, if we’ve got the place for the night, there’s a chance he’d use it so they can both schmooze with people [i]he[/i] knows. Meaning, we can probably expect-”[/color]

Trisha’s phone dinged. Casey’s voice hitched. The whole world could easily collapse as the phone screen lit a small scroll of words like a fire across a hay field.

[code]”210. Need list, already in office.”[/code]

[color=d1b300]“Two… hundred and ten…”[/color] Trisha read out loud, shock and dismay clear in her voice. It was a massive number. 
[color=d1b300]“He said the list’s in the office. Do you want me to ask anything else? Like… The actual plans?”[/color]

She tried to stick to practical questions rather than panicking. It [i]was[/i] something she could manage. She just had to treat it like going to the club. Ignore most of the other people there and concentrate on those she knew. Maybe it would make it easier? So many people nobody would notice if they were gone.

No, Reyna probably would, when she was undoubtedly abandoned by Cass in her excitement to meet as many people as she could. 

[color=d1b300]“It’s… It’s a lot of people, Casey.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Yeah, just go ahead and ask him why he hates us. From me, not you; that way you don’t feel like it’s gonna be an argument. He’ll get-Y’know what?”[/color]

Casey quickly began to shovel around in his back pocket for his phone before remembering it was in the cup holder next to him. He pulled it out and unlocked it, handing it off to Trisha.

[color=577d06]”Call him. Please. I’d rather he hears it from my fucking mouth.”[/color] he growled slightly, not intending her as the target but not acknowledging the potential backsplash.

Trisha flinched, quickly scrolling to find Leon’s number. She didn’t think this was a good idea, but what did she do, say no? Then he’d be angry at her. It was difficult enough dealing with him talking like this to her. It only increased her anxiety. 

[color=d1b300]“Alright, I’m calling him.”[/color] She said, so he knew she was doing what he asked, doing just that. 
[color=d1b300]“I’m putting it on speaker too, but I’ll hold the phone. I don’t think you should be too aggressive, right, it’ll make tomorrow more difficult, won’t it?”[/color] 

[color=577d06]”I’m- I’m…”[/color]
She was actually very right. Because he was about to make an ass out of himself. But, he cleared his throat. The phone buzzed, then clicked.

[color=C67C12][i]”Casey?”[/i][/color]

[color=577d06]”Hey…-”[/color] he started, sounding rather deflated.
[color=577d06]”-That’s a lot, man.”[/color] is all he managed to really say.

He had plenty of jokes, or reasons to scream marked in his head, but ultimately all he could muster was defeat. But, at least it seemed like the immediate reaction wasn’t retaliatory frustration or anything. Actually, it was rather encouraging.

[color=C67C12][i]”Well, we already thought about that! So, I went and made sure that the office upstairs would be available. It’s really nice, Ralph’s a nice guy, he said thank you for your service, totally understands that you’d need a place to cool off. He said that he’d even leave you guys a nice wedding present, something on him. We’ve got you, Bro.”[/i][/color]

Casey’s eyes welled up and he gave Trisha a look that she would possibly misconstrue. It scrunched up, and on the sleepy Friday morning residential road, totally devoid of traffic, he slammed on the breaks and began to weep openly without making a single sound. It took him more than a moment to get enough of a breath to ask the question he needed to.

[color=577d06]”I-is… Is that good for you, Babe?”[/color] he did his absolute best to sound composed.

[color=C67C12][i]”What the hell? Case, are you okay? Trisha? Is he okay!?”[/i][/color]

Was he okay? Trisha wasn’t sure. He’d just started crying. It had been so fast and sudden. Was he upset or touched? She couldn’t immediately tell, and her anxious mind immediately went to the negative. Maybe he wasn’t happy with it? Because… he’d be spending the cool off time with her? But he didn’t need to- no, it was probably something deeper. Because of his service?

There was no point trying to figure it out right now, rather than dealing with the situation. If he was trying to pretend he was alright to Leon, then she’d play along with that.

Even though her heart was pounding in her chest from the sudden stop and her further heightened anxiety, Trisha managed to [i]sound[/i] perfectly calm. Calmer than she had before calling Leon. The last thing she wanted was for him to guess something was up with her too. 

[color=d1b300]“He’s okay, don’t worry. He’s really touched by you doing that for him, I think.”[/color] She went with the positive guess that her anxiety had discarded, reaching out for Casey’s hand with the one not holding the phone up. She glanced over at him and managed a gentle smile.

[color=d1b300]“Of course it’s good for me. Thank you for organising that, Leon… I really appreciate it. We both do, obviously.”[/color]


[color=C67C12][i]”Well… Obviously anything for you two. You’re our people, right?”[/i][/color]
[color=629c3f][i]”Hell yeah, we love you both!”[/i][/color] 

Casey nodded.
[color=577d06]”I’ll get to that list uh… Later. Thanks, you guys.”[/color]

Without giving them a chance to have more of a conversation, he reached for the phone and hung it up without thought. He’d managed to compose his thoughts around the feeling he was having at least. Enough to talk, at least. Enough to keep her in the loop.

[color=577d06]”Trisha… If you’ve ever got questions about whether or not you’re good enough to be worthy of my love? Or if you’ve got some kind of question about whether or not you’re worth it? Remember this moment.”[/color]

The phone went back into the cup holder, and he quickly reached out to grab her hand.

[color=577d06]”Because you just made me better. Because you said what was right, and you [i]knew[/i]. And you said it, and I heard you, and I followed you, and you [i]made me fucking better.[/i] Because you were absolutely right. I was about to shout at him. And then I thought about you, and about you being here… And knowing Cass was there too? I would’ve looked like an animal. And I never even would’ve bothered to wait for him to say that he did anything like that for us. It would’ve been spit in their faces.”[/color]

He looked at her again, and the tears started to well up until he couldn’t hold them in again.

[color=577d06]”Why do I want to hurt people I love!?”[/color] he started to sob, leaning over the center console to cling to Trisha.

Trisha turned in her seat, wrapping her arms around him to hold him tightly. She didn’t know what to say, because she didn’t have the answer. When she wanted to hurt people, it was always out of resentment. This was completely different. She couldn’t even try to understand the why, she could just hold him and try to offer some comfort. 

[color=d1b300]“I don’t know, Casey… But you didn’t in the end. You could’ve ignored me but you didn’t. So I don’t think you… [i]want[/i] to hurt people. Not in some psychopathic way. It’s reacting to things in an extreme way when under duress! You’re not a bad person, even if you feel like you want to do that.”[/color] She rambled quietly, rubbing his back gently. 

She’d only told him not to be aggressive because the thought of a fight like that made her want to panic. It wasn’t because she was some amazing person.
[color=d1b300]“You’ll get through this… [i]We[/i] will. I’ll say something like that as many times as you need me to, to help you.”[/color]

Casey nodded emphatically, head pressed against her. She was right, and right again. He didn’t understand why she didn’t see herself as smarter… If it was really all from things that had happened to her before, then why was it she hadn’t been able to replace those memories? She had plenty of good times… He just rolled from one bad faith to the next. A refused stone, whose only purpose was to be skipped.

[color=577d06]”I love you… I really [i]really[/i] love you…”[/color] was all he could muster. He just sat there for a long few moments wrapped in Trisha’s arms. Not being thrown.

Eventually, he was ready to sit back up, drying his eyes off on his own sweater sleeves.

[color=577d06]”I’m a mess. My head’s a mess. I hope Papa has some sick wisdom, otherwise two hundred people are going to equal one heart attack. Were you… [i]Really[/i] okay with their solution? I’m certain there’s alternatives.”[/color] he offered, not starting the car back into a roll yet.

Had she not sounded alright with it? Or was it because he wasn’t? For her, a room they could hide in to be alone together was enough. It wasn’t perfect in the way that staying at home would be, but it was enough. Like a safety net if she needed it while pushing herself through something she really should be able to handle. 

When she was a teenager, and even in university, she’d always seen herself as a social butterfly. It was kind of funny… She’d just been lonely. Now that she had someone, she didn’t find herself having any desire to go to larger events she used to choose to attend. 

[color=d1b300]“I’m really okay with it. It’s more than I expected… But are you? If Max doesn’t have any helpful suggestions, you really don’t have to push yourself and go. I’m sure we can come up with an excuse Cass and Leon will believe. I’d rather that than you have a [i]heart attack[/i].”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Oh, I’m not having a fuckin’ heart attack, Trisha… It’s just a lot of people who probably know me. They’ll want to talk, and I won’t know what to say. What’m I supposed to say? Hey, thanks for the whole Allied Propaganda Tour fight series? Glad a bunch of officers got to see?”[/color] Casey shook his head, knowing that most of those fighters either escaped the war entirely, or got incredibly light tours in exchange for working the prop tour. 

It was really the idea of having to be a person that he knew he wasn’t. Playing his brother’s game in this state of mind made him sick to his stomach, dying from seeing all the fake patriots and half-assers spread among his people. They weren’t all Temple members, but they were absolutely all grifters. Relics of the legacy that was Gravity. If only they all knew…

[color=577d06]”That’s what nobody ever gets. It’s having to play fuckin’ nice. I know [i]you[/i] get it, because you’ve had to do it too. But, *so many people are assholes.* And I can only give a fuck when I’m feeling alright. If I’m not, they all seem so fucking small!”[/color] he ranted, taking the turn toward the docks.

Trisha nodded. She did understand, and she always hit a certain point when she couldn't play nice with assholes either. Though she always tried no matter what, or how difficult it was, because the fear of being hated by people outweighed any other struggle. It wasn't exactly healthy to feel like she had to fake it until she cracked, but the alternative was [I]being herself[/I] with people she barely knew. 

[color=d1b300]“It’s shit."[/color] She answered honestly. 
[color=d1b300]“It’s not like they even appreciate it. It's just expected that you're nice to them no matter how they are… And it sucks you're expected to talk to people just because they want to talk to you. Which is really hard when you barely know them, because it's always surface level and awful. You shouldn't have to give a fuck about them."[/color] 

She did believe that, even if she rarely pushed people away. Only siblings like Tansy- people she'd been harsh to at a young age before she developed a fake shell, or that had pushed her enough she no longer cared. 

[color=d1b300]“Maybe you [I]can[/I] use me as an excuse for that kind of thing. ‘Oh no, my fiance wants to play a game with me, and she's the most important person in my life.’ Or I'll act like the overly controlling wife and drag you away."[/color] She managed a tiny giggle at that image. Like she found it easy to throw away the niceties. 

[color=d1b300]“Or we make sure Cass is there as a buffer. She always knows what to say."[/color]

[color=577d06]”Don’t be silly… I’d never force you in front of me so I can dodge some bullet, physical, social or otherwise. Though, I know you know it’s a nice thought. Considerate of you… Another reason to love you.”[/color] he admitted finally, making sure she knew that he thought it was a good thing to do ultimately. 

He loved her, and would no matter what. Right now, however, it was equally as important for her to do the things he wanted her to in a subtle sense. Not like he was some taskmaster forcing her to tow the line, but it helped tremendously when she didn’t say things that annoyed him. The cloudy buffer between his emotions and other people’s actions was dissipated at best right now, so all he could do was try to avoid the worst parts of himself.

[color=577d06]”And, I mean… Don’t get me wrong… I [i]do[/i] know them. Remember, there was a time where I got to meet the people who would come here. Leon’s generation was already on the move: They all competed in world youth tournaments. Only difference was, I also competed in my age division. And won. Bunch of fucking jerks…”[/color] he trailed off as if there was more to that moment for Trisha to explore.

Trisha tilted her head, turning to look at Casey curiously. With him moving on, sort of, she couldn’t really push that she wouldn’t be [i]forcing[/i] herself in front of him. It was a choice she was willing to make… But if it wasn’t what he wanted, she wouldn’t do it unless he really seemed to be struggling tomorrow. At least he wasn’t rejecting it because he was unhappy she’d even suggested it.

[color=d1b300]“[i]Jerks[/i]... Did they do something because you won? I assume they were at least bad losers? Pettily talking shit to you? I know the kind…”[/color] She could be a pretty bad loser herself, but she didn’t say that. 
[color=d1b300]“Or… It wasn’t something more extreme, was it? They didn’t all wait for you outside and beat you up?”[/color]

In her curiosity, she jumped from a realistic scenario to something that mostly happened in movies.

[color=577d06]”Not at once…”[/color] he sounded rather distant still, almost clamming up but doing his absolute best to remember what they’d talked about.

[color=577d06]”I wasn’t the only one. So, y’know, I can’t be too mad. It wasn’t personal. Or, it shouldn’t have been.”[/color]
He was trying to find a way to describe it that wouldn’t sound utterly insane to her. There wasn’t one.

[color=577d06]”Whatever competition you win, you get the prize, you get everyone praising you, all the excitement, whatever. Then, first session back at the gym, you take your test. You fight everyone in your age bracket, to see if anyone can beat you. If they do, they take the bragging rights for the competition you won. Because obviously if they beat you now, y’know, they’d have won if they were there. Even if they weren’t.”[/color]

Casey’s stories always followed something of a pattern. It seemed that every time he had to explain something from the past, it always pushed as comically close to “worse than you thought” as it could. And then he always had a cherry to top it.

[color=577d06]”Get through that, you fight older kids. You keep your social status though, nobody really dogged on you if you lost to someone older except the older person who finally beats you.”[/color] he finished, looking rather sour.

[color=577d06]”I want you to remember how freely I give this kind of shit up next time you wanna freak out over something shitty happening in your past. I can [i]definitely[/i] handle that trauma.”[/color]

Trisha tensed, hands gripped tight together. She’d only asked because he’d implied there was something more… She hadn’t realised it was something traumatic until he almost didn’t say anything. And now he was immediately throwing it in her face. 

Because he’d been able to tell her out without going through all the panic attacks and shutting down first. Obviously he’d be able to handle her trauma, because he [i]had[/i] gone through worse than her. Over and over again… But she wasn’t worried about the actual trauma she had being a problem for him. It was all the past shit that pointed to her being the problem, and all the ugly little things about her it pointed out.

She took a deep breath, shoving down the mixture of annoyance and panic. She was doing her best not to rise to the bait and react to the jab. She needed to not escalate, to prove that she could really handle him being open and honest. 

If she gave the wrong response, he’d snap back at her. It’d be worse. Just the thought completely ruined the deep breaths she’d tried to take, becoming shallower and more anxious. 

[color=d1b300]“I’ll remember. You know I’m trying to be more open about my issues, Casey.”[/color] She managed to reply, defaulting to a strange politeness. Like she was trying to placate him. It would last if he went along with it, but eventually the feelings beneath the surface would boil over.

[color=d1b300]“I’m sorry you went through that… That’s really awful. You should’ve been able to enjoy your victory instead of getting beaten up more for it. I didn’t mean to press about something difficult like that.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”It’s… [i]Fine.[/i] I’m sorry I said that. If I had a different tone, maybe you’d feel like I wasn’t questioning your trying status. I’m… Not. Just, y’know, White Lux is nostalgia. It’s how I remember things, like holding onto a moment so I don’t lose the context. I’m sorry.”[/color] he replied, totally blowing off her apology about pressing him.

[color=577d06]”It was shitty, but, like I said I wasn’t the only one who had to go through it. That doesn’t make it better, just easier for me to stomach. There was one kid, Bryce… Adept’s son, his Dad spent a lot of time with Furio. I’m pretty sure he was trying to kill me: He kept drilling me in the kidney over and over, I had a feeling I was gonna piss kool-aid. Thankfully Dad’s doctor made sure I was good.”[/color] he tried to drive his point home about why memory was important for him.

[color=577d06]”I feel that moment in every fist fight I have now. It was the first time I knew that something was really wrong with my body, where it was telling me that I should run instead of trying to fight back. I stayed, cleaned his fucking clock. That asshole…”[/color] he continued, hoping that if he didn’t dwell on the problem previous, that she’d accept his apology and also simply move on from it. Because he couldn’t kowtow in that moment. It just wasn’t on the table.

Trisha let out a shaky breath, frowning a little. He hadn’t entirely accepted her placating, but he hadn’t pushed back. Just apologised for what he said… That was fine. It was enough to keep the negativity it’d brought up below the surface, to crawl out later. 

[color=d1b300]“Is there a chance he’ll be there tomorrow?”[/color] She asked simply, frown deepening. She hoped Leon would at least not invite some asshole who tried to kill his brother in a stupid fight, but she wouldn’t put it past him. If he was there… She was sure there was some way to make sure he ‘accidentally’ got stung by a couple of bees… 

[color=d1b300]“I know it’s in the past, but I can’t believe some kid would go that far. Did you dad just let it happen? Surely there’s rules in boxing about [i]not[/i] doing shit like that?”[/color] Not that she knew anything about boxing, beyond Cass’ ranting and raving. Most of the time that devolved into her crazy fan life anyway. 
[color=d1b300]“I guess that’s not helpful now. You’ve really been pushing through dangerous things for a long time, haven’t you?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Doctor Parko was on duty every single day with my Dad. He didn’t leave without ol’ Parko. Take a punch or two. Take a bullet. It was healed before you complained. He was Green and White, and never missed an ailment. He used to pinpoint my Dad’s micronutrient levels in his body instantly, and tell him what to eat for dinner that night to course correct. He’d conjure fucking fruits like pills. He was nuts… So, Dad never worried about us getting hurt. Parko would fix it.”[/color]

There were a lot of dead names… People who, Casey now knew, were people that Lynette couldn’t bully around herself. Andrade had been easy, and Furio did what Clarissa said, which meant whatever Lynette said. Out of all the options, the “Gang of Cosmic Disasters”, anyone who called his Dad a brother… They were all gone. And they were the only people he’d want to talk to. People from back then, who seemed so big when he was so small.

[color=577d06]”Dad said we were supposed to learn to destroy. To break things down with our own physicality. We couldn’t do that if we were focused on all the little rules… Because you can’t teach killer instinct.”[/color] he explained further.

[color=577d06]”But, Bryce being there? No. Bryce… Isn’t with us.”[/color] he finished in an ominous tone.

[color=d1b300]“Oh…”[/color] Trisha’s eyes widened, speechless for a moment. All the frustration she felt about how [i]crazy[/i] it was that Casey had been taught like that, and that kids were allowed to do that shit just cause there was a magic healer, died down. He wasn’t with them… So he was probably dead. 

Casey’s Dad was too. She could guess this Doctor Parko too, from the constant past tense usage. If she started ranting at him about how fucked up that all was, he’d just get upset at her. She didn’t want that. Especially not when it was her being upset over things that happened in his past. It wasn’t like she could change it. 

[color=d1b300]“I’m… Sorry?”[/color] She didn’t really know what to say now. 
[color=d1b300]“At least you… won’t have to deal with him tomorrow… God, that’s so fucked up to say, isn’t it? I, uh…”[/color]

She fiddled with her ring, frowning. 
[color=d1b300]“I guess I just don’t like thinking about the younger you who got hurt so much because there was a magical healer to fix it all. You still get hurt… I wish I could go back and protect you from all of it. But I can’t… So I guess… I’m glad you told me about it, at least.”[/color]

She probably hadn’t been expecting him to laugh, but the uncomfortable reaction was funniest. It was incredibly domestic of her. It was the same response everyone gave him when it came to shit like that, until she said the actual real thing. The one that he would’ve heard another soldier say.

[color=577d06]”Only fucked up part is why. I’m happy, honestly. One less mocking face. One less degenerate in the world.”[/color] he said very simply, not worried about whether or not she felt the same ultimately.

[color=577d06]”I’m… Glad I told you too. You’re not, uh… You’re not bad for thinking that. Just like I don’t really think I’m that bad for saying what I said earlier. I’d save them if need be, but most of the people there… They’re phantoms. Ghosts from the past I just don’t want dredged up. If I gave a shit how they felt about me, I’d be much worse than I am now.”[/color] he admitted, not exactly explaining.

He hoped she’d understand given her own track record, but he could never be sure. So, he waited for her reply before speaking again, hoping that she’d ease into the confirmation. He wanted to demask… If that’s what he wanted, then he needed to act natural in front of her. She had to get used to him just [i]talking[/i]/ Hopefully, she would.

[color=d1b300]“Must be nice.”[/color] Trisha mumbled, looking down at her hands. 
[color=d1b300]“Not giving a shit about how they feel, that is. Not the whole ghosts from the past thing…”[/color]

The unspoken implication was that she couldn’t… Because she really [i]couldn’t[/i]. It was like those two girls from high school she bumped into. She’d given too much of a shit about what they thought, when they were nothing in her life anymore. Whenever she met her own ghosts, she always got dragged back to the past with them or got scared it would somehow impact her current relationships if she didn’t act nice. 

[color=d1b300]“I understand, I think. Not so bad that you want to kill them, but you don’t want to see them again.”[/color] She continued, glancing up towards him. 
[color=d1b300]“There’s people in my life like that too. I’d probably feel similar at a high school reunion… Seeing them again only makes my life worse. Not that anyone tried to kill me… But I wouldn’t be upset if any of them ended up dead.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”But you wouldn’t [i]want[/i] them dead. You wouldn’t think about it?”[/color] he asked her with a rather calm inflection for a question with such implicit menace behind it.

He’d been another dogged assassin of the Temple for far longer than he’d been the Blade. People had died by his hand before. And back then, he felt far differently about it. Had plenty of justifications. Lynette could find reason by the basketful to push this evil little part of Casey into doing horrifying things. The truth was, being a soldier relieved that part. They said every village needed a psychopath, after all. Someone who wasn’t afraid of getting their hands dirty in order to cull the herd of the bad beasts.

[color=577d06]”You know I’d make it happen, if it made you feel better… I hope one day, just knowing that brings you some kind of security. As sick as it may be… I’ll happily take the breath of others if it gives it back to you.”[/color] he asserted.
In the short distance, the image of the docks was in clear view. Furthest out, a large metal boat with what looked like enough cargo space for a few cars to be kept on it, bobbed wearily in the rough North-Pacific waters. 

Trisha barely saw the upcoming docks, too busy staring at Casey. She should probably be disturbed by that kind of statement… But she wasn’t. She didn’t have the means, but she’d do the same for him. If anyone tried to hurt him, she’d gladly hurt them back tenfold. 

She cared about other people’s opinions, but ultimately didn’t care [i]about[/i] them. Not to the point where she wanted other people dead, but she wouldn’t really care if it happened. She was tunnel visioned on him, and their budding coven and family.

[color=d1b300]“I know… But if you did that for me, I wouldn’t be able to take it back myself.”[/color] She responded, lips pulling up into a slight smile. 
[color=d1b300]“Not that I’d [i]kill[/i] them. But I want to be able to ignore them all one day, and not let it get to me. It’s harder to do that if everyone who ever wronged me is dead.”[/color]

She glanced away out the front window, towards the docks. She wasn’t particularly happy they were almost there. While being with just Casey wasn’t as comfortable as it had been, it was still preferable to being around anyone else. It just made seeing others more difficult, really. 

[color=d1b300]“You’re right that I wouldn’t want them dead like that. Maybe I thought it when I was at my most hurt, but not because I actually wanted it to happen. But… I like that you’d do it for me, even if I wouldn’t ask. I guess that makes me a little sick too.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”That’s obviously the part of you that [i]loves me.[/i]”[/color] he spoke simply, not exactly expanding on what that meant for her as he pulled them into the loading ramp for the dock, then onward to the ferry itself. It was just enough time for Trisha to press it if she wanted to.

[color=d1b300]“What do you mean?”[/color] Trisha furrowed her brow, twisting towards him in her seat. That the sick part of her loved him? Because… Of what he was like? Or because of how she acted? She… Knew what he meant, really, but she still asked the question even as she pressed further.

[color=d1b300]”Do you think that only the sick part of me loves you? That’s stupid. All of me does.”[/color]

Casey looked at her with a frown.

[color=577d06]”Your boyfriend offered to kill your high school bullies a decade after they mattered. And you know I would. But you don’t shy away? You don’t bat an eye? I just have a hard time imagining a world where there isn’t a little piece of you, or maybe a big piece, that isn’t repulsed by me… Probably because there’s a big piece of me that’s repulsed by me.”[/color] he said rather flatly. Yet, he still reached out for her hand as the truck came to a stop in the ferry’s iron belly.

[color=577d06]”If it’s all of you, then I can accept that. I know it’s real.”[/color] he concluded calmly, looking at her one last time for confirmation, and praying nothing changed in her eyes.

Trisha stared back at him, face scrunched up a little. It wasn’t a soft expression, because she couldn’t drag up that super warm, sappy love when she’d felt like everything was gearing up towards a fight. She looked indignant, almost a little fierce, like she was preparing to push up against him. But there was no disgust, and the love she felt for him was still there. Just it wasn’t so gentle… It was burning.

[color=d1b300]“It [i]is[/i] all of me. And you don’t have to imagine a world like that, because it’s this one. I don’t care about them and I love you. I’d only be upset that it might be something you struggled to live with.”[/color]

Maybe more than a little bit of her was sick… She wasn’t sure. While she’d been hurt by so many people in her life, she had spent a lot of the time just drifting. But if she’d been really pushed- or if she’d ended up in much worse situations- maybe she’d have that capacity too. She probably did… She’d already been thinking about hurting the people that hurt him. 

And she [i]did[/i] have to kill people when fighting the Stygian Snake. People mind controlled by it, but underneath that they were innocent. Maybe it was different, because it was to survive… But she’d do something like that for someone she loved this much.

[color=d1b300]“I’m not repulsed by you and there’s very little you could do to change that.”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Good.”[/color] was the only reply. It was probably a lot colder than he’d intended, but at the same time, he didn’t feel like there was a great deal to say. He didn’t want her getting any more keyed up over it than she already was, and figured a short and sweet answer that expressed his pleasure with the situation would be more than enough. 

Not that anyone came out to greet them on the ferry. Its gate closed automatically, and without really warning them, it began to putter across the waves. Casey pulled the emergency brake to make sure they didn’t do any rolling from the waves. Not that they would… The boat, you see, was just another Tuesday morning masterpiece for the Richoux.

[color=577d06]”But we’re still sending 8th Street to prison, right?”[/color] he joked, trying to win her back over.

[color=d1b300]“Why wouldn’t we?”[/color] Trisha asked, looking a little confused. 
[color=d1b300]“As opposed to killing them? Obviously. They deserve to suffer living in some shitty prison somewhere.”[/color]

Though most people would probably prefer that to dying… 

She did tense up, though it wasn’t because of his short reply. Sure, her anxiety had her misreading into a single word answer like crazy, but she was doing her best to not let it get to her. It was a confirmation. She was trying to think of it like that. 

It was the ferry starting to move, and her anxiety spiking with it. She was fine with boats, but the choppier the sea was, the more nervous she got… And the more likely she was to get sick. Thankfully it had been clear, if cold, when they went to Misty Island- and she hadn’t been as anxious in the first place. But today was pretty miserable with the rain and the wind. She’d seen how choppy the water was. Fuck, Casey would get upset if she threw up in the car, wouldn’t he?

[color=d1b300]“How long is the journey, again? Not that long, right?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Which part? The boat? Or putting up with my grandmother?”[/color] he asked sincerely before deciding to just answer.

[color=577d06]”Boat’s probably thirty minutes. We’re headed down the coast and out a bit. Barely in St. Portwell still. But, we could be over there for a few hours at best. If it’s real bad, it’s an all-day thing. Which is why I wanted to bring you… For company.”[/color] he asserted, making sure she knew he wanted her there, and wasn’t just bringing her because she’d make a big deal if he didn’t… Even if she would.

Trisha went a little pale at his answer. Both parts contributed to it, really. A whole day with his grandparents would be difficult to deal with when she didn’t really want to see anyone else. The thought of thirty minutes of being swung back and forth, anxiety and nausea increasing until it all spilled out, was more pressing in that moment. He’d probably regret bringing her when she ruined the car. It wasn’t so bad yet, but they were probably still in the shelter of the dock. Maybe it would be alright along the coast, but the further out they got the worse it would get.

At least he had wanted to bring her. Supposedly. It wasn’t an obligation, because he thought she’d get upset at being left behind. 

[color=d1b300]“I’m glad you wanted to bring me, but uh…”[/color] She bit her lip. This was stupid, now he was going to get upset that she couldn’t just say it. Because she was embarrassed and it was gross!
[color=d1b300]“Is there a bathroom on the boat? I might need to… give it more of my company… When we really hit the rough water…”[/color]

Casey had been on enough boats to see how seamen’s eyes got when they were ditching port. The ones who needed their daily doses of dramamine, who couldn’t get it right away… He did his best not to smile, remembering all the verbal lashings he’d gotten for taking their problems like jokes meant he wasn’t exactly inclined to sit and listen to more. At least he had good news to give her.

[color=577d06]”Oh… Oh, right. When we went out last, it was a decent day. You weren’t worried, I guess. Uh, don’t worry here either. Sylvie also gets sea sick, so there’s no way they’d employ this boat without making sure that wasn’t a problem for our dear, sweet Nana. Just ignore all the water that gets in, it gets flushed right back out.”[/color]

This didn’t directly explain that the boat’s profile was magically affected to remain totally deadlocked to a pre-lain track spanning the bottom of the bay and out toward Roquefort Island where the Chateau was. Nor did it explain that, thanks to this positional locking, it was completely immune to listing and tilting… Because it wasn’t actually [i]floating.[/i] 
This had the side effect of causing great spouts of water to impact the side of the boat and wash up over the side, having nothing else to do as waves besides break against the equivalent of a port shipping pier in the middle of the water.

Big waves usually completely flooded the open belly, so on rainy days, the boat made sure to close its canopy in order to prevent [i]most[/i] of the bilge from filling. There wasn’t even a Captain, the ship’s mechanisms entirely based around Big Max’s insane magical inventions.

[color=577d06]”If you’ve gotta hurl anyway, just open the door and hurl on the deck. It’ll get washed away with everything else.”[/color] he concluded.

Trisha grimaced at that image. She didn’t really want to lean out of the car and just throw up. If she had to, she had to, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant. Thankfully, if the boat wasn’t going to rock like crazy, her nausea shouldn’t be too bad. It was just the anxiety. 

[color=d1b300]“I should be fine.”[/color] She managed to relax a little bit, tension slowly easing. The idea of water [i]getting[/i] in made her a little nervous, but she’d have to trust him when he said to ignore it. He wouldn’t bring her on some crazy boat death trap… That much she was confident in. 

[color=d1b300]“At least I don’t have to worry about a freak wave capsizing it, and me drowning in freezing cold, choppy waters because I still can’t swim.”[/color] She joked, even though it was a genuine fear of hers whenever on a boat in rough seas.

[color=577d06]”Anything short of a bomb, we’ll be fine. There’s a big copper cable about sixty, seventy feet below us, and it’s magically holding the boat totally still. Like a weird magrail.”[/color] he explained a little further, not wanting to insult her intelligence by overexplaining, but desperately wanting to talk about cool magical technology.

[color=577d06]”If you’d feel better, we can cuddle.”[/color] he offered, cranking his seat back so there was room for her to crawl over the console and into his lap.
[color=577d06]”I’ll even disable the horn, so you can sit your bum on the front of the wheel without honking us to deaf.”[/color] he hoped she’d get the joke.

Honking them to… Deaf? Not death- Oh. She started giggling.

[color=d1b300]“But I’ve always wanted to deafen someone with my ass.”[/color] She playfully pouted. The joke helped her get over her hesitation about whether to cuddle him or not… He offered, but did he really want to? But he was doing things to make it more comfortable, and joking about it. It was fine. 

She leaned over to pull off her shoes before carefully climbing across the console to curl up in his lap. She immediately cuddled into him, head resting on his chest as her tension eased. She really did feel better here… Much less anxious about external forces sending them to the bottom of the ocean. 

[color=d1b300]“Thanks… I feel safer.”[/color] She said softly, enjoying his warmth for a moment.

But her mind was still too active for her to just cuddle and relax… So she easily latched onto something that would actually lead to conversation. It just happened to be exactly what Casey wanted to talk about. 

[color=d1b300]“If the boat’s sort of like a magrail, does that mean we’re actually… levitating? It just looks like we’re floating on the water?”[/color] She asked curiously.
[color=d1b300]“Wouldn’t it have been easier to make a… Magically stable boat, instead of installing a copper cable [i]under the water[/i]?”[/color]

[color=577d06]”Well, technically the cable was already there. It’s the main junction cable out to the southern islands. Pretty sturdy stuff, even if most of it is obsolete now that they… [i]own[/i] Roquefort, and all…”[/color]

It was hard to remember that, in spite of all Maxwell’s money he made from his career, and how much money the Temple itself was capable of making, somehow Casey’s grandparents managed to meet a level that probably looked familiar to Trisha. There was new money, and then there was [i]old[/i] money. Old money came with all the old connections. All the right people cared about that kind of money. James Vanburen had the wealth, but for all that was in their fortune, it was a known fact that he was anomalous. At least, known to people like the Temple, who had a very clear track record of the day that Vanburen Holdings was established.

So, she’d missed all the stuff about [i]connections.[/i] People to talk to who could make things happen, like the senator of Oregon who “donated” Roquefort Island to the Church of the New Dawn as part of a lobbying promise made not to them, but to the [i]Temple,[/i] whose operations span the state and beyond. A great deal of constituents were Temple adjacent, and when the stewardship of Roquefort came into question, so many phone calls were made between so many different individuals, that it certainly looked like some strange French annexation happening in sleepy St. Portwell. Finding the authorization, or anything before the ceremony that handed over control to the Church, was basically impossible.

Thus, they had an easily sustained magical powersource out there, and had long ago turned their connection to the mainland into nothing more than a convenient pathway for the boat to follow.

[color=577d06]”But, yeah. It’s just floating. We could float it a few dozen feet above the water, but then you’ve gotta deal with cloaking it, and dealing with a port that isn’t full of people sometimes. It’s a much easier illusion to present; that it jiggles around slightly. It only does that near shore. Programmed in, essentially.”[/color]

It's true, he did want to talk about the magic machines… She could already see a much more dealable grin on his face.

They [i]owned[/i] the whole island? She didn’t even know how much an island would cost. Could you just buy an island? She’d never imagined you could off a city like this. 

[color=d1b300]“People are going to start thinking [i]I’m[/i] the gold digger.”[/color] She joked lightly. 
[color=d1b300]“We don’t own a whole island… I don’t think. If we did, Dad probably would’ve dumped us on it every holiday.”[/color]

She wouldn’t put it past Tansy to try to buy an island just to host things, but she probably didn’t have that much money by herself. Ezra was far too sensible to spend so much money on something like that… Unless it was to make it a crazy expensive resort. 

Smiling slightly, she switched back to think about the crazy magical boat, latching onto Casey’s enthusiasm.
[color=d1b300]“Does it always jiggle the same amount, or does it vary depending on what the waves are like? I guess people probably don’t look that closely… I can’t say I’ve ever scrutinised how much a boat sways as it comes into the port, unless I’m worried about what it's going to be like when I get onto it.”[/color]

He found himself especially pleased that she was asking questions he had answers to. Questions about the mechanics were easiest to get through, because he knew every single little spell his Grandfather had used to make this boat do what it did to begin with. All the bells and whistles splayed out in front of him, and he could see it all so clearly.

[color=577d06]”It knows how choppy things are. Actually, if it’s docked up, it totally disconnects from the line, so that it floats like a normal boat besides the basic anchor point that it uses to stay relatively close to shore. Then once it reconnects, it takes the level of sway, and slowly reduces it until we get out past the initial wharfs. Then, there’s enough treeline that nobody can see us pass the horizon line.”[/color]

Grinning, Casey shuffled one hand slightly and went for his phone to pull it out. She could watch him try to start the camera, only for the picture it produced on the screen to be completely blurry. But, as soon as he left the camera, the phone was fine again.

[color=577d06]”It also breaks all observational optics. Phones can’t take pictures of it while it's attached to the line, because it outputs a Luxal signal that detects aperture lenses specifically. Scopes, telescopes, binoculars, fuckin’... Big television cameras. Whatever’s got a big ol’ curved lens to take pictures with or see shit far away, it totally fucks with.”[/color] he slid the phone back down. 

[color=d1b300]“Wow."[/color] Trisha's gaze moved from his phone back up to him, looking genuinely impressed. 

She was. It seemed like an insane amount of magic… To her, the amount Casey had and used was already impressive. There weren't many Adepts that strong in Sycamore and all the Adjoined that were struggled to control their magic. So such incredible use of it was still a lot for her to take in. She knew that Sylvie and Max were grandmasters, and when they visited she realised how magic use was just normal for them… But this was a lot. Especially that it broke observational optics. 

[color=d1b300]“That’s amazing. Do they do that elsewhere? Breaking all observational optics? It seems really useful… Well, I guess it's only useful if you're famous and might have stalkers or paparazzi trying to take pictures of you."[/color] She giggled a bit. It probably didn't block any magical spying, sadly. 

[color=d1b300]“Are you going to be able to do something like this one day? Is our land going to be filled with crazy magical vehicles to take us all over it?"[/color]

[color=577d06]”Not quite. I imagined a honeycomb property, like the Temple. But, y’know, built by someone who gives a fuck. Why bother having one big house, when we can have eight or ten little houses, and choose where we wanna be? It just takes creative solutions for other stuff. Maybe even in ways you never considered. [i]Probably[/i] because they’ll be problems you never would’ve had without me.”[/color]

He wasn’t thinking problems that had to do with fighting. More like “How do we move our food from one home to another without making it a big deal every time?” His own pet solution was distributor pipelines. Press a button, it miniaturizes and locks all the fridge shelves, then slides them out backward into a small pipe that directly transports the locked foodstuffs into the selected fridge.

[color=577d06]”Like, y’know, you’re working on something and suddenly I wanna be in a new place? We make a flip-desk. We find a Purple Lux Adept, and we form a pocket inside the desk that you can flip the surface into, and it just pushes it out onto a different desk with the same properties nearby.”[/color]

The truth was, he could already do most of this stuff. Unlike her, he didn’t just have a spirit uninclined to inform him of things. He had [i]books[/i]. Plenty of books to read about spells, and plenty of time and desire to cram whatever he could into his head.

[color=577d06]”But, maybe it would be fun to have, like, a [i]train[/i] on the property. For the kids, y’know?”[/color]

Trisha smiled at that. 
[color=d1b300]“Only if it looks and acts like one of those old steam trains… They're much more fun, the kind that kids would really love to ride on."[/color]

It was nice to think and talk about the future, especially when things felt difficult right now. It helped her remain a bit more stable… Every time they talked about it, she began to believe it would happen more. And she really did believe it was what he wanted as well right now. 

Though she didn't really understand the loads of small houses versus one big one. What was the benefit of having so many? There must be something, outside of creative magical solutions to problems Trisha never would've even imagined. But she just couldn't see it… it seemed a bit strange to her. Wouldn't it make all of the houses feel less like home, because they didn't spend as much time in them? 

[color=d1b300]“Why would you prefer more small houses? For… the change of scenery?"[/color] She tried to guess a reason, hoping her genuine interest would come across rather than it seeming like she was questioning that desire of his. Or against it… Really, she just wanted to understand. If it would make him happier, she would go along with it. He was her home rather than any actual house, after all.

This question was a lot more difficult to answer, but he still knew it… [i]And in the interest of honesty-[/i]

[color=577d06]”I never felt like I had anywhere to run as a kid. Nowhere that felt immediately safe and comforting. Say one day we fight… Rather than let uh, Junior or whoever, have to listen to it all the time, why not have another place to go immediately? To retreat, to regroup,and recoup, and think for ten minutes about something that isn’t sad or scary. I had this little picture book when I was little. It was a Professor Sways book. I always liked how he drew everything so colorful, and kind of without detail. The houses and everything always looked so creative. And I wanted to escape into that book. Ever since, I’ve… Had an idea of what I wanted. Part crazy house, part art project… [i]All home.[/i]”[/color] he finished, looking incredibly thoughtful if not a little sad in his expression.

Trisha hugged him a bit tighter. She hoped by the time they had children they'd gotten through most of the issues they might fight about… Or at least have figured out how to do it without fighting. But maybe that wouldn't happen. She wasn't sure how long it would take her to really get through her own issues, and there'd only be so long she'd be able to wait before she wanted to have a kid with him. 

She definitely didn't want any children of theirs growing up scared, or not feeling comfortable in their home. She didn't want Casey dealing with that either… Even if it meant they needed to swap between houses, or go to separate places for a short while. Any thought of possible separation tugged at her anxieties, but he didn't want it so they'd have different places to live. Just so that they could both feel safe… Right? 

Even if it would make it easier to be separate. 

[color=d1b300]“I’ve never read the book before, you'll have to show me sometime."[/color] She said softly. She didn't really remember any picture books she'd had. Probably bulk bought books for all the children in the house of that age… If she thought hard enough, she could vaguely remember shiny covers and a cold feeling. The only person that ever tried to read them to her was one of the Nannies, and Tansy a couple of times. She'd quickly grown out of reading them herself, forcing herself onto books with more words in the hope of getting some kind of attention. 

[color=d1b300]“Home’s never really been a place for me. The closest anything came to it before I met you was the apartment I had with Cass and Diyah… What I mean is, I'm happy for our house to be houses, and to be whatever you want. Anywhere we stay together becomes like a home to me… And I don't want our kids to grow up like either of us. Hopefully they won't have to run, but I want them to have places they can feel safe in. Multiple places, not just one room they lock themselves in, so… The crazy, artistic houses sounds good."[/color]

[color=577d06]”I hope it’s not a crazy concession… But, when we get there, I’m sure we’ll have another talk about it. One with a lot more concrete expectations.”[/color]
He leaned downward, kissing her on the top of her head as his hands slid up to rub her arm.
[color=577d06]”But… [i]Other things[/i] will happen. Funny Orange Lux contraptions and stuff, yeah. So, maybe get ready for that kind of thing while we’re here? Just for you to see some potential options?”[/color] he giggled.

Trisha smiled up at him, shaking her head against him slightly. 
[color=d1b300]“Alright, I'll try my best."[/color]