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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 7, 2022 10:55:21 GMT -8
Erik noticed that Maeve had misunderstood his question. Fair enough. His actions probably had been misleading. However, before he could clear that up, she went into an answer, after all.
"We really should take it easy today,""I need to save up as much energy as I can for tomorrow. Something tells me it's going to be a crazy day at work,"
Erik's features hardened at once, same as his actions stopped. He wasn't pulling back but let his hands rest where they had just been. "You're not going back there?" he kind of asked, although his tone didn't really sound like a question but rather like an imperative, therefore completely passing on additions such as or do you? To him, that never had been an option for her. To go back. After she had helped break him out at that.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 7, 2022 11:28:05 GMT -8
One of Erik's hands had come to rest at the edge of the bruised welt on her abdomen and Maeve shifted slightly in discomfort, suddenly realizing how still he'd become and noting the rigidity that had overcome him. Her own hands slowed in the dicing process as she visualized the expression she knew would be on his face as her mind quickly worked to figure out what she'd said to have caught him off guard like that.
"You're not going back there?"
And now her hands came to a full stop as well at having also been caught off guard. She glanced up at the reflection of his face in the window before them to find the expression she'd known was on his face. "Of course I am," she said resolutely, her eyes returning to her task and gradually picking up the speed once again. His previous comment regarding an offer suddenly brought to mind their last conversation back in his cell. Amusement she'd found in her misunderstanding of the comment before now hitting her with annoyance, she added on in a sardonic tone, "I'm certainly not going to go hide in some mansion and waste time learning new tricks."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 15, 2022 6:37:19 GMT -8
Erik saw her watching him in the reflection in the window before them. He knew his words and tone had caused a change, but the look with which she was gazing at him told him just how much she disliked anyone telling her what to do and what not. However, he was one of the kind who pressed their point, no matter the relation. She had learned that already back at the time at Trask.
"Of course I am,"
Erik's features hardened just some more. He couldn't allow that, and she knew he couldn't. It was not only about pressing his point as for Trask Industries but, above all, about her safety. His hands were still resting around her abdomen when she continued with her task, picking up the speed while she did even.
"I'm certainly not going to go hide in some mansion and waste time learning new tricks."
"So, instead, you prefer fighting on the wrong front while learning nothing new but bureaucracy tricks?" Erik uttered rather quietly, yet with a harsh tone in his voice. Of course, he was aware of the reasons of why she was doing all that, but that didn't prevent him from coming up with comments like that when seeing the pressing his point part not working.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 15, 2022 14:05:44 GMT -8
Getting caught up in her rising agitation, she'd minced the vegetables all to hell. Tossing the knife down to clatter on the ruined mess, she turned to face him, in the process, thankfully dislodging his hand that had been resting uncomfortably close to her injury. She knew he would have instantly and apologetically moved it had she said something, but the last thing she wanted to do was give him any ammo to use against her. Not that she didn't have a counter already prepared for that should he think to use it.
"Just because it's not your front," she stressed with her pointer finger lightly poking his chest, "doesn't make it the wrong front," she shot back just as harshly. Pointing out his habit of mixing up his opinion with fact was something she'd stressed several times back during those late hour discussions in his cell. "I've put in so much time and worked so hard to get to where I am at that company." Another point she'd made many times and, frankly, was tired of making. "You, of all people, should know how valuable it is to have a person on inside. I am that person! I have accomplished the difficult task of infiltrating the enemy. Do you really want me to just," she made a dismissive gesture with her hands over the frivolousness of what he was proposing, her temper having risen higher with each statement, "throw that away?!"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 4, 2022 1:51:55 GMT -8
Of course, Erik couldn't know the reason for her sudden rearrangement of his hands on her body, so he mistakened it to be a dismissing gesture towards any contact at all, at least, right now; Especially since that would mix well with her actions of mincing the vegetables all to hell and tossing the knife down. He pulled his hands completely back and just watched her, his features still hardened.
"Just because it's not your front,""doesn't make it the wrong front,"
Oh, it surely does, he snapped back only in his thoughts, mostly because she wouldn't give him time to answer before continuing making her point.
"I've put in so much time and worked so hard to get to where I am at that company.""You, of all people, should know how valuable it is to have a person inside. I am that person! I have accomplished the difficult task of infiltrating the enemy. Do you really want me to just,""throw that away?!"
"There are other ways to find your sister, Maeve," Erik picked up on the matter he thought her stay at Trask really was about while ignoring most things he had said. There could be no other reason. Who would like to work for them anyway? "I know people who would be a lot more helpful than... them." And better for your safety, he added, once again, only in thoughts.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 5, 2022 12:19:18 GMT -8
Her sister was constantly on her mind, but for this weekend, she'd allowed it to be tucked away to the back of her mind. Hearing her sister be brought up was a stark reminder of reality that felt like the nail in the coffin of this fantasy weekend.
Everything she'd been ignoring and pretending didn't exist came rushing back. The memories, the emotions. Pain, frustration, worry and fear over what her sister was going through, loneliness, helplessness, anger... but only a ghost of all that flitted across her face.
It took her a few silent moments to collect herself and answer. "Nobody could be more helpful than someone on the inside," she stated resolutely, turning again to grab the cutting board and knife and stepping to the sink to scrape the ruined mush down the drain and vigorously scrub everything clean as she spoke. "I have access to blueprints, schematics... the mutants they've taken, what their plans are. I've learned the location of more secret bases than anyone on the outside has managed. I've even been to many of them, personally walked around, gotten a first-hand look at the security and the layout."
Everything now in the dish drainer, Maeve grabbed the hand towel and started vigorously drying her hands as she turned to face Erik again. "You want to tell me what you and your people have managed to gather about Trask in all this time?" she said pointedly and perhaps, in a bit too personal of an attack in her currently emotionally fueled riled up state. "Because from what I've gathered, your so-called helpful people didn't even know where to find you," she snapped. Her comment came with a sudden reminder that had her angrily tossing the towel back onto the counter; had they not broken him out, there'd no longer be an Erik left to find.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 3, 2022 3:15:48 GMT -8
"Nobody could be more helpful than someone on the inside,""I have access to blueprints, schematics... the mutants they've taken, what their plans are. I've learned the location of more secret bases than anyone on the outside has managed. I've even been to many of them, personally walked around, gotten a first-hand look at the security and the layout."
Erik was just going to launch into an answer, telling her that, in the end, actions were still far more worth than gathering all that information while standing at a dead end, when Maeve wouldn't let him get a word in himself. His nostrils and jawline were showing his displeasure about her words, though. But he would patiently wait for her to finish what she had to say.
"You want to tell me what you and your people have managed to gather about Trask in all this time?""Because from what I've gathered, your so-called helpful people didn't even know where to find you,"
"It's not about me, Maeve!" Erik finally said, emotions, first of all, fury, suddenly breaking out as they had piled up during the time he'd been waiting to get a word in. Not even towards her but rather towards a situation that he obviosuly couldn't control. And Erik didn't like when he couldn't control something that was important to him. "They might not have moved a finger to break me out, but that surely doesn't mean they wouldn't move a finger to fight in this war. And that's the point, Maeve. They fight. They actually do something. For all of us. How much longer do you want to play this game? To hide? To play by their rules?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 9, 2022 9:49:40 GMT -8
Maeve didn't flinch at his fury. It only ignited hers further. She scoffed at his comment regarding his people actually doing something, taking it as an assumption he was saying she wasn't. He had no idea how many mutants she'd helped to escape from facilities during her time in Trask's employ, how many of their plans and raids had mysteriously gone awry, keeping countless other mutants from being imprisoned...and she wasn't about to enlighten him. Maeve was uncomfortable with receiving praise so she sure as hell wasn't about to go and sing her own praises.
"I want equality! A change like that takes time and patience. You.." she gestured angrily at him as an argument they'd had so many times before resurfaced and felt more impassioned now after how much closer they'd gotten, "You want to turn the tables! Where does that put humans? People like our parents?" she added, trying to stress her side with a personal connection. She wasn't looking for an answer and really shouldn't have followed alongside him down that path that never led to anywhere, but the man just riled her right out of common sense. "I'm going back to Trask," she stated resolutely as she started to step around him.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Aug 8, 2022 4:40:19 GMT -8
"I want equality! A change like that takes time and patience. You..""You want to turn the tables! Where does that put humans? People like our parents?"
Erik's nostrils and jawline were working just some more while he listened to her words. How dare she tell him that he would harm their families while he only wanted to make those pay, meaning danger for all of them, even their own species? To save every single being on earth was just not possible. But they have caused so much more harm than any of them ever could. Why didn't she see that?
"I'm going back to Trask,"
"No, you won't!" Erik suddenly moved again, grabbing Maeve's arm as she started to step around him. No matter their fighting and different views, he couldn't let her go back there. His bad habit, though, was to always sound like dictate to someone instead of worrying.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 13, 2022 16:18:06 GMT -8
Finding her steps suddenly halted, Maeve looked down to the hand holding her in place. "Pardonne moi?", she scoffed, surprise as his audacity momentarily overtaking a bit of her anger. It had been an assertive move on his part, though the strong grip merely enough to halt her in order to keep her where he wanted her to remain. They'd reached a level of anger that might have caused bruising with such a reflexive move and had there not been a subconscious part of him intent on avoiding her any physical harm, Maeve surely would have flown into full on fury.
She slowly pulled her arm free to face him once again, taking in the angry determination on his face, her surprise dissipating into various emotions. His habit of telling people what to do was difficult enough for her to swallow, given her past, but those could be brushed off or discussed without following through. This had sounded like an order and those were not given with the intent of a choice for the other person. She felt hurt and betrayed that someone she'd cared for, someone she'd opened herself up to, was attempting to control her. Angry at herself for having allowed herself to care and open herself up once again. It was the anger she held onto because it was the easiest.
"Don't," she bit out angrily, shaking an accusatory finger near his chest. "Don't you dare try to control me," she warned in the impassioned tone of someone with experience.
Maeve wanted to shout at him to leave but despite the hurt and betrayal she currently felt and the worry that she might have found herself repeating past mistakes, the thought that he might go right ahead and walk right out of her life for good kept the words from coming out. It wasn't just this disagreement they both did not seem to want to budge on or the clash in their beliefs. It was the emotional attachment that made everything even more difficult. This was exactly the kind of complication she'd been trying to avoid. With an angry, frustrated growl, Maeve took a couple steps away to pace it off. Why? Why had she spoken to him the night she'd stumbled into his cell? Why had she kept going back? Why had she opened her door when he'd shown up on her doorstep?
"Je suis un tel idiot pour avoir impliqué mon cœur," she chastised on another angry growl as she rubbed her forehead, verbally letting out some of her frustration in the assumption he did not understand as she tried to find a solution to the complication she'd created for herself. They were both just so angry and they needed space to calm and collect themselves, but that was impossible when they were both holed up in the same small house.
Maeve stopped her pacing to cross her arms and face him, anger still clear on her face and in her tone. "I am going back to work. That is not up for discussion," she said with as much angry authority as Erik's last comment had held. "But how about a compromise. You want me to stay at the mansion?" She stepped toward the counter and grabbed her purse. "Fine."
And with that last clipped word, Maeve disappeared.
______________________________________ pardonne-moi = excuse me
Je suis un tel idiot pour avoir impliqué mon cœur. = I am such an idiot for getting my heart involved. ______________________________________
***Maeve exits to New York - X-Mansion - Front Yard and Front Door***
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Sept 7, 2022 7:26:15 GMT -8
"Don't,""Don't you dare try to control me,"
Erik was still glancing at her in silence, yet also with the same harsh expression on his features. He couldn't help but get lost in his temper once it had surfaced. It didn't help that it was his beloved who would receive it. Instead of controlling her, however, his only intention was to protect her and keep her away from the front. Erik was just pretty bad at communicating that.
"Je suis un tel idiot pour avoir impliqué mon cœur,"
Erik wouldn't let that fact show on his face, but he was well aware of the meaning of the foreign words she had tossed at him since he was fluently speaking a few European languages, one of them French. She didn't have to know, especially not right now. Erik knew that they both got controlled by anger at this moment, but that didn't make her words less hurtful. In his opinion, she was overreacting a lot, though.
"I am going back to work. That is not up for discussion,""But how about a compromise. You want me to stay at the mansion?""Fine."
Don't you dare teleport yourself out of this discussion, Erik managed to think but not to utter before Maeve had disappeared just that way indeed.
"Merde..." he muttered in French as well, after she was long gone, leaving him at her place without any possibility to catch up. It will take him a while to get back to the mansion himself. He just hoped that she would still be around by the time he did.
_______________________________________________________________ merde = damn
***
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 4, 2023 2:29:58 GMT -8
Erik was still staring at the spot where Maeve had left only moments ago, unaware of how many moments actually. Eventually, he let out a sigh of annoyance. His anger had vanished a bit, although it was still somewhat present.
Erik walked towards the phone in the living room then, dialing Charle's number. Unfortunately, he was dependent on others when it came to changing locations of great distances. And, fortunately, his number was still etched in his mind.
With annoyance and frustration written on his face and probably also audibly in his breathing, Erik was waiting for his old friend to answer the call. As soon as he heard the connection was active, he spoke up without even waiting for the other to answer the call properly. "I need you to send me the jet." The tone in his voice added a silent now without a need to add it verbally.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 12, 2023 15:58:01 GMT -8
(Maeve's voice in the background through the telephone)
"If anyone gets in my way or interferes, I'm gone, just like that." The faint sound of a snap of fingers was heard at the end of the last word.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 12, 2023 16:24:19 GMT -8
(Charles via telephone)
A couple seconds of silence and Charles' usual tone of playful snark was heard.
"Hello, old friend. Things are wonderful here, thanks for asking. I just had a lovely chat with Maeve. She's staying, by the way." There was a silent 'you're welcome' to his tone before some seriousness entered his voice. "At least for the time being."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 4, 2023 3:02:18 GMT -8
"If anyone gets in my way or interferes, I'm gone, just like that."
Those words, the tone to them, and that familiar sound of fingers snapping were enough to boil up Erik's anger once again, pushing the fact that Maeve was there with Charles after all into the background. Erik hated that he was gotten no room left for a reply. And she surely knew by now how much this drove him crazy.
"Hello, old friend. Things are wonderful here, thanks for asking. I just had a lovely chat with Maeve. She's staying, by the way.""At least for the time being."
Erik did not at all react to the try of being funny by adding teasing words of introduction nor the silent 'you're welcome' to the tone in Charle's voice but, instead, right away went into another demand, much more important to him than making her stay at a place he wasn't staying at himself. "You've got to talk her out of what she thinks is her mission, Charles." Because this stubborn woman wouldn't listen to me telling her, Erik added only in mind. It really irked him to be not listened to while, in the end, Charles might be more successful. At least he hoped he would be.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 4, 2023 20:05:30 GMT -8
(Charles via telephone)
There were a few seconds of silence, Charles obviously choosing his words carefully.
"This is Maeve we're speaking of..." came his flat reminder, then his tone turned dry. "I'm fairly certain the only way I could change her mind is if I changed it for her--which I would never do." He added resolutely.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 1, 2023 11:53:11 GMT -8
The ongoing silence at the other end of the phone was enough to bring back even more of that anger to Erik, reminding him of their disputes and different ways of looking at things and, especially, facts. He knew that what would follow were nothing but moral preaches, covered up in his little reminders about what was right in his eyes.
"This is Maeve we're speaking of..."
And here they were, Erik having to listen to just that. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, not expecting much of the words that would follow.
"I'm fairly certain the only way I could change her mind is if I changed it for her,"
He was just breathing in the air for a response when Charles would go on with an addition that turned said action into waste.
"--which I would never do."
"And which I would never have asked for," Erik replied in a matter-of-fact tone, actually lying. He might not do so in a clear state of mind, but, right now, that was not what it was.
"Anyways," he quickly added, still with the same serious tone to his voice. "Don't you have like- arguments and nice ways to bring them up?" Because, obviously, my ways weren't nice enough.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 9, 2023 13:55:26 GMT -8
(Charles via phone)
"Have you considered the consequences, should Maeve not show up tomorrow?" came the rhetorical inquiry. "The new man in charge has already had his suspicions regarding various escapes at their other facilities--You're not the first mutant she's liberated," Charles interjected in an 'in case you weren't aware' tone. "How long would it take them to link her to those as well?" "Or to figure out the truth of what she is, in order to have been able to pull off those feats?"
His pause was very short as his objective tone suggested his main purpose was to impart facts. "A mutant, who has infiltrated them, knows their secrets, the locations of their bases, can bypass their mutant detectors, surprise attack whenever and wherever..." Charles broke off, the sound of real worry having entered his objective tone as he'd continued to speak. There was now serious weight to his tone as he voiced his conclusion. "They'll hunt her down, Erik."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 7, 2023 3:19:45 GMT -8
He listened to Charles' words without breaking into them once, with his teeth gritting and temples throbbing though.
... "They'll hunt her down, Erik."
"You think I don't know that?!" Erik suddenly burst out with audible anger, not really towards Charles, which he probably knew, but towards the situation. He hated that they were unable to change anything, that everything they did to prevent Maeve would backfire, making her public enemy number one.
Erik needed some seconds to calm himself, then let out one heavy sigh before going on a lot more composed yet still emotional. "Charles, this woman is important to me, really important. I- Do you think you'll be able to protect her? To prepare her for what's going to come?" The big war that was. Erik was still seeing no other way than fighting a war, with a lack of understanding for the ways Charles still might see.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 29, 2023 13:31:40 GMT -8
(via phone)
Charles took a few seconds of silence of his own, the weight of Erik's ask and the limits to what one could promise not allowing the strong, affirmative answer they'd both would have liked to have heard. Even still, his tone was still adamant with the promise he could make. "I'll do the best I can."
Another short silence and the sound of shifting as if Charles was reluctant, but he finally spoke again. "I believe I may be able to convince her to start training to learn to use her abilities to their fullest... but she is extremely adamant about continuing her mission on her own."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 24, 2023 0:36:33 GMT -8
"I'll do the best I can."
Erik let out the breath of air he'd been holding while the other had gone into silence. He knew that Charles would always choose to help someone in need rather than leave them to their own fate for helper syndrome reasons especially, but Erik also had a feeling that what once had been between them still counted as well. The friendship that had been tested so many times by different views on the world and the people within. "Thank you," he got honest words of gratitude in, before Charles would go on more nervously again.
"I believe I may be able to convince her to start training to learn to use her abilities to their fullest... but she is extremely adamant about continuing her mission on her own."
Erik remained silent on his part then, for some seconds at least. Then he sighed. "Yes. I know." He felt that arguing about it brought them nowhere but to a dead end, for now at least. Still, it was audibly in his voice that this fact wasn't exactly pleasing him. "Is she still with you?" Erik added a question suddenly. He knew that Maeve, of course, wasn't with him in the same room still, but he also knew that Charles could use his powers to tell if she had left the building or was lingering somewhere around, maybe actually consider staying.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 25, 2023 15:46:11 GMT -8
(via phone)
A few silent moments passed signifying Charles was mentally scanning. "She's here. In the kitchen, I believe."
He immediately elaborated beyond the now. "I'd provided her with a couple of compelling arguments to convince her to stay, but she's made it quite clear that she will leave if she feels her mission is being hindered in any way--as you'd heard with her parting words,"
Charles spoke carefully now, obvious that he knew he was broaching a potentially triggering topic. "It's difficult to talk sense into a person who has their mind set, even harder when that person can simply disappear before you can finish laying out your argument," laying out the facts, Charles spoke calmly and carefully, obviously trying his best to avoid upsetting Erik with insinuations against him. "We must tread lightly; choose our words carefully."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 22, 2023 1:08:25 GMT -8
"She's here. In the kitchen, I believe."
Erik exhaled a breath rather quietly when, after a felt eternity, the other finally answered his question. If Maeve hadn't rushed out the entrance door just yet, there was a chance she wouldn't today. She was an impulsive person like himself, and Charles was aware of that. He surely was careful not to push buttons that would lead her to act without due consideration.
"I'd provided her with a couple of compelling arguments to convince her to stay, but she's made it quite clear that she will leave if she feels her mission is being hindered in any way--as you'd heard with her parting words,"
After all, Erik had to smirk a little at that. Yes, he knew Maeve well enough by now to be able to confirm that. So he actually could even agree with Charle's next words, no matter how much they were to his disliking because choosing words carefully was not what he was really good at. And they both knew that.
"It's difficult to talk sense into a person who has their mind set, even harder when that person can simply disappear before you can finish laying out your argument,""We must tread lightly; choose our words carefully."
Erik remained silent for some more seconds before he asked another, completely different question, as suddenly as before. "Can you send the jet over?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 23, 2023 10:22:53 GMT -8
(via phone)
Charles' response came without hesitation, easily accepting the topic change.
"Already halfway to you by now, old friend. Perhaps you can pass the time by gathering some things Maeve may need?" came the light suggestion. "I know she can pop on over in a snap, but the less she has to, the more at home she'll start to feel here."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Aug 6, 2023 1:32:40 GMT -8
"Already halfway to you by now, old friend. Perhaps you can pass the time by gathering some things Maeve may need?""I know she can pop on over in a snap, but the less she has to, the more at home she'll start to feel here."Erik was glad that his change of topic got so easily accepted. Charles surely had enough of discussing as well, first with Maeve and now with him. But his friend had to face it: they both would do what they thought was right anyway. More discussions would follow soon enough. "I see what I can find," he replied with a much easier tone himself then, in it a silent message like I'd rather not want to search through a woman's things without permission though but will do. They probably knew each other well enough to hear those unspoken lines, or read them accidentally in the other's mind, as for Charles.
"And thank you... again," Erik added more silently. He was well aware that Charles could just reject all of his requests after everything they had been through, after fighting on different sides, so he was all the more grateful that he didn't.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 13, 2023 13:10:35 GMT -8
(via phone)
"Of course. Our kind are always welcome to seek shelter here," came Charles' easy, welcoming reply which was a clear extension toward Erik as well. "We'll see you soon, Erik."
There was a quiet click as the phone on Charles' end was returned to its cradle.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Sept 7, 2023 0:46:26 GMT -8
"Of course. Our kind are always welcome to seek shelter here,""We'll see you soon, Erik."
"Take care," Erik was able to get in before a quiet click told him that his friend hung up. For a short moment, a slight smile appeared around his lips before he put the phone away himself. It was not like he never would have regretted how their friendship went down in the past. Maybe it still wasn't too late for Charles to understand his stance. But, for now, Maeve was who they had to concentrate on.
Erik sat for some more minutes, his eyes wandering towards the untouched food Maeve had started to prepare before it went down with them as well. Well, why not have it now? There was enough time left to pack some things and prepare himself anyway.
***
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