strangetrip | [EP] I feel the best and most precious part of me leap

When Sunny had arrived to take over in the library, she passed an envelope to Corbie explaining, "For you and Mildmay. I had these printed the last time we were let out."

Corbie had been confused of course, but she'd taken her surprise down with her to the cafe before she opened it. Immediately, the whole world just stopped. It felt like a star leaping in her belly. Like, at least just for that one moment, nothing would ever be wrong again. Because while most of the faces in the pictures she was looking at were unfamiliar--later she might realize that Coby was in the background of one, wearing a completely idiotic sweater--each picture had one person in common. A tall, thin man with long red curls and mismatched yellow and blue eyes, beautiful as daylight, proud as a peacock, and bearing a striking resemblance to Mildmay.

Felix.

She had talked about this with Coby before, but it had not truly seemed real, not at the time. Hell, it didn't seem real now. He was not... well, for lack of a better way to put it, he was not her Felix. This man was younger, of an age with Mildmay, whereas she knew the brothers had something like six or so years between them. There was also no white in his hair (and it was not as long), which she knew he'd gotten on his travels and he was less than proud of it. But that smile, that stance, that affected boredom, that teasing, that was Felix. That was Felix.

She had, she realized, been afraid. Been so very afraid of forgetting his face. And oh, the memories that rushed to her then, sitting together on that rickety cot for her first lessons, the light and almost breathless way he spoke, the way she felt like she'd had sunlight poured directly into her when he'd told her, 'You've made excellent progress. I'm proud of you.'

Her heart raced and her stomach fluttered and her hands shook and Corbie laughed and cried all at once. Her witchlights, little glowing purple chrysanthemums, bloomed all around her. She hardly took notice.

[ooc: So Corbie got photographs of an AU!Felix from another game because RP is weird. Her crush is showing.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"She's fine." He tried not to roll his eyes, but maybe the sound of his voice did communicated his desire anyway. "She's lucky Peter did the whole hero thing and that we have healers here."

Maybe he should go punch Quill for good measure.

"I don't know how people deal with teenagers and their special brand of stupid." Or Quill's, but that guy didn't have an excuse.

Corbie shook her head and closed her eyes for a second. "She's... really sheltered. I don't know about him." She hadn't had any meaningful time with Peter since he'd arrived, and that was a long time ago now.

Alec wasn't sure that was a good excuse, but then again, he didn't place most of the blame on either kid. He placed it on Quill. "For the record, even though I wanted to, I did punch that moron in his face." Even though it wasn't off the table even now. And he had definitely adopted Thor's nickname for Quill.

If he was expecting Corbie to give the pacifistic answer here, he'd be disappointed. She pulled a face. "Sounds like he deserves to be punched in the face."

Corbie was not a violent person by nature, but putting kids in unnecessary danger was pretty fucking terrible.

Alec was actually surprised. Surprised because of her answer and because apparently there were different rules for different things and it was confusing.

"Well good. then you're one less person I have to worry about when I eventually end up doing it." It was hard for Quill to open his mouth and Alec not to want to punch him in his face. "But I'd pay money to see you do it. I bet you have a surprisingly good hook."

Corbie snorted. "Not really. But..." And now she did make an effort to say the right thing, "good for you, keeping yourself from doing it. That can't have been easy."

"It was only easy because I had other people to take care of." Had they been alone, it would have been a different story. Had one or both of them died - Quill would probably not be alive.

"You speak girl. Can you tell Liz to -" He made a vague gesture. He didn't actually get what she was trying to do, not really. It didn't strike him like someone trying to prove themselves capable. "- I don't know. Accept she's who she is or whatever it is she's doing."

Corbie scrunched her face, though she wasn't sure what it was that bothered her about 'speak girl.' "I... don't know. What does it look like she's doing?"

"I don't know." He gestured vaguely with his hands. "Being a superhero? Being not a nerdy teenage girl?"

Alec didn't understand women, let alone teenage girls.

"You want me to tell her off," Corbie said slowly, as if attempting to clarify or just process how this made her feel, "for being a teenage girl?"

"No" Definitely not what he meant. Alec rubbed the back of her neck. "That it's okay to just be one. Like she doesn't need to do dumb shit like dress in leather and play superhero because her idiot boyfriend already loves her."

When did Alec start caring around this stuff? He sighed. This was a lot easier when it was just him.

That was different, then. Okay. Corbie took a breath.

"Liz and I ain't exactly close. If she wants to talk to me about her relationship, I'll tell her whatever I think she needs to know. As for the superhero shit..." Corbie shrugged. "I dunno, I'd think that almost dying would be more of a lesson than anything I could tell her. If she ain't gonna take that seriously, there isn't anything you or me or anybody else can tell her that's gonna smack some sense into her."

Alec had sort of hoped there was just some sort of unwritten thing that girls stuck together or... Something.

"I hope so." Mostly for Peter's sake and technically his own so he wouldn't have to listen to the whining and worrying.

He exhaled. "Okay, I need a drink."

Corbie nodded. "If I get an opening, I'll see what I can do." If. She wasn't going to make an promises.

"Thanks." He paused. He felt the urge to kiss her, but instead just reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Enjoy your pictures." He gave her a little smile and then turned to head for the bar.

[EP] I feel the best and most precious part of me leap - OTA

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec

Re: Corbie & Alec