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[ Seance Alder || writeshorror ]
a crack of an uneven grin. a measuring, curious stare above the glint of a pair of silver wire framed glasses. silver and black curls, wild as the wind, bob with the breeze as he shoves his hands further into the pockets of his woolen coat. scruffy chin tucks into the soft layers of a scarf wrapped around his neck, hanging freely down his front and back. left to sway with the breeze along with that untamable hair. his brow jerks up.
“wouldn’t ceasefires require us to be in some sort’ve war?” withdrawing one of those hands, a gray and black wool glove with the flesh tip of a thumb jutting out the very end is used to nudge up his glasses. rhey’ve not moved much. it’s a habit. along with the sniff that’s unnecessary and seems to jar his tongue into working order again. “far as I know? it’s never been about fighting. only about finding some other way of protecting people without destroying the very thing that’s being protected. but, skipping back to the beginning here—because that spiked my curiosity the most. the rest is well known between you and I and everyone else. boring, old news. don’t you think?”
seance bends at the waist, relaxing enought hat his elbows brace himself against the metal. long lines of rust from every heavy screw bolted into place stream down it’s sides. pittsburgh is old. It’s seen better days. but it’s been home for a long time. beautiful in spite of it’s tear stains and moans and groans of old battered and worn steel. it still holds strong. exactly like the opinions of it’s inhabitants. present company to Natasha included.
gaze aimed at one of the large shipping vessels passing underneath them, he frowns in thought before aiming the question up at her without standing straight. “i’d like to think my honesty makes me believable first. haven’t ever done much to hide my opinions under my cuff. regardless of who’s asking the questions. much to the many years of woe my publicist reminds me she suffers through,” again–that grin appears and he’s not at all guilty, “my writing’s a close second to what i’d like to think is next in line. far as pierogis? you’re gonna need a local to show you were the good ones are..
…guess we can toss the side of ceasefire in there? or is this just because you’re hungry and you need a tour guide?” what? him? joking? who would have thought? a smile follows. damn near close to devilish by the way his teeth glint in it.
still doesn’t answer the question of why now? why her? but maybe that will come later.
HE WOULD BE MUCH EASIER IF HE WAS MORE UNREASONABLE. She’s seen a fair share of writers, most of them for tabloids, who were only trying to stir the pot for a couple more quarters in their pocket. Now it’s all about clicks and digital content, and if anything —— things become much more accessible and therefore much more believable. And so, if he was in the same circle of writers and their laughable opinions, this would’ve been a much shorter conversation.
It’s not a threat but a promise.
Fingers grasp metal and she slides the zipper up until harsh winds meet resistance and she is slightly less disappointed with her choice in clothing. One should be more gentle, it wasn’t as if that trip was fleshed out before it came to life. But that is also a part of a story that no one really is privy to, just like the rest of her life. It is difficult, navigating the public whilst still trying to clench some pieces to herself. Natasha wonders whether that also makes him just a touch uneasy —— the fact that her life is not fleshed out in the pages, essays not written about good and bad she’s done.
Well no, that’s not right. She’s sure there is still something floating around about how she married a man just for his money back in Russia and then he disappeared without a trace.
When in fact there were at least thirty, and no, she didn’t marry either one of them.
❝ Well then, how is your way of protecting people without destroying them going? Should I give you a call next time something crashes into the earth? Hope you have your suit and guns ready. ❞ It’s easy to let bitterness seep into such a sentiment, but her tone of voice remains free of it. If anything, she quips an almost chipper one, verging on hopeful. Like a lectured kid that is so power-hungry he adores the professor and tries to drink every word in. Like a college student only now learning about life and it's intricacies, and said professor is the only person who can inject knowledge into that open and hopeful mind. Maybe bitterness would be far less unsettling that this faux bright smile as if he’s cracked some kind of a code all of them couldn’t for years.
Truth is, those whose hands are bloody know best what to do to avoid it.
Expression drops back into calm indifference and she pushes herself off of the metal railing, takes one step closer to him. Just to make it less threatening, her hands are buried deep in her pockets. That is the universal sign of peace, right?
❝ I’m starving. ❞ She’s not, but all unravels better when inside, somewhere warm and safe. Truly he’ll feel much better when surrounded by witnesses. Though he doesn’t look too scared now either. But just in case...
❝ Join me? And don’t worry, I wish you no harm. If I did, you would be mourning your locks and that nice oak door by now. Or was it cedar? Silly me, I can never tell the difference from just a look alone. ❞