Library, Wednesday

[3girls_1core]

Anyone expecting a quiet redhead behind the circulation was in for a rude surprise--emphasis on the rude. There was a lanky brunette behind the counter today, watchful and on edge. There was a knife strapped to her hip and a gun within easy reach under the desk

Comments

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

It wasn't until after being grabbed for his call to Pandora that Evan realized that something was a little amiss in the library itself. It was with a worried look on his face that he made his way over to Zeela.

"Hey... Um... What's up?"

Translation: 'You look angrier than usual. What happened to Sholeh?'

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

Evan could only take so many deep breaths here, Zee.

"Or you end up dead again, and your sisters get dragged through it because you threw yourself headfirst into danger." He reached a hand up and pinched the bridge of his nose. It felt like she was baiting him, too, trying to push him to a point where self-control was only an afterthought.

... And it was an easier push than one might think. He was holding on by the skin of his teeth.

"Just... don't do it alone, if you're so bent on it."

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

If it helped, it wasn't really about you, Evan. Zeela was lashing out in hurt and fear and anger and you were right there, making yourself an easy target.

"So I should just let these guys get away with it?" she asked, voice shrill. "They hurt her! They hurt all of us! And--and--"

She wasn't crying, she wasn't.

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

"I'm not saying that," Evan said gently, shaking his head. "I want to see them hurt for what they did, too. It's taking all of my willpower to keep from flying out there right now and... and hurting anyone that fits the description you gave me, honestly."

He hung his head a little at that. It wasn't an admission that he was proud of.

"They'll pay for what they did," he promised, quietly. "I just don't want you three to get hurt again because you're upset and not thinking clearly."

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

"I'm very clearly picturing what I want to do," Zeela said, reining in her stupid emotions. Ugh. Those were tears of anger if anyone asked what she was wiping off her face, turning slightly to make it less obvious. "Very clearly."

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

"And how clearly are you picturing what they'd do to you?" Evan was still talking softly, trying to be reasonable. "How much experience do you have, fighting armed lunatics who clearly do this sort of thing often?"

Hmm?

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

Defiant brown eyes met worried blue and it was Zeela who looked away first.

"Like you'd give a damn if Zhari and Sholeh weren't involved," she muttered.

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

"I would," Evan replied, sounding tired. "We don't get along, but that doesn't mean I want you to run out there and get hurt. I wouldn't wish that on... on almost anyone."

The list of people Evan would wish it on was fairly short, though.

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

"By 'don't get along' you mostly mean that you don't like me," Zeela taunted. He'd pretty much convinced her not to go out there, which meant that she had a lot of anger and no outlet for venting.

No good deed, Evan.

"Sorry I'm not as sweet and good-natured as my sisters."

...She wasn't actually sorry.

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

"I don't like you," Evan agreed. And then shrugged his shoulders. "You've never given me much of a reason to. I don't hate you, either. If that's what you're hoping for, you're going to have to try harder."

At least he was honest.

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

"Is that a request?" Zee asked. "Cause I can be really hateful when I put my mind to it."

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

Evan looked like he was actually thinking that one over seriously.

"... Would it make you feel better?"

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

There was a full moment of consideration there before Zeela finally shook her head. "Nah. Sholeh will be pissy at me."

Which, was true of itself, but not the whole truth. The whole truth, however, was not something that Zee felt like getting into right yet.

"If you wanna make me feel better, go find the asshole who hurt us and bring him to me. How's that for compromise?"

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

There was a long pause, there. A long pause, and a look on Evan's face that was sorely tempted, while he tried to battle another surge of anger away from the surface. His eyes flickered, though, shifting from ice blue to a solid white and just sticking that way.

"... I..." He closed his eyes and swallowed. When he opened them again, solid white had taken on a faint red glow. "... I'll see what I can do."

He could still be smart about this. He could.

Re: Talk to Zee

[3girls_1core]

It was like someone had sassed Kansas!

"Whoa, hey now," Zeela said, startled. She...hadn't expected him to take her seriously. Or then volunteer to do something about it. "Let's not be too hasty or whatever. Sholeh will murder me herself if you go all rage-crazy again and it's my fault."

A pause and she said, a trifle unwillingly, "And that's not your way either. So you don't have to go do something like that on my behalf."

Re: Talk to Zee

[genesishero]

Nobody sassed Kansas. Unless you were from Kansas. Anyone else who tried had to face the wrath. That's how that worked.

"I'm not going to go crazy and blow up the island or anything," Evan muttered. "But I can at least go out there and fly around... see where they're at. Chart out what area they're crawling around in so that people can come up with a better plan of attack."

See? See, didn't that sound saner? And potentially useful, even?