inthebiblicalsense | TLV IC Inbox

[There is a meow in response to his knock instead of an answering voice, Alex having been complaining that Abel had gotten up out of his chair, and he carries him to the door in one arm. He hadn't really been expecting anyone, which means he isn't all that put together when the door slides open, and he's at least thankful he's done the basics of his morning routine when he see's Norton standing there. He supposes if he'd seen him recovering from death, this probably isn't any worse. Some day he'll start to look less exhausted, though that probably isn't going to be any time soon unfortunately.]

Oh! Hi, I- [Alex wiggling in his arms gets him to let him go, the little cat giving Norton's leg a little headbutt before trotting back inside to find somewhere to take a nap.]

Wasn't expecting you, Sorry.

Since I didn't call first I wouldn't expect you to expect me. I wanted to surprise you. [He holds out the flower.]

For you.

Thank you.

[He takes it, gently spinning it between his two fingers a moment before he leans against the door frame.]

Aerith said this one means Friendship. I wrote down the rest, but...Hopefully it was clear enough what I meant without it.

I didn't think you were leaving a spite bouquet. I just needed time to sort out my thoughts. Bloody bastard of a month it was last month. We're well rid of it. New month, new beginning.

Might have to ask Aerith if that's possible...You think Jacob likes flowers?

[He's trying for a joke, though isn't entirely sure it'll land, like most he attempts. Periwinkle still in hand, he takes a step back from the door, gesturing inside.]

You want to come in?

Oh my God give me the vapours by even thinking about it. [He says pressing his hand dramatically to his chest, but his eyes are bright with humour as he says it. He steps into Abel's cabin.]

Any improvement with Fitz yet?

[His reaction makes him relax a little more, the door sliding shut behind him as he moves his way to his desk, grabbing one of his library books and two sheets of scratch paper to slip the single periwinkle in-between and closing it. He'd grab something to press it down a little more later, but that was good enough for now.

Turning in his chair to the center of the room again he sighs, shaking his head.]

No. Haven't talked to him since last week, and he's not responding to messages. I'm...trying to give him some space.

Just wait until the next breach turns you into a married couple or something like that.

[Norton sits on the edge of Abel's bed and crosses one leg daintily over the other.]

I found out how Jacob learned your name. Mysterious unsigned note. Jacob showed it to me. He thinks it was someone just wanting to start a bit of chaos. And he was willing to be their tool in that regard.

[Abel hadn't really considered that as an option, though he was under the impression that some of that was orchestrated, not on accident. And here he'd tried his absolute best to squash down how attractive he found Fitz, it might ruin all that effort if in some different life he'd been sleeping with him.]

God... has that happened to you with someone you were assigned to? That hardly seems productive at all.

[He is a little surprised that Jacob told him, though it doesn't help much solving anything.]

I found out Katie knows too...that weird girl who was on the network the other day asking about billiards? I don't think it was Cain though. She...knows things when she touches you that she shouldn't. I've been trying to avoid her because she gets rather mean with it.

There was a breach where I was boyfriends with the warden who was assigned to me. The warden I was madly in love with. Having those extra memories didn't help matters, but I mostly ignored it.

[It's how Norton deals with most of his uncomfortable emotions.]

On the note you gave me, with the flowers, you signed your other name.

I can imagine it wouldn't. I'm...not good at that. Though I'm starting to think I should figure out how to be if that's something that can happen.

[He had been debating when he did it whether he should. He hadn't used it much, in fact he'd kind of liked the idea of leaving it behind, but he's been thinking a lot lately about how cutting out parts of yourself to fix everything else doesn't really work. They pop back up anyway when you least want them to.]

I suppose I thought it would be better if I did, seeing as that's why I needed to apologize in the first place. You know, and I trust you with that, I just...wasn't having a day of good judgement, and I'm sorry that hit you in the process. Outside of life or death situations I think I get stupid when I panic...

Where I come from...or when I come from, men go by different names depending on their relationship with the speaker, and where they are, that sort of thing. Colleagues at work call you by your surname, old school friends call you by your school nickname, and if you're social in Soho you might have a queenly name down by the Dilly, and then family and others use your Christian name.

What I mean is, I'm not entirely sure any more what name you want me to use.

[Abel isn't entirely sure he knows either.]

Ethan had no agency...It's part of the reason why I didn't just leave the code name behind when I came here.

I'd like to work on that, shift some of what I did have back because Abel has it's own problems, but I suppose if it's not in public, I don't mind which one you use. Though Ethan feels a lot more personal, if that matters to you.

I can't help but notice you took a question about what you want and turned the final answer rather into what I want. What matters to me. It's one thing if you don't mind if I do what I want, but that doesn't tell me what you want.

[Did he do that? Surely not.]

I'm not sure what I want. It shouldn't be complicated but it is, but...maybe if I heard Ethan more often, it wouldn't bother me as much if someone was using it without permission. If it was too much or too weird, I can ask you to stop.

Okay. [He gives a small, pleased smile.]

I like that I get to use the personal name. Ethan. But it wouldn't be the same if you didn't want it.

I think the only thing that still bothers me about it is that I didn't get to tell you myself. I would have if I'd been given the chance to.

[Which, he's thinking of the conversation he'd had with Aerith, how much is too much, when does it become weird, and should he even be worrying about it? Hard to tell.] By the way, what's your favorite flower, if you have one? Aerith asked me and I had no idea. I don't think I even know what mine is...

I've never much thought about it before. I liked the wildflowers that popped up in the meadows and woods at springtime when I lived in the Cotswolds. Bluebells and foxglove and cornflower and columbine and carpets of wood anemone. My favourite I think is lily-of-the-valley. It has such a lovely scent.

Thinking of sending me more flowers?

Well, it doesn't hurt to know in case I need to apologize again, but Aerith was asking so she could try and grow everyone's favorites. It sounded like a huge undertaking to me, but she sounded excited about it, so I wasn't going to discourage her.

[It was fun to deliver them too, even if it was to apologize.]

That and I think I like thinking up gifts. It's not really something I've done much of, but I've enjoyed it when I've gotten the chance to.

Lucky for you, I like receiving gifts. Aside from flowers, you can never go wrong with good chocolate. It wasn't available during the war and scarce for some years after so I'm still catching up on about a decade of missed chocolate.

[He smiles at that, nodding in understanding.]

I love chocolate too. Or baked goods, anything sweet really. It wasn't on offer in the mess. Fresh fruit too. Honestly, the food here is so much better and I feel spoiled when I get to have pancakes for breakfast.

The next port that has good options, I'll treat you. No reason not too.

I'll hold you to that promise. [He could treat Abel as well. The money is essentially free. But he likes the act of being treated even when the money itself isn't an issue.]

I should start writing these down or else I might forget them.

I think I owe you a good three of something now and maybe I'm being too loose with those. Or you'll have to start calling them in before they stack up too high.

Or you can not write them down and then I'll just claim at random you promised me something. Like that trip to the beach in the Enclosure that you definitely promised me. [That Norton is very much making up at this moment.]

[Abel's eyebrows knit for a moment, definitely not remembering promising a trip to the beach, but after a very brief moment he catches on.]

I was thinking country side swimming but beach is also good. Especially when you don't have to worry about getting all the sand out of everywhere once you leave, definitely a bonus.

[Though that does make him curious, considering what he knows about the enclosure.] Can you get a sunburn in there? And if you had fake, enclosure generated sunscreen, would that be enough to prevent it?

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