Who: Seth and Starters Within Where: Around Wonderland When: June Rating: Updated as needed Summary: Working out feelings, and maybe a date at some point. Ping me if you want a starter The Story:
It wasn't the text so much, but the politeness of it. Not that Seth was every demanding; if anything he was the opposite, usually discounting any support he needed from Chloe, downplaying the things that were bothering him for the sake of strewing in them or snuffing them out completely.
So the 'please?' She's not sure if to be comforted or concerned.
He's pretty easy to find at the lake and she walks calmly to his blanket, pausing to take a look out at the water before she sinks down next to him without invitation.
Glancing up, Seth offers a crooked smile and picks up a second cup to offer to her. "Horchata. I was thinking about Richie this morning," he admits, likely only to admit something like that to Chloe.
"Since I wanted to talk to you about a few things, some of them mirror related, so wanted to avoid them being able to listen in. Not that I don't think the queens can anywhere, but minimizing things, you know?"
His paranoia shows often enough that he has stopped trying to hide it.
"You think the lake counts as a mirrored surface?"
Chloe takes the cup, offering a sympathetic smile in return. She knows Seth is never really going to get over Richie being gone, but he has somehow managed to become capable even in the wake of it. She can't blame him. She'd fall apart without Lucifer, as much as she hates to admit it.
"I mean, that makes sense." She grimaces, though, giving a wary look to the water. "God, I hope not, or baths are going to be really awkward from here on out." Not to mention bathtub sex, not that she'd ever voice that. Ever.
Being apart, and not knowing anyway to be with him is not the same thing. "I guess this is what prison was preparing us for," he says with a snort, rolling his eyes. "Five years then. Just now on a year here. So I've got time."
Which is at least how he's trying to look at it for the time being.
No mentioning bathtub sex, thanks. He know she loves Lucifer, but he really doesn't need details.
"I... I had a talk with your mirror the other day. I put up a message for her and she responded."
She takes a sip of her drink, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. Sometimes she forgets about Seth's sordid background at home; she compartmentalizes a little too well, and it can be easy to forget that he had a life before here, one that was hard, one that she wouldn't have exactly approved of.
Wonderland might be a break from their lives at home, but Chloe has learned that it's not an escape. There are just some things you can't shake.
"You sure that was a good idea?" She lowers the cup, a little surprised that he would have. Seth doesn't like the Mirrors, and theirs are particularly unlikable. "You know you can't trust anything she says."
"Nope. It is generally a fucking awful idea, especially if you listen to the things that George talks about when it comes to the mirrors and their queen."
Nothing is private, nothing is sacred, and even if Chloe's mirror didn't turn on him, the queen might.
"I just wanted to see if anyone would give us an idea of what their thinking on that side of things, you know? George seems to be sure that they don't want war anymore than we do, so I wanted to check it out. Not like I could ask fanged and hungry, could I?"
He rolls his eyes at that. "She wouldn't commit to anything, but she definitely wasn't all let me kill everything given the chance. Though..." He pauses, chuckling. "I maaaay have left her out a bottle of scotch and..." He lifts his arm where the bracelet is around his wrist. "I may have left her one of these with it. Just to see if it works on culebra."
Chloe raises her eyebrows skeptically. She doubts it would have any effect on culebra, but it wasn't as if they'd ever really had the opportunity to test it.
Not to mention, her and Seth's Mirror seemed pretty cozy at the party near Christmas. Chloe isn't sure her Mirror would want vervain.
"I don't know, Seth. I'm kind of with Georgia on this. I mean, yeah, your Mirror and Freya's haven't done us any favors, and mine is... Well, she's a scary bitch. But for the most part, I seriously doubt they want this anymore than we do."
"Hey, what's the worst that happens? He's pissed that I gave her a bracelet," he says, seeming amused. The problem is that his mirror is a dangerous killer and Seth is a dick with a mean streak sometimes. It isn't a good combination in any way.
He shrugs though at that. "I'm not sure if Georgia is right or not," he admits. "I just know I'm fighting one war back home and I really don't want another one here. Why I checked with the only one that might talk to me and wouldn't literally talk about killing everyone to piss me off."
His mirror would love it if Seth talked to him. It's why he avoids it.
"The worst that happens is he's pissed you're talking to his chick and he comes after you next chance he gets. Or me."
She's not exactly scared - Chloe has already faced death, after all, although there are fates worse than death, she supposes - but she doesn't feel great about the entire situation. It feels like a set up that Seth might have just waltzed right into.
"I think we'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wants a war on either side, honestly. Okay, what did she say to you?"
"He comes after you, and I will get someone to stake him. I know how to kill him, and I know people that will do it," he says, not that he is sure he could swear. Except one. If he told Lucifer she was in danger, he would likely only have to tell him how. Not that he wanted to bring Lucifer into this either.
"It's an experiment anyway. What happens when Richie gets back," he points out, even if every day that passes, he tells himself it won't happen. They were too lucky to have that and it wasn't coming back.
"He would," he points out. "Just from the things I've seen, he's that kind of culebra." Richie hadn't been, but he would be. He will bet on that.
She gives him a look. There's no way he or Lucifer would get to her in time; if Seth's Mirror wants her dead, he'll find her like he did the last time and he'll just finish whatever it is he had wanted to start back then. Chloe isn't sure what purpose it would serve him, but she doubts he really needs one. She's pretty sure he would kill her just to piss Seth off if he was bored enough.
Or, she'd be lucky if he killed her, really.
"He might come back. You never know with this place." Chloe hasn't given up hope for him; because she knows it's all random, she also knows how much time passes doesn't make any difference. It could be tomorrow, it could be two years from now. As far as she's concerned, there's no point in losing hope anymore than there is a point in planning for it. "Okay, sure, I guess he might, but he's not everyone. Did she say she did?"
"It's not his to handle. He's my mirror, and I can handle it." And all of this only makes him want to destroy his mirror more than ever. Of course one day, when a new ruler has taken charge of things on that side of the mirror, it may occur to him to try and ask if there is a way to destroy him, for the sake of all. Not that he's certain anything like that might work, but if you don't ask, you never know.
"You would think, if the rulers here really were as powerful as this place seems, they might have some control on closing those off for good. So why not do that?" He waves a hand. "And I know you don't know the answer. I just think about these things and what goes on here."
He shakes his head. "She is cagey, smart like that, and wouldn't give an outright answer. Which is good on her part, but I got the feeling she wasn't into it, and you're right. Most aren't. Except all it takes is a handful willing to kill."
As far as Chloe can tell, they don't have any options with their mirrors besides crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. She still sides with Georgia - mostly - on the fact that the mirrors are more complex than that, but she also knows Seth's well enough to not get blindsided.
Granted, he didn't kill her the last time he had the chance so maybe that's saying something.
"She's my mirror. Of course she's smart." Chloe tries to lighten the mood a little at least, her mouth curling into a soft smile. "The best we can do is keep preparing and see how it pans out. We'll get through it. We don't have a choice."
"Like I said, I have others I could turn to and I know how to kill him," he points out, shrugging. "And he won't risk coming over here unless she's with him, because otherwise he's leaving me over there with her. Which," he says, holding up a hand. "Is not anything I have any interest in except to ensure he doesn't use me to cross and get to you. At least the bastard wasn't shaven before, though we have to watch that. In case."
Seth may believe most of them are good and decent, but not his. He has no more faith in his mirror than he does in any culebra that isn't Richie. And most days he's not even sure about that entirely. Missing him and at the point they were when he came to Wonderland trusting him? Not the same thing.
He makes a face at her. "Smart ass," he mutters, even if he can't and won't argue that about this Chloe. "And you're right, we don't have a choice." He wasn't dying here, but if it meant his life or hers, he wasn't letting her die again.
She is about to say that now that he's sober it will be easier to tell the two of them apart, but she manages to bite it back. Chloe is actually really proud of how much he's cleaned himself up; she seen him struggle through a near backslide with his addictions, and while they were dating, she didn't make enough of an effort to get him to stop drinking.
Partially because she was doing it a lot herself, but that wasn't his fault.
They are both in a better place now, though, and she would rather encourage him that dwell on anything that can't change or help.
"It'll be fine," she says instead, although she's not entirely sure she believes it. "We'll be fine."
He sighs, wishing he could agree with her but he doesn't want to argue with her either. He wants it to be true, and right. Instead he leans in and kisses her cheek if she lets him.
"You and I major in fine. We can handle anything."
And he believes that. Or, at least, he wants to believe it.
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no subject
So the 'please?' She's not sure if to be comforted or concerned.
He's pretty easy to find at the lake and she walks calmly to his blanket, pausing to take a look out at the water before she sinks down next to him without invitation.
"Since when do you come out here?"
no subject
"Since I wanted to talk to you about a few things, some of them mirror related, so wanted to avoid them being able to listen in. Not that I don't think the queens can anywhere, but minimizing things, you know?"
His paranoia shows often enough that he has stopped trying to hide it.
"You think the lake counts as a mirrored surface?"
no subject
"I mean, that makes sense." She grimaces, though, giving a wary look to the water. "God, I hope not, or baths are going to be really awkward from here on out." Not to mention bathtub sex, not that she'd ever voice that. Ever.
no subject
Which is at least how he's trying to look at it for the time being.
No mentioning bathtub sex, thanks. He know she loves Lucifer, but he really doesn't need details.
"I... I had a talk with your mirror the other day. I put up a message for her and she responded."
no subject
Wonderland might be a break from their lives at home, but Chloe has learned that it's not an escape. There are just some things you can't shake.
"You sure that was a good idea?" She lowers the cup, a little surprised that he would have. Seth doesn't like the Mirrors, and theirs are particularly unlikable. "You know you can't trust anything she says."
no subject
Nothing is private, nothing is sacred, and even if Chloe's mirror didn't turn on him, the queen might.
"I just wanted to see if anyone would give us an idea of what their thinking on that side of things, you know? George seems to be sure that they don't want war anymore than we do, so I wanted to check it out. Not like I could ask fanged and hungry, could I?"
He rolls his eyes at that. "She wouldn't commit to anything, but she definitely wasn't all let me kill everything given the chance. Though..." He pauses, chuckling. "I maaaay have left her out a bottle of scotch and..." He lifts his arm where the bracelet is around his wrist. "I may have left her one of these with it. Just to see if it works on culebra."
no subject
Chloe raises her eyebrows skeptically. She doubts it would have any effect on culebra, but it wasn't as if they'd ever really had the opportunity to test it.
Not to mention, her and Seth's Mirror seemed pretty cozy at the party near Christmas. Chloe isn't sure her Mirror would want vervain.
"I don't know, Seth. I'm kind of with Georgia on this. I mean, yeah, your Mirror and Freya's haven't done us any favors, and mine is... Well, she's a scary bitch. But for the most part, I seriously doubt they want this anymore than we do."
no subject
He shrugs though at that. "I'm not sure if Georgia is right or not," he admits. "I just know I'm fighting one war back home and I really don't want another one here. Why I checked with the only one that might talk to me and wouldn't literally talk about killing everyone to piss me off."
His mirror would love it if Seth talked to him. It's why he avoids it.
no subject
She's not exactly scared - Chloe has already faced death, after all, although there are fates worse than death, she supposes - but she doesn't feel great about the entire situation. It feels like a set up that Seth might have just waltzed right into.
"I think we'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wants a war on either side, honestly. Okay, what did she say to you?"
no subject
"It's an experiment anyway. What happens when Richie gets back," he points out, even if every day that passes, he tells himself it won't happen. They were too lucky to have that and it wasn't coming back.
"He would," he points out. "Just from the things I've seen, he's that kind of culebra." Richie hadn't been, but he would be. He will bet on that.
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She gives him a look. There's no way he or Lucifer would get to her in time; if Seth's Mirror wants her dead, he'll find her like he did the last time and he'll just finish whatever it is he had wanted to start back then. Chloe isn't sure what purpose it would serve him, but she doubts he really needs one. She's pretty sure he would kill her just to piss Seth off if he was bored enough.
Or, she'd be lucky if he killed her, really.
"He might come back. You never know with this place." Chloe hasn't given up hope for him; because she knows it's all random, she also knows how much time passes doesn't make any difference. It could be tomorrow, it could be two years from now. As far as she's concerned, there's no point in losing hope anymore than there is a point in planning for it. "Okay, sure, I guess he might, but he's not everyone. Did she say she did?"
no subject
"You would think, if the rulers here really were as powerful as this place seems, they might have some control on closing those off for good. So why not do that?" He waves a hand. "And I know you don't know the answer. I just think about these things and what goes on here."
He shakes his head. "She is cagey, smart like that, and wouldn't give an outright answer. Which is good on her part, but I got the feeling she wasn't into it, and you're right. Most aren't. Except all it takes is a handful willing to kill."
no subject
As far as Chloe can tell, they don't have any options with their mirrors besides crossing their fingers and hoping for the best. She still sides with Georgia - mostly - on the fact that the mirrors are more complex than that, but she also knows Seth's well enough to not get blindsided.
Granted, he didn't kill her the last time he had the chance so maybe that's saying something.
"She's my mirror. Of course she's smart." Chloe tries to lighten the mood a little at least, her mouth curling into a soft smile. "The best we can do is keep preparing and see how it pans out. We'll get through it. We don't have a choice."
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Seth may believe most of them are good and decent, but not his. He has no more faith in his mirror than he does in any culebra that isn't Richie. And most days he's not even sure about that entirely. Missing him and at the point they were when he came to Wonderland trusting him? Not the same thing.
He makes a face at her. "Smart ass," he mutters, even if he can't and won't argue that about this Chloe. "And you're right, we don't have a choice." He wasn't dying here, but if it meant his life or hers, he wasn't letting her die again.
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Partially because she was doing it a lot herself, but that wasn't his fault.
They are both in a better place now, though, and she would rather encourage him that dwell on anything that can't change or help.
"It'll be fine," she says instead, although she's not entirely sure she believes it. "We'll be fine."
no subject
"You and I major in fine. We can handle anything."
And he believes that. Or, at least, he wants to believe it.
[Wrap there heading into the new ac period?]