( He’s still wrapping his head around it. To be fair, this… definitely isn’t the sort of conversation he ever thought he’d be having. With anyone, really. Yet here Sophie is, telling him that she’s slept with both him and Quentin here and wants to… keep doing that? He has to appreciate the honesty of all this because, while still a little confused, it’s better than being lied to.
When she asks that he keep it on the downlow, he looks back up to her, arms down. )
(She feels like she's breaking his brain a little bit, which, fair, boy never had to deal with these sorts of things, she assumes. Better late than never, because mutants? They're the messiest, horniest sort. Might as well just get used to it now.)
Wait, too many questions. I don't mind you and me being out, so it's up to you. Quentin, we prefer to keep it quiet, and he knows.
( Brows furrow some, expression falling to something a little more confused and… not hurt but perhaps disbelief is the emotion he’s feeling. Quentin knew he and Sophie had had a thing and then… proceeded to have a thing with her as well. Ok. )
(With all the love in the world and all due respect,
What the fuck?)
Where did you get that from? What the hell, Nate. No, no one is planning or is hiding shit from you. Never an intention, I'm here telling you myself, right?
( He got it from Quentin making a whole big deal about this connection thing to begin with and feeling like Nate didn’t trust him when asking about severing it. Maybe that’s just how Quentin is, but it feels a little hypocritical of Quentin to get upset that he felt he didn’t trust him when, knowing he and Sophie had a thing, didn’t mention the two of them to him.
Eyes fall shut, his mind wrapping a shield around it to keep the background noise out with it suddenly growing louder in his head. When he opens his eyes, he stares down then shakes his head. )
That’s not what I’m saying. Quentin’s just… I don’t get him sometimes. He’s worried I don’t trust him but maybe he doesn’t trust me.
(She's trying so, so hard not to peek. She's not particularly great, as she had told him previously, but the fact remains she wants to not be so horrible. Everytime she feels herself wanting to put her little telepathic hands into his brain, she takes a deep breath and... Doesn't.
She's not... Totally getting it. It's not serious. Neither Quentin, nor Nate. With an exhale, she tries to construct her sentences the best she can.)
Look, it's not about trust, nor about omitting, or any of that. If any of us wanted to hide something, do you think I'd be telling you?
( It’s not the fact that Quentin and Sophie have something going on. It’s that he thinks of Quentin as his friend and wonders why he didn’t mention it. He’s told Quentin that he’s dying, something he hasn’t told anyone else here. Something he likes to think is a lot more heavy than the two of them having a thing. But judging from the way Quentin seemed to clam up or avoid the subject of his parents when Nate asked and how blasé he comes off with anything that might be remotely serious to him, maybe he shouldn’t be all that surprised. Maybe that’s just how he is.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he lets his eyes fall shut for another moment and when someone approaches them for a possible drink order or whatever, he opens them, left eye glowing warm with gold light. )
Leave.
( It’s more a command than a request and the person does as they’d been told: they leave.
Sigh on his lips, the gold turns to blue and he looks to Sophie, gaze soft. )
I didn’t think you were trying to hide anything, Soph. ( Reaching out, he takes her hand gently. ) We’re good.
(Whatever he is going through with how he is acting, she remains strong not to peek. Listen, she's got her own shit about all of this, too. They didn't decide to sleep together for the sake of it, boredom or loneliness, they decided to because it was either that, or remain in the petty, wounded hell they created for each other.
Worked out. She is, however, finally getting that what's biting him isn't her, which, wow, that's a new one.
At least, this is a much better reaction, and she sighs in concealed relief.)
Good. I would expect so. You good over there, though? Looks like you had five headaches.
( Smile soft on his lips there, he shakes his head slowly. )
Nothing I can't handle. I'm good now.
( What with having silenced the voices of others in his head.
Hand still holding hers, he looks down to the back of hers and mulls over whether or not he should ask. Maybe it's not any of his business, but. In the end, he does. )
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but... how come you don't want Julian or anyone else to know about you and Quentin?
( Julian had called Quentin one of his, so. It should be fine? )
(Right, because she believes him after he told her drink-holder to just go away. She doesn't. Hopefully, throughout this talk, she manages to get some more shit out of him to really understand what in the hell without playing with an Omega-level telepath's brain.
Her hand, tiny, dainty, perfectly manicured, moves so she can hold his and it's her turn to mull over the question.)
Mhm. Well. How do I put this? It's mostly because we are trash, and the least pestering, the better.
( Or maybe he does the cliched thing of seeing the good in people? Unless you're Sinister or Apocalypse, then. There's no hope for you with him.
Shake of his head, he rests his shoulder against the back of their seat — head bowed some and strands of hair falling in front of his face as he looks to their hands, watching the way the pad of his thumb continues to slowly brush over the back of her hand. )
(God forbid, Nate. She isn't downplaying anything here, and if anything, he's been more than warned about her — by her, which might be better or even worse. She's done some shit, and is regretting them now, five or whatever many years later.
Seems like he has calmed down, though. She was ready to scold the life out of him.)
Preeeeetty much, yeah. Just trynna protect my peace, is all.
(Actually, more likely Quentin's. Daring anyone to say shit to her.)
( Well, at least she finds it amusing? Because he'd sure been taken aback and flabbergasted with what to say to that. All he could manage was an ok via text. But he's unable to help himself from smiling some at how amused she is from hearing that and he ducks his head some as he lets out a quiet chuckle for a moment. )
Yeah. Kind of do.
( To which he looks back up and smiles faintly to her. )
Guess we'll just have to work on that being more subtle thing.
(She's a very casual person, of course, she would find that hilarious, and even more so that she heard not a negative peep about it. It's a blessing, and she can't even imagine Nate's face when he first saw it.
( Jules. Right. Definitely not a nickname he's going to call Julian.
He does, however, run the tips of his fingers over her palm then, soft and ghost-like as they trail up her wrist, drawing random shapes and patterns along the way. )
( To which he lets the softest of grins touch his lips as he wraps his fingers around her wrist and pulls her in just a little close there towards him. )
(Here is the thing. Distracting someone from something with physical attention is a classic Cuckoo strategy. It doesn't do its proper job of distracting or rewiring her thoughts, as it is a trademarked, tested, and approved action from her.
The other thing is that she isn't... Feeling it right now, honestly. His reaction worked as a cold shower for her, so he's gonna have to rebuild it.)
Nah, kinda not in the mood. Come on, let me teach you how to be a gamer.
( He doesn't even need to be a telepath to feel that and he pulls back some as he looks to her with those blue eyes of his. It's not even about her not wanting to kiss or touch. He can tell his surprise and confusion earlier has made her feel some sort of way. )
Listen, you can't just assume someone not telling you something that's got nothing to do with you is something bad, like some sorta wicked, bizarre little betrayal plan. There's plenty you don't tell me, and you literally just blew me off when I asked you what's going on.
(Her arms cross, and man, she's stubborn. With her eyebrows frowned, she watches him, hoping her words make through his brain.)
It's not fair to me, to him, and to you, thinking everything is a trust thing about to break, can't be good for you.
That's not what I meant. I was confused and you got upset. If I didn't trust him or thought he was going to do something to hurt me, do you really think I would have agreed to have him form a connection with me?
( Psi-link, psi-comm, whatever you want to call them. )
Do you think I'd reach out to you telepathically like I do if I didn't trust you?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:09 pm (UTC)When she asks that he keep it on the downlow, he looks back up to her, arms down. )
About any of this? Or Quentin?
( A beat, he shakes his head. )
Wait… does Quentin know?
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:16 pm (UTC)Wait, too many questions. I don't mind you and me being out, so it's up to you. Quentin, we prefer to keep it quiet, and he knows.
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:22 pm (UTC)And he was planning to hide it from me?
( Even with their connection? )
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:28 pm (UTC)What the fuck?)
Where did you get that from? What the hell, Nate. No, no one is planning or is hiding shit from you. Never an intention, I'm here telling you myself, right?
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:41 pm (UTC)Eyes fall shut, his mind wrapping a shield around it to keep the background noise out with it suddenly growing louder in his head. When he opens his eyes, he stares down then shakes his head. )
That’s not what I’m saying. Quentin’s just… I don’t get him sometimes. He’s worried I don’t trust him but maybe he doesn’t trust me.
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Date: 2025-06-02 05:59 pm (UTC)She's not... Totally getting it. It's not serious. Neither Quentin, nor Nate. With an exhale, she tries to construct her sentences the best she can.)
Look, it's not about trust, nor about omitting, or any of that. If any of us wanted to hide something, do you think I'd be telling you?
no subject
Date: 2025-06-02 06:13 pm (UTC)Pinching the bridge of his nose, he lets his eyes fall shut for another moment and when someone approaches them for a possible drink order or whatever, he opens them, left eye glowing warm with gold light. )
Leave.
( It’s more a command than a request and the person does as they’d been told: they leave.
Sigh on his lips, the gold turns to blue and he looks to Sophie, gaze soft. )
I didn’t think you were trying to hide anything, Soph. ( Reaching out, he takes her hand gently. ) We’re good.
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Date: 2025-06-02 06:28 pm (UTC)Worked out. She is, however, finally getting that what's biting him isn't her, which, wow, that's a new one.
At least, this is a much better reaction, and she sighs in concealed relief.)
Good. I would expect so. You good over there, though? Looks like you had five headaches.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-02 06:46 pm (UTC)Nothing I can't handle. I'm good now.
( What with having silenced the voices of others in his head.
Hand still holding hers, he looks down to the back of hers and mulls over whether or not he should ask. Maybe it's not any of his business, but. In the end, he does. )
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but... how come you don't want Julian or anyone else to know about you and Quentin?
( Julian had called Quentin one of his, so. It should be fine? )
no subject
Date: 2025-06-02 06:59 pm (UTC)Her hand, tiny, dainty, perfectly manicured, moves so she can hold his and it's her turn to mull over the question.)
Mhm. Well. How do I put this? It's mostly because we are trash, and the least pestering, the better.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-02 07:02 pm (UTC)I don't think either of you are. Stubborn and insufferable, sure. But not trash.
( The insufferable is Quentin sometimes. Obviously. )
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Date: 2025-06-02 07:04 pm (UTC)But hey, there's a snort from her.)
No, no, we definitely are all three of these things.
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Date: 2025-06-02 07:10 pm (UTC)Shake of his head, he rests his shoulder against the back of their seat — head bowed some and strands of hair falling in front of his face as he looks to their hands, watching the way the pad of his thumb continues to slowly brush over the back of her hand. )
So people can be annoying about it, basically.
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Date: 2025-06-02 07:16 pm (UTC)Seems like he has calmed down, though. She was ready to scold the life out of him.)
Preeeeetty much, yeah. Just trynna protect my peace, is all.
(Actually, more likely Quentin's. Daring anyone to say shit to her.)
no subject
Date: 2025-06-02 07:21 pm (UTC)( As far as he's concerned. Although— )
Julian did tell me that if I want to fuck around with you more ( clearly Julian's words ) to be more subtle about it.
( Only now does he maybe see what he was getting at with that. )
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Date: 2025-06-02 07:51 pm (UTC)But the last comment? It makes her laugh so much so that she has to hide her face in her hand.)
Well, see why I don't want anyone to know?
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Date: 2025-06-02 07:58 pm (UTC)Yeah. Kind of do.
( To which he looks back up and smiles faintly to her. )
Guess we'll just have to work on that being more subtle thing.
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Date: 2025-06-02 08:03 pm (UTC)(She's a very casual person, of course, she would find that hilarious, and even more so that she heard not a negative peep about it. It's a blessing, and she can't even imagine Nate's face when he first saw it.
He needs some lightness in his heart.)
Yeah, definitely. I'll figure something out.
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Date: 2025-06-02 08:08 pm (UTC)He does, however, run the tips of his fingers over her palm then, soft and ghost-like as they trail up her wrist, drawing random shapes and patterns along the way. )
So... what now? Back to your games?
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Date: 2025-06-02 11:32 pm (UTC)This does feel nice, her smile returning a little as she focuses on how the touch feels on her skin.)
I mean, I guess, if you're not gonna share why your brain broke.
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Date: 2025-06-02 11:39 pm (UTC)( To which he lets the softest of grins touch his lips as he wraps his fingers around her wrist and pulls her in just a little close there towards him. )
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Date: 2025-06-05 08:06 pm (UTC)The other thing is that she isn't... Feeling it right now, honestly. His reaction worked as a cold shower for her, so he's gonna have to rebuild it.)
Nah, kinda not in the mood. Come on, let me teach you how to be a gamer.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-05 08:14 pm (UTC)What's wrong?
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Date: 2025-06-05 08:29 pm (UTC)(Her arms cross, and man, she's stubborn. With her eyebrows frowned, she watches him, hoping her words make through his brain.)
It's not fair to me, to him, and to you, thinking everything is a trust thing about to break, can't be good for you.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-05 08:36 pm (UTC)( Psi-link, psi-comm, whatever you want to call them. )
Do you think I'd reach out to you telepathically like I do if I didn't trust you?
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