"If this conflict is standing in the way of him being able to meet his own daughter, then, yeah, he might be."
Crichton could be reading too much into it, still, but his gut tells him that if the fey king was interested enough to send a letter to Elsie explaining her heritage, then he must desire to see her at least a little. The barrier might be in the way of that.
"How likely do you think it is that we could get a message back through to him to ask? Do you think Elsie would help us?"
"I know Elsie would help us, but I don't want to make her a target. I'm sure you understand that."
Valdis is certain that Elsie has more power than either of them realize, but the last thing they need is her father angry at them for putting her in the crosshairs of a chaos god and his tentative allies.
"She wants to help, and has promised me she will."
Valdis sighs.
"The old me wouldn't have hesitated to use everything at my disposal to defeat my enemy, sacrifices are necessary and all that."
She takes another breath.
"I underestimated my enemies once, I'm not going to do it again. Unfortunately that means that there are some things I want to keep close, this is one of them. Olwylder may be a valuable ally for us to bring forth at the proper time."
Not that the demons are unware of him, damned things seem to know everything."
"They do seem to know everything," Crichton agrees in a tone of voice that signals he's just realized how literal that might be. That's a scary scary thought...
"I'll leave it to you. I trust you to know what you're doing with her."
He chews on his lip, thinking a moment, hesitating really, before he finally decides to offer, "Hey, are you okay? I mean, emotionally. If you need a listening ear I'm here. This doesn't have to be a one way street."
She stiffens. For a moment, she's disgusted by the fact that Crichton thinks he might be able to help. He's just a human and they are dealing with demons and gods, surely a human can't even begin to help with that. And yet, he is also her friend, her family and what he is doesn't really matter to her. He's been dealing with things bigger than himself long before she ever met him.
"I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling, but if I figure it out I promise I will talk to someone. I know I'm not in this alone."
"There's a lot of things," he admits. "I'm still trying to get my thoughts in order. But... maybe the biggest concern I have right now is about the guy I gotta go ask to see if he'll help translate that text."
He looks her anxiously in the eyes, "It's John, a...version of him. Arthur's John. I ran into him at the ball..."
He snorts, and covers his mouth while shaking his head. "I shouldn't be laughing at that." And yet he still is.
"As far as I can tell, this is a new one who doesn't have any memory of us or the ship. I don't have a clue what to do about it but, unfortunately, he's very good friends with Sally already. I'll have to find a way to put up with him."
Valdis hasn't spent any time with Sally, but she knows of the woman and knows she is well respected...and that Crichton has been spending time with her. But she won't pry.
"I have nothing against John, though I suppose you would, so just be careful."
"I'm doing my best. Tring to, uh, keep my head about it. As much shit as the other one gave me he's... not this one. Blank slate. So. I keep reminding myself that." But it's hard. His feelings about it are, in a word, complicated.
"I really like Sally. I'm taking that slow, too, but... there could be something there for us. I just... I don't want to blow it again."
"Sounds complicated, if you need me, I'm here for you."
Though she's not sure she has advice about Sally, but she's irritated that he's still hurting over past events where he was so clearly not in the wrong.
"I might just have to take you up on it. I'm getting better at that these days, too." Asking for help no longer feels like admitting a failure to him.
But, speaking of admitting failures. "He did. And I did. We both made decisions that we shouldn't have. As much as I want to, I can't blame it all on him. But I'm not taking all the blame either."
"I'm not. Not now. Just... I had a year in Whitestone to look back on it. Overall, I think he was still hurting too much, and I was too. We shouldn't have let it get that far." It did make Arthur toxic, Crichton can't deny it, but neither of them were handling their own shit well. Hindsight has shown him that.
"You were there for me then, and you're here for me now. I appreciate it so much, but I have to take ownership of my own faults so I don't repeat my mistakes. That's how us humans learn anything."
"I suppose you humans feel things in a much more fleeting and powerful manner than those like me. We have all the time in the world to process feelings and rash is not typically a word I would use to describe myself."
Not that she didn't have her moments.
"Fine. I will try to keep an open mind should he turn up here. "
"I know, I know," Crichton says, laughing. "It's a joke. I'm trying to lighten the mood." It really is just that. For as much as he still has regrets about the past, he's also committed to moving past them.
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no subject
Date: 2024-10-22 04:55 pm (UTC)Crichton could be reading too much into it, still, but his gut tells him that if the fey king was interested enough to send a letter to Elsie explaining her heritage, then he must desire to see her at least a little. The barrier might be in the way of that.
"How likely do you think it is that we could get a message back through to him to ask? Do you think Elsie would help us?"
no subject
Date: 2024-10-23 03:27 am (UTC)Valdis is certain that Elsie has more power than either of them realize, but the last thing they need is her father angry at them for putting her in the crosshairs of a chaos god and his tentative allies.
no subject
Date: 2024-10-25 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-26 03:02 am (UTC)Valdis sighs.
"The old me wouldn't have hesitated to use everything at my disposal to defeat my enemy, sacrifices are necessary and all that."
She takes another breath.
"I underestimated my enemies once, I'm not going to do it again. Unfortunately that means that there are some things I want to keep close, this is one of them. Olwylder may be a valuable ally for us to bring forth at the proper time."
Not that the demons are unware of him, damned things seem to know everything."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-01 03:29 pm (UTC)"I'll leave it to you. I trust you to know what you're doing with her."
He chews on his lip, thinking a moment, hesitating really, before he finally decides to offer, "Hey, are you okay? I mean, emotionally. If you need a listening ear I'm here. This doesn't have to be a one way street."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-06 04:16 am (UTC)"I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling, but if I figure it out I promise I will talk to someone. I know I'm not in this alone."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-08 08:41 pm (UTC)"Okay. I'm really glad to hear that. I care about you, and I want us all to get through this in one piece. You included."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-10 04:13 am (UTC)She knows he cares, and she knows he's on her side, it's just still hard to admit that she needs them...her friends.
"Is there anything on your mind after the meeting?"
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Date: 2024-11-11 01:58 am (UTC)He looks her anxiously in the eyes, "It's John, a...version of him. Arthur's John. I ran into him at the ball..."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 02:44 am (UTC)"As long as it's not Arthur, the lamps here don't repair themselves."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-11 10:53 pm (UTC)"As far as I can tell, this is a new one who doesn't have any memory of us or the ship. I don't have a clue what to do about it but, unfortunately, he's very good friends with Sally already. I'll have to find a way to put up with him."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 04:11 am (UTC)"I have nothing against John, though I suppose you would, so just be careful."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-13 04:00 pm (UTC)"I really like Sally. I'm taking that slow, too, but... there could be something there for us. I just... I don't want to blow it again."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-17 03:24 am (UTC)Though she's not sure she has advice about Sally, but she's irritated that he's still hurting over past events where he was so clearly not in the wrong.
"Arthur is the one who blew it, not you."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-18 01:18 am (UTC)But, speaking of admitting failures. "He did. And I did. We both made decisions that we shouldn't have. As much as I want to, I can't blame it all on him. But I'm not taking all the blame either."
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Date: 2024-11-19 03:45 am (UTC)She knows she's biased, knows that Crichton also screwed up, but being murdered over it wasn't fair.
no subject
Date: 2024-11-19 07:59 pm (UTC)"You were there for me then, and you're here for me now. I appreciate it so much, but I have to take ownership of my own faults so I don't repeat my mistakes. That's how us humans learn anything."
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Date: 2024-11-23 03:06 am (UTC)Not that she didn't have her moments.
"Fine. I will try to keep an open mind should he turn up here. "
no subject
Date: 2024-11-25 10:52 pm (UTC)He's asking her to take one for him now. Have faith that he's still keeping his head on an even keel.
"That's all I'm asking. Give him a chance to piss you off with his own actions first before you go threatening him with the lamp."
no subject
Date: 2024-11-26 03:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-27 09:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-02 02:50 am (UTC)"Well, I've told you all I know for now. I'll keep you updated if I learn anything more."
no subject
Date: 2024-12-02 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-12-04 04:08 am (UTC)She sighs and offers a smile.
"And if I don't then Max will."
Good wrap?
Date: 2024-12-04 04:19 am (UTC)Yes
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