[F01/PP]Fallout

[Oscar 0]

The conversation had turned serious. As they stopped in front of the bakery, the whole vibe changed. Still friendly, but the air was heavy. But Oscar stopped and listened. He appreciated the candor. And he appreciated the fun history lesson that Lessa so unceremoniously dumped on his plate. He probably shouldn’t have. The topic was too serious, responses needed to be measured. But he simply couldn’t help himself. Staring straight into her eyes, the laughter escaped him. Loud, boisterous - bringing tears to his eyes. He couldn’t stand up straight, holding his stomach as he doubled over. His breath left him, eyes grew bloodshot. But finally, it died down. Slowly at first, then into a fit of giggles as he put his hands on his knees.

“Christ,” he choked out. Words eluded him as he endeavored to catch his breath - to collect his composure. Finally, with a heavy, contented sigh he rose back to his full height. His hand moved up to his face, flicking the moisture out of the corners of his eyes. “God I love you. Do you often snake in history lessons into deep conversations? That was A-plus, teach.”

Oscar shook his head, another bout of giggles bursting forth. “Player-killers to Nazis. What a pivot.”

All at once, Oscar collected himself. His visage grew a bit more stern, more serious. Trying to match her energy. Failing, but trying nonetheless. “But seriously,” he began. “I’m not a good man. I know that. But I’m trying to make good. So I need people around me who will call me on my shit if I start to take things too far. I very nearly did. Something about bleeding hearts dripping on my shoes? And I really meant it back then. Now?” Oscar shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth on his heels as he looked up towards the sky. “I really need that. The blood’s a good reminder. Road to hell is paved with good intentions. Please never stop giving me shit over it when my chill eludes me.”

 

[Lessa 1]

He laughed for so long that Lessa went through the whole spectrum of emotions before he finished: surprise, embarrassment, annoyance. Eventually, she landed somewhere in the realm of amusement, laughing along with him as he swiped at tears. "Actually, I do," she confirmed, grinning up at him. "Congratulations, you've unlocked my nervous tick. When I'm out of my depth, I fall back on what I know. Unfortunately for everyone else, that's history." Shoulders rising and falling with a quick shrug, she added, "It's not always Nazis. But looking back, WWII does come up a decent amount. That, and George Washington." With a wistful sigh, Lessa fluttered her eyelashes. "I love George Washington. Did you know he had a rep for basically being immortal? He had two horses shot out from under him, had four bullets go through his coat, and one through his hat, but he was never hit himself." Then, more to herself than Oscar, "Maybe he's the vampire, not John Wilkes Booth."

Shaking her head as if to dismiss the notion, she turned to face Oscar. Her expression cleared, and though the humor faded, the softness did not. "I'll be honest with you, Oscar. I don't trust anyone who claims to be a perfectly good man. Everyone has faults, present company included. Your being aware of it, and even asking me to call you to task, speaks volumes to the type of person you are." With both hands, she grabbed his arms and squeezed gently. "I respect the hell out of you, Oscar. And I will bleed all over your shoes."

Wincing, she slipped her arm through his again, then tugged him back toward the tournament after-party. "That sounded a lot better in my head. Now let's go back and eat so I can forget I said something so weird."

[Oscar 0]

Thread Summary

 

Oscar | [Word Count: 9205/5 = 1841] * [True Tier: 10] * [Group Factor: 1] = 18410 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 2761 col

Lessa | [Word Count: 9205/5 = 1841] * [True Tier: 10] * [Group Factor: 1] = 18410 EXP, Laurel Wreath: 2761 col