JGOB [Tuesday afternoon]

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

After cleaning himself up and spending some time brooding collecting his thoughts, Max decided he needed to get out. Feel the sun on his face, the wind in his hair, and all that stuff.

Also, he needed to acquire a large quantity of pastries. So he walked over to JGOB and ordered two of everything. The glare he'd given the poor girl behind the counter when she hesitated was enough to get a stack of large boxes filled without any comment.

He then stomped strode over to a table and set the precarious stack of boxes on top of it. His emotions were still roiling, but his stomach had settled enough to eat.

And junk food was always comforting.

[Open for any pastry and/or Max needs.]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

The sun was approaching the treeline by the time Karla had realized that she should stop gardening and get something to eat.

She's intended to head down Black Swan over to Luke's, but ended up exiting the park on the wrong side--directly across from J,GoB. And there, she saw two things that made her pause and decide to eat there instead: a massive stack of pastries and, behind them, Max. He'd be able to tell her what had happened with 'Dite last night. If everything was back to normal. If it was safe to go back.

He'd been with her in the Glacia in her mind. He'd understand what she needed to know without her having to say a word.

Without pausing a moment more, Karla hurried across the street and into J,GoB's, heading his way.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

The way Max's head came up and his eyes narrowed when he sensed someone approaching was far too abrupt. Especially considering how much effort he usually put into appearing laid-back. The sort of tension and careful awareness Max radiated was probably not a good sign.

Still, he gave her a nod.

[glacial_queen]

Karla had seen that kind of wariness before. In the victims she'd Healed in Glacia, in Jaenelle after her trips to Little Terreille, in her own mirror after the parties at her uncle's Court.

"Max," she said quietly, stressing his name. "May I sit?"

Protocol. Always Protocol. When dealing with a dangerous male of uncertain emotional keel, Protocol was the only way to stay safe.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Karla," he returned. His tone was polite, but his voice was... rough. "Please do." He pushed a random box toward her. "Care for a... whatever happens to be in that one?"

Max managed a smile that almost reached 'reassuring'. It was a sort of silent promise. He wasn't going to lash out at her.

[glacial_queen]

Karla slid into the indicated chair, reaching for the box she'd pushed. She wasn't going to go for any of the boxes that he had laid claimed to. But she relaxed just a bit in recognition of his silent promise.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing whatever pastry was on top. She was far too hungry to care and Max's demeanor suggested that things had not turned out the way she'd hoped. "How are you?"

Besides bleeding from some invisible, internal wound.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Hmm," Max grunted. He was silent for a few seconds after that before shaking his head.

"Worse than I thought I'd be." To be fair, he'd gone into the whole thing suspecting it was just some misunderstanding. Because this was 'Dite they were talking about.

But... maybe it wasn't. Not anymore.

[glacial_queen]

Karla glanced at him quickly before looking down at her pastry. "I'm sorry," she said in a tiny voice. "I should have..."

Should have what? Warned him? Tried to explain better? Told him to stay.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Karla," Max said, leaning across the table to close the distance between them. "This wasn't your fault. There is no way you could have known how bad this was. I didn't notice, so don't think you should have."

[glacial_queen]

"I was with her all day," Karla said, biting her lip. "I should have looked closer, maybe. Can I ask you...what happened?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"You can ask," Max decided after a moment. "But... I don't think you really want to. The answers..." He shook his head.

He'd tell her. She could take it. But... then it would always be there. Even after they figured out what was wrong and fixed it. She wouldn't be able to forget, and Max didn't want to put that knowledge between 'Dite and Karla.

[glacial_queen]

Karla paused, thought for a moment, and shook her head. "Unless I need to know..." she looked at him, willing to let him make that choice, "...I don't think I wish to. It seems private. But...did it at least help?"

Maybe? Possibly? A little?

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"If making it clear that whatever happened was far worse than I'd imagined counts as helping, yes. Otherwise? No."

Max took a deep breath. "At least... I don't think I made it any worse."

[glacial_queen]

Karla winced. "I--May the Darkness be merciful, Max. What do we do?"

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

Millie had been out wandering and decided to stop into JGOB for a few pastries to bring home when she saw Max and smiled warmly. "Max!"

And then got a better look at him. "Max?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max managed a smile. It was a bit stiff, but it was friendly. "Millie. Hello."

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

She stood near him, looking uncertain. "You do not look... well. Is there anything I can do to help?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"No, no. I'm fine," Max insisted. It said quite a bit that he wasn't precisely convincing. He was, after all, trained to be convincing.

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

Millie looked at him seriously, shaking her head. "I think not. But if you wish to say you are... Still..." She sat down at the table, trying to think what one of the people from her books would do. "May I... buy you a coffee or something to go with all of your pastries?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max's smile softened a bit. "That's very kind of you. And I'd love a cup of coffee."

He wasn't going to talk to Millie about what had happened. She was... an innocent. Not in all ways, of course, but in this... No. It wasn't something he'd burden her with.

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

Millie made her way to the counter and was soon back with a coffee for Max and a tea and pastry for herself.

"So," she said brightly. She wasn't going to ask him what had happened, it clearly was something he didn't want to share at the moment, which was fine. "I don't believe we ever managed to have the dessert I made the other night."

There. Subject change if he so chose.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

Max snorted. "No. No we didn't." He smiled a bit at the memory, so different from what had happened last night.

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

"Well then we should sometime," she said glad to see even a small smile that seemed real. "If you think you can tolerate my presence for another evening."

There was a definite hint of teasing there.

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I think I might be able to muster up the patience. For dessert."

His face fell a bit. "But... it might be a few weeks." He wasn't really... in the right frame of mind right now.

[livingasheth.livejournal.com]

That worried her. Not the few weeks bit, she really hadn't been sure he would ever stop by again. It's not as if she was beautiful or experienced or ready to have sex with him the way others were. But his expression... it tugged at her heart.

She reached out to touch his wrist gently. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

[furious-maximus.livejournal.com]

His lip twitched. "More than buying me a cup of coffee and worrying about me? That's more than enough."