hadriel_logs | my heart is drenched in wine

Entry tags:

emily,
maketh tua

my heart is drenched in wine

Who: Cavemom/Soldiermom

unfollowing
What: Maketh has Questions, and Emily is The Best at giving advice
Where: Delight's bar
When: July 16
Warnings: Emily. Maketh. Terrible advice. Possible bad life choices.

[As promised, Emily heads over to Delight's bar to meet Maketh. The whole secretive, cryptic thing she has going on with not telling her what's up doesn't surprise Emily, especially after the mess with all those glitches on the network. If Maketh is about to spill her guts (please don't), the last thing she wants is for all of shithole cavetown to find out her deepest, darkest secrets.

Hell, even if she were telling lies, she might not want anyone to hear them. Emily sure hated that experience.

So, a lot less annoyed than she looks, Emily walks into the bar and goes to sit with Maketh.]

Right, here I am. Let's figure your shit out.

[Is it any wonder Emily doesn't dream of being a therapist.]

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[Maketh starts, resisting the urge to stand as Emily approaches. It's only polite, but Emily has already claimed her place before the gesture can be completed. That, and Maketh has found that Emily has little patience for such protocols, if she even knows of their existence.

Not that it truly matters for this sort of thing.

Maketh clears her throat. She's dressed in her uniform, as always, and has her coffee.] I didn't know what you wanted to drink.

[Oh come the fuck on, of course Emily knows about manners and protocols. There's just no point here. She's not the one in the guard and walking around in uniform most of the time, after all.]

I'll get something later if I want to. What's up? [What couldn't you say in person?]

[Maketh drops her eyes down to her coffee. This seemed simpler in theory.] You know Lilith, don't you?

[It takes her a second and a slight frown, but Emily places the name.] Yeah. Shitty fashion sense, but she helped Chris a while back.

[She arches her eyebrows. Go on, Maketh.]

[Maketh rubs her thumb along the edge of her mug.] She's been...kind, to me. And perhaps more now. I don't...I don't remember how to do these things. But you talk about Matt often, and I thought...I don't know. Perhaps you had advice?

[Oh my god.

Seriously?

Goddamn. Maketh is serious.]

Okay... [God. This is Jessica's forte, not Emily's. But she'll do her best. Maketh taught her how to kick ass, and now Emily will teach her how to... what, exactly.]

I'm gonna need a little more info than "she was kind to me" and "perhaps more" though. [She did indeed just do an impression of you, Maketh. Not to mock you, though. Just to show you how fucking vague you just were.]

[Where their situations reversed, Maketh know she would be demanding information in no uncertain terms. It makes her own uncertainty all the more embarrassing. This should not be difficult. She has had lovers before - many over the years - and that had always been simple. Go out somewhere no one would recognize her and disappear for a while, always retiring promptly when duty demanded it. It was the way of things for unmarried officers, or those of equivalent rank, and Maketh had never wanted to marry.

She clears her throat, meeting Emily's eyes.]

She kissed me. I was not drunk.

Okay. [A slight pause.] I'm not sure what you need advice on. Like, did you want kissing tips or a how-to guide for getting her into bed or something? Did you not like the kiss, do you not want her like that?

[Jessica why are you not here.]

No, no. Nothing like that. [Maketh is well versed in those things already. Discrete, but educated. She glances down at her coffee again.] I do...like her. And if it were simply a distraction, that would be easy

[Maketh doesn't yet have words for this, but it is not simple.

Well, she might as well be blunt. Maketh clears her throat.] In your world, how does one go about courting another?

[What.]

Okay. [Wow.] First of all, we haven't called it 'courting' in like forever, and second, Lilith isn't from my world. However-- [and Emily adds that quickly, before she Maketh a chance to think that she isn't going to help her out] --I get what you mean.

[She puts her elbow on the counter and cups her chin in her hand, tapping her cheek as she hums a few random notes.] I feel like you're past the point of casual dates if she already kissed you. So like, you could bring her a gift, or take her on a walk to somewhere you really like, and then talk with her about it?

[In the back of her head, Emily swears she hears Jessica's voice saying something about how this is a prime opportunity to at least make out. Shut up, Jess. You're not here. Let Emily do as Emily does.]

[Maketh sighs, knowing her face is burning and unable to do anything to stop it. Of course she could return to the Imperial way of doing things, as she'd been drilled as a cadet. Like with most things, there was a protocol for courtship. Marriages in the Empire were political whether you wished them to be or not, a joining of two people who's ambitions had aligned. One made gestures to prove their suitability as a spouse - displays of whatever power they happened to specialize in, gifts of a pointed nature, overtures toward other allies, and the like. It was all very simple. Maketh remembers reading a briefing on it, once.

It does not apply here. Maketh is fairly certain Emily would laugh at her if she proposed such a thing.

Nonetheless, this is not a marriage, political or otherwise. This is...something new.]

A gift.

[Maketh considers this.]

I could do that.

[Perhaps combine it with the walk? That seems most effective.]

[Christ. Is this how Jess felt when walking Emily through the theory of dating and sexing a guy?]

Yeah. You totally could. Just like, make it something with meaning. Don't grab some random thing off a shelf just to say you got her something.

[What is her life coming to.]

[That means it should be something better than a bottle of whiskey, Maketh supposes. Something meaningful. She'll have to work on that. She exhales slowly, smiling a little.] I must seem strange to you, not knowing these things. Thank you.

[Maketh is pretty much holding up a sign that says "please tease me mercilessly for this," but after everything they've been through together -- and after being away fro Matt for so long, missing him, wishing she could make him a shirt or something because holy shit does he deserve it -- she can't bring herself to take a shot at her.

Instead, Emily sits up and shrugs.] You'd be surprised how many people suck at this kind of thing. [Herself included, but she's not going to share that.] Plus, it's easier to think about what to do when you're not drowning in feelings or whatever.

[Feelinga. How gross.]

[Feelings. Urg. Maketh dislikes being compromised by such things. It ought to be avoided if at all possible - aside from pride and anger, which could, on occasion, prove useful. But that is the Empire and she acts for them no longer. She will have to learn this, however long it takes.

She smiles a little.] Nonetheless, I...appreciate your advice.

[Emily shrugs. Genuine things like that are hard to take when you're used to sharply worded praise and blunt honesty.

She's with you, though, Maketh. Feelings. Fucking bullshit.]

Sure, I'm the shithole's regular advice columnist. [Between Maketh and Emily's nerdy housemates, she may as well be.]

[Maketh almost laughs at that, swallowing it down at the last moment. She does smile, though.] I suppose there are worse things. We've seen that recently.

[Unfortunately.]

How have you been, Emily?

[Honestly, why not laugh at it. There's not enough to laugh about in shithole cavetown, even if Emily isn't much for laughing herself.]

Okay. [She shrugs.] Sewing, mostly. [Avoiding Hannah.] Nothing much, which is honestly a really good thing here.

[Boring stuff, in short.]

What else besides your steamy love life have you been up to?

I'd hardly call it steamy. [Or an affair, even. It's just...there. Maketh will come up with the proper words for it later.] Organizing the guard, as best I can. I'm trying to come up with a filing system for the reports, but it's harder without the technology I'm used to.

It's the most action anyone here's getting, probably. [It's cute, is what it is. All you nerds are stupidly cute. Gross.]

I bet. That's cool, though, the guard. [Emily can't do anything useful like that. She's bitch and fuss about Hadriel's lack of fashion, but ultimately, sewing is kind of a useless endeavor.] It's cool to know we can depend on you guys to help out if we need it.

[Maketh coughs, feeling her face burn.] W--well...

[At least she's offering entertainment to the masses? That has to be good for morale.

She nods more seriously.] It's important. And I know how to do it.

[Damn, Maketh. That shows where your mind's been.]

Good thing we have you around. [That's as close to a thank you as you're getting, soldier mom.] Play to your strenghts and all of that.

[Maketh nods. It's only logical.] It's going better than I expected. Time will tell if that holds, I suppose.

How-- [Oh god. Now she has to finish asking this, stupid though it is.] How are you dealing with Bianca and Sharon and Kate?

[Maketh grimaces, not bothering to hide it. The way the guard is set up is to prevent any one person from having complete control. Unfortunately, that means things happen very slowly when it comes to making group decisions.] I'm not sure how it will end. At this point we need to discuss what could be realistically carried out, versus what we would do in an ideal world. We don't have the resources to jail anyone, and more extreme measures--would not do.

[Goddamn. That's exactly why Emily doesn't do politics or law enforcement and all of that. Too much could happen, too much could go wrong, too many bad decisions could lead to someone's death or worse -- and then you have to live with what you do.]

Good luck with that. [It might sound dismissive, but she really does mean it.] I mean... it's not like jail time would really do much, right? They could use their powers for good or whatever instead of dragging another fucking nightmare out for us to deal with.

No. And we don't have enough guardsmen to spare watching them. [Even if cells were constructed strong enough to hold them, it would only nurture a new crop of problems. Maketh would rather avoid that entirely, no matter how much she dislikes the result.

She pauses.] Have you heard any of the others talking?

[Emily serves coffee sometimes, she may have heard something useful.]

[In other words, par for the course in shithole cavetown.]

No. [Emily has been keeping to herself more since starting up the sewing shop. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing in the eyes of others, she doesn't care. Having work to do is good, and being able to get away from the house is better. Chris and Ashley have each other, and Josh and Hannah have each other. Emily has her nice cotton. It's fine.] I'll let you know if I do, though. What kind of things are you interested in? Police work isn't really my area.

[Maketh shrugs.] Honestly, anything. What people are gossiping about, who they decide to share their complaints with. It might give us a better read on the situation than anything in the network.

So like, spying. [Probably not, but it sounds more exciting that way.] I'm down for that.

[Nobody ever expects people with a reputation for being selfish assholes to be working undercover.]

[Maketh quips a smile.] Indeed. I think you'd be rather good at it.

[Emily is smart and dangerously close to fearless.]

[God, what is it with people believing in her lately? So much pressure not to disappoint.]

Damn right I would.

[She glances at Maketh's cup, notices it's not steaming anymore.] Want a refill? I know whatt I want to have now. May as well make something for both of us.

[Maketh glances down.] I would, yes. Thank you.

[In one smooth motion, Emily gets up and grabs Maketh's mug, setting it next to the empty one that's hers, then starts to work the machine she's gotten so used to toying with. If she can't be the best at giving advice or being a friend, then at least she knows she can serve a good mocha.

With any luck, Maketh and Lilith will be okay, and then maybe... well. Best not to hope for anything here. Just live day to day and deal with what comes. With someone like Maketh on her side, that doesn't look as hard anymore.]

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