[catchall for brilliant ]

[slobjection]

Comments

[infire]

...You are smart. So I think you know that isn't what I meant.

[slobjection]

Hm... well, there is something to be said about the power of a smile in tough situations.

[ something something smile and believe in your client. ]

But I think you have your strengths beyond just that.

[infire]

[ hm she's going to sidestep that ]

Maybe so, but I find it difficult. How do you do it?

[slobjection]

Years of practice.

[ don't think he hasn't noticed that, young lady ]

[infire]

[ no idea what you mean! ]

...I've had years of practice. But it doesn't change how I feel underneath it.

Is that true for you, too?

[slobjection]

[ this is edging dangerously close to feelings talk and he doesn't like it. ]

.... Something like that.

[infire]

...I won't ask you to talk about it if you don't want to. Just tell me that you have someone you can be honest with here - someone you don't always have to be strong for.

[slobjection]

That's very generous of you.

But would it work both ways?

[infire]

[ is it...? ]

If you mean whether I have someone to be honest with, then the answer is yes.

[slobjection]

It wouldn't be very fair of me to bare my soul to you if you feel you can't do the same with me, no?

[infire]

[ . . . ]

I suppose that's fair. [ she smiles, expression soft. ] I could do without one more person worrying over me, though.

[slobjection]

In my experience, it's more worrying if you keep it all bottled up.

[ he is a hypocrite ]

[infire]

Most people at my home would beg to differ, I think.

[ she's smiling, but only for a moment. ]

Maybe you're right, though. Sometimes it does feel harder, that way.

[slobjection]

I am "Wright" all the time.

[ shut up phoenix ]

[infire]

[ . . . ]

That was a terrible joke.

[slobjection]

So I'm told.

[ who starts off memshare again... ]

[infire]

[ sipp this is a w2 thread ]

Do... Do you always make jokes like that?

[slobjection]

[ i was very tired okay ]

.... So I'm told.

They do say laughter is the best medicine.

[infire]

[ that's terribly familiar. ]

Is that really what we need right now...?

[slobjection]

Sometimes a bit of levity is a good thing.

[ to distract from soul-crushing murder and monster nonsense ]

[infire]

But if you do that all the time, then people will start to wonder if you're taking anything seriously.

[slobjection]

... Sometimes that's a good thing, too.

[ why is he this way ]

[infire]

[ oh... he's like agni, isn't he. ]

Maybe. [ her tone says she has doubts, though. ] Only if you actually show people you're serious when it matters. Or they'll think you don't care about anything.

[slobjection]

[ maybe a little. ]

What do you think?

[ 7 years of having to be frenemies with an insane murderer who killed everyone involved w his plots has made phoenix a little paranoid of everything.... ]

[infire]

...I think it isn't fair to act like that when those around you are taking things seriously. It... it feels like a slap in the face, when things are really hard and they're trying their best to help people, but it seems like you can only be bothered to care about frivolous things.