[closed]

[stonefaith]

Date & Time: Noon of 3/28
Location: Abandoned school parking lot out in the city!!
Characters: Bariyan (stonefaith), Martin Darkov (theguideless)
Summary: More driving shenanigans! More driving shenanigans gone WRONG.
Warnings: watch out there's a darkov behind the wheel

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Bariyan was beginning to feel just a little bit hopeful about Martin's driving lessons. The kid was doing all right now. He could sort of navigate his way around the parking lot, at least. Bariyan still wouldn't trust him to, say, try and maneuver his way up a mountain road while being chased by overpowered masked freaks. But Bariyan didn't exactly trust himself to do that sort of thing either.

After their last lesson, he'd told Martin to meet him at the parking lot again, today, at noon. Bariyan had arrived much earlier than that, mostly on account of having little else to do. He'd spent the last fifteen minutes or so lounging against the hood of the sedan watching the clouds make their slow roll across the sky and thinking idle thoughts.

He liked having the lessons. He was just trying to decide what it was that he liked about them: the teaching, the car, the way that time suddenly passed much faster, or maybe even Martin's company. Or all of them? In any case, it was a rather odd feeling. In all the time since his resurrection, this was the first time he'd ever felt anything but hollow misery.

Comments

[theguideless]

He didn't need to; Martin was already filling in the blanks with his own desperate hopes. He straightened up out of his slouch, as if to make himself more persuasive.

"Can I come, too? To see...I mean, maybe there's more there than...than people here've said, so..."

[stonefaith]

Upon seeing Martin's hopefulness, Bariyan's mouth twitched into a strained, uncomfortable line. No. Of course not. And that answer would've been immediate if the last refusal hadn't been so fresh in Bariyan's mind.

He caught his breath, paused, and quietly said, "No, Martin. You have to stay. But I promise, I will tell you everything that I find or see there."

Assuming that he could come back. That was a worry, though a small one. Bariyan wasn't going to die, of course, but he did realize that it wasn't impossible to trap him down. Or lock him out.

[theguideless]

"I wouldn't cause trouble," he insisted, hands curling into fists, bunching up bits of his vest. "I wouldn't even talk, just look. I, I mean, I've...I've never been on a boat before, but I wouldn't complain or say anything. Please?"

[stonefaith]

"It's not--" Oh, gods. All right. Count that as yet another mistake made today. Bariyan should have lied.

He raised a hand to the back of his neck, gaze shifting down and away, grimacing. "No, Martin. I'm sorry. It'll--" What, be dangerous? It had been dangerous here, too. That wasn't a good enough excuse. "--we can only afford to take so many people. And I don't want you to suffer the fallout, if there is any. Better that you had nothing to do with it."

[theguideless]

"But, I..." A couple sounds, the starts of words in protest, stuck in his throat, his nose, and preceded little else. More closed doors and refusals.

And what could he say to convince? Please? What qualities did he have that would be at all worthwhile for an expedition in so much water? He'd no doubt be more trouble than help, he knew. He knew, but...but he wished he was better.

His gaze dropped, shoulders sagging.

"Yes, sir."

[stonefaith]

He almost wished that Martin would put up more of a fight. Almost. It was painful to watch him fold up so easily, every time. But of all the things that Bariyan had said and done wrong today, he was at least certain that keeping Martin off this expedition was the right thing to do. Especially considering the many doubts that he had about the upcoming trip.

"Not 'sir', remember." A gentle reminder. He started to reach a hand out to Martin, then changed his mind halfway through the action and folded his arms across his chest instead. "I'm sorry. We should be back within the week. I promise I will let you know everything that happens."

[theguideless]

Martin's sorry was mumbled, almost inaudible, but very definitely there. Of course it was – it's all he tended to say, wasn't it? He nodded a little, too, a glance flickering up at the promise. It wasn't much of a consolation, but it was...something, he supposed. Something else to hope for while stuck in limbo...

He didn't feel very reassured, however, right at that moment.

"Alright."

[stonefaith]

Bariyan nodded. "Off with you then, kiddo." Gods, now he was obligated to find something, wasn't he? Something useful. Something hopeful. He owed as much, anyway.

He stepped back, swallowed. "And... I'm sorry about today. Again." Hard, awkward words. Said once, said again. He was not certain that he would ever find the words to express his sorrow, though.

[theguideless]

Martin left without another word of protest. Or much word of anything. Dismissed, still of no use to anyone, he was too tired and too sad to even want to try to contest it.

Sorry? Why? It never really clicked when people apologized to him. Maybe it never would. Or should.

It wasn't something he thought on too hard at the time; he had to watch where he was going and look for the right building with the right stairs. Then...then he had to hope the people he shared space with were out enjoying that awful, too-bright day, so he could hide without any question or possibility of words. He was spent on them.