week 4 | sunday evening

[brooches]

[ You know, the two don't run in the same circles. They don't hang out together so openly. Any "moment" or "clarity" they had between one another was behind closed doors. Elizabeth wasn't going to feel as if that was purposeful, so she has no problem calling his name down the hallway once the 'retirement' is over. Mr. Jack! Mr. Jack! She waits until Rhys was far away from him to strike.

TIME FOR SOME WORDS.

Elizabeth isn't shy snatching at his sleeve and tugging him into the empty cafeteria, just them among the empty tables and chairs. ]

What was that? Mr. Jack, you almost caused a complete diversion from the true case at hand! How could you have suggested something like that?

Comments

welcome 2 the jungle, you gonna die

[brooches]

[ Elizabeth in a brief moment thinks she made a terrible mistake. As if her safety was on the line. Being close to someone was new, confronting them - that could be deadly. She doesn't fight him as the waning authority in her voice is evident. Elizabeth tenses up at his touch, looking up to him.

His words are so much different than she expects. He compromises and in that moments, it clicks: why he has gotten to where he's gotten. He seizes moments, showing compassion when needed and ruthlessness when needed. This trait can teeter a leader to a dictator. She's seen it herself. ]

...I can see why you were successful in your leadership.

[ She's not sad, or mad, or anything really. Her voice is a little dull. Dry. ]

Charisma goes a long way. People gravitate to those who make sense or at the very least, seem confident they make sense. It's a powerful tool to have in your arsenal, actually.

[ He has to know, but she doesn't sense anything horrible on his end. A hothead is as far as she goes, but she lectures - all while blanketing herself in this naive viewpoint.]

I'm sorry for coming to you this abruptly, I was heated and - [ She cuts herself off, awkwardly looking away and shrugging her shoulders a bit. ] I wasn't wrong in my concern, but I shouldn't have added fuel to a fire.

i hate this

[refactor]

[ There's a moment where Jack's brow knits together at that dullness in her voice, because he doesn't understand where it's coming from. While it's a compliment that he's grateful for, that tone doesn't match up with how he thinks it should be said. In a way, while that lack of understanding isn't quite what pushes Jack towards dictator, it is what makes him such a terrifying one in a way no one here but Rhys and Fiona would understand. That makes him the sort of dictator that believes so fully in their cause that there's no doubt at all, no room to think that such a statement could come with anything but admiration (or maybe sarcasm).

But the confusion is momentary, perhaps something to think on later, because Jack picks up the conversation without drawing to much attention to that slight falter. Instead, Jack smiles widely, and he laughs as she starts to apologize. He reaches out again, but this time it's to give her shoulder a more friendly tap. ]

What? No, I mean, you feel something that strongly, you say something! Hey, I'm glad you did, because heated, to me, just means more honest. Honesty's real important to me, so, well, it's appreciated.

[ He crosses his arms, but it's not quite so defensive this time around so much as it seems like he's relaxed. ]

Seriously, I think especially given the circumstances? It's better to just speak your mind. So don't worry about it, Liz.

you love this

[brooches]

Well... I'm glad you value integrity and truthfulness. Virtues that bring you closer to -

[ God? She shakes her head, not wanting to really finish her sentence. People here had different beliefs and she tells herself she doesn't want to offend anyone or need to explain. However, it's mainly due to her questions. Her recent disbelief of God - unsure of why God had allowed her to suffer alone in her tower. Why his eye watched over her always but cast blindly when she prayed for her freedom.

It was irrelevant and she didn't tread on that water.

He's showing... friendliness and she nearly can't keep up. The way this man recovers from something like that was headspinning and she does try and keep up. There's an awkward laugh on her end. ]

I'll try not to as long as you try not to stir up mobs with torches and pitchforks.

[ We do have a Frankenstein here, after all. ]

I'll leave you to your business, Mr. Jack.

[ Oh... it's back to that, back to manners. ]