controlledvariable | exsilium; ic inbox

[he's got a pretty good idea anyway. even teenagers who aren't vigilantes can't usually imagine living to eighty. despite his recent and temporary death--or maybe because of it--peter believes his grandfather's old dream that he'll live a long, full life.]

Not here, thanks. And they'd be wee little great-grandbabies. Gotta outdo Nic somehow.

Ugh, shut up.

[Wee little great-grandbabies.

The face she makes is that of a girl who's suddenly getting clucky at the mention of babies.

Time to focus on something else:]

Who's Nic?

[that's what she gets for suggesting he start making some.]

Nicolae. My grandfather.

And great-grandkids is the way to do it?

[don't use the b word]

Why not? He had a pretty good life.

Didn't say there was anything wrong with it, it's just not the first thing that'd come to mind when I think about outdoing grandparents.

[Not that she's sure what would come to mind.]

[he gives her a 'what can you do' sort of shrug.]

Depends on what matters to you.

[and for peter, it's family. always has been.]

Plus, it's good to have goals you can probably reach.

What, you don't like to hold yourself to ridiculously high expectations?

[l m a o]

You're shocked, right?

I think I'm having a heart attack.

[She even puts her hand over her heart.]

[he sticks out his tongue.]

I'll catch you if you fall over.

[If she wasn't seeing someone, this is the point where she'd pretend to fall just to see if he really would catch her.

But she has some self control.]

Aren't you just the perfect gentleman?

[he would've, for the record.]

Nope. But I can be a passable one sometimes.

[She looks at him for a long moment, like something's just occured to her, and then she starts laughing, a proper, loud laugh that has her covering her mouth with a hand to try to muffle it.]

Sorry, sorry, I just imagined you all dressed up in a tux.

[And it was hilarious.]