My Sole Salvation Is In The Balance Of Angels

Pat peeks at Sarah, to see if she's calmed a bit.

<> Pat rolls the d666 and gets 6 5 CHECK: 5.

Pat knows nothing.

<> Pat says "Unless we just want to take the check digit for the sake of flow. :)"

Sarah has, indeed, calmed, and is leaning - to the extent that she is still leaning - more for the sake of the contact than out of a need for reassurance. Concerned, worried, still; angry on behalf of Daimon, and of others perhaps like him; but all three easily under control, subdued to motivate without ruling.

Pat says "You've a wonderful grasp..."

Sarah lifts her head a little, looking up to his face. "Pardon?"

Pat says "Any of the others would have collapsed by now."

Sarah straightens, lifting a hand to adjust straying bits of hair. She smiles, just a touch. "I rather thought I just did."

Pat echoes the smile. "Very briefly."

Sarah says "Of course. I shouldn't have taken that much; we certainly couldn't afford more. If the Hearts have been taken, they might send someone for Daimon at any time; I mustn't be distracted if they do."

Pat says "You've no intention of that happening."

Sarah glances away, down at her glasses. "If I'm to break down, I'll do it when it won't get in the way."

Pat has not moved his arm from her shoulders; he continues to not do so. "You are an admirable person."

Sarah is, to judge from resonance or the faint flush to her vessel's cheeks, not unaware of his lack of movement. "For doing what's necessary? If so, we both are, equally."

Pat says "I...Compliments are not simple, for me."

Sarah says "Yes." She hesitates. "I - don't want to cause trouble for you. With your Lady, or with your duties, or with your own nature."

Pat says "I think such trouble is avoidable."

Sarah says "I believe so. I hope so. Though I'd prefer to examine the risks, and the ways to avoid them, before any trouble at all has a chance to arise."

Pat nods. "Which do you see, immediately?"

Sarah closes her eyes for a moment. "Suspicion of bias. The risk of suspension of objective judgment - small j. The possibility of conflict over Lightner, though that appears after recent events to be fortunately quite remote."

Pat says "I cannot allow bias."

Sarah says "Yes."

Pat says "Lightner....you know where I stand now. And where I must stand if it becomes necessary."

Sarah nods, slight. "I'm aware of the risks I accepted on that front."

Pat nods. "Can you accept the possibility, however remote?"

Sarah closes her eyes. "I'm fairly sure I know to which possibility you're referring. Still - if you would state it, I'd appreciate it."

Pat says "The fact that I may have reason to do him harm."

Sarah answers, quietly, "I do accept that. And the risk of - conflict." The last word comes hard, with a small shudder.

Pat nods. "We must be true to our functions, above all."

Sarah says "Or else there is nothing."

Pat nods. "Yes. But there are spaces that function does not fill, nor forbid."

Sarah says quietly, "If the boundaries are neared -" She smiles, a touch, and leans her head toward his shoulder. "Above all. Yes. I do not and will not object, whatever happens, to maintaining those boundaries intact. But in the spaces... I like you a great deal, Pat."

Pat smiles, slow. "And I you."

Sarah says "I don't know how it will develop. But it's good to have considered the potential problems before hand. To let them be less of a concern."

Pat says "I would...I would like it to develop positively."

Sarah answers, "So would I."

Pat says "I am pleased."

Sarah smiles, and doesn't lift her head from his shoulder. Perhaps she thinks she doesn't need to say aloud that so is she. And indeed, given Pat's Choir, perhaps she doesn't.

Pat says "I would hold you, if I may."

Sarah answers, "Certainly." And puts her arms about him, not tentatively.

Pat smiles, holding her as requested.

Sarah says hesitantly, "I will also tell you that I am - ah. Not experienced in certain - corporeal matters."

Pat blinks. "Pardon?"

Sarah says "It comes under the category of possible future problems, I think. But - this is nice."

Pat says "It is."

Pat continues to hold her, as he tries to avoid getting too subjective too quickly.

Sarah straightens after a little longer, if reluctantly. "Thank you."

Pat says "For?"

Sarah smiles.

Sarah says "Holding me."

Pat smiles. "Thank you, then."

Sarah says "You're quite welcome."

Pat says "As are you."

Sarah replies, "I... look forward to further experiments."

Pat nods, still with that slight smile. "You are a remarkable person. I want you to know this."

Sarah hesitates. "Would you mind if I replied in a possibly inappropriate fashion?"

Pat says "I would not mind."

Sarah leans forward and kisses him, awkwardly.

Pat blinks, and rapidly runs through a few decades of memory to remember how to respond. It takes a brief moment, and then he does.

Sarah is decidedly flushed when she straightens this time, and spends a number of seconds making entirely needless adjustments to her jacket.

Pat clears his throat, delicately. "An experiment?"

Sarah says "I - suppose it could be called that. It - seemed appropriate. Possibly."

Pat touches her hand. "If so, I would believe it a success."

Sarah takes his hand. "I'm - glad."

Pat says "So am I."

Sarah glances away for a moment, smiling a little. "I suppose there are some advantages to these vessels."

Pat chuckles, softly. "Some swear by them. They do, I suppose, have benefits."

Sarah agrees, "All things do in their proper place."

Pat says "This feels...proper."

Sarah says "Good."

Pat says "You concur?"

Sarah nods, without speaking.

Pat smiles, a bit more softly.

Sarah lifts a hand, rests her palm against his cheek for a moment. "I'll do my best," she says quietly, "to keep this - proper."

Pat nods, feeling the hand against his face. "Indeed."

Sarah says "I might make further suggestions, if not for the current situation."

Pat says "Pardon?"

Sarah gives a small gesture in the vague direction of the sleeping Daimon.

Sarah says "It's best - not to become too distracted, at the moment. I would think. And I would regret."

Pat nods. "Of course."

Sarah suggests, more than a touch hesitant, "Perhaps later?"

Pat nods. "Perhaps. We have all the time we need."

Sarah says "And will continue to. Yes."

Pat nods. "Patience, they say, is a virtue."

Sarah says "And they are quite correct."

Pat nods.

Sarah sighs. "I should look in on him."

Pat says "Alright. I'll be here."

Sarah rises, does that, wandering in the bedroom for a little before coming back out. "Sleeping peacefully. Good. He needs it."

Pat nods. "I hope he'll be a bit more...calm when he wakes."

Sarah seats herself again, close to Pat. "He should. Several hours of blankness should form a fairly serviceable buffer."

Pat nods. "And more than a little reassurance to sleep on. You did a wonderful job of it."

Sarah replies, "We make a good team."

Pat smiles. "I've almost forgotten what it was like to be in one."

Sarah replies, "Reassuring," and smiles.

Pat nods. "Before, when I worked in a Triad...it was always a comfort to know there were others to rely on."

Sarah says "And now...." She hesitates; laughs, softly. "These last few days have been decidedly odd."

Pat nods. "They have. It's been difficult to adjust to, at times."

Sarah says "Yes." She glances toward the bedroom again. "We've been reacting too often, I think."

Pat blinks. "How so?"

Sarah says "No organization, or very little. Wild chances taken upon individual decisions. Insufficient and inefficient circulation of information. Cooperation - yes, and that's been enough of an advantage so far. Still, we're going to need more to be able to handle - this."

Pat says "We need to speak to the others, to make sure we all share a vector."

Sarah murmurs, "Estimate risks, confer on and confirm priorities." She sighs.

Pat nods.

Sarah says "This is all very odd."

Pat nods. "Made more so by our likely goal."

Sarah says "I was including that in 'all', yes."

Pat says "Ah. Yes."

Sarah says "The poor boy."

Pat says "I think he'll pull through. Espescially now."

Sarah says "I hope so." She sighs. "Or break. But either end is a better one than what he might have had."

Pat nods. "I wonder how long he's felt this way, trapped..."

Sarah says "Since before he left Lust, apparently."

Pat shakes his head. "It's shameful."

Sarah says "In its way - yes."

Pat shakes his head. "I can barely imagine it.

Sarah says "I can imagine it far too clearly. I really think, though, that I'm not going to try."

Pat nods. "It's for the best. To dwell on such..."

Sarah says "... is pointless at best."

Pat says "And painful at worst."

Sarah says "Despair at worst."

Pat glances back to the bedroom. "Yes."

Sarah nods, with a touch of the grim about it.

Pat says "We're dwelling."

Sarah says "Mm. Yes. Let's see. There's Liz's package."

Pat nods, rising from the couch and moving into the office section of the apartment.. "She wanted copies..."

Sarah asks, "Copies?" She, herself, considers the other package; opens it; regards the contents; after a moment, drifts into the kitchen, and sets about dividing said contents onto a pair of plates.

<> Pat cackles.

<> Pat says "Liz's package, to Pat, means the files."

<> Sarah nodsnods :)

<> Pat says "Priorities. :)"

Pat starts the copier running. "Yes."

<> Sarah isn't sure Sarah even noticed the files :)

Sarah says "Copies of what?"

Pat pokes his head out to look into the kitchen area. "The files she brought. What was the other package?"

Sarah fetches out a pair of plates, and associated silverware, and offers him one. "Cake, evidently."

Pat walks fully into the kitchen, taking the plate. "Chocolate?"

Sarah considers hers. "Apparently so."

Pat says "Hm."

Sarah tries a tentative forkful, and closes her eyes in readily apparent bliss.

Pat lifts an eyebrow. "That good?"

Sarah nods, mutely.

Pat says "Oh my."

Pat takes a bite.

Long distance to Pat: Sarah laughs. I think that effectively murders the conversation. :)

Pat pages: For a few moments at least.

Pat murmurs something completely unintelligible.

---

Fiat Justitia