[ Also a return to form: following Catherine’s lead, even though they’re doing something Simon suggested. He’s not about to try and reconfigure the constants, the call-and-response routines, they’d worked out just because she’s not in a box anymore.
Her words settle like something huge and choking in his throat, that she’s the first to say it — that she’s glad he’s here. When he felt her anger. No, it makes sense. She’s just... like that.
And now they’re around people and it’s a long moment before he says anything, voice brittle. ]
Yeah, me neither. [ Yeah, that’s how he starts this, weakly wry. ] I’m glad you’re here too.
[ This is an understatement, but luckily Catherine just downloaded it, or something, apparently. Not that Simon could be accused of skipping opportunities to restate his feelings on the same thing multiple times. He clears his throat, arms crossed, extra drawn in and tight. This one arm thing sure is some bullshit. ]
Didn’t feel right being stuck in the future without you.
[ He’s far less worried about the feeling-feelings plugin than she is, at least if it’s with her in particular; from what he lets himself consciously contemplate, he figures it wouldn’t tell Catherine anything she hasn’t already heard about.
But he gives her a wide berth, for two people walking pretty much next to each other. The Data Reader, four hundred years old, could download blackbox information through a Power Suit. It doesn’t even occur to him that these things would be more limited.
He’s brushed shoulders with like three people today just getting around, which would blow a hole in this theory, but he’s Simon having an emotion so he doesn’t remember that. ]
no subject
Her words settle like something huge and choking in his throat, that she’s the first to say it — that she’s glad he’s here. When he felt her anger. No, it makes sense. She’s just... like that.
And now they’re around people and it’s a long moment before he says anything, voice brittle. ]
Yeah, me neither. [ Yeah, that’s how he starts this, weakly wry. ] I’m glad you’re here too.
[ This is an understatement, but luckily Catherine just downloaded it, or something, apparently. Not that Simon could be accused of skipping opportunities to restate his feelings on the same thing multiple times. He clears his throat, arms crossed, extra drawn in and tight. This one arm thing sure is some bullshit. ]
Didn’t feel right being stuck in the future without you.
[ He’s far less worried about the feeling-feelings plugin than she is, at least if it’s with her in particular; from what he lets himself consciously contemplate, he figures it wouldn’t tell Catherine anything she hasn’t already heard about.
But he gives her a wide berth, for two people walking pretty much next to each other. The Data Reader, four hundred years old, could download blackbox information through a Power Suit. It doesn’t even occur to him that these things would be more limited.
He’s brushed shoulders with like three people today just getting around, which would blow a hole in this theory, but he’s Simon having an emotion so he doesn’t remember that. ]