Another lovely evening

Elijah
He had invited her to dinner.

the pho place wasn't extraordinarily busy on weekends, namely because people were bustling about trying to get the weekend covered and they were faking that Sunday is family dinner day or whatever the case was it only came out to one simple fact: People were not really in the mood for pho on Sundays. Except, of course, if you were Elijah. Elijah was always in the mood for pho, namely because it was cheap, delicious, and easy to dress up for any occasion. In truth, he hadn't had the same pho twice wsince he started coming here. THat meant he'd come up with no less than sixty different combinations since he got to Denver.

Elijah picked Arionna up, borrowed Jenn's car (which was a lot nicer than the Civic. Well, it happened to be another Civic but this one smelled new and a little like a lavender satchel that she stuffed in the cup holder along with a piece of rose quartz and a rolled up piece of paper.

They got there quickly enough set up with a table, and Elijah held the menu like he wasn't going know immediately what he wanted. This was part of the ritual.

"So, I missed the shit out of you," he announces, "glad you took a break from your studies."

Arionna
Getting out the house was more than enjoyable when you find yourself stuffed in it for so long. It was almost thrilling. She enjoyed studying, sure, but her family was almost always there in some form and Lavinia...she had left. Ari hadn't been exactly in good spirits since then. But that was life wasn't it? Something she understood and knew would happen in time. People leave. It's a simple truth.

She sat across from him in a skirt that reached her ankles. She had gone shorter so she didn't trip, but she still enjoyed being 'girly.' Thankfully, with a little help, she had managed to make sure her wardrobe could match almost anything; how could she fail?

But that is neither here nor there as they sit across from one another, Eli with his menu and Ari with her palms placed on it flat on the table; it's not readable for her after all. In this place she often trusts Eli.

His announcement causes a lift of her brows in curiosity or perhaps confusion. "Not something I expected of you. Are all the others lacking in entertainment these days?

Elijah
"They're lacking in specificity," he tells her, as though this mattered or as though this made any sense. He's content to leave it where it is; Elijah has a smile on his face. She can hear it in the tone, in the way that there is a slight lilt to that southern accent.

"Rare beef brisket or are you feeling like tripe?"

... yes, that was a serious question.

He looks over the menu again, his attentions there for the time being while he tried to find something that she would like that he hadn't already ordered for her before. Arionna was a surprisingly good sport about these sort of things.

Arionna
"Beef." It's a simple choice for her really. Red meat always wins her heart over. "They must just be busy."

"I expected we wouldn't talk for some time given our last meeting." Her head canted just a little and Ari relaxed her brows. "Makes me wonder at the nature of our meeting again."

Arionna
[alertness for fun]

Dice: 6 d10 TN6 (1, 4, 6, 6, 8, 9) ( success x 4 )

Elijah
"I'm getting better at self-regulating," he says, "so you don't have to worry about me expecting you to be the sole source of my catharsis when shit hits the fan."

A second and he continues on, passing through as to why they may be meeting. Doesn't hold on to something sentimental because in truth he doubts she would accept it. He knew that they weould hurt each other, but he stayed anyway save for the moments that he simply couldn't handle it. Their relationship was a moving walkway; iut was hard to go back unless you truly wanted to work doubletime to make it happen.

She can hear him put the menu down again, tuck it away between a napkin dispenser and the condiments on a lazy susan. As though her will made it happen, the waitress came by and took their order. Two pho tai. Small, because the portions were freaking gigantic here and they were going to get a freaking gallon of noodle soup no matter what they ordered.

They are left alone again. The silence isn't bad.

"The storm that acted as a deterrent to getting into other realms is gone," said with wonder.

Arionna
"I'm simply not an excellent source for that sort of thing. That isn't to say that I'm unwilling to be...supportive in some manner. The trouble is that I do not operate in similar ways to those you know. Believing I do will only cause future errors." Arionna tilts her head as the waitress comes and asks for an ice tea to go with that. The more she thinks about noodles, the nicer it sounds.

"I suspect that pleases you in some manner. That is something that relates to your work. Do you know why it has vanished?"

Elijah
He bites his tongue. It's a literal thing. He literally bites his tongue and takes a second to breathe, to process through and remember that there are things about his friend that are different from other people. She doesn't say things to be callous, and she doesn't speak the way she does to isolate people. No, she does so simply because this is how she is. She is intelligent; she is academic. She speaks in a manner befitting of an academic.

He grazes over the statement about causing future errors to focus, instead, on the Avatar storm.

"Yeah," he says while he inhales,. "it's been going on for... what? Twenty years? Maybe? Almost twenty? It may be closer to fifteen, I would have to do more research. It cut us off from a number of umbral realms, killed multiple masters, did a whole bunch of shit- it's really pretty fascinating if it weren't so terrifying."

"Apparently it's been dying down for months, which makes sense. I've never known a storm to rage for an eternity; everything moves in cycles. If I knew what caused the thing in the first place it would be different, but I get the feeling that it would be a complete mess."

Arionna
Arionna can hear the silence, feel the tension without knowing he's bitten his tongue at all. It's there, in the air.

"I don't think it's wise to move into other spaces that are not our own. Engaging with other beings that are unlike ourselves is dangerous. Their desires, needs, and expectations may be different. Ghosts, I imagine, are very much like us, but it isn't those I would be concerned about. Even the darkest of witches knows better than to, say, consort with demons. Nevermind how weak it makes one."

"But if it is indeed gone, then there is a reason, and that reason may be good or bad. Given its length, I might suggest bad, if only because of our tendency to rush to positive assumptions."

Elijah
"It has its consequences," he tells her, "the gauntlet is a two way street- if it's easier for us to get in it stands to reason that now it is easier for other things to get out. It also ebbs and flows with the location- places that are undisturbed by people and are less calcified are easier to pass through; the indication is that uninhibited nature and the world we see are not so different. When you pass through it's very much more than is looks.

"It's a place that demands respect. Not everything there is a demon, and there are places deeper still that are beyond human comprehension and seeing just a part of that was so validating."

There's that smile again. A sigh. Some pleasure in what was there.

"I get the impression that the storm itself was unnatural, so letting it dissipate might be good for restoring the natural order."

Arionna
"Precisely why one shouldn't meddle. Despite that, it's pleasing to see you excited about something." As if Elijah wasn't ever excited. Ari was simply trying to 'be nice.' She shifts a little, turning her head away from him as she listens to what few are even present.

"I suspect that the other realms and the storm isn't the most eventful thing that has occurred in your life. I almost suspect it was a consequence of something you were doing."

Elijah
"It was just a jaunt off into the umbra, Henry said he'd take me at some point so, like, this was it. Which was pretty amazing. You can't stay too long, though," he skips right over her being nice and continues to be exuberant about the experience. Soon enough, food does come. The waitress, that Ari can hear, is talking to some of the other customers in Vietnamese. She leaves the bowls and gives a subtle please enjoy before wandering off. Drinks are filled- a water and an iced tea, and away she whisks like a thief into the night.

"I wish that you were actually interested in this. Your turn to be excited- three two one- name something interesting you've been doing."

Arionna
"And why can't you stay for too long? How does one quantify that?" She slides her hand slowly t find the utensils, using the other to orient herself in relation to the bowl. People sometimes forget that eyes for used for more than just walking and reading. "I've simply never been interested much in those who find no peace. Not unless I wish to bind them in some manner."

He wants her to state something she's been doing that's interesting. "Reading." Is what he gets because...what did he expect from her?

Elijah
"Because the longer you stay, the greater risk there is that you lose a corporeal form. I don't have a time line, but I'd imagine it's a matter of months, which can happen pretty easily given that time doesn't pass the same way. It requires resetting your internal clock to be aware of time outside, I'd think? Just hypothesizing there," he sais, has already headed for the soy sauce and limes as he doctors his bowl to meet his specifications.

"What've you been reading about?"

Arionna
"Is it? Hm. I suspect that spending many, but brief moments in such a place would aid you in telling time effectively, though I'm not certain. Obviously." She leans a little, lifting up some of the noodles to eat them slowly. She chewed, scooping up another set of noodles. After a moment she answered with, "Behavioral Genetics." There's a beat before she realizes he may not understand exactly what that is. "It's the examination of the way genes and environment affect behavior."

Elijah
"Is this within the confines of animal behavior or are you guys, like, working on people stuff too?"he takes a bite of food. Beef. Noodles. Jalepeno. He doesn't seem to be having terribly many problems with this, but he does seem to be paying attention. He knows Arionna is smart, and knows that she doesn't often talk about what she's studying so his attention is directly in front of him. Eating, yes, but paying attention.

He couldn't be a singular creature even if he tried.

Arionna
"They are one and the same. What we learn of animals is true of humans. Often we examine animals first and apply such findings to people within the...ethical confines defined by society. For instance, is the tendency to avoid others versus extend oneself to risky situations environmental or genetic? It is a combination of course, as one must have the tendency towards one or the other at the very beginning, but its expression relies on the right circumstances. Discovering the variables that lead to such things is imperative to understanding the root of behavior, and how it can be altered."

"It isn't easy, of course, and it can be quite dull. Fruit flies are a favorite organism to use for their lack of ethical restraints and ability to propagate quickly."

Elijah
"So what's the thought process on that? The risk taking, that is- what causes the whole I actively seek danger spiel?" she does say that they study fruitflies, though, and something about that makes Elijah laugh. The sound comes easily, and he sounds just comfortable with the whole concept.

"Why is it bad that I'm imagining criminology majors studying the serial murdering patterns of fruit flies. Like you end it with this weird Dahmer fly or something."

A beat.

"Sorry, that was kinda morbid, even if it was with hypothetical sociopathic fruitflies."

Arionna
"Psychopathic." She corrects him. "Sociopathic relies on the environment. Psychopathic would be genetic. In the event that a fly would exhibit such behavior, and that its offspring could be made to do the same, it would be psychopathy. It is possible." She considers it for a moment, taking another bite.

"It seems that the desire for risk or no risk is partially dependent on the environment the organism is raised in. In an environment with an abundance of predators, you may have fewer risk takers as it is unwise to do so. In a place with fewer, more will be riskier. That is the most simplistic explanation, as genes do still play an important role. "

Elijah
[Per+empathy- are you talking down to me?]

Dice: 7 d10 TN6 (4, 4, 4, 8, 9, 10, 10) ( success x 4 )

Elijah
She corrects him, and he takes a bite of food, chews and swallows before he reformulates what he's going to say.

"... I get that you don't think I'm not your intellectual equal, Arionna, but when you talk down to me it is disrespectful. I treat you like an equal and I expected you to extend the same courtesy to me, unless I am again making an error in my perceptions."

Elijah
(""... I get that you don't think I'm your intellectual equal."

Double negatives Heather)

Arionna
There's a pause and a silence as she considers his words.

"Ah."

"Then I should speak as if you know precisely what I'm referring to? I suppose it was rather presumptuous of me to assume you are not versed in behavioral genetics, or ecology for that matter. I'll refrain from explaining the intricacies in a manner that would allow for minimal confusion." There is a bite to her words, a sort of irritation at him. She isn't hiding it.

Elijah
"Not understanding the entirety of a subject or being mistaken on subject matter doesn't mean you have to talk to someone like they're less of a person, Arionna," he's trying, like he's pleading with her, like he's desperate for her to try and see this his way. He exhales.

"And now it sounds like you're trying to say fine, I won't explain things anymore because very clearly it would confuse you. I'm not dumb, but you have to be patient we study different things. There are things that I don't know that I don't know."

He drops his voice, "you do this with magic too and I don't get it. Am I not trying hard enough? Am I not getting what you need? What am I missing here- I'm trying to be your friend but when I try it's like the message I'm getting is that I have no idea how to do that."

Arionna
"You become angry when I explain, and you become angry when I say nothing. I'm not entirely sure what you expect. You want me to realize you don't understand something, but you also wish I won't explain things in such a manner. I'm unclear as to exactly what you want of me? You ask what I study and I explain. I correct your mistakes so that you are the wiser for it and won't make them again. Yet that seems to displease you. So I admit defeat and won't do such things again. Yet that displeases you."

"You will inevitably ask questions of what you don't know. It's more efficient to simply explain it now rather than later."

Elijah
"It's not the explanation it's the tone of it all," he says, "we're on opposite sides of the issue on human behavior, so I've tried to stop bringing that up because i don't want to fight with you. We have different views on where ethics come into play with free will, or whether or not free will actually exists and it's not a conversation, it's not a debate- it's never a debate. It's not been a back and forth and a sharing of ideas about anything, it's all been approached from the perspective I'm right and that's how things are and you don't even entertain the idea that your view isn't the only one out there and it freaking kills me."

He lets out a long breath, because he had been talking fast. Probably gesturing. Probably forgot about his food for five seconds.

"I want you to treat me like an equal in the sense that we both have an inherent right to being allowed to have dignity."

Arionna
"How can an individual hold an educated opinion when they know nothing of the subject? If you're not versed in biology, how can you entertain any opinion of that which relates. Just as I have no true opinion on the nature of these other worlds you have such a passion for, only that I am quite leery of engaging with such things myself. In the end, you are far more versed in it than I am, and I am pleased to accept that."

"One cannot debate what they don't know. You may hold an opinion on the nature of humanity, but it is merely from your own observations, not from an actual acquisition of knowledge. It would be no different than my attempts to debate the finer points of the other realms. I speak merely from lack of exposure, and you from actual knowledge. How foolish I would be to debate it."

She tightens her lips, leaves her bowl untouched except for the fact that she has simply pushed it closer to the edge of the table, where the waitress can pick it up. Ari leans for her bag, ruffling her hand in it long enough to slip out her wallet. The bills are folded in different ways and she touches them for a long moment before pulling out a 10, setting it on the table. "That will likely take care of my own, I think. You'll let me know if it doesn't."

Elijah
"So you're just walking out?" he reaches for his wallet, throws a twenty on the table because he doesn't really care what he's tipping the waitress, which comes out to be little more than a forty percent tip, all things said. She gets up and he gets up with her. This is a familiar dance.

"You're talking about exposure and I'm talking about intelligence. We're talking about two different things," he follows along because she's walking off and he is having none of it. "The only thing I'm asking, literally the only thing I want from you is to at least fucking pretend like you take me seriously."

Arionna
Ari walks slowly given her troubles, but she still persists, pausing just outside of the door. "I think you hardly have any room to critique my decision to end the conversation given our meeting prior to this one. Though maybe you've forgotten it." Her brows furrow slowly and she cants her head toward shim a little.  "I'm talking about the capacity to form an informed opinion worthy of debating. One cannot debate physics if one doesn't know it, no matter how intelligent they may be."

She taps the end of her cane against the cement as hard as she can, resting her hand on top of it. "So you assume I perceive you as a joke then? That I don't take you seriously because I don't engage in a debate over a topic that we are clearly not on even ground with. " Her voice lifts in irritation. "You have so little trust in my character when it pertains to you that I even wonder if I am the one who struggles with trusting. At the very least I would expect a little faith on your end given our past experiences with one another. Unless, of course, such activities mean very little to you."

"I'm going home. Lavinia has left, so it's not the only real place I have to return to, but at the very least I have the fortune of being alone. Where I'm not fighting over bruised egos and whatever else comes along. "

"I'll call a cab."

Arionna
[*it's now the]

Elijah
[WP: don't say something shitty to her]

Dice: 5 d10 TN6 (2, 2, 4, 7, 8) ( success x 2 )

Elijah
because I don't engage in a debate over a topic that we are clearly not on even ground with

"You act like we're not on any ground with any topic and when-"

He stops.

She continues on, and he inhales slow and long and deep and there were a number of things he could retort with. A number of comebacks and insults and details that he could pick apart. If he wanted to, he could be cruel... but he doesn't want to. At the end of the day, he doesn't make any attempt to hide that this hurts.

"I'll pay for your cab if you'll let me. I'm sorry that this hasn't been the best of evenings, and I genuinely hope you have a good night." He does stay until the cab gets there, but after that point he doesn't actually say anything. He only leaves if she specifically tells him to go away, which he doesn't fight and there is stillness.

He knows at least three bars he can hit on the way home.