there are prizes all around you if you're wise enough to see

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[blackstarred]

[She nods, because to be continued is never good, because you're just left to stew on it.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[pumping]

( A complicated question. Cooper wanted to. But, he really just wanted to apologize. )

Lucas Sullivan is alive, again. Because Sullivan Sr and his reacquainted wife were dragged into body-stealing witch business. And Coop thought that call was also the call he wanted to apologize to me on. He's been a dick, etcetera.

( All things he can't really do anything about. )

He thinks he was doing me a solid. But, he was just clearing his conscience.

[blackstarred]

[Mia only caught the body language on Mickey's side of the conversation, so she can't speak to Cooper's state of mind. It does seem like a shitty confluence of information.]

Speaking as someone who just did her own apology tour? Sometimes you have to apologize before you can actually help. You have to acknowledge the harm before you can make it better.

[Which it does not sound like Cooper managed, but ... maybe there's points for effort in there somewhere.]

But the other half of that is actually giving a good apology, and it doesn't sound like he did from your end.

[pumping]

( He doesn't need his help, but he's not about to include that in a bubbling up outburst. He's trying to keep cool, calm, and collected. )

Couldn't have been easy to give both pieces of information at once. ( And acknowledgement. ) Or, to apologize. ( At all. He sighs. ) He doesn't have anything to apologize for. I didn't have my head on straight, how could he.

( While a variety of things happened in succession to Mickey, Cooper 1) lost his brother, 2) defected and became a double agent 3) was confronted by one of his best friends 4) "died", 5) met his future in-laws, 6) found out his lost brother is now found... and alive. )

[blackstarred]

[Mia nods.]

Doesn't mean he didn't leave you to fend for yourself with a lot.

[She takes a deep breath.]

If he felt he had to apologize, maybe there is something to that.

[pumping]

( both things can be true. )

Yeah. ( he can see it from all angles, which makes him take it better this time around. ) Guess we'll see what shakes out.

( if he comes back, with Lucas in tow. )

[blackstarred]

Yep.

[She nods.]

Wanna go out and see if we can find something to punch?

[She takes after her father in some ways, in that sometimes you need an outlet for your anger, for better or worse. Coop isn't here for him to punch, but maybe punching now will help sort out those feelings for later.]

I was going to go patrol.

[pumping]

( He's not sure Wes live-and-let-live O'Hara inside is going to love that. But, he's tired of not listening to his impulses. )

Extra points if it doesn't go down easy. Let me talk to Wes?

( he crackles his knuckles, takes one last fake breath of fresh, night air, and lets himself back inside the apartment. )

[blackstarred]

Sure. I'll grab my gear - just let me know when you're ready.

[And she'll leave him to go talk to Wes.

Wes, on the other hand, well. Is a vampire. And as nice as Mia and Mickey's apartment is, it's not very big and he heard a lot of that.

Okay, he heard all of that.

But he sits in the other room, scrolling on his phone, pretending that he didn't and waiting for Mickey to come to him.]

[pumping]

( Closing the door behind him, he comes behind their couch and brings his hands to Wes' shoulders, giving them a squeeze. )

Hey, so - I got some ... news I don't really know how I feel about and Mia offered to take me on patrol. Feeling a little like I might jump out of my skin and I might take her up on it.

[mojitos]

Okay.

[He's not meeting as much resistance as he thought.]

I'll be around if you want to talk about it. Just be careful, okay?

[pumping]

You want to tag along?

( He is giving less resistance than he expected. Maybe it's because he's being honest. )

[mojitos]

[The honesty does help. And he knows that Mia needs to do her job and there are likely vampires in town with less than admirable intentions. Especially considering there are a few different types of vampire.

But he's not one to go around looking for trouble, and he's old enough to have some weight in the vampire community here. He's not looking to start throwing that around.]

Not really my scene. But I hope it helps.

[pumping]

( his left hand reaches, as he dips over the couch, hugging him from behind. he places a kiss to Wes' cheek. )

Thank you.

[blackstarred]

["Be careful," he says with a smile, before letting him head back to Mia, who appears in the doorway with her gear ready.]

Good to go?

[pumping]

See you in the morning.

( He takes one of the bags for himself and slings it over his shoulder. )

Let's jet.