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

[praevaricatio]

Comments

[kiwicompany]

( he's expecting more than calm curiosity so he slows his pace on the stairs, stopping altogether. this won't be a contentious call, then. )

Hi, Waverly.

( and then he continues. )

When I realized Alice was involved in where I was assigned, directly involved, I didn't want to involve her in public. Until I determined what happened and what I was going to say to Janders, I thought it better to meet privately.

( he imagined what it might be like for her to find him in her room. maybe it could romantic. or a welcome surprise. but that's now how it transpired. )

I didn't want an electronic trail, or a paper trail. I startled her. I know that.

[stupetballs]

Okay.

[There is some logic to it, she'll give him that. But she also thinks she can gently maybe hope him see where he swung wrong there.]

When was the last time you and Alice actually talked?

[kiwicompany]

Not since I was recalled back to Black Badge.

( He didn't know if she even wanted to hear from him. And she never reached out. )

[stupetballs]

So you don't see how it would be a little weird for you to go from radio silence to suddenly appearing in her dorm room?

[Her tone isn't accusatory, just pointing out the small flaw in his logic.]

I don't think you were wrong for trying to be safe, but there were other options. Why didn't you call me?

[kiwicompany]

You don't think I know that now. I had this -- quite honestly, romantic notion.

( And botched it. )

...He asked to keep you out of it, said you were on holiday. Now I know he just wants the glory for himself.

[stupetballs]

Fucking Janders.

[Waverly doesn't drop F-bombs often but this particular agent deserves it.]

Where is he now?

[kiwicompany]

Janders? He's back at headquarters. He trusted me to handle it and, frankly, I'm not sure where his orders came from. Maybe my dad. He sounded the kind of concerned that might kick in if I discovered something major. And now I still have no answers... but I want to keep Alice out of it.

( he just can't go back without some kind of answers. )

[stupetballs]

Okay. Here's what we're going to do.

[She wants Archer to get his answers and she knows that Alice probably owes him something of an apology so maybe they can kill two birds with one stone.]

I'm going to send you an address. You are going to meet me there, and fill me in on your case, and I will do my best to get Alice there too, and you two can sort this out.

[kiwicompany]

I won't blame her if she doesn't make it.

( He fucked up. )

[stupetballs]

She'll make it.

[His phone dings with the address as promised.]

It'll be okay. C'mon, I'll order us some lunch.

[kiwicompany]

Okay. Fine. Today?

( He feels enough like a bonehead. )

[stupetballs]

Definitely lunch today. You can catch me up on what's been going on.

[Alice may take more doing, but maybe she'll be feeling up to ripping the bandaid off.]

[kiwicompany]

Janders doesn't send you my debriefs?

( She means, personally, doesn't she? )

[stupetballs]

Oh, after what went down with Janders last time, Jeremy knows the less I have to deal with him the better.

[She does not like the man and she never will.]

But I can go pull them up if you don't want to talk.

[kiwicompany]

I haven't been assigned on my own just yet, something about my training wheels.

( But, he's been busy nonetheless. )

[stupetballs]

Growing pains all agents go through.

[But she can understand the frustration.]

If you need this to be a work chat, I was also impacted by the wild magic. You can take my witness statement.

[kiwicompany]

Look, I appreciate smoothing things over. I mucked up. But, I'm hoping I won't always need you to broker peace between Alice and me.

( If she wants to know his goal for all this. )

I was on assignment since we left Purgatory. Save for a weekend here and there with my parental figures. We were in Canada.

[stupetballs]

I'm hoping you won't either. But Alice is her mother's daughter, and sometimes you need to just not spook her.

[She gets another ding which is Alice's agreeing text that she and her roommate are on their way over, so she'll order lunch and focus on the story.]

What were you working on?

[kiwicompany]

I -- ( did screw up. ) Your point's made.

( and he hears it. )

A frost demon infiltrated the Toronto suburbs. I moved in as Janders' nephew.

[stupetballs]

Oooh frost demons are nasty.

[And he can continue catching her up until there's a knock on her hotel room door, and she opens it to be greeted with Alice, her roommate, and the pizza boy with three pizzas.]

Look at that. Gang's all here. Hi, Lizzie. Nice to see you again.

[kiwicompany]

( He agrees. )

And this one had a cloaking spell attached. Another family.

( It was a very big whodunit. Turns out, it wasn't the newest neighbors, but the oldest. They lost their oldest to a frozen lake. It was a sad story. He trembles through describing the final confrontation before a knock interrupts.

"Hey, Waverly! Abs." Lizzie says, striding in. )

Lizzie. Alice.

[stupetballs]

[Waverly handles the pizza boy and sends him on his way, before taking Lizzie gently by the arm and steering her towards the in-suite kitchenette.]

Lizzie, will you help me with the drinks?

[Aka give the kids a chance to talk. This isn't going to be mega privacy, because they're still in the same room, but Archer and Alice are the ones who need to talk.]

[kiwicompany]

( "Alcoholic drinks?" A girl's gotta try...

She can give them the time and space they need, though.

Archer sticks his hands in his pockets, exhaling. It's the least subtle exit. )

I do owe you an apology, if you'll accept.

[eredite]

["Let's see how all that goes first," Waverly replies.

Alice tries not to appear immediately defensive, not crossing her arms in front of her chest and nods slowly.]

I'm willing to hear it. We'll see after that if I accept it.

[kiwicompany]

( So, he has to make a speech.

Lizzie fiddles with the coffee maker, spinning the little rack of pods, keeping small talk going before her and Waverly.

Archer crosses the divide between them. )

I was scared. And ashamed. And then, very suddenly assigned to investigate something I only recently learned you were involved in. I thought, foolishly, you might react differently. I thought about what I would say, or what would happen. Coming back together. But, I didn't earn that dream and I really slammed that hope in the bin. I recognize that.

( And... )

If I could've stayed -- My life isn't my own, and I thought about you, and thought about reaching out, but every time I did, I didn't know what I could say, that you would... even want to hear. And then one month became six. My crash and burn isn't an excuse. Neither is my fear. Or, my buffoonery. I messed up. All around. Every step of the way. And I am sorry for it, Alice.