nexus_crossings | Balancing the Books

Balancing the Books

Here’s someone who hasn’t shown his face in public for a while. Felix is sitting on the old Legion desk in his Legion leathers, a small pile of books beside him. For those who get close enough to look, they’re all reference books about Earth, including a children’s encyclopedia and a dictionary. The mage himself still looks a little sleepless, but he’s in far better shape than the gaunt, distracted wraith who showed up for the Halloween party. There’s color in his face, an easy confidence in his posture… and with his hood down around his shoulders, his hair looks like it’s back to its normal black.

Felix draws a deep breath that has nothing at all to do with the letter he’s pretending to read, then folds it and flashes the nearest Nexus-goers a quick smile.

“How forgiving you are you of debts?” he asks. “Those you’re owed, and those you owe.”

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If he's uneasy about seeing the rogue again, well, Felix is uneasy meeting most everyone lately. He's making sure not to show it, out here in public on his own, and Amelia gets a friendly smile back up at her.

"I can't pretend I'm surprised. You almost sound as if you enjoy your debt collections. I should be careful not to incur one."

It's understandable that this is hard for him and Amelia won't hold it against him if he falters. She's working on her own issues; It wouldn't make much sense for her to get after someone about things she's actively fighting with for similar reasons.

"I've no reason to hold anything against you, Felix. Don't you worry." She throws in a wink for good measure, just to be certain he doesn't think she's being dishonest. "As far as the others go, how could I not try to hold them to their word? If a deal has been struck, shouldn't we all be held accountable for such actions? There's always time and reason for leniency, of course, but one should never assume such things about a deal when they make it. Those kinds of assumptions only hurt all involved."

"Yes, yes, contracts and obligations keep the wheels of empire turning." He feigns a yawn. "It sounds exhausting, trying to keep up with all the debts you have to collect on. Do you keep a little ledger somewhere?"

He's teasing. He wouldn't: solid evidence is just asking for someone to steal your leverage from you.

She smirks at his little ploy. "Every business has a ledger. Where it's kept and what it's made of depends on the type of business - and the debts."

Amelia was certainly careful with how she kept track of her less legal activities that led to debts on her world. She had to, if she wasn't going to take money for her services, but instead take payment in the form of favors to be paid back at a future time. One false step can take down the best laid plans and she wasn't going to let that happen, no matter the personal cost.

"I certainly didn't keep any ledgers that looked like this," she teases, motioning to his stack of books on Earth, "and I'm certain these aren't ledgers either." She reaches out a hand to trace the air in front of the spines before looking at Felix curiously. "Why the fascination with Earth today?"

"That's where Jim hails from, if you didn't know." Felix, really. He looks back at the books, perhaps collecting his nerve before he says so casually, "And I expect to be spending most of my time in his realm, in the future. Since we've been..." oh, what's the word? "Engaged."

Amelia rolls her eyes at him and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Yes, yes, I know he's from--"

Hang on a second. She knows that word. Sort of.

"...Felix, did you mean to say that you and Jim are betrothed? As in you're going to get married?" She blinks down at him, confusion mixing with the happiness that is believing what she's asking is right. Hey, she might not be friends with Jim, but she's friends with Felix and they're happy together and that's what matters. "Do you really mean it? Truly?"

"Are you so shocked?" He can't avoid smiling at her reaction. How dizzying it is to speak of this out loud, in public. "That's exactly what I mean. As a matter of fact he proposed the day we reunited."

"A little, but not because of you." Teasing Jim Kirk about settling down? Why, yes, she'll do that all she can, thank you. That aside, she's not going to stop smiling either. This is a happy occasion!

Since she'll be here for a little while, she shifts to sit on the edge of the table, tilting her head at him curiously and smiling all the more. "Things have obviously been going well, then, between the two of you. I'm glad you've found a way to move past all that's happened and are going to build a new life together." The details of which aren't truly her concern, but she can't help but wonder... "Do all these books mean you'll be spending more time in his part of the multiverse rather than on your own world? You won't leave us poor souls who only see you in the Nexus behind completely, will you?" Okay, now she's teasing you, Felix.

Felix pushes the books back to make more space for her, the side of his mouth drawing back when she mentions their recent troubles. Well, at least she clearly isn't planning to dwell on it.

"Oh, hardly. He's invited me to join him on his ship. So aside from the times he's busy working, I'll have to come back just to stretch my legs. Not to mention escaping the food..." He explains this very seriously before he adds, "And I suppose I might miss the company now and then."

No reason to dwell on the past when the present is that much better. Besides, why worry about things that can't be changed? It's not as if it will help anything and the newly betrothed couple obviously aren't letting it get to them. Amelia's happy to let things in the past lie where they will.

"Only sometimes?" she teases, laughing openly at him. "I suppose I can't blame you for being wrapped up in your husband-to-be, but that hardly excuses your absence going forward. You've been gone far too much these past months, Felix, and your friends won't let you get away with continuing to do so." A beat as she leans closer so she can lower her voice conspiratorially. "We'll want to know all of the details as you two decide on how and when you'll be married, too."

"Oh? Well, it's good to know I've been missed, but I didn't realize I'd have to contend with such scrutiny. At least from anyone bar Stratos." He does look as if the reality of it all is taking a moment to hit him again. He doesn't regret his answer to Jim in the slightest, but it's not as if he thought through what it was going to entail. "It's only a wedding, anyway. I'm sure we can find some relatives to pass the work off to."

His relatives, obviously. Jim's... well, he's just now realizing that could become a whole other quandary.

"Weddings aren't a big spectacle on your world?" That's surprising, and Amelia's eyebrows rise skeptically as she looks Felix over. "I don't think I've heard a single person speak of a wedding so modestly or apathetically before. Even the most pliable of people have opinions on such a momentous life event." She could go on for hours about the way her oldest brother fought her parents about his wedding, even as he wanted nothing to do with the planning. The memory makes her smirk a little, which she does nothing to hide.

She leans over a little and gives the conjurer a scrutinizing look. "You can still pass off the work, obviously, but you've really no opinions?" Come on, Felix, you must have some dreams and the rogue wants to know them!

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Balancing the Books

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