wentnuclear | [ reverie inbox ]

[ Raleigh takes the sketchbook, stepping over to sit on the bed and go through it. She can join him, obviously.

The book seems to be split in function -- more like a journal on some pages with her notes, those sketches of the station and occasionally the people they've met here. Then pages of just straight art, those all people from home. Well. And him. Obviously he falls into that category too, but there are. A lot of him. He's not entirely certain what to make of that, and so just lets his mouth quirk up wryly. ]

We clearly need to find you some more interesting people to look at.

[ He stops flipping at a larger sketch of Pentecost, one where he looks a little less proper than usual. Despite technically having known the older man for years, Raleigh never had much opportunity to see him smile. Somehow, in the sketch, it reaches his eyes. ]

You're a great artist, you know.

[It's a little nerve-wracking, having him go through it while she's sitting right next to him. It's an intensely personal thing, and maybe that shouldn't be so strange considering he's been in her head, but it is. She's flustered, and it gets worse the more sketches of himself he passes.]

You are interesting.

[It comes out automatically, and then she feels stupid and just clams up, at least until he compliments her.]

...Thank you.

[ That's sweet, but really how many times can you draw the same person before you get bored? He huffs a tiny laugh of disagreement, and resumes turning the pages. Looking through what he really does think is beautiful art. ]

Thank you, for sharing it.

[That gets a smile out of her, even if she's still blushing a bit.]

You're welcome. I didn't think you'd be interested.

[ Whaaaaaat. ]

Why not? I can appreciate art. I'm a very cultured fellow, you know.

[She laughs softly.]

Are you? You've never told me.

If you go around telling people how cultured you are, you just sound like a snob.

You've never seemed like a snob.

Good. That's not the kind of impression I want to make. People do usually think my taste is kind of weird, though. We were sort of busy, then wound up here, so...

[Her lips quirk up at that.]

What sort of taste do you mean?

Okay, well... what kind of movies do you like?

Um...

[Give her a second to think about that.]

I like sci-fi and action movies.

[And then she hesitates, and adds more quietly:]

And romance.

[Don't judge her!]

See, I don't. I don't really watch anything loud or violent. Life's got enough of that for me.

[ He smiles a little broader, then, softening his voice as well. ]

Romance, though. That's my thing. Especially really old movies.

[Oh.]

Really? Like what?

Casablanca, It Happened One Night, City Lights... I mean, I'm basically somebody's grandma.

[Mako can't help but laugh. It's... really sweet, actually.]

I don't think I've seen those movies.

Hopefully someday I'll get to put them on for you, then. They're all story and heart, there weren't any special effects back then. City Lights doesn't even have dialogue. But Humphrey Bogart? You've gotta see Casablanca. The Big Sleep. The African Queen. Real classics most people our age don't even know about.

I'd like to watch them with you. What's Casablanca about?

It's a romantic drama, set in Morocco during World War II. The main character's an American expat who runs a nightclub and is sort of adjacent to everything. Refugees, the resistance, the Germans, they're just all around all the time and he could get involved with any side he wanted. So he winds up with these letters of transit...

[ The plot of Casablanca goes here okay, and he's pretty enthusiastic about it. ]

...sound like something you might like?

[Mako can't stop smiling through the entire explanation. It's clear he's excited, and it's adorable.]

Yes, I think so. If you like it so much, I think I will, too.

Then I'm glad I didn't tell you how it ends. You'll have to find out.

I'd like that.

[Seriously, she's all for it.]

What else do you like?

Hmm... French music. Poetry. Traveling and getting lost in the culture, learning new languages and finding the best little restaurants. Winter sunrises. Tawny port and hard candy, but not at once.

What about you?

[She's assuming he means "besides mechanics and engineering", so...]

Um... I like music, and poetry. I liked the street food in Hong Kong, and stout beer.

[What else?]

I used to get up to watch the sunrise from the helipad, and my favorite thing about Alaska was the snow. I've always wanted a cat, but I could never have one.

[ It's actually sort of surprising to him, how some things they like are lining up. He wouldn't have guessed they were opposites, exactly, but neither that there were so many similarities. Drifting, Mako felt more like a complement to him than a match, but that was exactly what he needed. Compatibility wasn't a complex thing. ]

...so we're getting a cat.

[ Then he realizes how that sounded. Whoops. Uh. ]

I mean. We're getting you one. Wherever you want to settle, after all this. Have you ever thought about that?

[ Raleigh never had, but Yancy did. He'd loved Hungary. Maybe Mako would want to go back to Japan? ]

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