open post/overflow

[setpoint]

Comments

[setpoint]

You aren't terrible.

[Really, he's not. She was impressed with his fluency.]

[wentnuclear]

Glowing praise.

[ He's not actually offended, which is probably made more obvious as he squeezes her hand again affectionately. ]

Languages are sort of a hobby for me.

[setpoint]

[That makes sense, given the three languages she knows about, but still, it's nice to learn these little things about him, things beyond the drift.]

What other languages do you speak?

[wentnuclear]

[ They pick up a lot from drifting, but the fact is they really haven't known each other very long and only did it a few times. Raleigh wants to learn more about Mako, too, and they'll have the time for that now. To really get to know each other. ]

Fluently? English, French, Japanese, Hungarian, and German. And little bits I picked up visiting other places... like my Spanish is passable but it varies so much by region I'd want to pick up a book before going anywhere specific.

[setpoint]

[Wow, that's more than she expected. Certainly more than she knows.]

How did you learn that many? Did you teach yourself?

[wentnuclear]

Kind of. Mom taught me French and we lived in Budapest, Munich, Tokyo, Spain, Lima... you learn a ton in full immersion and then I got the rosetta stones to keep it up.

It helps to keep my mind occupied.

[setpoint]

[Of course he would want to keep his mind occupied. She knows that's why he spent so much time working on the wall, too—little details picked up in the drift.]

Do you still need to keep your mind occupied?

[wentnuclear]

[ Raleigh actually takes a moment to consider that. Things have been so busy since he came back to the PPDC, even after the mission's success. It's still been a flurry of debriefings and parties and interviews that are only just now starting to die down. He's different, having drifted again. The space where his brother always was doesn't feel quite as empty. Part of Mako is there now, he can still feel her, but the fact is... they're not going to do it anymore. So the silence that's haunted him the past five years might still be an issue, when life is quiet again too. ]

Honestly, I'm not sure. I guess we'll see?

[setpoint]

[Mako just nods. She understands that instinct to work yourself to exhaustion. It's something she's struggling with now, largely because there's nothing to work on. It gives her far too much time to think about Sensei and the others. She's not sure if leaving Hong Kong will help that or make it worse.]

I used to find things that were broken and try to repair them, or come here and help with maintenance.

[Even if that wasn't her job. The crews got used to it quickly enough.]

[wentnuclear]

[ He nods, because they have that in common. ]

Gotta keep busy. I know that feeling.

You won't find anything quite like a Jaeger to engineer, but I bet work will still be easy to come by. Just pick a field.

[setpoint]

I know.

[And she does know. Whenever anyone else says that, she just agrees, maybe even bounces ideas back and forth with them, but with Raleigh, she defaults to something more honest.]

Nothing will be the same as Gipsy.

[Gipsy kind of turned into her baby.]

[raleighs]

[He wonders which is worse-- to lose your partner, your co-pilot, your soulmate in one unexpected instant or to know it's coming and watch it happen slowly and probably painfully. And it seems like they're going to damn well find out, which just... sucks.

Mako shouldn't know what both feel like.

Raleigh leans his head into her hand, without even thinking about it. It's just habit. A natural reaction to her touch.]

Yeah. It's not like it's super common, right? Definitely need a second opinion.

[raleighs]

we're on fifth and river. i just asked.

[setpoint]

I'll be there soon. Don't drink anything else.