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Post by Teja on May 15, 2019 14:30:01 GMT -5
"I guarantee you, it wasn't as rosy as you thought it was," she said bluntly. "Look, I'm no therapist, but there's no way that what you're trying to bring is not a factual reality - it's an emotional reality. Anytime someone gets nostalgic like this, it's about the way they viewed the world when they were a child. The way they felt safe, or the way they thought, back then, they should ideally be feeling even if they didn't."
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 15, 2019 14:46:50 GMT -5
“I do think, though, that we can agree that it’s the people in this room who’ve wrought the worst of it,” he mused. “Take them down and the rest of the city will assist.”
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Post by Teja on May 15, 2019 15:14:18 GMT -5
"So what are you doing here?" she said boredly, returning her eyes to his after a long moment of looking away from him. "Schmooze for funds and then stab everyone in the back?"
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 15, 2019 15:17:20 GMT -5
“Oh, possibly,” he mused. “Or I might just tell them off from the start. Which do you suppose will make the greater impression?”
His smile was a bit wolfish as he finally looked at her again, but his eyebrows were still lifted in genuine interest.
“You know the score here better than I, after all. About everything, it would seem.”
Ashton looked to either side of them. Seeing that everyone was absorbed on their own, he leaned in and added, in a much lower voice, “I would like to speak to you further about this, if you will permit it. I want to do well by this city, but- I don't know. Perhaps you're right. I want to listen to what you have to say."
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Post by Teja on May 18, 2019 21:36:22 GMT -5
Teja pulled back in mistrust and embarrassment, feeling the tips of her ears go hot.
"I'm not - I'm not a politician. Not an advisor - don't you have advisors? Someone should already be saying all of this to you-"
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 18, 2019 21:39:16 GMT -5
"I don't. I'm quite alone here, to tell you the truth."
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Post by Teja on May 18, 2019 21:40:46 GMT -5
"But I followed your campaign," she said dubiously - looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching them. No one seemed to be. "You seem successful enough. Don't you have an entire team?"
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 18, 2019 21:45:41 GMT -5
"No- no," he said, shaking his head. His hair had dislodged itself a little over one temple and was trying, feebly, to assert what looked like the beginning of a curl. "I'm not-"
He swerved her gently away from another couple.
"It's often rather difficult for me to open up to others, as it were. I'm still repairing my capacity for trust- to accept criticism made in good faith. This place is very different from where I came from. Perhaps that's a weakness."
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Post by Teja on May 18, 2019 21:47:04 GMT -5
"Being different is not a weakness," she said firmly, though more softly than she realized or intended - or had, in fact, spoken this entire conversation.
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 19, 2019 16:29:29 GMT -5
"Perhaps it is my weakness, then," he amended softly.
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Post by Teja on May 19, 2019 16:30:41 GMT -5
They were already dancing; she told herself it wasn't weird as a result when she deliberately clasped his hand.
"I'm sure it's not."
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 20, 2019 8:42:56 GMT -5
Ashton blinked, looking down at her hand. His frown deepened, then dissipated.
"...thank you," he said. "I'm still learning how this works, really. The main thing I do know is that I want to do right by this city, and then..."
He shrugged, grinning. "Who knows?"
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Post by Teja on May 20, 2019 9:43:31 GMT -5
"Who decides to go into politics on a whim?" she asked in exasperation. "Let alone for a city you just moved to -"
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Post by Loki Odinsson on May 20, 2019 9:56:21 GMT -5
"I've been here for a year by the local time," he objected. "It wasn't a whim-"
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Post by Teja on May 20, 2019 10:11:45 GMT -5
"A year's not a whim? Oh please-"
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