driftfleet | (no subject)

[ He waves it off. ]

It's fine. Actually, I'm here to ask a favor.

[She digs a rag out of the back of her pocket and dabs at the smear of paint anyway. Jellybean pops her head out of the collar of Wrath's jumpsuit and yawns.]

Sure, you know you only have to ask.

[There isn't anything she wouldn't do for Charles at this point.]

[ He shakes his head. ]

It's not for me, per se. It's for Winter. I have this journal and I thought we could write something - a testimonial.

I'd do anything for Winter.

[This is probably a statement that should mildly scare anyone who knows her full capabilities, and delivered with a curious sort of flatness. Then she brightens back up to glitter and sugar tones.]

Write what kind of thing, though? I'm not sure what you mean. And... I'm not very good at writing?

[ Charles takes it in stride. ]

Just what you think of him. It doesn't have to be in words. You could draw a picture of how you see him. Testimonials are meant to be . . . encouraging. Hopeful. So whenever you feel lost, you can see how other people see you and feel . . . uplifted.

Oh! I can definitely do that. I'll... draw a picture of him. Because pictures are a lot better than words anyway, right? [And her art tends to be much more eloquent than her disorganized speech patterns.]

I'm certain it'll get the meaning across. I'm no artist, so words will have to do on my end. I'll ask Mr. Rogers to fill in a bit as well before I give it to Winter.

[And especially knowing that it's something to help Winter feel better, not to advertise him to other people. She's already got a few pictures in mind that ought to make him smile.]

But you're really, really good at words. Like better than I am with art, so it'll be great. And yeah... he should definitely be good. I guess? [She hasn't really met Steve.]

I think so. He's only one I can presume would be all right to add to the journal. The rest can be up to Winter.

I know Winter's got other friends... [She's just not sure who. But he must have other friends. He's wonderful.]

Of course. But I think it makes more sense to let him choose the testimonials he'd want to have.

That's true.

I'm glad you guys are really good friends. [It's a relief to know if something happens to her, someone will take care of Winter. Thanks to the planet, she knows that she's unaccountably as important to him as he is to her, and she knows how fucked up she'd feel if Winter disappeared.

And people can always disappear.]

[ Friend seems like a small word, but Charles understands. ]

So am I.

[It's the only word she really has, for anything. That, and partner. Winter's pretty much become her partner, here. Someone who will watch her six no matter what. But she never really had friends until after Carolina threw her out of that building. And Octavian had been her partner once, she remembers, but there'd been no one again until Maine.]

You're a good guy, Charles. He's lucky to have you.

[And so is she. She knows he's helped Winter a lot, and he's helped her too. No one else could have done that, and it can't be easy for him. It a way harder job than what she and Winter have.]

He's lucky to have both of us. Just as I am.

That's really sweet of you, Charles.

[She kisses him on the cheek again. Because she can. She gets to have friends now. Really good friends.]

Wanna help me pick out a good picture for Winter?

Certainly.

[ He moves his chair forward. ] So you have several?

Yeah, I've sketched him some...

[She goes to retrieve her digital frame, then takes a seat on the arm of Charles's chair. She brings up one of the folders and starts going through the images there. It's a lot of sketches of Winter, sometimes with other people thrown in (Kitty, Winn, Charles, Erik, Beverly, and then the absent Maine.) There's an array of expressions on Winter, from the angry to pensive to that little crooked smile he gets sometimes when he's really relaxed, which is her favorite.]

These are lovely. So which one do you want to use?

I don't know. I mean... I've got a couple of him looking really happy...

[A couple times she's caught him laughing and recreated it to her satisfaction.]

But...

[She goes back to another picture, one that's more peaceful, one of those smaller smiles.]

I think maybe this is more him.

[ He looks at it for some time before nodding. ]

I think so too.

I could paint this, with a lot of light to it. [She traces one finger lightly over the image of Winter's jawline.]

[ He hands the journal over. ]

Give it back once you're done.

[Wrath opens the journal and fees the paper meditatively between her fingers. She offers it back to Charles.]

You hold onto it. I'll do the painting on digital and get it printed, and then we can attach it in the journal. So while I'm working on that, you can have Steve Write in it.

[ He takes it back gently. ]

All right. Tell me when you're ready and I'll come by.