He dropped down behind in an alleyway like he was in a bad action movie, and started making paranoid accusations and threats. Apparently the fact that he lost me in a crowd means I must be leading some sort of insane double life.
[He lifts his free hand to squeeze the bridge of his nose, as though warding off a headache.
A little too late for that.]
I assumed he was under some sort of influence - there's been more than enough of that going around lately. It seems I've misjudged.
[ Adam can't be leading a double life. An alleyway is the worst place to confront a stalker. What if it hadn't been Winter? What if it had been an actual threat? There would have been no one to help him. He could have been killed. The concern shows on her face. ]
Did you know it was Winter that was following you? You could have been hurt. What if it had been someone with an axe to grind against ADI. Adam.
[ She has a concern. More than one actually. ]
Winter is... He's complicated. [ To say the goddamn least! ] Whoever had him before he arrived here, used him as a weapon. Sometimes he doesn't think of himself as a person.
Honestly? I wasn't certain I was being followed. I'm not any more immune to paranoia than anyone else.
[He glances away, looking a little chagrined.]
Ducking down an alley to see if I could spot someone isn't one of my brighter moves, I'll admit that. I might've watched a few too many bad movies myself.
[Or he might've wanted a minimum of witnesses in case he had to dispatch his stalker. It's probably one of those.]
I'm glad you weren't hurt. I'd be very upset if you were.
[ Kate would be very upset if something bad were to happen to Adam. She likes him. How much does she like him? Enough to know that she does. Feelings are hard.
She's not going to tell him that Yelena has been teaching her to spot a tail or how to evade them. He doesn't need to know just yet that she's practicing Spycraft 101. That's a conversation for a much later time if it all. ]
I can't explain it all because there's a lot that I just can't say without betraying his confidence. [ More than she already has anyway. ] So it's best to be straight-forward with him. No cutesy doublespeak, no innuendo, just say what you mean.
[He grimaces slightly, as though reflecting back on the conversation.
Which he is. Just not for any particularly benign reason.]
I told him I thought he was acting like he was under the influence of one of the Entities. His own, probably. A different one, possibly. He didn't take it well. No wonder, if he's been used like that before.
[ She's still holding his hand. In her mind, it had all been a horrible misunderstanding. It's something that she doesn't know if it can be fixed or not. Kate wonders if it might be for the best if it's just left alone. She's not sure. ]
You didn't know him when we all first arrived. He was so different. It took him a long while to come out of his shell. Sometimes, he didn't think of himself as a person.
[ She tilts her head up at him. There's a hint of something like adoration in her eyes. She appreciates that he's being understanding about this and she trusts him not to use the information she's given him against Winter. ]
Thank you for being so understanding about this. I dislike it that you two had to meet that way.
[ But she doesn't know how to fix it. How does she correct getting off on the wrong foot with Winter? It is probably best left behind them all. (Kate, no.) ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
easilyamused) wrote2030-01-01 12:00 am
no subject
[He lifts his free hand to squeeze the bridge of his nose, as though warding off a headache.
A little too late for that.]
I assumed he was under some sort of influence - there's been more than enough of that going around lately. It seems I've misjudged.
no subject
Did you know it was Winter that was following you? You could have been hurt. What if it had been someone with an axe to grind against ADI. Adam.
[ She has a concern. More than one actually. ]
Winter is... He's complicated. [ To say the goddamn least! ] Whoever had him before he arrived here, used him as a weapon. Sometimes he doesn't think of himself as a person.
no subject
[He glances away, looking a little chagrined.]
Ducking down an alley to see if I could spot someone isn't one of my brighter moves, I'll admit that. I might've watched a few too many bad movies myself.
[Or he might've wanted a minimum of witnesses in case he had to dispatch his stalker. It's probably one of those.]
That does explain a few things.
no subject
[ Kate would be very upset if something bad were to happen to Adam. She likes him. How much does she like him? Enough to know that she does. Feelings are hard.
She's not going to tell him that Yelena has been teaching her to spot a tail or how to evade them. He doesn't need to know just yet that she's practicing Spycraft 101. That's a conversation for a much later time if it all. ]
I can't explain it all because there's a lot that I just can't say without betraying his confidence. [ More than she already has anyway. ] So it's best to be straight-forward with him. No cutesy doublespeak, no innuendo, just say what you mean.
no subject
[He grimaces slightly, as though reflecting back on the conversation.
Which he is. Just not for any particularly benign reason.]
I told him I thought he was acting like he was under the influence of one of the Entities. His own, probably. A different one, possibly. He didn't take it well. No wonder, if he's been used like that before.
no subject
[ She's still holding his hand. In her mind, it had all been a horrible misunderstanding. It's something that she doesn't know if it can be fixed or not. Kate wonders if it might be for the best if it's just left alone. She's not sure. ]
You didn't know him when we all first arrived. He was so different. It took him a long while to come out of his shell. Sometimes, he didn't think of himself as a person.
no subject
[He even means it. Objectively, that sounds like an incredibly shitty thing to have gone through.
It just doesn't make him feel at all forgiving, or at all disinclined to shove Winter under the bus if the need - or opportunity - arises.
A threat is a threat.]
Might be best if I avoid catching his attention for a while. Until his temper's had a chance to cool, at least.
no subject
[ She tilts her head up at him. There's a hint of something like adoration in her eyes. She appreciates that he's being understanding about this and she trusts him not to use the information she's given him against Winter. ]
Thank you for being so understanding about this. I dislike it that you two had to meet that way.
[ But she doesn't know how to fix it. How does she correct getting off on the wrong foot with Winter? It is probably best left behind them all. (Kate, no.) ]
no subject
[He smiles a little bit wryly.]
Just haven't crossed paths much since. He isn't a regular fixture in Research.
[Which is definitely a relief.]
no subject
Small mercies, I suppose.