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I'm jealous. I want a special relationship with him. [Teasing, giving her a saucy little smile]
How'd you meet him?
How'd you meet him?
[ She rolls her eyes at him. ] Not that kind of special relationship. What we have is so far beyond the physical.
[ Root has nothing against sex, but that's such a depressingly shallow way to think of Harold Finch when there's so much more. He's going to -- already has -- changed the course of human history and the world itself.
As for how they met... Well-- ]
I kidnapped him. He's a hard man to find.
[ Root has nothing against sex, but that's such a depressingly shallow way to think of Harold Finch when there's so much more. He's going to -- already has -- changed the course of human history and the world itself.
As for how they met... Well-- ]
I kidnapped him. He's a hard man to find.
And what? You think I'm some shallow jackass, all about the physical? I have layers.
[But he says it like a joke.]
Why'd you kidnap him?
[But he says it like a joke.]
Why'd you kidnap him?
[ Root is pretty sure he hasn't been told about the Machine yet -- she's on a need-to-know basis, and why would he need to know? -- so she isn't about to get into that. ]
I'm a fan of his work. We've gotten closer since then.
[ That makes her sound like a freaky stalker, which is exactly true, as it turns out. She intentionally flips the questioning around, answering shortly and then getting mildly provocative, carelessly tossing her hair as she walks. ]
I want to hear all about your layers. [ Actually true. Root doesn't give shovel talks; she gives extremely well-crafted and scalpel-precise threats that she has every intention of following through on if need be. ]
I'm a fan of his work. We've gotten closer since then.
[ That makes her sound like a freaky stalker, which is exactly true, as it turns out. She intentionally flips the questioning around, answering shortly and then getting mildly provocative, carelessly tossing her hair as she walks. ]
I want to hear all about your layers. [ Actually true. Root doesn't give shovel talks; she gives extremely well-crafted and scalpel-precise threats that she has every intention of following through on if need be. ]
[Well, he can't argue with that logic. Driving is one of the few things he didn't get to learn in the facility, and chances are that was deliberate.
He unwraps the granola bar and starts munching on it, alternating between bites and taking sips of his coffee. Going back to staring out the window, he finds himself feeling a little more confident. Maybe it's the food, or the distance they've started to put between themselves and the facility with (so far) no issue. He isn't sure.]
Fine. [He isn't sure what peach rings are but he can set the bag aside for her.] Where the hell are we going next?
He unwraps the granola bar and starts munching on it, alternating between bites and taking sips of his coffee. Going back to staring out the window, he finds himself feeling a little more confident. Maybe it's the food, or the distance they've started to put between themselves and the facility with (so far) no issue. He isn't sure.]
Fine. [He isn't sure what peach rings are but he can set the bag aside for her.] Where the hell are we going next?
Edited 2025-11-20 00:35 (UTC)
Oh, Root, you'll just have to get to know me. [It was forbidden to talk about himself in any meaningful way in the Reapers and he can't quite shed that.]
What's your favorite hobby?
What's your favorite hobby?
Don't lie to me, chèrie. I know you've got an apron and baking supplies in a moving van outside.
[ A flirting lilt in her tone, Clea's grey eyes sparkle as she looks at Root, mentally dressing her like some manner of 1950s American housewife just to revel in the absurdity. Surely, Root has worn a similar role before: It would be shocking if she hadn't, as a housewife and mother is one of the most overlooked and harmless seeming places in society. The perfect disguise for an assassin. ]
The average American watches reality television, amour. Being beloved by many means nothing - things that are loved by the most people are bland, inoffensive, and offer no challenge. Most people are mental toddlers and look only for someone or something to swaddle them.
[ Root does not swaddle. She does not coddle. She stands strong and keeps her internal sense of self even when she's dived into another skin.
Clea drums her fingers against the desk, creating a musical sound, while her mouth thins into a line. Helping people. What is the point of that? People are selfish. ]
I am glad you got out of that business, if only because it speaks well of your longevity.
[ She tilts her head. ]
They're going to wring you dry and abandon you, you know.
[ People can occasionally be enjoyed, but they should not be trusted. They'll take and take and take until there's nothing left if they're allowed. Nor does Root's new leaf explain why she's there. Unless she has some absurd idea bout helping Clea. The time has passed for that: She could have used help before, but she doesn't need it anymore. She's learned to stand on her own, has learned that others can't be trusted. ]
[ A flirting lilt in her tone, Clea's grey eyes sparkle as she looks at Root, mentally dressing her like some manner of 1950s American housewife just to revel in the absurdity. Surely, Root has worn a similar role before: It would be shocking if she hadn't, as a housewife and mother is one of the most overlooked and harmless seeming places in society. The perfect disguise for an assassin. ]
The average American watches reality television, amour. Being beloved by many means nothing - things that are loved by the most people are bland, inoffensive, and offer no challenge. Most people are mental toddlers and look only for someone or something to swaddle them.
[ Root does not swaddle. She does not coddle. She stands strong and keeps her internal sense of self even when she's dived into another skin.
Clea drums her fingers against the desk, creating a musical sound, while her mouth thins into a line. Helping people. What is the point of that? People are selfish. ]
I am glad you got out of that business, if only because it speaks well of your longevity.
[ She tilts her head. ]
They're going to wring you dry and abandon you, you know.
[ People can occasionally be enjoyed, but they should not be trusted. They'll take and take and take until there's nothing left if they're allowed. Nor does Root's new leaf explain why she's there. Unless she has some absurd idea bout helping Clea. The time has passed for that: She could have used help before, but she doesn't need it anymore. She's learned to stand on her own, has learned that others can't be trusted. ]
It's a surprise to both of us. I just asked for somewhere with a nice view, remember?
[ Root chugs some coffee and then relaxes back into her seat for a long drive, setting the can down in the cup holder between them. It all feels so peaceful out here, though she knows that's likely because the Machine is running about a dozen simultaneous processes managing the fallout of the destruction they'd left behind. ]
Then we'll handle setting you up a new identity, [ she goes on confidently. ] Not a long-term one -- you don't have to make any decisions yet -- just so we can get you a bank account and a birth certificate.
[ Some identities need to stand up to intense scrutiny and some don't. No need to get too dedicated to one right away, not when there's a reasonable chance someone will find them despite the Machine's best efforts. That's why this is part two of the mission, after all. ]
[ Root chugs some coffee and then relaxes back into her seat for a long drive, setting the can down in the cup holder between them. It all feels so peaceful out here, though she knows that's likely because the Machine is running about a dozen simultaneous processes managing the fallout of the destruction they'd left behind. ]
Then we'll handle setting you up a new identity, [ she goes on confidently. ] Not a long-term one -- you don't have to make any decisions yet -- just so we can get you a bank account and a birth certificate.
[ Some identities need to stand up to intense scrutiny and some don't. No need to get too dedicated to one right away, not when there's a reasonable chance someone will find them despite the Machine's best efforts. That's why this is part two of the mission, after all. ]
Isn't that what I'm doing? [ she shoots back with amusement.
Does Root have hobbies, though? She has to think about that one, choosing to answer honestly. It's still such a novelty that she has people she doesn't put on an act for. That'd been of her own doing her whole life, of course, but maybe the part where she had to change herself for it to happen is the most surprising aspect of it all. Bossie isn't someone she trusts or likes just yet, but by association he gets spared most of the fakery.
Ultimately, she lands on: ] Destroying the lives of corrupt politicians by hacking into their personal files and distributing blackmail to the right people. [ Thoughtfully, ] That's probably my favorite.
Does Root have hobbies, though? She has to think about that one, choosing to answer honestly. It's still such a novelty that she has people she doesn't put on an act for. That'd been of her own doing her whole life, of course, but maybe the part where she had to change herself for it to happen is the most surprising aspect of it all. Bossie isn't someone she trusts or likes just yet, but by association he gets spared most of the fakery.
Ultimately, she lands on: ] Destroying the lives of corrupt politicians by hacking into their personal files and distributing blackmail to the right people. [ Thoughtfully, ] That's probably my favorite.
I'll die before they abandon me.
[ Root is a zealot, but not about this; she's known that she lives a dangerous life and is bound to die enacting it sooner or later, and that following the Machine will make it sooner. She doesn't mind. It feels worthwhile, like something that could give her whole existence meaning where before she'd been floundering to leave even the tiniest impact on the whole span of the human timeline. The Machine will remember her after she's dead and that will be enough.
That will be everything. She won't abandon her. The Machine is not a person; therefore, she can be trusted.
There's a quiet acceptance to her words instead. She loves Clea's diatribe, though, loves the prickly humor and the way she's adamant she couldn't need help, the reassurance wrapped in disdain for humanity, all of it. Clea called her amour. French endearment or not, it means something. Root is smiling as she says that she'll die. ]
Sorry I left you behind, [ she says plainly, meaning it and courageous with her feelings. ] I didn't realize you felt that way.
[ In French, quoting Jean de La Fontaine and referencing true friendship: ] Nothing is commoner than the name, nothing rarer than the thing.
[ Root has always assumed others felt a relatively shallow attachment to her. She didn't show much of herself, and what she did show, she took for granted that they had difficulty with. Maybe with that she's done Clea a disservice. She's been boring housewife so many times, or enticing dilettante, or seductive femme fatale. It was easy for her to slip into the role where Clea liked her but didn't know her, and as fond as she was of her, she'd never second-guessed that in her absence. Root prior to knowing the Machine -- to meeting Harold and Shaw -- wasn't really capable of seeing it.
But she still doesn't think the Machine would have sent her back here for this alone. Not just human sentiment. No, there's something more beyond this -- the Machine would have taken this into account, included it, but not overrode what else Root could be doing with her time for this alone. Lives do not weigh the same as emotions. A truth she's always known but not lived by fully until now. ]
[ Root is a zealot, but not about this; she's known that she lives a dangerous life and is bound to die enacting it sooner or later, and that following the Machine will make it sooner. She doesn't mind. It feels worthwhile, like something that could give her whole existence meaning where before she'd been floundering to leave even the tiniest impact on the whole span of the human timeline. The Machine will remember her after she's dead and that will be enough.
That will be everything. She won't abandon her. The Machine is not a person; therefore, she can be trusted.
There's a quiet acceptance to her words instead. She loves Clea's diatribe, though, loves the prickly humor and the way she's adamant she couldn't need help, the reassurance wrapped in disdain for humanity, all of it. Clea called her amour. French endearment or not, it means something. Root is smiling as she says that she'll die. ]
Sorry I left you behind, [ she says plainly, meaning it and courageous with her feelings. ] I didn't realize you felt that way.
[ In French, quoting Jean de La Fontaine and referencing true friendship: ] Nothing is commoner than the name, nothing rarer than the thing.
[ Root has always assumed others felt a relatively shallow attachment to her. She didn't show much of herself, and what she did show, she took for granted that they had difficulty with. Maybe with that she's done Clea a disservice. She's been boring housewife so many times, or enticing dilettante, or seductive femme fatale. It was easy for her to slip into the role where Clea liked her but didn't know her, and as fond as she was of her, she'd never second-guessed that in her absence. Root prior to knowing the Machine -- to meeting Harold and Shaw -- wasn't really capable of seeing it.
But she still doesn't think the Machine would have sent her back here for this alone. Not just human sentiment. No, there's something more beyond this -- the Machine would have taken this into account, included it, but not overrode what else Root could be doing with her time for this alone. Lives do not weigh the same as emotions. A truth she's always known but not lived by fully until now. ]
[The view already seems nice, even from the gas station, so he isn't sure how it could be improved. In fact, he's going back to staring out the window.]
A birth certificate makes sense.
[He supposes he wouldn't have one, would he? Or if he does, he wouldn't be able to use it. Thinking about it, he only ever remembers being in that facility, so he isn't sure where the project heads got him from. A shitty orphanage somewhere? Did they pay off his biological mother? Outright kidnapping him seems like it would draw too much attention, and it could mean he might have family out there looking for him. Family that wants him, instead of the more likely reality that he was abandoned.
Dwelling on this line of thought leaves an ache in his gut, so he tries to put it out of his mind and takes another long sip of his coffee. The bitterness is a nice distraction.]
Is your boss planning on giving me a paycheque?
[His tone is dry, though he does understand the importance of needing money. Getting to spend it on stuff, however, that's new. He'll need clothes, obviously, and somewhere to live, unless her boss is going to provide that, too....
Another thought occurs to him, and he furrows his brow.]
Am I going to have to attend school, too?
A birth certificate makes sense.
[He supposes he wouldn't have one, would he? Or if he does, he wouldn't be able to use it. Thinking about it, he only ever remembers being in that facility, so he isn't sure where the project heads got him from. A shitty orphanage somewhere? Did they pay off his biological mother? Outright kidnapping him seems like it would draw too much attention, and it could mean he might have family out there looking for him. Family that wants him, instead of the more likely reality that he was abandoned.
Dwelling on this line of thought leaves an ache in his gut, so he tries to put it out of his mind and takes another long sip of his coffee. The bitterness is a nice distraction.]
Is your boss planning on giving me a paycheque?
[His tone is dry, though he does understand the importance of needing money. Getting to spend it on stuff, however, that's new. He'll need clothes, obviously, and somewhere to live, unless her boss is going to provide that, too....
Another thought occurs to him, and he furrows his brow.]
Am I going to have to attend school, too?
The paycheck is up to her, [ Root shrugs, ] but honestly, she might. The government would spend tons of money on you if you went into the system -- why not just give it to you directly instead?
[ One of the things Root adores about the Machine is her expediency in solving problems outside of the system itself. She might do that, or she might have her drop him in Harold's lap, which is an entertaining thought and would likely be even more effective. Harry loves setting up kids with stable living situations. He probably couldn't help himself.
Root's aware this is a lot to dump on him all at once, that he's now suddenly forced to think about his future and identity in a way he'd never had freedom to contemplate before, but she's not exactly a sympathetic ear for this kind of thing. She'd felt perpetually out of place and strained in conventional society until she'd gotten old enough to leave. She hadn't truly been able to go off on her own until her mother died, and she'd hung on for all those years, her loyalty winning out over her desire to be independent, just like it always did. It wasn't the worst fate and it isn't something she regrets. ]
School has some benefits. It would be the safest cover until you're older, and would start setting up a more durable documentation trail for that identity if you wanted to do something with it in the future.
Besides -- if I can hack it, [ she says cheerfully, ] so can you.
[ One of the things Root adores about the Machine is her expediency in solving problems outside of the system itself. She might do that, or she might have her drop him in Harold's lap, which is an entertaining thought and would likely be even more effective. Harry loves setting up kids with stable living situations. He probably couldn't help himself.
Root's aware this is a lot to dump on him all at once, that he's now suddenly forced to think about his future and identity in a way he'd never had freedom to contemplate before, but she's not exactly a sympathetic ear for this kind of thing. She'd felt perpetually out of place and strained in conventional society until she'd gotten old enough to leave. She hadn't truly been able to go off on her own until her mother died, and she'd hung on for all those years, her loyalty winning out over her desire to be independent, just like it always did. It wasn't the worst fate and it isn't something she regrets. ]
School has some benefits. It would be the safest cover until you're older, and would start setting up a more durable documentation trail for that identity if you wanted to do something with it in the future.
Besides -- if I can hack it, [ she says cheerfully, ] so can you.
[He grins] A hacker with a heart, huh? I guess that's why Harold likes you.
You know, Pope got us jobs hunting down people like you. I always felt slimy about it.
You know, Pope got us jobs hunting down people like you. I always felt slimy about it.
How very dramatic. I feel as though...what is the English term? You are appropriating my culture. Yes. That is it. It is my job to be dramatic.
[ The teasing dies when Root apologizes for leaving her behind, the smile fading from Clea's face to be replaced by a mask of careful neutrality. She crosses her arms over her chest. Once upon a time, she would have loved for someone to apologize to her for leaving her, even if Root hadn't been high on the list of people whose words she wanted to hear. Her parents should have been there for her. Her 'friends'. Root is - was - an assassin.
In many ways, Clea appreciates the straight-forward nature of her interactions with the sketchier side of the 'business' world. Root disappeared because she had a life to live. She'd always been clear about what she was. No promises had been made, and therefore none had been broken. ]
You have a life to live.
[ She waves a hand dismissively, though Root's quotation does bring a smile back to her face, even if it's strained. ]
People believe 'friendship' to be merely gossiping over coffee, but it should be more than that. Unfortunately, I question whether the modern world has room for such depth. Many days, I feel we do not.
[ The teasing dies when Root apologizes for leaving her behind, the smile fading from Clea's face to be replaced by a mask of careful neutrality. She crosses her arms over her chest. Once upon a time, she would have loved for someone to apologize to her for leaving her, even if Root hadn't been high on the list of people whose words she wanted to hear. Her parents should have been there for her. Her 'friends'. Root is - was - an assassin.
In many ways, Clea appreciates the straight-forward nature of her interactions with the sketchier side of the 'business' world. Root disappeared because she had a life to live. She'd always been clear about what she was. No promises had been made, and therefore none had been broken. ]
You have a life to live.
[ She waves a hand dismissively, though Root's quotation does bring a smile back to her face, even if it's strained. ]
People believe 'friendship' to be merely gossiping over coffee, but it should be more than that. Unfortunately, I question whether the modern world has room for such depth. Many days, I feel we do not.
[It's certainly logical, and Accelerator can't argue with logical. He supposes if the government was spending money on him then that would also mean an increased possibility of them finding him... and it's not like he wouldn't be able to manage his own finances. Even if he's never done it before he doesn't see why it would be all that difficult. Regular adults do it all the time, and with his brain he can run circles around them. It would just be shelter and basics like food and clothes. And a cell phone? So he would need a cell phone plan, which would require paperwork and a monthly bill.... Transportation? He can't drive so he would need money for that, whatever it would look like....
What else is there? Is there anything else he would need to consider? Now that he's actively thinking about this he isn't sure. Normal, day-to-day life seems really basic, but maybe that's only because he's never lived a life like that before.
Accelerator falters, deciding to redirect his thoughts elsewhere. He looks over at Root, staring hesitantly for a few moments, trying to decide whether he wants to ask the prominent question in his mind.]
..... What was it like?
[What a weird question to ask. For whatever reason he feels mildly uncomfortable asking it, but it's probably better to get firsthand information about school rather than relying on what he's gleaned through books.]
What else is there? Is there anything else he would need to consider? Now that he's actively thinking about this he isn't sure. Normal, day-to-day life seems really basic, but maybe that's only because he's never lived a life like that before.
Accelerator falters, deciding to redirect his thoughts elsewhere. He looks over at Root, staring hesitantly for a few moments, trying to decide whether he wants to ask the prominent question in his mind.]
..... What was it like?
[What a weird question to ask. For whatever reason he feels mildly uncomfortable asking it, but it's probably better to get firsthand information about school rather than relying on what he's gleaned through books.]
Human existence is a facile caricature devoid of real meaning, [ Root agrees scornfully, as cynical as ever. But now there's something lacking from her derision, a kind of softened edge like a blunted blade. ]
... But it doesn't have to be.
[ She'd apologized because Clea was owed an apology and Root felt sincerely sorry, and that was all; she isn't looking for a particular reaction, and certainly not forgiveness. If relationships are a give and take, then Root is capable of immense patience and astonishing openness in waiting to see what she'll be given. She can tell Clea was affected by what she'd said, but isn't totally sure in what way yet.
The interest in her gaze is not blunted at all, Root's focused attention acute enough to prick the skin. ]
If you're interested, that is. I didn't just drop in for a social call -- though maybe I should have, [ she says to herself as a thoughtful aside. ] I think you can help me somehow.
[ Or Root can help her, but she thinks Clea is more likely to be engaged if it goes the other way. Showing up on someone you haven't seen in years only to insist you can ambiguously help them with something tends not to go over well. ]
... But it doesn't have to be.
[ She'd apologized because Clea was owed an apology and Root felt sincerely sorry, and that was all; she isn't looking for a particular reaction, and certainly not forgiveness. If relationships are a give and take, then Root is capable of immense patience and astonishing openness in waiting to see what she'll be given. She can tell Clea was affected by what she'd said, but isn't totally sure in what way yet.
The interest in her gaze is not blunted at all, Root's focused attention acute enough to prick the skin. ]
If you're interested, that is. I didn't just drop in for a social call -- though maybe I should have, [ she says to herself as a thoughtful aside. ] I think you can help me somehow.
[ Or Root can help her, but she thinks Clea is more likely to be engaged if it goes the other way. Showing up on someone you haven't seen in years only to insist you can ambiguously help them with something tends not to go over well. ]
[ Root has let people think the best or worst of her so many times, it shouldn't bother her now. Very few people actually know her. But it does bother her. If he's going to be even tangentially part of the team, if she's going to take him seriously -- which, begrudgingly, she does -- Root doesn't want him to get the wrong impression. ]
You asked for my favorite, [ she points out steadily, reaching up to rearrange an inconsequential part of her hair in a subtle tell of discomfort. ] I did plenty of those jobs, too. Except no one told me to. It's just something I'm good at.
[ So why not do it, she figured. Root had ethical limits ... but they were far past Harold's, and even what she's adopted now, willingly, is past what Harold would prefer. ]
You asked for my favorite, [ she points out steadily, reaching up to rearrange an inconsequential part of her hair in a subtle tell of discomfort. ] I did plenty of those jobs, too. Except no one told me to. It's just something I'm good at.
[ So why not do it, she figured. Root had ethical limits ... but they were far past Harold's, and even what she's adopted now, willingly, is past what Harold would prefer. ]
Tedious in the extreme.
[ There's an airiness to her tone that saves it from being a complaint, but Root isn't going to sugar-coat it, either. ]
It would probably be even worse for you academically, [ she says frankly, ] like making Carl Sagan repeat high school. But it could also teach you to hide -- how to fake being normal -- better than anything else, if that's what you were looking for.
[ Maybe he wants to be able to blend in and maybe he doesn't; Root wouldn't judge it either way, though learning the skill itself is incredibly valuable, and acquiring it before his brain has fully finished development is ideal. Trying to learn social skills as an adult is just awkward for most people.
She gives a quick sidelong glance while driving, gauging his interest and reactions, which must be a familiar expression on her for Accelerator. ] Give it time. You need more information to make a rational decision... and we won't leave you out in the cold, no matter what happens. [ The airy tone has vanished entirely; Root means that with the solemnity of a promise. ]
[ There's an airiness to her tone that saves it from being a complaint, but Root isn't going to sugar-coat it, either. ]
It would probably be even worse for you academically, [ she says frankly, ] like making Carl Sagan repeat high school. But it could also teach you to hide -- how to fake being normal -- better than anything else, if that's what you were looking for.
[ Maybe he wants to be able to blend in and maybe he doesn't; Root wouldn't judge it either way, though learning the skill itself is incredibly valuable, and acquiring it before his brain has fully finished development is ideal. Trying to learn social skills as an adult is just awkward for most people.
She gives a quick sidelong glance while driving, gauging his interest and reactions, which must be a familiar expression on her for Accelerator. ] Give it time. You need more information to make a rational decision... and we won't leave you out in the cold, no matter what happens. [ The airy tone has vanished entirely; Root means that with the solemnity of a promise. ]
I hear you're good at a lot of things.
[Everyone speaks of Root with admiration.]
What're you bad at?
[Everyone speaks of Root with admiration.]
What're you bad at?
[Tedious? Oh, that's disappointing. That's so disappointing. Not that Accelerator has any idea what to expect, and maybe he shouldn't be too surprised by how she describes school. She would be right about the curriculum, he's aware that the things he's been taught are more on par with graduate level university classes than high school.... and there's the whole 'socialization with his peers' bit. He doesn't know how to do that. He's never even talked to someone his age before, let alone had friends before.....
Being able to fake being normal, at least that seems really useful, even if he isn't sure whether that's what he wants to do.]
... Thanks.
[He sighs quietly, sinking in his seat. There's too much to think about, so the reassurance that he doesn't have to do this alone is....
It's new for him. And it's kind of nice.]
Right now, the only thing I'm sure of is that I'm not going back to those fucking researchers.
Being able to fake being normal, at least that seems really useful, even if he isn't sure whether that's what he wants to do.]
... Thanks.
[He sighs quietly, sinking in his seat. There's too much to think about, so the reassurance that he doesn't have to do this alone is....
It's new for him. And it's kind of nice.]
Right now, the only thing I'm sure of is that I'm not going back to those fucking researchers.
[ The smile drops from her face, cold, confident resolve taking her over. It's the expression of a woman who used to take paid hit jobs simply because she was good at it. ]
You don't have to worry about that. We'll make sure of it.
[ She has no doubt the Machine isn't going to drop him now -- she gets attached to people like that.
Root turns back to fully face the windshield, ostensibly going back to driving. Anything further she could say here would be pushing him to come up with answers, to make decisions, and her whole point is that he doesn't have to yet. He's a captive just let loose from his cage; if leaving Bishop, Texas was eye-opening for her in terms of possibilities, she can't imagine how much vaster it's going to seem for Accelerator. ]
Get some sleep, [ she suggests. ] Looks like it'll be a few hours until we get to the view -- and then we'll be swapping cars and identities nearby. We'll have to keep moving after that.
You don't have to worry about that. We'll make sure of it.
[ She has no doubt the Machine isn't going to drop him now -- she gets attached to people like that.
Root turns back to fully face the windshield, ostensibly going back to driving. Anything further she could say here would be pushing him to come up with answers, to make decisions, and her whole point is that he doesn't have to yet. He's a captive just let loose from his cage; if leaving Bishop, Texas was eye-opening for her in terms of possibilities, she can't imagine how much vaster it's going to seem for Accelerator. ]
Get some sleep, [ she suggests. ] Looks like it'll be a few hours until we get to the view -- and then we'll be swapping cars and identities nearby. We'll have to keep moving after that.
Oh, now I understand. You're trying to recruit me into a cult.
[ Clea smiles in fondness, her eyes glittering as she makes the joke. Just because it is pleasant to see Root with a bit of optimism in her, and just because Clea is happy that her friend seems more at peace with herself, does not mean that she will not mock her mercilessly for sounding ridiculous.
Arching her neck to draw attention to its length, and to the collarbone that can be seen through the unbuttoned section of her linen shirt, Clea returns Root's look of interest with one of her own, looking at her with piercing eyes, as though she wants to memorize everything about the other woman. ]
Perhaps if the cult members are all so interesting.
But absolutely not if it's some manner of rural idiocy. Even you are not cute enough for that.
[ But apparently, Root is here on business. Clea raises an eyebrow at her and leans back in her chair. ]
And what would that be?
[ Clea smiles in fondness, her eyes glittering as she makes the joke. Just because it is pleasant to see Root with a bit of optimism in her, and just because Clea is happy that her friend seems more at peace with herself, does not mean that she will not mock her mercilessly for sounding ridiculous.
Arching her neck to draw attention to its length, and to the collarbone that can be seen through the unbuttoned section of her linen shirt, Clea returns Root's look of interest with one of her own, looking at her with piercing eyes, as though she wants to memorize everything about the other woman. ]
Perhaps if the cult members are all so interesting.
But absolutely not if it's some manner of rural idiocy. Even you are not cute enough for that.
[ But apparently, Root is here on business. Clea raises an eyebrow at her and leans back in her chair. ]
And what would that be?
Are you gonna, like--
[Sexbrain does not provide her with the vocabulary to finish that thought, but the clumsy grab she makes for Root's own fly gives a bit of a hint. Is this still fair game?]
Or you are you, uh-- just gonna play cruise director?
[Not that the cruise director gig is a problem, mind: Root reads her and her preferences absurdly well, and everything she's said so far has been spot-on. Carver gets the benefit of her flexing into his bite, her muscles twitching as he fingers her scar, and she shifts a couple inches closer to make sure it's clear that those weren't bad twitches. It takes concerted effort to remind herself that she can't return the favor. His hips can be a nice consolation prize, and she sloooowly snakes a hand down the line of one.]
[Sexbrain does not provide her with the vocabulary to finish that thought, but the clumsy grab she makes for Root's own fly gives a bit of a hint. Is this still fair game?]
Or you are you, uh-- just gonna play cruise director?
[Not that the cruise director gig is a problem, mind: Root reads her and her preferences absurdly well, and everything she's said so far has been spot-on. Carver gets the benefit of her flexing into his bite, her muscles twitching as he fingers her scar, and she shifts a couple inches closer to make sure it's clear that those weren't bad twitches. It takes concerted effort to remind herself that she can't return the favor. His hips can be a nice consolation prize, and she sloooowly snakes a hand down the line of one.]
[Some people (a lot of people, realistically) would be put off by the shift in Root's demeanour, but Accelerator is reassured. He can feel an underlying anxiety that comes with not knowing what's going to happen next, where his life is going, but he knows he isn't going to have to deal with any of that alone. For the first time in his life, he has two people he can rely on.
He's quiet as he finished off his granola bar and can of coffee, giving a small nod at Root's suggestion. Even with food his exhaustion is catching up to him, so a nap doesn't sound too bad. He shifts in his seat, leaning against the car door.]
Wake me up if we run into trouble.
[We. It's weird to say that, and he supposes he needs to get used to it.
It won't take him very long to start dozing.]
He's quiet as he finished off his granola bar and can of coffee, giving a small nod at Root's suggestion. Even with food his exhaustion is catching up to him, so a nap doesn't sound too bad. He shifts in his seat, leaning against the car door.]
Wake me up if we run into trouble.
[We. It's weird to say that, and he supposes he needs to get used to it.
It won't take him very long to start dozing.]
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