|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 12:34:29 GMT -8
It was actually a nice day in California. Well, for his standards. Growing up in New York and spending some time in Seattle left him with a love of overcast and dreary days. A love for the dramatic and theatrics left him with a love of rolling black clouds and thunder storms. Sadly it wasn't to that extreme, but the clouds over the West horizon hinted that tonight there would be rain, and he would get to relax to the sound of it pelting his house.
Still, it wasn't the weather that put him in such a good mood. Nor was it the impending war that he was preparing to announce in a few short days. This was a simple pleasure, the pleasure of being able to be a smug asshole to David Blaze. Why is that?
Because he is back and Mathew has been cleaning up the messes that's been popping up. Not to mention there was always that wonderful feeling when the pieces on the board began to move to your tune, positioning themselves just right. End game was almost upon them. Or at least, he hoped it would look like his end game was nearing. The true end game was several years out, and even should he die he had some things ready to nudge the right pieces into place.
He had a large bag slung over his shoulder, full and heavy. Little things he made, just in case some of the pieces went the way he thought they would. Namely Olesya. He knocked once on David's door before letting himself in.
"Yo! Door wasn't impenetrable so I let myself in." He called out.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 12:53:07 GMT -8
David was at the kitchen table, writing on some papers. He had only been back maybe two days, and had located some problematic areas in their system: Namely food distribution and the petition for a new monetary system. Physically, he had been overseeing the training of the men, and hadn't been able to tend to patrols or distribution...at least, not yet.
When the door opened, he didn't look up. People were always coming and going from his place. Like a halfway house. He got way more complaints about it than anything...apparently the distance was problematic. He would glance up, however, when he saw that it was Mathew, before continuing to scribble names and numbers down on the paper.
"Woah, he lives."
He would set down the pen and stand, grabbing the empty glass on the table and heading for the kitchen.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 13:06:06 GMT -8
"No shit I live. Not my fault you are too lazy to get off your ass and consult me. Jesus I feel like I have to run everything myself."
A lot of what he had been doing besides pouring over scouting reports to estimate Barker's forces were related to the God's. Their shared borders, trade, tending to roads and routes, and even reading reports on Kiyr's pet project.
"And now I've been cleaning up the messes you and Leon decide to make."
Seriously.
"Did you know what Leon was planning?"
The idea of it wasn't too surprising it itself, even if it was a pointless and retarded gesture. The recipient was a surprise, he would have thought Levi or Aryn. Probably Levi though, with his wife back from the dead he liked to imagine Leon walking on eggshells with Leon.
He plopped down in a chair and set the bag down on the ground with a heavy thud as he waited for David to speak up. From what he understood he hadn't been happy with the choice. He was sure David would have plenty to say.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 13:14:14 GMT -8
David filled the glass with water, took a drink, then chuckled. He'd walk back into the living room and stand there with his glass.
"Like you, I was taking a break. Except rather than several months, I got a few weeks. But don't worry, we all know this gang is Mathews baby, formed and ran with Leon and David helping out, believe me- we've all been able to see how busy you are and have been, and what life is like without our fearless leader."
He would set the glass down and sit in the chair across from Mathew, no sarcasm truly evident in his words- he didn't care enough to add it.
"So I guess I should rephrase. Thank you, great one, for taking time out of your busy schedule to grace my house with your presence. No I wasn't aware of Leons Scheme, but blondie rarely steps out of his tower, let alone says anything to anyone about what he's doing. I knew he was training someone, but my resources have only been able to get me that, and just barely that."
God he was long winded.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 13:27:38 GMT -8
"Jesus, what crawled up your ass and made you a little bitch."
Someone had woken up on the whiney side of the bed this morning. Maybe coming here to drop off part of the test was a mistake. If he was going to act like a bitch that is. Hardly the lesson he was hoping to impart on Olesya.
He didn't make to get up. If David had issues he needed to get out he could just lay them all out on the table. He was here, and he could wait. And so he would, just staring at David. Ignoring the very accurate statement about Leon and filing that away. Though it was about what he expected. Him playing it close to the vest, they all did that though.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 13:33:27 GMT -8
David laughed.
He offered an offhanded shrug. Mathew didn't see his own issues, David didn't give a damn. He was still gonna be running the Dragons, and Mathew would be doing...whatever he did. Scheme, he supposed. Like Leon. Mathew was someone who profoundly believed in himself. In everything he did and said. Everyone else was beneath him...no more than a puppet. David didn't plan on dancing to his tune and wouldn't continue a pointless lovers spat.
"I stepped on a tack earlier. Might have put me in a foul mood. But hey, shit happens, what're you gonna do?"
He seemed rather disinterested in continuing an argument that would go no where.
"What's in the bag?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 13:47:51 GMT -8
Mathew rolled his eyes. If David didn't wanna talk about what had planned or what crawled up his ass it was really no skin off his back. He'd find out eventually when David made his play. Or if he had one of those touchy feely talks with people. One way or another he would find out at some point if it was important.
"A test."
He said giving the bag a glance.
"Not for you, don't worry. Or the "Lightning Dragon"." He said in finger quotes.
"I figure Olesya will get annoyed with the stupid test I gave her and will come here for help, or advice, or to bitch about it."
Last he heard they were still banging or whatever people like Blaze did.
"But I thought we should talk while we have the chance."
While there was still time.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 13:54:47 GMT -8
David cocked an eyebrow and leaned forward a bit.
"And...what makes you think I'd help you..."test" Olesya? Test her for what?"
He made the same finger quotes...making it obvious he knew that Mathew was probably just manipulating Olesya and he wasn't fond of it. He would lean back and sigh.
"Talk about what?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 14:07:00 GMT -8
"She wants to know what it means to be an Elder. She feels entitled to the respect and recognition of the title because of the work she has done over the last few months."
He shrugged lightly. Everything he was saying he thought was pretty apparent. Even before she came to his place asking for help. She hadn't been shy to tell him how hard leading was on her, and the hardships it inflicted on her and her own life. Completely understandable that she would be worn down, tired, and frustrated.
Also completely irrelevant.
"So I thought the best way to test her is to make her figure out on her own what it means and force her to either become ready from within, or quit because it's stupid and pointless."
That's kind of how his tests went though. Symbolic on some fashion.
"I don't really care if you help her or not. Honestly she should be able to do it on her own, or what is the point. But I figure she will come here so leaving a clue here is hardly stupid."
Plus he wanted to annoy David. Which is why he laced his fingers together and flattened his hands, elbows resting on the table and chin on his hands.
"Let's talk about what's bugging you. Is it really that I have been taking care of my baby girls? Is it Leon's half cocked scheme? Or is it that me being back means I probably have some plan that will risk the stability everyone has worked so hard to obtain which will probably succeed by dumb luck and obsessive planning, getting me hailed as a hero and everyone wondering why we didn't do it sooner?"
Or he was on his man period. There was that.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 14:23:49 GMT -8
David tilted his head to the side.
"A test...to become elder? Haha....wow. Okay. Though there really is no way for her to become ready and claim it, I suppose she can find that out if she ever tries to."
He would chew his lip a moment as Mathew asked what was really bugging him.
"Everyone would hail you as a hero...? It amazes me how little you actually know about me."
He leaned forward and took his glass, taking a slow drink before glancing out the window.
"You want to bond...I'll bite, but prepare for a speech. You say I'm...what, worried everyone'll hail you as a hero...? Jealous, maybe? Lets see...We fought once, in high school. After that, me and you had minimal to no interaction. Until you came back after the bombs fell, I asked you to join us here, you wanted power and I said okay- because what fool wouldn't make use of your strength and, hopefully, ability to lead. From then on...you've done one or two things that nobody gives you sole credit for. You think they do, but they don't. You helped build the walls, which was a design by myself and Anna, but never implemented due to the time and manpower needed. You made some modifications, I'll admit. And they are nice, but everyone credits the Elders as a whole. You'd know that if you spent some time with the people."
He would take another little sip.
"Other than that, you jump started a treaty with the Crows- which I had not wanted to do for the dishonor we had been shown by them. But, I backed your play, as an Elder should. One could argue that you got the Gods on our side...but really, you just joined them, and by extension earned their backing for yourself, not for the Dragons. If you were to leave...they would probably follow you."
He turned his eyes back to Mathew. He wasn't fooled by the antics...but he didn't seem angry in the least.
"As for whatever plan you have now...I don't really care. I've been overseeing the food disbursment, the troop training, the stability of our alliance with the Crows and the defense of this place. Not just setting up patrols but...taking part in them. Fighting with the men. Setting up attack points and defensive routines. You have a plan? The only thing I can say is- awesome. Glad to hear you weren't sitting on your hands and changing diapers the whole time. But regardless of what you plan, what you think you've done...truth is, I'm not worried about it. I'll try to back your play, and we'll see where it goes. If everyone hails you...awesome. I've never given a damn about justification."
He'd only cared that the shit got done. Despite the...lengthy monologue, he...hadn't truly answered what was bugging him. He said simply what wasn't bugging him. Ans the entire time, he seemed at ease...almost care free. Honest. Something Mathew would probably pick up.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 14:49:45 GMT -8
"Uh huh."
Most of David's speech rolled right off of him. Talk about not knowing him. The walls and Crow thing he didn't care about. He was proud of the God thing true, but not for the power. He never really used it, other than to bring them together with the Dragons.
Still he waited patiently as David explained how much he didn't care if Mathew got glory or credit. How Mathew joined because he wanted power and David would be a fool to let him.
"Man, you really have no fucking clue who I am or why I do what I do. Wow. I mean I know I'm hard to read but I thought you had a better one than that. Especially with the whole Bastille thing."
Maybe it wasn't surprising. He wasn't Leon. He didn't look at people in a vacuum and really try to understand them and why they do what they did. David had a world view that was slanted toward helping people and doing the right thing, and for better or worse it colored his view. At least he felt so. Though Mathew's own view tended to be colored as well.
"And apparently my showing up with my own work isn't what got your panties in a bunch. So what is it? Kiyr? Olesya? Are you actually wearing bunched up panties?"
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 14:53:28 GMT -8
David smiled, shaking his head a little.
"You're right, I don't know you. You're a damn mystery to me. You understand, then, why I said all that?"
He sighed.
"As for what's really bothering me? Don't worry about it. Assume it's the panties for all I care."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 15:07:32 GMT -8
"Well then what do you want to know. Let's air some of this shit out."
He lowered his hands onto the table. It might be good for them to do this anyways. After all, things were not just about them anymore. And they hadn't been for quite some time now.
|
|
|
|
Post by David B. on Oct 23, 2013 15:16:49 GMT -8
Davids eyebrows rose up.
"Really? You wanna have a two way questionaire? I ask one you ask one? That's how we're gonna hash it out?"
Honestly...he didn't really have a problem with it. He just didn't think Mathew was all touchy feely like that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 23, 2013 15:19:02 GMT -8
"I don't fucking care. You are the one saying I am a mystery to you. I'm offering to clear the air. You don't have to take me up on it."
And honestly what was less touchy feely than a questionnaire?
|
|
