"You Told Me So..." (Thirteen)

[Matrim Gallagher]

Matrim was heading to Aurora's place. He had gotten it in his head that he obviously didn't need to call her to tell her that he was coming over. In fact, this could be considered a challenge of her ability to see things coming. Perhaps she would dream that he was coming over, perhaps she would dream that he had brought a little gift as well. It wasn't much but the facts were facts, they had fought Orange and won. Matrim although hurt wasn't seriously injured. Thirteen also seemed to avoid injury that fight, which was good.

Matrim's back was sore though, and bruised badly. So instead of taking his bike which was hard on his back, he took a cab. He brought her a small token of his thanks. It wasn't anything she would understand. Not really anyway, but it carried a lot of sentimental value. It was a bandanna, a bandanna from the Enforcement Squad. Nothing special, but considering it was his bandanna, it was something.

Matrim walked up to the door of her apartment, he went to knock on it, wondering if she would already be there at the door opening it for him. If she wasn't, he'd knock. But if she was he would simply say, "Hey."

[Aternity]

The food was being notoriously uncooperative today.

It's like she hadn't done the rice up correctly, or she was losing track of time again. It happened from time to time, and was probably was a result of the stress from the past fight. Every time this happened, other things happened. Like bad cooking for example. She was so distracted, that she'd forgotten Matrim was coming. She'd seen it, but hadn't remembered. Bad sign.

When he knocked, she yelled.

"It's open Mat!"

Mehhh...

She turned off her oven and stove and left the food there. She'd clean it up later. Meanwhile, she put on tea, and walked to open the door...he was already there. He'd probably make fun of her for not putting on a show, but the fact that she looked a little bit mangled from the labor in the kitchen would more than make up that fact...

She was busy.

No time for the future if you couldn't deal with the present.

"Excuse my look...the cooking wasn't going so well...please come in."

[Matrim Gallagher]

Matrim came in, hearing what she said. Walking in the door he turned around and shut it. He took off shoes which he was actually wearing for once. He walked in toward Thirteen who had been cooking food it seemed, "Something on your mind? Bad dreams or just all the fighting we've gone through lately?" Matrim asked, he didn't take a seat right away but he did set down a bandanna on the table, "Because I know that with everything that happened the other day we all have been a little on edge...."

God knows I'm freaking out here. Don't really know what to expect from the council. At least Orange and Purple aren't dead. Though I'd like to see Orange dead if I could. That bastard was a cheap fight. If only I could have used my Qi on him first hand... I'm certain that the flames would of worked if I made sure not to punch him or grab him too hard.....

He didn't say what the bandanna was or why it had it yet. He would eventually, but not yet. Not until he heard what her problems were. It was at this point that Matrim would pull out a chair to sit at. He played with the bandanna as he waited for an answer.

[Aternity]

"Maybe a little of both, fighting and my Qi don't mix too well."

And nor did fighting her and the emotions. She'd guarded well against the emotion of fighting Orange, but Purple had been a different story altogether. For some reason, whatever it was, she'd broken down and totally blown up, and then collapsed and imploded. Maybe from stress, maybe not. She knew it had been coming, the problem was seeing it for herself, hearing it, and feeling the pain of everyone around her.

Orange had attacked her personally, to an extent. Maybe that's why she took more to his fight than Purple's.

"It's going to stay on edge for awhile. This ordeal isn't over."

She had more visions involving dissent and uprising, but they weren't quite clear to her yet. Even if they were, her unwritten rules of governing her Qi prevented her from saying anything to him in specific. Not like she had any specifics right now.

The tea was ready...and at least she hadn't screwed that up yet. She poured two mugs full and handed one to Matrim, taking her own seat. She was aware of the bandanna, but honestly, it didn't yet matter to her much yet...she was trying to get over her own problems right now.

[Matrim Gallagher]

"Well of course not, but I think we managed to buy ourselves some time. Maybe I was wrong to side with Purple... but I'm not exactly sure who to side with. There will always be that little rebel inside of me that wants to do the whole 'screw the rules I have muscles' routine, but I really can't afford to since I basically speak for the entire student body. The second I get out of control and make one mistake it all goes to hell. Only reason I attacked Orange was because he gave me a reason to. Next time I'm not sure how I'm going to handle it. But I'm sure I will think of something..."

Matrim then lifted up a bandanna, "This is for you, it doesn't mean much and thankfully you're blind or else you'd probably see how unattractive it is, though I'm guessing you will dream about it if you haven't already. It's the sign from one of my old gangs, we each carried one of these around. I would say they were the good guys except for the moral conflict I had while I was in it. The people were nice though, and they in general cared. This particular bandanna was mine. Think of it as.... I don't know, maybe a symbol of my appreciation."

He drank his tea but didn't go on about it all. Instead he got on with his point, "I met a boy named Arkady Awren, he seems to agree with my ideas of stopping the gangs... I can't do that for awhile. I'm gonna be a Reaper for a bit longer now. They are starting to make moves and sadly the best way to see their plans for sure is to be one of the guys making the plans. Which means I'll probably have to do things I necessarily won't like doing."

Like recruiting... and probably some other crap. Maybe I can sit back and let the new kids do some stuff.

"Last thing I want is a war, but if I can get Reapers to take out Gabriel for me, I don't think a war would ensue. I'm on good terms with Militia thanks to my friendship with Emily, and you have no idea who half of these people are do you?"

[Aternity]

Matrim truly was off on a whim now...telling her stuff that would normally never be spoken of, especially after only their second true meeting. The rest had all been an accident. Fighting, blowing up part of the school. Although that had all be in good measure. She was still thinking, maybe she should have just stayed out of it all...but then she wouldn't know some of the people she did now.

Oh the choices of it all.

"There's always a choice Matrim, you'll find it at some time. Being a pillar is probably the worst job in the school, I don't envy you."

Wasn't that the truth, anything he did was going to be scorned in some way by the student populace, and it was now enough so that people were actually plotting against the system. The little world inside the school was going to be thrown into utter chaos...well, not like it hadn't already.

"Hmmm, well thank you."

Folding it neatly, she set it aside, and they continued their conversation.

"I know Arkady...he thinks the hospital is a military base. He's crazier than I am. And I wouldn't worry about the war. If it comes...then it comes. I don't condone killing anyone, but if that's a choice...then it is yours to make."

She drank the last bit of tea she had and brought the kettle to them, setting it on a hot plate between them.

"And you're correct, I have no idea...Reapers, Militia. I've heard of them, and seen them, but I don't know them per se."

[Matrim Gallagher]

"I'm in Reapers, it's a gang," Matrim started to explain. Obviously she knew that much about Reapers but he'd continue on, "If there were 'bad guys' they would be them. I joined them awhile back as sort of an opportunity to get stronger and work recon at the same time. I have to stay in the gang to find out information about what they are doing... I can stop the big stuff this way, or at least prepare for it. Sadly... this means I also have to be a bad guy at times..."

He paused for a bit thinking about this, "Militia is a gang I am not in, and they are the closest things we currently have for 'good guys' but I wouldn't go so far as to call them that. One of the goals of Militia has been to take care of the Pillars, and return power to the majority of students. Which is all good until someone strong claims the Pillar title. I'm friends with one of the key members, Emily. She and I have an agreement to an alliance of sorts, between myself and Militia. They are alright with me as Student Captain, so they aren't a threat unless they stop thinking I am a good choice. I'm hoping the acts I may have to commit in Reapers don't aggravate Militia to the point where I become their enemy."

Matrim took a drink of tea, taking a moment to catch his breath, "Gabriel is in Militia, but he's acting out against me regardless. I know he has something planned, and I know he doesn't like me. I don't like him, but I know his fatal flaw. In the end, I believe that if we make a group, it should wait. Or if we make it now... it'd have to be extremely secretive about who's in it for the time being."

Probably best to put it off until I detox...

"In the end, I'll do what I can to keep this situation from going Chernobyl. But if I had to guess, you don't need to see the future to see that this all can't end well."

[Aternity]

Matrim was going all out in his explanation, and frankly, it was rather odd. Sure, she could read the future, but Thirteen still had to ask questions about specifics that she overlooked. Remember, memory was like a movie...she always missed small details at first until she looked over it a couple times over.

"Why are you telling me all this? I can see the future, but I'm not perfect...is there something specific I'm looking for?"

The situation made sense to her, but why Matrim had come to her was still up in the air. Thirteen poured herself another cup of tea and sipped at it, attempting to rid herself of the conundrum. This wasn't like anyone...2 times at her house, and he was telling her things that could cripple his...operation for lack of a better word.

"Either way Matrim, I'm sure you'll do what is right. I can't tell you how it's going to end yet...but it's going to be a nasty fight, and you're right, that much is obvious."

Well...whatever he was thinking...now she was rather interested.

Call it nosy if you will.