Post by Marshall on May 2, 2019 6:58:00 GMT -5
It was before they separated. Ava found a moment to catch up with Solomon before he'd rush off towards the graveyard and, she, on her patrol with Ra'aqi.
"Hey." She called out to him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Still caught in the unreal feeling that had settled on him after being called out of his attempt with the Mandal there was an arrest to Solomon's movements, a small hitch in which he had to think about how he was turning to make everything go the way he wanted it to. Outwardly it might have still looked natural, but within he could almost feel every joint, muscle, and ligament like they were brand new to him. "Yeah," he answered when turned, looking Ava's way, "what's up?" He had been taking the small amount of time given before departure to eat a little something, and was just then folding the edge of the ration packet over. Next to him where he sat against a wall of the formation was a bottle of red tinted water which he'd drank half of.
"What happened back there?" She asked as she found herself taking a seat next to him.
"I thought you were going to watch over Jeryndi and I while we investigated the Amidi woman?"
"I said I'd help," he told her, blinking as she sat down next to him, "And I had an idea after you and Jeryndi had already started so I just went for it."
Ava blinked at him.
"...We were counting on you to follow through with what you said. We went in to the meld believing that you had our backs - that you'd be there to watch over us in case things went south." She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "And you what? Went off to do your own thing?"
"No, the way I was to help was not defined. I said I'd do what I could from where I was standing. And I did that. If it's not what you wanted me to do, I am sorry."
"Solomon." Ava's head shook. "I know you don't work well with others. I know most of the time, you'd rather do the work alone. But I can't give you... a defined map when we ask for your help. I need to be able to trust that when you say you're backing us up, when you're backing me up, that you're actually doing that and not running off when an idea strikes you."
"I've had hundreds of ideas since we've been here, Ava, and I haven't followed any of them in order to have not just your back, but Jeryndi's and Medren's as well. This was right in front of me. I trusted the moment and tried something, and I'm being reprimanded for it."
"Solomon... you left us. We trusted you and you left us to do your own thing."
"I was -right- there. If something had happened, I was -right there-."
"Physically? Yeah. But it was Jeryndi and I that took the blow in the meld... a blow that you weren't even aware of because you were so engrossed in your idea to the point where we had to get your attention."
"Would it have made a difference?" He asked, looking toward her pointedly, "What would it have changed with me being on the outside of the meld? Do you know that I would have sensed it? Do you know that I could have changed any of that from where I was? I don't. Does Jeryndi?"
"The point is that I was counting on you, Solomon." She started to rise. "And you left me high and dry. I need to know that when you say you're going to be there - that you're there. I don't know these Mandals. I barely know Jeryndi. The only person I truly trust here, the only person I have, is you... and you abandoned me to follow your own idea."
"The point is that our ideas of what support meant are different right now. I was supporting you and Jeryndi, just not the way you had anticipated. I have your back, and I always will."
Ava watched him and wondered if he would have pulled that with Sadhric. That, if it had been The Mechanic standing before him with this very problem, would Solomon have felt differently.
Her head shook.
"I want to believe you, Solomon." She said. "But I don't know if I can."
"And how do you want me to convince you?" She had stood, while he was still sitting head turned up her way.
"If my word isn't enough?"
"Words aren't enough, Solomon." She sighed. "You have to show it." Her head turned as she caught Ra'aqi starting to come into view.
"I have to go. Good luck and be safe on your journey."
"Hey." She called out to him. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Still caught in the unreal feeling that had settled on him after being called out of his attempt with the Mandal there was an arrest to Solomon's movements, a small hitch in which he had to think about how he was turning to make everything go the way he wanted it to. Outwardly it might have still looked natural, but within he could almost feel every joint, muscle, and ligament like they were brand new to him. "Yeah," he answered when turned, looking Ava's way, "what's up?" He had been taking the small amount of time given before departure to eat a little something, and was just then folding the edge of the ration packet over. Next to him where he sat against a wall of the formation was a bottle of red tinted water which he'd drank half of.
"What happened back there?" She asked as she found herself taking a seat next to him.
"I thought you were going to watch over Jeryndi and I while we investigated the Amidi woman?"
"I said I'd help," he told her, blinking as she sat down next to him, "And I had an idea after you and Jeryndi had already started so I just went for it."
Ava blinked at him.
"...We were counting on you to follow through with what you said. We went in to the meld believing that you had our backs - that you'd be there to watch over us in case things went south." She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "And you what? Went off to do your own thing?"
"No, the way I was to help was not defined. I said I'd do what I could from where I was standing. And I did that. If it's not what you wanted me to do, I am sorry."
"Solomon." Ava's head shook. "I know you don't work well with others. I know most of the time, you'd rather do the work alone. But I can't give you... a defined map when we ask for your help. I need to be able to trust that when you say you're backing us up, when you're backing me up, that you're actually doing that and not running off when an idea strikes you."
"I've had hundreds of ideas since we've been here, Ava, and I haven't followed any of them in order to have not just your back, but Jeryndi's and Medren's as well. This was right in front of me. I trusted the moment and tried something, and I'm being reprimanded for it."
"Solomon... you left us. We trusted you and you left us to do your own thing."
"I was -right- there. If something had happened, I was -right there-."
"Physically? Yeah. But it was Jeryndi and I that took the blow in the meld... a blow that you weren't even aware of because you were so engrossed in your idea to the point where we had to get your attention."
"Would it have made a difference?" He asked, looking toward her pointedly, "What would it have changed with me being on the outside of the meld? Do you know that I would have sensed it? Do you know that I could have changed any of that from where I was? I don't. Does Jeryndi?"
"The point is that I was counting on you, Solomon." She started to rise. "And you left me high and dry. I need to know that when you say you're going to be there - that you're there. I don't know these Mandals. I barely know Jeryndi. The only person I truly trust here, the only person I have, is you... and you abandoned me to follow your own idea."
"The point is that our ideas of what support meant are different right now. I was supporting you and Jeryndi, just not the way you had anticipated. I have your back, and I always will."
Ava watched him and wondered if he would have pulled that with Sadhric. That, if it had been The Mechanic standing before him with this very problem, would Solomon have felt differently.
Her head shook.
"I want to believe you, Solomon." She said. "But I don't know if I can."
"And how do you want me to convince you?" She had stood, while he was still sitting head turned up her way.
"If my word isn't enough?"
"Words aren't enough, Solomon." She sighed. "You have to show it." Her head turned as she caught Ra'aqi starting to come into view.
"I have to go. Good luck and be safe on your journey."