Actually - no, it doesn't matter. What I'm saying here is - and I can't
believe I'm saying this - but I think we might be able to help each other
out.
As long as any part of Killer Frost is active - and it is ... she is? I am?
I'm not even sure anymore - but I need heat sources to fuel the cryonic
processes that generate my powers. And you need to set fires, but don't
want to hurt anybody. We team up, you get what you need, I put it out to
get what I need. The boat doesn't burn down, and I don't get so frustrated
and desperate that I resort to draining passengers instead of coffeepots.
It's a win-win situation for everyone.
[ He thinks about it for a long moment. On the one hand he has been fighting really hard to ignore the urge to set fires, knowing that sooner or later someone is going to use that against him again. On the other hand, the main reason for why he wanted to make sure this place didn't burn isn't here any longer. ]
Deal, we can make some fires in the enclosure. And if you're going to drain passengers you come find me. [ He pauses for a second. ] I'll add you to the people who can enter my cabin. I got a fireplace in here. If for some reason I can't set a fire in the enclosure we can make one there.
[It's a lot more than she was expecting. The fireplace is going to
help, she's pretty sure.]
Thank you.
I can't make any for sure promises about coming to find you, but I can say
I'll do my best. When it gets like that ... it's hard to think of anything
else. [And that's big, for her to admit that. She doesn't like that
she had to, but saying it aloud sort of means she's made her peace with
it.]
But if we can get this thing going, I don't think it'll get that bad.
That I do know. [ He smiles slightly ] Only one thing in your mind and all the other thoughts don't seem to stick around. That's how I am with fire... and pain. [ An admission for an admission. ]
We could see if we could set up some sort of warning system. Until you get a permanent warden.
Caitlin doesn't bother with asking the Admiral about anything; as an inmate, that really isn't her place anyway. What she does do, though, is keep her word, and that means actually going to Mick's cabin.
She takes her time getting there, caught between wanting to put it off entirely and a genuine curiosity as to how this is going to go, because she doesn't really know what to expect - but it seems like a perfectly logical solution for the problems that they both have been having. When she arrives at his door she takes a steadying breath to calm herself, but she looks a hell of a lot more like Frost than Caitlin when she finally knocks on that door. "It's me," she adds, because even without a name, her voice should at least be a giveaway.
Mick's half expecting Caitlin to not come ever, so it takes him a second to get to the door, but when he does he opens it without question. The cabin is nice and quiet, but there is a fire burning on the fireplace, a book on the table couches as well as Mick's glasses. And a beer, always a beer.
Out of curiosity, she peers past him into the cabin. It's ... warm. It's so
delightfully warm, and now that she's here she knows there was no reason to
suspect anything different. "I thought we could talk," she says levelly.
"About that arrangement. If you're still interested."
He nods, stepping back and letting her in now that he sees the way she is looking at the cabin and the fire. "After you warm up maybe?" He waits until she's inside before he closes the door and then walks over to fetch a cup of coffee for her, even if it is a few hours old at this point he suspects she needs the warmth more than anything else.
"Thank you," she says, accepting the cup graciously. It's hard not to just
leech the heat right out of it, but she takes a sip and lets it warm her
from the inside, which should, in theory, be better for her than just
soaking it all up before she gets a chance to drink it. Hesitantly, she
moves towards the fire, hoping that it's alright for her to sit near it,
and that she won't ruin it. But even the ambient heat feels good, like
something she can just take in slowly, even if it still doesn't feel like
it's quite enough. "This is ... nice," she says. "Better than I thought it
would be. No offense."
Mick comes over and moves his stuff so that she can settle closest to the fire. Then he grabs a mug of coffee for himself and goes to sit down, watching her carefully. "I wasn't going to live in a burnt out cabin. So I asked the admiral for a new one, got the maintenance crew to make the fireplace and picked up the rest of the stuff various places. What were you expecting?"
"I ... don't know," Caitlin admits. "I guess I thought it would be less ...
lived in?" It's still not quite the word she's looking for. It wasn't like
this when the barge was playing musical chairs with all their cabins, but
none of that actually matters now. "I think it means I misjudged you," she
adds, a little more quietly. It's not just the cabin that reflects that,
either, but she can't quite put her finger on what else it is. Maybe the
fact that he'd actually tried to stop her. Or the fact that he wants to be
better than he used to be. "I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt. I
... assumed you hadn't changed, and that everything here was all backwards,
because I thought I shouldn't be an inmate. I'm ... sorry for that, too."
He chuckles darkly. "And you didn't think I should be a warden. You are not entirely wrong you are certainly not alone there. Even Len thought I shouldn't me. He kept telling me if I fucked up and got demoted he'd be pissed."
He shrugs. "It's ... nicer than anything else I've had, but it is nice. I like having the kitchen and the fireplace."
"Well, you're ... friends," she says, curling in on herself a little more
as she wraps her hands around the mug, and pulls in the remaining heat.
"Friends want each other to do well." She's not fully certain that was the
extent of their relationship, but she's not one to ask for details, either.
"You must miss him, huh?"
Mick grits his teeth and looks at the fire. He doesn't like talking about feelings. "We're partners for thirty years. Yeah, I miss him. He's dead when I am from." He takes a deep breath.
"I know." It's brief, gentle, maybe even a little understanding. She's lost
someone twice, too, after all, but ... no, she's not going to push this.
It's not what she came here to talk about. She sits up a little taller,
regarding him with a sort of sideways glance; in a way, her whole demeanor
changes, even though her physical appearance stays the same. "You still
wanna burn things?" she asks, and it's as casual as asking someone if they
want to get coffee.
He looks over at her straight away, sitting up a little. "Yeah, always. You want to go see if the Enclosure is free?"
He downs the rest of the coffee and then gets up to his jacket, no longer using his owld fireman's jacket, uninstead a lighter leather one. "You're good to get the way there."
She notes the way that he changes, too, like he thinks this is
definitely a lot more interesting than sitting around verging dangerously
close to actually opening up to one another, and for once, she has to agree
with him. She's pretty sure that he doesn't still have the old flame gun,
but she's also not sure whether he's got his own powers, now - probably
not, right? - so she figures she'll find out how he wants this whole thing
to go down once they actually get to the Enclosure. Once there, she hangs
back so he can both open the door and program it to his liking. "I don't
mind where you take us," she says, and then, with a soft laugh, adds, "I
don't know if holographic fire is going to do the trick, but I guess we'll
find out."
"We'll see. As far as I know bullets in the Enclosure can still kill you so why shouldn't fire work the same way." He digs out a black bag from under his workbench. Inside it is a collection of guns as well as a whole host of fire setting tools. "What kind of fire do you like, fast and hot or slow and low?"
It's an impressive array of equipment, and sure, there's a part of her
that's still scared, in a way, still worried about what Mick - specifically
- could do to her. But she also knows that she can control her powers, now
- she has powers, now - and that means she's safe. As safe as her
own control, anyway, and as safe as the Enclosure and Mick will allow.
"Let's try something slow, first," she suggests. "I'm still only at
twenty-five percent of my normal power levels. Scott didn't think to give
back any more before he took off - I mean, before he vanished." That's
important, she reminds herself. He didn't leave on purpose.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2018-11-05 07:29 pm (UTC)So why not just be him again?
no subject
Date: 2018-11-05 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-11-05 08:51 pm (UTC)Only if people get hurt, right?
.... What if it was just a little fire?
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 07:21 pm (UTC)I set fire to the library. An inmate died.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 07:32 pm (UTC)No, I didn't. Why did you do that?
Actually - no, it doesn't matter. What I'm saying here is - and I can't believe I'm saying this - but I think we might be able to help each other out.
As long as any part of Killer Frost is active - and it is ... she is? I am? I'm not even sure anymore - but I need heat sources to fuel the cryonic processes that generate my powers. And you need to set fires, but don't want to hurt anybody. We team up, you get what you need, I put it out to get what I need. The boat doesn't burn down, and I don't get so frustrated and desperate that I resort to draining passengers instead of coffeepots. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
What do you say? Deal?
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 08:06 pm (UTC)Deal, we can make some fires in the enclosure. And if you're going to drain passengers you come find me.
[ He pauses for a second. ]
I'll add you to the people who can enter my cabin. I got a fireplace in here. If for some reason I can't set a fire in the enclosure we can make one there.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 08:15 pm (UTC)[It's a lot more than she was expecting. The fireplace is going to help, she's pretty sure.]
Thank you.
I can't make any for sure promises about coming to find you, but I can say I'll do my best. When it gets like that ... it's hard to think of anything else. [And that's big, for her to admit that. She doesn't like that she had to, but saying it aloud sort of means she's made her peace with it.]
But if we can get this thing going, I don't think it'll get that bad.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 08:27 pm (UTC)We could see if we could set up some sort of warning system. Until you get a permanent warden.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-06 08:59 pm (UTC)Pain? [A beat.] Giving or taking?
I think I would be okay with that.
no subject
Date: 2018-11-07 07:29 am (UTC)I can ask around, see if there something we can do. Maybe the Admiral can set something up.
[spam]
Date: 2018-11-21 09:51 pm (UTC)Caitlin doesn't bother with asking the Admiral about anything; as an inmate, that really isn't her place anyway. What she does do, though, is keep her word, and that means actually going to Mick's cabin.
She takes her time getting there, caught between wanting to put it off entirely and a genuine curiosity as to how this is going to go, because she doesn't really know what to expect - but it seems like a perfectly logical solution for the problems that they both have been having. When she arrives at his door she takes a steadying breath to calm herself, but she looks a hell of a lot more like Frost than Caitlin when she finally knocks on that door. "It's me," she adds, because even without a name, her voice should at least be a giveaway.
[spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 05:08 am (UTC)"Caitlin. What is up?"
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 05:16 am (UTC)Out of curiosity, she peers past him into the cabin. It's ... warm. It's so delightfully warm, and now that she's here she knows there was no reason to suspect anything different. "I thought we could talk," she says levelly. "About that arrangement. If you're still interested."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 05:20 am (UTC)Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 05:41 am (UTC)"Thank you," she says, accepting the cup graciously. It's hard not to just leech the heat right out of it, but she takes a sip and lets it warm her from the inside, which should, in theory, be better for her than just soaking it all up before she gets a chance to drink it. Hesitantly, she moves towards the fire, hoping that it's alright for her to sit near it, and that she won't ruin it. But even the ambient heat feels good, like something she can just take in slowly, even if it still doesn't feel like it's quite enough. "This is ... nice," she says. "Better than I thought it would be. No offense."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 05:52 am (UTC)Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 06:08 am (UTC)"I ... don't know," Caitlin admits. "I guess I thought it would be less ... lived in?" It's still not quite the word she's looking for. It wasn't like this when the barge was playing musical chairs with all their cabins, but none of that actually matters now. "I think it means I misjudged you," she adds, a little more quietly. It's not just the cabin that reflects that, either, but she can't quite put her finger on what else it is. Maybe the fact that he'd actually tried to stop her. Or the fact that he wants to be better than he used to be. "I didn't give you the benefit of the doubt. I ... assumed you hadn't changed, and that everything here was all backwards, because I thought I shouldn't be an inmate. I'm ... sorry for that, too."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 06:55 am (UTC)He shrugs. "It's ... nicer than anything else I've had, but it is nice. I like having the kitchen and the fireplace."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 07:17 am (UTC)"Well, you're ... friends," she says, curling in on herself a little more as she wraps her hands around the mug, and pulls in the remaining heat. "Friends want each other to do well." She's not fully certain that was the extent of their relationship, but she's not one to ask for details, either. "You must miss him, huh?"
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 07:24 am (UTC)Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 07:33 am (UTC)"I know." It's brief, gentle, maybe even a little understanding. She's lost someone twice, too, after all, but ... no, she's not going to push this. It's not what she came here to talk about. She sits up a little taller, regarding him with a sort of sideways glance; in a way, her whole demeanor changes, even though her physical appearance stays the same. "You still wanna burn things?" she asks, and it's as casual as asking someone if they want to get coffee.
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 07:40 am (UTC)He downs the rest of the coffee and then gets up to his jacket, no longer using his owld fireman's jacket, uninstead a lighter leather one. "You're good to get the way there."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 07:51 am (UTC)She notes the way that he changes, too, like he thinks this is definitely a lot more interesting than sitting around verging dangerously close to actually opening up to one another, and for once, she has to agree with him. She's pretty sure that he doesn't still have the old flame gun, but she's also not sure whether he's got his own powers, now - probably not, right? - so she figures she'll find out how he wants this whole thing to go down once they actually get to the Enclosure. Once there, she hangs back so he can both open the door and program it to his liking. "I don't mind where you take us," she says, and then, with a soft laugh, adds, "I don't know if holographic fire is going to do the trick, but I guess we'll find out."
Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 08:24 am (UTC)Re: [spam]
Date: 2018-11-22 08:37 am (UTC)It's an impressive array of equipment, and sure, there's a part of her that's still scared, in a way, still worried about what Mick - specifically - could do to her. But she also knows that she can control her powers, now - she has powers, now - and that means she's safe. As safe as her own control, anyway, and as safe as the Enclosure and Mick will allow. "Let's try something slow, first," she suggests. "I'm still only at twenty-five percent of my normal power levels. Scott didn't think to give back any more before he took off - I mean, before he vanished." That's important, she reminds herself. He didn't leave on purpose.
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