Hiding

[has_a_cult]

[Ionae has been even harder to find than normal lately. If it were up to her she'd just vanish from society entirely, but some things demand you leave your bedroom, and her notebook never stops pinging her with notifications of new network posts. Feel free to run into her on one of her few errands. She's even more withdrawn to the point of eying total strangers suspiciously or crossing the street to avoid people, so it may be tricky.

Plan A: Hide forever. Clearly it's not going to work. Maybe it's time to actually try to think like a human being...]

[Filtered to Blaine]

Can we talk? In person, preferably?

Comments

[has_a_cult]

One of those hardcore boot camp type of things, is it?

[strategic_guile]

No, I'm not the hardcore type when it comes to forcing other people to do things. You just have to be serious about it if you want to actually be able to use it without hurting yourself.

[has_a_cult]

Just what kind of martial art is this?

[strategic_guile]

It's self defense, but if you get cocky and overestimate your abilities you can get hurt. though i assume you'd run like hell if you had the chance anyway.

[has_a_cult]

That would be the sensible thing to do when you don't have the upper hand. Don't worry, I'll take it seriously.

[strategic_guile]

Good. [Light smile. Jokingly he adds.] Though I guess I don't have to teach you how to shoot, since I've had first-hand experience seeing you do that.

[has_a_cult]

Shooting is what got me into this situation in the first place.

[strategic_guile]

[Matter-of-factly.] No, a drunk guy harassing you is what got you in this situation.

[has_a_cult]

Well...thank you. You'd have done me a favor even without offering to teach me more self-defense.

[strategic_guile]

[Laughs] Really? And what favor is that?

[has_a_cult]

Well um. I don't know. I'm not much good at much, I'm starting to realize. What do people normally do in situations like this? Do you want money?

[strategic_guile]

[Sly grin.] No, I don't want money.

[has_a_cult]

Then...uh...

[Ionae looks on the verge of panic.]

[strategic_guile]

[Holds up a placating hand] It's alright. Take a breath.

[has_a_cult]

Right...Sorry, I don't know where that came from. I guess I'm even more rattled than I thought.

[strategic_guile]

[He reached out, hand hovering over hers to give her a chance to move before he settled it on hers.] It's a lot to go through.