galaxies.

"Honestly, not really, Juliet has been pretty busy lately, and Gale... well... we're not really talking right now," Alec replied. "I guess that's what's been on my mind lately, and it's just getting to me." He didn't elaborate how exactly.

Alec shut the door behind Gale to give them more privacy. He gestured to the chair next to his desk before sitting at his own, ready to listen. Alec had once promised Gale his space, promised he would be there when Gale was ready to talk, no matter how much it hurt Alec to do so. The ball was in his court, and Alec wanted to respect that. "Yeah?" he replied. "Are you sure? I told you I'd respect time you needed."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Alec said, letting out a slight sigh knowing that he couldn't lie very well to Gale and continued, "I'll be fine. I'm just not doing that great this week, but nothing out of the ordinary. What did you need?"

"I'm not really, good at that," Alec replied. "Talking. Words don't come easy to me when it comes to my own feelings. Plus, you know how when you have a lot going in your mind, you don't know how to sort through on what it true and what is exaggerated?" Alec often struggled at times like these, picking between what was real and what was fueled by his depression and anxiety.

"No, no, just..." Alec wasn't sure what he had been doing, why he was pushing himself like this again. He knew, but he also rationally knew it wasn't good. "I'm just working through something. Dancing, it helps." Alec paused, knowing that while it helped him sort his thoughts, it didn't help other things. "Mostly."

"Well, I can get rid of those I don't want around me with relative ease. Not something to be proud of in most peoples eyes but it has its surprising amount of uses." Iris explained when Alec questioned her.

"Would that not also affect the people you do maybe want around?" Alec asked. "Even if you don't realize it in the first place?"

"And you have the confidence to rock it, is that what you're telling me?" Iris said with a little smile at Alec's words. "A lot of what I say sounds like an offence, intentional or not. Mostly intentional though." She admitted with a wry smile a second later. "It's an effective tool though." At least she'd found it to be so. What better way to get people to keep their distance from her.

"No, I just have the confidence in other things that I am, that's not mysterious," he replied. He raised his eyebrows lightly. "Effective tool? How so?" Alec questioned.

"Oh, well I am sorry to hear that." Clementine didn't pry into the reason, if Alec wanted to elaborate, she was sure that he would do so in his own time. "Hopefully I can make it at least a little more bearable by getting your paperwork in order. It will be one less thing for you to worry about, no?"

"Definitely," Alec replied with a nod. "Also, I don't think I can say this enough, but thank you. I'm honestly probably horrible at this, and it's the least favorite part of my day, but you have definitely helped me deal with it a lot."

"Well I suppose that's good for both of us." Given she knew she had a penchant for not really being the most careful with her words on occasion. A family trait she had picked up. Not one of her better ones admittedly. "You'd be surprised at how many people can take offence to a fact. I suppose it is more about the delivery..."

"Most of the time people take offense to facts are because they knew they do it and are insecure about it," Alec replied. "I mean, the delivery definitely doesn't help in most cases, and it also depends on what you're saying. I think a lot is using common sense, if it sounds like something would sound like an offense no matter how you say, best not to say it, but I don't think that is the case when you say I'm not mysterious."

"Has it been so busy around Christmas?" She asked, assuming that was perhaps why he'd forgotten about their previous engagement. "If you are certain, otherwise I can come back at another time, truly, it's not the end of the world."

"Yeah, we have this holiday show here every year, but also December is just not the greatest month for me," Alec explained.

"I believe I told you I would help you with some of your paperwork... didn't I?" Clementine was sure she hadn't gotten it wrong but his response was making her doubt herself a little. "Did I come at a bad time?"

"No, no, sorry," he apologized. "My brain has been so scattered as of late, I totally forgot. Please don't take offense, give me like five minutes and I can get everything out for you?"

"Well, I suppose at least you didn't take offence at it." Iris spoke with a small, wry smile playing over her lips. "I wouldn't say that it's a bad thing however."

"It takes a lot for me to get offended, trust me," he replied with a light laugh. "Plus, how can I take offense to a fact?"

"What can I say? I'm just a mysterious guy," Alec joked, as he was not at all mysterious. "

"In no way is this meant to disrespect you, Alec..." Iris began with a little laugh whilst also attempting to choose her words carefully, as she knew she could cut people like a knife through butter. "but you're the least mysterious person I know. You wear your emotions on your sleeve most of the time."

"Look, I can be myster—" he cut himself off. "No, sorry, I can't even lie and try to pretend I am."