ππππππππππππ, Β Β Β Β Β + Β Β Β Β Β milaΒ Β Β simons.
It isnβt as if she hasnβt been here at all over the years, but stillΒ β itβs strange. No Headmaster, bursting in the room and demanding everyoneβs attention, heads snapping at the sound of his shoes on the hardwood floors. Itβs lacking. Half-space. Mila has little interest in it, the cliches of grief and the way her body seems to want to wrap itself around them, give into them, succumb to them.
In stead, she drinks wine and tries not to be angry with the intruders for being here. She moves, exchanging polite enough conversation with the interesting politicians and socialites, but feels herself pulled towards Quinn after an exhausting lament, ears ringing from having to deal with someone elseβs grief. As if her own wasnβt enough.
βYou look rough.β She says it dead-pan, with no consideration of whether itβs true or not. Mila is, after all, mostly occupied with how sheΒ presents.Β βWhat happened?β An impish quality reaches her eyes as she leans in,Β βSomeone die, or something?β Around here, between them, this might as well go for how are you?Β
tepidΒ Β condolencesΒ Β areΒ Β metΒ Β withΒ Β practicedΒ Β grin. Β fundamentalsΒ Β taughtΒ Β throughoutΒ Β childhoodΒ Β areΒ Β yetΒ Β toΒ Β holdΒ Β anyΒ Β significance.Β Β itβsΒ Β aΒ Β constantΒ Β battleΒ Β forΒ Β quinn,Β Β aΒ Β leaderΒ Β whoΒ Β madeΒ Β hasteΒ Β attemptsΒ Β toΒ Β reconstructΒ Β himselfΒ Β inΒ Β theΒ Β imageΒ Β ofΒ Β theirΒ Β headmaster.Β Β naivelyΒ Β promiseΒ Β thatΒ Β itβsΒ Β noΒ Β problem,Β Β rectifyΒ Β theΒ Β inconsistenciesΒ Β likeΒ Β smudgesΒ Β onΒ Β aΒ Β mirror.Β Β yet,Β Β whatΒ Β toΒ Β doΒ Β whenΒ Β hisΒ Β absenceΒ Β creaksΒ Β cracksΒ Β inΒ Β saidΒ Β mirrorΒ Β ?Β Β whatΒ Β trainingΒ Β canΒ Β heΒ Β surviveΒ Β onΒ Β inΒ Β thisΒ Β momentΒ Β ?
quinnΒ Β keepsΒ Β hisΒ Β glassΒ Β steadilyΒ Β full,Β Β allowΒ Β coolΒ Β dropletsΒ Β sootheΒ Β theΒ Β discomposedΒ Β energyΒ Β thatΒ Β burnsΒ Β atΒ Β theΒ Β fingertips.Β Β dirtyΒ Β blondeΒ Β eyebrowsΒ Β knitΒ Β atΒ Β theΒ Β sightΒ Β ofΒ Β theΒ Β minglingΒ Β crowd,Β Β mindΒ Β workingΒ Β throughΒ Β detailedΒ Β listsΒ Β ofΒ Β whoΒ Β heβdΒ Β recogniseΒ Β bothΒ Β asΒ Β himselfΒ Β +Β Β bladebenderΒ Β -β Β asΒ Β ifΒ Β theΒ Β twoΒ Β werenβtΒ Β interchangeable.Β Β itβsΒ Β theΒ Β wayΒ Β sensesΒ Β couldΒ Β feelΒ Β milaβsΒ Β presenceΒ Β serpentineΒ Β nearby,Β Β instinctivelyΒ Β takingΒ Β aΒ Β sipΒ Β ofΒ Β amberΒ Β liquorΒ Β asΒ Β aΒ Β formΒ Β ofΒ Β aΒ Β hello. Β Β
βΒ Β cheers,Β Β mila.Β Β β Β toneΒ Β mimicsΒ Β hers,Β Β peripheryΒ Β watchingΒ Β herΒ Β actions.Β Β itβs Β Β certainlyΒ Β oneΒ Β ofΒ Β theΒ Β nicerΒ Β commentΒ Β quinnβsΒ Β heardΒ Β overΒ Β theΒ Β years,Β Β aΒ Β bittersweetΒ Β graciousnessΒ Β forΒ Β doubleΒ Β -Β Β edgedΒ Β honesty.Β Β β Β donβtΒ Β youΒ Β reckonΒ Β kickstartingΒ Β aΒ Β comedyΒ Β careerΒ Β inΒ Β theΒ Β middleΒ Β ofΒ Β aΒ Β funeralΒ Β isΒ Β aΒ Β bitΒ Β gaucheΒ Β ?Β Β β Β huesΒ Β finallyΒ Β flickerΒ Β toΒ Β meetΒ Β hers,Β Β aΒ Β ghostΒ Β ofΒ Β hisΒ Β sardonic Β Β smirkΒ Β curlingΒ Β atΒ Β theΒ Β edge,Β Β β Β sureΒ Β knoxΒ Β wouldΒ Β appreciateΒ Β theΒ Β ambitiousnessΒ Β ofΒ Β it,Β Β though. Β Β β