Concessions and souveniers

Who: Doc and Eris
Where: Babylon
When: afternoon

This wasn't a spot Doc found himself in very often, that was for sure. He'd made plenty of apologies in his life, he owed plenty more, but usually he went into them figuring they'd have some effect. The problem, of course, was that he and Eris were both willworkers. They were naturally proud beings; so few of them existed, and their potential power could replicate almost any other trick in existence or more. It made acknowledging the status of another willworker a tricky thing, which only got trickier as the person in question got more powerful. Eris had a bar that moved, that hung with so many wards and countermeasures that Doc could feel them. And Doc? Well, Doc could command the physical realm itself.

Not that it mattered much at the moment as he moved up the stairs towards Eris' office, he had a hunch that his powers wouldn't stretch very far in here. And that was probably a good thing, given how this might not even go remotely well. Still, there was no backing down from it. She had to know he was here, and leaving now? Even if it was just to consider his words? It'd worsen his case. "So grow a pair," he rumbled to himself, reaching Eris' door and knocking lightly.

"Enter." was the crisp sort of reply from inside the office. Eris wasn't at her desk for once, she was over by the window. It was open, though the cold that should have been coming in wasn't--even if a breeze was. It was making the bone-wind-chime make faintly discordant sounds where it hung above her desk. She was leaning against the wall, eyes not straying from the view, which showed the lake today. "I didn't expect you back any time soon." she commented, once the door had opened.

"Can't say I really planned on a prompt return," Doc admitted, looking to Eris and nudging the door shut behind him. He couldn't help noticing the view, how the window's outlook didn't match the surroundings he'd seen when he entered. Some part of him was envious, missing the freedom to flex his own abilities, but at the same time? he had to wonder if a place of so much concentrated power wasn't a hideout, a sanctuary. "But by now I'm pretty familiar with the old axiom; no plan survives contact with the enemy." He moved to sit unbidden, sliding a chair out and scratching at his beard as he watched Eris' expression thoughtfully. "I owe you an apology."

That had a light effect on her expression as she arched a brow just a slight bit. "Do you." she said, it not being a question. More a statement, that didn't give much away as to whether she thought he did or not. In Eris' life, apologies weren't really that high on her list of things she required. So, if he felt he owed her one, she was curious what that would pertain to, though she knew it would have something to do with the little love-struck witch. She took a sip of the drink she had in her hand, and glanced towards her liquor set up to indicate if he wanted one, he could get himself a drink but she wasn't pouring today.

Waving a hand at the unspoken offer of a drink, Doc instead dug out his cigarettes and popped one in his lips, brow raised in question as he waited on lighting up. She'd let him smoke before, sure, but assuming too much was what had twisted things the last time they'd spoken. "I do," he confirmed with a slight nod, "You and I both have a pretty large stake in what's happening in this town, and I think we'd both do better at managing it if we saw eye to eye on things. So I'm sorry for walking in here thinking I knew exactly how things were going to go. It's been a while since I've dealt with anyone like either of us, Eris. In the past I always had to anticipate a fair level of hubris, but thinking on those lines I ended up being the one who was saddled with it. You had a fucked up situation dropped in front of you and I walked in expecting you to take it with a smile."

She gave a slight nod in return to indicate he could smoke if he wanted to. She took another sip of her drink, watching him as he spoke. She remained very even, stoic, not giving away anything by body language or expression. "You seemed rather dissatisfied that I did not." she said. "And that I seemed to have an opinion that did not happen to line up with your own." she continued. "Not used to opposition of any kind, are you?"

"Not the kind I couldn't kill," Doc admitted with a faint smirk, lighting up quickly and pulling in a lungful of smoke. "Hell, this job? We're a dying breed, Eris. Fewer and fewer of us in the world every year. So one of us who's actually had time to learn? We tend to impress." He tapped a curl of ash into his palm, degrading it with a thought and watching it dissolve away before going on. "I deal with people mostly. Outside of Jocelyn and my others, they're people. They know what they can see, what they can touch. I show up out of thin air and they listen to damn near every word I might have." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Confidence is part of the job requirement, honestly. I just should've considered that you weren't part of the job, and I'm grateful you were as accommodating as you were."

"I would recommend not treating the rest of the world as if you know best automatically. It's an abrasive sort of attitude to come up against, and if you aren't dealing with the drop down and bow idiots, it isn't likely to get you far." Eris said, taking one more sip of her drink before she set the glass down on the windowsil. "You said you owed me an apology, but haven't actually gotten to it yet." she added.

"I actually did," Doc pointed out, shaking his head and wondering if she'd decided he owed more, "It was the bit about thinking I knew how things were going to go? Walking in full of attitude?" He sat back with his cigarette, ashing into his palm again and watching Eris thoughtfully. "I'd wager I owe you another for assuming I've seen things you haven't," he mused, "To do what you've done here, I'm sure you've seen some holy hell in your time." Which made him wonder, really. He'd only ever encountered someone who looked Eris' age and had power once; the twins' mother. And she'd actually looked a different age than she was, as Doc himself did, to some extent. He should've considered that Eris might be even more than he'd surmised thusfar. "You have my apologies for that as well."

"That would be an accurate assessment." Eris told him. She had. Of course, most of the hell she'd seen had been caused by her in one way or another, but that didn't play into the fact that she'd seen it. She bore witness, she just happened to be on the instigating end. The one pulling strings to get things to fall in that direction. "Apologies accepted." she said, even if she didn't necessarily sound like they were. But then Eris wasn't a forgive and forget type. She never forgot anything. But she was still able to deal with people, regardless.

He definitely grinned a bit in Eris' direction at that, snuffing out the remainder of his cigarette with a fixed stare and dropping it into his pack. Maybe it was paranoia, but Doc knew how something as simple as witchcraft could grant power or dominion if the wielder had personal effects. "You've got my gratitude, then," he told Eris, rolling his neck, "And I'd say I owe you one for it too. Which... this is the complete opposite of owing you one, but I'd like to ask something of you. Might not even amount to anything, but I'm not the type to leave options unconsidered."

"That's what kind of business I'm in." Eris said. "Getting people what they want. So, Doc, what is it I can do for you?" she asked, walking back over and sitting down in her desk chair, relaxing back as she did so, and she propped her feet on her desk, crossing them at the ankles. She wondered if he knew yet about his son's wayward visit. Probably not, with the report of how spectacularly badly it had gone.

"Hopefully nothing major," Doc confessed, amused by the relaxed poise she had. He really had owed that apology, few people were so relaxed around Doc who weren't his kids or Star herself. "I'm heading out of town for a little while on personal matters. If you catch wind of any trouble brewing in town, I'd appreciate if you could clue in Jocelyn for me. She can reach my other associates, and they'll figure out what needs to be done on our end of things." And he really hoped he wouldn't even need this favor; it'd be nice to be able to leave town and not return to a smoking ruin.

"What do I get out of the deal?" she asked. "After all, if I do that, and she scurries off to go tell people, and possibly joins up with the new resistance to whatever it might be, I'm out a girl again. Even if it's just bartending." Which wasn't in the slightest bit a problem, but it was the principal of the thing. It would put her out.

Ah, bartering. How long had it been since Doc had really needed to negotiate like this? "I could bring you a souvenier," he offered thoughtfully, "Or you could tell me what you consider a fair price, which of course is only paid if there's trouble my people need to handle. Hell, you could even compound it with the favor I already owe."

"A souvenier." Eris said, tone not giving away what she thought about that. "What kind of souvenier? Are we talking gumball machine trinkets, or rare jade carvings?" she asked. Since there was certainly a difference. "Or, something else altogether?"

"Something else," Doc confirmed with a thoughtful smile, honestly not sure what he'd find on his travels but hoping that if this was her price? He'd find something that would satisfy Eris' demands. "You've got to understand why I'm loathe to dish on my travel plans, they're nowhere near the information I agreed to share. But I'd feel comfortable guaranteeing it would be something you'd find interesting." And he'd just have to spend a few extra days out west to make sure of it.

"I didn't ask you where you were going." Eris said. Because she hadn't, and really, it wasn't of much consequence to her. She just wanted to know if she was getting something cheap and common, or if she was going to be getting something a bit nicer than that. "But if you can guarantee that for me...alright, I accept." Eris liked presents. Mostly, she liked finding out what people would bring her, when they had an open choice.

Nodding in acceptance, Doc scooted his chair back a bit to stretch his legs out, figuring he couldn't get away with putting his feet on Eris' desk. "I understand your concerns, too," he said somewhat randomly, "About Jocelyn, that is. But she's got great potential, and she's seeing things more for the job already. I think I can understand, too, I know I didn't exactly have my shit together at her age." He had to chuckle, shaking his head and thinking of his first visit here decades earlier, hunting and running at the same time.

Eris didn't say anything immediately there. She just kept her eyes on him, considering. Assessing. "Didn't take long for the shiny to get rubbed off of that." she noted. "You start to really get to see the blind little way she was looking at you? Did that give it away, or is she already talking a white picket fence for you and that tipped you off?"

"None of the above, in a sense," Doc said plainly, shaking his head at Eris. "You were right in that she'd gotten herself into a rut, and what happened with us jolted her out of it. I'd say the 'shiny' is still very intact, though. When it comes to her profession from before she worked for you? She's gifted." She still had too harsh a view on things, from Doc's perspective. He figured the reality of it all was somewhere between their opposing views; a dash of her pragmatism, a dash of his optimism. "What I agree with you on is that initially, and to a large degree still, she's pinned all the motivation on me. But I've seen that she believes in the balance, and even if she doesn't think she can handle it yet? She can. If she couldn't, she'd turn down my job offer and try to keep bedding me."

Eris didn't share her thoughts on the subject as the rose up in the back of her mind. She didn't think that was the case at all, but then, Doc had already proven that he was a bit naive on things. In her opinion, the girl, since she'd decided to latch on, would still take the job regardless, and use that as a way to remain in the man's life, figuring it would give herself time to get him attached to herself. "If you say so." she said instead, tone again very neutral.

He wasn't saying as much to Eris, but there were still concerns in Doc's mind. He was the first man Jocelyn cared about since her fiancee, he was important enough to her for her to have quit her job here. She probably would've moved out for him. But he wasn't giving Eris any ammunition if he could help it. He'd conceded that he had doubts, and that was enough for him at the moment. "I suppose if I wanted total agreement, I'd talk to a mirror," he joked dryly. "And I can only assume you're versed in entropic theory? The best any of us gets is a chance. I won't delude myself about the odds, but if I have to bet? Might as well bet on winning, it hasn't burned me yet."

"You know what they say about challenging entropy, don't you?" Eris asked, for the first time the lightest of smiles touching her lips, and it wasn't necessarily a friendly one. But then it didn't seem unfriendly either. It was a smile that could somehow maintain neutrality. She didn't fill in the blank at the end. Historically, when one made little statements like he'd just made, it was asking the universe to step in and prove them wrong.

"I do," Doc told her smartly, nodding a bit, "I'm past the age of twisting the universe just because I can, Eris. Or of even bending it to get my way. All I'm doing is expressing confidence in the people I've chosen for the tasks that need doing. If I'm wrong? Well, we're all in for an interesting ride." He rose from his seat slowly, dropping his smokes back into his coat pocket and regarding her thoughtfully. "I don't think you're wrong in your estimation of things, don't take anything I've said to mean that. I'm just tired of bracing for impact all the damn time. I'd rather spend nine out of ten days feeling hopeful, and the tenth dealing with disappointment if it's going to happen. Which might sound foolish, but I've seen our kind wrapped up in cynicism, and I don't want to be like them. They're gone, they're hiding. I'm still here."

"You think it's only one day in ten that the disappointment lasts, hmm?" Eris said lightly. "Interesting." And again, Eris believed it to be naive. But she also, at least on some level, understood what it was he was getting at. And, if he wanted to willfully go the sunshine route, he was entitled. Her own dealings always delved into human nature's darker tendencies anyhow, so she was just aware of how badly things could go. How far one could be pushed, and a woman scorned--especially a woman that could deal a hell of a lot of damage if she wanted? That was a little more dangerous than letting someone down easy and having to deal with a few messy tears. "Enjoy your time away." she told him.

"Enjoy yours here," Doc said in kind, giving a slight nod of his head. He turned to move for the door, musing already on how this had gone. Not wonderfully, sure, but better than their last talk, and Doc felt like he'd made small amends for his errors. So it was a start. He paused at the door, opening it partially and glancing back. "I think disappointment changes," he said over a shoulder, "One day to say 'why can't it be different?' is enough, after that you have to keep living. Trust me, any more than that? You're squandering your days." He'd spent years on that, after all. No matter how badly this could possibly go? It wouldn't stop him. "Take care, Eris," he said as Doc finally stepped out the door and began to move clear of Babylon.