Post by bubbie on Feb 28, 2015 19:47:35 GMT -6
Carolina had wanted to talk to Brant all day. Since the moment she saw him in the CDIT, the nagging urge to clear the air surrounding them had done nothing but eat away at her. She felt like, in some way, it was picking at him, too, but she couldn't blame him for not wanting to approach her. I mean, hell, she died furious with him. When she suddenly made a return, especially after the battle they had, who could blame him for thinking she could hate him, or want nothing to do with him?
After a few of them seemed to scatter, Carolina broke away from Edward, despite his reluctance, to find Brant. It wasn’t too difficult, he hadn’t left the CDIT. It looked like he was standing with a girl, who didn’t seem to look old enough to date him, and almost a bit similar to him.
It…had only been five years, right? Not…sixteen? Were these people just still extremely good and young looking during their middle age years?
Nonetheless, she approached him with purpose, looking up at him with a gentler look in her eyes. “Hi.” she breathed, a bit nervous, despite the situation. “Can…we talk?” Carolina asked, her lips twitching into a half smile.
Brant hesitated as she approached, her voice as familiar as if they had last spoken the day before. He swallowed heavily, turning to look down at her, to take it all in. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing, couldn't comprehend that she was alive again. Was she a surviving Qrumophi, trying to ambush him? He gripped his hammer tensely.
A host of words spun through his head as he searched through what to say. Was she really Carolina? How was she here? How was she alive again? Did she still hate him? What was death like? Instead, another set of words barreled past his teeth.
“Never thought I'd see you again.” He said anxiously, clearly distressed. Behind him, Valerie buried her face in her hand, giggling.
“Suave.” She teased. Brant gave her a warning glare, which she returned with a defiant smirk.
Carolina chuckled a bit, shaking her head and pushing her hair out of her eyes. “I never thought I’d see you again, either.” she sighed. “I never thought I’d see this city again.”
“I don’t really know how I got here. I tried to ask Tanch’tric, but he couldn’t really tell me at the moment. So, I’ll dig for answers later. I think it had something to do with a Concordian.” she theorized, shaking her head.
Carolina was at a bit of a loss for words. She wanted to talk with Brant, but she wasn’t sure what to say, or how to say it. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts and find a way to vocalize them, she looked up into Brant’s eyes, and looked him in the eyes.
“I’m not going to say what you did to me was okay, or that I was in the wrong. Because it was really, fucked up. And even five years later, one of the defining, most memorable moments of my life was slapping you across the face afterwards.” she joked.
“But, from what I’ve heard, you’ve stopped living like that. Kind of sucks it took my death to do it, but, y’know, whatever works, I guess.” she joked again, attempting to lighten the mood in what could be a somber conversation.
Brant shifted uncomfortably even as Valerie looked between them with excited glee written across her face.
“You died? What the hell happened?” She squealed and Brant groaned grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her away towards Eiffel, giving him a look as if to say 'keep her occupied'. She puffed her cheeks and stuck her tongue out at him as Brant returned his focus to Carolina.
“I'm, uh, sorry. About her, about well, everything. She's my daughter. Apparently. She just found me today. Let's just say I'm having an interesting day.” He chuckled nervously, the tension that hung in the air thick and heavy. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes for a moment.
“I never thought what I did to you was alright. What I did to anyone. You're the only one that had the guts to call me out on any of it, and well, I probably would have tried to make myself a better person whether you died or not, but, well, your death had a good hand in it, yeah. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Carolina looked a bit uncomfortable as the younger girl interrupted a conversation, and felt a bit relieved as she was pulled out of the conversation. She still wondered who it was, but then regretted prying for the answer as it came forth.
“Your daughter?” she said, slightly concerned. Brant HAD been sleeping and running for awhile, she supposed. It’s only about time something else came back to bite him in the ass besides herself.
Carolina listened to Brant speak, a bit confused but strangely proud of him that he’d managed to change. And proud of herself for putting his ass in place when he was being a dick even though no one else would.
“I’m honestly just glad you’ve stopped leaving people behind, Brant. And I’m glad that, somehow, I was able to live to see it.” she nodded.
“Yeah, I suppose today is the day everything comes back and reminds me how shitty I used to be. I suppose I deserve it.” Brant smiled depreciatively, his eyes averting downwardly.
“I'm glad you got a second chance, though. You didn't deserve what happened to you. I spent a long time hating myself over what I did to you, what I did to a lot of people.” He turned and walked slowly to a broken window, his boots crunching the glass beneath his feet as he looked up into the stars.
“But now you're back, and I have a daughter to look after. I can't keep beating myself up and drowning my sorrows in drugs and alcohol because I used to be an asshole. Keep moving forward, right?” He smirked back at her over his shoulder.
“I don't expect you to forgive me, ever. But I just want you to know that you played a big part in helping me become a better man.”
“I honestly am glad I managed to get back on this Earth again. I’ve been so worried about you, about all of you. You, Edward, Mark, Kuro…something in me wanted to make sure you guys were alright.” she sighed. “I mean, I died for this city, I should at least get to know the people I fought with came out okay.”
“Brant, listen to me. I understand how I left you, might’ve made it seem like I never would forgive you. That I’d always hate you and think of you as ‘that asshole who fucked me and never called me’. But I want to tell you, even though it may not be much five years after the fact, I would’ve eventually forgiven you. I would’ve seen that you’d end up changing, and eventually find it in myself to accept an apology.”
“What you did hurt me, severely. I’d never been used like that before. But it also evoked a change in you. So, I would’ve seen that, and told you it’s all water under the bridge. And it is.” Carolina nodded, with a smile on her face.
“And, really, drop the drugs and alcohol. Eiffel’s not a role model.” she said, just loudly enough to let him hear.
Eiffel only waved his hand behind him in dismissal, chuckling as he was busy squatting against the wall, showing Valerie how to roll a joint.
“That means a lot. Honestly.” Brant gave her a smile, breathing another sigh, one of relief this time. “And I hope you know how truly sorry I am for how I treated you. And if there's anything I can do to make up for, well, your spending your last days in agony on my behalf, well, I can try my best to do it for you.”
He nervously held his hand out to her as if to call a truce.
"It's okay, you have nothing to worry about." Carolina nodded, relieved this mess was behind the both of them. "You don't need to make anything up to me, honest." she assured, smiling. "I've, quite literally, started a new life. Everything in the past is behind me now."
She took his palm in hers and shook it, a smile on her face.
After a few of them seemed to scatter, Carolina broke away from Edward, despite his reluctance, to find Brant. It wasn’t too difficult, he hadn’t left the CDIT. It looked like he was standing with a girl, who didn’t seem to look old enough to date him, and almost a bit similar to him.
It…had only been five years, right? Not…sixteen? Were these people just still extremely good and young looking during their middle age years?
Nonetheless, she approached him with purpose, looking up at him with a gentler look in her eyes. “Hi.” she breathed, a bit nervous, despite the situation. “Can…we talk?” Carolina asked, her lips twitching into a half smile.
Brant hesitated as she approached, her voice as familiar as if they had last spoken the day before. He swallowed heavily, turning to look down at her, to take it all in. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing, couldn't comprehend that she was alive again. Was she a surviving Qrumophi, trying to ambush him? He gripped his hammer tensely.
A host of words spun through his head as he searched through what to say. Was she really Carolina? How was she here? How was she alive again? Did she still hate him? What was death like? Instead, another set of words barreled past his teeth.
“Never thought I'd see you again.” He said anxiously, clearly distressed. Behind him, Valerie buried her face in her hand, giggling.
“Suave.” She teased. Brant gave her a warning glare, which she returned with a defiant smirk.
Carolina chuckled a bit, shaking her head and pushing her hair out of her eyes. “I never thought I’d see you again, either.” she sighed. “I never thought I’d see this city again.”
“I don’t really know how I got here. I tried to ask Tanch’tric, but he couldn’t really tell me at the moment. So, I’ll dig for answers later. I think it had something to do with a Concordian.” she theorized, shaking her head.
Carolina was at a bit of a loss for words. She wanted to talk with Brant, but she wasn’t sure what to say, or how to say it. Taking a moment to gather her thoughts and find a way to vocalize them, she looked up into Brant’s eyes, and looked him in the eyes.
“I’m not going to say what you did to me was okay, or that I was in the wrong. Because it was really, fucked up. And even five years later, one of the defining, most memorable moments of my life was slapping you across the face afterwards.” she joked.
“But, from what I’ve heard, you’ve stopped living like that. Kind of sucks it took my death to do it, but, y’know, whatever works, I guess.” she joked again, attempting to lighten the mood in what could be a somber conversation.
Brant shifted uncomfortably even as Valerie looked between them with excited glee written across her face.
“You died? What the hell happened?” She squealed and Brant groaned grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her away towards Eiffel, giving him a look as if to say 'keep her occupied'. She puffed her cheeks and stuck her tongue out at him as Brant returned his focus to Carolina.
“I'm, uh, sorry. About her, about well, everything. She's my daughter. Apparently. She just found me today. Let's just say I'm having an interesting day.” He chuckled nervously, the tension that hung in the air thick and heavy. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes for a moment.
“I never thought what I did to you was alright. What I did to anyone. You're the only one that had the guts to call me out on any of it, and well, I probably would have tried to make myself a better person whether you died or not, but, well, your death had a good hand in it, yeah. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
Carolina looked a bit uncomfortable as the younger girl interrupted a conversation, and felt a bit relieved as she was pulled out of the conversation. She still wondered who it was, but then regretted prying for the answer as it came forth.
“Your daughter?” she said, slightly concerned. Brant HAD been sleeping and running for awhile, she supposed. It’s only about time something else came back to bite him in the ass besides herself.
Carolina listened to Brant speak, a bit confused but strangely proud of him that he’d managed to change. And proud of herself for putting his ass in place when he was being a dick even though no one else would.
“I’m honestly just glad you’ve stopped leaving people behind, Brant. And I’m glad that, somehow, I was able to live to see it.” she nodded.
“Yeah, I suppose today is the day everything comes back and reminds me how shitty I used to be. I suppose I deserve it.” Brant smiled depreciatively, his eyes averting downwardly.
“I'm glad you got a second chance, though. You didn't deserve what happened to you. I spent a long time hating myself over what I did to you, what I did to a lot of people.” He turned and walked slowly to a broken window, his boots crunching the glass beneath his feet as he looked up into the stars.
“But now you're back, and I have a daughter to look after. I can't keep beating myself up and drowning my sorrows in drugs and alcohol because I used to be an asshole. Keep moving forward, right?” He smirked back at her over his shoulder.
“I don't expect you to forgive me, ever. But I just want you to know that you played a big part in helping me become a better man.”
“I honestly am glad I managed to get back on this Earth again. I’ve been so worried about you, about all of you. You, Edward, Mark, Kuro…something in me wanted to make sure you guys were alright.” she sighed. “I mean, I died for this city, I should at least get to know the people I fought with came out okay.”
“Brant, listen to me. I understand how I left you, might’ve made it seem like I never would forgive you. That I’d always hate you and think of you as ‘that asshole who fucked me and never called me’. But I want to tell you, even though it may not be much five years after the fact, I would’ve eventually forgiven you. I would’ve seen that you’d end up changing, and eventually find it in myself to accept an apology.”
“What you did hurt me, severely. I’d never been used like that before. But it also evoked a change in you. So, I would’ve seen that, and told you it’s all water under the bridge. And it is.” Carolina nodded, with a smile on her face.
“And, really, drop the drugs and alcohol. Eiffel’s not a role model.” she said, just loudly enough to let him hear.
Eiffel only waved his hand behind him in dismissal, chuckling as he was busy squatting against the wall, showing Valerie how to roll a joint.
“That means a lot. Honestly.” Brant gave her a smile, breathing another sigh, one of relief this time. “And I hope you know how truly sorry I am for how I treated you. And if there's anything I can do to make up for, well, your spending your last days in agony on my behalf, well, I can try my best to do it for you.”
He nervously held his hand out to her as if to call a truce.
"It's okay, you have nothing to worry about." Carolina nodded, relieved this mess was behind the both of them. "You don't need to make anything up to me, honest." she assured, smiling. "I've, quite literally, started a new life. Everything in the past is behind me now."
She took his palm in hers and shook it, a smile on her face.