InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "this place isn't good for you"

Chris Argent (argentum) wrote in paradisolog,
@ 2016-06-07 16:11:00

Entry tags:

chris argent (argentum), ~inari raith (ofthewhitecourt)

WHO: Chris Argent and OPEN
WHAT: Who let the man start thinking?
WHEN: Tuesday afternoon
WARNINGS: None so far
STATUS: Open/Incomplete

After having run into two people he knew on the beach -- seriously, was he turning into the Beacon Hills welcome wagon? -- Chris had elected not to wander towards the beach when his mood turned thoughtful. He'd wandered instead towards the waterfall. It was beautiful and peaceful and most of all, as long as nobody else was there involved in... extracurricular activities or bathing... it was a good place to be alone with your thoughts.

Not that his thoughts were particularly sad or angsty. He was just musing over things. Stiles was gone -- though he'd be back, of course he would. Malia was very, very pregnant. And life in general here was... interesting. There were times he doubted this whole baby-making thing. Not the idea of it, not the need for it, no. Not that part. And not his willingness to be there. But where he fit as part of the whole. He was probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, and that was a little odd. But on the other hand, he'd already done the parenting thing -- he wasn't sure how many of the others, especially the older residents of the island, already had -- and he supposed that parenting advice might not be a bad thing to have on hand. And the Beacon Hills crew knew him, so they in particular would have a resource.

He'd be happy to help anyone, of course. That pretty much went without saying.

Chris sat by the waterfall, barely paying attention to it. He was lost in thought more than anything. Nothing was wrong, actually, he'd just needed to let things just wander around in his brain for a while. That happened sometimes -- and Victoria had always hated it, when things made him go quiet. Because when he went quiet, plans happened. They were rarely plans anybody liked.

Though at least they were better than Scott's.

He was lost in thought enough that he didn't hear someone coming up behind him -- bad hunter. Bad!

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argentum
2016-06-08 04:02 pm UTC (link)

That had Chris laughing -- but it was a kind laugh. "Well, then you should get along with the gods and goddesses in charge of this place more than most, I would think," he said. "And that's certainly an... eclectic mix of things she was a goddess of, too. She apparently had many many hobbies, if you want to look at it that way instead."

Joking, but not disrespectfully. When you now lived in a place looked over by gods and goddesses -- and you'd come from a place that dealt in unusual things as a whole -- you quickly learned that respect was key. Because respect -- or at least a healthy fear, in the old school sense -- was a good idea. And just a good rule of thumb for life in general, if you stopped to think about it.

"You can sit, you know," he invited. "Standing's going to get uncomfortable after a while, and this place is all about comfort. Of all kinds."

Because the gods did want them to enjoy the other comforts of life -- it was why there were gifts from time to time, why they were able to procure things to build the facilities they were building. Yes, they had to work for them but nobody seemed to mind a little hard work. Or if they did, they had the sense not to complain about it.

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ofthewhitecourt
2016-06-08 05:03 pm UTC (link)

"You convinced me," Inari said with a smirk. She sat, and sat close to him. Very close. Because that was just how she rolled. She liked to be close. She was enjoying her conversation with him, and she was enjoying looking at him. He was older, sure, but age didn't really concern Inari. Age was relative to very little, actually. And an older guy? Just meant he had more life experience, and that? That could be a very good thing.

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs, rested her chin on her knees. She knew how it looked. She knew how she looked. "What kind of comforts are you into, Mr Argent?" she asked him, tilting her head where it rested on her knees. She kept her eyes locked on him, watching him, studying him. Maybe she was reading him entirely wrong, but she thought he might not be adverse to a little fooling around.

And really, what guy wouldn't be interested in fooling around with her? She was gorgeous, and she knew it. Plus she had that whole young, exotic innocent look about her, but her eyes told a different story. She'd only ever been with Bobby, and that one friend of his he brought home that they both kind of fooled around with, but hey. She was young, far from innocent, and definitely not shy. Definitely interested in exploring other options, especially now that she was here, and on her own.

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argentum
2016-06-08 05:47 pm UTC (link)

And Chris had more life experience than most would expect, courtesy of entirely too many things. Who would've thought the things he'd seen, not to mention the training his father had put him through, would ever actually serve him well?

"Please, call me Chris," he said. "And at this point in my life, I just enjoy somewhere decent to sleep and enough food to eat. And something approximating a roof over my head. Anything beyond that? Is pretty much just a bonus. Because I've seen enough in life to really just need the simple comforts." After losing his wife, and especially after losing Allison, he hadn't dared to enjoy much more than the simple things in life. Until France, until his efforts to help whoever he could, he hadn't dared for much, actually. Because he hadn't wanted to have something only to lose it. He'd had enough loss

He quirked a smile. "Though if I have to add anything else, the attention of a beautiful woman is always appreciated." Because really, few people were going to not enjoy that. Well, okay, a certain subset of the world population as a whole, but the island population was likely to enjoy it. Really, the island had something for everyone. He actually wondered if that was intentional. He made a mental note to ask Arva that. Or one of the others, if he ever had the opportunity. Because while he wasn't going to appeal specifically to them -- he was pretty sure they had more important things to deal with on the day to day -- he certainly wouldn't pass up the chance to ask if it ever came up.

He was curious by nature, after all. As much as he tried to hide that, it was the truth.

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ofthewhitecourt
2016-06-08 06:51 pm UTC (link)

"All right, Chris," Inari said. because if he wanted her to call him Chris, she was going to call him Chris. Even though it was weird for her. She was used to calling people by their titles. It was a respect thing. But it was also respect to call a person by the name they desired. So she'd call him Chris. And if she made it sound suggestive, well. That was entirely unintentional.

She fluttered her eyes at him. Not suggestive at all. Not in the least. "It seems like you've had a rough life," she said. It wasn't difficult to pick up on those cues. She wondered what his life had been like. He reminded her of Harry a little bit, just a little, in that vague want-to-fix-everyone-and-everything way. Not that Inari even know Harry all that well. But he'd been around, that last little while that she'd lived at home. And she knew he was a man who had seen things. Like this man she was sitting with.

Sitting by a waterfall, no less. It didn't get much more picturesque than that. "What sort of bonuses are you looking for?"

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argentum
2016-06-08 10:43 pm UTC (link)

"Honestly?" Chris had to stop and think about that one for a moment. "It's been so long since I thought about what I want in my life that I don't even know what I'd consider a bonus. Because yeah, life hasn't been easy. I wouldn't call it bad, no -- " Because he'd gotten Allison out of it, and that made anything worth it. " -- but it hasn't been easy."

A shrug of one shoulder. "It's what my life is, though. I was born to it, so whatever it is -- hard or easy or anything else -- I learned long ago to handle it." More like compartmentalize the ever-loving hell out of it, because acknowledging it might slow him down too much.

And slowing down in his line of work? Was more often than not the fastest way to dead. Since he had been pretty fond of living -- still was but back there already seemed like another life -- he'd done his best to not slow down, not ever slow down. No wonder he'd felt burnt out sometimes. Even when he'd felt burnt out, he'd his best to hide it. He'd dealt with it, yes. Because if you didn't, there were problems. But he'd always done his best to hide it from anybody else.

He handled things privately, most of the time.

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ofthewhitecourt
2016-06-09 07:35 pm UTC (link)

"Seems to me you just need to loosen up," Inari told him. "Let your hair down a little." She flipped her hair up and over her shoulder in demonstration. He couldn't actually let his hair down, he had no hair to let loose. But it was a symbolic thing, anyway, and in that sense, anyone could do it.

"Have some fun," she continued. She knew what kind of fun she'd like to have. She'd only ever been with Bobby, and that friend of his he brought home that one time. She'd liked it more than she wanted to admit to Bobby, because she knew he was insecure about it, about her loving him. But Bobby wasn't here. And the island was made for pleasure.

So why not? Chris was pretty damn hot, for an older guy. He wasn't baby face pretty like Thomas, but more ruggedly handsome like Harry. And that was okay. That was more than okay. Inari actually preferred the rugged looks over the smooth baby face. She'd rather compare a potential lover to Harry than Thomas, anyway. Harry wasn't her brother.

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