InsaneJournal

I don’t like inviting myself in like that. It’s rather rude.
Who: Miranda and Corvo
What: Talking about their girl problems and other problems
When: 4/23
Where: Corvo's place
Status: Complete



Corvo was coming to a decision, at least for his personal life. He just needed a quick drink before actually calling Elizabeth and asking her out. That was all. Besides, he was a little worried about Miranda. The situation with her sister couldn’t be easy and he’d been making inquiries with some of his contacts about just what her father was up to and when and where the next dangers were coming.

Hey, a man could multitask.

“Want a drink?”

Miranda was holding it together far better than one would anticipate as far as her outer appearance went. She seemed cool and collected, but internally, she was screaming. She hated the thought that her father had found them, and she really just wanted to go back to Australia and strangle him.

Or hit him with a biotic blast that he’d never see coming. That’d be good, too.

But Oriana was safe, she was here and Corvo was keeping an eye out. Shepard would no doubt help her kill her father if she asked. And Isabela probably would, too.

Ah, Isabela, the other issue in her life. But right now, she was shoving her personal feelings aside and simply focused on her sister and what to do next.

“Yes, please,” she responded.

Instead of pouring her one, he handed her a bottle. “One of those weeks, I know. Don’t worry, I’m not planning on getting you into bed again.”

He was feeling good enough to joke about that, at least. He had his own bottle, and took a seat on a chair. “To worrying about mundane bullshit.”

Miranda did actually eye the bottle, then eye him, but she still took it. At his joke, she did give a little chuckle. “Well, that’s good. If that happened again, I don’t think we could keep Ori from finding out. And then we’d never be at peace.” Because Ori would undoubtedly call Emily and tell her and that was a headache they didn’t need.

“Just like old times,” Miranda said, raising her bottle before taking a drink. Of course, Miranda always knew that ending up in this position one day was a possibility. She just had hoped it would’ve been further in the future.

Neither of them would live it down. So it would remain their secret, to be taken to the grave. He toasted with his own bottle and then opened it. “So how are you handling things?”

Best to get to the point and procrastinate on phone calls.

“I haven’t blown a hole in any of your walls yet, so I’d say that’s a step in the right direction.” Miranda was still trying to get a hold of her biotics, but they weren’t flaring as much as they initially had. Shepard didn’t need to come diffuse her biotics, anyways. “I’m pretty bloody paranoid, though.”

It was a fact that Miranda was looking over her shoulder way more often now. She was suspicious of absolutely everyone she didn’t know. Anyone could’ve been paid by her father to get her and Oriana and bring them back to him. It was probably rather reminiscent of when she’d been sixteen and first trying to settle into life with Corvo, Ori and Emily. Only this time she was an adult with her eyes wide open instead of being a scared kid.

“Good start. I like my walls.” It wasn’t a huge apartment but it was pretty roomy. And he’d decorated it with memorabilia from around the world. Corvo had been around, though most of those missions were still classified.

“I haven’t noticed anything unusual, and I’ve stepped up my own surveillance of the area, as well as the area around where you’re employed.”

Miranda would do her best to not destroy anything in Corvo’s apartment if she could help it. She rather liked some of the memorabilia Corvo had around here, and she knew better than to ask too many questions about where they came from.

“That’s a relief. I told Aria, my boss, as well. She’s stepped up her security as well.” Miranda shook her head a bit. “I never liked her in the world I dream of, but the woman protects her own. Just never thought I’d be on the receiving end of it.” All in all, Miranda felt relatively safe. If any of her father’s hired henchmen tried to cause a fuss at Afterlife, Aria would put the smackdown on them so hard.

She almost wished that would happen just to see the looks on the faces of guys who suddenly regretted ever taking her father’s money in the first place.

“Thank you for helping. It almost feels like when we first met.” Except Emily wasn’t around, but otherwise it did feel like that odd rag-tag family that Miranda had felt they’d been when she was younger.

That was a bit of a relief. Corvo couldn’t be everywhere, but Aria seemed like she could handle herself. So could Miranda, but she didn’t really have those… biotics or whatever under control. Besides, Corvo had always been a bit of a control freak, both in the dreams and awake; he liked knowing what was going on so he could be in a place to take care of it.

It was one of the reasons losing Jessamine in both worlds hurt so much. Besides the obvious. “You’re a part of the family. And we protect family.”

“Yes, we do.” Miranda said with a little smile and she took another drink. “I should look into moving to a different apartment.” Or maybe she should just invest in a houseboat or something. At least it would be harder for her father to locate her and Oriana if they were in the middle of the ocean.

Even if Isabela would probably happily let Miranda and Oriana stay with her, or transport them somewhere else, she didn’t want to impose on her. It was a complicated situation, and Miranda was doing her best to ignore her feelings about the exotic pirate that had caught her eye. Also she didn’t want Oriana to get wind of a potential crush because she’d never live it down.

“What about your- Isabela? Her home is mobile, and you could be easily hidden in an emergency. The downsides are even if the ship can be moved, that still leaves no other escape routes in an attack.” Corvo rubbed his chin. “Otherwise we should fortify some place.”

Miranda eyed Corvo, having noticed the way he’d caught himself mid-sentence, but she didn’t press the issue. She just moved ahead. “It is an option, but I don’t want to inconvenience her if I don’t have to.” Miranda hated relying on other people for help, it made her feel like a damsel in distress, and she was in distress, but she wasn’t defenseless. The only reason she wasn’t resisting Corvo’s help was because of their history.

“I doubt she’d mind. She’d probably be eager to help, she sounds like someone who’s really into that sort of adventure and danger.” Corvo took a swig of his drink, “But I know trust is hard.”

“Yeah, she definitely is into adventure and danger. She pulled the bullet out of my shoulder, but I’m not sure I want to know how she had experience with that sort of thing.” Miranda shrugged a shoulder. “It is hard, but Isabela is a complicated subject. I don’t want to make it even more complicated.” Miranda was more than a little frustrated at herself that she couldn’t get over the crush or whatever it was she had on Isabela. But she wasn’t going to talk about that.

“Sounds like my kind of woman.” Corvo hid a smile behind his drink. While he wouldn’t tease her the way Shepard would, he still thought she needed a little help lightening up.

Then again, since when did Corvo lighten up? “I’ll look into some alternate solutions, if you give her a call.”

A little flash passed through Miranda’s eyes, and she wanted to make some comment to the contrary, but given she had no claim to Isabela and all? She bit her tongue instead. “I think she’s a lot of people’s kind of woman.” She didn’t mean it in a bad way, she just knew that Isabela didn’t do relationships. And Miranda couldn’t do no strings where Isabela was concerned.

“Call her and basically force myself and my sister on her? I don’t like inviting myself in like that. It’s rather rude.”

“Don’t invite yourself, just ask.” He wasn’t going to make a move anyway. Corvo didn’t actually get around too often. Too busy and… while not exactly picky, he preferred there to be more than just the physical.

Maybe that’s why Elizabeth was so conflicting. He felt attached, and also like he didn’t have a right to be.

“That’s pretty much the same thing.” At least in Miranda’s mind it was. She took another drink from her bottle. “Maybe I should just get my own houseboat.” Then she didn’t have to ask or feel like she was imposing on Isabela. Plus she also didn’t want to cramp Isabela’s style.

Miranda thought asking Aria T’Loak of all people would be easier. But then Shepard would never in a million years let her live that down. And Miranda was rather certain Aria wouldn’t let her forget it either.

So she wouldn’t go for asking Aria for more than what she already had.

“Let someone inspect anything you’re looking at. You don’t want something that’ll capsize in mild seas.” Boats weren’t exactly his specialty. He could secure it from break ins (and break in himself), but the rest of it? Best to ask an expert, it’s what he’d do.

“I wish I could say ‘remember when life was simple’ but it’s never been simple.”

“I definitely will.” Miranda didn’t know about boats either. Which, again, most likely to her needing to ask Isabela for her opinion on the matter. Why did it seem that all roads were leading to Isabela these days?

“Things might’ve been simple when I was like, five years old, but I don’t really remember it so it doesn’t count.”

Deeeestiny

“At least you’re giving me more important things to worry about. Business has been a little slow.” It wasn’t totally a lie. Elizabeth had kept him rather busy, and he’d only picked up a few consultation clients since then. No full time bodyguard work.

His other job hadn’t called him in months, either. The one where people didn’t walk away when he was done with the work.

“Well, I suppose that is a positive, for you anyway.” Miranda wasn’t so happy about it, but in the back of her mind she’d known it was only a matter of time before her father found them and tried something. The man was relentless, but so was Corvo. He had done well to help them disappear before.

“It’s something.” He grimaced. Corvo had been nursing his drink, but he took a sudden, longer swig. “Otherwise I’m just thinking of personal problems and that’s not at all productive.”

“Anything I can help with?” Miranda asked. They certainly made a pair, didn’t they? Personal problems galore and clearly trying to avoid them at all costs. What was that saying, like father like daughter?

Yeah, that thought and the memory that she’d slept with Corvo was definitely enough to make her take a long swig from her bottle.

He tried not to think about that either.

“It’s about Elizabeth.”

Ah, Elizabeth. “Have you spoken with her lately?” Miranda couldn’t remember if she’d followed up with him on that front. There’d been other things that happened and had distracted her since then. And everything with her father was throwing her off as well.

“Not on anywhere but the network,” Corvo admitted. “I haven’t known what to say. Or if it’s even appropriate to approach her. I’m not all that angry about being fired.”

“Has she been open to talking with you on the network? If so, then I’d say approach her.” Not that Miranda was one who should be giving such advice, it was a bit out of her skill set.

“So… What, just call her?” Corvo asked incredulously. For a man of his skill and accomplishments, he was kind of woman-dumb.

“Yes, just call her. She’d probably be happy to hear from you.” Sometimes men could be intensely stupid. That was one of the many reasons Miranda hadn’t dated much recently. The other was that she had high standards and no one had measured up to them.

“Are you sure about that?” Corvo looked skeptical. “What if she doesn’t want to hear from me? What if it just…” He waved his drink, nearly pouring it out of the bottle before he caught himself.

“Corvo, if she’s talked to you on the network, I’m pretty sure that’s a sign that she wants to hear from you. So just call her.” Miranda stated, giving him a little look. “If it’ll help, I’ll even dial her number for you and hand you the phone.”

He gave her a dirty look. “I can do it myself. But.. thanks.”

Corvo wasn’t actually a teenager. He wondered if he was too old for Elizabeth, or maybe she reminded him too much of Jessamine, and either thing might not be that healthy. But she had been nice to be around by her own merits.

“...I think I have a type.”

“Just offering,” Miranda responded, holding up a hand in resignation. She took another swig from her bottle, and she could feel the alcohol begin to affect her.

“Is that a bad thing?” A lot of people had a type. It just depended on what exactly that type was.

“Don’t know. She’s probably only half as much trouble as your type.” Corvo pulled his phone out, spinning it around in his hand. “Or at least as much trouble as your type.”

“Then you should definitely call her. Sitting here and wondering isn’t doing you any good. So get a definitive answer, then go from there.” Miranda advised. At least Corvo had a shot. Miranda didn’t.

“If this goes wrong, I’m blaming you.”