genessia | Give a Little Respect

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Give a Little Respect

WHO: Cassian Andor, Winter Schnee
WHAT: After ~~interrogating~~ asking Cassian why he wasn't running for a guardianship position, Winter instead sits down to have tea together and discuss personal issues they, surprisingly, have in common.
WHEN: June 12th (forward-dated)
WHERE: Tea House - Fayren

In nearly every city but Nova, the weather forecast called for rain. The weather was warm enough given the time of year, so Winter saw no reason to make a big deal or issue any sort of warning beyond 'wear a hat.' If Cassian chose to disregard her advice (or heaven forbid, forget), then he'd find himself quite wet making the journey from rainy city to rainy city to rainy city.

It was a marvel that Winter was perfectly dry where she sat, legs crossed, primly sipping from her tea as she wrote on a small pad of paper to compose the details of her underwater exploration just a few days prior. How had she managed to remain so pristine with not a hair out of place?

She was a Schnee.

No, that was literally the reason. Repelling glyphs worked wonders for preventing inconvenient weather patterns from disturbing her person.

Across from her was a neatly placed menu. She wouldn't deign to order for Cassian, not knowing his tastes, but she wouldn't refrain from enjoying a cup early until he arrived.

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It was too bad that Cassian was many things, but a Schnee he was not. And he also happened to have a dislike for hats, which led to him disregarding her advice to some extent. What he did wear when he arrived was a rain cape - and a frown, even his mustache was frowning.

He slipped out of the sodden coat and ran a wet hand through his thankfully only damp hair, grimacing nevertheless in distaste.

"Good morning," he said, choosing to ignore his own sorry and her pristine state. If he didn't mention it, maybe neither would she. "Have you ordered yet?"

"As you see," she remarked, lifting her cup slightly. She'd come only for tea after all, not snacks. She didn't keep her figure by indulging in sweets outside of meal hours.

...Wait, was that a hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth? Too late, it was gone, hidden behind her neat little china cup as she enjoyed a calm sip. His entrance brought in the pleasant smell of fresh rain, and she was in a fairly good mood.

A good mood for Winter, anyway.

"You may order at your leisure, naturally. We may speak once you are comfortable."

At the sight of her smile, or hint thereof, Cassian's brows arched, and his frown melted into an amused quirk of his lips.

"How generous." There was just enough of a scathing undertone that he was sure it wouldn't come across as friendly - friendliness! Between them! That would be just plain terrible, after all.

He sat, beckoning a waiter over to order tea. Just tea. He made a minor show of looking around, just to get the conversation started. A conversation with someone who didn't bother with small talk, that would be interesting.

"I suppose it's nice enough here, on the inside, at least. Have you been here before? I haven't, I'm barely ever in Fayren."

"Indeed~" She was being generous, but only because she understood the social necessity of 'small talk' as a buffer to more serious matters. Winter had been a socialite for most of her early life, after all. But Cassian was not, so she had weighed the matter seriously enough to decide when and how she meant to open the door to much more personal conversation.

Which was why she answered him at length instead of mere confirmation.

"Many times. It is an apt place to gather one's thoughts, as well as survey the general populace in a location of sobriety." She would get better gossip from the pub, but she also stood out more, and she didn't immediately trust the loose tongues of drunkards.

Her cup settled neatly into its saucer with a light clink. That was likely enough trivialities for the time being.

"Do you truly intend to continue your work in Attleton as a deputy?" she asked, folding her hands neatly on her lap as she regarded him from across the table. "I would expect you might wish for some time apart, at least for a short while."

A nod to politeness and small talk, and more than a mere nod - it was noted, and appreciated, but Cassian wasn't surprised to find Winter return quickly to the topic for which she had asked to meet him.

"I am, in fact. If Dante needs me or wants me to remain in the office I will be available, but it's not what I intend to do long-term. Or even mid-term." His tea arrived and he gave a quiet thanks, picking up the cup to keep his hands busy though it was still too hot to drink. His lips quirked again, though this time the hint of a smile was more self-deprecating. "I'm aware of my own shortcomings. I don't think I would have an easy time not taking charge, especially if there's a crisis situation. And nothing is more damaging in a crisis than confusion about the chain of command."

Despite the tea still steaming, he took a tiny sip. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Whatever pays the bills, I guess."

Ordinarily, Winter might have regaled him with a long list of professional suggestions.

She did not. In fact, she was oddly quiet as she tapped a few drops of honey into her cup and stirred it with a small, silver spoon. She was thinking.

"There are times when forging ahead without any specific plans could be considered...therapeutic." She lifted the cup and pursed her lips, chasing away a curl of steam with a puff of breath. "I assume that this is not one of those times."

"I hate being without a plan," he responded bluntly. "And yet... I think it should be part of this exercise. I will need time to adjust and unlearn." He gave a small snort. "That's what I tell new arrivals every time; that they should take the time to adjust to this place and figure out what they want to do with this second chance. That they have time."

He looked down at his cup. Still steaming. "I prefer to keep busy. Not being busy would be... different." Disquieting. If not terrifying. But also necessary.

Winter inclined her head in silent agreement. She, too, preferred to have her time mapped out weeks in advance, and several preparations made for all varieties of emergency situations and alternative actions.

"In truth, I had expected that to be the reason why you would desire to step down. The most common problems of Attleton cannot be solved with a strike team and laser pistol." She'd returned the weapon by delivery once he was no longer a child, so she was acquainted with his favored method of offense. It was rare for her, however, to admit that her expectations were incorrect, especially since she hadn't spoken them aloud. She stated as much to show her trust. If he meant to expose his vulnerabilities, then she would make a show of good faith by proving that she, too, was not without fault.

"You are accustomed to a far more difficult manner of life. I assumed it was only natural to grow restless after a time."

He gave a sharp shake of his head. "No. No, I didn't mind it." He pressed his lips together, brows furrowing a little again as he tried to find words for the small town that had come to mean so much to him. "Would you believe I chose Attleton only because the houses were cheaper there? I had no interest in the town or its people."

He tapped a finger against the rim of his tea cup as he leaned back. "The town is alien, bizarre, and infuriating in more ways than I can count. But I wouldn't trade it in for any other place. I'm not saying it's not hard. It's tedium. I spend my days settling disputes between neighbors, deal with local thugs and occasionally with local organized crime which makes a ridiculous ordeal out of murder, as if a bullet wouldn't get the job done just as well." He gave a small shrug. "But that's what we fought for. I wanted this world. I did terrible things to bring it about. I would be a coward if I complained about it being hard work now that I have gotten it."

Edited 2018-06-06 21:17 (UTC)

He truly cared about protecting that place, even though it was not his own. Winter respected that. Yes, he'd made errors, but he was also willing to put aside his pride for the sake of Attleton and its people. It was facts like that which led to Winter having tea with him instead of producing a long list of suggestions for improvement.

She did have them, of course, but now was hardly the time or place to produce such a list. Besides, she would give Dante time to see if he made any improvements of his own merit.

"And now you seek identity?" she asked, regarding him seriously. "To better understand who you are, and what you value, outside of duty and obligation."

"I... guess," he said, voice tinged with obvious hesitation now. There was no point hiding it, not when it would be clear to her anyway. Not when he didn't have any easy answers. "It sounds ridiculous when you put it like that. I'm too old and have seen too much to go on some self-indulgent journey to find myself."

He finally took a good, long gulp from his tea. It was still hot, a little unpleasantly so as it went down, but nothing he couldn't handle. It bought him a moment to order his thoughts, at least.

"But I need to." He looked up, meeting her eyes straight on. "You were right. I made mistakes. Stupid mistakes. Because I was compromised. I let... things get to me in ways they shouldn't have. I need to get myself sorted out."

"Old?" Both eyebrows arched at that. He could hardly be more than a few years older than she, certainly not aged enough to be considered 'old' by average standards. "...Indeed..."

She disagreed, naturally, but found it too amusing not to let show a little smile before she sipped at her tea as the silence stretched between them.

Winter listened as he spoke. It was honestly quite rare for people to admit their errors to her like this, not without a lot of blustering and defensiveness. She wouldn't tell him he was wrong, because he wasn't. He'd recognized his weakness, and was taking steps to fix it. She respected that. Approved of it, even.

"I don't expect perfection," she conceded, setting down her cup. "But I strive for it. I'm pleased to know that you're making efforts. Initially, I confess that I was disappointed not to see your name on the roster. You would have had my vote." Especially considering who he would have been running against. "Nonetheless, I understand...perhaps more than I care to admit. You have my support."

Unexpected high praise, and very high one indeed. Winter Schnee was the last one who would be doling out pleasantries, after all. It was a little bit embarrassing, really, that he found himself so pleased by it.

"Thank you." For the praise, for the promise of the vote, for not condemning him for leaving. Maybe even for simply being here, listening to him instead of judging. They were both so much better at judging than listening. "I'm not going to say it doesn't hurt to leave it behind but I'm not disappointed in myself. I would have been, if I hadn't run for my second term. That would have been running away from responsibility after my failures. Now it's moving on to another assignment after my work is done."

She inclined her head faintly. "Changes with large personal impacts can be challenging." Winter should know -- so should Weiss, since she'd done the same in choosing to follow a path outside of the one laid down for them by their father. "Especially when the consequences are not immediately clear. Mind, however, that this change does not need to be permanent."

Winter leaned forward to make certain her words carried the right measure of weight. "You can always choose to return when...and if...you feel the timing is right." The 'if' was important. He might find what he sought, possibly sooner, possibly later. Or he might find that what he needed wasn't nearly as important as he now believed. "Whatever the circumstances may bring, I do not think you will find yourself without purpose."

"I can only hope." And wasn't that rich, coming from him? He'd sounded so confident when he was berating her that she still had a duty, still served a purpose even after having lost the election. He lowered his gaze now. "I have always served some purpose other than my own, all my life. I wouldn't know how to live without one."

Directionless, to live only... for pleasure, or whatever it may be that normal civilians lived their lives for. What would that even be? What would be the point?

"I want to serve. I just need to figure out where and how. But. I suppose I will start by serving my family. It wasn't just a diversion to say so. We have high costs due to the number of pokemon and I've never contributed much. I suppose that's where I should start." He sighed. "But it would be easier at home. Do you ever miss the clarity of purpose you had before?"

There was an ache of familiarity in his statement that echoed in Winter's mind. To serve a purpose other than his own. She still wasn't entirely sure what it was that she wanted, but hearing it said by someone else? It brought understanding that she didn't possess before. To see the forest but for the trees...

Before she could inflict another statement of support and wisdom, he surprised her with his candid question.

"I..."

She stalled, losing her words. That seldom happened. Troubled, Winter lifted her up, but found herself unable to do much more than frown at it. "...Yes," she confessed at last. And after a moment, added, "Frequently." She drank deeply from her tea, leaving only the dregs when she set her cup down once more. "But I don't see how my own insecurities will aid you at the moment. I would ask that you keep this information confidential."

If he told anyone, she'd throttle him without hesitation.

He ducked his head both in acquiescence and to hide the small smile tugging at his lips. "Of course," he demurred.

No sense in pushing without purpose, not when she had already given him more than he expected to ever get - even if he burned with curiosity about the life she had left behind.

"And you can rest assured I know how to keep secrets. I..." He ran his forefinger over the lid of his cup. "I will simply have to see what becomes of my insecurities. I don't know yet." Which was, of course, the problem. He'd never been in a position where he was comfortable and safe enough that ensuring survival wasn't his priority. Even these first few months in Genessia had been dominated by a perceived sense of danger and urgency, regardless of whether there had been any actual danger.

"If I had survived the war, I would have spent the rest of my life rebuilding and protecting the New Republic. I didn't expect to survive, but I always knew even if I did live, my life was pre-determined."

Winter's eyes narrowed only faintly as he proclaimed his ability to keep secrets. Whether he could or not had yet to be determined, and Winter wasn't the type to place her trust freely in others. If her own sister had seen fit to dress her down publicly and reveal an avalanche of personal details, then who was to say Cassian might not do worse if he ever decided he was fed up with Winter?

The incident was forgiven, yes, but not forgotten.

She continued to listen, her expression easing just slightly. While Winter wasn't aware that he'd perished, it did make more sense as to why he was more invested in this place than most might be. He had nothing to which he might later return; this was his home. Winter shifted her legs and re-crossed them, placing her laced fingers upon her knee.

"Have you considered that your identity and your purpose are not mutually exclusive?" she spoke, deciding not to touch upon the matter of his death. He didn't need sympathy, and considering that he was here instead of rotting on some distant planet, he was already better off. That life was over, and this was his new reality. "Your purpose, to protect the lives and livelihoods of others, seems to mirror your own values and desires. There is nothing inherently wrong with this."

Sympathy, coming from her, would indeed have been more than a little bit uncomfortable, and suspect of being false. He found himself relieved for her simply taking note of the fact and moving on. It was why they worked together well enough, maybe. There was no need for coddling.

And yet she left him frowning, not so much in annoyance this time as simply thoughtfully. "You are right, of course. I can continue my purpose here, it's what I tried to do as Guardian. To live the values of the Rebel Alliance, of the New Republic that is to come." He pressed his lips together in displeasure. "Even when it meant catering to people that disgusted me."

To protect his enemies... It hadn't been easy.

"I thought I knew, that I would spend my life here in law enforcement of one sort or another. But I've come to have renewed doubt of the institutions here, of the people who lead them. Now I'm not so sure if I want to put myself into a command structure where I could easily find myself serving someone... enforcing the laws of someone who goes against everything I believe in."

Winter turned her head, raising a hand with a slight curl of her fingers to beckon for a fresh cup of tea that she could nurse as they spoke. "To which laws are you referring?" she asked, just before she returned her gaze to Cassian's face. His moustache had ceased dripping, she noticed. "And which institutions have left you wallowing in so much doubt?"

To be sure, she harbored no great love for the spirits, nor did she care for this place the way that Weiss and so many others did. Given the chance, she would swiftly return to Remnant and resume her life there.

Poor Spock.

He had spoken rashly, and knowing Winter, he should have anticipated that she would ask further questions. He should have anticipated it, and known better than to broach the topic at all, he realized now.

Cassian emptied his cup and inspected it as if there was some wisdom to be found at the bottom of it, when in truth he had none at all. "Our system of law enforcement is fragile," he began, far more cautious now. "I believe in democracy, I believe firmly in it, but my galaxy has paid the price for trusting that elected leaders would be honest leaders. I... am wary of pledging to serve, when the laws which Guardians enfore can change wildly with the next election."

And there was everything he had learned from Emerald about the going-ons in Everglade, no evidence which would hold in court but her word had always been good enough for him. But that he couldn't speak of. Hadn't pursued it out of friendship for Grell and out of need for their alliance when there was still a point to it, and spreading it now... That would be petty.

"Our system of law enforcement could have been cobbled together by a child," Winter replied dryly, pleased to have her cup of tea in hand once more. After all, a child had run for Attleton office last season, that had been somewhat unexpected.

"If you're asking for my advice," which he wasn't, she knew, but she was going to shovel it at him anyway, "don't pledge to serve the law. Pledge to serve the people the laws should be protecting."

Winter sipped, and set down her cup. "This is a society comprised of people who were kidnapped from their worlds, recall. I harbor no particular allegiance to the spirits responsible for these crimes. That doesn't mean I will refuse to act if the barriers should become breached by an exterior threat, nor will I be content to abandon those in need of my particular abilities."

"And if it puts you in opposition to those who make the laws?" he blurted out before even considering if this would be another case of saying too much, too fast, too rashly. "If there are laws or practices which you can't abide by? If you feel the need..."

He put down his empty cup and sighed heavily. "I can just see that the closer I remain to the system of law enforcement, the more likely I will disagree. And I've quit because I'm done of keeping quiet and remaining diplomatic when I disagree." He snorted. "I don't think K-2SO would thank me for starting another rebellion."

And yet it was what he wanted to do, how he wanted to serve, he knew that. Alone, to trust...

Winter's gaze flicked to Cassian's and remained arrested there. This was a matter stewing in his head for quite some time, it seemed.

Then there was a brief flicker of a smile. "If you wish for someone to preach the benefits of diplomacy, I'm afraid you've taken tea with the wrong person." The smile returned, and strengthened, as she leaned back calmly in her chair. "I spoke my mind quite clearly the first time we met, did I not? I won few friends, but improvements were made in many cases, albeit begrudgingly so. But that isn't necessarily the correct method of affecting change. Somewhere in between is a happy medium of persuasion and mediation."

Her head turned slightly to the left to regard him from another angle. "Laws are little more than tools. There will always be those who seek to misuse them, and twist their purpose to malicious ends. And there are those who would use them to benefit the people they're called upon to serve. So, Captain Andor..." Winter leaned onto the table. "...which laws rankle you so direly at the moment, and why?"

"I don't have a problem with the current laws," he said, though there was a slight hesitation to his voice. "Right now, I can do something about the laws, at least within Attleton. I'm more concerned with the possibilities of what could change. I've heard the same horror stories about Everglade everyone has heard. Until recently, robots had no rights in Nova City and there's still a fighting league for them in town. We have had people run for high offices who clearly didn't have the public's best interests at heart."

He fell silent, frowning at his empty tea cup as if he could hold it responsible for all the wrongs in Genessia, most of all for the wrongs and the worries he couldn't share with Winter. He was still a Guardian. He still owed loyalty to the system he served, to inspire confidence in it.

"I worry. We have been burned before back home. Twice, even. There have been so many false promises... So many leaders who appeared honest, only to stab us in the back."

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Give a Little Respect

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