[Drama] A Muddled Up Afterglow

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I guess that's not normal for 'us'."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Not many of 'us' wind up becoming the guardian to a Child of Earth."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I won't pretend to understand that business, but it does sound like a unique position."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"You can understand one thing, then."

"A leash has two ends."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"You're saying I'm letting my wolf do all the tugging."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Is that what you think your leash is between? You and your wolf?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"No, I meant between Sam and me."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Like I keep saying, you're smarter than you look," she smirks.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I wouldn't go that far," she says with a half-smirk of her own.

[Isolde Schwarz]

"You can be smart and still fighting yourself. Even without fighting your wolf."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"She has her moments. We worked well together on our mission. Then Sam decided she needed to be rewarded."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Do you blame her for that?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Blame Sam or the wolf?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Your girlfriend."

"You know, the one I keep telling you to talk to, since apparently your wolf is still hung over."

[Tereza Rozanov]

She thinks about it for a long moment. "I guess I kind of do blame her. Though I'd be hard pressed to tell you exactly what I blame her for. Encouraging the wolf maybe? Though even that's not quite right."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"You're allowed to blame her."

"But does she know that?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

Tereza makes some indecipherable gesture. "Yes, talk to her. I get it."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Whatever bond you share, you don't always know what's going back and forth on it. You don't know what feelings she's getting off you."

"You might like that you don't always need words, but sometimes you do."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I suppose. And Viv's not here to balance us out and take some of the weight, so that's... yeah." She sighs.

[Isolde Schwarz]

"It's a lot to take on. Part of you likes it, and you're not quite ready to put what you like about it into human terms."

"Wolves aren't priests. That might be what it seems like to you, but when she awakes make sure you're not making it something it's not."

"Then maybe you can grip the leash."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I guess that's part of it. You're right, priest isn't the right word, but I don't think I have words for it."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"It still comes from you. Don't let the funhouse mirror throw you."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"So what are you saying? That I'm the one who's actually looking for some deeper meaning or something?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"Or you have a submissive streak you're embarrassed of," she smirks.

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Har, har," she says, "Over the course of my admittedly short-compared-to-yours life, I've had quite a few people try to put me under their thumb. It usually ends badly."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"So what's different this time?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"I don't think she's actually trying to do that. It's... just sort of what's happening." She sighs, "And maybe it's because I don't quite get my wolf or my wolf doesn't get me. Or... I don't know."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"A funhouse mirror is still a mirror, eh?"

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Are you saying that on some level I want her to do this to me and it's getting distorted through the wolf?"

[Isolde Schwarz]

"I'm not saying I know what that level is. That's something you're going to have to figure out."

[Tereza Rozanov]

Tereza sighs, "Too much shit to figure out. But I guess it has to be done at some point."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"The more you put it off, the more it's going to surprise you by not staying put."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"Of course it is," Tereza says, putting some money on the bar and giving the bartender and apologetic look for the frozen glass. "Well, I guess I'll see you around... or maybe not depending on how things go."

[Isolde Schwarz]

"If you run from this, I'll be surprised."

[Tereza Rozanov]

"You never know. I can be full of fucking surprises," she says with a sigh, walking rapidly for the door.