cargojet | IC Contact

In my world there are a handful of people with...abilities. Flying, healing, telekinesis, mind reading, each one individual; special. I hid mine at home, and I don't make too much of a show about it here. If I was ever in a situation where I needed a moment's advantage, surprise would be all I had.

[ He's holding on because if she'd panicked and pushed away from him she would have fallen. There aren't any safety measures here, and the gravity he'd programmed in could be dangerous. It was a holographic New York, and really the floor wasn't that far away, but it would hurt to fall none the less. ]

I haven't even told my brother this, but when I used to need time to think I came to fly here, in the low clouds over the city. I've been running this program for weeks now, but you're the only person I've brought here.

I would never had suspected. Figured you came from a normal world with normal things. You clearly hid it well.

[Bela knew that it wasn't real even if it felt like it. She wasn't going to risk herself which is why she continued to hold onto his shoulders.]

Some people just take a walk to think. You fly. [She sounds bemused for a moment before his next words make Bela pause. Then she speaks again, quieter this time.]

Why me? You could have done something else entirely with our date and yet you chose to bring me to your sanctuary of sorts and display your ability. Let me see a part of you that not many others have on board.

I always did. I had to. [ But he was glad to hear it. That he hid it well despite it once or twice coming up in conversation was an undeniable relief. It meant it was still a surprise to the right people.

His answer was a soft sort of smile, clearly hiding something, and he motioned upward toward the stars above them with a tilt of his chin. So far she'd only looked down. He didn't back of the instruction with an order. ]

The people I care about have always been hurt because I try and hide what I can do from them. My wife, my brother--I've never been a big fan of honesty. Not unexpected for a lawyer and a politician.

[Bela does look up eventually, marvelling at the stars despite them being a product of a programme. They were beautiful. She brought her gaze back to him, feeling a lot less anxious than she did before.]

Maybe you thought that you were protecting them from the truth. I can understand why you would lie about something like this. [She laughs a little.] Yeah, lawyers and politicians tend to lie.

[A pause followed after that as she tilted her head at him, her expression curious.] I'm not your wife or brother though.

[ And the smile hasn't abated. Nathan still looked back down at her for a moment longer, and then he too looked away, raising his eyes toward the stars. ]

There aren't a lot of people to like on this piece of space junk, and fewer still of them are such good company. Besides, I wanted to offer you a date that'd stand out.

Might have had to try something else if your name was Lois Lane, but as far as originality goes it was a sure thing.

[Bela chose to look down at the city below, the view taking her breath away. It wouldn't have been possible for her to see it like this back home. When Nathan spoke, she found herself looking at him again.]

Well, you were right. I haven't been on a date like this before. [She smiled, playing idly with his collar.] You and I both know that Lois Lane has got nothing on me.

But this is great. Not many people would go to such lengths or heights in this case to make a girl feel special.

[ Nathan's smile broke into a laugh, and he pitched them slightly, hovered slowly to the left, down, letting the holographic construct keep up with them until, moments later, they touched down on the maintenance platform at the very tip of the tower. There wasn't much room, but he could lower his hands, letting her have her feet - and gravity - back. ]

A date isn't much of anything without dinner and a show. I left dinner here--

[ He tapped a lunchbox on the ground with his left foot, a bottle stood beside it - staple of dates with Nathan Petrelli - and then raised his hand out toward the horizon. ]

And the show.

[ From their height, the glow on the horizon barely ate up any of the sky, still far away. The sun would hit the top of the tower long before it rose, and they would be able to watch it rise first, while the last stars still sparkled high above them. Sunrise, when all they'd had was a dull, dangerous ship for months. It was enough to make you homesick. ]

[ Bela held on as he guided them down towards the tower, seeing it coming closer and closer-then she felt her feet touch a solid surface much to her relief. Only then did Bela let go of him, dropping her hands down by her sides, a part of her still reeling from the experienced. She laughed a little. ]

We got the best seats in the house.

[ While the sun wasn't exactly real and a construct of a program, it didn't take away the affect it had on her. Bela watched the sunrise with rapt attention, almost in awe; she was silent when it happened and took a moment to look upwards at the sky, watching as the stars began to fade away. She tried not to think about home but it was difficult not to. Still, she didn't want to ruin the date. ]

Just like the real thing. [ Bela broke her silence as her gaze shifted back to him, a smile forming on her lips. ]

[ As they both watched, Nathan took a brief moment out of his enjoyment of the sunrise and the company to pour generous glasses for both of them, sliding one into her hand and shifting so that his shoulder bumped against hers as he tapped his glass against hers. ]

To home.

[ His smile was slightly sad too. He'd known it might be when he brought them here, a date edged with the poignancy of things lost that might never be regained. How long could he live with every special in the world wanting to kill him? Not long, probably. Still, he had something for a little while, here. A chance to redeem himself, even if nobody ever remembered it. Even if he died in the process. ]

To home.

[She took a sip from her wine, savouring it slowly as if it was the last bit of wine she was going to have for a while. Bela had to take the more positive moments here when she could and hold onto them because it could change without warning, they could all face another danger or plague.]

Anything else we should toast while we're at it?

[The sun was almost fully up by now and filled the sky, scattering light across it. Bela continued to watch until it was completed, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach as she thought of home. How long could she keep up the pretence of being okay? There were only so many lies that a person could tell. She hadn't much time left at home if things didn't go according to plan.]

[ Nathan drunk a little faster, but then that was out of habit. He drank to take the edge off boring aristocrats, lawyers and politicians, and drinking quickly also left him time to interject his own words and make an impression.

And then of course he drank because he liked it. His liver probably hated him by now, especially considering the wagon he'd fallen off when he'd thought his brother dead. ]

How about to great company? To people life would be harder here without.

[ He raised his glass toward her this time. ]

To great company and to those who make things easier to deal with here.

[ She took another few sips from her wine, bringing the glass down afterwards and held it firmly in her hand. Bela thought of the last time they had drank together, in the kitchen and it was stronger stuff then. How she hadn't been entirely truthful with him and yet it seemed that he had been with her. ]

To our date. [ Up came the glass again while she spoke, throwing a smile in his direction. ] Maybe it be memorable.

[ Nathan nodded his head in agreement, leaning his glass against hers for a moment before his gaze dropped slowly away from her, returning to the horizon.

It was nice to be in the company of people who wanted to be around him again. People without hidden agendas, even if they hid so much about themselves. The only reason she was here - he assumed - was because she wanted to be. There was no effort to get him on her side, or to urge him to help pave the laws to make a company's prospects better. She didn't want to kill him, or marry him for the sake of being a pretty Senator's wife, smiling on the campaign trail. She hadn't been sent to him to give him bad press. None of that mattered here.

And it was nice.

This time Nathan didn't try to break the silence. He drunk again from his glass absently. ]

[ If there was one thing that Bela was good at, it was keeping certain details about herself private. Not everyone on board knew what she did for a living and she was fine with keeping it that way. Most of the time Bela wasn't genuine with people, often manipulating them to get what she wanted. That had changed slightly when she came on board the ship because she realised that she had to play nice if she wanted to survive.

She did want to be here with him and for once in her life there was no ulterior motive. Bela just wanted to enjoy herself and try to forget all the shit she had been through the past few months. Even for just an evening.

The silence lingered for another few minutes and that's when Bela cast a glance in his direction.]

You okay?

[ He huffed, looking back up at her, then offering an empty sort of smile. ]

Trying to remember the last time I did this without the weight of the world literally on my shoulders. Problem is I can't; must have been so long ago.

Not exactly carrying less of a burden now as ever, but I gotta admit it's nicer now than I know it'll be in a week or so. New arrivals always blow the status quo, and I'm trying to enjoy the quiet before it's ruined all over again, know what I mean?

I do. [ Sympathy wasn't her strong point but he was opening up to her and she couldn't really say nothing in response. Bela placed a hand on his forearm, resting it there for a moment or so before withdrawing it. ]

Try to forget about that burden you have and focus on the quiet. You have to relax, otherwise you won't be able to enjoy anything. [A beat.] I'll admit, I'm not the best of giving this kind of advice but let's just have a nice evening and not worry about whatever shit the ship or the people on it are going to throw at us, yeah?

[ He wasn't lingering because he didn't want to - not really - it was just a passing thought, bittersweet, and he brushed it quickly away. ]

We always get through these things without really talking about you.

[ A suggestion, a prompt. Maybe she'd take pity on him and talk about herself, maybe not. ]

[ Being so open about certain details of her life was hard for her. Bela blamed it on having trust issues as well as not giving anyone anything they could use against her.

But then, he had shared something secret and private with her. It seemed right to do it in return. ]

That's because you mightn't like what you hear. [She glanced down at her hands, suddenly finding them more interesting. She does continue though. ]

It's difficult for me to trust other people and sometimes I lie to them to protect myself.

[ He shifted slightly, then reached out to prod her in the shoulder, trying to get her attention. He was smiling. ]

Then lie. Listen, I got my reasons for giving it up, namely I did something so wrong that I might never come back from it, and I got nothing left to lose. But just cause I'm opening my heart to you now don't mean I don't understand protecting yourself, lying so you don't get hurt.

So lie to me. Mix it with a little truth if you like, but don't tell me which is which, or if there's any in there at all. Cause even lying, you're not hiding who you are.

[Bela raised her eyes to look at him when he touched her shoulder, her expression somewhat neutral.]

That seems like a fair compromise. I'll agree to it, Nathan. Even if I think you won't get to know the real me if I do.

[A smile crossed her face briefly before she continues.]

The issues that I have with people go back a while and as such, I've never really formed attachments with others. Nor have I been in a long-term, committed relationship with anyone before. I don't see myself as the settling down type anyway.

[ Honestly, when had he ever known a real woman?--No, that didn't sound right in his head. But people were just so duplicitous, and the problem with marriage was that the perfect person that you seemed to get so close to always seemed to change once they didn't have to hold your attention. It was worse in politics, with hidden agendas and false personas; nobody was real, and nobody felt even the slightest bit guilty for the fact. That was why affairs suited him, one night stands where he never had to see beneath the mask.

He could fool himself into believing, at least for a little while, anything he wanted to. ]

I don't think anyone's the long term commitment type, to tell the truth. It's too damn complicated.

[ The slightest smile. ]

And being on this ship is a lot like being married to a whole bunch of people you never got to meet before the march down the aisle, don't you think?

[Relationships could become messy and complicated, especially given the life she led and the deal hanging over her. Which was the reason why Bela preferred to have a night with a handsome stranger, no-strings attached, and she could slip away in the morning without having to worry about it. She already had a few liaisons on the ship and Bela had enjoyed them.]

If what you're saying is true, then I think I like the idea of marriage even less now.

[Bela laughs a little.]

At least I can say that some people on board have made this whole experience a lot more tolerable. Present company included.

Only good thing to come out of it--

[ He shakes his head. Now isn't a good time to ruminate about his failed marriages. ]

Present company included. [ Toned like an agreement. He felt the same way. ]

Think I would have gone stir crazy if you hadn't shared that bottle with me a few months back. Thrown myself out an airlock. What do you think's with that, anyway?

[There was a smile from her when he said the same thing.]

I'm not sure. Maybe you felt overwhelmed with things and you just needed someone to talk to and have a drink with. A stranger. Someone who wouldn't judge.

[They knew each other now of course but back then, Bela wasn't having the best time of it. She still wasn't, even now.]

Nice to know that I made a difference.

[ If one had applied to him and her both, then there was nothing to stop the other from meaning the same. Someone to have a drink with, someone who wouldn't judge. He squeezed her shoulder where he still held it, smiled a soft, bordering flirtatious smile. ]

You made more than a difference. You proved to me that everyone on this ship wasn't crazy, and if all else failed I still knew where to find someone who could talk sense. That's not really replaceable in any situation.

[ A pause. ]

I wouldn't be sharing my view of home with you if I didn't appreciate it. Call it a thank you.

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