A special visitor. ((for rogueinladysclothing))

[chiron_survivor]

On the day that Amelia is supposed to visit, Adia spends more time than usual cleaning up the cabin, outpacing even Caspar as she bustles about their tiny home to make sure everything is in its proper place. This is the first time she's having a Nexus friend see where she lives, and she wants it to look its best.

Caspar sweeps the floor methodically. Even a little sluggishly. He's been quieter than usual since the New Year began. Maybe it's because he hasn't a good glass of wine since the Solstice; Seth's attempt at sparkling apple cider didn't go much better than his previous attempts at brandy.

Or maybe it's something else. She's been giving him the chance to tell her in his own time. Regardless, she hopes Amelia's visit will improve his mood.

The coordinates she sends Amelia are not for the inside of the cabin, even though that would be the most cautious. Instead, they teleport her to the garden behind it. It's dormant now, the perennials resting until it's their turn to blossom once more, but there is plenty of evergreen forest further in the distance to give the landscape some color. From this spot, Amelia will get a lovely view of her friends' cabin, made of wood but surprisingly modern in its design, with a slanted roof and a large, open-air patio attached.

"Hi, Amelia," Adia greets her when she arrives. "Welcome to Atlantis."

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

"Of course you can." Her expression brightens at the request. Although everybody loves honey, not everybody shares her interest in beekeeping, or her willingness to get close enough to a beehive to learn anything. "I can give you a jar of honey while you're here. We have enough to spare."

As far as Caspar's drop in attitude goes, she gestures for Amelia to follow her and heads towards the orchard, leaving the bees to their seasonal slumber. As they approach the neat rows of barren trees, she mulls over her friend's questions. "Not New Year's, no... it's not the anniversary for anything, so far as I can tell..."

Sleep seems to be a more delicate subject. She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and shrugs pensively. "Honestly, I don't know. He only needs about four hours of sleep." She picks at a thread on her scarf and adds, "I know he doesn't like to dream, but he hasn't complained to me about it..."

[rogueinladysclothing]

As tempting as talk of honey and questions about it are (Is it good in tea? How much are the bees producing for there to be a surplus after harvesting?), the concern and worry written on Adia's face are far more important. Amelia frowns as she listens to her friend, her own worry for the Cylon starting to creep in. Why would Caspar keep anything from Adia?

"If it was a bad dream or nightmare that bothered him, he might not be ready to talk about it," she offers, uncertain if that's true but wanting to give Caspar the benefit of the doubt. "It might also be that he doesn't know how to start a conversation about whatever's bothering him. It's a common thing for anyone to do." Herself included.

Amelia diverts their stroll through the trees to approach one of the larger ones. Her eyes track to the few clouds hanging low in the otherwise blue sky through the bare branches for a moment as she thinks through how to say what's on her mind before she turns back to Adia to speak.

"Maybe he needs help to speak up the way I did," she starts slowly. "Until Harley... made it my choice to take that first step, I couldn't do it. She offered her help and guidance, but she let me do the hard work of opening up." Speaking of Harley is difficult for Amelia, but she's pushing through it to help. Adia and Caspar deserve to be happy, and any disruption to that, even self-made, is something the rogue wants to see worked out. "Maybe he needs someone to be there to offer him that hand, and make it seem possible to take that leap."

[chiron_survivor]

"Maybe," she agrees, in regards to the possibility of unspoken nightmares. She sighs quietly to herself. Why now of all times? Nothing terrible has happened in months. She's safe, he's safe...

She pauses when Amelia does, watching her silently while her friend looks up at the sky. When the rogue finally imparts her advice, it's met with mild surprise. These are some of the same issues that Amelia struggles with, but it sounds like she's made a great deal of progress in handling her emotions. She's even able to talk about Harley without misery. It makes Adia smile briefly, happy to receive the suggestion from someone who's experienced this themselves.

"I think you're right. It's not easy for him to talk about his problems. I don't think that sort of thing was encouraged during the War." She bites her lip, thinking back to when he came to see her on Atlantis, after the Quorum had pardoned him. He had told her so much... like a confession, of sorts. But after that, he rarely brought up his past. It hadn't seemed relevant before.

She lightly tugs at the scarf around her neck. "I thought I had made it obvious that I'd always listen to him, but maybe it'd be better if I actually said something."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Sometimes people need to hear it again," she notes, taking a step closer to the other woman. Her lips tug into a small, rueful smile. "Someone may know it's true and believe that the person who offered to listen will be there when they're ready, but being reminded can be the push they need to open up."

Amelia can't begin to count the number of times she though about letting someone in but didn't. It was something always on the tip of her tongue with friends like Adia and Steve, but she could never convince herself to say something. When she finally opened up to Harley, it was like jumping from the top of the tallest building she could scale and floating gently in the calming waves of the Inner Sea all at once. It was terrifying and freeing at the same time, and it was one of the best decisions she ever made.

Smile warming a bit, the rogue walks over to Adia and offers her hands to her friend. "Caspar trusts you, I'm sure of it," she assures Adia. "Try talking to him, and I'm sure you'll be able to work through this together."

[chiron_survivor]

Ducking her head a little, she nods in agreement, feeling a little rueful herself. Her own dreams, bizarre and fragmented and most likely tied up with her moon rune, have preoccupied much of her thoughts at night, leaving her distracted. She could do a bit of a push herself.

When Amelia holds out her hands, Adia takes them gratefully. "Thanks," she says, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I think I needed the reminder." From Amelia, of all people, which makes her smile again, looking far less troubled.

For sure, she'll tell Caspar that if there's anything that's weighing on his mind, he can share it with her. And who knows? It could be something so minor that it's fixed with a simple discussion, and she would have been worrying over nothing. That's certainly happened before. She'd prefer his gentle teasing over it than being left in the dark.

(Never mind that he didn't have any problems last Winter. No sudden shifts in mood, nothing unexplained. She pushes that thought away as quickly as it comes to her. Everything will be fine.)

Remembering the entire point of Amelia's visit, she lets go and gestures to the bare trees around them. "Well, what do you think? It's more impressive when they're bearing fruit. We picked so many apples, it was like a full-time job for a little while."

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia has no idea if her push on Adia will help, but she's hopeful that her friend's smile means it will be of some use. She gives Adia's hands a small squeeze in return, smiling as the woman withdraws to gesture to the trees around them.

"I think it's impressive now," she counters with a small laugh. "There are so many trees here, more than I'm used to after living in the Nexus for so long." True, there are plenty out in The Wilds, but that's not exactly a place she likes to roam through. Getting lost in a place like that is something the rogue would like to avoid for the rest of her life at all costs. "Was it only the four of you - you, Caspar, and your friends - picking the apples? I can't imagine how many days it must have taken to collect them all with an orchard so large." A beat, and she laughs to herself. "If I'd known there were so many, I'd have offered to come visit at night to help out," she teases.

[chiron_survivor]

The thought crosses Adia's mind, too, that aside from the Wilds and the occasional city parks, one does not see this many trees all in one place in the Nexus. Maybe that's why she never felt entirely at home there.

Well, that and the magic. And reality shifting.

"Sometimes other friends came to help, but mostly it was just us. We tried not to over-plant, and we donated any extra to the food banks. But yeah, it was a lot of work." She laughs softly at the memories of picking apples and listening to Seth and Caspar's sarcastic banter, or taking turns carrying Jason so that Maggie could get a break now and then. "I think by next year we'll have an electric cart. The picking isn't too much of a burden, but I know that Caspar was getting a little tired of dragging it around. You have to pick apples by hand, anyway, or they'll bruise."

Amelia's teasing offer puts an amused smile on her face. "Climbing up and down ladders at night sounds dangerous, but I bet you'd be great at it."

When her friend is done admiring the orchard, she'll steer her back towards the cabin. She can see that the outdoor fire is out, although there's a pleasant puff of smoke coming from the cabin's chimney. "Did you want to drop by the goat barn? I don't think Princess is there anymore, she probably helped Caspar light the fire inside."

[rogueinladysclothing]

"Wouldn't be the first time I'd been scaling something dangerous in the dark," she jokes. At least if she came to Atlantis to pick apples, she wouldn't be doing something illegal. Maybe not something that's a great idea (getting caught on a world she shouldn't have access to according to the locals seems a bad thing), but definitely an improvement over law breaking for profit. "I hope you're able to get the cart, though. It sounds like you definitely have a use for it."

Adia's offer of visiting the barn gets a shake of the rogue's head. "I'd much rather see your home. It's beautiful on the outside, and I'd love to see all of the work you've told me about on the inside. Besides, I don't want Caspar to think I'm taking too much of your time for my own while I'm visiting." She smiles and gestures toward the cabin. "Let's head back and see what he and Princess are up to."

[chiron_survivor]

There would certainly be a lot of explaining to do if Amelia were caught red-handed in the apple orchard, but in a light-hearted conversation, Adia finds the possibility more amusing than anything. "There's always next Autumn," she jokes. "In case Caspar is stuck pulling the cart again."

Somehow she doubts that her boyfriend is concerned with Amelia taking up too much of her time at this particular moment, but she's happy to skip the goat barn. It smells in there, anyway, which doesn't bother her, but after all this fresh air, she doubts Amelia wants to surround herself with hay and goat fur.

She opens the front door of the cabin and ushers Amelia in first.

The cabin, aside from a small bathroom, is one room, but is laid out spaciously enough to feel uncrowded. There is a queen-sized bed and nightstand in one corner, and a small wood stove in the other that seem to demarcate the sleeping and cooking areas of the cabin respectively. There is a table for dining or other projects and a small nook for reading and other studious pursuits. There are electric lights, but with the skylight and high, wide windows, there's no need for them to be on now.

Some of that spacious feeling might also come from the roof, which is high with exposed rafters. There are shelves and closets inlaid into the walls. The shelves hold many of the gifts that Adia has received from Nexus friends, including the picture of the solar system that Amelia gave them one year.

Caspar, as predicted, is poking at the fire, although Princess is not with him. There is, however, a brown-and-cinnamon tabby cat, curled up by the fire. Amelia might recognize her from the photos that Adia has shown her in the past.

[rogueinladysclothing]

"You know how to find me if you want the help," she jokes with a laugh. Not that she should come back and help, but Amelia's never one to rescind an offer she gives to her friends.

When they reach the cabin, Amelia takes a moment to take in the sight of everything. It's as homey and comfortable as Adia's described it to be and makes her feel as if she's been invited into her friends' most treasured space. She smiles warmly as she takes it all in. Stepping further into the cabin, her cheeks flush a light pink when she spots the solar system picture she gifted the couple. Even if she should've been expecting it, to see it on display makes her feel good about her choice for her friends. Sighing happily, she turns to Adia, her smile almost impossibly bright.

"It's perfect. I can't imagine a place more you, both of you, than this one." It's incredibly endearing to see and draws out a happy sigh from the rogue. "I'm honestly humbled to be invited into a place that's so..." She hesitates, searching for the right word. "So intimate."

She's not sure if that's the right way to phrase her feelings, but it's the best word she can think of. This place is them and there is nothing so precious as the space that a person keeps only for themselves. To see Adia and Caspar's home, one they've built together as a couple? It makes this moment feel more impactful than any time the rogue invited someone to her room at the in.

[chiron_survivor]

As she shuts the door behind Amelia, giving the rogue a chance to take everything in, she can't help but feel a little nervous. This has been her and Caspar's space for so long that it feels strange inviting someone else inside. She knows Amelia won't judge, but it doesn't stop her from twisting at the ends of her scarf a little when she turns to look at her.

Her friend's expression relaxes her immediately. It is intimate, isn't it? She's grateful that Amelia understands and respects that. "I'm glad you're here," she tells her, taking her hand briefly and giving it a squeeze.

Caspar looks up from the fire, his expression hard to read. He doesn't seem to have a problem with Amelia being here, but there's something a little like guilt lurking in his hazel eyes. If only Ellen hadn't shown up, things would be so much different now...

He stands up and sets aside the poker. The fire is good and strong now, and keeps the cabin at a comfortable temperature. "It's no five-star hotel, but we have lights and running water," he comments while dusting off his hands.

The cat pokes her head up at the sound of voices and fixes her golden eyes on Amelia. She stretches and pads over. "Mew?" she asks, pawing at a buckle on Amelia's boot. Is it time for pettings?

[rogueinladysclothing]

She smiles as she gives Adia's hand a return squeeze, then turns to Caspar with a smirk. "This is far better than the inn room I lived in for several years. I think you're downplaying how well you have it when this place is so nice." She laughs softly before adding, "Your excellent taste certainly makes up for anything your home might lack, though I think it has everything it needs to make it a happy home."

Before she can ask about the work they've put into their home, Ana steps in to fill the gap. Amelia hasn't had many interactions with cats since coming to the Nexus, but she hopes it's enough to prevent her from doing something too awkward for the kneazle. "Hello there," she murmurs softly, kneeling down so that she can gently pet the cat between her ears. "You're Anastasia, right? It's nice to meet you."

[chiron_survivor]

The compliment is noted with a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He's certainly done his best to keep their home as sophisticated as possible while keeping its homeyness. Little touches on the shelving and houseware that show he's put thought into everything.

Ana purrs happily at the attention. Like her father, she appreciates such a respectful greeting. "That's Anastasia," Caspar confirms. "She'll let you pet her forever."

Adia slips off her coat and scarf, hanging them up on a hook by the door, then switches out her shoes for a pair of fuzzy ankle slippers. Amelia might note that Caspar has on slippers as well -- sheepskin loafers with a rubber trim. She sits down at the kitchen table -- Amelia's flowers are sitting in a vase in the middle, along with the wrapped package of ribbon.

"Oh, I guess I should open this now," she remarks, picking up the package.

[rogueinladysclothing]

"I don't mind it either," she jokes with a small laugh. Amelia has no problem with continuing to pet Ana as the kneazle leans into her hand. This is definitely going better than the last time she interacted with a cat in this manner! It probably helps that she's not trying to take notes and presenting an enticing moving object to play with.

She's distracted enough that when Adia comments about opening up something, it doesn't immediately occur to Amelia what her friend is talking about. Looking up, she smiles and nods in affirmation. "Please. And then let me know if you'd like to use what's inside today."

Slowly, and with an apologetic smile to Ana, the rogue withdraws her hands and rises to her feet. She quickly notices the change in shoes as she removes her coat, and quickly looks over to Caspar. "Would you prefer I take off my boots?" she asks. "I don't want to break house rules by wearing them."

[chiron_survivor]

Ana loves the attention, but she is laid-back enough to not complain when Amelia stands up again. She stretches, then trots over to the kitchen table and hops into Adia's lap. She bats at the package and meows. Here, she can open it!

Adia laughs and shoos her paws away. "Thanks, I've got it covered." She does tear off a strip of wrapping paper for Ana to play with, but the rest she puts into a neat pile on the side. "Ribbons!" she says happily when she sees what's inside. "These are so pretty, Amelia, thank you. Yes, I'd love to get a braiding lesson." She has not forgotten their Yule conversation in the slightest.

The question about shoes has Caspar hesitating slightly. He would prefer that she remove her boots. It's hard enough to keep a cabin floor clean without people bringing all the outside in with them on the soles of their shoes. But it's also not typical of a request from him. Nobody walked around barefoot on a basestar. (Well, except for Leoben sometimes, but that's because he's weird.)

"Whatever you're comfortable with," he says finally.

Adia gestures over to a woven basket by the door. "I have a spare pair of slippers in there if you want to wear them instead."

[rogueinladysclothing]

She's glad to see that Adia is so happy with the ribbons. It had taken her quite a while to decide on the color, width, and length, and even then she could only be somewhat certain her friend would like them. "Then we'll get to a lesson whenever you'd like," she promises. "It's plenty warm in here and I have no other plans for my day."

The offer of the spare slippers is one Amelia's vaguely uncomfortable with - wearing clothes that aren't hers, even shoes, is something she has very little experience with. But her boots are dirtied from the walk through the orchard and her feet will get cold on the hardwood floors even with the fire going, so she sets aside her slight anxiety to be polite. "I appreciate that, Adia. Thank you." She smiles at her friend briefly, then removes her boots and sets them by the door next to Adia's shoes before stepping into the spare slippers. They're a little tight on her feet, but still more than comfortable enough for wearing while they sit around.

After hanging her coat by the door and adjusting her scarf to hang loosely about her neck, she takes a seat at the table next to Adia. "It's so comfortable and warm in here," she notes with a smile. With a small laugh she adds, "I forget sometimes how far along technology of every kind has come since the kind of age my world is in."

[chiron_survivor]

"Is right now okay?" she asks hopefully, a little doe-eyed. She rubs the soft fabric between her fingers, remembering how nice it felt when Amelia braided her hair. "I'd really like to learn."

Caspar relaxes a touch when Amelia's shoes go by the door instead of all over the kitchen. He takes the seat on the other side of Adia. There is one more chair, and that's about the number of people who can sit around the table comfortably. "Me, too," he chimes in, reaching over to pet Anastasia, who is looking over those ribbons longingly.

Amelia's comment has Adia looking at her curiously. "What was it like on your world? How did you keep your homes warm?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

Adia's eagerness earns a small laugh. "Of course. If you have a brush, it would be good to have on hand in case you accidentally tie knots into your hair." Which she may or may not have done in the past while she was learning... Her smile warms as she reaches over her shoulder and pulls her braid around to the front of her body. With her hair not fully pinned up, its full length can easily be seen. It appears the rogue's thick hair goes over halfway down her torso when it's let down.

"Open hearths and wood burning stoves, mostly," she explains as she removes the ribbon from the end of her hair. As she loosens her braid and begins combing out her tresses, her eyes focus on something that's not on the table in front of them. "My family's home was made from a combination of stone and wood, which helped retain some amount of heat, but kept smaller ovens throughout the house to keep it warm. We also kept the fires going in the living room and kitchen to keep the bedrooms directly above them warmer during the cooler months." She never thought much of it when she lived on Kairn, but it makes sense to her now that she's lived in the Nexus for so long.

Shaking her head a little, she undoes the last few locks of hair making up her braid and smiles at each of her friends in turn. "We also kept rugs on bedroom floors and bought fur lined blankets for our beds. Winter was never really that harsh, though, which I think made it easier for us. We never had to worry about bitterly cold temperatures or ice building up on the roof like towns further inland did."

[chiron_survivor]

"Good idea," Adia says, lifting Anastasia out of her lap and onto the table so she can get up and retrieve her hairbrush. She opens the door leading to the bathroom, where Amelia might catch a glimpse of a sink vanity. Based on the products upon it (a man's razor and aftershave), it is probably more for Caspar's benefit, but there is a drawer where Adia keeps her hairbrush, and she returns with it promptly.

"Your hair is so long," she says a little enviously while she sits back down. Anastasia has already moved onto Caspar's lap and seems content to stay there for the time being.

Having heard so little of Amelia's home world, Caspar pays attention to her answer. "It's the same here," he tells her. "Although some of the buildings downtown have radiators. What was your world's level of tech?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

The comment about her hair gets a small smile. "My mother would chastise me for letting it get so long," she jokes. "A lady should never let her hair be so long as to let it be unmanageable, or some such nonsense." A beat, and she shakes her head a little. "I've always preferred it tied back or pinned up, so I don't mind the extra length." That, and she always prefers to wear her hairpin. It's hard to work with it in braids, though, and so it stayed safely locked away in her apartment for this particular visit.

The bathroom gets a quick glance from Amelia, but her focus is mainly on Caspar as he asks after her world. "Techniques in carpentry must have improved, then. I don't feel a single draft, and that was a commonplace thing even in the most well made houses." She laughs softly as she works out a stray knot in the ends of her hair. "After some reading, I've determined my world's technology most closely relates to that of Renaissance Europe on most versions of Earth. We traveled by ship or by horse, had only a few cannons on city walls for protection, and were still harnessing the power of explosives. Medicine isn't all that advanced either, but blacksmiths were quite well versed. Several of my friends were able to make weaponry from meteorite without any struggles, despite the higher temperatures and extra force required."

[chiron_survivor]

"My mom did that, too," Adia says with a laugh. "She was always telling me to pull it back out of my face, that it would get tangled otherwise." It was annoying at the time, but the fact that she shares that in common with Amelia turns the memory sweet.

She picks up her brush and runs is through her hair. Having it been under a hat for part of the day has made it a little staticky, but it's manageable otherwise.

"There's insulation behind the wood panels," Caspar explains. Then he falls silent, his expression turning a bit confused. Renaissance Europe? Adia is the "expert" on Earth history, not him. But more detail is forthcoming, so he doesn't bother asking anything.

At least until she mentions the meteorite.

"Was that commonplace on your world? Meteorites large enough to smelt?" That's kind of cool, actually. Space rock weapons.

[rogueinladysclothing]

Amelia can't help but laugh at Adia's story. "Mothers must be similar everywhere in the multiverse. You'd have thought I was the youngest in the family with the way she fawned over my hair for the first few official functions I attended after my father was initiated into the nobility. She only stopped when I came back wearing my hairpin one night after she'd spent almost an hour braiding my hair before sending me and my father off."

She's about to ask about insulation - what did they use in their cabin and was it easy to make? - when the question about the meteorite comes up. The rogue's face turns a little more somber and she shakes her head as she turns her gaze to the unnecessary task of straightening the ribbon from her hair against the table.

"No, there was never any recorded history of meteorites that large before my city was struck by one the size of a large cart. There wasn't any record of four raining from the sky all at the same time either." She sighs and tucks her hands in her lap under the table so she'll stop fidgeting with her ribbon. Come on, Amelia, lift yourself up from the sadness and focus on the weaponry.

"Most of it was kept under lock and key by the city guard, but several of my friends wanted to work with more of it than the small pieces they were able to recover after the city was safe again. I wasn't directly involved with the... acquiring of the stone, but I helped misdirect a few people and get some copies of keys made for them." Her lips tug into a brief smile as she looks up at her friends again. "I honestly wasn't expecting anything from them in return, but the two blacksmiths worked together to make my rapier for me. My hairpin came later when my inventor... friend asked what I wanted for my birthday. It was the first proper piece of jewelry I received as a lady."

...dreams, talking about home and the best and worst parts of it isn't ever going to get easier. Amelia exhales a small, silent breath and then sits up properly again, forcing herself to let go of the pain to focus on the moment.

"I'm not sure how many others were able to get their hands on enough to make weaponry or armor, but my band of five hand plenty between us. Arrow heads, plate mail, a hammer, a rapier, and the sturdiest wrist crossbows I've ever seen." Her smile turns a tough wry, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Everyone we went against had a right to fear everything we brought to a fight."

[chiron_survivor]

This is the most that Amelia has spoken about her past in one go, and Adia is reluctant to say anything afterwards, lest she scare off her friend from sharing anything else. That's quite a story, though. She doesn't miss that pause between "inventor" and "friend", either. Of course, anyone who would give her that hairpin must have cared about her very much.

Caspar has all sorts of questions, but for the moment, he has to deal with a cat in his lap who is trying desperately to reach for those ribbons. "Here," he says to Anastasia, setting her on the floor and dropping the discarded wrapping paper to the floor. He sighs and dusts off his hands. "I don't think a kneazle and hair-braiding lessons mix. You still have that rapier, Amelia? Did your blacksmith friends figure out what metals the meteorite was composed of?"

[rogueinladysclothing]

The small break to supply Ana with a distraction is a welcome one for Amelia. Her smile softens and she's able to take a slightly less pained breath before Caspar asks about her favored weapon. It's a good question, but it makes the rogue laugh softly.

"There was no way to do something like that on my world," she offers as an explanation for her laughter. "Or if there was, my friends never explained it to me." Her shoulders rise and fall in a half-hearted shrug. Testing for the purity of a material before using it for a blade or armor makes sense, but Amelia's not certain anymore if it makes sense because of what she knows of blacksmithing or because of knowledge she's picked up in the Nexus. Her lips tug into a small frown as she shrugs again. "I never thought to ask after something like that either."

But this is hardly the reason for her visit and they've been distracted long enough from the braiding lessons she promised. Turning to Adia, Amelia manages a small smile as she nods to her friend. "Are you ready for our lesson? It'll be a bit of show and tell, and then a lot of practice so you can get the feel for it while I'm here to offer advice."

[chiron_survivor]

"Too bad," Caspar says, trying not to sound overly disappointed. "Most meteorites are composed of iron and nickel, but it's the multiverse, right? You could probably get your rapier tested in the Nexus if you felt like it."

Even if it's made from a common metal, a meteorite weapon is cool bragging rights.

As the conversation moves on, Adia feels both relief and a smidge of disappointment. She was hoping to hear a little more of Amelia's past, but she has to admit that Caspar has a deft touch at putting their friend at ease. Too bad he likely wouldn't open up to Amelia about his problems, they seem to understand one another better than even she does at times.

"Sure," she answers, smiling and putting her hands on the table. "I'm ready."