[Week 10 - pre-motive]

[missmaladroite]

[Well, that sure was a week. But considering Liz and Adelina were close and Liz did help them with Jack - at her own expense, Marinette figures she ought to thank her. And give her the dress she'd finished]

[Knock knock, awkward part two!!]

Elizabeth? Are you here?

Comments

[baptizer]

[ HOPEFULLY MARINETTE IS BETTER AT THIS NOW. Liz answers promptly, still as welcoming as ever even given the circumstances. ]

Checking up again? This is going to become a habit.

[ a small tease ]

[missmaladroite]

[She's making progress!!]

Well, you are my right-hand woman now. [She attempts to joke, but she looks pretty tired and kind of miserable, so it doesn't work.]

And I asked a lot of you.

[With the Jack situation]

[baptizer]

It definitely looks that way, doesn't it? Someone needs to keep the boys in line.

[ its Okay, Liz is trying to do enough for the both of them. She allows Marinette to come inside and up the ladder if she so wishes. She's greeted with a bunch of paper on the desk and coffee table. There's a bunch of notes, crumbled letters, and drawings of the interiors of the ship. Underneath a few there are sketches of people: Hancock, Frankenstein, Adelina, Jason, and Fiona. ]

I don't mind it - don't listen to Jack. You needed help.

[missmaladroite]

You seem to me an expert already.

[But her attempt at smiling fades as she climbs up the ladder and takes a look around.]

I know, but I put you in danger. I wanted to settle things as peacefully as I could, and he listens to you... but it's no reason to get you involved and make things worse for you than before. I'm sorry.

[Jack is a dick, but even if Marinette's intention was never to use Elizabeth, she does feel it was a little underhanded in hindsight]

[baptizer]

I'll be fine, Marinette. You only wanted to do what was right. Jack's... Jack is definitely something else.

[ She bites her tongue. It's a bit silly to dwell on it but - ]

I don't know why he listens to me, but it's barely. I'm not his keeper. He'll do whatever he wants but - I don't know. He feels sorry for me, I suppose.

[ JACK SUCKS. And Elizabeth is definitely seeing that a lot lately. ]

He didn't harm me or anyone - that's a successful mission, is it not?

[missmaladroite]

I don't think it's that, Elizabeth. [From where she's standing, it seems like Jack has huge daddy issues and is projecting on Elizabeth, but maybe even someone as awful as Jack can see good in people? It's not something Marinette really wants to think about] You... you're really charming. And smart. I think even Jack can see that.

You're right, it was. Thank you for your help. If-- he starts to act oddly towards you, or threatening, tell me right away, okay?