Talk Overdue: IC

[Raveled]

Robin knelt in the center of her lab, the wards scribed on the walls pulsing in time to her slow heartbeat. There was a large tripod settled before her, with a gold plumb hanging from the intersection of the three wooden legs. There was a detailed map of the south Pacific on the floor; the displayed area was roughly a hundred miles on a side. It showed a few fly-speck islands and lot of empty water, but Robin was sure that somewhere in there was Wesley Knight.

The sorceress sat herself down before the tripod, checking once again that north on the map was aligned with magnetic north. She had cast this particular spell almost a dozen times; the movement were easy, familiar. She tied a swatch of green cotton, taken from a shirt Wesley had left behind one night, around the base of the plumb. Then she took a deep breath and gathered her energy in, and began chanting as she breathed out.

The magic swirled around the plumb, momentarily highlighting the runes etched on the surface. She reached out and touched the weight, setting it swinging gently. The plumb kept moving long after friction should've stopped it, coming to rest off-center and pointing at a particular island. Robin say back on her haunches with a sigh, already planning the trip.

---

It was almost two weeks later; it had taken Robin that long to go from Freedom City, New Jersey, to the coast of Costa Rica by bus and train. Now she kneeled on a wave of water, her leather longcoat undone and flapping behind her like wings, wearing her ubiquitous slacks and tee-shirt underneath. Her staff was held out in front of her like the prow of a ship, and her other hand was sunk an inch or so into the water. She could feel the presence of the water elemental, making the waves beneath her firm and speeding her on to the island.

For all her planning and careful execution, though, Robin had no idea what she was going to say to Wesley when she saw him again.

[Sandman XI]

It had been one month since Wesley and Robin had said goodbye. He took some time off for himself. Well, really he just shot off in a direction not knowing where he was going to land. When he did land it was an unspoiled tropical island The first week or two he did not notice it's beauty and majesty. He was distraught over his loss. As time went on and he had to care for himself he began living off the land little by little. Sure the thought of her never left him, he spent nights wondering what would have happened if he'd just kept him mouth shut. How they would still be together. Ignorance is bliss, the old adage goes. The island was plenty bountiful for him. He had all the coconuts and bananas he could eat. The voodoo paint had long been washed away. and the pants were more a hindrance than a cover.so there he was. White sand, clear water, jungle area that he hadn't explored all the way; a tropical paradise and all he could think about was Robin. He had just finished lunch when he saw something... something that couldn't be real. A dream it had to be. It looked like Robin was riding a giant wave. He stared with awe, not knowing what to make of this vision. He was soon alerted to the fact that this was very real.

[Raveled]

Robin coasted right up to the high-water mark, the elemental leaving her with something like regret, its presence and its mind soon lost in the mingling energy of the vast ocean. She stood and leaned on her staff, her legs unsteady and half-asleep from the long journey. While she waited for her limbs to stop tingling, she looked Wesley up and down. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, but somehow seeing him against the backdrop of a deserted tropical island aroused feelings in her that Robin wasn't prepared for, though in retrospect she should've expected them. The sorceress took a deep breath before speaking. "Wesley. I see the tropical life style agrees with you."

[Sandman XI]

Her voice. Wesley knew her real voice. It was sweet to him. It was much more satisfying than anything he dreamed of. He smiled warmly when she spoke, and then he actually listened to what she said. "Oh," he said picking up a large dried out palm frond and put it in front of himself. It was one of the few he used to protect him from some of the rainy weather. "Sorry about that." Why was she here? To take him back? To drive the nail into him further? Whatever it was it was good for him to see her again, if only for a few seconds of happiness. He could hear his heart beating that beat again. That beat he he hadn't heard in over a month. He slowly stepped forward a bit, gauging her reaction. "I'm glad you're here," he said softly.

[Raveled]

Robin smiled to see Wesley's modesty, so unnecessary in a place like this. "I'm glad to see you're alive," she replied, stressing the last word. "I tried calling you a week after the concert. You weren't at home, you weren't going to work, none of your friends knew what had happened to you. You'd just... disappeared." She stepped forward, touching his arm with just her fingertips. "I was worried you'd done something... Well, something a lot more stupid than run away from the world for a bit." Her expression grew grave as she continued speaking. "I don't know what I would've done if you had, Wes."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley listened attentively to Robin's concerns He knew the whole run away for a while was a bit much, but he justified it to himself everyday. He was here to clear his head and gather his thoughts. That's what he told himself, though the loneliness made him miss her even more. It was a vicious cycle of remembrance for the past month. When she touched him he could have melted right there. Feeling her light touch was a shock to his system. A happy shock, a shock he needed. And then there was sadness in her face. He would do anything to remove it from her. He took a slight step forward and embraced her with both arms. He felt his heart rise back up from his stomach. Even though he stoically stood still with his head on top of hers, this was elation. There was a short silence, but he knew he had to speak. "Robin," his voice wavered, but not for long, he spoke up, "I never meant to scare you like that. I just didn't know what to do. There were so many things in my head I needed to sort out. What I was feeling at the time was not something that could be rationally explained. I had to get my head on straight. Now, I think, everything is perfect." He looked at her with a hopeful smile, "I plead your forgiveness."

[Raveled]

Robin didn't move away when Wesley put his arms around her, but she didn't relax into his grip, either. Part of her wanted to simply melt into him, of course, but she knew that if she did it would make what she had to do all the harder. She did smile at his words, though, at his awkwardly formal tone. "It's not just me who was scared," she said. "I talked to your ex, Lynn, and I had a heck of a time convincing her not to come along on the search."

She paused and took a few steps away from Wesley, out of the reach of his arms. "Wesley, I didn't come here to tell you that everything was okay again. I didn't come here to tell you that I changed my mind. I still don't... I'm still not in a place in my life where I'd ready to open my soul to another person. I came here to talk to you, to try and help you understand why."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley remembered Lynn. It was great that she still though about him. Even though they didn't talk now. Last he heard she got a boyfriend with serious firepower. That would be awkward of him an two accounts if he just carried on like nothing happened. When Robin stepped away he let her go. He knew something was going to happen the way she did so. His arms dropped to his side and he listened to her words again. His elation was gone after she spoke. This joyous moment was not what he thought it was. He didn't understand why. He'd hoped she would explain. He was curious as to why his love was unrequited. He would not run is time. He swallowed. "I would," his voice cracked with emotion. He swallowed it and spoke as straight as he could, "I would love for you to say those things, but I know there are certain places and times for everything." Composure was hard to keep, but keep it he must. He stood ready for her, "I... am ready for this."

[Raveled]

Robin sighed and looked out to sea. "It's complicated," she said. "It wasn't too long ago that I wasn't a very nice person. I did things that... Well, if you knew about them, you wouldn't want me, Wes. I'm still adjusting to doing good." She hugged herself with one arm, still not looking at Wesley. "I need to focus on my work and my craft, but you're... Well, you're young and you're good-looking. Knowing that you were interested in me made me feel, well, good." The sorceress sighed heavily as she remembered. "It was fun being with you, Wes, but there are parts of my life that I can't let others in on. Not even you. Not for anything."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley wondered what could cause such anguish. He wanted to help her, but it seemed that Robin didn't want it at the time. Maybe Wesley had been too open with his life. He told her everything. Could he have been too pushy? Did she think she wanted her to spill everything then and there? Again, Wesley contemplated where he would be today if he had just shut up a month ago. He looked to Robin standing there. She was sad. She obviously didn't want him to approach her. He wanted to comfort her, but Wesley knew when she needed her personal space. Heck, it was part of the reason for his little vacation. "Robin," he said trying to comfort her, "You know I'm here for you. Any time you want to talk I'll be there for you. Anytime you need someone to lean on, I'll be there for you. Anything at all, I'll be there for you." He paused to let the words linger there for a moment, "But I know where my limits are. I will not force you to say or do anything you do not want to say or do. I'm sorry if I made you feel that you had to spill everything. I'm sorry if I did anything that made you feel pressured at all. Most importantly, I'm sorry if I hurt you." His heart aside, hers mattered more to him than his.

[Raveled]

Robin let out a short, harsh laugh. "Didn't want me to hurt me? Didn't want to make me worry? Wesley, I thought you were dead! I thought you'd gone and --" She bit off the end of that sentence, putting her free hand over her face and closing her eyes, while a hundred grisly scenes played out in her head. Sometimes, having a vivid imagination was a real bear.

After a minute or so, she spoke up again, hand still over her eyes. "Why? Why did you feel you had to come out to the middle of nowhere to -- to mourn or rage, or whatever you've been doing? Why couldn't you do it in the city?"

[Sandman XI]

Wesley watched Robin's sadness with a heavy heart. He didn't know that she cared that he was gone. In his grief and madness he'd thought that she had moved on and forgotten about him. Apparently she had not. How could he say this without upsetting her more? He sighed and let the words flow from within. "Yes, I left because of grief. Inconsolable grief. I thought... that's just it, I wasn't thinking. Only of the love I had lost." He paused for a second to look away to clear his eyes and throat and then looked back to her. "I never meant to scare you with this. I never meant to hurt you. Please, forgive my lapse of sanity."

[Raveled]

Robin stared out at the water for a minute, then rounded on Wesley. "You're sorry? You're just... sorry? You're not angry, you're not ticked off, you're not pissed at me? You had everything planned out, a whole future for you and me, and in a moment I destroyed it all!" The sorceress was almost shouting now and kicked at the beach, sending a spray of sand into the air. She spread her arms and faced the man, breathing hard. "I want to hear it, Wesley, I really do. Because otherwise we can make polite noises to each other and go back to the city and pretend it's all over, but it won't be. We'll still be out on this island."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley looked confused, he didn't know how to answer this. Yes, he was upset over the first big step to happily ever after turning into a slip and face plant. He wanted this to happen, but now... she wanted him to be angry about it? What deceit was this? He never wanted her to be hurt. He wanted her to be happy. He could bear the pain without showing it. But why did she want him to be angry? "Robin, I don't understand. Are you saying you intentionally stepped on my dreams of happiness? That this was all a set up?" There was a short noticeable silence. He was going to stop right there, but he kept going. Not confused, but with strong conviction in his words "Robin, I love you. I only wanted you and me to be happy. Together. Yes, I saw the big picture planned out, but I know the big picture takes several small ones to pan out. The one I had was too big for you. It possibly scared you away. I would have loved for it to go on forever. You, however, did not. I respect that." He stopped for another brief moment. "The only reason I could be angry at you is if you were playing with my heart. I think of you a better person than that. Don't prove me wrong."

[Raveled]

"Wes, no." Robin stepped up to Wesley, grabbing his arm and squeezing. "I enjoyed out time together, I really did. I'm just... not in a place where I can be with someone all the time. I need my space." She looked up at him, cocking her head slightly. "You're really not mad at me? For any of it?" She stepped inside the circle of his arms and hugged him tightly. "You're a better man than I will ever be, you know that?"

[Sandman XI]

Wesley breathed a small sigh of relief when Robin gave the answer he wanted to hear. He knew she was a better person than to play such a game. With a warm smile he brushed the hair out of her eyes when she grabbed his arm. He wanted to see her eyes, "Robin, I respect your wishes. I know all abut needing space. You are in my 'I need space zone' now." He said referring to the island. "Mad? No, I was sad for a long time. But it was never angry at you." He hugged her back as she embraced him. It felt real. Like old times. Though he knew that the old times would probably never happen again. He was happy to see her happy though.

[Raveled]

Robin relaxed in Wesley's arms, leaning against his broad chest and inhaling his scent. She felt the warmth of his body, this obvious strength and sheer physical presence, and it was a comfort. She could let down some of her defenses here, sheltered and protected by Wesley, safe inside the circle of his arms. Part of her wanted to stay there forever, to unburden herself to him and lighten her load a touch. Part of her also wanted to toss that palm leaf aside and leave the complex thinking for later.

She pushed both those parts down. The sorceress stepped away from Wesley, trailing a hand down his arm as she back up to the tide line. When her staff touched the water, she was suddenly aware of the presence of the water elemental who had carried her here, a wild, shifting, somehow eager pressure in the back of her head. She looked at Wesley from her new vantage point. "Will you be coming back to the city?"

[Sandman XI]

There was something very cathartic about the silent moment they shared there. Her in his arms, Wesley felt like he held the world. Well, everything in the world that needed to be held at the moment. He measured her breathing and heartbeat. She felt content. Then she broke away with a soft touch. When she asked her question, he smiled broadly. "Well, I do like my little paradise here. Though paradise is lonely." He chuckled and shook his head. "Seriously though, I'll need some clothes before I reenter society. Else I might make the six o'clock news!" The mental imaging of him flying in the emperor's new clothes was something to behold. "But really, I can turn into something inconspicuous if you let me tag along on your boatless ride."

[Raveled]

The tide went in and out, but the sorceress sent a trickle of her own will into it the elemental responded. Sea water started pooling under Robin's feet, forming a layer between her shoes and the beach. She drifted slowly out on the surf, halting the platform of water a pair of long strides from the shore. She was still facing Wesley, and she made sure her smile was extra-wide and easy to see. "I only contracted this elemental out to carry one," she said, "but maybe there's a way around that if the rider carried someone else. Maybe you could become a big ol' sea turtle and I could ride on your shell? Or," she added, her smiled growing sly, "perhaps a big black snake? I could wear you then, draped all over me."

[Sandman XI]

Wesley smirked and threw the palm leaf away turning into a large black snake of undetermined origin before anything could be shown. The snake slithered towards Robin grabbing her left leg and slowly crawling up her, pressing strongly enough that he held on but not so much to hurt her. It felt like a massaging sensation with the pressure and flicking tongue. Up her leg, around her hips, crossing around her torso until his head reached her shoulder. Snake Wesley covered from the left side of her neck to her inner thigh, still holding on eenough where she could still feel him shifting. "Thisss ssshould be fun."

[Raveled]

Robin felt goosebumps on her skin as the python crawled up her leg, cross her back and torso under her coat, and emerged beside her ear. Feeling the animal's muscles flex and move across her body was not unlike a massage, and the jolt of fear that her hindbrain sent when it realized she was being circle by a predator lent a further thrill to the action. All in all, it wasn't unpleasant to have the reptile draped over her like this; she should've explored Wesley's shapechanging prowess before. Still, he weighed most of two hundred pounds even in this form, and having that load just over her shoulders could be tiring. The sorceress put out her left arm palm up, inviting him to slither out there and distribute himself more evenly over her frame.

Robin examined Wesley's snake-body as he slid past her face, tilting her arm to watch the play of sunlight across the brown-black scales. "You're rather pretty in this form," she told him, as the watery platform slowly accelerated towards the shore. "Maybe, when you're out fighting criminals, you should go by Damballah. Unless you think the loa would mind."