for ltbrownnoser.

[obediences]

lost in time.

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[ltbrownnoser]

Her eyebrows lift and her expression flattens with disinterest in being told that they can't split up because she's curious where, exactly, he's going to be coming from here; what the angle will be. One cannot just tell a stranger that she can't go off on her own without some follow-up unless one intends it as a threat.

He doesn't disappoint. Sarah frowns and heaves a long-suffering sigh. He's right, of course, but that doesn't make it any less appealing in her state of frustration.

For a long moment, Sarah just looks back at him. When she finally speaks, she sounds too tired to be angry. "I'm still angry," she warns him, even though she doesn't sound it at all. Emotionally, she's a little too drained to have any bite left. That could change, but for now, he's got that in his favor.

"There's bound to be something on this road sooner or later, but if you already know the road, I'm open to suggestions on whether to keep going in this direction or turn around," she offers almost grudgingly.

[obediences]

At least this is one of Luther's defining traits: that long-honed patience. You learn to practice a kind of zen mindfulness after years alone, but even before then, he'd been the steady pulse of the Umbrella Academy, plodding and predictable and measured in order to help keep the rest of them in line. The others could set their watches by him. Few things could chip through to fire up his anger properly; usually it was Diego at his worst, but even then, it was sometimes only accidental, when those barbed words hammered on a nerve that Diego didn't even know existed. So where Sarah's anger flared hot before finally burning down to these low embers, Luther's never caught fire in the first place.

"I don't know what's ahead, but there isn't much behind, either. There should be a big warehouse store a couple miles over that way, though." He jerks a thumb in the direction of north. "Do you know how to hotwire cars? Some of them are still running. If we can get one running, we can head out there, pick up what food we can, then start looking for well-situated shelter."

Talking logistics, making plans, all of it is just so comfortingly familiar that Luther realises a moment later that it's something of a comfort blanket. Falling back into strategising, building an approach for the mission they've found themselves in (even if it's not a mission at all). Just having someone to bounce those thoughts off is a relief, too. It's already an improvement over the last few weeks.

He shifts his weight from foot-to-foot, a little restlessly. There's an apology on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn't even know where to begin—

So he doesn't. Instead: "Ready to go?"