Phos glanced up at him, his brow knit in worry. "I made a mistake," he said quietly. "A stupid one. A high school chemistry student would have known better. And now, there's all this." He swept his hand to suggest the chaos around them. He sighed, and he leaned his head on his hand. "Maybe I'm getting too old for this."
"Everyone makes mistakes that every once in awhile. Just because one thing happened doesn't mean you should stop doing what you like to do. People forget sometimes," he said, tapping his chin in thought.
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "When you get to be my age, Francis," he said quietly. "You become worried that there are problems in your brain that you can't fix. I've never made that kind of mistake before. I've done that combination thousands of times." He frowned. "I worry that it wasn't just a simple matter of forgetting."
"Hey, now. I'm sure it'll turn out just fine, but if you're that worried, then I would just take some precautions," he suggested, crossing his arms.
He leaned back against the table. "But what if they find something?" he said quietly, almost talking to himself. "What if they what they find out says that I can't work in a lab anymore? At that point, Francis, I would just be waiting for death. I'm 84 years old. I want to spend however much time I have left doing what I love, and if I lose that..." He trailed off and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just worrying out loud." (Hmm...)
Francis frowned, but he was thoughtful. "Hm. I don't think they will stop you, and even if they do, who says you have to listen? I mean, I was never given any permission to be here, and yet here I stand. It might sound crazy of me to say that, but I honestly think that you should do what you love." (Should I be worried?)
He steepled his fingertips and looked at Francis carefully as he considered his words. "If my actions and experiments are hurting the people around me," he said eventually, gesturing to the chaos around him, "then I should not continue them, no matter how much I love them. But I do appreciate your encouragement, Francis. It does help." (I'm not sure yet.)
"My advice is not best to listen to," he admitted. "I'm sure there are others with much more sensible opinions." (Oh no!)
He smirked up at him, his head resting on his hands. "That's the phrase people use when they don't know what else to say," he said. He straightened up and patted Francis' hand. "Don't worry, my young friend. Just.. enjoy your youth. That's all."
He sighed, tapping his foot in thought. "I'll sure try. I do know I've been enjoying my time more recently, and I hope that lasts."
Phos smiled slightly, but his expression clouded quickly as his worries weighed down on him again. "You kids need to hurry up and get married before I lose my mind completely," he said, half-joking.
Francis chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Ah... It's only been a couple of weeks. I hope to one day, though."
He paced slightly, crossing his arms as he thought. "Of course. You don't meet someone like her every day, and I really feel something for her. I'm just scared it will end up the same as last time. I shouldn't be, though, because her and Vivienne are way different. So yes, I would like to marry her one day."
(Awwwh.) Phos watched him, a small smile on his face. "Well, if the time comes, I don't feel that Poppy would accept only to leave you at the altar. So, don't fret over that."
"I don't think so either. She's not that kind of person. I'm worrying for no reason, but I can't help it and I don't know why." He sighed. "But I've also never felt the way I feel about her with anyone else."
Phos was quiet for a moment, his fingers drumming on the table. "She really loves you, you know," he said eventually. "I watched her relationship with that other guy... Evan, I think it was. I watched the best times of their relationship, and I don't think it holds a candle to the way you two interact." He shrugged, and met Francis' gaze. "Her whole face just lights up when she sees you, you know? That doesn't happen very often."
(Awwww oh my gosh) His eyes widened slightly, and he sat down. "Really? I knew she loves me, but I didn't compare it. I didn't really think of how much." He rested his head on his hand. "She's probably the best thing to happen to me in a long time."
