ic inbox

[headjacked]

Heyyyyyyyy, kiddo, you've reached me. Me who is Rhys. Anyway, not sure why you're trying to get in contact with the king of the dweebs, but I'm sure you've got your reasons. Reasons you should probably re-examine. I'm just sayin'.

Last chance to back out.

No?

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Comments

[headjacked]

[ When he sees that he has a message from Al he steels himself for a round of questioning and, yes, judgement. And when that doesn't come, he's caught off-guard.

Al HAS to be mad at him. Angel said he wouldn't be, that he should've spent the night by his side, but he couldn't. Instead, he spent the night curled against the wall, not speaking with anyone, and scampering away as soon as lockdown ended.

So Rhys has no idea what to think, and that shows in the hesitation in his voice as he answers. ]

Um. H-hey.

[ Pause, and a loud swallow. ]

Do you mean in the moment or just, like. Generally?

[armoured]

Well... how about both?

[He hates that the nervousness from Rhys is just about palpable, even without being able to see his face, and so he's not going to dance around the subject. They both know what he saw, and what others have told him, so pretending it didn't exist doesn't help either of them.]

It must be pretty scary to have something like that in your head, I can't imagine how hard it is to deal with. And-- I'm sorry that I had to hurt you, but I know you wouldn't have wanted to kill anyone and would forgive me. Because that? That isn't you, isn't your fault.

[SO THERE.]

[headjacked]

...scary? I don't know about scary, but. Um.

[ He would like to believe that this Jack is a friend. That this Jack was acting in 'self' defense. But he's not quite that stupid.

Quite. There's still a massive part clinging to the first part, anyway. ]

I don't remember you hitting me, I don't -- remember much of anything really, s-so. It's fine? It's fine.

You did what you had to. And I'm okay.

[armoured]

Good.

[He exhales heavily, but he's not just going to let this go.]

You know we're still friends, Rhys, right? I don't think of you any differently and I'm not mad at you at all.

[headjacked]

[ This is when a tie would be good to have, because it's something to fiddle with. As it is, he has to settle with his robot fingers. Fidgeting and weighing every word Al says. ]

...really? You sure?