catchall for emma

[leaberator]

Comments

[leaberator]

[ dumbly; ]

We have?

[foodbin]

I...

[ohhhhh nooooo]

I thought we were...? Look, if I got the wrong idea, I’m sorry, but...

[leaberator]

[ everything is terrible right now? ]

I... I wasn't doing it on purpose? [ was he doing it at all? WAS HE??? but he gestures towards her, as if trying to say he's not done ] But it's not like I don't... [ he's obviously struggling to say words, waving a hand around like the words will magically fall from the sky into his hand so he can throw them at her ] I just-- I don't, I mean I haven't-- I've never really--

[ he's going to die. he's literally going to die. he stops talking only for long enough to let out a really. long breath. ]

I haven't ever done this kind of stuff before, I guess?

[ he looks mortified. ]

[foodbin]

[After a few moments:]

Well, what do you want to do...?

[leaberator]

[ why would she ever pass the ball to him. ]

Like, right now? [ of COURSE right now, what is he SAYING? ] Is this... really the best time to be having this conversation?

[ she just lost a hand but also like, they kissed, so when else should they have it, dumbass, and he has that realization enough that he rubs at his face instead ]

Okay, so, what I wanna do right now is sorta bury my head in the sand a little, bear with me here.

[foodbin]

...I can wait, if you want. I mean, I’m not trying to pressure you or anything. And - there’s a few other things we should talk about either way, probably.

[leaberator]

[ all the options need to be about talking, so this is. great. ]

... Yeah. We should. Look, it's not-- it's not you. [ he did-- kiss her back, and all. ] I think it's prolly a little obvious by now I'm not... that good with feelings.

[foodbin]

...It’s okay.

[She almost laughs, but.]

Last time I had something like this [she gestures between them], it ended... about as horribly as it possibly could have, so.

[leaberator]

[ ... ]

Aliens?

[ he's. guessing. but he doesn't want to make her go into details, so: ]

As established, last time I had something like this was... never, so.

[foodbin]

Aliens.

[She confirms, shaking her head.]

This is... probably the weirdest first ever, huh?

[leaberator]

It's not that it's weird. [ well. ] That weird, anyway, if we compare it to all the other stuff.

[foodbin]

Right. Stranger things have happened, huh?

[...]

If you decide what kind of thing you want it to be, let me know.

[leaberator]

[ ... ]

Well, what kinda thing would you like it to be?

[ just. for. reference? ]

[foodbin]

...Before we talk about that, there’s something you should know. And - you’re not going to like it, but I don’t think it’s fair of me to be doing whatever this is if you don’t hear it first.

[leaberator]

[ ... ]

Okay. What is it?

[foodbin]

...Do you remember when I asked you if you had anything to go back to, when we were talking about your scars?

[...]

I don’t.

[leaberator]

[ ... ]

So, you're...?

[foodbin]

...Yeah.

[She can’t quite meet his eyes, and she seems unsteady as she talks about this, somehow.]

I don’t really know why I’m here, but - like you said. Stranger things have happened.

[leaberator]

[ ... he's silent, for a bit, before he admits, quiet: ]

Death isn't always that final. Speaking from experience.

[foodbin]

It's... different than what I thought it would be, that's for sure.

[But, after a pause:]

I'm sorry. For whatever happened to you.

[leaberator]

Tell me about it. I'm up to like, three?

[ he thinks. the last one is admittedly fuzzy on whether it counts and whether it really happened or not. ]

[foodbin]

...Jesus. You weren't kidding when you said there were people who had it out for you.

[leaberator]

[ there's a long pause, as if he's considering, before he admits: ]

One of 'em was me. [ she'd seen the scars, and he'd-- mentioned where they came from. it's not hard for her to figure it out, maybe. ] Truth is, I'm kinda hard to get rid of.

[foodbin]

...But you were trying to protect somebody, right?

[leaberator]

Sorta, yeah. [ it makes it sound so much better than it was when it's said like that. ] I was a big part of the reason he was in that mess to begin with, though.