#omegling

You: Oh no. JK

Stranger: Oh yes. LM

You: How bad are they? JK

Stranger: Actually, not all bad. LM

Stranger: You're pretty damn photogenic. LM

You: Yeah, right. JK I bet I look like an ass. JK

Stranger: [image attached: Jim standing at the shore, laughing and pointing at something in the distance]

Stranger: You look so young. LM

You: I WAS young. JK God, it's... really strange, to see myself like that. So much has changed. JK

Stranger: I may or may not have teared up a little. LM

You: You old softie. JK

Stranger: Shut up, kid. LM

Stranger: I gotta tell you, the Academy was probably the best go I had at college. LM

You: I could tell you were having the time of your life, y'know. Even though you liked to complain about how loud everyone was, and how the classes were too long, and everything else... You always looked like you were having fun when you thought I wasn't looking. JK I bet you've got pictures of that somewhere. JK

Stranger: Yeah, yeah. Well, everyone was loud, and the classes were too long. I stand by that. LM

Stranger: You did sneak this one at some point. [image attached: Bones smiling at the camera wryly, glass raised to his lips. His eyes look transparently fond]

You: Oh, shit. That's a good one, alright. JK I remember that, actually. It was after one of our finals were over. I think we were celebrating. JK

Stranger: You were celebrating. I was stressed the fuck out. LM

You: We were both drinking, and that's what mattered. JK

Stranger: Amen to that. LM

You: I barely remember when the other one was taken, though. JK The one of me? When was that? JK

Stranger: Uh, the first summer. LM

Stranger: I had a day off from the clinic and you dragged me to the beach. LM

You: Right! Right right right. JK I pulled you into the ocean with me and you damn near kicked my ass for it. I do remember that. JK Good times. JK

Stranger: And I would have beaten your ass, too. LM

You: Except you didn't. Because I'm so charming. JK

Stranger: You're still so full of it, kid. LM

You: And yet, you've stuck around. JK

Stranger: God help me, but I have. LM

You: It's my charm, Bones, I'm telling you. Keeps you from kicking my ass and makes sure I keep my best friend around. JK

Stranger: I gotta get my kicks with hypos these days. LM

Stranger: Can't be seen brawling with my captain. LM

You: Ouch. You wound me. Physically AND metaphorically. You're not exactly gentle with those hypos. JK

Stranger: Think of it as stress relief. For me. LM

You: :( JK

Stranger: :) LM

You: You're so mean to me, Bones. JK

Stranger: Love ya, kid. LM

You: Uh huh. JK Y'know, I don't think anyone would be surprised if you ever did actually kick my ass. They'd probably think I deserved it or something. JK

Stranger: It's not your charm. It's just that I'd have to patch you back up myself. LM

Stranger: Twice the work. LM

You: Saved by the fact that my best friend is also my CMO. I guess the universe really does work in mysterious ways. JK

Stranger: Mysterious, my ass. LM

You: Fine. Less mysterious, more "I would probably be dead by now if you weren't my CMO" ways. JK Better? JK

Stranger: Better. LM

Stranger: Man, are you lucky to have me or what. LM

You: I am. I'm lucky as hell, Bones. JK I know I'm full of shit, like, ninety percent of the time, but I really would be screwed if it weren't for you. JK

Stranger: Yeah, all right, don't go getting sentimental on me. LM

Stranger: I'd say ninety-three percent. LM

You: Jerk. :( JK

Stranger: I'm lucky, too, kid. LM

You: [delay] You really mean that, huh. JK

Stranger: Don't let it go to your head, but...yeah. LM

Stranger: I was just drifting before I met you. LM

Stranger: You gave me, you know. A purpose, a reason. LM

You: Now who's getting sentimental? JK I wouldn't be able to do half the shit I do without you, you know. You weren't the only one drifting before we met. JK Even though we're out here in space and we never really know what's coming next, I know I can face it, because you're here waiting for me to get back. JK And I know you'd kick my ass if I didn't, so it's an extra incentive. JK

Stranger: If you die, I'll bring you back just to kill you myself. LM

You: Exactly. That's a pretty good incentive not to die in the first place. JK

Stranger: There you go. LM

You: Thanks, Bones. JK

Stranger: I got you, kid. LM

You: [slight delay] I keep looking at those pictures. I'm glad you found them. JK

Stranger: Me too. LM

Stranger: There's this one, too. LM [image attached: Bones and Jim sprawled back on the grass of the quad, squinting a little at the sun, but wearing big grins.] [image attached: another picture, the same day, but this time, Bones and Jim are looking at each other]

You: We look happy. JK

Stranger: Yeah. I think we were. LM

You: We don't spend enough time with each other like that anymore. JK

Stranger: We should make plans for next shore leave. LM

You: Hell yeah. JK Something nice. Maybe I can figure out a way to get us on course to Risa without it looking suspicious. JK The crew's earned a break, too. Everyone works too hard around here. JK

Stranger: Risa? Oh hell no. LM

Stranger: You want venereal disease? That's how you get venereal disease. LM

You: Oh, come on, Bones! It's not that bad. JK Don't you want to sit on a beach and listen to an ocean for a while? You can't tell me that doesn't sound nice. JK

Stranger: Nobody better stick their dick in anything on that damn planet, is all I'm saying. LM

Stranger: The ocean does sound...nice. LM

You: He can be swayed!! JK What my crew sticks their dicks into, or not, on their shore leaves is none of my business. JK

Stranger: Unfortunately, it's my business. LM

You: Unfortunately. JK Well, maybe I'll 'accidentally' release a file on STI's crew-wide before we head out. Does that help? JK

Stranger: Off the record, yes. LM

You: Good. That's taken care of, then. JK

Stranger: "Crew" means you, too. LM

You: First of all, I'm better than that, Bones. I've been good. Second of all, I'm planning on spending time with you, remember? So it's a moot point. JK

Stranger: Yeah, all right. LM

Stranger: I mean, you don't have to spend your whole leave with me, kid. LM

You: I want to. JK I miss spending time with you. Time that's not... y'know. Me sitting in the medbay with my throat bruised because someone tried to strangle me again. JK

Stranger: Oh god, that's another thing. LM

Stranger: You know how many crew members are into erotic asphyxiation? Well, I wish I didn't know. LM

You: I'm not even going to ask. JK

Stranger: Anyway. I wanna spend time with you, too. LM

Stranger: I just don't want to hold you back. LM

You: You're my best friend. You're not holding me back from anything. JK

Stranger: Ah jeez. Yeah, all right. LM

Stranger: What did I tell you about the sappy shit? LM

You: You started it, Mister "I teared up looking at old photos!" JK

Stranger: Shut up. LM

You: Never. You love it :) JK

Stranger: I tolerate it. LM

You: You wouldn't know what to do if I stopped teasing you. JK

Stranger: Yeah, I would. LM

Stranger: Stop monitoring my poor blood pressure so close, for one. LM

You: Pfft. JK You're funny, Bones. JK

Stranger: Really missed out on my true calling in comedy. LM

You: Mm. You could have made a fortune in stand-up. JK

Stranger: Damn. Should've told me that before I ran out to space. Tougher crowd out here. LM

You: I'm too selfish. Gotta have you here with me, not on Earth making other people laugh. JK

Stranger: Making you laugh is better than a crowd. LM

You: Sappy. JK I like laughing with you. JK

Stranger: Man, I gotta stop. LM

Stranger: But...me too. LM

You: Nah, you don't have to stop. JK I don't mind that you're sappy. It's kinda nice. JK

Stranger: Yeah, yeah. LM

You: It's kinda like a reminder that I'm... not alone out here, y'know? JK

Stranger: You're not alone. LM

Stranger: Your crew loves you. LM

You: You keep saying that, but you always show up to them. Don't you think you can skip the dramatics this time and just go meet the guy? P I seriously think this is going to work out this time. P

Stranger: Because you call Shiro and literally make him drag me out of my house. -K Doubtful. -K

You: You can't blame me for having methods. P Stop being so negative. It might work. You don't know. P

Stranger: Yeah yeah, whatever. -K If it hasn't worked the past twelve times it won't now. -K

You: You have to meet your soulmate sometime, Keith. P

Stranger: Which isn't going to happen, I probably don't even have one. -K

You: Of course you have one. P I swear to god, I will drag you out of the house myself this time. I won't even call Shiro. P

Stranger: I'm not going Pidge and that's final. I have comics to finish, I don't have time for this. -K

You: Then I'll send him to your house. P

Stranger: If he comes I'm calling the cops. -K

Stranger: I'm not interested Pidge. -K

You: You wouldn't call the cops. Shiro would kill you. P I know you want to find your SM. Stop whining about it and let me help you. P

Stranger: He'd probably be the cop who shows up honestly. -K You've tried helping but nothing works, maybe I need to stop pushing it or something. -K

You: He's really excited to meet you, Keith. I've been talking you up to him for weeks. P

Stranger: [...] Let me guess you buttered me up so I don't sound like a cosplaying hermit who does costume commissions and art online and never leaves the house unless I need to run errands? -K

You: Actually, no. P For once, I think I actually managed to find someone as geeky as you are. He's in that art class I didn't want to take, and he actually makes it bearable because all he does it mumble stupid shit under his breath while the professor drones. AND the only thing he draws is fanart. He's not professional, but he's good at copying styles. I've seen some of the stuff he works on, which is why I mentioned you in the first place. P

Stranger: Huh. Is that so? -K

You: Yes. Now would you please get your head out of your ass and meet him? P

Stranger: [...] Maybe the next time I'm in town. -K

You: You're out of town? P

Stranger: No I'm at home. -K

Stranger: But I don't really have a reason to walk into town right now, so I'm staying home. -K

You: You HAVE a reason. His name is Lance, he draws anime like a nerd, and he WANTS to meet you. P

Stranger: [Long Delay] Where does he want to meet? -K

You: I told him you'd meet him for coffee at Red Lion. P

Stranger: What time? -K

You: In an hour. P

Stranger: Ugh... Fine.. I'll fucking be there. -K

You: I knew you would. Name your kids after me when it works out ;) P

Stranger: Only because Hunk is blowing my phone up. -K

You: You needed the push. P

Stranger: *middle finger emoji* -K

You: Oh, you know you love me. P Have fun on your date ;) P

Stranger: Shut up. -K

Stranger: A few minutes before they were supposed to meet up Keith walked into the cafe wearing a beanie over his long hair, torn up jean shorts, and an old shirt he bought in a thrift shop. With his messenger bag on his shoulder Keith looked around, visibly nervous before deciding to get himself a drink. Thinking back on it now, he probably should have asked what this guy looked like...

You: For what felt like the hundredth time, Lance pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it, staring down at the text he'd received from Pidge with the location of the place he was supposed to meet Keith. Keith, who Pidge hadn't stopped talking to him about for the past month. Keith, who... Lance may or may not have had a teensy little crush on, just from the lengthy descriptions from Pidge. Oh, god, he was nervous. He was so nervous. He took a deep breath and pocketed his phone once more, staring out the windshield of his car. And then, the alarm on his phone went off, and he startled violently before laughing at himself nervously and locking the phone a second time, turning the alarm off. He exited the car and locked the door, huffing out a breath as he stepped into the cafe. It was a small place; he'd never been before, but Pidge had mentioned that it was one of Keith's favourite places around, so Lance was more than willing to try it. It wasn't incredibly crowded, but most of the tables had at least one person sitting at them as he gazed curiously around the establishment upon entering.

Stranger: While waiting for his drink to be made Keith found himself a small corner booth to set up in, putting his tablet up and laying a large sketch book close to him, his backpack sitting on the table decorated with all kinds of buttons- comics, anime, cartoons, fashion- you name it. Five minutes after three the barista stepped forward and put down a large frappe on the bar calling out the name Keith, which caught the artist's attention. He stood up and walked over, unaware Lance had entered the building as he grabbed his drink, leaving two dollars in the tip jar as he always did. He grabbed himself a straw before heading back to his seat, getting comfortable once more. Keith looked at the time and frowned, glancing around. Maybe he was being stood up..?

You: The sound of the barista calling out a name got Lance's attention out of habit, and he glanced towards the counter automatically, brain slowly processing the name that had been said. And then... Oh. Oh god. Keith. She'd said Keith, and that... Fuck. Holy /shit/, that was Keith. It had to be. Lance couldn't help staring at Keith as he got his drink, couldn't help the way his eyes went wide because /shit/, pictures of him and descriptions of him didn't do him justice. Keith was /hot/. Too hot. It was a little unfair. Lance only stopped staring when he felt someone bump into him from behind, and he realised that he'd stopped just inside the doorway. His face went red as he apologised to the stranger; he was certain that it had already been flushed at the sight of Keith across the room, but that wasn't important. He steeled himself, running a nervous hand through his hair and glancing down at himself before deciding that, yes, this was really happening, and making his way across the room. "...Keith?" he said as he approached the table Keith had sat down at. "I, uh... I'm Lance. Pidge wanted to... set us up?"

Stranger: Keith was sketching when he heard his name being called again, absentmindedly rubbing the scar that was on his right cheek while observing the 3D model on his tablet. "Yeah?" Keith looked up when he heard the other begin to explain himself, looking into his eyes, "Oh. Yeah, she mentioned-..." Keith slowly stopped speaking as color came into Lance's eyes before it began spreading across the entire room slowly, as if not to overwhelm Keith. This.. soulmate.. Pidge had actually.. found his soulmate..?

Stranger: [brb real quick]

Stranger: [back]

You: Lance grinned --albeit a little awkwardly-- as Keith looked up at him, but the grin dropped very quickly into a look of absolute awe as their eyes met. He'd heard of colour before; he'd heard of first meetings being magical, incredible, amazing things. But he'd never actually even been able to imagine what it would be like. He was staring at Keith again, but this time, he could /see/ him. His eyes were a brilliant colour, so blue they were nearly violet, and his jacket was... /red/, and... "Oh my god," he whispered, head whipping about as he registered what was happening before he situated his gaze back on Keith's face. He dropped into the booth, right across from Keith, careful not to hit anything on the table on the way down but unable to stand any longer. "Oh my god," he whispered again. "Holy shit. Do you... Do you see it too?"

Stranger: Keith nodded as he looked around, in awe of what he saw. He never knew there were so many shades of color in the world... Now he understood why Shiro wanted him to find his soulmate, this feeling.. the warmth in his chest, the colors in the room.. were /magical/. "... Yeah.. I- I see it too.." He informed, looking back to Lance as he gulped.

You: "You're my soulmate," Lance whispered reverently. He honestly hadn't known what to expect, coming here. Sure, he'd already had it bad for Keith, but he'd had crushes before, and /they'd/ never turned out very well. This... This was something entirely new. And it felt /incredible/. He had no idea what he was supposed to do, but it was hard to contain the glowing feeling in his chest. His hands fluttered for a moment in front of him before he dropped them onto the table, just in front of where Keith's array of admittedly-interesting objects stopped. "I can't believe it."

Stranger: "Neither can I.. Ugh, Pidge is never going to leave me alone when she finds out she was right.." He groaned, hesitating before putting his sketchbook and tablet away, resting his backpack n his lap. "... So.. soulmates.. Uh.. I don't.. know what to say..?"

You: There was absolutely nothing that was going to stop Lance from just /looking/ at Keith. The world could have ended right then and there, and Lance wouldn't have noticed or cared, because Keith was /gorgeous/. His hair was a deep ebony-black, rich and dark where it was peeking out from underneath the beanie on top of his head. His skin was pale beneath it, and his eyes... Fuck, Lance was going to be dreaming about those eyes for a long, long time. At the mention of Pidge, Lance made a mental note to send her a thank you card. Or a fruitbasket. Or... something else she would actually like. Maybe a new phone case? It didn't matter right then. What mattered was /Keith/. "I... don't, either. What do you say when you find the one person who was made to complete you, man?" He felt himself flush and rubbed his hands over his face briefly. "Oh, god. That was stupid. Sorry. I'm... not very good at talking. Actually, scratch that. Everyone always says that I'm too good at talking, because I don't know how to shut up." He dropped his hands again. "I just never know what to say, so I end up rambling... like I'm doing right now. Oh, god. Please just pretend I stopped talking, like... when I started."

Stranger: "I didn't think you actually existed." Keith stated bluntly at the first question, looking to the side and rubbing the long scar on his face, "... If it makes you feel better I'm shit at talking, so.. I usually just don't." He informed with a sigh, glancing to Lance, looking him over. He was pretty cute, hot too.. Tall and slim with bright blue eyes that Keith would try to find the perfect shade for so he could use in a future for a commission, messy brown hair that was somewhat styled.. But he had good fashion sense- much better than Keith that's for sure. "Relax, it's fine.. I don't know what to say either..."

You: It hadn't really been something that Lance had been drawn to look at immediately, but he did find his attention pulled to the scar on Keith's face when the other brought a hand up to brush against it. It seemed like a subconscious move, either to hide the scar or just to feel it, but either way... Lance couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten it. He bit his lip against the question. Later. They would... Oh, god. They would have plenty of time for that later. For questions, and for answers, and for... learning about each other. "I'm pretty sure I exist," he stated, going for an easy smile. He was pretty sure he missed it by a mile, but hey. He was /nervous/. "You, um... Oh, god. Okay. I know we just met, and found out we're soulmates and everything, but..." He blew out a harsh breath, making a "hhh" sound. "I've literally been thinking about meeting you since Pidge showed me a picture of you for the first time, and just..." He made the sound again before planting his elbows on the table and dropping his face into his hands to hide what he knew must be a spectacular blush. "You're even more attractive in person and it's throwing me off, man. Especially in colour." He groaned, everything coming out just a tad muffled through his fingers.

Stranger: Keith's entire face turned red as Lance spoke, the male sputtering before turning to look away, pulling his beanie down in an attempt to hide how flustered he was. "I.. I'm not that attractive, that's you.. I'm just.." Keith struggled to find the words, biting his lower lip, "I'm just.. me.. you're really attractive though, pleasing to the eye to look at." He stated bluntly, the flush spreading to his ears as he spoke, the man still scratching at his facial scar.

Stranger: [brb again, sorry]

You: ((No worries!))

You: Lance couldn't help himself; even though he was embarrassed, he couldn't keep his gaze off of Keith for more than a few seconds at a time, it seemed. He looked up again to find Keith blushing, and oh /god/ the pink tinge to his pale cheeks was a sight to behold. As Keith's compliment sunk in he giggled --giggled! fuck!-- and then, before he could think better of it, he was reaching across the table and gently placing a hand on Keith's wrist to stop him from scratching at his face. "I think you're really, really good-looking," he told him honestly, fervently, even though it made him flush again to say it. "Like, seriously. You're probably the most attractive person in town. Maybe even in the world. Or the universe. Probably all of those." He was rambling again, but damn if he could help it. Keith's wrist was warm beneath his hand, and... They were /touching/ now and that glowing feeling in his chest only felt more like it was going to burst out any second.

Stranger: Keith gulped, looking down at their hands before pulling his hand away. The purple eyed man removed his leather glove before reaching out, hand shaking slightly as he laced their fingers together, their palms touching. "..." He licked his lips, keeping an eye on their hands as he felt Lance's warm skin against his cold skin, ".. I think you're biased Mr. Lance Soulmate..." He teased quietly, looking up at him as he bit his lower lip, still holding his hand on the table. "You're the attractive one and that's fucking that.. Okay?"

You: For a split second, Lance was afraid that he'd overstepped some invisible boundary when Keith pulled his hand away. He was just getting ready to stammer out an apology when Keith reached out again, and anything that Lance was going to say was lost in a haze of "Oh my god he's holding my hand he's /holding my hand/ and it feels so nice." And then Keith was /teasing him/, and Lance was pretty sure he was going to melt into the floor because the little mischievous glint in his eye was the cutest fucking thing he'd ever seen in his entire life. "Why can't we both be attractive?" he somehow managed to get out, trying for a cocky grin that he was moderately sure actually looked right. His gaze was still on Keith's, though, and the awe in his eyes hadn't diminished one bit.

Stranger: The flush in his cheeks turned almost a dark red when Lance gave that smirk, stirring his insides. God he was so fucking gay... "... Good point." He borderline squeaked. That.. that was sinful. He could be adorable then /hot/? Shit.. He was so gay it wasn't even funny...

You: Oh, man. That was... Keith was literally the actual cutest thing Lance had ever seen in his life, and it was going to kill him. He was pretty sure his heart was going to jump out of his chest, it was beating so quickly. "I try," he said through a laugh, squeezing Keith's hand gently. The grin softened to a genuine happy smile as he calmed again, the laughter fading. "You're my soulmate," he stated softly, holding on just a little more tightly to Keith's hand. "I'm so lucky."

Stranger: Keith couldn't help but laugh as Lance spoke in awe, squeezing his hand gently, "... So.. besides doing fanart in college what do you do?" Keith asked after a few seconds, stroking Lance's thumb with his own, focused on Lance's face. "Pidge didn't tell me a lot about you besides you two being in art class together..."

You: "She didn't tell you anything?" Lance asked, blinking. Okay, he and Pidge /seriously/ needed to have a conversation, because he was pretty sure he knew Keith's entire goddamn life story at this point. (That was a lie, but... he knew a fair bit about him, thanks to her incessant chatter over the past few weeks of class.) "Wow. Okay. Um..." He looked down at their conjoined hands, momentarily distracted by the gentle motion of Keith's thumb against his own. "I'm not as cool as you, that's for sure. I'm... really not that interesting, actually." No wonder Pidge hadn't told him anything. "I'm a Theatre Arts major with a background in Psychology... Long story. Not that interesting," he added with a sheepish smile. "But I work at a pet store to pay the bills. It's not great, but it's... y'know. Work." He shrugged a little. "Like I said. I'm just... me. Not that interesting."

Stranger: Keith hummed, "That's pretty neat, I couldn't do theater, camera and stage shy." He informed quietly, squeezing Lance's hand gently, "... Do you actually like animals, or is it just a job that pays for you?" Keith asked, finding himself fiddling with Lance's fingers absentmindedly, since he wasn't holding his usual fidget cube.

You: Once again, Lance found himself drawn to watch Keith's fingers play against his own. It was rather endearing to watch, actually, as he fiddled gently with the digits he was holding. "Oh, I love animals," he assured Keith, looking up at his face again to answer the question. "That was how I got the job in the first place, actually. I went in to get food for my cat, and I ended up in the little room they have with kittens, helping one of the people that worked there originally put them away because they were all being... well, kittens." He laughed, shaking his head. "And then they told me to apply, because they could use a 'cat wrangler' like me," he recalled. "It's not a bad gig. I didn't know anything about anything other than cats when I first started, but I know a ton now about all sorts of animals, so it's been neat."

Stranger: Keith grabbed his phone from his bag and tapped the screen a few times, looking through his photos before clicking on one. "I have a cat too." He informed as he showed a picture of his light orange cat, who was laying up in a homemade cat tower napping. "Her name's Socks."

You: Lance let out a soft gasp when Keith pulled up the photo, gently placing his hands around Keith's and tilting the phone so that he could better see the screen. "Oh, my god. She's so precious?!" He looked from the photograph to Keith, grinning. "She's adorable. Hang on, I think I have..." He trailed off, tugging his own phone out and scrolling through it for a second before tapping on a photograph and pulling up a picture of a small grey ball of fuzz curled up in a patch of sunlight on a carpeted floor. "This is my baby," he said proudly. "Zuli's a sweetheart... Unless she gets catnip. Then she's a demon. But I love her anyways."

Stranger: Keith got off his chair a little bit to lean forward, tilting the phone so he could see better. "... She's cute, looks really young." He hummed, sitting back in his chair, refusing to let go of Lance's hand. "I remember when Socks was that small, though it wasn't all that long ago, she's not even two yet."

You: Lance clicked the lock button automatically and set his phone face-down on the table in front of him. "Yeah. She's almost a year, now, I think?" He crinkled his nose a little in thought and then nodded decisively. "Yeah. Ten months or so, I wanna say. I can't wait until she grows out of her troublemaking phase. If... she grows out of it. Does Socks still knock things off of shelves just for the hell of it?" he asked, laughing good-naturedly.

Stranger: "... Usually just her toys or nonbreakable objects." Keith informed with a hum, "She thankfully doesn't do it really often, mostly if she wants attention and I've absorbed myself in my work."

You: Lance nodded sagely. "She could teach Zuli a lesson, then," he said. "I mean, to be fair, I'm pretty sure she thinks that everything that she can reach is a toy made just for her, so it might be a moot point," he added, squeezing Keith's hand again. It was... really easy to talk to him. The conversation felt natural, and holding his hand... It all just felt /right/.

Stranger: "Look into training her a bit, that's probably the best idea. Whenever Socks would knock something off I'd spray her in the face with some water." He informed, "It didn't take her too long before she learned that wasn't something to do and stopped."

You: "She /likes/ water," Lance said with a groan, shaking his head and then dropping it down to the table briefly, bumping his forehead against their entwined fingers. "Believe me, I've tried the spray-bottle. She thinks it's a game. Little weirdo," he added affectionately. "It's mostly alright. She doesn't usually knock expensive stuff down... Just crystals off my windowsill, mostly."

Stranger: Keith laughed quietly, hesitating before letting his hand go in favor of pushing Lance's bangs from his face, "That's a little odd.. hm.. I don't know then.." He murmured, resting his head on his other hand, watching Keith with a small, tender smile on his face, "Hm? Crystals?"

You: Lance felt his face heat under Keith's touch, but he leaned into the hand brushing his forehead with a soft smile. "Oh, y'know, like... Rocks with healing properties and stuff?" He sat up again and almost immediately snuck his hand back into Keith's, lacing their fingers together once more. "Quartz, Tiger's Eye, Malachite... My older sister got me into it. She's really into the whole... Aura, Crystal, Energy thing, and she turned me onto it. I wasn't sure about it at first, but it actually kinda helps." He dug in his front pocket with his free hand for a second before coming up with a black rock, smooth, shiny and shaped into a circle. "Here, see? This is Hematite. It helps with stress," he stated, holding it out for Keith to take.

Stranger: "... Oh, I've heard a little about that.. Hunk's mentioned it to me a few times I think when he came over to make sure I wasn't dead." Keith hummed, smiling as their fingers were laced back together. ".. That's neat.. Maybe you could teach me more sometime." He requested, reaching out to touch the rock but not taking it. He had no place to put it where it wouldn't get lost after all.

Stranger: [Academy!Era, Mutant!AU] Leonard, being a Cadet, was too often reminded of the skewed relations between mutants and humans, especially when the mutant was insubordinate to the human. He wiped sweat off his brow. A quick glance in a mirror confirmed that he looked pale and drawn, but there was no stopping. The MedBay wasn’t often this busy, but a starship with numerous casualties had just touched base and Leonard’s Chief Medical Officer hadn’t batted an eye before ordering Leonard to abandon his normal doctor skills and instead use his healing powers. That Leonard’s power drained him and hurt him didn’t matter. Leonard, tiredly, stepped away from a biobed, putting the patient to rest with a hypo, the world a little unsteady as he took a deep breath to settle himself after healing an internal injury with just his power of healing. He looked up as the door to the MedBay opened again.

You: The starship touching down had set off major alarms, and Jim had been one of the first cadets on the scene, helping people from the ship and getting people on stretchers to bring them to Medical. Everyone was just another set of hands in an emergency, and this was no exception. It didn't matter who you were or what your ability; if you could help, you were helping, especially with Admirals arriving on the scene barking orders to get the worst casualties off the ship first. It felt like forever before the stream of officers and crew finally slowed to a trickle, with the least damaged crewmen and women stepping off once it was clear that their fellows had gotten the attention they required. As soon as he was able, and as soon as he deemed it safe, Jim was off, on his way to Medical to offer assistance there if anyone needed it of him. He didn't know a ton about medicine, but he was a steady pair of hands if they wanted him. The doors to Medical slid open, and Jim stepped in along with a small group of other cadets who'd obviously had the same idea as himself; he followed them inside, gaze already darting around and then locking on Bones. He hadn't even considered what Bones might be doing, but catching sight of him was both a welcome relief and... concerning. He looked a little bit like death itself. Jim broke away from the other cadets and made a beeline towards his friend as quickly as he could without drawing extra attention. "Hey, Bones," he greeted carefully. "How ya holdin' up?"

Stranger: Leonard had been absolutely absorbed in work, so when he suddenly heard his nickname called out, his head snapped up, for a moment a wild look in his eyes before his look settled on Jim and he visibly relaxed. "Jim," he acknowledged, his voice soft but not weak. He was still standing, exhausted but not completely drained just yet. "Busy," he answered, about to say something more. With Jim, he could always say more, the kid had grown into one of his closest friends. Yet even Jim wasn't entirely aware of Leonard's position in the MedBay of the Academy. As cadets, they were obviously down the chain of command, expected to follow orders. But whilst Starfleet prided itself on equal treatment of mutants, it did not always know how to treat them equally. Leonard had wanted to be a doctor before he knew his mutation was a healing power. The two were almost laughably mismatched—healing cost him pain and energy, both of which he couldn't use as a doctor. Healing, he could only keep up for so long, whereas he was tireless as a doctor. And both as healer and as doctor, he could save lives. Today, though, the CMO was ignoring him as a doctor and only using him as healer, something that many colleagues did as the work piled up. Healing was a quicker fix. Except that at a certain point, Leonard couldn't heal any more. He was trying, struggling, to find a way to express a fraction of this to Jim, somehow lift a bit of the burden—and then he was called over by an assisting doctor. "Her rib is puncturing a lung," he was told as he approached. Leonard nodded grimly, looking up at Jim, knowing that for someone not in the medical field, he had a pair of the steadiest hands ever seen. "Jim," he called out. "I need your assistance. Wash your hands and get over here, you need to hold a rib into place whilst I heal."

You: For a moment, it seemed as though Bones was going to say something else. He had a look on his face that suggested it; Jim knew that look well. It was the look he got whenever there was something wrong and he didn't know how to talk about it. Jim knew he got a similar look on his own face, too, whenever the situation was reversed. It happened a fair bit, between them, but they'd both learned how to read each other well in their time at the Academy together. Leonard was the closest friend Jim had ever had, hands-down... Which was why he was watching him closely now, trying to figure out if he was exhausted because of the endless influx of patients they'd just gotten in, or because he had been Healing them, or both, or something else. But he didn't get a chance to figure it out before Leonard's name was called, and he stepped awkwardly to the side as Bones rushed away from him. It wasn't for long, though; he nodded vehemently and snapped to attention when Bones called him over, and he washed his hands speedily and thoroughly before shaking them dry and making his way to Bones' side. He snatched a pair of gloves from a counter on his way, and pulled them on before readying himself to follow Bones' instructions. "Just tell me what to do," he said, holding out his hands in indication that he was ready.

Stranger: Leonard was already bowed over the patient when Jim returned to his side. Starfleet Medical wasn't entirely incapable, even in their most stressful moments when they tended to rely too much on Leonard's healing. They had been fully functioning before he came around and they would be after he headed up into space, too. It was just a matter of getting lazier, or, today, pushing to save more patients. So the woman in front of him was already under anaesthetics, fully prepped for surgery, the patch of her chest, where the open wound was, cleaned and bare. Leonard studied it for a moment, checking the scans, then clasped the rib. "I'm going to hand this over to you," he told Jim. "I'll have to heal the moment I pull it out of her lung and I'll heal the rib after, so I need you to keep holding it until you see the break mending. If it slips back, it will just puncture her lung all over again. Be careful of the blood, it's not easy to hold." He hated giving Jim the gruesome task, but they didn't have nurses to spare and he knew Jim could handle it. "You ready?" he asked softly, looking his friend in the eye, needing to make sure he could do this. Even though Jim didn't see him heal often, Leonard preferred to have his friend by his side. Healing made him vulnerable, he needed to be completely focused on one thing, and all surroundings faded away. He trusted no one more than Jim to make sure nothing happened in such a moment, even if it was just stopping someone from distracting him.

You: Being on Command track meant that Jim had seen some shit. They had to prepare potential Command for the worst case scenario /all the time/, it seemed like, which mostly came in the form of showing them informational holos and weeding out the faint-of-heart with gruesome tales of dead bodies lost in space. Jim didn't like it, especially when it scratched the surface of his own less-than-ideal past, but he could handle it. He could handle this, too, and he tried to make his expression as reassuring as possible as he listened to Bones' instructions. "I'm ready," he told him firmly, meeting his gaze and holding it. He took a short breath to steel himself before stepping in closer to Bones and reaching out, ready to take ahold of the bone as soon as Bones removed it from the lung. This wasn't something he saw very often; unless it was absolutely imperative, Bones usually preferred using his doctoring skills over his mutant ones. But it was a process that had always fascinated Jim; the first time Bones had grumpily Healed something on him, Jim had been absolutely thrilled, until he'd realised the toll it actually took from Bones in the long run. He trusted Bones to know the extent of his abilities, but he also knew him; he knew how much he /cared/ about people. He just hoped that he was pacing himself.

Stranger: "Take over," Leonard instructed Jim with a steady voice, pulling the rib out and shifting it back in its original position, finding Jim's steady fingers there to keep the bone in place. As expected, blood poured from the wound immediately and Leonard pinched it shut. He sucked in a breath, then, his eyes completely fixated on the wound. With his free hand, he reached out, first manually taking pulse, then moving his hand above the patient's mouth, right under her nose, monitoring breathing. He already felt the familiar sparkle under his fingers. Leonard's mutation was surprisingly anticlimactic. There were hardly any visual signs of it, except for the ultimate healing of wounds. To anyone, it would just seem like Leonard was standing still over a patient, focused but not doing anything. In fact, his body was pouring energy into the patient's body, coaxing it to heal itself whilst with his mind and concentration guiding the healing so it went well and effectively. When Leonard was younger, it had come instinctively—now, as an experienced doctor, he had the benefit of knowing anatomy next to following his gut. At first, it was just the spark he felt, but then the connection grew stronger. Everything else faded out. It was him and the patient, and the burning of her lungs. It was terrible, the feeling of drowning, choking, feeling blood in your lungs, cutting off oxygen, all the whilst the pain was so sharp it hurt and every desperate attempt at taking in breath tore at muscles that he didn't even know existed. Leonard threw much paler, even coughed wetly though the wound was not in his chest. It was the price of his power, experiencing the pain, fighting through the overthrowing hurt. He sucked in a breath, desperately tried to keep breathing as he drove the blood out of the lung, healed the wand, slowly, even so slowly knitted the bone back together.

You: Immediately, Jim replaced Leonard's hand with his own, finding a grip on the bone with only minor difficulty. It was as slippery as Bones had warned him it would be, but the gloves gave him enough traction to hold on without his fingers slipping against the blood. He glanced up at Bones, gaze darting between the woman's wounds and his friend's face as he began to Heal her. It was fascinating to watch, as the wound began to close itself underneath Bones' fingertips, but it didn't come without a price. It was all Jim could do to keep from wincing as Bones coughed, hard and wet, beside him. Jim wished he could understand, despite the fact that Bones had shoved the idea away violently the only time Jim had brought it up. He hated the fact that Healing caused Bones so much pain. He could see it on his face as he Healed, as he fought to keep himself together long enough for the woman's flesh and bone to knit itself back together. A nurse began to approach them about halfway through the process; before she could open her mouth to speak, Jim gave one very vehement shake of his head and gestured with it for her to continue on her way. She gave him a dubious look, but after turning her attention to Bones and watching him for a moment, she seemed to understand, and realisation bloomed across her features as she walked away again. Jim turned his attention back to Bones, waiting for the moment where he was to let go again. And as Bones' Healing finally reached the bone, he waited until the break looked mostly healed before carefully loosening his grip, gaze darting between Bones and the rib as he watched for any sign that he was letting go too soon.

Stranger: In the last stage of the Healing, the pain was often already subsiding, not the searing hot hurt that it was before, but still present and demanding enough to make Leonard's entire body tense and shaky. It was always the strange connection to his patient that threw him off. When he was almost done with Healing, he was oddly familiar with the hurts in someone else's body, had taken them on as if they were his own. Especially in cases like these, where he could feel the bone of the rib knit but knew he couldn't focus on the fractures in the ribs surrounding it without wasting energy that he needed for another patients, it was unsettling. Leonard blinked, feeling the exact moment that the wound had healed. He lifted his hands, stumbled back but steadied himself at a cabinet right of him. "That's it," he told Jim hoarsely, tentatively breathing, feeling the air in his working lungs as if it was new. He felt utterly drained, weak in the knees and pale in his face, and he was already searching for somewhere to sit down when the CMO ran by. "McCoy, table 12," he snarled. "Sir, respectfully—" Leonard started, but he didn't get further. "Respectfully, McCoy, you should be saving lives, not slowing down," the CMO snapped back, moving on. Leonard wavered, a nurse already coming in to deal with this patient. He looked at Jim, hoping that his friend would understand his silent request, to at least come with him.

You: When there was no sign that he'd done wrong, Jim completely pulled his hands away from the patient, watching as the last of the bone sealed itself back together. He pulled off the gloves as Bones stumbled back from the woman on the table, tossing them in the nearest receptacle he could see before turning his full attention to his friend. Concern clawed at his chest when he did, too; if Bones had looked like death before, he looked even worse now. His face was pale, features drawn and pinched, and he was visibly shaking on his feet. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, running sluggishly down his face, and Jim had no idea how the CMO couldn't see it, because... he looked /bad/. The desperation in Bones' face when he looked over jarred Jim, too, and he stepped towards him, offering his hand to Bones to help anchor him when he had to step away from the cabinet he was still leaning on. "This is the last one," he stated quietly. "I know you're going to argue with me, but Bones, you can't help anyone if you kill yourself doing this. There are plenty of doctors here." He was speaking in a low voice, just under the bustle of the rest of the Bay. "They won't be bringing anyone else in because I was there when they gave the all-clear that everyone was out. I'll talk to the CMO if I have to. If you collapse on the job, you'll just be someone else they have to work on."

Stranger: Leonard had no clue how he was ever going to thank Jim enough. He had hardly even looked at his friend and Jim was already there, by his side, both physically and emotionally a pillar. Leonard gratefully took the hand, steadying himself a little, blinking rapidly as he tried to balance himself again. It took several more cautious breaths to make his body realise that it was fine, that he had been able to breathe all along. He looked up sharply when Jim mentioned it would be the last one, though, but he wasn't even able to bring a word in as Jim predicted what he was about to say. And Jim uttered the word 'all-clear' and Leonard realised what that meant. Every patient from the ship was in their MedBay—and more significantly, no one had died yet. Leonard looked at Jim in a daze, then finally nodded. He could hardly stand after this last patient. He knew he was simply not going to be able to handle many more. Perhaps more than one, depending on the injury, but he was at his limit, more than he had experienced before. "Okay," he answered in a croak. "Let's go." He was not going to waste energy on words. Instead, he led the way to the table, though he leant on Jim. Stepping into the room, there were already two doctors bowing over the patient. Leonard's gut turned. There had been an explosion, he knew, but this engineer—he had been caught in the middle of it. There were burns and lacerations everywhere. "Run me through it," he said sharply and one of the doctors looked up. "It's too much," he answered immediately and damnit, Leonard could have expected that. "We cannot work on everything at once but we neglect something, and he dies." The man was already on life support. Leonard stepped forwards, as if in a daze. "Leave the room," he ordered to anyone but Jim.

You: When Bones nodded, something in Jim's chest unknotted itself, just a little bit. As long as Bones wouldn't argue, wouldn't protest, they would be okay. /He/ would be okay. He helped Bones away from the cabinet and let him lean on him as they made their way carefully across MedBay, into a room that Jim had to assume was twelve. He sucked in a sharp breath at the sight that greeted them; the man on the table was more burn than flesh, and the life support machine beside him glinted cruelly in the bright lights of the room. This... this /had/ to be Bones' last patient. Jim wasn't going to let him do anything more after this, because this? He could already /feel/ that it was going to be bad. There was some dissension from the two doctors in the room, but they both left after Bones barked out his hoarse order. Jim had felt Bones' grip tighten on him when he'd made the order; he assumed he was to stay, and presumed that he'd assumed correctly when the door slid shut behind the two doctors and Bones didn't glare at him to leave, too. "What can I do?" he asked quietly, tersely, gaze fixed on Bones' face.

Stranger: Leonard clenched his jaw. He looked up, first past Jim, to check whether the door was closed—which it was, but behind the glass he could see the doctors alerting his CMO, personnel taking note. They had seen Leonard's power with the healthy distrust of science-based doctors who couldn't explain what happened from the beginning onwards, but never had a task been so visible as healing the amount of surface damage, but also internal bleeding, that this patient had. Leonard met Jim's eye then, wondering if his friend could see his trepidation. "Don't let anyone in," he instructed softly. "Unless—" He hesitated, glancing at the patient, feeling his body tremble still, his energy so, so low. "Unless if I pass out. But before that... Make sure I don't fall." He wasn't sure if he would be strong enough to keep himself up whilst healing. He moved to the patient's side, then, putting two careful fingers on his pulse in his neck, hardly feeling it flutter, before he moved his hand to lie on the man's heart. He forced himself to look at Jim once more. "Let me keep Healing," he whispered. "I don't... I don't want him to die." The connection of Leonard not wanting the man to die whilst he was healing him was left unspoken, but it hung in the air. It was a selfish sentiment, but being so in touch with a body was heavy enough. Leonard wasn't sure what would happen if this man died. He sucked in a breath, then, closed his eyes. The spark was there—and almost instantly, the pain slammed into him, feeling so physical it made him stagger immediately.

You: There was a lot that Jim wanted to say in that moment, but the stubborn contradiction about Bones' health and safety died on his tongue at the look Bones gave him. "I'm here," he stated instead, swallowing hard. If he couldn't stop Bones from doing this, then he would do whatever he could do help him, instead. "Do what you have to do." He took a step closer to Leonard, and still watching his features closely. As soon as Bones shut his eyes... Jim found himself moving without thinking, catching Bones and keeping him both physically upright and near the body lying on the table. He grunted a little with the sudden increase in weight against himself, but tried to be as quiet as he could about it, and managed to somehow maneuver himself so that he had one arm around Bones' shoulders and the other around his waist. He could feel him trembling, could feel his entire body shuddering as he Healed, as he did whatever it was that he had to do in order to Heal, but... he didn't stop it. As much as it scared him --and damn it, he hated to admit it, but he /was/ scared-- he'd made a promise to Bones, spoken or unspoken, and he wasn't about to break it. He just tightened his arms around Bones and bit his lip, gaze darting once more between Healer and patient.

Stranger: It was unlike anyone Leonard had ever healed before. Usually, there was some sort of purpose to the pain. As overwhelming as it could be, he knew what he had to work towards, he knew how bones had to knit or cuts had to heal or blood had to clot. He could work through the pain, pour in energy, focus on the actions that the patient's body needed to take at an accelerated pace. This was different. The pain was everywhere, all over his skin, in his organs, burning and eating away. And as much as his mind fought to combat it, he could feel his body take the brunt. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered how he was not on the ground yet, but he was up, and his hand was on a faintly beating heart and he knew he had to strengthen it. Leonard's body shuddered uncontrollably, sometimes startled into convulsions before he got it under control again. Slowly, over the course of long, painstaking minutes, skin began to mend, spreading from the heart to the limbs. Half an hour passed, forty-five minutes, and the vital signs grew stronger as Leonard grew paler. He was no longer sweating but cold to the touch and clammy as he poured in his last energy, internal bleeding lessening, the damage reducing. A sickening wave of pain hit him suddenly again, when he felt the body trying to breathe on its own but the burnt lungs not being ready for it and Leonard gasped for breath himself, rasped it in, threw one more burst of energy in—and he screamed. He had never screamed before but the raw yell left his lips almost like an afterthought before he crumbled against Jim. His body felt strange and where the patient on the table was almost healed, to a stage where it would take just some hospital days, Leonard struggled. Desperately, he tried to suck in air, unaware that his lungs were working fine, and if he would have been strong enough, he'd have grabbed onto Jim, but now he only managed to open his heavy eyelids, trying to find his friend's face in blind panic.

You: The tension in the room was heavy, so thick that Jim could have cut it with a knife, but the only thing he wanted was for Bones to be alright. He wanted the patient to live, of course he fucking did, but Bones was the one he could /feel/, and Bones was his best friend and he was shaking like a leaf, dead weight in his arms. But the patient was healing. He was being Healed, of course he was. That was what Bones /did/. Jim could feel his chest swelling with pride, even as his concern only grew with every moment that passed. The changes were slow, but they were there; Jim watched with a feeling of awe as skin smoothed itself over, as the vital signs visible at the head of the biobed grew stronger. He knew the basics on how to read them, knew how to watch for any sudden drops. There /weren't/ any. The signs only climbed as Bones' trembling grew even more violent. He lost track of time, could only pay attention to holding Bones up, to watching the vital signs and the face of his best friend as he fought to Heal the burned body before them. He had no idea how long it had been when Bones finally convulsed explosively, a cry ripping from his lips. Jim startled at it, but his grip on Bones tightened instinctively as the man struggled in his arms, as he fought, apparently to stay on his feet, his head lolling somewhat to the side and his eyes shooting open and darting around. Jim held him fast, noted the way that he'd taken his hands off the patient, and hoped to God that he wasn't fucking something up as he readjusted his grip on Bones. He was still holding him up, one arm wrapped firmly around his torso, but he placed his other hand against the back of Bones' neck in hopes to ground him, to force him to look at him. "Breathe, Bones," he said, a hint of desperation lacing through his voice. "You're alright. You did it. He's going to be okay, Bones. Breathe. I've got you. I've got you, you're okay. It's okay."

Stranger: Leonard, even in his panic, started to become aware of the pressure on his chest, an arm hooked around his body there, a solid body pressed against his, keeping him up. Jim's face was there, in front of him, and his head suddenly was easier to lift, with a warm touch on his neck. Leonard's dazed eyes flickered even when trying to focus on Jim's eyes. The world was blurry, tilting a little, but Jim's stark blue eyes were like a beacon, never hard to find. It was air that was the problem. Leonard desperately tried to suck in breaths, his chest rapidly heaving as he fought to breathe. His lungs felt like they were burning, his heart as if it was going to beat his ribs broken. But there was a voice and something told Leonard the voice belonged with Jim's blue eyes. It told him he did it, he had to breathe, that someone else was going to be okay—and Leonard had /felt/ that, had felt breathing kicking in, a stronger heartbeat. Leonard, tentatively, took a slower breath, suddenly got dizzy from the air that met him. His eyes settled more steadily on Jim's as he breathed, first weakly and rapidly, but slowly more naturally. It took long, painful moments, but Leonard let himself be coaxed back into awareness, still heavy in Jim's arms but breathing as he blinked wearily. "L-let 'm in," he croaked in a barely audible whisper, something telling him doctors needed access to the patient.

You: "There you are, Bones," Jim said softly, voice calming to something of a murmur as Bones began to get control of his breathing. He'd stopped flailing when Jim had started speaking, and he held Bones' gaze as he breathed, continuing a quiet stream of encouragement under his own breath as Bones calmed himself down. He glanced towards the patient on the bed at Bones' whisper, and then slowly nodded, glancing around the room. There was a chair a few feet away, on the other side of the room from the door, and Jim carefully tugged Bones towards it. "As soon as they take over, I'm getting you out of here," he told him, a promise heavy behind the words. For the moment, though, he half-carried Bones towards the chair and helped him into it before hurrying to the door to key it open and let the other doctors back inside. He didn't stay near the door; as soon as it began to slide open, he turned and crossed the room again, placing himself protectively at Bones' side and dropping a hand gently to his shoulder, as much to comfort him as to reassure him that he'd hold him up if he needed it.

Stranger: Leonard felt Jim doing something, guiding him somewhere, but everything felt out of touch. He wasn't entirely sure whether he walked there, or whether Jim carried him, but suddenly, he sat slumped in a chair. He blinked tiredly, trying to make sense of the world, but even with his eyes open, everything seemed dark and blurred. There was some noise, and people poured into the room. Leonard felt as if he was drifting again, but then there was a familiar touch on his shoulder and he slowly looked up, seeing Jim. The CMO headed into the room, too, nodding as a nurse confirmed the improved vitals. "Good. McCoy, take ten, then I want you back in trauma," he said, hardly even looking at Leonard. A nurse frowned. "Sir, I think we might have been misunderstanding his mutation, he seems almost ill," she said slowly. It was common thought among the MedBay staff that Leonard's powers were incomprehensible, but had the same result as a successful surgery. They knew it tired Leonard out a little, but so did a surgery—it was stressful work. Why he insisted on surgeries over his power, they didn't understand, not seeing his discomfort as a good enough argument against saving lives. Yet the nurse saw that Leonard was not just experiencing discomfort. The CMO shook his head, looking at Leonard. "I'm giving him a break, no one else had that. McCoy, ten minutes. Then I want you doing surgeries again," he said firmly. Leonard hardly registered the words, but he got as far as knowing that his CMO was talking and weakly, he attempted to stand up.

You: "Sir, if he keeps going like this, it's /going/ to kill him," Jim stated, piping up from where he stood beside Bones. He felt Bones attempting to stand and pressed down gently with the hand still on his shoulder. It didn't take much to keep him from continuing to try, and that scared Jim a lot more than he wanted to admit. "It takes energy for him to Heal people. /His/ energy. I know that he's an important asset for you," Jim drew himself up, just a little, drawing on reserves of strength and attempting to sound as professional as he could. "--but if he uses too much energy, he's going to end up as another patient. I don't know if you can afford that right now. Let him take a break. He needs to get his strength back. Ten minutes isn't going to be enough time for that, not remotely." He ran his thumb gently along Bones' shoulder, a comforting gesture for both Bones and himself as he stared into the face of the CMO. "He could barely stand, before you all came in. He needs to rest." He swallowed hard but stood firm, back straight and gaze firm.

Stranger: Leonard was easily deterred from standing up. There was a heavier touch on his shoulder and he succumbed instantly, his knees weak but mainly the idea of not standing being too appealing to resist. He heard people talking, but the voices went over his head. There was a lingering touch on his shoulder and he found his head tilting sidewards, leaning against the arm of the person caressing his shoulder. Jim. It was Jim, and Jim meant he was safe. The CMO looked momentarily taken back by a cadet speaking up against him, and he opened his mouth to argue. "Cadet, all surgeries take energy," he started, but he faltered, /really/ looking at McCoy now. He had been busy running the MedBay, performing surgeries, and he hadn't looked at any of his staff well enough, because they counted on each other to just keep going. But McCoy looked like death warmed over. He was white as a sheet, his lips dry and blue bags under his eyes. His look was unfocused, his hair plastered to his forehead. McCoy was trembling, slumped over. Any doctor would have shown him a bio bed hours ago and the CMO could curse himself. "Very well," he finally said. "Cadet Kirk, take McCoy to his quarters, make sure he gets looked after. I'll see him in my office when he's ready to report on his performance today." With that, he simply left the room. Leonard blinked wearily, partly aware of what had happened, but not enough to respond properly. "Jim..." he muttered tiredly, a wave of exhaustion hitting him. He could breathe, and sitting down made sure his eyesight improved, but he was weary to the bone, utterly drained. He knew he wanted to rest, but didn't even have the strength to consider where he could go to get it.

You: Jim was ready to argue, poised to respond, when the CMO paused. Instead of opening his mouth, Jim followed the CMO's gaze to where Bones was sitting, watching as Bones' head fell to the side to rest against his arm. He tightened the hand on Bones' shoulder just a little, absently, protective despite himself, as he looked back up at the CMO when the older man spoke once more. He nodded tightly at the order, ignoring the way the CMO swept out of the room, leaving the other two doctors behind. The two were already busy, checking vital signs, running scans. They paid no mind to Jim as he crouched slightly in front of Bones, reaching out for him. "I know, Bonesie," he murmured. "I'm gonna getcha to bed. Gonna get you up, now, first, though..." It was all the warning he gave before he tugged Bones upright, pulling one of Bones' arms over his shoulders and catching him with an arm back around his waist. It wouldn't be nearly as quick as he wanted, but he knew he'd manage okay getting Bones back to his quarters. He was strong enough to carry him, even with the way he was hanging onto him like dead weight. He nodded a little awkwardly at one of the doctors, whose gaze followed them as Jim carefully maneuvered them from the room, and then shifted his focus entirely to making sure that they were moving as well as they could together. "You just focus on breathing," he added to Bones as they made their way through the MedBay. "I've got you, promise."

Stranger: Leonard suddenly had Jim in his vision again, his startling blue eyes once again a focal point to focus on. He was talking and Leonard could get himself to pay enough attention to understand that they were moving. There were steady hands on him, pulling him up and though he tried to stay on his feet, he faltered, but Jim was there again, catching him without hitch. Leonard wasn't aware of the looks of patients and staff on him, ranging from pitying to grateful. He tried to help out Jim by setting some steps, but then his friend spoke again and Leonard managed to even out his breathing a little more. Painstakingly, he managed to keep his head a little more up than before. It was still lolling, but he was coherent enough not to let it hang entirely. He blindly trusted Jim to take him somewhere, not even second guessing the grip his friend had on him. And when the promise came, a ghost of a smile flashed over his face. "I know," he whispered hoarsely.

You: A small smile found its way onto his face. It was terse, but it was there, and Jim couldn't help it as he led Bones out of Medical. He didn't know how he'd managed to find someone who trusted him so implicitly, whom he would trust just the same if the situation had been reversed --and who he had, on several occasions, allowed to lead him in much the same manner on nights when he'd had too much to drink at one of the local bars right off-campus-- but he was glad that Bones was letting him help. They made it out of MedBay without much of a hassle --Jim ignored the looks that they received as they walked through-- and he turned towards the dorms, only to realise that he didn't /actually/ know the code to Bones' room. In the state he was in, Jim had his doubts about Bones remembering it... /and/ there was the added concern of Bones' roommate, who wasn't a bad guy, necessarily, but... Mm. Something about him had always struck a weird chord in Jim. So he turned towards his own dorm instead once they reached the fork. His own roommate, he knew, would most likely not be there. He'd been showing up in their room less and less frequently; Jim had heard a rumour that he had a partner off-campus with their own apartment, but he wasn't going to judge. It just meant he got a room to himself, and he wasn't going to complain about that. It took longer than Jim would have liked, and Jim's shoulders were definitely going to be feeling the effect of holding Bones up the way he was, but it was worth it to get him somewhere that he could rest and regain... himself. When they reached his dorm, Jim keyed in the code and led Bones inside, depositing him on the bed as gently as he could.

Stranger: Everything went in a blur after that. Leonard's body was reduced in one single throbbing ache. He could breathe now, and the panic was gone, but instead his body was so drop-dead tired that his heartbeat was slowed down and his breathing slightly more shallow. Absent-mindedly, he managed to set some steps, but there were more to make sure that Jim wasn't dragging him rather than actively helping him. Leonard was slung over Jim's shoulders like dead meat. And suddenly, they were in a room, and Leonard didn't have the coherency to wonder whose it was as he felt a bed underneath him. A soft, pained sound escaped him as he was lowered onto the pillows, but his face had the expression of relief after pure desperation. Surprisingly fast for his state, but still slow for any other terms, Leonard gripped Jim's wrist. He blinked blearily, a hint of discomfort on his face. "Stay?" he croaked, his grip weak but the plea clear in his eyes. He needed someone he trusted, someone close, breathing, not hurt, warm, comforting. Hell, he only had one person who trusted like that. Jim.

Stranger: Sorry, this is weird but this is Evan from the computer lab and I really need my letter back not to bother you or anything but it wasn’t meant to upset you I’m really sorry! -EH

You: How did you get my number? CM

Stranger: I asked Alana because Alana has everyone’s number, you know? That’s kind of her thing and I said it was an emergency and she said you worked on a project together in sophomore year and yeah. EH

You: Whatever. CM

Stranger: So hi sorry I really need my letter back! Sorry! EH

You: Just print another one out, Hansen. Leave me alone. CM

Stranger: I promise it wasn’t to be weird or anything or make you upset, you know? It was actually an assignment for therapy, funny, right? Actually that’s not funny but that’s not the point sorry! EH

You: Whatever. CM I know your friend probably put you up to this. You don't actually seem like an asshole. Just leave me alone, okay? CM

Stranger: Jared? God no, Jared makes fun of my therapy letters, he thinks they’re sex letters, actually, which is really inappropriate and it’s not like that at all because I would never think about Dr. Sherman that way and imagine how inappropriate that would be. EH

Stranger: I don’t think about anyone that way! Not that I’m weird or anything because I still think people are pretty and stuff, but Jared makes everything sexual? EH

You: You text the way you talk. CM Why did you write about my sister? CM

Stranger: Sorry! Sorry I’m just really nervous but not in a bad way because of you but because I’m always nervous and it’s part of the anxiety thing. EH

Stranger: I wrote about Zoe because she was nice to me and when you pushed me in the hallway she asked if I was okay and she’s really smart and just? I’m being weird sorry! EH

Stranger: Also because she’s pretty but I don’t mean that in a predatory way because you’re pretty too and maybe it’s just good genes or something I don’t know! EH

You: [delay] I'll give your letter to Zoe. She'll give it back to you. Sorry for pushing you and yelling at you and shit. CM

Stranger: It’s okay! I’m not mad and I don’t think you’re a bad person or anything but those are personal and really embarrassing and Jared’s my family friend and he still makes fun of me for them so I can only imagine what strangers would think if it got into the wrong person’s hands. EH

Stranger: It was my fault. I wasn’t laughing but I was coughing and it was bad timing so don’t feel bad! EH

You: [another delay] I don't think your letter is embarrassing. CM

Stranger: My mom says that too. But it kind of is because it just proves that I’m lonely and a loser and stuff? Like, a freak? So it’s kind of embarrassing because it feels like I’m admitting it and it’s not wrong but it’s still not something I want to admit to other people. EH

You: You're not the freak. CM Wishing that you mattered doesn't make you a freak. Mattering in the wrong way would. CM

Stranger: [delay] I’d rather starve than order a pizza for myself. Not normal. EH

You: People think I'm going to shoot up the school, Evan. Not being able to order pizza doesn't make you a freak. CM

Stranger: Only Jared thinks that. He’s my family friend so I don’t want to say anything mean but he’s not always the wisest when it comes to human interaction, not that I have any room to judge, oh god. EH

You: He's not the only one. I'm not blind. I know how people look at me. At least you can walk into a room without people turning away like they're afraid you're going to murder them. CM

Stranger: It’s sort of funny, actually. People don’t really notice me at all? Like, I’m invisible or don’t exist. EH

You: That's ridiculous. I know you exist. Jared and Alana know you exist. Hell, my sister knows you exist, and she's arguably blind as a fucking bat. Don't give yourself so much credit. CM Speaking of, she has your letter. She gave me a weird look, but she said she wouldn't read it. I can give you her number. You'd probably rather talk to her anyways. CM

Stranger: Actually when I fell out of a tree at Ellison State Park this summer nobody noticed or came to get me, not to argue or anything, sorry! It’s annoying when people do that. Also thank you about Zoe. EH

You: I still can't believe you fell out of a tree. CM Did anyone even know you were out climbing? CM

Stranger: I don’t know! I mean there were people on the premises but when it happened I had to walk about a mile back to get to a phone or a car to go to the hospital and then my arm was bent kind of weird but I don’t think I felt it very much because of shock and I guess that’s good because it would’ve been really embarrassing if anyone saw me crying. EH

You: If no one knew where you were, then they wouldn't have known where to look for you. You're not invisible, you just suck at picking trees close to other people to climb. Ellison State Park is kinda massive. CM

Stranger: I was a junior park ranger over the summer, I know my way around that place by now, which is really cool because trees are really cool. But looking back on it I don’t think the tree was high enough to, like, seriously hurt me or anything? Only 40 feet or so? EH

You: I guess you got lucky, or whatever. CM

Stranger: Yeah. Lucky. EH

You: Yeah. CM [delay] You probably shouldn't tell anyone that you talked to me like this. You'll probably end up a freak by association. CM Especially since CM

Stranger: No, I don’t mind!! I only talk to Jared and he only talks to me because his mom won’t pay his car insurance otherwise and maybe sometimes Alana says a few words to me in the hallway but she likes you so it’s okay and also I’m not embarrassed or anything. I don’t think you’re a freak. EH

You: You probably should. CM Look. I meant what I said before. You should just leave me alone. CM

Stranger: Oh, okay sorry to bother you Connor I know this was probably really annoying and stupid and I didn’t mean to inconvenience you but thank you for agreeing to give my letter back I really appreciate it! EH

You: [delay] You don't have to apologise to me. It doesn't matter that much. CM

Stranger: Sorry. EH

Stranger: I mean.. you know. Sorry. Habit. EH

You: Seriously. Don't. CM [long delay] I want you to do something for me. CM

Stranger: What is it? EH

You: Be friends with my sister. CM

Stranger: Be friends with Zoe? I don’t think she’d want to be friends with me. EH

Stranger: I’m also really really awkward and embarrassing and I don’t know how to talk to people so I don’t see why she’d want to do that? EH

You: You're not an asshole. CM I'm not a good person, Evan, alright? This is me trying to make things right. Just. Promise me you'll try, okay? CM

Stranger: Are you okay? EH

Stranger: Sorry, that was kind of creepy and weird and maybe presumptuous. EH

You: No. CM

Stranger: No, that wasn’t weird or no, you’re not okay? EH

Stranger: Stupid question, sorry. Do you want to talk about it or anything? EH

You: No. I don't. CM Just promise me you'll be there for Zoe, would you? And leave it at that. CM

Stranger: I don’t think I can leave you alone if you’re not not okay. EH

You: I'll stop responding. CM

Stranger: Do I need to call the police or a hotline or something because I’m not very good with social cues but I’m not stupid and some of the stuff you’re saying is really concerning? EH

You: Evan. Stop. CM

Stranger: I’m sorry but I don’t know if that’s a good idea? EH

You: Look, if anyone understands, it should be you. Leave. Me. Alone. CM

Stranger: What do you mean by that? EH

You: "I mean face it, would anyone notice if I just disappeared tomorrow?" CM Just pretend you never talked to me. CM

Stranger: You’re going to do something stupid. EH

Stranger: Also. I would notice. EH

You: Yeah, right. CM

Stranger: I’m not joking. That’s not funny to joke about. EH

You: Besides. I'm not going to do something stupid. I'm just making things right. I said that already. CM

Stranger: I think you’re going to hurt yourself. EH

Stranger: I don’t mean to accuse you or anything but I’m not stupid and I’m worried about you. EH

You: It doesn't matter, don't you get that? It doesn't fucking matter. CM

Stranger: Yes it does. EH

You: No, Evan, it doesn't. My life is a fucked up mess. I'M a fucked up mess. Literally every single person who knows me will be better off. So just. Fuck off. CM

Stranger: Shut up! EH

Stranger: Oh my god, sorry sorry sorry. EH

You: Stop apologising. CM Have I pissed you off enough yet? I can be an even bigger asshole. CM

Stranger: Sorry sorry sorry I feel so bad oh my god I’m sorry that was mean? EH

You: You haven't even scratched the surface of mean, Hansen. CM

Stranger: I yelled at you and told you to shut up and that’s so mean and uncalled for and I’m really sorry? Also I’m not angry because you’re not being an asshole you’re just hurting there’s a difference. EH

You: You can't yell through a text message. It's physically impossible. CM I can't fucking deal with this. You're the only person in the world who thinks there's a difference. Just stop, okay? Everything's fine. I'm fine. Leave me alone. CM

Stranger: That’s bullshit. Sorry, not to swear because I don’t like swearing because it feels aggressive but that’s bullshit because you’re not okay and you’re going to do something stupid and I don’t want that. EH

You: Why do you even give a shit? You don't even know me! CM

Stranger: Maybe I want to? EH

Stranger: I want to. I don’t think anyone’s given you a chance and that’s not fair. EH

You: Life's not fair. I only get told that every day of my pathetic existence. CM

Stranger: This is really weird but I know you’re not okay and that’s really scary but do you want to come over or something? There’s $20 for food but I wasn’t planning on ordering so you can buy whatever you want and also I have movies and you’ll be safe? EH

You: [long delay] I'm such a fucking disaster. CM You're actually serious about this? You don't have Kleinman hiding in a closet somewhere waiting to pop out at me and call me a freak or some shit? CM

Stranger: No? Why would I do that? EH

You: I don't fucking know. CM I can't believe this. I've been planning this for fucking months and now I'm going to climb out my goddamn window and give it up. What the actual fuck? CM

Stranger: My mom is working a late shift so she won’t be home until like 2 this morning so we’ll be alone until then and also she won’t mind, I think she’ll probably give you a hug and try to thank you profusely for being my friend. EH

You: I don't even know where your house is, Evan. CM God, I'm such a fucking mess. CM

Stranger: [attachment, Google maps location] Here you go. How are you getting here? EH

You: Walking? CM

Stranger: Bring a jacket. It’s cold outside. EH

You: I'm already outside. It's nice. CM Before you start getting all 'worry,' I'm wearing long sleeves. It's not that cold. CM

Stranger: I’m always all ‘worry.’ You’re borrowing a jacket of mine. EH

You: Probably not a good idea. CM It's seriously not that cold. CM

Stranger: It’s a fine idea, you’re going to borrow one. You can’t freeze to death. EH

You: I'm not going to freeze to death. It's only, like, a ten minute walk. Give or take. CM

Stranger: It’s okay. I have black jackets, too, if you care about color? EH

You: Oh my fucking god. It's not about the colour. I don't want to bleed all over your shit, okay? CM ...I'm not sure the bandages are good enough. I ran out of my shit last week and all Zoe has are tiny ass band-aids. CM You're probably freaking out now. CM

Stranger: My mom’s a nurse. We have stuff here. I know first aid? EH

Stranger: Also, we’re poor but we do have a washing machine, Connor, it’s fine. Borrow clothes. EH

You: I won't need a jacket when I'm inside of your house, Evan. CM

Stranger: Yeah, but you’re probably wearing those skinny jeans that you always wear and I don’t know if you can breathe in those things so you should borrow clothes even if it’s not a jacket. EH

You: Breathing is overrated. CM That was a joke. Sort of. I can breathe fine in my jeans. CM [slight delay] You notice what kinds of pants I wear? CM

Stranger: Not to be creepy but yeah? EH

You: Out of all the things that people notice about me, that one's unexpected. CM

Stranger: Sorry, that’s probably really strange. EH

Stranger: Even if you’re fine with your pants if you change your bandages you should put on a new shirt. Don’t wear bloody clothes. EH

You: Not really. I mean, it's better than looking at my hair and telling me how much I look like gunman. CM I'll check the bandages when I get there, okay? No promises on anything else. CM

Stranger: That’s how you get an infection! EH

Stranger: Which won’t kill you, by the way. It’ll just be uncomfortable. EH

You: Fun facts with Evan Hansen. CM Hopefully, I won't have bled all over the place, and it'll be a moot point. CM

Stranger: The funnest facts. EH

Stranger: You should change them anyway. Apply disinfectant. EH

You: I seriously don't think funnest is a word. CM Although my phone didn't immediately attempt to murder it, so I could be wrong. CM I think I'm at your house? I don't really feel like knocking on the wrong door, though, if it's not. CM

Stranger: It’s not, but that doesn’t matter. Also, I’ll come let you in. EH

You: Thanks. CM

Stranger: [the following day] Hi Connor please avoid Jared this morning!!!! EH

You: I usually try to. Is Kleinman feeling particularly assholeish today? CM

Stranger: He thinks we did stuff last night? EH

You: You told him?! CM

Stranger: That you came over to give me my letter back because I had a panic attack, which isn’t entirely a lie. EH

You: And he thinks we did... stuff? CM

Stranger: Do you really need me to elaborate? EH

You: Knowing Kleinman? No. CM I could kick his ass, you know. CM

Stranger: It’s okay! He just knows I’m bisexual so he’s having a field day knowing I had a boy in my house even though I told him it wasn’t like that but he’s not above saying something to you about it even though he won’t tell anyone so don’t say I didn’t warn you? EH

You: I don't really give a shit if he says something to me about it. Thanks for the warning, though. CM Kicking his ass wasn't for me. I meant if you wanted me to get him off your back. CM

Stranger: It’s okay. You know what he’s like sometimes. “Connor Murphy brought your sex letter... to your house? Did you suck his dick?” Jared’s just Jared. He won’t tell anybody else, though, he’s not like that. He’ll only bug you or me about it. EH

You: He's like that all the time, Evan. CM If you change your mind, let me know. I'd love an excuse. CM

Stranger: Oh, I know. He likes to say I broke my arm jerking off. EH

Stranger: Don’t beat him up, though. Bad idea. EH

You: Sounds like an okay idea to me. CM I don't even think it's possible to break your arm jerking off. You'd have to do it a whole lot, and even then, I think your arm would get tired before it broke. CM

Stranger: Gross, Connor. EH

You: I'm just saying. CM It's easier to talk about masturbation than to think about how much I want to break Kleinman's arm, so I'm opting for the former. Be proud of me. CM

Stranger: I don’t even do that stuff! EH

Stranger: Not that’s it’s bad that people do but I don’t do that stuff!! EH

Stranger: Oh god sorry I hope I didn’t offend you? Also I hope you didn’t have an entirely miserable time last night and I’m sorry in advance for Jared. EH

You: First of all, I don't believe you. CM Second of all, I'm pretty sure it's impossible for you of all people to offend me. You literally cleaned my wounds, Evan. I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to be offended by you. Ever. CM Kleinman's not hard to ignore. I'll try not to kick his ass. CM

Stranger: Why not?! EH

Stranger: Also, you’re still allowed to be offended, and of course I was going to help you. EH

You: One of the 'Favourites' on your computer was literally a porn site, Evan. CM You're so weird. Whatever you did worked, though, because when I changed the bandages again this morning, my arms didn't start bleeding again. CM

Stranger: I’m going to die. EH

Stranger: Also, I’m glad. I told you, first aid. Fun facts with Evan Hansen. EH

You: In some of Shakespeare's work, to die actually meant to orgasm. CM Fun facts with Connor Murphy. CM

Stranger: Connor! Oh my god. EH

Stranger: Why do you even know that? EH

You: I read a lot of books. CM

Stranger: I can never read Shakespeare ever again. EH

You: The funnest facts. CM

Stranger: I hate that you’re probably not wrong, either. EH

Stranger: Now we’re going to stop talking about orgasms because we’re at school and that’s inappropriate. EH

You: Remind me to find you some Shakespeare passages that talk about dying later. It's a real treat. CM

Stranger: No thank you!! EH

Stranger: I feel like that’s your weird version of porn and I’m entirely uninterested. EH

Stranger: I can’t believe I just said that. EH

You: I do watch normal porn, you know. It's just hilarious to know shit like this and watch people squirm when I talk about it. CM Honestly, if you're not used to talking about this shit by hanging out with Kleinman, I have no idea what to tell you. CM

Stranger: You’re making me turn red in class, this is inappropriate! EH

Stranger: I usually try to block it out when he talks about that stuff. EH

You: [delay] "Hero thinks surely she will die, for she says she will die if he/love her not, and she will die ere she make her love known,/and she will die if he woo her rather than she will bate one/breath of her accustomed crossness." CM

Stranger: “Excuse me teacher may I please be excused Connor Murphy is sending me inappropriate text messages.” EH

You: "Excuse me teacher"? What are we, in seventeenth century London? CM

Stranger: I’m being hypothetically polite! EH

Stranger: Everyone knows I can’t ask questions in class so I might as well be hypothetically polite about it. EH

You: Might as well be. CM Depends on what class you were in, though. If you're in English, you might just end up in a discussion about the finer points of the use of the word "die" in Shakespeare. CM

Stranger: I’m going to cry. EH

Stranger: I can’t use the word die anymore, either. EH

You: Don't let Kleinman get wind of it. CM

Stranger: You’re joking. I would never. EH

Stranger: As soon as this conversation started I changed my passcode as a precaution. EH

You: Smart move. CM

Stranger: “You let Connor Murphy fuck you and now he’s sexting you?” Not ready for that. EH

Stranger: He’s good at hacking so I sort of have to change it frequently. EH

You: Of COURSE he's good at hacking. CM He's such an asshole. CM

Stranger: When he first learned to do it we were little. Like, 11, and he got in big trouble. EH

You: No shit. He should keep getting in trouble. CM

Stranger: I think sometimes he tries to impress boys? By hacking things? I don’t really get it. EH

You: Maybe he's trying to impress you. By hacking into your phone. CM

Stranger: I had a crush on Jared when I was 10. EH

You: Oh my god. CM You did not. CM

Stranger: Don’t tell anyone! EH

You: Evan, who the fuck would I tell? CM

Stranger: I don’t know? EH

You: First of all, you're the only person I've had more than a three sentence conversation with in like... months. Second of all, nobody would even give a shit. Or believe me. CM

Stranger: I’m sorry. EH

Stranger: Also, I promise he was cuter when he was younger. EH

You: Somehow, I doubt that. Highly. CM

Stranger: [attached picture, Evan and Jared as kids] See. EH

You: The only cute one in that picture is you. CM

Stranger: I was the dorkiest kid. Really shy, too. Surprise, surprise. EH

You: I like the sweater you're wearing. You look like you stepped out of somebody's early '90s memory box. CM

Stranger: My signature. Polos and khakis, too. EH

You: Not much has changed. CM

Stranger: I was happier as a kid, though. I know that. EH

Stranger: I think most people are. EH

You: Most people probably are. CM

Stranger: By the way, if Jared knows you have that picture he’s going to kill me, so keep that between us. EH

You: I'd kick his ass before he killed you, so. CM

Stranger: But that’s mean. EH

You: Have you MET me? CM

Stranger: You’re nice to me. EH

You: I wasn't. You were nice to me. I'm trying to be less of an asshole than I usually am. CM

Stranger: I’m still shocked that you didn’t get weirded out when I got nervous and called you pretty. EH

Stranger: Also, not an asshole, just hurting. EH

You: Agree to disagree. CM It's not that weird? It's kind of flattering, I guess. CM To be fair, I wasn't really thinking about it last night. CM

Stranger: I thought you’d hate me or something. EH

You: I've been called a lot worse than pretty. CM

Stranger: That’s weird and I’m definitely not accusing you because I don’t think you are and you didn’t give me any reason to think so but I was worried you’d be homophobic or something and the conversation freak out? EH

Stranger: and the conversation would freak you out*

You: Evan, I'm really fucking gay. CM

Stranger: Oh, cool. Boys are nice. EH

Stranger: THAT WAS AWKWARD. EH

You: I was pretty sure you already knew that? It's one of the many things people won't shut the fuck up about when they talk to/about me. CM Awkwardness is a social construct. CM Besides. You're not wrong. CM

Stranger: I try not to listen to that stuff. Especially rumors like that, because I don’t really care and it’s also really mean and unfair when people say homophobic things. EH

You: You're weirdly good at tuning shit out. CM

Stranger: After a while everything turns into a faint buzz and rattles around in my head until I actually want to pull all my hair out, so. EH

You: Sounds about right. CM Try not to do that, though. Probably wouldn't feel too good. CM

Stranger: It’s the same with cracking my knuckles when I’m having a panic attack. I’ve broken a finger more than once. Just stuff I try to avoid actually doing, but would love to act upon. EH

You: Stress balls are supposed to be good for that sort of thing. Supposedly. CM

Stranger: Stress balls make me nervous. EH

You: Why? CM

Stranger: Because when I panic my hands get sweaty and then I could drop the ball and I also have to keep track of it and what if I squeeze it too hard and sometimes they’re a weird texture that feels sticky and I don’t always like anything touching me when I have a panic attack. EH

You: Fair. CM

You: Probably best to avoid things that make you anxious when you're already panicking. CM

Stranger: I’m getting better at handling them by myself. School bathroom practice. EH

You: Thank fuck for school bathrooms. CM

Stranger: They’re kind of the worst but also really helpful. EH

You: Oh, they're fucking nasty. CM But they also don't judge you for punching walls. CM

Stranger: That’s also how you break your fingers. EH

You: I mean, you're not wrong. CM

Stranger: Be careful, you need them. EH

You: Says the guy with the broken arm. CM

Stranger: That’s different. EH

You: You're telling me you don't need your arm? CM

Stranger: I’m telling you falling out of a tree is different than punching a wall. EH

You: Eh. Maybe, but they have the same results. CM Or similar enough, anyways. CM

Stranger: Falling out of a tree could kill you. EH

You: [slight delay] You sound like me. CM

Stranger: I’m not wrong. EH

You: No, you're not. CM But sounding like me probably isn't a good thing. CM

Stranger: I’ll risk it. EH

You: I'm sure you will. CM You knew what I was planning last night. You figured it out faster than I expected. CM To be completely honest, I didn't expect you to figure it out at all. Not that I have any fucking room to talk, but maybe try not to fall out of any more trees? CM

Stranger: I can tell when something’s wrong. EH

Stranger: No promises, but I’ll wait until I get my cast off to go climbing again. EH

You: A good plan. CM Most people don't jump to the correct conclusion so quickly. CM

Stranger: Intuition. I didn’t figure it out until you started talking about making things right and being there for your sister. EH

You: My parents haven't figured it out. Neither has Zoe. CM In fact, I've literally said it to their faces. And they still don't get it. CM Try to bring a climbing buddy next time, after you get your cast off. CM

Stranger: I’m sorry, Connor. EH

Stranger: Also, haha, maybe. EH

You: I'd say it's fine, but... eh. It's whatever. You don't have to apologise because my family's full of dicks. CM

Stranger: You can always just come over. According to you it’s not that far and I’m always home alone. EH

You: If me continuing to exist is so important to you, I might have to take you up on that. CM

Stranger: You should. It gets lonely. EH

You: I'll keep it in mind. CM

Stranger: Plus there’s usually $20 for food and you can order whatever you want. Always. EH

You: Can't let you starve when there's pizza to be ordered. CM

Stranger: I don’t usually eat dinner, though, so it’s no big deal. EH

You: Yeah, you should probably not do that. CM Or... stop doing that? CM I swear to god, I hate school so much. I don't have a fucking brain anymore. CM

Stranger: Kind of a habit. EH

Stranger: Neither do I, though I’m not sure I hadn’t one to begin with. EH

You: Nah, you definitely had one at one point. First aid knowledge and fun facts don't come from nowhere. CM

Stranger: First aid knowledge comes from my mom. EH

You: It wouldn't stick if you didn't have a brain. CM

Stranger: Fair enough. EH

Stranger: You definitely have a brain, too, if you’ve read so much. EH

You: Debatable. I might have had a brain at one point, but it's fucking mush now. CM

Stranger: You know, I kind of hate school, too. EH

You: It fucking sucks. CM

Stranger: Yeah. The worst. EH

You: People are terrible and the teachers would rather be literally anywhere else and everything they bother to teach is boring as shit. CM

Stranger: I enjoy learning but the social aspects are too overwhelming. Presentations are my worst nightmare. You can ask Jared the Daisy Buchanan presentation story for a really fun time. EH

You: Given that I'm doing my best to avoid Kleinman at all costs constantly, I'll pass and just ask you instead. CM

Stranger: It was just awful, I made an absolute fool out of myself, but Jared thinks it’s absolutely hilarious. Complete with a fake stutter and everything. EH

You: Well, he's a giant bag of dicks, so it doesn't really matter what he thinks. CM The offer to kick his ass is still on the table. CM

Stranger: Don’t do that, it’s really okay. I get it, I mean, he has to hang out with me and I get that’s pretty awful. EH

You: I hung out with you last night, and I can pretty fucking honestly say that you are the only reason I'm still alive. CM So I don't see your point. At all. CM

Stranger: I just get nervous and cry a lot? I make myself look stupid in public places. EH

You: So? CM Tell him to man up and learn how to help instead of being a fucktard about it. CM

Stranger: He’s a family friend, he doesn’t have to help, it’s okay. He knows better than to touch me when I’m having an anxiety attack and that’s enough. EH

You: A family friend? That sounds like bullshit. The two of you hang out and shit. CM I knew Kleinman was a piece of shit, but I didn't know he was this terrible to you, too. CM

Stranger: I don’t really get it but he says there’s a difference. He hangs out with me so his mom will pay his car insurance. EH

You: You realise that only proves my point, right? CM

Stranger: What? EH

You: He's a piece of shit, and you shouldn't blame yourself for it. CM

Stranger: I think he means well sometimes. He’s nice when we’re drunk. EH

You: You're literally not helping his case, Evan. CM

Stranger: But when people are drunk it just removes their filter, basically. They say things they think but wouldn’t admit sober. EH

You: Alcohol lowers inhibitions. It's not about removing a filter, it's about not thinking before you act. CM Whatever you say, though. I still think he's an ass. CM

Stranger: I try to give him the benefit of the doubt. EH

You: You're a fucking saint, Evan Hansen. CM

Stranger: That’s an exaggeration. EH

You: Barely. CM

Stranger: See, you’re being nice to me. EH

You: Is this being nice? CM

Stranger: I think so. EH

You: Huh. Weird. CM

Stranger: I think you should keep the clothes you borrowed. EH

You: How come? CM

Stranger: They look better on you. EH

Stranger: You’re thinner but taller so you kind of fill them out more. EH

You: Your jacket is pretty fucking warm, I'll give you that. CM

Stranger: Stay comfy, keep it. EH

You: Only because I'm completely selfish and was planning on stealing it anyways. CM

Stranger: It looks better on you anyways. EH

You: You mentioned that. CM If I didn't know better, Hansen, I'd think you just like seeing me in your clothes. CM

Stranger: Maybe I do, Murphy. EH

Stranger: Remind me to never type like that again. EH

You: I don't know, I kinda liked it. CM

Stranger: You’re joking. EH

You: Nope. CM

Stranger: Hmm. EH

You: ...did you seriously just type out 'hmm?' CM

Stranger: Yes. EH

You: I actually snorted out loud. People are staring at me like they expect me to explode or something. CM

Stranger: How else am I supposed to properly convey my contemplation? EH

You: Do people convey contemplation over text messages?? CM

Stranger: I do. EH

You: Well, yeah, no shit. CM

Stranger: Hey, you asked. EH

Stranger: I like talking to you. EH

You: Yeah. I like talking to you, too. CM

Stranger: You understand. If that makes sense, sorry. EH

You: You still don't have to apologise to me, you know. CM I get it. You haven't tried to pander to me like I'm some snivelling kid, and you haven't treated me like a freak. It's... nice. CM

Stranger: It’s a habit, I can’t help it. EH

Stranger: You’re not a freak. EH

You: You're literally the only person in the history of ever who thinks that. CM

Stranger: So? That’s okay. EH

You: It's not so bad. CM

Stranger: It’s not. I’m glad. EH

Stranger: For the record, I really don’t think Alana thinks you’re a freak. EH

You: Alana doesn't count. CM

Stranger: Why not? EH

You: You know that we had to do a project together, right? That's literally the only time we've interacted. Ever. And she snapped at me after I got pissed off about something and it was weird and we didn't actually talk much after that even though the project turned out really fucking well. CM I don't think she knows what to think of me. CM

Stranger: I think she’s struggling a little, too. EH

You: We're all pretty fucked up. CM

Stranger: That’s true. EH

Stranger: Some people are better at handling it. EH

You: I guess. CM

Stranger: Neither of us are very good at it. EH

You: No. We definitely are not. CM

Stranger: We’re surviving, though. EH

You: Begrudgingly. CM

Stranger: I don’t know if I should be worried about that answer or glad I got you to that point. EH

You: Probably the latter. My initial response was going to be "thanks to you" but I thought it was too gay, so. CM

You: Probably the latter. My initial response was going to be "thanks to you" but I thought it was too gay, so. CM

Stranger: You literally are gay, Connor. EH

You: That is a fair point. CM

Stranger: That was a very straight boy thing to say to me. EH

You: You offend me, Hansen. I've never been straight in my life. CM

Stranger: The ultimate insult. EH

You: Truly. CM

Stranger: “I heard Connor Murphy was a straight person.” New rumor. EH

You: I'm wounded. I'll never heal. Oh, woe is me. CM

Stranger: Guess you’re going to die? EH

You: Eh. CM

You: I accept my fate. CM

Stranger: Can’t believe you really told me something was too gay for you. EH

You: Can't believe you're going to start a rumour about how straight I am. CM

Stranger: Imagine. Too straight for my good bisexual household. EH

You: Sullying your floors with my straightness. CM Ugh. I can't even pretend to be straight for this. It's too terrifying to think about. CM

Stranger: It is kind of scary. Life would be weird if I didn’t like boys. EH

Stranger: [8th year AU; Draco is given the option of finishing his schooling or going to Azkaban, he chose school, though he’s still heavily monitored and strict, ridiculous rules are enforced upon him while he finishes his year. He’s only one of the few, if any other, Slytherins of his year that returned. Currently set in the Great Hall, messages through magically transported notes.] If you and your friends could stop staring at me, that'd be appreciated. DM

You: Sorry. HP They only looked because I did. HP

Stranger: I'm just asking you to stop. DM

You: Right. Sorry. HP

Stranger: Right. DM

You: [...] Why doesn't anyone talk to you? HP

Stranger: Potter, it doesn't take a genius to guess why nobody wants to talk to the resident Death Eater. DM

You: And it doesn't take a genius to know that that's bullshit. HP

Stranger: The majority of people disagree with that. DM

You: That doesn't make them right. You weren't a Death Eater by choice, and you obviously have a chance at redeeming yourself if you're here. HP

Stranger: You don't know what you're talking about. DM

You: Malfoy, if anyone in the Wizarding World knows what they're talking about, it would be me. HP

Stranger: [...] I'm not here by choice, either. DM

You: I'm aware of that. But they gave you a choice. A lot of people didn't get that. HP

Stranger: I know. DM

You: They gave you a choice for a reason. People should be able to understand that. HP

Stranger: That doesn't mean they think I'm trustworthy or necessarily capable of redeeming myself, either. DM

You: Those things should go hand in hand, because you wouldn't be here if those things weren't true. HP

Stranger: I'm still considered a prisoner, here. DM

You: Which is ridiculous. They can't expect you to redeem yourself unless they actually give you a chance. HP If they don't give one to you, you just have to make one for yourself. HP

Stranger: The only thing I'm trying to do is to get through this year. DM

You: That's the first step, though, isn't it? If you get through the year with everything they've thrown at you, they're going to have to lay off sooner or later. HP

Stranger: That's an optimistic thought but I highly doubt that's going to happen. DM

You: There are people that can advocate for it if it doesn't. HP

Stranger: Maybe. DM

You: Definitely. HP

Stranger: I'm just trying to be realistic. DM

You: So am I. Realistically, if you aren't given the chances you deserve at the end of the year, there are people that would make sure to at least try and fight for them for you. HP

Stranger: And I'm saying that I've personally encountered proof to the opposite of that. DM

You: What do you mean? HP

Stranger: Nobody wants to help a Death Eater, is what I'm saying. DM

You: You're not a Death Eater, Malfoy. And I would. HP

Stranger: The Dark Mark on my arm isn't going away. To the eyes of the Ministry and the general public, I'm a Death Eater. DM

Stranger: And you're insane, so you're obviously an exception to the rule. DM

You: I'm not insane. I would do what I could because you deserve as much. You're NOT a Death Eater. Bollucks on what the general public thinks. The Dark Mark won't go away, no, but the Mark doesn't define you. It never has. HP

Stranger: Did you write that down beforehand or did you just come up with that little speech on the spot? DM

Stranger: And you're insane, certifiably. Sane people don't do things you've done. DM

You: I came up with it just now. Thought it was rather nice, honestly. HP To be fair, it's probably fitting if I'm not sane. Sane people probably haven't been through what I have. HP

Stranger: Of course you did. DM The most prominent thing coming to mind is when you broke into Gringotts and broke out on a dragon. Insane. DM

You: What, you didn't like it? HP It was a necessary step in defeating Voldemort! It wasn't as though we had many options. HP

Stranger: You always come up with the most outlandish nonsense and consider it an appropriate action plan. DM

You: Sometimes it's the only thing that works. HP It doesn't really matter if I am insane or not, you know. The Ministry acts like the sun shines out of my arse, nowadays. If I stepped in, they'd have to at least consider it. HP

Stranger: I don't think it would help in this instance. It'd be one thing if the professors agreed with you, but they're...DM They're not exactly allies in this situation. DM

You: The professors? HP

Stranger: Who do you think is enforcing the Ministry regulations put against me? The school ghosts? DM

You: Alright, alright. Obviously, the professors are. I just hadn't given it much thought. HP Have they been treating you unfairly? HP

Stranger: Unfairly is one word for it, I suppose. DM

You: What do you mean? HP

Stranger: I told you, I'm much more like a prisoner here than a student. DM I'm usually ignored in terms of when I'd try to answer questions, but on the flip side of that, my work is also judged more harshly. DM

You: That's ridiculous. I wish I could say I can't believe it, but with the way I've seen them go back and forth on favouritism over the years... HP Do you want me to try and talk to any of them? The worst of it? HP

Stranger: No, don't. They'll know I said something and it'll only get worse. DM

You: They're professors, Malfoy, not children. HP

Stranger: I'm being serious. DM

You: You shouldn't have to just... sit idly by while they bully you. It's wrong. HP

Stranger: I don't have any other choice. DM

You: [...] Come sit with us. HP

Stranger: No. DM

You: Why not? HP

Stranger: Aside from the obvious bit about it not being a good idea to sit with people my family and I have directly hurt? DM [...] I have to sit within the professors' lines of sight at the end of the table like this. DM

You: Then I'll come and sit by you. HP

Stranger: Don't. DM

You: Why not? HP

Stranger: You have your own friends, Potter. DM Besides, I have to leave soon anyway. I have a limited time frame to get to class and it's easier to deal with it if I'm ahead of the crowd of people leaving the Great Hall. DM

You: What if I'm trying to make a new one? HP Tomorrow, then. HP

Stranger: You're very insistent about this. DM

You: You don't deserve to be put in hell because of what you had to do to survive during the war. HP

Stranger: You make it sound much more noble than it was. DM

You: I have a habit of doing that. HP Still. I believe what I said. HP

Stranger: And what if I don't believe it? DM

You: Then you don't give yourself enough credit. HP

Stranger: [...] I have to run. Literally. You can still talk to me but for the next five minutes I'll just be focusing on getting to class. DM

You: Good luck. HP I still think it's stupid, all the rules they're making you follow. I don't know how you keep them all straight. HP

Stranger: I had to write them down. DM

You: That makes more sense, actually. HP

Stranger: I can show you sometime, if you're that curious. It's a long list. DM

You: I can only imagine. I'm up for seeing it sometime. HP

You: ((brb))

Stranger: I always carry it around. Alright, I have to go. DM [delay] I hate the layout of this entire castle so much. DM

You: What happened? HP

Stranger: The moving staircases. DM

You: Oh, no. HP You got stuck somewhere? HP

Stranger: No, but I got seriously close to breaking a limb. DM

You: Merlin. HP Are you alright now? HP

Stranger: I'm fine. Got to class within the time I needed to. Barely. DM

You: That's good. I can't imagine they'd let you off easily, even with a broken limb, if they've been so hard on you already. HP

Stranger: They probably wouldn't, no. DM

You: It's so wrong. HP

Stranger: It is what it is. DM

You: I suppose. But it doesn't make it right. HP

Stranger: There's nothing to be done but get through it. DM

You: Which you will. HP I still don't see how speaking to the professors would make things worse. HP

Stranger: It would, believe me. DM Take the amount of time I have to get between classes. It was, at first, 5-8 minutes. I complained about that being ridiculous, and they just knocked it down to 5 minutes even. DM

You: Are you serious?! HP There has to be some way to make things more bearable. HP

Stranger: I wish I was kidding. DM There doesn't seem to be. DM

You: At least you've only got to deal with it for the rest of this year, I guess. HP

Stranger: That's a lot. DM

You: Yeah. It is. HP Maybe there are loopholes? In the list? HP

Stranger: Not really. If the Ministry is anything after the war, it's thorough. Don't want the pesky Death Eater student thinking he can control the system. DM

You: What if there was an appeal to the Ministry to change the rules? HP

Stranger: Hilarious. DM

You: I'm serious, Malfoy. HP

Stranger: That's the most insanely optimistic thing you've ever said, and you say a lot of insane and optimistic things. DM

You: I'm going to choose to take that as a compliment. HP It's not THAT insane, though. I could get Hermione to help. She's good at finding the right words for this sort of thing. Any appeal with my name on it would carry weight. Something could come of it. HP

Stranger: I'm not going to make Granger get involved in helping me. DM

You: You wouldn't be making her do anything. HP

Stranger: It would. DM

You: No. If I asked for her help, it would be me asking her for help. And she wouldn't do it unless she wanted to. HP

Stranger: And she shouldn't want to. DM

You: She would do it. HP

Stranger: Why? DM

You: [...] Believe it or not, we've actually talked about this before. The war changed a lot of things, but it also put a lot of things into perspective. The things we said and did to each other as children don't really matter, in the long run. We all had to do things we weren't proud of, later on. She believes the same thing that I do about people deserving chance to redeem themselves. Including you. HP

Stranger: [...] That's- DM You're all too damn nice for your own good, you know. DM

You: Maybe. I don't know. There's not enough nice in this world right now. HP

Stranger: Fair enough. DM

You: Would you let us do it, then? Appeal to the Ministry on your behalf? HP

Stranger: [long delay] I suppose. DM

You: Then we'll do it. HP

Stranger: Thank you. DM

You: You know I'm not doing this so you'll thank me, right? HP

Stranger: I'm still thanking you anyway. DM

You: Then... you're welcome. HP

Stranger: [...] I think I'll just copy down the list and send it to you that way. It's long and I get nervous if I don't physically have the thing. DM

You: That's understandable. Whichever way works for you, works for me. HP

Stranger: Okay, good. DM

You: Hopefully, we can get it a bit shorter. Or a bit less extensive, at the very least. HP

Stranger: Less tight would be the best way, I think. It's...rigid. DM

You: I can tell. Five minutes to get from class to class? That's hardly enough. HP

Stranger: Especially when I have classes across the castle from each other. DM

You: Exactly. It ISN'T enough time. At all. HP

Stranger: With the amount of sprinting I've been doing, I could potentially consider a career as an athlete. DM

You: At least that's something. I suppose it's one way to stay in shape. HP

Stranger: That's fair. DM

You: Although I can't say the pro outweighs the cons, in this case. HP

Stranger: No, obviously not. DM

You: Still, a potential career in athletics is better than nothing. HP This whole thing is entirely pointless. What do they honestly think you're going to do in the time between your classes? HP

Stranger: Potter, let's be realistic, as it stands right now I don't have a potential career in much of anything at all. DM I think their idea was that I might idle around and hex someone or do some other nefarious thing, I don't know. DM

You: That's because people are ridiculous. HP Right, because not having to sprint from class to class equates to having enough time to be nefarious, or whatever. It's barely even conceivable. HP

Stranger: That's pretty much the premise of all of the regulations. Their basic reasoning is that I'm potentially dangerous and measures need to be taken to counteract that. DM

You: Potentially dangerous, my arse. If you were going to do something, these regulations wouldn't actually stop you because you wouldn't give two shits about them. HP

Stranger: I considered saying that exact thing, but I figured it'd only make it worse. DM

You: Probably a good call. I can't believe that the officials are still so blind, after everything that's happened. HP

Stranger: They see themselves as preventing future conflict. DM

You: But by doing what they're doing, they're only going to breed it. HP

Stranger: It's a mess. DM

You: You can certainly say that again. HP

Stranger: I'm just exhausted. DM

You: Do you even get time to sleep properly? HP

Stranger: Not really, if I want to get my work done. DM

You: How in Merlin's name do they expect you to get your work done if you can't get any sleep? HP

Stranger: They see that as my own problem. DM

You: Of course they do. HP

Stranger: If I'm a student, I'm supposed to do my work, that's the logic. DM

You: And if you're a person, you're supposed to be able to sleep. That sounds like logic. HP

Stranger: And I agree. DM

You: I think I'm going to end up making a list of my own. It's going to have all the reasons why the things on your list are ridiculous. HP

Stranger: [broganes. shiro & lance are best friends] [To Lance] What the hell, Lance? You told me you wouldn't tell Shiro about running into me at that party. -K

You: I totally didn't mean to, dude. We were talking and it kinda just... slipped out. L

Stranger: Great, well, you're little slip up got me on house arrest for a week. You told him I hooked up with Adam? Are you nuts? -K

Stranger: ***your

You: I didn't tell him!!! He kinda... guessed. You know I can't lie for shit, man. L

Stranger: Trust me. I know. -K

You: Look, I'm really sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? L

Stranger: Shiro's so over protective. I mean, I get it. Our family has bad luck. People tend to die, a lot, but fucking hell, I'm almost eighteen. -K

Stranger: Try to lessen my sentence for good behavior? -K

You: He'll totally know you told me to tell him to let you off the hook if I say that. 'Good behaviour.' L You ARE almost eighteen, though. It's a little ridiculous, how much he babies you. Sweet, but ridiculous. L

Stranger: Ugh. You're right. Damn him for knowing me so well. -K

Stranger: I swear he still sees my as six years old. -K

You: He worries about you, dude. I mean, can you really blame him? You're kinda accident-prone. L

Stranger: ...I guess. Yeah. He's been extra on edge since the car accident. -K

You: He's doing his best to protect you. Even if he goes kinda overboard sometimes. L If you talk to him about it, and try to be understanding, he'd probably lessen your sentence on his own. Be sincere. He needs that. L

Stranger: Maybe. I think we're both too stubborn to admit we're wrong. -K

Stranger: I'm having sex and racing cars, not shooting up heroin. -K

You: If you want him to let you out of the house, you have to compromise with him. At least pretend to be sincere. L And maybe leave the whole 'racing cars' thing out of it. L

Stranger: Lance, come on. What compromise would we could to? -K

Stranger: It's fun. -K

You: "Hey Shiro, I've been an asshole and I know you're overprotective because you're worried about me. I love you and I promise not to do anything stupid again." Not that hard. L Maybe, yeah, but he wouldn't see it that way. L

Stranger: ....Fine. I'll think about it. -K

Stranger: Can /you/ talk to him? He'll listen to you. You're his best friend, I'm just his 'baby brother'. -K

You: I have talked to him!! Why else would he have let you go to that shitty concert last month?! L He needs to hear it from you. I can't convince him that you understand if you don't at least pretend to. L Not that I think you should pretend, by the way, because I KNOW you do understand, even if you play dumb about it. L

Stranger: That was you? -K

Stranger: I do understand. He doesn't. -K

You: Duh. L You have to understand it from his point of view, dude. L

Stranger: I do. We're our only family left. He's responsible for me. He sees Dad in me and it freaks him out. -K

Stranger: I'm not our dad. I'm not a baby. -K

You: Yeah, but have you guys ever actually sat down and talked about this stuff? L No, you haven't, because Shiro's told me you haven't. L

Stranger: ...I guess. -K

Stranger: I don't like talking about it. -K

You: Neither does he. But it has to happen. Otherwise, he's gonna just keep overprotecting you, and you're going to be pissed off and rebellious and shit. L

Stranger: I'm not rebellious! Having sex and driving cars I've been working on for months isn't rebellious! -K

Stranger: But fine. -K

You: Fast forward a year, man. He's still overprotective, you haven't talked. You're mad and you do something else because of it. L It happens. L Good. I promise, it'll be better for both of you if you just... shove some words out. L

Stranger: Ugh. Alright. I'll go 'shove some words out'. -K

You: Good. Let me know how it goes. I'm sure I'll get the other side of it, too. L

Stranger: [To Shiro] Still pissed? -K

You: Do I even have to answer that? S

Stranger: Right. -K

Stranger: I'm almost eighteen, Shiro. I'm not a baby. -K

Stranger: I understand why you're so protective.

Stranger: But it isn't fair. -K

You: It's not about being fair, Keith. S You snuck out. You didn't bother to think about whether or not I would worry, or what could happen. S What if something had happened? What would you have done? What would I have done? What COULD I have done? S

Stranger: I snuck out because you wouldn't have let me go, like alway! -K

Stranger: Shiro. You can't control everything. I can take care of myself. -K

You: When was the last time you asked me before doing anything?! S It sometimes seems like you don't even care, Keith. I'm not trying to control everything, but I can do my best to keep you safe. I know you hate it, and you probably hate me, but as long as you're safe, I'm not allowed to feel that. S

Stranger: Of course I don't hate you, Shiro, and of course I care. You're my best friend. But that's a little sad, isn't it? That my only friends are you and /your/ friends? -K

Stranger: How can you even say thay I hate you? I love you. You raised me. You're my family. I'm just...I'm not a baby. And I'm not dad. -K

You: How am I supposed to know you'll be safe? What if you go out one night and you don't come home, Keith? What am I supposed to do then? I can't do that. I know that I can't. I can't lose you. S

Stranger: [delayed] I can't live my life in a bubble because you're afraid. -K

Stranger: I'm scared too. Of losing you? -K

Stranger: But that's just part of life. Of our life. -K

You: [delay] I'll make you a deal, okay? Wait until you're eighteen. It's just a couple of months, and then you can go and stay out until 2am and party all you want. All I ask is that you tell me about it, so that I can keep my phone on in case you need me. Until then, can you stick to doing reasonable underage things? No drinking, no smoking, no gambling. Coming home before midnight. I know I've been hard on you. You're a good kid, and I'm just... I've been scared, but I trust you. I need to trust you more. S

Stranger: ...I can do that. That's fair. I want you to trust me. -K

Stranger: Sorry for being a little shit and scaring you all the time. -K

You: I won't say it's alright, but... You're a teenager. It's what you're supposed to do. Just... talk to me, will you? Tell me when you're going out. I'll try not to freak out on you so much. S

Stranger: I promise, yeah? If you promise to keep it calm. ...I know you don't like talking about it, but I'm practically an adult. I have sex. You can't, you know...freak out whenever you find out I am. -K

You: Yeah. I know. I just want you to be safe. S And that includes... sex. I don't... Ugh. I should have gotten more parenting books. You're using protection, right? S

Stranger: I know. Always have. Wouldn't even let me have a bike as a kid, remember? -K

Stranger: Probably. And..yeah. Usually. Mostly. -K

You: Keith. S Do I need to buy you condoms? S

Stranger: /No/. -K

Stranger: I'm just being honest, like you wanted! Sometimes shit happens. It isn't like I'm goinf to be getting anyone pregnant. -K

You: Using protection is very important. Even if you aren't going to get anyone pregnant, STDs can still happen. S I... appreciate your honesty. Just. Please. Be careful. S

Stranger: I know, I know. I'll be better about it. Promise. -K

Stranger: Sooo...am I still on house arrest? -K

You: As long as you promise. S ...No. Don't make me regret it, alright? S

Stranger: Pinky promise. -K

Stranger: I won't! Thank you! -K

Stranger: You're the best brother, you know that? Even if you're a little crazy. At least you give a shit. -ak

You: Thanks, Keith. You're a good kid. I love you, you know that? S

Stranger: I love you too. Now go to sleep, I know you've just been sitting in bed stressing out about me dying and hating you. -K

You: You know me too well. You should get some sleep, too. S

Stranger: Think I'm gonna work on the car for a bit, then I will. -K

You: Good. G'night, kiddo. S

Stranger: G'night, Shiro. -K

Stranger: [To Lance] So we talked. It worked. Good advice. -K

You: I told you! L What happened? L

Stranger: We just talked and he was being his usual worrying self but eventually came to the conclusion that he needs to trust me more. -M

Stranger: He's a really good guy. I mean, he gave up a lot to take care of me. I forget that sometimes. -K

You: I knew you guys could work it out. It needed to happen sooner or later. L

Stranger: He still seemed nervous, but. It's progress. I think he's going to end up buying me a ridiculous amount of condoms though. -K

You: Oh my god. L That's kinda hilarious. Do I even want to know why? L

Stranger: But mortifying. He discovered I don't use condoms frequently. I'm pretty sure he's panicking at this exact moment over it. Expect frantic best friend texts. -K

You: [delay] Yep, there they are. He's freaking out because he never gave you the sex talk. I told him I'm pretty sure you figured that one out on your own. L Dude, why DON'T you use condoms frequently? They're kinda important. L

Stranger: That I did. -K

Stranger: ...Doesn't feel as good. And it isn't like I'm sleeping with people I don't know. -K

You: A blind panic had dusted itself over Evan when Connor had glanced down at the letter and begun to read the line that had caught his eye. It had only escalated as Connor turned roughly away, voice shredded and torn, and he found himself lunging after him, his breathing coming heavy as he forced himself to grab onto Connor's arm with his good hand. "I need that back. Please. Can you just- can you please give it back? I can explain, I swear, just-- just, /please/." He held on just a little tighter as Connor tried to pull away. His hands, he was sure, would be shaking if he held them up to look at them properly, but the only thing he could think of in the moment was getting the letter back, and explaining to the only person who had bothered to give him the time of day thus far that he hadn't meant to upset him.

Stranger: To be honest, Connor wasn't sure who he was angrier with - his mom for standing in the way of his plans to just evade school altogether, or himself for thinking even for half a second that anything would be any less shitty than always. If losing his shit at Evan for the other's innocuous exhale wasn't bad enough, he'd tried to... what...? Connect with him, and it wound up with this. He shouldn't have expected more from someone who hung out with Kleinman, though, so it was really probably his own fault. All he knew was that he wanted to be away from where he was. Far away. Executing a plan that he had intended on initially, before letting his mom talk him into school but before he could make it through the door, fingers gripped his wrist. He wasn't entire sure who was trembling in the moment. He tried to tug away but this kid had a good grip and so he turned to him, glaring. That usually got people off his back but somehow he got the impression that he wasn't getting away fast. "Fine," he answered through gritted teeth. "Explain."

You: Quailing slightly under the look Connor was giving him, Evan swallowed hard before forcing himself to take a deep breath. He couldn't do the counting exercise because it was more important to be present and in the moment, but he wished that he had a second, because if anything, the one deep breath only made him feel worse. "Okay okay, first of all I'm really sorry but I do need the letter back because it's a letter that I have to write for an assignment and I can't go to my appointment empty handed because people will be disappointed in me and I really don't like disappointing people--" Another breath. In, out. Still didn't help. Connor was still glaring and Evan talked faster. "AndIdidn'twriteaboutZoebecauseyouwerehere! I didn't know you were in here I thought it was empty because, y'know, people have friends and stuff they hang out with! Not that you don't have friends but anyways I, um, I wrote about Zoe because she's, y'know? Really nice? Yeah she's um, she's nice to me and stuff and she helped me today when you pushed me but! Idon'tblameyouforpushingme I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and um, okay I've been talking too much I'm sorry I just really don't want you to be mad at me Ididn'tmeantoupsetyou."

Stranger: Evan was legitimately intimidated. Evan was /scared/ of him right now. Just like Zoe, hidden away in her room probably looked as he lost it at home, the way his mom looked at him while his dad maintained composure and tried to get him under control again, but never offering any long term relief. He stared back and he was both angry because Evan was afraid of him but it also kind of hurt his feelings, despite giving the kid every fucking reason TO be afraid of him. He was angry that he could relate to parts of what Evan was saying, and he felt vulnerable and disgusting and wanted to get away even more than before. On some subconscious level, he was getting the reaction from Evan that he actually wanted - because whether he was conscious of it or not, he felt that at least Evan would hate him because he'd pushed him to and not just because. It was kind of in his control, that way. Subconsciously. He stayed quiet as the other boy spoke, listened carefully but held a stony expression. He got it, he really did. He didn't want to admit that, though, because that was admitting defeat and vulnerability. He sighed and lifted the hand with the letter, shoving it back towards Evan, all the while yanking his other arm away like a wild animal might if you were to touch its paw. What even was he gonna benefit by standing there, scaring the shit out of somebody? Somebody who just looked at his sister in the way that he, himself had kinda looked at Evan. For a second. But whatever, he had more important things to do, now. He backed away a little. "Yeah, well, she's not as fucking wonderful as you think," he said before he could consider the potential consequences.

You: There were a lot of things that fell under the massive category of 'terrifying.' Answering the door, talking to people on the phone, giving class presentations when he hadn't prepared for them for at least half a school year prior. /People/ were terrifying, in general. But Evan didn't know if he was really, truly /scared/ in the moment as Connor shoved his letter back at him. He was anxious as hell, but he was... pretty much always anxious as hell if there were other people around, so that wasn't anything special in itself. Despite Connor's obvious upset, Evan hadn't once considered that Connor was actually angry with /him/. At the letter, and the fact that he thought that Evan had done something to piss him off? Of course. But even as he stumbled back a little and clutched his newly-reacquired letter to his chest, he found himself frowning in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, the words coming out too fast and narrowly avoiding sounding like a rushed, smushed-together mess. He smoothed the creases in the paper he was holding absently, staring at Connor with eyes wide with both curiosity and the fear that he could never seem to rid himself of. "She, um, she seems nice? I don't really know her that well because, um--" He coughed, face flushing. "Butanyways I don't know you're her brother and you probably know her better than me? Oh god sorry okay I'll shut up now."

Stranger: By the time he'd said it, Connor already regretted saying the thing about Zoe despite kind of believing it. Like, he was pretty sure she was that fucking wonderful - at least to most people - but that was the thing that pissed him off about her, the thing that made her, to him, so awful to have to deal with. Things were easy for Zoe. That was his perception. She had friends and people liked her. People like Evan. People that could've liked him instead. He couldn't exactly just run off and not answer the question but that would look pretty bad, probably so he just shrugged and tried to feign a sort of nonchalance as he answered. "She's just a fucking bitch, I don't know what her problem is. She's got this stupid fucking diary, you know? She writes all this mean shit in it, and then acts all nice to people's faces. She's probably just being nice to you because she thinks being, uh, genetically similar to me gives her a bad reputation. That's the kinda shit she writes in there," he realized that he hadn't really dug himself out of the hole he'd gotten himself into so he added, "I don't care if you have a creepy crush on my sister or whatever, I guess. Just like, I think it's bullshit, you know? How everyone adores her and kisses her ass. It's fucking annoying," he decided.

You: "I don't know if I actually have a, like, a crush on her?" Evan spoke before thinking, and he just /knew/ his face was beet-red. Still, he'd let the words escape, and he was going to go with it, because it was the truth. He'd been thinking about it for a long time because the way that Jared talked about girls and the way he thought about Zoe? He /liked/ her and she was /nice/, and he would probably even like to kiss her! But beyond that? He honestly hadn't thought anything through, which was a big part of the reason he hadn't been able to talk to her in the first place, because if he'd just had a PLAN, it might have been at least a little bit easier. "And I don't, um, I don't think I kiss her, um, ass? I just think it wouldbenicetohaveafriend y'know? I didn't know she writes stuff like that." Evan shook his head. Now that Connor had calmed down a little, Evan found himself glancing down at his own arm, the one with that cast. The one that now had Connor's name written across it like a beacon. His handwriting was nice, he thought distractedly. Blocky, but not messy. It was weirdly confident handwriting, for someone who seemed just as bad at interacting with other human beings as he was. Because that was what Evan had gotten from his anger. They were both bad at people, just... in different ways. "Being, um, genetically similar to you isn't a bad thing?" he added as an afterthought, staring at the cast as he spoke and then glancing up after the words had left his mouth. He curled his fingers around the paper he was still holding, consciously stopping himself from continuing to smooth it out. "Sorry, that was... You probably know that. That was dumb, sorry." He shook his head again. He didn't know /why/ he couldn't go two seconds without putting his foot in his mouth, but here was was. Putting his foot in his mouth. Constantly. As always.

Stranger: Living in Connor's head could be difficult because some of the time, he felt like ...why wouldn't everyone like Zoe more than they like him but other times he felt like people should just give him a chance to be nice to them instead of assuming he's gonna be a dick which then, in turn, causes him to act like an asshole because it made him angry. The worst is when he felt both of these conflicting emotions at one time. It happened more than he'd like to admit. He focused on Evan's speaking instead of on whatever bullshit he was thinking or feeling about Zoe, but that just made him tense all over again; the way he could relate and how uncomfortable that made him but how it also made him think maybe... but no, that was stupid. Evan wouldn't want to be his friend now, not after how he'd acted to him that whole day. He pushed the thought out of his mind, at least for the time being. He had to focus here. On getting away from this whole interaction and following through on what he'd promised himself he'd do earlier. Dead or alive, he'd still be a burden to his family - but at least the former allowed him to not face the consequences of it but before he could think of a good escape tactic, he was letting out a snort at the mere concept of being genetically similar to him not being a terrible thing when it also meant that you'd be genetically similar to Larry Murphy which was, as far as he was concerned, the worst thing you could be. Besides, his family was all kinds of fucked up beneath the traditional family veneer that thinly veiled the reality of things. "No, trust me, being genetically similar to me sucks.. She's not wrong. Just. Fuck, man, I don't know..." he hadn't really said anything, but he felt like he'd said too much so he deflected - "You apologize a lot."

You: Evan realised that he was breathing again, more normally than hyperventilation. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lot calmer than it had been when Connor had first gotten angry, so he would take it. It didn't seem like Connor was upset anymore, but there was a bitterness just below the surface, one that he recognised from their previous interaction. It was strange and contradictory, and Evan wanted to know more despite the fact that wanting to know more made him nervous. "Y-Yeah..." Evan gave a nervous little laugh and then cleared his throat immediately afterwards. "I don't know. I just feel like I have a lot to apologise for? It's, um, easy to apologise and stuff, so that nobody ever gets upset or anything, y'know?" He moved his hand as he talked, the unbroken one, and winced a little as the paper flopped around in his hand. "I'm gonna, um..." He gestured to the table next to the computer where his bag was still sitting, and made his way over to place the letter safely down so that it wouldn't be a casualty of his social awkwardness any longer. "I, um? Don't really think that's right, though," he told him, looking up from his letter. "The, um, geneticallysimilarthing?" Slow down. Breathe. Talk like a normal person, Evan, come on. "You're not a bad person? Neitherisshe, because--" Breath. "Um, because writing bad things might just be a coping mechanism? Sometimes, y'know, people have those and it's not always the best but it happens." He shrugged, bit at his lip. He'd been rambling again. "Sorry."

Stranger: Despite the way that his demeanor was cooler than it had been initially, there was still a monster that controlled him lurking beneath the surface of his now cool exterior. It was always there and ready to snap and he didn't have any control over it at all, quite the opposite of that, really. He nodded a few times, despite the fact that he couldn't even recall the last time he'd said sorry at all, let alone actually experiencing remorse when he said it. Probably on some level, it was because whenever he'd done anything wrong, he'd been told to apologize and now he didn't like doing it. Especially not when he felt that he was owed an apology, too, which was... well. A lot of the time. He watched as Evan moved back to his things and he pushed the crappy feeling out of his head that came from antagonizing this poor kid since that morning. Connor probably should've been more understanding about unhealthy coping mechanisms, he had a few of his own but he could justify his own and as far as he was concerned, Zoe's reasons for feeling how she felt were shitty and selfish and that made him feel angry, and made his hands tense into fists but he tried to maintain the calmness that he had fallen into. "I guess," he said because it was the best thing he could come up with without just spilling his guts. And Evan really, really didn't need that. Neither did he. Not when he was going to do what he was going to do once he left. "It's just like, that's the shit that makes me cynical about everyone else, you know? Like, fuck. I shoved you. I shoved you cause I thought you were laughing and you weren't even fucking laughing, cause I have that fake bullshit to deal with. With her. Makes me doubt everyone," he said. It was almost an apology, right?

Stranger: Can I ask you something kinda personal about Vulcan culture? JK

You: You may ask. S

Stranger: So I just learned Vulcans kiss with their hands. What does it mean when a Vulcan touches your face? JK

You: It... depends. As I assume you are attempting to follow a "romantic" vein, a Vulcan may touch specific points on the face of their mate or intended mate in order to meld with them, or to create or cement a bond. S

Stranger: Ah. Okay. And that's pretty much the only reason? JK

You: Yes. S Do you have a reason for this line of question, Captain? S

Stranger: Well it's just. JK

Stranger: Am I married to the other you? To Ambassador Salek? JK

You: [delay] I do not know, in certainty, the relationship that my counterpart and yours had together. S That is not to say that I have not made assumptions based on what he has allowed himself to say, or that I have... admittedly, drawn the same conclusion. S It is very likely that our counterparts were bonded. S

Stranger: So I am married to him? Am I married to you too? JK

You: You are not. Your counterpart was, in all likelihood, although I doubt the Ambassador would give either of us a straightforward answer on the subject. S

Stranger: So when we melded that wasn't a wedding? Or an engagement? JK

Stranger: Am I supposed to be his lover? JK

You: You melded with my counterpart? S

Stranger: Uh. Yeah. Does that change the answer? JK

You: It does not. I was merely unaware that it had occurred. S I do not believe my counterpart would take advantage of you in such a way. What were the circumstances when he melded with you? S

Stranger: I was running from a monster and he saved me and he said we were friends and showed me about Nero. There was a lot of 'emotional transferrance' I think he called it. JK

You: I see. S Emotional transferrance merely refers to the passage of emotion from one mind to another during a meld. It does not mean that you are "engaged." S It is more likely that you would have felt strongly about whatever he was feeling at the time. A preliminary bond or a true bond is not formed, under most circumstances, unless both parties are aware and/or amicable to the bond being formed. S

Stranger: Spock? JK

You: Yes? S

Stranger: I was running from a monster and he saved me and he said we were friends and showed me about Nero. There was a lot of 'emotional transferrance' I think he called it. JK

You: I see. S Emotional transferrance merely refers to the passage of emotion from one mind to another during a meld. It does not mean that you are "engaged." S It is more likely that you would have felt strongly about whatever he was feeling at the time. A preliminary bond or a true bond is not formed, under most circumstances, unless both parties are aware and/or amicable to the bond being formed. S

Stranger: Oh. Okay. So I haven't been neglecting my fiancé or something? JK

You: You have not. S

Stranger: Oh thank goodness. I was so worried. JK

Stranger: Thanks, Spock. You're the best. JK

You: You are welcome, Captain. I apologise on behalf of my counterpart, as well. S

Stranger: Oh it's fine, there's no need. I just didn't want to lead him on or anything. JK

You: Regardless, he should have taken the time to explain that you had no need to be concerned. S

Stranger: I didn't think about it until just the other day and it's kinda been a lot to think about over the last few weeks. JK

You: That is understandable. S

Stranger: Thank you for talking to me about all this. I know this was probably pretty personal and it means a lot I can come to you with this. JK

You: I do not mind discussing it with you. S You are my friend. I am... comfortable speaking with you. S

Stranger: I like that a lot. Us being friends and being comfortable with each other. It's nice. JK

You: I appreciate it as well. I will admit that I never expected our relationship to progress as such, given the way our first few meetings happened. S

Stranger: Yeah it would have sucked if we didn't though. JK

You: It would not have been pleasant, especially given the fact that we are posted on the Enterprise together. S

Stranger: I was afraid you weren't going to come. JK

You: We work well together, despite our different ideologies. S My counterpart was also very intent on pointing that out to me. I could not pass the opportunity by. S

Stranger: I'm really glad. You make me better. JK

You: You do not need to be made better. You merely need guidance, when it counts. S We assist one another. S

Stranger: Well I'm always thankful for your advice. And as I'm learning, for your friendship. You're very dear to me, Spock. JK

You: As you are to me, Jim. S

Stranger: (Delayed) Spock, are you seeing anyone currently? JK

You: As I am in my quarters, I am not. S

Stranger: No I mean. JK

Stranger: Are you in a romantic relationship? JK

You: Ah. That makes more sense. S I am not. S

Stranger: Would you be open to one with me? JK

You: [delay] Yes. I believe that I would. S

Stranger: In that case, would you like to join me for dinner? We could eat on the observation deck. JK

You: I am agreeable. I would enjoy that very much. S

Stranger: And maybe a game of chess after if all goes well? JK

You: That sounds very nice. S [delay] Jim... You are not doing this merely because you are attempting to follow in our counterparts' steps, are you? I do not wish to dissuade you if that is not your intent, but if it is... You do not have to. Our timelines are different from one another. I do not want you to feel as though you have any sort of... mere obligation to this. S

Stranger: Nah. It's not an obligation thing. It's more I've liked you since I saw you at the trial and I'm finally going to do something about it. JK

You: I was accusing you of cheating at the trial! S

Stranger: So? JK

Stranger: You were still super hot, and I have a thing for people who are honest in all situations. JK

You: I do not know what a raised body temperature has to do with your level of attraction towards me. S You did not seem as though you had a "thing" then. You and Doctor McCoy were both glaring with very malicious intent towards me. S

Stranger: On the contrary, Bones was saying that he liked you. JK

Stranger: And I meant hot as in attractive. JK

You: Somehow, I highly doubt that. S [delay] I will admit that I was aware of your meaning with that particular phrase. S

Stranger: You sneak! Well it made me smile anyway. JK

Stranger: And you can ask Bones. He can't lie for shit so he'll tell you I'm telling the truth. JK

You: While there are some idioms that I do not understand, feigning ignorance on ones that I do is... amusing. S Even if he liked me then, I have no doubt that he would bluster and insult me about it now. He is not fond of me. S

Stranger: That's a lie. He teases you a lot but he wouldn't do that if he wasn't comfortable with you. JK

Stranger: Also you're really cute you know that? JK

You: I... do not believe that such a descriptor has ever been applied to me before. S Admittedly, he does not actually follow through with any of his empty threats towards me. I suppose I can agree with you, although I won't claim to understand it. S

Stranger: And if he hated you, he wouldn't have saved you. JK

You: That is a good point. S

Stranger: I try. There's this cute guy I want to impress so I gotta make logical arguments. JK

You: [slight delay] You are... flirting with me. S

Stranger: I am. JK

You: You have no need. I am already enamoured with you. S Are you not supposed to flirt /before/ you ask someone to join you for dinner? S

Stranger: I know I'll be asking you to dinner again. JK

You: Terran courtship rituals are very confusing. S

Stranger: Oh? How do you do it? JK

Stranger: We can try that too. JK

You: Vulcan culture does not have a conventional courtship ritual. As children, Vulcans are assigned their prospective mates based on various factors for maximum compatibility, and a preliminary bond is created between them. Most choose to consummate that bond as adults, though there are some who choose other mates or partners for themselves. S I do not mind Terran courtship. I will admit that I find your flirting enjoyable. S

Stranger: I'm glad you enjoy it. I guess I should ask if you've got a mate already? JK

You: [slight delay] I do not. My intended and I broke our bond when I turned down the Vulcan Science Academy's offer of employment. I do not believe she survived the destruction of my planet. S

Stranger: Oh, Spock. I'm so sorry. JK

You: I have come to terms with my grief. We were never close; she resented being my intended, given my human mother. S

Stranger: Well that's super sucky of her. JK

Stranger: I know your mom was awesome. JK

You: Thank you. S I wish that you could have met her. She would have enjoyed your company. S

Stranger: I would have liked that too. JK

Stranger: Spock, that preliminary bond, it serves a purpose doesn't it? JK

You: [slight delay] It does. It would not be done if it were illogical. S

Stranger: That's kinda what I thought. JK

Stranger: Should we initiate one of those? JK

You: You do not know what you're offering. S

Stranger: I know that there's something you need that isn't being filled, that I love you, and that it can't be asking for more than my life but I'd give that (have given it) for you any time. So, logically, the moment you desire it we can proceed. JK

You: [delay] Jim, the purpose that the bond serves is not something that is desperately required. S It is difficult to discuss. It is hardly discussed among Vulcans, much less with others. I could not ask you to blindly offer yourself to me this way. S

Stranger: Okay, I won't bring it up again. But if you change your mind, I'll have the same answer. We can take it at your pace. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. JK