I think Hal needs attention or heâll die but i do NOT think he is overt and blunt enough to annoy and ask for it. I think itâs the âall attention is good attentionâ thing and it usually manifests in a kind of needling specifically meant to get a big reaction, and itâs usually to Dirk.
I cannot see him outright saying like âi am bored pay attention to meâ but he WILL intrude on whatever Dirk is doing with a slightly abrasive set of messages meant to raise Dirkâs hackles, only to promptly sink his teeth in and be like âyour overly controlling nature isnât due to your need to protect people but instead is probably because youâre actually a fucking monster who canât dare to trust anyone. Youâre a paranoid isolationist who canât stand free will.â And then Dirk has to have a fucking high stakes, deeply intense argument with him about his validity in worrying about others and that heâs NOT a paranoid monster and like an Hour Later heâs like âWHAT the fuck is the point of doing this, what do you even want out of thisâ and uh oh. Now Hal has to find a reason that isnât âi needed attentionâ because he is firmly in denial that thatâs the issue so heâs like. âIâm just looking out for you idk what your issue is.â
1 hour and 34 minute knock-down-drag-out high stakes verbal battle and the instigating message was this:
TT: This is you right now.
