IC INBOX for The Last Voyages

[magician_king]

You know what to do.

Comments

[magician_king]

I never argued with him, just kind of kept an eye on him from afar, but like- exactly, same.

[tucky]

You pretty sure he hated you, too?

[magician_king]

I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have remembered my name.

[tucky]

Yeah, that too, actually.

[magician_king]

We are definitely not the cool kids.

[But he sounds more amused than regretful.]

Re: audio

[magician_king]

All right, all right, I'll read to her. But for the record I think this makes about as much sense as putting a textbook under your pillow before an exam.

audio

[tucky]

No it's not, okay; it's the same thing as listening to an audibook of your textbook while you're sleeping.

[Totally! Different!]

I just fucking want--

[Pause. Deep breaths. When she speaks again, her voice is slightly less agitated.]

I just want her to feel loved and cared about and paid attention to. The conscious part of herself won't let her accept that when she's awake. Maybe-- maybe the part of her that wants it and needs it will pick up on it right now, a little bit, when she can't get in her own way.

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Well, if it helps you feel any better, Jedao just woke up out of his coma. He's been down since April.

So I do get the stress.

audio

[tucky]

And I bet you talked to him and took care of him even when he was down, right?

-- How's he doing, is he okay?

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Of course I didn't talk to him. He was in a coma. And I didn't take care of him beyond forbidding anyone from drawing on him, honestly. But I guess Fives probably did.

He's up, he seems fine.

audio

[tucky]

He was in a coma for four months and you really didn't talk to him once?

[DEFINITELY SKEPTICAL, SORRY QUENTIN]

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Uh- I mean, not beyond the level I sometimes talk to the cat or the hedgehog?

audio

[tucky]

Well--

[Well, okay, she doesn't actually have any rebuttal to that. She takes a few more shaky, gulping breaths.]

I don't know, Quentin. I just know she likes reading with you, even though I bet she never says it. And I know she likes trading stories. And she's been having a really bad time lately, and I don't know how--

Sometimes things are still worth doing even if they probably won't amount to shit.

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Well, of course I'm doing it. I don't think she'll know I am, but I know you'll know I am, and that's good enough for me.

But I still hope you'll come at least listen to the stories, so I don't feel like a complete moron for talking to myself.

audio

[tucky]

I'll tell her you did, when she wakes up. I'm getting Godric to do it, too.

-- And okay. I'll come.

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Cool. It'll be fun.

Want to start tonight?

audio

[tucky]

Yeah. Okay.

Re: audio

[magician_king]

She at your cabin or hers? I can meet you at- eight?

audio

[tucky]

Zero. And I know how that sounds, but-- trust me, she would not want me or anybody else going in there and dragging her out, and putting her somewhere else.

Re: audio

[magician_king]

Makes sense.

[He doesn't care; unsentimental about coma storage, is Quentin.]

Okay, see you at eight.

[tetractys]

OH, WELL, I'M A PSYCHOPATH! HA HA HA HA.

[Good times! Graduating did not fix this; it is an inherent part of his brain.]

BUT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT, PROMISE! I WASN'T A DUMB KID! I FIGURED OUT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE THAT I COULDN'T TURN OFF NO MATTER HOW MUCH TROUBLE IT CAUSED ME! AND IT WAS A LOT OF TROUBLE! BACK IN THE OLD HOME DIMENSION, MENTAL OR PHYSICAL IRREGULARITY WOULD GET YOU CULLED BEFORE YOU COULD PASS IT ON! SO IF I WASN'T ON MY SIDE, NOBODY WOULD BE! I THOUGHT ABOUT WHETHER I DESERVED TO HAVE MYSELF ON MY SIDE, BUT THEN I DECIDED IT DOESN'T MATTER, Y'KNOW, IF I WANTED TO STAY ALIVE, WHICH I DID! I SURE DIDN'T WANT TO HELP THE OTHER GUYS WIN, EITHER.

[Bill spreads his arms out. Just surviving made him cocky as hell, which didn't help his personality.]

ME VERSUS EVERYBODY, EVER SINCE THEN! BRING IT ON! BE ON YOUR OWN TEAM, KID. YOU NEED SOMEONE IN YOUR CORNER WHEN YOU'RE ALONE, OR LIFE WILL CAVE YOUR HEAD IN.

[magician_king]

That's- put that way, I guess I do feel that way too, sometimes.

[Less angry about it, maybe, but just as cornered by everyone else. It's an impulse he's worked hard to try to get over, as he's gotten older, since he's usually wrong- but Bill's stuff is weird and violent enough that that might very well not be the case for him.]

I hope your research lab doesn't end up making you feel like your corner is empty.

[tetractys]

WELL, I HOPE YOU'LL COME UP AND VISIT, AT LEAST! AND I'VE GOT SOME PEOPLE COMING WITH ME THIS TIME.

[Bill's eye bends up in a sincere kind of smile, rare for him. Manic or mocking is more usual.]

[magician_king]

I'm looking forward to it. I think- the stuff you do is going to be really beautiful.

[Is maybe a weird thing to say, but-]

You know, like- incredible tessellations are.

[tetractys]

AWWWW, CHARMER.

[Bill bats his hand.]

I JUST THINK THE BIG GUY NEEDS SOME COMPETITION IN THE FREE MARKET! WHAT'S HE BRINGING TO THE TABLE BESIDES WISHES AND RESURRECTION? TIME FOR HIM TO STEP UP HIS GAME!