[ voice ]

[hostage]

[No video. Getting to be a habit with him these days, but really... who wants to see him looking like he does right now? Thank him later. If he sounded bad before, he sounds much worse now. The way someone would sound when they've spent a week vomiting. That's why he keeps the message relatively short and sweet.]

I tested the, um... the verstatsi. The U.E.'s drug.

In case the obvious needed stating: don't try it.

Full report coming once I can get my ass outta bed, but I can tell you it's about half-opiate, half-synthetic. The comedown's a total bitch and I ain't just talking like regular use. I mean like one shot and you're gonna need another fix in a few hours unless you like spending the next few days worshiping the porcelain god. Seriously, I'm a professional and this stuff... is bad. I don't think we got a lotta samples around here but take my word for it and don't mess around with it. I done H. This is worse than H. Way worse.

So that's your little P.S.A. and don't roll your eyes 'cause this ain't some D.A.R.E. bullshit, yo. I'm serious.

Comments

[inthejunk]

Around that stuff, yeah.

[hostage]

I'll be fine.

[inthejunk]

Yeah, 'cause you sound totally fine.

[hostage]

I know what I'm doing.

[inthejunk]

It sounds like you've done it before.

[hostage]

I'm clean now.

[inthejunk]

What does that mean exactly?

[hostage]

Means I'm not using.

[inthejunk]

Except for experiments?

[It's not even sarcasm. He just doesn't get it.]

[hostage]

One experiment. I'm done now.

[inthejunk]

Hmm. That's good.

[Noncommitally again. He's not sure about that, but discouraging it would be pretty rotten.]

[hostage]

Yeah.

[That's not an agreement, it's a jab. He's daring Yosuke to just come out and say it. Tell him he's a junkie. Tell him there's no point. Tell him he's lying to himself. Go on. He knows Yosuke's thinking it.]

[inthejunk]

[He doesn't know enough about drugs to be thinking that exactly, but honestly? It's hard to consider it a coincidence. But hey, he doesn't know Jesse well enough to express concern outright. Besides, the guy hasn't hurt anyone but himself, right? What's the point?]

Try to feel better. You're probably supposed to drink tea and rest. I think that's always the case.

[hostage]

[He doesn't know what to do with that kind of response. He's still getting used to sympathy instead of scorn.

Uncomfortably:]

Yeah. I will.

[inthejunk]

[Sympathy might be overstating it a bit, but scorn definitely would be as well. It's genuinely baffling to the young man. Definitely disturbing. But he can't connect with it to form much of an opinion besides Jesse ought to stop screwing himself up. The fact that in this case his intentions were good makes it even more confusing. Because he's definitely still a moron.]

Alright. Try not to die, okay? Miss Collette might get snot all over my shirt again if you do.

[hostage]

"Again"?

[inthejunk]

....Um. Did I say again? I meant-um. Then.

[hostage]

Uh huh.

[inthejunk]

I don't go around making girls cry, okay? The point is, you shouldn't either!

[hostage]

Right.

[inthejunk]

Good. Now we're on the same page.