The one with the sickies; text

[lar]

guys

guys do you know how is like, to be totally immune to everything? like nothing ever reaches you. no sickness and no disease and no bombs and no nothing, really

well i kind of am like that but i think i overdid it a bit with the missiles. not complaining about that but i don't remember ever feeling as bad as i do right now. the pain, you guys.

so how are things out there? i'm basically stuck in my room for a few more days before i feel more like myself, but i kind of hope all the effort everyone did was not for naught. everyone alright?

oh and

guys?

can someone get me something to eat?

Comments

[lar]

[ Then you had Ella, who had been consistently thinking she was crazy for the first 16 years of her life, only to spent the next two convinced she was better off being insane. Between those two choices she felt like there was little hope left.

And yet, she managed to confide with him, in a way. A very indirect way, true, but at least she got the point across, that's something.. ]

Yeah, at least now I know there are other worlds with people being equally messed up.

[ All that said, she's not sure he believes her, and the fact he could be planning to never ever cross paths with her pains her. If the prize to have some peace of mind is to push away every chance of having friends, then Ella would feel like she hasn't really gone anywhere.
...

... but anyway. ]

Talk about a mood killer.

[bumbles]

( His brow furrows, and he glances down. Yeah. People are pretty universally messed up, it seems, and he's not quite sure what to do with this situation. People don't talk to him except for Max. She could make sense of things. Stephanie tore pieces away accidentally, Ella he wasn't sure if she was making fun before, or so bound up in all those things that sound far, far too complicated to fathom that she didn't think. People are complicated, and he is so bad at understanding them, so he holds his silence at as his hands twist around one another. When he tries to help his sister, things had gotten worse.

Eventually, he drags his gaze back up, and wonders if he should mention that the mood wasn't that great before, but elects to not. )

It, um. It sound l-like a l-lot-- a lot of p-pressure.

( So wise. So insightful. )

[lar]

Yeah well, it kind of is. I hope this doesn't make you want to, uh, walk away now. Maybe I should have picked a better time.

[ Like when she can actually stand and do cool things and be all god-like. ]

You're a good guy, Donny. I'm not exactly sure of what's your deal, but now you know mine. It's...basically the only way I have to express trust, so hopefully it won't freak you out...so much.

[ Weak smile? ]

[bumbles]

( It feels awful when someone entrusts you with something big, important, and all you can do is swallow air. He can't tell her about Atlas, because it will undermine everything that Atlas is, if he is tied to Adonis Casey. She's seen him, she knows how lost he is, and Atlas has to be strong. Bad enough that Stephanie knows, especially when she thinks he's an idiot.

There's a long, awkward silence, but he's gotten pretty used to those. ) Th-- thanks.

( For the trust? Shut up, Donny, and he's scratching his forehead. )

I d-don't-- ( He can't. He does have stuff he could share, but... ) Is, uh. There-- anything you w-want to know?

( This won't necessarily go awfully, and he's sort of thrown. )

[lar]

No, I don't want to know your secrets because I shared first; if you ever decide to tell me something I want it to be because you trust me. Just know that whenever you want to talk, I'm a pretty darn good listener.

[ The smile comes natural now. She's at peace, finally. Well sort of at peace, but Ella is alright with that for the time being. It's tempting to ask him if he has powers or if he's a superhero (because honestly those are the first things that come to her mind) but she means it when she says it has to come from him trusting her. Ella can wait. ]

So, the soup...

[bumbles]

( It's not that he wouldn't trust her, especially when she's entrusted him with this, but Atlas is all he has. Max and Atlas, and if Max wanted him to let go, he'd have to.

Still, he appreciates that she isn't going to try and use that as leverage. Lying isn't something he's terribly comfortable with. As for whenever you want to talk, if he wasn't-- him, he might laugh, but instead he's stretching out his sleeves, pulling them over his hands. ) T-talking isn't, um. Isn't m-my strong p-point.

( Can that be a joke? It sounds so awkward. )

It's chicken and v-vegetable. There's p-pumpkin in the fridge, t-too.

[lar]

Well, you don't know when you might feel like talking to someone. Or in your case, stutter and cut yourself short to someone. So you know, you're not on your own. That's what friends are for, right? Besides making soup and being generally annoying.

[ Guess who was Donny and who was Ella in those examples. ]

Hmm, chicken.

lmao I am so sorry HE IS VERY SENSITIVE

[bumbles]

( Donny is halfway to thinking he shouldn't have come at all, but she needed food. And she was nice to him on his first day, but that's when everything was new and they were all thrown. She speaks like Phoebe, playful with sharp edges tucked into her words that catch you off guard, an offer for confidence with a reminder of ways that you're wrong, the things that weren't good enough.

He just nods, because it's what comes naturally. )

P-protein'll-- it'll help.

( Stuttering, cutting himself off. He nods because she's right. )

Is there anything you n-need?

( Because perhaps he should go now. )

Re: lmao I am so sorry HE IS VERY SENSITIVE

[lar]

I'm sure it will.

[ Awkward silence omg. ]

I think- I think you've done more than enough. You probably want to get out of here so I won't hold you any longer.

[ She just threw a ridiculous fact of her at him; if he ever talks to her again, Ella will be surprised. ]

[bumbles]

( Part of him wants to say that no, he doesn't want to go, to be reassuring and say that she hasn't done anything wrong. Even as he's straightening up, scraping himself up off the ground and getting ready to traipse out, his shoulders are stiff and he's trying to think. )

It's n-not-- not b-because of what you said.

( That he wants to leave, needs to. ) I'm not g-good at, uh--

( At this. All this, talking to people and being in other people's spaces. )

Sorry.

( He's just not all that good at things. )

[lar]

No, it's okay. I get it.

[ Well, maybe not entirely, but she knows he's getting more and more anxious by the second. That can't be good. ]

...we'll talk later, alright? [ "If you still want to" she wants to add, but Ella supposes she has imposed enough of her crap on him already. ]

[bumbles]

Y-yeah.

( Later, yes, that could be a thing that he can manage. )

Um, c-call? if you n-need more soup or something.

( He's scratching his forearm, nervous, over the long-sleeved shirt he has under his t-shirt. )

[lar]

[ She just smiles. Damn you Donny, you shouldn't be nice all the time. ]

You bet I'll call.

[bumbles]

Okay.

( Okay, good.

And he's just going to-- exit, stage right. )