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[bluescreenwhitedragon]

"This is Intensity. Leave a message."

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Day 146

[crossmyheartandhope]

[There is a knock on the door of the FiN dorm mid-morning, around ten o'clock.]

[Hurricane leaves a set of notes in the dropbox and then turns immediately back for the elevator.]

[He has gone to some effort to make sure they're legible, that the spelling is decent, and that the language isn't too casual.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[He'll get a text a few hours later]

CEO: Come see me in person when you're ready.

[crossmyheartandhope]

hurricane: omw

[Takes him a while, though.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[The door is open to Future is Now when he arrives.

And Intensity is sitting near the main table in the common room.

If he is bothered by having to wait, he doesn't show it]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[....cool.]

[He just kind of... hovers in the doorway. Knocks on the door frame.]

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

[Motions to the chair across from him]

Sit down.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Starts to come in. He's down a leg and working with a crutch, which probably explains why it took him so long to get here.]

You, uh. You want me to close the door?

Or...?

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I can get it.

[As it does indeed close behind Hurricane as soon as he's past the thresh hold]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Okay. Okay, cool.]

[Going to sit down across from Intensity, then.]

[He looks... not great? There is zero color to his face, and he has washed his face and changed clothes but hasn't been home to shower. The new shirt probably has a few spots where the raw sores underneath oozed through the fabric.]

What's up.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I received your notes. They look thorough.

But I had been hoping to talk to you about something else when you delivered them.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[He is... pretty sure he knows what this is about.]

...yeah, sure.

Go for it.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I'm concerned that some of you might try to save Mehniel again separately. In order not to put anyone else in danger.

Will you tell me if you do?

I won't try to stop you.

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Well... not what he was expecting, but also not off the mark.]

...I'll let you know.

I just... I gotta figure out when I'm going. And how to get there.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Come back here if you need anything.

I still need to ask around about what other people found. So maybe something new will turn up.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...okay. Thanks.

[He hesitates for a long couple of seconds. Then:]

Sorry. That, like - that we pulled you in.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

I never regret anything. So don't regret it for me.

...

Also don't set out again until I make you a new leg.

I'm not going to start working on it until after I get these notes compiled and to the public though.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...you don't gotta.

I'm good, I -

I know the old one pretty good. It's not tech from here, so as long's I can figure out replacement parts, I can probly patch it okay.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

So you're not going to accept assistance from anyone else?

[crossmyheartandhope]

You already did a lot, dude. S'like every time I talk to you, you get stuck cleaning up my mess.

So... I'm gonna handle myself. I mean, if I'm gonna be like this, I should handle myself.

Just gotta try harder, this time.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

So you're making this decision for me? Without my input.

Do you think me weak? A coward?

[crossmyheartandhope]

What? No.

You're -

You got it together more than like 99% of anyone I ever met.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

Then trust my judgement of when I should or shouldn't help you.

From the first day, I was prepared to bet everything I had on overturning this production. And my resolve hasn't wavered in the slightest.

Don't think this setback means anything to me other than that - a setback that is to be learned from and overcome.

[crossmyheartandhope]

I'm just saying -

[Hesitates.]

You help me all the time, an all I ever do for you's make more trouble.

I messed up bad. It wasn't even your mistake, and you got stuck picking up the pieces.

[bluescreenwhitedragon]

You and Nemesis also get into the kind of trouble that sheds more light on the situation than anyone else.

I'm not faulting you for that.

I am faulting you for not knowing when you're in over your head.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...yeah. Sounds about right.

Breaking stuff and getting in trouble too deep - those I'm pretty good at.