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[triggerguard]

He's just...It's how he is, always has been. Tells you enough to get by, and swallows or buries the rest of it.

Maybe he'll actually listen to you and talk about it for once. [Much as Jesper isn't looking forward to it, he knew their last chat about that mess didn't exactly lead to an outcome where they had processed any of it.]

...Clothes are washed in a basin and hung out to dry, Noah. [Obviously] What are, a wizard?

[cleptes]

Oh, good. I'm glad you do.

[She did enjoy the game and their discussion. Bela is only sorry that they didn't get to talk again, until the unpleasantness.]

You weren't herded then. Like some others.

[Just when Bela was going to bring up what happened, he apologises.]

I accept that, though it really wasn't your fault. Blame hell.

[enoderedrum]

Which is fine and dandy when it comes to people that don’t matter but I’m pushing this for you guys. The people he would die for. He’s gotta push past the discomfort.

Ha……….I think he does. He’s just stubborn about it. He knows he can’t hide how he feels around me. Don’t let him hide it around you, Jes. You can read him in other ways and he knows that.

No. You toss them in a machine that does all the work for you. Then you toss them in another machine and it takes 40 minutes max to have clean underwear.

[triggerguard]

I never forget a good game. Or a friendly face.

[Herded. Right--there had been talk of that, of what happened to those that got caught instead.]

I ran into some friends. I made them promise to do what they had to if I came after them.

[He had given them his guns, fate in their hands. He almost wishes he never asked at all, the what-ifs the only thing keeping that particular brand of guilt at bay.]

I know Hell's a shitshow, doesn't mean I can't apologize for when it pits us against each other, yeah? What about you...Did you end up herded with the rest?

[triggerguard]

...You going to work on being a group therapist next? Because we're a screwed-up lot of bastards. Fair warning.

Which means you're telling me to stop giving him outs. I don't really push once we hit a wall, you know.

I'm not sure I'd trust a machine to not ruin a perfectly good suit.

[enoderedrum]

Not qualified.

But I’m okay with middle of the night freak out phone calls if you ever need those.

I mean. Yeah. Don’t push him too far, just make sure he knows you won’t let things go completely. He sort of comes around eventually. I usually push and give him space to think about it and he caves at some point.

Well. Suits are a different monster. I’d be careful with the coats. But everything else? Use the machine Jes. I promise you it’s worth it.

[triggerguard]

Ghost degree--perfectly qualified.

But for the record, I'm hoping I don't need to have more late-night freakouts via phone.

Is that really how you get him to talk? Because I'm pretty sure that works for almost absolutely no one else.

...You're going to have me contemplating getting into one of those houses or suites just for laundry. I can see it now.

[enoderedrum]

You’re cute. But no. Not qualified.

I hope you don’t need to but yanno. Lines always open if you do. I’m up at the asscrack of dawn anyway.

Yep. But I think it’s part because he knows he can’t escape. He’s gotta either give it up and I pester him further. He learned pretty quick that I’m stubborn.

Absolutely. Move into the neighbor hood. I’ll bring you a housewarming present 🥰

[cleptes]

Likewise.

[It's the truth, and she is doing her best to remain a friendly face whilst she's here.]

But I'm glad you had friends who had your back. I locked myself away so I wouldn't harm anyone. The people who might've helped me went looking for the cure.

[Which meant that they did help, even if they didn't put her down with a bullet to the head.]

Okay, that's fair.

I did get herded, yes. I remember everything that happened as well, but I haven't talked about it much. Part of me just wants to forget the whole bloody thing.

[triggerguard]

So we're admitting I'm cute, then? [Cut off one angle of flirt and flattery, open another.]

...Do I want to know what has you up that early?

So you made Kaz realize it's all a trap and he gets to decide how it ends? Diabolical. Ingenius really.

Hey, I still owe you. No housewarming gifts until I square us up.

[triggerguard]

Which I had half the mind to lock myself up, but by the time it really hit... [Being one of the initial infected meant that he hadn't realized how bad it was really going to get. He hadn't considered it really until it was too late to do anything about it.]

You know the best solution for forgetting shit? Good drink, good company, and a good hand of cards.

[cleptes]

That sounds like an excellent solution to me. Name the place and time. I'll be there.

[Perhaps not the healthiest way to deal with trauma but she's never really been good at facing things head on. Distractions usually worked best for her.]

[enoderedrum]

Never said you weren’t, Jes.
😏

Insomnia. Running. Kavinsky.

Unintentionally but yep. Worked out pretty well.

I do what I want 💙

[triggerguard]

Be still my heart. 😘

All fair reasons to be awake at ungodly hours.

If it wasn't for the picture he tries to make of himself, we could have come up with that ages ago. No mobs to scare into place here.

We'll see who gets to drop their surprise first, then.

[triggerguard]

Any one of the bars will do. You know which one has the better whiskey?

[enoderedrum]

Ass. 😂

He should think of it this way: the way he is now was adapted to survival back home. To survive here, that needs to change. Not that any of us would just let him get killed or anything but a bit of stress in a short period of time will save him in the long run here.

Save your dick for later.
It’ll lighten the mood.
Promise. (When it comes to Kaz.)

Mine will come first. Bet.

[cleptes]

The main hotel bar is my go to, as I have yet to try any whiskey in the club. The classier the establishment, maybe the better quality of whiskey?

[triggerguard]

I know, it's a nice one.

Saints, that might actually get him to cave if it's put in those terms.

We'll see how this all works out. Coming up to his floor now.

Ohhh A bet now? Noah, dear, you have no idea what you've brought on.

[triggerguard]

I'd take that bet. Hit the hotel bar, have a few drinks--I'm not up for the gambling of souls, but I have a deck of cards if you want a hand or two?

[enoderedrum]

I mean, yeah.

You tell him that. I’m too feely for him.

Mmm lemme know what happens~

Actually. I do. 😈

[triggerguard]

If Kaz listens to my bullshit, I'm buying you a drink. And you'll know once it's said and done.

We'll see, ghostboy. We'll see.

[cleptes]

I've no desire to gamble anyone's soul so a deck of card works for me, darling. That, and the company of course.

Shall we meet in around thirty minutes?

[triggerguard]

"And when have you ever known me to have good manners?" He asks, easy as anything. He knows what's coming, was warned by Noah about it, but that doesn't mean he has to dive right into it. He can let both of them breathe for at least a moment.

So he eases into a seat, just enough distance between them that Kaz will surely pick up on that fact that he's aware there's more to this talk than what he had initially headed over here for. "Noah wanted me to remind you not to forget the clothes in the dryer."

Flippant, cool. A bit more neutral than pushing him to talk about the shot he had to take little less than a month ago. Far more neutral than talking about his death at the hand of his best friend, again.

"And he told me we had a lot more to talk about."

[greedbowstome]

"Never," he quips back with an easy roll of his eyes as Jesper comes to join him on the couch. He can't help the trail of his eyes from Jesper's face, and down to the space between them. It's closer than he would normally sit and Kaz is unsure how to feel about it. Noah does it all the time, it isn't so different, is it? But it's more obvious when Jesper does it, because he never really has.

The comment about Noah and the dryer makes him frown, eyes darting immediately back up to Jesper's face. He doesn't even get the thought from his head and out of his mouth before Jesper says the next thing.

The question is still absolutely on point, so he snaps a bit as he asks, "Why are you talking to Noah?" Did he already know that Noah had text him? Yes. He was watching him do it, though he had no clue exactly what he'd said to him. Was he going to let knowing that stop him from being kind of miffed about it? Absolutely not. "Are you two conspiring now? Comparing notes?" He isn't sure he likes the idea of it. Noah talks too much as it is, the idea that the things he admits to him are swapping hands to anyone else is a little annoying.

(It's probably only with Jesper, right?)

[triggerguard]

"Saints," Jesper groans, head lolling back against the couch before he turns his head to give Kaz a look. It borders on annoyance, vague and indirect as it is. "We talk because we're friends, Kaz. You may not be fond of the word, but some of us are."

It's another wall Kaz has, a way to keep them close but just distant enough that he can feign indifference. An investment, an associate, collateral--all detached words meant to hide how attached he really was. Jesper knew enough to know they were friends, even if the use of the word was as infrequent as any coming from Kaz's mouth.

"We aren't comparing notes, but considering how I freaked out when I was pissed last night, Noah warned me about what I might be walking into here."