IC Contact Post

[pale_blue_arrow]

This is Brendan Frye. If it's urgent, you might have a better chance o' tracking me down on foot. If I'm not answering, chances are I've gotten in over my head with something, not that I'm refusin' to give you the time of day. So leave me some words and I'll get back to you as soon as I don't have a fire to put out.

Comments

[lempereur]

You love him, and he knows that, correct? Make sure he knows that he can lean on you. Nothing you do can fix it, but if he feels that you would, if you could, that will be enough.

Just give him some time.

Would you like some company? You need to quit drinking by yourself.

[pale_blue_arrow]

not in those words, no. we didn't have a 'oh, we're boyfriends' moment. he's actually really timid around words like that. i didn't want to make him feel weird. but yeah, i'm trying to make sure he knows i can be there for him, i just. i feel like i'm failing. i always fuck things up with people and then they leave or they die.

yusuke, i'm not in love with you. but i love you enough to ask if you're really sure you wanna deal with drunk me. that's a lot for ME to deal with and i'm used to it.

[lempereur]

He knows you're calling him that, right?

[ Sorry Brendan, after getting way too deep with him after like, a day, he has to ask. ]

You did not answer the question. I will be fine, if you get too terrible, I can always force you to sleep.

[pale_blue_arrow]

yeah, he knows. i've been dropping references to it for a month. it's just, he's not a very classically romantic kind of guy? we go on dates and fall asleep together on the couch watching movies, it's not the usual romance i get into where things are more obvious. this is... he's different. special.

all i have are pineapple schnapps and they're terrible. also didn't we agree that to keep me your ace in the hole re: constellation you and i shouldn't been seen doing stuff since i've been public about my disdain for them and they've got a stranglehold on you?

i mean i can get more tequila if you're coming over but. i don't think this was part of the plan.

[lempereur]

As long as he's comfortable with it.

We did not agree to that, it was your own paranoid idea. While your help is appreciated, if I have an ace in the hole, it's Otabek.

[pale_blue_arrow]

i refuse to endanger your boyfriend. he cannot be the ace in the hole, you'll end up hurt when he gets hurt. it's better if i'm the fall guy. that way i can keep everyone safe instead of hurting everyone for once.

[lempereur]

It isn't because I feel comfortable with him in harm's way. It's because he can teleport, so he doesn't have to be. There's a lot he can do with it, and he keeps to himself enough so that not many people know.

I am coming over. Unit 1?

[pale_blue_arrow]

i have healing powers. i go down, i get back up. that's not true for him. i just want you and your boyfriends to be okay and live a happy life instead of the clusterfuck it might become if constellation keeps ruining it.

unit one. hold on, i need to get scarlet for you. ever met a baby quoll? she is joy and she is purity, incarnate. you will love her.

[lempereur]

We have someone with healing powers, and she can heal other people, too. Instantly. We will be well prepared by the time anything happens.

And for what it's worth, I am happy. We are happy, happier than I thought was possible in this world.

I have not! She sounds darling. Give me about thirty minutes.

[pale_blue_arrow]

you deserve to be happy. i just want to keep it that way, yusuke.

she is small yet fearless and also best friends with manabu's dog scout, who's also staying over. i think scout thinks scarlet is a smaller puppy he needs to protect? it's a strange yet intriguing friendship.

[lempereur]

That is certainly the goal.

I love them already.

[ And a couple minutes after that, there's a knock at the front door. Open up! ]

[pale_blue_arrow]

[Brendan opens the door with Scarlet in the nook of his arm. She sniffs at the new person, eyes wide, while Manabu's Poochyena, Scout, stares Yusuke down as toughly as possible. It's not very tough in actuality, but Brendan doesn't have the heart to tell Scout he's not a guard dog.]

If I get drunk and fall asleep on you, I wanna clarify right up front it's not me hittin' on you. I just get sleepy when smashed; I don't hit on taken men.

[lempereur]

[ Yusuke steps inside and takes off his shoes, setting them neatly by the door, and crouches down to offer his hand for Scout to smell. Obviously, this funny looking dog is very Tough and Cool and his approval is an absolute necessity. ]

Not to worry, if the need shall arise, I will push you off of me with the appropriate force.

[ His eyes dart up towards Brendan, chancing the wrath of the quite scary and intimidating creature. ]

I brought your tupperware back, and filled it with stroganoff. Something to soak up the alcohol.

[pale_blue_arrow]

[Scout gives Yusuke a suspicious sniff. He is cool and aloof, at least until Scarlet squeaks and his attention diverts to her. Clearly, he's quite attached to her.]

If I get fall asleep on a guy drunk, I won't remember. Just set me down somewhere soft when I'm incoherent.

...to be fair to me, cooking an' baking isn't the same without Manabu here to eat it. [He looks down at Scarlet, rubbing her head gently, and for a moment his shoulders slump. It's stupid, but he misses Manabu praising Brendan's average-to-slightly-okay food.]

[lempereur]

I am not judging you. I would not have even started learning, if not for Yuri.

[ A couple of hopeless fools, they are. Yusuke, satisfied that he's been deemed at least somewhat acceptable, stands back up and turns his affection toward Scarlet. ]

It's good to see you.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Eating alone shouldn't be weird for me. I did it for most of my life. And I've got a dog and a quoll so I'm not technically alone.

[Said quoll sniffs at Yusuke, curiously. Brendan takes the Tupperware container from him and gently places Scarlet into Yusuke's hands. Tail withstanding, she's still the length of a hand, though she's not skinny anymore and her fur is glossier. She immediately nibbles at the button of his shirt, causing Brendan to roll his eyes.]

Well, you're chewable. She'll love you forever, now. That's her one criteria for friendship.

[lempereur]

Excellent.

[ Sorry Futaba, Yusuke has a new best friend and it's this tiny creature happily accepting strokes on the head with his thumb. ]

How about a distraction? Or at the very least, something less ghastly sounding than...what did you say? Pineapple schnapps?

[pale_blue_arrow]

Scarlet has very low standards for friendship. She basically loves everyone.

[Scarlet sticks her nose under Yusuke's shirt, a weird nuzzling instinct she gets from being a baby. Brendan's more or less used to it, but he hopes Yusuke doesn't mind. Quolls are very tactile pets.]

Pineapple schnapps aren't ghastly. I've drank rubbing alcohol, I know ghastliness when I taste it. But if you have a distraction in mind, I'm all ears, Langosta Trágica.

[lempereur]

No, you just have distressingly low standards.

[ He doesn't mind the quoll one bit, of course, it's only one of the cutest things he's ever seen? ]

Something light hearted?

[pale_blue_arrow]

High standards are for people with money, Yusuke.

[Brendan shrugs, looking almost as tired as he feels. The fact that he's just rolling with whatever Yusuke wants to do is a good indicator of how low he really feels, even if he's trying to act fine.] Like what? I already tried dressing Scarlet up for my own amusement, and that just made me wish Manabu was here more. Although I do have a working Halloween costume for her now, so it's not a total loss.

[lempereur]

Or, people who have been to Reggie's parties enough to borrow his powers.

[ Yusuke is not above abusing his powers to save money.

He notices the lack of argument, and that he's been here for an entire two minutes without some bizarre quip that Yusuke has to google, but he's trying to work on this thing called tact? He won't mention it. From now. ]

A movie, maybe?

[pale_blue_arrow]

One party was plenty for me. They've got a pool in the backyard of that house an' I've got issues with water.

[Issues is a light way of putting it, but he's distracted by Scarlet scaling Yusuke's shirt to sit on his shoulder, clinging to him.] She wants affection. Well, affection that isn't Scout licking her. [He loves Manabu's dog, but Scout's licking is a bit much for a baby quoll who is still basically hand-sized.]

Movie's a good idea. That way I can still keep an eye on the animals. Manabu's a little worried about 'em, you know? Haven't had the heart to tell him Scout keeps sitting by the window and staring out at the street.

[lempereur]

[ He remembers, that was exactly the thing that led to the two of them getting cozy, way back when...but Yusuke doesn't correct him, he just gives in to Scarlet's demands and pets her gently on the head. ]

Do they need constant supervision? She doesn't look like she would hurt a fly.

[pale_blue_arrow]

Scarlet is still young enough she likes to find hiding spots and sleep. If you don't keep an eye on her, she'll beeline for the heating vents and get herself stuck again. [He shrugs, because animals are still a new thing to him, even though he's as doting a pet parent as there ever has been.] It's not so much that she could hurt somebody else as it is that she's good at getting herself stuck under couches and inside people's shoes.

But she'll sleep in your lap for the whole movie if you let her. And Scout'll sleep on my feet because he just does that, for some reason. Dunno why he's going all guard dog on me. 'm fine. [No, he's not.]

[lempereur]

I don't mind it, unless she gets angry when you try to shift position. We had a cat on the team, back home, who would get completely up in arms about the injustice of it.