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[abrightboy]

 This is Bright. Leave a message.

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[abrightboy]

So it was official to you but not officially agreed to.

[cactusy]

It wasn't official but I would have made it official if she hadn't died.

[empathicfault]

"Just you, right now."

Will is breathing deep and slow, and it becomes apparent that's deliberate. He keeps a near death-grip on Malcolm for a few more long moments before finally loosening the hug up a little.

"It wasn't until I spoke with you that I realized how familiar I had become with being alone again. These pieces of my breach self can sneak into me without me noticing, so easily."

But Malcolm's here and warm and solid. And Will thinks it will help anchor him some.

[abrightboy]

Malcolm smiles against his shoulder.

“That was a lonely-in-a-familiar-way breach for me too,” he admits. “But we’re not alone here. Never. Not anymore.”

[abrightboy]

I enjoy a guessing game as much as the next person, but you could have led with that.

[cactusy]

I did tell you that it was complicated.

[abrightboy]

I am familiar with complications that involve murder. How didn’t I guess?

[cactusy]

It was an assassination. Kinda different.

[Or it's different in her line of work, anyway.]

[abrightboy]

I’ve arrested assassins. Two in one week a couple years ago.

[empathicfault]

"Not anymore," Will agrees whole-heartedly. "And having you here will help me remember that. Although- forgive me if I end up confused? I already hit Shaw with some mild dissociation."

Malcolm should know what that's like, having seen him so soon after the Seattle zombie breach. Thankfully, it hasn't hit quite so hard here, but Will does find the wrong memories hiding in the occasional assumption. That's what's tripping him up as he starts trying to put all his coping mechanisms back in place for his empathy condition.

[abrightboy]

“Forgiveness would imply some sort of wrongdoing on your part,” Malcolm tells him. “You know you don’t have to present all…. neurotypical and together with me all the time right?” He lifts his head so he can lean it back just enough to look at Will’s face. “I love you. All of you. Not just the clever, handsome and funny bits.”

[cactusy]

What's your point, Bright.

[abrightboy]

I arrested them for murders. Why did someone want her dead?

[cactusy]

Hazard of the job. People want all of us dead.

[abrightboy]

That explains everything; thanks for the chat.

[cactusy]

I-- what?

[abrightboy]

Sarcasm.

[cactusy]

You never know with you. I can't share my work secrets with you, Malcolm. I have a dangerous job. Just take that at face value.

[abrightboy]

How are they still secrets here?

[cactusy]

Look, do you care about getting to know me, or am I irrelevant as a person in your quest for intel?

[abrightboy]

[He looks a little like he’s been slapped when she says that.]

….I thought what you did was closely tied to how you view your own identity. I don’t care about your job at all, except in how it made you into… you.

[He’s considering whether he can find Will, though, without her realizing he’s looking for him…]

What would I even do with ‘intel’ about your super secret job stuff, though? Like. How could that possibly even be a Thing?

[cactusy]

[Shaw - still just on audio herself - sighs and makes a small grumbling sound, but admits grudgingly:]

It is closely tied to how I view myself. But the situation is... weird. Part of our work involves all-seeing, all-knowing artificial intelligences whose purpose is to get into basically any system, and when it comes to the safety of my team, I'm going to play it safe and assume the one we're fighting against might find a way to listen to all of these logs someday.

[If it's not listening already. If this isn't all a simulation that it's engineering and controlling.]

[abrightboy]

…Okay. Safety first.

[cactusy]

[She blows out a relieved breath.]

Thanks. AI really suck sometimes.

[abrightboy]

There’s an AI girl here now.