Voicemail (IC Contact Post) OLD - at capcha

[abrightboy]

 This is Bright. Leave a message.

Comments

[abrightboy]

I just meant as a friend.

[cactusy]

[She arches an eyebrow.]

Are you actually capable of turning it off?

[abrightboy]

Not... inside my brain. But. I can just. Not say anything.

[cactusy]

[In response, she just... steps back, turns around, and retreats into the cabin.

But she leaves the door open behind her, rather than trying to usher Malcolm out first.]

[abrightboy]

[He follows her uncertainly.]

Is... that a yes?

[cactusy]

[She makes a noncommittal noise, sitting heavily down on the couch with her food in her lap.]

Close the door behind you.

You ever gonna let me train you with a gun, Bright?

[abrightboy]

The FBI trained me with a gun, but if it means a lot to you, I’d be open to a refresher.

[He looks up at her from under his brow as he sits across from her.]

Worried about me?

[cactusy]

If I'm talking about personal stuff with you, you're gonna talk about personal stuff with me. Quid pro quo.

[She pops the soup open, lifting it with both hands to take a sip of broth, leaving the spoon sitting on her lap for now.]

Anything in particular change your mind?

[abrightboy]

Have I been holding something back? I’m a pretty open book. I’m not against training. I never was. Just don’t want to waste your time, when I probably won’t use it. You don’t seem like someone who suffers time wasters.

[cactusy]

The gym thing. That's all. Made it seem like you were pretty against the idea.

[abrightboy]

Of using them, not of learning how to use them.

[cactusy]

[She pauses to dig her spoon into the soup, hunting around for those beans.]

So it's about context.

Would it help to hear that you really don't sound much like your dad at all?

[abrightboy]

It always helps to hear that.

[It's a high compliment, in fact, and he directs the smile he can't help at the floor.]

I hunt the worst, most twisted killers and I've never shot one.

Stabbed a couple.

...Mostly my dad.

But I didn't kill them.

[cactusy]

If you did, it wouldn't make you like him.

[It's delivered flatly and wearily, but it is meant as a reassurance.]

That whole thing about how killing bad guys makes you just as bad as them - it's bull.

[abrightboy]

Only if you kill them when you don't have to. To save yourself or someone else, you have to do what you have to do.

[cactusy]

You and I can agree on that.

[abrightboy]

[He smiles brightly, because that's basically his guiding star.]

I'm glad. ...What happened during the Breach?

[cactusy]

Got bitten. Went and reported myself to the Guardians.

I don't regret it.

[abrightboy]

…Did they kill you?

[cactusy]

That was the point in reporting myself, so, yeah.

[abrightboy]

Not all the guardians jumped straight to that. Did you at least have a friend to do it?

[cactusy]

Nope. Stranger. I didn't want to put my friends through that.

I wrote them letters, so they'd know what happened.

[abrightboy]

We have something like that in the counselling office. A place to leave letters for people in case you disappear from here suddenly.

[cactusy]

That's not the same thing. If you disappear here, everybody knows what happened to you.

[abrightboy]

That doesn’t mean you got to say everything you wanted to people who were important to you.