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abrightboy

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From:

abrightboy

[Something about lying to Lark seems... wrong. So he doesn't do it. But there is a brief hesitation while he wrestles with that.]

Not... the best. I mean. Some things are good and some things are really... not.

[Another brief silence.]

Everyone is leaving.

From:

ukan

I know. [His voice is just quiet, gentle.]

This place is so small that it does feel like that sometimes. You've just lost more people at once than I ever did.

[So he's worried.]

From:

abrightboy

I can't just make more friends. It doesn't work like that for me.

[That he had any was some sort of miracle, he thinks.]

But Will is still here. He promised he wouldn't leave me.

From:

ukan

[Leaving isn't always a choice. The last time he left, it was against his will. But he doesn't say that.]

You still have me. And the pack.

From:

abrightboy

That does matter to me. It does.

[Fundamentally, it's why he accepted the invitation to join the Pack. A place to belong. A place where he couldn't not belong. Even if he's struggled with feeling it sometimes.]

Roman told me he was going to your world. To your LA. Did you know?

From:

ukan

I did, yeah. He's the first one to come along that I don't really know that well. Alec is...not going to be happy.

[A wince]

But I think Roman will be happy there.

From:

abrightboy

I think he will too. I'm glad he's going to be there. Thank you. He said he was going to stay with someone while he got his feet under him and found his own place. I told him he could use my house for a little bit, since I can't come there yet, but he said he didn't want to 'owe' me anything.

From:

ukan

[A soft laugh] He's paranoid. I can't see you holding anything over anyone.

When I stop in to see Alec I'll see if I can't persuade Roman to take you up on it after all.

From:

abrightboy

I told him I wouldn't, but he has a deeply ingrained sense of... transactionalism in relationships. But he's a good guy. If you can get him to, the offer stands. [He smiles. It's shaky, but genuine.] Until Will and I get there.

From:

ukan

I'll make sure he cleans it up before you get there. [Teasing, lightly] What does Will think of the house? I should show you both what it looks like in the Enclosure.

From:

abrightboy

Will talked me into going to look at it after Christmas. I went for a couple of hours. Took video with my phone of the whole thing so I could bring it back for him to see. Had my heart in my throat the whole time because I was worried about... what if I couldn't get back. But I did. But I'm not leaving again until Will graduates, because that was terrifying. But he likes the house. Oh! If you set it up in the Enclosure, he can actually walk through it and stuff. Maybe we'll use it as an Enclosure setting after that, like we use his old cabin from back home.

From:

ukan

Yeah I get that. Alec didn't leave the whole time I was an inmate, either. And it's why I go home on weekends. I've been stuck on the Barge; I don't want to be stuck away from him again.

[So he soaks up what time he can, just in case, and if the Admiral doesn't take him back on board at least he'll be home with Alec.]

But yeah I can do that! I want you both to like it; let me know anything you want changed and I can make sure it happens before you get there.

From:

abrightboy

Actually... you know what would be a fun surprise? Will likes making his own fishing lures. Like. Fly fishing lures. So if one of the rooms could be set up as a sort of hobby room with the stuff needed for that... but don't put it in the simulation. I want it to be a surprise for when we get there.

From:

ukan

[Grinning] Oh I like that. Yeah we can do it.

[But he'll be asking Will for a secret room for Malcolm, too]

There's some good fishing up outside of LA I think he'll like. And who knows maybe he'll like ocean fishing too? Plenty of boats out there.

From:

abrightboy

Deep sea fishing? Sun and the motion of the boat and his shoulders straining to reel in a giant swordfish or something? Maybe I'll like it. [Joking. Mostly.]

From:

ukan

[Laughing] See? Just call me Cupid.

What do you do to show off for him?

From:

abrightboy

[Malcolm just stares at the screen for a moment.]

What do you mean?

[He actually shows off for Will all the time, in his awkward nerd way, but he doesn't really consciously think about it. In fact, if he put conscious thought into it, he probably wouldn't manage to pull it off.]

From:

ukan

You know. That feeling you get when you do something well, but you want them to notice it?

From:

abrightboy

Um... well this week I've been building a habitat in the new snake enclosure. He's helping.

From:

ukan

Right but are you doing it shirtless? Maybe he wants to see your shoulders straining, too.

From:

abrightboy

Well, in that case, shirtless axe throwing might be a better idea than shirtless crafting.

From:

ukan

Oh now we're talking. See? That's how you show off. Find something you like and you're good at, and do it without all your clothes on.

From:

abrightboy

He’s good at more stuff than I am.

From:

ukan

Some people are jacks of all trades and some are specialists. I need both in my pack, so...lucky me.

From:

abrightboy

I mostly mean things like… being likeable and relating to people and… he has an amazing smile. I guess that’s not a skill. But also he’s really good at communicating.