[Usually Lydia sleeps like an absolute rock other than clinging to Tyler or being pressed up against him in some fashion. But, uh, it's not the best of signs when she's not being completely still in the damn middle of the night. A lot of wriggling, maybe a kick or two, but given she has mostly no strength to speak of it's nothing major.
Until after a whole bunch of that mess she actually jolts out of her sleep to sit up and is quite glad that he can't hear that startled yelp.
Right. Rightrightright, she's here. This is fine.
It's absolutely fine to just pull her knees to her chest and wrap her arms around them for some semblance of calm. Fuck.]
Dirk's got his own lab now, so he sees Tyler somewhat less than he used to.
That's fine; one of the reasons he likes Tyler is that he doesn't feel the need to stop and chat every time they're in the same room. It's also fine because it makes the whole time period between his beheading and actually seeing the guy less tense, because it's not some kind of immediate showdown Dirk has to anticipate.
Not that he's expecting one, but if he were.
What actually happens is he has to leave his lab to pick up some experimental piece of circuitry in a lab that happens to contain Tyler Huang, which means he walks along the peripheral wall opposite him until he finds what he's looking for, spending a few seconds unhooking the ribbon cable from where it's plugged in before saying anything. He doesn't bother to turn around when he talks.
"Nice work with that beheading. I mean, it could have been better. Three whacks is kind of a lot to make me suffer through. That's two more than the norm for me. The hands-free element was pretty cool, though."
I do so hope I am not interrupting aught for you, but in the event I am not, I had a question for you. Pray, by all means answer at your leisure, it is not of a dire nature or aught so dramatic, but I could not help but notice a bit of a hole in the explanation of your—and by extension Steven's—means of becoming a changeling. Or rather, a lack of explanation on part of the circumstance thereof.
See, I would assume that if someone were to be abducted, close friends or family would certainly grow concerned with their absence. Most, I would presume, would seek to find them, but you nary mentioned a single word about aught of that sort! It is a very curious—if not intriguing—detail to be overlooked.
Now, perhaps it is uncouth of me to spring questions upon you concerning possible sensitive matters, and I should apologize for doing so, but I suppose upon reflection, such sensitive matters are not quite outside of bounds.
Wouldn't you agree?
Edited (when you type steve and not steven) 2020-07-24 09:00 (UTC)
Welp. It looks like we're now a freehold of three.
I don't know if you've heard about the screaming weirdo in his underwear yet, but guess who was on his way to turn in his quota when our newest coworker woke up in a strange place and immediately proceeded to panic?
[So, guess who had to run off to work for the night but made damn sure that if he decided to go over to her house that he'd find a small black box with a note next to it on the table in front of the couch.
She did, of course she did.
But the question is if he's going to actually notice it or not. Who knows, it's a mystery.]
Was last night Interregional Shit On Steven Day? Because *seriously*, Tyler, I am tired of Emet fucking Selch leaping on the smallest provocation to abuse me.
If I told you something I found out about Jack, would you take it as a secret to your grave?
Because I learned something via his daughter's boyfriend (Armin) and I have no reason to doubt him and now everything makes too much sense and I hate it.
The only thing that *didn't* make it Munchausen's-by-proxy is that he was drugging/poisoning Angel to enhance her special powers, not to make people think she was an invalid. And coupled with all this, he *was* isolating her. It was the full fucking Rapunzel. The only method of communication she had with anyone outside her was the fucking space internet.
Jesus fucking Christ. I don't think I want him to touch me.
I'm at Armin's place. I came to do his gym? I meant to be there a month ago, but then the whole boobies incident happened, which lead to all this in the first place.
Anyway. Angel gave him permission to tell me and he told me and God, Tyler, it's *so* fucked up. I'm leaving. I can't stay. I'm going to buy some time to figure out how to do this without him destroying my things that I haven't moved over to my room at the base yet or sending me to the Pokecenter by faking that I went home and am asleep for a week, but whether or not I have a solution for that come next Sunday, I am getting the fuck out.
And I am definitely taking you up on your offer of letting me use your old apartment. Thank you.
[Armin needs to tell someone. He knows Steven is not actually in any danger. He's been in this world long enough that this isn't his first rodeo when it comes to those weird sleep-comas people end up in on occasion, only to wake up with new memories.
Hell, it is exactly what Steven was going to fake to give him a little breathing room from Jack.
At the very least, Tyler should appreciate the level of irony in the narrative here.]
Did Steven tell you about his plan to fake one of those sleep-comas for a week to give himself a little breathing room with regards to Jack?
[Ugh. This promises to be a shitshow. Tyler, he knows from his first time here six years ago, does not take people changing well at the best of times. And there have been a lot of changes in Steven since he was last in the Pokeworld. According to Charley, he doesn't even move the way he used to.
And the last time he saw Tyler--what he thought was his first because he couldn't remember this world--he'd managed to shove his entire leg down his throat.]
So. I'm awake now.
I saw from Angel's announcement that Jack's gone, but I'd rather not live in his house for much longer regardless. May I still stay in the apartment above Fight Club until I make arrangements to secure a place of my own?
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