2.23 - Spam + Voice + Text

[breakingmyheart]

[Spam for Megamind and Edward Nygma]

[Toshiko is the first to wake up. There's still the lingering taste of buttercream frosting on her tongue. She doesn't remember the last time she ate a cupcake.

Megamind and Edward's pillow fort - ridiculous to Toshiko as an almost aggressively sensible twelve-year-old, now she can barely find it in herself to have an opinion - was designed for one small adult and two children. When they dozed off together it was cosy. Now three adults are tangled up at close quarters and the walls have been forced apart and they're listing alarmingly.

Luckily the ceiling is just blankets and there's some give in them, but moving at all will make the whole thing collapse and that'll wake up the other two. She doesn't really want that happening yet. Like she's just woken up from a good dream and she's wondering that if she drifts off again, her brain will be at the same frequency to let her return to it.

She knows she isn't tired enough to sleep again but she closes her eyes and just soaks it all in.]

[Private to Erik; voice]

Erik, I know...

[There’s a pause. She sounds a bit quiet, a bit lost, but not unemotional. On the contrary, it’s more like there’s too much going on and she’s struggling to keep a lid on it all.]

I know you didn’t do what you did for me.

[You did it for yourself. So you didn’t have to have a little girl's trauma on your conscience.

Though something still lingers. There's no reason not to walk. I - I'd like to see you do it.

He didn't have to say that to her younger self, knowing the older was the one it'd resonate with.]

But -- I want to thank you anyway.

[Private to 'Garrett Hobbs'; text]

You took advantage of me.

[She can't even tell if she's angry.]

Comments

[megamind]

[ Megamind is -- comfortable; banked between two bodies, he soaks up their heat without complaint-- on his back, a cushion under his head which is slightly turned to the left. He has one hand reaching for the two here-- knuckles against Toshiko's arm, the opposite up against Edward's shoulder. ]

[ Honestly, he's quite content where he is, in his pajamas covered in rocket ships, feet bare and resting against Angus, who is curled up in a ball at his feet like a little fawn. And why wouldn't he be? Two of his three important people are here with him. ]

[insolubleriddle]

[As per usual, Edward is the odd one out, waking up and rolling onto his knees with no regard for the instability of the pillow fort. He powers on through the wobbling pillows and quilts until the structure topples over them, but he's outside it, for the most part, kicking pillows away as they fall -- it had been one hell of an elaborate pillow fort.

He hears the dog yelp as he mistakes it for a pillow, and subsequent to his failed attempt to kick it away, he topples over, slamming jaw-first into the floor.

And to think, they could have had a quiet morning.]

[breakingmyheart]

[Oh God, she couldn't have had five minutes more?

Tosh hears all that rather than sees it - several soft thumps, Angus yelping, a louder and decidedly human sound of impact - and after entertaining a brief uncharitable thought about Edward ruining everything she sits up, rather more carefully and methodically dislodging pillows and sheets.

Then she sees him still on the floor and obviously in pain and she softens a little.]

Christ. Megamind...?

[She'll be frankly alarmed if he slept through that.]

[Private]

[wecanavenge]

[It takes him a long time to respond. She's herself again, and it's easy to be angry all over again. She deserves it, now. She knows what she's done.

But he can't separately the twelve-year-old Toshiko from this one as cleanly as he might wish he could. So there isn't much anger or heat when he gets around to this, at least not more than the quiet undercurrent that's with him in any uncomfortable situation.]

I didn't just do it for me, either.

[Private]

[breakingmyheart]

...oh.

I remember what you said. The Bachmann quote.

[The part that resonates deepest because now she knows for sure that he was talking to her.]

[megamind]

[ Nope, he's flailing. There's a dog yelping and Edward yelping and oh god, what now? Flailing a bit, Megamind pulls himself out of everything and-- oh shit, Edward's gone face first into the concrete floor of the lair. ]

Oh for the love of-- I manage to keep you safe as a child, as an adult I can't at all...

[ Jerked out of a very pleasant sleep -- Edward on the floor, Angus running around tangled in a blanket and so confused as to why he got kicked -- Megamind wriggles out of the pile, and then offers a hand back to Toshiko to help her up. ]

Tosh, if you could help Edward up and to the bathroom? I've got to make sure Angus is alright and get him before he drags the blanket through the lab...

C'mere, boy-- [ And then, groggy, he staggers after the dog before he can pretty much bring the lair down. ]

private; text

[youwill]

[Text makes it more difficult to read her, but it's not much of a turn off. He can make his guesses. And keep himself from saying 'you let me.']

Forgive me. I only wanted to know you better.

[insolubleriddle]

[This is, sadly, not the first time he's slammed his face into a concrete floor. Not even the second time, or third time, actually. Might even be in the double digits with how often Arkham's staff had used violent force.

He lays there a while, recuperating, waiting for the dizziness to ebb away. And when it does, he rises again and sits on his heels while checking the state of his jaw. Sore as all hell, but it doesn't feel broken, and he isn't bleeding -- much. Bit of a scrape, and he'd bitten his tongue, but it was nothing that wouldn't be gone within a week or so.]

Both of you can grab the dog. [Oh, but that hurt. Jaw was clicking a little, too. He grimaces, clacking his teeth together as he tests the bone.]

[Private]

[wecanavenge]

And?

[If it means nothing to her now, he doesn't know what he'll do. He thinks all he really wants is to hear her say that she won't just remember, she'll think about it. She'll do it.

Even if the idea of her graduating still rubs at him a little.]

[breakingmyheart]

I'm not much for animal herding. Here.

[She crouches down opposite him, not touching but looking him over closely. Her medical training is extensive - good enough that she was once able to fake her way through an autopsy as 'Dr. Sato' while their medic was hungover - and she can tell that there's not much to worry about. There'll be a bruise, but his jawline is still symmetrical and his speech is still clear.]

It's not fractured. I'll get you some ice.

[Well, she's awake now. She straightens up, legs a little stiff from sleeping curled up, and raises her voice to be heard.]

Megamind, icepacks?

[Private]

[breakingmyheart]

And you're right. And I do -

[Her voice wobbles briefly.]

I do want to walk out of here.

I promised you I'd try. I...

I stand by that.

[megamind]

Fridge, kitchenette.

[ Megamind is coaxing Angus out from under a table now, ruffling his ears, and soothing him and calming him down. Blanket gathered. ]

Brainbots, get coffee on. Uh-- and a glass of ice water for Edward.

[ Eventually, he gets Angus out from under the table, and both approach Edward where he sits. He leans over to check things out; Angus ducks his head, ears down, and eventually just lays by Edward, submissive. He doesn't understand why he got kicked, but he's sorry, okay, Edward? ]

Bleeding a bit, are you? Mmph. Nothing too deep, I hope?

[Private]

[wecanavenge]

[There is another long wait while he pinches at the bridge of his nose.]

Good.

[He doesn't feel guilt, doesn't feel at all responsible for what she did - but his involvement, even if it wasn't by choice, exacerbated things. He still resents her for giving in at the Overlook, still hates her imprisoning him during her take over, but it's become a quieter anger, like what he felt for Shaw never became. And that's strange.]

I don't know that I can forgive you, Toshiko, but - no one should be here forever.

private; text

[breakingmyheart]

Why?

[Private]

[breakingmyheart]

Thank you.

private; text

[youwill]

You seem to me a woman in need of more people who know her well.

private; text

[breakingmyheart]

[Well, she can't really argue with that. There's a pause.]

I need to ask you a question.

Does your being an inmate have anything to do with your psychiatric practice?

private; text

[youwill]

No.

[ahahah AHAHAH]

I was a hunter. [A beat] A poacher.

private; text

[breakingmyheart]

[This does not seem Barge-worthy.]

Of what?

private; text

[youwill]

[pshaw, thieves show up all the time.]

Very rare and well protected animals.

private; text

[breakingmyheart]

[Point.]

Alright.

[Private]

[wecanavenge]

Don't thank me.

[He's not sure if he means she doesn't have to, or if he just doesn't want her to. It's hard to say, and he's not sure he wants to know, so he kills his feed.]

[insolubleriddle]

[They're in pajamas, he notices. He's not. A shirt, tie, dress pants. Casual wear, at least. He feels his face for his mask or sunglasses, but of course they're not there.

While Toshiko examines his face, he has no choice but to stare forward at her, blinking slowly, jaw clenched.

But he manages to relax a little, when Angus sits beside him, ears down and demeanor submissive. Edward sighs, patting the dogs belly while he reaches into his pocket for a handkerchief. There was just a little bit of blood escaping the side of his mouth that he needed to wipe away.]

My speech wouldn't be coherent if it were anything deep. [There's enough blood that he does remove a glove and thumb his tongue, though. As discreetly as possible, looking down, since it was kind of rude and gross to have fingers in your mouth with people present.]

[breakingmyheart]

[Toshiko returns with a wrapped icepack and crouches down to offer it to Edward.]

Fifteen minutes. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you.

[She stands and straightens out her top.]

...Right. I'll be going, then.

[And she turns to start towards the door. It was nice while it lasted but the cold light of reality is firmly upon her now.]

[megamind]

[ A long-fingered blue hand reaches out to catch her; Megamind is the most tactile with people he cares about. Nobody else. ]

Oh my God sit down and have breakfast. Honestly, we have all seen each other naked at this point, this cannot possibly get worse or more awkward. Really, it can only get better if we try. Besides, I'm the last person in the world to walk to talk about a Kid Flood. Neither of you saw me last year but let me tell you, I made people cry.

[ The problem is, before his coffee, Megamidn has all his brain filters off, and something like a truth ray engaged. He straightens, a gesturing. ]

Both of you have this terrible habit of running off at the least sign of-- anything. Intimacy. Whatever. Just-- have breakfast and... oh thank God, coffee.

[ Here's a brainbot with a coffee mug, just for Megamind. They know who needs fueling first. ]