forgivetheinsubordination | IC Contact

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I'm getting there, Red, and it's not stupid. Thank you for asking. How is Green?

[The last thing he's going to do is discourage one of the young. They need help more than ever right now.]

FROM: red@cdc.org hes recovering. someone found him first and got him to medical. they took care of him

[ Because saying he's fine isn't the right word. Probably as much as asking someone if they're better after what they went through. ]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

And how are you?

[His friend just went through torture, likely other friends too, and it's not going to be easy. Garrus wishes he was in any shape to go around to the young hit by this and give them each at least a shoulder-squeeze.]

FROM: red@cdc.org im ok. nothing happened to me.

[ With a portion of the crew in agony that lasted longer than just the 30 seconds, Red isn't going to act like he had anything bad. ]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I didn't mean physically. But I'll take your word for you being ok.

[He... doesn't actually believe it, because nobody is okay when their friends are tortured, but he's not going to call Red out on it. Right now no one needs to be pushed too any further.]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Arcanine all right? Don't really know what's between you guys and them, how connected you are, but it's worth asking.

[ Red pauses, considering a moment how to sound more reassuring so not to put any concern on himself. But what is there to say?

He'll have to take Garrus's word on taking his word. ]

FROM: red@cdc.org dont know i havent seen him but he isnt going to be happy. he might be on guard around green for a while but thats just a guess. he cares about green a lot.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Please let me know if you or Green need anything.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Know there's not much I can do. But I'm here.

[If only Arcanine could have helped keep Green safe... But none of them could have.]

FROM: red@cdc.org theres a guy called kotetsu. he told me he knows green if youre worried about him. were both trainers but he doesnt trust me or anything

[ As much as he'd like to think that he could do more for Green, even trying to do much for the one he knew probably wouldn't go much better. He doubts this one cares that much about him, and he hasn't any reason to. Late night voice mails dripping with regret and vulnerability and a few texts messages after doesn't change that.

He's just some kid. So should Green be, to him. ]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I trust you on how Green is. I don't need to contact Kotetsu.

[And maybe that means he should be a little more straightforward.]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Nobody's gonna tell the truth about how they're doing, I don't think. Nobody wants to seem weak, even if they're not anything remotely close to weak. But friends will tell the truth about friends.

[ It stings when it shouldn't. Garrus can't know, and it's not something that's really the best time to get into when the turian has other things to be concerned about, such as his health.

But what was there to it? It was straightforward too, after all. ]

FROM: red@cdc.org green doesnt know me. he isnt the green i know and im not the red he knows. he just looks like the green i know. im not anyone to him.

[That's... unexpected.]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I'm sorry, Red. It doesn't mean you're no one to him, though. You're both from the same world, even if it's a little different. You both know pokemon. You can bond over that.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

This doesn't have to be an end. It can be a new beginning.

[ Someone said something like that -- Falcon, he thinks, but he doesn't remember the words so clearly anymore. It didn't matter anyway; he didn't need them to reach out to Green for his own selfish reasons, telling himself it wasn't the Green he knew but forgetting it in the same thought.

It wasn't as easy for him as it was for Green. Green never looked at him like he knew him.

But none of that mattered right now. ]

FROM: red@cdc.org the green i know wouldnt tell me anything anyway. kotetsu knows green. so does a guy cecil. i dont know how close they are but you can ask them FROM: red@cdc.org guy got his cuff turned off too but he wont mind if you message him

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Do you want to get close again? Do you want to put the effort in? Because friendship is worth it, and there's a decent chance he'd want the same thing back.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

He had a Red before. Why wouldn't he want you to be his friend again?

FROM: red@cdc.org because me and the green i know werent friends. we didnt spend time together because he said i was too stupid and slow. we didnt talk like friends do FROM: red@cdc.org green told me his red and me werent anything like each other. were both dumb and make stupid decisions and thats it. FROM: red@cdc.org im okay if were not friends. im not the red he knows. im not the same age. we didnt grow up together FROM: red@cdc.org i want to help him when i can but i dont expect him to talk to me about how hes feeling. you probably know him just as much as i do

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

The Shepard here isn't quite like the Shepard I know. There are some differences in her attitude and approach, and it's taken me some time to adapt. But I have, and I'm glad I have.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

The CDC can be a lonely place without people, Red. Might be worth giving Green a new chance, see how you like each other like this.

[ The response takes a moment. ]

FROM: red@cdc.org is it fair. i didnt know he knew a red too. i asked him if we could get to know each other but i thought he didnt know a red at all FROM: red@cdc.org doesnt seeing shepard make you miss the shepard you know

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Yes and no. The Shepard I know might not be doing as well as this Shepard. She wasn't as hard, and this place needs hard.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I think she'd be hurting more. And I'm glad this one isn't. And I'm glad I get to be friends with another universe's Shepard.

FROM: red@cdc.org when shepard saw you did she know you

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Yes.

FROM: red@cdc.org green didnt. thats fine because im not that red and i dont want to be. we dont have to be friends but ill help him when i can. i cant rekindle a friendship we never had

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Wanting to help him is the first step toward friendship. Maybe you can't rekindle something, but you can start it.

[ He lets time sink in the words a little more than he has. It's not something he wants to make more out of than he has, and he doesn't want to be so negative - but it's Green. A Green he doesn't know at that.

There's a sigh on the other side that can't be picked up through text. ]

FROM: red@cdc.org do you really think he would want to be friends

[ Because when it's all said and done -- it's still Green. ]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Everyone, even prickly people, want friends. They may have been burned in the past, but people don't do well totally alone.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

Not only that, but you're the one person that shares a place in common with him. The one person he can talk to about home. That means more than I can put into words.

[ ... ]

FROM: red@cdc.org okay. ill try.

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

I'm glad.

[Sometimes, trying is all that matters.]

FROM: vakarian.garrus@cdc.org

We'll talk again soon.

IC Contact - Consignment

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject