quicktoanger | Fourth Casefile: Damage Control. [Voice/Written/Action]

[Voice]

I paused, staring at the journal, not sure what to say for a moment.

What the hell do you say?

"Right. Sorry ab-"

Let's try this again without the accent, Harry.

"Right. Sorry about last week. If I was... off, or confused anybody, or offended anyone, or whatever."

I paused again.

"I lost the jacket, Richard, but did you at least get to keep the rifle?"

I sat for a moment longer, then chuckled.

"Least the hand didn't stay shot. Alright, I think that's it."

I shut off the feed and set to work on a filter. I suck at those, for the record, but this kind of needed to be said and was private, so...

Hell's bells, those things are more trouble than they're worth.

[Written- Locked to Molly Carpenter, filter at 2% 5% 6% 9% 9% 13 ~~16%~~ 20%]

Kid. Molly. I'm sorry about last week. Really, really sorry.
~~I never meant to~~
~~It was like I~~
Forget it. Look. Let me make it up to you somehow?

[Action]

That done, I tucked my journal in my pocket and went into town. I felt a pressing need to talk to people, which, let me tell you, never happens to me. Ever. Plus, there were a couple awkward conversations I wanted to have.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Molly sees this and... scarcely dares hope, really. So she doesn't bother the filter, she just writes a single line in response:]

Do or do not _______________.

She didn't trust me.

It stung me a little bit. A lot had gone on between us, better or worse, and I hadn't always been the greatest teacher and she hadn't always been the greatest student, but... she'd always trusted me. With her life. She followed me into a room full of people who wanted to cut her head off and trusted me to walk her back out alive.

... maybe it stung me more than a little bit. Maybe that conversation didn't help. It hurt even then, when I didn't remember who she was. Looking back on it as her friend, as her mentor? As the guy she should have been able to trust?

... I responded, but it was slow and shaky. Simply filling in the blank she had left for me.

Do or do not, I am your father

Here's hoping she can still smile about bad jokes.

[...

Screw writing.]

Harry? Is that really you?

Oh, good. Voice. Voice was a good sign.

"The realest."

Oh, I'm so glad!

[Such relief.]

I was so worried - you're really you? I mean - nothing's all mixed up, you remember things? Do I need to start quoting Dora?

[Which, yeah, she knows he'd hate. Still - she thinks he'd appreciate the little mental test to see if he knew what he knew that he liked.]

"Do it and I swear to you I will live on nothing but ramen and coffee for the next three weeks."

I loved that kid.

Are you trying to kill yourself?

[The words were out before she thought.

And oh.

Ouch.

Quick, change the topic.]

Where are you?

"Don't worry, Padawan, I'm not ready to become one with the Force any time soon."

Actually, where was I? I'd sort of lost track of myself in my wanderings- ah. Near the bridge.

... Which reminded me that Jack Sparrow still had my damn coat.

"Bridge, near house seven?"

My hand twinged in a brief ghost of pain. Bloody pirates.

... Still, though. I had my jacket stolen by Captain Jack freaking Sparrow.

[Oh. Ow.

Quick, say something, Molly.]

That'll be a lot more convincing when you give up drinking a pot of coffee every morning. [And before he has a chance to protest--] I'll meet you there.

[/click.]

Edited 2012-04-13 23:03 (UTC)

Oh, hell, she really was gonna take my damn coffee.

I propped myself up on the railing of the bridge and waited for her, jotting notes in a small notebook.

[Her cautious approach shattered when she saw him, running the last few steps.]

Harry?

I glanced up when I heard my name, grinning and moving toward her.

"Heya, Padawan."

After the initial giddiness wore off, I stopped a short way from her, arms spread.

"If you wanted to punch me, by the way, now would be the time. I don't know if my delicate male ego could handle getting beaten up by a girl in public."

As if--

[--Karrin wouldn't make you eat those words

But really she cuts that off by taking advantage of those spread arms for a hug. Face it, Dresden. Your apprentice was worried about you in a big way.]

Oh. Well. That worked.

After a moment of what I'm sure was a remarkable impression of a dead fish, I hugged back, rubbing her back beneath the wings.

"Hey, easy, kiddo. I'm fine."

Except for the part where I felt approximately like shit.

[She pulled away, one hand going up to dash at her eyes.]

I was so worried that "you" wouldn't come back, that they'd done something to mess with your mind and memories and I couldn't figure out a way to fix it.

"Oh, come on. That'd never happen. That guy Blackstone wasn't an asshole, and no force in the known universe can stop me from being an asshole for that long."

I wouldn't know.

[She'd deliberately avoided "Blackstone" from their first meeting and... she frowned at the way Harry was referring to himself.]

The suddenly darkened expression tugged at me, and I reached out a hand to rest on Molly's shoulder.

"Hey, kiddo. Relax. It was just a joke, right?"

It would have been easier if she'd just been mad at me.

[She looked down, but allowed the touch.]

At least your sense of humor is still just as bad.

"You know, words can be hurtful."

Hey, contact was good. Contact implied better. Eye contact would come in time, right?

"Anyway, I feel kinda weird, being out in the open like this without my coat. If I promise to only drink orange juice, will you come get breakfast with me?"

As peace offerings went, it wasn't much, especially since I wasn't paying, but hey.

...yeah. That sounds good.

Fourth Casefile: Damage Control. [Voice/Written/Action]

[ written ] 20 percent filter

[written ] 20 percent filter (DAMN YOU FORMATTING)

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ voice ] 20 percent filter

[ Action ]

[ Action ]

[ Action ]

[ Action ]

[ Action ] I clearly need to stop sucking at timely responses

[ Action ] THE WEIGHT OF THE WAIT CAN BE BORN!

[ Action ]

[ Action ]

[ Action ] Clearly I am on a roll with these tags. >.>

[ Action ] ;;

[ Action ] Aaaand again.

[ Action ] ;;