isdf | purgastory 👻 Inbox

They're fine. I went into the river.

[ promptly forgot something as you do, but he doesn't know what it is so it's fine. ]

What about you? I didn't see you when I left.

[Then Hak paid another price to lessen this one. It doesn't do much to allay Yuma's guilt, knowing that he's at least responsible for a fractured knee.]

I was struck just twice, so there was no need to enter the river.

Did you at least get them looked at? We have supplies.

[ even if they weren't that serious.....he's glad yuma didn't get hurt as badly. ]

Edamura provided an ice pack for the bruise, and I treated the cut myself.

[Neither bothers him much, though.]

That's good.

[ .....

damn, what does he say now? he's always been bad at this sort of thing. ]

How are you feeling.....you know. [ you know?? ] Emotionally.

[His expression doesn't change as Hak struggles to put voice to the thought. No, he doesn't know.

Once he does, he can't help the sting of shame that lances through him.]

Please do not worry. I am stable now.

[ why is talking to yuma like talking to a brick wall? but he tries to rein in his impatience, because after all he'd seen on that little adventure, it's clear that there is something deep troubling this guy. ]

Maybe, but you were clearly bothered before. You can talk about it if you want, you know. [ ... ] We'll listen.

[ well, maybe medea won't, but other people will. ]

. . . Thank you, but there isn't anything to talk about.

[He'd rather that they put it behind them.]

What you witnessed at that maze was nothing more than a lapse in judgment. It has since been rectified.

[

]

You're not a machine. You don't have to talk like that.

[He stands there for a moment, processing.]

Like "that" . . . ?

Like you're just some kind of machine to be used and then put away.

. . . My apologies, but this is how I always talk.

Don't I know it.

[ weirdly enough, he wishes jae-ha were here. creepy pervert or no, he always knew what to say. ]

I just...you don't need to be so hard on yourself. It's okay to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. And yeah, sometimes people get hurt because of those mistakes but that's why we have to work together and look out for each other. You don't have to do everything alone.

[His gaze wanders, evasive in their roaming before they snap back to Hak.]

I am aware of the importance of teamwork; however, that doesn't explain what this has to do with my manner of speech.