[STATION 72] MENTAL LINK

[redheadcarrier]

I'LL KILL YOU I'll kill you!	I HATE THIS I hate everyone.
THOUGH I hate myself the most.	I DON'T WANT TO DIE I don't want to die.

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Comments

[raw]

( I just. )

[ Just what, Elliot? Thought maybe you shared a moment of connection with someone? Or maybe that's just the symbiote, trying to make one-ness seem appealing, just like it does with his sole broodmate.

( Wondered. )

[ The word tinged with curiosity-concern. ]

[redheadcarrier]

[ There's a bit of a twinge in reply and Asuka's left at a loss for a moment as she tries to figure out how to respond to that. ]

( I'm... fine. )

[ Not really. When has she ever been fine? ]

( Thanks. I guess. )

[raw]

( You're welcome. )

[ How weirdly formal. At least his shields are a little better, otherwise he'd be getting his "????" about this everywhere. ]

( Listen. I don't fucking know how to say this without it being weird, but I'll tell you the same thing I tell my little sister. If you ever want anyone to talk to about shitty thoughts without a bunch of pity, or just get high and scream into pillows, or whatever.... )

[ The thought kind of trails off, but surely the implied offer is pretty clear. ]

[redheadcarrier]

[ There's a period of 'silence', although it's really more a quiet tick-tick of emotion and consideration. She's trying to sort through her thoughts and how to approach this. What to do. She should reject him. She should slam the door in his face.

But it hurts to be alone. Probably more than it hurts to let others in. She's been finding this truth, slowly but surely. Even in the face of Lavellan's death. ]

( ...thanks. )

[ Quiet. Understated.

She remembers the glimpse she got into his head. ]

( Maybe I will. )

[raw]

[ They're both the kind of person for whom this stuff takes time. So he doesn't really expect anything further, honestly; doesn't want protracted conversation. He just hadn't wanted their interaction to be left on the note it had been indefinitely. ]

( Cool. )

[ Now he just misses his sister Darlene, who would doubtless be better at this. )

[redheadcarrier]

( Great. )

[ Just a bit dry. She doesn't know what else to say to that. ]

( ...you're better at this shield thing now. Good for you. )

[raw]

( Thanks to you. )

[ Credit where credit is due; he isn't spilling his feelings all over the place anymore. ]

( I try and think of it like a network connection. Sending out encrypted packets of data to you, but keeping the rest of my data behind a firewall. )

[ Though he realizes slightly sheepishly he doesn't even know if her world has technology like that. ]

( If that makes sense...

[redheadcarrier]

( Kind of. I wasn't into computer science. I was a physics major. )

[ Theoretical physics, at that. Following in her mother's footsteps. Always playing catch-up. ]

[raw]

( All STEM is good STEM. )

[ Then it becomes obvious that he doesn't really know how to keep a conversation going — it's good, to talk to people, he doesn't hate everyone here quite as much as he did everyone back home, but he still can't bring himself to make smalltalk. But how do they connect without it? ]

( Later. )

[ So he abruptly disconnects until he has a better purpose. But he'll be back!! ]

[redheadcarrier]

( Bye, I guess. )

[ Weird. ]