EXSILIUM - contact.

[hostage]

UNIT№409



_“ Hey, it's me. Wait for the thing. _”

Comments

[hostage]

I think there's always another way. Not always a better way, but another way. It don't have to be death all the time.

[payback]

Probably. But sometimes you do what you have to do to survive at the time. And sometimes they force it.

[hostage]

[He shrugs, not quite able to agree but with no desire to argue.]

[payback]

[She can still let things go sometimes and she's not going to press this enough to make him more miserable - she's conniving, not malicious. Backing off from what looks to her like a terribly unhealthy lifestyle, too. It feels like pressing too hard would start to seem judgmental and that would probably be counterproductive.

It's not really her business anyway, right? Right. She reminds herself.]

Anyway, I'm glad you're not dead. Or undead, whatever.

[hostage]

Yeah, I'm glad you're alive, too.

[He glances around at the mess of his room and breathes a short laugh.]

...Wow. I look totally psycho right now, don't I.

[payback]

I wasn't going to say anything. [Beat.] It's definitely a man's room.

[hostage]

It is not usually like this, I swear. I was just, um, preparing for the worst. Next time you're here, I promise it won't look like a landfill.

[payback]

What exactly have you prepared for here?

[hostage]

[He gives another glance around and snorts.]

I don't... even know.

[payback]

It's a zombie booby trap field. Something like that?

[hostage]

That sounds right. Let's go with that.

[payback]

Good thing I didn't set off any of your cunning traps.

[hostage]

Yeah. God forbid you trip and land on top of me again.

[payback]

Trip? I lunged.

[hostage]

Even better.

[payback]

[She just gives him kind of a side-eye. Don't go there, Jesse, don't do it!]

[hostage]

[No? Not biting?]

[payback]

[Not even a little, dude. Sorry.]

[hostage]

[He throws his hands up in surrender.]

I'm joking! Joking!

[payback]

Good. [She doesn't look entirely convinced! But she's not going to hassle him about it. Rin would rather avoid this issue. An edgy glance at the door before she looks back to him.] Well, if you're in one piece...

[hostage]

Aw, I scared you off. You don't want a drink or anything before you go?

[payback]

[He literally did scare her off. She's also thinking she should leave the premises before he goes to check out his door. She'll just say it was like that when she got here.

Yeah.]

Nooo... that's all right, thanks anyway. I think I'm gonna go relax a little. [All that zombie-fighting and running take it out of you.]

[hostage]

[Not the first time someone's busted down his door. He ain't even (gonna be) mad.]

Ahh, right.

Seriously, though... Thanks for looking out for me.

[payback]

No problem. I'm glad you're in one piece.