dataBURST: IC Inbox

[breakaleginhalf]

Hey, it's Gil. Either I haven't got my phone on me, OR I'm actively ignoring you. Text me if it's important, try harder if you're dying. TEXT | VOICE | VIDEO | ACTION

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[placeheld]

Artemis' hand slides off Gil's ears, down the fur at the side of his face, and then withdraws back into his lap. He's got his eyes on the way the extra bits are moving, curiosity still evident.

"How?" It's perhaps not the most relevant question, but it is the one that's at the forefront of his mind. "I mean, you've got, what - these all-powerful whatevers that can make you not be human and bring you back from the dead and you just walked out?"

[breakaleginhalf]

His ears twitch just a little, head leaning automatically into the touch as it coasts down the edges of his jawline; and gives his head a quick little shake once he's been released, almost like a dog.

But the next question sours the almost pleasant mood Artemis has gotten him into, and both ears press back.

"Not all-powerful, but near enough. It takes... desperation, or a lucky break, or you learn just the right skill that your Keeper won't notice." He looks away slightly, muzzle wrinkling as he lifts a hand to rub across his jaw. "I... attacked mine. I ripped his leg off and ran while it distracted him."

[placeheld]

He senses Gil's mood souring. With those teeth staring right at him, he knows he probably shouldn't push things further in any direction that pisses him off.

He just doesn't care, is the thing.

"-That's fucking awesome." He doesn't even try to hide the awe in his voice, because it is. "You get that, right? I didn't even make it to the bottom floor before they dragged me back, and the people chasing after me were human."

[breakaleginhalf]

That's a dangerous sentence, Artemis, and Gil's muzzle wrinkles more deeply.

"I don't think you understand how fucking difficult that was, as a task. Everything about what I was surrounded by and what I was turning into wanted to stay there. It wasn't cushy or spoiled, I was a beast made to be fucking slaughtered on a daily basis and I wanted to be there. Leaving that was the hardest thing I'll ever have to do, and I would've been fucking thrilled if leaving was just a matter of running past some guards."

[placeheld]

Artemis' expression falls, a little, and he seems to sink back into himself as much as he can on the other side of the couch. He'd thought, maybe -

But that was stupid, and Gil isn't wrong. What does he have to complain about, really?

"Yeah, well. Maybe not everyone's as strong and smart as you are. Take the damn compliment."

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil physically pulls away then, lifting his legs and crossing them so he can rest his overly long arms on his knees, and look away. His ears are still pressed back but the angle's different; less pressed back in irritation and more... upset.

"Yeah, well. So's Coda. And Bugsy. So's anyone who fights to get out of some shit like that. Escaping's a hard thing and it means something just to try."

So. There's your apology, Artemis. As much as you'll get.

[placeheld]

[ this might be a good spot to handwave if you needed to? i'm cool to keep backtagging basically forever but whichever works for you! ]

--

"-Right. They are."

He's quiet again, for a while, though his eyes keep wandering back to Gil every time he looks away. It really is impossible not to look, even as he's trying his well-trained best not to stare. The ears are the sticking point; he doesn't know enough about animals to recognize what the body language means, intuitively, but they keep moving every time Gil's mood changes.

Eventually, though, Artemis hits his limit of quiet and squares himself up. "So. You're my roommate, and Coda is... Coda. What do I need to know about all this?"