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[trilluminati]

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Re: Day 033 - Midnight

[trilluminati]

[CLICK, VOICE NOW]

IS YOU SERIOUS??? He's okay!?

[metalicarus]

[Omfg, Q. Good thing Albert's in the shower.]

Yes, I'm serious. He's....he will be...

[There's definitely an 'I hope' lingering somewhere there.]

Jaden messed with his head pretty bad.

[Oh yeah..]

And he's a somnua now.

[trilluminati]

... OK.

[Q swallows roughly.]

It'll be OK. We can work with that. We have him now. Fuck, Goldie, you did it!

[metalicarus]

Yeah. They were having him build a ship. Like ours I guess.

Q, I don't...

[Looong heavy sigh]

What if it's not okay?

Wesker...Wesker said we could fix anything that's happened, but what if we can't?

[trilluminati]

[Q pauses for a second, coming back sounding like he's smiling.]

You don't know my guy, brother. He's the best there is. But like I told my little successor... The most important thing he needs right now is someone who's got his back. Everything's fixable, but support'll make or break it, nahmean?

[metalicarus]

Yeah, I hear you.

[That doesn't keep the shade of fear and uncertainty from coloring his tone, though, whether he realizes it or not.]

Support's never been a problem, no matter what crap has come up between us, I've always got his back...but...

[He hesitates again. He's never shared anything of this with anyone, not even Joe. He's not even sure how Albert would feel knowing Jet was about to reveal even a part of it, but it was Q and Jet felt okay knowing that, at least.]

I've only seen him this bad once before, back when we first met. I know that, if he'd been given the chance, he would have killed himself back then. Obviously, he didn't, we made it through and I know I helped pull him through by my own way...but I don't know that it'll work a second time.

[He sighs, the fear and uncertainty and pain muted, covered by a more laid-back tone in his attempt to prevent getting more emotional than he'd been already been threatening. He might be comfortable with Q, but he still had his limits.]

This whole thing's different now. Not just the situation, but us too.

[trilluminati]

[Fuck. Q can't help but feel the deep, needling pain of guilt, but he isn't about to bring that to the table here.]

But that's good, isn't it? You guys are closer now. That's gotta be what pulls him through; it pulled him through a lot of other bad things. Not this bad, but man, it's been comparable.

Plus, he's strong. Real strong. Not just for himself, but for all of us.

[metalicarus]

[Yeah, but was he right now? That wasn't something Q could answer and it wasn't fair to ask it; he was just trying to help Jet not lose it and it was working and that was enough.]

Yeah...thanks, Q.

I mean it, I just...needed to get that off--out there.

[He couldn't say off his chest because it was still there, crushing him, but now he'd wedged a couple supports under it so maybe he could keep it from flattening him until he found a way to get rid of it completely. There may be just a bit of a smile in his voice.]

I know these kinds of talks aren't really your thing.

[trilluminati]

Man, I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. You know I'm good for whatever, right? Just like you been there for me all those times -- we solid, Goldie.

[metalicarus]

Yeah...yeah, ok. We're solid.

Thanks.

[Again. Forever.]

[trilluminati]

[Q sounds genuinely happy -- and covertly sad.]

When he's ready...can you have him call me? I wanna hear from both of you. I just can't believe the good news.

[metalicarus]

[That smile is back in his voice, even if it's also a little tinged.]

Yeah, no problem.

I'm sure he 'll be just as happy to know you're ok again.

[trilluminati]

[Well there goes that undertone of melancholy. Q perks up at the thought of talking to good ol' papa bear nicely.]

Thanks, man....

[Oh, but before you go--]

Hey, hey, hey! One more thing.

[metalicarus]

[oh my god Q. Just...amused forever.]

Hmm? What's up?

[trilluminati]

[Quietly:]

Tell Pyunma I said hi.

[metalicarus]

[He scoffs a little, that amusement still present.]

Yeah, sure.

But he'd probably rather just get stuff like that from you, you know.

[trilluminati]

[Hopefully:]

You really think so?

[metalicarus]

Yeah, I do.

Believe me, even a simple text from you would mean more than me telling him to his face.

[Paaaauuuse]

Are you afraid to talk to him, Q?

[trilluminati]

[Scoff]

No.

[metalicarus]

[Dryly:]

Yeah, okay.

[But then a little more gently.]

You really shouldn't be. Yeah, pissing him off isn't so hard depending on what you're doing, but he's pretty chill.

Trust me, I'm pretty sure I piss him off all the time, but he still talks to me.

You're family too, same rules apply.

[Sure did say that last part like it was no bug deal.]

[trilluminati]

He ain't mad at me!

[Q has to admit, mumbling:]

Yet. [A beat.] You really think so?

[metalicarus]

[He's shrugging, can you hear it?]

I've known him for thirty years, that's got to count for something, right?

He won't bite.

[Just bitch face. Which is worse, but you can't see those over text.]

[trilluminati]

Haha..... hold up.

[Pause.]

Thirty years?

[metalicarus]

[Oh. Um..]

Yeah...being cyborgs kind've stretches things out.

Pyunma's something like fifty or fifty-one at this point.

[trilluminati]

... Whoa. How old are you?