ic contact (mask or menace)

[hackitude]

"Hey! You've reached Skye. Leave a message. I mean, if you want to. Or uh, don't. Whatever."

Comments

[corviform]

That's not what I mean!

[hackitude]

I know. I just thought it didn't bear responding to in the way you meant it. Most people aren't good at talking about their feelings.

[corviform]

I-It's not my...

[ Well, partly... but he's also dense and completely ill-equipped to deal with feelings. ]

Feelings...

[hackitude]

I dunno, man. You're getting pretty worked up. It sure sounds like you have a lot of feelings.

[corviform]

Because I'm surprised!

[hackitude]

Right. About... the things that your friend was saying?

[corviform]

She... she...

[ His tongue feels heavy and useless. ]

She said she...

[hackitude]

[Skye just waits patiently for him this time, not interjecting or making a funny quip. She brings her mug to her face and takes a sip, looking at Gil in what she hopes is an encouraging way. She doesn't want to prod him too hard, after all.]

[corviform]

[ He releases a heavy, exhausted sigh, shoulders falling once more. ]

She said she has feelings for me...

[ The hope the floor will swallow him from under has been present since his apartment in Maurtia Falls. ]

[hackitude]

...

Wow.

... Okay. That's. ... Unexpected.

[Skye at least is JUST enough of a good person to not tack on "Sort of" at the end of that sentence. Or say "I told you so." Or let even any variation of "HA I WAS RIGHT people should really stop doubting me and my awesome powers of deduction" show on her face.]

[corviform]

[ Gil buries his face into his hands. ]

I wasn't expecting it...

I don't understand at all...!

[hackitude]

Okay. Well. That's okay. Let's... skip over that part and come back to it later.

I think what's more important here is... how do you feel about her?

[corviform]

[ It doesn't matter how many times he gets asked this, it's always met with a wide-eyed stare and slight gape. ]

Sorry?

[hackitude]

Your feelings. You know. Those things... that you feel.

How do you feel about her? Ignoring recent events. Do you only see her as a friend? Do you want to kiss her? Come on. Give me something to work with here.

[corviform]

K-K-Kiss her?!

[ He nearly falls out of his seat. ]

W-What are these questions?!

[hackitude]

I dunno, I thought it was pretty straightforward.

[corviform]

Miss Skye!!

[ His delicate pseudo-Victorian sensibilities! ]

[hackitude]

[ROLLING HER EYES tbh]

Okay. Okay. Forget I said anything about kissing. No kissing. None at all.

Let's just start with baby steps. Obviously you like her at least as a friend, or you wouldn't have been so concerned about her.

[corviform]

[ He deserves all the eye rolling lbr. ]

Of course I do. [ It comes out a touch snippy, but he manages to calm himself enough to continue. ] She's... a very important to friend to me.

[ It's not the easiest admission, but it's honest. ]

[hackitude]

Good. That's good.

So then, the next question is: can you... see yourself, say... taking a romantic walk along the beach together?

[corviform]

Romantic...? How do you mean exactly?

[hackitude]

[Skye just levels him with A Look.]

I'm fairly certain you know the definition of the word.

[corviform]

[ He tugs at his collar again for air, shoulders tight and yet shaking. ]

It's quite different back home... I don't really know how courting works here. [ He pauses. ] And they don't call it that anymore...

[hackitude]

All right. How does it work back home, then? I flunked out of high school, I'm a little rusty on my Victorian literature.

[corviform]

"Dating" doesn't exist. Most couples go through a courting ritual. In high society, if they've come of age the families begin to search for a suitor.

[ He rubs the side of his head. ]

It's... more political or business oriented than romantic.

And during courtship if a man or woman went on walks, they walked apart. Contact is frowned upon... only if the woman needs help walking across a rough spot he can extend his arm.