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[dragony]

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[dragony]

But, I don't think anyone was going through my contacts, anyway. I was with someone when it happened. I think he just called my brother, and maybe two of our mutual friends, at most. That's all.

[viced]

[ Mitch typed without thinking. It was perhaps too honest, and it takes him a little longer to respond.

Because he has known Ruka longer than anyone else. He can count on his fingers the number of people that he would consider close enough to warrant even wanting to know like this. Eddie, Bradbury, Ruka... were there other people? One or two, maybe, but Mitchell knows he's kept people at a distance. How can he not? Ten years here means he's lost enough people, and... he knows that some things, one just doesn't talk about. It may be a different world, but Mitchell was never willing -- or able -- to be fully honest. He didn't have to with Ruka, she read it off of him without him having to speak a word.

And she didn't say anything, and now he wondered how much more she wasn't saying about herself, either? Reticence like hers was a double-edged sword. ]

Look, I just... I worry. I would have thought your old boss warranted an opportunity to at LEAST send flowers.

[dragony]

I would have liked flowers.

[ gently......... updates contacts...... ]

You really would have sent flowers?

[viced]

Of course I would have sent fucking flowers!
What do you take me for, someone who can't even show basic common courtesy?

[ Mitch... ]

[dragony]

Or someone who would have gotten an intern to do it instead.

[ You know!!!! ]

[viced]

Now, we can't exactly keep the interns from having work. What would they do, if they were left to their own devices? Run my social media?

[dragony]

*Does* anyone run your social media? Usually it just reads like an aggregator.

1/2

[viced]

[viced]

I do...

[dragony]

Oh, Mitch. Not *every* bweet needs to quote-source an article. Sometimes you can just... say something.

[viced]

But then they might think I have...personality.

[dragony]

That's alright. I don't think they'll ever make the mistake of thinking you have a sense of humor.

[viced]

True...

But what if they think there's... I don't know, other emotions. We can't have that either.

[dragony]

No, I suppose not.

In that case, isn't it for the best that you didn't know? It's all hypothetical, now, but... if you'd spent those weeks worrying about me, I'm sure somebody would have noticed.

[viced]

Well, first of all, I think you'd be surprised with how much nobody would notice that.

Second, you're not getting out of not thinking to tell me if something happens to you!
I mean, I'd... I have made sure you'd know. If something happens.

[dragony]

[ what. what??? what?????? ]

Would you?

Really?

[viced]

Yes?

You know you're on my -- erm... list.

[dragony]

You've always been so reticent to tell me anything. You know that, don't you? Even when it's the most obvious thing in the world.

I didn't think that would ever change.

[viced]

I mean...I still am. It's not personal, it's just...

Well, you know. You're the same way.

[dragony]

[ She initially types Oh I am not, but that's not really true, is it? Even with just what's happened in the last three months, the last six, the last nine... it's more than anyone knows. Rua doesn't know everything. Even Jaime doesn't know everything. Pieces, sure, but each one is pried from her hands with more effort and strain than anyone else should bother going through — but even knowing that doesn't make it any easier for her to say. ]

I suppose.

[ Even that is as close as she can get to saying it. There's so much she never wants to say. ]

The more things change, huh? You'd think it would get easier.

[viced]

Shit, tell me about it. These things aren't meant to be easy.

[ He could talk about the reasons for his reticence, but that in itself is an admittance of his own, on either the things he's done, or what's happened to him, or the multitude of things that have just simply gone wrong over the years. Mitchell isn't the type to be so honest. He doesn't think he can be now. }

It's fine. This means we know how the other works, and what's... just straight up reticence, and what's a step too far.

[dragony]

[ . . . ]

Then maybe it's time we caught up. It's been a... long few months.

At least, it's felt that way to me.

[viced]

Honestly? The more I think that the longer the months wear on.

It's...hard, knowing you don't belong somewhere, and yet... you're still here.

[dragony]

If we don't belong here now, we won't ever belong anywhere.

[viced]

You really think that?

I don't know...I still feel like I... belong in New York City.