[67] life's a game we're meant to lose

[buildstherobots]

[phone]

Fine. You people want to play that way?

Enjoy educating newcomers by yourselves. I'm done helping you.

[And, true to his word, he won't be handing out any more letters, at least for the moment. Explain what he's talking about? Why in the world would he do that? Obviously the actions of maybe three people is enough for him to throw a tantrum over the phone lines.]

[action]

[Anyone who might see Dist walking through the streets can see that he's an absolute wreck. Not emotionally -- his expression is uncharacteristically stony. It's his face that's busted up, bruised across his cheek and mouth and his left eye patched over. Well, the place where his left eye should be, but that's not exactly visible. It'd happened a couple of days ago, but that's not quite long enough to heal fully, so for now he's just combed his hair forward a bit in an attempt to cover it all up.

He does seem to have a destination in mind, though, as he's walking particularly quickly.]

[729 Anderson lane]

[KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.]

Comments

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

Like me? What does that mean? I don't need any kind of diagnosis! We're both in the Legion, you idiot!

[Were. They both were. Now only one of them is. But ssh, don't remind Dist.]

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

I hardly think Nigma would allow you back in after that incident. I suppose it was only a matter of time, really; eventually, like always repels like. Violently repels, as is usually the case with histrionics. There can only be one queen in a hive, after all.

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

Ha! You do remember me!

I don't need him. He'll regret how he treated me; I give him a month.

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

The wounds were very impressive, at the very least.

... Have you known Edward long? Or at all.

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

I met him here. We're not from the same world. So, less than a year.

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

Then let me give you some advice, as both a psychologist and as Edward's roommate for more than a few years: He will hardly regret what he has done, and he will certainly never come to you to apologize. Would you, in his place? Wouldn't you rationalize it, reason about it, until you could divulge yourself of all blame and end the cognitive dissonance over your actions? If he even believes he's in the wrong to begin with, he certainly won't after a while.

Perhaps, if you were a woman, things would be different. But, currently? It is my professional opinion that this rift will never heal. In fact, it may only get worse over time. [he is taking no pleasure in this. truly.]

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

So, what, you're saying if I seduced him it would fix everything? Because he already has that brunette and with all that talk of traitors I'd assume he's not the type for multiple partners.

[He avoids the question deliberately. It's an uncomfortable one to confront. He pretty much latched onto the "woman" bit.]

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

[... ha. hahaha. hahahahahahaha.] Good Lord, you really don't know him at all, do you? His main criteria for henchwomen is their willingness to copulate with him and their possession of a twin sister.

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

So what's changed? Because he certainly doesn't seem like that now.

...Why do I even care?! I don't need him! I don't care about him any more!

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

... I don't know. [He'll have to look into that. Later.]

Then you ought to stop claiming that you don't care so much, or someone might start to get the impression that you do.

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

Why would they think that?

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

Are you familiar with the phrase, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks?"

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

No, I'm not.

[They don't have Shakespeare on Auldrant, after all.]

And I'm not a lady.

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

Do you understand the phrase, at least?

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

[hnngh]

Humor me.

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

If you insist you hate something, or don't want to do something, enough times... eventually, people are going to believe you truly mean the opposite, and are just trying to deflect attention from your true feelings. Thus, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."

[buildstherobots.livejournal.com]

Well, that's stupid. If I liked something, I'd say so.

[Yeah, totally.]

[uranophobe.livejournal.com]

Not everyone can be so open about their feelings.