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Do you really plan on letting yourself get killed by crazy Jack?
[Zach knows he sounds and looks worried. He can't quite help it - he doesn't want to, but the one insane discussion he's had with Nathan left him a good, fun impression, and he doesn't want the only person with a sense of humor around here to get brutally murdered. Especially when the only person he's spent any time with was the first one to get strangled.
He doesn't want to care, but he sort of does.]
[Zach knows he sounds and looks worried. He can't quite help it - he doesn't want to, but the one insane discussion he's had with Nathan left him a good, fun impression, and he doesn't want the only person with a sense of humor around here to get brutally murdered. Especially when the only person he's spent any time with was the first one to get strangled.
He doesn't want to care, but he sort of does.]
Thank you for specifying the crazy one or this could've been really confusing.
[Nathan snorts, stretching his arms out over his head with a groan. His acting weirdly casual. Because, you know, why should he seem...at all worried or anxious about volunteering to be murdered?]
Depends on if he can get my good side on camera.
[Nathan snorts, stretching his arms out over his head with a groan. His acting weirdly casual. Because, you know, why should he seem...at all worried or anxious about volunteering to be murdered?]
Depends on if he can get my good side on camera.
I keep on forgetting there's more than one. Why can't people have original names?
[Zach rolls his eyes. Of course.]
You don't even have a good side, dude.
[Zach rolls his eyes. Of course.]
You don't even have a good side, dude.
[Nathan recoils in mock offense.]
Alright, fair enough. I don't have a good side because you can't play favorites on perfection.
[Don't question his vanity, bro.]
Alright, fair enough. I don't have a good side because you can't play favorites on perfection.
[Don't question his vanity, bro.]
[Zach can't help it - he laughs.]
Oh, of course. So what, you think letting yourself be murdered is more glamorous than freezing, or something?
Oh, of course. So what, you think letting yourself be murdered is more glamorous than freezing, or something?
Let's not jump to conclusions, now! If anyone dislikes getting murdered, it's me--and I'm speaking from experience.
[Despite the grimness of the topic, Nathan grins. He always feels a bit snappier when he gets a laugh out of someone.]
[Despite the grimness of the topic, Nathan grins. He always feels a bit snappier when he gets a laugh out of someone.]
....Are you saying you've been murdered before?
[Zach raises an eyebrow. He'd call Nathan's bluff if they weren't in a place that was full of trolls and psychos and like, war heroes or something. He's gathered early on that, basically anything is possible, here.]
[Zach raises an eyebrow. He'd call Nathan's bluff if they weren't in a place that was full of trolls and psychos and like, war heroes or something. He's gathered early on that, basically anything is possible, here.]
Oh, yeah, loads of times. I mean, a few times probably can't be counted as murder, but there were definitely some murders in there. Like, this one time, this crazy stalker ex-girlfriend of one of my mates impaled me on a pipe, and one time I was beaten to death in a locker room, and another time I was sawed in half by this guy who thought he was a video game character and I was a mod boss or some shit!
[He pauses.]
Okay so that last one didn't happen, but only because someone distracted him before he had a chance to fire up the chainsaw. But it was going to happen!
[He pauses.]
Okay so that last one didn't happen, but only because someone distracted him before he had a chance to fire up the chainsaw. But it was going to happen!
[Zach blinks. Well, he for sure didn't expect that. Okay. He takes his time, just staring silently at his tablet, thinking about the fact that Nathan, apparently, is like a goddamn Highlander or something. Zach remembers watching this show when he was a kid.
And that's another one with a superpower of some sort. Zach really is the most...normal...person around Norfinbury, he's pretty sure. It doesn't hurt, no, not at all, why the fuck would he want superpowers anyway.]
I thought powers didn't work out here, though. What if you don't come back?
And that's another one with a superpower of some sort. Zach really is the most...normal...person around Norfinbury, he's pretty sure. It doesn't hurt, no, not at all, why the fuck would he want superpowers anyway.]
I thought powers didn't work out here, though. What if you don't come back?
[Nathan gets a serious expression on his face. Too serious.]
With great power comes great responsibility.
[Dramatic pause.]
Or, you know, fuck it, right?
With great power comes great responsibility.
[Dramatic pause.]
Or, you know, fuck it, right?
Fuck it, sure, it's just your life, right?
[So Zach is one of these people who really doesn't want to die, so Nathan's attitude is throwing him off his game. Which he usually has plenty of.]
[So Zach is one of these people who really doesn't want to die, so Nathan's attitude is throwing him off his game. Which he usually has plenty of.]
More or less.
[Look, he can't be sentimental with guys, okay, it's weird. Especially guys who he's only just met recently. Tifa got a bit of the sappy, gushy truth out of him but he's gonna be more flippant with Zach.]
I know how loved and popular I am, and if I was murdered everyone would have a big cry about how young I am and how tragic the event in question was--but I'm like a cockroach, I just don't stay down.
[Look, he can't be sentimental with guys, okay, it's weird. Especially guys who he's only just met recently. Tifa got a bit of the sappy, gushy truth out of him but he's gonna be more flippant with Zach.]
I know how loved and popular I am, and if I was murdered everyone would have a big cry about how young I am and how tragic the event in question was--but I'm like a cockroach, I just don't stay down.
[Zach can see how much of it is posturing, he's used to it, if only because he does the same way too much. But it's still mildly irritating. He gets why Hagan kept on being so disgruntled with him all the time, now.
Instead, he just rolls his eyes.]
The hero we deserve, I guess. A cockroach.
Instead, he just rolls his eyes.]
The hero we deserve, I guess. A cockroach.
[Nathan frowns.]
Okay, a handsome one. No need to be a dick about it.
Okay, a handsome one. No need to be a dick about it.
[Zach laughs again, although there is a cutting edge to it.]
Better get used to it, it's pretty much my only setting.
[It just means he cares, Nathan. Which makes Zach uncomfortable, because he barely knows the guy, after all. He barely knows anyone around here, and yet he gives a shit. It's like saving the world all over again, only this time he doesn't have an awesome laser to kill shit with, goddamnit.]
Better get used to it, it's pretty much my only setting.
[It just means he cares, Nathan. Which makes Zach uncomfortable, because he barely knows the guy, after all. He barely knows anyone around here, and yet he gives a shit. It's like saving the world all over again, only this time he doesn't have an awesome laser to kill shit with, goddamnit.]
So you admit you're a wanker?
[He props his chin on his fist, his frown turning into a grin again. He can't help it! He's not good at acting all upset when most things just straight up amuse him.]
Was there a point to this, or did you just want another opportunity for banter while I'm still breathing?
[His face lights up even more.]
Did you fall in love with me?
[Nathan would fall in love with himself. But, well, that already happened.]
[He props his chin on his fist, his frown turning into a grin again. He can't help it! He's not good at acting all upset when most things just straight up amuse him.]
Was there a point to this, or did you just want another opportunity for banter while I'm still breathing?
[His face lights up even more.]
Did you fall in love with me?
[Nathan would fall in love with himself. But, well, that already happened.]
Dude, of course I can admit I'm an asshole. It's part of my natural charm.
[Zach makes a face, leaning back from the tablet with a disgusted grimace. No, he certainly has not fallen in love with Nathan after talking to him like, twice. He's not that pathetic, thank you very much. He snorts.]
Don't be gross, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were in for.
[Interestingly enough, though, Zach doesn't feel quite as shaken up now, like the conversation with Nathan helped restore some of his better spirits. But nobody tells Nathan that. Zach'd never hear the end of it.]
[Zach makes a face, leaning back from the tablet with a disgusted grimace. No, he certainly has not fallen in love with Nathan after talking to him like, twice. He's not that pathetic, thank you very much. He snorts.]
Don't be gross, I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were in for.
[Interestingly enough, though, Zach doesn't feel quite as shaken up now, like the conversation with Nathan helped restore some of his better spirits. But nobody tells Nathan that. Zach'd never hear the end of it.]
Nathan.
[She's not even going to explain. HE KNOWS WHAT HE DID.]
[She's not even going to explain. HE KNOWS WHAT HE DID.]
[He knows what he did. Is he going to act like it?]
Did you miss me?
[Nope.]
Did you miss me?
[Nope.]
You are so--
[She cuts herself off, largely because she doesn't even know how to describe how he is.]
Why would you ask him something like that?
[She cuts herself off, largely because she doesn't even know how to describe how he is.]
Why would you ask him something like that?
[Cloud seriously needs to learn a bit about the bro code. Or about not being a tattletale. Or super lame.]
Because! You two have such obvious chemistry! I wanted to see if there was really something going on there. And you have to admit, you weren't exactly truthful during our game of truth or dare.
[WHICH--]
Don't claim you were! I'm a professional bullshitter, I can tell these sort of things!
Because! You two have such obvious chemistry! I wanted to see if there was really something going on there. And you have to admit, you weren't exactly truthful during our game of truth or dare.
[WHICH--]
Don't claim you were! I'm a professional bullshitter, I can tell these sort of things!
[What. If there was any way of getting her to deescalate, he just blew it. Her voice was low and angry before to keep her group from hearing, but she's raising it now.]
That's not the point and you know it! You're so-- [She cuts herself off briefly, struggling to find the word.] --disgusting. What makes you think you can talk about anyone that way? "It's a waste", are you...
[Again she stops, letting out a frustrated noise.]
That's not the point and you know it! You're so-- [She cuts herself off briefly, struggling to find the word.] --disgusting. What makes you think you can talk about anyone that way? "It's a waste", are you...
[Again she stops, letting out a frustrated noise.]
It's just how I talk, it doesn't mean anything!
[He mutters a curse under his breath. She's yelling at him! It's scary!]
I'm a guy, alright? I have a lot of testosterone and I think about sex a lot and I think you're beautiful--is that a crime?
[He mutters a curse under his breath. She's yelling at him! It's scary!]
I'm a guy, alright? I have a lot of testosterone and I think about sex a lot and I think you're beautiful--is that a crime?
[She completely ignores the compliment, and his lame attempt to blame this on being a guy.]
Does anything you say ever mean something? Or do you just--
[She exhales, a sharp, irritated noise. She'd been beginning to think that he just said awful things that he didn't mean, but all of the irritating conversations they've had stacked up against the few nice ones is making her think it's the other way around.]
I don't even know why I'm bothering! You don't actually care about any of this, do you?
Does anything you say ever mean something? Or do you just--
[She exhales, a sharp, irritated noise. She'd been beginning to think that he just said awful things that he didn't mean, but all of the irritating conversations they've had stacked up against the few nice ones is making her think it's the other way around.]
I don't even know why I'm bothering! You don't actually care about any of this, do you?
[Okay, this is getting ridiculous.]
Of course I mean some of the things I say! Listen to yourself! You honestly think I breeze my way through life being a dickhead 24/7?
[It's more like...20/7. Or maybe 22/7. But the point is, there are moments! When he is serious!]
What in the world makes you think that I don't care?
Of course I mean some of the things I say! Listen to yourself! You honestly think I breeze my way through life being a dickhead 24/7?
[It's more like...20/7. Or maybe 22/7. But the point is, there are moments! When he is serious!]
What in the world makes you think that I don't care?
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