fourth. text.

[torrefied]

In the interest of having it completed some time this century, I'm taking over the project to create a guide document for new arrivals.

[And he's starting it from scratch, no thanks to Chris.]

If you can tear yourselves away from telling ghost stories long enough to reply, I'm interested to know what information you found most helpful when you first arrived, as well as what you would have liked to know sooner rather than later.

Comments

[unitas]

[ she huffs through her nose. it's not her place to press, but she wants to. she fucking shouldn't. ] Whatever, fine. [ without video, he can't see the press of her lips, but frustration—maybe even hurt—ring in her voice. he's an adult, and fully capable of dealing with his own emotional issues; if he doesn't want to talk about it, then fine. ]

Good luck with the guide. [ a pause, and then: ] If you need me, you know how to contact me.

[torrefied]

[He can tell she isn't happy with this outcome, the brush aside and redirection - no need to see her face to understand that. But this is fine, isn't it? His feelings aren't important. The result - getting the document written - is what matters. And he's lived with his feelings of inadequacy for long enough to know how to manage them, and how he does that is by throwing himself into his work. Compiling this information is the best thing to do for a number of reasons. So it's fine.

If it were anyone else, he wouldn't have let his mask slip like this, but if he had and she were anyone else, he wouldn't care about hurting her feelings. But something about the tone she uses causes a dull ache to spider out across his chest. It's a mostly unfamiliar feeling, but he recognizes it as being the same thing he feels whenever the idea of someone hurting her crosses his mind. It's unpleasant, and it requires action.]

... Thank you, Sharon.

[The words feel clumsy on his tongue, rusty from disuse; he hasn't ever had much cause to give or receive gratitude. But it's important for her to know that he does appreciate her - her words, her ideas, her passion, her presence. Mello has fashioned himself into a stringently self-reliant creature, but - maybe he does need her, even if it's only a little bit.]