khajidont | MoM IC Contact

No kidding.

[He gnaws a little on the inside of his cheek, trying to figure out what's best for Tadashi to hear. Maybe he should talk to Hiro soon too - though maybe that's a bad idea; Jaime's not sure about his track record - but he knows at least half the weight that's on Tadashi's shoulders right now, and it's a painful, painful thing. He's never been happier that they have their Aunt Cass here. They need her.

So instead, he says,] Look... I know things suck right now. I mean, more than suck, but -- it'll get better. It will. He can come back from this. [It doesn't sound like a platitude the way he's saying it, and that's because it isn't. Ken's been making a comeback. Jaime has to believe that this time, it's for real.] And so can you. And, you know, if you need anything, you can just say so, right?

[He blinks hard for a second, still trying to take this bombshell in before he adds on, a little sheepishly,] Even if what you need is for me to shut up and turn the TV back on.

[That's Jaime's way of dealing with bad news, anyway.]

[Tadashi listens quietly, pinches at the bridge of his nose about halfway through. He's grateful that he and Hiro have found such great people to surround themselves with.

But if he needs anything...]

Actually.

[He only has some suspicions. Unfounded beyond just some feelings and he doesn't want to jump to any conclusions. So maybe he won't ask this just yet. Wait until he and Magicman can confirm his suspicions. He sinks back into the couch, his tone softening.]

Actually... Thanks for listening. It helps.

...yeah.

[Jaime doesn't say anything else this time, doesn't pry anymore, tries not to get too lost in his own thoughts. His life and the lives of all of Tadashi's people have become so thoroughly entrenched all of a sudden, from dreams, to the house one of his best friends lives at, to his neighbour. He'll hear anything he needs to hear eventually, won't he...?

So instead, he just offers Tadashi a smile, and though it's thin and a little bit strained from the crease in his brow, it's genuine -- it certainly wouldn't look genuine if he wasn't open with at least some of his worry, anyway.]

Anytime, man.

Sorry you keep getting roped into the sounding board for all our messes.

[Jaime just happens to be a very good listener and provider of some good insight when they need an outside perspective.

Ah. That's selfish though, isn't it?]

Looks like you've been doing all right since we got back. No problems or anything?

[Have there been problems?

Oh, yeah. But he's not so selfish as to tell Tadashi about them now, not when he's got the world on his shoulders. He hasn't told anyone about it, honestly, and almost selfishly? He doesn't want to. He just wants to nurse these hurts on his own for a while, just him and Khaji, because he has the luxury of denial. It's not blowing up in his face immediately, so he gets to ignore it.]

Just catching up with a couple people after the whole Devil thing, you know the drill. Buddy of mine kissed me, and we hadda hash that out, [he says with a casual shrug and an air that suggests that it's all been taken care of -- which that particular incident has. It feels better than telling Tadashi an outright lie.]

Besides, [he adds on, flapping one hand in Tadashi's direction,] you don't get to apologize for talking to me about this stuff. I'd be a pretty crappy friend if I didn't listen, and... well, that's what I can do, right now.

[It's all he can do. Let him help, Tadashi! He feeds on feeling useful.]

[He hums to himself, rubbing at his wrist wishing he'd brought his limiter with him; he's started getting comfortable without it but it'd still make him feel a little better having it. But aw, Jaime got a kiss? It's not really his business to pry when Jaime doesn't sound like he doesn't want to talk about it. And frankly, that sort of thing isn't really something Tadashi's all that interested in. But good for him! ...He thinks, anyway.

Jeez why does no one just let him apologize for taking up their time with things that aren't crucial to their lives?]

Glad it sounds like things are working out for the most part. We missed a pretty quiet swear-in it sounds like too. Maybe things'll settle down for a little while.

[After they find a telepath and fix his little brother's subconscious. Just things on the to do list.]

Man, I hope so. We're gonna jinx it by talking about it, though, just as a warning.

[Last time he and Laurie spoke about it, the Devil came in. Whoops. Did they jinx it, or does something weird happen every month? Jaime's pretty sure that the latter's the real answer, but he doesn't want to tempt fate. He stretches out a little, then asks,] Hey, d'you want me to top your coffee off?

[They've still got the pot warmed in the kitchen. He reaches one hand out for Tadashi's mug, in case he says yes.]

Wouldn't be the first time. [He looks up to him, then at his hand before handing the mug over. He''s still trying to stay awake, so why not.] Yeah... Thanks.

Hey, actually? You mentioned before, someone else in mind that could help us.

Might take you up on that if you think they'd be interested still.

[After seeing what a mess their group is after that network blow up and all.]

...yeah?

[Wally will be working even harder on it, with Bart gone. Jaime always feels a little useless thinking about all the work they're doing, work he can't even come close to understanding, but what he can do is make sure everyone involved can get connected.

Good. He rises to his feet to pad back to the kitchen.] I'll ask him if he minds me giving his name out, but as soon as he tells me it's okay - [and he sounds fairly certain that this mystery guy will, for what it's worth] - I'll tell you his name. He should be able to, um, help you recover anything you've lost, too.

Thanks.

Not really sure what's going to happen with our work after all of this. [It might be better to have someone coming in that's not so emotionally attached. He really should have considered it from the start, it just seemed like such a personal thing.]

Appreciate it.

I know what's gonna happen with your work, [Jaime says from the kitchen.] You'll have to do a little regathering, maybe work with some new people, but you'll get right back on with it. You'll get back whatever you've lost, you'll see.

[At least from Jaime, he's not going to get anything but unconditional support -- support that pokes at the flaws, perhaps, but he's all for the Porter plan. He walks back into the living room, offering Tadashi his topped off coffee.]

[He takes it and watches him over the top of the mug before smiling.] Probably right.

At the very least, we know most everyone here can work to a common goal together.

[That's a good, positive thing, right? He nudges the remote closer to himself with his foot so he can reach it, brow twitching when he feels the tech humming under his fingers. The only bad part about his technopathy is not being able to turn it off for something as simple as changing a channel.]

... I know you probably thought it and the answer's no, I didn't spend that birthday money on Wally.

What, for real? What did you spend it on, then?

[If he's spent it on anything yet, that is. Jaime's trying to think of one selfish thing Tadashi would buy for himself, and he's coming up empty.]

[The channel guide is really interesting for a few seconds while he listens - to both Jaime, and the remote's hum in his hand.]

Mm. That last big dinner we all had before we got on the road home.

[So Tadashi did spend it on the trip... the trip that seemed to go awry in the worst ways for the poor guy. It seems like a waste. Tadashi hadn't been too happy on the way home, though nobody had been brash enough to comment directly on it.]

Oh. [...should he be thanking Tadashi?] Was that, uh, worth it?

[Tadashi doesn't expect thanks for it, he didn't at the time either. But even he can't help the little smile thinking back on that. All of his friends and roommates together eating one big meal: his family.]

Yeah. I think it definitely was worth it.

[Jaime did, in fact, thank Tadashi at the time - he's not a monster! Only monsters don't thank people for food! - but he decides not to belabour the point. It seems like kind of a crappy birthday present, but it's not like he'd know what to do with money as a gift either.

He'd probably intend to save it and accidentally spend it on groceries. Ah, the lives of the financially independent.]

Hey, so long as that's the way you wanted to spend it. I'm just glad you didn't manage to just give it to someone else.

It is.

[And he meant it. Whatever else happened on the trip didn't change that. But that gets a little short bark of laughter.]

I think I have the excuse at the time of being a little upset trying to figure out what to do with it.

[Jaime lets out a quiet noise between his teeth, more a cluck of his tongue than anything else.]

Geez, no kidding. So much for a relaxing vacation. One of these days you're gonna have a good week.

[...he's just not sure when.]

May only happen if I make it happen.

Which isn't too far out of my abilities if things keep up like this.

[If worse comes to worst, then he can just cut himself off from the network and comm contact for a week and just work in his lab.]

[God, that's depressing. All they want are a couple of decent weeks, but the universe keeps on raining terror down on Tadashi. He's right, though, it might be a couple months before things start looking up, but they will start looking up, somehow.]

Oh, you'll make it happen, [he says, leaning back into the sofa and grabbing his own drink.] Or we will, anyway. Just give it time... or you can just hole away with your aunt's cat.

[He likes Mochi. He's huge. Any cat that huge is a delight to Jaime's sensibilities.]

I'm sure Mochi wouldn't mind.

[Mochi's great. But also has this weird habit of sleeping on top of him any chance he gets since his aunt's shown up here. He reaches over to pat Jaime on the shoulder.][.... Huh. There's that weird humming from Jaime again that he thought he felt on the trip. He gets quiet, hand still resting on his shoulder like he's listening to something.]

[Jaime likes to think that he's subtle with his particular powers, but there's no hiding from a technopath. His blood practically runs electric; Khaji's at the core of him, and even if nobody else knows it, he's changed the way Jaime operates, the way he sees and smells, the way he lives. Being without him had been like having a sense ripped away from him.

So while it depends on the technopath, it sure means that there's a lot there to suss out. As it turns out, Jaime's forgotten about Tadashi's whole technopath deal, which just means that he's just regarding Tadashi's hand with curiosity.]

Uh... you doing all right there?

What?

[He blinks out of the slow trance he'd fallen into trying to listen and looks to him, pulls his hand away.]

Sorry- sorry! Felt.. something weird for a minute, was trying to figure it out. Have you got like a tablet or something on you somewhere?

[He didn't get to feel long enough to figure out what exactly it was, but he could tell it was definitely bigger than a watch or a phone.]

Oh.

[Crap. This is the second time this has happened, except this time, this time he can deal with the after-effects better, right? Catch him in a lie once, shame on you, catch him in a lie twice, shame on him. Only Tadashi's only guess is that Jaime has a tablet on him, and though he dresses baggy, absolutely none of his clothing has a big enough pocket to carry a tablet on him.

Which is probably for the best in general, because otherwise he'd need a fashion intervention, but in this case, isn't altogether helpful. He glances down at himself.]

Yyyyyyyeeee -- [Right, he doesn't have any pockets big enough.] -- no. I've got my phone on me?

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