[video]

[sharpes]

For the record? This 'mainland' bullshit sucks.

And not in the fun way.

Just saying.

[Somebody looks frazzled and grumpy and god he's putting miles on that pout of his. Because fuck yo' mainland, man.]

Comments

[video]

[sharpes]

Darn.

[Yes. Darn.]

[video]

[littlecousin]

[Her boyfriend non-ironically says "blue blazes," and she herself has been known to slip and say "sufferin' shad." She does not notice that "darn" is out of place in Brandon's speech.]

Just sayin', you dish it out, you'd better be prepared to take it.

[video]

[sharpes]

Hey, I can take anything.

[That's. Equal parts defensive and sad.]

[video]

[littlecousin]

[Baww, Brandon. Nita just looks at him.]

Want me to come over?

[Turnabout is fair play.]

[video || 90% standard encryption]

[sharpes]

I--

[... 'actually want to see you'. That's weird in and of itself. Just one more thing that weirds him out about the turtle - the number of people in his life who are actually decent.

Not... not decent like Mettle or Veil or even Reptil (who'd been his previous bar for 'not a horrible person', because yeah, he's known too few in his life) but in their own ways...

He's tired of being suspicious. Tired of suspecting everyone's just out for themselves, that they have an ulterior motive and that they're going to screw him over. He's tired of lying, so tired he could choke on it.

How much can he ask people to prove before he buys it? When has Nita ever given him a reason to think she wasn't exactly as advertised? Still, there's a part of him that's always wary anyway. Once burned and all that.

He has his elbows on his desk, head in his hands very briefly as he musses up his hair.]

I don't know if that's such a good idea right now. I'm probably not good company.

[It's not a 'no'...]

[video || 90% standard encryption]

[littlecousin]

[On the scale of one to "Namor in a snit," you're reading like a three right now, Brandon.]

Uh-huh. I'll be right over.

[So you can just DWI.

In a few minutes, Nita's in Fire Sector, knocking on Brandon's door.]

[video || 90% standard encryption]

[sharpes]

[Is that supposed to be a lot...]

Nita--

[But there's no reply. Damn.

Brandon actually jumps when she knocks on his door, but after a (very) long moment he actually gets up to let her in.]

[action]

[littlecousin]

Hi.

[Nita immediately shoves a basket with fabric-wrapped contents into his hands. It's cookies, which she had had plans for, but Brandon needs them more than she does.]