IC CONTACT | Mask or Menace

[animated]

"Hey, you've reached Charlie Maxwell. Leave me a message. Or just text me. I might get back to you faster that way."

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[ voice ] -> [ action ]

[animated]

[ It's at that point that Charlie walks into the living room, hanging up his phone as he does. ]

I figure it's probably easier this way.

[ action ]

[rideme]

[Crap.]

[He takes a seat for this one, flopping down on one side of the couch, making it creak a little.]

All right. What's on your mind?

[animated]

[ He plops down on the couch next to Bull.

It does not creak. ]

Kaneda mentioned he talked to you about Tetsuo's bike.

[rideme]

[He arches an eyebrow.]

A little. Just that he got it from someone Canada doesn't trust.

[Yes, he did just call him 'Canada'. Purposefully.]

[animated]

... I'm sorry, what did you call him?

[rideme]

'Canada'.

Irritates him a little. Usually distracts him from whatever bullshit he's mad about originally. Puts him off balance so you can talk to him.

[animated]

I'll have to remember that one.

But what did you say to him when he brought up the bike?

[rideme]

That we'd keep an eye out for any creepy assholes skulking around.

Why?

[animated]

Because when he talked to me, he said that you said it was probably magic.

And I'm not saying it isn't, around here magic isn't necessarily always to blame.

[rideme]

Aw... shit. That.

Here's what happened. He wanted to know if he was crazy for distrusting this whole bike situation. I said no -- because there are creeps and assholes around with magic.

[He grimaces, scratching at his chin.]

I get how that can be... mixed up. But, nah. I know. Magic's scary. People with magic make it good or bad. I was trying to warn him against the asshole kind.

...



Sorry.

[animated]

"Am I crazy for thinking this is suspicious?" "No, because magic" still sounds a little accusatory, though.

Just... from now on I'd appreciate it if you weren't so fast to drop the "M" word when something weird or bad or suspicious happens.

Magic is always a possibility. It's always going to be a possibility, but when I brought up the idea that it could be something else, Kaneda visibly deflated. He was so sure because you seemed so sure.

[rideme]

That... wasn't what I meant. If that's what he got out of that chat, we need to have another.

[He rubs his hand across his remaining eye, expression decidedly sour.]

What I was sure of was that he wasn't wrong to be paranoid. Dumbass kid didn't even listen... [He holds up a hand, to forestall further talk for a second.] Look, I'll talk to him again. Straighten things out.

[animated]

Hey. [ He reaches up, resting his hand on Bull's wrist ] It's okay, really. Looks like there was miscommunication all around.

[rideme]

Yeah. Looks that way.

... Sorry, though. Hard to get around the whole 'magic is terrible' crap.

[animated]

It's a process. I get it.

Still, I feel like I need to thank you for always being reasonable where my magic is concerned.

[rideme]

Hey, that's nothing. Guys in control of their magic? I respect them.

It's the other kind of asshole you've got to watch out for.

[animated]

Oh, so am I some kind of asshole then?

[ HE IS TEASING, really. He hopes that's apparent. ]

[rideme]

Nahhh. Not unless you let your magic go crazy and start hanging around with demons.

Then you're an asshole.

[animated]

Good to know.

I still am gonna check out Tetsuo's bike for freaky magic, by the way.

[rideme]

Probably a good idea. Who knows if one of the actual assholes around here put something in it or not.

[animated]

Yeah.

... Kaneda and Tetsuo are a ticking time bomb, you know.

[rideme]

... Yeah. I know.

Kaneda mentioned that. Even if they both didn't have signs hanging off their backs about it.

Not sure what can be done.

[animated]

They need to have a conversation, but Tetsuo doesn't wanna hear anything Kaneda has to say.

[rideme]

Hn. He's going to end up being one of the assholes, at this rate. Kid who's too into his power. Doesn't see anything wrong with using it however he wants.

... and Canada? Too worried about saying the wrong thing to try to talk serious to him.

[animated]

It's... a bit more complicated than that. I ended up having an unintentional heart-to-heart with Tetsuo the other day. There's a lot of issues there, and I guess something really bad had happened with Tetsuo's powers.

Kaneda is being antagonistic on purpose. He's trying to give Tetsuo a target for his anger to stop him from destroying everything.