[ video ]

[hostage]

[From what's visible behind him, Jesse's seated at the nurse's desk of the Xavier School infirmary. That's not really relevant to anything, just that he's at work and he's bored and out of anything useful to occupy his time. He's currently wrapping a gauze bandage around an empty soda can. An art piece, maybe. Or just keeping his hands busy.]

What's up? Anything exciting going on?

[He's talking to the comm device, but his eyes are on his "work".]

We got new guys coming in, right? How 'bout you? Freaking out about this superhero thing? It's pretty wild...

[That might be touching on sardonic. He knows it's no fun to be new here.]

You guys wanna talk or anything, I got nothing better to do.

[As thrilling as it is to keep winding this bandage around a soda can.]

Comments

[earnedmystripes]

[what do u mean he is perfectly well-adjusted and not emotionally damaged at all in any way shhh]

I'd rather not.

[hostage]

[But surely losing yourself in pleasure will solve all of your problems. Look at how well it's worked for Jesse.]

You're missing out.

[earnedmystripes]

[He prefers the pretend your problems don't exist and occasionally get shitfaced when that's too tiring approach, himself.]

It'd be a waste of everyone's time. I'm not looking for anyone.

[hostage]

You don't gotta be looking for someone to get with someone.

[earnedmystripes]

...Huh?

[Sometimes you need to spell these things out for him `_`]

[hostage]

Get your dick wet.

1/2

[earnedmystripes]

[earnedmystripes]

[If Mask or Menace was a cartoon or a sitcom, this would probably be the moment where Kotetsu did a dramatic spittake with whatever it was he was drinking. Unfortunately for everyone's entertainment, this isn't actually the case, but he does look rather like he just choked on the actual air he was in the middle of breathing, and there's an impressive flush for his skintone.]

Whh--my...! [Was that a squeak. That was definitely a squeak. You have successfully flustered him, Jesse, a winner is you.]

[hostage]

[This look.]

...You just have an aneurysm or something?

[earnedmystripes]

[He might as well have tbh]

I'm not doing that.

[no pun intended.]

[hostage]

How long's it been?

[earnedmystripes]

...Seven years.

[But before he can dwell on that, he hastily adds:]

That doesn't matter. I said I'm not interested.

[I still love her.]

[hostage]

Nah. I know what you're doing. And that shit ain't right.

[Dead is dead. At least, until Lachesis decides otherwise.]

Seven years is enough time.

[earnedmystripes]

What part of I'm not interested aren't you hearing? I'm not. I don't want to be involved with someone else right now, and whenever I do is my business.

I don't have to go out and--[...nope, he can't bring himself to phrase it the same way as Jesse did the second time, nope nope] get with people just 'cause you think it's been long enough.

[hostage]

Are you not interested or are you trying to hold onto something that's long gone, whether you like it or not?

[earnedmystripes]

Even if you put aside that she could come here--

[He stops to close his eyes a moment, to rub at his face, let out a frustrated exhale.]

There's a difference between accepting she's gone and throwing myself into something because it's been "enough time," like there's some sorta expiration date on your feelings. If something happens with someone, I'll think about it, but I'm definitely not interested in messing around with people who don't even know me and wouldn't look at me twice if it wasn't for a tattoo on my wrist.

[hostage]

Have you ever even tried it? Doing something that don't mean anything? Getting outta your head for a while and doing stuff just to see what it feels like?

[earnedmystripes]

I don't want to.

[He doesn't have any curiosity about random sex with strangers tbh.]

As for getting outta my head, alcohol works well enough for that.

[...]

Er. Shit. Look--if that, works for you or whatever, that's your business. But it's not what I want. Okay? Just--leave it at that.

[hostage]

Yeah. Whatever.

[Seven years. Jesus Christ.]

[earnedmystripes]

...Thanks.

[For dropping the subject. He's just going to...awkwardly hang up now....]