I Prefer the Mind Control - Handling It
More I Prefer the Mind Control. I'm totally bouncing around in this verse, trying to figure out just how things will go this time. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!
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My brain is gonna fucking overload -- I said I wanted to keep things going with Xan despite his huge lie, but my brain is not exactly handling things well right now. Who would handle almost being killed because your friend with benefits is a fucking space prince well? I start laughing -- just because so much stuff has happened.
Xan looks at me, concerned. “Are you alright, Dylan?”
“Sorry, man. Still trying to deal with, you know, almost being fucking killed,” I say through my giggles.
Syra gives me a wry smile. “You’re handling it better than a lot of people would. Including Xan, here.”
“Huh?” I look up at her, having no fucking idea what she’s talking about.
“Trust me, you’re not having a tearful panic attack or repeating ‘I’m going to die’ a thousand times a minute,” she says, shaking her head. “He did that when someone made an attempt on his life five Earth years ago.”
Xan blushes. “Syra, there’s no need to go into that. It’s embarrassing,” he mutters.
“You don’t want a reputation as a coward, you know,” she says, giving him a significant look.
“Hey, almost being assassinated has gotta be fucking terrifying,” I huff. I straighten my back, being more than a little annoyed at Syra. “I don’t think it makes you a, like, irredeemable coward.”
“It is terrifying,” Xan murmurs. I can barely hear him.
“I suppose it is, but still...Dylan, you’re handling this pretty damn well. That’s a good thing if you’re going to be with Xan,” she says. “He’s kind of a hazard that way.” Now she gives me a weirdly significant look I can’t fucking interpret.
I feel my stomach sink -- I do not want any more fucking assassination attempts. Once was enough, thank you very much.
Before Syra can make any more cracks at Xan, my phone rings. Should I pick it up? What’s the social protocol for when you get a phone call right after someone tries to kill your friend with benefits? You know don’t know? You’re the one writing this thing, dammit.
“You can pick that up, if you like,” Xan murmurs, gesturing in the approximate direction of my phone.
“Thanks,” I say. I decide to check the phone, just to have a break in the tension. When I look at who’s calling, I see it’s my roommate, Preston.
I pick up the phone. “Hey, what’s up?” I say.
“I got the coffee beans!” he squeals. Yes, squeals. It’s loud and high-pitched enough my ears fucking hurt. Still, I’m glad he’s so happy -- I bought him those coffee beans so he could eat them. The guy likes to munch on plain coffee beans, and I owed him after he helped me finish a major assignment I was in danger of failing
“Awesome. Glad you, uh, like them,” I say, leaning back on the couch. Xan and Syra both watch me curiously.
“So, anyway, I hope I’m not interrupting your booty call. If I am, what are you doing talking to me?” he says.
My heart races, just a little. “Uh, well, it was already interrupted,” I mutter.
“What? Why?” he asks.
What do I say to that? “Um, someone kinda tried to, well, assassinate Xan.” Lovely conversation topic, huh?
Xan’s eyes widen. I cover the phone. “I can’t exactly lie to my best friend,” I mutter.
“It went that badly, huh?” Preston’s voice is completely fucking casual.
I shake my head, though there’s no way he can see me. “No, Preston, someone literally tried to kill him,” I say.
“The word ‘literally’ is so overused, Dylan,” he mutters.
That makes me laugh. It sounds pretty fucking deranged, but now is not the time for vocabulary lessons. “I am using it correctly. Someone legit tried to fucking kill him. As in made an actual attempt on his life,” I say.
I hear a crash -- it sounds like Preston dropped his phone. He says nothing for a few moments.
“Are you kidding me?” he finally says, his voice jumping at least one fucking octave.
“I am not kidding,” I say. I would give him an “I am not kidding” look, only I’m not on any kinda video phone. Looking over at Xan, I see that he’s super worried, but I’m not gonna say why someone tried to kill him. Wait, how am I going to keep that a fucking secret now that Preston knows there was an assassination attempt? I smack my forehead because I’m a fucking genius.
“Why would someone try to kill him? Because he’s Zimaran and loaded?” he asks.
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” I mutter. What a ridiculous situation I’m in, yeah?
“Dammit,” Preston mutters. “I gotta go, but you will explain yourself when you get home.” His voice says there will be no argument whatsoever. Just fucking awesome.
He hangs up, and I put my phone away. I give Xan and Syra apologetic looks.
“It’s not like I expected you to be able to keep this a secret from everybody, but I hope this Preston isn’t the type to go blabbing to the media,” Syra says, glaring at me.
“He won’t,” I say, trying to ignore how my heart’s fucking pounding.
Xan sags with relief. “I understand the need to talk about things, but I would prefer as few people know who I am as possible,” he says.
I can’t help thinking how keeping secrets is fucking hard when people are, um, trying to kill you. That makes things just a bit difficult. And, wait, what if the botanical garden people saw something? They fucking had to -- maybe Xan paid them off not to talk? Bribery is a thing, right?
What exactly is gonna happen now?
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My brain is gonna fucking overload -- I said I wanted to keep things going with Xan despite his huge lie, but my brain is not exactly handling things well right now. Who would handle almost being killed because your friend with benefits is a fucking space prince well? I start laughing -- just because so much stuff has happened.
Xan looks at me, concerned. “Are you alright, Dylan?”
“Sorry, man. Still trying to deal with, you know, almost being fucking killed,” I say through my giggles.
Syra gives me a wry smile. “You’re handling it better than a lot of people would. Including Xan, here.”
“Huh?” I look up at her, having no fucking idea what she’s talking about.
“Trust me, you’re not having a tearful panic attack or repeating ‘I’m going to die’ a thousand times a minute,” she says, shaking her head. “He did that when someone made an attempt on his life five Earth years ago.”
Xan blushes. “Syra, there’s no need to go into that. It’s embarrassing,” he mutters.
“You don’t want a reputation as a coward, you know,” she says, giving him a significant look.
“Hey, almost being assassinated has gotta be fucking terrifying,” I huff. I straighten my back, being more than a little annoyed at Syra. “I don’t think it makes you a, like, irredeemable coward.”
“It is terrifying,” Xan murmurs. I can barely hear him.
“I suppose it is, but still...Dylan, you’re handling this pretty damn well. That’s a good thing if you’re going to be with Xan,” she says. “He’s kind of a hazard that way.” Now she gives me a weirdly significant look I can’t fucking interpret.
I feel my stomach sink -- I do not want any more fucking assassination attempts. Once was enough, thank you very much.
Before Syra can make any more cracks at Xan, my phone rings. Should I pick it up? What’s the social protocol for when you get a phone call right after someone tries to kill your friend with benefits? You know don’t know? You’re the one writing this thing, dammit.
“You can pick that up, if you like,” Xan murmurs, gesturing in the approximate direction of my phone.
“Thanks,” I say. I decide to check the phone, just to have a break in the tension. When I look at who’s calling, I see it’s my roommate, Preston.
I pick up the phone. “Hey, what’s up?” I say.
“I got the coffee beans!” he squeals. Yes, squeals. It’s loud and high-pitched enough my ears fucking hurt. Still, I’m glad he’s so happy -- I bought him those coffee beans so he could eat them. The guy likes to munch on plain coffee beans, and I owed him after he helped me finish a major assignment I was in danger of failing
“Awesome. Glad you, uh, like them,” I say, leaning back on the couch. Xan and Syra both watch me curiously.
“So, anyway, I hope I’m not interrupting your booty call. If I am, what are you doing talking to me?” he says.
My heart races, just a little. “Uh, well, it was already interrupted,” I mutter.
“What? Why?” he asks.
What do I say to that? “Um, someone kinda tried to, well, assassinate Xan.” Lovely conversation topic, huh?
Xan’s eyes widen. I cover the phone. “I can’t exactly lie to my best friend,” I mutter.
“It went that badly, huh?” Preston’s voice is completely fucking casual.
I shake my head, though there’s no way he can see me. “No, Preston, someone literally tried to kill him,” I say.
“The word ‘literally’ is so overused, Dylan,” he mutters.
That makes me laugh. It sounds pretty fucking deranged, but now is not the time for vocabulary lessons. “I am using it correctly. Someone legit tried to fucking kill him. As in made an actual attempt on his life,” I say.
I hear a crash -- it sounds like Preston dropped his phone. He says nothing for a few moments.
“Are you kidding me?” he finally says, his voice jumping at least one fucking octave.
“I am not kidding,” I say. I would give him an “I am not kidding” look, only I’m not on any kinda video phone. Looking over at Xan, I see that he’s super worried, but I’m not gonna say why someone tried to kill him. Wait, how am I going to keep that a fucking secret now that Preston knows there was an assassination attempt? I smack my forehead because I’m a fucking genius.
“Why would someone try to kill him? Because he’s Zimaran and loaded?” he asks.
“Yeah, let’s go with that,” I mutter. What a ridiculous situation I’m in, yeah?
“Dammit,” Preston mutters. “I gotta go, but you will explain yourself when you get home.” His voice says there will be no argument whatsoever. Just fucking awesome.
He hangs up, and I put my phone away. I give Xan and Syra apologetic looks.
“It’s not like I expected you to be able to keep this a secret from everybody, but I hope this Preston isn’t the type to go blabbing to the media,” Syra says, glaring at me.
“He won’t,” I say, trying to ignore how my heart’s fucking pounding.
Xan sags with relief. “I understand the need to talk about things, but I would prefer as few people know who I am as possible,” he says.
I can’t help thinking how keeping secrets is fucking hard when people are, um, trying to kill you. That makes things just a bit difficult. And, wait, what if the botanical garden people saw something? They fucking had to -- maybe Xan paid them off not to talk? Bribery is a thing, right?
What exactly is gonna happen now?