IC Log- Houston and Texas, On Statehood and Successions
"Houston."
Houston heard Texas before he saw him. He backed away from his dry erase board, where he was still trying to figure out the mystery component of the paper they had found.
"I'm here, Tex."
He tried to not be surprised when the ghost passd through the opposite wall and approached him. Texas moved to his desk and swung up to sit on it, knowing his ghostly form wouldn't disturb anything.
"We need to talk."
The look on the state's face was...serious. More serious than Houston was used to. Still, he nodded and went to pull the chair from the desk, to sit near Texas.
"Alright. What's wrong?"
"...New York told me what happened with Roslyn."
"That she shot him, ya mean?"
"Exactly. You know, she can't do things like that."
Houston had said that to her himself, but just nodded. Texas continued-
"I'll get right to the point- I don't want her taking my place if that's how she acts under stress."
The city knew it would eb something big coming, but that came out of nowhere. It was like he had been slapped. It was... It seemed almost cruel. Houston stuttered, at once trying to come to his friend's defense.
"T-Tex, hang on, this is unique- You died-!"
"I've mind up my mind already. You're changin' the will to name a different successor."
"But Tex..."
"I've made up my mind."
When Texas repeated himself, Houston knew it wasn't any good to argue with him. Silently, he reached for a pen and pad of paper from the side of his desk.
"Alright. Is that it?"
"One more thing- She never gets control of any sort of Texas republic."
"W-wait a minute-!"
Houston's voice rose sharply. Texas arched an eyebrow.
"You can't do that, Tex! That's her dream! That's the one thing she's been workin' towards all her life-!"
"And she blew it." Texas interrupted without pause, beginning to gain a dangerous edge. "She always talked about peace. Then she shot Michael. She blew it."
The city knew what that tone meant- Texas was angry. An Angry Texas, even as ghos, wasn't something he wanted to deal with. Instead, he dutifully wrote the new clause down.
"An' who's the new successor then...?"
There was a pause Houston was certain he did not like.
"...You."
He stared at the ghost. Houston's grip on the pen tightened- Now it felt like he had been punched. Instantly, he felt so much pressure, so much concern and worry- He had no idea what being a State was about. Moreover, he didn't want to learn. He was happy the way his life was.
"...Jason."
It was Texas' voice that snapped him out of his thoughts again. His eyes went wide, looking up to him as if to plea to not to do this and to beg for guidance.
"...I know you can do it. I've been watchin' you. You've shown more strength an' composure than several combined in the last few days. You're plenty smart an' friendly, an' ya still could grow some... The next texas can't be trigger happy. They can't expect things to be easy or be unrealistic."
"T-Tex, I still don't think I can-"
"You've got the heart for it, Jason. You'll do just fine."
Houston took a hard swallow. All of this, and he wasn't accustomed to Texas calling him "Jason", even thoughit was the name he gave to him.
"If ya think so... H-Hank."
"I know it, Texas."
Houston sucked in a deep breath- That was just weird. That reversal, thinking of himself as the place his brother had been for so long... His bigger, stronger brother whose boots he never thought he could never grow into, much less outgrow. He was being given his brother's lifelong job- no, his duty.
At a loss for much else, Houston, unable to think of himself as a state yet, simply nodded.
"You'll do it?"
Another nod.
"...Answer me."
He cleared his throat, musteringup the best cofident sounding voice he could.
"I-... I'll do it. I'll do my best."
"...Good. That's what I wanted to hear. You'll make the changes to my will then?"
"R-right now."
"Excellent. Now, I need to go find Michael again. An' not a word-a this to Roslyn til everythin's finalized, ya hear?"
"I hear. Loud an' clear..."
"You'll do it now?"
"If ya want me to."
Texas gave him a look that rather easily said he did.
"...Now then."
The ghost nodded and stood.
"Thank you. I need to go find Michael again. I'll come back an' check on ya later."
"I'll have it done."
"I know."
With that, Texas turned and made his way out of the room through the wall he came in. Houston let out a deep, slow breath, and then turned to his laptop. He didn't have a paper copy of the wil, but he had a digital one. He could at least make note of the changes for now, even if they weren't official...
Houston heard Texas before he saw him. He backed away from his dry erase board, where he was still trying to figure out the mystery component of the paper they had found.
"I'm here, Tex."
He tried to not be surprised when the ghost passd through the opposite wall and approached him. Texas moved to his desk and swung up to sit on it, knowing his ghostly form wouldn't disturb anything.
"We need to talk."
The look on the state's face was...serious. More serious than Houston was used to. Still, he nodded and went to pull the chair from the desk, to sit near Texas.
"Alright. What's wrong?"
"...New York told me what happened with Roslyn."
"That she shot him, ya mean?"
"Exactly. You know, she can't do things like that."
Houston had said that to her himself, but just nodded. Texas continued-
"I'll get right to the point- I don't want her taking my place if that's how she acts under stress."
The city knew it would eb something big coming, but that came out of nowhere. It was like he had been slapped. It was... It seemed almost cruel. Houston stuttered, at once trying to come to his friend's defense.
"T-Tex, hang on, this is unique- You died-!"
"I've mind up my mind already. You're changin' the will to name a different successor."
"But Tex..."
"I've made up my mind."
When Texas repeated himself, Houston knew it wasn't any good to argue with him. Silently, he reached for a pen and pad of paper from the side of his desk.
"Alright. Is that it?"
"One more thing- She never gets control of any sort of Texas republic."
"W-wait a minute-!"
Houston's voice rose sharply. Texas arched an eyebrow.
"You can't do that, Tex! That's her dream! That's the one thing she's been workin' towards all her life-!"
"And she blew it." Texas interrupted without pause, beginning to gain a dangerous edge. "She always talked about peace. Then she shot Michael. She blew it."
The city knew what that tone meant- Texas was angry. An Angry Texas, even as ghos, wasn't something he wanted to deal with. Instead, he dutifully wrote the new clause down.
"An' who's the new successor then...?"
There was a pause Houston was certain he did not like.
"...You."
He stared at the ghost. Houston's grip on the pen tightened- Now it felt like he had been punched. Instantly, he felt so much pressure, so much concern and worry- He had no idea what being a State was about. Moreover, he didn't want to learn. He was happy the way his life was.
"...Jason."
It was Texas' voice that snapped him out of his thoughts again. His eyes went wide, looking up to him as if to plea to not to do this and to beg for guidance.
"...I know you can do it. I've been watchin' you. You've shown more strength an' composure than several combined in the last few days. You're plenty smart an' friendly, an' ya still could grow some... The next texas can't be trigger happy. They can't expect things to be easy or be unrealistic."
"T-Tex, I still don't think I can-"
"You've got the heart for it, Jason. You'll do just fine."
Houston took a hard swallow. All of this, and he wasn't accustomed to Texas calling him "Jason", even thoughit was the name he gave to him.
"If ya think so... H-Hank."
"I know it, Texas."
Houston sucked in a deep breath- That was just weird. That reversal, thinking of himself as the place his brother had been for so long... His bigger, stronger brother whose boots he never thought he could never grow into, much less outgrow. He was being given his brother's lifelong job- no, his duty.
At a loss for much else, Houston, unable to think of himself as a state yet, simply nodded.
"You'll do it?"
Another nod.
"...Answer me."
He cleared his throat, musteringup the best cofident sounding voice he could.
"I-... I'll do it. I'll do my best."
"...Good. That's what I wanted to hear. You'll make the changes to my will then?"
"R-right now."
"Excellent. Now, I need to go find Michael again. An' not a word-a this to Roslyn til everythin's finalized, ya hear?"
"I hear. Loud an' clear..."
"You'll do it now?"
"If ya want me to."
Texas gave him a look that rather easily said he did.
"...Now then."
The ghost nodded and stood.
"Thank you. I need to go find Michael again. I'll come back an' check on ya later."
"I'll have it done."
"I know."
With that, Texas turned and made his way out of the room through the wall he came in. Houston let out a deep, slow breath, and then turned to his laptop. He didn't have a paper copy of the wil, but he had a digital one. He could at least make note of the changes for now, even if they weren't official...