[ Yako's polite enough to ring the doorbell instead of letting herself into the house. She half-expects the tone to be something weird, like Undertaker's odd cackle.
And, hands folded behind her back, she waits to be let in. ]
[When Veser answers the door, he barely mutters a greeting. His body language is very telling of his foul mood: his posture is hunched and he's avoiding eye contact.]
Undertaker is out on a death call. [So you don't have to worry about him being creepy at you.] Come on in.
[ Yako can tell he's in an unpleasant mood, but that doesn't keep her from following him in. She'd touch his arm if she thought he'd respond well to it; instead, she folds her hands behind her back and looks at him thoughtfully. ]
You seemed pretty upset by what that guy said on the network. [ Her voice is quiet.. ]
Lee is someone very important to you, isn't he? [ A rhetorical question, more or less. She stops walking, watches him instead. Perhaps she'd have more to gain from being subtle, but she's never been on to beat around the bush when she knows exactly what she wants to ask. ]
...He was my dad's best friend. They'd known each other since before I was born. He was a good guy, always there when I needed him. [He swallows, his throat going dry.] He was more of a dad to me than my real dad.
[Veser is quiet for a minute. Before he answers her he shoves his hands into his pockets and shrugs his shoulders slightly. When he finally speaks up it's obvious he was struggling to keep his voice even.]
I asked him to help me get something and it got him killed. That's what happened.
[ It's strange, seeing Veser upset, and Yako has to wonder: when was the last time he ever talked with someone about this. This time, because his hands are in his pockets and he seems just a little too vulnerable to leave alone like this, she steps closer to him and reaches up to give him a hug. ]
I'm sorry. [ It's not pity in her voice, though, but understanding. ]
[He hasn't gotten the chance to talk to anyone about it, save for a brief conversation about it with Undertaker months ago. He'd done what he'd always done when it came to unsavory things: kept them secret and hoped someone would drag the truth out of him.
Veser flinches at the hug, shrinking away for a split second before leaning into it and swallowing thickly.] Thanks.
[ Dragging the truth out is what Yako does best, but it's not often like this. This time, there isn't a criminal to unmask and a motive to unravel; just a lot of old pain, old regrets. He's a little too tall for her to do it comfortably, but she rests her head against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart.
It's a few moments before she speaks. ]
You didn't know what was going to happen to him, did you? You should stop blaming yourself for it. [ Hesitant: ] Nothing can change the past, even if we wish we could.
[Veser isn't quite sure what to do for a second- Christ, when was the last time he'd been hugged like this, by a girl no less? Never, that's when.
Once the uneasiness passes he rests his chin on top of Yako's head, his arms looping around her shoulders to return the hug.] No but...Christ, I would've just looked for it by myself if I knew my dad was that batshit insane.
[ It's a weird position to be in-- Yako isn't instinctively the most touchy of people, for all her sympathy. It seems all right, though she's surprised when Veser hugs back. ]
Then you would have gotten killed instead, right? [ A beat of silence, as she has a dim idea this isn't what people who hold on to each other usually talk about. ] What did you ask him to get?
And, hands folded behind her back, she waits to be let in. ]
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Undertaker is out on a death call. [So you don't have to worry about him being creepy at you.] Come on in.
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You seemed pretty upset by what that guy said on the network. [ Her voice is quiet.. ]
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Yeah, what about it?
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Lee is someone very important to you, isn't he? [ A rhetorical question, more or less. She stops walking, watches him instead. Perhaps she'd have more to gain from being subtle, but she's never been on to beat around the bush when she knows exactly what she wants to ask. ]
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Yeah, he was.
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What was he like?
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He sounds like he was really important to you. [ And she breathes out. She may have read what Veser wrote on the network, but-- ] What happened?
[ It's a question Veser can answer however he pleases. ]
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I asked him to help me get something and it got him killed. That's what happened.
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I'm sorry. [ It's not pity in her voice, though, but understanding. ]
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Veser flinches at the hug, shrinking away for a split second before leaning into it and swallowing thickly.] Thanks.
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It's a few moments before she speaks. ]
You didn't know what was going to happen to him, did you? You should stop blaming yourself for it. [ Hesitant: ] Nothing can change the past, even if we wish we could.
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Once the uneasiness passes he rests his chin on top of Yako's head, his arms looping around her shoulders to return the hug.] No but...Christ, I would've just looked for it by myself if I knew my dad was that batshit insane.
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Then you would have gotten killed instead, right? [ A beat of silence, as she has a dim idea this isn't what people who hold on to each other usually talk about. ] What did you ask him to get?
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Something that belonged to my mom, a pelt.
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