[He'd be embarrassed, but honestly in this new world what is there to be embarrassed about? So he scoffs lightly, setting the bottle aside, picks up that can of peace slices again. There's a few more in there and Gabriel really should eat more than just this, but it's a start.]
Pretty sure it was "Harder"—
[And he holds a sticky sweet slice to Gabriel's lips with a little smirk.]
Maybe this backfired a bit, images flashing in his mind along with sounds, touch, feeling, all with perfect clarity, as if it were happening at this moment. A curse. Especially these days when he needs his mind to be in the present.
He reaches for the rubber band that dangles from his wrist, wincing from the quickness of that movement — all that pain for nothing, seeing as it's not on his wrist. ]
Shit—[ he turns his head from the peach slices like a child refusing to eat, face contorting in pain as he feels around his arm and wrist. ] Where the fuck is-agh, puñeta.
[ At least the pain pulled him out of the moment, so there's that! ]
[ Seeing as the pain snapped him back into reality, Gabriel manages to steady himself when Simon grabs his wrist, though his body tremors from the pain still. ]
...The - the fucking,[ he winces. Every deep, shuddering breath he takes just causes him more pain. ] -the rubber band. Need one.
[ He doesn't want to get into it at the moment, with pain radiating through his entire body. But at least the pain begins to decline as he keeps still, steadies his breath more, resumes his exact position from before. ]
-Please.
[ It comes out quiet, without Gabriel even thinking about it. ]
[It must be some kind of coping mechanism. For pain? For... anxiety? It's clearly not something he's asking for lightly.]
Okay, I'll find you one. But—!
[Simon pushes up to his feet, grimacing. His muscles hate him so much. He feels ninety years old.]
You have to stay put. Rest. I'll find one.
[He shakes a finger at him, stern look and all. Ducking out of the room Gabe will probably hear voices talking, Simon's and another, a young woman, her heavy sigh easy to hear as Simon heads off on his mission. A young brunette comes in, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Old worn oversized jean jacket with patches and pins engulfs her smaller frame, but she's rarely seen without it.]
Simon says if I see you flinch to knock you out.
[She'll sit on the opposite side of the room, legs and arms crossed. A moment later another person comes in, quiet and curious as she wordlessly scampers over to sit beside her sister. A little girl, the one who'd looked at Gabriel earlier. Quietly she sets aside a babydoll, it's missing an arm, but otherwise looks very loved.
Then removing a little backpack that's made to look like a stuffed bunny doll, she digs around in it for a bunch of loose crayons and a coloring book. Softly humming she gets to work coloring a beautiful yellow ladybug.]
Not goin' anywhere, [ he manages to mumble, trying his best to relax his muscles and get back to a place where pain isn't radiating through every nerve in his body.
He gets there eventually, relief flooding through him as his eyes flutter shut. Not to sleep, though. Just to appreciate not feeling like his body was slowly tearing itself apart from the inside.
Gabriel indeed hears the voices, but it doesn't occur to him that they're about him. Not until he hears someone enter the room, his eyes quickly opening and landing upon a young girl. ]
Noted.
[ He'll 100% bet on her knocking him out before Simon.
Gabriel doesn't look like he wants to be there any more than she does, letting his gaze drift off somewhere, wishing he could just lay down but knowing exactly why he's propped up the way that he is. Then the door opens again, catching his attention, and it's a little girl. She catches him off guard, his stony and grumpy exterior fading for a moment. But only a moment before he's back to glowering at a wall. ]
[Don't think she doesn't see your surprise at her little sister. Maybe mistakes it for being confused seeing someone so young still alive. Children are easy targets after all, for many reasons. Another glare is aimed at Gabriel, whether he sees it or not is up to him.
The humming is quiet, with no real tune to it, but the little girl seems happy. So focused on her coloring, that it's probably a bit of a shock when she pauses, head peeking up to look at Gabriel.]
Why are you sitting like that?
[Then she's looking back down at the coloring book, grabbing another color, pink, doing her best to draw in the circles on the ladybugs back.]
If you're tired, you should um... you should just lay down.
[Spoken as if this is obvious, because why else would this man be on one of the bed mats if he wasn't supposed to be sleeping? Her sister nudges her with the toe of her shoe on her leg.]
[ Unfortunately, the kid starts talking. He was privately hoping she wouldn't, but she did. As kids often did, blissfully unaware of how little everyone else present in the room wanted to exchange words.
Reminds him of Martín. The same age last he saw him, maybe a little younger.
[ Gabriel never realized how difficult it was to get a hold of rubber bands until the world ended. Fucking annoying.
She keeps talking, and Gabriel keeps trying to pretend like this goddamn kid is a complete nuisance and not burrowing her way through his broken ribs and tugging at the remaining two heartstrings he has left.
He keeps his gaze along the wall, off to the side. He keeps his replies short and clipped, hoping to be off-putting enough. ]
Simon's a doctor, he'll make the boo boos okay. That's what he does.
[He's a doctor that's what they do! Make the boo boos better! Suddenly she's setting her crayon down and pushes up to her feet, untied princess sneakers squeaking as she walks over to Gabriel.]
Lily—!
[Her sister is getting up, but Lily is faster. Crouching beside Gabriel and pulling a beaded bracelet off her wrist.]
This will protect you from more boo boos! That's what mommy said.
[That makes her sister stop nearby, quiet, expression tight, but there's a sadness there. Lily's little hands carefully stretch the bracelet around Gabriel's larger hand, thankfully it fits, it's real stretchy.]
I'll let you borrow it, okay?
[It's now that her sister comes, gently tugging her up to her feet.]
C'mon, come sit back down.
[She'll go without a fuss, going back to her coloring and humming to herself. The bracelet around Gabriel's wrist looks like it probably belonged to an adult at some point. Wooden polished beads, nothing fancy. Lily would have needed to double up on the bracelet for it to stay on her wrist, maybe even three times.]
[ Gabriel flinches when Lily is suddenly beside him, as if she were coming at him with a grenade or something. ]
Look, I really—
[ He doesn't get much out when she's putting the bracelet around his wrist, brows furrowing as his gaze shifts up to the kid's sister, noticing the older sister's expression — recognizing it.
Gabriel's mouth forms a tight line as he grazes his fingers over the beads of the bracelet, his son coming to mind again. Even for as small as he was last time he saw him, Martín liked making things. Legos, logs, whatever it was - he would build something, give it a weird name, and give it to his friends, or his mother, anyone.
Big smile staring up at him, holding out a Lego creation, "a cup for your fancy pens", he had said. Lotte glared at him from across the room, arms crossed, gaze sharp. Martín was oblivious to the tension.
That cup his idiotic self brought with him to the cabin. Idiot.
He pulls back on one of the beads, letting it go as it snaps against his wrist, maybe hurts a little more than it normally would — still does what he needs it to do, dragging him back from the fantasy that had been steadily trying to pull him back for the past few minutes. He at least waits until the little girl's attention is back on her ladybug.
A bracelet that was obviously meant for a bigger wrist, and he doesn't think it's the older sister's. ]
You know, I literally can't go anywhere.
[ Look, she doesn't want to be there, he doesn't want anyone to be there, maybe he tries to take advantage of this young girl's obvious distaste for the situation. He saw that glare from earlier. It's not like he really can do anything anyway. Give him a break! ]
[She glares because she doesn't trust him, even if she trusts Simon and Karina. Gabriel is a threat, new and dangerous. She has to be tough for Lily, has to protect her because even with everyone else here? She's all Lily has. They're all they have anymore really. The glare is there again as she looks over at Gabriel's words.]
... whatever.
[Arms crossed again, looking away from him back to her sister. Before either of them can say anything else, if they even planned to, Simon busts back into the room, a little out of breath, rubber band held up triumphantly with a smile.]
Found one!
[The older sister shoots him a look with a brow raised, a wordless "this is why you made me babysit this old man?" look on her face. Lily twists her body to look at Simon, smiling big and claps her hands.]
Yay! You did it, Simon!
[She's not sure what he did, but clearly it's a good thing! Her sister pushes up to her feet and tells her to pick up.]
But Casey, I wanna show Simon my drawing-
[Lily whines a little, even as she's collecting up her crayons back into her backpack. Simon comes over and peers down at her drawing book before Lily can stuff it away.]
Woooow, that's a really pretty ladybug, Lils.
[She giggles, zips up her backpack and pulls it on, standing up. Looking at Simon she'll reach for Casey's hand as she comes over to gently brush the hair from her face.]
It's not a ladybug, silly! It's a sun bug! Didn't you see it was yellow?
[Holding his hands up Simon can't help but smile a little.]
A sun bug, of course, that is really silly of me not to know.
[Casey pulls Lily against her side turning towards the door. Lily will give a little wave towards Gabriel, then at Simon with a cheerful "bye bye!". Her sister just gives Simon a look, one that definitely means they're talking later. He manages a wave to Lily and a "thanks" to Casey before they're gone. With a sigh he turns to Gabriel now, hands on his hips.]
Okay so, I lied. I didn't find it, Karina did, but details.
[ Gabriel lets out a sigh of relief when Simon returns — though it is quickly followed by pain, at which he winces a little. He can already tell the older sister — Casey, apparently — wants to give Simon hell for sticking her in this room while he goes on some grand quest to find a fucking rubber band. Gabriel is exactly aware of how ridiculous this looks. No, he doesn't care. He won't be here long anyway. Of course not.
Even if he has literally zero idea of how he's going to get out of here soon, he feels sure of the fact.
When Lily waves to Gabriel, even his cold-hearted ass can't completely ignore her, giving a small nod and very weak wave — more of a slight lift of his hand to indicate a wave, but he can't move very much so give him a break.
It's just Simon and Gabriel in the room again. He hates how it feels familiar, only slightly more comfortable than moments ago. ]
She does seem like the smart one.
[ He raises his hand, the one he ties the bands around, palm up expectantly, the makeshift bracelet dangling from his wrist. ]
[Simon is not going to argue that. Karina is definitely the smarter of the two of them, always has been. She also was the one who wanted to not help Gabriel and to be honest that probably would have been the smarter choice, but well. Too late now.
His brows pinch a little as his mouth turns into a confused pout. Why is Gabriel wearing Lily's bracelet?]
No wonder Casey looks like she wants to kick my ass.
[He'll come over now, delicately setting the rubber band onto Gabriel's palm.]
[ Gabriel feels "better" - enough to be an asshole with a little more energy, at least.
As soon as that rubber band is placed in his palm, Gabriel gets it around his wrist, sliding it a bit higher up, almost as if he's making room to accommodate the bracelet, curiously. He pulls back on the band, testing the tensity, snapping it against his wrist. It stings...good. ]
Gabriel almost leaves it at that, but seeing as how he's stuck here and Simon is determined not to kick him out (for now), he figures he should explain things a little more. It's sure to happen again. And it's sure to happen again at the worst possible time.
He sighs, dropping his wrist to his lap. ]
You remember all those traps I had outside my little shack? The complicated set up? [ And how he navigated them seamlessly. ] Eidetic memory. Except mine is unusually strong. I don't forget. I can't forget.
Sometimes I remember things - can't get out of it. Get confused. Have to snap out of it. Hence-[ he tugs at the rubber band. ] -the band.
[Simon trails off a bit, then it clicks. So if he has eidtic memory and remembers things real good, gets stuck in the memories and then gets confused... does that mean...]
You freaked out because you got caught up in remembering that night.
[He looks accusatory, arms crossed. After a second though his expression smooths out into a Cheshire grin.]
[ Wipe that smug smile off your face u little shit.
Gabriel can't help the heavy roll of his eyes, as if Simon has said something horribly offensive, when he — in fact — can't do any of those things on his own. ]
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no subject
Date: 4 May 2023 02:24 (UTC)Pretty sure it was "Harder"—
[And he holds a sticky sweet slice to Gabriel's lips with a little smirk.]
"Please".
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Date: 4 May 2023 13:35 (UTC)Maybe this backfired a bit, images flashing in his mind along with sounds, touch, feeling, all with perfect clarity, as if it were happening at this moment. A curse. Especially these days when he needs his mind to be in the present.
He reaches for the rubber band that dangles from his wrist, wincing from the quickness of that movement — all that pain for nothing, seeing as it's not on his wrist. ]
Shit—[ he turns his head from the peach slices like a child refusing to eat, face contorting in pain as he feels around his arm and wrist. ] Where the fuck is-agh, puñeta.
[ At least the pain pulled him out of the moment, so there's that! ]
no subject
Date: 6 May 2023 09:12 (UTC)Whoa hey-
[He'll set the peaches aside, trying to be gentle as he grabs for Gabe's wrist to stop him from moving around too much.]
Careful, careful. Where is what?
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Date: 6 May 2023 12:59 (UTC)...The - the fucking,[ he winces. Every deep, shuddering breath he takes just causes him more pain. ] -the rubber band. Need one.
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Date: 6 May 2023 13:52 (UTC)[He gets that he's asking for one, but why? It's such an odd request.]
Why a rubber band?
[Simon tries not to sound incredulous about it, but Gabriel did just hurt himself quite a bit over a rubber band. Apparently.]
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Date: 7 May 2023 01:22 (UTC)[ He doesn't want to get into it at the moment, with pain radiating through his entire body. But at least the pain begins to decline as he keeps still, steadies his breath more, resumes his exact position from before. ]
-Please.
[ It comes out quiet, without Gabriel even thinking about it. ]
no subject
Date: 7 May 2023 04:51 (UTC)Okay, I'll find you one. But—!
[Simon pushes up to his feet, grimacing. His muscles hate him so much. He feels ninety years old.]
You have to stay put. Rest. I'll find one.
[He shakes a finger at him, stern look and all. Ducking out of the room Gabe will probably hear voices talking, Simon's and another, a young woman, her heavy sigh easy to hear as Simon heads off on his mission. A young brunette comes in, looking like she'd rather be anywhere else. Old worn oversized jean jacket with patches and pins engulfs her smaller frame, but she's rarely seen without it.]
Simon says if I see you flinch to knock you out.
[She'll sit on the opposite side of the room, legs and arms crossed. A moment later another person comes in, quiet and curious as she wordlessly scampers over to sit beside her sister. A little girl, the one who'd looked at Gabriel earlier. Quietly she sets aside a babydoll, it's missing an arm, but otherwise looks very loved.
Then removing a little backpack that's made to look like a stuffed bunny doll, she digs around in it for a bunch of loose crayons and a coloring book. Softly humming she gets to work coloring a beautiful yellow ladybug.]
no subject
Date: 7 May 2023 15:13 (UTC)He gets there eventually, relief flooding through him as his eyes flutter shut. Not to sleep, though. Just to appreciate not feeling like his body was slowly tearing itself apart from the inside.
Gabriel indeed hears the voices, but it doesn't occur to him that they're about him. Not until he hears someone enter the room, his eyes quickly opening and landing upon a young girl. ]
Noted.
[ He'll 100% bet on her knocking him out before Simon.
Gabriel doesn't look like he wants to be there any more than she does, letting his gaze drift off somewhere, wishing he could just lay down but knowing exactly why he's propped up the way that he is. Then the door opens again, catching his attention, and it's a little girl. She catches him off guard, his stony and grumpy exterior fading for a moment. But only a moment before he's back to glowering at a wall. ]
no subject
Date: 7 May 2023 15:42 (UTC)The humming is quiet, with no real tune to it, but the little girl seems happy. So focused on her coloring, that it's probably a bit of a shock when she pauses, head peeking up to look at Gabriel.]
Why are you sitting like that?
[Then she's looking back down at the coloring book, grabbing another color, pink, doing her best to draw in the circles on the ladybugs back.]
If you're tired, you should um... you should just lay down.
[Spoken as if this is obvious, because why else would this man be on one of the bed mats if he wasn't supposed to be sleeping? Her sister nudges her with the toe of her shoe on her leg.]
Lily, shh.
no subject
Date: 7 May 2023 16:04 (UTC)Reminds him of Martín. The same age last he saw him, maybe a little younger.
Where's Simon with that fucking rubber band?
He sighs. ]
Can't lie down. Hurts.
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Date: 8 May 2023 02:25 (UTC)Lily seemingly ignores her sister, head popping up, little brows furrowing.]
You got a boo boo?
[Her head tilts, looking at Gabriel confused.]
I don't see any.
[Her sister sighs heavily, but just sits there, watching the both of them. Simon owes her for this.]
no subject
Date: 8 May 2023 03:49 (UTC)She keeps talking, and Gabriel keeps trying to pretend like this goddamn kid is a complete nuisance and not burrowing her way through his broken ribs and tugging at the remaining two heartstrings he has left.
He keeps his gaze along the wall, off to the side. He keeps his replies short and clipped, hoping to be off-putting enough. ]
They're inside.
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Date: 8 May 2023 05:54 (UTC)[Lily says like that makes so much sense.]
Simon's a doctor, he'll make the boo boos okay. That's what he does.
[He's a doctor that's what they do! Make the boo boos better! Suddenly she's setting her crayon down and pushes up to her feet, untied princess sneakers squeaking as she walks over to Gabriel.]
Lily—!
[Her sister is getting up, but Lily is faster. Crouching beside Gabriel and pulling a beaded bracelet off her wrist.]
This will protect you from more boo boos! That's what mommy said.
[That makes her sister stop nearby, quiet, expression tight, but there's a sadness there. Lily's little hands carefully stretch the bracelet around Gabriel's larger hand, thankfully it fits, it's real stretchy.]
I'll let you borrow it, okay?
[It's now that her sister comes, gently tugging her up to her feet.]
C'mon, come sit back down.
[She'll go without a fuss, going back to her coloring and humming to herself. The bracelet around Gabriel's wrist looks like it probably belonged to an adult at some point. Wooden polished beads, nothing fancy. Lily would have needed to double up on the bracelet for it to stay on her wrist, maybe even three times.]
no subject
Date: 8 May 2023 11:23 (UTC)Look, I really—
[ He doesn't get much out when she's putting the bracelet around his wrist, brows furrowing as his gaze shifts up to the kid's sister, noticing the older sister's expression — recognizing it.
Gabriel's mouth forms a tight line as he grazes his fingers over the beads of the bracelet, his son coming to mind again. Even for as small as he was last time he saw him, Martín liked making things. Legos, logs, whatever it was - he would build something, give it a weird name, and give it to his friends, or his mother, anyone.
Big smile staring up at him, holding out a Lego creation, "a cup for your fancy pens", he had said. Lotte glared at him from across the room, arms crossed, gaze sharp. Martín was oblivious to the tension.
That cup his idiotic self brought with him to the cabin. Idiot.
He pulls back on one of the beads, letting it go as it snaps against his wrist, maybe hurts a little more than it normally would — still does what he needs it to do, dragging him back from the fantasy that had been steadily trying to pull him back for the past few minutes. He at least waits until the little girl's attention is back on her ladybug.
A bracelet that was obviously meant for a bigger wrist, and he doesn't think it's the older sister's. ]
You know, I literally can't go anywhere.
[ Look, she doesn't want to be there, he doesn't want anyone to be there, maybe he tries to take advantage of this young girl's obvious distaste for the situation. He saw that glare from earlier. It's not like he really can do anything anyway. Give him a break! ]
no subject
Date: 9 May 2023 14:40 (UTC)... whatever.
[Arms crossed again, looking away from him back to her sister. Before either of them can say anything else, if they even planned to, Simon busts back into the room, a little out of breath, rubber band held up triumphantly with a smile.]
Found one!
[The older sister shoots him a look with a brow raised, a wordless "this is why you made me babysit this old man?" look on her face. Lily twists her body to look at Simon, smiling big and claps her hands.]
Yay! You did it, Simon!
[She's not sure what he did, but clearly it's a good thing! Her sister pushes up to her feet and tells her to pick up.]
But Casey, I wanna show Simon my drawing-
[Lily whines a little, even as she's collecting up her crayons back into her backpack. Simon comes over and peers down at her drawing book before Lily can stuff it away.]
Woooow, that's a really pretty ladybug, Lils.
[She giggles, zips up her backpack and pulls it on, standing up. Looking at Simon she'll reach for Casey's hand as she comes over to gently brush the hair from her face.]
It's not a ladybug, silly! It's a sun bug! Didn't you see it was yellow?
[Holding his hands up Simon can't help but smile a little.]
A sun bug, of course, that is really silly of me not to know.
[Casey pulls Lily against her side turning towards the door. Lily will give a little wave towards Gabriel, then at Simon with a cheerful "bye bye!". Her sister just gives Simon a look, one that definitely means they're talking later. He manages a wave to Lily and a "thanks" to Casey before they're gone. With a sigh he turns to Gabriel now, hands on his hips.]
Okay so, I lied. I didn't find it, Karina did, but details.
no subject
Date: 9 May 2023 15:22 (UTC)Even if he has literally zero idea of how he's going to get out of here soon, he feels sure of the fact.
When Lily waves to Gabriel, even his cold-hearted ass can't completely ignore her, giving a small nod and very weak wave — more of a slight lift of his hand to indicate a wave, but he can't move very much so give him a break.
It's just Simon and Gabriel in the room again. He hates how it feels familiar, only slightly more comfortable than moments ago. ]
She does seem like the smart one.
[ He raises his hand, the one he ties the bands around, palm up expectantly, the makeshift bracelet dangling from his wrist. ]
no subject
Date: 10 May 2023 13:38 (UTC)[Simon is not going to argue that. Karina is definitely the smarter of the two of them, always has been. She also was the one who wanted to not help Gabriel and to be honest that probably would have been the smarter choice, but well. Too late now.
His brows pinch a little as his mouth turns into a confused pout. Why is Gabriel wearing Lily's bracelet?]
No wonder Casey looks like she wants to kick my ass.
[He'll come over now, delicately setting the rubber band onto Gabriel's palm.]
... so what's the rubber band for?
no subject
Date: 10 May 2023 15:16 (UTC)[ Gabriel feels "better" - enough to be an asshole with a little more energy, at least.
As soon as that rubber band is placed in his palm, Gabriel gets it around his wrist, sliding it a bit higher up, almost as if he's making room to accommodate the bracelet, curiously. He pulls back on the band, testing the tensity, snapping it against his wrist. It stings...good. ]
Reality check.
no subject
Date: 11 May 2023 04:32 (UTC)[A roll of his eyes, but he'll watch Gabriel get the rubber band on then snapping it. It makes a satisfying noise to be sure.]
So it is a... coping thing.
[He's not sure of a better way to phrase it,. Said with no judgement. Everyone has their ways, especially now.]
no subject
Date: 11 May 2023 15:13 (UTC)[ Not entirely wrong.
Gabriel almost leaves it at that, but seeing as how he's stuck here and Simon is determined not to kick him out (for now), he figures he should explain things a little more. It's sure to happen again. And it's sure to happen again at the worst possible time.
He sighs, dropping his wrist to his lap. ]
You remember all those traps I had outside my little shack? The complicated set up? [ And how he navigated them seamlessly. ] Eidetic memory. Except mine is unusually strong. I don't forget. I can't forget.
Sometimes I remember things - can't get out of it. Get confused. Have to snap out of it. Hence-[ he tugs at the rubber band. ] -the band.
no subject
Date: 11 May 2023 15:25 (UTC)[Simon trails off a bit, then it clicks. So if he has eidtic memory and remembers things real good, gets stuck in the memories and then gets confused... does that mean...]
You freaked out because you got caught up in remembering that night.
[He looks accusatory, arms crossed. After a second though his expression smooths out into a Cheshire grin.]
Admit it, I was better than good.
no subject
Date: 11 May 2023 15:34 (UTC)Gabriel rolls his eyes, staring off at the far wall. ]
You were terrible. [ He's real mature. ] Why do you think I needed the band so bad?
no subject
Date: 12 May 2023 03:10 (UTC)[Look at his smug little smile.]
... you still hungry? Thirsty? Oh uh, let me know if you need to go to the bathroom. We'll figure something out.
[Going number one is easier, number two... he really doesn't want to have to move Gabe more than he needs to.]
no subject
Date: 12 May 2023 16:17 (UTC)Gabriel can't help the heavy roll of his eyes, as if Simon has said something horribly offensive, when he — in fact — can't do any of those things on his own. ]
I'm not decrepit. I'll manage fine.
no subject
Date: 13 May 2023 01:08 (UTC)That's what I'm afraid of. That'll you'll try to "manage" on your own and hurt yourself. You'll never heal if you keep being so pig headed.
[He lifts his chin, clears his throat.]
That's just my diagnosis, as your doctor. Stubborn dickhead syndrome.
(no subject)
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