[IC] [Mask or Menace] Contact Post

[dendarii]

"This is Miles. Leave a message and I'll respond to you at my earliest convenience."

The line has gone silent; any messages sent to this name only return an error.

Comments

[dendarii]

[ It takes Miles a few hours to respond. He's still deep in a funk after everything, and Jim is a complicated subject all of a subject. But ... that sounds nice, he has to admit. ]

Sure. At your place or somewhere else?

[overemotionally]

[That was weird. Maybe Miles was worse off than he thought. Didn't usually take him this long.]

My place okay?

[dendarii]

I'll be over in about half an hour then.

[overemotionally]

See you soon

[dendarii]

[ Jim doesn't get another response; instead, Miles himself shows up after about twenty minutes. He's back in his usual clothes and colors, but ... subdued, today. Not quite larger-than-life the way he usually is. It's been a rough couple of day for him mentally.

And Jim, well ... He's not sure what the hell he's supposed to do now. Should he keep sleeping with him? Sleep with him more? Completely stop? It's not as though Gregor will mind one way or another, right? ]

... Evening, Lieutenant.

[overemotionally]

[He lets Miles in and that's the first thing he notices. Even when Miles is in a sour mood, his presence can usually bowl people over. Miles' radio silence over the past few days and now this...probably related to the end of his 72 hours, at least how Jim saw it. The talk with Gregor confirmed his suspicion that Miles would probably feel crappy but he didn't expect this bad.

Jim steps out of the way to let him in, eyebrow cocked, not hiding how odd he found that way of addressing him without a hint of teasing.]

Hey. Haven't heard from you in a few days.

[Something open for Miles to work with if he chose.

He leads Miles into the kitchen to the table where his crude 3D chess board is set up. He didn't bother making it pretty enough to have the smooth curved supports that the boards back home had, but he made the effort to sand it nicely and apply varnish and paint. Not his most artistic piece ever but it'd do the job.]

[dendarii]

[ The novelty of the new board is enough to perk him up a bit; he's instantly drawn to it. His tactical mind already wandering over possibilities. It brings some needed liveliness back into his face.

Only then does he turn back to Jim. Oops ... he looks a bit guilty for totally having walked past him there. His smile fades again. ]

... Sorry. I've been getting used to my body again. More difficult than it look.

[overemotionally]

[Seeing the look on Miles' face, he's glad he reached out and invited him over for this.

He waves off the apology as he moves further into the kitchen, pulling out the first chair on his way around the table--an invitation for Miles to sit there. A gentle squeeze of Miles' shoulder as he walks past him and into the chair further from the kitchen entrance. He leans back and folds his arms, watching Miles carefully.]

Figured it would be.

[dendarii]

[ Miles climbs up onto the chair carefully. He's still not quite used to being his small again even after only three days of tallness. (He's measured himself a couple times just to make absolutely sure he hasn't somehow messed himself up. No, he's exactly as tall as he was before Haen's influence.) ]

It's entirely ridiculous. I've lived like this all my life.

[overemotionally]

[Jim starts to set up the pieces.]

Right but you never found yourself 6 feet tall, had to get used to that, then go back in 3 days flat.

[dendarii]

Yes, well. I did it to myself, didn't I? No room to complain.

[overemotionally]

Complain all you want.

[He shrugs as he finishes setting up both sides of the board.]

[dendarii]

[ Miles takes it all in for a moment as he marshals his thoughts. ]

It was more jarring than I thought. Everything feels wrong, physically.

[overemotionally]

Wrong because you're still getting used to it again or wrong because you don't want to get used to it?

[dendarii]

... Both? A mixture of both, I think.

[overemotionally]

You regret doing it?

[dendarii]

I don't know yet. Maybe. I'm not enjoying myself now, to be sure. And trying to use my powers to keep the change was a mistake.

[overemotionally]

[Geez Miles was taking this a lot harder than Jim thought. He was kind of glad he talked to Gregor before this. He's watching Miles carefully, thinking back to what Gregor had told him. At least if Miles was here and talking to him about it, he couldn't be off doing something stupid. He's vaguely reminded of the first time they played chess together and what kind of a mental state he had been in.]

Hurt yourself trying?

[dendarii]

[ It's really not all that dissimilar. But having Miles where you can see him is a relatively safe proposition. ]

Not too badly, thank goodness. Gregor talked me through it.

[overemotionally]

Yeah, he told me.

[dendarii]

... Ah. Did he.

[overemotionally]

Yeah. Told me who he was too. Your cover makes more sense now.

[dendarii]

I told you we did it for a reason. ... I am sorry we hid it from you, though.

[overemotionally]

I know. I believed you.

[Their link at the time had made that clear enough. He waves off the apology.]

Don't. We're past that.

[dendarii]

[ He nods then. ]

... Why don't you show me how to play, Jim?