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[atypical_echo]

What it says on the Tin

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plz feel free to stalk that convo 😂

[heydrb]

I text your sister to ask about therapists out here.
It was a shit place to put you in so I just... took you out of it.
You don't have to tell her anything, until you want to.

Re: plz feel free to stalk that convo 😂

[atypical_echo]

Surprisingly considerate of you. Thinking of someone else first. You've been doing that lately. Color me shocked.

[heydrb]

It was stupid to expect you to do that for me anyway.

I stalked

[atypical_echo]

Listen, I may spend a lot of time angry at you and maybe hate you at least a third of the time, but you still deserve a chance to grow. I wasn't expecting her to be fully agreeable.

Hehee <3

[heydrb]

Geeze, tell me how you really feel, Mark.

[…]

That’s a joke, by the way.

She’s not without her obvious doubts and reservations but she’s gonna look into it for me.

Re: Hehee <3

[atypical_echo]

Like that's even remotely the worst thing I've said to you. Literally said 'salted the earth'.

I guess I shouldn't prod her on it.

[heydrb]

Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten that one.

Nah. You don’t have to worry about it.
She’ll get back to me.
She said she doesn’t want to deter me from getting help, personal history aside.

[atypical_echo]

Not shocked. I think she's a bit more understanding of you now that she's met some of the other Tier Fives. Especially Helen.

[heydrb]

Maybe, yeah.

[He’s quiet for awhile after that, not entirely sure what else to say, where to direct the conversation. He isn’t done with it, he keeps idly picking up his phone and trying to say… something. Anything, just to not be done right now.

Eventually, what he settles on is: ]

I think I might get a dog.

[atypical_echo]

[That's actually... interesting. Mark's quiet too, because he has to think about this. Think of how to react.]

You have a job, right? I'm just checking because you need money to have a dog.

[But taking care of something with more pressing needs and that would still love him unconditionally might not be bad.]

[heydrb]

[His first, most immediate knee-jerk response is to want to snipe and say he knows it takes money for a dog, but…

…it’s a good point. And he knows Mark didn’t mean it in a bad way.]

Waitress at one of the diners downtown told me about a guy looking for help.

Doing what, I have no idea, but I’m supposed to talk to him Monday.

So… not yet, but hopefully soon?

[heydrb]

violin.mp3

[Just a recording.
Sent without comment.
Enjoy, Mark.]

[atypical_echo]

[His response doesn't come for a while, but that is definitely after he's listened a good bit.]

I see you got your hands on a violin. Pretty good stuff there, D.

[Is there a seriously non-zero chance that he sent the audio file without context to Sam and asked her if she could help him figure out how to cut it into a cellphone ring tone? Yep. Is there a seriously non-zero chance that said ringtone is now going to happen whenever Damien calls him? Yep.]

[heydrb]

Weird the way some things just never really leave you, no matter how long you go without touching it.

[Which isn't to say it didn't take some adjustment, some shaking out the rust practicing before he'd actually decided to send Mark something. But still. It hadn't been nearly as hard to pick back up as he had expected it might be.]

[atypical_echo]

Yeah. Like picking up a bicycle. With strings. And a bow.

[heydrb]

Something like that.

[atypical_echo]

Keep practicing. Maybe where you moved has a small local band you can play with. Great way to make friends.

[heydrb]

Yeah, maybe. We'll see.

[How are you?
How have you been?
How's life?

All things he starts to type and then deletes.]

What have you been up to?

[Still feels stupid.
Oh well, too late, he already hit send.]

[atypical_echo]

[If only someone would ask those things. Other than Joanie of course.]

I've started looking for work again.

[heydrb]

[Damien wants to? But simultaneously feels like he has no right to. And also second-guesses 97.99% of everything he texts Mark anyway. RIP.]

Anything good on deck yet?

[atypical_echo]

[Oh fuck that. Learn to be happy.]

Not yet. Sorta flaking on the last gig hurt me.

[heydrb]

You'll get another one.

lays this here - no pressure, but it sounded fun. 👀

[heydrb]

boop.

Re: lays this here - no pressure, but it sounded fun

[atypical_echo]

(I am vibrating here. Will need to think a bit)

[heydrb]

(take your time! 💖 I look forward to it!)