IC contact 2.0

[h2no]

Yo! Water you doin', you missed me! Bwhahahahaha! Leave a message and Archie'll get back to you when Archie deems the time to be right!

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1st one

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[namesaquestion]

[A little bit of both; more genuine than not, but hell if this emotionally constipated teenager'll admit to it.]

That doesn't even make sense! I'm either allowed to do something or not! It's as simple as that!

[... Right?]

[h2no]

No. These things aren't black and white. Most things aren't, and you'd do good to learn that sooner rather than later.

[he leans back lightly in the bed.]

Actions have consequences. All of them. Even actions you think are good or justified.

[namesaquestion]

I know that! I'm not some stupid, coddled kid!

[It's more a frustrated whine than not and maybe just maybe, he should let the matter drop, agree with what Archie says. But he can't, because what Archie wants leaves so much wiggle room to act behind his back-

Maybe he shouldn't be approaching this like he would his father in terms of absolutes, yet it is really the only frame of reference he has.]

Am I or am I not allowed to do anything to him? Or do I pretend that I don't want to feed him to Baku?

[h2no]

You're not allowed to do anything to him.

[that's final, in archie's eyes.]

But you don't have to pretend to feel how you don't.

[namesaquestion]

Yessir.

[There's a short, sharp nod and Niko seems to relax just a fraction.


... ... ... and actually sitting in the chair he'd dragged over earlier, now.] Do you want me to leave him here when I leave, just in case?

[h2no]

[shaking his head:] No, keep your team with you. I'll be safe here.

[he does genuinely believe that.]

[namesaquestion]

You better be...

[It's a grumbled reply. Tired, too. As if all the emotion, for now, has been drained.

Or at least is simmering and Niko can't be bothered to stoke it into anything else right now.]

So, where'd you get shot anyway?

[h2no]

Doesn't matter where, just know it'll take a little while to heal. Maybe a couple months.

[he's pretty sure he's been told this'll affect him for the rest of his life-- at least, until it's removed by some porter means, but archie doesn't mention that.]

Go and get some rest, Niko. You don't need to stress yourself out here.

[namesaquestion]

-Even with the nanites? That's not fair.

[The only reason he even crosses his arms is to stop from rubbing the arm he broke on the maiden flight of Project Alke.

At the suggestion to go and get rest, though? He juts his jaw in a stubborn set. Does he need to be here? No.

But he wants to be here. Archie means something Nikolai can't put into words right now. ] I'll leave when I'm ready.