IC Voicemail

[thejakeisalie]

You have reached Barnaby Brooks Jr. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Comments

[voice]

[miata]

Did he do something to you? Could go to scare him for you. If you want.

[She sighed, and rubbed at her eyes. She had been sleeping when the broadcast woke her up, and she's yet to go to sleep since.]

Did he hurt you? Don't want you being like Kotetsu. Don't cover the hurts. Not here or now.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

No... no. He didn't hurt me. I'm quite sure he could have, but he didn't.

[He falls silent for a few moments before continuing.]

I do not intend to hide when I'm hurt. It would just lead to complications later, not to mention being extremely painful for me.

[voice]

[miata]

[She sighed in relief. Good, no one was getting hurt right now.]

And it would hurt everyone you care for. And hurt those who care for you. Even a little bit. Is....is about trust. Yes? And not being scared that others will hurt you when you are wounded.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

[Well, Fai was. But he'll avoid mentioning that.]

Yes, I suppose it is. [Now if he could only get Kotetsu to realize that.]

[voice]

[miata]

[He did seem a little stiff Barnaby.]

Guess he's very scared. Being here.

Re: [voice]

[thejakeisalie]

No... he's done this before, at home. More than once.

He doesn't want people worrying about him like that... I think he thinks it makes him less of a Hero, somehow.

[voice]

[miata]

That's stupid. It doesn't. It makes him more human, and only...only humans can be heroic. Or brave.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

I didn't say it was very smart. Or very logical.

To be honest I don't know why he does it, or what could change his mind. I'm going to try, but... he's probably been like this for a very long time, so I'm not sure how successful I'll be.

[He's being a bit chattier than usual, but it's probably the fact that he hasn't been sleeping well coupled with his worry about his partner and the fact that Miata is an almost-friend.]

[voice]

[miata]

[Which is perfectly all right. She's used to being chatted at, about, or around. What she isn't used to is an expected response.]

Hope it works. Otherwise it looks like he's trying to die.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

[He makes a strange little choked noise.]

D-don't say that! He's not going to die.

[He won't let him.]

[voice]

[miata]

Looks. Looks. He won't die. We'll make sure he does not.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

...alright.

[He doesn't really like this; he wants to help Kotetsu himself, without help from anyone else. But he recognizes how foolish that idea is, so he'll accept her help too. With great reluctance, but he'll accept it.

He hesitates for a long time before he finally whispers,] Thank you. [And then he terminates the feed.]