01 | 024 | video

[resultofwar]

[So, Heero has been back for a few days, and it's sort of not really occurred to him that he hasn't actually formally announced this to anyone. He may have graduated, but he is still not exactly a totally functional human being in the traditional sense.

He switches on the video feed, and those who are familiar with him may notice he seems a little older, but otherwise seems much the same. Also he's alive! And a warden now! So those are pluses.]

My door handle broke, and the toolkit I've got with me doesn't have an appropriate screwdriver to put it back together. Does anyone have one I could borrow?

[Pause. Realization that that was a weird ass way of announcing to everyone that he was back.] For anyone interested, I've decided to come back as a warden. The situation at home has resolved itself.

[Private to Kay]

I visited Cooper. He's doing well.

[Private to David]

[And he is holding up his new PS3 controller.] Thank you?

[This is equal parts 'what am I supposed to do with this' and 'I'm surprised you didn't get me like, a decapitated small animal as a warning or something'.]

Comments

[Private]

[sixthanimorph]

Alright! Now that's a game you're gonna be good at.

[Private]

[resultofwar]

I guess. Why did you get me this?

[Private]

[sixthanimorph]

Because you could stand to chill out a little every now and then. Do normal kid stuff.

[Private]

[resultofwar]

I'm not a normal kid.

[Private]

[sixthanimorph]

Yeah? Neither am I. [There's a sudden fierce insistence in his voice.] That doesn't mean we can't be normal once in a while. Hang out, play video games, watch some tube. There's no Yeerks here chasing me and no ass-ugly giant robots you're being forced to fly. Why not enjoy it?

[Private]

[resultofwar]

Because I don't know how to.

The difference between us is that you had that experience before the Yeerks invaded. I didn't. I'm never going to be able to appreciate "hanging out" in the same way you do. [And since his tone continues to be pretty flat, it's pretty clear that this doesn't seem to bother him. He really doesn't have anything to compare it to, and while yeah, it might be nice to have it, there's no point in being depressed that he doesn't.]

[Private]

[sixthanimorph]

[Wow. That's... that's depressing. For a moment David doesn't really know what to say.

But then he rallies.] It doesn't mean you can't learn, man. How are you gonna sit there and tell me I can still change and graduate and get out of here, and then say you'll never change? Give it a shot. I'll teach you. [The words are out of his mouth before he knows what he's saying, and he stops, a little surprised with himself. Heero is... complicated, but they're not exactly buddies. This offer wasn't really something he was planning on making.]