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[swatsflies]

@ZD
Yo! I'm not in right now. Leave me a message.

((OOC: Zell may show messages to Jim Hawkins. If you do not want Jim to see/know, then please let me know.))

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@LELRIC; audio; evening 196

[armoured]

Hey, Zell...

[He's been a little worried.]

I didn't see you in those corridors, and I haven't heard from you for a while, are you... you're okay, right?

@zd; audio

[swatsflies]

[ He finds himself touching the bandaged gash on his head while he responds. ]

Yo, Al! Yeah. That was probably for the best. I wasn't feeling well there. [ A pause. ] I'm much better now! Thanks for checking up. How are you?

[armoured]

What do you mean, you weren't feeling well?

[No, he's going to focus on Zell now, and that's the concerned motherly tone coming out.]

[swatsflies]

[ NOT THE TONE. ]

The whole place tasted like blood or made you dizzy. [ A beat and then he'll add sheepishly ] And a ghost might have dropped a sharp rock on my head.

[armoured]

[...A ghost dropped a sharp rock on his head.]

I think you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that, why-- where did the rock even come from?

[swatsflies]

[ It's just a flesh wound! ]

Not sure how much more I can be. I was going through the area where the hallway drops randomly, and I fell down. Then there was some kid laughing. They dropped the rock from above.

[ It was super creepy. ]

[armoured]

[That sounds really REALLY creepy.]

Did they just laugh, did they say anything? It's just-- Brother and I saw someone, something, and it spoke to us first.

[swatsflies]

Whoa! You saw something, too? [ He's thinking back over the short interaction. Shaking his head, even if Al can't really see it. ] They just laughed and were gone before I could even look for them.

[armoured]

That sounds like something really different from what we saw, then.

[He hums thoughtfully for a moment.]

Do you still have the rock?

[swatsflies]

I gave it to Jim in the maze. [ To keep him from hurting anyone and to give him extra protection. ] Let me double check with Jim.

[ He presses the tablet against his chest to muffle some of the sound. Al can probably still make out Zell asking Jim about it. The voices go back and forth a little longer than a simple question, which might hint to Al things might not be okay, but eventually he Zell comes back! ]

Looks like it vanished with the food and backpacks.

[armoured]

[That's annoying, the rock might have been useful to examine more closely with things like the microscope to see if it was the same sort of rock as the rubble around town.]

Is everything okay?

[That was a long absence, Zell!]

[swatsflies]

[ He makes a noise. ] Yeah, it's fine. [ Spoken a little quickly as he rubs the back of his neck. ]

It was just a rough time for us. [ Very rough. ]

[armoured]

[He can't exactly frown, but the concern comes through in his voice clearly.]

Do you want to talk about it?

[swatsflies]

[ He has apparently caught the sighitis because he's letting out a heavy sigh. ]

He's just worried I'll keep blaming myself. Nothing to worry about.

[armoured]

Blaming yourself about what?

[He sounds half concerned and half stern, what's been going on here?!]

[swatsflies]

I wasn't really myself in the maze and could have killed someone. [ He also accidentally hurt Jim. :( ]

[armoured]

Oh.

[His voice softens, warm with concern.]

He's right, you know, that's not your fault.

[swatsflies]

[ He had a feeling Al would say that, but still feels the flood of relief coming over him from actually hearing it. ]

Yeah, I know. It's just hard. This place keeps finding new and exciting ways to screw with your head. It happens way too easily.

[armoured]

I know.

[He wishes he had something more comforting to say than that, but he doesn't.]

You have to try and listen to Jim, and Zack, and everyone else who's here to support you, though. We're going to get through this together, so you have to stay strong.

[swatsflies]

[ It's something straight up Zack would say, which earns a smile. Though there is something niggling him about the words. The I know has him worried. He didn't answer it earlier. ]

I will. You can count on it. [ A beat. ] What about you?

[armoured]

Huh? What about me?

[Wilfully ignoring the intent behind the question.]

[swatsflies]

You know what about you. How are you doing? [ Especially after all of that crap. ;-; ]

[armoured]

Zell, I--

[Even he can't bring himself to say that he's fine at the moment.]

I'm getting by.

[swatsflies]

[ He doesn't like the sounds of that. ]

Alright. You know, if you ever need anyone... I'm here. We're all in this together, right?

[armoured]

[There's a long... long hesitation.]

My brother is dead.

[Did he know already? Maybe. But it's at least some explanation for why he isn't doing well.]