-- You're always welcome here, I said before. But um, do we need to talk about stranger danger? Like, I find all imPort fandom really gross, but the ones who'd abduct hitchhiking imPorts are probably the worst ones, dude.
[he stretches up, rolling his shoulders]
Um, are you hungry or thirsty or anything? We've got stuff back at camp.
[She says like it's an basic factual statement, finally standing up now that she's satisfied with the condition of the little shrub. Uh, 'we', though?]
I don't need to eat. How many people are living out here?
Just me and my [the most negligible, 1/10th of a second pause] friend from Valhalla. I told you, remember?
[what Magnus had said is, I live with someone and he is also dead, followed by a request that Tefe not try to hitch any rides in his soul either, or whatever]
Do you photosynthesize? 'Cuz I'm a summer demigod, that's also something I can provide.
Right. [It's not that she forgot. Well okay, she did forget, with other things on her mind when she headed out here. But time for a smooth know-it-all recovery.] You didn't say he was from Valhalla.
[She seems a bit surprised by the offer though. That's... really nice of him to think of, though...]
Yes, but... it's okay. I think I've had enough of god powers for a while.
[a shrug, at the Valhalla thing -- what other dead guy/girl would Magnus be living with? -- but the other comment reminds him of something important. the video he'd watched, his focus had been on the guy dropping out of a jet to kick Persephone in the chest, not the cause for the imPort intervention. it's not until now that it registers, that the plant girl was Tefe. of course it was -- he feels stupid for not realising sooner]
[so he gives a reassuring, half-quirk of a grimace, starting to walk away from the stream, deeper into the woods, leading her to their campsite]
I was at that concert, too. Alex -- my friend -- had to take me home about five minutes into the first song. It really fucked me up.
[She agrees as she follows along back towards the camp, sullen. It was still hard to process how intense the pull of emotion had been... but the end result without that well-timed intervention could have been so, so much worse.]
I guess that's what gods do. I should have realized.
[that gets grey eyes to slide over; he can imagine, too easily, what Tefe went through, having gone through it himself]
[however]
Speaking on behalf of divinity, gods are kind of just like us. They are what they are, and they do what they do, and their choices are their choices. They fuck up, sometimes. Persephone doesn't choose what happens, to people who hear her song.
[he doesn't hold any grudge against Persephone, for the -- well, frankly, completely traumatizing and actual panic-attack inducing reaction he himself had. he's glad Alex was there, so nobody had to drop out of a jet and punch anybody]
For me, um, her song... was way, way too much. But a lot of people show up, to feel those feelings. Her song can help people get through grief, from death or whatever. She's an Underworld goddess -- I was dumb, for not realising what that might mean for me. Whether as a summer demiguy or, just, somebody who's been through a lot.
[Magnus stops walking, turning with a frown. that's not at all what he meant]
That's not what I said. It matters, when shit gets fucked up. It matters when gods hurt you. Divinity isn't a pass.
[he should absolutely know; his death, the destruction of his life, his ongoing stress in the afterlife, have all been orchestrated by a god because of who they are]
She should check in with you. And maybe apologise, even if it was out of her control. I'm surprised she didn't. But I guess, kind of also, not. She doesn't do feelings-time well.
[and he'll be following up on that, you can bet]
-- Persephone's kind of fucked up? I called us friends once and she stormed out on me. If she's being a jerk or emotionally constipated, it's because she's being a jerk or emotionally constipated. Not because her divine power gives her any right to be.
You're the one who just wrote it off with how she 'doesn't choose what happens to people who hear her song' and now it's just just she doesn't know how to handle her feelings. What happens if someone dies next time, get her to apologize for that too? But fuck it, I guess, since she's a goddess of the underworld, why would she give a shit.
[Not exactly the best at emotions either, but the difference being that Tefe just lets them out without thinking about it. She'd just planned to get away from people for a while, and not get into why, but here we are, all misplaced blame and guilt in one girl-sized package, starting on a vehement angry note... and ending on a low one]
You have no idea what could have happened. It was like I was dying and losing myself in the rest of the forest there... nobody there would have had a chance if it had kept going. Whose fault would that be?
[Magnus' voice is quiet, understanding; his grey eyes intent]
She should have made sure it'd be safe. I'm sorry you weren't safe.
[maybe he should have said that first]
...I just think you should talk to eachother about it. She does give a shit. [Magnus doesn't like speaking for people, but he feels like he's watching two people misunderstanding eachother right out of their lives, when they have so much in common] -- I felt like I was in Hel. I was dying, too, I had a complete mental breakdown and had to get rushed out. You don't think she understands, feeling like something dangerous? Feeling guilty about almost hurting people? Actually hurting people? She does.
[he sighs, scratching at the back of his head]
I'm not saying write it off. I'm saying, she's a person. Not just a goddess. We've all been through shit, obviously. It'd be stupid to turn on eachother, too.
[She should feel better about the idea that maybe it's not all her fault this time. But Magnus' agreement doesn't exactly quell that feeling inside her that it's as much her own fault as it is Persephone's.]
I'm glad you made it out okay, at least. You don't have any powers that mess with other people that I should know about, do you?
[he quirks a more genuine, if still bittersweet, smile at Tefe -- and then shrugs]
Um, I can give you the list, so you won't have any surprises. My dad's the hippie god Frey, so I can heal people and myself, and make it summer around me, and encourage fertility -- uhh, um, like mostly agriculturally I think, don't make a joke -- and consecrate spaces to be non-violent, and be temperature insensitive, and the nature stuff we talked about before.
[he's connected and made more powerful by nature, in a similar, less intense way than Tefe]
But I'm also still developing my powers. The Vanir -- that's my like, god family -- are mostly about peace and love and bounty, and um, beauty. [he seems embarrassed to admit that last one, but, well, they were] And fate, too. But that's not something I'm able to do when I'm awake, I think? I don't understand it. Whatever.
[Even making it summer probably isn't that much stranger than the way she's urged vegetation to reform for her. And look, gods and powers aren't weird or jokey. Texting is weird.]
Honestly, it sounds a lot nicer than some other families, especially for a bunch of gods. Did you ever meet any of them? Other than your dad, I mean.
Yeah, a bunch. I work for the chief death god. My aunt's always wanting me to visit. Most of them are surprisingly okay, just, y'know. Eccentric.
[he shrugs; they come into more of a clearing, which Magnus and Alex have made quite cozy. the campsite nestled in the woods of the Meadows doesn't look like something two runaway teens slapped together; it looks, in fact, like a campsite of experienced campers -- with laundry lines, a fairly costly looking cooler, storage bins of marked food, temporary lanterns (until they can afford the nice ones) lit in the trees with battery powered candles. two backpacks, through the half-open lip of the tent, can be seen neatly stacked on top of bedrolls and pillows and blankets. a firepit is surrounded by two very dumb looking beach chairs and some half-finished projects, clothes to be mended, a space-heater with it's back open and guts exposed. there's a crooked end table beside the tent with -- weirdly -- an incredibly expensive candelabra on it, as well as a high stack of books. the overall effect of the campsite is somewhat domestic, with the light coming through the trees, and the obvious care and time put into making it livable]
No, I don't know. The only God I really heard about was... I don't know. Eccentric definitely isn't the right word.
[It's pretty nice for a campsite, actually. Nicer than Tefé was expecting... until her eyes come to rest on the firepit, for burning wood. He might be a demigod, but he's still awfully human, too. And even gods don't care that much about the world, except as a place for their chosen species to live, she knows that much very well.
It's pretty obvious what she thinks of that firepit from her expression, even though she doesn't comment on it.]
Since I got here, really. He was doing the hobo thing until then.
[ the voice comes from the laundry lines, where alex emerges from behind the clothes she was checking for dryness. she's petite today, narrow and boyish, mismatched eyes sharp where they flick from magnus to tefe and back.
she wipes her hands on her jeans, then steps forward, crossing toward them. ]
Hey. I'm Alex. [ she doesn't offer a hand out, but it's nothing personal. she just doesn't usually touch people she doesn't know. ]
[Magnus feels a slight car crash (lol) occur in his brain when he sees Tefe's reaction to the fire pit, but then luckily Alex is stepping out. while she introduces herself, he snags his own towel off one of the sides of the tent, where it's hanging to dry, and drops it matter of factly over the pit. Tefe at least doesn't have to look at it while she's here, if it makes her uncomfortable]
[after this, the expression he turns on Alex is automatically a pleased, calm (ok vaguely doe-eyed) one; it's nice to come back to her, every time. he's excited to show her the rope swing, but that'll have to wait until after her and Tefe have maybe gotten to know one another a bit. would Tefe like swimming?]
[There's no indication that Tefé wants a handshake, so tat works out well. Instead, there's perhaps the faintest hint of closer examination in those green eyes of hers. For a couple of 'dead' people, whatever magic is going on is doing a great job making them seem alive to all of her abilities.]
Tefé Holland. So what, just living on the streets or out of a van? [Hey, no judgment, she's done it too. Although considering Magnus can't drive, she corrects herself with:] Maybe not a van. I guess it's a step up if you're just going to settle down here.
[Something about the tone implying that she herself isn't planning on it. And from a quick side glance... don't think she doesn't notice that towel covering the firepit. It's a nice gesture but geez, Magnus.]
[ she gives magnus a curious glance at the towel over the firepit, but doesn't comment on it. clearly it has something to do with their visitor, and she can ask about it later. ]
Between places, I think. [ mostly because she doesn't know how much magnus has told tefe and she doesn't want to talk too much about his business if he hasn't already.
she jams her hands down in her back pockets, rocking back on her heels briefly. ] I can't complain about our set-up. It's better than most places I've lived, and we're here together, so.
[that gets a quirked smile from Magnus, who is doing a cool job at pretending he didn't cover up Plant Atrocities like a bird that needs to go to sleep]
I didn't really see the point in having a set-up, without, um. Someone to share it with, I guess.
[that's a little embarrassing; he shrugs, going to take down one of the electric lanterns from the tree, stretching high (Alex put them up while she was considerably taller). it's still light out, but if Tefe stays long, they aren't going to be lighting any fires. maybe Magnus will go Nite Lite. once he snags the lantern off the branch, he places it next to the absurd candelabra, adding with some amusement]
Holland here thinks we should have a swanky treehouse or something, instead of being tent-vagrants.
And, wow, sharing the last name maybe wasn't a great idea because it feels kind of weird being called by just that. Then again, 'Tefé' isnt a great name either.
But that small scrunching of her expression changes at Magnus' words, brightening. That would be a great way to use her powers for something good... for a change. Even if it'd just be a little thing. She'd kind of forgotten about making a tree-house for herself, but out here... not that she knows Alex at all, but Magnus has been a pretty decent demi-guy.]
You know, it's not a bad idea. This is more than I expected, but you're still going to want something better in the winter. Are either of you afraid of heights?
[And in the vein of totally unprompted 'help', the tree Magnus took the lantern off starts to move its branches, very slowly, shifting. Better stop her now if you don't want this to happen.]
[ holy shit wait what? the tree starts moving, and automatically, alex throws her hands up to halt tefe before things get too out of hand. ] Woah woah, thanks for the offer, but uh-- [ a blink from the tree to tefe, then to magnus, then back to tefe. ] This isn't our land, and like.. a lot of stuff on it's connected to the guy that does own it. Like literally connected, so I don't know if it'd be a good idea for anyone else's seidr to be added to it.
[ it's all the truth, but it's also kind of an excuse, because alex and magnus definitely haven't had the chance to sit down and talk about a more permanent living solution yet.
gods. a permanent place. that-- the thought is kind of bizarre, really. even their rooms at the hotel aren't permanent. they're not meant to live there forever. and before that.. neither of them had a home for years. (alex had never really felt at home or welcome anywhere.) ]
Thanks, though. Can we ask for your help again once we've sorted stuff out?
[the leaves shift above them, and Magnus' eyes grow wide in panic, thinking would Ronan feel like he got an ingrown toenail or something as the tree stretches, but luckily Alex finds her tongue first -- which is typical]
[he does manage to add, hands waving with upturned palms]
Yeah, this is temporary. We weren't thinking about winter yet.
[well, he wasn't. he now realises that was some Privileged Son of Frey shit, and hopes Alex hasn't been getting too cold at nights. they should probably... talk about... their living situation. it's just been weirdly relaxing, how things are. is it weird of him to feel a little stressed about picking a more permanent place to live? it's been ages. and now it's also technically moving in with his girlfriend? not that they don't already live together. does living together at the Hotel count? it feels like it doesn't?]
[It's slow, but not that slow, and within the time it takes to stop, it's already easy to see where the main fork of the tree was starting to part for a floor, branches curling in, in parallel, where perhaps walls might be... but as it is now, without that in mind, it just looks like a very odd tree.]
Sure, but... I'm not adding anything, just changing what's already here. what do you mean by it's connected to some guy?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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-- You're always welcome here, I said before. But um, do we need to talk about stranger danger? Like, I find all imPort fandom really gross, but the ones who'd abduct hitchhiking imPorts are probably the worst ones, dude.
[he stretches up, rolling his shoulders]
Um, are you hungry or thirsty or anything? We've got stuff back at camp.
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[She says like it's an basic factual statement, finally standing up now that she's satisfied with the condition of the little shrub. Uh, 'we', though?]
I don't need to eat. How many people are living out here?
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Just me and my [the most negligible, 1/10th of a second pause] friend from Valhalla. I told you, remember?
[what Magnus had said is, I live with someone and he is also dead, followed by a request that Tefe not try to hitch any rides in his soul either, or whatever]
Do you photosynthesize? 'Cuz I'm a summer demigod, that's also something I can provide.
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[She seems a bit surprised by the offer though. That's... really nice of him to think of, though...]
Yes, but... it's okay. I think I've had enough of god powers for a while.
[She can't help but end on a bit of a sour note.]
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[so he gives a reassuring, half-quirk of a grimace, starting to walk away from the stream, deeper into the woods, leading her to their campsite]
I was at that concert, too. Alex -- my friend -- had to take me home about five minutes into the first song. It really fucked me up.
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[She agrees as she follows along back towards the camp, sullen. It was still hard to process how intense the pull of emotion had been... but the end result without that well-timed intervention could have been so, so much worse.]
I guess that's what gods do. I should have realized.
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[however]
Speaking on behalf of divinity, gods are kind of just like us. They are what they are, and they do what they do, and their choices are their choices. They fuck up, sometimes. Persephone doesn't choose what happens, to people who hear her song.
[he doesn't hold any grudge against Persephone, for the -- well, frankly, completely traumatizing and actual panic-attack inducing reaction he himself had. he's glad Alex was there, so nobody had to drop out of a jet and punch anybody]
For me, um, her song... was way, way too much. But a lot of people show up, to feel those feelings. Her song can help people get through grief, from death or whatever. She's an Underworld goddess -- I was dumb, for not realising what that might mean for me. Whether as a summer demiguy or, just, somebody who's been through a lot.
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[It never felt like anyone had ever given her that kind of slack when she was growing up.]
Just another reason gods are a bunch of bullshit.
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That's not what I said. It matters, when shit gets fucked up. It matters when gods hurt you. Divinity isn't a pass.
[he should absolutely know; his death, the destruction of his life, his ongoing stress in the afterlife, have all been orchestrated by a god because of who they are]
She should check in with you. And maybe apologise, even if it was out of her control. I'm surprised she didn't. But I guess, kind of also, not. She doesn't do feelings-time well.
[and he'll be following up on that, you can bet]
-- Persephone's kind of fucked up? I called us friends once and she stormed out on me. If she's being a jerk or emotionally constipated, it's because she's being a jerk or emotionally constipated. Not because her divine power gives her any right to be.
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[Not exactly the best at emotions either, but the difference being that Tefe just lets them out without thinking about it. She'd just planned to get away from people for a while, and not get into why, but here we are, all misplaced blame and guilt in one girl-sized package, starting on a vehement angry note... and ending on a low one]
You have no idea what could have happened. It was like I was dying and losing myself in the rest of the forest there... nobody there would have had a chance if it had kept going. Whose fault would that be?
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[Magnus' voice is quiet, understanding; his grey eyes intent]
She should have made sure it'd be safe. I'm sorry you weren't safe.
[maybe he should have said that first]
...I just think you should talk to eachother about it. She does give a shit. [Magnus doesn't like speaking for people, but he feels like he's watching two people misunderstanding eachother right out of their lives, when they have so much in common] -- I felt like I was in Hel. I was dying, too, I had a complete mental breakdown and had to get rushed out. You don't think she understands, feeling like something dangerous? Feeling guilty about almost hurting people? Actually hurting people? She does.
[he sighs, scratching at the back of his head]
I'm not saying write it off. I'm saying, she's a person. Not just a goddess. We've all been through shit, obviously. It'd be stupid to turn on eachother, too.
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[She should feel better about the idea that maybe it's not all her fault this time. But Magnus' agreement doesn't exactly quell that feeling inside her that it's as much her own fault as it is Persephone's.]
I'm glad you made it out okay, at least. You don't have any powers that mess with other people that I should know about, do you?
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Um, I can give you the list, so you won't have any surprises. My dad's the hippie god Frey, so I can heal people and myself, and make it summer around me, and encourage fertility -- uhh, um, like mostly agriculturally I think, don't make a joke -- and consecrate spaces to be non-violent, and be temperature insensitive, and the nature stuff we talked about before.
[he's connected and made more powerful by nature, in a similar, less intense way than Tefe]
But I'm also still developing my powers. The Vanir -- that's my like, god family -- are mostly about peace and love and bounty, and um, beauty. [he seems embarrassed to admit that last one, but, well, they were] And fate, too. But that's not something I'm able to do when I'm awake, I think? I don't understand it. Whatever.
[he cocks his head]
Anything no good, there?
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[Even making it summer probably isn't that much stranger than the way she's urged vegetation to reform for her. And look, gods and powers aren't weird or jokey. Texting is weird.]
Honestly, it sounds a lot nicer than some other families, especially for a bunch of gods. Did you ever meet any of them? Other than your dad, I mean.
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[he shrugs; they come into more of a clearing, which Magnus and Alex have made quite cozy. the campsite nestled in the woods of the Meadows doesn't look like something two runaway teens slapped together; it looks, in fact, like a campsite of experienced campers -- with laundry lines, a fairly costly looking cooler, storage bins of marked food, temporary lanterns (until they can afford the nice ones) lit in the trees with battery powered candles. two backpacks, through the half-open lip of the tent, can be seen neatly stacked on top of bedrolls and pillows and blankets. a firepit is surrounded by two very dumb looking beach chairs and some half-finished projects, clothes to be mended, a space-heater with it's back open and guts exposed. there's a crooked end table beside the tent with -- weirdly -- an incredibly expensive candelabra on it, as well as a high stack of books. the overall effect of the campsite is somewhat domestic, with the light coming through the trees, and the obvious care and time put into making it livable]
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[It's pretty nice for a campsite, actually. Nicer than Tefé was expecting... until her eyes come to rest on the firepit, for burning wood. He might be a demigod, but he's still awfully human, too. And even gods don't care that much about the world, except as a place for their chosen species to live, she knows that much very well.
It's pretty obvious what she thinks of that firepit from her expression, even though she doesn't comment on it.]
How long have you been living out here?
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[ the voice comes from the laundry lines, where alex emerges from behind the clothes she was checking for dryness. she's petite today, narrow and boyish, mismatched eyes sharp where they flick from magnus to tefe and back.
she wipes her hands on her jeans, then steps forward, crossing toward them. ]
Hey. I'm Alex. [ she doesn't offer a hand out, but it's nothing personal. she just doesn't usually touch people she doesn't know. ]
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[after this, the expression he turns on Alex is automatically a pleased, calm (ok vaguely doe-eyed) one; it's nice to come back to her, every time. he's excited to show her the rope swing, but that'll have to wait until after her and Tefe have maybe gotten to know one another a bit. would Tefe like swimming?]
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Tefé Holland. So what, just living on the streets or out of a van? [Hey, no judgment, she's done it too. Although considering Magnus can't drive, she corrects herself with:] Maybe not a van. I guess it's a step up if you're just going to settle down here.
[Something about the tone implying that she herself isn't planning on it. And from a quick side glance... don't think she doesn't notice that towel covering the firepit. It's a nice gesture but geez, Magnus.]
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Between places, I think. [ mostly because she doesn't know how much magnus has told tefe and she doesn't want to talk too much about his business if he hasn't already.
she jams her hands down in her back pockets, rocking back on her heels briefly. ] I can't complain about our set-up. It's better than most places I've lived, and we're here together, so.
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I didn't really see the point in having a set-up, without, um. Someone to share it with, I guess.
[that's a little embarrassing; he shrugs, going to take down one of the electric lanterns from the tree, stretching high (Alex put them up while she was considerably taller). it's still light out, but if Tefe stays long, they aren't going to be lighting any fires. maybe Magnus will go Nite Lite. once he snags the lantern off the branch, he places it next to the absurd candelabra, adding with some amusement]
Holland here thinks we should have a swanky treehouse or something, instead of being tent-vagrants.
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And, wow, sharing the last name maybe wasn't a great idea because it feels kind of weird being called by just that. Then again, 'Tefé' isnt a great name either.
But that small scrunching of her expression changes at Magnus' words, brightening. That would be a great way to use her powers for something good... for a change. Even if it'd just be a little thing. She'd kind of forgotten about making a tree-house for herself, but out here... not that she knows Alex at all, but Magnus has been a pretty decent demi-guy.]
You know, it's not a bad idea. This is more than I expected, but you're still going to want something better in the winter. Are either of you afraid of heights?
[And in the vein of totally unprompted 'help', the tree Magnus took the lantern off starts to move its branches, very slowly, shifting. Better stop her now if you don't want this to happen.]
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[ it's all the truth, but it's also kind of an excuse, because alex and magnus definitely haven't had the chance to sit down and talk about a more permanent living solution yet.
gods. a permanent place. that-- the thought is kind of bizarre, really. even their rooms at the hotel aren't permanent. they're not meant to live there forever. and before that.. neither of them had a home for years. (alex had never really felt at home or welcome anywhere.) ]
Thanks, though. Can we ask for your help again once we've sorted stuff out?
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[he does manage to add, hands waving with upturned palms]
Yeah, this is temporary. We weren't thinking about winter yet.
[well, he wasn't. he now realises that was some Privileged Son of Frey shit, and hopes Alex hasn't been getting too cold at nights. they should probably... talk about... their living situation. it's just been weirdly relaxing, how things are. is it weird of him to feel a little stressed about picking a more permanent place to live? it's been ages. and now it's also technically moving in with his girlfriend? not that they don't already live together. does living together at the Hotel count? it feels like it doesn't?]
[focus, Chase]
Ummm. Yeah. We might need a hand later, yeah.
[yeah]
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Sure, but... I'm not adding anything, just changing what's already here. what do you mean by it's connected to some guy?
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