viii | voice; backdated to early morning

[invoking]

[ A voice post today. Having barely gotten any sleep from his inability to tune out the voices when he wanted to and Raven's power being hone, Gil doesn't want anyone to see the bags under his eyes and pale complexion.

His voice is forcibly calm the whole time. ]

I need to know who else was on that bus yesterday. The one where everyone's powers were supposedly switched. Was it really with someone else on the bus? No natives or maybe an imPort who wasn't on it?

[ A pause. ]

Did everyone at least make it out alright?


[ THIS PRIVATE FILTER IS SO WEAK IT MAY AS WELL JUST BE PUBLIC... ]

About yesterday... I didn't get to finish filing away all the papers, so it's a mess... and the copy machine was still running.

I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be able to come in for the next few days. If it's possible to request some time off and then work extra hours if needed later on-- [ He's not entirely sure how this works. ] I'll put in the extra hours.

Comments

[invoking]

I don't understand the kids here. [ He never found out Jess Drew was Spider-Woman, but he didn't like the idea of a kid superhero. ]

I... [ He hesitates. He doesn't want to burden her with his problems. ]

[kickpushbaby]

What?

[ She's really not going anywhere until he says something, staring at him intently. ]

[invoking]

I don't sleep much, anyway. It's nothing to me.

[kickpushbaby]

Yeah, but you're supposed to sleep more when you don't feel good.

[invoking]

[ A beat. ]

I can't. [ Another. ] I tried already.

[kickpushbaby]

What happened?

[invoking]

I really don't know. [ He sits on the couch, burying his head in his hands. All it takes is some focusing and the headaches stop, right? So he needs to remain calm.

That's too difficult right now. ]

I was at work-- then suddenly the bus. There was a flash of light and something hot. Then... [ He pauses and tenses. He'll sound crazy. ] Then all these voices.

[kickpushbaby]

[ Jesse frowns. ]

A lot of people who got stuck on the buses ended up hearing voices in their head. Maybe that's what you got?

[invoking]

Telepathy.

That's what Kenzi called it.

[ WHO WOULD WANT THIS HORRIBLE POWER? His head feels like it might combust. ]

[kickpushbaby]

Means you can read people's thoughts right?

[ She pauses and starts thinking really, really hard about tomato soup. ]

[invoking]

[ What is she doing? He starts wondering and looks at her. He regrets it immediately when his temples throb painfully and something about soup (what on earth?) crosses his mind. ]

Ah--!

[ He clutches his head again. ]

[kickpushbaby]

[ She feels bad pretty much instantly. ]

Fuck, sorry! Sorry, that was a shitty thing to do.

[ She nudges him to lay down on the couch, hoping that might help a little. ]

[invoking]

[ Most of the pain resides. He now pulls back from her, concerned. ]

You shouldn't be here. What if I hear more of your thoughts? [ That's some sort of invasion of privacy right there.

And worst of all, what if he accidentally shares his thoughts with her? Then she'd know too much and the lowly, cowardly person he really is in this world. ]

[kickpushbaby]

[ Jesse shrugs and plops down on the floor. She's way too tired to be standing around forever. ]

Not like I got anything to hide.

[invoking]

I don't want to hear. [ It sounds frightful coming from him, but it's true. He's had enough voices in his head to last him a lifetime. ]</small

[kickpushbaby]

Oh... okay. [ But she really doesn't want to leave, she's still worried. ]

Are you gonna be okay by yourself?

[invoking]

Of course. [ He pauses. In a way, he doesn't want to push her away, but he's terrified of the idea he might somehow project his thoughts onto her. ] Sorry, Jesse.

[kickpushbaby]

[ She pushes herself upright, shrugging when she's on her feet. ]

Whatever. Yesterday was shit for everybody.

[invoking]

Yeah. [ He doesn't even know where everyone else he's acquainted with is. He can only hope they're alright. ]

There's leftovers in the fridge if you need. You just need to put it in that... microwave machine.

[kickpushbaby]

Microwave, dude. [ She gives him a twitchy little smile and shrugs again. ]

It's cool, I got something back at my place. You should eat when you feel better.