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[Hange has a parade ground roar that can be heard across a battlefield. We are ranging into that loudness now.]

YES, BETELGEUSE!

WELL CHRIST.

ALL I EVER WANTED TO HAVE WAS A HOME AND PEOPLE TO WORRY ABOUT ME AND TO COME HOME TO.

YOU FLAMBOYANT ASSHOLE.

I really, really, really, really need you to start listening to me, and stop thinking the absolute worst case scenario of every interaction I have with you!

It's not you!

It's not....I AM listening to you!

I just had a bad talk with somebody I thought I was close to who said that I didn't belong here and that I wasn't trying at all. That you and Rhys and kids were putting up with me.

And all this consent talk and I wasn't gonna disappear without saying goodbye but I didn't wanna stay where I was just going to cause problems.

I DID listen. I am trying. I stayed, I was making sure you and Loki and Rhys were settled and I had a plan and I was going to make sure Bill was all right because I didn't wanna disappear on him right after Ford left.

Okay. Alright. Okay.

[Hange is forcibly calming herself down. Reset your breathing, tense every muscle in your body as hard as you can and relax, good, good.]

Well, I don't want you to do that. And surely my wish must hold at least as much weight as your mystery person's?

[Betelgeuse seems to take his human cues from her, and relaxes when she does, calming down by degrees as Hange calms down]

Yeah. Course it does. You're one of my closest friends I've ever had.

Good.

[Good.]

Who on Earth were you talking to? And, to be clear, if you need a break off the barge - I think you should rest if you need to. But don't leave.

I mean, the only place I would go is to Rosie's. Maybe after the holidays clear up and people go back to their usual crap they've got going on.

Tiff. It..jesus christ. She told me I..

[he looks uncomfortable, but not squirrely like he's trying to hide something; more like he's trying to find the words]

It was my fault. I was messing with a new girl and I was attracted and sang a dirty christmas song at her, and she stabbed me with a pencil to the eye.

And I wanna make it clear, we apologized to each other and cleared shit up afterwards. I thought she was into me and misread the signals, she thought I was the avatar of some demonic force from her world.

Tiffany? Tiffany said you weren't trying? That we were just putting up with you?

[There's a lot to unpack here so let's start with that.]

That - I mean, that doesn't sound like her at all. What the hell?

That’s why I was so upset about it! Fucking out of nowhere! She was treating my eye and asked me what happened and now she thinks I’m a rapist.

Or something. Look, I would never. You know that!

I do know that, but - I know you come on really strong, too. Some people are gunshy of that. It's something to consider, especially if the "new girl's" an inmate, but even if she's a warden...

You wanna walk over, or you want me to summon you?

I know! But I thought we were having so much fun! And she stabbed me and no hard feelings.

You wanna see me?

Yeah, but you're not always the best judge of that... and I don't mean to be too hard on you for that, because I'm not the best judge sometimes either.

And of course.

Thanks. Yeah. Wow. Look at us, a pair of goblins.

I can walk. I gotta get used to walking.

Be there in five.

Um-hm.

[The door will be unbarred for him.]

Edited 2020-12-29 04:56 (UTC)

[knock knock knock, Hange, it's your favorite ex-inmate at the door. He's back to being visible again; he's wearing a stretched-out sweatshirt that looks suspiciously similar to one Steve Rogers had been wearing, and the skin around one eye is new and pinkish from where he'd been stabbed and magically revived.

He looks like he'd been crying. Now he's trying for a smile, exhaling on the downbeat]

[there's a painting in progress on the wall, some kind of landscape mid-portrayal, and Hange wiping her hands off with a rag. She looks him over and nods towards the sitting area.]

Mm. I'm going to check in with Tiffany in a bit.

[he tilts his head at the painting, but stops when it makes his new eye water. Instead he walks in and settles down in his usual spot]

If you do, don't mention my name? I'm so fucking embarrassed.

...That looks nice.

I don't think I can do it without mentioning your name. But don't worry, I won't drag it out.

[She drops off the rag, circles around into a chair, stopping by to ruffle his hair before she sits.]

And thanks.

[he gives a sad grin at the hair ruffle, snuggling back with his arms ticked in the sweatshirt, pulling his knees against his chest on the chair]

You're not a half bad artist, Hange. I'd let you do my scenery any time.

I took it up! When I got here. Sitting down to paint something makes you look more closely.

[And her aide used to it. Ah, Moblit.]

I'm sorry you're feeling so sad, buddy.

Ah, yeah?

[He peers at the painting more closely, trying to determine where it could be]

Aw, you. Thanks. I just really feel like crap but less so than I did before. You and Loki, god. You're both amazing.

[Hange nods and then sits back in her armchair, eye briefly slipping closed. Big expenditures of emotion feel so... exhausting, at the moment. She gets where Bill's coming from on that.]

I recommend you taking something like that up.

Yeah.

DT and me are really into costuming. And I love singing, dancing, performing, all that shit.

Maybe we could be a duo. Take the show on the road.

Just...spitballing.

[Hange nods.]

Are those things that help you calm your emotions?

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