rp post

[excontractu]

for offscreen interaction 

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[inhumanresources]

Go on.

[selfdissecting]

[ kind of tears up with the sheer overwhelm—harmless, but embarrassing

BLURTS, ] I like you. And I asked you for coffee because I wanted you to go out with me.

[inhumanresources]

[THE LOGICAL LEAP BETWEEN THOSE THOUGHTS

:o]





Hhhhhhhhhhhhh—uuuuhhhhhhmmm.

[selfdissecting]

[ THE POINT IS DYING AND ALMOST DYING HAS SCARED ME INTO WANTING TO EXPRESS THINGS AGAIN ]

The way I was probably made you crazy. That day.

[inhumanresources]

I just thought . . . you seemed a little lost . . .

[MUCH LIKE MYSELF RIGHT NOW,]

[selfdissecting]

[ GOD, they laugh??? ]

Yeah. [ hand over their mouth, trying to muffle the high-strung edge ] I had just given something away that I regretted, and—I wanted to hide it. But everything is insane now, so. Now I am telling you.

[inhumanresources]

Okay.

Well, I think it would be nice to get to know you better. There'll be some paperwork, first, but . . .

[selfdissecting]

[ wait

wait. wait.

white-knuckles the counter ]

...This was not supposed to end in paperwork.

[inhumanresources]

I'm. The head of HR.

[selfdissecting]

[ SQUEAKS ] I know that!!

[ they were just here to explain themselves and then escape!!!!!! ]

[inhumanresources]

[:o]

Then. If you want to try going out. We'll have to do the paperwork.

It doesn't have to be right this instant?

[selfdissecting]

[ WIDE... EYED. their rings clink against the edge of the counter; the adrenaline is making them vibrate even though they cannot actually feel it

i. need to sit down

their mouth says: ] I'll do it now.

[inhumanresources]

Okay. Can you wait a minute for me to go find the forms?

[selfdissecting]

[ they exhale as if the air was punched out of them and nod, kinda dreamily, ]

Mmhm.

[inhumanresources]

[VANISHES AGAIN

he appears a few minutes later with a pen and a few forms. it's not too many. they're fairly simple. holds them out to maeve]

Here, you can write on the desk . . . then I'll do my part of them.

[for all that he seems calm, a few feathers do drop]

[selfdissecting]

[ i'm doing it, bugsy. i'm being a functional adult, signing forms so i can date the hr rep for my workplace that i die for, and i'm only having 1/3 of a panic attack about it ]

Mm...

[ they take the forms, they take the pen, and half-stumble to stand by him so they can spread each document out and read it over. except their gaze just slides all over the page for a few seconds, and then they take another sharp breath ]

—Wait. I have to tell you something else first.

[inhumanresources]

What is it?

[selfdissecting]

[ have to tell him, because what if that's the difference between his wanting to sign these papers and not

they school their expression (they think) ]

That thing I gave up. I can't... feel pain. Anymore. Or if you touched me at all—I had to give it away after we went through the gate to the white city. Remember?

[inhumanresources]

That's—

[horrible]

Oh. I remember.

[selfdissecting]

[ it's horrible! ]

S-So. Most of the time it is like I am dead. All I have to give anyone is [ they do an "all of me" gesture and half-laugh ] my personality.

[inhumanresources]

Well, it's a nice personality.

[selfdissecting]

[ fuck ] Oh, my God.

[inhumanresources]

[molts more,]


Was that bad?

[selfdissecting]

Not bad.

[ i. just wish i could feel you touch me. wild.

head down, they pen their signature on one document, then the next ]

[inhumanresources]

[when maeve's part is done, he takes the paper and pen and signs his]

So . . .