rosswood | IC Inbox

[This is not quite how she imagined the conversation to go. She felt like talking about it would help her get a better grasp of things, and get Alex safe at the same time. But now it feels more like it's spinning out of her hands.]

What... What do you mean handle it? I'm just going to shoot off a few texts, and... and...

[And what? Everything will be okay?

But she has to believe that. She has to believe she can make it okay. Otherwise people might die.]

Don't you dare do anything stupid, Alex-... You just mean you'll stay safe? Right?

'Course, yeah.

[Fired off distractedly while he engages Sans in some not-so-witty repartee. Just tell him how to kill the little shit, boneman, and stop dancing around the issue.

He only hesitates a second before forging ahead.]

Look, it's like I said. I've dealt with some weird shit. Chances are this kid's got nothing on what I've had to -

[He clips the sentence oddly. Max doesn't need to know that.]

Are you gonna stay safe?

[She doesn't 100% believe him, but Alex is just adding on layers of complication to an issue that she barely feels in control of already. And she'd notice that clipped sentence if she wasn't so distracted by much more distressing things.]

Yeah. Just texts.

I should... I should start on those. To Sans and Chara.

[She is honestly not looking forward to either of those conversations and the hesitation is strong in her tone. But after practically challenging Chara to prove how bad they are (which seemed okay at the time, but after a while of incessant worrying seems a lot worse) she needs to get this all straightened out.]

Seriously just... don't do anything extreme. Okay?

[Extreme? Him? Of course not.]

If things get squirrelly, I'm serious - just - [Just what? Don't panic? Don't worry? He'll handle it?] Just get out. Who knows what it'll take to get rid of this thing.

[Sure, he likes Sans. That doesn't mean he trusts him completely. There's something a little off about his totally radical laid-back persona, like he knows more than he's letting on.]

It'll be fine. Sans probably knows how to keep a leash on them.

Okay... Okay. [She's half agreeing, half calming herself down. Texting Chara and Sans seems like a good place to start. She's starting to feel a little bit more like she has a chance to correct things.]

I should go and send out those texts. [A big sigh.] Sorry again.

Look, it'll be -

[Well, no. He can't just keep saying it'll be okay when he has no guarantee of that. He chews on his lip for a moment, internally debating.]

You were being strung along. S'not your fault.

[She knows how unkind Alex can be about certain things, and she knows how hard it is for him to be sympathetic. So she must be a real mess if he's going out of his way to calm her down, despite the static, which she is just starting to really notice.]

Right. [There's sarcasm in her tone, but it's gone a moment later. No need to be frustrated at him, too.] I'll... try to keep that in mind.

[Diverting the blame off someone else's shoulders isn't a talent that comes naturally to him, nor does being at all consoling. But he's dealt with worse, or so he's set on believing, and he's not about to just sit and let Max tear herself up about this. He's not that heartless.]

Sans'll work it out, okay?

[And Alex will take some...ill-advised action, if necessary.]

God I hope so. I hope Chara's just... crazy or something, but not murder-crazy.

[Seriously, how does she always get involved in all the insane stuff? She wants to curl up in some corner and just... let the emotions wrack her for a while, then fade away. But she can't even stand still.]

I'll text him.

Yeah. Hopefully.

[He says, darkly, glaring at the opposite wall like it's spited him in recent memory. He flexes his fingers in distaste.]

They might look like a kid, but they might be something else. So just - remember that. And stay out of their line of fire.

You too. [Maybe it'll all come out okay - weeks of paranoia and lack of sleep have probably just set her on edge. Alex could be feeling the same way. Maybe it's all just some overreaction.

She's not sure she has the privilege to believe in things like that anymore, but at least it's comforting.]

I'll talk to you later.

[Oh yeah, he'll stay out of the line of fire. Sure. Suuuuure.]

'Kay. Watch your back.

[He hangs up with the faint crackle of distortion, then rakes fingers through his hair.

Looks like things just got interesting in the worst way possible.]

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