IC Contact

[offtracks]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, NOBORI.

FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 17.128.903.472

*** NOBORI has joined 17.128.903.472

<NOBORI> Hello! This is Ingo!
<NOBORI> How may I help you?

Other Handles: Wayward [anon]

Comments

[familyproblem]

It's fine. [Not the telling Emmet part, just in general. This is good! We're good. He still feels mixed up about the whole situation but this has been a good talk. None of this will get said out loud because he's a teenager. You know.]

...Emmet suggested "getting up in her business" to investigate. [do you like being right] Told him that was a bad idea.

[so. gladion actually did not say that specifically, he just implied it. for the record.]

[offtracks]

I...suppose he does that.

[Ingo blinks. It is nice to be right, if slightly surprising!]

But I am sure he will respect your judgement on the matter! [He hopes, anyway? He doesn't feel like he really knows Emmet that well...but maybe a part of him does.]

[familyproblem]

[His judgment on the matter...

Man. Maybe it's been long enough now since The Encounter for some of his thoughts to have started sorting themselves out, because suddenly he just has this...wad of things he wants to tell Silvally. (And, of course, he can't. And, you know, he might never get to.)

(His face falls again without him really realizing it.)

(How did Lillie ever get over this uncertainty? He should know how. But, how?)

Gladion is thinking, solemnly for a first few moments with his eyes on the table, then restlessly for a few moments more with his gaze roaming anywhere but Ingo's face. Brain Lillie is back, and she's suggested that he say what he's feeling, and he's fighting with himself about it.]

I, uh. [When you fight with yourself, every victory is also a defeat, and vice versa. He looks uncomfortable uncomfortable, though thankfully not in a dire-situation way.] I don't know if - I'm not sure if I tru- no. Uh.

[His ears are turning red. He doesn't expect Ingo to laugh, but also....like......please don't laugh.......]

I - honestly - my judgment on the matter. Not too confident in it. I guess. I - think I know how she'd react to things, but figuring out the right thing to do, that's more...

[He. Shrugs, as if to dismiss the whole thing, but it's clearly out of embarrassment because come the fuck on now. He's so torn because it does, in fact, feel kind of good in a gross way to air an insecurity like that, but also it kind of feels bad as hell too and Lillie are you sure this is what makes you less cringe.]

[offtracks]

[Ingo doesn't laugh! He doesn't even look amused - though, probably Gladion hasn't seen him that way often enough to be able to read it on his weird face anyhow.]

We cannot always know the right thing to do before we do it. You can only do what you think is best, and adjust your strategies if you find the need. [...] Would it help to discuss your plans?

[familyproblem]

[Not without explaining more about her. And he just...can't do that yet. Not until...not yet. On the chance, on the sliver of hope that she's better and all this worry is for nothing.

He shakes his head slowly.]

Nah, I barely have a plan yet. Just wanted to [hear that it was fine to not have everything under control?] be honest.

[offtracks]

Very well. But should you ever wish to talk more about it - or, indeed, if you need anything at all - please know that I am always here for you.

[He leans forward in his seat as he says this, painfully earnest in a way that clearly indicates he's not fully picking up on this particular flavor of Teenage Embarrassment.]

[familyproblem]

[internal screaming. external staring at the table.]

Thank you, Ingo.

[overwhelmed + self-conscious but he can manage to be genuine for that much at least.]

[offtracks]

Of course. I do not know what I would have done in this place, if you were not here.

[Maybe he'd have fled E+L on his own. Probably he would have. But maybe, alone and so terrifyingly vulnerable, he wouldn't have been able to defy them. Regardless, it was certainly easier to muster the will to escape and survive when he was not alone.]