TLV IC Inbox

[falkeditupagain]

[It seems someone has decided to change his voicemail following graduation. Hes trying so hard to sound professional, business like, but Hanna's usual enthusiasm bleeds through easily.]

You have reached the mailbox of Hanna Cross. If you don't have an appointment, my secretary will follow up with a return message shortly. [a short pause.] meaning me. I'll get back to you, don't worry.

And if this is an emergency what are you doing on the phone? Cardio is your friend. byyyye!

Comments

[falkeditupagain]

Sure thing, dude.

What's up?

[artistinexile]

Do you find me odd?

[falkeditupagain]

Oh...uh, I think I'm the wrong person to ask if you want an answer that isn't like, an outliar?

I was so out of place back home no one wanted anything to do with me. My scale is a little broken.

[He doesn't think Thrawn in the kind of guy who likes straight answers though, so he'll try.]

I think you're very particular, like things just so. It wouldn't surprise me if you were the kind of guy who did things step by step and if you skipped one, you'd start over, but I don't think there is anything particularly wrong with that. [If neurospicy was a term in 2009, he'd use it.]

Does that help?

[artistinexile]

No.

But thank you anyway.

[falkeditupagain]

Well, good luck then.

Why are you asking anyways? You don't seem like the self conscious kind of guy.

[artistinexile]

An excellent observation. I am not.

My warden believes my graduation hinges on making me likable, sociable, and politically astute. He regularly assigns me tasks: asking others what they find strange or off-putting about me so I can course-correct is one of them.

[falkeditupagain]

[There is a pause before he has to ask another clarifying question.]

Sooo, is that all like, verbatim, or are you paraphrasing here?

[artistinexile]

We were discussing nuances in behavior. I have been called strange all of my life. Here, I am afforded the patience of others to finally understand why. Florian suggested I ask directly.

[falkeditupagain]

Hmm. Well, that makes sense.

Though I think maybe you're asking the wrong way. You just asked me if I found you odd, but what you didn't ask, is if I found any of your behavior alarming or off-putting. Which, I mean, might award you some different answers if you don't mind people being more honest with you.

[artistinexile]

I do not mind honesty: I prefer it.

[falkeditupagain]

Some people don't, at least not the brutally honest kind, so wording it that way might help.

[Which makes him feel like maybe he should bring up that thing he did that one time that made him super uncomfortable.] Speaking of, you remember when we were on that beach, hell if I can remember what that island was called...the one with the boats?

[artistinexile]

I do.

[Thrawn remembers everything, it's a bit scary]

[falkeditupagain]

You chose just then, when I learned something about you that made you uncomfortable, even if I didn't really have much of a choice in learning it, to make me uncomfortable. And kind of framed it in a way that made me feel bad if I didn't give you more information.

Was that like, just to make me feel uncomfortable and entirely on purpose, or what was the thought process there, cause I try to be fucking subtle and I know I'm not the best at it, but you kind of caught me off guard and It wasn't the greatest thing ever?

[artistinexile]

Ah.

I wished to shut down all discussion of Batonn, and chose a tactic of intimidation as my opening salvo.

It is a source of great sorrow and embarrassment, even mourning.

[falkeditupagain]

Yeah, well that absolutely worked, but you know what else would have worked and probably not made me super uncomfortable?

'Hey Hanna, Batonn is a source of great sorrow, can you shut the fuck up?'

[artistinexile]

You truly needed me to say those exact words? I felt my posture, expression, and language would have spoken volumes already.

[falkeditupagain]

[He shrugs, he can be a little slow on the uptake when curiosity is guiding his bullshit.]

Not those words exactly, but I dunno if you noticed, I'm kind of an idiot? My levels of awareness are dependent on quite a few factors, and unfortunately curiosity brings it down to like, a fucking one, and that's being generous.

[artistinexile]

Hmmn.

Perhaps we both suffer from a lack of situational awareness.

I apologize for my actions at the boats.

[falkeditupagain]

That's probably fair. I think this is why I suck at talking to women...you'd think it'd be fine, but it absolutely isn't sometimes. But, apology accepted. [And now it's your turn Hanna.]

I- I'm sorry that I kept asking you questions about something that upsets you. I wasn't trying to be mean, just honestly curious, but that doesn't make it any better.

[artistinexile]

[suuuch an eyebrow raise]

Why women, specifically?

Apology accepted, Hanna.

[falkeditupagain]

Probably because I get distracted by how cute they are? And then I go and say dumb shit like 'can you go track this down cause you're like a dog' or 'You have to take that off right now, it's cursed and you could die' and they really don't like that.

[artistinexile]

Ah.

Perhaps you have not spent enough time around them. I believe most of your nervousness may be attributed to novelty.

....Then again, perhaps not.

[falkeditupagain]

[That gets a snort out of him.] Ouch, you know you're great at the sick burns when I'm pretty sure you're not even trying.

But I dunno, I've always been like this? Wasn't like I was trying to impress girls in the fourth grade, but they just seemed like they would never make any sense to me.

[artistinexile]

[a slight smile of his own]

My apologies.

Perhaps if you reconsidered your approach. What is your objective?

[falkeditupagain]

Naw, it's cool. That's what buddies do anyways, casually make fun of each other.

[He's sure he'd know if Thrawn was trying to insult him.]

Uh...be friends? Not make a fool of myself?