"Yeah. And I visited each of the scenes and it was kinda terrible and this morning I saw a four-year-old hanging from the ceiling fan and then in the afternoon got chewed out by Director Piggot for spending too much time socializing and not going to the therapist and because my power's been wacky lately but I'm pretty sure it's some trump power the Skinners have and I kinda needed someone who isn't a cape or in the PRT to talk to. I kinda—need to forget. That this all exists. I need the weird serial killers to be a sensationalistic blurb on the news, not my daily life." At some point he hid his face in his hands, and a sniffle might betray what they're hiding. He conjures a can to kick away in frustration.

"Oh you poor thing." She sits on the arm of his chair and wraps him in her arms and hugs him again.

The chair is suddenly much larger, and he leans into the hug. "And it's pointless to tell my friends, or my girlfriend, they're heroes too, they know about it, they're as bitter and frustrated and angry as I am, and it doesn't help that I keep thinking about how it could happen to them, too, has happened, we're still short on capes because of stupid Behemoth's little act of childish spite."

Snuggle snuggle pet pet.

"Rewind can turn back time, except there just wasn't enough matter left for her to do that to, they were reduced to smears on something that used to be asphalt."

"And the PRT's just not looking out for you like they should."

"I mean, what can they do? I could go to a PRT therapist but I don't have depression, I have very justified anger and frustration at the state of the world that keeps robbing me of the people I care about and being awful and terrible." It sometimes feels like everything he does is for nothing. "It sometimes feels like everything I do is for nothing."

Hugs. "Well, at the least they shouldn't be chewing you out when you're having a rough time already."

"Apparently I'm not doing enough." He killed Behemoth, after all, didn't he? "I killed Behemoth, what more do they want?!"

...

.......

.........oops.

"Uh, that was very classified please don't ever tell it to anyone."

Squeeze. "Oh of course I would never."

"Thank you," he murmurs, because of course she would never. She's Chelsea.

Pet pet. She rocks him a little bit.

"...so that's the mess I am right now. You can run away screaming if you want."

"Would I do that?"

"No, of course not, I'm sorry. Just, I guess I didn't even realize my head was so full of, of, of that until now."

Pet pet. "Do you feel better now?"

"...a bit, actually. Yeah." Squeeze.

"So your girlfriend's a hero too, that must be hard."

"Yeah. She's, uh, I'm dating Lorica. That's, also a secret, the PHO forums are already insane with speculation but it's better for our image if it doesn't get out."

"Her image is so serious all the time."

"She's really introverted, and it—actually kinda suits her. She doesn't even unmask to anyone that's not, well, me. She's a very private person."

"Hm."

He sighs. "I've been—feeling a bit. Weird. About us." Pause. "She and I, I mean."

Nod nod.

"I don't know what it is. She's—I mean, I like her, I'm—pretty sure I love her. She's ridiculously smart and driven and kind..." But also closed off, not really emotionally available, somewhat cold- That's not really true, though, is it? She is in fact usually emotionally available, but... "I'm not even sure what's wrong. I just don't feel like I can confide in her, there's something, I can't—I don't know what it is."