royalfling | Deerington IC Inbox

[ Wu sees this message when he first gets his phone back, but he doesn't listen to it, not yet. There's too much else to do, to figure out, and he's hurt and confused and can't deal with Raleigh right now.

But later that night, he's alone and curled up in the guest room of Kristoff's house when he finally has the guts to listen to the voicemail.

Well. That's not so bad. That's... nice, actually. And rats? That's not what he thought, but it would make sense, with the bruises that had bloomed on that Mako's skin--

He calls Raleigh back, a little nervous, and smiles when he picks up. ]

Hi Raleigh. You're back to normal now? Right?

Wu. [said wth relief. There you are. He was sure you were gone for good now that he fucked everything up.]

Hey. I am, yeah. How are you?

I'm... [ That question shouldn't be hard to answer, but it is right now. Too much has happened to lie and say "fine," and Wu doesn't love pushing his emotions down, anyway. He had to do that for a long time, and he doesn't want to anymore.

After a moment, he sighs. ]

Exhausted. But better. I think?

.. oh shit, what's going on with Mako? Is he still holding you hostage? Tap the phone twice if it's a yes.

[ Wu laughs weakly and shakes his head. ]

No. He's not. He-- he's gone. The other Mako. That Mako.

I actually used some of the moves you taught me, to get away from him. Um, if anyone you know starts acting weird, they might have a flower. If you destroy it, they should go away. Poof.

[ He makes a poofing gesture with his hand ]

A flower huh... come to think of it he was totally different.. do I have a flower?

[There's a lot to unpack in what Wu just said. He's so confused but doesn't want to get side tracked and tries to snap back from the tangent.]

No- hey- but that's great. I mean, not that you had to defend yourself but that you did. I'm really proud of you.

Oh. [ Wu's cheeks flush at the praise, and he smiles again, just a little ]

Thanks. I guess I understand now why you drilled it so many times. Oh! And I ran. Like, really ran. It's paying off.

Hey, see? I told you it would. You're gonna be kickin' ass in no time.

[Very Proud over here!!! Papa Bear isn't exactly right but something alone that line.

God.. god he feels so much better now that they're talking. And yet? So much worse for what happened.

But, he's practiced what he wants to say and so he's gonna say it.]

Hey.. all those things I said to you the other day.. I don't really believe them. I don't think you're a liability. I never have. I was trying to push you away.. I was consumed by this idea that I had to keep Chuck safe and that meant keeping everyone away from him. There's no good excuse but I am so sorry. You're one of my best friends and that was unforgivable.

[ Wu hadn't exactly expected an apology like that. Raleigh had already said he was sorry in the voicemail, but hearing him say it, in real time, is different.

Slowly: ]

I accept your apology. If you're right, if it was the rat, then it's not your fault. It's Deerington that made you do those things.

But I won't lie and say that it wasn't... scary. I trust you and Chuck more than almost anyone else here, you're my friends. Everything that happened in the last few days was terrifying, and I don't want to lose you because of that.

[He'll apologize a few more times too if he needs to. He's so disgusted with himself.]

No.. I don't want to lose you, either. The last thing I ever wanna be is a danger and I hate that I put you in a position that made you feel unsafe..

[He could see that Wu was in trouble with Mako and chose to focus on driving him away.

He clocked that Mako was acting out of character and didn't do anything about it. Worse, he used it to his advantage to fulfill his own mission.

It's a dark, ugly, slimy thing that happened and the more Raleigh thinks about it the more sick he feels.]

That I didn't help you. That's not who I am.

[He thought, anyway. Apparently it is. ]

[ Wu is quiet for a moment. If he's honest, he probably would have asked Chuck and Raleigh for help. He should have, sooner than when Raleigh messaged him. But that Mako only got scary at about the same time that Raleigh did, leaving Wu with no one to turn to, not really.

He nods slowly. ]

No, that's not who you are. I, when you first texted me, that's what I thought. I thought that this isn't who you are. I hoped I wasn't wrong.

[He nods, slowly, shoulders heavy with regret. There's something that suggests he's unsure about that last part. Rat bite or not he doesn't have a flower or whatever so clearly this ugliness came from him and he really, really doesn't like that.]

No.. no, that isn't who I am. I sent that same message to just about everyone who's ever spoken to Chuck.

[As if that somehow makes it better. It does not.]

If you need your space I understand.

[ Wu bites his lip, then shakes his head. He doesn't want space. He doesn't like space. Wu heals by talking, by being with people. He knows he'll feel better if he sees Raleigh in person. ]

No. I, I need to see the babies, anyway. I can't let them grow too big without me.

[You're letting him off way too easy but he's grateful. So very grateful.]

Funny you should say that. I was thinking about coming by your place when you called..

[Raleigh holds his fluid back a little and angles down like a MySpace selfie, opening his jacket a little. He's been holding it kinda weird like he's upset or insecure. And while that's true he now reveals he has also been holding one of the babies against his chest.

Yeah, this.. this whole time he's had a raccoon in his coat.]

We were gonna go on a little fieldtrip to see you.

[ Wu lets out an excited squeal and sits up straight, really grinning for the first time ]

Oh, he's so cute! Raleigh!

[ He still wants you to come over! With that adorable baby! He wants to scritchy it ]

I, ah, you still could. You know, I had a very hard week.

[He smiles and closes his coat. He was half out the door, may as well. Here we come!]

Yeah, Chuck said a while ago he thought you were going through something.

[In fact he knows you are but Chuck keeps other people's business private so he didn't say anything more than that. Not even to Raleigh.]

Did you work it out?

Um, maybe?

[ Wu isn't totally sure if Raleigh is talking about That Mako, or about the week before, when he was afraid that his Mako would never talk to him again.

Boy, February has been rough. ]

What did Chuck tell you?

Just that he thought you were going through something. You seemed a little out of it at your party.

[He's happy to chat while he walks]

Do you wanna talk about it?

I... I don't know.

[ Accepting an apology isn't the same as things going back to normal. He might have shared that with Raleigh a week ago, but now, he's not so cute. And he's not sure where he and Mako stand, anyway. They haven't talked about what they are, and haven't talked about it since this Mako has been back.

Wu is quiet for a long moment before shaking his head. ]

Maybe later? I, things got better, then they got worse.

Mm,

[Yeah, fair enough.]

You're really going through the wringer this month, huh.

[ Wu lets out a breath, nodding ]

Well, I suppose I've had it easy. No, ah, death. No maiming. Just emotional turmoil.

[ It's a joke. Is it funny? Probably not. ]

But there was the fire stuff..

[Not to point out ALL the bad things that have happened to Wu recently but..

God, shut up Raleigh.]

Ah. Right.

[ At least that injury was healed pretty quickly.

Wu, who is rarely lost for words, stares at the Fluid for a long moment. He gives Raleigh a little smile. ]

I'll see you when you're here? I'm at Mako's house, next door to mine.

Yeah.. yeah we'll be there soon.

[Or you know, maybe he'll just throw himself into the gutter where he belongs, Jesus you're such an asshole, Raleigh.

He hangs up and takes a long, slow breath as he walks. He needs to just. Stop talking. Like forever.

And yet he will still head to Mako's. Things are strained and awful but he promised baby cuddling so the least he can do is deliver and head back off..]

[ Wu's sorted out his feelings a little more by the time Raleigh gets there. He is excited to see the baby, and glad for the opportunity to reconcile with Raleigh. He really is too important to let something the town did to him get in the way of their relationship.

When Raleigh knocks, Wu lets him in with a little smile ]

Hi, Raleigh.

two days later

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