[ one of the few times they’ve spoken, bob had the impression koby was fishing for information to use in his investigations, but — he was friendly, still. and kind, when bob tried to quit the games about thirty seconds in.
it balances out well enough. ]
is that what we are? i’m not against it we just haven’t had the chance to talk much
[perhaps there's an element of damage control -- but that would involve thinking about last month, and koby very much wants to stop doing that entirely, thanks.
so:] I'd like to be. We were both fairly indisposed for most of last month, but now that that's all over, I'd like to get to know you better.
I might have slight ulterior motives, though, full disclosure.
Will you go to the gym with me? You're strong, I'm not. I won't ask you to punch me in the face because other people already promised to, but The more people I have expecting me not to give up, the easier it'll be to push myself.
[koby doesn't elaborate here that he's questioned and corroborated all the stories of what he missed whilst dead, and knows that bob was not only named as a suspect, but named in koby’s murder specifically. perhaps later, when they're past the awkward tiptoe of newness.]
Well, we don't need to fight, especially if you don't want to. Jake probably has that covered. And Adrian, I asked him too.
But company would be nice. Sometimes it's not fighting, just conditioning. 1000 push-ups or sit-ups or something like that. You can spot us, that'd be fun 😊
But you're saying you're really that strong without even trying? Really? Do you have an 8-pack? Is that too invasive?
i guess you didn’t peep the pics adrian posted in the diamonds chat
[ lmao ]
i mean i haven’t like counted but yeah whatever’s normal? or not normal i guess it’s how i am now, anyway the strength and being kind of jacked now and stuff 👍
don’t have to do anything actually i’m mostly trying not to do something on accident
Well, I'll admit to skimming, briefly [he said like a lying liar, but what's saved to his camera roll is between him and god, robert] but I thought it'd be more respectful to ask you directly.
Six is normal. Though technically with work the definition can be eight or, according to Jake, twelve, but I'm not sure how much I believe that.
Still, that's very impressive! You don't have to work out at all? Even for fun? It might be a good outlet? It was for me, when my powers awoke.
That and meditation, though thats more for that "don't do things on accident" thing you mentioned.
[every day he accidentally flirts with beautiful men 😞]
OH. Oh, that wasn't my intention. I mean, you're very attractive and pleasant so I wouldn't be opposed, but That'd be a lot to throw at you all at once, wouldn't it?
That's what I thought. Adrian had some interesting dolphin facts which I'm positive aren't based in reality. But he's nice. He means well.
"Extrasensory perception" is closest to explaining it. I can feel the life force and emotions and powers of everyone in the house, all the time. It almost killed me, when it awoke last year.
Yours sounds overwhelming. I'm glad it's you who has it, though.
[koby's about to ask if thats bad, but the clarification comes, which is nice.]
I think it might be. I know a lot can be too much for people, and that's okay. But if you say it isn't bad, I'll believe you.
It's called "haki". I can also use it eventually for shielding and fighting, with practice. Some people can also use it for destruction, but I think that's beyond me.
I'm not saying it to be nice. Or not ONLY to be nice. You care about whether your actions hurt people. There are a lot of people who don't, and who wouldn't with that kind of power. I think that's worth mentioning, that's all.
[ even the first time, overwhelmed by his power and val’s assurances, he hadn’t wanted to hurt anybody.
bob wants to say haki seems cool. instead, he can’t stop himself from chasing another, terrible thought. ]
a lot of people thought i could have been the one to hurt you stephen got up in front of everyone and explained how i would have done it it’s hard not to think about it
[that, at least, koby can say wholeheartedly -- bob's attempts to get out of the game were motivated by fear and, he suspects, a deep conviction he wouldn't be of use.
koby can understand that, perhaps deeper than bob knows.
the conversation shifts, and koby is reminded yet again of the long-reaching ripple effect of the games. what's worse -- to be killed by someone you trusted, or to be accused of murdering an ally, a friend, and spend weeks wondering if it could be true?]
I heard he accused you, yes. And a lot of people agreed, or seemed convinced.
I also heard you took the accusation bravely. I know that doesn't help much now, thinking about it, but It was an impossible place to be in, and you behaved honorably despite that.
you don’t have to apologise or make me feel better about sitting there with my head in my hands you’re the one who got hurt
i just wanted you to know because it’s part of the reason why the idea of me doing practice rounds with you and the guys is off the table it wasn’t me that hurt you in the end but i could have done it just as easy as stephen said could still do it on accident i can’t risk that
I know I don't have to. But I want to. Because if it were me, I'd feel horrible. I felt bad enough with Dom accusing me, and that wasn't taken seriously at all. If someone seriously accused me of killing someone and I had nothing to say in my defense, because I had no way of knowing, it'd be torture. And I don't want you to feel that, especially when it wasn't your fault.
[a pause, taking it in, turning it around in his head.]
That makes sense. I won't ask you for that again. I'm not afraid that you'd hurt me, but they're not my powers. They're yours. That's why I'm not asking just anyone. I wouldn't want to hurt someone either, even if they wanted me to.
I do want to see if I can do more push-ups than you, though. I think I can. Maybe.
[ he actually, impossibly, laughs at that, and it’s enough for him to skip over the truth no one has questioned since the votes (about the bad powers that go with the good, the darkness he supposedly wields.) ]
thanks koby i’m sure you’ll give me a run for my money especially when my shitty form is gonna give jake an aneurysm
[it's not that the thought hasn't occurred to koby -- it has, and has been promptly set aside and ignored, because as far as he's concerned, bob proved himself by wanting to give up, but not. and they're no longer in the midst of a game that could take those powers -- good or bad -- and use them against bob's will.
so instead: roasting jake seresin in his absence, a much better usage of time.]
I think that's good for him, every once in a while. Ani might call it "enrichment". I told him I didn't know what protein powder was and I thought he was going to have an emotional breakdown for a moment.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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you know it’s not your job to keep track of every newbie you talk to, right?
[ also, you literally died??? ]
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That's not what I'm doing.
I'm checking in on my friends. 😊
[get cared about, idiot.]
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it balances out well enough. ]
is that what we are?
i’m not against it
we just haven’t had the chance to talk much
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so:] I'd like to be.
We were both fairly indisposed for most of last month, but now that that's all over, I'd like to get to know you better.
I might have slight ulterior motives, though, full disclosure.
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i don’t think you’re supposed to say when you have ulterior motives
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Well, I don't like lying. Or ulterior-ing.
So maybe they're
Exterior motives?
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You're strong, I'm not.
I won't ask you to punch me in the face because other people already promised to, but
The more people I have expecting me not to give up, the easier it'll be to push myself.
1/?
don’t know how to fight at all
i mean i’ve been in a bar fight before i guess
as in i’ve been hit in a bar fight
2/?
not on purpose i mean
just cause i have super strength
like extra super
more than homelander or buffy or whatever
[ based on val saying he is stronger than the gif of thunder and the empirical evidence of three super soldiers failing to move him an inch. ]
jk DONE!
definitely can’t hit you
or teach you anything
but i could like
bring water?
or
spot you?
i think that’s what guys do at the gym
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Well, we don't need to fight, especially if you don't want to.
Jake probably has that covered. And Adrian, I asked him too.
But company would be nice. Sometimes it's not fighting, just conditioning. 1000 push-ups or sit-ups or something like that.
You can spot us, that'd be fun 😊
But you're saying you're really that strong without even trying?
Really?
Do you have an 8-pack?
Is that too invasive?
1/2
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i guess you didn’t peep the pics adrian posted in the diamonds chat
[ lmao ]
i mean i haven’t like counted
but yeah
whatever’s normal?
or not normal i guess
it’s how i am now, anyway
the strength and being kind of jacked now and stuff 👍
don’t have to do anything
actually i’m mostly trying not to do something on accident
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Well, I'll admit to skimming, briefly [he said like a lying liar, but what's saved to his camera roll is between him and god, robert] but I thought it'd be more respectful to ask you directly.
Six is normal. Though technically with work the definition can be eight or, according to Jake, twelve, but I'm not sure how much I believe that.
Still, that's very impressive! You don't have to work out at all? Even for fun?
It might be a good outlet?
It was for me, when my powers awoke.
That and meditation, though thats more for that "don't do things on accident" thing you mentioned.
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most people aren’t direct about that kinda thing for no reason
[ 😇 ]
jake is lying about the twelve pack, if he’s your source
and adrian is lying about everything
or like exaggerating
[ bless my beautiful buff friends ]
what’s your power sitch?
cause if i swing wrong, i’m taking out the whole east wing of this place
[ so. probably better not to play with the other boys :( ]
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OH.
Oh, that wasn't my intention. I mean, you're very attractive and pleasant so I wouldn't be opposed, but
That'd be a lot to throw at you all at once, wouldn't it?
That's what I thought.
Adrian had some interesting dolphin facts which I'm positive aren't based in reality.
But he's nice. He means well.
"Extrasensory perception" is closest to explaining it. I can feel the life force and emotions and powers of everyone in the house, all the time.
It almost killed me, when it awoke last year.
Yours sounds overwhelming.
I'm glad it's you who has it, though.
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a lot might be your thing
which isn’t bad
[ it makes him think of adrian. ]
whoa
that’s crazy
[ as for that weirdly intimate assessment, ]
you don’t have to say that
i don’t think anyone’s supposed to have this power
[ especially not bob. ]
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I think it might be.
I know a lot can be too much for people, and that's okay.
But if you say it isn't bad, I'll believe you.
It's called "haki". I can also use it eventually for shielding and fighting, with practice.
Some people can also use it for destruction, but I think that's beyond me.
I'm not saying it to be nice. Or not ONLY to be nice.
You care about whether your actions hurt people. There are a lot of people who don't, and who wouldn't with that kind of power.
I think that's worth mentioning, that's all.
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maybe
thanks koby
[ even the first time, overwhelmed by his power and val’s assurances, he hadn’t wanted to hurt anybody.
bob wants to say haki seems cool. instead, he can’t stop himself from chasing another, terrible thought. ]
a lot of people thought i could have been the one to hurt you
stephen got up in front of everyone and explained how i would have done it
it’s hard not to think about it
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[that, at least, koby can say wholeheartedly -- bob's attempts to get out of the game were motivated by fear and, he suspects, a deep conviction he wouldn't be of use.
koby can understand that, perhaps deeper than bob knows.
the conversation shifts, and koby is reminded yet again of the long-reaching ripple effect of the games. what's worse -- to be killed by someone you trusted, or to be accused of murdering an ally, a friend, and spend weeks wondering if it could be true?]
I heard he accused you, yes.
And a lot of people agreed, or seemed convinced.
I also heard you took the accusation bravely.
I know that doesn't help much now, thinking about it, but
It was an impossible place to be in, and you behaved honorably despite that.
It makes sense why it'd stick, though.
I'm sorry.
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or make me feel better about sitting there with my head in my hands
you’re the one who got hurt
i just wanted you to know because it’s part of the reason why the idea of me doing practice rounds with you and the guys is off the table
it wasn’t me that hurt you in the end
but i could have done it just as easy as stephen said
could still do it on accident
i can’t risk that
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But I want to. Because if it were me, I'd feel horrible.
I felt bad enough with Dom accusing me, and that wasn't taken seriously at all.
If someone seriously accused me of killing someone and I had nothing to say in my defense, because I had no way of knowing, it'd be torture.
And I don't want you to feel that, especially when it wasn't your fault.
[a pause, taking it in, turning it around in his head.]
That makes sense.
I won't ask you for that again.
I'm not afraid that you'd hurt me, but they're not my powers. They're yours.
That's why I'm not asking just anyone. I wouldn't want to hurt someone either, even if they wanted me to.
I do want to see if I can do more push-ups than you, though.
I think I can. Maybe.
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thanks koby
i’m sure you’ll give me a run for my money
especially when my shitty form is gonna give jake an aneurysm
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so instead: roasting jake seresin in his absence, a much better usage of time.]
I think that's good for him, every once in a while.
Ani might call it "enrichment".
I told him I didn't know what protein powder was and I thought he was going to have an emotional breakdown for a moment.
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